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On 5/29/2011 6:51, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> FWIW, my teachers also utterly failed to demonstrate that literature can be
> enjoyable.
My problem with many of those subjects is that nobody ever said why we'd
need to know that stuff. Why in the world do I need to read The Great
Gatsby? Or Macbeth? Now I know, and I regret not having actually read them
properly when I had the time to do so.
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
"Coding without comments is like
driving without turn signals."
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On 06/06/2011 04:27 PM, Darren New wrote:
> We're in a store. We're buying something that's $20, but 60% off. The
> clerk is taking *minutes* to try to figure out the price. She finally
> digs out a calculator, figures out the answer is 12, and then hopelessly
> says "But is that the discount, or the price?" My wife finally snaps and
> goes "It's 60%! It's more than half!"
Three words: Verizon math fail.
> So, yeah, I think you must have at some point memorized the
> multiplication tables and used them a bit to get a feeling for such things.
You don't need to memorise anything to be able to solve basic estimation
problems. You just need to *have* a frigging clue.
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On 06/06/2011 04:29 PM, Darren New wrote:
> On 5/29/2011 6:51, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> FWIW, my teachers also utterly failed to demonstrate that literature
>> can be
>> enjoyable.
>
> My problem with many of those subjects is that nobody ever said why we'd
> need to know that stuff. Why in the world do I need to read The Great
> Gatsby? Or Macbeth? Now I know, and I regret not having actually read
> them properly when I had the time to do so.
OK, I'll bite: Why the hell should anybody, anywhere, *ever* read Macbeth?
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On 06/06/2011 4:51 PM, Invisible wrote:
>
> OK, I'll bite: Why the hell should anybody, anywhere, *ever* read Macbeth?
So that they can memorise their lines to put on the play.
--
Regards
Stephen
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On 6/6/2011 8:51, Invisible wrote:
> OK, I'll bite: Why the hell should anybody, anywhere, *ever* read Macbeth?
Because it's full of words and expressions that are shortcut references to
entire sets of memes in educated society. Just like if someone truly ugly
walks past and I whistle the Wicked Witch of the West theme music, it brings
in a whole packet of memes and concepts which are incomprehensible if you
haven't watched the movie. If you hear something referred to as a "red shirt
assignment" in a military context, you'll have no idea what that means if
you're not familiar with Star Trek. If someone is complaining, and I tell
you "that's just sour grapes", you'll have no idea I'm telling you the same
thing as an "Ar Du" unless you were familiar with the literature of both
Grimm and China.
It's the same thing with shakespear and all those sorts of things. If I told
you he's got a scarlet letter on his chest, you wouldn't know what that
means different from having a scarlet letter on his mantelpiece unless
you're familiar with both those novels. It's just the educated man's way of
saying "African or European Swallow?"
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
"Coding without comments is like
driving without turn signals."
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>> OK, I'll bite: Why the hell should anybody, anywhere, *ever* read
>> Macbeth?
>
> So that they can memorise their lines to put on the play.
Well, that's why *I* read Macbeth. But that's a pretty stupid
justification...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On 06/06/2011 05:54 PM, Darren New wrote:
> On 6/6/2011 8:51, Invisible wrote:
>> OK, I'll bite: Why the hell should anybody, anywhere, *ever* read
>> Macbeth?
>
> Because it's full of words and expressions that are shortcut references
> to entire sets of memes in educated society.
So you need to read the entire play just to comprehend the one or two
vague references that anybody could explain to you in five seconds flat?
> Just like if someone truly
> ugly walks past and I whistle the Wicked Witch of the West theme music,
> it brings in a whole packet of memes and concepts which are
> incomprehensible if you haven't watched the movie.
I've watched that movie, and I wasn't even aware the Wicked Witch of the
West *had* a theme tune!
> It's just the educated man's way of saying "African or European Swallow?"
Required XKCD quote: http://xkcd.com/16/
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On 6/6/2011 11:33, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> So you need to read the entire play just to comprehend the one or two vague
> references that anybody could explain to you in five seconds flat?
Yes. Because that's not really understanding.
> I've watched that movie, and I wasn't even aware the Wicked Witch of the
> West *had* a theme tune!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kiXh8YOzk
Hint: So does Darth Vadar.
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
"Coding without comments is like
driving without turn signals."
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On 06/06/2011 08:54 PM, Darren New wrote:
> On 6/6/2011 11:33, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> So you need to read the entire play just to comprehend the one or two
>> vague
>> references that anybody could explain to you in five seconds flat?
>
> Yes. Because that's not really understanding.
Riiight. Because reading several hundred pages of dense prose written in
a language so archaic that you need an interpreter just to explain
what's actually happening is *so* much more enlightening than having
somebody actually explain to you what a specific phrase means?
>> I've watched that movie, and I wasn't even aware the Wicked Witch of the
>> West *had* a theme tune!
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kiXh8YOzk
I'm not denying that one exists, I'm saying it's not very memorable.
> Hint: So does Darth Vadar.
Well yes, /obviously/. The Imperial March, by John Williams. One of his
masterpieces. Everybody knows that...
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On 6/7/2011 1:00, Invisible wrote:
> Riiight. Because reading several hundred pages of dense prose written in a
> language so archaic that you need an interpreter just to explain what's
> actually happening is *so* much more enlightening than having somebody
> actually explain to you what a specific phrase means?
Yes.
> I'm not denying that one exists, I'm saying it's not very memorable.
i think opinions will differ on that.
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
"Coding without comments is like
driving without turn signals."
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