Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Hard News: Paris S’Enflamme, tout la nuit,

    Paid content is to consumer generated media like Pacifier is to Shihad

    What, not as good as the Datsuns whatever they call themselves?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Taxonomy of Poo,

    I think "solopassion" is such an appropriate domain, really.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Taxonomy of Poo,

    But they're planning her funeral anyway, since it will happen eventually.

    Is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland involved in the plans? Given his prior experience in planning her funeral during the 1980's?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Abusage,

    See, I look at a quantum as being that big jump between energy levels that keeps the atom together. Which is infinitely bigger than an infinitesimal (1/∞) - which electrons could move by if it wasn't for quantum physics.

    So a price going up by $10 in one fell swoop is perceived as worse than one going up 3c every day for a year.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: What it don't get, I can't use.,

    - Tupolev TU-22M "Backfire" bomber, modified for personal transport with additional fuel tanks replacing the bomb load

    - An island. Niue, perhaps.

    - A pony.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: A Taxonomy of Poo,

    That whole Helengrad thing is very good propaganda *for* Labour really, given the way it shows those who engage in it as completely barking mad.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Abusage,

    On the coffee front, what's wrong with indicating that a visitors desire for coffee is enough to consume one, should it be freely furnished, but not enough to inconvenience the other party to make one solely for the visitors benefit?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Abusage,

    To the bears, he would.

    BTW, did you know that the word "petard" derives from the verb "péter", meaning to fart? As in "The farty little bomb of team NZ was hoist on the harbour bridge".

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Abusage,

    I don't read the Listener, but maybe when Jane Clifton said "the quantum of the new road charge is an issue" she meant "the sudden large jump in the new road charge is an issue", then maybe "quantum" is a reasonable term. It's a reasonable analogy with its scientific meaning, where it refers to a sub-atomic particle moving from one energy state to another.

    The phrase "the amount of the new road charge is an issue" doesn't mean the same.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Abusage,

    New words are coined when people find a need to convey a concept that no word exists for.

    If a price list has big leaps between different levels, then the word "quantum" is very appropriate to convey that. Quantity doesn't mean the same thing.

    Likewise, the plural "ye" dropped out of English usage a few hundred years ago, but has made its way back in as "youse". Because it's useful to distinguish when one is addressing a person or a multitude.

    People also often desire to colour and emphasise their language - saying "absolutely" (or "you bet", "sure can", "does it rain in Melbourne", "are the bears Catholic" or "does the Pope shit in the woods") achieves this.

    However, using "could of" shows ignorance. It's an incorrect transcription of a mispronununciation and indicates that the user is *stupid*.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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