Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >Tim C. <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Following up to [email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) :
> >>
> >> >Tim C. <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Following up to Hatunen <[email protected]> :
> >> >>
> >> >> >They would go on in French, and when one
> >> >> >came to a word they weren't sure of in French they would, without
> >> >> >a beat, switch to English, then bakc to French, usw. I sometimes
> >> >> >see the same sort of thing here in Tucson with Spanish and
> >> >> >English.
> >> >>
> >> >> SWMBO and myself do exactly that as well in German and English.
> >> >
> >> >My partner does this whether he's talking Spanish or English to me! It's
> >> >a very bizzare mix sometimes!
> >> >
> >> >My brother often uses the Norwegian word for something when we talk, not
> >> >quite aware he's doing it- especially with technical things to do with
> >> >his work.
> >>
> >> It confuses the hell out of by-standers. :-)
> >>
> >> It quite often happens that after speaking to someone who I know speaks
> >> English and German, I haven't the foggiest idea which language I just used.
> >
> >I used to see my mum talk to her sister in English when there were
> >English speaking guests around!
>
> My mum and millions of other mums used to do the same :-)

Touché! OK- non-English native language mums then!

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
[]
> >Off to what looks like a rather hot Sardinia tomorrow afternoon!
>
> S of France is burning again. My friends who live north of Nice mentioned more
> power cuts and watching helicopters dumping water on the fires.

Lovely!

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:31:41 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Tim C. writes:
>
>> That's not the sole preserve of people who were raised bilingually. It
>> happens with "late learners" as well.
>
>Yes, and it can even come and go for individuals over time, depending on which
>language they use the most, and other factors.
>
>People who are perfectly bilingual tend to remain that way only if they live
>in a perfectly bilingual environment. In reality, most environments favor one
>language or the other, and so bilingual individuals tend to become a bit rusty
>in one language in favor of the other. If the environment changes, their
>language skills may shift again.

That's true enough, but it doesn't really address the subject,
learning a language.

>I also note that people who learn languages easily seem to forget them more
>easily too, although they don't usually forget completely.

So you say.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:34:27 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Tim C. writes:
>
>> All his friends have IQs of over 120 though.
>
>Quite a few do, but not all.

Do you and your friends generally exchange information about your
IQs?

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:09:01 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>[]
>> >Off to what looks like a rather hot Sardinia tomorrow afternoon!
>>
>> S of France is burning again. My friends who live north of Nice mentioned more
>> power cuts and watching helicopters dumping water on the fires.
>
>Lovely!

It makes NL seem a reasonable place to live.
--

Martin

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:07:54 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>> >The Reid <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Following up to Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >[]
>> >> >and I've helped people in
>> >> >their teens use new technologies--you know, the same teens who "pick up
>> >> >technology in an instant."
>> >>
>> >> the interface, numbnuts.
>> >
>> >That's the spirit!
>>
>> iPods next?
>
>Isn't there some way of just shutting a laptop using windows without
>shutting it down? The guy next to me on the train shut down windows
>every time he shut the laptop tonight, and it took a while. Seems
>pointless- I'm sure that's not necessary?

I've never found having a laptop necessary, I guess I'm not the best one to
answer.

Maybe he was conserving his batteries?
--

Martin

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:07:54 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> >> chancellor (*)) wrote:
[]
> >Isn't there some way of just shutting a laptop using windows without
> >shutting it down? The guy next to me on the train shut down windows
> >every time he shut the laptop tonight, and it took a while. Seems
> >pointless- I'm sure that's not necessary?
>
> I've never found having a laptop necessary, I guess I'm not the best one to
> answer.

I've not had a desktop since 1999!

> Maybe he was conserving his batteries?

Bad batteries then, surely.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:11:22 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:34:27 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>Tim C. writes:
>>
>>> All his friends have IQs of over 120 though.
>>
>>Quite a few do, but not all.
>
>Do you and your friends generally exchange information about your
>IQs?

Only after he was rejected by Mensa.
--

Martin

Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
> The French lack motivation to speak English well, and they worry so much about
> what other people think that it hinders them, and their public education
> system teaches only ivory-tower theoretical concepts while ignoring practical
> skills.

You misspelled "I'm a bitter sad old twat." HTH.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:11:22 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:34:27 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
> >wrote:
> >
> >>Tim C. writes:
> >>
> >>> All his friends have IQs of over 120 though.
> >>
> >>Quite a few do, but not all.
> >
> >Do you and your friends generally exchange information about your
> >IQs?
>
> Only after he was rejected by Mensa.

I was at a Mensa dinner once by accident! They were mostly a bit
strange, but they seem perfectly normal next to Mixi.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:19:10 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:07:54 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:02:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
>> >> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>[]
>> >Isn't there some way of just shutting a laptop using windows without
>> >shutting it down? The guy next to me on the train shut down windows
>> >every time he shut the laptop tonight, and it took a while. Seems
>> >pointless- I'm sure that's not necessary?
>>
>> I've never found having a laptop necessary, I guess I'm not the best one to
>> answer.
>
>I've not had a desktop since 1999!

:-)

>
>> Maybe he was conserving his batteries?
>
>Bad batteries then, surely.

You don't know how long he had used it since a recharge before he got on the
train.
--

Martin

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:20:27 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>[]
>> The French lack motivation to speak English well, and they worry so much about
>> what other people think that it hinders them, and their public education
>> system teaches only ivory-tower theoretical concepts while ignoring practical
>> skills.
>
>You misspelled "I'm a bitter sad old twat." HTH.

You forgot "clueless arrogant"
--

Martin

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:19:10 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
[]
> >> Maybe he was conserving his batteries?
> >
> >Bad batteries then, surely.
>
> You don't know how long he had used it since a recharge before he got on the
> train.

Oh yes I do. He had it plugged in to the socket!

On the MacBook, at least, putting it to sleep uses minimal battery
power- it's more effecient than shutting down and restarting, assuming
you'll hook up to a mains within a day or two.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:23:18 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:11:22 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:34:27 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >>Tim C. writes:
>> >>
>> >>> All his friends have IQs of over 120 though.
>> >>
>> >>Quite a few do, but not all.
>> >
>> >Do you and your friends generally exchange information about your
>> >IQs?
>>
>> Only after he was rejected by Mensa.
>
>I was at a Mensa dinner once by accident! They were mostly a bit
>strange, but they seem perfectly normal next to Mixi.

Remember that Mixi is the substandard benchmark.

Was it here that Mixi recently discussed Mensa or was it when he was being hit
by wet haddock wielding pilots?
--

Martin

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
> Was it here that Mixi recently discussed Mensa or was it when he was being hit
> by wet haddock wielding pilots?

Both are quite possible!

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Ex-Pres. Blair- May, 2007