python adds an extra half space when reading from a string or list

Wed Jul 3 23:08:48 EDT 2013

On Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:18:58 -0700, rurpy wrote:

> On 07/03/2013 12:08 PM, rusi wrote:
>> On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 10:31:23 PM UTC+5:30, ru... at yahoo.com wrote:
>>> Are the existence of laws against beating people up negated because
>>> you told them in advance?  Or negated because they "deserve" the
>>> beating?
>> 
>> One of the fundamental purpose of laws is to legalize what you call
>> 'beating-up' Goes by the names like jail-sentences, fines and
>> ultimately capital punishment.
> 
> Thanks, I hadn't realized there were laws requiring Nikos to be
> competent to run a web server business. Next time I interact with Nikos
> I'll inform him that he is acting illegally and C.L.P. has been
> empowered (I'm still a little fuzzy about by who) to punish him!

Some weeks ago, some helpful (not) soul tried contacting the Greek 
government to report Nikos to the police.

>> Civilization would not be possible without these.
>> 
>> BTW the etymological roots of 'civilization' come from 16th century
>> usages such as "I shall civilise thee with my rod"
> 
> Again thanks!  That never occurred to me.  Since "civilization" is a
> word in the *English* language and since we English speakers 
> (especially us Christian ones!!) define morality and civilization for
> the world, then that word's root is really significant!

For the record, the above is folk etymology, i.e. wrong.

The English word "civilization" is ultimately derived from the Latin 
"civis", meaning "citizen". The suggestion that it is derived from a 16th 
century word meaning "to beat or to hit" is, well, bullshit.

The first use of "civilization" in recorded English is from the 18th 
century, 1704, with the meaning of the legal process of turning a 
criminal case into a civil case. It didn't get it's modern meaning of the 
opposite of barbarism until the second half of the 18th century.

The first recorded use of "civilize", or -ise, meaning to enlighten, 
refine, educate, bring into the standards of civilized society, occurred 
in the early 17th century, 1600-1629.

-- 
Steven