brains Wrote:
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> Keith- Two small points.
> Point the first.) My "acquaintance" as stated, is
> with the works of "the Dirty Digger", as he is
> lovingly called in Lord Gnome's satirical organ,
> "Private Eye" (out of London).

I gather this is some sort of British version of The Onion, which is right up my alley although I've never heard of it. See, at least when I spar with you or DR. Zarkoff, I come away humbled and more educated. Pity the same can't be said for others.

> Point the second) My maternal grandfather
> was a freight and passenger conductor for the New
> York Central, of blessed memory.

> Conductors were conmmonly called "brains" in the way-old days, and
> it's in honour of his blessed memory that I use
> tbe moniker.

I did not know this. Thank you for putting your moniker into context. Prior catty insult withdrawn.

> Remembed, rhetoric is not sophistry, and in my
> feeble imitations of Pericles and Cato and
> Demosthenes, I of little Latin and, still plead
> sophia.
> less Greek,

Point well taken.

Out of curiosity, are you a British ex-pat retired in Washington state?