The Scroogeophile's Song
Michael Liebmann
news:gmcgath-7EC43B...@fridge.shore.net...
>
> The Scroogeophile's Song
> Lyrics: Gary McGath, Copyright 2001
> Music: "I Love Paris"
>
<SNIP>
Thank you thank you thank you.
Lee Gold
>
> In article <gmcgath-7EC43B...@fridge.shore.net>,
> Gary McGath <gmc...@REMOVETHISmcgath.com> wrote:
> >I will honor Newton's Birthday.
> >Reason is what I revere.
>
> Newton's birthday is Dec. 25th only for Protestant ultra-extremists who
> still refuse to accept Papist mangling of the calendar. ;-)}
Newton's birthday was December 25th according to the calendar used in
England at his birth and for the rest of his lifetime. It's true
that after his death, England switched to another calendar, and that
some people have moved his birthday accordingly, but he certainly
thought of himself as being born on December 25th.
--Lee Gold
Mark A. Mandel
: It's a little odd writing this song after going out in short sleeves
: today.
Admonition in Unseasonable Weather
Mark A. Mandel, (c) 1998
ttto "Try to Remember" from the musical The Fantasticks
Try to remember that this is December
Although you go without a sweater.
Try to remember, although for December
The air is fair, and rarely better.
Try to remember that since it's December
The snow will soon render you cold and wetter.
Try to remember the rest of December
Will follow. (Follow, follow, follow, follow...)
-- Mark A. Mandel, The Filker With No Nickname
http://world.std.com/~mam/filk.html
Joe Ellis
<m...@TheWorld.Take.This.Out.com> wrote:
>Gary McGath <gmc...@removethismcgath.com> wrote:
>: It's a little odd writing this song after going out in short sleeves
>: today.
>
>Admonition in Unseasonable Weather
>Mark A. Mandel, (c) 1998
>ttto "Try to Remember" from the musical The Fantasticks
>
>Try to remember that this is December
>Although you go without a sweater.
>Try to remember, although for December
>The air is fair, and rarely better.
>Try to remember that since it's December
>The snow will soon render you cold and wetter.
>Try to remember the rest of December
>Will follow. (Follow, follow, follow, follow...)
>
Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
--
Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
evening sky.
Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
--
"What it all comes to is that the whole structure of space flight as it stands
now is creaking, obsolecent, over-elaborate, decaying. The field is static; no,
worse than that, it's losing ground. By this time, our ships ought to be
sleeker and faster, and able to carry bigger payloads. We ought to have done
away with this dichotomy between ships that can land on a planet, and ships
that can fly from one planet to another." - Senator Bliss Wagoner
James Blish - _They Shall Have Stars_
Larry Kirby
fil...@mindspring.com (Joe Ellis) writes:
>Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
Hummph! I worked outside at Mom's yesterday and perspired like it was
July. In South Carolina, we NEED some cold, else next summer the moisquitoes
will carry off all the children.
Larry
SF fen are like rabbits
Everything in the world wants to kill them and eat them
But put a group of them together and they'll fight amongst themselves
Mary Crowell
Ellis at fil...@mindspring.com wrote on 12/4/01 3:38 PM:
> In article <Gntzs...@world.std.com>, "Mark A. Mandel"
> <m...@TheWorld.Take.This.Out.com> wrote:
>
>> Gary McGath <gmc...@removethismcgath.com> wrote:
>> : It's a little odd writing this song after going out in short sleeves
>> : today.
>>
>> Admonition in Unseasonable Weather
>> Mark A. Mandel, (c) 1998
>> ttto "Try to Remember" from the musical The Fantasticks
>>
>> Try to remember that this is December
>> Although you go without a sweater.
>> Try to remember, although for December
>> The air is fair, and rarely better.
>> Try to remember that since it's December
>> The snow will soon render you cold and wetter.
>> Try to remember the rest of December
>> Will follow. (Follow, follow, follow, follow...)
>>
>
> Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
>
> --
> Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
> shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
> now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
> evening sky.
>
> Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
I, down here in warm Mobile, HEAR you! *grins* Enjoy the launch. How
lucky!
Mary Crowell
--
"In all pleasure hope is a considerable part."
-- Samuel Johnson
Karen Rodgers
Joe Ellis at fil...@mindspring.com wrote on 12/4/01 3:38 PM:
> Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
>
> --
> Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
> shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
> now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
> evening sky.
>
> Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
degrees.
Karen R. (Forget the sweater, where's my coat? So much for sunny
warm CA!)
**********
Windbourne, folk singers of the future
http://www.windbourne.com/
remove "_rice_" from my email address
**********
Steve Wheeler
"Joe Ellis" <fil...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:filker-0412...@user-37kas9m.dialup.mindspring.com...
>
> Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
As the joke goes, it's what you put on when your mother gets cold.
- wheels
Chris Croughton
<krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote:
> in article filker-0412...@user-37kas9m.dialup.mindspring.com,
> Joe Ellis at fil...@mindspring.com wrote on 12/4/01 3:38 PM:
>
>> Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
>>
>> --
>> Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
>> shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
>> now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
>> evening sky.
>>
>> Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
>
> It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> degrees.
Er, this is 75 degrees Kelvin, right? If the temperature is much over
75 degrees Fahrenheit I don't want to wear anything much (if it's 75
degrees Celcius I'll be dead!).
Between 275K and 295K is reasonable, 300K is a maximum operating
temperature for me...
Chris C
Dave Weingart
>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>degrees.
Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
--
73 de Dave Weingart KA2ESK "They reached for tomorrow, but tomorrow's
mailto:phyd...@liii.com more of the same. They reached for
http://www.liii.com/~phydeaux tomorrow, but tomorrow never came."
ICQ 57055207 -- Berlin, "Masquerade"
Karen Rodgers
<ch...@keristor.org> wrote:
>> It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>> degrees.
>
>Er, this is 75 degrees Kelvin, right? If the temperature is much over
>75 degrees Fahrenheit I don't want to wear anything much (if it's 75
>degrees Celcius I'll be dead!).
I meant Fahrenheit. You'd just fall right over at the temps I'm
comfortable at! I like it around 78 degrees F, much over 92 F I start
getting a bit too warm. Florida gets a bit warmer than we do in
Southern California.
In 97 my husband's parents took us all to England, spent two weeks in
and around Derbyshire. It was cold, damp, cloudy, occasionally rainy,
and green. Conditions I normally associate with Winter. I was in a
lady's restroom one day and a local commented on how warm it was. I
told her I was just about to go get a coat. She looked at me like I'd
lost my mind. I told her I was from Southern California, but it still
didn't penitrate. Finally I said, "Kind of like Florida, only further
west." (Well, it's not really like Florida here, but it was as close
as I could get to giving her a reference.) THAT finally made an
impression for some odd reason.
Karen Rodgers
Karen Rodgers
Weingart) wrote:
>One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
>>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>>degrees.
>
>Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
>
Wimp. ;-)
Karen Rodgers
Gerry Tyra
Don't let them kid you, I've seen it snow in Orlando a couple times.
Joe is just getting luck.
You can tell the tourists in Florida during the winter, they're on the
beach. The residents (aka anyone who has been there for more than 6
months) is huddled in a parka looking for hot chocolate/coffee. It gets
COLD in Orlando, sometimes it even gets below 65! And if you think that
is funny, try acclimating to 95 deg. and 95% humidity. Once you do, 65
-is- cold.
Gerry
Gerry Tyra
Nancy Freeman were in the same room. Lee likes it below 70 and Nancy
likes it above 90. Lee was sitting in the path of a large air
conditioning duct, and Nancy was sitting in a corner next to two big
quartz halogen lights. They were both -almost- happy.
Gerry
Sandy Tyra
>--
>Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in
his
>shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
>now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
>evening sky.
Been there, done that. Our son was born in Orlando. Now we live in San
Diego. Same thing only drier, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay drier. Having
grown up in Indiana, I still find it amazes me to be wearing nought but
a sweater in December.
Sandy
Jette Goldie
Karen Rodgers <krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote in message
news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
> On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
> Weingart) wrote:
>
> >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
> >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> >>degrees.
> >
> >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
> >
> Wimp. ;-)
>
yeah, at 75 F I'm wearing a bikini! (or just sunscreen and
a smile)
--
Jette
"Work for Peace and remain fiercely loving" - Jim Byrnes
je...@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fanfic.html
Joe Kesselman (yclept Keshlam)
> I still find it amazes me to be wearing nought but a sweater in December.
Given that a sweater would be too much today, here in
Boston, don't boast _too_ much about the weather in the
South and West. At this rate you may get winter storms
before we do.
--
------------------------------------------------------
Joe Kesselman, http://www.lovesong.com/people/keshlam/
Opinions expressed are solely those of the author
Purple Kat
>Been there, done that. Our son was born in Orlando. Now we live in San
>Diego. Same thing only drier, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay drier. Having
>grown up in Indiana, I still find it amazes me to be wearing nought but
>a sweater in December.
>
>Sandy
>
Try visiting "snowbird" parents in Way Southern Texas.
Over Christmas week.
Starting from Syracuse, NY.
I still have the pic of me in t-shirt & shorts on Christmas Day.
When I got back to the car I had to shovel it out of a snowbank.
Kat
Michael Liebmann
news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
> Weingart) wrote:
>
> >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
> >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> >>degrees.
> >
> >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
> >
> Wimp. ;-)
>
> Karen Rodgers
>
Michael Liebmann
> in article filker-0412...@user-37kas9m.dialup.mindspring.com,
> Joe Ellis at fil...@mindspring.com wrote on 12/4/01 3:38 PM:
>
> > Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
> >
> > --
> > Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
> > shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
> > now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
> > evening sky.
> >
> > Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
>
> It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> degrees.
>
Barney Evans
Kate and I are sorta like that. I like and can work just fine in a
Santa-Ana, (Hot dry wind 20% humidity and 100F), while kate is happy
with 65F. Kate has a CPAP machine, and must use it in a cool
environment, so in the summer I am under 2 blankets and Kate is on top
and feeling fine!!
Barney
>
> Gerry
--
Jesus is Lord ||| Love Kate ||| Science Fiction |||
Windbourne Sound ||| Amiga Refugee ||| Remove the "ick" for
replies ||| San Diego Filk is
http://members.home.net/barneye/filk.html
Barney Evans
>
> Karen Rodgers <krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote in message
> news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
> > On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
> > Weingart) wrote:
> >
> > >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
> > >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> > >>degrees.
> > >
> > >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
> > >
> > Wimp. ;-)
> >
>
> yeah, at 75 F I'm wearing a bikini! (or just sunscreen and
> a smile)
Tourist!! 8-).
Wesley Struebing
Rodgers) wrote:
>On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
>Weingart) wrote:
>
>>One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
>>>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>>>degrees.
>>
>>Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
>>
>Wimp. ;-)
>
<obtuse>
Not having made it quite to 75 yet, I have no idea what I'll be
wearing.
(sheesh, I didn't realize the age of the poeple in this group was so
ancient...)
</obtuse>
8-)
--
Some work of noble note, may yet be done - Tennyson's "Ulysses"
Wes Struebing
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
str...@americanisp.com
ph: 303-343-9006
home page: http://silicon.americanisp.net/~struebing/
Wesley Struebing
<jette...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Karen Rodgers <krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote in message
>news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
>> On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
>> Weingart) wrote:
>>
>> >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers) said:
>> >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>> >>degrees.
>> >
>> >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
>> >
>> Wimp. ;-)
>>
>
>
>yeah, at 75 F I'm wearing a bikini! (or just sunscreen and
>a smile)
Ahh! Another fine reason to visit the home of my maternal
ancestors...<G>
Margaret Middleton
>is funny, try acclimating to 95 deg. and 95% humidity. Once you do, 65
>-is- cold.
>
>Gerry
>
>
>
Baytown, Texas was like that, too.
MSMinLR(at)aol.com (Margaret Middleton)
Shameless Plug for our local con: http://www.rockon.org
Help make a Quilted Artifact to sell for Interfilk:
http://members.aol.com/msminlr/ifquilt.htm
Larry Kirby
<str...@americanisp.com> writes:
>sheesh, I didn't realize the age of the poeple in this group was so
>ancient...)
>
They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we had to
walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
John Creasey
Larry Kirby <mond...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20011205230947...@mb-cc.aol.com...
> In article <tiit0ukh3dgo8fqgu...@4ax.com>, Wesley Struebing
> <str...@americanisp.com> writes:
>
> >sheesh, I didn't realize the age of the poeple in this group was so
> >ancient...)
> >
>
> They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we had
to
> walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
>
That's BAAAAAD!!
John
Steve Wheeler
"John Creasey" <jcre...@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:JQCP7.18096$PQ2.2...@typhoon.socal.rr.com...
Ewe really didn't want to know that ...
Neither did I.
- wheels
bi...@bsutton.com
:> They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we had to
:>walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
If the sheep is over your shoulders you're doing it wrong.
So I hear.
Bill
--
Bill Sutton | Posting by and for myself alone
GAFilk 2002 | "'Tis said the newsgroup is a fine and private place
Jan 11-13 2002 | But none, I think, do there embrace..."
http://www.gafilk.org |
Chris Croughton
<mond...@aol.com> wrote:
> In article <tiit0ukh3dgo8fqgu...@4ax.com>, Wesley Struebing
> <str...@americanisp.com> writes:
>
>>sheesh, I didn't realize the age of the poeple in this group was so
>>ancient...)
>
> They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we had to
> walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
A sheep? You were lucky! When I was a lad all we had was a ferret.
Kept the trousers warm, it did, but that was all...
Chris C
Chris Croughton
<krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:19:34 +0000 (UTC), Chris Croughton
> <ch...@keristor.org> wrote:
>
>>> It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>>> degrees.
>>
>>Er, this is 75 degrees Kelvin, right? If the temperature is much over
>>75 degrees Fahrenheit I don't want to wear anything much (if it's 75
>>degrees Celcius I'll be dead!).
>
> I meant Fahrenheit. You'd just fall right over at the temps I'm
> comfortable at! I like it around 78 degrees F, much over 92 F I start
> getting a bit too warm. Florida gets a bit warmer than we do in
> Southern California.
Too right! I was there for Magicon. Orlando, Florida, in August. And
my room was a good half hour walk away from the conference center ("All
accomodation within half a mile" -- man, they've got the weirdest miles
down there!). 99+ Fahrenheit, 99+% humidity (one day it went up to 105%
humidity. No kidding. Super-saturated, they call it, a cloudburst
waiting to happen when there's a speck to condense around).
But that wasn't what I was going to say. See, I got acclimated (or even
acclimatized), so it wasn't that bad apart from being soaked through all
the time. But after the con I went down to N'Awlins to visit some
folks, and down there it was nice and cool -- about 90 degrees -- and
dry -- about 80% humidity. In comparison, that is. I stayed there for
three weeks, until the end of September (and that made me a profit, but
I'll come back to that), and you know the funny thing? On the last
evening I was there we went out for a meal (good Cajun cooking), and
when we came out of the restaurant I said "I'm cold!" The temperature
had dropped to around 75 degrees...
Oh, yes, the profit. When I went out I took a load of dollars with me,
at an exchange rate of about 1.9 to the pound. While I was there I took
out some more, at almost 2 dollars to the pound. The exchange rate was
being good to me. But right near the end of September, there was some
sort of economic crash and suddenly the pound wasn't worth half its
value, so when I went home all my dollars were worth almost a pound
each, and I ended up with almost as many pounds as I had before I went.
(I know that Americans in England at that time were really suffering,
pounds they bought were worth only half what they paid for them...)
> In 97 my husband's parents took us all to England, spent two weeks in
> and around Derbyshire. It was cold, damp, cloudy, occasionally rainy,
> and green. Conditions I normally associate with Winter. I was in a
> lady's restroom one day and a local commented on how warm it was. I
> told her I was just about to go get a coat. She looked at me like I'd
> lost my mind. I told her I was from Southern California, but it still
> didn't penitrate. Finally I said, "Kind of like Florida, only further
> west." (Well, it's not really like Florida here, but it was as close
> as I could get to giving her a reference.) THAT finally made an
> impression for some odd reason.
Lots of Brits know Florida (if you mention Disneyworld, especially) and
either have been there or know people who have. California, on the
other hand, is a place tourists come from (unless you mention Hollywood
or Disneyland, some of them have been there but unless my geography is
screwed up (and it may well be) those places are a fair bit north of
where you are).
But you try saying Idaho or Arkansas (especially if you pronounce it
Arkansaw) and most Brits will look at you blankly. Perhaps not fen, so
much, we travel more and we read con reports, fanzines, newsgroups and
the like, but sit me down with a map of the USA and ask me to put names
to the states and you'll likely be rolling on the floor with laughter.
Even with the two-letter abbreviations there are some I can't identify,
or even think what the letters might stand for...
Chris C
Chris Malme
news:lfMP7.471$Lk3....@eagle.america.net:
> Larry Kirby <mond...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> :>They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was
> :>cold we had to walk around with a sheep draped over our
> :>ahoulders...
>
> If the sheep is over your shoulders you're doing it wrong.
Surely that depends how limber the sheep is.
--
Chris
Minstrel's Hall of Filk - http://www.filklore.com
Filklore Music Store - http://www.filklore.co.uk
Michael Liebmann
to
> walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
>
> Larry
>
and bare/bear it.
Michael Liebmann
news:JQCP7.18096$PQ2.2...@typhoon.socal.rr.com...
>
>
So John, have you taken "A Walk on the Far Side" recently???
Sandy Tyra
>Arkansaw) and most Brits will look at you blankly. Perhaps not fen, so
>much, we travel more and we read con reports, fanzines, newsgroups and
>the like, but sit me down with a map of the USA and ask me to put names
>to the states and you'll likely be rolling on the floor with laughter.
>Even with the two-letter abbreviations there are some I can't identify,
>or even think what the letters might stand for...
>
>Chris C
LOL!! That sounds like a fun game to play at a party sometime. <g>
(When you you next be in the states?)
Sandy
Jette Goldie
Wesley Struebing <str...@americanisp.com> wrote in message
news:dmit0u831ijv2ad7l...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 05 Dec 2001 20:06:10 GMT, "Jette Goldie"
> <jette...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >
> >Karen Rodgers <krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote in message
> >news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
> >> On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
> >> Weingart) wrote:
> >>
> >> >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers)
said:
> >> >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
> >> >>degrees.
> >> >
> >> >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
> >> >
> >> Wimp. ;-)
> >>
> >
> >
> >yeah, at 75 F I'm wearing a bikini! (or just sunscreen and
> >a smile)
>
> Ahh! Another fine reason to visit the home of my maternal
> ancestors...<G>
Pssst! Wes? Don't see 75 degrees F too often here. <g>
Wesley Struebing
<jette...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Wesley Struebing <str...@americanisp.com> wrote in message
>news:dmit0u831ijv2ad7l...@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 05 Dec 2001 20:06:10 GMT, "Jette Goldie"
>> <jette...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Karen Rodgers <krodgers@_rice_home.com> wrote in message
>> >news:3c0e4e59...@news.elcjn1.sdca.home.com...
>> >> On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 14:31:12 +0000 (UTC), phyd...@liii.com (Dave
>> >> Weingart) wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >One day in Teletubbyland, krodgers@_rice_home.com (Karen Rodgers)
>said:
>> >> >>It's that bulky warm thing that you put on when it drops below 75
>> >> >>degrees.
>> >> >
>> >> >Below 75? At 75 I'm in shorts and a tee shirt!
>> >> >
>> >> Wimp. ;-)
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >yeah, at 75 F I'm wearing a bikini! (or just sunscreen and
>> >a smile)
>>
>> Ahh! Another fine reason to visit the home of my maternal
>> ancestors...<G>
>
>
>Pssst! Wes? Don't see 75 degrees F too often here. <g>
True, dear, but the picture that appears in my mind makes me want to
be there when it DOES hit 75 F. <G>
Leslie Fish
"Joe Ellis" <fil...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:filker-0412...@user-37kas9m.dialup.mindspring.com...
>
> Huh? Wassa sweater? <<grin>>
>
> --
> Joe Ellis, in Sunnny, WARM, Orlando FL, who will be going outside in his
> shirtsleeves just after sunset (a little over an hour and a half from
> now...) in hopes of seeing the Space Shuttle launch light up the early
> evening sky.
>
> Eat your hearts out. <<grin>>
>
local weather so that when the mercury drops below 60-F, I put my coat on!
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Leslie Fish
<bi...@bsutton.com> wrote in message
news:lfMP7.471$Lk3....@eagle.america.net...
> Larry Kirby <mond...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> :> They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we
had to
> :>walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
>
> If the sheep is over your shoulders you're doing it wrong.
>
Depraved"?
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Leslie Fish
"Michael Liebmann" <sff...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:XFOP7.81051$S93.4...@e3500-atl2.usenetserver.com...
hat, set a tuna-salad sandwich on top of the hat, and walk past my cats --
all 12 of them. Presto! Instant modular fur coat.
The only hard part is remembering to keep your head still so that the
sandwich doesn't fall off.
And of course it's difficult to be heard with all that importunate
meowing going on...
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Barney Evans
Hit the Woad Jack......
Gerry Tyra
You'd have loved our place this morning. At 7 AM, I had to scrap a
solid layer of ice off the car. The weather forecast for the high today
is in the 80's. And people wonder why the folks from California seem
unstable.
Gerry
Mark A. Mandel
: They didn't HAVE sweaters when I was a kid...when it was cold we had to
: walk around with a sheep draped over our ahoulders...
You had SHOULDERS? We hadn't learned to walk upright; we picked the sheep
(well, you could think of them as sheep) up with our teeth and tossed them
onto each others' backs!
-- Mark M.
--
To reply by email, remove the obvious spam-blocker from my edress.
Mark A. Mandel
: Speaking of which, does anybody have ALL the words for "Scotland's
: Depraved"?
That's a contradiction in terms, like "the last bug" or "all the verses
for ROTR".
Here's my contribution to Caledonian depravity, written when Dolly was
n-ewe-s:
Bring me some whiskey, Mother,
I'm feeling frisky, Mother,
Clone me a sheep, for I am lonely tonight.
And while you're at it, Mother,
Clone yourself for my brother.
Science is neutral, but Scotland's depraved!
-- Mark A. Mandel, The Filker With No Nickname
http://world.std.com/~mam/filk.html
Mary Creasey
Leslie Fish <lesli...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Dg_P7.9167$714.8...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
And if the highest-up cat has a long-enough reach to bat off the
sandwich, then there goes your coat...
Mary
(I've seen Leslie's cats--beauties, every one, and WAY too smart for
anyone's
good. If Ausar, her senior tomcat, was on her shoulder, he could reach high
enough to get the goods...)
>
>
Mary Creasey
I suspect Master Ioseph may have them in his bawdy collection...
Mary
Mark Kinney
news:n7_P7.9160$714.8...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> Speaking of which, does anybody have ALL the words for "Scotland's
> Depraved"?
Well, I've found references at:
http://web.grinnell.edu/groups/sca/songs/filk/scotland_is_depraved.html
(which is the closest to what I've heard, which includes peanut butter, but
doesn't go as far as this version -- there's a link to a variant too)
Variants at:
http://www.macdude.org/anthem.html (closer to the original verse I heard)
http://amtgard.pinkpig.com/bards/bawdy2.htm#sheep
and a bunch of others a Google search can turn up.
and apparently a band called Wild Mountain Thyme recorded it at some point
or other. *Now* I'm frightened...
http://firefly.mygnome.com/scots.html has an entirely different version,
which has annoying transitions and midi music.
--
albe...@iglou.com | Mark Kinney | http://www.iglou.com/nations
"Plan, v.t. To bother about the best method of accomplishing an accidental
result." -- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_
Chris Croughton
<lesli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Bah, humbug! I live in blistering-hot Phoenix, and have adjusted to the
>local weather so that when the mercury drops below 60-F, I put my coat on!
I read that as "I have adjusted the local weather" -- and believed it
<g>...
Chris C
Chris Croughton
<sa...@sa-tech.com> wrote:
>>But you try saying Idaho or Arkansas (especially if you pronounce it
>>Arkansaw) and most Brits will look at you blankly. Perhaps not fen, so
>>much, we travel more and we read con reports, fanzines, newsgroups and
>>the like, but sit me down with a map of the USA and ask me to put names
>>to the states and you'll likely be rolling on the floor with laughter.
>>Even with the two-letter abbreviations there are some I can't identify,
>>or even think what the letters might stand for...
>
>LOL!! That sounds like a fun game to play at a party sometime. <g>
>(When you you next be in the states?)
GaFilk. Only GaFilk, I'm afraid, I'll be arriving on the Thursday
evening and leaving on the Monday evening. After than, ConJose
(Worldcon), and for that one I'm planning (work and money permitting) to
spend more time and visit folks (I can have a stopover in either Boston
or Washington DC free, apparently).
Hmm, you could have even more fun making up /other/ meanings
for the abbreviations. And to make it not US specific, you could play
the same game with the international country abbreviations (hint: UK
does not mean United Kingdom!)...
For the UK you could do it with post codes (and I believe Canada uses a
similar system of letters in post codes).
Chris C
Joe Kesselman (yclept Keshlam)
> For the UK you could do it with post codes (and I believe Canada uses a
> similar system of letters in post codes).
Seasonal observation: the Canadian postal code for the North
Pole, using their standard alternating letter and digit
system, is reported to be H0H 0H0.
I've never gotten around to asking whether this is official.
Maybe someone North Of The Border could check next time
they're in the post office...
--
------------------------------------------------------
Joe Kesselman, http://www.lovesong.com/people/keshlam/
Opinions expressed are solely those of the author
Leslie Fish
"Mark Kinney" <albe...@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:3c118...@news.iglou.com...
> "Leslie Fish" <lesli...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:n7_P7.9160$714.8...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> > <bi...@bsutton.com> wrote in message
> > news:lfMP7.471$Lk3....@eagle.america.net...
> > > If the sheep is over your shoulders you're doing it wrong.
> > Speaking of which, does anybody have ALL the words for "Scotland's
> > Depraved"?
>
> Well, I've found references at:
> http://web.grinnell.edu/groups/sca/songs/filk/scotland_is_depraved.html
> (which is the closest to what I've heard, which includes peanut butter,
but
> doesn't go as far as this version -- there's a link to a variant too)
> Variants at:
> http://www.macdude.org/anthem.html (closer to the original verse I heard)
> http://amtgard.pinkpig.com/bards/bawdy2.htm#sheep
> and a bunch of others a Google search can turn up.
>
> and apparently a band called Wild Mountain Thyme recorded it at some point
> or other. *Now* I'm frightened...
>
> http://firefly.mygnome.com/scots.html has an entirely different version,
> which has annoying transitions and midi music.
>
did it up.
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Leslie Fish
"Chris Croughton" <ch...@keristor.org> wrote in message
news:slrna1brf1...@ccserver.keris.net...
Rain Ritual since the Floods of '93. The one time I tried it here in
Arizona was last year in Flagstaff, during the drought -- and yes, we got
rain.
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Boyd & Michelle Bottorff
> For the UK you could do it with post codes (and I believe Canada uses a
> similar system of letters in post codes).
There used to be a town in my native Alberta whose postal code was:
T0K 0K0
Too many of their letters went astray, so they got it changed.
If you want to send letters to Santa, you address them to:
Santa Claus
The North Pole
Canada
H0H 0H0
Last I knew Santa WOULD write you back. :)
Michelle Bottorff
Lady Lavender
--
Family webpage: http://home.sprintmail.com/~mbottorff/index.html
Lady Lavender's Filksongs: http://www.freemars.org/lavender/index.html
27r:2a:1p
Kathleen Secor
<snip>
> If you want to send letters to Santa, you address them to:
> Santa Claus
> The North Pole
> Canada
> H0H 0H0
>
> Last I knew Santa WOULD write you back. :)
I don't know if they're still doing it, but I know in NYC the postal
workers used to read all the letters to Santa, and pool money to buy
presents for the neediest kids who'd put return addresses on. Doesn't
even take a stamp. :)
Aiglet
(I've always liked that story, even if there is something "Urban
Legend"-y about it.)
--
"You trust beyond reason."
"Yes. It's how I get results beyond hope."
-- Lois McMaster Bujold, _A Civil Campaign_
John Creasey
Kathleen Secor <kas...@vassar.edu> wrote in message
news:3C164F52...@vassar.edu...
> Boyd & Michelle Bottorff wrote:
> <snip>
>
> > If you want to send letters to Santa, you address them to:
> > Santa Claus
> > The North Pole
> > Canada
> > H0H 0H0
> >
> > Last I knew Santa WOULD write you back. :)
>
> I don't know if they're still doing it, but I know in NYC the postal
> workers used to read all the letters to Santa, and pool money to buy
> presents for the neediest kids who'd put return addresses on. Doesn't
> even take a stamp. :)
>
> Aiglet
> (I've always liked that story, even if there is something "Urban
> Legend"-y about it.)
It isn't just NYC; that's an allowable option covered in USPS policy
and left to the local Postmaster. Many localities do this; some
refer the needy ones to the local Salvation Army or similar
charity.
Mary
(the resident Postal worker)
Sandy Tyra
It doesn't? What does it stand for?
See you at ConJose.
Sandy
Ace Lightning
>>I read that as "I have adjusted the local weather" -- and believed it
>><g>...
> Heheheheh! Actually, I've been very careful about using that Bardic
>Rain Ritual since the Floods of '93. The one time I tried it here in
>Arizona was last year in Flagstaff, during the drought -- and yes, we got
>rain.
> --
> --Leslie <;)))><
Hmm... could you send me the details of this ritual, in private
email if necessary? (Use acelig...@monmouth.com - I've had
problems with Verizon's mail forwarding.) I live in New Jersey,
and we've been under a drought alert for a couple of months
already, with no real relief in sight. (Perhaps I could modify
the spell to make it snow instead of rain... snow helps the
reservoirs fill up more evenly, as it slowly melts. And I *miss*
snow in the wintertime!)
Shaking my rain stick, burning odd-colored powders, even washing
my car, haven't helped much...
Lee Gold
>
> >(hint: UK does not mean United Kingdom!)...
>
> It doesn't? What does it stand for?
UKraine, I think.
Lee Gold
>
> Leslie Fish wrote:
> >>I read that as "I have adjusted the local weather" -- and believed it
> >><g>...
> > Heheheheh! Actually, I've been very careful about using that Bardic
> >Rain Ritual since the Floods of '93. The one time I tried it here in
> >Arizona was last year in Flagstaff, during the drought -- and yes, we got
> >rain.
> > --
> > --Leslie <;)))><
>
> Hmm... could you send me the details of this ritual, in private
> email if necessary? (
I suspect it's the one that appeared in the ConChord 8 songbook
(still on sale for $5 plus postage), see
http://theStarport.com/xeno/conchordbook.html
Here's the ToC:
The Witch of the West -- by Rennie Levine
Man of War -- by Kathy Mar
Do Something -- by Kathy Mar
Re: The Lottery -- by Mara Eve Brener
Grendel -- by Leslie Fish and Kathy Mar
Horror is Where You Find It -- by Robin Baylor
Ooblik in the Bathtub -- by Elise Matthesen
The Digwell Carol -- by Leslie Fish
The Spoiler Song -- by Arlene C. Harris
Making Buddha's Hard to Do -- by Tom Smith
Seven Drunken Nights in Space -- by Tom Smith
On the PC -- by Tom Smith
Bedlam Bells -- by Joe Bethancourt
I Don't Wanna be a Knight -- by Ioseph of Locksley
Celtic Circle Dance -- by W. J. Bethancourt III
Filking up a Storm (digest version) -- by Leslie Fish
Lord of Thunders -- by Leslie Fish
Thunderbird Road -- by Leslie Fish
California Rain Chant -- by Leslie Fish
A Look at Things That Get Her Pissed -- by Rennie Levine
What Do You Mean - We're Broke? -- by Kate Evans
The Ballad of Joel Fleischman -- by Jane Mailander
A Fan's Reminder to George Lucas -- by Nick Smith
The Filk Was Great... -- by W. J. Bethancourt III
FireCat
wonky....I'm either roasting or freezing...there is no middle ground....
"Margaret Middleton" <msm...@aol.comstatic> wrote in message
news:20011205204905...@mb-fi.aol.com...
> >in Orlando, sometimes it even gets below 65! And if you think that
> >is funny, try acclimating to 95 deg. and 95% humidity. Once you do, 65
> >-is- cold.
> >
> >Gerry
> >
> >
> >
>
> Baytown, Texas was like that, too.
>
>
> MSMinLR(at)aol.com (Margaret Middleton)
> Shameless Plug for our local con: http://www.rockon.org
> Help make a Quilted Artifact to sell for Interfilk:
> http://members.aol.com/msminlr/ifquilt.htm
>
John Creasey
Taliesin of Earthstar <talie...@juno.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:p2ad1ugt8c37gbmr9...@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 07 Dec 2001 07:22:59 GMT, "Leslie Fish"
> <lesli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Speaking of which, does anybody have ALL the words for "Scotland's
> >Depraved"?
>
> claims on who wrote it. It's the one that starts out "Bring out the
> whiskey, Mother," and rapidly heads downhill.
If I know Leslie, that's the one.
Mary
Ace Lightning
>>> Heheheheh! Actually, I've been very careful about using that Bardic
>>>Rain Ritual since the Floods of '93. The one time I tried it here in
>>>Arizona was last year in Flagstaff, during the drought -- and yes, we got
>>>rain.
>>> --
>>> --Leslie <;)))><
>>Hmm... could you send me the details of this ritual, in private
>>email if necessary? (
>I suspect it's the one that appeared in the ConChord 8 songbook
>(still on sale for $5 plus postage), see
>http://theStarport.com/xeno/conchordbook.html
>Lord of Thunders -- by Leslie Fish
>Thunderbird Road -- by Leslie Fish
>California Rain Chant -- by Leslie Fish
Well, I know "White Man's Rain Chant", and I have sung it
often, when attempting to attract a thunderstorm in my
direction, but I'm just a bit dubious about how well it
would work in New Jersey, in December. I have to admit
that I don't know the works cited, though.
Lee Gold
>
> Lee Gold wrote:
> >I suspect it's the one that appeared in the ConChord 8 songbook
> >(still on sale for $5 plus postage), see
> >http://theStarport.com/xeno/conchordbook.html
> >Filking up a Storm (digest version) -- by Leslie Fish
> >Lord of Thunders -- by Leslie Fish
> >Thunderbird Road -- by Leslie Fish
> >California Rain Chant -- by Leslie Fish
>
> Well, I know "White Man's Rain Chant", and I have sung it
> often, when attempting to attract a thunderstorm in my
> direction, but I'm just a bit dubious about how well it
> would work in New Jersey, in December. I have to admit
> that I don't know the works cited, though.
I think an earlier discussion indicates "White Man's Rain Chant"
is a retitled version of "Lord of Thunders."
The ConChord songbook has sheet music as well as lyrics
for all three songs.
--Lee
Bob Clevenger
I know *I* want to hear it!
Ace Lightning
>>>I suspect it's the one that appeared in the ConChord 8 songbook
>>>(still on sale for $5 plus postage), see
>>>http://theStarport.com/xeno/conchordbook.html
>>>Filking up a Storm (digest version) -- by Leslie Fish
>>>Lord of Thunders -- by Leslie Fish
>>>Thunderbird Road -- by Leslie Fish
>>>California Rain Chant -- by Leslie Fish
>>Well, I know "White Man's Rain Chant", and I have sung it
>>often, when attempting to attract a thunderstorm in my
>>direction, but I'm just a bit dubious about how well it
>>would work in New Jersey, in December. I have to admit
>>that I don't know the works cited, though.
>I think an earlier discussion indicates "White Man's Rain Chant"
>is a retitled version of "Lord of Thunders."
That makes sense - half the people I know who have heard
of the song call it either "Hail Thor" or "Lord Of
Thunders".
>The ConChord songbook has sheet music as well as lyrics
>for all three songs.
I get the hint ;-)
Now, if you accepted credit cards online, I'd order it
right now...
Bruce Adelsohn
>
> I don't know if they're still doing it, but I know in NYC the postal
> workers used to read all the letters to Santa, and pool money to buy
> presents for the neediest kids who'd put return addresses on. Doesn't
> even take a stamp. :)
Just saw a report on this on the late late ABC news. No coincidences,
indeed.
There is a woman who opens all of the Santa letters and sorts them
(though I did not hear the detailed description, if any, of her
criteria, I believe that she simply eliminates from the stack any mere
complaints about last year's failure to deliver), then places them into
a publicly available bin for volunteer "Santas" to pick up and answer,
preferably with some material response. Since many of these letters are
NOT for toys, but are for things like shoes, food, and jobs for their
parents, a great many do indeed get answered as well as the volunteers
can manage.
Chris Croughton
<sa...@sa-tech.com> wrote:
>>(hint: UK does not mean United Kingdom!)...
>
>It doesn't? What does it stand for?
Ask your local post office, it was an American who tipped me off to this
particular piece of idiocy. The code UK has been assigned to the
Ukraine (really logical, right?), the person who told me had gone into
her local US post office with a letter addressed to somewhere UK and the
bod asked if she really wanted it to go to the Ukraine. She looked it
up and documented it.
When I heard about it, I called the Post Office here. The ordinary
counter folk hadn't heard about it, so they put me through to the HQ
office. The person there hadn't heard of it either, so she went to look
it up. When she came back she found that yes, it's true, but they
hadn't been told officially and so were still advising people to put UK
on return addresses!
(The correct code is GB, or NI for Northern Ireland, BTW.)
>See you at ConJose.
Yup. You and 7000 or so others <g>...
Chris C
Lee Gold
>
> I get the hint ;-)
> Now, if you accepted credit cards online, I'd order it
> right now...
I accept PayPal on line (minus their business fee).
And you can place a credit card order for the songbooks through
the Creaseys (but you'll have to phone them for a
credit card transaction).
--Lee
John Creasey
Lee Gold <lee...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:3C1792E1...@mediaone.net...
We do accept credit cards in e-mail, but we recommend that the
number be sent broken up in two or three separate messages.
We also do fax (24-hour standalone).
This IS an official comment from Random Factors.
Mary
Sandy Tyra
1970's'early 1980's?
Sandy
Rich Brown
which my lovely spouse has requested I keep away from web serarch engines
and similar prying eyes. To the tune of "Dancing With Bears". I'll
email them to 'most anyone who promises to not be offenced.
--
Rich Brown -- FreeMars.org
It will all be better when we go Digital...
Ace Lightning
Thanks. Check your email.
Ace Lightning
>>> I get the hint ;-)
>>> Now, if you accepted credit cards online, I'd order it
>>> right now...
>> I accept PayPal on line (minus their business fee).
>> And you can place a credit card order for the songbooks through
>> the Creaseys (but you'll have to phone them for a
>> credit card transaction).
>> --Lee
>We do accept credit cards in e-mail, but we recommend that the
>number be sent broken up in two or three separate messages.
>We also do fax (24-hour standalone).
>This IS an official comment from Random Factors.
I think I'll try PayPal; I've had good results with
them so far. Thanks!
Leslie Fish
"Ace Lightning" <ace.li...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:3C1711CE...@verizon.net...
>
> I get the hint ;-)
> Now, if you accepted credit cards online, I'd order it
> right now...
>
worked everywhere else. Uh, and use it with care, please; just once, then
wait for three days. Do NOT repeat for several nights running! You want to
get rainstorms, not hurricanes.
--
--Leslie <;)))><
Ace Lightning
>>I get the hint ;-)
>>Now, if you accepted credit cards online, I'd order it
>>right now...
> That's the one, Ace. Yes, it will work in (blechh!) New Jersey. It's
>worked everywhere else. Uh, and use it with care, please; just once, then
>wait for three days. Do NOT repeat for several nights running! You want to
>get rainstorms, not hurricanes.
Once I see it, I'll also see if I can jigger it a bit to
lower the temperature. We've had an alarmingly mild November
and December so far - it's 1:30 AM on December 14th, and
the temperature is 53 F/ 11.7 C, which is *way* too warm.
(It should be hovering around the freezing mark.) And
accumulated snow releases the water into the aquifers much
more evenly than weeks of drought followed by days of heavy
rain - not to mention the aesthetic appeal of a "white Xmas".
(Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
Rich Brown
<jcre...@socal.rr.com> wrote:
> We do accept credit cards in e-mail, but we recommend that the number be
> sent broken up in two or three separate messages. We also do fax
> (24-hour standalone).
Think PGP/GPG
Mike Van Pelt
Ace Lightning <acelig...@monmouth.com> wrote:
>(Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
>in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
>brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
How things change...
It wasn't that many years ago that 100 MHz was "faster then
they're likely to be making them any time soon."
I still boggle at gigahertz clock speeds.
On second look, you used a lower-case m... 100 milli-Hertz?
--
Have you noticed that, when we were young, we were told | Mike Van Pelt
that "everybody else is doing it" was a really stupid | m...@calweb.com
reason to do something, but now it's the standard reason | KE6BVH
for picking a particular software package? -- Barry Gehm
Ace Lightning
>>(Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
>>in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
>>brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
>How things change...
>It wasn't that many years ago that 100 MHz was "faster then
>they're likely to be making them any time soon."
>I still boggle at gigahertz clock speeds.
>On second look, you used a lower-case m... 100 milli-Hertz?
Actually, I was just attempting to modernize the phrase
"two-volt brain"... especially since the ones I'm thinking
of are probably a lot lower-powered even than that...
Mary Creasey
Here in the Los Angeles area, the brains tend to get shorted
about the third raindrop...the area would probably _shut down_
if we ever had a serious snowfall (or a really decent freeze-after-rain)!
<g> Hey, Les--you oughta post your and John's song
about drivers...and those were only in the RAIN!
Mary
Ace Lightning
>>(Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
>>in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
>>brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
>Here in the Los Angeles area, the brains tend to get shorted
>about the third raindrop...the area would probably _shut down_
>if we ever had a serious snowfall (or a really decent freeze-after-rain)!
Well, it's similar in NYC - a couple of drops of rain, and
whatever rudimentary driving skills they might have had
are completely scrambled. But NY *has* had the occasional
paralyzing blizzard and/or ice storm; the resulting level
of idiocy is about the same, but it's implemented differently.
Of course, New Yorkers tend to take *any* kind of noticeable
weather as a personal affront, or at least grounds for complaint.
If they'd only built the dome over Manhattan by the end of the
last millenium...
D.J.
Ace Lightning <ace.li...@verizon.net> wrote:
[]Well, it's similar in NYC - a couple of drops of rain, and
[]whatever rudimentary driving skills they might have had
[]are completely scrambled. But NY *has* had the occasional
[]paralyzing blizzard and/or ice storm; the resulting level
[]of idiocy is about the same, but it's implemented differently.
Near Biloxi, I've seen people almost drive off into a ditch because
one or two snow flakes appeared on their windshield.
Not large globs of snow. One or two small snow flakes. Less than
one-quarter of an inch in diameter. The driver almost freaked out.
JimP.
--
djim55 at tyhe datasync dot com. Disclaimer: Standard.
Updated: September 2, 2001
http://www.drivein.crosswinds.net/ Drive-In Movie Theatres
Registered Linux user#185746
Ace Lightning
>>Well, it's similar in NYC - a couple of drops of rain, and
>>whatever rudimentary driving skills they might have had
>>are completely scrambled. But NY *has* had the occasional
>>paralyzing blizzard and/or ice storm; the resulting level
>>of idiocy is about the same, but it's implemented differently.
>Near Biloxi, I've seen people almost drive off into a ditch because
>one or two snow flakes appeared on their windshield.
>Not large globs of snow. One or two small snow flakes. Less than
>one-quarter of an inch in diameter. The driver almost freaked out.
My brother in Dallas describes the same sort of thing.
Fortunately, he and I both learned to drive in snow in
New England.
Steve Wheeler
> (Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
> in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
> brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
I don't think the problem is brains shorting so much as it's
scientifically illiterate drivers who think that four-wheel drive and
ABS brakes are magic that keeps you from having to moderate your driving
technique for road conditions ("Black ice? No problem ... I've got
four-wheel drive. Not to mention that they always post a lower speed
limit than the road is designed to handle ...").
P. D. Cacek has a license plate holder on her vehicle that says
something like, "Drive carefully. F=1/2mv^2"
- wheels
Ace Lightning
>>(Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
>>in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
>>brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
>I don't think the problem is brains shorting so much as it's
>scientifically illiterate drivers who think that four-wheel drive and
>ABS brakes are magic that keeps you from having to moderate your driving
>technique for road conditions ("Black ice? No problem ... I've got
>four-wheel drive. Not to mention that they always post a lower speed
>limit than the road is designed to handle ...").
Oh, gods, ain't that the truth! Somehow the public has
gotten the entirely mistaken idea that 4WD gives you
"better traction" on slippery surfaces. It *does* give
you more "pulling power" in DEEP snow, or sticky mud,
or similar situations - but it won't do anything to keep
your tires from slipping on ice, an inch or two of snow,
or even wet pavement.
A few years ago, there was a minor snowstorm happening
during peak morning driving hours here. The major roads
were pretty much clear, just from the volume of traffic
that passed over them, but the winding back roads were
slick with a mixture of wet snow and freezing rain. I
was stuck behind a suburban-mom type (note: I *AM* a
suburban mom) in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, with its proud
gold-colored "4 Wheel Drive" badge level with my nose.
The driver was tippytoeing down the hill, fishtailing
(and visibly panicking every time it slid) on each
bend in the road. Whereas I followed behind her in my
ordinary front-wheel-drive sedan (a 1992 VW Jetta, with
a stick shift), nice and easy, no slipping or sliding -
and I could have easily driven 5 mph faster than she
did, and still not lost control. The difference is,
of course, that I *LEARNED* how to drive in different
weather conditions, without expecting the vehicle to
somehow do everything for me.
(Sometimes I think they ought to include an IQ test
in the driver's testing... *sigh*...)
>P. D. Cacek has a license plate holder on her vehicle that says
>something like, "Drive carefully. F=1/2mv^2"
Heh. Pity the ones who need the lesson most won't
understand it.
Joel Polowin
> P. D. Cacek has a license plate holder on her vehicle that says
> something like, "Drive carefully. F=1/2mv^2"
<science_geek>
FWIW, that would probably be "E=1/2mv^2" (kinetic energy). Or
"F=ma" (force) or "p=mv" (momentum).
</science_geek>
Many many years ago, the Frantics' radio show had a segment from
"Mr. Safety" "to make your summer vacation less horrifying". One
of the tips was "Always remember: sailboats have the right of way,
but lake freighters have more momentum." (When I chatted with
Rick Green at Ad Astra last February, he and the other Frantics
had just recovered the tapes of their show from the CBC archives
and were looking into finding some way of releasing the material.
Since each show usually had at least one musical number, many of
them SFnal, this will probably be of interest to filkers if it
works out.)
--
Joel Polowin jpolow...@sympatico.ca but delete "XYZZy" from address
The Rohirrim honoured their families and their horses. But
even there, it was possible to take things too far; and
Eohippus son of Eomund is omitted from most of the genealogies.
Bruce Adelsohn
>
> Well, it's similar in NYC - a couple of drops of rain, and
> whatever rudimentary driving skills they might have had
> are completely scrambled. But NY *has* had the occasional
> paralyzing blizzard and/or ice storm; the resulting level
> of idiocy is about the same, but it's implemented differently.
Hey, I resemble that remark! <g>
Seriously, New Yorkers can handle the rain. We get lots of practice,
because of the warming effects of being on the shore, as well as our own
heat pollution. And since most New York drivers are professionals --
who come in the classic two flavors of Very Good and Very Bad, both
scary -- you might want to choose another city to use as an example.
> Of course, New Yorkers tend to take *any* kind of noticeable
> weather as a personal affront, or at least grounds for complaint.
> If they'd only built the dome over Manhattan by the end of the
> last millenium...
Nope. Nope. Nope. Don't want a dome. Not offended by *some*
noticeable weather -- just anything below about 17.5 Celsius. Which is
cruel and inhuman, and suitable only for people who would choose, of
their own volition, to live in Boston <g,d,rvvvf>.
- Bruce, a warm weather animal -
Michael Liebmann
>
> Of course, New Yorkers tend to take *any* kind of noticeable
> weather as a personal affront, or at least grounds for complaint.
> If they'd only built the dome over Manhattan by the end of the
> last millenium...
Eh, WHAT dome?
Michael Liebmann
news:3C1B604E...@cybernex.net...
>
> Nope. Nope. Nope. Don't want a dome. Not offended by *some*
> noticeable weather -- just anything below about 17.5 Celsius. Which is
> cruel and inhuman, and suitable only for people who would choose, of
> their own volition, to live in Boston <g,d,rvvvf>.
>
Someone, send Bruce to Boston and chain him outside during a snowstorm!
Michael (barely awake)
UncleMonty
the subject: "4WD will help you GO, but it won't help you STOP."
We had a foot of heavy, wet snow up here in the Northwest, in 24 hours
(first snow of the season). I had my little 4WD Chevy Tracker set up
with chains on all four tires for a couple of days, but had to drive
carefully even so, to avoid being on the receiving end of someone else's
driving.
(Thinking: I can stop, he can't, and he's behind me..!)
Front wheel drive is good, too. But on an icy downhill road, if you let
up on the gas, the engine drag is transferred to the front wheels and
can sometimes make the rear and front kinda want to swap places.
Excitment!
Chris Croughton
<gmc...@REMOVETHISmcgath.com> wrote:
>It's a well-known phenomenon, called "acceptable risk." When something
>is made safer, people will use it more recklessly, so that they're at
>the same risk level they were comfortable with before. It makes an odd
>kind of sense if you think about it.
There was a study dome about seat belts which showed this. They took a
racetrack (I'm thinking Brands Hatch but i t may have been one of the
others, that sort of size anyway) and a load of ordinary saloon cars,
half with and half without seat belts, and offered a prize for the best
lap time. Overwhelmingly, the drivers wearing seat belts drove faster.
They then swapped the cars round and repeated it, same effect. When
questioned, the drivers said that they "were safer" (not even that they
'felt' safer in most cases) with the belts and so drove faster.
>4WD does help on intermittently slippery surfaces, in that it makes it
>more likely that at least one tire will find something to grab. But if
>just one of the four wheels finds traction, you can find yourself going
>in a direction you really hadn't intended.
This isn't, of course, an argument against 4WD, or ABS brakes, or seat
belts. These things do reduce the severity of accidents. However, the
likelyhood of an accident seems to go up in inverse proportion to its
severity, so the actual cost of insuring the cars may well go up as the
cost per person stays around the same...
Another data point. I noticed in Germany that few people use chains on
wheels or "snow tyres". They do put on 'winter' tyres in many cases (a
bit deeper tread, mainly), but otherwise they don't bother except in
really severe conditions. Why? They are trained to drive on snow with
ordinary tyres, and do so every year in many places, so unless it's a
really steep slope and slippery they don't bother with chains. Or 4WD,
mostly...
Chris C
Michael Liebmann
> > Once I see it, I'll also see if I can jigger it a bit to
> > lower the temperature. We've had an alarmingly mild November
> > and December so far - it's 1:30 AM on December 14th, and
> > the temperature is 53 F/ 11.7 C, which is *way* too warm.
> > (It should be hovering around the freezing mark.) And
> > accumulated snow releases the water into the aquifers much
> > more evenly than weeks of drought followed by days of heavy
> > rain - not to mention the aesthetic appeal of a "white Xmas".
> > (Sorry, Leslie, but I *LIKE* snow. I don't even mind driving
> > in it, except for all the idiots on the road whose 100-mHz
> > brains shorted out with the second snowflake...)
>
> Here in the Los Angeles area, the brains tend to get shorted
> about the third raindrop...the area would probably _shut down_
> if we ever had a serious snowfall (or a really decent freeze-after-rain)!
>
When I was stationed at NAS Meridian, Mississippi, one winter, we had
something like 1" of snow. ONE INCH. The entire state was closed down,
literally, except for ME, of course. I got up the morning after this 1" of
snow and the announcement that all operations were suspended, got on my
paratrooper boots, got dressed really warm and took my motorcycle over to
the airfield (about 4 miles from the BOQ). Took pictures of plane-cicles
(T-2's and TA-4J's with icicles hanging off the wings). Some purty
pictures, ya know?
Ah, what memories, what memories.
Margaret Middleton
>up on the gas, the engine drag is transferred to the front wheels and
>can sometimes make the rear and front kinda want to swap places.
>
>Excitment!
I saw that happen to a driver ahead of me on a local hill a few years back.
Fortunately, I was following well-back.
MSMinLR(at)aol.com (Margaret Middleton)
Shameless Plug for our local con: http://www.rockon.org
Help make a Quilted Artifact to sell for Interfilk:
http://members.aol.com/msminlr/ifquilt.htm
UncleMonty
ditches, from a safe distance, isn't there? Of course, then you have to
stop and pull 'em out.
"Merry Christmas!" And off they go...
Bruce Adelsohn
Michael, without getting too hostile or personal here, let's get two
things straight.
First, it's *my* universe, and *I* do the chaining. :-D
Second, I made a mistake with snow. But if you'd like to be buried in
it for a few months, it can be Arranged. ;-[D
- Bruce, peeved and NOT following this up -
Ace Lightning
>>...but I *LIKE* snow. ....
>You are a sick and twisted individual.
>J. Eiler
>(Moved south to get AWAY from the nasty stuff - and it keeps FOLLOWING
>HIM!)
Send it back north, then! Although it's a bit more normal
now, we had a high temperature of 63 F /17 C last night,
at 1:30 in the morning, which is utterly *ABSURD* for December
in New Jersey.
Snow is good. It's very quiet. It keeps at least some percentage
of the totally clueless off the roads (although it increases
Clue Deficit Disorder among many who *do* try to drive in it,
as discussed up-thread). It makes even the most dismal landscape
look beautiful for a while. And when it melts, it releases water
into the aquifers more evenly than rain runoff does. Oh, and
it's also cold and refreshing.
--Ace Lightning, whose definition of "sweater weather" (x-thread)
is "below freezing", although i admit to wearing socks if it's
much colder than 45 F/ 7 C.
Ace Lightning
>>Here in the Los Angeles area, the brains tend to get shorted
>>about the third raindrop...the area would probably _shut down_
>>if we ever had a serious snowfall (or a really decent freeze-after-rain)!
>OK, true story:
>When I was stationed at NAS Meridian, Mississippi, one winter, we had
>something like 1" of snow. ONE INCH. The entire state was closed down,
>literally, except for ME, of course. I got up the morning after this 1" of
>snow and the announcement that all operations were suspended, got on my
>paratrooper boots, got dressed really warm and took my motorcycle over to
>the airfield (about 4 miles from the BOQ). Took pictures of plane-cicles
>(T-2's and TA-4J's with icicles hanging off the wings). Some purty
>pictures, ya know?
>Ah, what memories, what memories.
I've never tried to drive a motorcycle in the snow, but that's
because the motorcycles I've driven were never my own. I'd love
to see the pictures of the airplanes trimmed with icicles!
When my son was small, we lived in a suburban area north of NYC.
Each town had its own school district, but there were a few schools
that were run by the county, and my son attended one of them.
Whenever it snowed, each school district decided on its own whether
to have school or not. They were supposed to announce on the radio
which districts were closed, but the most reliable way to find out was
to phone the district school bus garage and ask *them*. If a kid
lived in a district that decided to close, there would be no bus
service to the county school, even if it was open. Well, when *I*
was a kid, if there WAS school, you WENT, period. So I'd drive him to
school in the snow. The district bus supervisor kept asking me if I
wanted a job driving a school bus...
Ace Lightning
>>>I don't think the problem is brains shorting so much as it's
>>>scientifically illiterate drivers who think that four-wheel drive and
>>>ABS brakes are magic that keeps you from having to moderate your driving
>>>technique for road conditions ("Black ice? No problem ... I've got
>>>four-wheel drive. Not to mention that they always post a lower speed
>>>limit than the road is designed to handle ...").
>>Oh, gods, ain't that the truth! Somehow the public has
>>gotten the entirely mistaken idea that 4WD gives you
>>"better traction" on slippery surfaces. It *does* give
>>you more "pulling power" in DEEP snow, or sticky mud,
>>or similar situations - but it won't do anything to keep
>>your tires from slipping on ice, an inch or two of snow,
>>or even wet pavement.
>is made safer, people will use it more recklessly, so that they're at
>the same risk level they were comfortable with before. It makes an odd
>kind of sense if you think about it.
In this case, it's an illusion, because SUVs *aren't* really
safer than ordinary cars on slippery roads. Drivers who think
that they don't have to bother to drive differently in bad
weather, simply because their cars are equipped with 4WD,
ABS braking, or whatever, wind up at a *higher* risk level.
>4WD does help on intermittently slippery surfaces, in that it makes it
>more likely that at least one tire will find something to grab. But if
>just one of the four wheels finds traction, you can find yourself going
>in a direction you really hadn't intended.
And if *none* of the wheels have traction, 4WD isn't going to
do a damn bit of good...
Ace Lightning
>I found a simple way to explain it to anyone who seemed interested in
>the subject: "4WD will help you GO, but it won't help you STOP."
>We had a foot of heavy, wet snow up here in the Northwest, in 24 hours
>(first snow of the season). I had my little 4WD Chevy Tracker set up
>with chains on all four tires for a couple of days, but had to drive
>carefully even so, to avoid being on the receiving end of someone else's
>driving.
>(Thinking: I can stop, he can't, and he's behind me..!)
At least you live in a state where chains are still legal!
>Front wheel drive is good, too. But on an icy downhill road, if you let
>up on the gas, the engine drag is transferred to the front wheels and
>can sometimes make the rear and front kinda want to swap places.
>Excitment!
That's one reason I drive a stick shift... I can control how
much engine drag there is.
Ace Lightning
>>Well, it's similar in NYC - a couple of drops of rain, and
>>whatever rudimentary driving skills they might have had
>>are completely scrambled. But NY *has* had the occasional
>>paralyzing blizzard and/or ice storm; the resulting level
>>of idiocy is about the same, but it's implemented differently.
>Hey, I resemble that remark! <g>
>Seriously, New Yorkers can handle the rain. We get lots of practice,
>because of the warming effects of being on the shore, as well as our own
>heat pollution. And since most New York drivers are professionals --
>who come in the classic two flavors of Very Good and Very Bad, both
>scary -- you might want to choose another city to use as an example.
I'm not sure that "most" New York drivers are professionals.
I've seen an alarming number who grew up in the city and
didn't learn to take driving for granted at an early age;
they resort to it only out of necessity, and they are hesitant
and easily flustered. Of course, compared to a taxi driver
(whether Very Good or Very Bad), they always lose.
>>Of course, New Yorkers tend to take *any* kind of noticeable
>>weather as a personal affront, or at least grounds for complaint.
>>If they'd only built the dome over Manhattan by the end of the
>>last millenium...
>Nope. Nope. Nope. Don't want a dome. Not offended by *some*
>noticeable weather -- just anything below about 17.5 Celsius. Which is
>cruel and inhuman, and suitable only for people who would choose, of
>their own volition, to live in Boston <g,d,rvvvf>.
> - Bruce, a warm weather animal -
I was born and raised in the suburbs of NYC, and have never lived
more than an hour's drive away - I lived in the city for seven years.
But I spent large chunks of my childhood "vacationing" with relatives
in the Boston suburbs... which is where I learned to drive in snow.
And, as for warm weather, I find anything *warmer* than 73 F/ 23 C
uncomfortable.
Ace Lightning
>>Of course, New Yorkers tend to take *any* kind of noticeable
>>weather as a personal affront, or at least grounds for complaint.
>>If they'd only built the dome over Manhattan by the end of the
>>last millenium...
>Eh, WHAT dome?
The dome that Buckminster Fuller proposed (after all, he
invented the concept in the first place), and any number
of science fiction writers have imagined. It would protect
Manhattanites from weather; it would either contain air
filtration systems to deal with pollution, or at least keep
the smog from spreading to the outer boroughs; it would make
maintaining security checkpoints a lot easier; and advertising
messages could be projected on the inside surface. If it had
only been built in the early 1990s, as some writers predicted...