Joatmon

Completely agree regarding efficiency. I was just looking to suggest a simple algorithm that would work. Because the OP says he is looking for a "value" I'm not even sure whether he is looking for something deeper than a code. (but what else the value of the unique number would be used for is beyond me).

The same thought came to me when eating my dinner! If using decimal numbers and using the suggestion given in #3, then 3 digits would be needed per character, only 2 if hex was used. Of course using ASCII would enable punctuation (and even spaces if required).

(IMO) I can't see the number that represents the word being anything other than a code. For example you couldn't add two numbers together to produce a number which represents another meaningful word. If just producing a code would be sufficient then it is quite a simple. Let first 2 digits (with value 01 - 52) represent the first character. (use 1 - 26 for small characters and 27 - 52 for capitals). Repeat for subsequent characters using 2 digits per character. Example:- School would be represented by 450308151512. I think you may well be looking for something much deeper than this.

Are you sure about the rules?

Oh dear, the English language is so difficult to master - I'll get there eventually!

Couldn't they just be stupid?

In a long life there have been one or two times I wished I were dead - perhaps even considered suicide. I lived on to be very glad that those dark moments passed because my life turned out to be all I could have hoped for. So, at the very least, if considering suicide give yourself a lot of time to think it over. Especially so if you are young and healthy. Dark moments pass and when they have passed the brighter moments return!

Sorry Moontanman but "The Uploader has not made this video available in your country". Anyway, I'm not sure that being reminded twice in such a short time is good for my self esteem

I blame this one on the lack of hormones at my age - still like the song!

Anything we can mess up we certainly do have the intelligence to make a plan that will fix it. It's a pity we don't always use that intelligence to avoid the mess in the first place. It seems to me that once the rational plan has been made we often lack the will to accept the effort, disruption to our lives and the expense needed to see it through. For example many observers think our efforts to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is "too little, too late". The writing has been on the wall for many years concerning oil. I think, if we really were willing to bite the bullet in the recent past, science could have seen that by now, as an example, cars were running completely on something other than refined oil. It would be a great long term benefit if we could tell the Middle East to keep its oil - we don't need it! I rather think that efforts to reduce space debris have more to do with making space a safer place for space movement than any altruistic feelings of keeping space pure.

Here is a little tip that I use a lot. If you have Windows Vista you probably have a programme called "snipping tool" in your accessories selections. It allows you to copy any part of what you can see on the desktop. When you save it , it goes into your Pictures folder as a JPEG file.( you can name it if you like, otherwise it gets called "capture". When you post, use the full editor because it allows you to attach a file and you will find that attaching the file you have just saved usually works well. It comes out a sensible size on your post. Here is a "capture" of a model made by one of my grandsons (taken from a photo opened on the desktop):-

Or, if you prefer, no. We have also started to pollute space.Thumbnail shows space debris. (Sorry about the following string of data which I don't seem to be able to delete)

You seem to be suggesting that young men between the onset of puberty and their first full sexual experience are perverts for wondering what it will be like. IMO it is very natural. Your answer to this "perversion" seems to be "get yourself a quick shag". I cannot imagine any other way of getting it out of your system. Finally, again IMO, Starting by being physically attracted to someone is very normal. Sex is not the be all and end all of a relationship, but it plays an important part in most relationships. It strengthens the bond between two people. "Sexual intercourse can play a strong role in human bonding, often being used solely for pleasure and leading to stronger emotional bonds.[6] Non-penetrative sex (for example, non-penetrative cunnilingus) has been referred to as "outercourse",[7][8][9][10] but may also be among the sexual acts contributing to human bonding and considered intercourse. The term sex can be taken to mean any mutual " http://en.wikipedia....ual_intercourse

I'm sure you would approve of my wife in a nurse's uniform - come to think of it, so would I! I really must get off this topic before I get into any more trouble!

Sorry for my comment. I took it from #20 that you were still having pre-marital sex and tried to make sense of your statement in view of my understanding of pre-marital (I admit I should have found my interpretation of your comment strange for a married man). Please accept my apologies. I hope I haven't caused any upset.

It's quite nice here in hospital - but I seem to have lost interest in the pretty nurses! I really think this has to be my last word

.. I think I had better drop out of this thread after this post! There is nothing I've posted that my grown up children don't know and I don't think any of the people I know will read this - my wife isn't interested in computers or science but she is ,of course, free to wander by and look over my shoulder any time she likes. I've got a feeling that if she does she might come after me with a big knife with the aim of "doing a Bobbitt". Let's get scientific! By definition my wife and I gave up pre-marital sex the day we got married. #9 posed a question which didn't mention "pre-marital". #16 answered #9. My comment in #18 therefore is in answer to #9 (no mention of pre-marital) I think you must be asking a new question because you and, probably Moontanman, are mixing up pre-marital and extramarital. In answer to that new question we have a problem on a science forum. We can't use a statement as absolutely true if it relies on faith alone! This, therefore, is the only truthful answer I can give - I know that I have been completely faithful to my wife throughout our marriage and I have complete faith in believing that she has been completely faithful to me! Hey - for goodness sake my love put that damn knife away - you are making me feel nervous - AAAhhhhhh............

Glad nobody told my wife I would like to think my wife is equally glad nobody told me!!

It might be considered unfair, but in my late teens (the 1950's) the saying was "Boys will try, so girls deny". The funny thing is that it worked very well. You showed a girl you were sexually attracted to her by kissing and fondling. At first you expected a simple goodnight kiss and your hand quickly removed - but she knew you found her sexually attractive. As time went on and the relationship developed, if she was attracted to you she would allow a greater degree of this sort of contact. All the fondling activity would be focussed on her breasts, neck and places like the small of her back - never "below the waist", although from time to time you might make a half hearted try which would be immediately rebuffed. Part of why it worked was the expected demand that you stop - which was immediately obeyed. This ritual ensured that when the day came that the girl decided she was "willing to go all the way" you both had had time to know each other very well. For what it is worth, when my day came I took it as a privilege and a mark of her love for me - got engaged and married her a year or so later. So I feel that having enough time to know each other well - which gives time in which to determine how comfortable you are in each others company and judge your compatibility in the everyday things of life is important. If you then go on to finding out how compatible your sexual needs are you will be in a good position to contemplate marriage.

I understand the problem. Of course the present system doesn't stop you replacing an entire post with a just a full stop. I accept I should think more before replying but "old dog, new tricks" springs to mind. I shall reply with something like Oooops if and when it happens again. I don't think I'm making a case for greater editing facilities per se . If anything I would like lesser editing facilities. Perhaps the window for deletion (and editing) could only be held open until someone else replies to that particular thread. Assuming it was something that, although posted with innocent intent, could be misconstrued then it would defeat the object of the exercise to repeat it, don't you think? Curiosity killed the Kitten .............

I know you should "look before you leap" or think first, act later. However if I do something rashly then I'm sure others do too. Sometimes I post a reply and then wish I hadn't. Perhaps I quickly realise that I have misunderstood some-one else's post or that my reply is inappropriate in some way. If the "edit" facility is still available I can change the wording of my post - but I can't delete the whole post. Since I have to post something I end up, perhaps, posting an apology. Would it be a good idea to allow use of the "edit" facility to cancel completely a whole post? Example from one of my posts - "Changed my mind - might come back"

Don't take this seriously, I just couldn't resist it, but:- This probably works well. When I was a lecturer I sometimes found it difficult to keep students awake on a warm day with real live lectures!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWO_AIh8drk