Pakistani claims of high Taliban casualties 'wildly exaggerated' - US officials

[Auberon]

Mad dogs and Englishmen Auberon?

The Honourable Schoolboy by John LeCarre actually, now that I think about it.

BUT you made me look up the song, and the lyrics contain a very strong element of dejavu -

The natives grieve
When the white men leave
Their huts.
Because they're obviously,
Definitely
Nuts.

 

[dave lukins]

Mad dogs and Englishmen Auberon?

And Dave, I think the English language should have a capital letter too, as does the country.
But I admit it was just to point out your er deficiency in the language.

No Sir quite incorrect. "I am English and I speak english" not " I am English because I am English" read them both and you will see what I mean.


However I do agree with you. My English is not seraphic by any means, nor is it lugubrious or tumescent, but hopefully refulgent in nature. If my language is somewhat nebulous or redolent do forgive me.

 

[Sailor]

Dave, could you say a few words about Machiavelli so I am assured that you went to university please?

 

[dave lukins]

Dave, could you say a few words about Machiavelli so I am assured that you went to university please?

Sir, you are talking about the one and only Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli arn't you?

 

[Sailor]

Some songs are also very incorrect.
Take "On the road to Mandalay" for instance.
When you stand at the old Moulmein pagoda, you do not look eastwards to the sea. You look westwards.
Sailor gratefully receives his PhD in geography for this thesis.

 

[dave lukins]

Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. He eventually became a man who lived his life for politics and patriotism. Right now, however, he is associated with corrupt, totalitarian government. The reason for this is a small pamphlet he wrote called The Prince to gain influence with the ruling Medici family in Florence. The political genius of Niccolo Machiavelli was overshadowed by the reputation that was unfairly given to him because of a misunderstanding of his views on politics.

His 'reputation' follows him to this day. Was that OK for you Sailor:113:

 

[Sailor]

Yes Dave. It is the badge of university attendance to be able to quote him as knowledge on this subject is jealously guarded for any pre university institutions.

 

[Auberon]

Some songs are also very incorrect.
Take "On the road to Mandalay" for instance.
When you stand at the old Moulmein pagoda, you do not look eastwards to the sea. You look westwards.
Sailor gratefully receives his PhD in geography for this thesis.

How'dya know? Don't tell me they actually let you guys outta cells :blum3:

 

[Sailor]

Have you thought of migrating to Australia Dave? We need people like you out here.

Dreaded sarcasm is lurking here. Get a Mod quick.

 

[Sailor]

I have caught you going chronically "off topic" Auberon. I have 'printed screen' and will keep this as hard evidence for when you accuse me of that again.
Wish there was a real Mod around.

 

[dave lukins]

How'dya know? Don't tell me they actually let you guys outta cells :blum3:

Auberon let me correct the incorrectable:

Rudyard Kipling's Mandalay is a very fine poem but there is a puzzle in the poem's last line, "An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!" For our soldier to look across the Bay (obviously the Bay of Bengal) to see the dawn come up like thunder he must be in India. But take a look at the map. What is that land 'crost the Bay? It is certainly not China! Indo-China as a geographical rather than a political entity is that entire peninsular from the India to the Gulf of Tonkin, thus including Burma. So, did Kipling mean Indo-China? One can be pretty sure that this is what his soldier meant because that is where his girl lives. When the soldier speaks he drops his aitches and several other letters. The missing letters are replaced with apostrophes but they are not there merely to indicate grammatical correctness but rather to ensure that we hear the way the soldier speaks. Though the land 'crost the Bay may officially be called Indo-China and shown as such on maps would soldiers always refer it to so? Indo-China is a noun but one does not speak the hyphen and Indo, though part of the noun, actually sounds like an adjective. The common soldiers may well have dropped the apparent adjective Indo and in their colloquial manner spoke only of China, the seemingly more essential part. Did Kipling's soldier then simply abbreviate Indo-China to 'China? If so, does Kipling's original poem include an apostrophe?

In the song adaptation of Mandalay by Oley Speaks the first line has been changed from "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea," to "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea," but this change is geographically incorrect. It is impossible to look eastward to the sea from Moulmein. The sea is to the west

 

[dave lukins]

Some songs are also very incorrect.
Take "On the road to Mandalay" for instance.
When you stand at the old Moulmein pagoda, you do not look eastwards to the sea. You look westwards.
Sailor gratefully receives his PhD in geography for this thesis.

And a Knighthood to boot..Arise Sir Sailor. Please pick up your ear on the way out.

 

[Auberon]

Auberon let me correct the incorrectable:

Rudyard Kipling's Mandalay is a very fine poem but there is a puzzle in the poem's last line, "An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!" For our soldier to look across the Bay (obviously the Bay of Bengal) to see the dawn come up like thunder he must be in India. But take a look at the map. What is that land 'crost the Bay? It is certainly not China! Indo-China as a geographical rather than a political entity is that entire peninsular from the India to the Gulf of Tonkin, thus including Burma. So, did Kipling mean Indo-China? One can be pretty sure that this is what his soldier meant because that is where his girl lives. When the soldier speaks he drops his aitches and several other letters. The missing letters are replaced with apostrophes but they are not there merely to indicate grammatical correctness but rather to ensure that we hear the way the soldier speaks. Though the land 'crost the Bay may officially be called Indo-China and shown as such on maps would soldiers always refer it to so? Indo-China is a noun but one does not speak the hyphen and Indo, though part of the noun, actually sounds like an adjective. The common soldiers may well have dropped the apparent adjective Indo and in their colloquial manner spoke only of China, the seemingly more essential part. Did Kipling's soldier then simply abbreviate Indo-China to 'China? If so, does Kipling's original poem include an apostrophe?

In the song adaptation of Mandalay by Oley Speaks the first line has been changed from "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea," to "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea," but this change is geographically incorrect. It is impossible to look eastward to the sea from Moulmein. The sea is to the west

Maybe the soldier was just a B squadron guy, sir , drunk to disorientation Pointing in what he did believe was the right direction.

 

[Known_Unknown]

Rudyard Kipling's Mandalay is a very fine poem but there is a puzzle in the poem's last line, "An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!" For our soldier to look across the Bay (obviously the Bay of Bengal) to see the dawn come up like thunder he must be in India. But take a look at the map. What is that land 'crost the Bay? It is certainly not China! Indo-China as a geographical rather than a political entity is that entire peninsular from the India to the Gulf of Tonkin, thus including Burma. So, did Kipling mean Indo-China? One can be pretty sure that this is what his soldier meant because that is where his girl lives. When the soldier speaks he drops his aitches and several other letters. The missing letters are replaced with apostrophes but they are not there merely to indicate grammatical correctness but rather to ensure that we hear the way the soldier speaks. Though the land 'crost the Bay may officially be called Indo-China and shown as such on maps would soldiers always refer it to so? Indo-China is a noun but one does not speak the hyphen and Indo, though part of the noun, actually sounds like an adjective. The common soldiers may well have dropped the apparent adjective Indo and in their colloquial manner spoke only of China, the seemingly more essential part. Did Kipling's soldier then simply abbreviate Indo-China to 'China? If so, does Kipling's original poem include an apostrophe?

May I propose a simpler explanation? That of an ignorant soldier?

 

[Known_Unknown]

double post

 

[dave lukins]

Maybe the soldier was just a B squadron guy, sir , drunk to disorientation Pointing in what he did believe was the right direction.

B Sqn..Yes or course. Bumble Sqn renowned for its disorientation on the coast . Problem and mystery sol..ved..Hercule Poirot

 

[dave lukins]

May I propose a simpler explanation? That of an ignorant soldier?

Yes indeed..The Soldier of the day was kept in ignorance, he just followed Orders. Orders were filtered down, as now though the chain of command, by the time it reached "Tommy Atkins" it was so watered down it was transparent.

 

[Auberon]

yes indeed..the soldier of the day was kept in ignorance, he just followed orders. Orders were filtered down, as now though the chain of command, by the time it reached "tommy atkins" it was so watered down it was transparent.

Hehe

 

[Sailor]

Dave quote:

In the song adaptation of Mandalay by Oley Speaks the first line has been changed from "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea," to "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea," but this change is geographically incorrect. It is impossible to look eastward to the sea from Moulmein. The sea is to the west

Er thats great Dave but I already said this, but if you want to bask in my glory I am happy for you to share it.

In those days, the British soldier was pretty dumb and many could not even read or write.[ much like today]
Because of this, anything in the far east away from old Blighty was called 'China".

If you want to know anything else I am always here.

 

[MMuthu]

I think I created some unwanted ripples in this thread.