A
month or two ago, my daughter bought a Kodak printer. It came with no
user guide, no software disk and no computer cable. Today, after
giving up on its wi-fi capability, we finally got it to work using
software downloaded from the web and a cable we'd bought to connect
it to her laptop. I can't help wondering whether experiences like
this didn't contribute significantly to the company's recent demise.
Being
close to Leeds' two universities, it wasn't difficult to set up
intercambios - or language exchanges - with two Spaniards.
Well, one Spaniard and one Spanish couple. And our first meetings
took place this week. Or, rather, they didn't, as they were both
postponed not long before the due time. But that's OK; this is life
in Iberia. Or Liberia, even. (L for Leeds plus Iberia. Geddit?)
I
noticed today that, whereas words for all religious denominations are
capitalised in English - Christian, Muslim,
Hindu, Zoroastrian, etc. - this isn't true of 'atheist'. Surely Richard
Dawkins should be getting a bit militant about this blatantly unequal
treatment.
The
other thing I noticed today was that I'd seen the word barista
yesterday while waiting for an old friend who's an eminent barrister.
So, barista and barrister; both developed from the word bar. But a
world apart. Unless, of course, the barista is an out-of-work
barrister. Anyway, this was in a Caffe Nero and I'm now seeking my
friend's legal opinion on whether or not I've broken my vow never to
enter Starbucks or anything similar. Hope it doesn't cost me more than a cup of coffee. Which is not exactly a small sum of money.
The
EU: Never mind what will happen to Greece, is the euro worth saving
for anyone? It's a good question and the answer is here.
But,
if you're still interested in Greece and how it might leave the
eurozone, click here for the five difficult steps.
A
couple of aphorisms that might amuse, both stolen:-
-
Mathematicians only die when their number's up.
-
Doctors only retire when they
run out of patients.
Which
reminds me - Thanks to readers who supplied additional neologisms to
go with Grexit. See the Comments to yesterday's post for these.
Which
sort of reminds me that I learned today the nickname we Brits
nowadays accord the French - i. e. Frogs - was first used for the
Dutch, on account of their living in lowland swamps.
Finally
. . . Here's a belated link to Alfie Mittington's last culinary post.
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