what I have learned today.

[Bledlow]

Illustrated in the paper I read (by Professor Mark Harrison of Warwick University - I think the most recent freely downloadable pdf on his pages on the university website) by discussion of letters & memos between officials who were trying to resolve the impasse. Fascinating what people find in declassified Soviet archives. He notes that it seemed to be seen as less of a problem about the time that "Stalin was on his way to meet Marx".

The paper's about the transaction costs of secrecy.

[SandyV]

While canning of food was happening by the 1770s and was fairly widespread by the 1820s, the tin opener wasn't invented until the 1850s.  Before then, tins were opened using a hammer and chisel or other implement such as an axe!

[Basil]

Before then, tins were opened using a hammer and chisel or other implement such as an axe!

Been there.  Done that.
In the days before easy-pull can lids, a lost can opener when camping would mean that the next meal was conducted with extreme violence. 

[Arch]

While canning of food was happening by the 1770s and was fairly widespread by the 1820s, the tin opener wasn't invented until the 1850s.  Before then, tins were opened using a hammer and chisel or other implement such as an axe!

One of my favourite literary passages is the one in Three Men in a Boat where they are trying to open a tin of pineapple, having lost the tin opener. Especially when they get angry and beat it with the mast into a shape so grotesque they recoil in horror.

[Bledlow]

In 1987, US navy pilot Lt (JG). Timothy Dorsey shot down a US air force reconnaissance aircraft in an exercise. Instead of simulating the firing of a missile, he fired a live missile. The subsequent investigation found that it was not accidental, but a deliberate act. When one missile failed to fire, he fired another one. Dorsey knew that his missiles were live. He claimed to have correctly obeyed the instruction to "fire" (meaning, in the context, simulate the firing of) a missile, despite being shocked at the instruction. He did not query it. He showed no regret, & claimed to have done nothing wrong.

The two crew members of the USAF aircraft ejected & survived, but the pilot has had to have seven operations for the back injuries he received from the ejection, & is in constant pain.

Lt Dorsey remained in the US navy, though he was barred from flying. He is now a captain in the US navy reserve. Last year he was put up for promotion to admiral by the US navy. This involved a hearing by a US senate committee. He sent a letter of apology to the injured officer after the hearing had been scheduled, after showing no remorse for the previous 25 years.

The US navy omitted to mention the incident in the nomination papers, although the US senate armed services committee expects nomination papers to include full information, including anything adverse.

Timothy Dorsey is the son of  James Dorsey, who at the time of the shooting down was a rear admiral & commander of the aircraft carrier USS America, & was promoted the following year to vice admiral.

[Pedaldog.]

That there are a lot of slef righteous people that like to support those that never asked for support and when they can't do that they get down and dirty to the next Pathetic group they can find to slag off.

[Mr Larrington]

That a distraught elephant can make a noise like a small-block Chevy on the overrun.

[LEE]

That a distraught elephant can make a noise like a small-block Chevy on the overrun.

I thought you were still banned from Windsor Safari park (following your previous Elephant "incident")

[LEE]

That no matter how hard you work, how dedicated you are to your job, your boss doesn't give two shits...

I've noticed over the last 10 years that being made redundant bears no relation to people's skill, work-effort or dedication.

[matthew]

That a distraught elephant can make a noise like a small-block Chevy on the overrun.

I thought you were still banned from Windsor Safari park (following your previous Elephant "incident")

The only Elephants to be found at Windsor Safari Park now will be made of Lego!!

[nicknack]

That it's a bad idea to put the coffee in the Aeropress before attaching the bottom filter bit.

[tiermat]

Along similar lines to nicknack, it is not a good idea to sneeze whilst holding a freshly filled espresso basket.

Espresso grind coffee takes FOREVER to clean up

[L CC]

According to that bastion of learning... the innocent drinks e-mail,

Spinster started off as a compliment, denoting competence at spinning, and therefore self sufficiency.

[Kim]

According to that bastion of learning... the innocent drinks e-mail,

Spinster started off as a compliment, denoting competence at spinning, and therefore self sufficiency.

Interestingly, I learned the same thing recently after encountering such use in some historical fiction.

[Basil]

"Gay Pete" in the pub isn't actually gay.  Whereas Pete is.  (I knew that bit)

Me:  "Pete, what's that bloke's name?"
Pete:  "That's Gay Pete.  Surely you know him?"
Me:  "Yes.  But he's not gay.
Pete:  "I know"
Me:  "So why do we call him Gay Pete?"
Pete:  "That's his name.  "
Me:  "OK  "

[Kim]

Doesn't actually sound like you've learned anything... (Do we need a thread for that?)

[Basil]

Well yes.  I learned that Gay Pete isn't gay.  I think that it's fair enough that I assumed he was
I also learned that anyone more than 15 years younger than me is determined to confuse the fuck out of me.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Neil Sedaka wrote Love Will Keep Us Together (which was a hit for the Captain and Tenille).

[clarion]

Well yes.  I learned that Gay Pete isn't gay.  I think that it's fair enough that I assumed he was
I also learned that anyone more than 15 years younger than me is determined to confuse the fuck out of me.

When I worked on the sound for Billy Graham, some of the Christians were a bit concerned about a member of the sound crew called Gay Paul.  He was not gay, and worked for a Christian organisation.  However, there were gayers aplenty in our stage crew doing the load in

[Cudzoziemiec]

Well, there's the journalist Gay Search, who isn't AFAIK gay and neither is the Gay I remember from my mother's circle of friends decades ago.

In fact, is there anyone called Gay who is gay?

[clarion]

No, Gay Search is not gay.  But nor, IIRC, is Gay Search the name she was born with.  Naturally, I can't find anything to back this up in the internet, but that's because nothing happened before about 1992/

[Kim]

No, Gay Search is not gay.  But nor, IIRC, is Gay Search the name she was born with.  Naturally, I can't find anything to back this up in the internet, but that's because nothing happened before about 1992/

For the pre-1992 internet you need to ask Veronica (who is also not gay)   

[Cudzoziemiec]

No, Gay Search is not gay.  But nor, IIRC, is Gay Search the name she was born with.  Naturally, I can't find anything to back this up in the internet, but that's because nothing happened before about 1992/

For the pre-1992 internet you need to ask Veronica (who is also not gay)   

Too hard. Never got over Alison.


There's also Gay Talese, an American author who is male and not gay.

[Cudzoziemiec]

And just in case you'd forgotten, I feel honoured to remind you of the 2012 Republican candidate Rick Sputorum and his campaign song, Gay Mon.
http://youtu.be/U7pv7sO5Gng

[barakta]

One of my mum's friend's daughters is called Gay and I don't think it has an e on the end. She would have been born in about 1967 so will be in her late 40s now.