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Comment Re:Of all the things to hide under floorboards.... (Score 1) 177

He also confuseth a manner with a manor, and hath invented a hitherto unknown device which he calleth a "baffoon." Perhaps it is the bladder of an animal, inflated in a foolish manner (or in a foolish manor).

But on a hot summer day, who among us would not impulsively purchase a delicious Whimsicle®?

Comment Re:Philosophy is fundamental (Score 1) 515

Ah, fair enough. I should be more circumspect when making sweeping exclusions of usage. This means, of course, that one can throw a javelin wide, and GGGP's claim is still wrong, and so is mine.

Hmmm... if we're allowed to set porkchop = 7, then we can (sort of) answer both questions. But we still won't know what the answers mean.

Comment Re:Philosophy is fundamental (Score 1) 515

Agreed (although there are multiple notions of dimensionality at play here). The trajectory of a thrown javelin can be regarded as one-dimensional for many purposes, but if we look closely enough we find that the javelin itself has width. Even if we neglect its width, it has length; and as its velocity is generally not exactly parallel to its axis, it will sweep out a two-dimensional surface as it flies.

To say, as GP does, that the trajectory of a thrown javelin is "inherently ... one-dimensional" is to regard the simplest approximation as more fundamental than the physical reality -- i.e. confusing the map for the territory.

In my book, the reason why one cannot throw a javelin wide is much simpler: "wide" is not an adverb that can meaningfully modify the verb "throw".

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"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell

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