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28288. robertjayb - 11/3/2014 4:07:42 PM I didn't know that...
Web-geezer here (thanks Ms.No): Amid the noise about ISIS, ebola, and tea party loonies, I thoroughly enjoyed this letter in today's local rag. Indulge me.
The Queen's English still is important to some people
Herewith a bit of unsolicited geologic and petroleum engineering information prompted by the recent political cartoon of "porous borders," offered because the state of Texas is a significant player in the domestic production of oil and gas, where porosity is important.
The word "porous" as used regarding the flow of terrorists across national borders is not the right word and authors and political cartoonists who continue to use the term are unfortunately confusing porosity with permeability. Porosity is a measure of how much of a material is open space. Volcanic pumice is the ultimate example, having an average porosity close to 90 percent. Even though it's a rock, it floats on water. The numerous openings in it are not connected with one another, however, and, consequently, fluids cannot pass through it. It is highly porous, but completely impermeable.
What is meant therefore by continuing erroneous use of the term "porous," as in "porous borders," is actually "permeability," a measure of the ease with which a fluid (in this example, terrorists) can move through a substance. The proper term referring to the cross-boundary movement of terrorists is "permeable borders," not "porous borders."
There, no one asked and perhaps most don't even care, but they're welcome nevertheless. The proper use of the Queen's English is close to sacred in some peoples' books.
GORDON EATON
Yesss! "Call things by their right names" (George V. Higgins).
28289. Ms. No - 11/4/2014 5:16:43 PM Most excellent! 28290. judithathome - 11/4/2014 9:36:52 PM Hope you don't mind but I "lifted " your post and put it over in my forum's "Words" thread, with attribution to Gordon and "a friend at the Mote"...you are both heroes at my forum now! ;-) 28291. judithathome - 11/5/2014 1:00:47 AM We voted today...for all the good it will do. 28292. judithathome - 11/5/2014 1:03:56 AM And while I' m at it:
I voted today...I voted for a Democrat...mainly, I voted for a woman whom I think is a decent human being who thinks women should have control over their own bodies...a woman who had to make a difficult choice as a woman to abort a fetus which would have been born with severe brain deformities and had little chance to live...and for making that choice, a woman whose opponent chose to face that fact by dubbing her "Abortion Barbie".
To me, this was the entire election in a nutshell: do I vote for a compassionate human being or do I vote for a man who thinks the way he expresses himself when faced with a moral decision is to deride and ridicule the woman who had to make that heart-wrenching decision?
To me, today...in that voting booth...it wasn't even close.
28293. arkymalarky - 11/9/2014 6:09:08 PM brain workout: www.riddlex.com 28294. arkymalarky - 11/16/2014 12:19:46 AM I had an epiphany in the Walmart parking lot. One's IQ is inversely proportional to the size of one's SUV. 28295. arkymalarky - 11/16/2014 12:20:01 AM Inversely related 28296. arkymalarky - 11/16/2014 12:20:07 AM Inversely related 28297. iiibbb - 11/16/2014 4:17:20 AM but you're at a Walmart.... soooo.... 28298. arkymalarky - 11/16/2014 5:10:44 AM right....something always makes me break my boycott Walmart pledge. this time it was that the dollar store didn't have a curtain the right size for our bathroom window. where I live those were my only options on Saturday afternoon. 28299. robertjayb - 11/23/2014 1:28:44 AM I must be hallucinating from my cold meds. Arkansas leads Ole Miss 27 to zip going into the fourth period. Go Hogs! 28300. robertjayb - 11/23/2014 2:08:03 AM Final: Arkansas 30, Mississippi 0. Sooweee Pigs! 28301. arkymalarky - 11/23/2014 3:32:07 AM yayaya! We're at Mose's having Thanksgiving in Fayetteville, so everybody here is really excited! 28302. Ms. No - 11/27/2014 4:08:23 PM I'm in Houston with my folks, my bro and sil and bro's kids. While we are also waiting for news of my great aunt's passing --- she had another stroke and slipped into a coma last week at the age of 90 --- we are looking around and thinking how thankful we are for all our blessings.
Every year, the Mote makes my list. It's kind of like your pinkie toe. It's small and you don't really have to have it, but you'd miss it if it were gone and your life would be a little less complete.
Moties, however, are far more vital and I am very, truly thankful for my friends here both past and present. I hope that you all are well, and even if you are a non-murrican Motie, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 28303. arkymalarky - 11/27/2014 5:14:06 PM What a wonderful post, No! Made me tear up... That post and watching the Thanksgiving Parade... The way you describe the Mote is perfeect! I'm sorry about your aunt. I hope you and your family enjoy a restful and restorative Thanksgiving reunion. I'm going to mom and dads today. I'm very thankful to be able to do that still. we'll go to the nursing home to see Stan's mother.
I hope all my Motebuds fabulous wonderful safe holiday! 28304. alIstaIrcOnnOr - 11/27/2014 6:27:57 PM Thanksgiving. Happy. Have one.
Holiday. Yeah.
Actually, I just had one. Got back on Saturday night from ten days in Thailand. Friends had the excellent idea of getting married there : he from Germany, she from New Zealand. Thailand is more or less halfway, has a warm pleasant climate, nice beaches and is fairly cheap to hang out and party there (I guess we're neo-colonialist oppressors... but hey, we tipped well) 28305. arkymalarky - 11/27/2014 7:52:14 PM How cool! We're committed to go to a wedding in Thailand one day. She has to get a boyfriend first. But we'll have a lovely home to stay in and a wonderful cook who happens to be her dad , so I'm kind of ready for her to get a boyfriend. 28307. wabbit - 11/27/2014 11:36:31 PM Well said Ms. No, thank you! The Mote remains near and dear. I've made many good friends here, and lost a few, and value each and every one. I don't get to see you all as much as I would like, but we have this little room on the web to stay in touch, and I like it here far better than FB.
Happy Thanksgiving, one and all! 28308. iiibbb - 12/4/2014 5:14:46 PM My grant got renewed (in the $ millions) 3 more years and nice raise. Will also bolster my bid for the professorship job.
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