Zombie

Yes, Edison was a consummate businessman and entrepreneur - shame the French don't have a word for this - able to take ideas, develop and improve them and build very successful businesses around them. The light bulb is an example - Edison didn't invent the light bulb or even innovate the necessary changes to make them practicable, that was done by Joseph Swan who later sued Edison for patent infringement and won. As punishment, Edison had to make Swan a partner in his electric company and the U.S. Patent Office decided in 1883 that Edison’s patent was invalid, as it also duplicated the work of another American inventor. Edison later bought out Swan so it is Edison's name that is remembered... for making a lot of money out of 'em What Edison did do, and where he was brilliantly successful, is to make continual improvements to products like the light bulb and create better products.

Sound recording Came across this pic the other day. It's the world's earliest sound recording made between1857 and 1860 Thomas Edison is credited with inventing sound recording with his 1878 phonograph patent. But he didn't. Just like he didn't invent the lightbulb The first sound recordings were printed onto paper 20 years before Edison and the above pic is one of these printed recordings. These are the earliest known playable sound recordings, made over 150 years ago, and were made between 1857 and 1860 by a Frenchman, Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville - who you won't have heard of - of music and speech. Scott deserves his place in the history of invention. A printer by trade, in 1857 he patented the "phonautograph" which "printed" sound onto paper. His patented device was essentially a breakthrough invention, creating the method of analogue recording that was used for recording all sound - music, radio, film, TV - until replaced by digital technology from the 1980s. A phonograph / gramophone able to playback Scott's recordings - called a "paleophone" - was invented by fellow Frenchman Charles Cros in April 1877 but lack of money meant this was never done. It wasn't until 2008 - 150 years after they were made - when a computer program was developed using optical scanning to play them, that Scott's recordings were heard for the first time. BBC newsreaders are very professional but when Charlotte Green played this clip as part of a news summary she collapsed in a fit of giggles - I defy you not to laugh when you listen to her training, professionalism and composure go flying out the window... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJdlF-DCUKs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonautograph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleophone

Did he go by the name "Fishie"?

removes nasty niffs

No, it's not the same. OW's conviction was really a tragedy of his own making. It was OW who decided to start legal action against the Marquess of Queensberry [his lover's dad] to have him prosecuted for criminal libel for making allegations about OW's homosexuality. The problem is these allegations were true. Wilde obviously did this to try and protect his reputation but it meant he was being dishonest in using the law this way. During the trial evidence was then produced that confirmed Queensberry's allegations and because of this charges were then brought against OW and the rest we know. If OW had just kept his head down then probably nothing would have happened. It's very sad but that's what happened.

Yes, yes you will. It's all my fault - I've only been out of therapy a short while... I thought I'd got over it... I thought it was safe to make a quip... I was wrong... it's all coming back... and I can only apologise to addy for causing him mental suffering

Happy New Year to you too, Dustin. Hope you can visit GA more often and have some fun

Many other examples where people's job is to provide a personal service to customers and its not arrogance but legitimate and good business practice to probe the customer's motives - and decline if they're not themselves satisfied about that customer. I could give many examples, but cosmetic surgery and financial services are two that spring to mind.

All this tells us - as if we need reminding - is that large corporations and fancy over-paid lawyer firms are run by exactly the same dicks you'll find in any walk of life

ask Fishie - he had a bag of them somewhere... :funny:

"history? It's just one fucking thing after another" [Alan Bennet]

Cleaning my fridge yesterday - new year, new... food - was shocked to discover, lurking at the back, something dated May 2003. Obviously it was made well before that date - so it could be older than someone reading this thread So what was this mouldering - possibly biohazardous - food item? A bottle of spicy HP Sauce Don't remember how it got in there. But I've known about it a long time. Kind of reassuring to know it was there whenever I wanted some. Thing is, when I took it to the window for closer scrutiny it just looks like... er, HP Sauce. And it still moves around Now it's possible that the ingredients are toxic to all life forms - which is good news, 'cos that means it's still safe to eat So what's the oldest thing in your fridge?

In Britain, at least, it's never been a problem with the top and bottom bits of society. Churchill had a tattoo, so did several "recent" monarchs, even the current Prime Minister's wife. As with much else the problem is in "the middle". It's the Hyacinth Bucket syndrome Personally I have none but they can be very attractive. As others have said it's about quality and, for me, less is often more. But please - not on the face

Happy New Year to everyone at GA

The horrible thing about chemical castration is the side effects. In Alan Turing's case although he kept his balls he grew breasts because of it Just to clear up a few points. My first post was wrong - the pardon doesn't "cancel out the criminal conviction", it is forgiveness of the crime and cancellation of the penalty, so the historical record won't be "altered or changed to airbrush this injustice from history" Also, it derives from the prerogative of mercy. It used to be the absolute power of the monarch but now it's granted by the government as a derogated power, mindful of public opinion. It is very rare. So the Queen had nothing to do with the decision - all she did was sign off as Head of State the bit of paper shoved under her nose by some greasy government oik Obviously this has been timed to mark the 60th anniversary of his death. I guess there'll be a lot of stuff on the telly this year to celebrate his achievements. You need to understand that all the people involved were sworn to secrecy, and they kept that secret - for decades. The wartime codebreaking work was not declassified until the late 1970s so none of these people or their achievements were known or recognised until the 1980s when they began to talk about it, so accolades were never an option. I know this because I had an elderly relative who only spoke about her work at Bletchley Park when she was finally satisfied she could talk about it It was so secret that Churchill ordered that the Colossus computers plus all records designs and plans - remember these were the first ever programmable electronic digital computers which were used to automate part of the codebreaking process from February 1944 - should be destroyed at the end of WW2 to preserve their secrets, and hugely valuable computer knowledge and skills were lost because of this and the dispersal of the team who mostly went back to their old jobs. Two computers did in fact survive at what became GCHQ and continued to be used after the war - slyly, Britain sold encryption machines to other governments and then used the Colossus computers to decypher them Geeks may be interested to know some of the team that built the Colossus computers completed a fully functioning replica based on original notes, their recollections and authentic parts in 2007 and it can be seen at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park

Mike is right. The logic is unassailable. To answer the question I believe it's around 50,000, many of whom are still alive.

Alan Turing has been granted a Royal Pardon for his conviction for homosexual acts [technically it was called "gross indecency"] I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand I'm sure it will be some comfort to his descendants to have the state cancel out the criminal conviction of a man who is rightly revered as a brilliant mathematician whose vital Enigma code-breaking work undoubtedly shortened WW2 and who is seen as the father of modern computing. On the other hand it's important that history remembers the shocking ingratitude shown by his country for the crucial work he did which shortened the war and saved countless lives, and for choosing instead to disgrace him and subject him to chemical castration for doing nothing more than express his love for another man. The historical record must not be altered or changed to airbrush this injustice from history. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10536246/Alan-Turing-granted-Royal-pardon-by-the-Queen.html More details in this archived thread https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/35030-alan-turing/

you're just not looking in the right places

Hey, all mothers are "unique". And complex. And irrational The real questions are do you still love her and can you find a way to accommodate her behaviours while you're still living under her roof. Because you won't always be, and she won't always be around. It's worth taking the long view and accepting some compromise until you are fully independent. "i've only truly accepted who I am in the past 12 months" Well that's a big thing, maybe the most difficult step a gay person can ever take. Then there are other steps you need to be able to take too - such as liking yourself for who you are. This will then make you feel good about yourself. You see people who've developed this - it's attractive and makes people want to become friends. I'm not saying this should be in a narcissistic way - very unattractive - it's more about becoming comfortable in your own skin, developing inner confidence and self esteem. Maybe you could try self-help books, or set yourself small daily targets - "I'll talk to two new people today", or "I'll follow up that conversation". Good luck. It gets easier as you get older

Thanks for giving us a better understanding of what has happened in your country In an earlier blog I looked at this in terms of problems inherent with "democracy" if the majority will is allowed to prevail and thereby oppress minorities. Maybe this won't happen in India - in fact it mustn't be allowed to because "the will of the majority" is toxic and cannot exist in a diverse, modern pluralistic society. Which, sadly, India is not and cannot be until the huge changes required have happened - specifically around education, poverty and the removal of institutional corruption you referred to. And the removal of all discrimination including caste-based discrimination. But that's not going to happen any time soon. Every country, it seems, has to go through its own painful struggles and traumas. There is no shortcut and what emerges is ultimately what the people of that country want and are prepared to fight for. In the meantime you know you have our love and support here at GA

"I don't like how Christianity has taken the route of power by manipulating political figures and movements, creating strife through the wealth of believers due to "issues of faith", and at the highest levels hold an absolute "Pride" in themselves for interpreting the will of God." Well, yeah, a lot of history is real shitty "Who are they to judge the will of God? Who are they to hold the reins of what is true faith and heretical?" That would be the power thing "a known link between religion and banking during the housing boom, mortgage lenders would go into churches to advertise their lending products, even enlisting preachers to their cause. The banks in turn would pay handsome donations to churches that had given them business. In a matter of fact, religious figures acted as sales agents for mortgage lenders, is that what Christianity means to people?" That would be straightforward corruption. Nothing new there "Religion to me is not about laws and rules, but love and kindness" No, that would be your personal faith. Organized religion has traditionally been about God-fearing, hell-fire and damnation to terrorize the flock and offer "protection" in return for obedience and hard cash

If you'd said that to begin with we wouldn't have had a tiff!

Happy Birthday Greg!! Here's some cupcakes I baked specially for you!!

you're right fishie both are dangerous - but in different ways

"Traditional" Christmas dinner in England - turkey - crispy roasted potatoes - overcooked sprouts - carrots and other veggies - sausages wrapped in bacon - stuffing balls - draft belly pork with crispy crackling - lots of gravy - bread sauce, cooked with a cloved onion. - cranberry sauce Interestingly turkey was for the "toffs" when it began to be available in Victorian England - it was expensive - and goose was for the "common man" - it was cheap. Now it's the other way round