Happy Easter!!

[AvGalen]

I disagree. If I ask someone for his day of birth I think it would be best if he gave the most important information (year) first.
If you tell me how many miles your car has I don't really care about the details 50000 (would be an ok answer), same goes for your salary, etc.

 

[Dene]

That's interesting. How is it done in Dutch? Certainly giving year first seems unnatural to me. Maybe it's just me, or just a New Zealand thing.

 

[AvGalen]

Me: 1976 (YYYY)
Most Dutch: 5 juli 1976 (d mmm YYYY)
Most English (as I learned): July 5 1976 (mmm d YYYY)

 

[abbracadiabra]

Is that your birthday, Arnaud?

You are exactly 10 years older than my middle son. He was born July 5, 1986.

What you say about time-date format makes sense - however, until you said it I never noticed that our way of doing it is inside out and backwards.

 

[Lucas Garron]

Me: 1976 (YYYY)
Most Dutch: 5 juli 1976 (d mmm YYYY)
Most English (as I learned): July 5 1976 (mmm d YYYY)

This gets very annoying in America (especially since it doesn't make sense to switch from a logical system to an illogical one)...
Now I sign every document with something like "Mar. 26, 2008"

 

[AvGalen]

Yes, that is my day of birth. But most people don't seem to believe I am actually this old which is both an advantage and a disadvantage when I meet women. I met a nice girl that I thought was 28 and she thought I was 26. She turned out to be 24 and that difference (not the actual age)was just to much for the both of us.

And I think it is so weird that things you use everyday become "default" and thoughtless. Another example is 88
In English: Eighty Eight (big, small)
In Dutch: Achtentachtig which means Eight and Eighty (small, big)
In German: Same as Dutch
In French: Quatrevingthuit which means 4 times 20 and 8

 

[Dene]

Well, when it comes to actually verbalising numbers, definitely the best systems are the ones without new words for numbers over 10 (excluding 100/1,000/1,000,000 etc). Japanese is a perfect example. Eg. 24 (twenty four) is said "ni jyu yon" as in, 2 10 4, or two tens plus four. I assume it is the same as your French example, although I'm not sure if it is so explicit in French. It was shown in Psychology tests that children brought up with this sort of system were much more efficient early age at basic mathematics, and were also much more efficient with an abacus.

 

[shelley]

The French counting system is weird. I guess it's like the English score (e.g. four score and seven), except nobody uses score anymore except when waxing poetic. And in French the base 20 thing only happens after 60.

Arnaud, I would have thought you were in the mid-20s. But then everyone thinks I'm still in high school so I know where you're coming from.

 

[alexc]

Wow, this thread has gone from happy easter to an arguement concerning easter to ways to write the date to how silly english is and which side of the road everyone drives on! lol!!!

 

[FlowingRiver94]

Wow, this thread has gone from happy easter to an arguement concerning easter to ways to write the date to how silly english is and which side of the road everyone drives on! lol!!!

And don't forget politics....

 

[alexc]

Wow, this thread has gone from happy easter to an arguement concerning easter to ways to write the date to how silly english is and which side of the road everyone drives on! lol!!!

And don't forget politics....

Oh yes that too!!!!

 

[robertpauljr]

I was browsing through some posts by one of the members and the Happy Easter post caught my attention.
1. Easter: May you have a Happy Day, regardless of your belief system! I am a Christian, but doesn't that mean I believe that God loves everyone in the world and wants me to wish everyone well?
2. Frustration over unpleasant events caused by other people: Even as a Christian, I have had some really big anger issues. Especially driving in traffic. Doesn't everyone know that they are all supposed to yield to me??? Seriously, the way I have responded at times makes it seem like I really think that. Not so much any more though. I thank God for any improvements there have been in my outlook on traffic and life in general. I really think that Bible reading and prayer make a difference in my life. I don't mean going to church to say prayers. I mean praying for other drivers during the long commute to and from work. My Christianity isn't so much a church thing, as it is a daily walk thing. I only wish I were more consistent in my walk with God.
3. Politics: no comment.
4. Measurement systems: I have grown up on Letter size paper. I have had a wee taste of A4 paper. I want I want I want. I am working on a little booklet about solving the Rubik's Cube. I am printing it 2 pages per sheet. On Letter size paper, the common paper here in the US, I get these huge top and bottom margins. I think it would work a lot better using A4 paper. Why don't we use A4 paper here? I looked at Staples.com and Amazon.com and it is available. Our printers and software supports it. I'm going to have to get some and try it out. And I like how it is the same proportion folded in half as it is not folded. That sure isn't the case with 8.5 by 11.

 

[hawkmp4]

Erm...
Why did you just dig up a 4 1/2 month old thread?