Nothing

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 26 May 2009 6:31 am

Paul Graupp wrote:I still don't know why some ancient thought one month should be shortest....

"Februarius had 28 days, until circa 450 BC when it had 23 or 24 days on some of every second year, until Julius when it had 29 days on every fourth year and 28 days otherwise."

For further details see..

http://www.crowl.org/Lawrence/time/months.html

The problem now is that to change the calendar would require the simultaneous approval of hundreds of nation states, not to mention the Airline industry. So, for now, we can do....
NOTHING.

As food for thought, the Russian word for Monday is (in our alphabet) PONEDELNIK, which means "DO NOTHING".

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 26 May 2009 6:52 am

So. having read all that I know what is happening but I still don't know yhw...

Regards, luaP

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 26 May 2009 8:41 am

Mr. Alan Brookes, I believe you have a selfish motive here for proposing that the year be modified to contain thirteen months.
When asked your age, you could then state a lower number, since the added month would lengthen the year, making
the collective number of years since your birth less.

But, isn't that just like an accountant, manipulating the figures to sponge out a distorted figure or undeserved profits (Re: Arthur Anderson)?

...just kidding of course!

And, don't worry about your age. It's nothing to jump off the Golden Gate bridge about.

Darryl Waltisperger · Post by **Darryl Waltisperger** » 30 May 2009 11:03 am

Nothing has been said here in four days????!!???

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 30 May 2009 2:27 pm

Actually, nothing has been said here for 686 days (and counting).

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 30 May 2009 5:15 pm

You'd think it wouldn't be that difficult to add to nothing...

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 30 May 2009 11:00 pm

Man, I've just delved into nothing ness for nothing. I still don't know nothing. Can somebody please explain it to me or does nothing mean nothing anymore?

PLEASE PASS THE PROZAC ?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 May 2009 10:32 am

Rick Collins wrote:...
When asked your age, you could then state a lower number, since the added month would lengthen the year, making the collective number of years since your birth less. ...

Unfortunately there's a flaw in that argument. The added month doesn't lengthen the year, since it still has 365 days, so the difference is....
NOTHING.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 2 Jun 2009 8:50 am

The added month doesn't lengthen the year, since it still has 365 days,

You are so right, Mr. Brookes.
...silly me, to think that would be close enough for accounting.

365 days? No, 365.25 is as far as I will bend.

I will accept 365.25, or better, or NOTHING for the twelve month year.

The thirteen month year is a good idea.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Jun 2009 5:06 pm

Well, I tell you what, Rick, on the last day of the year, which will be *Ündecimber 28th, we'll lengthen the day by 6 hours. That, of course will mean that on the clock we'll all jump forward by 6 hrs., which will last for a year. For the second year, we'll jump forward another 6 hrs. At that stage noon will be in the middle of the night. Then we'll jump forward another 6 hrs. the third year, and by the fourth year we'll be back on track, but one day further advanced. That will make up for your extra day each four years, and we won't need a leap year.

*(Ündecim is Latin for eleven, which would follow logically after Septem, Octem, Novem and Decem)

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 6 Jun 2009 5:48 am

After almost two years and 62 pages, this thread is dying !!

Are you just going to sit there and do gnihton about it ??

Regards Paul

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 6 Jun 2009 4:29 pm

Nothing cannot die. Since death is the absence of life, just as cold is the absence of heat, and dark is the absence of light, then nothing, being the absence of anything, is already devoid of life, and, hence, dead.

Archie Nicol · Post by **Archie Nicol** » 6 Jun 2009 4:45 pm

Here I sit with my bottom lip extended, gently strumming it with my index finger.

Gordon Brown.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 11 Jun 2009 5:55 pm

Archie, you've stumped everyone.

For the last five days....

NOTHING

James Collett · Post by **James Collett** » 11 Jun 2009 8:39 pm

Ladies and Gentlemen, time to put NOTHING to bed here- clearly NOTHING is going on in this topic...

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 19 Jun 2009 6:47 am

[1] Take two numbers and remember them.
[2] Subtract the second from the first.
[3] Add the two together.
[4] Multiply the answer from [2] by the answer from [3].
[5] Add the square of the second number.
[6] Deduct the square of the first number.

What is left ?

Archie Nicol · Post by **Archie Nicol** » 19 Jun 2009 6:54 am

What was step one, again?

Arch.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 19 Jun 2009 7:54 am

Alan Brookes wrote:What is left ?

It's the opposite of right.
Am I close?

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 19 Jun 2009 4:26 pm

Actually, left is the mirror image of right.

Don't worry, Rick. It was nothing.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 19 Jun 2009 8:52 pm

Richard Sevigny wrote:Actually, left is the mirror image of right...

...unless you don't have a mirror. $:\$

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 20 Jun 2009 4:20 am

But on the other hand....

James Collett · Post by **James Collett** » 20 Jun 2009 8:02 am

...You have the reciprocal of right, which, since right is a direction, means.... nothing

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 20 Jun 2009 9:52 am

Richard Sevigny wrote:Actually, left is the mirror image of right.

Don't worry, Rick. It was nothing.

Well, let me reflect on that:

The cobra gazes into the mirror exclaiming, "that guy looking back is the spitting-image of me".
But, when a half-asp snake talks, who really listens?

"Mirror image" assumes symmetry.
Could an asymmetric object have a left and a right side?

"Don't worry, Rick. It was nothing."
And I concur, heartily.

"DON'T TREAD ON ME"

Now, go over to the pull-up bar, Richard Sevigny, and give me 10 __ and I mean nice and slow.

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 20 Jun 2009 4:03 pm

Rick,

Check your hands. Left and right are mirror images, non superimposeable. The same yet different.

Your feet too. Even your face.

Nature is a mixture of symmetry and randomness. So is life for that matter.

Rick Collins wrote:give me 10 __ and I mean nice and slow

Sorry Sgt. Collins, nothing is gonna make me.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 21 Jun 2009 10:16 am

Alan Brookes wrote:[1] Take two numbers and remember them.
[2] Subtract the second from the first.
[3] Add the two together.
[4] Multiply the answer from [2] by the answer from [3].
[5] Add the square of the second number.
[6] Deduct the square of the first number.

What is left ?

Well, since no-one has jumped in on this one...

[1] Take two numbers and remember them.
Let them be x and y.
[2] Subtract the second from the first.
That gives x-y
[3] Add the two together.
That gives x+y
[4] Multiply the answer from [2] by the answer from [3].
That gives (x-y)(x+y), which equals x²-y²
[5] Add the square of the second number.
That gives x²-y²+y², which equals x²
[6] Deduct the square of the first number.
That gives x²-x², which equals
NOTHING.

It works with any number. Any time anyone poses one of those questions to you, use Algebra. At some stage they will always ask you to remove the number you first thought of, which allows them to make the final result anything they want it to be.