Want to send an email to Vladimir Putin to thank him for his efforts to keep the US out of an unnecessary, immoral war? Unfortunately, I didn’t see a place to CC King Putz. *heh*
Give That Writer a Dope Slap
. . . and an enrollment in a remedial English class.
Yeh, yeh, I know it’s six of one and all that, but, in my experience, writers who write the rather awkward, “had woken me up” instead of “had awakened me” also tend to write such abortions as “backseat” (adj) to refer to a “back [SPACE] seat” –a seat (n.) in the back of something–or “backyard” (again, adj.) to refer to a yard (n.) in the back or “back [SPACE] yard”. These aren’t horrendous bobbles, but they are annoying in that they indicate a sloppiness of craft.
The worse annoyance is that by degrading the language–using adjectives in forms readily recognized as adjectives as nouns, replacing an adjective [SPACE] noun they contribute to the destruction of useful distinctions in words. What? Would a writer of “backseat” (used to refer to a back seat) write driverseat or passengerseat? Maybe so. . . *shudder* “Backyard” used as a noun writers: will you also be consistent enough to use “frontyard” and “sideyard” as nouns? Hmm? Yeh, when one puts it in those colors, such usages look as stupid as they are.
Oh, other abortions often flow like Exlax-induced sharts from the hands of such writers, things like first-person narratives recounting past events in a breathless present tense to, I imagine, induce a sense of urgency in thoughtless readers in much the same way newsreaders attempt to convey a freshness and urgency to their banal lies with the same device. *sigh* Of course, given the temporal deficiencies of readers (or watchers) of such drivel, the device may well work, for values of “work” that include giving an idiot a spoon to use in scooping out more of their own prefrontal cortex.
And indeed, it seems to work pretty much that way. But it does get worse. Really. I recently read about 1/4 of the way through a book wherein the author used just about every dumb device, awkward phrase, and misused word he could cram into the thing in his attempt to. . . write a typical “Dan Brown” pseudo-thriller.
Oh, *gagamaggot*
(That said, the writer was failing to be quite as bad as Dan Brown when I bailed, even with his violent assaults on the English language. But that says more about how execrably bad Dan Brown’s writing is than anything else. . . )
But seriously, “had woken him up” for “had awakened him”? How hard is it to write (and think) just a wee tad less awkwardly?
(OK, OK, apparently pretty darned hard if my own writing’s any example, but take note: I’ve not asked you to PAY to read my scribbles, have I? Hmm?)
Yeh, yeh, I know that BECAUSE of illiterate uses by dumbass writers “backyard,” “backseat” and other such words used as nouns is becoming more acceptable to those who just DGARA about useful distinctions in words, the ability of the written word to inculcate rational thought or any number of other positive values. I despise such rotten, destructive persons and their destructive effects on society anyway. So there. *heh*
I Had a Dream. . .
. . . wherein, on the anniversary of 9-11, a movie was released celebrating the death of The Butcher of Medina. In the movie, he was hunted down, fed alive to hogs, the hogs butchered and fed to dogs, the dogs’ excrement was gathered and the toxic end product of Mohamed, filtered through the alimentary canals of both hogs and dogs, was used to kill kudzu.
Hey! It was just a dream, ya know?
Never forget: true disciples of The Butcher of Medina brought down the twin towers and two more airplanes–one into the Puzzle Palace, one (thanks to courageous passengers) in a field where their memories are now being desecrated with a monument to Islam, cult of Hate.
Let’s Think That Through, Shall We?
Went to Lowe’s to buy another $40 gallon of paint and maybe a new paint sprayer (long story on the old one ;-)). Bought neither one. Did buy a new paint brush, though.
Got home. Rechecked the paint. Glad I held off, because I almost bought another can of trim instead of the color I needed for the walls. Back tomorrow (well, today now that it’s the wee hours) for the right color (and taking the paint can, not just the label from what I thought was the right paint can pasted in my notebook. Yep. I referenced the wrong paint label to the sales clerk. Oops. *heh*).
Still not getting the paint sprayer, because the can label says “Nope. Don’t do it. You’ll be sorrrrrrry!” Or words to that effect. *heh*
Send THIS Video to Your Congresscritter Before He Votes on US “Intervention” (WAR) in/on Syria
I’m not a big fan of Glen Beck (or O’Reilly or Limbaugh or any other talking head), but this needs to spread and be in your congresscritter’s inbox. Many times.
Always wanted to play strip poker. . .
. . .but never with any of the guys, if ya know what I mean.
*pa-dump-bump*
TY. TYVM. I’ll be here all week. Be sure to try the buffet.
I Like a Lil Change-up Now and Then
For a latte-like foam on coffee without the crappy taste of milk in coffee, I just use a whisk in (real, heavy) cream-laced coffee. Foamy, great texture and tastes like COFFEE, not milk with coffee flavoring. The only real difference is, as I said, texture. Makes a nice treat. Oh, heck, add a dash of cinnamon if you’re a certified Olde Pharte. Tastes OK, doesn’t overwhelm the coffee (if you add juuuust a dash) and is supposed to have a beneficial effect on memory. With the proven memory boost coffee gives, it’s probably not needed, but whio knows? Maybe it will help.
What was that? No, I have no idea what I just wrote. I’m shy a cuppa joe or two. . .
King Putz Gets Tough
Makes “threatening gesture” and steps on the carcass of the Resolute Desk. Meanwhile, Cwazy Unka Joe–Look! A Squirrel!
*meh* It’s All Relative. . .
. . . to what King Putz wants:
Wandering Around in “Blue Sky” Territory
Here’s a wild and crazy idea for one arrow to add to the “educational reform quiver”:
Vouchers for home schooling. . . with a twist.
Preconditions: pubschools have achievement testing at end of year for EVERY GRADE, no exceptions, no excuses. Period. Kids pass to the next grade based on test scores. No exceptions, no excuses.
Vouchers provided parents who wish to homeschool equivalent to whatever the district spends per pupil for ALL expenses. BUT, the vouchers cannot be redeemed unless the student for whom they are issued passes, IN A FORMALLY PROCTORED SETTING, the SAME achievement test as their pubschool counterparts must pass.
In other words, equivalent expenditure of public funds for what must be assumed to be an equivalent public good, except that homeschooled kids wouldn’t be spending most of their childhood in a prison environment.
At least it wouldn’t provide an incentive for those lame brains who count the daily trip to WallyWorld as a “field trip” for their (fake) “homeschooled” kids. . . unless they required the kids to read and (intelligently) discuss nutrition labels, do math to determine “best buys” and be quizzed on geography based on place of manufacture of different goods, etc.. *heh*
Here’s the post that spurred the thought: