Hi all,
a question about using parenthesis for tuples veered very far off topic before I returned from a trip and found the thread. I've a comment on the original topic, and then a comment off-topic even for the off-topic direction in which the thread ended up :-)
The on-topic:
the use of '(' and ')' for tuples really did jar me. With a background in set-theory, I expected tuples to look like <1, 2, 3>. It took a little bit to reset my brain.
I am aware that even some set theory material is starting to use rounded brackets for tuples. With this I can cope (barely). But, just yesterday, I was reading an otherwise fine book on relevance logic marred by its use of both angle and round brackets for tuples, with no apparent principle other than the coin toss determining which to use when. The horror!
The off-topic**2:
Alex Martelli said unto the world upon 2004-12-30 19:09:
<SNIP>
Have you heard of Villanova, often named as the birthplace of Italian civilization? That's about 15 km away, where I generally go for major grocery shopping at a hypermarket when I _do_ have a car.
<SNIP>
Alex
'Hypermarket' is a new one to me, but seems instantly understandable. It also makes me very sad.
Italy isn't my country, but for the past few years I've been lucky enough to spend a month or so in the north each year. In the short time I've been doing so, I think I've been able to detect the decline of the small independent shops and the rampant growth of the american style mall, big-box store and mutilplex.
The small store to which you can walk and where you likely know the vendor, and even if you don't, run the real risk of having a conversation, seems a thing worth trying to preserve. They surely aren't as efficient as the north-american model, but one of the nicest things about Italian culture IMHO is that it appears to understand that some things are at least as important as efficiency.
And it is truly heart-breaking to see the beautiful countryside around Italian towns being defaced by large fields of blacktop.
Luddites of the world unite!
Happy New Year to all,
Brian vdB
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