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Aug. 15th, 2019 08:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Should be writing, but alas, am distracted.
2. This looks interesting, but I am not good with web comics. I like to read comics on my Amazon HD Fire Kindle, not on my laptop. I find it easier to read them. If I can't get them on the Fire Kindle, I won't read them.
However, since your mileage may vary... Lackadaisy's comic about 19th Century Cats..the cats are the characters in the 19th Century.
The art and writing are wickedly good.
Alas, not available in a manner that doesn't make it hard for me to effectively read. (I can enlarge the print on my Kindle, I can't here.)
3. Gay Penguins Adopt an abandoned egg. I didn't know it was possible for a penguin to be gay. I know there are same-sex pairings in the non-human natural world, but with penguins? Fascinating. And sort of cool.
4. The Last Ayn Rand Acolytes...This year's Objectivist Conference revealed that her cult of hyper-capitalism has a major recruiting problem: All the young people want to be socialists!.
Hee Hee Hee..I sort of figured this out from the pattern I've been picking up on in current popular media and pop culture offerings. I mean Endgame had a heavy socialist thrust as did Game of Thrones (although Game of Thrones kind of wimped out on it...because Game of Thrones.)
The organizers at the Ayn Rand Institute stressed that the location was significant: Cleveland was the city Rand chose for the fictional Patrick Henry University in Atlas Shrugged, where a penniless but ideologically unimpeachable John Galt first made his mark before going on to lead the resistance against collectivism. It’s also, they pointed out, the first major American city to produce commercial-grade steel. But the choice of Cleveland was tinged with irony as well. The once-robust Rust Belt metropolis has been ravaged by a real-life version of Randian corporate overlordship—its factories closing, its people fleeing, its scraps fed to a subprime mortgage machine.
This was the grim setting for a nearly week-long celebration of Rand’s genius that coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of her clarion call for a capitalist-aligned cultural and aesthetic movement, The Romantic Manifesto. Thrumming in the background was a related, similarly unnerving trend for Objectivists: The romance of the movement has lost a good deal of its cachet in an unequal, austerity-battered America—particularly when it comes to pulling in the young recruits who were once the backbone of the Rand insurgency. All the kids these days are becoming socialists and communists. Only 45 percent of young Americans view capitalism positively, compared with 51 percent who profess a fondness for socialism. They want higher taxes, regulations, a Green New Deal. Their thousand-page tome of choice isn’t Atlas Shrugged; it’s Marx’s Capital (or perhaps Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century).
Objectivism has a serious youth problem, and the conference’s organizers were quite aware of it. They offered a discount rate for those under 30, a talent show, and extracurricular activities like “late night jams.” It made me wonder: Is Rand’s hyper-capitalist philosophy—which has influenced some of the most powerful political and economic giants of recent history, from Ronald Reagan and Alan Greenspan to Mark Cuban and Steve Jobs—running out of juice? There was only one way to find out. I would have to attend the conference’s various panels on the virtue of selfishness, the evils of regulation, and the greatness of capitalism’s dark patron saint, and try to fraternize with the next class of Paul Ryans in the making. So I went into the Objectivist sanctums of Cleveland, sporting an Ayn Rand tote bag outfitted with an “I <3 fossil fuels” pin, to gauge the reach of Rand’s cult of unbridled capitalism on today’s political scene.
I've read Rand by the way. And have met folks who support her views. I don't agree with her views. And no, generally speaking I don't recommend her books. If you feel that you must read her -- read Anthem. It's short. And by far the best. Or go rent the Patricia Neal/Gary Cooper Art Deco film The Fountainhead.
5. Well, the Brits on my flist can tell me if this is true or not? 38 Americanisms The British Can't Bloody Stand.
Here are just 38 of the Americanisms it seems the British public really can’t stand.
[The information in abbreviations is my reactions to each one.]
1. When people ask for something, I often hear: “Can I get a . . .” It infuriates me. It’s not New York. It’s not the ’90s. You’re not in Central Perk with the rest of the Friends. Really. [Well, actually I am in New York -- so I guess I get a pass?]
2. The next time someone tells you something is the “least worst option,” tell them that their most best option is learning grammar.
3. The phrase I’ve watched seep into the language (especially with broadcasters) is “two-time” and “three-time.” Have the words double, triple, etc., been totally lost?
4. Using 24/7 rather than “24 hours, 7 days a week” or even just plain “all day, every day.” [Clearly Britain doesn't have a 24/7 public transportation system. Or they would understand why we use this term in the work place and in NYC.]
5. The one I can’t stand is “deplane,” meaning to disembark an aircraft, used in the phrase “you will be able to deplane momentarily.”
6. “Touch base”—it makes me cringe no end. [It wouldn't if you understood baseball, as opposed to just playing Cricket.]
7. Is “physicality” a real word? [Yes, it is. It's in the dictionary, you pratt.he fact of relating to the body as opposed to the mind; physical presence.
"there's an emphasis on the physicality of the actors" or involvement of a lot of bodily contact or activity. "the intense physicality of a dancer's life". It is difficult learning the English language. Isn't it?]
8. Transportation. What’s wrong with transport? [Transportation is for an organization that transports various things, it is the noun version of transport. I work in transportation. I work in tranport -- makes no sense.]
9. Does nobody celebrate a birthday any more, must we all “turn” 12 or 21 or 40? [Well, turn does mean the year turns over. Also why would we say I celebrated my 4oth year, when I turned 40 this year works just as well?]
10. What kind of word is “gotten”? It makes me shudder. [I have nothing.]
11. “I’m good” for “I’m well.” That’ll do for a start.[It's slang, hon. I'm sure you have it too.]
12. “Bangs” for a fringe of the hair.[Actually, I remember the Beatles using this term - so we got it from you.]
13. Takeout rather than takeaway! [Why would it be called takeaway? Takeout -- is you take it out of the establishment. Takeaway...really?]
14. “A half hour” instead of “half an hour.” [Not seeing the problem here. You're mighty fussy, aren't you? Can't be good for the old blood pressure.]
15. A “heads up.” For example, as in a business meeting—Let’s do a “heads up” on this issue. I have never been sure of the meaning. [ Simple. Obviously you've never been in a business meeting. A Heads Up -- is similar to Thumbs Up. Also people have a tendency to spend time looking at phones, notes, and not paying attention, their heads are down. Honestly, I shouldn't have to explain this.]
16. To put a list into alphabetical order is to “alphabetize it”—horrid! [Uhm, that's standard library reference jargon. Alphabetize. Economy of words...some people just need to use a paragraph to make themselves clear. Astonishing.]
17. People that say “my bad” after a mistake. I don’t know how anything could be as annoying or lazy as that. [Sigh. It's slang, courtesy of Joss Whedon.]
18. “Normalcy” instead of “normality” really irritates me. [Weird. Normality just sounds odd. Normalcy has a nice rhythm to it. You clearly aren't a poet.]
19. Eaterie. To use a prevalent phrase, oh my gaad! [It's actually, Eatery. And means restaurant or place to eat. Seriously, "gaad" is Gaad even a word?]
20. I’m a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weekly when fortnightly would suffice just fine. [Not unless you live in the 1800s. Bi-weekly is clearer. It's every two weeks. What the hell does fortnight mean? A night that is a fort? Or is it supposed to mean four nights a week?]
21. I hate “alternate” for “alternative.” I don’t like this as they are two distinct words, both have distinct meanings and it’s useful to have both. Using “alternate” for “alternative” deprives us of a word. [Uhm...what? We use both.]
22. “Hike” a price. Does that mean people who do that are hikers? No, hikers are ramblers! [Well, no. Apparently Britain doesn't have really tall mountains? Because hiking in the US often means hiking up a steep trail. It has more than one meaning.]
23. Going forward? If I do I shall collide with my keyboard. [So, you clearly don't leave it very often?]
24. The most annoying Americanism is “a million and a half” when it is clearly one and a half million! A million and a half is 1,000,000.5, where one and a half million is 1,500,000. [ I haven't heard this very often. Except in respect to something that has nothing to do with numbers.]
25. “Reach out to” when the correct word is “ask.” For example: “I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient.” Reach out? Is Kevin stuck in quicksand? Is he teetering on the edge of a cliff? Can’t we just ask him? [ Well, the correct term is contact. Reach out means to "contact", and it is used to indicate that it requires a bit of effort, since Kevin is not nearby. You have to reach across a large distance. This would be clear to someone who lived on a large continent and not on an island.]
26. I hate the fact I now have to order a “regular Americano.” What ever happened to a medium-sized coffee? [ It's a type of coffee. Sort of like ordering English Breakfast tea.]
27. My worst horror is expiration, as in “expiration date.” Whatever happened to expiry? [What in the hell is expiry? Contracts have expiration dates. It's a technical and legal term.]
28. I am increasingly hearing the phrase “that’ll learn you”—when the English (and more correct) version was always “that’ll teach you.” What a ridiculous phrase! [Weirdly I prefer 'that'll teach you'. I agree that'll learn you makes no sense.]
29. I really hate the phrase “Where’s it at?” This is not more efficient or informative than “Where is it?” It just sounds grotesque and is immensely irritating. [Yet far more rhythmic and works better in songs and rap music.]
30. My pet hate is “winningest,” used in the context “Michael Schumacher is the winningest driver of all time.” I can feel the rage rising even using it here. [Okay, you aren't wrong. I'll give you that.]
31. My brother now uses the term “season” for a TV series. Hideous. [Yet remarkably accurate. Television series now are seasonal. And they have seasons.]
32. Having an “issue” instead of a “problem.” [It's a kinder gentler word. Less scary.]
33. I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as “zee.” Not happy about it![Uhm..how is it pronounced? zay?]
34. To “medal” instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance. [I'd advise against watching the Olympics for the foreseeable future...or you may lose your teeth.]
35. “I got it for free” is a pet hate. You got it “free” not “for free.” You don’t get something cheap and say you got it “for cheap” do you? [Well no, but surely you can see the difference between the words cheap and free. Right?]
36. “Turn that off already.” Oh dear. [And you're problem with this is what exactly? Oh right, people talk in long sentences...I forgot.]
37. “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less” has to be the worst. Opposite meaning of what they’re trying to say. [As an aside this has confused me the most. I do not understand the problem here. And there was so much whinging about it on my flist -- that I started using 'I couldn't care less' instead, and had a line editor correct me for it in my novel -- he said it was a Britishism and I might want to change that.]
38. Dare I even mention the fanny pack? [What would you call it? A money belt? A bit too descriptive. Waist belt?]
Honestly, why isn't there a list of the 38 Americanisms the British love? Are the British just whiny by nature? Maybe it's all that rain?
I was trying to think of any Britishisms that I dislike. No, I found them all rather charming and hilarious. I've even adopted a few. Like "bonkers", "bloody", "flat", "bugger", "balls", also "Pratt".
The English language is among the hardest languages in the world to learn -- I blame the British. When in doubt? Blame the British. An American habit that dates back to roughly 1776. [I'm joking, well, half-joking.]
6. Stop Apologizing For Being Yourself
I don't know about this. Some of it I agree with...some of it seems unrealistic and prone to enabling nasty behavior. Also it seems to be a wee bit on the self-indulgence side or justifying nasty/rude behavior to others. I think we need to find a way to be kinder to each other -- my workplace is making this hard. I keep falling on the job.
You’ll be happier if you become yourself.
When we take control of our lives, we start feeling better about it. And when we feel better, we enjoy our life more. And that makes us happier.
“That’s common sense!” Sure. So are a lot of other things. But you need to act on it. Otherwise, you’re just a talker.
Over the past few years, I’ve been gradually living life on my terms. And now, I can honestly say that everything I do and say is because I want to.
I only work with people I like. I spend time with people I like. And I do what I like. Now, it also happens that I’m a responsible person and help others. I like to set a good example for my environment.
That’s just who I am.
It’s time for you to be yourself. Do what you’re meant to do: The right thing.
“But it’s not that easy.”
You can say that for everything. The question is: Will that stop you or not?
You and I also both know that LIFE ain’t easy!
So why say it all the time? Just acknowledge it and move on.
Also don’t do things you don’t want to do.
But wait, I’m not saying don’t do hard things. Because everything in life is hard. At least, all the good things are.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have to be like Gary Vaynerchuk
If you’re a programmer, you don’t have to be like Mark Zuckerberg
If you’re an artist, you don’t have to be like Van Gogh
You’ll get what you want when you are yourself.
The funny thing about all this is that you don’t get what you want, when you try to be someone you’re not. You see?
When you try to be something else, or fake it till you make it, people will never respect you for it.
And let’s be honest. All of us need a little bit of recognition and respect. We all want to be valued, right?
Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said that you only get respect when you are yourself:
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
I can tell you from personal experience that being yourself is the most liberating thing in life.
Like many others, I used to worry about fitting in all the time. The clothes I wore, the words I used, the things I did — it was all because I was afraid to be myself.
You need to conquer that fear. Day by day, you can show a little piece of who you really are.
No need to do a backflip right now and scream, “I AM MYSELF!” That’s too dramatic.
Build it up. Bit by bit. Show yourself to your world.
You must trust yourself. And that you’re good enough. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote about the importance of being yourself in Self-Reliance (which I highly recommend reading to every adult), said it best:
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
And if others don’t like you, who cares? That’s their problem.
I agree...with some of this, but honestly, we don't get to choose who we work with. And being an ass to people because we decide we don't like them -- is stupid. Also this promotes self-interest. So, yes and no.
7. Confessions of a Failed Self-Help Guru
I traveled around the country telling strangers how to better their lives—until I learned that the those offering to solve your problems are often the ones who need help.
Bwhhhahhha!
The article is okay. But I found the headline hilarious.
8. Why the Russo Brothers Would have dusted all the X-men except for Wolverine with the Thanos Snap
“I’d love to see a fiercely motivated Wolverine going up against Thanos,” Joe said of his extreme decision. For anyone looking to call him out for not eliminating exactly half of the X-Men, he pointed out how the snap didn't always evenly halve any given group -- like how Hawkeye was the single survivor of his five-person family.
While turning the rest of the X-Men to dust would be upsetting to see, Joe explained, “It’s not our job to give the people what they want, it’s to give them what they need.” And to his point, watching an emotionally devastated Wolverine go full berserk on Thanos with his Adamantium claws is definitely something we need to see.
Yeah, well, you just basically pissed off the entire X-men fan base for no apparent reason. Well, except for the Wolverine fans, which are a far smaller percentage than Marvel likes to admit.
Wolverine has become the Marty Stu of the Marvel Universe, and is over-exposed.
The X fans are very happy right now that the Russo brothers won't be directing any more Marvel flicks and can't get their grubby paws on the X-men. Also, they are happy that Fox had the rights to the X-men during Infinity War.
In the comics version of Infinity War, Thanos kicked Wolverine's butt. He's not that powerful. Apocalypse can kick his butt. Actually he was killed in the X-men series by a Reaver.
Actually, I think the comics may have dusted Wolverine in the Infinity War comic books. But the Russo's aren't up on their source material -- the only know the X-men from the Hugh Jackman films, and the Avengers, which is sort of obvious by that statement. Also they pissed off a lot of female fans, losing their cred. Storm is far more interesting a character than Wolverine and more powerful, as is Magneto. Wolverine would be demolished in minutes.
They dodged a bullet. Because that would have lost them moviegoers.
I found it amusing.
2. This looks interesting, but I am not good with web comics. I like to read comics on my Amazon HD Fire Kindle, not on my laptop. I find it easier to read them. If I can't get them on the Fire Kindle, I won't read them.
However, since your mileage may vary... Lackadaisy's comic about 19th Century Cats..the cats are the characters in the 19th Century.
The art and writing are wickedly good.
Alas, not available in a manner that doesn't make it hard for me to effectively read. (I can enlarge the print on my Kindle, I can't here.)
3. Gay Penguins Adopt an abandoned egg. I didn't know it was possible for a penguin to be gay. I know there are same-sex pairings in the non-human natural world, but with penguins? Fascinating. And sort of cool.
4. The Last Ayn Rand Acolytes...This year's Objectivist Conference revealed that her cult of hyper-capitalism has a major recruiting problem: All the young people want to be socialists!.
Hee Hee Hee..I sort of figured this out from the pattern I've been picking up on in current popular media and pop culture offerings. I mean Endgame had a heavy socialist thrust as did Game of Thrones (although Game of Thrones kind of wimped out on it...because Game of Thrones.)
The organizers at the Ayn Rand Institute stressed that the location was significant: Cleveland was the city Rand chose for the fictional Patrick Henry University in Atlas Shrugged, where a penniless but ideologically unimpeachable John Galt first made his mark before going on to lead the resistance against collectivism. It’s also, they pointed out, the first major American city to produce commercial-grade steel. But the choice of Cleveland was tinged with irony as well. The once-robust Rust Belt metropolis has been ravaged by a real-life version of Randian corporate overlordship—its factories closing, its people fleeing, its scraps fed to a subprime mortgage machine.
This was the grim setting for a nearly week-long celebration of Rand’s genius that coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of her clarion call for a capitalist-aligned cultural and aesthetic movement, The Romantic Manifesto. Thrumming in the background was a related, similarly unnerving trend for Objectivists: The romance of the movement has lost a good deal of its cachet in an unequal, austerity-battered America—particularly when it comes to pulling in the young recruits who were once the backbone of the Rand insurgency. All the kids these days are becoming socialists and communists. Only 45 percent of young Americans view capitalism positively, compared with 51 percent who profess a fondness for socialism. They want higher taxes, regulations, a Green New Deal. Their thousand-page tome of choice isn’t Atlas Shrugged; it’s Marx’s Capital (or perhaps Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century).
Objectivism has a serious youth problem, and the conference’s organizers were quite aware of it. They offered a discount rate for those under 30, a talent show, and extracurricular activities like “late night jams.” It made me wonder: Is Rand’s hyper-capitalist philosophy—which has influenced some of the most powerful political and economic giants of recent history, from Ronald Reagan and Alan Greenspan to Mark Cuban and Steve Jobs—running out of juice? There was only one way to find out. I would have to attend the conference’s various panels on the virtue of selfishness, the evils of regulation, and the greatness of capitalism’s dark patron saint, and try to fraternize with the next class of Paul Ryans in the making. So I went into the Objectivist sanctums of Cleveland, sporting an Ayn Rand tote bag outfitted with an “I <3 fossil fuels” pin, to gauge the reach of Rand’s cult of unbridled capitalism on today’s political scene.
I've read Rand by the way. And have met folks who support her views. I don't agree with her views. And no, generally speaking I don't recommend her books. If you feel that you must read her -- read Anthem. It's short. And by far the best. Or go rent the Patricia Neal/Gary Cooper Art Deco film The Fountainhead.
5. Well, the Brits on my flist can tell me if this is true or not? 38 Americanisms The British Can't Bloody Stand.
Here are just 38 of the Americanisms it seems the British public really can’t stand.
[The information in abbreviations is my reactions to each one.]
1. When people ask for something, I often hear: “Can I get a . . .” It infuriates me. It’s not New York. It’s not the ’90s. You’re not in Central Perk with the rest of the Friends. Really. [Well, actually I am in New York -- so I guess I get a pass?]
2. The next time someone tells you something is the “least worst option,” tell them that their most best option is learning grammar.
3. The phrase I’ve watched seep into the language (especially with broadcasters) is “two-time” and “three-time.” Have the words double, triple, etc., been totally lost?
4. Using 24/7 rather than “24 hours, 7 days a week” or even just plain “all day, every day.” [Clearly Britain doesn't have a 24/7 public transportation system. Or they would understand why we use this term in the work place and in NYC.]
5. The one I can’t stand is “deplane,” meaning to disembark an aircraft, used in the phrase “you will be able to deplane momentarily.”
6. “Touch base”—it makes me cringe no end. [It wouldn't if you understood baseball, as opposed to just playing Cricket.]
7. Is “physicality” a real word? [Yes, it is. It's in the dictionary, you pratt.he fact of relating to the body as opposed to the mind; physical presence.
"there's an emphasis on the physicality of the actors" or involvement of a lot of bodily contact or activity. "the intense physicality of a dancer's life". It is difficult learning the English language. Isn't it?]
8. Transportation. What’s wrong with transport? [Transportation is for an organization that transports various things, it is the noun version of transport. I work in transportation. I work in tranport -- makes no sense.]
9. Does nobody celebrate a birthday any more, must we all “turn” 12 or 21 or 40? [Well, turn does mean the year turns over. Also why would we say I celebrated my 4oth year, when I turned 40 this year works just as well?]
10. What kind of word is “gotten”? It makes me shudder. [I have nothing.]
11. “I’m good” for “I’m well.” That’ll do for a start.[It's slang, hon. I'm sure you have it too.]
12. “Bangs” for a fringe of the hair.[Actually, I remember the Beatles using this term - so we got it from you.]
13. Takeout rather than takeaway! [Why would it be called takeaway? Takeout -- is you take it out of the establishment. Takeaway...really?]
14. “A half hour” instead of “half an hour.” [Not seeing the problem here. You're mighty fussy, aren't you? Can't be good for the old blood pressure.]
15. A “heads up.” For example, as in a business meeting—Let’s do a “heads up” on this issue. I have never been sure of the meaning. [ Simple. Obviously you've never been in a business meeting. A Heads Up -- is similar to Thumbs Up. Also people have a tendency to spend time looking at phones, notes, and not paying attention, their heads are down. Honestly, I shouldn't have to explain this.]
16. To put a list into alphabetical order is to “alphabetize it”—horrid! [Uhm, that's standard library reference jargon. Alphabetize. Economy of words...some people just need to use a paragraph to make themselves clear. Astonishing.]
17. People that say “my bad” after a mistake. I don’t know how anything could be as annoying or lazy as that. [Sigh. It's slang, courtesy of Joss Whedon.]
18. “Normalcy” instead of “normality” really irritates me. [Weird. Normality just sounds odd. Normalcy has a nice rhythm to it. You clearly aren't a poet.]
19. Eaterie. To use a prevalent phrase, oh my gaad! [It's actually, Eatery. And means restaurant or place to eat. Seriously, "gaad" is Gaad even a word?]
20. I’m a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weekly when fortnightly would suffice just fine. [Not unless you live in the 1800s. Bi-weekly is clearer. It's every two weeks. What the hell does fortnight mean? A night that is a fort? Or is it supposed to mean four nights a week?]
21. I hate “alternate” for “alternative.” I don’t like this as they are two distinct words, both have distinct meanings and it’s useful to have both. Using “alternate” for “alternative” deprives us of a word. [Uhm...what? We use both.]
22. “Hike” a price. Does that mean people who do that are hikers? No, hikers are ramblers! [Well, no. Apparently Britain doesn't have really tall mountains? Because hiking in the US often means hiking up a steep trail. It has more than one meaning.]
23. Going forward? If I do I shall collide with my keyboard. [So, you clearly don't leave it very often?]
24. The most annoying Americanism is “a million and a half” when it is clearly one and a half million! A million and a half is 1,000,000.5, where one and a half million is 1,500,000. [ I haven't heard this very often. Except in respect to something that has nothing to do with numbers.]
25. “Reach out to” when the correct word is “ask.” For example: “I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient.” Reach out? Is Kevin stuck in quicksand? Is he teetering on the edge of a cliff? Can’t we just ask him? [ Well, the correct term is contact. Reach out means to "contact", and it is used to indicate that it requires a bit of effort, since Kevin is not nearby. You have to reach across a large distance. This would be clear to someone who lived on a large continent and not on an island.]
26. I hate the fact I now have to order a “regular Americano.” What ever happened to a medium-sized coffee? [ It's a type of coffee. Sort of like ordering English Breakfast tea.]
27. My worst horror is expiration, as in “expiration date.” Whatever happened to expiry? [What in the hell is expiry? Contracts have expiration dates. It's a technical and legal term.]
28. I am increasingly hearing the phrase “that’ll learn you”—when the English (and more correct) version was always “that’ll teach you.” What a ridiculous phrase! [Weirdly I prefer 'that'll teach you'. I agree that'll learn you makes no sense.]
29. I really hate the phrase “Where’s it at?” This is not more efficient or informative than “Where is it?” It just sounds grotesque and is immensely irritating. [Yet far more rhythmic and works better in songs and rap music.]
30. My pet hate is “winningest,” used in the context “Michael Schumacher is the winningest driver of all time.” I can feel the rage rising even using it here. [Okay, you aren't wrong. I'll give you that.]
31. My brother now uses the term “season” for a TV series. Hideous. [Yet remarkably accurate. Television series now are seasonal. And they have seasons.]
32. Having an “issue” instead of a “problem.” [It's a kinder gentler word. Less scary.]
33. I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as “zee.” Not happy about it![Uhm..how is it pronounced? zay?]
34. To “medal” instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance. [I'd advise against watching the Olympics for the foreseeable future...or you may lose your teeth.]
35. “I got it for free” is a pet hate. You got it “free” not “for free.” You don’t get something cheap and say you got it “for cheap” do you? [Well no, but surely you can see the difference between the words cheap and free. Right?]
36. “Turn that off already.” Oh dear. [And you're problem with this is what exactly? Oh right, people talk in long sentences...I forgot.]
37. “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less” has to be the worst. Opposite meaning of what they’re trying to say. [As an aside this has confused me the most. I do not understand the problem here. And there was so much whinging about it on my flist -- that I started using 'I couldn't care less' instead, and had a line editor correct me for it in my novel -- he said it was a Britishism and I might want to change that.]
38. Dare I even mention the fanny pack? [What would you call it? A money belt? A bit too descriptive. Waist belt?]
Honestly, why isn't there a list of the 38 Americanisms the British love? Are the British just whiny by nature? Maybe it's all that rain?
I was trying to think of any Britishisms that I dislike. No, I found them all rather charming and hilarious. I've even adopted a few. Like "bonkers", "bloody", "flat", "bugger", "balls", also "Pratt".
The English language is among the hardest languages in the world to learn -- I blame the British. When in doubt? Blame the British. An American habit that dates back to roughly 1776. [I'm joking, well, half-joking.]
6. Stop Apologizing For Being Yourself
I don't know about this. Some of it I agree with...some of it seems unrealistic and prone to enabling nasty behavior. Also it seems to be a wee bit on the self-indulgence side or justifying nasty/rude behavior to others. I think we need to find a way to be kinder to each other -- my workplace is making this hard. I keep falling on the job.
You’ll be happier if you become yourself.
When we take control of our lives, we start feeling better about it. And when we feel better, we enjoy our life more. And that makes us happier.
“That’s common sense!” Sure. So are a lot of other things. But you need to act on it. Otherwise, you’re just a talker.
Over the past few years, I’ve been gradually living life on my terms. And now, I can honestly say that everything I do and say is because I want to.
I only work with people I like. I spend time with people I like. And I do what I like. Now, it also happens that I’m a responsible person and help others. I like to set a good example for my environment.
That’s just who I am.
It’s time for you to be yourself. Do what you’re meant to do: The right thing.
“But it’s not that easy.”
You can say that for everything. The question is: Will that stop you or not?
You and I also both know that LIFE ain’t easy!
So why say it all the time? Just acknowledge it and move on.
Also don’t do things you don’t want to do.
But wait, I’m not saying don’t do hard things. Because everything in life is hard. At least, all the good things are.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have to be like Gary Vaynerchuk
If you’re a programmer, you don’t have to be like Mark Zuckerberg
If you’re an artist, you don’t have to be like Van Gogh
You’ll get what you want when you are yourself.
The funny thing about all this is that you don’t get what you want, when you try to be someone you’re not. You see?
When you try to be something else, or fake it till you make it, people will never respect you for it.
And let’s be honest. All of us need a little bit of recognition and respect. We all want to be valued, right?
Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said that you only get respect when you are yourself:
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
I can tell you from personal experience that being yourself is the most liberating thing in life.
Like many others, I used to worry about fitting in all the time. The clothes I wore, the words I used, the things I did — it was all because I was afraid to be myself.
You need to conquer that fear. Day by day, you can show a little piece of who you really are.
No need to do a backflip right now and scream, “I AM MYSELF!” That’s too dramatic.
Build it up. Bit by bit. Show yourself to your world.
You must trust yourself. And that you’re good enough. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote about the importance of being yourself in Self-Reliance (which I highly recommend reading to every adult), said it best:
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
And if others don’t like you, who cares? That’s their problem.
I agree...with some of this, but honestly, we don't get to choose who we work with. And being an ass to people because we decide we don't like them -- is stupid. Also this promotes self-interest. So, yes and no.
7. Confessions of a Failed Self-Help Guru
I traveled around the country telling strangers how to better their lives—until I learned that the those offering to solve your problems are often the ones who need help.
Bwhhhahhha!
The article is okay. But I found the headline hilarious.
8. Why the Russo Brothers Would have dusted all the X-men except for Wolverine with the Thanos Snap
“I’d love to see a fiercely motivated Wolverine going up against Thanos,” Joe said of his extreme decision. For anyone looking to call him out for not eliminating exactly half of the X-Men, he pointed out how the snap didn't always evenly halve any given group -- like how Hawkeye was the single survivor of his five-person family.
While turning the rest of the X-Men to dust would be upsetting to see, Joe explained, “It’s not our job to give the people what they want, it’s to give them what they need.” And to his point, watching an emotionally devastated Wolverine go full berserk on Thanos with his Adamantium claws is definitely something we need to see.
Yeah, well, you just basically pissed off the entire X-men fan base for no apparent reason. Well, except for the Wolverine fans, which are a far smaller percentage than Marvel likes to admit.
Wolverine has become the Marty Stu of the Marvel Universe, and is over-exposed.
The X fans are very happy right now that the Russo brothers won't be directing any more Marvel flicks and can't get their grubby paws on the X-men. Also, they are happy that Fox had the rights to the X-men during Infinity War.
In the comics version of Infinity War, Thanos kicked Wolverine's butt. He's not that powerful. Apocalypse can kick his butt. Actually he was killed in the X-men series by a Reaver.
Actually, I think the comics may have dusted Wolverine in the Infinity War comic books. But the Russo's aren't up on their source material -- the only know the X-men from the Hugh Jackman films, and the Avengers, which is sort of obvious by that statement. Also they pissed off a lot of female fans, losing their cred. Storm is far more interesting a character than Wolverine and more powerful, as is Magneto. Wolverine would be demolished in minutes.
They dodged a bullet. Because that would have lost them moviegoers.
I found it amusing.