Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

[lisab]

So for the last several days I've been doing a lot of writing. Doing so, I realized I use a thesaurus differently than most people.

The process goes like this: in my head, I formulate a sentence to express my idea. But it sounds formal or wordy. Too frequently, I use words or phrases that are unusual or not used in common speech. Like "I formulate a sentence to express my idea".

So I go to the thesaurus to fine a more common way to write my idea.

I think most people use the thesaurus to 'fancy up' their writing, not to commonize it.

 

[HomogenousCow]

So for the last several days I've been doing a lot of writing. Doing so, I realized I use a thesaurus differently than most people.

The process goes like this: in my head, I formulate a sentence to express my idea. But it sounds formal or wordy. Too frequently, I use words or phrases that are unusual or not used in common speech. Like "I formulate a sentence to express my idea".

So I go to the thesaurus to fine a more common way to write my idea.

I think most people use the thesaurus to 'fancy up' their writing, not to commonize it.

I find that "fancy" terms tend to be more specific and unambiguous.

 

[jim hardy]

So for the last several days I've been doing a lot of writing. Doing so, I realized I use a thesaurus differently than most people.

The process goes like this: in my head, I formulate a sentence to express my idea. But it sounds formal or wordy. Too frequently, I use words or phrases that are unusual or not used in common speech. Like "I formulate a sentence to express my idea".

So I go to the thesaurus to fine a more common way to write my idea.

I think most people use the thesaurus to 'fancy up' their writing, not to commonize it.

English I'm told is capable of very fine distinctions and that's because it includes words from sooo many earlier languages - Greek, Latin, French, German , olde and middle English.

I use thesaurus usually to improve precision . Believe me, I'm plenty 'common' as is.

But your post brought up a thought I've been rolling around for some time..
PF'rs are a creative lot. Do you think they'd share their creative sides in a parallel to "Insights" ? Creative writing, ssays and short stories?

Pure fun, like the photo thread. I took an evening class in creative writing ~ late 90's and thoroughly enjoyed it.

just a thought..

 

[nuuskur]

I think most people use the thesaurus to 'fancy up' their writing, not to commonize it.

More often conveys what you are trying to say in a more comprehendable way. Snap, was that too many difficult words in a sentence?

 

[zoobyshoe]

There's a big difference between specificity and sesquipedalia.

 

[WWGD]

Back in the game after a needed break.

 

[Borg]

It's been over a month and I finally met my new neighbors. I found out that their son is in high school and wants to possibly study physics in college.

Hmm, I wonder what website I recommended...

 

[Astronuc]

Stanislav Petrov made a decision credited by many with averting a nuclear war.
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-saved-world-recalls-decision-50-50-062250867.html

I remember some close calls due to spurious signals.

 

[Astronuc]

Do we need to ban clocks before someone gets hurt, or worse?

Just don't look at the clock wrong!

 

[HomogenousCow]

The horrors of accurate timekeeping.

 

[Enigman]

I have been caffeinated.

 

[Borek]

Something that you wouldn't make, it can only happen in reality:

http://www.wbtv.com/story/30060688/12-year-old-boy-missing-in-union-county

The search for Ethan Carter, who officials say has a "developmental delay," lasted for around 10 hours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vanishing_of_Ethan_Carter

The Astronauts (TVEC producers) claim it is NOT a part of a marketing campaign

 

[Bystander]

http://www.earthtouchnews.com/wtf/m...-wolffish-is-not-a-fukushima-radiation-mutant
"How ugly was it, Johnny?"

 

[WWGD]

I was not up before the dawn, but I must be moving on. And waking up closer to the dawn.

 

[Enigman]

I saw it fall and shatter into the darkness.

 

[WWGD]

Back to disciplining myself and cutting down on caffeine late in the day. Discipline not my strongest suit. Wish I knew how to apply 20-80 law to studying, to all areas of my life, actually.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I was not up before the dawn, but I must be moving on. And waking up closer to the dawn.

I was not awake
Before the Dawn.
Yet now I must be moving on,
The sun's long rays
Are sharply drawn
And I,
I have to mow the lawn.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I saw it fall and shatter into the darkness.

I saw it fall and shatter
Into the darkness,
All the gore and splatter,
Evil and harshness,
Heaped upon the platter,
Like an old carcass
On the Earth did scatter
Ugly and artless.

 

[Astronuc]

This is what school administrators and principals should be doing.

Principals’ Door-to-Door Crusade to Bring Back School Dropouts
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/principals-door-to-door-crusade-to-bring-back-129296408032.html

Dropouts at Rudder High School may be gone from the hallways, but they’re not forgotten for a second. The six principals of the 1,600-student school in Bryan, Texas, go door-to-door twice a year, every year, to track down all of the kids who’ve stopped showing up for class and personally ask them to return.

Deep in the Heart of Texas, and on of my old roaming ranges, no less!Kudos to assistant principal Rachel Layton and her fellow staffers in the Bryan Independent School District!

 

[WWGD]

Just for the sake of variety, I would like to see a country without a capital city. Who says every country needs a capital city? EDIT: a "major" country ; I think Hong Kong and Singapore, which are more like city-states, and Vatican city, which is like a city block in size..

 

[HomogenousCow]

Just for the sake of variety, I would like to see a country without a capital city. Who says every country needs a capital city? EDIT: a "major" country ; I think Hong Kong and Singapore, which are more like city-states, and Vatican city, which is like a city block in size..

But that doesn't make sense, every country needs a place where the central government is physically present. Wherever that is would be the capital of said country.

 

[WWGD]

So put the central government in one city, why is it necessary to designate it as a capital city? Is the formality of naming it a capital city necessary? Or do we just mean, when we say " x is the capital city" that the central government is based at x? Specially today , with the communications revolution, it does not seem necessary to have so many institutions being physically in the same place. And weren't many cities designated as capitals before countries had any sort of centralized government? Of course I am just ranting and emptying the gutters of my mind, not intending to make any serious point.

 

[HomogenousCow]

So put the central government in one city, why is it necessary to designate it as a capital city? Is the formality of naming it a capital city necessary? Or do we just mean, when we say " x is the capital city" that the central government is based at x?

A capital city is usually defined as a municipality which houses the central government of a country. I'm not sure what you're getting at here, are you saying you don't like the word "capital" itself?

 

[WWGD]

A capital city is usually defined as a municipality which houses the central government of a country. I'm not sure what you're getting at here, are you saying you don't like the word "capital" itself?

I am just ranting, not trying to make any serious point, sorry.

 

[HomogenousCow]

And weren't many cities designated as capitals before countries had any sort of centralized government?

Hm well those cities may not have housed centralized governments of the modern sense, but every society has some kind of central leadership in place.

 

[Astronuc]

So put the central government in one city, why is it necessary to designate it as a capital city? Is the formality of naming it a capital city necessary? Or do we just mean, when we say " x is the capital city" that the central government is based at x? Specially today , with the communications revolution, it does not seem necessary to have so many institutions being physically in the same place. And weren't many cities designated as capitals before countries had any sort of centralized government? Of course I am just ranting and emptying the gutters of my mind, not intending to make any serious point.

Generally, the term 'capital city' refers to a city in which the head of state/province/territory or governor of a state has his or her administrative office, as well as the offices of the supporting staff, and the offices and deliberative chambers of the legislative branch, and I suppose the highest level court or judicial office in the nation or state.

I have not heard of capital city in reference to the principal administrative town of a county, but instead, the term is 'county seat'.

I suppose that the capital city in parliamentary nations is the city in which the parliament meets. I suppose the president and prime minister could have there offices in other locations, and I suppose the 'supreme' court could be located elsewhere as well. Off-hand, I don't know of examples, but then I'm not familiar with the details of each and every nation.

Edit -

A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of its respective government; the status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution. In some jurisdictions, including several countries, the different branches of government are located in different settlements. In some cases, a distinction is made between the official (constitutional) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city
Found some examples of unusual situations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city#Unusual_capital_city_arrangements

Then again, some refer to financial capitals of nations/states/provinces/territories/regions as distinct from government capitals.

 

[WWGD]

And you all expect me to spend a full couple of minutes looking it up before ranting for no reason? I spend too much time doing intense work and just wanted
to spout something absurd to change note.

 

[JorisL]

For some reason I always read HomogeneousCow as HumongousCow.
Should I see a doctor to check for dyslexia?

 

[Astronuc]

For some reason I always read HomogeneousCow as HumongousCow.
Should I see a doctor to check for dyslexia?

I think that is a sign of a creative mind. I do see Homogeneous, but sometime think of Humongous.

 

[lisab]

Just for the sake of variety, I would like to see a country without a capital city. Who says every country needs a capital city? EDIT: a "major" country ; I think Hong Kong and Singapore, which are more like city-states, and Vatican city, which is like a city block in size..

I think this could happen. Technically, I mean. It could happen.

But at this time, face to face meetings are more effective for communicating than the distance communication technologies that we have available to us now. It could be that our technology doesn't capture the nuances of human communication, or maybe users don't communicate the same way when they are using electronic means. Perhaps savvy users are hesitant to be completely relaxed and open because they believe that someone, somewhere is listening and/or recording.

But I don't think face-to-face communication is going to be replaced anytime soon.

 

[lisab]

For some reason I always read HomogeneousCow as HumongousCow.
Should I see a doctor to check for dyslexia?

Do you know the joke behind the name?

 

[HomogenousCow]

It's supposed to be a parody of the spherical cow joke.

 

[OmCheeto]

It's supposed to be a parody of the spherical cow joke.

Oh. I thought homogenous cows were where we got homogenous milk from.
Btw, I just found out that there are also spherical chickens. Someone mentioned them in the Reddit comment section of @klotza 's Insight article on Scaling Laws.
I plan on using one in my upcoming Insight article: "Why did the spherical chicken cross the road?"

 

[WWGD]

I think this could happen. Technically, I mean. It could happen.

But at this time, face to face meetings are more effective for communicating than the distance communication technologies that we have available to us now. It could be that our technology doesn't capture the nuances of human communication, or maybe users don't communicate the same way when they are using electronic means. Perhaps savvy users are hesitant to be completely relaxed and open because they believe that someone, somewhere is listening and/or recording.

But I don't think face-to-face communication is going to be replaced anytime soon.

Or, I just thought of a different possibility: many years into the future, a Libertarian candidate wins and dissolves government, leaving only a police force
to protect private property and an army against attacks by other countries in each municipality.

 

[WWGD]

: "Why did the spherical chicken cross the road?"

Someone thought it was a soccer ball and kicked it?