[Traveller]

I wish a sinkhole would open up under wherever they record Strictly Come Dancing.

A deep one.

[worry]

Maark Abbott, on 11 December 2016 - 03:12 PM, said:

Norovirus. I feel like SHIT. Ugh. Only just able to function, up 12 hours now, no food (tried some soup, lasted 2 seconds)... and I'm contagious to boot.

Did you get this in writing? With your accent it's just as likely the doctor said "It's not a virus" as "It's norovirus".

[Andorion]

Sometimes I really hate living where I live.

I got a new bookcase. Ok actually an old bookcase, but it was cheap and the wood is teak.

After a long time I can keep my books properly.

The first thing I wanted to do was to buy the MBotF in hardback. I currently own a few MMPBs and electronic copies.

After some hunting on the net I found that there are no harbacks in India for books 1-8. DoD and TCG are available but the price is 5-8000 rs. For context an MMPB is 350-450rs.

So now I have to buy MMPBs

Why is the book market so shit??

[EmperorMagus]

Andorion, on 12 December 2016 - 02:26 AM, said:

Sometimes I really hate living where I live.

I got a new bookcase. Ok actually an old bookcase, but it was cheap and the wood is teak.

After a long time I can keep my books properly.

The first thing I wanted to do was to buy the MBotF in hardback. I currently own a few MMPBs and electronic copies.

After some hunting on the net I found that there are no harbacks in India for books 1-8. DoD and TCG are available but the price is 5-8000 rs. For context an MMPB is 350-450rs.

So now I have to buy MMPBs

Why is the book market so shit??

Mostly because publishers are assholes and/or little shits.

Why can't we have good authors coupling with good editors and then self publishing their works? I really wish the publishers middleman could be deleted from the equation. It's their damn fault that ebooks cost as much as paper books even though they are free to create and distribute.

Yeah, the service they provide is valuable, but they should be taking a flat fee from the authors rather than a percentage of their sales. Publishers definitely should not be setting book prices in order to profit more.

[Andorion]

EmperorMagus, on 12 December 2016 - 02:33 AM, said:

Andorion, on 12 December 2016 - 02:26 AM, said:

Sometimes I really hate living where I live.

I got a new bookcase. Ok actually an old bookcase, but it was cheap and the wood is teak.

After a long time I can keep my books properly.

The first thing I wanted to do was to buy the MBotF in hardback. I currently own a few MMPBs and electronic copies.

After some hunting on the net I found that there are no harbacks in India for books 1-8. DoD and TCG are available but the price is 5-8000 rs. For context an MMPB is 350-450rs.

So now I have to buy MMPBs

Why is the book market so shit??

Mostly because publishers are assholes and/or little shits.

Why can't we have good authors coupling with good editors and then self publishing their works? I really wish the publishers middleman could be deleted from the equation. It's their damn fault that ebooks cost as much as paper books even though they are free to create and distribute.

Yeah, the service they provide is valuable, but they should be taking a flat fee from the authors rather than a percentage of their sales. Publishers definitely should not be setting book prices in order to profit more.

And readers get shafted.

[Loki]

I gave myself a concussion last night. That brings me to 14 concussion in total. It's been 14 hours now and I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

Even typing this is giving me motion sickness.


I'm bummed because Matador has given me a deadline for when my symptoms need to be resolved or he is going to take me to the hospital. Hospitals are the worst.

[Andorion]

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I gave myself a concussion last night. That brings me to 14 concussion in total. It's been 14 hours now and I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

Even typing this is giving me motion sickness.


I'm bummed because Matador has given me a deadline for when my symptoms need to be resolved or he is going to take me to the hospital. Hospitals are the worst.

That sounds quite serious actually. 14 concussions? What are the long term effects?

Maybe you should go to hospital

[Loki]

Andorion, on 12 December 2016 - 05:00 AM, said:

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I gave myself a concussion last night. That brings me to 14 concussion in total. It's been 14 hours now and I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

Even typing this is giving me motion sickness.


I'm bummed because Matador has given me a deadline for when my symptoms need to be resolved or he is going to take me to the hospital. Hospitals are the worst.

That sounds quite serious actually. 14 concussions? What are the long term effects?

Maybe you should go to hospital

24 hours. Most symptoms resolve in 24 hours. Plus this is like a five out of ten. I feel bad if I move my head and I have bouts of drowsiness but nothing overly concerning. Certainly not even close to the worst I've had. This one shouldn't even need a CT scan.

[Tsundoku]

You need to wear one of these:



and maybe this:

https://www.latestbu...CFYKYvAod1AYC3w

This post has been edited by Captain Needa: 12 December 2016 - 07:16 AM

[Loki]

Captain Needa, on 12 December 2016 - 07:14 AM, said:

You need to wear one of these:



and maybe this:

https://www.latestbu...CFYKYvAod1AYC3w

In my defence, I was only the cause of 9 of them. Wait...that sounded like a stronger argument in my head.

[Dadding]

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

I'm just happy you said nauseated instead of nauseous. Concussion and still better than 90% of English speakers!

[EmperorMagus]

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 01:42 PM, said:

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

I'm just happy you said nauseated instead of nauseous. Concussion and still better than 90% of English speakers!

If 90% of native speakers say nauseous instead of nauseated, then nauseous is the correct way to say it. That's just how languages work.

Just like literally means figuratively in modern English.

[Dadding]

EmperorMagus, on 12 December 2016 - 04:10 PM, said:

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 01:42 PM, said:

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

I'm just happy you said nauseated instead of nauseous. Concussion and still better than 90% of English speakers!

If 90% of native speakers say nauseous instead of nauseated, then nauseous is the correct way to say it. That's just how languages work.

Just like literally means figuratively in modern English.

Interesting point, but how do you distinguish between something like "literally" and a common homophone error (than vs. then, should of vs. should have). If enough people make the mistake it becomes the correct way?

[Aptorian]

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 04:16 PM, said:

EmperorMagus, on 12 December 2016 - 04:10 PM, said:

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 01:42 PM, said:

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

I'm just happy you said nauseated instead of nauseous. Concussion and still better than 90% of English speakers!

If 90% of native speakers say nauseous instead of nauseated, then nauseous is the correct way to say it. That's just how languages work.

Just like literally means figuratively in modern English.

Interesting point, but how do you distinguish between something like "literally" and a common homophone error (than vs. then, should of vs. should have). If enough people make the mistake it becomes the correct way?

If enough people make the mistake it becomes the correct way?

Yes, if by mistake you mean choice. That's how languages work. Think about how much languages and dialects change over time and from region to region.

Words are just sounds or symbols we give meaning. If the information is translatable despite the symbolic meaning changing shape on our tongue or on paper, then things are working as intended.

At least in common daily interaction. It becomes a different matter if we're talking technical stuff like academic papers or a technical manual for the construction of a Nuclear Submarine.

The internet's vocabulary is the literary equivalent of a pigsty

This post has been edited by Apt: 12 December 2016 - 04:27 PM

[Dadding]

Apt, on 12 December 2016 - 04:24 PM, said:

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 04:16 PM, said:

EmperorMagus, on 12 December 2016 - 04:10 PM, said:

Dadding, on 12 December 2016 - 01:42 PM, said:

Loki, on 12 December 2016 - 04:49 AM, said:

I am still spinning out and feeling nauseated.

I'm just happy you said nauseated instead of nauseous. Concussion and still better than 90% of English speakers!

If 90% of native speakers say nauseous instead of nauseated, then nauseous is the correct way to say it. That's just how languages work.

Just like literally means figuratively in modern English.

Interesting point, but how do you distinguish between something like "literally" and a common homophone error (than vs. then, should of vs. should have). If enough people make the mistake it becomes the correct way?

If enough people make the mistake it becomes the correct way?

Yes, if by mistake you mean choice. That's how languages work. Think about how much languages and dialects change over time and from region to region.

Words are just sounds or symbols we give meaning. If the information is translatable despite the symbolic meaning changing shape on our tongue or on paper, then things are working as intended.

At least in common daily interaction. It becomes a different matter if we're talking technical stuff like academic papers or a technical manual for the construction of a Nuclear Submarine.

The internet's vocabulary is the literary equivalent of a pigsty

That makes me irrationally frustrated. We need the rules to communicate effectively, they're there for a reason. If everyone were to just blatantly disregard the rules, communication would fall apart.

You're right of course, it's all arbitrary and the rules have no inherent meaning... nothing has any inherent meaning... life has no inherent meaning. And you're right, language evolves, but it doesn't mean I can't be bitter about it.

That's what's messing with my groove. Not to mention a grant application I'm working on with plenty of technical writing, which might be why I feel the way I do.

[Aptorian]

I think what you describe is more how verbal or written language is just a social extension of how we present and express ourselves towards one another. In a very primitive almost animalistic way, we judge each other on a host of different levels, from appearance, to body language, to the words we say and how we say them. Your vocabulary and your pronunciation of said vocabulary is an extension of who you are.

We have expectations of one another and it's hard to take somebody serious who doesn't understand the distinct meaning of some words. Similar to how the dialect you use, the amount of expletives you use, the tone, etc. also influence your impression of some people.

But you can turn that around and consider that people who are unreasonably snobbish or pretentious about how words are used, are actually isolating themselves, because while meaning is important, it's not important to everyone, and in fact some might argue that being overly serious about language is just another form of bigotry or classicism.

EDIT: I'll quickly add that I'm not stating that's what you doing but the awareness of how we communicate is not apparent or important to many people. Hence the reason why people who use the abbreviation "lol" shouldn't be shot despite how much I hate them.

This post has been edited by Apt: 12 December 2016 - 05:59 PM

[Loki]

I was wrong. Concussion is still hanging around. I probably should have attempted to get up and walk around for a bit before deciding I felt better. But hey, I have a concussion, so I'm allowed to overlook things. It hasn't gotten worse rhough so I should be able to avoid the hospital still. Hospitals are evil.

[Aptorian]

Loki how did you manage to get so many concussions? Do you play some kind of contact sport or are you prone to sudden bouts of narcolepsy?

[Loki]

Apt, on 12 December 2016 - 06:14 PM, said:

Loki how did you manage to get so many concussions? Do you play some kind of contact sport or are you prone to sudden bouts of narcolepsy?

To be fair to...well me, I haven't had one until now in a decade! The other 13 happened before I was 21. I actually have a list. My brother said I shoulf write out how I got them all. He actually remembered one I had forgotten about.

In no particular order:

1. Grade 2, fell off the top of new playground equipment and hit the ground head first. Woke up in the infirmary.

2. Playing at a wreckers and a metal beam was being moved to lift a car engine and I walked in front of it.

3. Fell down a large stair case and the momentum sent me head first into a door frame.

4. Hit in the head by a baseball bat at a school baseball game. Someone thought practising their swinging next to the walkway was a good idea.

5. Dropped something under the car. Down on all fours trying to reach it and my mum slammed the door shut on my head. It was an old Corolla and you had to slam the door to close it. She didn't see me until after. I don't remember it but apparently it didn't knock me straight out. Apparently I stood up and said 'Really, Mum!?' before collapsing. That one ended up with an MRI.

6. Performing in drama class. Co-star jumped the gun and swung a Bible at my head before they were meant to. Hit me in the face which unbalanced me on the wheelie board I was standing on and so I fell backwards and smacked the stage with great force. Woke up in the infirmary. Mum said is was 'divine retribution' because I was pretending to be a mental health patient who believed he was Jesus.

7. Fell backwards off a tree-house.

8. 'Caught' a cricket ball with my head only three metres from the batsman.

9. Jumped for a tree branch but didn't keep my hold as my feet swung up and I fell and hit my head on a rock.

10.  Hit in the head by a surfboard in the water even though I was swimming between the flags.

11. The other time my mum closed the car door on my head while I was tying my shoe lace.

12. That time I woke up on the bathroom floor with the shower still running. Don't remember what happened.

13. The time I hit my head during sex.

14. Stood up and smashed my head on the wooden bracket for the shelf in the cupboard.

[Aptorian]

How are you alive?!