If you were to make a new rule...

[FoxyBunny]

Mine would be to work in the new smilies.

[raynetwilight]

Mine would be to work in the new smilies.

Woot! New smiles?!?!?! When did this happen?!

I've been away too long...

[FoxyBunny]

Just this evening. The mods suggested it, and admin hooked us up with a few more.

[Cosmic Fury]

A spell test before anyone posts.


They must spell the following word without spellcheck.

I am going to do it myself. It is the longest widely-recognized word in the English Language, consisting of 45 letters.


pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

As the darn word is so darn long, it is commonly given the term silicosis, to facilitate the preservation of space in limited spaces of text, and to avoid any difficulty in spelling out the word, and to jsut have it out.


I shall bring a full definition of the word up here.

Just note that all the unfamiliar terms you can PM me about and I will do the research for them. However, I am NOT going to make this post that exhaustive.

Let's just stick to our long word. That's a big enough task for even me as it is LOL

(copied directly from the Wiki article under the keyword silicosis)


(also known as Potter's rot) is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis, from pneumo (lung) and konis (dust).

Silicosis (particularly the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.

The name silicosis (from the Latin silex or flint) was originally used by Visconti in 1870. The recognition of respiratory problems from breathing in dust dates to ancient Greeks and Romans. Agricola, in the mid-1500s, wrote about lung problems from dust inhalation in miners. In 1713, Bernardino Ramazzini noted asthmatic symptoms and sand-like substances in the lungs of stone cutters. With industrialization, as opposed to hand tools, came increased production of dust. The pneumatic hammer drill was introduced in 1897 and sandblasting was introduced in about 1904[2], both significantly contributing to the increased prevalence of silicosis.


(skip a few lines, starting under the "Pathology" section)


When small silica dust particles are inhaled, they can embed themselves deeply into the tiny alveolar sacs and ducts in the lungs, where oxygen and carbon dioxide gases are exchanged. There, the lungs cannot clear out the dust by mucous or coughing.

When fine particles of silica dust are deposited in the lungs, macrophages that ingest the dust particles will set off an inflammation response by releasing tumor necrosis factors, interleukin-1, leukotriene B4 and other cytokines. In turn, these stimulate fibroblasts to proliferate and produce collagen around the silica particle, thus resulting in fibrosis and the formation of the nodular lesions. The inflammatory effects of crystalline silica are apparently mediated by the Nalp3 inflammasome.

Furthermore, the surface of silicon dust can generate silicon-based radicals that lead to the production of hydroxyl and oxygen radicals, as well as hydrogen peroxide, which can inflict damage to the surrounding cells.

Characteristic lung tissue pathology in nodular silicosis consists of fibrotic nodules with concentric "onion-skinned" arrangement of collagen fibers, central hyalinization, and a cellular peripheral zone, with lightly birefringent particles seen under polarized light. The silicotic nodule is represents a specific tissue response to crystalline silica. In acute silicosis, microscopic pathology shows a periodic acid-Schiff positive alveolar exudate (alveolar lipoproteinosis) and a cellular infiltrate of the alveolar walls.


(now under the subject of the prevalence of the disease)


Silicosis is the most common occupational lung disease worldwide, it occurs everywhere but is especially common in developing countries.[7] From 1991 to 1995, China reported more than 24,000 deaths due to silicosis each year. In the United States, it is estimated that one million-two million) workers have had occupational exposure to crystalline silica dust and 59,000 of these workers will develop silicosis sometime in the course of their lives.

According to CDC data, silicosis in the United States is relatively rare. The incidence of deaths due to silicosis declined by 84% between 1968 and 1999, and only 187 deaths in 1999 had silicosis as the underlying or contributing cause. Additionally, cases of silicosis in Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio are highly correlated to industry and occupation.

Although silicosis has been known for centuries, the industrialization of mining has led to an increase in silicosis cases. Pneumatic drilling in mines and less commonly, mining using explosives, would raise rock dust. In the United States, a 1930 epidemic of silicosis due to the construction of the Hawk's Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia caused the death of at least 400 workers. Other accounts place the mortality figure at well over 1000 workers, primarily African American transient workers from the southern United States. Workers who became ill were fired and left the region, making an exact mortality account difficult. The Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster is known as "America's worst industrial disaster . The prevalence of silicosis led some men to grow what is called a miner's mustache, in an attempt to intercept as much dust as possible.

Some have opined that cannabis contaminated with silica may cause silicosis in users, but there are no scientific data to support this.

Chronic simple silicosis has been reported to occur from environmental exposures to silica in regions with high silica soil content and frequent dust storms.

Also, the mining establishment of Delamar Ghost Town, Nevada was ruined by a dry-mining process that produced a silicosis-causing dust. After hundreds of deaths from silicosis, the town was nicknamed The Widowmaker. The problem in those days was somewhat resolved with an addition of a nozzle to the drill which sprayed a mist of water, turning dust raised by drilling into mud, but this inhibited mining work.

Because of work-exposure to silica dust, silicosis is an occupational hazard to mining, sandblasting, quarry, ceramics and foundry workers, as well as grinders, stone cutters, refractory brick workers, tombstone workers, pottery workers, and others. Brief or casual exposure to low levels of crystalline silica dust are not felt to produce clinically significant lung disease.

Protective measures such as respirators have brought a steady decline in death rates due to silicosis in Western countries. Unfortunately, this is not true of less developed countries where work conditions are poor and respiratory equipment is seldom used. For instance, life expectancy for silver miners in Potos?, Bolivia is around 40 years due to silicosis.

Recently, silicosis in Turkish denim sandblasters was detected as a new cause of silicosis due to recurring, poor working conditions.

Silicosis is seen in horses associated with inhalation of dust from certain cristobalite-containing soils in California.

Social Realist artist Noel Counihan depicted men who worked in industrial mines in Australia in the '40s dying of Silicosis in his series 'the miners' (1947 linocuts).




The article goes on to list the symptoms of the disease. But, this above post proves that this is indeed a useful word. This definition, although cut short, is actually a common word, although its synonym is used more widely to avoid the tediousness of the 45-letter bulk of the word.


If you find the green ink hard to read, I will change the shade to a more user-friendly shade.


The reason I propose this test is for our OTers to demonstrate their excellent knowledge of the English Language, as well as science.


The test will be as follows:

They will spell out the longest word in the English language, without using spellcheck wherever it is, and not copy/paste it.

The answer of course is our good pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis






Then, they will have to give, in their own words, a very brief definition of the word, sort of along the lines of this:


(1) lung disease common in construction and other areas. Caused by beathing in fine silica, and other very fine particles.
(2) the longest word widely-recognized word in the English Language.


Short form of the is silicosis, that way people like me won't have to spell this dratted word in all its 45-letter hunk again.


Failure to pass the test means only one thing.
Social Corner Citizenship Denied!!!!


I have proof above that this test carries merit.

If you don't see it my way you will answer to the following smiley army:

__________________________________________________ _______





This has been an educational moment brought to you by Jurnis.

[raynetwilight]

Just this evening. The mods suggested it, and admin hooked us up with a few more.

Thanks for letting me know i'm not so oblivious!

[Cosmic Fury]

I had just noticed these smilies myself, and I thought they would make a great addition to my post. It took me over an hour to compile, but I did it.

[BrotherhoodUK]

You spelled it wrong first time.

Well, well. A new rule, eh?

Follow and do not stray from the Lex Imperialis. Otherwise, swift judgement will be meted out to you by a member of the Commissariat (if available) or another Imperial citizen.
Heresy, insubordination, incompetence, witchcraft, mutation, trafficking with xenos and worshipping Chaos (see Heresy) are all crimes which will result in Summary Execution.

BY ORDER OF THE HOLY ORDERS OF THE EMPEROR'S INQUISITION.

[Lord Arumen]

For every 1000 posts you have you must have one cheerleader

[Alzar]

Good comedy potential here. I like that!

Mine was to kill Spam Bots that go through the filter with beautiful girls in bikinis, but that didn't seem to catch...

man i love this idea i approve

[Cosmic Fury]

I thought this unofficial rule is still in effect!

Skirata just isn't around to post bikini pics nowadays.