tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post8658808435899051486..comments2024-03-25T15:07:41.959+00:00Comments on Nigeness: Darn Socks?Nigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13314891387515045404noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-19833852588169769122009-07-27T00:10:38.759+01:002009-07-27T00:10:38.759+01:00Dream of Olwin? I played that in high school 40 y...Dream of Olwin? I played that in high school 40 years ago.Tom Kufahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12030515907944167207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-56683582889045765882009-03-10T17:37:00.000+00:002009-03-10T17:37:00.000+00:00My mother could start a fight in an empty room and...My mother could start a fight in an empty room and scatter Jehovah's Witnesses like straw in the wind and play the Dream Of Olwin on an out of tune upright, darn socks ? nope.maltyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02936465848907794425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-25685090258069352672009-03-10T17:26:00.000+00:002009-03-10T17:26:00.000+00:00I've always rather liked, and been intimidated by,...I've always rather liked, and been intimidated by, this list of essential accomplishments by someone called Robert A. Heinlein:<BR/><BR/>"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."<BR/><BR/>On a good day I might score eight or nine out of twenty there. It's a pleasing list, if a bit macho; if I had to add anything I think it would be i) fly a kite ii) sing in tune and iii) speak a foreign language -- and I can't do all of those either.jonathan lawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05986943428040953041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-28797131700504656332009-03-10T16:40:00.000+00:002009-03-10T16:40:00.000+00:00Yes, along with:- safely chaperoning the beautiful...Yes, along with:<BR/><BR/>- safely chaperoning the beautiful but strong-willed daughter of a visiting Tsar around the fleshpots of old London<BR/><BR/>- making the perfect Eggs Benedict after six bottles of port and no sleep<BR/><BR/>- fighting a duel with hot air balloons and blunderbusses.Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-48480809911680135842009-03-10T16:34:00.000+00:002009-03-10T16:34:00.000+00:00Indeed - and tying a cravat with one hand. My gran...Indeed - and tying a cravat with one hand. My grandmother (barely 5ft tall but a formidable woman) was a dab hand at breaking up dog fights - wouldn't care to try it myself.Nigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314891387515045404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-25041324868000431282009-03-10T16:19:00.000+00:002009-03-10T16:19:00.000+00:00"Separate a pair of fighting dogs" used to figure..."Separate a pair of fighting dogs" used to figure in lists like this, if I recall, together with removing a stone from a horse's hoof and the correct procedure for striking a lucifer. Hmmn. There are two I definitely can't do, one of which is knitting. But a lot of others come under "Can do in extremis but almost anything else is preferable". Opening a bottle of champagne with a sabre should surely be one item on any list.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06074816573442173758noreply@blogger.com