why so quiet

[Hunter]

[Sally]

Who's the guy in the picture? He looks strangely familiar....

[Wickerman]

.... However, Porky Man/Soothsayer, a word of advice, when you are bashing us don't do in such a fashion as to stupidly give yourself away as a sock puppet. 'Cause then we go hunting and we find the other names you've registered too. Tsk. Tsk.

Carry on.

Are there still people around who don't know what an ISP number is?

[lynn cates]

hunting

Hello Cris. So THAT'S why the boards have been quiet?! (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Lechmere]

Sally
You know very well it's Ben.
Both of them - in and out of costume.

Wickerman
That'll be
International Special Policeman.
A secret award handed out annually to ex 'job' ripperologists by the cabal-clique - Trevor was blackballed.

[Sally]

Ed - I know Nothing.

Except the way to the bar.

[Sally]

Well, not just the way to the bar, obviously....

[Ausgirl]

I think it's possible that it's as simple as the colour.

Of the graphite.

Being somewhat similar in hue to lead, and all.

[Lechmere]

Yes Sally, obviously.

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
My little thread on quietness ,has really opened up a can of worms, It was simply a observation , not intended to create a free for all.
Still I wanted more action, so I guess that's what I got...
Regards Richard.

[Graham]

Hi,
My little thread on quietness ,has really opened up a can of worms, It was simply a observation , not intended to create a free for all.
Still I wanted more action, so I guess that's what I got...
Regards Richard.

You've got to remember that there are whole flocks of posters who, like vultures, circle around this Forum ready to dive down on any subject likely to give them the thrill of the kill.....

Graham

[richardnunweek]

Hi Graham,
That is a description which I agree with, its a unfortunate scenario.
Richard

[Mayerling]

Hello Jeff,

This must mean you were a "Pre-Graphelite" 15th C scribbler then


Phil

Oooohhh!!!

I feel that I have "Dante Gabriel" Spaghetti all over my face now that I'm a Pre-Graphelite!.

[Mayerling]

Dear all,

I know it's totally pointless but what else is there to do on a Saturday...

Mayeerling did the original and I then tried to quote it when I did my "whore to culture" bit. But I did it wrong so it didn't quote properly and so may look like I did it all. I would never want to take credit for another man's/woman's work so had to clarify that!

As for Graphite, the confusion comes from the fact that Lead, although a heavy(ish) metal is actually quite weak. Most people would be able to rip a thin piece with their hands. Because of this, you can roll it up into a long, thin piece and this can be used to write with. I have a piece of Lead on my desk here and have just done so to prove again to myself it's true! So, many hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago, Lead was used as a writing impliment albeit not a very good one. Modern pencils, to the best of my knowledge, have always contained Graphite which, as an allotrope of Carbon has interesting properties. It is bonded together by very strong bonds in one direction but very weak bonds 90 degrees to that. When you write with a piece, layers of the graphite shear off and are left on the page as the pencil mark. Lead by comparison leaves a weak line but can still be seen and is, I suppose, better than nothing.

I just don't know if lead was ever encased in wood in order to make what we would now call a pencil but it is a real possibility I suppose.

As many paints used to contain Lead, it's also possible that the paint on the outside of pencils used to do so meaning that overall, pencils did contain Lead.

And having just read back what I've written I realise I must be a very sad person to devote so much time and space to something totally irrelevant!

But as a Chemistry geek and part time lecturer, I just couldn't let it lie.

Sorry all!

regards,

No problem Tecs. I appreciate both the relevant and irrelevant very much - especially this week. It was Rosh Hashonah - Yom Kippur, and my religion required me to concentrate on serious ethical and religious matters all those ten days, and I really needed for my brain to unwind a little. If a joke about "whores to culture" (ironically on this web site) or "horses to water" led to a discussion of ... well lead versus graphite, so be it. All this is far less rancorous than whether a prominent post-impressionist was the Ripper from another thread.

Jeff

[Sally]

It was quiet.

Now, not so much.

And soon, it'll be quiet again.