Old Sample Text

Again, from my old website:

...sample text, sample text...oh, I had the strangest conversation with my sister the other day. We were discussing the expression "I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my shoulders," because really, who wouldn't? And I was thinking, maybe I wouldn't. Afterall, my braid would make a pretty convenient handle - then I got the weirdest picture in my head, you know like those old monks who swing incense lanterns as they go? Well I was imagining this headless me walking along in monastic garb swinging my head by my braid...how's that for sample text?

...to test scrolling capabilities I need yet MORE sample text...hmmm...oh, the phrase "certain unalienable rights" comes from The Declaration of Independence, at least the version found in a little pamphlet called something like The American Citizen's Pocket Handbook, also in both text and picture versions in the World Book. That is also how most people will discuss it. However, I used to always quote an online version I found and it said "inalienable rights." Now get this: I looked up both "unalienable" and "inalienable" in 3 different dictionaries. One had both with independent definitions. One had both but "unalienable" tells you to see "inalienable." One had only "inalienable," and in all cases "inalienable" is the one that uses rights as the example. How weird is that?

While on the topic of things that don't make sense, let me just briefly mention significant figures. According the rules for sigfigs outlined in my HS Chemistry text, which covers more conditions than other references I've seen, there is an inherent incosistency. Basically, if you multiply a number such as 5.11 by exactly 2, you assume 3 sigfigs and your answer is 10.2. However, if you add this number to itself using the column method you can see that numbers are allowed to accumulate on the left thereby giving a different answer:

  5.11
+5.11
_____
10.22

Because multiplication is really just exalted addition, this shouldn't happen. Although this seems trivial, what if instead of multiplying by 2 you were multiplying by 1000? Ok - should see some scrolling now... Come to think of it, I coulda just resized the window...*blush*!