"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 7 Jul 2015 12:46:35 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 7 Jul 2015 06:31:27 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
m...
On Mon, 6 Jul 2015 21:33:55 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
newsm8mpatb19j9he6ng86hjpenhj4mlh569b@4ax. com...
On Tue, 07 Jul 2015 07:42:19 +0700, John B.
wrote:
I think the best thing to say about it at this point is that
you
and
Jim are good examples of why I got out of engineering school
after
two
years. g I'll leave you to judge that, but the accurate
thing
is
that I didn't like the mechanistic perspective.
Did you do quick-draws with your log-log duplex decitrig slide
rules
in the hallway? Seeing that was the thing that pushed me over
the
top.
d8-)
It's a different world view. And it is consuming. And it is
inherently, irredeemably reductive.
I'm thankful that I can get a thrill out of the whole idea.
--
Ed Huntress
You scorn when I quote hard science, and equally when I quote
epic
poetry. Where is your little comfort zone in between them?
I don't think I've scorned any genuine, hard science. I don't
recall
your quotes of epic poetry. Although I enjoy some of the great
epic
poems, I would not, personally, quote any of them to make a
point
of
any kind I can think of.
If you've noticed, 90% of what I scorn is scornfulness.
--
Ed Huntress
On 6/15/2015 at 10:38PM you responded:
/*
These were once considered appropriate for the 6th grade:
http://www.bartleby.com/360/7/158.html
"Appropriate" for what? Background noise?
*/
That wasn't scorn for "Horatius at the Bridge." That was scorn for
the
idea that it was "appropriate" for the 6th grade -- ever.
--
Ed Huntress
We read it in 6th or 7th grade and then had a reasonably intelligent
discussion of a sense of duty to one's country or its politicians.
I'll surmise that it required a lot of background reading:
---------------------------------
And plainly and more plainly
Now might the burghers know,
By port and vest, by horse and crest,
Each warlike Lucumo:
There Cilnius of Arretium
On his fleet roan was seen;
And Astur of the fourfold shield,
Girt with the brand none else may wield;
Tolumnius with the belt of gold,
And dark Verbenna from the hold
By reedy Thrasymene.
--------------------------------
We
had been following and writing essays on the Cold War current events
of the 1950's and had a fair idea of what a soldier might have to
do,
like invade a bikini-filled beach in Lebanon or bail out over
Russia.
In 7th grade I was reading Roman history in Latin.
-jsw
The teacher answered any questions. IIRC the fight made us forget the
preliminary details.
I had more trouble with "The Enemy Below" because I didn't know terms
like Depth Charge and Diving Plane. In the book a front diving plane
slices into the destroyer below the waterline as they collide. In the
real battle a large wave dropped the USS Borie onto the U-405.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Borie_(DD-215)
"This was a unique battle: unlike most other modern naval battles, it
was decided by ramming and small arms fire at extremely close range."
-jsw