'basket of currencies'

[occam]

Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
that baffles me most.

In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.

Anyone have any theories why a basket?

[I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]

[Adam Funk]

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."


--
A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.
---Mark Twain

[John Dunlop]

occam:

Presumably by analogy with the "basket of items" (goods or services)
used in consumer price inflation indices.

--
John

[occam]

On 24/05/2023 14:54, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>
>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>> that baffles me most.
>>
>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>>
>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>
>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>
> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
>
>

So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place. When our
apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.


--
Athel -- French and British, living in Marseilles for 36 years; mainly
in England until 1987.

[bruce bowser]

On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 8:05:11 AM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> that baffles me most.
>
> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>
> Anyone have any theories why a basket?

What is the first think you would use when picking up/storing things?
(even after Neanderthal or Cro-Magnons times)

[occam]

On 24/05/2023 16:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
>
>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>> that baffles me most.
>>
>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>> I'd dip into in my preparations.  Never a basket.
>>
>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>
>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>
> 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place.

Was it in a basket?

When our
> apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
> bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.
>

30 years ago, Italian currency had more zeros. Perhaps they were
financially ill-informed?

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2023-05-24 18:46:00 +0000, occam said:

> On 24/05/2023 16:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>> On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
>>
>>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>>> that baffles me most.
>>>
>>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>>> I'd dip into in my preparations.  Never a basket.
>>>
>>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>>
>>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>
>> 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place.
>
> Was it in a basket?

No

>
> When our
>> apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
>> bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.
>>
>
> 30 years ago, Italian currency had more zeros. Perhaps they were
> financially ill-informed?

Maybe, but as we're only a bit under three hours' drive from
Ventimiglia maybe they thought they could more easily use Italian money.

[Bebercito]

Le mercredi 24 mai 2023 à 14:05:11 UTC+2, occam a écrit :
> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> that baffles me most.
>
> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>
> Anyone have any theories why a basket?

To illustrate the diversity of the currencies it contains, just like a "regular"
basket is used to buy diverse food items (with both currencies and food
items also having to do with "the market"). The same metaphor is used
in French ("un panier de devises"), so I'm not baffled in the least.

[Sam Plusnet]

On 24-May-23 15:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:

> 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place. When our
> apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
> bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.

<swerve>
At around the same time, our car was stolen and recovered a week later
in a very damaged state.
The thieves had taken every single audio cassette case - but left all
the cassettes strewn around on the floor.

My wife was very insulted by the slur on her musical tastes.

--
Sam Plusnet

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 2:46:06 PM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> On 24/05/2023 16:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> > On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:

> >> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> >> that baffles me most.
> >> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> >> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> >> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> >> Anyone have any theories why a basket?

> > 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place.
>
> Was it in a basket?

Sitcoms teach us that on the Left Coast -- well, in Seattle and
Pasadena at least -- when people enter their apartment they
drop their keys into a bowl on a table adjacent to the front door.

Recall also Hillary's "basket of deplorables."

[lar3ryca]

When I worked for IBM, my car was broken into, and the culprits took my
tool bag, but left a 100Mhz Tektronix oscilloscope.

--
A metaphor is like a simile.
~ Steven Wright

[TonyCooper]

Several years ago someone grabbed my case of 8-track tapes from my
car. (I hadn't locked the car, and the windows were open, so there
was no need to break into the car.)

The next week I traded that car for one that did not have an 8-track
tape player, so there was no great loss. The trade-in had been
planned. It was not because of the tape theft.

--

Tony Cooper - Orlando,Florida

[Jerry Friedman]

...

I've seen that on the North Coast, only our basket was on the hutch
next to the side door.

This brings up the "key parties" of '60s swingers (/fide/ John Updike):
the husbands all drop their keys into the basket, at the end of the
party each wife grabs a key and gets driven by the owner of the key
to his house for a night.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Hibou]

Perhaps they knew the lira was a basket case.

[Hibou]

Or thought the pound was. Yes, that makes more sense.

[J. J. Lodder]

Jerry Friedman <jerry.fr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 3:16:46?PM UTC-6, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> > On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 2:46:06?PM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> > > On 24/05/2023 16:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> > > > On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
> >
> > > >> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> > > >> that baffles me most.
> > > >> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> > > >> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> > > >> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> > > >> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
> > > > 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place.
> > >
> > > Was it in a basket?
>
> > Sitcoms teach us that on the Left Coast -- well, in Seattle and
> > Pasadena at least -- when people enter their apartment they
> > drop their keys into a bowl on a table adjacent to the front door.
> ...
>
> I've seen that on the North Coast, only our basket was on the hutch
> next to the side door.

Shown to be quite convenient for wirelessly stealing the car.
(if it is of the latest kind)
All it takes is a repeater.

> This brings up the "key parties" of '60s swingers (/fide/ John Updike):
> the husbands all drop their keys into the basket, at the end of the
> party each wife grabs a key and gets driven by the owner of the key
> to his house for a night.

Probems, problems. Quite hard to remember when already half drunk
that you want the one with the little chalise from the palace,
and not the one with the flagon with the dragon.

Life wasn't easy, in the sixties,

Jan

[Adam Funk]

Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
a shopping basket of various items.


--
And I won't like [this usage] any better if you produce examples from
Shakespeare, Milton, Johnson ... Or, indeed, myself. --Mike Lyle

[Ken Blake]

What, it takes you three hours to drive 20 miles?

I was in Ventimiglia only once. It took about 15 minutes to walk there
from our hotel in Menton.

[occam]

On 25/05/2023 14:55, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>
>> On 24/05/2023 14:54, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>>>
>>>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>>>> that baffles me most.
>>>>
>>>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>>>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>>>> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>>>>
>>>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>>>
>>>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>>
>>> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
>>>
>>>
>>
>> So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)
>
> Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
> a shopping basket of various items.
>
>

Why a basket metaphor? (That is the original question.). I am not
questioning the metaphor, I'm questioning the basket. Why not a (desk)
drawer metaphor or a handbag metaphor or even a wallet metaphor?

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

That's how long it takes Mr. Google. But I'm not in Menton, or even
Nice; I'm in Marseilles.

>
> I was in Ventimiglia only once. It took about 15 minutes to walk there
> from our hotel in Menton.

--
athel -- biochemist, not a physicist, but detector of crackpots

[Ken Blake]

On Thu, 25 May 2023 19:18:17 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden

?? Mr Google?

I was just making a slight joke by translating "Ventimiglia."

>But I'm not in Menton, or even
>Nice; I'm in Marseilles.

I know.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

OK. I was whooshed.

>
>> But I'm not in Menton, or even>Nice; I'm in Marseilles.
>
> I know.
>
>
>
>>> I was in Ventimiglia only once. It took about 15 minutes to walk there
>>> from our hotel in Menton.

[Sam Plusnet]

Would you prefer "A raft of currencies"?

That phrase has gained some currency over the years.

A number of disparate things, roughly lashed together, to create a vehicle.

--
Sam Plusnet

[Bebercito]

Here's an explanation by AI:

---
The expression "basket of currencies" is used in economics to refer to a set of foreign
currencies that are used as a reference to determine the value of a national currency.
It can be used in the context of a floating exchange rate regime or to fix the value of
a currency against a basket of foreign currencies.

The origin of this expression probably comes from the fact that *the different currencies
are considered as ingredients in a basket, each having its own weight and importance
in determining the overall value of the basket*. The use of multiple currencies in a basket
helps to reduce the risk of excessive fluctuations in the value of the national currency
against a single currency, as the fluctuations of each currency are taken into account in
the calculation of the overall value of the basket.

<Emphasis mine.>

https://www.aichatting.net/
---

It goes along with what's already been said, but, granted other metaphors were
possible - this is just an instance of the "arbitrariness of the sign".

[Ken Blake]

On Thu, 25 May 2023 20:07:27 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden

Not a problem. It was a very slight joke.

[Peter Moylan]

Because a basket is what people used to carry when they went shopping.
Cost-of-living figures are derived, in part, from the contents of a
typical basket of groceries.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org

[Oscar Mayer]

On Thu, 25 May 2023 17:16:39 +0200, occam wrote:

>>>>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>>>>
>>>>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>>>
>>>> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)
>>
>> Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
>> a shopping basket of various items.
>>
> Why a basket metaphor? (That is the original question.). I am not
> questioning the metaphor, I'm questioning the basket. Why not a (desk)
> drawer metaphor or a handbag metaphor or even a wallet metaphor?

No theory here why they didn't call it a "block of currencies" or a "group
of currencies" or even a "tranche" (which is usually used for layering).

No theory here either.
https://www.angelone.in/knowledge-center/online-share-trading/currency-basket-explained
https://www.dailyforex.com/forex-articles/currency-basket/182477
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_basket

Seems nobody but you has ever questioned why basket and not drawer.

[occam]

On 25/05/2023 21:39, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 25-May-23 16:16, occam wrote:
>> On 25/05/2023 14:55, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/05/2023 14:54, Adam Funk wrote:
>>>>> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the
>>>>>> one
>>>>>> that baffles me most.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various
>>>>>> currencies in
>>>>>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second
>>>>>> drawer
>>>>>> I'd dip into in my preparations.  Never a basket.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>>>>
>>>>> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)
>>>
>>> Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
>>> a shopping basket of various items.
>>>
>>>
>>   Why a basket metaphor? (That is the original question.). I am not
>> questioning the metaphor, I'm questioning the basket.  Why not a (desk)
>> drawer metaphor or a handbag metaphor or even a wallet metaphor?
>
> Would you prefer "A raft of currencies"?

Yes. Much better.

>
> That phrase has gained some currency over the years.

<thumbs up>

>
> A number of disparate things, roughly lashed together, to create a vehicle.

The nautical metaphor is already widely used in currency parlance.
'Floating currencies', 'weathering financial storms', etc.
>

[occam]

What is a "slight" joke? I find the expression very odd. It is both
defensive ('sorry') and an admission to being borderline unfunny?
In the range from unfunny (0) to funny (10), where would "slight" figure?

(P.S. I found the 'ventimiglia' joke quite funny, once the Italian
translation kicked in.)

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Oscar Mayer wrote:

>>  Why a basket metaphor? (That is the original question.). I am not
>> questioning the metaphor, I'm questioning the basket.  Why not a (desk)
>> drawer metaphor or a handbag metaphor or even a wallet metaphor?
>
> No theory here why they didn't call it a "block of currencies" or a "group
> of currencies" or even a "tranche" (which is usually used for layering).

I have one: They see currency as a basket case?

--
Bertel, Denmark

[Adam Funk]

Oo, good one (& I missed it too).

>>But I'm not in Menton, or even
>>Nice; I'm in Marseilles.
>
> I know.
>
>
>
>>> I was in Ventimiglia only once. It took about 15 minutes to walk there
>>> from our hotel in Menton.

--
Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.
---Spock

[Adam Funk]

From Géricault to Julian Barnes via The Pogues.


--
XML combines the efficiency of text files with the readability of
binary files.

[J. J. Lodder]

Je suis Medusée!,

Jan

[Dingbat]

On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 8:01:19 PM UTC+5:30, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
>

> > Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> > that baffles me most.
> >
> > In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> > a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> > I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> >
> > Anyone have any theories why a basket?
> >
> > [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]

> 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place. When our

> apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
> bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.
>

I once read this anecdote:
An English chauffeur vacationing in America found it an insult for a Rolls
Royce to get a parking ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about
to expire.

[Adam Funk]

I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
people's meters.

In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her "random
acts of kindness".



--
Dear Ann [Landers]: if there's an enormous rash of necrophilia that
happens in the next year because of this song, please let me know.
99.9% of the rest of us know it's a funny song! ---Alice Cooper

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Adam Funk wrote:

> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
> people's meters.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-i-get-trouble-feeding-other-peoples-parking-meters-don-pumphrey

--
Bertel, Denmark

[Ken Blake]

On Fri, 26 May 2023 15:15:10 +0100, Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com>
wrote:

>On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:

>
>> On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 8:01:19?PM UTC+5:30, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
>>>
>>> > Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>>> > that baffles me most.
>>> >
>>> > In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>>> > a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>>> > I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>>> >
>>> > Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>> >
>>> > [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>> 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place. When our
>>> apartment was burgled the thieves took the Italian money but didn't
>>> bother with the British. I felt quite insulted.
>>>
>> I once read this anecdote:
>> An English chauffeur vacationing in America found it an insult for a Rolls
>> Royce to get a parking ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about
>> to expire.
>
>I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
>people's meters.

...especially if you don't know whether they are vegetarians.

[Bebercito]

Then, they'll have to be fed greenbacks.

[bruce bowser]

On Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 4:25:15 AM UTC-4, J. J. Lodder wrote:
> Jerry Friedman <jerry.fr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 3:16:46?PM UTC-6, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 2:46:06?PM UTC-4, occam wrote:
> > > > On 24/05/2023 16:29, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> > > > > On 2023-05-24 12:03:07 +0000, occam said:
> > >
> > > > >> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> > > > >> that baffles me most.
> > > > >> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> > > > >> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> > > > >> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> > > > >> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
> > > > > 30 years ago we kept British and Italian money the same place.
> > > >
> > > > Was it in a basket?
> >
> > > Sitcoms teach us that on the Left Coast -- well, in Seattle and
> > > Pasadena at least -- when people enter their apartment they
> > > drop their keys into a bowl on a table adjacent to the front door.
> > ...
> >
> > I've seen that on the North Coast, only our basket was on the hutch
> > next to the side door.
> Shown to be quite convenient for wirelessly stealing the car.
> (if it is of the latest kind)
> All it takes is a repeater.

If it works, you said that probably an hour or so ago at EST 3:32PM (New York) [Als het werkt, zei je dat waarschijnlijk een uur of zo geleden op OST 15:32 New York)].

[Peter Moylan]

On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:

>> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
>> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
>> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
>
> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
> people's meters.
>
> In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her "random
> acts of kindness".

On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of Brisbane)
the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went around putting
coins in parking meters that were about to expire. The council saw it as
a way to attract tourists. It was probably illegal by state law, but the
state police were unlikely to prosecute something encouraged by local
government.

On the question of moving to another place before the meter expires: I
heard of cases where people did this (legally), but got a ticket anyway
because of a chalk mark on a tyre left by the parking inspector at the
previous parking space. These days, of course, the systems in place do
not rely on chalk marks.

[Snidely]

bruce bowser explained on 5/26/2023 :

You're not the right kind of repeater.

-d

--
Trust, but verify.

[J. J. Lodder]

Snidely <snide...@gmail.com> wrote:

> bruce bowser explained on 5/26/2023 :

Locking in ametal-walled cell
is supposed to be the right treatment,
for repeaters like that,

Jan

[occam]

On 26/05/2023 21:44, bruce bowser wrote:

>
> If it works, you said that probably an hour or so ago at EST 3:32PM (New York) [Als het werkt, zei je dat waarschijnlijk een uur of zo geleden op OST 15:32 New York)].

What is it with you and your posts, with the Dutch subtitles? Is this a
form of Tourette's I've not heard of?

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:28:11 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
> > On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:

> >> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
> >> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
> >> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
> > I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
> > people's meters.
> > In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her "random
> > acts of kindness".
>
> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of Brisbane)
> the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went around putting
> coins in parking meters that were about to expire. The council saw it as
> a way to attract tourists. It was probably illegal by state law, but the
> state police were unlikely to prosecute something encouraged by local
> government.

Interesting. Our "meter maids" are the women officers (probably the
only police job open to them in those days) who ticketed cars parked
at expired parking meters. If the job still existed, would male ones be
"meter men"?

> On the question of moving to another place before the meter expires: I
> heard of cases where people did this (legally), but got a ticket anyway
> because of a chalk mark on a tyre left by the parking inspector at the
> previous parking space. These days, of course, the systems in place do
> not rely on chalk marks.

I've heard of such a chalk-mark system but don't think it was used in New
York or Chicago. In JC, it may have been used to identify cars parked
overnight (technically, more than four hours) without a zone parking
permit (all of $15 a year for residents, free for Seniors), but zone parking
violations have not been enforced for many years. (Happily, they've begun
ticketing cars parked in No Parking areas, including the space in front of
my house that was taken away by a "Here to Crosswalk" sign from when
they began to notice that there was a state law about that.)

[Peter Moylan]

On 28/05/23 00:05, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> On Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:28:11 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:
>
>>>> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
>>>> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
>>>> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
>>> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed
>>> other people's meters. In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_)
>>> was ticketed for her "random acts of kindness".
>>
>> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of
>> Brisbane) the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went
>> around putting coins in parking meters that were about to expire.
>> The council saw it as a way to attract tourists. It was probably
>> illegal by state law, but the state police were unlikely to
>> prosecute something encouraged by local government.
>
> Interesting. Our "meter maids" are the women officers (probably the
> only police job open to them in those days) who ticketed cars parked
> at expired parking meters. If the job still existed, would male ones
> be "meter men"?

The Queensland ones wore bikinis, also in the interest of making the
place more attractive to tourists. (Crassness is standard on the Gold
Coast.) It would not have occurred to the authorities there to use
scantily-clad men.

[Peter T. Daniels]

They were happy to constrain the gay male tourists to farther south ...
but what about the straight women tourists?

Also ... there's a reason the nearly-nude calendars (used as fund-raisers)
traditionally feature firemen rather than policemen. Maybe the QL policemen
have the same reputation as ours did for enjoying their donuts?

[Sam Plusnet]

An opportunity missed.
The ones who used illegal body-building drugs could then be called
Meteoroids.

--
Sam Plusnet

[J. J. Lodder]

Bebercito <bebe...@aol.com> wrote:

> Le mercredi 24 mai 2023 à 14:05:11 UTC+2, occam a écrit :
> > Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> > that baffles me most.
> >
> > In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> > a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> > I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> >
> > Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>

> To illustrate the diversity of the currencies it contains, just like a
> "regular" basket is used to buy diverse food items (with both currencies
> and food items also having to do with "the market"). The same metaphor is
> used in French ("un panier de devises"), so I'm not baffled in the least.

And if they are all of the same kind, like eggs,
you shouldn't keep them in one,

BTW, the Dutch just called it the Ecu. (one word)
At the time some people assumed that calling it the Ecu
was just a fiendishly clever ploy by the French
to get their French coin name for the Euro.

The Germans put their foot down however, and insisted
that the coin should be called an Euro instead.

Jan

[J. J. Lodder]

Dutch, of a kind.
It usually is Google translate quality, or worse.

Jan

[Peter Moylan]

On 28/05/23 03:13, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 10:46:55 AM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> On 28/05/23 00:05, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>>> On Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:28:11 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan
>>> wrote:

>>>> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of
>>>> Brisbane) the city council used to employ "meter maids" who
>>>> went around putting coins in parking meters that were about to
>>>> expire. The council saw it as a way to attract tourists. It was
>>>> probably illegal by state law, but the state police were
>>>> unlikely to prosecute something encouraged by local
>>>> government.
>>> Interesting. Our "meter maids" are the women officers (probably
>>> the only police job open to them in those days) who ticketed cars
>>> parked at expired parking meters. If the job still existed, would
>>> male ones be "meter men"?
>>
>> The Queensland ones wore bikinis, also in the interest of making
>> the place more attractive to tourists. (Crassness is standard on
>> the Gold Coast.) It would not have occurred to the authorities
>> there to use scantily-clad men.
>
> They were happy to constrain the gay male tourists to farther south
> ... but what about the straight women tourists?

Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well advised to
stay out of Queensland.

"We are now coming in to land at Brisbane airport. Please set your
watches back one hour and ten years."

[Bebercito]

The name could be misleading, though.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!

[bruce bowser]

Here in the US, its Idaho, Utah, Alabama and Mississippi.

[Adam Funk]

On 2023-05-27, Peter Moylan wrote:

> On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:
>
>>> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
>>> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
>>> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
>>
>> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed other
>> people's meters.
>>
>> In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her "random
>> acts of kindness".
>
> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of Brisbane)
> the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went around putting
> coins in parking meters that were about to expire. The council saw it as
> a way to attract tourists. It was probably illegal by state law, but the
> state police were unlikely to prosecute something encouraged by local
> government.

Who got the meter revenue, the state government?

> On the question of moving to another place before the meter expires: I
> heard of cases where people did this (legally), but got a ticket anyway
> because of a chalk mark on a tyre left by the parking inspector at the
> previous parking space. These days, of course, the systems in place do
> not rely on chalk marks.
>


--

Slade was the coolest band in England. They were the kind of guys
that would push your car out of a ditch. ---Alice Cooper

[Peter Moylan]

Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?

The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
after the same person.

I was born and grew up in Victoria, and it wasn't until after I had left
the place that I gave any thought to where the name came from.

[Peter Moylan]

On 29/05/23 04:05, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-27, Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>> On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:
>>
>>>> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
>>>> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
>>>> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
>>>
>>> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed
>>> other people's meters.
>>>
>>> In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her
>>> "random acts of kindness".
>>
>> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of
>> Brisbane) the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went
>> around putting coins in parking meters that were about to expire.
>> The council saw it as a way to attract tourists. It was probably
>> illegal by state law, but the state police were unlikely to
>> prosecute something encouraged by local government.
>
> Who got the meter revenue, the state government?

The city did, and still does.

But here's a quote from a current newspaper: "For Brisbane and Gold
Coast businesses, paid parking is good for council revenue but bad for
them."

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/for-brisbane-and-gold-coast-businesses-paid-parking-is-good-for-council-revenue-but-bad-for-them/news-story/79fec78ff25848a8a34df021000a2362

That's a commonly-expressed sentiment, in many places. Parking meters
are usually justified with the claim that it's important to keep cars
coming and going, rather than having someone hog the same space all day.
But inner-city businesses often complain that their businesses are hurt
by a shortage of parking and the high cost of parking.

Personally I go into inner-city Newcastle as little as possible, because
of the difficulty of parking. When I go to Sydney, where parking is even
more difficult and more expensive, I almost always take the train to
avoid the problem of finding a parking spot.

[TonyCooper]

On Mon, 29 May 2023 11:41:33 +1000, Peter Moylan
<pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:

>On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>> On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00?PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>>> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
>>> advised to stay out of Queensland.
>>
>> Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
>
>Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
>name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
>the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
>names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?

Nobody, but the answer is Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles
the First. It was a colony, not a state, when it was established by
charter in 1632.

>
>The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
>of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
>separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
>by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
>after the same person.
>
>I was born and grew up in Victoria, and it wasn't until after I had left
>the place that I gave any thought to where the name came from.
--

Tony Cooper - Orlando,Florida

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>
> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
> >
> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?

Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip) And.,
since it was established so that Catholics would have a place to go,
conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this day,. the
Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate in the US.
And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Federalist architecture.

> The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
> of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
> separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
> by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
> after the same person.

We have two state capitals, Columbia and Columbus, but no state (so
"British Columbia" is a bit redundant), and Colombia is often mispronounced
as if it were the English version of the name.

Washington is one of the more popular county names, and the state often
has to be called Washington State to forestall confusion with Washington, D.C.

> I was born and grew up in Victoria, and it wasn't until after I had left
> the place that I gave any thought to where the name came from.

Oh, wow, there must be an air show somewhere for Memorial Day,
because I just heard the jets nearly overhead. I wonder whether they
take off from Teterboro to go to the Bethpage, L.I., air show, which
is fairly far out on the largest island in the continental US. (It's 11 a.m.)

[occam]

I thought 'ECU' *was* a French ploy. It was also accompanied by the
fiendishly clever 'European Currency Units' acronym.

It never occurred to me it may have been a Dutch jibe. The fact that it
would rub the Germans the wrong way would have been justification
enough, come to think of it.

[J. J. Lodder]

The Ecu and its subdvisions were standard French coinage
before the French revolution.
The revolutionaries abolished the Ecu and replaced it by the Franc,
but in practice the French still called the their coins ecus,
throughout the 19th century.

The 'Ecu' is cognate with various other coins called 'shield',
such as the English 'shilling'. (from Latin)

> > The Germans put their foot down however, and insisted
> > that the coin should be called an Euro instead.

Instead of putting some figurative feet down
the French and the Germans often had a diplomatic 'bras de fer'
in the early EU.

Jan

[Sam Plusnet]

No-one gives much thought to familiar placenames.

A friend was brought up in Idle, and was (as first) bemused when people
started laughing and making jokes about him being an idle person etc. etc.


--
Sam Plusnet

[Sam Plusnet]

On 29-May-23 2:52, Peter Moylan wrote:

> But here's a quote from a current newspaper: "For Brisbane and Gold
> Coast businesses, paid parking is good for council revenue but bad for
> them."
>
> https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/for-brisbane-and-gold-coast-businesses-paid-parking-is-good-for-council-revenue-but-bad-for-them/news-story/79fec78ff25848a8a34df021000a2362
>
> That's a commonly-expressed sentiment, in many places. Parking meters
> are usually justified with the claim that it's important to keep cars
> coming and going, rather than having someone hog the same space all day.
> But inner-city businesses often complain that their businesses are hurt
> by a shortage of parking and the high cost of parking.
>
> Personally I go into inner-city Newcastle as little as possible, because
> of the difficulty of parking. When I go to Sydney, where parking is even
> more difficult and more expensive, I almost always take the train to
> avoid the problem of finding a parking spot.

That still has an impact on shops in the city centre.
You are unlikely to buy large or heavy items if you have to lug it all
home with you, on foot and public transport.

--
Sam Plusnet

[Snidely]

Peter T. Daniels formulated the comment:

Okay, I won't ask who Long's Island was named after, but waddabout
Bethpage?

(I live near a cities sharing a street named "Katella", commonly
pronounced "Kuh TELL ah", but named after some farmer's daughters:
Kate and Ella.)

/dps

--
Ieri, oggi, domani

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Monday, May 29, 2023 at 4:18:54 PM UTC-4, Snidely wrote:
> Peter T. Daniels formulated the comment:
> > On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:

> >> I was born and grew up in Victoria, and it wasn't until after I had left
> >> the place that I gave any thought to where the name came from.
> > Oh, wow, there must be an air show somewhere for Memorial Day,
> > because I just heard the jets nearly overhead. I wonder whether they
> > take off from Teterboro to go to the Bethpage, L.I., air show, which
> > is fairly far out on the largest island in the continental US. (It's 11 a.m.)
>
> Okay, I won't ask who Long's Island was named after, but waddabout
> Bethpage?

lmgtfy:

"The name Bethpage comes from the Quaker Thomas Powell, who named
the area after the Biblical town Bethphage, which was between Jericho and
Jerusalem in the Holy Land."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethpage,_New_York#History

> (I live near a cities sharing a street named "Katella", commonly
> pronounced "Kuh TELL ah", but named after some farmer's daughters:
> Kate and Ella.)

Until the intersection was rebuilt, there was a spot where you could
see street signs for both Tonelle and Tonele Avenue (= US1-9). The
(incorrect) one-l spelling gives a better hint to its pronunciation, which
is, curiously. /'ta.n@.liy/ or ''t@.n@.liy/ (where /@/ under stress is [V]).

[Peter T. Daniels]

Turns out the Bethpage Air Show was Saturday and Sunday, at Jones Beach.

Maybe they were doing a flyover for Fleet Week (whose Mem. Day events
are HQed on the Carrier Intrepid, which is the air/water/space museum
for the region).

[Thomas Joseph]

occam wrote:


> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> that baffles me most.
>
> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>
> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>

> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]


Analyzing the whys and wherefores of such terms can
turn a person into a basket case. I am not a big fan of
word usage obsession. At times I want to know the actual
dictionary definition of a word, but a lot of times I prefer
rolling with the sound over the official meaning. Knowing
the origin of expressions is interesting though. Words
alone are another matter. For example, if I misuse a word -
not rare for me - someone might cite me on it, not so much
to correct me politely but as a means of avoiding whatever
we were talking about in the first place.

Word up, duuuude

[bruce bowser]

Wow ! ! Great bikini environment ! !
Yet, when referring to the NYC area, more attention goes to the Paris Airshow, Dubai Airshow, Farnborough Airshow. and the Singapore Airshow which are far, far higher-end than out on that Long Island beach. Plus, you have to walk forever just to get to the shore line.

[bil...@shaw.ca]

On Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 6:00:14 AM UTC-7, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>
> > On 24/05/2023 14:54, Adam Funk wrote:

> >> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
> >>
> >>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
> >>> that baffles me most.
> >>>
> >>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
> >>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
> >>> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
> >>>
> >>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
> >>>
> >>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
> >>

> >> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
> >
> > So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)
> Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
> a shopping basket of various items.
>
It's often found in news stories dealing with the cost of living. There are
agencies and organizations that conduct surveys like that, and lots of
publications that run stories about their findings.

bill

[occam]

True, the cost of living is calculated on a basket of everyday consumer
items. However it's relative to a single currency - the currency of the
country. Between country comparatives are based not on currencies but
Big Macs, toilet rolls and other consumer items.

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

There's a(n in)famous Working Men's Club, keeps a decent pint too.


--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

[Adam Funk]

On 2023-05-29, Peter Moylan wrote:

> On 29/05/23 04:05, Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2023-05-27, Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>>> On 27/05/23 00:15, Adam Funk wrote:
>>>> On 2023-05-26, Dingbat wrote:
>>>
>>>>> I once read this anecdote: An English chauffeur vacationing in
>>>>> America found it an insult for a Rolls Royce to get a parking
>>>>> ticket, so he fed its parking meter that was about to expire.
>>>>
>>>> I have heard that in some parts of the US it's illegal to feed
>>>> other people's meters.
>>>>
>>>> In fiction, Dharma (on _Dharma & Greg_) was ticketed for her
>>>> "random acts of kindness".
>>>
>>> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of
>>> Brisbane) the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went
>>> around putting coins in parking meters that were about to expire.
>>> The council saw it as a way to attract tourists. It was probably
>>> illegal by state law, but the state police were unlikely to
>>> prosecute something encouraged by local government.
>>
>> Who got the meter revenue, the state government?
>
> The city did, and still does.

So the city council was paying people to put coins in the city's own
parking meters? Why not just make the parking free? Or was there a
state law requiring parking charges there?

> But here's a quote from a current newspaper: "For Brisbane and Gold
> Coast businesses, paid parking is good for council revenue but bad for
> them."
>
> https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/for-brisbane-and-gold-coast-businesses-paid-parking-is-good-for-council-revenue-but-bad-for-them/news-story/79fec78ff25848a8a34df021000a2362
>
> That's a commonly-expressed sentiment, in many places. Parking meters
> are usually justified with the claim that it's important to keep cars
> coming and going, rather than having someone hog the same space all day.
> But inner-city businesses often complain that their businesses are hurt
> by a shortage of parking and the high cost of parking.
>
> Personally I go into inner-city Newcastle as little as possible, because
> of the difficulty of parking. When I go to Sydney, where parking is even
> more difficult and more expensive, I almost always take the train to
> avoid the problem of finding a parking spot.
>


--

I was born, lucky me, in a land that I love.
Though I'm poor, I am free.
When I grow I shall fight; for this land I shall die.
May the sun never set. ---The Kinks

[Adam Funk]

On 2023-05-29, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
>> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
>> >
>> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
>> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
>> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
>> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
>> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?
>
> Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
> of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip) And.,
> since it was established so that Catholics would have a place to go,
> conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this day,. the
> Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate in the US.
> And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Federalist architecture.

Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.

>> The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
>> of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
>> separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
>> by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
>> after the same person.
>
> We have two state capitals, Columbia and Columbus, but no state (so
> "British Columbia" is a bit redundant), and Colombia is often mispronounced
> as if it were the English version of the name.
>
> Washington is one of the more popular county names, and the state often
> has to be called Washington State to forestall confusion with Washington, D.C.

The weird part of the story is that the Washington Territory
(predecessor of the state) was supposed to be named Columbia but
someone objected that it would cause confusion with the District of
Columbia --- maybe in the 1850s people used that term for the national
capital more often than "Washington"?

>> I was born and grew up in Victoria, and it wasn't until after I had left
>> the place that I gave any thought to where the name came from.
>
> Oh, wow, there must be an air show somewhere for Memorial Day,
> because I just heard the jets nearly overhead. I wonder whether they
> take off from Teterboro to go to the Bethpage, L.I., air show, which
> is fairly far out on the largest island in the continental US. (It's 11 a.m.)

--
Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random.
---Donald Knuth

[Peter Moylan]

On 30/05/23 19:37, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-29, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> On 29/05/23 04:05, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> On 2023-05-27, Peter Moylan wrote:

>>>> On Australia's Gold Coast (south-eastern Queensland, south of
>>>> Brisbane) the city council used to employ "meter maids" who went
>>>> around putting coins in parking meters that were about to expire.
>>>> The council saw it as a way to attract tourists. It was probably
>>>> illegal by state law, but the state police were unlikely to
>>>> prosecute something encouraged by local government.
>>>
>>> Who got the meter revenue, the state government?
>>
>> The city did, and still does.
>
> So the city council was paying people to put coins in the city's own
> parking meters? Why not just make the parking free? Or was there a
> state law requiring parking charges there?

I see the contradiction, but can't explain it. My best guess is that the
parking meters were in place long before someone thought up this
publicity stunt.

[charles]

In article <u54kmv$1vbqj$1...@dont-email.me>,

The Meter Maids might work out which were tourists' cars and only help
those out. Locals would still run out of time.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England - sent from my RISC OS 4té
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

[Peter Moylan]

Yes, good point. Most of the tourists are going to have NSW (or
sometimes Victorian) number plates, and those are different in an
obvious way from Queensland number plates.

Of course this does fail to take into account those tourists with rental
cars. They have to take their own chances.

[Adam Funk]

Aha, sneaky.


--
Besides, if you only follow the map, you won't find all the
good places! ---The Galdurian

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 5:45:09 AM UTC-4, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-29, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> >> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> >> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:

> >> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
> >> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
> >> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
> >> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
> >> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
> >> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
> >> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?
> > Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
> > of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip) And.,
> > since it was established so that Catholics would have a place to go,
> > conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this day,. the
> > Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate in the US.
> > And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Federalist architecture.
>
> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.

If he isn't the product of a Catholic education, he oughta be. (I don't
recall that he brings it up in interviews.)

> >> The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
> >> of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
> >> separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
> >> by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
> >> after the same person.
> > We have two state capitals, Columbia and Columbus, but no state (so
> > "British Columbia" is a bit redundant), and Colombia is often mispronounced
> > as if it were the English version of the name.
> > Washington is one of the more popular county names, and the state often
> > has to be called Washington State to forestall confusion with Washington, D.C.
>
> The weird part of the story is that the Washington Territory
> (predecessor of the state) was supposed to be named Columbia but
> someone objected that it would cause confusion with the District of
> Columbia --- maybe in the 1850s people used that term for the national
> capital more often than "Washington"?

Hmm.

A very popular patriotic song in those days was "Columbia, the Gem
of the Ocean," so it could refer to the whole country.

[Adam Funk]

On 2023-05-30, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 5:45:09 AM UTC-4, Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2023-05-29, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>> > On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> >> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>> >> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>> >> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
>> >> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
>> >> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
>> >> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
>> >> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
>> >> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
>> >> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?
>> > Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
>> > of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip) And.,
>> > since it was established so that Catholics would have a place to go,
>> > conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this day,. the
>> > Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate in the US.
>> > And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Federalist architecture.
>>
>> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.
>
> If he isn't the product of a Catholic education, he oughta be. (I don't
> recall that he brings it up in interviews.)

Wikipedia says "He was raised Roman Catholic by his mother, though his
father was not Roman Catholic.[4]"

>> >> The eastern part of the Australian mainland used to be called the Colony
>> >> of New South Wales. Eventually two sections of it petitioned (on
>> >> separate occasions) to be made separate colonies, and that was granted
>> >> by Queen Victoria. That's how two states of Australia got to be named
>> >> after the same person.
>> > We have two state capitals, Columbia and Columbus, but no state (so
>> > "British Columbia" is a bit redundant), and Colombia is often mispronounced
>> > as if it were the English version of the name.
>> > Washington is one of the more popular county names, and the state often
>> > has to be called Washington State to forestall confusion with Washington, D.C.
>>
>> The weird part of the story is that the Washington Territory
>> (predecessor of the state) was supposed to be named Columbia but
>> someone objected that it would cause confusion with the District of
>> Columbia --- maybe in the 1850s people used that term for the national
>> capital more often than "Washington"?
>
> Hmm.
>
> A very popular patriotic song in those days was "Columbia, the Gem
> of the Ocean," so it could refer to the whole country.

I think the country touched both oceans by then.


--
All crime is due to incorrect breathing.
---Sir Henry Rawlinson

[bruce bowser]

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 8:53:03 AM UTC-4, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 5:45:09 AM UTC-4, Adam Funk wrote:
> > On 2023-05-29, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > > On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> > >> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > >> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>
> > >> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
> > >> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
> > >> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
> > >> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
> > >> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
> > >> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
> > >> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?
> > > Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
> > > of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip) And.,
> > > since it was established so that Catholics would have a place to go,
> > > conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this day,. the
> > > Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate in the US.
> > > And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Federalist architecture.
> >
> > Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.
> If he isn't the product of a Catholic education, he oughta be. (I don't
> recall that he brings it up in interviews.)

That brings to mind Curtis Sliwa, the NYC radio talk show host.

[wugi]

Op 25/05/2023 om 17:16 schreef occam:

> On 25/05/2023 14:55, Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/05/2023 14:54, Adam Funk wrote:
>>>> On 2023-05-24, occam wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Of all the financial terms in use, a 'basket' of currencies is the one
>>>>> that baffles me most.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the pre-Euro days of Europe, I used to keep my various currencies in
>>>>> a drawer. After retrieving my passport, that would be the second drawer
>>>>> I'd dip into in my preparations. Never a basket.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyone have any theories why a basket?
>>>>>
>>>>> [I've asked ChatGPT, but the AI has failed me this time.]
>>>>
>>>> "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> So why put all your currencies there? (But I get the general point.)
>>
>> Serious answer: I agree with the others who said it's a metaphor like
>> a shopping basket of various items.
>>
>>

> Why a basket metaphor? (That is the original question.). I am not
> questioning the metaphor, I'm questioning the basket. Why not a (desk)
> drawer metaphor or a handbag metaphor or even a wallet metaphor?

Because the basket has proved itself a useful notion, of a container
where to put things in that are going to be needed as input for finding
out some reference value, standard, whatever.

Shopping basket (typical household expenditure)...
basket of reference goods and services (index of cost of living)...
basket of currencies (national currency, common currency...).

If you're going to manipulate a set of items to perform some action upon
them, would you put them 'away' in a drawer, or rather have them 'handy'
in a basket?

--
guido wugi

[lar3ryca]

On 2023-05-30 03:44, Adam Funk wrote:
> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.

It's also famous, at least in my family, as the birthplace of my father.

I fount it interesting that his birth certificate had a field for 'race
of parents', in which it was specified as 'white'.

[Ross Clark]

"Columbia" has been a personification of "America" from early 18th
century. Many things have been given that name.

"Columbia (Rediviva)" was the name of a fur-trading ship built in
Massachusetts, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe
(1790), and the first known to enter the Columbia River (1792), which
was named after it.

The name was then applied to the whole region drained by that river.
After the border in those parts was settled (Oregon Treaty, 1846), the
northern part was "British Columbia", and so has remained.

[J. J. Lodder]

Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:

> On 2023-05-30, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>

> > On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 5:45:09?AM UTC-4, Adam Funk wrote:
> >> On 2023-05-29, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> >> > On Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 9:42:59?PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> >> >> On 28/05/23 23:27, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> >> >> > On Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:55:00?PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
> >
> >> >> >> Back in the day, if you were gay in Australia you'd be well
> >> >> >> advised to stay out of Queensland.
> >> >> > Maybe they should have changed the name of the state!
> >> >> Nobody ever gives much thought to the literal meaning of the state's
> >> >> name. Everyone knows, of course, but it's just something that sits in
> >> >> the back of one's mind. I would imagine the same is true of the US state
> >> >> names. Who was Maryland named after? More importantly, who cares?
> >> > Queen Mary. "Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor
> >> > of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England." (Wikip)
> >> > And., since it was established so that Catholics would have a place
> >> > to go, conveniently it also honors Mary the Mother of Jesus. To this
> >> > day,. the Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore is the senior R.C. prelate
> >> > in the US. And St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of
> >> > Federalist architecture.
> >>
> >> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.
> >
> > If he isn't the product of a Catholic education, he oughta be. (I don't
> > recall that he brings it up in interviews.)
>
> Wikipedia says "He was raised Roman Catholic by his mother, though his
> father was not Roman Catholic.[4]"

Standard expansionist practice of the RCC.
The church would give RC girls permission to marry in the church
only if they promised to give their children a RC education.
So good girls had the choice of living in sin, and freedom,
and go to hell eventually,
or to live a vituous married life and have RC educated children.

But not all children suffered that education gladly,

Jan

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 12:16:42 AM UTC-4, Ross Clark wrote:

> "Columbia" has been a personification of "America" from early 18th
> century. Many things have been given that name.
>
> "Columbia (Rediviva)" was the name of a fur-trading ship built in
> Massachusetts, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe
> (1790), and the first known to enter the Columbia River (1792), which
> was named after it.
>
> The name was then applied to the whole region drained by that river.
> After the border in those parts was settled (Oregon Treaty, 1846), the
> northern part was "British Columbia", and so has remained.

54 40 or fight!

[Adam Funk]

With an implied assumption that one answer applies to both parents?


--
Well, we had a lot of luck on Venus
We always had a ball on Mars

[Adam Funk]

I think I did know that British Columbia was named after the river,
but not about the connection with the ship.


--
Oh let the sun beat down upon my face
with stars to fill my dreams
I am a traveller of both time and space
to be where I have been

[Jerry Friedman]

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 12:45:11 PM UTC-6, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-31, lar3ryca wrote:
>
> > On 2023-05-30 03:44, Adam Funk wrote:
> >> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.
> >
> > It's also famous, at least in my family, as the birthplace of my father.
> >
> > I fount it interesting that his birth certificate had a field for 'race
> > of parents', in which it was specified as 'white'.

> With an implied assumption that one answer applies to both parents?

I'm pretty sure marriage between black and white people was illegal in
Maryland when I imagine Larry's grandfather was born. Maybe even
sex between black people and white people. I can't guess what the law
or custom was about reporting parents of different races on a birth
certificate.

--
Jerry Friedman

[TonyCooper]

On Wed, 31 May 2023 13:50:45 -0700 (PDT), Jerry Friedman
<jerry.fr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Maryland first passed a anti-miscegenation law in 1691. It was
repealed in 1967. While several other states repealed such laws prior
to 1967, Maryland had to follow the Loving vs Virgina Supreme Court
decision in 1967.


--

Tony Cooper - Orlando,Florida

[lar3ryca]

On 2023-05-31 12:42, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2023-05-31, lar3ryca wrote:
>
>> On 2023-05-30 03:44, Adam Funk wrote:
>>> Baltimore is also famous as the home of John Waters.
>>
>> It's also famous, at least in my family, as the birthplace of my father.
>>
>> I fount it interesting that his birth certificate had a field for 'race
>> of parents', in which it was specified as 'white'.
>
> With an implied assumption that one answer applies to both parents?

I admit I was posting that information from memory.
Now I have looked it up, and there are some interesting bits of
information...

He was born in 1920.

Legitimate?: no information in this field

Parents lived at 619 East Fort Ave.
I looked at it in Google Earth, and it looks like it could well have
been built prior to 1920.

Father: Turney Whitehead Phillips
Birthplace: Nova Scotia
Job: Railroad Fireman
Race or Color: White

Mothers maiden name: Edith Grace Ogden.
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Job: Fousework
Race or Color: White

--
Dogs actually won the space race.

[Adam Funk]

Isn't Maryland one of the more enlightened states now, though?


--
the purple piper plays his tune
the choir softly sing
three lullabies in an ancient tongue

[Adam Funk]

OK. But as Tony pointed out, it would have been legally questionable
(at least) for the answers to be different.


--
By those who see with their eyes closed
You'll know me by my black telescope

[Peter T. Daniels]

IIRC it's the most Democratic state but had an enlightened Republican
governor for two terms (a lot like Massachusetts). Lots of Federal
employees, so unions still have clout there. He didn't run again this time,
setting off some speculation that he was going to challenge T**** from
the center.

[Anders D. Nygaard]

Den 31-05-2023 kl. 12:30 skrev J. J. Lodder:
> Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
> [...some unknown American...]

>> Wikipedia says "He was raised Roman Catholic by his mother, though his
>> father was not Roman Catholic.[4]"
>
> Standard expansionist practice of the RCC.
> The church would give RC girls permission to marry in the church
> only if they promised to give their children a RC education.

When our present Queen married a Catholic in 1967, he had to
acquire special permission from the Pope to allow his children
to be raised Lutheran in accordance with Danish law.

I suspect the marriage would not have taken place, if permission
had not been given.

> So good girls had the choice of living in sin, and freedom,
> and go to hell eventually,
> or to live a vituous married life and have RC educated children.
>
> But not all children suffered that education gladly,

/Anders, Denmark

[J. J. Lodder]

Marriage is a contract, terms can always be negotiated,

Jan

[bruce bowser]

What is a token, in your opinion?