I see that the UK is going to change to polyester banknotes. We encountered them in Canada during our vacation, and they really look nice, as well as difficult to counterfeit. The new bills don't take well to being folded. But I see from online videos that they also have tactile markings for the visually impaired, which I didn't notice, not having had them pointed out. Canada also has compact bill readers for those who need them that will identify the denominations of both the new polyester bills and the previous edition of paper bills. Nice! Maybe we will see such bills in the US some day. Canadians have also given up the penny. My personal preference would be to revalue the dollar to something like its original value, but I recall reading a long time ago that there are very practical reasons not to do that. I seem to recall that it would drive the bookkeepers nuts, among other things.
Oh, Lord: I've been trying to keep track of the cost of things in England in the first few decades (via UpDown). Grew up with the rough estimate that a Pound equaled five Dollars. . . . One bit that stuck with me was that during WWI, a beer could be had for two pence. . . .
I think it was in the 18th century that gin houses were advertising, "Drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence." (The tuppence entitled you to sleep it off on the floor.)
Hi guys, have been resting and reading a good deal the past few days. Finished A Star Shall Fall a satisfying read. Come to find out, it's vol. Three of the Onyx Hall series. Read Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography, which was very interesting. Currently about halfway through All Creatures Great and Small and a few chapters into The Supremes, the girl group, not the justices. It has a long subtitle but I can't remember it. I'd forgotten what a wonderful book All Creatures Great and Small is, since it's been many years since my last read. Really makes me long to see the Yorkshire Dales.
I recently finished Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson. That won "Best Novel" at the recent World Fantasy Convention. Never really got into the characters but the plot and setting carried me along. And it's a wonderfully original setting. The book can be characterized as either techno-thriller or urban fantasy, but the City is clearly an alternate Dubai and the supernaturals are various varieties of djinn.
ARG! drugstore.com forced a freebee on me that I do not want and that will go to waste. I couldn't find any way to opt out, and when I tried using the "Remove" link, it did nothing. The kicker is that this unwanted item must contain some volitile liquids etc. because it triggered the "Restricted" classification which seems to mean the shipment can't be sent by air, which in turn means it will take longer to arrive than it would without the item. Talk about adding insult to injury! What a stupid system that won't let a customer opt out of a freebee. My blood pressure is definitely elevated. I'll go listen to some nice, soothing Christmas music and maybe make a YouTube to calm down.
I seem to be currently overdosed on fiction, and have just now commenced reading Chales C. Mann’s “1493”. “1491” was a good read, and this augers well. “The Proud Tower” by Barbara Tuchman was a very good listen a year or two back.
Have a Happy, Howard!
ReplyDeleteI see that the UK is going to change to polyester banknotes. We encountered them in Canada during our vacation, and they really look nice, as well as difficult to counterfeit. The new bills don't take well to being folded. But I see from online videos that they also have tactile markings for the visually impaired, which I didn't notice, not having had them pointed out. Canada also has compact bill readers for those who need them that will identify the denominations of both the new polyester bills and the previous edition of paper bills. Nice! Maybe we will see such bills in the US some day. Canadians have also given up the penny. My personal preference would be to revalue the dollar to something like its original value, but I recall reading a long time ago that there are very practical reasons not to do that. I seem to recall that it would drive the bookkeepers nuts, among other things.
--Alan
--Alan
Oh, Lord: I've been trying to keep track of the cost of things in England in the first few decades (via UpDown). Grew up with the rough estimate that a Pound equaled five Dollars. . . . One bit that stuck with me was that during WWI, a beer could be had for two pence. . . .
DeleteI think it was in the 18th century that gin houses were advertising, "Drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence." (The tuppence entitled you to sleep it off on the floor.)
DeleteHi guys, have been resting and reading a good deal the past few days. Finished A Star Shall Fall a satisfying read. Come to find out, it's vol. Three of the Onyx Hall series. Read Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography, which was very interesting. Currently about halfway through All Creatures Great and Small and a few chapters into The Supremes, the girl group, not the justices. It has a long subtitle but I can't remember it. I'd forgotten what a wonderful book All Creatures Great and Small is, since it's been many years since my last read. Really makes me long to see the Yorkshire Dales.
ReplyDeleteI recently finished Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson. That won "Best Novel" at the recent World Fantasy Convention. Never really got into the characters but the plot and setting carried me along. And it's a wonderfully original setting. The book can be characterized as either techno-thriller or urban fantasy, but the City is clearly an alternate Dubai and the supernaturals are various varieties of djinn.
DeleteARG! drugstore.com forced a freebee on me that I do not want and that will go to waste. I couldn't find any way to opt out, and when I tried using the "Remove" link, it did nothing. The kicker is that this unwanted item must contain some volitile liquids etc. because it triggered the "Restricted" classification which seems to mean the shipment can't be sent by air, which in turn means it will take longer to arrive than it would without the item. Talk about adding insult to injury! What a stupid system that won't let a customer opt out of a freebee. My blood pressure is definitely elevated. I'll go listen to some nice, soothing Christmas music and maybe make a YouTube to calm down.
ReplyDeleteCat, any way to call them and have them take it off the order manually?
DeleteBummer, Cat: and welcome to my life, lol!
ReplyDeleteI read a whole lot of Herriot's books when I first came here: utterly lovely!
I seem to be currently overdosed on fiction, and have just now commenced reading Chales C. Mann’s “1493”. “1491” was a good read, and this augers well. “The Proud Tower” by Barbara Tuchman was a very good listen a year or two back.
ReplyDelete—Alan