Re: First major snowfall this year

On 18.12.2023 20.45, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> 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).
>>
> 
> It can do that. So far, the spam texts have been properly triaged.

Once in a while I get a call about some fabulous investment
opportunities - usually presented in hard-to-understand accented
english. Some days I don't speak english at all, which seems to be a
difficult concept to understand...

-- 
BeH

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