The Paul Henry thread

[avgas]

From Wiki.
I stand (sit) corrected.

They must learn it in all these Jedi temples I hear about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon

Isn't stats fun

[avgas]

But how many people speak it fluently? It is very difficult to get a real figure on this, as many Maoris probably claim to speak the language fluently, but then we first have to define the definition of the term 'fluent'.

There is also the concept of learning a language from the writings........when the language had no written form until a couple of white people turned up......

Which is kind of like learning braille with no hands.

[admenk]

I have to agree with this comment.
Come to think about it - I barely watch any TV anymore for this reason.

I get my daily dose of BS opinions here.

Careful, if you read them all you'll overdose....

[SMOKEU]

There is also the concept of learning a language from the writings........when the language had no written form until a couple of white people turned up......

Which is kind of like learning braille with no hands.

You mean they were illiterate until white people showed up?!

[Ronin]

You mean they were illiterate until white people showed up?!

You mean you didn't know?

[rustyrobot]

Yep. Maori language had no written letter forms. It was an oral language, with artistic representation of historical content (carvings). Still, I reckon most of the first lots of whiteys that arrived were probably fairly illiterate too (whalers).

Just out of interest SMOKEU, where did you come here from?

On the Paul Henry front (original topic). I hardly think he represents anything new. He is in the same mould as any old shock-jock on the radio (or John Tamihere, or Michael Laws, or Hone Harawira). Sort of like the noisy naughty kid at the back of the class who just likes the attention. He doesn't say anything that isn't said on the Family Guy or South Park, it's just a little more localised. I bet you the majority of people calling for him to be banned don't watch his show anyway. He's good for ratings so he's sure to stay. Infact, I think he at least gets this stuff out in the open so we can talk about it, better than it just being mumbled behind your hand and pretending you like people to their face.

Does he say 'what we all think'? Well, I guess I hope not, but who knows. Is being offensive for the sake of it really the key human quality that we respect? It's not as if it's hard to be offensive.

[SMOKEU]

You mean you didn't know?

I had my suspicions, but it's not something I've ever given much thought to.

[SMOKEU]

Just out of interest SMOKEU, where did you come here from?

I'm South African.

[avgas]

You mean they were illiterate until white people showed up?!

Yeah errrr no

They were just a society without paper work is all

[slofox]

I'm South African.

Which part of "Seth Efrica" did you come from Smokeu? Were you around the wine country at all?

I get quite a few expats coming in here wanting their native wine but supplies are scarce here nowadays - not like before all the trade bans etc of years gone by...once upon a time SA wines were common as...

[Oscar]

Yep. Maori language had no written letter forms. It was an oral language, with artistic representation of historical content (carvings). Still, I reckon most of the first lots of whiteys that arrived were probably fairly illiterate too (whalers).

That's a fairly sweeping (and racist) generalisation.
By the 1840's approx. 60% of the English population could read and write.

[SMOKEU]

Which part of "Seth Efrica" did you come from Smokeu? Were you around the wine country at all?

I get quite a few expats coming in here wanting their native wine but supplies are scarce here nowadays - not like before all the trade bans etc of years gone by...once upon a time SA wines were common as...

I'm from Cape Town. I've got contacts in SA, I could probably help you out with the wine if you want. It won't be cheap though, as freight is very expensive.

[slofox]

I'm from Cape Town. I've got contacts in SA, I could probably help you out with the wine if you want. It won't be cheap though, as freight is very expensive.

More to the point, I can access some wines locally but I have no idea as to the quality. Perhaps you could advise me if I am looking at a particular line..?
Would be much appreciated.

I don't think we'll be importing direct...I often have people wanting me to get a certain wine. I have to buy a case. They buy one bottle and the other eleven bottles sit gathering dust for a thousand years. Not very profitable really...

[rustyrobot]

That's a fairly sweeping (and racist) generalisation.
By the 1840's approx. 60% of the English population could read and write.

Do you think it's racist? Perhaps it is classist.
I took this assumption from my memories of primary school history lessons, so I am happy to admit that I may well be wrong.

In the 1830s Kororāreka won a dubious reputation as the ‘hell-hole of the Pacific’, where prostitution, grog shops and drunken brawls were common. Most respectable observers were appalled. John Dunmore Lang described its inhabitants as ‘the veriest scum of civilised society’; James Busby noted that the whalers were open to ‘every temptation and opportunity for licentiousness’; and William Colenso claimed that the place was ‘notorious for containing a greater number of rogues than any other spot of equal size in the universe.’

Maybe they were just too drunk to write?

[Oscar]

Do you think it's racist? Perhaps it is classist.
I took this assumption from my memories of primary school history lessons, so I am happy to admit that I may well be wrong.



Maybe they were just too drunk to write?

Those observers were, in the main, Clergymen.
What they described could be found in any large city on the planet at that point.
They would find the south end of Victoria Street on a Friday night to be repugnant.