Irritations

[Ms Diddles]

Irritated that debate about Francis Thompson has not only dominated all current threads but has insinuated itself into the irritations thread.

I completely agree, Gazza!

[Doctored Whatsit]

He was incredulous at my ignorance, so I explained that it seemed to me that our American cousins took everyday words like go or get or make, added a preposition like up, down, on, off, in or out, and bingo it meant whatever you want it to mean.

Seeing as how the Brits came up with Cockney rhyming slang they are probably in no position to be talking trash about us Yanks.

c.d.

Ha Ha! True, I guess, but at least Cockney rhyming slang was meant to not be understood, except originally for the handful of people using it.

[Kunochan]

Kunochan, I actually like the way you think things through—it shows you’re genuinely wrestling with the limits of history and the problem of evidence. And I have to say, I also like your taste: David Warner in Time After Time (1979) is my favorite Ripper film too. He captured something chillingly plausible about the killer, precisely because the film leaned on logic rather than melodrama.

Thank you for the kind words and reasoned response. Earlier I implied that you might be lying for a profit motive—that was rude and uncalled-for, and I apologize.

People are complaining that the Thompson conversation has taken over this thread, so I'll stop here. I'm sure we'll continue to talk in other, more appropriate threads. I'm going to take some time to read up on Thompson so I can have a more informed opinion.

[Pcdunn]

association with prostitutes, disappearance of his prostitute lover right before the killings,

I am very irritated by your phrasing here, which implies Thompson may have murdered his prostitute lover! Ridiculous exaggeration of the idea that he walked the streets looking for her due to affection.

[Ms Diddles]

Wasps!

I was minding my own business earlier today when one landed on me and stung me!

It was a completely unprovoked attack.

Even though I dislike them, I'm never mean to them and always remove them humanely.

It seems that doesn't give me a free pass.

Arseholes!

[Herlock Sholmes]

Wasps!

I was minding my own business earlier today when one landed on me and stung me!

It was a completely unprovoked attack.

Even though I dislike them, I'm never mean to them and always remove them humanely.

It seems that doesn't give me a free pass.

Arseholes!

Yes, like flies, what is the point of Wasps?

[C. F. Leon]

Yes, like flies, what is the point of Wasps?

To counter WASCs (White Anglo-Saxon Catholics)?

[C. F. Leon]

Wasps!

I was minding my own business earlier today when one landed on me and stung me!

It was a completely unprovoked attack.

Even though I dislike them, I'm never mean to them and always remove them humanely.

It seems that doesn't give me a free pass.

Arseholes!

Since I don't know your location, Ms Diddles, I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that you had an encounter with a yellowjacket, which are VERY territorial and bad-tempered to boot. They smell your food (even the stains on your clothing from last night's dinner) and go into seagull mentality (Mine! MINE!).

[C. F. Leon]

Yes, like flies, what is the point of Wasps?

Seriously, in the ecological sense, like vultures and hyenas they are scavengers and clean up other people's messes. Humans absolutely HATE scavengers, but we make the biggest messes, which then attracts them. Go figure the hypocrisy.

[Sorry, this was supposed to be a follow-on to the previous post.]

[Ms Diddles]

Yes, like flies, what is the point of Wasps?

Well, the one thing I'd say in favour of flies (sky raisins) is that they provide excellent entertainment, exercise and invariably extra nutrients for my cats if they ever have the misfortune of entering my house!

The same applies to spiders, although that's usually all over in seconds.

It's like an Attenborough documentary here sometimes!

[Ms Diddles]

Since I don't know your location, Ms Diddles, I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that you had an encounter with a yellowjacket, which are VERY territorial and bad-tempered to boot. They smell your food (even the stains on your clothing from last night's dinner) and go into seagull mentality (Mine! MINE!).

I'm in Scotland CFL.

I'm not sure what species of wasp it was, but it was certainly angry about something!

There was no food around, but it dropped on me from a tree in the garden and immediately stung me!

I guess it's late summertime when they all start going a bit nuts.

[c.d.]

I have been bitten by fire ants and I can tell you they don't call them fire for nothing.

c.d.

[Ms Diddles]

I have been bitten by fire ants and I can tell you they don't call them fire for nothing.

c.d.

Ouch!

I once accidentally sat on a jellyfish in Malta.

It was excruciating and I couldn't sit down for a week!!