Tarantella is no longer amongst us (that is on CMG).

[Lance]

I have deactivated her account* with CMG. She contributed a lot to CMG.

[Edit: *deactivated at her request. She did not exit to the Great Beyond.]

[ContrapunctusIX]

that's a shame Lance. Sorry to hear this.

[piston]

Very sorry to hear this and I hope it's not one of those no right to privacy or small community networking affecting some professionals, such as educators.

[John F]

Tarantella was sure to leave us sooner or later because that's how she is. She told us so up front, saying that she had left several other forums because she felt the discussions there hadn't been up to her level of seriousness, more or less challenging us to do better. And she started threatening to leave CMG almost as soon as she arrived, saying she didn't like some responses to her posts - including some of mine. It got to the point that I was no longer reading what she wrote, because I would surely have been provoked into saying things she didn't like, and I didn't want to be a cause of her leaving CMG. But she did anyway. That's too bad, I'm always sorry when a member quits (or nearly always), but in her case it really couldn't be helped.

[Ricordanza]

Are we sure she really existed, unlike Te'o's girlfriend?

[barney]

I'd barely started arguing with her. We come from dissimilar political strands. I thought it would be fun! But I'm sure arguments with me can't be to blame, as we had yet to really have any. My levity could be another matter.

Reminds me of the marvellous line by 18th century Anglican wit Sydney Smith, writing to his marvellously named brother Bobus (advocate-general of Bengal, then MP): You have risen by your gravity and I have fallen by my levity.

[lennygoran]

[quote="barney"]I'd barely started arguing with her. We come from dissimilar political strands. I thought it would be fun! But I'm sure arguments with me can't be to blame, as we had yet to really have any. My levity could be another matter.<

Or maybe it was when you took the Light Rail to her house and tried to break in! Regards, Len [fleeing]

[barney]

I'd barely started arguing with her. We come from dissimilar political strands. I thought it would be fun! But I'm sure arguments with me can't be to blame, as we had yet to really have any. My levity could be another matter.<

Or maybe it was when you took the Light Rail to her house and tried to break in! Regards, Len [fleeing]

Can't have been the light rail, Len - I'm a man of substance. It would be the extra-large reinforced rail. I just thought she'd be pleased to see me, though I don't know why as no one else is...

Barney (descending into a slough of self-pity).

[lennygoran]

Can't have been the light rail, Len - I'm a man of substance. It would be the extra-large reinforced rail. I just thought she'd be pleased to see me, though I don't know why as no one else is...

I had to google to find out what transportation you had there in Sydney--guess I picked the wrong system. Well you Sydneyians may have an opera house but where's a real subway system like we have--NYC is still the place to be! Regards, Len [fleeing]

[Agnes Selby]

Lenny, we do have a subway system that runs through the city. However once they leave the city they
travel through the suburbs with lovely views on both sides. The railway system is very good and
efficient and goes as far as the Blue Mountains. You would enjoy a ride.

Regards.
Agnes.

[barney]

And while you're doing it, wash your mouth out. I don't come from tinsel town, I live in sane, civilised Melbourne!

[barney]

As a glance to the left would have told you!

[lennygoran]

Lenny, we do have a subway system that runs through the city. However once they leave the city they travel through the suburbs with lovely views on both sides. The railway system is very good and efficient and goes as far as the Blue Mountains. You would enjoy a ride.

Regards.
Agnes.

Agnes thanks--good to know--I'm sure I would enjoy it--if only I could afford to go there! Well in Feb we'll hit LA but that's about as far as we will go right now. Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

And while you're doing it, wash your mouth out. I don't come from tinsel town, I live in sane, civilised Melbourne!

Now there's a place I'd definitely go to if I ever visited Australia--I've heard their gardens are the best! Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

As a glance to the left would have told you!

Oops you're right! Regards, Len [reaching for soap!]

[barney]

There, I hope that was cathartic, Len. Clean mind, clean body, clean mouth!
Melbourne's parks are very beautiful. We live on half an acre with dozens of trees, and my wife is a very keen gardener who has created a really lovely and interesting backyard, much of it overgrown, divided by paths and byways, plus hens, rabbits, big vegie gardens, herbs etc. She's planted 6 fruit trees, but they are still juvenile. I love sitting out there in the late afternoon or evening. But the really hot weather we are suffering has made the garden suffer a bit too, and the beautiful, succulent corn (incredibly sweet) has been devoured by possums. They left only the husks - stripped back the leaves and ate every kernel. She's not happy about that!

Mind you, I have to concede that they can grow lovely gardens in sin city as well, as Agnes will attest.

[lennygoran]

But the really hot weather we are suffering has made the garden suffer a bit too, and the beautiful, succulent corn (incredibly sweet) has been devoured by possums. They left only the husks - stripped back the leaves and ate every kernel. She's not happy about that!

Our summers can get a little too hot also and we worry about keeping first year plants watered--after the first year the plants have to grow on their own! No fruit or veggies for us--strictly flowering and foliage type trees, shrubs and perennials. We have possums here--the ugliest critters in the garden but they leave us alone on the plants--now the woodchucks otoh are our enemies. As for the deer a fence around the 2.67 acres keeps them out. Regards, Len

[barney]

Well, that is a good sized property. It would have to be largely self-sufficient or you'd never get to go to the opera!

[lennygoran]

Well, that is a good sized property. It would have to be largely self-sufficient or you'd never get to go to the opera!

It would be more self sufficient if only the weeds left me alone--weeding--the worst part of gardening. Regards, Len

[absinthe]

I had to google to find out what transportation you had there in Sydney--guess I picked the wrong system. Well you Sydneyians may have an opera house but where's a real subway system like we have--NYC is still the place to be! Regards, Len [fleeing]

It's been a long time since we indulged in transportation to Australia.

[barney]

I had to google to find out what transportation you had there in Sydney--guess I picked the wrong system. Well you Sydneyians may have an opera house but where's a real subway system like we have--NYC is still the place to be! Regards, Len [fleeing]

It's been a long time since we indulged in transportation to Australia.

That's right. We're planning to do it the other way round now.

[bigshot]

I'm sorry to hear of Tarentella's passing. My condolences to her family.

[Lance]

Sorry, she didn't pass on (die), fortunately. (Perhaps it was my wording or subject line.) She asked to be deactivated. I already miss her contributions.