Job Discussion Forums

[Professor Moriarty]

[homersimpson]

What's the meaning of idiolect in your post?

[Stephen Jones]

[Professor Moriarty]

I can only think of two expressions in which I have ever encountered this expression: 'a snuff movie', and the colloquial English expression 'He snuffed it', and neither seem wholly appropriate (to me the former is too strong and the latter is too weak). But I was wondering perhaps if it was different in US English, and thus in Kolean Powell-like Duckspeak.

Or perhaps that was his intention - to target and trigger off those connotations.

As regards the 'meaning' of idiolect, I refer the honourable gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago (ditto Stephen Jones).

[ls650]

In American English, to snuff out means to extinguish suddenly or without warning. Powell means that these lives vanished within an instant. I think his usage is entirely acceptable.

[moonraven]

I see, homer: Anyone who disagrees with you is a lunatic. Anyone who DARES to question the boldfaced propaganda of the US government is a conspiracy theory lunatic.

Is that a black shirt you're wearing?

Is that a fascist salute you are trying to make with your keyboard?

Lots of luck.

Let's get back to the original topic here--since I am the OP of record:

George W. Bush made a big show of donating 10,000 dollars of his own money.

Hugo Ch�vez--who has no fortune and who puts his presidential salary into a foundation for becas for folks who can't afford university--donated 150,000 euros (approx. 200,000 dollars) from a humanitarian award he recently received.

[homersimpson]

[moonraven]

I am not going to repeat the history of the past 20 years of Venezuela on this thread. If you would like to know something about it, check my posts on the General Latin American Forum under a thread called "Maybe Venezuela". They are very thorough, despite the size of the subject.

And you do not have to inform me about Ch�vez' respect for Fidel Castro. Castro is one of the most intelligent beings on the planet, has outlasted HOW MANY US presidential regimes that were out to get him since 1959 (excluding the period 1976-80 of Jimmy Carter)? UN studies show education for young people in Cuba is far superior to that of the US. (Some posters on this forum could have benefited from a better education, clearly, as they don't know the difference between information and propaganda.)

As for the attempted coup by Ch�vez in 1992--the few people killed were of great concern to him--which is why two years later he formed a political party and went to elections. However, in order to understand history, one must understand the context in which events occur--in this case the coup attempt was a response to the MASSACRE called the Caracazo committed by corrupt president Carlos Andr�s P�rez (since tpossed out of office and living in exile since he escaped from prison) in which UNCOUNTED people were killed.

Yes, Ch�vez is my hero. He is also my friend, and a forceful companion in the work to defend human dignity.

Apparently the difference between his generous donation and the peanuts pledged by Bush didn't sit well with you. Complain to Bush--don't try to run down an honorable leader because the guy you support is a mean-spirited individual.

[Nagoyaguy]

Ah, the maybe venezuela thread. I read it. Interesting debate there regarding how the current regime in Caracas came to power and what they are doing in regards to human rights in that nation.

At least until it was concluded with Moonraven whinging about abusive language.......

[Nagoyaguy]

Back to the issue of stinginess....

I wonder why nobody complained when France's initial pledge was a grand total of $200,000?

Of course, it was revised upwards since then. As was the US's initial $15,000,000. If you recall, when the tsunami first hit, we did not know the extent of the damage. However, as days went by and the numbers kept growing, the amount of aid pledged also grew.

[homersimpson]

[moonraven]

homer,

Please learn to read. The question mark was OUTSIDE the parenthesis of Carter's dates in office because it was a question. It began with the word HOW.

Your reason for why Castro has outlasted all those presidents who were sending the CIA to assassinate him every 15 minutes is simply laughable.

In regard to my friendship with Ch�vez: A friend is someone with whom one shares ideas, projects, philosophy of life in an enjoyable manner. Although I do not hang out at the mall with him (neither of us is into US-style shopping, sorry Gap and WalMart lovers), I have done a project with him, and have participated with him in several events. And perhaps because of my differences with other types of folks represented on this forum, he introduced me in an event in Caracas as "The Proof of the Existence of Good Gringos".

As for your surreal comment about my exposing myself--the CIA wouldn't consider hiring you for 5 seconds.

[Roger]

[Nagoyaguy]

Actually, I exaggerated. The initial French pledge was 100,000 Euros, which is less than the 200,000 US dollars I quoted. My apologies. Here is the story, from Reuters;


French Tsunami Toll 14 Dead, 35 Missing-Minister

Tuesday, December 28, 2004 3:23:03 PM ET

PARIS (Reuters) - The number of French victims of southern Asia's tsunami disaster has risen to 14 and at least 35 people are missing after being swept away by giant waves, Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.

"At the moment I can say there are 14 French dead in this tragedy for sure, 35 or 37 missing who we are searching for and there are 105 French injured," he told France 2 television from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where he arrived with aid supplies earlier on Tuesday.

"There are probably dozens of French we are searching for and don't know where they are," he said.

"Many French and Europeans left on vacation without saying when or where they were going. So unfortunately we have to consider these numbers to be provisional."

Barnier was due to continue to Thailand on Wednesday morning to bring aid supplies and survey the damage from the giant wall of water triggered by an earthquake in Sumatra.

The French Defense Ministry was sending eight experts in identifying bodies and a military airplane that will fly over the Maldives and the Thai coast to search for people cut off by the flood and for the bodies of victims.

Paris has earmarked 100,000 euros ($135,400) for initial rescue efforts in Thailand. It planned to send 16 rescue workers to Thailand on Tuesday and 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka in the next few days, the ministry said. ($1=.7386 Euro)

� Reuters 2004. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

[homersimpson]