I cannot care about the activities in which ants engage, let alone permit them to trouble me. Why should I allow these human creatures to affect me any more so than the ants?
I don't mind smokers; that's their choice. I do mind, however, when their choice affects me and my health. I hate that I have to adjust my behavior because of someone else's voluntary choice. I sometimes feel like taking a portable speaker with annoying music and placing it right next to them, turning it up as loudly as possible. It's the same thing but a different medium, complete with adverse health effects if they start developing hearing loss. Show some courtesy to non-smokers.
I don't even think I'm going to open my sliding balcony door this year either because the new neighbors are on their balcony all of the time, smoking. I've already learned, in addition to their noisiness, that the smoke starts blowing into my place. I loved relaxing on that balcony with a cup of tea too... It's kind of a sad twist that the previous tenant was not only quiet and a non-smoker, but passed away from lung cancer....
Grammar and speaking... I'm kind of like "meh" now. I used to care a lot more, but I just see things differently.
Just my take on the topic:
Language evolves and that evolution happens in accordance with how it's practiced. Grammatical and semantic proprieties are merely abstractions from and generalizations of how language is commonly used over some predetermined space and length of time. Those rules serve the primary purposes of increasing clarity and helping non-native speakers better understand the language.
While a general understanding of what counts as "speaking clearly" is nice, the ultimate goal of language-use is to accomplish goals and satisfy desires, i.e., to do things and get things done. When you factor into the equation the predominance of dialects and linguistic idiosyncrasies with respect to the varying socio-economic classes and locations, then one only needs to know what is "correct" with respect to one's situations and goals.
For example, successfully ordering a good Philly Cheesesteak requires one to speak very differently in Philadelphia than New York or Chicago ("Provolone, widdout" as opposed to something like "Chicken, wit' out onions, add peppers n' mushroom"). Sure, you can try proper English at these places, but you actually risk them *misunderstanding* you.
None of this is revelatory to anyone familiar with rhetoric. If the goal of persuasion is to be achieved, you have to develop a connection with your listener, and doing so requires you understanding and speaking *their* language. This is why it's not uncommon for politicians to slightly alter their speech patterns, delivery, and use of slang in accordance with the habits of those to whom they're speaking. It's usually not grossly apparent to the point of egregiousness, but it's enough of a variation that it enhances the receptibility of their message.
I hate that the English language doesn't have a singular, gender-neutral pronoun besides "it" though.
Voice acting in video games. (Nothing more immersion breaking then everyone sounding the same...or the standard welcome to corneria greeting except now it's text AND an annoyingly over-used voice).
Poor adaptions of material (be it mechanics such as DnD, or a film adapting the story of a book).
Phones ringing. (my automatic reaction is to smash it to pieces rather then try to answer it)
- The fact that Bones is on it's 10th season and Constantine is probably not coming back after just one.
- Non smokers who come into a smoking area and then bitch about smoking. That's really not cool, I know it's a addictive carcinogen, I know all the health hazards. I really don't need to be told about them during my smoke break.
- People who are proud of not ever reading anything.
- People who make things like the Fast and Furious franchise possible.
@SmilingSword So you're saying that you might enjoy it if Michael Bay directed the next Fast & Furious using the actors from Bones where the plot is about a guy who hates reading and deliberately scolds smokers in areas where smoking is permitted?
- People who don't follow honourable duel etiquette in Dark Souls 2 PVP. "healing during the duel" "attacking as the person is just summoned in" "attacking during the opening bow" "trying to get the area creatures to assist them, this is not ok if you are a Dragon Bro."
@SmilingSword So you're saying that you might enjoy it if Michael Bay directed the next Fast & Furious using the actors from Bones where the plot is about a guy who hates reading and deliberately scolds smokers in areas where smoking is permitted?
I hate when I'm driving with my windows down and a truck or bus gets in front of me before proceeding to billow out a thick, charcoal colored cloud of exhaust. It's absolutely disgusting. Even if I get my windows up in time, the smell still gets into my cabin, lines my throat, and practically asphyxiates me. I feel like this:
I also have somewhat sensitive ears and a small case of tinnitus, and so I hate unnecessarily loud motorcycles. The chief argument in defense of the noise is to alert other drivers of their presence, but I'm not convinced this holds any weight and find the sound obnoxious, especially in the late evenings in otherwise quiet neighborhoods. The "alerting others" argument may have worked at one time, but the cabin in today's cars is quieter than it's ever been and manufacturers are finding ways to even improve it every year. Unless your windows are down and / or your music's volume is low, you will likely *not* hear them. As an anecdote, I will reference that just last week, I was driving in my SUV with my windows up and the music was very low. Had I not glanced in my rearview mirror, I would have never known that there was a chopper right behind me. His noise machine made zero difference for me as a driver.
While I dislike the noise, I do want to say that this isn't an anti-motorcycle post. I have no problems whatsoever with responsible motorcyclists. I've developed enough perspective and have known enough motorcyclists to realize how crummy it can be to share the road with car and truck drivers who do inconsiderate things like tail motorcyclists, suddenly turn off while they're behind you, or cut them off. I try my hardest to be aware of these things, keeping a safe distance from them and driving responsibly around them, so that they can enjoy their activity with less anxiety.
It happens. At least they (gender-neutral singular?) didn't crash. I confess that I would be infinitely happier if I truly embraced the idea that everyone makes mistakes, has accidents, and is not always acting intentionally / deliberately.
To be fair to myself I couldn't see him/her at all, all I saw was the examiner putting his hand up to apologise and knowing i'd failed. The worst thing was I didn't even need to pull out, the bus lane wasn't in use...
Man that's like calling a cow a yak or a lion a panther, turtles and tortoises are both testudines or Chelonii yes, but most all tortoises are land dwelling and vegetarian, turtles live in the sea and eat a wide variety of things depending on species. Personally I believe that testudines should be classified by habitat over everything else, this for the most part happens, tortoises on land, turtles in the sea, but i think it should go further and recognize all fresh and brackish water testudines as terrapin. About half the fresh and brackish water testudines are called terrapin anyway, don't why they haven't been made a specific subgroup already.
Hmm, looks like this may be a location-dependent usage issue, @SmilingSword. From Wikipedia:
"The meaning of the word turtle differs from region to region. In North America, all chelonians are commonly called turtles, including terrapins and tortoises. In Great Britain, the word turtle is used for sea-dwelling species, but not for tortoises."
Yeah don't watch that video if you like frogs. Also that sliders is gonna eat all those goldfish at some point, only a matter of time.
Weird fact about that frog, it's a platana or African clawed frog native to most of southern africa. It's considered a pest in oz and some places in the states and europe. The interesting bit is it was almost driven to extinction in South Africa because it can be used a pregnancy test.
I may or may not have accidentally picked up a baby sea turtle once (maybe this should be in the secrets thread...).
If I did, I would've taken him back to our hotel room to show my father, who is a nature-lover, himself having captured many a creature, upon which I would've promptly learned that they are endangered and it is illegal to handle them / disturb them. After learning this, I likely would've become simultaneously disappointed and afraid, quickly returning him to the beach before sending the little guy off and watching him waddle away into the waves. I then would've sat there, hoping he makes it although knowing the odds were not in his favor.
Comments
-Countries refusing to use the metric system.
-Shia Labeouf.
In the uk we use metric for most scientific measurements and use imperial for less important stuff, does that count as refusing to use metric?
But... but he's "the beef"!
I don't mind smokers; that's their choice. I do mind, however, when their choice affects me and my health. I hate that I have to adjust my behavior because of someone else's voluntary choice. I sometimes feel like taking a portable speaker with annoying music and placing it right next to them, turning it up as loudly as possible. It's the same thing but a different medium, complete with adverse health effects if they start developing hearing loss. Show some courtesy to non-smokers.
I don't even think I'm going to open my sliding balcony door this year either because the new neighbors are on their balcony all of the time, smoking. I've already learned, in addition to their noisiness, that the smoke starts blowing into my place. I loved relaxing on that balcony with a cup of tea too... It's kind of a sad twist that the previous tenant was not only quiet and a non-smoker, but passed away from lung cancer....
Just my take on the topic:
Language evolves and that evolution happens in accordance with how it's practiced. Grammatical and semantic proprieties are merely abstractions from and generalizations of how language is commonly used over some predetermined space and length of time. Those rules serve the primary purposes of increasing clarity and helping non-native speakers better understand the language.
While a general understanding of what counts as "speaking clearly" is nice, the ultimate goal of language-use is to accomplish goals and satisfy desires, i.e., to do things and get things done. When you factor into the equation the predominance of dialects and linguistic idiosyncrasies with respect to the varying socio-economic classes and locations, then one only needs to know what is "correct" with respect to one's situations and goals.
For example, successfully ordering a good Philly Cheesesteak requires one to speak very differently in Philadelphia than New York or Chicago ("Provolone, widdout" as opposed to something like "Chicken, wit' out onions, add peppers n' mushroom"). Sure, you can try proper English at these places, but you actually risk them *misunderstanding* you.
None of this is revelatory to anyone familiar with rhetoric. If the goal of persuasion is to be achieved, you have to develop a connection with your listener, and doing so requires you understanding and speaking *their* language. This is why it's not uncommon for politicians to slightly alter their speech patterns, delivery, and use of slang in accordance with the habits of those to whom they're speaking. It's usually not grossly apparent to the point of egregiousness, but it's enough of a variation that it enhances the receptibility of their message.
I hate that the English language doesn't have a singular, gender-neutral pronoun besides "it" though.
I am not sorry.
Poor adaptions of material (be it mechanics such as DnD, or a film adapting the story of a book).
Phones ringing. (my automatic reaction is to smash it to pieces rather then try to answer it)
- Non smokers who come into a smoking area and then bitch about smoking. That's really not cool, I know it's a addictive carcinogen, I know all the health hazards. I really don't need to be told about them during my smoke break.
- People who are proud of not ever reading anything.
- People who make things like the Fast and Furious franchise possible.
- Michael Bay.
"healing during the duel"
"attacking as the person is just summoned in"
"attacking during the opening bow"
"trying to get the area creatures to assist them, this is not ok if you are a Dragon Bro."
I also have somewhat sensitive ears and a small case of tinnitus, and so I hate unnecessarily loud motorcycles. The chief argument in defense of the noise is to alert other drivers of their presence, but I'm not convinced this holds any weight and find the sound obnoxious, especially in the late evenings in otherwise quiet neighborhoods. The "alerting others" argument may have worked at one time, but the cabin in today's cars is quieter than it's ever been and manufacturers are finding ways to even improve it every year. Unless your windows are down and / or your music's volume is low, you will likely *not* hear them. As an anecdote, I will reference that just last week, I was driving in my SUV with my windows up and the music was very low. Had I not glanced in my rearview mirror, I would have never known that there was a chopper right behind me. His noise machine made zero difference for me as a driver.
While I dislike the noise, I do want to say that this isn't an anti-motorcycle post. I have no problems whatsoever with responsible motorcyclists. I've developed enough perspective and have known enough motorcyclists to realize how crummy it can be to share the road with car and truck drivers who do inconsiderate things like tail motorcyclists, suddenly turn off while they're behind you, or cut them off. I try my hardest to be aware of these things, keeping a safe distance from them and driving responsibly around them, so that they can enjoy their activity with less anxiety.
Personally I believe that testudines should be classified by habitat over everything else, this for the most part happens, tortoises on land, turtles in the sea, but i think it should go further and recognize all fresh and brackish water testudines as terrapin.
About half the fresh and brackish water testudines are called terrapin anyway, don't why they haven't been made a specific subgroup already.
"The meaning of the word turtle differs from region to region. In North America, all chelonians are commonly called turtles, including terrapins and tortoises. In Great Britain, the word turtle is used for sea-dwelling species, but not for tortoises."
because terrapin have neither flippers nor feet, only claws
Yeah don't watch that video if you like frogs.
Also that sliders is gonna eat all those goldfish at some point, only a matter of time.
Weird fact about that frog, it's a platana or African clawed frog native to most of southern africa.
It's considered a pest in oz and some places in the states and europe.
The interesting bit is it was almost driven to extinction in South Africa because it can be used a pregnancy test.
If I did, I would've taken him back to our hotel room to show my father, who is a nature-lover, himself having captured many a creature, upon which I would've promptly learned that they are endangered and it is illegal to handle them / disturb them. After learning this, I likely would've become simultaneously disappointed and afraid, quickly returning him to the beach before sending the little guy off and watching him waddle away into the waves. I then would've sat there, hoping he makes it although knowing the odds were not in his favor.