first metric century :)

[Peter B]

A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading stating
"Fed up with being pushed around by Brussels".

Had this appeared in The Stun I'd have assumed it deliberate
but I imagine it went over the heads of most at the local
rag (Or it was some sublety like "Roger the cabin boy"
which went over my head when I was five).

--
Regards, Pete

 

[Graeme]

"Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
> leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading
> stating "Fed up with being pushed around by Brussels".

Lost me a bit there.

<snip>
> (Or it was some sublety like "Roger the cabin boy" which
> went over my head when I was five).

There was no subtlety there to miss, the cabin boy was
called Tom. Urban myth time I'm afraid.

http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/kids/pugwash.htm

Cheers!

Graeme

 

[Jon Senior]

Michael MacClancy [email protected] opined the
following...
> I'm so glad you wrote 'English' there. Of course the
> Scots, Irish and Welsh have such wonderful reputations for
> their linguistic skills, don't they? (Not counting those
> poor souls who feel oppressed because they have to speak a
> foreign language in their own countries, that is.)

The Scots don't tend to move that far from their homeland...
after all, nowhere else in the world could be better! ;-)

When backpacking in Italy last summer, I was horrified by
the lack of language skills possessed by many of the people
we met. The non-native English speakers we met, all spoke
reasonable-to-perfect English, yet the native English
speakers often knew nothing of Italian (Or the language of
any other country they visited!). While I wouldn't expect to
be fluent before entering a country, I aim to have "Please",
"Thankyou", "Hello", Goodbye" and at least 1-10, if not 1-
100. For any European country this can't possibly take more
than a few days to master, and in return you have at least
put in some effort (You can also usually ask for things in a
shop and thus survive!).

> ;-)
>
> Mind you, do you really think the English are worse than
> the Merkins?

No. But given we are a part of Europe, it'd be nice to be
setting an example.

> My experience of living abroad is that many people who
> speak English, regardless of their nationality and whether
> it's their first or second language, have problems
> learning the local language. This isn't because they don't
> want to but they tend to move in social and work circles
> where English is widely spoken and an easier
> communications medium.

It's true that you can travel to most places and speak
English, and you'll be understood (Often as an arrogant ****
but hey...). That said, in suburban Verona we managed to
find a Tratoria in which not only didn't the staff speak
English, but none of the other customers did either. Some
furious hand waving and very broken Italian managed to get
us a bowl of pasta, despite the kitchen being closed (We
think the owner took pity on the obviously stupid
foreigners!).

Jon

 

[Graeme]

Jon Senior <jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> The Scots don't tend to move that far from their
> homeland... after all, nowhere else in the world could be
> better! ;-)

Oh I don't know. The Scots played a very large part in
colonising the empire (not that that is anything to
shout about).

I'm writing this from Australia, which is pretty far away.
But yes, I think you're on to something with "nowhere else
in the world could be better" ;-)

Graeme

 

[Peter B]

"Graeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> > A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
> > leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading
> > stating "Fed up with being pushed around by Brussels".
>
> Lost me a bit there.

I pictured the brussel sprouts intimidating the greengrocer.
>
> <snip>
> > (Or it was some sublety like "Roger the cabin boy" which
> > went over my head when I was five).
>
> There was no subtlety there to miss, the cabin boy was
> called Tom. Urban myth time I'm afraid.
>
> http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/kids/pugwash.htm

Thanks for the link.

--
Regards, Pete

 

[Michael Macclan]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 07:42:16 +0100, Jon Senior wrote:

> When backpacking in Italy last summer, I was horrified by
> the lack of language skills possessed by many of the
> people we met. The non-native English speakers we met, all
> spoke reasonable-to-perfect English, yet the native
> English speakers often knew nothing of Italian (Or the
> language of any other country they visited!). While I
> wouldn't expect to be fluent before entering a country, I
> aim to have "Please", "Thankyou", "Hello", Goodbye" and at
> least 1-10, if not 1-100. For any European country this
> can't possibly take more than a few days to master, and in
> return you have at least put in some effort (You can also
> usually ask for things in a shop and thus survive!).
>

I share your opinion that it's not difficult to learn a few
simple words but I also have a theory that provides a degree
of forgiveness for native English speakers.

This is that whatever foreign language native English
speakers learn it's nearly always the wrong one. I learnt
French and Spanish at school but I ended up living in
Germany and having to learn German from scratch. I'd have to
do the same with most countries I might live in - or I
wouldn't bother and just get by in English (actually this
isn't really an option because I like learning languages).

It's a lot easier for people who don't speak English as
their mother tongue. The default second language is normally
English and with this they can get by in most places.

If a German visits Sweden s/he might be complimented on
his/her excellent English. If a Brit visits Sweden s/he
isn't going to be complimented on the excellent Italian that
the Swedish host has never heard him/her speak!

--
Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "I've just learned about
his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S.
Cobb www.macclancy.demon.co.uk www.macclancy.co.uk

 

[Whingin' Pom]

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 15:20:53 +0100, "Ambrose Nankivell"
<[email protected]> () wrote:

>In news:[email protected], Daniel Barlow
><[email protected]> typed:
>> "Ambrose Nankivell"
>> <[email protected]> writes:
>>
>>> accusing me of being an alcoholic instead. Because I
>>> mentioned I was too ill to drink any beer, a relevant
>>> symptom, IMHO.
>>>
>>> Anyway, I'm not bitter, honest.
>>
>> Just lager than you were? I hop this doesn't tun into
>> another pun thread; that would ale be a bit much.
>
>I was going to draught you a reply, but I'm bottling it up
>now. Can't see the pint.

Stout fella! I'm getting browned off with this punning.
Anything geuze, or so it seems.

--
Matt K Dunedin, NZ

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Graeme
('[email protected]') wrote:

> "Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
>> leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading
>> stating "Fed up with being pushed around by Brussels".
>
> Lost me a bit there.
>
> <snip>
>> (Or it was some sublety like "Roger the cabin boy" which
>> went over my head when I was five).
>
> There was no subtlety there to miss, the cabin boy was
> called Tom. Urban myth time I'm afraid.

Not strictly. Roger the Ship's Boy is indeed there in
children's literature, merely misplaced into Pugwash. He
appears in Swallows and Amazons.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; 99% of browsers can't run ActiveX controls.
Unfortunately ;; 99% of users are using the 1% of
browsers that can... [seen on /. 08:04:02]

 

[Mark South]

"Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Alan Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]...
> > Nowadays, not so fast, but about 55 years ago I was
> > cycling home from work one evening and a motorist
> > started to tail me, after a little while
> it
> > was begining to iritate me and I was just about to stop
> > and say something when he drew anlongside and shorted at
> > me that I was travelling at 30 mph, I didn't know what
> > to say as a response.
>
> Oh, a pissing contest!

All you need to win one of those is a bigger waterbottle
than anyone else.

> Nowadays at 50 years old I travel downhill on a road bike
> at up to 40 mph with a tail wind in Leicestershire and 42
> mph downhill on rough tarmac roads in Derbyshire on an
> mtb. I once rode downhill at 50mph in Yorkshire. Speeds
> verified in 2 cases on 2 different bike computers on my
> bikes and in the other case with a computer on a friends
> mtb. These are easier to use at 40mph than working it out
> with a map and stopwatch.

I regularly break the 60 km/h speed limit on roads near
where I live. The local drivers are somewhat law-abiding, so
they don't attempt to overtake. Except for black Audis -
some things are the same everywhere.

Of course, that's because there are Big Hills around here

--
"Since you must keep improving, a $5 bike offers a lot more
opportunities to improve it, and can be improved cheaper.
It's expensive to improve on a $2000 bike." - Rick Onanian
in rec.bicycles.tech

 

[Martinm]

"Mark South" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "MartinM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "Ambrose Nankivell"
> > <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:<[email protected]>...
> > > In news:[email protected], Roger
> > > Hughes <roger@hughes-MYSPAMFILTERSWORKPRETTYWELLANYWAY-
> > > translations.com> typed:
> > > > the numbers themselves are not particularly
> > > > important (except inasmuch as they will tend to
> > > > determine psychological barriers, which is where
> > > > this century (and that is entryist American cycling
> > > > slang, too) thing comes in; likewise with getting
> > > > under the hour or indeed, getting one's weight back
> > > > down below 15 stone)
> > >
> > > More to the point, surely an imperial century(style
> > > thing) should be 144 miles or something like that
> > > anyway.
> > >
> > > A
> >
> > Also, why do we still think there are 12 hours in a day?
>
> Solar or sidereal?

Who's been listening to Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis? ;-)

 

[Tony W]

"Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
> leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading
> stating "Fed up with being pushed
around
> by Brussels".

As a child I was sometimes admonished for 'playing with my
food' when pushing cold and soggy brussels round my plate.

They never, as far as I can remember, fought back.

Is this a new GM strain?

> Had this appeared in The Stun I'd have assumed it
> deliberate but I imagine it went over the heads of most at
> the local rag (Or it was some sublety like "Roger the
> cabin boy" which went over my head when I was five).

Is that like Muffin the Mule?

T

 

[Mark South]

"MartinM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Mark South" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "MartinM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > "Ambrose Nankivell"
> > > <[email protected]> wrote in
> > message news:<[email protected]>...
> > > > In news:[email protected], Roger
> > > > Hughes <roger@hughes-MYSPAMFILTERSWORKPRETTYWELLANYWAY-
> > > > translations.com> typed:
> > > > > the numbers themselves are not particularly
> > > > > important (except inasmuch as they will tend to
> > > > > determine psychological barriers, which is where
> > > > > this century (and that is entryist American
> > > > > cycling slang, too) thing comes in; likewise with
> > > > > getting under the hour or indeed, getting one's
> > > > > weight back down below 15 stone)
> > > >
> > > > More to the point, surely an imperial century(style
> > > > thing) should be 144 miles or something like that
> > > > anyway.
> > > >
> > > Also, why do we still think there are 12 hours in a
> > > day?
> >
> > Solar or sidereal?
>
> Who's been listening to Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis? ;-)

Not grokked. !?
--
"To ... just not care that there are naked triathletes
running across your lawn, that's just a waste of
exhibitionism."
- Kibo, in alt.religion.kibology

 

[Roger Hughes]

Whingin' Pom wrote:

> On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 15:20:53 +0100, "Ambrose Nankivell"
> <[email protected]> () wrote:
>
>
>>In news:[email protected], Daniel Barlow
>><[email protected]> typed:
>>
>>>"Ambrose Nankivell"
>>><[email protected]> writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>>accusing me of being an alcoholic instead. Because I
>>>>mentioned I was too ill to drink any beer, a relevant
>>>>symptom, IMHO.
>>>>
>>>>Anyway, I'm not bitter, honest.
>>>
>>>Just lager than you were? I hop this doesn't tun into
>>>another pun thread; that would ale be a bit much.
>>
>>I was going to draught you a reply, but I'm bottling it up
>>now. Can't see the pint.
>
>
> Stout fella! I'm getting browned off with this punning.
> Anything geuze, or so it seems.

Well, it is starting to kriek at the seams a bit.

 

[Graeme]

[email protected] (MartinM) wrote in news:3cf5c6dc.0406160047.2ce42214
@posting.google.com:

> Who's been listening to Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis? ;-)
>

I've not heard that in about 15 years! I must dig it out.
"Length of the solar year, equinox to equinox,
365.something or other"

That really takes me back, plus it had the theme tune to
"Horses Galore" (**** programme, good music).

Graeme

 

[Graeme]

Graeme <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I've not heard that in about 15 years! I must dig it out.
> "Length of the solar year, equinox to equinox,
> 365.something or other"
>

Oops, memory fading a bit. Just found the lyrics on a
web site -

Maximum distance from the sun: 94 million 537 thousand
miles Minimum distance from the sun: 91 million 377
thousand miles Mean distance from the sun: 92 million 957
thousand and 200 miles Mean Orbital velocity: 66000 miles
per hour 0rbital eccentricity: 0.017 Obliquity of the
ecliptic: 23 degrees 27 minutes 8.26 seconds Length of the
tropical year: equinox equinox 365.24 days Lenght of the
sidereal year: fixed star fixed star 365.26 days Length of
the mean solar day: 24 hours and 3 minutes and 56.5555
seconds at mean solar time Length of the mean sidereal day:
23 hours and 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds at mean sederial
time Mass: 6600 milion milion milion tons Equatorial
diameter: 7927 miles Polar diameter: 7900 miles Oblateness:
one 298th Density: 5.41 Mean surface gravitational
acceleration of the rotating earth: 32.174 feet per second
per second Escape velocity: 7 miles per second

Albedo: 0.39 Albedo: 0.39 Albedo: 0.39 Albedo: 0.39 Albedo:
0.39 Albedo: 0.39 Albedo: 0.39

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, thos are the words to a "song"
(in the loosest possible sense)

Graeme

 

[Dave Larrington]

Tony W wrote:
> "Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> A picture in yesterdays local rag showed a greengrocer
>> leaning over some bananas on scales with the heading
>> stating "Fed up with being pushed around by Brussels".
>
> As a child I was sometimes admonished for 'playing with my
> food' when pushing cold and soggy brussels round my plate.
>
> They never, as far as I can remember, fought back.
>
> Is this a new GM strain?
>

Yes. They are a Work of Stan.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Dave Larrington]

Roger Hughes wrote:
> Whingin' Pom wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 15:20:53 +0100, "Ambrose Nankivell"
>> <[email protected]> () wrote:
>>
>>
>>> In news:[email protected], Daniel
>>> Barlow <[email protected]> typed:
>>>
>>>> "Ambrose Nankivell"
>>>> <[email protected]> writes:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> accusing me of being an alcoholic instead. Because I
>>>>> mentioned I was too ill to drink any beer, a relevant
>>>>> symptom, IMHO.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, I'm not bitter, honest.
>>>>
>>>> Just lager than you were? I hop this doesn't tun into
>>>> another pun thread; that would ale be a bit much.
>>>
>>> I was going to draught you a reply, but I'm bottling it
>>> up now. Can't see the pint.
>>
>>
>> Stout fella! I'm getting browned off with this punning.
>> Anything geuze, or so it seems.
>
> Well, it is starting to kriek at the seams a bit.

Yer not wrong there. I'm going to Hoe the gaarden...

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Tony W]

"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Bollocks. It's their size that that interests them.

I can forward lots of spam that may help you with this
problem.

T

 

[James Annan]

Michael MacClancy wrote:

>
> This is that whatever foreign language native English
> speakers learn it's nearly always the wrong one.

Wot e sed.

James

(If someone had told me 20 years ago that I was going to
spend several years working in Japan, I certainly wouldn't
have wasted my time on poxy French.)

 

[Gawnsoft]

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 12:58:29 +0100, Michael MacClancy
<[email protected]> wrote (more or less):

>On 15 Jun 2004 09:35:36 GMT, Arthur Clune wrote:
>
>> Given that the English are the worst nation in the world
>> for moving somewhere and then only ever speaking english
>> to other ex-pats stuff like this always annoys me.
>
>I'm so glad you wrote 'English' there. Of course the Scots,
>Irish and Welsh have such wonderful reputations for their
>linguistic skills, don't they? (Not counting those poor
>souls who feel oppressed because they have to speak a
>foreign language in their own countries, that is.)
>
>;-)
>
>Mind you, do you really think the English are worse than
>the Merkins?

There are substanytial parts of the US which are bi-lingual,
and other parts which are monolingual but not in English.

--
Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122 Smalltalk
links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk)
http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk