I Read Therefore I Am discussion
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"The time has come" the Walrus said, "to talk of many things..."
@ Angela - you must be experiencing sympathetic grumpiness for George :0)
Let Adam Ant bring a smile back to your face
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=kp...
@ Hilary - you've gone all Gilbert White on us. I can't believe we've had 4 whole days without rain.
Let Adam Ant bring a smile back to your face
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=kp...
@ Hilary - you've gone all Gilbert White on us. I can't believe we've had 4 whole days without rain.
@ Hilary - It sounds so lovely! I can just imagine how beautiful England looks when is all fresh like that. A nice revive for your spirits.@ Lee - as usual, you know the way straight to my heart :P
For those of us who diligently recall that it is incorrect grammar to end a sentence with a preposition, I offer this example from The Language Instinct that it is possible to be five times incorrect in this matter, in the same sentence, while remaining intelligible."Daddy trudges upstairs to junior's bedroom to read him a bedtime story. Junior spots the book, scowls, and asks, 'Daddy, what did you bring that book that I don't want to be read to out of up for?' "
This reminds me of old anecdote about Churchill
"Latest Churchill story going the rounds has to do with a stuffy young Foreign Office secretary who had the job of “vetting” the then Prime Minister’s magnificent speeches. The young man disliked the P.M.’s habit of ending sentences with prepositions and corrected such sentences whenever he found them.
Finally, Mr. Churchill had enough of this! So he recorrected his own speech and sent it back to the Foreign Office with a notation in red ink, “This is the kind of pedantic nonsense up with which I will not put!”"
The Washington Post Sept 30th 1946
Apparently this joke started life in the Strand Magazine May 1942 featuring an anonymous government official and became linked to Churchill because it's such a Churchilly thing to have done.
"Latest Churchill story going the rounds has to do with a stuffy young Foreign Office secretary who had the job of “vetting” the then Prime Minister’s magnificent speeches. The young man disliked the P.M.’s habit of ending sentences with prepositions and corrected such sentences whenever he found them.
Finally, Mr. Churchill had enough of this! So he recorrected his own speech and sent it back to the Foreign Office with a notation in red ink, “This is the kind of pedantic nonsense up with which I will not put!”"
The Washington Post Sept 30th 1946
Apparently this joke started life in the Strand Magazine May 1942 featuring an anonymous government official and became linked to Churchill because it's such a Churchilly thing to have done.
Interesting Kindle Daily deal - this sounds fascinating - particularly for Hilary and Laurel perhaps?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-King-Nort...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-King-Nort...
I've just bought that Lee - you must be telepathic!
Thanks, Lee, I will find that interesting too; Oswald's remains were brought to Gloucester and buried at St Oswald's priory so there's a bit of an historical link for us too :)
Anyone else into rugby? Last match of the 6 Nations is on and the result will decide who wins the tournament. Tense stuff!
Mod
Ellie, I've just got in so have had to google the results - flippin' work eh? ;)
My husband was glued to the box - bloomin France !
I never knew that about St Oswalds -thanks for the info Ellie.
I never knew that about St Oswalds -thanks for the info Ellie.
What has everyone been up to this weekend? - on Saturday we tandemed around Cheltenham which is looking very pretty at the moment with all the Daffodils out and the race goers gone home and today we sat out in the sun in our garden on our new bench which promptly collapsed under us causing me to spill half a glass of Bad King John beer all over the place and laugh so much that my stomach still hurts.
Cheltenham sounds lush Lee.. I remember it fondly. My partner will be over in June but I can't make it so I am horrendously jealous. Wish I could have seen the beer spilling incident haha!We went to the market on Saturday and bought all our food and yummy stuffs. Yesterday we went and saw 'The Monuments Men' - the new George Clooney flick. It was good fun but the script was pretty cheesey. I want to see 'Noah' with Russell Crow... has anyone heard any reviews?
@Angela Yummy stuff sounds good! I don't think Noah has been released here yet but I love anything with Russell Crowe in. I fell in love with him in Gladiator and have been a devotee ever since.@ Lee. Ouch! Hope you didn't hurt yourself but I am prone to doing this myself. I was particularly enthusiastic in one poetry group meeting and fell off my chair. I did the same as you and couldn't stop laughing - but I did suffer for it later.
I've been on a cyanotype course all day today. A photographic process that you apply to fabric, paper or other natural materials to make patterns. Fascinating but a lot of standing and walking, I'm exhausted!
Mmmmm - Russell Crowe - loved him in Master and Commander.
Cyanotopes sound vaguely nuclear - did you need decontaminating?
Cyanotopes sound vaguely nuclear - did you need decontaminating?
Haha! No quite but you do need rubber gloves because it's based on chemical solutions. The good old marigolds were in use. It was quite tiring but I have come back with two lovely pieces of fabric to do further work on and full of enthusiasm to try it at home!
Sounds complicated but satisfying :0)
Hilary that sounds fascinating. Any pictures for us?I have to say, I have never seen Gladiator (think I am the only one). And I thought Master and Commander was boring.. although I did see it with an ex boyfriend so maybe I just remember HIM as being boring....
But I like Russell because he seems cool. Even when he chucks phones at people and tries to be in a band.
@ Angie - so sad you're not able to be here in June - next time you do come over we'll have to meet up for a drink or five :0)
I promise I won't chuck phones at you.
Unless there's no alternative.
Hahahaha! A drink or two would be splendid! And I promise not to provoke you....Unless you deserve it :P
Russell Crowe was OK until he put in a terrible performance as Javert in Les Miserables :-(@Lee, I hope you didn't hurt yourself in your bench collapse!!
No, the only casualty was the bench - it will be conveyed to the tip soon!
I know Russell Crowe in real life is a bit of a thug but I just prefer to think of him as the character he played in Gladiator, honest, brave, caring and principles. It's one of my all time favourite films.
@ Angela RE the cyanotype, I wouldn't know how to begin to post a photo here I'm afraid. It takes me all my time to send them to people as messages.
Fair enough Hil - I'll settle for one of your melodious descriptions :-)
Happy Wednesday - here is my favourite Sufjan Stevens song to celebrate. (No, not Shakin Stevens I'm afraid, Angie)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmd...
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmd...
Just call me the Fonz (no, actually , don't). :0)
Oh please can I?! Just for today?? Fonzarelli? Fonz-burger? Fonz-meister general? McFonz? (Ok I'll stop now....) :-P
If you must - I'll accept El Fonzerino.
Nooooooo, I'll get confused about whether 'El' means Lee or me!! ;-)
I didn't think of that Ellie!! Today Lee is El and then tomorrow till infinity you can have it :-D
I have just seen the first newborn lamb of the year in the fields around my house. It may be grey, drizzly and miserable but Spring is definitely on its way!!!
Mod
Oh so sweet!! Lucky you Hilary - how I miss the UK. P.S. Happy Friday everyone! I am off to the athletics day for my all-girls school today. Fingers crossed for no major calamaties or torrential weather! What's everyone planning for the weekend?
Good luck to all the young ladies :0) - will you be joining in the egg and spoon, sack or three-legged races? The weather is supposed to be all rainy and windy and perhaps even snowy this weekend so I think I'll be in front of the fire watching some films.
I noticed lots of lambs in the fields on my way home from work yesterday, I love seeing them.I'm off over to Cheltenham (about 10 miles from me in Gloucester) to the theatre, to see A Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Nights' Dream.
Who is performed it Ellie and were they good? I have to say I prefer Shakespeare being tragic or historical rather than humorous, but i do like a Midsummer Night's Dream.
Oh dear me Lee you think I am SPORTY?! Tut tut! Yoga is my forte.. ommm... It was busy today, lots of scrapes and twisted ankles that needed my attention. But its over now and its the weekend! Yippie!! What films will you watch?
My partner is from Cheltenham Ellie.... he would be so jealous of you. Let me know how the performance turned out! P.S. any more dates for you?
@ Khadija- sorry I didn't quite understand your comment ? Great to have you in the group and hope to hear a lot more from you. :0)
@ Angela - not sure yet - I'm thinking maybe Humphrey Bogart.
@ Angela - not sure yet - I'm thinking maybe Humphrey Bogart.
Ooh I love Humphrey! Sabrina? Then you get my girl Audrey too! Or The Maltese Falcon?
Either the Maltese Falcon or the Big Sleep.
@Hilary, I'm off to the theatre tomorrow, will let you know what the performances are like. First time seeing both plays for me.@Angela, was supposed to have had a lunch date today, but he cried off 40 mins beforehand allegedly because of work. So he's seen the last of me.
I Read Therefore I Am
Books mentioned in this topic
The Color of Magic (other topics)Design Down Under (other topics)
The Diary of a Nobody (other topics)
The Dumas Club (other topics)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bill Bryson (other topics)Terry Pratchett (other topics)
Peter Lovesey (other topics)
I've had a beautiful, warm and sunny spring day. I walked my dog amongst carpets of snowdrops and all the trees are coming into bud. It feels as though all of life is being renewed and all I need now I'd for the lambs to appear and I'll know that the best of the year is approaching.
Grief that sounds sooooooo poetic. But is actually true - the downside is that tomorrow it is as likely to be miserable, grey and raining. That's the good old UK for you.