Author Topic: what I have learned today. (Read 861015 times)

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #2075 on:** 17 November, 2017, 04:24:43 pm »

Is Alaska parishes too, or something else? Wapentakes would be amusing.

SteveC · « **Reply #2076 on:** 17 November, 2017, 04:30:55 pm »

Mr Wikipedia says 'boroughs' (but they don't cover all of the state).
My thing I have learned today is that of all the communities in Alaska, only Anchorage is bigger than Yeovil!

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #2077 on:** 17 November, 2017, 05:00:56 pm »

Unless you count in bears!

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2078 on:** 17 November, 2017, 05:50:38 pm »

Joey Essex, amiable thicko, was genuinely born with that nane.

ElyDave · « **Reply #2079 on:** 17 November, 2017, 07:56:32 pm »

Quote from: SteveC on 17 November, 2017, 04:30:55 pm

Mr Wikipedia says 'boroughs' (but they don't cover all of the state).
My thing I have learned today is that of all the communities in Alaska, only Anchorage is bigger than Yeovil!

Ely is bigger in population than the whole of the Shetlands

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2080 on:** 17 November, 2017, 08:03:38 pm »

Yebbut Ely is only one family, really

ElyDave · « **Reply #2081 on:** 17 November, 2017, 11:38:30 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 17 November, 2017, 08:03:38 pm

Yebbut Ely is only one family, really

Two, I'm an incomer

hatler · « **Reply #2082 on:** 18 November, 2017, 12:39:12 am »

That e raised to the power of i x pi +1 = 0.

How cool is that ?

T42 · « **Reply #2083 on:** 18 November, 2017, 09:10:26 am »

eee to the eye pie = -1 is the way we were taught it. Like two pie over omega = cuppa tea.

Meanwhile, I have learnt that the tune used for reveille in the Highland Regiments is "Hey Johnnie Cope", he being the English commander who fled the Battle of Prestonpans and legged it to Berwick.

Salvatore · « **Reply #2084 on:** 19 November, 2017, 07:13:02 pm »

That my mother's mother's mother's mother's father died as the result of an RTA (in 1838)

T42 · « **Reply #2085 on:** 20 November, 2017, 09:55:19 am »

That's quite a trot - about 25 miles? - for an open carriage late at night.

clarion · « **Reply #2086 on:** 20 November, 2017, 10:05:43 am »

'The gig came into contact with the wall of a house'

T42 · « **Reply #2087 on:** 20 November, 2017, 10:34:48 am »

Depending on relative social status, that might have read either "crashed into" or "was attacked by".

fimm · « **Reply #2088 on:** 20 November, 2017, 11:07:29 am »

Yesterday I learned that the version of "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miserables that Mr Fimm plays off Spotify now and then is not from the Original Cast Recording or somesuch as I had assumed, but is, in fact, Susan Boyle.

Legs · « **Reply #2089 on:** 20 November, 2017, 01:04:28 pm »

Couldn't you tell by the complete disregard for the time signature that it wasn't by a competent singer? (Says he who sings a bit like Jeremy Hardy, but at least I'm in time.)

This gets on my nerves more than anything in the known universe.

fimm · « **Reply #2090 on:** 20 November, 2017, 01:20:54 pm »

Actually, I'm a complete cynic when comes to "pop" (in the broadest possible sense of the word) singers, being a listener to classical music myself (though not much opera, I admit) and quite frankly from the small amount of listening I've done Susan Boyle is a competent singer of what she sings and knows what she's doing with her voice.
Which is not what I expected.
As I said, I thought the track was from the original cast recording or similar.

In terms of being in time, I guess one person's "appropriate and sensitive rubato" is another's "complete disregard for the time signature"...

Salvatore · « **Reply #2091 on:** 20 November, 2017, 02:56:41 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 20 November, 2017, 09:55:19 am

That's quite a trot - about 25 miles? - for an open carriage late at night.

That's what I thought. The coach service he operated between Glasgow and Edinburgh was advertised as taking 4½ hours each way.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2092 on:** 20 November, 2017, 06:04:03 pm »

Quote from: fimm on 20 November, 2017, 11:07:29 am

Yesterday I learned that the version of "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miserables that Mr Fimm plays off Spotify now and then is not from the Original Cast Recording or somesuch as I had assumed, but is, in fact, Susan Boyle.

As if the divorce courts aren't busy enough around Christmas.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #2093 on:** 20 November, 2017, 07:02:36 pm »

That the Mark IV tank came in male and female versions.

Ham · « **Reply #2094 on:** 20 November, 2017, 07:53:28 pm »

That the Workmate was designed by the same person who designed the Lotus Elan, Ron Hickman

I have just replaced the feet on mine. Why mention that? Well, it is an original workmate in perfect condition, scored off Freecycle from someone about 20 doors down my own road! Apparently it was "dad's" (he's in his 60s) and had been sitting open, unused for loadsayears. Some penetrating oil then light oil on the hinges and it's as good as new, now the perished feet have been replaced.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2095 on:** 20 November, 2017, 08:02:39 pm »

My Workmate was somewhat ruined when my former f-i-l managed to saw partway through it.

Kim · « **Reply #2096 on:** 20 November, 2017, 08:35:47 pm »

I have a cheap Wilko clone which is made of cheese, and subsequently a) wonky b) slightly broken. It survived about 1.5 major woodworking projects.

I expect today's proper ones are made of a better grade of cheese.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #2097 on:** 20 November, 2017, 09:49:03 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 20 November, 2017, 07:53:28 pm

That the Workmate was designed by the same person who designed the Lotus Elan, Ron Hickman

I have just replaced the feet on mine. Why mention that? Well, it is an original workmate in perfect condition, scored off Freecycle from someone about 20 doors down my own road! Apparently it was "dad's" (he's in his 60s) and had been sitting open, unused for loadsayears. Some penetrating oil then light oil on the hinges and it's as good as new, now the perished feet have been replaced.

I read that and wondered why your Lotus Elan had feet in the first place, never mind why you replaced them.

Ham · « **Reply #2098 on:** 20 November, 2017, 10:15:39 pm »

Sapient plywood

T42 · « **Reply #2099 on:** 21 November, 2017, 08:51:16 am »

Quote from: Ham on 20 November, 2017, 07:53:28 pm

That the Workmate was designed by the same person who designed the Lotus Elan, Ron Hickman

I have just replaced the feet on mine. Why mention that? Well, it is an original workmate in perfect condition, scored off Freecycle from someone about 20 doors down my own road! Apparently it was "dad's" (he's in his 60s) and had been sitting open, unused for loadsayears. Some penetrating oil then light oil on the hinges and it's as good as new, now the perished feet have been replaced.

I have one and still use it. Apart from some minor damage to the solid beech bars it's in good condition. Hickman is pictured with the version B&D produced when they took over the Workmate company, rather than the real original model.

Funny... these days it's a lot heavier than it used to be.