WIST Quotations

Pratchett, Terry -- Good Omens, 6. “Saturday” (1990) [with Neil Gaiman]

Dave — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 21:05:52 +0000

NOTE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND AMERICANS: One shilling = Five Pee. It helps to understand the antique finances of the Witchfinder Army if you know the original British monetary system:
Two Farthings = One Ha’penny. Two Ha’pennies = One Penny. Three Pennies = A Thrupenny Bit. Two Thrupences = A Sixpence. Two Sixpences = One Shilling, or Bob. Two Bob = A Florin. One Florin and One Sixpence = Half a Crown. Four Half Crowns = Ten Bob Note. Two Ten Bob Notes = One Pound (or 240 pennies). One Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea.
The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated.

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) English author
Good Omens, 6. “Saturday” (1990) [with Neil Gaiman]
(Source)

Deming, W. Edwards -- The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education, ch. 3 “Introduction to a System” (1993)

Dave — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 18:53:41 +0000

A system must be managed. It will not manage itself. Left to themselves in the Western world, components become selfish, competitive, independent profit centres, and thus destroy the system. The secret is cooperation between components toward the aim of the organization. We can not afford the destructive effect of competition.

W. Edwards Deming (1900–1993) American management consultant, educator
The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education, ch. 3 “Introduction to a System” (1993)
(Source)

Feynman, Richard -- The Character of Physical Laws ch. 3 “The Great Conservation Principles” (1965)

Dave — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:07:33 +0000

For those who want some proof that physicists are human, the proof is in the idiocy of all the different units which they use for measuring energy.

Richard Feynman (1918–1988) American physicist
The Character of Physical Laws ch. 3 “The Great Conservation Principles” (1965)
(Source)