[Shotimes] RE: Shotimes digest, Vol 1 #2753 - 10 msgs

[James F. Ryan III]

Agreed, here in the wacky, lazy US of A the element names are both
capitalized and not-capitalized depending on the context and/or industry.
For instance, a welder may say, "Fetch me that iron crossmember".  An
electrician may say, "We use 14/3 copper romex in residential jobs and 16/4
Bx in commercial jobs.  However, a chemist will say, "This compound contains
2 atoms of Iron (Fe), 4 atoms of Cobalt (Co), 3 atoms of Silver (Ag) and it
stabilizes in an Argon-Helium matrix (Ar He).  You never see the elements
referred to as - fe, he, au, ag, co, c, o, cu, mn, ni, etc.

Thhe same goes for other units.  In my book, Volts (V), Amperes (A), Curies
(Ci), Roentgens (R), Sieverts (S), Roentgen equivalent in man (Rem), Kelvin
(K), Fahrenheit (F), Celesius (C)....etc are always capitalized.  When was
the last time you saw the weather channel say that, "Today's high temp will
be 96 deg f"?  It's always "F".

I used to argue this with our tech writers here at work until I was blue in
the face.  I went around to each of their computers and modified their
custom.dic, now Microshaft Word does all the corrections for me.

Btw, where have you been?  You can't possibly be doing more business travel
than I?  Hopefully you're doing more personal flying than I am.  :)


Jim Ryan
Wayne, NJ
'91 PLUS  all white/mocha with fiberglass hood, rod shifter, & rear spoiler

255 Lph fuel pump, SHO Shop can & horn, 80mm MAF, S&B cone filter, SHO Shop
HiFlow Y-pipe & cat-back exhaust, SHO Shop LPM, SHO Shop underdrive pulleys,
SHO Shop HiRevs Jr clutch & steel billet LiteWeight flywheel, reinforced
engine & trans mounts, SHO Shop TQ limiters, SHO NUT aluminum SFBs, FPS 96
SHO front brakes, Carbotech F brake pads, Nooks full-body SFCs, Koni adj
struts, SHO Shop linear springs, 24mm FSB, 26mm RSB, SHO Shop steel f&r
STBs, Bridgestone Potenza RE-730 225/55-16, CATZ MSP fog lights, police
grille



>-----Original Message-----
>From: hs [mailto:hjseaman@earthlink.net]
>Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 2:35 PM
>To: shotimes@autox.team.net; av8r567@optonline.net
>Subject: Re: Shotimes digest, Vol 1 #2753 - 10 msgs
>
>
>
> "James F. Ryan III" <av8r567@optonline.net> said...
>
>> FYI,
>>
>> Silicon - a naturally occuring element that is non-conductive
>(capitalized
>> because it's an element)
>>
>> silicone - goop in a tube that you buy at Home Depot to seal your windows
>> and bathtubs or make your breasts larger.  It is made with Silicon but
>they
>> are not the same thing.
>
>Are you sure that isn't the reverse? Capitalizing the elements is a new one
>on me. Then we'd have to capitalize iron, hydrogen, lead, curium, etc. I
>mention curium, named after Marie Curie, 'cause, in the case of names for
>units, we DON'T capitalize a unit, even when named after a person, e.g.,
>curie, bequerel, gauss, roentgen, fermi, oersted, volt, ampere, mach, etc.
>
>There...are we far enough off topic yet?
>
>Harry
>95m, in the rare, green color
>IMNAV8R2