Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Panta rhei


Time flies. So many news. And so many (more) thoughts.
So good, most of them remain where they are, hm?
Therefore, a(ny) blogger's hiatus can save the world from stupid thoughts, hm?


Ah, good to see you nodding.
[For Arabian readers: Good to see you shaking your head]

And now - with thanks to the Monty Pythons - for something completely different.

While my dearest friend Tetrapilotomos is still being busy with proof-reading his 1669 pages long opus Pre-Assyrian Philately in a Nutshell,  I am not in search of lost time, but in search of lost humour.

Not surprised I'd be, were this due to the rumour according to which all men are (behaving like) wimps as soon as they do have a minor ailment.

To cut a story short that easily could become as long as the story about the seal:

Not writing, not answering (all) comments, not visiting, not leaving comments these days has (had) reasons.

As always :) : I shall try to improve.

The peace of the night. 

18 comments:

  1. "...his 1669 pages long opus Pre-Assyrian Philately in a Nutshell"

    What a ridiculous project! The idea that a mere 1669 pages could possibly be sufficient even to introduce the topic! Is nobody prepared to take the effort to do anything rigorously and in proper detail these days? I despair of a humanity that pays inufficient attention to the minutiae that matter.

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  2. "inufficient"? "Inufficient"! I am myself infected!! Insufficient!

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  3. Who is this charming Claude whose photo I now spy, by the way? Had that girl been in my school class I would most certainly have tried to be the boy who sat at the desk beside her, and who was allowed to carry her satchel home for her (even though I would have been too shy to try).

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  4. I love the photo Sean. I hope you are feeling like more posting and visiting soon.

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  5. @ Andrew - We didn't have BoyCritters in my school. It would have been fun to have someone carry my satchel(?), providing you would have been born at that time, and able to speak French....BTW, I wasn't crabby in those days as I am now. That's why I put the photo. The little girl might improve my attitude. Probably inufficient though!

    @Sean - Hope you're feeling better.:)

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  6. Well then Claude, I would have waited at the gate to meet you, and would have used my non-verbal communication skills. And re "satchel" listen to this video of the Hollies singing "Jennifer Eccles", and at 59 seconds enlightenment shall come:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvlcFwcY44k

    Video from 1968, when I was 8. Must explain why I remember it so well. Playground love - shame you didn't have any boys though.

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  7. Oh.... I was so shy I went in as "Anonymous" in previous comment. Didn't mean to... I'll admit it Claude, the message was from moi

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  8. And re "Satchel", it IS French Claude! At least according to this dictionary: "A small bag, often having a shoulder strap, used for carrying books or clothing. [Middle English sachel, from Old French, from Late Latin saccellus"

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  9. Oh Dear I am going senile... "In 1968 when I was 8"?

    Born in 55 so in 68 you were 13 Andrew, 13, with your testosterone stirring and with a certain girl called Arlene sitting by your side. Remember? Now that I am 55 (instead of born in 55) I'll go and have a little lie down until my brain and its arithmetic gets better. Arlene never did let me carry her satchel though.

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  10. Andrew - Lovely video. Such a sweet song! And the word satchel is very interesting.

    Sean - Hope you're feeling better.:)

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  11. Bertus,
    Thank you very much. I'm glad you like it, too.

    Claude,
    not to naughtily ask nitpicking questions only two days after feeling only about 40 percent of the pain I had before, I decide to take your words as refering to Bertus' words.
    Thank you. :)

    Andrew,
    seldom did I recently see Tetrapilotomos' eyes sparkling as if they were reflecting all stars in this universe and those to discover.

    'Ah, truly a connoisseur', he sighed looking up from page 555 after I had read to him your comment. 'A man of science who knows to appreciate accuracy. Tell the wise man that as soon as what for contemporaries who for the beginning are just keen to get a brief introduction I have put into a nutshell is ready to print, the next step will be, after the ultimate fine tuning to quickly proofread the complete work so that soon all 23 volumes should be available.'
    And obviously havin' nuff said with - as it seemed - new verve he again threw himself into his work.

    As for your remark re Claude: The Lady is, indeed, looking younger than ever.
    Merlin comes to my mind. Did he have a sister? ...

    Jams,
    thank you. And yes, I think like my right foot starts to enjoy touching the ground again, parts of my grey matter start looking forward to read and write.

    CherryPie,
    thank you.
    It's a tiny bit too dark, but here you are: I do like to not manipulate photos.

    Claude,
    thank you. I do feel better; even twice better. :)

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  12. I really do hesitate to offer one as great as Tetrapilotomos my shallow advice, but... dare I? Will the great man be offended if I invite him to consider that 23 volumes may actually be just one too many? There are virtues in concise brevity, provided no detail is left unexplored. 22 volumes on Pre-Assyrian Philately, plus of course the brief 1669 pages of the nutshell introduction for those of low attention span, and as a taster to draw them further in, sounds just perfect to me (with ample appendices in each volume, of course). I do hope I have not thrown the good Professor into a rage. But after all, there is Pre-Babylonian mechanical horology awaiting his much wider attention. Horology waits for no man, not even Professor T.

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  13. When I think I deserve praise for (finally!) being brief, I see that my two-words-comment could have meant yes to your desire to improve. Never, never would I agree that it's necessary. Unless you're talking about your physical well-being. Good to hear you're better.

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  14. Ah I hope the foot heals Sean. I know that feeling all too well!

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  15. Andrew,
    'Ja, ja, in der Kürze liegt die Würze [literary: in brevity lies the zest; English: Brevity is the soul of the wit], murmured Tetrapilotomos. And: 'Yes, tempus fugit. ... But how cometh that in Latin tempus fugit, in English it flies, and a German idiom goes 'Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat' [Comes time, comes advice/When cometh time, cometh advice], which offcially is translated 'Time will tell'?
    How can a fugitive tell those s/he fled tell anything, even give advice?

    Anyway', he went on, passing me a sheet of paper and without further ado concentrating on his proofreading, that reads: 'it will please your friend of horrorlogic - sic! - to learn that, less the footnotes there are actually but 13 volumes.

    This note being written on a sheet of paper also containing of the words 'Aztecan horsemanship' and 'Architecture of the Tuareg', of course, was not able to surprise me, as I am used to be blessed with enigmata, but you, dear Andrew, will surely know to filtre the essential contents.

    [PS: Unfortunately could not watch and listen to the video, as Sony thinks such contents ought not to be watched/listened to in Germany]

    Claude,
    ah, a kingdom to improve! :)

    Jams,
    thank you so much, dear friend. I am pretty sure my pain is a(almost) nothing compared to the one you had to endure.
    Wish one day one day we shall enjoy a nice walk and talk, enjoying what we see.

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