Musings on Random Musings

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Why? Roman numerals were less logical than the arabian/indian position system.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

... Silly Americans and their backwards date writing method ...

 

Agree.

 

At least we drive on the *right* side of the road.

 

Month-Day-Year makes no sense. It's like alphabetizing b-a-c - It's bacwards! Day-Month-Year follows a natural' date=' logical progression. 11/01/10[/quote']

 

Maybe you meant "bcawards"? But yeah, it would seem that way. On my home PC I have it set up so files that get datestamped get Year-Month-Day.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

but logic is never guaranteed in cultural norms' date=' otherwise we would still be using Roman Numerals.[/quote']

 

Please illustrate by dividing CLXXXVIII by IV, using long division.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Please illustrate by diving CLXXXVIII by IV' date=' using long division.[/quote']

 

thank you for making my point, well illustrating it.

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

That didn't seem to be the point you were making, if you weren't being ironic or something.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

That didn't seem to be the point you were making' date=' if you weren't being ironic or something.[/quote']

 

Oh it was the point I was making. Steve just illustrating how illogical it would be to use arbitrary letters -- that is Roman Numerals -- to as Steve says divide "CLXXXVIII by IV" by long division.

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

but logic is never guarenteed in cultural norms' date=' otherside we would still be using Roman Numerals.[/quote']As I read this statement, it means "the logical thing to do would be to have retained the roman numerals." I can't see it any other way.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

As I read this statement' date=' it means "the logical thing to do would be to have retained the roman numerals." I can't see it any other way.[/quote']

 

Roman Numerals ain't logical.

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Then why did you say they were?

[teh bunneh]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'm with Marcus on this.

[Narf the Mouse]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Possibly, he was being sarcastic.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Then why did you say they were?

 

that is the thing, I never said that. I understand now that there was miscommunication, as I didn't communicate my thoughts clearly.

 

Possibly' date=' he was being sarcastic.[/quote']

 

No I wasn't.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Liar!

[Lucius]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Let me try.

 

What Bazza said was

 

 

but logic is never guarenteed in cultural norms' date=' otherside we would still be using Roman Numerals.[/quote']

 

 

What he meant to express was

 

IF logic were guaranteed in cultural norms,

 

THEN, Roman Numerals (a cultural norm) would be logical, and

 

THEREFORE, because they were already logical, there would be no need to replace them with a more logical system, and

 

THEREFORE, we would still be using them.

 

 

However, the fact of the matter

 

IS, that Roman Numerals are no longer in use,

 

BECUASE they have been replaced with a more logical alternative, which

 

PROVES that they were not logical to begin with, and thus

 

PROVES that cultural norms are not guaranteed to be logical.

 

 

Bazza is not being sarcastic or deliberately difficult. He is being confusing, but not because he is confused, in my opinion.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I could never have done that without a palindromedary

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

The two posts were:

You see? So much more logical.

 

but logic is never guarenteed in cultural norms' date=' otherside we would still be using Roman Numerals.[/quote']

 

Let me try answering again

 

We were discussing the format of the date and the order it is represented; yyyy/mm/dd being logicial (IMO) because it has an internal consistency. Aussies (and I presume the British too) use dd/mm/yyyy whist Americans use mm/dd/yyyy which I find illogical because the day is the shortest unit, then the month followed by the year; and reading the American date format the order is not consistent--day followed by month followed by year.

 

Also the format of the date is a cultural norm, Americans are used to their date format as Aussies are used to theirs. Which is right? Well truth be told, neither and both. It would be like arguing the cultural/social differences between the Australian system of government compared to the American system of government. Both are normal within their nation. Hence the point of what I was trying to say that these cultural norms are developed independently of logical clarity. addendem: not that we should be using cultural norms from the olden days.

 

My use of Roman Numerals was to illustrate my point, the first part of my post above with an example, as I find Roman Numerals to be largely illogical. I could have equally have used hieroglyphics. From the viewpoint of this citizen of the 21st century, Roman Numerals and hieroglyphics have a sense of arbitrariness to them and if they were both reintroduced into the 21st century both these cultural norms of yesteryear would fail I think due to most people finding them illogical in day-to-day use.

 

 

So, logic is never guaranteed in cultural norms, otherwise we would still be using Roman Numerals today, which I find illogical and I'm sure most people today would agree if they were to use them daily. Ditto for hieroglyphics.

 

Better?

 

Though I'd still like to learn hieroglyphics.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Ah. Better. IMO A similar example to your Roman Numberals would be the English Measurement System (IIRC no longer used in England, just here in the States). At least our military uses Metric (AFAIK).

[Old Man]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Ah. Better. IMO A similar example to your Roman Numberals would be the English Measurement System (IIRC no longer used in England' date=' just here in the States). At least our military uses Metric (AFAIK).[/quote']

 

Mostly. I think Imperial tools are still required though.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Ah. Better. IMO A similar example to your Roman Numberals would be the English Measurement System (IIRC no longer used in England' date=' just here in the States). At least our military uses Metric (AFAIK).[/quote']

 

I can see that, leagues, furlongs and rods are largely depreciated. Though I think there may be an internal consistency within the imperial measure that we have forgotten about hence this seemingly bizarre units of measure have an internal logic.

[tkdguy]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Though I'd still like to learn hieroglyphics.

 

Here you go.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I can see that' date=' leagues, furlongs and rods are largely depreciated. Though I think there may be an internal consistency within the imperial measure that we have forgotten about hence this seemingly bizarre units of measure have an internal logic.[/quote']

 

They do.

 

ask a Mason about it sometime

 

if they actually know, that is...

the old system had a lot to do with architecture of the age

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

 

I could never have done that without a palindromedary

 

The palindromedary doesn't like it both ways?

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

They do.

 

ask a Mason about it sometime

 

if they actually know, that is...

the old system had a lot to do with architecture of the age

Thanks for the confirmation.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

They do.

 

ask a Mason about it sometime

 

if they actually know, that is...

the old system had a lot to do with architecture of the age

 

I am no expert, but IIRC the length of one inch was defined as the length of the middle segment of the King's middle finger, and a foot was litteraly the length of the king's foot. An Acre (IIRC) derived from how much land a peasant could till in one day with an ox. So IMO it wasn't just from architecture, but also from the Feudal style of government.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I don't like the current way you go to new posts on subscribed threads.

 

Old Way: E-mail notice is sent, You click on the link and are taken to the first new post.

 

New way: You click the link and are taken to the top of the last page, where you have to click on the "First New Post" Button to go to the first new post.

 

Why the change? All it adds is another step to the process, and the board still has to mark the first unread post anyway.

 

Agreed, it is a bit more cumbersome. For a while the "go to first new post" button actually *did* what its name says. Now its just false advertising.

 

 

I just had this really bizarre idea. Instead of putting a teabag into a cup of boiling water (apologies to all UK residents; I'm American)' date=' how about putting into a cup of hot milk? I'm curious, but I'm not sure I should try it.[/quote']

 

Tea + Milk =

[Lucius]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

 

 

Tea + Milk =

 

I believe in the UK it is common to put milk in one's tea, just as in America we commonly put milk in coffee.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary thinks the proposal is to just use hot mllk to make the tea, and eliminate the water entirely.