child was setting torpedoes in a row along the railroad track.
I wonder -- what did the boy do? ;-)
a "torpedo" in this context and time was slang for a firecracker that was exploded by the weight of the train wheels. In theory, it did no damage.
Since I would not expect a young child to be putting those on the
track, I could only assume it was firecrackers or the like because
the author mentioned that the 4th of July was soon.
Yeah, I think the mentioning of the 4th of July is important. Probably it is >indeed connected somehow with the holiday.
PS: However, there were several days before the holiday. "...It was a few days
before the Fourth of July, and a gray..." Could he put them on the rails right
on the 4th of July?
A "torpedo" is also railroad slang for a small explosive
device that would be set out on the tracks to warn oncoming
trains that another train was unintentionally blocking the
tracks (due to mechanical issue, accident, etc.). The noise
would alert the crew that they needed to prepare to stop
quickly.
I am guessing that those are not often used now in the age
of electronic signals, radio, etc., but they were used in
the steam era.
Since I would not expect a young child to be putting those on
the track, I could only assume it was firecrackers or the like
because the author mentioned that the 4th of July was soon.
Either that or the kid had got ahold of some railroad explosive
devices he should probably not have.
Now that you mention it, I think the boy might well have beenusing
railroad explosives. The author describes him as "gray"... perhaps suggesting
he hadn't bathed for awhile, and "scrawny"... perhaps suggesting he didn't get
enough to eat. Tom's remark also implies the setting is not in a particularly
nice neighbourhood. If the family's socioeconomic circumstances did not allow
the purchase of luxury items such as firecrackers, one has to wonder.... :-))
Now that you mention it, I think the boy might well have been using railroad explosives. The author describes him as "gray"... perhaps suggesting he hadn't bathed for awhile, and "scrawny"... perhaps suggesting he didn't get enough to eat.
Now that you mention it, I think the boy might well have
been using railroad explosives. The author describes him
as "gray"... perhaps suggesting he hadn't bathed for
awhile, and "scrawny"... perhaps suggesting he didn't get
enough to eat.
Do you think that scrawny children have nothing to eat? :)
Now that you mention it, I think the boy might well have been
using railroad explosives. The author describes him as "gray"...
perhaps suggesting he hadn't bathed for awhile, and "scrawny"...
perhaps suggesting he didn't get enough to eat.
Do you think that scrawny children have nothing to eat?
Not necessarily... but many others seem to think so. If the boy was between the ages of six & sixteen it's possible he was at a stage
of growth in which he was becoming taller very quickly & the rest
of his body hadn't caught up yet. It's also possible that, like one
of my cousins, he had inherited the ectomorph body type from his
father & grandfather. In my experience those who rely heavily (!)
on cheap carbohydrates are more likely to be overweight.: - Q
‘hildren very often have a poor appetite.
Their mothers often make them eat their food. The
epidemic of excess weight is most likely connected with
genetic changes that happen during many years and even
generations.
I believe this change has been caused by the fact that
very many people live in stress, and food is a very
effective antidepressant.
And people who refused to smoke now have a little choice
in replacing it with something else. :)
Their mothers often make them eat their food. The epidemic of
excess weight is most likely connected with genetic changes that
happen during many years and even generations.
I think it is rather due to indulgence in the vice of gluttony. And
fast carbohydrates are the most palatable.
I believe this change has been caused by the fact that very many
people live in stress, and food is a very effective
antidepressant.
The ubiquotous "the fact that" is exceedingly cumbersome and wont
to appear whenever the author has given insufficient thought to
arranging the sentence. I avoid it at all costs, together with the
fused participle, e.g. "due to many people's living in constant
stress."
And people who refused to smoke now have a little choice in
replacing it with something else. :)
And people who *have* ceased smoking now have *but* little choice
*of* replacements.
My correctios are amentable to correction from other readers!
I believe this change has been caused by the fact that
very many people live in stress, and food is a very
effective antidepressant.
The ubiquotous "the fact that" is exceedingly
cumbersome and wont to appear whenever the author has
given insufficient thought to arranging the sentence. I
avoid it at all costs, together with the fused
participle, e.g. "due to many people's living in
constant stress."
Be simpler! If you can say an idea in a simple way it
is not necessary blame yourself. Greatness is in
simplicity! ;-)
BTW:
-ubiquitous
I believe this change has been caused by the fact that very many
people live in stress, and food is a very effective
antidepressant.
The ubiquotous "the fact that" is exceedingly cumbersome and wont
to appear whenever the author has given insufficient thought to
arranging the sentence. I avoid it at all costs, together with
the fused participle, e.g. "due to many people's living in
constant stress."
Be simpler! If you can say an idea in a simple way it is not
necessary blame yourself. Greatness is in simplicity!
But simplicity is one of the hardest things to attain. It is easy
to complicate matters, but skull-cracking and brain-cudgelling hard
to simplify them! What, for example, are your proposals as to the simplification of your cumbersome sentnece? Or do you want to
improve mine?
How about this
"I ascribe this to the unwholesome habit of abusing food as
an antidepressant."
I ascribe this to the unwholesome habit of abusing food
as an antidepressant.
I believe that your way of speaking is pretentious or
formal.
I don't think people around you will be happy if you
constantly use words as if taken from medicine
textbooks. "I ascribe this"! My foot! ;-)
In my experience those who rely heavily (!) on cheap
carbohydrates are more likely to be overweight. :-Q
‘hildren very often have a poor appetite.
Their mothers often make them eat their food.
The epidemic of excess weight
is most likely connected with genetic changes that
happen during many years and even generations.
I believe this change has been caused by the fact
that very many people live in stress, and food is
a very effective antidepressant.
And people who refused to smoke now have a little|I'd say "have little choice but to replace it".
choice in replacing it with something else. :)
Young children may need to be fed several times a day
because their stomachs are too small to handle very much
at a time
In my experience those who rely heavily (!) on cheap
carbohydrates are more likely to be overweight.: - Q
Children very often have a poor appetite.
Young children may need to be fed several times a day because their stomachs are too small to handle very much at a time, but grownups
don't always understand that. Another thing many parents don't
understand is why their kids dislike e.g. the Brussels sprouts or
beef tongue they regard as special treats.
Their mothers often make them eat their food.I don't know how many do it nowadays, but they certainly did when I
was growing up. Mother decided for you what & how much of it you
should eat... and you weren't allowed to leave the table until you
had eaten every bite. :-(
The epidemic of excess weight... which may be an exaggeration by the popular press, BTW...
is most likely connected with genetic changes that happen during
many years and even generations.
I think it can be. If one's distant ancestors survived on whatever
was available to them at the time, one may have nutritional needs
in accordance with what worked for them. Nowadays things seem to be changing too quickly for our bodies to keep up & we may do best by honouring our roots.
I believe this change has been caused by the fact that very many
people live in stress, and food is a very effective
antidepressant.
Some people lose their appetites when they're under stress... but I
think people generally feel better after eating because their blood
sugar level goes up. The danger is that if they are eating a lot of refined carbohydrates, which provide instant gratification, they'll
crash again in +/- twenty minutes. Teachers often notice this in
schools equipped with vending machines... (sigh).
And people who refused to smoke now have a little choice in|I'd say "have little choice but to replace it".
replacing it with something else. :)
A century ago, alcohol was out & tobacco was in. The situation has
now been reversed. If you're on your way to the gym, however, there
are people who will happily sell you an energy bar loaded with
sugar & caffeine. Caffeine is very in these days... at least where
I come from.
The neighbourhood where I grew up had two coffee shops
back then. These days it has so many, combined of course with
bubble tea shops... think tapioca starch... I've lost track because
I can't count that high. I have also remarked on the number of city
folk I see rushing around with a cell phone in one hand & a coffee
cup in the other. :-))
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