Comments on: The Return of the Three Card Monte http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/ A Folder's Intermittent Weblog Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:24:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: oschene http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-288 oschene Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:08:20 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-288 I love Fowler, but he was very much a Brit and is rather deader than Jacob Marley. It is important not to confuse what the British speak with the English language. Scientism can mean many things - here, I am referring to the superstitious use of scientific conventions in places where they don't belong. Scientists prefer the metric system because it makes large calculations easier for them. Why should this preference be used to determine the size of a beer or the dimensions of letter paper? Most scientists like vanilla ice cream, but that doesn't make vanilla more scientific than chocolate. I love Fowler, but he was very much a Brit and is rather deader than Jacob Marley. It is important not to confuse what the British speak with the English language.

Scientism can mean many things – here, I am referring to the superstitious use of scientific conventions in places where they don’t belong. Scientists prefer the metric system because it makes large calculations easier for them. Why should this preference be used to determine the size of a beer or the dimensions of letter paper? Most scientists like vanilla ice cream, but that doesn’t make vanilla more scientific than chocolate.

]]> By: MPB http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-287 MPB Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:08:26 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-287 "faux scientism" I favor genuine scientism-- according to Fowler's Guide Modern English Usage (which is no longer modern and I think it actually spoke American) -- scientism is to be dressed in the guise of science; it isn't anti-science but fake science (except to those who practice it.) “faux scientism”

I favor genuine scientism– according to Fowler’s Guide Modern English Usage (which is no longer modern and I think it actually spoke American) — scientism is to be dressed in the guise of science; it isn’t anti-science but fake science (except to those who practice it.)

]]> By: oschene http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-286 oschene Sat, 15 Apr 2006 15:04:45 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-286 Oh, Mélisande, one can not hope to read English with a dictionary that measures in centimeters...and one would have to translate my writing into English first, anyway. Eric gently hints that I abuse my readers with political ranting and verbal pyrotechnics. He is, of course, correct, but he's also too far away to prevent my capering. As I'm sure you've noticed, Modern English makes very little use of the subjunctive and makes less use of it as time goes on. There are some relics of the past floating around, phrases such as, "Come Hell or high water, I will do thus and so." or "God willing and the creek don't rise, I will do thus and so." Our ancestors had very rudimentary flood control, I suspect. I was substituting hamsters (a delightful Levantine rodent) for water, merely for alliterative effect and because it's a nice image. Our Cowboy-in-Chief should use the subjunctive more, since almost everything he says is contrary to fact. Oh, Mélisande, one can not hope to read English with a dictionary that measures in centimeters…and one would have to translate my writing into English first, anyway.

Eric gently hints that I abuse my readers with political ranting and verbal pyrotechnics. He is, of course, correct, but he’s also too far away to prevent my capering.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Modern English makes very little use of the subjunctive and makes less use of it as time goes on. There are some relics of the past floating around, phrases such as, “Come Hell or high water, I will do thus and so.” or “God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will do thus and so.” Our ancestors had very rudimentary flood control, I suspect. I was substituting hamsters (a delightful Levantine rodent) for water, merely for alliterative effect and because it’s a nice image.

Our Cowboy-in-Chief should use the subjunctive more, since almost everything he says is contrary to fact.

]]> By: Mélisande http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-285 Mélisande Sat, 15 Apr 2006 14:04:05 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-285 I do of course want to be an absolute hell on automatic translation tools ! They can't recognize which language they are reading ; french-french translation via english-french plugin is absolutely hilarious... Don't worry about international readers, they know some intellectual gymnastics aren't harmful. Maybe it is old-fashioned to believe that human brain is better than the most sophisticated algorithms, but I'm not ready to abjure this opinion. Your Chief-cowboy launched Iraqi war II because he read they have dangerous secret weapons, but now he can't find a proof of that. All this mess perhaps because iraqi words for "canned food plant" were babelfished into "chemical weapons" ? Go figure... May I humbly ask to be explained the meaning of "hell or high hamsters" ? My 10 cm thick dictionnary is of no help, thanks. I do of course want to be an absolute hell on automatic translation tools ! They can’t recognize which language they are reading ; french-french translation via english-french plugin is absolutely hilarious…
Don’t worry about international readers, they know some intellectual gymnastics aren’t harmful.

Maybe it is old-fashioned to believe that human brain is better than the most sophisticated algorithms, but I’m not ready to abjure this opinion.

Your Chief-cowboy launched Iraqi war II because he read they have dangerous secret weapons, but now he can’t find a proof of that. All this mess perhaps because iraqi words for “canned food plant” were babelfished into “chemical weapons” ? Go figure…

May I humbly ask to be explained the meaning of “hell or high hamsters” ? My 10 cm thick dictionnary is of no help, thanks.

]]> By: oschene http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-284 oschene Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:04:42 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-284 Well, hell or high hamsters. But we're dealing with a system that renders the simple English "Ah" into ampere-hours. Most of written communication is noise. I'm hoping the signal will get through in spite of the babelfish. The pictoral approach is, I think, a good one, especially if you can draw lines on the photos. The next one I'm doing will actually have x-ray visions or dream sequences. Well, hell or high hamsters.

But we’re dealing with a system that renders the simple English “Ah” into ampere-hours. Most of written communication is noise. I’m hoping the signal will get through in spite of the babelfish.

The pictoral approach is, I think, a good one, especially if you can draw lines on the photos. The next one I’m doing will actually have x-ray visions or dream sequences.

]]> By: Eric Gjerde http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Eric Gjerde Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:04:03 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-277 I love your witty phrasing but I have to imagine that you are absolute hell on automated translation tools. my pity goes out to international readers trying to decipher your pages :) (and thank you for the pictorial steps to the design, it was very helpful!) I love your witty phrasing but I have to imagine that you are absolute hell on automated translation tools.

my pity goes out to international readers trying to decipher your pages :)

(and thank you for the pictorial steps to the design, it was very helpful!)

]]> By: Mélisande http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-282 Mélisande Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:04:51 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-282 Oschene, the endpoint was printing the original size CP on US letter, not on A4 ; Folded from A4, tabs on sides are too narrow, doesn't hold well. Oschene, the endpoint was printing the original size CP on US letter, not on A4 ; Folded from A4, tabs on sides are too narrow, doesn’t hold well.

]]> By: oschene http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-283 oschene Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:04:22 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-283 Ooh, gotcha. At one point, I did make one of these from A4, but by switching the orientation, folding it landscape instead of portrait. You end up with four pockets, I think. Not elegant. Ooh, gotcha.

At one point, I did make one of these from A4, but by switching the orientation, folding it landscape instead of portrait. You end up with four pockets, I think. Not elegant.

]]> By: oschene http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-281 oschene Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:04:32 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-281 Not even Robespierre and his terrorist band of surveyors and philosophes could change a man's shirt size, although I'm sure they tried. <em>Comme disait mon vieux</em>, Protagoras, "Man is the measure of all things." I am content to measure out my days by the King's foot. But not the foot of the King of the Cowboy Dunces. One must have some standards. When I print out A4 PDFs, I can stop them from shrinking to 11 inches in the printer dialog. Does it not work the other way around? Notwithstanding, you've had some lovely <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/melisande-origami/126378209/" rel="nofollow">results</a>. Not even Robespierre and his terrorist band of surveyors and philosophes could change a man’s shirt size, although I’m sure they tried. Comme disait mon vieux, Protagoras, “Man is the measure of all things.” I am content to measure out my days by the King’s foot. But not the foot of the King of the Cowboy Dunces. One must have some standards.

When I print out A4 PDFs, I can stop them from shrinking to 11 inches in the printer dialog. Does it not work the other way around?

Notwithstanding, you’ve had some lovely results.

]]> By: Mélisande http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Mélisande Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:04:35 +0000 http://origami.oschene.com/2006/04/08/the-return-of-the-three-card-monte/#comment-280 You King of Twelves do not make life easier to us poor slaves of the metric system ! When automatically shrunk to A4 by my printer, your CP was too narrow for cards to fit in. Then I cut a US letter out of a paper roll and gave it to the printer ; even asked politely, this plugged device did not want to eat the US letter, thinking it was dangerous for its mental health... So I needed to redraw the CP myself, it wasn't really over my head. La morale de cette histoire : we are struggling with various paper formats, but when it's about money, cards are standardized... Geld über alles, ja, leider ! It's a fallen world, hopelessly. My husband tried, the wallet fits perfectly in his shirt's pocket : another standardized item ! (I mean pockets of course, men I hope not and never). You King of Twelves do not make life easier to us poor slaves of the metric system !
When automatically shrunk to A4 by my printer, your CP was too narrow for cards to fit in. Then I cut a US letter out of a paper roll and gave it to the printer ; even asked politely, this plugged device did not want to eat the US letter, thinking it was dangerous for its mental health…
So I needed to redraw the CP myself, it wasn’t really over my head.

La morale de cette histoire : we are struggling with various paper formats, but when it’s about money, cards are standardized…
Geld über alles, ja, leider ! It’s a fallen world, hopelessly.

My husband tried, the wallet fits perfectly in his shirt’s pocket : another standardized item ! (I mean pockets of course, men I hope not and never).

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