Definition:     dilemma      a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or   more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable.      a difficult situation or problem.   Source: .  Example sentence:     The dilemma of modern life: trying to find an outlet outside of your   house.   I guess this sentence fits the second definition. So is it correct? (Or should I use another word instead?)
I was surprised to discover my dictionary had this entry for dilemma:     a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, esp. equally undesirable ones   The notion of dilemma meaning two or more flies against what I was taught about the word. The very idea of a  is specifically based on the number two.  Has my dictionary merely updated its definition to encapsulate the many people who use dilemma for more than two equal choices? Or was someone in my youth being unnecessarily pedantic?
My account has been temporarily suspended; what does that mean? My account has been , besides the following restrictions:  an account will be locked at 1 reputation the user page will have a visual indication that the account is in timed suspension, and for how long the account holder will be unable to vote, ask, answer or comment  What else does timed suspension prevent me doing? For example, can I still edit my own posts or delete content? And what is a network-wide suspension? How is (p ∧ q ∧ ¬r) ∨ (p ∧ ¬q ∧ ¬r) ≡ (p ∧ ¬r) ∨ (¬q ∧ q)? Is it really distributive property? Area of the Limiting Polygon Start with an equilateral triangle with unit area. Trisect each of the sides and then cut-off the corners. In this case, we get a regular hexagon - see the picture below. Next, trisect each of the sides of the hexagon and cut-off the corners. This will give a dodecagon, but not a regular one.   Continue this process ad infinitum.  What is the area of the limiting "polygon"?  My first thought was that it would be the circle tangent to the midpoint of each side. However, by making some pictures, it becomes clear quite quickly that the limiting polygon is not a circle and, in fact, might perhaps be an ellipse. The problem with that is that while there is a unique circle passing through any three points in general position, I need five generic points to specify a conic.   Can anyone suggest any hints as to how to find the area? By "hint" I don't mean "what you think might work", I mean "what you have tried and you know will work". Thanks in advance. Deciphering the .NET clr20r3 exception parameters P1..P10 Upgrade SQL Server 2000 database to 2008 R2 and enable new features I have recently upgraded SQL Server 2000 database to 2008 R2.    What I did was:   Shutdown SQL Server 2000 (express) service on old machine, Move datafiles (mydatabase.mdf and mydatabase.ldf) to new machine, Run SQL Server Management Studio 2008, Connect to local database engine, Attach datafiles to database. Change the compatibility level of database to SQL 2008 (100).     Question: What else should I do to make migration complete?  I want to:   use new features like checksumming and full recovery model, make this database to be exactly as it was created in SQL 2008 R2, make this database to be fully compatibile, correct and be perfect suited for new, SQL 2008 R2 database engine.     In other words: I just want to know how to correctly and completly convert old SQL 2000 database to new 2008 R2 database, be calm that everything is done right and be happy with all new features.    I'm asking this question, because I've found a lot of sites on the Internet that says so many different things that makes me confused: some say that it is required to rebuild indexes, another says to do other things... and now I know nothing so I want to hear experienced person opinion and clear, step-by-step instructions. I work for very small company, I'm on my own and I don't want to screw things up.    Sir, I'm really impressed with your answer, I wasn't expecting so much.    So some comments:   The database is now in production. As I said, it was upgraded using deattach-attach method as I desribed in first post and as described on MSDN:  It had to be done quickly, so I was forced to do it that way. Let's forget about how inappropriate could it was and focus on current situation. The users/persmission is not a problem here - there are only few and permissions are simple. The application which use database is compatibile with SQL 2000 till 2012 so this is not a problem either. The database file (MDF) isn't big - only about 1GB.     Few more questions:   You recommend to use backup/restore method, but I did as written above, so can I encounter any problems now? Everything worked without any problem. About checksumming and full recovery model: it wasn't available/enabled on SQL 2000, so I want to use them now. You said that the only thing I need to do is to enable those options in database properties? I've read somewhere, that it isn't enough and I should also rebuild indexes or something. I really don't know, I just asking. I'm prepairing to migrate this database to SQL 2012 - so first it was from SQL 2000 to 2008 R2, now it will be from 2008 R2 to 2012 (it was impossible to do this directly because of lack of support of SQL 2000 databases in SQL 2012). So I understand that I should follow your guide: backup it in 2008 R2 and restore in 2012, then do the rest of your tips, right? Please explain me the backup/restore method: Is it like a dump of database to SQL queries and then restoring it by executing a bunch of queries? Will this method by the way "defragment" my database? If not, how to defragment/optimize it manually? As we were using SQL 2000 Express for years (no management interface), we were doing backups simply by stopping engine and RAR the DATA directory. For now, as we are on SQL 2008, isn't this still better than using backup function in Management Studio? Full recovery mode with frequent Transaction log backups - Where is the Transaction log stored - is it the LDF file? How sould I backup it properly?     I know that my questions may sound silly, I'm not professional database admin, but I am the only person here who can do such "hard core" task like upgrading the database engine. I'm also sure that your knowleadge will help a lot to other people like me.  Thank you very much for your time and knowleadge, I really appreciate this. martingale and stochastic Integral How to understand a volatility based ETF like VXX The ETF VXX is based on the volatility index VIX. If volatility goes up, VIX goes up and VXX goes up. Similar thing for the downside. Now when I buy an ETF like SPY, I can conceptually understand that I am buying a small portion of each of the underlying companies. So if an underlying company stock makes a move, the ETF SPY makes a move in  the same direction.  But when I buy VXX, what exactly is the underlying? It is VIX. I am unable to grasp the concept of 'volatility' as the underlying. I can visualise only stocks and commodities as the underlying because in my understanding, the unerlying needs to be something physical (let us say stocks are physical commodities for this example).  Can someone explain the concept of 'volatility' as the underlying?  Is the word 'underlying' even appropriate in this case or is the word 'underlying' only to be used for derivative products? Tall fraction puzzle I was given this problem 30 years ago by a coworker, posted it 15 years ago to rec.puzzles, and got a solution from Barry Wolk, but have never seen it again.  Consider the series:  $$1, \frac{1}{2},\frac{\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle\frac{3}{4}},\frac{\displaystyle\frac{\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle\frac{3}{4}}}{\displaystyle\frac{\displaystyle\frac{5}{6}}{\displaystyle\frac{7}{8}}},\cdots$$  Each fraction keeps its large bars while being put atop a similar structure. This can also be represented as $$\frac{1\cdot 4 \cdot 6 \cdot 7 \cdot\cdots}{2 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot 8 \cdot\cdots}$$ terminating at $2^n$ for some $n$, where it is much closer to the limit than elsewhere.  The challenge:   Find the limit, not too hard by experiment In the last expression, find a simple, nonrecursive, expression to say whether $n$ is in the numerator or denominator Prove the limit is correct-this is the hard one. Best way to implement keyboard shortcuts in a Windows Forms application? I'm looking for a best way to implement common Windows keyboard shortcuts (for example Ctrl+F, Ctrl+N) in my  application in C#.  The application has a main form which hosts many child forms (one at a time). When a user hits Ctrl+F, I'd like to show a custom search form. The search form would depend on the current open child form in the application.  I was thinking of using something like this in the ChildForm_KeyDown event:     if (e.KeyCode == Keys.F &amp;&amp; Control.ModifierKeys == Keys.Control)         // Show search form   But this doesn't work. The event doesn't even fire when you press a key. What is the solution? Should we have a subjective version of every Stack Exchange site? When will my device get the Android 5.1 update (Lollipop)? Android 5.1 (Lollipop) was officially announced on March 9th, 2015.  You can review the high-level changes at the announcement on the official .  Of course, not all devices will get this update right away and others won't get it at all. Each manufacturer and carrier often choose to add their custom modifications which tend to delay the official release.  When will each device get Android 5.1, either officially or unofficially, if ever?  See also: How many switches can be stacked/interconnected? How did the DeLorean travel to 1885? At the end of Back to the Future II, a lightning bolt hits the DeLorean which sends it back to 1885.  At the time though, the DeLorean wasn't moving; it was relatively stationary hovering in the storm.  Yet, it's emphasised repeatedly that the DeLorean must reach 88 miles per hour (which becomes a key plot point in Back to the Future III).  So, considering the DeLorean wasn't traveling at 88mph when the lightning struck the DeLorean sending it to 1885, what is the in-universe explanation of how it travelled there?  Some other factors to bear in mind:   If a lightning bolt was sufficient to send the DeLorean time traveling, then the 88mph business would be irrelevant Note that there are the firey tracks left after the DeLorean time travels in the '66' shape.  The thing to note about this though is that we never see these before the DeLorean disappears.  These tracks are always appearing after the DeLorean has traveled away.  This would seem to indicate that the DeLorean did move, but following the activation of the time circuits. What is the best way to generate a GUID/UUID from Apex code (such as a trigger)? Preferably in the following format:     nnnnnnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn   Example:     13219ec0-3a81-44c5-a300-de14b7d0235f PHPExcel Sumif and Skip Python rounding error with float numbers External Styles in JasperReports I'm working on a system that includes a large number of reports, generated using . One of the newer features is that you can define styles for reports.  From the available docs I believe there is some way to have an external file defining styles to use, and you can reference that in your jasper reports. This allows a single style to be used by multiple reports.  I can't find any concrete information on whether this is an actual feature, and if it is, how to use it. Does anyone know if it is possible to have external styles for jasper reports, and if so, how to do it? I've always had this question about the pronunciation of Sean.  Is Sean a word from another language? Is it actually not pronounced Shawn and instead it's some sound between Shawn and Seen? Also, why isn't it pronounced as Sawn instead of Shawn, when the word Sean doesn't even have the letter 'h' in it to get that -sh sound?  Bottom line is, why is Sean pronounced Shawn instead of Seen? Displaying attachments on visual force page I can't understand where the final keyword is really handy when it is used on method parameters.    If we exclude the usage of anonymous classes, readability and intent declaration then it seems almost worthless to me.   Enforcing that some data remains constant is not as strong as it seems.    If the parameter is a primitive then it will have no effect since the parameter is passed to the method as a value and changing it will have no effect outside the scope.  If we are passing a parameter by reference, then the reference itself is a local variable and if the reference is changed from within the method, that would not have any effect from outside of the method scope.    Consider the simple test example below. This test passes although the method changed the value of the reference given to it, it has no effect.  public void testNullify() {     Collection&lt;Integer&gt; c  = new ArrayList&lt;Integer&gt;();           nullify(c);     assertNotNull(c);            final Collection&lt;Integer&gt; c1 = c;     assertTrue(c1.equals(c));     change(c);     assertTrue(c1.equals(c)); }  private void change(Collection&lt;Integer&gt; c) {     c = new ArrayList&lt;Integer&gt;(); }  public void nullify(Collection&lt;?&gt; t) {     t = null; }