Attainable vs Achievable

Duckk wrote:My policy has been to let discussions run their course in the hopes that it will self correct. I don't want to stifle good discussion. That said, I agree things have been taking a turn for the worse lately, so I will be more...proactive when I see aggressive posts.

Thank you, Duckk.

Duckk wrote:My policy has been to let discussions run their course in the hopes that it will self correct. I don't want to stifle good discussion. That said, I agree things have been taking a turn for the worse lately, so I will be more...proactive when I see aggressive posts.

So... less excuses to break out the popcorn then...

My family always had a rule for arguments, the first one to use actual insults lost.
Darn good training in mental self-control and analysis. Almost as good as the pun-wars (where you weren't allowed to re-use a base pun, so if someone used egg-streme, things like egg-sactly couldn't be used. You could say it was no yolk-ing matter!)

Ours is of the opinion that the best, most inventive insult wins.....


no fun just suggesting incest, you have to make notes about a drunk goat in the family tree or something.... makes it much more interesting to listen to.

Michael Everett wrote:

Duckk wrote:My policy has been to let discussions run their course in the hopes that it will self correct. I don't want to stifle good discussion. That said, I agree things have been taking a turn for the worse lately, so I will be more...proactive when I see aggressive posts.

So... less excuses to break out the popcorn then...

My family always had a rule for arguments, the first one to use actual insults lost.
Darn good training in mental self-control and analysis. Almost as good as the pun-wars (where you weren't allowed to re-use a base pun, so if someone used egg-streme, things like egg-sactly couldn't be used. You could say it was no yolk-ing matter!)

I for one totally understand the vitrol: it is born of frustration. We come up with fantastic ideas for new equipment and all and Duckk and/or RFC shoots them down with no quarter given. We want to get onto reading the next books and RFC doesn't get them published tomorrow which is a day after we want them. He's probably off doing totally unnecessary things like eating and sleeping

Now I suppose that while a totally idiotic person could vent his or her spleen on the two causes of our frustration, a sane Lt. Commander, Ensign, or Fleet Admiral isn't going to step into that. Not even a slightly insane Lt. Commander isn't going to bring down the wrath of the moderator and First Lord.

So who else is there but each other? I am actually amazed by the actual restraint shown by everyone and it makes me try hard to follow their good examples

Reader Bob wrote:I for one totally understand the vitrol: it is born of frustration. We come up with fantastic ideas for new equipment and all and Duckk and/or RFC shoots them down with no quarter given. We want to get onto reading the next books and RFC doesn't get them published tomorrow which is a day after we want them. He's probably off doing totally unnecessary things like eating and sleeping

Now I suppose that while a totally idiotic person could vent his or her spleen on the two causes of our frustration, a sane Lt. Commander, Ensign, or Fleet Admiral isn't going to step into that. Not even a slightly insane Lt. Commander isn't going to bring down the wrath of the moderator and First Lord.

So who else is there but each other? I am actually amazed by the actual restraint shown by everyone and it makes me try hard to follow their good examples

I used to be impatient about the next coming title as well, until I read this. It gives me much more understanding about the seemingly insurmountable odds of which our illustrious author is faced...

All in all, Weber publishes more than half a million words a year despite a nearly-crippling wrist injury in the 1990s. The accident left him with a shattered wrist and a looming deadline. The doctors put in pins and screws. Undaunted, Weber invested in voice recognition software. The software, if anything, has increased his productivity.

Duckk wrote:My policy has been to let discussions run their course in the hopes that it will self correct. I don't want to stifle good discussion. That said, I agree things have been taking a turn for the worse lately, so I will be more...proactive when I see aggressive posts.

Duckk, I thank you! We don't need more vitriol, the world has enough, already.

Thank you!!!

cthia wrote:<snip>Again, I applaud you for asking such an innocent question.

I like when questions like this are asked. It helps me see things I missed. Because of family life, I have to read fast and I haven't had a chance to go back and reread any of the Honorverse books since we got our own house five years ago and then kids started coming along. Too many other projects like bathroom remodels and room updates and ethernet drops...

[Seriously, if you have crown molding, do you really need to put a wallpaper border of molding under it?]

From my understanding, attain, (we shall attain X) usually has a sense of struggle or fight against the odds, like you will struggle against the GA to raid Manitcoran shipping. Achieve, on the other hand, usually has the connotations that the odds are in your favor and you will perform the task easily. It means the SLN will shut down Manticoran shipping. The first poster is correct. Attain has an edge of pessimism or overcoming something, while achieve is more often positive and has a connotation that the task will be easy. Also, do not disparage ESL speakers, this is supposed to be a welcoming forum and it is an honest question about two words that have slightly different connotations. Attain has an edge of pessimism or realism, while achieve is more often positive.

/English first language, high score on verbal GRE

J6P wrote:

roseandheather wrote: J6P: Usage of any language is all about connotation. I suggest taking an English 100 class at your local community college.

Better yet, save your money, open a paper based, LARGE dictionary and start reading. Use flash cards for memorization. Then actively use new words and connotations several times a day. If you do not use it, you lose it.

Be amazed at how your vocabulary will expand and likewise your ability to read comprehensively instead of remaining in a befuddled state on any discussion containing words longer than 2 consonants.

Bah. Dictionaries are crap. They have denotation, but not connotation. No, you want to widen your vocabulary? Read. Read everything. SNIP

You cannot get one without the other. If you just read, one gets the wrong meaning of the word quite often. Then you go take a test finding out your "idea", since you do not really know, what the word really means is complete crap.

Been there, done that with egg all over my face. Requires a dictionary. What is worse, the author is full of crap and mis-used the word.

roseandheather wrote:
Bah. Dictionaries are crap. They have denotation, but not connotation. No, you want to widen your vocabulary? Read. Read everything. Romance novels, SF, biographies, popular science books, historical nonfiction, crime novels, fantasy, young adult, textbooks, magazines, plays. That's what is going to widen your vocabulary, because you'll see the words in-context and used to create a specific mood.

Source: Been reading constantly for twenty years. Affectionately known as "the talking dictionary".

I totally agree with you there, Rose. I'm the same way. I think I have a pretty expansive vocabulary and it's because I read, read, read all the time. My friends even point it out and they get all excited when I use a new word and they learn the definition from me.

Hi Amaroq,

Kudos.

I Love Winston Spencer Churchill's motto.

So you have possibly the best tag I've seen.

L

Amaroq wrote:

roseandheather wrote:
Bah. Dictionaries are crap. They have denotation, but not connotation. No, you want to widen your vocabulary? Read. Read everything. Romance novels, SF, biographies, popular science books, historical nonfiction, crime novels, fantasy, young adult, textbooks, magazines, plays. That's what is going to widen your vocabulary, because you'll see the words in-context and used to create a specific mood.

Source: Been reading constantly for twenty years. Affectionately known as "the talking dictionary".

I totally agree with you there, Rose. I'm the same way. I think I have a pretty expansive vocabulary and it's because I read, read, read all the time. My friends even point it out and they get all excited when I use a new word and they learn the definition from me.