Re: First major snowfall this year

On 22.11.2023 14.33, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> 
>> On 08.11.2023 14.11, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 25.10.2023 16.26, Merlyne wrote:
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jules Verne.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He was french, you know. All that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> stuff > about the english he wrote in 80
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> days - > he made that up. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't remember what he said about the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> English. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The character description of Phineas Fox
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and the members of the club, I mean.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't remember the descriptions. The
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> one who bet against Phineas Fogg was a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> real asshole. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And not even in a proper gentlemanly way,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> either. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The very first scene is where Fox fires
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> his servant for serving a boiled egg that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> has not been boiled exactly the required
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> time. And then he goes to his club. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That is in line with the behaviour of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pompous asses on shows like Downton Abbey.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyways, it worked out for him because he
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> met Passe portout. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes. And hired him on the spot, with no
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> references and no interview or test-boiling
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of eggs. Because he had to catch a train. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We all have our own methods.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He was on a tight schedule at the tine.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Typical. Everyone is in a hurry.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To be fair he had a lot of money on the line...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I can see where that will make someone skip some
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the details. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sure. Philleas Fogg, you are forgiven...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You say that now, but imagine what all his
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gentlemanly acquaintances would think if they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> knew... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm guessing they would be thrilled that he had a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> non-white man servant. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Being english it was probably more scandalous that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> he employed a frenchman. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was probably socially acceptable to employ a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fr*nchman to iron your knickers and such.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Could be, but as a man-servant he would be in direct
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> contact with his master a lot.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But still a man-servant none-the-less.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But French.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wouldn't it be better to have a Frenchman at your beck
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and call? An exotic foreign servant?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It's my impression the neither "exotic" nor "foreign" were
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> considered positive attribute in that time and place.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have the opposite impression.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> May I suggest some contemporary (19th/early 20th century)
>>>>>>>>>>>> literature describing the non-english populations of the
>>>>>>>>>>>> empire... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Getting sleepy...can't seem to stay awake....
>>>>>>>>>>> Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Maybe some Kipling...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Can you read to me?
>>>>>>>>> *bats eyelashes*
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sure. But do you think you can hear it from over there.
>>>>>>>> (Do I even have any Kipling in the house? Hmmm)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You can call me and read a chapter or so or record a file and
>>>>>>> send it over. 
>>>>>> I still don't know if I have any Kipling. Also don't you already
>>>>>> have everything ever published on your e-reader thingie...
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't have *every* book...
>>>>> Also, it doesn't read to me.
>>>> I'm sure there is an even more advanced gizmo you can buy that will
>>>> read to you in whatever voice you prefer.
>>>
>>> There is. I heard BeH is going to read me some Kipling.
>>
>> Well I checked. I have nothing by Kipling. I can sort of hum part of
>> Baloo's song for D*sney's version of the Jungle Book but that's about
>> it. 
>>
> 
> The Bear Necessities?
Exactly. hm hm hm hmmmmm hm-hm-hm-hm...
> You can get some Kipling from the library, I bet.
> Or just choose something else.

Or choose to not. In any case I don't have a microphone.

-- 
BeH

" We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to
formulate insight is a play on words." - Niels Bohr