People who don't post

[An old bloke]

Things are made to use and enjoy.

I agree. And I use and enjoy my pens in a very different way than you do. Isn't that wonderful?

Of course, Jon. Why would you need to ask? Both of us "use" and that is the point.

My exceedingly clever and understated point being that the phrase "use and enjoy" does not necessarily connect those two actions (though it can). I enjoy some of my pens without ever putting ink in them.

Why does this remind me of our recent Oxford comma discussion?


Hmm, clarity perhaps?

[FredRydr]

People who don't post

What about people who don't use their turn signals? I can deal with people not posting, but that?!

[CrayonAngelss]

People who don't post

What about people who don't use their turn signals? I can deal with people not posting, but that?!

My personal favorite is when they DO signal, but go the opposite direction.

[Chrissy]

People who don't post

What about people who don't use their turn signals? I can deal with people not posting, but that?!

That's two of us who do use their turn signals then Fred. Don't come and try to drive in England. I believe people here must get a discount when they buy their new cars by saying they don't need any bulbs for their turn signals.

[An old bloke]

People who don't post

What about people who don't use their turn signals? I can deal with people not posting, but that?!

That's two of us who do use their turn signals then Fred. Don't come and try to drive in England. I believe people here must get a discount when they buy their new cars by saying they don't need any bulbs for their turn signals.

Lol! I'd bet you are right.

I wonder, am I the only one here old enough to remember the little turn signalling arms that came out of the door pillar on cars back in the day?

[FredRydr]

...I wonder, am I the only one here old enough to remember the little turn signalling arms that came out of the door pillar on cars back in the day?

They're called semaphores. In 1973, I traded my '65 Vauxhall Viva for a '48 Austin 8 with those.

[Ole Juul]

We had a 1950 Austin that had those. It also had a 1st gear so low you could drive up a telephone pole.

[silverlifter]

Yep, the cars my parents drove had those. Mind you, when I was growing up everyone drove cars without seatbelts and you indicated by sticking your arm out of the window: straight out to turn right, elbow at 90 degrees to turn left. The rest of the time, you either had your right arm on the window, or your left arm stretched out along the top of the bench seat.

Even as late as the 1980s, whenever my mother braked suddenly, she would instincively thrust her left arm out, to prevent whoever was sitting in the passenger seat from caroming into the windshield!

[An old bloke]

...I wonder, am I the only one here old enough to remember the little turn signalling arms that came out of the door pillar on cars back in the day?

They're called semaphores. In 1973, I traded my '65 Vauxhall Viva for a '48 Austin 8 with those.

Yes, they are called semaphores. I doubt many knew or remembered that. Unlike using your arm to signal, they were they were a true blessing when it rained and on an icy cold night.

[RobJohnson]

Yep, the cars my parents drove had those. Mind you, when I was growing up everyone drove cars without seatbelts and you indicated by sticking your arm out of the window: straight out to turn right, elbow at 90 degrees to turn left. The rest of the time, you either had your right arm on the window, or your left arm stretched out along the top of the bench seat.

Even as late as the 1980s, whenever my mother braked suddenly, she would instincively thrust her left arm out, to prevent whoever was sitting in the passenger seat from caroming into the windshield!

I had to look up the word caroming, still didn't help, there is a word careening which is not used often enough IMHO.

The signal to turn left from RHD countries was to put your right arm straight out and move it in anti-clockwise circles which was not that easy when you are changing down through the gears, steering to the left, and holding on to whatever you had put on the passenger seat to stop it sliding on to the floor.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Yep, the cars my parents drove had those. Mind you, when I was growing up everyone drove cars without seatbelts and you indicated by sticking your arm out of the window: straight out to turn right, elbow at 90 degrees to turn left. The rest of the time, you either had your right arm on the window, or your left arm stretched out along the top of the bench seat.

Even as late as the 1980s, whenever my mother braked suddenly, she would instincively thrust her left arm out, to prevent whoever was sitting in the passenger seat from caroming into the windshield!

I had to look up the word caroming, still didn't help, there is a word careening which is not used often enough IMHO.

The signal to turn left from RHD countries was to put your right arm straight out and move it in anti-clockwise circles which was not that easy when you are changing down through the gears, steering to the left, and holding on to whatever you had put on the passenger seat to stop it sliding on to the floor.

Remember this from a young age. And the circling arm was also used when riding a bicycle.

Carom - to strike and rebound.

[silverlifter]

carom, carrom
(ˈkærəm)
An abbreviation of carambole, applied to the stroke so called in Billiards; now corrupted to cannon n.1 7.

Does that help?

[RobJohnson]

Yep, the cars my parents drove had those. Mind you, when I was growing up everyone drove cars without seatbelts and you indicated by sticking your arm out of the window: straight out to turn right, elbow at 90 degrees to turn left. The rest of the time, you either had your right arm on the window, or your left arm stretched out along the top of the bench seat.

Even as late as the 1980s, whenever my mother braked suddenly, she would instincively thrust her left arm out, to prevent whoever was sitting in the passenger seat from caroming into the windshield!

I had to look up the word caroming, still didn't help, there is a word careening which is not used often enough IMHO.

The signal to turn left from RHD countries was to put your right arm straight out and move it in anti-clockwise circles which was not that easy when you are changing down through the gears, steering to the left, and holding on to whatever you had put on the passenger seat to stop it sliding on to the floor.

Remember this from a young age. And the circling arm was also used when riding a bicycle.

Carom - to strike and rebound.

Learned something today, I had never heard of carom.

To give hand signals when turning left on a bicycle you just pointed left, to slow down you waved your arm up and down.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

There was a reason for not using your left hand to signal on a bicycle - and this may be urban myth - but the right hand brake lever is usually for the front brakes. You don't want to be squeezing this while signalling with your left hand, unless you fancy a faceplant on the tarmac!

[Chuck Naill]

Things are made to use and enjoy.

I agree. And I use and enjoy my pens in a very different way than you do. Isn't that wonderful?

Of course, Jon. Why would you need to ask? Both of us "use" and that is the point.

My exceedingly clever and understated point being that the phrase "use and enjoy" does not necessarily connect those two actions (though it can). I enjoy some of my pens without ever putting ink in them.

Yes, clever aka argumentative...lol!!

For me, not using something out of fear of damage or such causes me to enjoy less. That said , I don’t always follow my own point and just use and forget about the possible loss of a thing being pristine.

[Jon Szanto]

For me, not using something out of fear of damage or such causes me to enjoy less. That said , I don’t always follow my own point and just use and forget about the possible loss of a thing being pristine.

Yeah, but Chuck... you are projecting. I don't consider the conservation of a portion of my pen collection to be out of fear. I look at it in the same way as conservators of any fine object: I've got respect for it, it is an honor to be caretaking it after years of service, and there is enjoyment in both experiencing the piece as well as knowing that my care will allow it to be enjoyed - if I'm careful and wise - for years to come.

I understand your viewpoint and it makes sense that if the only reason you would own a particular pen is regular use, you surely wouldn't want to have to be fussy or cautious in it's handling or ownership. I hope my explanation shows another way to view these pens, not that you would or will ever find the same kind of enjoyment, but that you can understand how it is of value to me and others.

[Ole Juul]

For me, not using something out of fear of damage or such causes me to enjoy less. That said , I don’t always follow my own point and just use and forget about the possible loss of a thing being pristine.

Yeah, but Chuck... you are projecting. I don't consider the conservation of a portion of my pen collection to be out of fear. I look at it in the same way as conservators of any fine object: I've got respect for it, it is an honor to be caretaking it after years of service, and there is enjoyment in both experiencing the piece as well as knowing that my care will allow it to be enjoyed - if I'm careful and wise - for years to come.

I understand your viewpoint and it makes sense that if the only reason you would own a particular pen is regular use, you surely wouldn't want to have to be fussy or cautious in it's handling or ownership. I hope my explanation shows another way to view these pens, not that you would or will ever find the same kind of enjoyment, but that you can understand how it is of value to me and others.

I totally agree. My whole house, indeed much of my life, is full of things that I caretake for future generations, and appreciation of objects is a major use for me.

I look at all things, old, new, broken, whatever, with awe. The physical world brings me great pleasure to see in all its glory. I see it all as part of a large painting placed before me, and the frame is none other than my sphere of awareness.

[Ron Z]

Yet another thing the British got backwards. ...OK, backwards from the US. Every bike I own and have owned, has the rear brake on the right handle, which makes sense in that a significant portion of the population is right handed, so using the stronger hand.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

That depends on how you look at it. My take is that the front brake is controlled by the more sensitive hand, i.e.the dominant hand, which for the right hand is 90% of the population. As anyone who has experienced an unexpected journey over the handlebars knows, the front brake deserves serious respect and good control.

Most of the motorbikes I've driven are similar. Clutch on left hand, rear brake under right foot, front brake on right hand, gear change on left foot. Although I've also driven Italian bikes where the foot controls are swapped, I've not used one where the clutch and front brakes are swapped. Obviously I haven't driven/ridden everything, and no doubt there are examples to the contrary out there, so my thoughts are generalised.

[RobJohnson]

Yet another thing the British got backwards. ...OK, backwards from the US. Every bike I own and have owned, has the rear brake on the right handle, which makes sense in that a significant portion of the population is right handed, so using the stronger hand.

It is a legal requirement in the US, I took it that if you are parked at the side of the road and set off then you may want to aplly the front brake to steady the bike until you set off. Early bikes had a rear brake only, which was weak and needed your strongest hand to operate it but early bikes in Italy and Britain just had a single brake and that was a coaster brake without a lever.