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11:28 pm
![[User Picture] height=](http://p-userpic.livejournal.com/3328540/398316) |
pointed quote from samizdata on belgium and google
What is it about Belgium? Why are they always in the news for something stupid?
The fact Belgian newspapers want it to be harder to find the content they put on the internet is weird (why bother having an on-line presence at all then?), the fact they went to court to force Google to stop driving traffic to their sites is bizarre, the fact a Belgian court found against Google is insane. --samizdata
This is just another way in which the fossil media are driving themselves out of business.
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02:42 am
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silly french time three
Anyone who has tried to watch a streaming video on a French computer may have double-taken at the following French:
mise en mémoire tampon From the context, it obviously means "buffering", but i could swear the literal translation would be "putting into tampon memory". I'm not quite sure what a tampon memory would be - probably quite bloody: "Saddam has a tampon memory, all he can remember is..". No, maybe not.
The French word "tampon" normally means a "wad" or "pad", but it also has a secondary meaning of "buffer".
The French for a bicycle "inner tube" is "une chambre à air", literally that's an "air bedroom". OK then.
Anyone who has done even a very little French is likely to know the word for a bank: "une banque", pronounced like the English word "bonk". What they may not know is that in French a "seat" is a miniature bank: "une banquette". I think the French must use the seats for more than sitting.
That's all the silly for tonight. :-)
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04:36 pm
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the british police are the best in the world...
... i don't believe one of these stories i've heard..
here's another of benjamin franklin's amusing stories that i have little doubt are not true:
Sure some unauspicious cross-grain'd Planet, in Opposition to Venus, resides over the Affairs of Love about this Time. For we hear, that on Tuesday last, a certain C-n-table having made an Agreement with a neighbouring Female, to Watch with her that Night; she promised to leave a Window open for him to come in at; but he going his Rounds in the dark, unluckily mistook the Window, and got into a Room where another Woman was in bed, and her Husband it seems lying on a Couch not far distant. The good Woman perceiving presently by the extraordinary Fondness of her Bedfellow that it could not possibly be her Husband, made so much Disturbance as to wake the good Man; who finding somebody had got into his Place without his Leave, began to lay about him unmercifully; and 'twas thought, that had not our poor mistaken Galant, call'd out manfully for Help (as if he were commanding Assistance in the King's Name) and thereby raised the Family, he would have stood no more Chance for his Life between the Wife and Husband, than a captive L-------- between two Thumb Nails.
-- The Pennsylvania Gazette, June 24, 1731.
any ideas on what the "L----------" at the end is? a louse?
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| 04:25 pm
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anthony afterwit
amongst other things, i am currently reading ben franklin's collected works (0940450291). in the 1730s he bought a newspaper and press. he then filled the newspaper with silly and often 'moral' tales, which he had obviously just made up. many of the stories are highly amusing. i also love the use of language from that era, especially the amusing ways they use capital letters, the ways they spell and their twee phraseologies.
here is a letter from "anthony afterwit"...
Mr. Gazetteer,
I am an honest Tradesman, who never meant Harm to any Body. My Affairs went on smoothly while a Batchelor; but of late I have met with some Difficulties, of which I take the Freedom to give you an Account.
About the Time I first address'd my present Spouse, her Father gave out in Speeches, that if she married a Man he liked, he would give with her 200l. and in some Measure neglected my Business on that Account: But unluckily it came to pass, that when the old Gentleman saw I was pretty well engag'd, and that the Match was too far gone to be easily broke off; he, without any Reason given, grew very angry, forbid me the House, and told his Daughter that if she married me he would not give her a Farthing. However (as he foresaw) we were not to be disappointed in that Manner; but having stole a Wedding, I took her home to my House; where we were not in quite so poor a Condition as the Couple describ'd in the Scotch Song, who had
Neither Pot nor Pan,
But four bare Legs together;
for I had a House tolerably furnished, for an ordinary Man, before. No thanks to Dad, who I understand was very much pleased with his politick Management. And I have since learn'd that there are old Curmudgeons (so called) besides him, who have this Trick, to marry their Daughters, and yet keep what they might well spare, till they can keep it no longer: But this by way of Digression; A Word to the Wise is enough.
I soon saw that with Care and Industry we might live tolerably easy, and in Credit with our Neighbours: But my Wife had a strong Inclination to be a Gentlewoman. In Consequence of this, my old-fashioned Looking-Glass was one Day broke, as she said, No Mortal could tell which way. However, since we could not be without a Glass in the Room, My Dear, says she, we may as well buy a large fashionable One that Mr. Such-a-one has to sell; it will cost but little more than a common Glass, and will be much handsomer and more creditable. Accordingly the Glass was bought, and hung against the Wall: But in a Week's time, I was made sensible by little and little, that the Table was by no Means sutable to such a Glass. And a more proper Table being procur'd, my Spouse, who was an excellent Contriver, inform'd me where we might have very handsome Chairs in the Way: And thus, by Degrees, I found all my old Furniture stow'd up into the Garrent, and every thing below alter'd for the better.
Had we stopp'd here, we might have done well enough; but my Wife being entertain'd with Tea by the Good Women she visited, we could do no less than the like when they visited us; and so we got a Tea-Table with all its Appurtenances of China and Silver. Then my Spouse unfortunately overwork'd herself in washing the House, so that we could do no longer without a Maid. Besides this, it happened frequently, that when I came home at One, the Dinner was but just put in the Pot; for, My Dear thought really it had been but Eleven: At other Times when I came at the same Hour, She wondered I would stay so long, for Dinner was ready and had waited for me these two Hours. These Irregularities, occasioned by mistaking the Time, convinced me, that it was absolutely necessary to buy a Clock; where my Spouse observ'd, was a great Ornament to the Room! And lastly, to my Grief, she was frequently troubled with some Ailment or other, and nothing did her so much Good as Riding; And these Hackney Horses were such wretched ugly Creatures, that --- I bought a very fine pacing Mare, which cost 20l. And hereabouts Affairs have stood for some Months past.
I could see all along, that this Way of Living was utterly inconsistent with my Circumstances, but had not Resolution enough to help it. Till lately, receiving a very severe Dun, which mention'd the next Court, I began in earnest to project Relief. Last Monday my Dear went over the River, to see a Relation, and stay a Fortnight, because she could not bear the Heat of the Town. In the Interim, I have taken my Turn to make Alterations, viz. I have turn'd away the Maid, Bag and Baggage (for what should we do with a Maid, who (except my Boy) none but our selves.) I have sold the fine Pacing Mare, and bought a good Milch Cow, with 3l. of the Money. I have dispos'd of the Tea-Table, and put a Spinning Wheel in its Place, which methinks looks very pretty: Nine empty Canisters I have stuff'd with Flax; and with some of the Money of the Tea-Furniture, I have bought a Set of Knitting-Needles; for to tell you a Truth, which I would have go no farther, I began to want Stockings. The stately Clock I have transform'd into an Hour-Glass, by which I gain'd a good round Sum; and one of the Pieces of the old Looking-Glass, squar'd and fram'd, supplies the Place of the Great One, which I have convey'd into a Closet, where it may possibly remain some years. In short, the Face of Things is quite changed; and I am mightily pleased when I look at my Hour-Glass, what an Ornament it is to the Room. I have paid my Debts, and find Money in my Pocket. I expect my Dame home next Friday, and as your Paper is taken in at the House where she is, I hope the Reading of this will prepare her Mind for the above surprizing Revolutions. If she can conform to this new Scheme of Living, we shall be the happiest Couple perhaps in the Province, and by the Blessing of God, may soon be in thriving Circumstances. I have reserv'd the great Glass, because I know her Heart is set upon it. I will allow her when she comes in, to be taken suddenly ill with the Headach, the Stomach-ach, Fainting-Fits, or whatever other Disorder she may think more proper; and she may retire to Bed as soon as she pleases: But if I do not find her in perfect Health both of Body and Mind the next Morning, away goes the aforesaid Great Glass, with several other Trinkets I have no Occasion for, to the Vendue that very Day. Which is the irrevocable Resolution of, Sir,
Her loving Husband, and
Your very humble Servant,
ANTHONY AFTERWIT.
Postscript, You know we can return to our former Way of Living, when we please, if Dad will be at the Expence of it. -- The Pennsylvania Gazette, July 10, 1732.
two weeks later, franklin printed a letter of complaint also written by himself from "Celia Single". this is his common practice and he often writes as a woman. he's a funny guy, and even though i have only read ~200 pages of ~1600, i recommend this book.
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| 03:39 pm
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silly french
from my tiny ikkle dictionary:
tièdir vi to cool; to grow warmer
it does kind of make sense when you realise that 'tiède' means lukewarm or tepid, but still! ^_^
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11:13 am
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finding state 'secrets' via google earth
the register are doing sterling work documenting all the state secrets that google giving to the enemies of freedom with their "google earth" project： zoomable satellite imagery over an increasing area of the globe。
so far the register has found lots of airbases around the world， some black helicopters， steve balmer pushing aliens on gurneys in area 51， russian nuclear silos， aircraft carriers in docks， the white house roof surprisingly without any black helicopters， british and french nuclear submarines， surprisingly unstealthy stealth aircraft and lots more。
they've put the images in two sets of four pages。 they are also running a competition for the best 'secret' picture。
also advice from a reader for those who wish to get picture and can't be bother to use google：
You can just hire a light aircraft and fly over RAF and USAF stations at 1200 ft taking as many pictures as you like. The trick is to fly at the weekend when the military are out shopping. I have yet to try this in North Korea.
I went for a flight in late July flew from Elstree to Norwich and then to Leicester. On the way I flew over USAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath, RAF Marham and Wittering and through RAF Cottersmore's MATZ. Of those MIldenhall were in but were not bothered, Marham was in and actually gave me a transponder code so I could be tracked on radar. I attach photo's as proof.
happy hunting。
Current Mood:  tired
Current Music: ZARD - セパレート・ウェイズ
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06:02 pm
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how american are you?
i've so far spent at most a month in america。 5 or 6 of the questions had no good answers， so i went for the roger rabbit method： only when it's funny。 still， i probably come out more american than a fair few americans。:-)
| You Are 70% American |  Most times you are proud to be an American.
Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe
Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home.
You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you! |
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: 女子十二楽坊 - 茉莉花 (ジャスミン)
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