My knowledge of Asian authors is pretty limited, but I’ll go for Haruki Murakami.

I’d recommend pretty much anything of his. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle is one of my favourites though.

Never smoked (although I probably got a fair bit second hand from my dad, back in the day)

Don’t do crazy drinking, but do enjoy a cold pint or two now and then, and maybe a few more if I’m out at a gig or something. And in the summer I’ll often have some bottles chilling in the fridge.

Also enjoy an occasional whisky - single malt, nice and smoky, preferably.

Don’t usually have other spirits, maybe vodka or rum in a cocktail, but pretty rarely tbh.

No worries - the general point still stands though I think 👍

True happiness is something that should make you happy in the moment and in the long run.

I’m not sure I agree - why is a long term aspect necessarily for something to constitute true happiness?

If I can’t remember something, does that mean it didn’t make me “truly happy”?

If so, that would mean that a child given a toy they play with for years but eventually lose interest in and forget as they grow older, didn’t experience “true happiness” from that toy, which doesn’t seem right to me.

I don’t think permanence or longevity are factors in whether ones happiness is true or not.

Agreed - that’s why many people love, say, the Mona Lisa, or Starry Night.

I think you’re going to have to provide a generally acceptable definition of “true happiness” - and a definition that isn’t contingent on the points raised in your question.

Depends on context - if said amiably between friends, it could be fine.

In the context of your comment about it being your boss who said it, and why, I’d say it’s pretty insulting (if not necessarily an intended insult).

It’s pretty dismissive of you as a person, instead focusing on your value (to his bar) in terms of attracting male customers. It’s not very respectful of you tbh.

The way Africa looked on maps has never had any bearing on my or probably anyone’s thinking of how important the country is in global politics or economics.

Africa isn’t a country though, it’s a continent with dozens of independent, distinct and diverse countries in it.

And one possible impact of the continent being represented much smaller than it really is, is people thinking of Africa as a single country.

Seconded - I’ve been cutting my own hair for about 25 years now, must have saved a fortune. Still using the same clippers.

I would say because a lot of mythology comes from the oral tradition of storytelling, passed from person to person and age to age via spoken word and memory.

There’s actually a SUPERB podcast about Greek mythology, called Podyssey. It’s tremendously interesting, and the host, Alex Andreou, just did a 3 part epic on Aesop, both the person (or rather the ‘person’) and the Fables.

Well worth a listen, either just that one, or the whole show tbh.

It’s clear you’ve given this a lot of thought 😁

Would the poop retain the invisibility after exiting your tiger body?

Agreed, York is really good.

Also, putting in a word for the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, which is focused on transport and technology. Well worth a visit.

Earlier that day…

Kbal: I don’t care for GOB.

FWIW, I really enjoyed both of them. The first is better, but the second is worth a watch IMO.

one can argue all day about whether it’s appropriate to have a monarchy in the modern day

That was my main point, I wasn’t really talking about how expensive or otherwise they are (although admittedly it came from a misunderstanding of QE).

I’m from the UK, and it absolutely sickens me that we still have a monarchy, any monarchy (let alone this particular one). I’m opposed to monarchy in principle, and would be even if the specifics of our monarchy weren’t so repulsive.

Appreciate the detailed post, but the cost argument is just window-dressing for me. It’s the core concept I reject. Hopefully we can get shot of them one day.

It’s the scene when he’s sitting pondering on Dan Ackroyd’s character’s evening with the virgin Connie Swail. The physical acting with the cocktail stick is hilarious 😁

Didn’t we have this discussion just a few weeks ago?

My answer remains Tom Hanks. With the exception of one scene in Dragnet.

Thanks for detailing where to find that.

I was put off by the description of the app, but knowing that some customisation is possible means I’ll probably give it a go now.