I know that very few people actually read this blog, but I'm going to do a participatory exercise anyway. It seems to me that this country has taken to dogging its automakers to the point that they don't even have any reasons anymore, they just do it out of habit. Personally, I'm a Chevy guy and have been very happy with all of the vehicles I have owned. My wife now has a Pontiac and is very happy with it.
Yes, I admit that there is a chance that we are in the minority, but we have had limited problems with our vehicles that are tied to anything other than our own stupidity. I want to know just how rare we are.
So here's the exercise: Please list the vehicles you have owned in the last 10 years. Briefly describe to me the situation (new, used, bought, leased, gramma drove it before I did, etc), and then tell me how it went. This exercise will take a few minutes, but please bare with me.
Hopefully for all of you American haters out there, you can prove me wrong and show me that American cars suck. More likely, I will show you how much you don't really know what you're bitching about.
I'll start off:
1990 Chevy S-10 pickup (Extended Cab, 4WD). Had a rust problem that stemmed from the plastic fender flares, but accepted every beating I gave it. Got me back and forth to Potsdam a couple dozen times and even beat a V-6 Mustang in a race down Western Ave in Albany. I sold it in 2001 with 120k miles on it for $400 (needed new front brakes at the time). I saw it two years later with some recent body work still putting around Potsdam. The AC was empty and I broke the lever that allowed me to have anything but hot air in the cabin, but those were both mostly my fault.
2002 Chevy Blazer (2-door, 4WD) Bought it brand new, actually ordered it from the factory. Had 3 miles on it. Within the warranty period, it had some issues with the distributor that needed to be fixed. The last of which was technically outside of the warranty period, but since it was related to the other issues they graciously fixed it at no cost to me. Since then, I had to have the 4 wheel drive module moved once because it was getting wet during heavy rains and causing some problems. Other than that, we've made a few dozen trips to Potsdam from Rochester and Albany together, and with the sub that my brother gave me as a college graduation present, it keeps me running all winter long. It's a great compromise between car and truck, but yeah, it might be nice to get a little better gas mileage. Just turned 80,000 miles.
1999 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible (2-door, RWD) This is the second best decision I ever made. Marrying Lisa is of course number 1, and going away to Clarkson is a close third. I bought Camy used, it had 27,500 miles on it when I bought it (yes another cute 7/25-related number) from a pansy down in CT. He was having a baby soon and they were no longer going to be able to afford the payments on the car on top of the kid and their overpriced townhouse by the very fishy-smelling water. I gladly took her off his hands and brought it to NY. This is another vehicle that I have given some abuse, mostly because it has a 320 hp V8 and I have a heavy right foot. I had to replace part of the liner to the convertible top because it was leaking into the trunk, but that way a couple hundred dollars and has been great ever since. I did have a creature make a nest in the engine compartment and had to replace some ignition wires, but that's hardly GMs fault. I made sure to keep it on the driveway this winter and put some traps out just in case. I've had some brake work done, but the way I drive, that's not surprising. Camy has about 55,000 miles on her now and is sitting out in the parking lot just waiting for me to fire her up again. I get about 23 miles to the gallon overall, close to 30 highway with the 6 speed manual. 6th gear cuts the rpms to about 1700 at 75 mph, but still leaves me with enough acceleration to get out of the way if I need it.
So there are my stories. Each vehicle has had it's little things, but certainly nothing worth crying home to mom about. The other point to mention, these vehicles have all been FUN TO DRIVE, which is a lot more than I can say for most imports that I have driven.
Thanks for listening, and I look forward to your stories.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Another long layoff
So what brings me out of my hibernation?
Paris Hilton.
Not because I think she is hot, because frankly I do not. I am here only to applaud the judge in the case for making her go to jail. Although she got a far softer sentence than most people would for doing what she did, he stuck to his guns and made her go to jail. Let this be a lesson to all you Hollywood stars: Every once in a great while, a judge will give you what you deserve. Are you willing to play Russian roulette with the judicial system?
On a side note, congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks (ironic that they take the "mighty" out of their name and they become the most mighty team in all the land) for winning the Stanley Cup. A special shout goes out to Clarkson alumni Todd Marchant and Kent Huskins, who were on the winning team. This makes 3 years in a row that Clarkson has been represented in the finals, and two in a row that they have won. Hey Cornell, RPI, and other annoying red schools: how many do you have?
Note: Andy MacDonald doesn't count, Colgate is maroon and not nearly as cocky and annoying
Paris Hilton.
Not because I think she is hot, because frankly I do not. I am here only to applaud the judge in the case for making her go to jail. Although she got a far softer sentence than most people would for doing what she did, he stuck to his guns and made her go to jail. Let this be a lesson to all you Hollywood stars: Every once in a great while, a judge will give you what you deserve. Are you willing to play Russian roulette with the judicial system?
On a side note, congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks (ironic that they take the "mighty" out of their name and they become the most mighty team in all the land) for winning the Stanley Cup. A special shout goes out to Clarkson alumni Todd Marchant and Kent Huskins, who were on the winning team. This makes 3 years in a row that Clarkson has been represented in the finals, and two in a row that they have won. Hey Cornell, RPI, and other annoying red schools: how many do you have?
Note: Andy MacDonald doesn't count, Colgate is maroon and not nearly as cocky and annoying
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Since then
Wow, that last post was a long one, no wonder no one commented! Or is it just that you're all too afraid to take a stand on racially-charged issues? Anyway, I move on...
So there has been lots of press about the shootings at Virginia Tech. Now it's time for the anti-gun advocates to come out of the woodwork to blame this on the gun industry. Are you serious people? For the last time, guns don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people. This was once MESSED UP individual. If you want to blame anyone, blame the people who didn't put him in a padded cell after they were warned of what he was writing about.
Guns will always be around. The more you try to ban them, the more they will go underground and more people will die trying to buy and sell them. That said, is it necessary for everyday citizens to have fully-automatic assault rifles? Probably not. How about this, if you want to buy one, you have to register yourself like a sex offender. That way everyone in your neighborhood will know that you own one and will make sure that they don't piss you off. If you buy more than one, you will have to register again. Or maybe we build a wall around Montana and let anyone who wants to have high powered weapons live there? Make it a Survivor, like what the commercials in Grand Theft Auto 3 talked about. A whole ton of guns, let everyone seek each other out, and the winner gets to be governor. Sure, you'll have trouble trying to get more people to move into your state, but you'd get to won all the guns you want! After all, it's your constitutional right!
So there has been lots of press about the shootings at Virginia Tech. Now it's time for the anti-gun advocates to come out of the woodwork to blame this on the gun industry. Are you serious people? For the last time, guns don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people. This was once MESSED UP individual. If you want to blame anyone, blame the people who didn't put him in a padded cell after they were warned of what he was writing about.
Guns will always be around. The more you try to ban them, the more they will go underground and more people will die trying to buy and sell them. That said, is it necessary for everyday citizens to have fully-automatic assault rifles? Probably not. How about this, if you want to buy one, you have to register yourself like a sex offender. That way everyone in your neighborhood will know that you own one and will make sure that they don't piss you off. If you buy more than one, you will have to register again. Or maybe we build a wall around Montana and let anyone who wants to have high powered weapons live there? Make it a Survivor, like what the commercials in Grand Theft Auto 3 talked about. A whole ton of guns, let everyone seek each other out, and the winner gets to be governor. Sure, you'll have trouble trying to get more people to move into your state, but you'd get to won all the guns you want! After all, it's your constitutional right!
Monday, April 23, 2007
DUDE!
Are you ok? You've been gone for almost two weeks!
Not that much has been going on, other than Don Imus and Virginia Tech. Two separate incidents, and even I'm not obnoxious enough to tie them to each other. I'm going to leave the Virginia Tech massacre as a terrible tragedy. Some other time I might get into identifying crazy people and sequestering them to protective custody.
Today, we are going to talk about racism. Yes, I said it.
I start by saying yes, absolutely, there are lots of racist people in this world. Don Imus may in fact be one of these. However, we need to talk about another racist: Reverend Al Sharpton. He has been poisoning your TV and your mind for years. People like Al Sharpton make racism worse.
Think about it: If the owner of a store that shop at comes out and start annoying the shit out of you, you are less likely to shop there right? You might even utter something like "That place sucks, their owner is a dumbass".
Let's morph it to sports. Let's say you meet Derek Jeter in person, and he's a prick to you. Maybe he is hanging out with other teammates. Even though he was the only one mean to you, it's reasonable for you to say "The Yankees suck. They are a bunch of arrogant bastards."
If you are familiar with my insane thought process, you know where I'm going with this. Al Sharpton makes the black community (I hate the term African-American, how many of them still have any ties to Africa? Or even care? Am I a British-German-Irish-American? NO!) look BAD. He is a fat, obnoxious person who seems to think he speaks for all black people. I am quite sure that he doesn't. He is making assumptions and claims that he feels are best for "his people" when in fact he is doing more harm than good. Surprisingly, Jesse Jackson has kept relatively quiet on this issue. Maybe he is smart enough to know when to keep quiet, or he just sees what a jackass Big Al is making of himself.
Now let's move to the "harmful language" in question. Don Imus referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos". The funniest part about this debate is that according to Sharpton, being called a "ho" isn't nearly as bad as being called "nappy-headed", because the latter is (to him) a racial slur. He of course cannot attack calling a woman a "ho", because he would be attacking THE ENTIRE HIP-HOP INDUSTRY, which employs a big old pile of black dudes. Hm, so now ho is OK, but nappy-headed isn't. Interesting logic.
I think what I'm getting at here is that Al Sharpton is taking the Fox News approach to racism. Instead of suggesting a solution, he decides to SENSATIONALIZE the situation, all while claiming a "fair and balanced"-style approach.
As for Mr. Imus, I call him a pussy. If he thought about it, he would know he's getting fired either way. So why lower yourself to apologize? Stick to your guns of free speech and being opinionated and run with it. If nothing else, you'll be guaranteed a show on satellite radio. Instead, he apologized and fed Al Sharpton's fire. By backing down, he has made other radio shows both scared and completely under the microscope.
Ugh, I'm so sick of this crap. Here's the deal: There are still plenty of racist people in the world. If they are ignored, they will go away like the bullies that they are. Any time anyone drops the "N word" around me, I tend to ignore it and ignore them when possible. Just like when you were in elementary school, if you ignore them they will go away. Then we just wait for the racist generation (baby-boomers and their elders) to die off and we'll be OK.
However, if the "gangsta" mentality that all white people are bad continues, we will be right back where we started. Can't we all just get along?
Not that much has been going on, other than Don Imus and Virginia Tech. Two separate incidents, and even I'm not obnoxious enough to tie them to each other. I'm going to leave the Virginia Tech massacre as a terrible tragedy. Some other time I might get into identifying crazy people and sequestering them to protective custody.
Today, we are going to talk about racism. Yes, I said it.
I start by saying yes, absolutely, there are lots of racist people in this world. Don Imus may in fact be one of these. However, we need to talk about another racist: Reverend Al Sharpton. He has been poisoning your TV and your mind for years. People like Al Sharpton make racism worse.
Think about it: If the owner of a store that shop at comes out and start annoying the shit out of you, you are less likely to shop there right? You might even utter something like "That place sucks, their owner is a dumbass".
Let's morph it to sports. Let's say you meet Derek Jeter in person, and he's a prick to you. Maybe he is hanging out with other teammates. Even though he was the only one mean to you, it's reasonable for you to say "The Yankees suck. They are a bunch of arrogant bastards."
If you are familiar with my insane thought process, you know where I'm going with this. Al Sharpton makes the black community (I hate the term African-American, how many of them still have any ties to Africa? Or even care? Am I a British-German-Irish-American? NO!) look BAD. He is a fat, obnoxious person who seems to think he speaks for all black people. I am quite sure that he doesn't. He is making assumptions and claims that he feels are best for "his people" when in fact he is doing more harm than good. Surprisingly, Jesse Jackson has kept relatively quiet on this issue. Maybe he is smart enough to know when to keep quiet, or he just sees what a jackass Big Al is making of himself.
Now let's move to the "harmful language" in question. Don Imus referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos". The funniest part about this debate is that according to Sharpton, being called a "ho" isn't nearly as bad as being called "nappy-headed", because the latter is (to him) a racial slur. He of course cannot attack calling a woman a "ho", because he would be attacking THE ENTIRE HIP-HOP INDUSTRY, which employs a big old pile of black dudes. Hm, so now ho is OK, but nappy-headed isn't. Interesting logic.
I think what I'm getting at here is that Al Sharpton is taking the Fox News approach to racism. Instead of suggesting a solution, he decides to SENSATIONALIZE the situation, all while claiming a "fair and balanced"-style approach.
As for Mr. Imus, I call him a pussy. If he thought about it, he would know he's getting fired either way. So why lower yourself to apologize? Stick to your guns of free speech and being opinionated and run with it. If nothing else, you'll be guaranteed a show on satellite radio. Instead, he apologized and fed Al Sharpton's fire. By backing down, he has made other radio shows both scared and completely under the microscope.
Ugh, I'm so sick of this crap. Here's the deal: There are still plenty of racist people in the world. If they are ignored, they will go away like the bullies that they are. Any time anyone drops the "N word" around me, I tend to ignore it and ignore them when possible. Just like when you were in elementary school, if you ignore them they will go away. Then we just wait for the racist generation (baby-boomers and their elders) to die off and we'll be OK.
However, if the "gangsta" mentality that all white people are bad continues, we will be right back where we started. Can't we all just get along?
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Bigger Deficit
A lot has been made about the spending of the Bush Administration. I agree, it sucks, he sucks, and we'll be paying for his mistakes for decades to come. However, he's the president and there's not much we can do about his spending. We have to wait till 2008 and get someone in office who cares more about our economy than blowing shit up across the globe.
Here's a deficit we can do something about: the trade deficit. We are grossly out of proportion when it comes to the number and dollar amount on what we import versus what we export. What can you do about it? Buy American. I know it's not always easy, but every little bit helps. There are even web sites that can help you, like the aptly titled buyamerican.com .
So here's the deal. If you bitch one more time about how much our economy sucks and I see you driving a fucking HONDA, I am going to smack you. The three biggest ticket items that I see making a difference: Electronics, cars, and other motored devices. I separate cars from motored devices for a reason. Cars are a very emotional purchase. Please become emotional about an American car company. Find someone you know who works for one, be their friend, and then try to buy a foreign car. They won't like you, and I don't blame them(Yes, MCO and others, the American auto industry and its unions have hurt themselves plenty, but we can still do our part).
So on to other motored devices: You don't think as much about nationality when it comes to lawn mowers, weed whackers, or even motor cycles. These are still very important pieces of the retail world and need to be taken seriously. Plus, you look like an idiot on your Japanese crotch rocket anyway, buy yourself a Harley, it even comes with a free bottle of testosterone.
Electronics is a harder one. There are thousands of components manufacturers and it's hard to figure out who makes what, but some of the choices are obvious. I live in Rochester, NY, so the Kodak vs. Canon or Sony debate is a simple one for me, though even some young Kodak employees don't obey this one (yes Kodak is another example of making their own problems, but once again we can help a little at least).
Bottom line: look at your labels and try to do some research. Sure Honda makes dependable (boring), fuel-efficient (slow) cars, but they are part of the reason the American economy is as slow as it is today. And for people like Dr. Harry Binswanger over at the Ayn Rand Institute (I'm not making that name up: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_buy_american ) you have a point, but if we set aside our love for capitalism (which is hard for me to do) for a moment and help our American companies compete, we will all be better off.
Go ahead, flame away Honda lovers and Union haters, I know it's coming...
Here's a deficit we can do something about: the trade deficit. We are grossly out of proportion when it comes to the number and dollar amount on what we import versus what we export. What can you do about it? Buy American. I know it's not always easy, but every little bit helps. There are even web sites that can help you, like the aptly titled buyamerican.com .
So here's the deal. If you bitch one more time about how much our economy sucks and I see you driving a fucking HONDA, I am going to smack you. The three biggest ticket items that I see making a difference: Electronics, cars, and other motored devices. I separate cars from motored devices for a reason. Cars are a very emotional purchase. Please become emotional about an American car company. Find someone you know who works for one, be their friend, and then try to buy a foreign car. They won't like you, and I don't blame them(Yes, MCO and others, the American auto industry and its unions have hurt themselves plenty, but we can still do our part).
So on to other motored devices: You don't think as much about nationality when it comes to lawn mowers, weed whackers, or even motor cycles. These are still very important pieces of the retail world and need to be taken seriously. Plus, you look like an idiot on your Japanese crotch rocket anyway, buy yourself a Harley, it even comes with a free bottle of testosterone.
Electronics is a harder one. There are thousands of components manufacturers and it's hard to figure out who makes what, but some of the choices are obvious. I live in Rochester, NY, so the Kodak vs. Canon or Sony debate is a simple one for me, though even some young Kodak employees don't obey this one (yes Kodak is another example of making their own problems, but once again we can help a little at least).
Bottom line: look at your labels and try to do some research. Sure Honda makes dependable (boring), fuel-efficient (slow) cars, but they are part of the reason the American economy is as slow as it is today. And for people like Dr. Harry Binswanger over at the Ayn Rand Institute (I'm not making that name up: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_buy_american ) you have a point, but if we set aside our love for capitalism (which is hard for me to do) for a moment and help our American companies compete, we will all be better off.
Go ahead, flame away Honda lovers and Union haters, I know it's coming...
Friday, April 6, 2007
LSP III - Drivers
Yup, it's time to let you know how badly you drive. It seems that lately I don't get through a day without yelling at someone on the road. It's not road rage, it's utter frustration with other people not understanding some basic concepts:
The directional signal was installed for a reason, SO PLEASE USE IT. This is supposedly everyone's pet peeve, but people still make lane chages and turns with no signal at all? Sure, I forget every once in a while, but that's usually only at intersections when I'm in a turn only lane so I don't really have a choice.
Directional signal leads into another one: Using your directional signal does not require me to let you in. Scenario: you're in the left lane, your exit is approaching, traffic is bumper to bumper, and you need to get over. Sure, I will do my best to accommodate you, but if you just cut me off a few miles back, I am not letting you in. Plan ahead next time. This also applies for the "oops my lane is ending, I need yours". If you didn't know the lane was ending, that's your fault, not mine. Stay there until it's safe to merge.
Ooh, merging, another great topic! Although I have stated that I am not obligated to allow you to change lanes at will, I am bound by common sense to move over a lane when I am approaching a busy on-ramp. Don't know if the on-ramp is going to be busy? Move over just in case.
More about lanes-know your lanes and what they mean. There is a law on the books in most (if not all) states that says very simply "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS". Let's make a simple connection in your head: You have the RIGHT to be in the RIGHT lane at all times. The LEFT lane if for LEADFOOTS. There, easy enough? While you're at it, make sure you are at least APPROACHING the speed limit when you drive. I am sick of traveling 40 mph in a 55. Every time I catch some fat sweaty moron or preoccupied soccer mom in the left lane or tooling alone on a two-lane road well underspeed, I want to shoot out a tire or two. I have been know to pass them aggressively and cut in front of them to get my point across. Unfortunately, these people are many times too oblivious to get it.
Speaking of soccer moms (and dads), here's another problem. There are too many people buying minivans today. They are big and bloated, usually underpowered, and not all that safe for their passengers. Sure they may have "five star crash test ratings", but that's when they are on a track in a testing facility, not with a soccer parent behind the wheel. How many people do you know who have gone directly from their cute little Volkswagen Cabriolet to a minivan with no thought at all? Hm, you think they might handle a little differently? I propose further division of the driver's license. Sure we have commercial classes, but we should have passenger classes as well. Classes A through E are already used, and we'll keep D for the larger passenger vehicles. The new Class F will be for Fucking retarded people who will be allowed to drive a car that is no more than 4 cylinders and 150 hp, holds no more than 4 people, and weighs no more than 3000 pounds. If you want to maintain the current class D license, you must take a road test on something that fits the larger criteria. Sorry Tiffany/Britney/othergenericditzyname, you, your kid, and your babydaddy all need to fit in the Neon, and no SRT package for you.
So mentioning road tests brings up another point: We allow our citizens to drive a car their entire lifetime with only ONE driver's test. This is ridiculous. I propose driver's tests every 10 years at the most, preferably every 5. This will allow us to weed out some of the morons and many of the old people who should barely be operating a walker, let alone a 2 ton+ Lincoln Town Crap. The AARP will have a fit, but we really need to stop listening to them. They are painfully old and annoying. More on that over at http://mostcasualobserver.blogspot.com/2007/03/terrorist-groups-starts-with.html
So ladies and gentlemen, the next time you get on the road, please think of me. I represent competent drivers who feel that the world would be a better place if more people paid attention to their driving skills. Learn the roads, know your vehicle and its limits. There are so many other things I could get into ("Just because you have an SUV, it's doesn't make you invulnerable", "Keep backing up, you have 20 feet before you hit anything and your 10-point turn is KILLING me") but for now this will do. In summary: LEARN HOW TO FUCKING DRIVE!
The directional signal was installed for a reason, SO PLEASE USE IT. This is supposedly everyone's pet peeve, but people still make lane chages and turns with no signal at all? Sure, I forget every once in a while, but that's usually only at intersections when I'm in a turn only lane so I don't really have a choice.
Directional signal leads into another one: Using your directional signal does not require me to let you in. Scenario: you're in the left lane, your exit is approaching, traffic is bumper to bumper, and you need to get over. Sure, I will do my best to accommodate you, but if you just cut me off a few miles back, I am not letting you in. Plan ahead next time. This also applies for the "oops my lane is ending, I need yours". If you didn't know the lane was ending, that's your fault, not mine. Stay there until it's safe to merge.
Ooh, merging, another great topic! Although I have stated that I am not obligated to allow you to change lanes at will, I am bound by common sense to move over a lane when I am approaching a busy on-ramp. Don't know if the on-ramp is going to be busy? Move over just in case.
More about lanes-know your lanes and what they mean. There is a law on the books in most (if not all) states that says very simply "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS". Let's make a simple connection in your head: You have the RIGHT to be in the RIGHT lane at all times. The LEFT lane if for LEADFOOTS. There, easy enough? While you're at it, make sure you are at least APPROACHING the speed limit when you drive. I am sick of traveling 40 mph in a 55. Every time I catch some fat sweaty moron or preoccupied soccer mom in the left lane or tooling alone on a two-lane road well underspeed, I want to shoot out a tire or two. I have been know to pass them aggressively and cut in front of them to get my point across. Unfortunately, these people are many times too oblivious to get it.
Speaking of soccer moms (and dads), here's another problem. There are too many people buying minivans today. They are big and bloated, usually underpowered, and not all that safe for their passengers. Sure they may have "five star crash test ratings", but that's when they are on a track in a testing facility, not with a soccer parent behind the wheel. How many people do you know who have gone directly from their cute little Volkswagen Cabriolet to a minivan with no thought at all? Hm, you think they might handle a little differently? I propose further division of the driver's license. Sure we have commercial classes, but we should have passenger classes as well. Classes A through E are already used, and we'll keep D for the larger passenger vehicles. The new Class F will be for Fucking retarded people who will be allowed to drive a car that is no more than 4 cylinders and 150 hp, holds no more than 4 people, and weighs no more than 3000 pounds. If you want to maintain the current class D license, you must take a road test on something that fits the larger criteria. Sorry Tiffany/Britney/othergenericditzyname, you, your kid, and your babydaddy all need to fit in the Neon, and no SRT package for you.
So mentioning road tests brings up another point: We allow our citizens to drive a car their entire lifetime with only ONE driver's test. This is ridiculous. I propose driver's tests every 10 years at the most, preferably every 5. This will allow us to weed out some of the morons and many of the old people who should barely be operating a walker, let alone a 2 ton+ Lincoln Town Crap. The AARP will have a fit, but we really need to stop listening to them. They are painfully old and annoying. More on that over at http://mostcasualobserver.blogspot.com/2007/03/terrorist-groups-starts-with.html
So ladies and gentlemen, the next time you get on the road, please think of me. I represent competent drivers who feel that the world would be a better place if more people paid attention to their driving skills. Learn the roads, know your vehicle and its limits. There are so many other things I could get into ("Just because you have an SUV, it's doesn't make you invulnerable", "Keep backing up, you have 20 feet before you hit anything and your 10-point turn is KILLING me") but for now this will do. In summary: LEARN HOW TO FUCKING DRIVE!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
LSP Volume II
Next topic to tackle: Grammar. I am told that English is one of the hardest languages for foreigners to learn because of the amount of irregular verbs and colloquialisms that have made it into mainstream language. That aside, if you were born here, you should know the language.
As far as I am concerned, you should head back to Elementary School (also sometimes called "Grammar School" for a reason) if you have trouble with the following things:
There, Their and They're. These are three COMPLETELY different words, and should be treated as such.
Your and You're. Not as confusing as the last one, but still should be taken seriously.
My personal favorite: Comming. Not every word requires you to double the the last letter when adding "ing"
See also: I before E except after C. Catchy phrase, and gets you out of trouble in situations like receive. I know you love the ieve words, but not this time pal!
Lastly, I will touch on the or friend '. When you are playing Go Fish and want to ask someone if they have any of the number 7, you don't need an apostrophe. It's not "7's", it's "7s". You are not selling me "Hyundai's", you are selling me crap...I mean Hyundais. Another complication, OMG, what if it ends in S already??? My last name is Jeffers, if there are two of us, we are Jefferses, NOT Jeffers's. However, if something belongs to us, how do you spell that???
OK, I am off on a tangent. My point remains that grammar is good for you. If you use poor grammar, I have every right to deny you a job, stop being your friend, and/or openly ridicule you in public. Parents, teach your fat, lazy, Ritalin-laced children some grammar, or their may be a day were are kids d'ohnt no whut there even saying.
As far as I am concerned, you should head back to Elementary School (also sometimes called "Grammar School" for a reason) if you have trouble with the following things:
There, Their and They're. These are three COMPLETELY different words, and should be treated as such.
Your and You're. Not as confusing as the last one, but still should be taken seriously.
My personal favorite: Comming. Not every word requires you to double the the last letter when adding "ing"
See also: I before E except after C. Catchy phrase, and gets you out of trouble in situations like receive. I know you love the ieve words, but not this time pal!
Lastly, I will touch on the or friend '. When you are playing Go Fish and want to ask someone if they have any of the number 7, you don't need an apostrophe. It's not "7's", it's "7s". You are not selling me "Hyundai's", you are selling me crap...I mean Hyundais. Another complication, OMG, what if it ends in S already??? My last name is Jeffers, if there are two of us, we are Jefferses, NOT Jeffers's. However, if something belongs to us, how do you spell that???
OK, I am off on a tangent. My point remains that grammar is good for you. If you use poor grammar, I have every right to deny you a job, stop being your friend, and/or openly ridicule you in public. Parents, teach your fat, lazy, Ritalin-laced children some grammar, or their may be a day were are kids d'ohnt no whut there even saying.
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