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#99575 04/01/03 10:48 AM
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Speaking of the Navy, this came in my mail this AM:

A friend of mine is an officer in the naval reserve. A few weeks ago, He was attending a conference that included admirals in both the US and the French navies. At a cocktail reception, my friend found himself in a small group that included an admiral from each of the two navies. The French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans learned many languages,Americans only learned English. He then asked. "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you have to speak French?"

Without even hesitating, the American admiral replied. "Maybe it is because we arranged it so that you did not have to learn to speak German."

The group became silent.


I would think VERY silent.



TEd
#99576 04/01/03 10:52 AM
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Very quick, but the American didn't really answer the quesiton. He avoided it.

- Pfranz

#99577 04/01/03 10:56 AM
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" Proof refers to the percentage of ethyl alcohol by volume in any particular type of alcoholic beverage. Proof corresponds to twice the percentage rate. For example, a bottle of whiskey may be 80 proof or 40% alcohol by volume."

If I recall correctly, there's more to it than that. If you take a liter of grain and mix it with a liter of water, you don't get two liters of mixture, you get less. Here's why:

The molecules of water and alcohol intersperse with one another in less volume. Consider what happens when you pour together a bushel of peas and a bushel of potatoes. You don't get two bushels of the mixture, because the peas fill in the spaces between the potatoes. Same with alcohol and water.

And that's why there are varying uses of proof, if I remember my high school science teacher correctly. Some people determine the proof by using percentage of volume and others by percentage of weight. When I get a chance I'll see if I can do a bit more research on this. I would think that chance will come around the 9th of June. Assistance willbe greatly appreciated.

TEd



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Actually, he did, just like the women who ask the pope not to get involved in birth control issues: If you don't play the game don't make the rules.

The American admiral was telling the French one exactly that. There is a widespread perception that the French showed their bellies far too early in WW II and thus they lost a lot of clout on the world scene, including the clout to insist that nationals of other countries learn to speak French, which at one time was THE language of diplomacy. Why else the term "lingua franca?"





TEd
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It's "He no playa da game, he no maka da rules".

I still say the American was rude. He was asked a legitimate question and turned it aside with a sneer. Probably most people went silent because of embarrassment or anger.

As was stated in a newspaper in NZ (the Dominion Post) a couple of days ago, it's a strange old world when the best rapper is white, the best golfer is black, the French can accuse the Americans of arrogance, and the Germans don't want to go to war ...

- Pfranz

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Z
Zed Offline
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I remember reading that if you take a full glass of milk and drop in, kernel by kernel, a full glass of popcorn it won't overflow. Haven't tried it yet.


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sjm Offline
old hand
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>popcorn

Popped or unpopped?


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Zed Offline
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popped, definately popped.


#99583 04/02/03 10:32 AM
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my Dad used to have that every Sunday evening for supper...
he still would but it doesn't agree with him so well anymore... not quite sure where he picked it up, I'll have to ask him.



formerly known as etaoin...
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For the same reason they didn't for the most part have iron nails...it rusts! the best wooden ships were made with wooden pegs, and mortice and tenon joints. the seams were sealed with oakem (made in Dickens' time, at the 'work house', by poor homeless folk, in return for what we would now call welfare or the dole) Oakem is wood that has been pounded into threads.

a bo'sun was lowered over the side of the ship to pack oakem into the joints, and seal them with hot tar. small leather or canvas seats, raised and lowered by ropes (used by workers building the Hoover Dam, and by rock gardeners) are still called bo'sun seats.

The metal tools used by the sailors, all had leather thongs, and would be worn on the wrist, so if they slipped from the sailors hand, they would not sink. Wooden mallets, if dropped, would float.


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