Comments on: Saturday Salon

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:39:18 +0000

In breaking news, old Girl Germs has got some publicity: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24014950-2702,00.html
who’da guessed that might happen, eh?

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:34:54 +0000

Well, blow me down: old Girl Germs has got herself in the news again http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24014950-2702,00.html
who’da precicted that, eh?

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:22:46 +0000

“Resile” was another one, but I haven’t heard it for a while. Though I think their usage, in this case, was correct. Ine of Nifty’s innovations, as I recall.

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:43:48 +0000

j_p_z

the practice has been rife amongst Aussie journalists for at least 10 years I’d reckon.

“Mr Latham refuted the criticism.”

No, he disagreed with it, or denied the accustaion, or criticised his critic, or …… It seems possible that the journalist doesn’t know what “refute” means.

Journalist could write “attempted to refute, by … [citing action of the attempter, or the argument put forward by the attempter]

cheerio

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:14:39 +0000

Re bookfinding.
Brett, have already found a primary source on Gibraltar at a reasonable price which I haven’t been able to ger, from a London bookseller. Will probably order next week.
Everyone,I’m assuming there’s little problem with all these booksellers. Please tell me it is so, as I’m probably going to lash out bigtime. Though it might not be good for my local book seller.
Have been also looking closely at the primary sources on the Hessians in North America for another chapter - mainly Hesse-Hanau, but I can’t make up my mind on them yet. (that’s the trouble with history, you have to read everything, just in case it might be useful.)

By: Arthur

Arthur — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:49:50 +0000

Re: book buying. I’m an Aussie and I usually prefer to buy off local retailers. My favourite is The Nile (www.thenile.com.au). Cheaper and faster than the overseas options.

Credit cards are indeed the bane of my life too. I’ve been suckered by the frequent flyer points I get.

By: j_p_z

j_p_z — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:49:52 +0000

Grouchy Language Nerd/Speak the Speech, I Pray You Dept. …

Has anybody else noticed (well certainly you’ve noticed, what I really meant was, is anybody else as annoyed as I am) the increasing, and increasingly obtuse, mis-handling of the word “refute” to mean something like “flatly deny the charges [without issuing a detailed actual ‘refutation’]”? People now say and write things like, “I totally refute that accusation” without spelling out logically what’s wrong with the accusation to begin with. They seem to think ‘refute’ is some weird variant of “refuse” or “decline”. It’s strange and bodes ill — not just for language precision, but also for clarity of thinking.

Bad is the world, and all will come to naught,
When such ill-dealing may be seen in thought.
– The Scrivener

I blame the Left. Go ahead, refute me.

By: Mervyn Langford

Mervyn Langford — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:30:49 +0000

It has been the accepted wisdom, amongst many (myself included) that the best way to limit the spread of radioactive contamination (from so-called “civilian” as well as military use of uranium - a difference I have never believed was a reality), we should leave it in the ground. By taking the so-called “moral high-ground” we would be preventing the nuclear cycle from getting at least too far advanced.
And the rest of the world would look up to us for our refusal to be bribed into corrupting our values and destroying the environment both at the same time.
Is there a parrellel to the debate about exporting coal - whose use, we all know, is producing horrendous damage to the gloabl environment?
Has any body mentioned this sacred cow? Or is the suggestion of leaving it in the ground just too bizarre?
Are the shock-jocks onto this - even if it is only to sneer at those concerned about the environment? Is anyone in the environment movement promoting this as a serious option?
There wouldn’t be much green-back gases coming out of the stock market, government coffers and “working families” hip pockets with the resulting economic flow-on!
Have I missed this debate? Is this a straight-forward carbon trading scheme in one hit?
Where are you Mr Garnaut on a Sunday night?

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:29:17 +0000

Should be tells the truth, btw.

By: Rayedish

Rayedish — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:03:29 +0000

“I’d rather have a PM like Rudd (if I must have a mainstream PM) with a foul mouth who rells the truth and keeps his promises, than a PM like Howard who never swears and always lies.”
What he (Paul Burns) said.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:04:36 +0000

Ih, and tarangaree and Zorrinsky, Happy birthdays.
May you drink much and not get hangovers.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:57:58 +0000

Graham,
I’m glad you put in the qualification. I haven’t read widely about Italian Fascism anywhere near as much as I’ve have on Nazi Germany, and mainly through the Ciano Diaries + some biographies and one or two specxific histories. I admit I have a particular animosity towards Mussolini because he betrayed Italian Socialists. But as I understood it, after the German occupation of Italy the Fascists co-operated in the implementation of the Final Solution, albeit very half-heartedly.
There’s been very little material on the Gypsies until recent years. They are the forgotten victims of the Holocaust.
That Belesconi does this doesn’t surprise me in the least. No wonder Howard found him so entertaining.

All, re this latest book, Howard’s End.I’d rather have a PM like Rudd (if I must have a mainstream PM) with a foul mouth who rells the truth and keeps his promises, than a PM like Howard who never swears and always lies.

By: Graham Bell

Graham Bell — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:28:53 +0000

Paul Burns [7]:

Hey. fair go. Mussolini had plenty of faults but [prior to being “rescued” and turned into a puppet ruler by the Nazi Germans] he wouldn’t have done this to the Gypsies. That evil Berlesconi - and his Southern Hemisphere acolyte - have a lot to answer for.

Zorronsky [19] and Terangeree [25]:

Hapy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ….

By: Pavlov's Cat

Pavlov's Cat — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:21:38 +0000

Zorronsky, I remember the Halls Gap pub — I finished up having a small head-clearing ale there one afternoon after I got disoriented and took a wrong turn out of Ararat. Happy birthday for Thursday!

By: terangeree

terangeree — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:08:05 +0000

What a pity, zorronsky, that you’re in S.A., as next Thursday is the day that I turn 43! No great plans, though, as I’m in the midst of studying for an examination on the 21st.

By: Frank Calabrese

Frank Calabrese — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:58:48 +0000

[@Frank, Troy “sniff sniff” Buswell doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of being Premier.]

Of course not, it’s only Paul Armstrong who has dreams of that happening, along with 6PR and the Sunday Crimes

By: Quog

Quog — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:37:32 +0000

@Frank, Troy “sniff sniff” Buswell doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of being Premier.

By: Frank Calabrese

Frank Calabrese — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:25:52 +0000

[Buswell might need to start sniffing out some new chairs, ay Frank?]

Yep, and in a shocking Revelation, Kevin Rudd uses foul language while in his office.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24009354-5017005,00.html

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:03:47 +0000

For books still in print I always try the Book Depository first because they have free international shipping for everything. So even though you’re paying in pounds it is almost always cheaper than Amazon. Very prompt delivery too.
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:44:35 +0000

Buswell might need to start sniffing out some new chairs, ay Frank?