[StiffLegged]

Evidently the person in the video is not a real Scotsman.

Your suspicions were triggered by the mini-kilt?

[tim60]

It is a tartan pattern dress, not a kilt, as evidenced by what you guys saw.

[JimJohnson]

My father worked at a radio station for a while way back. They had a large record collection which he said were mostly or all supplied by record companies seeking air play.

I 'worked' at a radio station in the early 70's. Student owned and operated on a college campus - rock (mostly) of course. I will confirm that much, but not necessarily all, music was donated by the record labels. Some would donate the music, but we had to cover the packaging and shipping.

I started as a morning DJ with music I thought was appropriate when waking up. My fans loved it. Management didn't care for the occasional Barbara Streisand cut. Was I fired? Heck no. I was moved over to become the advertising production manager. Our advertisers loved the ads as they knew they were generating additional foot traffic. Management got tired of hearing from some of our audience how annoying the ads sounded (probably on their way over to visit our sponsors). Was I fired? Heck no. My last two years at college I was appointed the general manager. Everybody was happy. I wasn't on the air, I wasn't making commercials, but I did spearhead all the 'political' work with the school and fending off competing broadcasters' objections to move the station from AM to FM-stereo. The rest of the team did all the real work - I just flapped my jaws in a manner that no longer annoyed them.

[JimJohnson]

English is a hard language to learn. It can be understood through tough and thorough thought, though.

As I was born in the United States I grew up sort of speaking English. With every language I have failingly studied, I have increasingly decided that English (at least American English) is not a 'language'. Rather it is a polyglot mess contrived to support trade amongst many languages. I have been told it is easy to learn to speak understandable conversational English. Mostly because it is grammatically so sloppy. At the same time English is nearly impossible to write due to all the conflicting pronunciation rules.

[Parallax]

“When I read some of the rules for speaking and writing the English language correctly, I think any fool can make a rule, and every fool will mind it.”
~Henry David Thoreau

[bertwert]

I was thinking of getting some smart casual boots that should last me years and years - the Chelsea style boots look nice and versatile. So off I go looking at the ubiquitous Blundstones. Apparently they're now made in China and selling themselves by their brand name rather than the quality - seems everything is doing that these days, and it's not like they're any cheaper than they were before either. Oh well, might as well get cheap store brand boots for a quarter of the price that'll only last a year or two at that point.

Then I found an interesting option browsing the net. Good quality leather, proper goodyear welted vibram soles, handmade in Canada - here's the kicker, cheaper than Blundstones too! I wonder if you've heard about them @lesmore49; Canada West Boots based in Winnipeg. They have nice reviews online and should last a long time (and able to be resoled if/when needed), people tell me it's stylish*, and take a bit of a shine if desired - so I think I may get a pair. Funny how spending $200 on footwear seems expensive compared to $200 on camera gear seems like nothing...



*I know nothing about style personally, at least that's what all my friends tell me

Picked them up in the mail today - looking good and feel like seems like real quality stuff, if anyone in Canada/US are looking for this style boots I recommend having a look at these over Blundstones or whatnot.

On a side note, I hope Les is doing all good, haven't seen him here in a couple weeks now

[slartibartfast01]

I started as a morning DJ

Was that on W.O.L.D.?

[robtcorl]

On a side note, I hope Les is doing all good, haven't seen him here in a couple weeks now

I've been thinking the same thing, need a digression or two from #2.

[MarkJerling]

On a side note, I hope Les is doing all good, haven't seen him here in a couple weeks now

He was last on the forum yesterday and last posted on the 16th.

[rod_grant]

I grew up sort of speaking English

Yeah, most of the Poms had the same experience.

[JimJohnson]

Was that on W.O.L.D.?

are you a young snot?

WMTU

Several members of our team did/do have broadcast related carriers. Mostly they own stations. A couple patented technology used by nearly every station these days. (The 'T' in the station name is 'technological'). I had a couple college recruiters ask why I wasn't looking for jobs in that industry. I told them broadcasting has two wage scales, subsistence or luxury. I was much better than subsistence but unlikely to get a position on the luxury wage scale.

[Racer X 69]

@Racer X 69; So are you retired now?

Sort of yes, sort of no.

Started drawing my state pension from 30 years of service at the local electric utility last September after my 65th birthday.

But I put off leaving The Big Shed until January or February of this year contingent on the performance of the 401k there. I had a number that would add another $1,000 a month to my income via an annuity, but it is struggling to get there. So I’m contributing 50% of my straight time pay and riding the overtime wagon, through July, maybe end of August.

Besides, I need money for lawyers to keep my brother from further destruction of mom’s life.

[slartibartfast01]

are you a young snot?

I have no idea what that means.

[RoxnDox]

As I was born in the United States I grew up sort of speaking English. With every language I have failingly studied, I have increasingly decided that English (at least American English) is not a 'language'. Rather it is a polyglot mess contrived to support trade amongst many languages. I have been told it is easy to learn to speak understandable conversational English. Mostly because it is grammatically so sloppy. At the same time English is nearly impossible to write due to all the conflicting pronunciation rules.

We have stolen stuff from all the best languages around!

In 1990, in the Usenet group rec.arts.sf-lovers, (James) Nicoll wrote the following epigram on the English language:

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and riffle their pockets for new vocabulary.[6]

(I was actually part of that conversation as it was also cross posted to rec.arts.sf.composition where I hung out. Ahhhh, Usenet….)

[Racer X 69]

Speaking of mom, after the mammogram yesterday I had a lunch date with her, at her favorite restaurant.

Lana Thai.

We started with some soup, then had crab Rangoon, a wonton wrapped around a bit of crab and cream cheese, then deep fried.

I forgot to shoot the main course, mom had pad Thai, with chicken (she’s a Nebraska girl, abhors fish and seafood), I had a ginger seafood plate with sliced onions, carrots and celery.

Mmmm . . . . . Tasty!