Chat about whatever you like: the weather, good stuff, bad stuff, family or pets! Showing 5,801-5,850 of 26,036

[[deleted user]]

Just a little bit of trivia.....do you all know that America's largest state, Texas, fits into the state of Queensland aproximately 9.7 times....(-:

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

David wrote: "Just a little bit of trivia.....do you all know that America's largest state, Texas, fits into the state of Queensland 9.7 times....(-:"

Ha...no I certainly didn't David! We live in a big country, don't we!!

[[deleted user]]

Yep, we sure do, here is some more stats....



Missouri into Qld approx.....18 times.
Tennessee " " " .....30.8 "
Kentucky " " " .......31.96 "

I love pointing these out to my American friends, especially Texans...LOL!

[[deleted user]]

Night all, off to watch Casey Stoner win again...(-:

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Night Dave...I'm heading off too...need to do some reading!! Haven't done any for a few hours;)

[Margaret]

Goodnight, everyone..

[Mark]

Hi, David! I'm not a Texan; I just happen to live here. (The definitive proof is that I loathe guns, am politically liberal, and could not rope a steer to save my life. :)) It's amazing I haven't been extradited to Rhode Island (which could fit into the state of Queensland, by my calculations, about 500 times). Not that I'm down on Texas. The people here are generally very friendly, and there's some nice cultural diversity. I just lack roots, here, having spent most of my life in other parts of the country.

[Mark]

And now, having thought about it, I'm confused (this is what generally happens when I undertake to think). According to wikipedia, Queensland has a total area of 715,000 sq. miles (about 668,000 of land area). Texas, OTOH: about 268,000 sq. miles of land. So I think that Queensland is "only" about 3 times bigger. (Not that size matters. :))

[Tracey]

Mark, I've heard it's tough in Texas. A friend posted me pic's of the road signs they have which say 'Don't Mess With Texas'. It'd be an interesting place to visit I think but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to live there.
Even though it's been cold and rainy here in my part of sunny South East QLD I wouldn't change for the world. I lived in New Zealand for a couple of years when I was younger and while I enjoyed it I missed my family too much to live in another country again.

[Mark]

Hi, Tracey! That slogan (on bumper stickers, on coffee cups, tattooed to people's foreheads, probably flashed from blimps hovering over major cities :)) is pretty much ubiquitous. I guess it speaks to authentic Texans' urgent need to be perceived as pugnacious -- dunno, I'm pacifistic, myself, so I don't really "get" bellicosity. The only things that make me want to fight are these stupid signs. :)

Don't blame you for wanting to stay in the place that feels most like home. Of all the places I've lived, Florida felt most like "home," and I regret having left it. Wouldn't mind being in Australia OR New Zealand, though. Really, it's a matter of ABH. :) :(

[Margaret]

I've spent my life in Sydney, and I've done very little travelling! Guess I'm a home-lover, but we live in a lovely part of the world, near parks, the river, and only a fifteen minute drive to the sea-side. What more do I want?

[Davina]

Mark wrote: "Hi, Tracey! That slogan (on bumper stickers, on coffee cups, tattooed to people's foreheads, probably flashed from blimps hovering over major cities :)) is pretty much ubiquitous. I guess it speaks..."

Mark you've caused us to have a nervous breakdown in my house by using the word "ubiquitous". No matter how many times I say it I never say it the same way twice. My husband could say it the first time but now can't say it at all. It's very amusing. But now we have stopped laughing I'm off to the dictionary to find out what it means.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Davina wrote: "Mark wrote: "Hi, Tracey! That slogan (on bumper stickers, on coffee cups, tattooed to people's foreheads, probably flashed from blimps hovering over major cities :)) is pretty much ubiquitous. I gu..."

Oh Davina...I'm so glad I'm not the only one who needs a dictionary when Mark chats with us;P

[Margaret]

Mark may be interested to know that I became an object of, um, I won't say, when , in another Goodreads section, I used the word 'vicissitudes'!!:)

[Jessy]

Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Mark wrote: "Hi, Tracey! That slogan (on bumper stickers, on coffee cups, tattooed to people's foreheads, probably flashed from blimps hovering over major cities :)) is pretty much u..."

hehehe my brain frizzled out there in some spots too lol

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Hahaha!! Jessy...totally agree:)

[Davina]

Margaret wrote: "Mark may be interested to know that I became an object of, um, I won't say, when , in another Goodreads section, I used the word 'vicissitudes'!!:)"

Oh so not funny Margaret. Now I have to look that up too. I hate feeling like I missed out on a joke.

[Amber]

Has anyone been having problems with Goodreads? I've not had any updates from this thread in a few days...

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Amber wrote: "Has anyone been having problems with Goodreads? I've not had any updates from this thread in a few days..."

I've had it all over the place too Amber. I get most of them, but not all, and have to check the group often! But it's not just this thread, it's a lot of them.

[Davina]

Amber I had that problem a couple of months ago but all good this week.

And because I couldn't find it in the dictionary I googled it.
vi·cis·si·tude   /vɪˈsɪsɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/ Show Spelled[vi-sis-i-tood, -tyood] Show IPA
noun
1. a change or variation occurring in the course of something.
2. interchange or alternation, as of states or things.

[[deleted user]]

Mark wrote: "And now, having thought about it, I'm confused (this is what generally happens when I undertake to think). According to wikipedia, Queensland has a total area of 715,000 sq. miles (about 668,000 of..."

My apologies Mark, obviously my maths is as bad as my spelling...(-:


Queensland's mainland has an area of 1,723,936 sq km.
Texas has an area of 696,241 sq km.
Therefore, Texas will fit into Queensland 2.476 times....(-:

[Mark]

Hi, Davina! No thought of provoking a "breakdown," I promise! (My own sanity is sufficiently questionable that I wouldn't think of endangering anyone else's!)

ubiquitous (YOU-bic-quit-us) adj., annoyingly latinate. Referring to the fact that your ballpoint pen has left the room without provocation and cannot be found, though it is perhaps everywhere in the multiverse.

[Mark]

Jessy -- Hilarious animated gif! I think he's saying to himself, "I never should have planted that tactical nuclear device in my brain?" (Or possibly lamenting global warming.) :)

[Mark]

Hi, Brenda! No dictionary needed. You can be safe in assuming that half the words I use have no actual semantic referent, and the rest all point to distant constellations in the night sky.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Mark wrote: "Hi, Brenda! No dictionary needed. You can be safe in assuming that half the words I use have no actual semantic referent, and the rest all point to distant constellations in the night sky."

Well, that's good news at least!!! ;P

Mark, you mentioned you are an author? Have you accessed your author page, so we can 'check you out'? Also here is the 'how to use the author program' for you http://www.goodreads.com/author/how_to

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well, it's the old...'here we go again' in the Hunter!

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loca...

Hopefully it won't be as bad as they are predicting!

[Amber]

I'd been having a few problems with Goodreads this last week, with only a few emails coming through on thread updates. I went through the site last night, and everything seems ok again now! :D lol

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Amber wrote: "I'd been having a few problems with Goodreads this last week, with only a few emails coming through on thread updates. I went through the site last night, and everything seems ok again now! :D lol"

That's good news Amber...sometimes they are doing maintenance, and things get 'put out' for awhile...

[Amber]

Just glad it's all back to normal :D

[Bronwyn]

I am at Coolly Rocks On on the Gold Coast, is anyone else from this group there too or going to be there over the weekend? It is a rock and roll festival at Coolangatta. The weather is great though a little cool at the moment.

[Tracey]

Aren't we all getting very literary here all of a sudden. First ubiquitous then vicissitudes - what next? Perhaps I should pull out my old ancient Greek dictionary and really blow your minds lol :)

[Margaret]

I get the feeling that you, Tracey, would not be blowing Mark's mind...:)

[Tracey]

I have a great love of words, especially words that have pretty much dropped out of use but I don't usually talk like that. I'm pretty normal and use a lot of slang.

[Mark]

Hi, Tracey!

Prithee have no reticence about disinterring the recondite ancient Greek lexemes! We can wax dithyrambically enthused about the rhododactylousness of the post-antelucan hours!

[Margaret]

Which means...:)

[Mark]

Margaret - No chance of occasioning a cortical short-circuit on my part. That ship has already sailed, probably as chronicled in The Odyssey, so Tracey will be able to guess my age. Anyway, concerning my compos mentis-ness, to quote Father William, "...in my youth, I feared it might injure the brain, but now that I'm perfectly sure I have none..." :)

[Mark]

Margaret - Dunno. I think it's in Ancient Greek. :) *

(Actually, "rhodo-dactylos" is Greek, meaning "rosy-fingered." It's how Homer described the dawn. Of course, Homer never asked the dawn, and what business was it of his? I find the whole thing utterly lamentable.)

[Margaret]

I'd linked the 'rhodo' part to 'Rhododendron' which presumably means 'rosy tree'. These grow well in the Blue Mountains in N.S.W., which is a few hours' drive from home.

[Mark]

Margaret - We have plenty of rhododendrons here in the States, as well, but not a lot of rhododactylous Goddesses. It must be the climate.

[Margaret]

If you say so..:)

[[deleted user]]

Just thought I would let you all know, yesterday received an official postcard size acknowledgement from Amalienborg Palace, from the ‘Chief of the Court’ of Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince Frederik and The Crown Princess Mary of Denmark that, they have my book ‘Out of Australia’....(-:

and I don't need 3 mile long words to let you know...LOL!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

David wrote: "Just thought I would let you all know, yesterday received an official postcard size acknowledgement from Amalienborg Palace, from the ‘Chief of the Court’ of Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince..."

Wow David...congratulations!

[Emily]

Nice :)

[Margaret]

Wow! I'll bet you're a member of a very select club....:)

[★ Jess]

Thats lovely David :) Congrats!

I've been informed by a girl at my school, that after The Jezabels concert last week, Hayley Mary & Co. chatted and posed for photos around the backdoor. She was showing me photos will the whole band, and silly me & my friends just went home :( :( :(

[Mark]

Congratulations, David! When a book of Australian poetry gets attention all the way from Copenhagen, that's pretty impressive.

[[deleted user]]

Thank you everyone, it is only confirmation they have received it, hopefully I'll get another confirmation they have read it...(-:

Mark, my second book 'Rhymes of Times' is in the libraries of the Whitehouse (Obama's) Buckingham Palace (Prince Phillip) & again Copenhagen (Princess Mary) & also John Fairfax's personal library.

[Mark]

Mark, my second book 'Rhymes of Times' is in the libraries of the White house (Obama's)..."

What *other* White House is there? :) I certainly can't imagine your book gracing the shelves of the library maintained by the previous occupant, wedged between the collected works of Rush Limbaugh and a skull. But I'm probably being unfair. I'm certain I would have enjoyed browsing that earlier collection, though most of the books would probably already have been colored in.

I saw of fragment of your poetry on an Amazon review, by the way, and you do seem to have an ear for metric contour, so I wish you well on expanding your audience.

I'm emphatically not a poet, nor even a writer (unless you count tedious and abstruse technical works), but I do hope you weren't *actually* annoyed by my own way of playing with words.

[Mark]

Hi, Jess!

I was intrigued by all this talk of "The Jezabels," of whom I'd never heard before, but I gather they're primarily an Aussie phenom, and then, too, I've heard of very little that's transpired in this century (or since the cretaceous epoch), so I went to youtube and played "Dark Storm." It had kind of a synth sound to the music, but the lead singer's voice was really pretty extraordinary, so I get the attraction. I do have kind of stupid question, though, if you know the answer... do you have any idea why they spell "jezabels" with an "a?" It's dumb, but it's been bothering me... :)

[[deleted user]]

LOL!!!...she's right Mark, I spent 25 years as a long distance truck driver (furniture removalist) so I've shoulders as wide as 2 pickhandles & skin as thick as a Rhino's, you're pretty safe, I know you used those words in jest, what does get my 'dander' up is those academics who use 3 mile long words to show off & or 'big note' themselves....(-:

Yes I do love structured rhymed poetry, although I don't mind writing free verse, Haiku or Tanka. My real love is Australian bush poetry which is not unlike American 'Cowboy' poetry which has a huge following in the states & I also had one of my works published by them, which is not easy because of their strict guidelines, here is the link
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/davidjdel...

I've also taken a liking to writing short stories, Brenda has read a couple & I'm glad she enjoyed them, quite a number will be included in my next book...(-: