Merry Zamenhof Day!
Thu Dec 15, 2005 20:33 (UTC -5)I think I’m going to get a new recorder for Christmas. Yes, I may just be moving up from a rather nice stereo cassette recorder to a rather nice digital recorder. I have my eye set on the Fostex MR-8HD. I feel a bit giddy just thinking about it, but of course, the nagging details remain. (Specifically, how can I trim space off the beginning or end of a track? I suppose I could just do it on the computer. But maybe there won’t be enough noise for it to be a problem. Like, maybe the compressor could take care of it. That would be cool. But I doubt it. I’d probably have to do some editing on the computer.) I’ve looked at the PDF of the manual quite a bit, so I can start using it once I get it — if I get it. It’s $400, but I’d be willing to pay some of the price.
On this day in 1859, Dr. L. L. Zamenhof, the initiator of Esperanto, was born. Zamenhof Day (also called Esperanto Book Day) is the most widely celebrated day in the Esperanto world, but it’s generally limited to internal celebrations, like formal dinners held by local Esperanto clubs. But I decided that today would be as good a day as any other to make contact with others by promoting Esperanto a little bit at school. I wore two pins: one that said “Esperanto” and another that said “Salutojn el Usono” (“Greetings from the USA”). For anyone who asked about them (many people tried to pronounce “Salutojn el Usono”), I gave them two flyers — one with general information, and another with a small grammar and vocabulary. I managed to interest about three people, all friends.
This is a bold affirmation: We are in the digits of pi and live forever. If pi is a transcendental number, then the decimal places must continue infinitely. Therefore, the digits of pi contain — somewhere — numerical encodings of everything and everyone that has ever existed or ever will exist anywhere. Furthermore, each could be found an infinite number of times. Essentially, your DNA must be encoded somewhere, along with your thoughts (although these would be difficult to decode if they could even be encoded in the first place), experiences (ditto), the complete works of Shakespeare, and all your MP3s (imagine the record industry going after that!). Of course, this would be the case with any such number, including e, but pi intrigues people.
The house that MS Paint built (Flash animation). I can’t imagine spending a maddeningly long time on such a thing.
One year ago: “Now I’ve nearly been hit by a red ball that people are throwing around the classroom, so I’m out.”
3 comments
#1 by Peter: Fri Dec 16, 2005 16:08 (UTC -5)
Nobody has direct proof that pi is truely random (yet), so until someone can prove or disprove that pi has no pattern, than we cannot assume everything is encoded withen pi. However, if there is a pattern to the numbers it must be like the primes — very elusive.
#2 by Luke: Fri Dec 16, 2005 16:34 (UTC -5)
Alright! I’m all into that number thing. Aside from the number F-VE, Discordians also celebrate e-Day (if they feel like it). e-Day falls on 2/71 (24th May, Gregorian). According to a document that I made up, e-Day is to be celebrated with: “odd games, feats of strength and bad food.” “Feats of strength” was a piece by Dr. Shipe, I believe. Fun stuff.
#3 by Kunar: Fri Dec 16, 2005 19:37 (UTC -5)
Consider, however, that July 26th can be considered as a good alternative date for celebrating Esperanto books. On this day the first about Esperanto was published. It is called “la tago de la unua libro”. (Ok, the current version of the Wikipedia says it was published some days earlier.)