https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-william-royal-life-about-strength-you-cant-just-carrying-baggage-throwing-out-there.html/

Prince William is the Stalwart --- not Harry of Montecito.

D. Spencer Hines

Leo Tolstoy On Firmly Held Beliefs and Resultant Mental Gridlock

“I know that most men, not only those considered clever, but even those who really are clever and capable of understanding the most difficult scientific, mathematical or philosophic problems, can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with great difficulty – conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives.”

Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й (1896) Source: “What Is Art?” - Leo Tolstoy, Translated by Aylmer Maude, in Tolstoy's Collected Works, Charles Scribner's Sons, (1902), vol. 19, p. 468

"Equus hemionus ad aquam potestis ducere, sed non potestis compellere ei bibere."

Quintus Aurelius Stultus [38 B.C. - 14 A.D.]

Clercs

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

"It may be said that, thanks to the 'clercs', humanity did evil for two
thousand years, but honoured good. This contradiction was an honour to
the human species, and formed the rift whereby civilisation slipped into
the world." "La Trahison des clercs" [The Treason of the Intellectuals]
(1927) Julien Benda (1867-1956)

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever
you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

Ernest Hemingway

“I know that most men, not only those considered clever, but even those who really are clever and capable of understanding the most difficult scientific, mathematical or philosophic problems, can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with great difficulty – conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives.”

Nobody likes to be wrong, especially learned old-men, and even less those of the clergy.
It's the fault of the ego, but there are ego-less cases, if you consider making tea an obvious truth.
They say Bertrand Russel could not manage to make tea. His wife had to write a step-by-step list to help with the task.

> "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever
> you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."
>
> Ernest Hemingway

That's expired wisdom from a man who didn't travel enough. Moscow is as good as Paris if not better, with a proper guide.
The Folies Bergère has nothing over cabaret at the Hotel Sovietka, where each and every dancer is absolutely stunning, in beauty and skill. Their sole meunière is better than at Maxims, and try to find beluga sushi in Paris. All out of reach for now... until Biden finds his cojones...
Ballet at the Bolshoi or Jazz at Olympia? I can listen to great jazz in DC, you get Bolshoi quality only at the Bolshoi.
And so are other cities. London in the 60s was far better than Paris for the young. And so it is RIGHT NOW.
Amsterdam close behind...

There are immense new cities in the world. Times are a-changing fast.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:11:20 -0700 (PDT), Tiglath <temp6@tiglath.net>
wrote:

>“I know that most men, not only those considered clever, but even those who really are clever and capable of understanding the most difficult scientific, mathematical or philosophic problems, can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with great difficulty – conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives.”
>
>Nobody likes to be wrong, especially learned old-men, and even less those of the clergy.
>It's the fault of the ego, but there are ego-less cases, if you consider making tea an obvious truth.
>
>They say Bertrand Russel could not manage to make tea. His wife had to write a step-by-step list to help with the task.
>
>> "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever
>> you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."
>>
>> Ernest Hemingway
>
>That's expired wisdom from a man who didn't travel enough. Moscow is as good as Paris if not better, with a proper guide.
>The Folies Bergère has nothing over cabaret at the Hotel Sovietka, where each and every dancer is absolutely stunning, in beauty and skill. Their sole meunière is better than at Maxims, and try to find beluga sushi in Paris. All out of reach for now... until Biden finds his cojones...
>Ballet at the Bolshoi or Jazz at Olympia? I can listen to great jazz in DC, you get Bolshoi quality only at the Bolshoi.
>And so are other cities. London in the 60s was far better than Paris for the young. And so it is RIGHT NOW.
>Amsterdam close behind...
>
>There are immense new cities in the world. Times are a-changing fast.
>

No doubt Hemingway found Paris a sophisticated and cheap place to
live, it being just after WWI, as did many other artists and writers.
Is this true today? If you know the site "Flickr" go and look at all
the popular destinations and the swarms of tourists there. Can I be
cynical and say daddy's money has a lot to do with it.
I have been to Paris in December and it almost killed me, with the
freezing cold (2degC), the endless streets, no sunshine and the
brusque populace. Your point of having a guide is a good one and I
won't travel again without one.

On Friday, April 28, 2023 at 9:04:13 PM UTC-4, Peter Jason wrote:

> I have been to Paris in December and it almost killed me, with the
> freezing cold (2degC), the endless streets, no sunshine and the
> brusque populace. Your point of having a guide is a good one and I
> won't travel again without one.

Who goes to Paris in December? Serves you right.

The last time I was in Paris for Christmas it was great, though. The lights are almost as good as those in Moscow, and if you take a Seine bateau-mouche dinner cruise, it stops by the Eifffel tower for a quick light show. Paris is still great for painters, sculptors and chefs. Not so much for music..

There is a reason why Michelangelo Antonioni chose London for his "Blow-Up" 1966 movie. A hundred years prior (Belle Époque) he would have chosen Paris, I reckon.

(Twitter's been hit by an asteroid. Facebook is gone blah. TikTok is a ticking bomb... Is this place getting more inviting? A mellowed Mr. Hines. Usual assholes conspicuously absent. Will it hold?)

On Friday, April 28, 2023 at 11:11:21 PM UTC+1, Tiglath wrote:
> “I know that most men, not only those considered clever, but even those who really are clever and capable of understanding the most difficult scientific, mathematical or philosophic problems, can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with great difficulty – conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives.”
> Nobody likes to be wrong, especially learned old-men, and even less those of the clergy.
> It's the fault of the ego, but there are ego-less cases, if you consider making tea an obvious truth.
>
> They say Bertrand Russel could not manage to make tea. His wife had to write a step-by-step list to help with the task.
> > "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever
> > you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."
> >
> > Ernest Hemingway
> That's expired wisdom from a man who didn't travel enough. Moscow is as good as Paris if not better, with a proper guide.
> The Folies Bergère has nothing over cabaret at the Hotel Sovietka, where each and every dancer is absolutely stunning, in beauty and skill. Their sole meunière is better than at Maxims, and try to find beluga sushi in Paris. All out of reach for now... until Biden finds his cojones...
> Ballet at the Bolshoi or Jazz at Olympia? I can listen to great jazz in DC, you get Bolshoi quality only at the Bolshoi.
> And so are other cities. London in the 60s was far better than Paris for the young. And so it is RIGHT NOW.
> Amsterdam close behind...
>
> There are immense new cities in the world. Times are a-changing fast.

I've lived in Amsterdam. Good fun for those weekending for the first time, and for those who know it well, but over-rated by the standards of most.
My best memories are probably of the "old" Plaka in Athens, but it's now tourist-ridden.
Current European favourite? Maybe Syracuse and, on a much smaller scale, Kotor in Montenegro (although, sadly, as is so often the case, its loveliness is now attracting far too many cruise ships!).
My "native" London doesn't compare, I'm afraid.

On Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 3:57:57 AM UTC-4, Surreyman wrote:

> I've lived in Amsterdam. Good fun for those weekending for the first time, and for those who know it well, but over-rated by the standards of most.

That sounds right. If you are a square into classical music, you are not going to like it as much as I did.
I had an extraordinary life in the years I live in Amsterdam. I lived in a 'Sleep-in,' a hangar-like, coed place with 500 double bunk beds, at four guilders a night, including wake-up service. I'll take it over Claridge's or the Waldorf Astoria any day. Big wall letters 'No dealing, no fixing.' People dealt and fixed, anyway. In the breakfast bar past the yogurt and muesli, a hirsute Turk sold hashish from all over the world, from opium-laced black Afghan hash balls, to Moroccan Double Zero, and Panama Red. The showers were the best, dozens of naked young women to look at while taking a crap. You would wake up and find an orgy going on in the next bunk. But I was a hippie with a job. I delivered fruit with a truck. Staff patrolled the dormitory at night in shifts, like in barracks, and had labels that you could tie to your toe with the time to get up written on it, and the last watch would pull the string until you woke up. It worked! Later I lived in my girlfriend's houseboat, all red inside. It was not only fun, but formative time for me, when I made important choices that have recently been vindicated.

> My best memories are probably of the "old" Plaka in Athens, but it's now tourist-ridden.
> Current European favourite? Maybe Syracuse and, on a much smaller scale, Kotor in Montenegro (although, sadly, as is so often the case, its loveliness is now attracting far too many cruise ships!).

Good choices. Not familiar. Tell more.

> My "native" London doesn't compare, I'm afraid.

I speak similarly of my hometown. We are probably wrong.

On Sat, 29 Apr 2023 11:04:05 +1000, Peter Jason <pj@jostle.com> wrote:

>No doubt Hemingway found Paris a sophisticated and cheap place to
>live, it being just after WWI, as did many other artists and writers.
>Is this true today? If you know the site "Flickr" go and look at all
>the popular destinations and the swarms of tourists there. Can I be
>cynical and say daddy's money has a lot to do with it.
>I have been to Paris in December and it almost killed me, with the
>freezing cold (2degC), the endless streets, no sunshine and the
>brusque populace. Your point of having a guide is a good one and I
>won't travel again without one.

Paris is no longer so cheap - I have a 1st cousin from small town WA
state who couldn't afford college straight out of high school so she
joined the USAF expecting to get her college eventually on the GI
bill.

But the USAF stationed her to NATO headquarters in Brussels where she
met a Portugese officer in Brussels who turned out to be the love of
her life and 35 years later is a commercial realtor in Paris. While
their two sons have US citizenship they speak far better French than
English though they get lessons to keep up their fluency.

She says Paris hasn't been cheap for a long time and the figures I've
seen definitely make it more than Vancouver, Canada which is in itself
a fairly expensive place to live. But certainly Sandy has had a very
different life from any of her classmates growing up 75 miles north of
Seattle!