Posts by Public Servant on a tea-break.

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  • Hard News: Rodney on the Road,

    "(... Nelson, if he'd lost the world would have been a better place)

    Not Wellington?

    Or Alexander I?"


    Well, Nelson's winning of dominance of European seapower both prevented invasion of Great Britain, and predated Wellington's activities in the Napoleonics by about four years. So yes, thinking in those terms, Nelson is to blame for preventing the spread of the metric system to the English speaking world for 160 years.

    Even had Wellington and Tzar Alexander failed to halt Napoleonic France significantly, the evidence is between the Battle of Trafelgar and the invasion of Russia, during significant years of European dominance for France, Napoleon did not attempt to remount an invasion of Great Britain.

    So I judge for the original joke. Well done Paul Campbell.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Where the crazy comes from,

    “Loudon received great acclaim from the same paranoid right last year for his efforts to uncover Obama's supposed communist links. He has effectively gone global after spending years sniffing the ideological underpants of anyone anywhere left of the centre of New Zealand politics, including Greens' co-leader Russell Norman’

    Okay, maybe I’m missing something here. I thought Loudon spent much of his life in Christchurch, how would he know anything about Barak Obama? Is he basing his work on Anti-Obama sites on the web? Why would anyone take him seriously?

    If quality of expert quoted is an indication of quality of political argument, I think the American nutter right has hit a new low. Given this comes after the W Bush years, that is quite an achievement.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Undie Wankers,

    “Seriously, I wonder if part of the problem is that there’s no Vietnam, , French nukes, Springbok tour, or even a cut back in funding to get some meaningful rebellious thing out of the system.
    So boredom fills the void, and you get this stupidity.”

    I think you’re being too generous, there are still protesters, and most protesters I know have to have self-discipline and a commitment to the larger issues. No such behaviour here. These people are adults, the furore around last year’s events should have been indicative enough about what would happen following a repeat performance this year.

    If the offenders thought that, for some reasons, the law in Dunedin would be bent to allow criminal behaviour because a bunch of crappy cars had just arrived from Christchurch, maybe they are socially not ready to graduate.

    “Call me an idealist, if you will, but university days can really be glory days.
    If they were my students, I would be happy to fail them, to make space for others who will use their time more wisely.”

    I agree with Geoff, not just because I went to Waikato, and had many happy days learning how to think, and how to be me.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: Disunited,

    I completely agree with Mr Brislen, and his school reunion is the same one I wouldn't go to.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: The Up Front Guide to Parenting,

    "All of which was a bit handwavy, but the gist of it is that yes, there is more than one infinity, and they are meaningfully different in some situations. Not cheating; the distinction between countably infinite and uncountably infinite really is important.

    The rest of the infinities are less practical."

    Thanks Michael, so there are infinite infinities but only two of them really matter most of the time.

    There are probably students that did the entire first year of University maths, and came out knowing less than what you've told me. Which only proves Emma's initial point that they should have been bullied into dentistry by their mothers instead. Because that is what everyone needs with a high powered drill in their mouth, a slack-arse idiot dentist!

    But they would have career...

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: The Up Front Guide to Parenting,

    "Different kinds of infinity:

    From memory (I think of a PHIL paper, though it could have been maths), it's things like:

    {1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... } is smaller than
    {2, 4, 6, 8, 10 ... }

    You can add them together and stuff."

    Thanks Lyndon. Still sounds a bit of a cheat to me: kind of like Infinity plus 1, Infinity plus a million, Infinity times a million. Those sort of antics never cut the mustard at my primary school...

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: The Up Front Guide to Parenting,

    Hang on, let's get back to the most important point.

    "...I could no longer explain the difference between different kinds of infinity..."

    Different kinds of infinity - blow my mind! When did that happen? I know I got my long service award in the Arts, but surely somebody could have told me there was more than one infinity.

    Is there an endless number of infinities? Does infinity have a pural - if so, what is it?

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: The Up Front Guide to Parenting,

    If only you had been my mother...

    I could be a dentist right now!

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Field Theory: Professionalism is killing…,

    "Thus it would seem New Zealand's attitude to defeat has not changed in 100 years...heh heh"

    It would have been a perfect series.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The Short and Long of It,

    "... although I think the moderator may have to take some credit for that too ...."

    I agree. The tone of discussion here really makes it worthwhile to read the comments. Good work Public Address.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 67 posts Report Reply

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