The Value Of Author Skills

[R. Richard]

Have you ever wondered what the value of author skills are? Here may be your answer. Comment?

Problems with his pasport

NICOSIA (Reuters) - You might have the best forgery skills in the world, but it is not much use if you cannot spell.

A Cyprus court jailed Pakistani national Fazal Ur Rehman for eight months for forgery after police spotted spelling mistakes on stamps on an Afghan passport he was carrying -- otherwise it was a near-perfect copy, the Cyprus Mail said Wednesday.

"Ministry" was spelled "Menistry" and the first "n" was missing from government, the newspaper said.

"The passport looked perfect and professionally made ... almost deemed original by forensics," a police officer told a magistrate in the Cypriot capital Nicosia.

 

[zeb1094]

There was a counterfeiter of one dollar bills, never made many, just a few at a time. This was back in the 40's. He would have never been caught as the bills were perfect. Even fooled the Treasury agents on the case. There was one thing though that gave them a way. His misspelled 'Washington' under the portrait.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

"Ministry" was spelled "Menistry" and the first "n" was missing from government, the newspaper said.

spellcheck spellcheck spellcheck!!!!!!

 

[TheEarl]

The photocard of my driver's license actually asserts that I'm from "Greta Britain".

I had to have it changed a while back. Got a new photocard... and that one said "Greta Britain" as well.

The Earl

 

[R. Richard]

I think the message here is. "No matter how good an artist you are, you have to get the details right if it's going to sell."

 

[Lauren Hynde]

It was written from the heart.

 

[R. Richard]

It was written from the heart.

Then his heart needs to learn how to spell. Probably the rest of him also needs to learn how to spell.

JMHO.

 

[Liar]

The photocard of my driver's license actually asserts that I'm from "Greta Britain".

And I assume that's not your mum?

 

[TheEarl]

And I assume that's not your mum?

Sadly, no, although that would be an award winning name. Must see if I can get that into a story somewhere.

The Earl

 

[oggbashan]

Grammar is important

A report in today's Times states that MP Ann Widdecombe wrote a stinking reply to a letter she received from a UK TV Station asking if she would take part in a discussion on the future of Grammar Schools.

She wasn't convinced that it was a genuine invitation because the TV researcher had referred to the schools as 'Grammer Schools' throughout the letter.

Og

 

[kendo1]

He now works for The Grauniad.

 

[oggbashan]

Passports vary

In my younger days I had a passport issued by the Governor of Gibraltar - The Rock of Gibraltar.

It looked like a UK British Passport except that the bearer's name and the passport number were transposed and the front was stamped in gold on dark blue 'British Passport Colony of Gibraltar'.

I used it without problems until I entered the then Communist Yugoslavia. The Border Guard saw that it was different compared to the UK British passports carried by my travelling companions. He called his officer, who summoned his superior. The superior spoke excellent English. That caused more problems.

The UK passports started with a message from the Secretary of State asking, politely and formally, that the bearer should be allowed to enter foreign countries.

The Gibraltarian passport I carried was signed by the Governor of Gibraltar, a serving soldier. It was soldier-like in its phrasing and the implication was 'admit this person - or else!' It was actually a much older version of the British passport's message dating back before the First World War when Britain might send a gunboat if anyone dared offend a British subject abroad.

The Yugoslav officer first asked me where Gibraltar was. I had to show him the tiny dot in the atlas in my diary. He asked whether the Governor of Gibraltar would act if I was refused entry to Yugoslavia. I said that it was very unlikely that the Governor would do anything but that I might raise the issue with the Yugoslav embassy in London that had issued my visa. He then asked what the Governor of Gibraltar could do to Yugoslavia if that country offended Gibraltar. I suggested that the Governor could stop any Yugoslav ships entering or leaving the Mediterranean.

"How?" He asked.

"With the guns of Gibraltar." I replied.

"My soldiers have guns," he said, pointing at the border guard's rifle. "They couldn't stop a ship."

"The guns of Gibraltar are much bigger," I replied.

"This gun is 9mm"

"I think the guns of Gibraltar are more like 300mm," I suggested.

He didn't believe me. I held my hands about a foot apart. He thought I meant the length of the shell. I tried to explain that I meant the bore of the gun and that the shell and propellant stood about 1.50 metres. He understood when I said that the shell weighed about half a metric tonne.

I was given permission to enter Yugoslavia but our Intourist guide (and official Communist Party spy) stayed close to me for most of the visit.

The wording inside a passport is important.

Og

PS. I lied. The guns of Gibraltar are much larger than I said.

 

[R. Richard]

Interesting story Og. However, I think you were remiss in failing to bring up the rock apes. They are, of course, vital to British Gibralter.

JMHO.