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Melvadius

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  1. caesar novus

    Posted

    I did a search for myself and most of the top-rated hits came up as UNRV or else related to some articles I wrote for another site several years ago. However I discovered that at least one article on Roman helmets has been lifted entirely and with some added illustrations placed onto another site. :suprise:

     

    OK I did grant copyright for non-commercial use with the original posting, I have been cited as the author and the aditional illustrations separately credited but it is a bit of a suprise to find such material where I don't expect it.

     

    Which leads on to complete confusion about precisely which quirk of sloppy programming has meant that a similarly sourced article about visiting Herculaneum is automatically tied into search results for things like 'Find a guitar teacher in Herculaneum, Missouri' :blink:

  2. caldrail

    Posted

    Contrary to international conventions they also seem to have neglected to keep accurate maps of where the mines had been laid.

     

    They actually laid most of the mines in peat bogs, where depending on local conditions mines can shift nearer or further from the surface, making clearance extremely problematical. This has lead despite several areas being permanently cordoned off to fairly regular losses of sheep by the Flakland Islanders ever since (sheep don't read danger signs too well).

     

    The last time the Argentinians decided that they could steal the Falkland Islands along with its potential oil reserves and vast fishing grounds was when the UK had a Conservative government selling off everything in sight and the Argentinian economy went to the wall.

     

    Is anything different these days?

  3. GhostOfClayton

    Posted

    I've found that regarding telescopes there are a few basic issues:

     

    1. either you live somewhere with so much light pollution they are basically useless or you don't.

     

    2. There are many and various telescopes to suit all pockets but the really good ones tend to be really expensive.

     

    3. Really expensive telescopes tend to be really heavy and/or immobile so need somewhere fixed to be used from.

     

    On the other hand we bought one of my young nieces a good, even though fairly basic, telescope for less than

  7. docoflove1974

    Posted

    I wouldn't know what the Youtube video sounds like since it is copyright so blocked in the UK.

     

    Regarding the mutability of accents I think it is fairly general that the strength of peoples accents varies both with use and the size of the local community.

     

    It is a very rare individual who on returning to their home area or being in close association with their home accent don't find themselves slipping into their old speech patterns. Conversely if you are in another area your accent has to become softer, even if only marginally, so you can be understood by those around you.

     

    You may know someone who seems to have a strong accent but if they went back home you may be suprised by how much deeper it became even years after they left home.

  10. GhostOfClayton

    Posted

    If you are trying to make the point that an upside down right angle triangle could 'very roughly' be drawn to fit inside the easternmost extremities of Wales I could see your reasoning. :unsure:

     

    But in that case surely 'Angle A' should instead be in Anglesey or are you trying to 'pun it' as 'Angle-C'??

  14. GhostOfClayton

    Posted

    Possibly something for Future OfClayton to consider:

     

    We had people who lived up the road from us who had a caravan parked in their front garden behind some fence panels which only seemed to be permanently fixed into the ground.

     

    In fact the central post was set into a slot in the ground so it and the adjoining panels could be removed when needed.

     

    I believe for security the central post was chained to a staple which in turn was concreted into the ground.

  17. docoflove1974

    Posted

    I suspect the fastest way to have 'Islamo-facists' or any other group that 'we' in the West may wish not to be in power is to keep treating them AND everyone else in their country as if they are not to be trusted.

     

    While remembering the 'obvious' lessons of Chamberlain's action with Hitler*; treating people honourably as you would wish to be treated by them and speaking 'gently' about what you may wish for in return may be a better way forward.

     

    * I have long wondered if rather than having the wool pulled over his eyes; much of what he said and did was actually what proved to be a successful attempt to buy time while Britain rearmed.

  22. caldrail

    Posted

    In previous wars/police actions, whatever you want to call them, the UK policy (unlike America) has always been to bury the fallen in a War Cemetery where they had fought without the option of repatriation.

     

    The major change has been the decision to bring them back instead of buryign them locally which has allowed the overly-patriotically/ nationalistically minded to travel in their hordes to wave the flag. All in commemoration of people they probably wouldn't have known from Adam in real life.

     

    As to Wootton Bassett the local coroner will no longer be sitting in judgement on the deaths of those killed in the conflict in 'true' Roman fashion 'were they citizens, killed lawfully etc, etc. This is the current situation as Wootton Bassett is the first place the bodies are returned to English soil so a Coroners Court has to be held on each.

     

    I understand this move may well be a relief to the UK Government given his oft stated views on the conflicts.

  23. docoflove1974

    Posted

    I know how Ghost feels but even for those of us who failed to make as good grades as we should have in school there can be hope for you later in life.

     

    more generally some of exam issues can be down to how individual students prepare or don't prepare for exams as much as their perceptions of what is required.

     

    My brother had a fellow student in High School who was a straight 'A' student nto only that but seems to have he got 100% in all of his tests but spent all of his time studying and revising to the extent that he had a nervous breakdown before his exams and failed the lot.

     

    In comparison when studying for a Degree part time we had one mature student who was also a straight A student but had twice totally failed his final topic exam.

     

    We eventually realised what had kept tripping him up and as a class basically battered him into the realisation that there was no 'correct' answer to the visual images which were first up in the exam. He eventually accepted that he could choose in which order to deal with the topics and that with the visual images he had to make his own interpretation based on the available evidence presented and comparisons with other images he knew.

     

    I later heard that he did finally achieve the top level 'honours' grade he had previously kept failing on.

  25. caldrail

    Posted

    Re 'an insidious plot to prevent me discovering the lost instruction manual' have you tried approaching the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park?

     

    The last time I visited there they seemed to have aquired a large number of odds and ends of computer hardware and associated material over the years.

     

    I suppose the other alternative is GCHQ, by repute they have salted a lot of similarly out of date material in their basement. :ph34r:

     

    They are a lot more open to random contacts by the General Public than previously (even advertising vacancies nowadays) so their press office may be able to answer any questions you may have about such an esoteric out of date piece of equipment.

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