Ex Pertinacia Victoria

[Oooh, found this draft of a post from 2009; apparently I never posted it. Here ya go.]

There are many useful online tools for helping with one's dog agility achievements. Like this Latin Motto Generator. You have to use their selection of words in various combinations, but I was able to choose an apt combo for what I have learned about agility training through the years:

From determination comes victory.

Here's an extremely useful site for generating your own Shield with motto and icon and everything--So that you can proclaim your love of agility or promote your favorite agility dog. (The previous generator that I found, back in 2009, didn't work consistently for long periods, and I became tired of waiting. I wanted to put the whole shield up along with the motto back then, but, dang, oh well, I might sometimes be determined but I am not always patient. Hence, the whole thing never posted.)

And that's one of my challenges, I guess. As long as I feel that I'm making progress, I may continue working on an issue. If, however, I'm not getting anywhere--or backsliding--and I've tried a few different things--as long as they're easy things to try--then, ah, crap, faggataboutit. Impatient for results.

And speaking of "to work"--off I go, to determinedly earn some $ for more agility.

From persistence comes agility entry fees.

Up or Down? Lower or Raise? Redundancies in Directions

Yesterday, I sat on an adjustable-height table in a medical office. The medical person said, "Now I'm going to lower you down."

I said, "As opposed to lowering me up?" Wryly, I hoped.

But he just looked slightly puzzled and responded, "No, down, you don't need to go up."

Funny, the conventions that languages develop for casual conversation that include repetitions of meanings. For example, "lower" means "to move down," so "down" is unnecessary. Perhaps the redundancy has developed because people as a whole try their best to communicate clearly?  Or as a dramatic emphasis?  I'm sure there are doctoral theses on these questions.

• Lower you down  (means, move you down down)
• Raise you up (means, move you up up)

Our language has many other similar redundancies. Which ones do you notice?

This helicopter could lower you up or raise you down. Or some such. Helicopters are like magic.