MemberlistThe Library Index  FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES (NEW CONCEPTS)
Reply to topic Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 132, 133, 134 ... 176, 177, 178  Next
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

The New Shopping

Having received a Kindle cover from Argos when I thought I was ordering a Kindle (the price differential £20 vis a vis £120 should have alerted me) I applied for a refund. Since I did not want to pfaff around returning it I ordered a replacement in the form of some much needed fitted sheets. (Luxury, £20. I deserve it.) The earliest they could make the swap was 'tonight'.

So far so excellent. What was mildly weird was that if I had done this last year it would have taken three minutes talking to somebody on the phone. This year it required fifteen minutes via 'live chat'. That was fine by me but does it make sense from Argos's point of view? I'm pretty sure it wasn't a bot. But I suppose, thinking about it, s/he could have handled ten of me without breaking sweat.

Humbling but we've got to get used to it. Nobody's handing out phone numbers any more, I've noticed.
Send private message
Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
View user's profile
Reply with quote

Wile E. Coyote wrote:
Bravo, Braverman.

Taking the Colston case to the Court of Appeal, but not seeking to overturn the acquittals, denying the protesters their craving for publicity, was a cunning move.

The Court of Appeal is now looking at whether the Colston statue was a hate crime against the protesters' humans rights which gave them the right to topple it. I am sure that there will be much gnashing of teeth when the protesters eventually discover the main thing they have achieved is the curtailing of the use of bizarre human rights defences following criminal offences.


The protestors did not after all have a "human right" to topple the statue. Their lawyers are upset.

Raj Chada, Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, wrote:

“We are disappointed by the Court of Appeal Judgment. In our view, the evidence at the trial was that the toppling was not done violently. The clear view from an expert valuer, which we were prevented from relying upon during the trial, was that the value of the statue had increased exponentially after the toppling. The statue is still on public display as a monument to the evils of the slave trade, not as an obscene glorification of a slave trader. It is a shame that this is the Attorney General’s focus rather than the multiple crises facing this country.”


To be fair to the court, the statue "is still on public display" only after it had been recovered by divers from the River Avon at the council's expense. The statue was certainly not erected in 1895 to glorify a slave trader as Edward's participation in the slave trade was unkown at the time. The Statue was erected as Edward was a benefactor to a number of worthy causes within Bristol. It was only later in the 1920s that his role in the slave trade was discovered by a biography, and even then this largely went ignored until after 1990. The great majority of people who looked at the statue until 1990, and probably many since, will surely have seen an "important dude who did lots for Bristol", just as John Cassidy, the original sculptor, presumably intended.
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

When you return to your desk of a morning and find a half-eaten mini-Curly-Wurly (from a Cadbury Funpack) staring back at you, is it mice or is it discipline?
Send private message
Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
View user's profile
Reply with quote

River crossings are symbolically important, think Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Washington crossing the Delaware, Mao swimming the Yangtze.....Anyway, caught an episode of "Man versus Wild," with Bear Grylls pushing Prime Minister Modhi acoss a freezing Himalayan river in a coracle. It was pretty heroic, until Bear asked Narendra if his underpants were dry. They lost me at that point. I guess I don't like it real.
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

The British Museum is particularly fond of them according to Revisionist Historiography by M J (soon to be Lord) Harper
---------------------------

How come the Oxus Treasure, the most important survival of Achaemenid work in precious metal, is still the most important survival of Achaemenid work in precious metal? Surely to Ahura Mazda, archaeologists must have turned up something better since 1875?

o The Achaemenid Empire was the biggest in the world, right?
o It is famous for its ‘enormous production of work in precious metal’, right?
o It has a great many places more likely to produce treasure hoards than river-crossings in the sticks, right?
o It’s chocko with royal capitals – Ecbatana, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Babylon, Susa – for starters, right?

But no, the Oxus riverbank reigns supreme to this day.

-------------------
however much one regrets the informal style. "Better brush him off with a CBE, I think. I did history at uni." "Yes, your majesty. Would you like your morning Curly-Wurly now, sir?"
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

The New Shopping (Addendum)

Part of the service is they send you a transcript the next day. After a good five to ten minutes minutes with a genuine bot (which they did not include) I was awarded a genuine person

2022-09-28 13:29:17 [each exchange is timed]

Oceana: Thanks for taking the time to chat today, How can I help?
Michael: I would like to return this and if possible replace it with something else
Oceana: Oh right okay Can I ask why you would like to return the item?
Michael: It was a kindle cover but did not fit my kindle
Oceana: Okay no worries and do you have the original packaging and is it in a saleable conditionunused?
Michael: As far as I know, yes
Oceana: condition unused*
Michael: Definitely unused
Oceana: No worries and do you have the catalogue number for the item you want to replace it with?
Michael: 892/2032
Oceana: Right perfect. To access your account, there are a couple of security checks I need to make. Please can you confirm your: Full Name, Order Number, Email Address, Mobile Number and lastly, are you the owner of the account that placed the order?
Michael: Michael Harper 1524527744 [email protected] 0758 xxxx xxx yes
Oceana: The email address and number we have on our account are not correct, would you like to try again?
Michael: [email protected] 0758xxxxxxx
Oceana: The number is still not correct Michael...
Michael: I'm sure you have used it many times but maybe it is an old number [When I checked later I found they had my landline number listed]
Oceana: Possibly, could you confirm the first line of address and post code?
Michael: xx xxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxx
Oceana: Perfect, bear with me for a few minutes please [All these things had been gone through with the bot.]
Oceana: The earliest we can come pick it up and give you the replacement is between 7-10pm tonight, does that work for you?
Michael: That would be fine
Oceana: that collection has been booked in for you, To help our drivers when they collect the item, please dismantle and pack it the best way possible. If you don't have the original packaging, don't worry, all we ask is that you tape all loose pieces together and wrap parts so that sharp edges are covered. They will then give you the replacement at the same time :) Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Michael: No. I am grateful for your help.

2022-09-28 13:45:04

Everything happened exactly as she (?) said. Me and Oceana lasted sixteen minutes. From the phraseology I would judge her to be a native English-speaker, though some of the usages are American. The punctuation is an odd mixture of utilitarian (presumably pressing a button for a stock answer), incorrect and pedantically correct. The boy Harper shows promise as a stylist but he should watch that tendency to unctuousness.
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

... and Tom Tresh Effects of a Four-Week Stand-Up-Paddle Board Program on Balance 220 Keenan Erickson, Michael Harper and Acacia Nevenzel Effect of a Four-Week HUMAC Balance Training on Unilateral Static Balance

They asked whether this was me. I said, 'I don't think so.'
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

I gave somebody called Jessica Wildfire an ironic slagging on medium.com then, about three months later, she gave my effort a clap and replied thusly

Glad You Love It DM I Got Some New investment Affiliating Programs To Share on WHATSAPP
+1 438 - 300 - 7715 HMU!

Am I being out-ironied or is she trying to sell me something?
Send private message
Hatty
Site Admin

In: Berkshire
View user's profile
Reply with quote

Wiley 'No flies on him' Coyote wrote:

So surely, either Hatty should not have invited the Archbishop around, or she should have given me that day off.

A family member whose other claim to fame is being one of a handful of people (two at the last count) to have deciphered Ancient Sumerian texts has sent an invite to a tea party next weekend. Should I a) ask her if she'd like a copy of Revisionist Histioriography, b) give her my copy, knowing she won't read it or give it back, or c) if she does read it, will our relationship be damaged for evermore.
Send private message
Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
View user's profile
Reply with quote

Hatty wrote:
Wiley 'No flies on him' Coyote wrote:

So surely, either Hatty should not have invited the Archbishop around, or she should have given me that day off.

A family member whose other claim to fame is being one of a handful of people (two at the last count) to have deciphered Ancient Sumerian texts has sent an invite to a tea party next weekend. Should I a) ask her if she'd like a copy of Revisionist Histioriography, b) give her my copy, knowing she won't read it or give it back, or c) if she does read it, will our relationship be damaged for evermore.


She is clearly famous and talented, so you must not spoil your theatrical greeting of her in front or her friends, by handing over a copy at this point. Wait for a quiet moment, and then explain that you have been assisting a talented but penniliess vagabond, to produce a book, but his ideas are beyond you. The thrill of her possibly discovering a lost genius herself, will encourage her to at least read a few pages. Good Luck.
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

This went to full committee. I'll précis the conclusions which ran to three pages.

1. Your copy has Not for Resale Not for Resale Not for Resale in large lettering across the front cover
2. You do not say whether she has a good command of either English or academic & publishing norms but her facility with Ancient Sumerian suggests she would understand the significance of these words.
3. Plucking the book from a capacious handbag (not provided) say in a casual voice, "Oh, before I forget, can you take a look at this," and hand her Revisionist Historiography with a prominent bookmark at p 26 The Hittite Gallery is Closed for Repairs.
4. After the briefest of looks, she will say equally casually but trying to hide the excitement in her voice, "Oh, leave it with me."
5. "I can't really, the author needs it back because etc etc"

Play it by ear but don't leave without getting the full £35.00 cover price. 60/40 in my favour. Wiley's 'drink' comes out of your end.
Send private message
Ishmael


In: Toronto
View user's profile
Reply with quote

Hatty wrote:
Revisionist Histioriography


Fricking love the title!!!
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

M J Harper wrote:
Revisionist Historiography

is better.
Send private message
Mick Harper
Site Admin

In: London
View user's profile
Reply with quote

I am breaking all (my) records for 'claps' on medium.com with my reply to this

Ten Heroes That Were Villains in Real Life by Sarah Z
Real life heroes can also be villains sometimes…let’s explore how
https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/ten-heroes-that-were-villains-in-real-life-e543cb42a76f

And she goes on to list her Big Ten, highlighting their nefariousnesses

Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Aristotle, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Nicola Tesla, Che Guevara and Adolf Hitler

I had a quick browse on account of my hero, Adolf Hitler, somehow getting on the list. Sarah's reasons led me to post up, and receive a relative avalanche of claps for, this

Could you provide us with a list of ten human beings (heroes, villains or just average people) who didn't believe perfectly ordinary things in their lifetime that Ms Sarah Z disapproved of in her lifetime?

I must have hit a medium.com nerve.
Send private message
Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
View user's profile
Reply with quote

You should check out Sarah's list of 7 greatest grenerals.

1. Georgy Zhukov
Zhukov was a commendable general of the Soviet and a Marshal as well, at the time of Alexander the Great. He served in the capacity of both of these positions.


Her niche is post-Fomenko woke.
Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 132, 133, 134 ... 176, 177, 178  Next

Jump to:  
Page 133 of 178

MemberlistThe Library Index  FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group