Admit your ignorance - things you've only just realised/learned

[Chris S]

I'm not sure that works as Customs are after bag collection.

https://www.dublinairport.com/flight-information/travelling-to-usa/usa-preclearance

 

[Pblakeney]

Not in my experience - immigration first, then bag claim.

L.A. was the other way round. Although this was flying from Heathrow so well done Dublin! 👏👏👏

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'm not sure that works as Customs are after bag collection.

Think he means the customs checks are done at Dublin end.

 

[Chris S]

Helen Mirren's birth name wasn't 'Helen Mirren'. It was 'Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov'.

 

[matticus]

Helen Mirren's birth name wasn't 'Helen Mirren'. It was 'Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov'.

I first read that as Hyena, and thought "Yea, no surprise she changed that!"

 

[Chris S]

I thought the Swiss city Basel was pronounced 'Baal'. However Radio 4 newsreaders pronounce it with the 's'.

 

[Fastpedaller]

I thought the Swiss city Basel was pronounced 'Baal'. However Radio 4 newsreaders pronounce it with the 's'.

You are not alone!

 

[Gillstay]

I thought the Swiss city Basel was pronounced 'Baal'. However Radio 4 newsreaders pronounce it with the 's'.

I have always been told to say it with the 's'

 

[Pblakeney]

I thought the Swiss city Basel was pronounced 'Baal'. However Radio 4 newsreaders pronounce it with the 's'.

My only conundrum was whether to pronounce the B"ah"sel, or B"ay"sel.

 

[Gillstay]

Bah zul I am informed.

 

[Alex321]

So who knew that when you buy a book from Amazon it's printed to order in a factory in Dunstable, and not just plucked off a shelf in a warehouse? From 22m30s

That very much depends on the book, unless things have changed a lot in the last 11 years, since I worked for a publisher.

All of our books that were sold through Amazon (or anybody else) went from our warehouse to the retailer warehouse or direct to a retailer store. None were printed on order.

 

[Alex321]

Not in my experience - immigration first, then bag claim.

Immigration and customs are different things.

Immigration is passport checks. Customs is where they can check your luggage for things you shouldn't be importing. Which obviously has to be after bag collection.

 

[raleighnut]

That very much depends on the book, unless things have changed a lot in the last 11 years, since I worked for a publisher.

All of our books that were sold through Amazon (or anybody else) went from our warehouse to the retailer warehouse or direct to a retailer store. None were printed on order.

Having worked in'Print Finishing' I'd say the majority of the work is the cutting/folding assembly and binding of the book, certainly takes the most time.

 

[presta]

That very much depends on the book, unless things have changed a lot in the last 11 years, since I worked for a publisher.

All of our books that were sold through Amazon (or anybody else) went from our warehouse to the retailer warehouse or direct to a retailer store. None were printed on order.

I'm sure that batch printing must be cheaper for best sellers, but the Pareto Principle must be at work here, with the majority of sales coming from just a small minority of all the titles published. According to Google there's currently 170 million titles published, what proportion of those haven't sold a single copy in the last 6 months? Each book's unique, so there's little scope for rationalising stock levels, and you end up with a warehouse full of books just on the off chance that someone might buy a copy some time or other.

That factory at Dunstable's owned by Amazon AFAIK, so if publishers are cooperating with them by sending digital copies of their books for the printer, it's presumably because it's saving the publishers money as well.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I thought the Swiss city Basel was pronounced 'Baal'. However Radio 4 newsreaders pronounce it with the 's'.

AIUI Baa-zel is the German pronounciation (with I think some variation for the Swiss-German dialect), but the French ("Bâle") is as you suggest Baal. Other languages are also spoken in Switzerland...