Todd Bernhardt

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Annotations and comments

Todd Bernhardt has posted 946 annotations/comments since 8 January 2003.

Comments

First Reading

About Sunday 22 April 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: Aren’t the first two words of the post (Easter Sunday)?

Phil, is the designation of the holiday in the original entry, or did you add them there as a service to us, the readers?

About Thursday 12 April 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Thanks, Pauline and Mary!

As I read Pauline's post, I began wondering if Our Boy had actually left his previous post, and of course he hasn't (as confirmed by Mary). Thanks for clearing things up for me.

About Thursday 12 April 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"that he tell me when the Messieurs of the offices be paid"

Anyone care to enlighten/educate me (and others) about this? A check of the site using the search engine brought up no results for "messieurs" other than today's entry. Thanks!

About Sunday 18 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: formal vs. informal writing

I think you're right, David, about Sam's attitude. I think the context of his writing in this case also makes a difference. Because it's a diary, and by definition personal and informal, he's much more willing to use spoken-language forms than he would otherwise be, and to not edit himself.

About Sunday 8 April 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

A most excellent entry!

I can almost smell the sea air and delight in the exhilaration of "the chase" during the day ... and feel Sam's queasiness at night.

Anyone care to explain why praying extemporaneously would have been fodder for debate?

About Saturday 7 April 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: caudles as sleepaids

I noted that, too, David, and wondered if the juxtaposition of caudles and sleepiness in each case (the 5th and the 7th) might mean that Sam did indeed mean a caudle on the 5th.

Still, I think I'm with Pauline on this one. Let's go with a cane for the 5th and a nice, warm, stomach-settling caudle for the 7th.

About Weather

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

This section is probably not the place to debate current issues, I think.

Having worked in the energy industry for seven years, I'm sorely tempted to reply at length to PHE's post, but will instead point out that we should probably reserve these sections for information and commentary relating to Sam's day, rather than our own.

About Tuesday 27 March 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: interesting etymological derivation of the term ‘scuttlebutt’

Very interesting! Thanks, Jenny ... tidbits like this are one more reason I love this site.

About Monday 26 March 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"but the insecurity Sam exhibits and his habitually [sic] self-puffery are tedious"

Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, this is Pot. And now, I'll leave you to discuss your common color while I attend to my homework assignment (a review of, and report on, the available literature that compare and contrast Evelyn vs. Pepys' use of diaries as a means of self-promotion).

About Weather

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: Causes of the Little Ice Age

There's an interesting article over at the NASA Web site that blames sunspots for such climactic events as the Little Ice Age.

You can find the article here:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines…

Surprisingly (and, to me anyway, counterintuitively), during the periods of the Sun

About Saturday 17 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"This morning bade adieu in bed to the company of my wife."

I bet he did, I bet he did!!

But seriously, folks, I agree with the points above that this entry stands out both for its affection expressed to Elizabeth and for its somberness of tone. A very affecting entry, one that brings us even closer to the man behind the diary.

And Keith W, at least now we know who gets Sam's books!

About Creating a guide to annotating

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: BG postings and simplicity

Emilio, I wonder if a solution to the problem you describe would involve people first taking the time to create background entries and then, as the need presents itself, simply providing a link in appropriate day's annotations to the BG entry. That will save space in the annotations and will drive people toward the BG sections. Accompanying such annotations with a gentle reminder to use the search engine or check the BG sections before asking questions may also help increase use of those sections and cut down on the repetition of questions (though, due to the arrival of newcomers, we'll never get completely away from that).

Like you, I'm in awe of all the contributions people have made to the sections, and I think things will only get better and more comprehensive as time goes on.

As for Hhomeboy's suggestions about increased functionality, I'd suggest we strive for simplicity in all things. Yes, all these things *can* be done, but given contraints of time and energy, it seems to me that the better route is toward ease of use and access. Despite people's protestations to the contrary, I really don't think this thing is broke, so let's think twice before trying to fix it!

About Saturday 10 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

We like what you do, David Q.

The "People" entries are excellent ... would that I had the L&M index, and could help (given the demands of work and parenthood, I'll be lucky to acquire and read the Tomalin bio). Hopefully, others can help supply info as needed on your "days off" ... otherwise, whatever you can find time for is okay by this reader.

About Thursday 8 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: Pepys and the Servants

I dunno, Susanna ... I don't remember any mention by Sam of a request by Montagu to hire servants ... and the way I read the entry of the 9th is that Sam has (at Montagu's direction) written a letter to Downing suggesting that Moore take Pepys' place while he's at sea w/Montagu, and that in the same letter he's managed to throw a bone to Hawly (an extra £20 per year). (It’s the “I did the same to Mr. Moore” language that leads me to believe that.) After all, Hawly is a peer of Pepys at his office and — I assume — making about the same as Sam, so I doubt he’d hire on as a servant.

Even if you’re right about Sam being tasked by Montagu (sorry for the businesspeak) to hire servants, isn’t he admitting that he seriously discussed (we don’t know if he agreed with the good Captain’s suggestion) lining his pockets by essentially lying to both the servants he’d hire and to Montagu?

About Thursday 8 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Is Sam being dishonest?

"...how to make some advantage of my Lord's going to sea, which he told me might be by having of five or six servants entered on board, and I to give them what wages I pleased, and so their pay to be mine..."

The way I'm reading this is that Holland is suggesting to Sam that he enter five or six *fictitious* servants on the paylist, and thus keep whatever salaries he assigns them ... am I way off the mark here? If I'm right, this seems a step or three beyond mere influence peddling...

About What do you want from a discussion forum?

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

I take a day off to enjoy some fine weather, and look what happens!!

I -- and several of my friends (including women) -- would step in to defend our esteemed (and justifiably steamed) moderator, but I see he's done a fine job of it, so I'll just try to make a point that I haven't seen so far:

I think what happened in the last couple of days is simply a part of the site's growing pains. Because the Anarchy of the Internet provides the ultimate democratic forum, discussion groups typically ebb and flow between value and uselessness, to varying degrees that depend on the subject matter and the people attracted to it.

Though I'm disappointed at the events of the last several days, I'm not surprised by it, and in fact I'm heartened by the community that has evidenced itself here. The strongest discussion groups I've been involved with end up "policing" themselves, with very little need for editing from the moderator (though it helps to know that s/he is willing to step in when necessary), and it seems that a majority of folks here have pulled together and decided what they want out of this Mother of All Book Clubs.

I suspect that as time goes on, trolls will come and go, yet if we stick together with our eyes on the common goal -- the desire to learn about and civilly discuss this fascinating work of art and first-person, "real time" depiction of history -- then we'll be fine, no matter what they throw at us.

So ... my vote is to leave things as they are, with perhaps the exception of displaying the annotator's name at the beginning of the entry. Otherwise, I'd prefer to leave the responsibility for "filtering" what is and is not useful with the reader, not with Phil (except in cases where his editorial judgement is obviously needed) and not with a set of rules, automated or otherwise, that he sets up.

Phil's got a life, folks. He already spends a bunch of time on this site, and it's unfair to ask him to do more when we're all perfectly capable of deciding what we find valuable, and what simply merits use of the page-down key.

About Thursday 1 March 1659/60

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: font size

Richard, if you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your "Text Size" (found under the View drop-down menu) is set to Medium. If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel and are on a PC, you can quickly change the text-size setting by holding down the Ctrl key and using the wheel.

About Claire Tomalin answers questions

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Right you are!

Yep, both Font Test 1 and Font Test 2 work very well in IE, regardless of the font size picked. The text remains readable even at "Smaller" settings. Thanks.