Re: First major snowfall this year

On 29.11.2023 15.53, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> 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.
>>
> 
> You're breaking my heart :(
> (You can record on your cellphone --d'oh!)

WHAT? Is there anything that infernal thing can't do. (Apart from
keeping spam callers away).

-- 
BeH

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