Years end
December 31st, 2006
[Ratta says: Ends happen ever and ever again.]
Archive for December, 2006
Inflationary use^2
December 19th, 2006Many agree that there is inflationary use of the term sustainability. In fact, there is inflationary use of the phrase inflationary use of the term sustainability.
You can’t see me
December 16th, 2006
You cannot see me, and it is not just because I cannot.
[Original photo by stark23x via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license. Thanks stark23x!]
Self-Quoting
December 13th, 2006I am looking for references of the following apparently inevitable quote:
I once said that I often quoted myself. It added spice to my conversation, like this adds spice to my conversation. See?
— supposedly by George Bernard Shaw
Any pointers welcome.
Uncovered truth
December 10th, 2006
[Detective Ratta uncovering the truth that truth can cover up a lot.]
A rhetorical discussion
December 6th, 2006In a discussion about a failing computer and hence unmet expectations my dialog partner who — as a matter of fact — is also owner of the computer, after some time said
I think the discussion is becoming rhetorical, now.
And I couldn’t but answer:
Well, true indeed.
Partially right, partially wrong
December 5th, 2006Quotes from no liars taken from an ongoing lecture series on human ecology:
In ecology, anything is partially right and partially wrong, and everything else is also partially right and partially wrong.
— Markus Staudinger, 2006-11-28
And, at the end of today’s lecture:
Everything we have said here today is wrong. Wrong in the sense that it has been too short and not detailed enough, though, there is a chance to deal with it more closely.
— Alexander Haslberger, 2006-12-05
The translations were done by a liar who is at liberty to quote the original passages:
Wie bei allem in der Ökologie ist es so, dass das Eine teils wahr und teils falsch und das Andere auch teils wahr und teils falsch ist.
— Markus Staudinger, 2006-11-28
Alles, was wir hier jetzt gesagt haben, ist falsch. Falsch in dem Sinn, dass es viel zu kurz und zu wenig detailliert ist, dass es aber doch die Möglichkeit gibt, sich damit etwas genauer zu beschäftigen.
— Alexander Haslberger, 2006-12-05
Generally, one is better off judging others. But beware of generalizations if you cannot deal with self-reference.
