Stephen Fry on the iPad
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From: Pd on 1 Feb 2010 12:12 Tim Streater <timstreater(a)waitrose.com> wrote: "attributed to his execrating of it on twitter" > Excoriate: to censure or criticise greatly > Execrate: to express great loathing > > Not quite the same, therefore. That's right, not the same. Different words, in fact. With different meanings. 140 characters on twitter may not be enough to criticise greatly, but it's probably enough to express great loathing. So I'm saying that James may well have meant exactly what he said, and being "corrected" to excoriating is invalid. What are you saying? -- Pd
From: Rowland McDonnell on 1 Feb 2010 12:29 Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: [snip] > > > I am seriously interested in buying one. > > > > Ah. A gadget-sucker. > > I love tablet devices. The only tablet device I've ever met was a old-tyme manual pill-making machine. I've never heard of a modern high-tech computery tablet device that could be of significant use to me. None of those on the market appear to have the slightest point in terms of what I'd like to do. [snip] > > > > But one thing I've noticed is a disdain for ARM in a lot of cases - > > > > curious. > > > > > > Where? > > > > The stuff I've read. > > Any references? Nope - and if I had some, I'd not give them to you because it'd just give you ammunition for more argument for the sake of argument, in which I have no interest at all. I don't read this stuff to convince other people, you know - I read this stuff to find out what's going on. I don't bother logging where I got all my reading from - I pay attention at the time so I can judge the worth of the information, then once assessed, the data gets dropped into my brain's data store, which is a bit like an ocean. Pour it in, pour it in, never mind the filing, let's just hope what's needed will float up eventually and if not I'll just have to go diving and chat with the whales. > > > ARM is normally well respected, and pretty well in everything. I > > > haven't noticed much distain for it. > > > > <shrug> > > > > Oh well. I suspect that you're not able to spot the sniffiness I > > spotted. > > Indeed, You do seem to read a lot more hostility in text that to me > seems entirely unemotional, especially where those things have anything > to do with americans Eh? <puzzled> I've no idea what that's all about - but you should be aware that you've demonstrated a lack of understanding of emotional expression and communciation. Whereas I'm hypersensitive to that sort of thing - I see things that most other people don't. What I sniff out really is there - that's confirmed by reliable real-life verification that I've done, which relies on opinions other than mine. That's how I can be *sure* I'm not imagining all this stuff that most others fail to see. But you can't argue that American's aren't generally xenophobic and mistrustful of all things foreign, because they are. Just like Brits, but *MUCH* more so. I suspect you're on about that when talking about my comments about Americans. I can spot the mistrust and xenophobia. Hell, I grew up mistrustful of foreign things, faintly xenophobic - I know a *LOT* about how to spot the signs, because I know what's behind various facades having used the same facades myself, not to mention observing others doing their thangs. I don't much like people. Or the human race. Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Rowland McDonnell on 1 Feb 2010 12:29 Tim Streater <timstreater(a)waitrose.com> wrote: > Pd wrote: > > Rowland McDonnell<real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > >> James Dore<james.dore(a)new.ox.ac.uk> wrote: > >> > >> [snip] > >> > >>> <cough> Blackberry might disagree. A significant slump in the sales > >>> of their touchscreen device was attributed to his execrating of it on > >>> twitter. > >> > >> <cough> > >> > >> Excoriating, dear boy. > > > > execrate > > verb (used with object) > > 1. to detest utterly; abhor; abominate. > > 2. to curse; imprecate evil upon; damn; denounce > > > > Seems perfectly reasonable use of the word to me. The grammar's wrong, in the way he used it. I think. Doesn't work. > > <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mansplain> Who cares what that utterly untrustworthy source says? And I've no idea where *these* alleged `definitions 'came from: > Excoriate: to censure or criticise greatly > Execrate: to express great loathing The Concise Oxford Dictionary 8th edition says this[1]: Excoriate: 1) Remove part of the skin by abrasion, 2) strip or peel off (skin), 3) censure severely. Execrate: 1) Express or feel abhorrence for, 2) curse 3) utter curses So: did Fry *really* express abhorrence? Okay, maybe he did. But I still think `excoriating' is the better word in this case. > Not quite the same, therefore. I'm not sure it works, as used. Damn, but I should learn more grammar. Rowland. [1] Okay, okay, so that's the sawn-off definition. All the upright Roman text got copied, but none of the italic stuff. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Woody on 1 Feb 2010 13:32 Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > > > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > > > > > > > A few, a /very/ few, are honest. I suppose Stephen Fry's one of > > > > > them - but still, are his views really worth paying attention to > > > > > in this case, at this time? <shrug> > > > > > > > > Maybe not, but his views are certainly worth listening to as he has > > > > actually used an iPad, and many others haven't. > > > > > > *WHY* are his views worth listening to, just because he's used one of > > > the things? > > > > Becasue someone who has used something has a better knowledge of what > > something is like to use over someone who hasn't used it. > > But such a short period of use by one person gives you little idea what > use the machine would be for you. It does. Only I know what use the machine would be for me, but it is a data point of the more tactile things of it. > Oh yeah, okay, the motorcycle reviews > in the second hand bike mags, they used to be good. that is true, they used to be handy. I use reviews quite a lot, I don't expect them to tell me the whole story but I do find them good for background info -- Woody www.alienrat.com
From: Rowland McDonnell on 1 Feb 2010 14:44
Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > > > > > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > [snip] > > > > > I am seriously interested in buying one. > > > > > > > > Ah. A gadget-sucker. > > > > > > I love tablet devices. > > > > The only tablet device I've ever met was a old-tyme manual pill-making > > machine. > > > > I've never heard of a modern high-tech computery tablet device that > > could be of significant use to me. None of those on the market appear > > to have the slightest point in terms of what I'd like to do. > > So I guess. They have been very useful for me, but I am still waiting > for that specific device that is going to be more useful. > > Most of them have paid for themselves. How? [snip] > > What I sniff out really is there - that's > > confirmed by reliable real-life verification that I've done, which > > relies on opinions other than mine. That's how I can be *sure* I'm not > > imagining all this stuff that most others fail to see. > > Well, I have observed you observe stuff that is clearly not there more > times than I have seen you get it right, so I can't really take your > word for that. Well, I've observed you denying the existence of stuff that's clearly there, plain as the nose on your face, so I can be sure that your judgement on these matters is deeply flawed due to your inability to understand this sort of thing. Certainly you're wrong when you judge me as above - totally wrong, because you are blind- so you judge me as seeing things that are in fact there, but you can't see 'em. Your vision is not a reliable guide to reality, Woody - you need to bear that in mind. Stop being so damned arrogant and pigheaded. Open your mind for a change, why not? Oh, give up Rowland, the man's a bigot: he'll never change his mind on anything. > > But you can't argue that American's aren't generally xenophobic and > > mistrustful of all things foreign, because they are. Just like Brits, > > but *MUCH* more so. I suspect you're on about that when talking about > > my comments about Americans. I can spot the mistrust and xenophobia. > > I can argue that there is no way of generalising these things. Yes, > there is a lot of lot of xenophobia in the states, however, nothing like > the level in the UK, Oh no? That is exactly the opposite of what I've met. >but still there. However, I wouldn't say it was the > general case. Obviously it is hard to say what the level is as there are > regional variations. Americans (as in the individual not the state) > reactions to me as a foreigner is much better than I would expect to > receive if I was an american in the UK. > I never noticed until I lived in the states and came back how bad the UK > was. Our culture is under threat so of course we're more resentful of other cultures than are USAians. I think you're mistaking two different things. Take a case in point: it's much easier to get a UK firm to buy foreign that it is to get a US firm to buy foriegn, due to the greater xenophobia in the USA than in the UK. The average idiot on the street in the USA is less xenophobic than his counterpart in the UK, but the situation is reversed when dealing with the educated professional classes and the aristocracy - UK aristos are almost all liberal in social matters; US aristos are mostly the opposite, from what I've gathered. > > Hell, I grew up mistrustful of foreign things, faintly xenophobic - I > > know a *LOT* about how to spot the signs, because I know what's behind > > various facades having used the same facades myself, not to mention > > observing others doing their thangs. > > > > I don't much like people. Or the human race. > > This much is clear! And you don't understand 'em. Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking |