Comments on: Questions For Today

By: smokering

smokering — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:12:22 +0000

Well, shucks. That makes sense. I knew I didn’t marry you for your rippling musculature.

By: Helpdesk Man

Helpdesk Man — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:16:27 +0000

You don’t need a mnemonic device to remember the difference between infra and supralapsarianism. You just need to know what “lapsarian” means, and what “infra” and “supra” refer to in that regard.

“Lapsarian” is, you know, the lapse. That Adam and Eve had.

“Infra” and “supra” refer to the logical order of God’s decree of salvation with regard to said lapse. Infralapsarianism holds that God, before creating, saw that Adam and Eve would fall, and decided to create anyway and then implement a plan of redemption. Thus, the plan of redemption comes logically below (infra or sub) God’s apprehension of the fall (it is a response to the foreseen fall). Supralapsarianism holds, far more logically, that God’s goal in creation was redemption, and so the plan of salvation comes logically above (supra or super) the fall—the fall serving to facilitate that very plan.

I don’t think a mnemonic device is going to help you here, Tiny Smokey.

By: Betty Scandretti

Betty Scandretti — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:53:32 +0000

I remember “It’s fun to practICE on ICE”, but I can’t recall what lesson it was supposed to teach, and I think it was American. My spellchecker changed all my practises to practices when I was writing my thesis, and Mike kept changing them back, so perhaps I have blocked it out to avoid feeling picked on.

By: AprilElf

AprilElf — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:28:18 +0000

‘The train is stationary at the station’ - is what I’ve always used.

I don’t use ‘practise’ because I’m never sure about the difference, but I should if I am practising the cello and don’t wish to be American.

Considering I’d never heard of the terms infra- and supralapsarianism before, I can’t suggest anything there.

By: Mother

Mother — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:02:54 +0000

Very interesting on the stationery/stationary front. Do you have a similar method for practise/practice? I find myself hesitating at this one of late, and am not sure whether to be worried or not. I suppose the brain cells start to Go Off from about now, but it would be sad if the spelling ones went too soon - they were always some of my better ones.

By: smokering

smokering — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:55:39 +0000

Miriam: It goes blackish and adhesive on the bottom, that much I know. I don’t know what happens to the rest of it, because I only discovered it due to Helpdesk Man bursting into the bathroom with a look of woe. By the time I got out it was soaking in the sink. But I made another batch, and it was All OK, except that I now have four stray eggwhites to use up.

Deb: Chickpeas are my nemeses (nemesises) in that regard. Although I did just discover that putting a bit of oil into the cooking water prevents them foaming up into that really unpleasant froth. Only took me ten years to figure that one out, and by “figure it out” I mean “read it online and go Ooo”.

Maybe I should just give up and define myself as a superlapsarian. As in, I’m not quite sure what I believe, but it’s awesome.

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:38:08 +0000

I can’t even tell you how many pans I’ve burned up this year, not due to custard but to beans. I’m down to the final three, it’s becoming tiresome.

I learned the stationery/stationary thing by remembering that stationAry and stAnding are synonyms.

As for the infra-, supra-, and sub- I have no idea. I haven’t had enough coffee yet to deal with something on that level.

By: Miriam

Miriam — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:36:17 +0000

I learned the “E for envelope” thing at Polytech, thought “gosh, that doesn’t even rhyme, why would that help you remember?” and have remembered it ever since.

Also, St PauL’s Cathedral is in London, and St PeteR’s is in Rome. Never used to be able to remember that one.

What happens to custard when it is cooked so much? Does it go thicker and thicker until it is brick-like? Or does it spontaneously combust?