tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post5192732521476152566..comments2023-06-19T06:28:32.714-07:00Comments on VWXYNot?: A tale of two sistersCath@VWXYNot?http://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-40701095087462485982010-09-20T16:15:06.724-07:002010-09-20T16:15:06.724-07:00Cath said "North American and European latitu...Cath said <i>"North American and European latitudes never seem to match up in the way I expect." </i><br /><br />This actually caused a lot of people to die during the European colonisation of North America. They were expecting Paris and got Quebec City instead.<br /><br />-antipodeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-41221542580256508732010-09-20T14:29:45.637-07:002010-09-20T14:29:45.637-07:00"the Earth is bulgy around the middle due to ...<i>"the Earth is bulgy around the middle due to spinnage"</i><br /><br /><a href="http://instantrimshot.com/" rel="nofollow">Like Popeye's muscles!!!</a><br /><br />Ahem.<br /><br />I knew some parts of the US (i.e. more than just Alaska) were north of some parts of Canada, but I didn't realise it was quite that much!Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-9488330542050580262010-09-17T10:42:21.940-07:002010-09-17T10:42:21.940-07:00...but confusingly, the longest line of latitude (......but confusingly, the longest line of latitude (the Equator) is longer than all of the lines of longitude, 'cos the Earth is bulgy around the middle due to spinnage.*<br /><br />*technical terms wot I learned from one of my over-achieving relatives<br /><br />Chall, Cath - what really bends my mind is that a really large proportion of the United States is north of large parts of Canada. Richard Wintlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14644765072275026087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-68327436830441064942010-09-17T10:36:22.211-07:002010-09-17T10:36:22.211-07:00The key word is "all" - all longitude li...The key word is "all" - all longitude lines are long because they're all the same length; all of them go from the North Pole to the South Pole. The latitude lines get shorter the further you get from the Equator.Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-54836388798100523742010-09-16T20:41:13.540-07:002010-09-16T20:41:13.540-07:00Really? I guess earth is longer from north to sout...Really? I guess earth is longer from north to south than around? Since for me longitude seemed around ;) ahh... I'm helpless with that. Don't even get me started on the left/right in sea terms (might be different inSwedish compared to English but it just does not make sense in my brain ;) )<br /><br />And I agree on the weirdness, comparing where I am right now and what that correlates challhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10421219663804628119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-37472675719249938642010-09-16T12:49:03.081-07:002010-09-16T12:49:03.081-07:00Latitude. I'm (almost) certain of it. Because ...Latitude. I'm (almost) certain of it. Because the LATitude lines are fLAT, and the longitude lines are all, well, long. :)<br /><br />North American and European latitudes never seem to match up in the way I expect. For example, New York City is level with Lisbon, I believe. Vancouver is level with the Channel Islands. It feels about the same as Glasgow, though, which is obviously well north Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-43236942576667612052010-09-16T12:42:42.166-07:002010-09-16T12:42:42.166-07:00Ricardipus> I think they are on the same level*...Ricardipus> I think they are on the same level*... I remember being awfully confused about London being south and then Vancouver being where it is... :) For a while though, I was sure that Vancouver and Munich/middle Europe were on the same level* but that is wrong.<br /><br />*level = I can't remember if it is longitude or latitude. Me thinks longitude but it's one of those things...challnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-16045485163019586382010-09-16T12:41:58.066-07:002010-09-16T12:41:58.066-07:00Bean Mom - thanks! I have tons of friends with who...Bean Mom - thanks! I have tons of friends with whom I share a mutual incomprehension of what the other one does, so it's nice that my sister and I can at least understand parts of each other's jobs!<br /><br />Fighting with siblings is 100% normal. As my Dad said when we were staying with my in-laws and Mr E Man paid his nephews to wash his car, "if two brothers go out to wash a car Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-71933651483707180392010-09-16T08:41:57.593-07:002010-09-16T08:41:57.593-07:00Family full of over-achievers, I say. ;)
Also - a...Family full of over-achievers, I say. ;)<br /><br />Also - are you sure that Vancouver is north of London? Have you checked a map? I have my doubts but am far too lazy to go and find out for sure.<br /><br />As for relatives, both my parents studies Physics and my brother Aerospace Engineering. In the extended family we have Materials Science and Geophysics, among other things. As a Molecular Richard Wintlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14644765072275026087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-58147480531721271862010-09-15T22:59:46.512-07:002010-09-15T22:59:46.512-07:00Such a sweet post, and lovely pics :)
I realised ...Such a sweet post, and lovely pics :)<br /><br />I realised comparing with my family and siblings that I went the way of my mother (being more math and chem/biology), and most of the others are in the field of social sciences... it's not the whole story but a part of it ;)challhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10421219663804628119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-87338501992111411682010-09-15T22:33:15.546-07:002010-09-15T22:33:15.546-07:00All accountants and lawyers and business stuff on ...All accountants and lawyers and business stuff on one side with a smattering of teachers/inventors/tea tasters and market gardeners.<br /><br />We all rebelled against the accountants etc. I've ended up a rather weirdly qualified artist/teacher. And I run a part time gift shop with my mum. Sister started as a shop assistant and is now a very highly qualified teacher. Brother designs hardwareknutty knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325560883289908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-67460014248798398762010-09-15T19:27:29.964-07:002010-09-15T19:27:29.964-07:00What a cool story!What a cool story!EcoGeoFemmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236907917990309659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-56927223727213214702010-09-15T18:59:14.907-07:002010-09-15T18:59:14.907-07:00Very cool about your convergence of paths (as bean...Very cool about your convergence of paths (as bean-mom said)!<br /><br />And of course you don't suck at sports: you can at least get into a kayak - we see pictures of that as proof!<br /><br />P.S. Maths always sounds weird to me. We just abbreviate the word as written: Math[del]ematics[/del]. (Can't actually use strikeout, del, etc.)Silver Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03131032620978696727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-71011578528866221382010-09-15T18:36:23.605-07:002010-09-15T18:36:23.605-07:00This is a very sweet post, Cath =) And so cool tha...This is a very sweet post, Cath =) And so cool that your sister and you arrived at similar points from very different directions. My sisters and I are all in very different fields and none of us understands what the others do... and we still sometimes fight like twelve-year old kids... but your post reminds me that for all that, they are some of my best friends.The bean-momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00411250616280191525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-91354836787542575632010-09-15T16:35:26.147-07:002010-09-15T16:35:26.147-07:00Henry, I'd love to see a post about the furnit...Henry, I'd love to see a post about the furniture you've made!<br /><br />My husband is a second-generation movie set carpenter; both his brother-in-laws are in the industry too, so this probably has more to do with his father's cheerful and open nepotism than inherited skills. I'd absolutely love for him to make something for the house, but it's the absolute last thing he Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-81762904260289816062010-09-15T15:33:54.665-07:002010-09-15T15:33:54.665-07:00The older I become the more awesome my family is t...The older I become the more awesome my family is to me.<br /><br />My auntie inspired me into my particular multidisciplinary field of -ology and we now work in the same institute together. We've even published some papers together.<br /><br />-antipodeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-17957044232653997692010-09-15T15:11:13.528-07:002010-09-15T15:11:13.528-07:00Btw, though you say you were poor at sports, you&#...Btw, though you say you were poor at sports, you've made up for it since, with your extensive cycling and kayaking and whatnot.cromercroxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09963551114404818534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-25291087191859566422010-09-15T15:09:50.281-07:002010-09-15T15:09:50.281-07:00'sfunny. Careers in my family have been all ov...'sfunny. Careers in my family have been all over the place, but the only thing that my father's family shares, at least, is a tolerable ability at woodworking. I come from a long line of Russian Jewish cabinet-makers; my late grandfather and all his siblings were all brilliant at crafts, and I have my great-grandfather's mahogany dining chairs, and a dresser made by my own father. I&#cromercroxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09963551114404818534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-28717648790273931922010-09-15T13:09:31.154-07:002010-09-15T13:09:31.154-07:00Hmm, one of the cats tipped some cola over on our ...Hmm, one of the cats tipped some cola over on our coffee table last week, but I didn't see any coal in it. No wonder it's such a specialised field.<br /><br />When I think of Slough I inevitably think of Ricky Gervais as David Brent reading John Betjeman's poem. Good times.Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-69828463615155386662010-09-15T12:54:11.493-07:002010-09-15T12:54:11.493-07:00Both my brother and I did PhDs, but his was in rec...Both my brother and I did PhDs, but his was in reclaiming coal from cola tips, and mine was in plant pathology.<br /><br />And he ended up living in Slough.Bob O'Harahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09924796617668384141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-65349367130372933812010-09-15T09:41:08.514-07:002010-09-15T09:41:08.514-07:00Yeah - we spent our entire childhoods alternating ...Yeah - we spent our entire childhoods alternating between best friends and sworn enemies, but ended up really very similar!<br /><br />A brother who's an electrician sounds very useful! Mr E Man's siblings are a roofer, a ski instructor, a lawyer, and a dress designer. We've used all their services so far except the lawyer :)<br /><br />I don't know about the maths vs. math thing.Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149574905485287914.post-566764429397382022010-09-15T09:24:45.973-07:002010-09-15T09:24:45.973-07:00Funny how siblings are so different, but so alike ...Funny how siblings are so different, but so alike too!<br /><br />My brother and I couldn't be more different - I've taken a more academic route, while he's always been an hands-on guy (can fix anything, has been in various trades, etc.). Funny though, as an electrician, he probably uses more physics than I do in everyday life! LOL!<br /><br />Question for you (inspired by your "Alyssahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01695509619557410413noreply@blogger.com