Posts by Islander
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At Kai Tahu & other hui, I never bow my head for spoken prayers, nor do I join in with any hymn. I refuse to contribute to any religious service, but I am polite about it. I am an atheist, but an unostentacious atheist (unless you're knocking on my door to proselytise.)
Coupla points: karakia, like atua, is a word taken over by missionaries. It has come to mean 'prayer' almost exclusively -but it also means incantation/word offering and a set of behaviours without which a lot of karakia wouldnt/dont 'work.' ('atua' meant an active potency/power.)
I spent Waitaki Day with my mother - really good food(last of the cherries! Paua fritters! Smoked roe!Silverbeet from Mary's garden! Baby kumara!) and South Island wine and too-hot weather. Rest of
the whanau were somewhat dispersed. but we talked & sang (courtesy 'net & 'phone.)
Normally, I have fireworks & a hangi at home, and raise the flag/s- but Oamaru isnt quite open to that... -
DownWithTheBrownMafia, Franz Josef
Look this Einstein = One Stone = Kotahipohatu(Iaked my mate Rangi for the real meaning, he's a good joker, told me straight) and we all know what that means, right? Right? More bloody handouts from Nanny State to useless brown (okay, not PC, hah! PC! but they all are eh? Especially the local
lot. Kai something or other.) And who pays for this? Us!
Hardworking downtoearth farmers. Just earning a crust and realising we are the backbone of the country and the place would be 3rd world and dead without us. I mean, what was it like before we arrived? Cannibals, that's what, cannibals everywhere. Besides we were here first. Everyone knows the Celts came here in 6000BC. You just read the real scientists, Doutre and that- that'll open your eyes to real science. -
Ye gods & little fishes! I cant find *any* dictionary entry for "umm-bid-dibb.lee-doo.bee" etc.. What is *wrong* with my dictionaries?! All 143 of them??(Not including Klatch.)
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Neil Gaiman is on a par - for me - with Terry Pratchett.(Not for nothing did they collaborate on the "The Nice & Accurate"etc.: I lurrrrve their work (have pretty well all of it - but have never met either, nor want to - their work is sufficient.) And both of them are genuinely awesome & nice & publically available & use pretty well all the resources of the internet whereas - others... like our quiet & solitude...I actually dont like meeting my favourite writers (an unfortunate number are dead just now) but I have corresponded with a few (from Tolkien to Sutcliffe. Janet I just talked with, on the rare occaisions we met.)
-humans! Whenever will they learn?
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I have the CD-ROMs(translated to an external hard-drive), and, as I am a contributor, get up-dates -actually, wordgeek blushes installed here, I also contribute to and get updates from 2 other major dictionaries - there is an ongoing omnivorous search for new words in English/quasi-English. Most coinings are *very* ephemeral but the word hoarders, self included, like to note them.
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Ooops! Agreeing/overtaken by reponse!
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Your average external hard-drive can handle the complete OED (believe, I've got it) and much much more - plug into your laptop and ptuui!
who needs something like Kindle?
As I wrote earlier, Kindle is missing it's market - it's a readable info storage unit- but shouldnt be aimed at books. Most BOOK readers want books. Travellers (which, I'd suggest. should be the target market) may want a combo- -
steven crawford - waterproof books (or, at least, notebooks, exist...I used to get them from a Brit supplier, but I am sure there are many more.
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(agrgh!)" Kindles will be thrown away "(te mea te mea) - or more likely very quickly superceded. Would I buy one? No way, even if I win Lotto on Saturday - they are inefficient low tech and not heeded by booklovers (for people wanting sci. papers, tech stuff - I think they will be brillant. The mistake is - MARKETING THEM AS SUBSTITUTE BOOKS!)
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Answer to Craig's query apropos ebooks (kindle #ZO): NO.
There are 2 major problems: battery life. & screen size (and continuance of material thereon.)
Sure, you can download - stuff (much of which requires additional use of your cred card) and most of it - limited.)
Books have sensory qualities no ebook (yet) can have. Books are more permanant than cities.They'e there, in your pocket, bed, bag, shelf,van - where-ever. And you can give them to anyone, copy bits at your leisure (hey! I"m a writer! I'm allowed to advocate this! STRICTLY limited copying!) Long after I'm dead, some of my books will be around.
Kindles will thrown away - like the unnecessary diamond ring - by Wall-E cohorts-