More than cheese

I knew that Switzerland has more than one official language but I didn't know it was as many as four.  Are all four taught in school so that everyone grows up speaking them?  Seems like quite a burden since they will also probably pick up a little English on the side.

It sounds like there isn't anybody that can be called ethnically "Swiss."  Your ancestors came from France, Italy, Germany, or where ever and decided that they found a good, easily defensible place to settle and decided to keep it to themselves.  Aggressor nations decided that invading Switzerland would be much more trouble than it's worth and it was easier to go around them.  That's my guess; there's not enough of any one thing to make it worthwhile to conquer and occupy except for that fine cheese.

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"Bucket List" must be a new thing, not commonly known until the movie of the same name a few years back.  Mr. Google agrees, except for the term "bucket sorting" used in the computer sciences and which has nothing to do with the list of things you want to do before you kick your own personal bucket.  I'd rather buy a farm, anyhow.

So, I've had no bucket list, but I'll make one now.  First thing on the list is to try to appreciate opera, or at least give it a fair shake.  The major stumbling block for me has been that operas are usually sung in some non-English language and I can't follow the story very well.  Can Mr. Beagles provide any pointers for the linguistically challenged?   I saw some William Tell productions on YouTube, but they vary in length from two and a half to five and a half hours, which is quite a range and I wonder if there is a definitive, official version.  None of the videos had subtitles, so I only took a quick peek.  The theatrical production values all looked superb, even the production from Wichita.  Folks everywhere take their opera very seriously.

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The tale of William Tell may have been the first time I learned about crossbows and I thought they originated in that era, but no.  Those damn Chinese were playing with them as far back as 400 BC,  a very long time ago.  Quite effective weapons, and Uncle Ken is correct in stating that they were banned but it was only for a short while.  A pope in the Middle Ages banned them, but only against fellow Christians.  The heathen were fair game.

I was surprised to learn that some modern military forces still employ crossbows on a limited basis.  Because they are such stealthy weapons they are used to propel grappling hooks, just like you see in the movies.  Also, they are used to take down bomb-toting terrorists without blowing anything up.  Some situations you want to keep nice and quiet, and crossbows still do the trick.