When politicians call for increased teaching of Asian languages (presumably with an emphasis on Chinese), I wonder if they have thought of the difference between written and spoken capabilities.
For one thing, there seem to be genetic differences between populations that use pitch as part of the spoken language (tonal languages, e.g. Mandarin), and those that don’t (non-tonal languages e.g. Proto-Indo-European). Occidental populations thus face significant hurdles to learning spoken Mandarin.
. . . is the shiznit. My girlfriend just introduced me to this sitcom featuring the adventures of the eponymous New Zealand musical comedy duo in New York. Great supporting cast, hilarious songs, dead-on David Bowie impersonations and lashings of NZ inferiority complex.
“If You’re Into It”
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Sniffing chairs, yes, but having inappropriate dealings with a small marsupial known as a quokka is a bridge too far for West Australian Opposition Leader Troy Buswell. Read more »
Here is a rather amusing post about the 17 different types of lawyer. I’ve meant to put it up for a while, but it got lost in my Inbox.
I don’t think it covers me, but then again, I am a rara avis. I do know, however, at least one Lawyer Who Is Writing A Thriller, although it’s not a legal one. And I know a lot of people who would consider they are Lawyers in the Wrong Profession. Read more »
Just when we thought the WA Opposition fiasco couldn’t get any more bizarre or perverted, now there’s accusations that Chairman Sniff* was molesting my cousins – the poor old quokka. No, I shit you not:
Over the fold, a recently screened television debate between Mark Steyn and three of the Canadian Muslims who have brought action against Macleans magazine.
Marginal Revolution’s Professor Tyler Cowen explains in the New York Times: Read more »
Al Qaeda leaders in Iraq aren’t worth much these days:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration has slashed its reward for the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq from $5 million to $100,000 because it feels he’s lost effectiveness and is no longer worth such a steep price, officials said Tuesday.
I guess that’s what happens when you kill a bloke so many times … he gets devalued. Read more »
The Canadian Islamic Congress has decided to use Canada’s hate speech legislation to go after the Canadian magazine Macleans for publishing an extract from columnist Mark Steyn’s book Read more »
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