"Drinking tea like Tony Benn"

[Deschanel]

Are the Irish better at learning languages?

Weirdly, I think yes? They get around a lot, and have done a pretty good job with learning English in the last 400 years!

My uncle is a professor/author/expert on Gaelic, taught it at Harvard, and most of my Irish cousins on both sides have a decent grasp on it. As well as French, Italian, Swiss-German and Arabic, depending where they ended up! They really do get around. I'm jealous. I really do think Irish people might have a verbal adeptness that helps in learning new languages. Still takes effort and study and immersion though. If my cousins are well-spoken in those languages above, it's because they ravel and throw themselves into the culture where it's sink-or-swim. Anyway, it's impressive.

Anyway, happy Spring to Corina and Raggatwin and everyone else. Not quite here yet, but after an awful winter, soon. Best to everyone.

[Patrick Bateman]

here she comes....the 'socialist' who doesn't know why many socialists are anti EU....

No dipstick, just showing you up for the ignoramus you are.

[raggatwin]

Stick to Middlemarch or Jane Eyre, babe. Leave the political philosophy stuff to those who are qualified to talk about it.

[raggatwin]

Are the Irish better at learning languages?

Weirdly, I think yes? They get around a lot, and have done a pretty good job with learning English in the last 400 years!

My uncle is a professor/author/expert on Gaelic, taught it at Harvard, and most of my Irish cousins on both sides have a decent grasp on it. As well as French, Italian, Swiss-German and Arabic, depending where they ended up! They really do get around. I'm jealous. I really do think Irish people might have a verbal adeptness that helps in learning new languages. Still takes effort and study and immersion though. If my cousins are well-spoken in those languages above, it's because they ravel and throw themselves into the culture where it's sink-or-swim. Anyway, it's impressive.

Anyway, happy Spring to Corina and Raggatwin and everyone else. Not quite here yet, but after an awful winter, soon. Best to everyone.

La fheile Padraig shona duit

[Corina]

Are the Irish better at learning languages?

Weirdly, I think yes? They get around a lot, and have done a pretty good job with learning English in the last 400 years!

My uncle is a professor/author/expert on Gaelic, taught it at Harvard, and most of my Irish cousins on both sides have a decent grasp on it. As well as French, Italian, Swiss-German and Arabic, depending where they ended up! They really do get around. I'm jealous. I really do think Irish people might have a verbal adeptness that helps in learning new languages. Still takes effort and study and immersion though. If my cousins are well-spoken in those languages above, it's because they ravel and throw themselves into the culture where it's sink-or-swim. Anyway, it's impressive.

Anyway, happy Spring to Corina and Raggatwin and everyone else. Not quite here yet, but after an awful winter, soon. Best to everyone.

Thanks, Deschanel, for your interesting response!

Happy Spring and of course Happy St. Patrick Day to you and all the Irish people here

[daveid]

Viva la Quince Brigada.

[raggatwin]

Viva la Quince Brigada.

Indeed.

[Deschanel]

Viva la Quince Brigada.

Indeed.

Ragga, you wrote, "La fheile Padraig shona duit " Though it's late, I can only say:

"U2!" As in, you yourself as well! (/horrible pun) Hope yoy had a nice one.

And wow, "Viva La Quince Brigada"- I know that song very well, and my Da up there is raising a glass to you and daveid. XO!

(Also, I meant "travel" not ravel in my original post. Though "ravelling" sounds weirdly like A Thing. I'd probably unravel.)

[Spittingcat]

His memoirs are on Radio4.

[raggatwin]

Viva la Quince Brigada.

Indeed.

Ragga, you wrote, "La fheile Padraig shona duit " Though it's late, I can only say:

"U2!" As in, you yourself as well! (/horrible pun) Hope yoy had a nice one.

And wow, "Viva La Quince Brigada"- I know that song very well, and my Da up there is raising a glass to you and daveid. XO!

(Also, I meant "travel" not ravel in my original post. Though "ravelling" sounds weirdly like A Thing. I'd probably unravel.)

good man yerself, so.

[Markpro]

In UK Parliament on 20/03/14 MP's told their stories of remembrance of Tony Benn...

"Sir Peter Tapsell, father of the house, for his magnificent longevity seemed a little misplaced (at 84, after all, he is almost five years Benn's junior). The Tory MP is majestically unabashed, of course, reminding colleagues that he was the only current MP who had voted for the 1963 bill that allowed Benn to renounce his viscountcy.

They had first met, he said, when Tapsell, freshly demobbed, was in his first year at Merton; Benn, in black tie, "strikingly handsome", dazzled him with his Oxford Union speech. But alongside "perfect manners", Tapsell, too, spoke of kindness. "I even had the privilege, over the years, of occasionally being invited to drink his strong, unsweetened Darjeeling tea from one of his huge tin mugs: the Benn equivalent of a companionship of honour."

[JSDOUVRES]

Terrible week for the left indeed, but we owe it to Tony and Bob to carry on their work. No parasan!

I like this, good shout Patrick!

[DJ Pat]

I'd hardly think this qualifies for a whole thread on a PSB forum. Just because he's mentioned briefly in the lyrics. Most wouldn't give a damn about him anyway.

I'd didn't see a thread about Dr. Dre, who's mentioned briefly in 'The night I fell in love'

[ZiggyPSB]

This was how a topic on Elysium the movie started.

[raggatwin]

Oh dear....the angry brigade are out....