Thread 13 - TalkLair: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 12).

Looks like spring has sprung! Tulips, apple blossom and early hay fever are upon us. In the TalkLair, we remain hunkered down keeping cosy and warm, because "something something 'til May is out". The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

Can't cope with pinnipeds today, got the stinking cold that Mr Veg had and am feeling utterly wretched. They'll wait until I feel better. Or maybe they should simply be ignored.

This is about as much as I can deal at the moment. HT to Glinner's newsletter.

They're giving themselves material that they can then 'analyse' for their next semester linguistics assignment.

I just asked MrG what in the name of Chomsky "forensic linguistics" is. He opined that whatever it is, it's probably part of forensics, just as sociolinguistics is part of sociology, and that they should be renamed language in forensics/sociology and ignored.

That train is magnificent.

Fabulous train! And thank you to those who made me go and look up what a pinniped was. You've added to the sum of my knowledge :-)

In Swallows and Amazons, Captain Nancy Blackett admits that she was christened Ruth, but had to change her name to pursue her career in piracy, as pirates are known to be ruthless. I can still remember the feeling of getting the joke, which must be half a century ago.

FUCK!! HOW DID I GET SO OLD???

Ha! I remember that! Actually I found the Swallows and Amazons book a bit on the dull side. Some were better than others, but a few of them I never finished.

We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea is terrifying if you read it as an adult, but just seemed exciting to me as a child. Same as a lot of the Little House on the Prairie series.

I thought that was the best one! But I can't say I recommended Ransome for my own kids. It seemed like there were better books for children by then.

Swallowdale was very useful when doing the Bronze Age copper mining and smelting part of my first year archaeology exams

The Picts and the Martyrs was also excellent, and Dick and Dorothea are the best people.

I do not know what the pinnipeds are although I now know that they are seals which I didn't know. Given the linguistics I'm thinking they might be the sort of people how insist that a man can get ovarian cancer or similar. I'm slow today.

About ten minutes ago I had a ring on my door bell and it's from sort of neighbours but they live around the back of me. They showed me a photo of their cat to see if he's been visiting because he's on a prescribed diet so as not to get diabetes. He has been visiting and eating. I'd tell him to stop but I figure that's up to Francis and if he can't be arsed. Now, however, I will pop to the kitchen and say "No, Charlie. I have to save you from diabetes!" Just the sight of me will make him leave the flat which is sad as he is gorgeous and I'd happily be his friend. They'd be happy with that too.

We went ono to have a chat about all the cats around our gardens, they asked about Francis and it was a lovely visit. Poor old Charlie won't be getting any extra kibble from me anymore, bless him. On the plus side, I know his name!

Mouse:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/sealioning-internet-trolling

I have a bit of a problem with the term sealioning, though. When I first got interested in the whole subject of gender ideology, I read J K Rowling's (now notorious) essay, which clearly a lot of other people had read long before me. It seemed to make absolute sense to me, and I linked to it on my FB page and was promptly jumped on by a number of people I know over here, part of my poetry community. When I couldn't understand the whole idea of "no debate" and persisted in asking questions about the issue, I was accused of sealioning - a term I had never come across at that point. Seriously, if somebody is genuinely as naive as I was, how do you find out about this stuff if every time you ask a question you're jumped on? It wasn't until I found the threads on JTT and then moved over here with you lot that I managed to acquire any knowledge at all.

I have always been on the sealion's side. An honest beast, and that couple are obnoxious.

Thank you, @duc748 . I'd never come across that term before. @Britinme I've not been in your position but I can see it happening and then how do you tell the genuine seeker of knowledge from someone who's a wind up merchant if you're determined to see a wind up merchant? That said, I remember some from GU in many years past although at the time I had no idea what games they were playing.

In a way though, isn't sealioning just trolling by another name? Poor lovely sealions. (the species, not human trolls)

I think it's natural to want to give the benefit of the doubt initially, but I think in most cases it becomes pretty clear. And yeah, it's just a sub-section of trolling, really.

Not sure where to post this but it's useful to know about:

My drinking habit — and the pill that helped me to cut down.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/5ed9f31b-820b-43e2-91bd-ad44958e09b9?shareToken=7a4dc817b9e48d209bd07fc398720dfbb_

I think the attitudes she cites are interesting and well done her for writing it though comments are turned off.

I was reading that and finding it not very interesting (ffs woman, find a non-alco substitute) and getting progressively more irritated by the pictures of her in her red dress, and then saw who she chose to marry.

ps, just to save anyone the trouble. Giles Coren.

In cheery news, our back garden has been invaded by a group of 3 young magpies. They nest in the tall trees in the park over the road. Mum (I assume) occasionally comes and checks up on them, and they come and go as they please, but they are particularly taken with the three large flower-pot saucers that I keep filled with water for them. Today there has been a great deal of splashing and grooming, and everyone is looking their smartest. When they need a daytime nap they go into the forsythia and squabble for the best spot. They have no fear and wander around ignoring me when I'm hanging out laundry. I do love magpies!

There has been a fox in my garden all afternoon today. It’s been napping a lot but has done a bit of wandering around and I rethink it may have had a poo on the lawn. Must remember to check for that when I go out there.

Wildlife spot here was a great tit, I think young and certainly idiotic, that managed to get itself into my bedroom through one of the very narrow window openings that are all I dare to have as I attempt to keep birds that side of the glass and cats this side.

Fortunately I met it before I let the cats up for their supper, or they might have decided nice cold sliced turkey loaf wasn't the tastiest option.

After I caught it, and gave it my opinion of its conduct, and let it out, it went and sat on a bush looking affronted and tried to convince the world that everything had gone exactly as it planned, successful operation all round, yes humans are a bit big and noisy but can be trained.

Great tits are one of the most common visitors to my garden. Thankfully they always stay outside. I would be freaked out to find one indoors.

I admit to some freakage. Luckily it was even more freaked and didn't work out about flying round the room in a panic. Paralysed by terror is much more helpful.

No magpies over here :-(. When I brought my (then) 11 year old American granddaughter to the UK last November, she was enchanted by the magpie we saw in St James' Park.

The only wildlife around here at this moment is currently trying to sleep in her accustomed spot between me and my keyboard and is not impressed with me typing.