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[Sergarr]

So... how did you learn English then, if it's all tautological?

 

By learning the exact shape of circular structures that form it, of course!

 

[Rolan7]

I using basic principles to learn to spell, but it turns out English only has rules so it can break them
(On the plus side, now I'm a wizard)

[IronTomato]

MaximumZero cancels work: too crispy.

*catchy tune*
So tasty!

[i2amroy]

I using basic principles to learn to spell, but it turns out English only has rules so it can break them
(On the plus side, now I'm a wizard)

Hey, I'll take learning a single rule such as "add 's' to make something plural, or 'es' if it ends in an 's'" and then have to memorize a small handful of exceptions than learn 6 different rules for plural conjugations that then apply fairly differently to different words (and still have some exceptions of their own).

[miauw62]

Disabled man born of incestuous rape wins right to claim compensation.

I don't see how this is a bad thing.

This is of course quite a special case. But I can imagine the sort of stuff this might lead to. "Depressed teen sues mom for birthing him"

No, actually. The article explicitly states that you can only demand compensation if your problems are caused by a "violent crime".

[Neonivek]

I am being reminded of the terrible cartoon I watched mostly because I was bored and it seemed interesting and it was "Ever After High" in it the sons and daughters of fairytale characters are attending a highschool where basically their destiny is to follow the exact same route as their parents essentially making these stories follow out for eternity. Now don't actually watch this show because it is trite and basically is trying to sell toys but not in a "lets give them a good show anyway" sort of way.

Now the WTF I have is the more I think about SOME of the characters the more I kind of wish I could have a good competent author take them and write a book about them as simple as they might be.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sleeping Beauty, for example, is well aware of her destiny to sleep for 100 years and to be woken up by a Prince and live happily ever after. The personality they come up with is that she is sort of a mix between a party girl and a dare devil as she wants to enjoy her life to the fullest knowing that eventually she will have to go to sleep. She never really projects anything but excitement for her destiny and even tricks others, and possibly herself, into believing her wishing her well on finding her one true love. Then after an accident she is magically put to sleep, temporarily, and wakes up distraught thinking that everyone she loves and cares about is dead never once realizing what a huge sacrifice her destiny entails... She then becomes somewhat of a "villain" after this and plots against the characters backs.

And that is just one of the three interesting characters I found.

>_< I really REALLY got to start reading good books or something. Something juicy but it is so hard to find good books if you are out of the book loop.

[Amperzand]

I can recommend The Last Angel. Super neat sci to thing, available on the internet. Easy enough to find via google.

[Tack]

At my work we sit in a room for eight hours watching television and reading books.
We have a person turn up to our room and sit with us for half an hour so that it can be legally proven that we had a break.

What do you actually do?

They sit in a room for eight hours, watching television and reading books.

Yes, I noticed.  For what purpose?

I am on a government payroll for disability care.
We are required to be 'alert' through the night, along with doing some miscellaneous household cooking and cleaning, and of course any icky butt stuff should it come up (it usually doesn't)
So the main aspect of my job is to sit in the house for eight hours and go check out any noises which might mean someone is dying, or pooping.

Of course I realize that I'm getting grossly overpaid so that I can be a convenient scapegoat in the event of someone's death, but... well, I'm being grossly overpaid, so having my life ruined is sort of an acceptable risk.

[TheBiggerFish]

I can recommend The Last Angel. Super neat sci to thing, available on the internet. Easy enough to find via google.

I will ditto that so hard.  Amazing story.

@Tack:Ah.

[MrRoboto75]

>_< I really REALLY got to start reading good books or something. Something juicy but it is so hard to find good books if you are out of the book loop.

House of Leaves

Suspense/horror story about a house that is larger on the inside than the outside, that is told in a rather unorthodox way.  The main story is told in the form of a sort of documentary/analysis of a documentary film that was originally about the filmer's family moving into a new house, that end's up becoming something bigger.  There's also a side plot about the guy who finds the manuscript of the 'main plot' and his misadventures in trying to find out more about it and get it published.

[hops]

Odd isn't 1+1=2 by definition. How else would you formally define the 1st ten integers

That's circular reasoning; it doesn't hold. "1 + 1 = 2 because integers are defined that way. Integers are defined that way because 1 + 1 = 2."

I haven't read Principia Mathematica, so I can't tell what logic they used, though.

That's how logic works, though. You start with one assumption and then build everything else around it. Coincidentally, logic doesn't work completely in the real world, hence why philosophers aren't omniscient.

For example, I have an apple. It might not actually be an apple, but I'm assuming it is. Thus, I reason, I can eat it, since apples are edible. But actually, it's a car battery, so I die. My logic is sound, my information is not. Even if you try to prove that something is an apple you'll have to assume that some qualities are possessed by apples to begin to make sense.

[Egan_BW]

No reason to assume it would be the same!

[Tawa]

No reason to assume it would be different.

[ChairmanPoo]

Oompa loompa doompety da
If you're not greedy, you will go far
You will live in happiness too
Like the Oompa Loompa Doompety do

[Rolan7]

Well... math is universal.
I haven't studied logic recently, but the basics seem pretty universal too (mathematics)

Like apparently this is deductive reasoning:
    All men are mortal.
    Socrates is a man.
    Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

I think we can expect advanced alien races to be able to follow that logic, and be aware of prime numbers.