ercatli Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 G'day everyone from Sydney, Australia. They said to explain my username, so here goes. Almost a lifetime ago, during the Vietnam war, I was conscripted into the army. The non-word "ercatli" was used as a mnemonic in an old British army training film, which we National Servicemen thought was amusing in a Monty Python sort of way. So the non-word became a word in our vocabulary, and I use it to this day. My interest is in cosmology although I have no training in it. Thanks for having me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Welcome to Hypography! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrotex Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 ...The non-word "ercatli" was used as a mnemonic....;) Uhhh... Just exactly what IS the mnemonic? How does it work or what is it a cue for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ercatli Posted February 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Uhhh... Just exactly what IS the mnemonic? How does it work or what is it a cue for? I thought I wouldn't bore you with the details, but since you ask ..... The problem is, I remember the mnemonic, but no longer remember what it stands for! The training film was on how to lay field telephone cables (yes, we had an exciting time!), which I don't suppose is a skill we still need in this day of mobile phones, when soldiers talk to their girlfriends while engaged in deadly combat, but back then it was important. The rules for the art of laying field telephone cables include such helpful advice as not laying wires across roads that tanks are using, which I mightn't have thought of otherwise. So the mnemonic "ercatli" was something like: Enemy - if you see enemy soldiers, you've probably run the cable too far!Roads - avoid them!Choose the most direct route (or you may run out of cable)Always stand at attention when not doing anything usefulTangles in the wire can cause messages to be garbledLength - the wire must be long enoughInternet - one day we won't have to do all this stuff Now you know why we lost the Vietnam war! I may not have got them quite right, but you get the idea. I bet you're so glad you asked now! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmtreepathos Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Welcome witty fellow.... :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrotex Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 I thought I wouldn't bore you with the details, but since you ask ........ I bet you're so glad you asked now! :rant:Woopie-doo :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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