from the spam
A small glass of red wine is soothing after a snack.
&
Well it’s great to see that someone is using proper grammar.
‘Does anyone know if this article is more interesting if your stoned?’
The comments on this one are fun.
“Some scientists have speculated that effects of humans”
The scientists are just guessing like we are. No one knows excepted the one who created it: “GOD”.
Relax..and enjoy life whatever GOD give to you before he takes away from you!
That got four thumbs up, one down.
the quest for a gender neutral pronoun
The idea is far from new, but nothing seems to stick:
The traditional gender agreement rule states that pronouns must agree with the nouns they stand for both in gender and in number. A corollary requires the masculine pronoun when referring to groups comprised of men and women. But critics argue that such generic masculines – for example, “Everyone loves his mother” – actually violate the gender agreement part of the pronoun agreement rule. And they warn that the common practice of using they to avoid generic he violates number agreement: in “Everyone loves their mother,” everyone is singular and their is plural. Only a new pronoun, something like ip, coined in 1884, can save us from the error of the generic masculine or the even worse error of singular “they.”
Such forms as co, xie, per, and en abound in science fiction, where gender is frequently bent, and they pop up with some regularity in online transgender discussion groups, where the traditional masculine and feminine pronouns are out of place. But today’s word coiners seem unaware that gender-neutral English pronouns have been popping up, then disappearing without much trace, since the mid-nineteenth century
Personally, I am a fan of the singular, generic “they.” We use it conversationally all the time for this purpose and it is more elegant sounding than any concocted alternative or this “he/she” nonsense.
A Treatise on Irony
Or maybe it’s about arguing on the internet. I’m not entirely sure.
UPDATE: For Cindy
from the spam
Does your building roof is leaking?
Jeopardize my Crossword. (For kids!)
How’s about a new series where I give you a crossword puzzle word or phrase answer and you come up with possible clues? It might be fun to classify your clue using NYT crossword standards; i.e. a Monday clue or a Sunday clue, etc.
Today’s puzzle answer is:
commencement
-Ronya
from the moderated comments
fuc my life i woke today to see the dea in my house on a weed beef wit me and becouse its fedral i know im fuct 3 to 5 for sure the funny thing is i was just thinking how lifes turned around for me wife finished school and it was my chance to go im in school now but i kinda feel like whats the point befor january i’l probley be in fed prison my kids are the worst part becouse they dont no why im not gonna be around but theres no way around it if i didnt do it we would have lost our home at least with my wife done with school her and the kids can stay there so fuc it im glad i did it fuuuuuuuck weed laws!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’ve already heard that one
(via @BPGlobalPR)
from the spam
Hi Tourist,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
To greet!
Goodbay
from the moderated comments
This is a message for Quigley, the gorilla: I just saw the video when they tought you that you will die soon. DON’T BE WORRIED, it made me sad and I’m crying right now: Listen, sweetie, I AM GOING TO DIE TOO, everybody dies someday, but JUST WHEN YOU ARE PREPARED FOR IT. You will know it when it comes, and you will be calm, don’t be afraid, live your life NOW, (I am afraid too), show interest in life. Existence will have a purpose, because there’s energy in us, and energy never distroies, NEVER DIES, only changes form.
Just live your life and do not care, don’t call yourself stupid, we are the stupid ones, because we think too much and so much in realism, existence and death that we can’t live our alive days happy, with no such preocupation, living the present instant that is going on only, just like you were.
Thank you, I hope you don’t die, I hope you are not sad and do not care about that for now nor ever, you and I will die someday, but there are lots of living moments today.
Take care, sweetie
exclusive elite gadgets
For the most elite individual, we bring you the worlds 1st solid gold and diamond ipad.
I almost couldn’t post this. Also, shouldn’t the world’s elite be able to use apostrophes?
What Amy Said
Have your allergies been bothering you? Tree pollen is really high right now, I read on the radio.
quote out of context
After he leaves, you pour out your heart in a love poem and mail it to him. He mails it back — copy-edited, in red pencil.
Teabonics
from the moderated comments
it’s about time some christian’s get a back bone and kick some leftwing butt!
were will you set in your after life smoking or none smoking.
Jesus is the only true God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Somethingnyms (Cindy?)
Before the electric guitar, there was only the guitar, and it was acoustic. The “acoustic guitar” name is a retronym. What, if anything, is the term “electric guitar” known as in this situation?
If the acoustic guitar were to disappear forever, would we still call the electric guitar electric? Would those who have never known an acoustic guitar refer to the electric simply as a guitar? If my naming follows the pattern, the answer to both of the latter questions is “yes.” My father’s mother still calls me “David Adam” always, and Mom’s family refers to me as “Davito” even in the absence of the larger, non-Adam David.
singular y’all
Andrew on vacation sends this (not the quote, but a link to the article):
I am writing you because I encountered the perplexing singular y’all while watching trailers for Disney’s newest film, The Princess and the Frog. Now, not being a Southerner I can’t attest to my own usage of “y’all,” but my linguistic intuition is in accord with your Language Log posting “Out of the y’all zone”, namely that y’all is generally not used to address singular individuals, but plural and occasionally implied plurals. […] In the cited trailer, Tiana uses singular y’all three times. Addressing the frog with evident dismay, she says “So what now? I reckon y’all want a kiss.” at 0:32. And then again, at 2:14, when the frog is dismayed that she will not kiss him after her apparent offer, she retorts “I didn’t expect y’all to answer!” In the intervening time, she does refer to him (using apparently less careless or emotionally influenced wording) as standard second person singular “you.” Finally, “Y’all don’t look that much different… but how’d you get way up there?” 3:13. This last example is perhaps the most perplexing of all, as it contains both forms.
For Cindy
How to use an apostrophe.
Thanks, Quips!
cake’s gone rong
Someone who decorates cakes for a living should possess certain skills. Spelling is an important one. For example, success is not quite as sweet when the inscription reads, “Contralulation’s Ronan.” An eye for color helps, too. Piped dark brown swirls are never a good idea on a cake dotted with plastic farm animals. Finally, a few words about customer service: When someone requests that nothing be written on the cake, “NOTHING” should not be written on the cake.
Thank You, Lex A
From the comments. I’m in heaven.
apostrophically speaking
Originally the peak was called “Pike’s Peak”, but in 1891, the newly-formed US Board on Geographic Names recommended against the use of apostrophes in names, so officially the name of the peak does not include an apostrophe. In addition, in 1978 the Colorado state legislature passed a law mandating the use of “Pikes Peak” only. Even so, the old name is often seen.
Looking for a Pen that will Grade Papers
“This is the tragic story of a man who’s essay writes about his events.”
National Punctuation Day
It’s National Punctuation Day today.
To celebrate I’ll be curling up with a hot cup of tea and Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. I’ll also be making bad jokes like, “Is that a colon in your pants, or…”.
the slammer (for kelsey)
The exclamation mark was introduced into English printing in the 15th century, and was called the “note of admiration” until the mid 17th century. In German orthography, the sign made its first appearance in the Luther Bible in 1797.
The mark was not featured on standard manual typewriters before the 1970s. Instead, one typed a full stop, backspaced, and then typed an apostrophe.
Dear Clusterflock
How do you respond to inconsistency? That is to say, does it bother you or do you welcome it?
