Replies to post #713 on Poet's Corner

[Koikaze]

Oh, my goodness, I never learned to speak Klingon. I could usually glean their meaning from the context and sometimes from their intonations, but I never tried READING what they were saying!

Ok, I confess. I recognize "breasts", but I'm not sure I'd recognize ZERO breasts!!! A terrible state of affairs. Perhaps I'm abnormal, but they've been my inspiration since I was an infant. What a tragedy you imply!

Orcs are beyond me. I remember something about a killer whale with a similar name, and, I suppose, one could abbreviate "orchestra" that way, but it would be new to me.

Fu, in mixed case, is, I presume, Oriental. I've heard references to something called Kung Fu. All upper case, is generally considered, at the very least, uncouth.

I hate to bother you, Dave, but could you help out a died-in-the-wool ignoramus and translate your message.

There's a good fellow!

Fred

Oh, say! I don't suppose you'd be able to enlightment me on "grub". I've heard that referred to, also, coupled with phrases like "Come and get it, or I'll throw it away!", but without supporting clauses, it only makes me think of worms. I'm not sure what causes that link in my mind.

F

[Koikaze]

Hey, Dave. Here's a footnote on New Zealand:

I read that New Zealand has a special department that monitors the ozone layer because of the difficulty it creates for New Zealanders, and wrote to my acquaintance down there. Here's his response:

"Ozone ... yes it's absolutely true ... the depletion of the ozone layer varies from year to year ... I seem to remember it renews itself through nature ... so some years its good some bad... to do with the seas I seem to remember ... anyway the ozone is most significantly missing at the South pole where it is basically spun off the axis towards the centre of the globe. it can be seen on infa red radar so we often get weather reports at night warning of "burn times" and radar photos of the ozone layer gap applicable for the next day. We've come to live with this but most appreciate it is the effect of population based poultion, mainly from the Northern hemeshpere affecting our everyday lives down here. It can be as mild as 18 - 20 degrees centigrade in a clear summer day with a cooling wind but if you stay exposed to the sun for more than 15 - 20 minutes (at midday) you're burnt. True. Funny thing is in Englnd which is further north than we south ... no problem."

We see press reports about the effect of our antics on the planet and its environs, but, to me, somehow, it takes on greater meaning when it involves folks I know personally.

Fred