So we know 5 grand won't buy Perry...

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Dirtboy

Bob Dylan said it best; from Tangled up in blue:

"Then she opened up a book of poems and handed it to me.
Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth Century.

And every one of them words rang true and glowed like burning coal.
Pouring' off of every page like it was written in my soul from me to you."

BTW, I don't share the pessimism ....... true, the new social media is a game changer but the importance of knowing how and when to use words will never change.

DB

You're probably right - illiterates and inarticulates have always been with us - they just do it with gadgets now.

[smurphny]

Originally Posted by SloopJonB

If you haven't read C.S. Forester (Hornblower et. al.) do so before bothering with O'brian - he's MUCH better as well as more "British" in the very best sense.

Stocking up the boat with reading material right now for the next trip . Will add C.S. Forester. I'm sure I've read some of his writing but long ago. Of course no one can forget Bogart burning those leeches off Hepburn in African Queen.
Thanks for the pick!

[PBzeer]

Have to second the Hornblower books.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by bwalker42

Wow, this has really digressed

I apologize foar my poor spelling and will find the spell ck.
Sometimes I am just in a hurry. I've written responses and lost them for whatever reason so I get in a hurry. Sorry

That's O/K Darlin', just put "puff puff" at the bottom and we'll understand.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by smurphny

Of course no one can forget Bogart burning those leeches off Hepburn in African Queen.
Thanks for the pick!

My pleasure - I reread the Hornblower series from end to end every decade or so - they are old friends now. Don't overlook his other books though - he wrote one story of speculation about what would have happened had Hitler tried invading - completely different analysis from everyone else I ever read and VERY convincing.

Re: Bogart & Hepburn - talk about stage craft - an American playing a Canadian in a role that was originally a Cockney but he was still the exact same guy. Hepburn, of course always had that British quality about her so the transition wasn't the same leap.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Dirtboy

BTW, I don't share the pessimism ....... true, the new social media is a game changer but the importance of knowing how and when to use words will never change.DB

It's a game changer but it seems to be a field narrower as well. The Western world seems to be regressing back to a slew of patois. I find lots of athletes and entertainers from "Da Hood" to be virtually unintelligible. Fewer and fewer Brits seem to be able to speak their mother tongue in an intelligible manner. Oddly enough, the good ol' boy stock car racers have vastly improved diction and enunciation
.
It is not uncommon nowadays to see subtitles under a person who is (theoretically at least) speaking English - I first saw that about three years ago during an American interview of an Englishman - and I needed the subtitles!

From what I understand, Quebecois are not easily understood in France (and vice versa I suppose). Anyone here understand a real swamp Creole speaker?

It's as if we are regressing to a society of articulate literates and a society of text messagers. Unfortunately, history tells us that the texters will be the ultimate winners.