SemiCOLON

The fact that this sentence is grammatically correct disturbs me.

I realized a few things in my writing. I put a lot of redundant words or phrases as you would in informal speech, and without thinking.

"The fact that"
"It goes without saying", there are more straightforward alternatives.
"... that ...", when unnecessary and when omitted, still makes sense.
Excessive comma usage, but don't we all? :p

And my semicolon craze. Why is it called semicolon? Just saying if someone happens to be reading five centuries on.

I suppose there is nothing wrong with using it frugally, only when it is really needed. But it still irks me that I use semicolons. I have not used semicolons at all until it dawned on me one day that commas are only correctly used when written after 'and' and 'but', joining two sentences together. Separating a sentence within a sentence are actually for dashes, not commas. But I still can't help but not use semicolons or dashes.


"You write snobbishly", or "You write in snobbish English".

Yes, I noticed lately that these statements are true. I can't help using words I know to replace a longer way of saying what I want to say, as well as "mega" words that fit the bill better. If it's how I write, it's probably how I think.

I suppose it is also true that if I were to write English normally in the typical Malaysian's broken English, my writing would be very dull and bland. It would be blander than plain porridge and duller than black. It would be worse than Stephanie Meyer's writing. Yes, it is a good story, but had she written a lot more than "She did this", "He did that", it would have a chance at being a classic. Ergo, I am not reading it.

I'm not saying that people with little vocabulary or a poor command in grammar cannot be good writers. This is not true. These little faults are fixable, the lack of imagination isn't. Imagination is usually all you need, I have been impressed by the simplest of writings. You could tell what their command of English is, and yet they could think of writing so colourfully. I do hold dearly to the principle of keeping things simple and easily "digested" when something has to be presented to public, but since I write as I think, only my blog posts in particular are written in what you perceive to be complex.

If you pay close attention to my writing, you will notice that there is very little variety to my writing. It is only those few kinds of sentences, they look like the other. You will also notice while the formats are very simple and are what most average speakers use, the "mega" words I use are actually quite common, even if they are harder words that not many would use. You would know the meaning, but you would only read it and never, ever have the courage to use it. That's bad, because I have searched the definition to several words over and over again because I haven't had the opportunity to use them. They were either rare, or I found it to be too flowery.

Anyway, I don't read the dictionary, and I am a very poor definer of words. I use internet dictionaries, so I wouldn't flipping in the re- pages and learning five or six words while I'm looking for one. Honestly, I approximate most of the words I see and I am normally dead wrong about them maybe three out of ten times.

Something else I always do is if I find something that has a prefix, I will search it up and remember what it is related to, so I'd have already learned 15 words from learning one. It works sometimes, but only sometimes.

Omnipotent.

Omni- means in any direction or way, most commonly used in "omnidirectional".

Potent means influence and also strong drug. I see this a lot like: "potent drug".

Add that together, it suggests something that has influence to everyone around this person. Omnipotence probably means to already have influence over a large group of people.

However, the real meaning of omnipotent is unlimited power. While close, I could have used this word a different way because I thought it meant something else. I would've written, "She is an omnipotent person", in my mind meaning she very easily influenced others around her, and she is a good leader because she was authoritative. But I actually wrote, "She's fucking Hitler and you run the opposite way when you see her".

No-brainer - I thought it meant a stupid person. While it could be used that way, it's actually used to say that something did not require thinking to know; common sense.

Anyway, it's already 0827, I was supposed to sleep earlier than I did yesterday, turned out to do opposite. :(

P.S. PMR results on 20th, then rescheduled to 24th? What's up with that?

Cheers,
- Fire ninja out.

I wonder...

I wonder why God made everyone so, so very different. There could be an endless list alone on why everyone is unique, however I am only interested in knowing the answer to one.

I wonder why God made everyone have a different importance in other's eyes. It could probably be worded more clearly, but I suppose it wouldn't matter if only me, you and the stray hit that would be reading.

I can't help but feel like Piper from the book Handle With Care, written by Jodi Picoult. She was the troubled Charlotte's confidante, but when she empathized about Charlotte's daughter and complained slightly about her daughter as well, Charlotte snapped like a twig and basically told her Ob/Gyn, closest friend and the only one that actually cares about her to shut the hell up. Even though she did apologize to her, I was shocked how someone could even say that to someone else, never mind the only one that cares..

Not saying that my plight is anywhere as close to a slap as that, but I sometimes wonder why everyone can't have a close group of friends that all love each other, and genuinely.

It seems like everyone I've known are like Charlotte's neighbours. Charlotte, in the book, has a daughter that frequents the hospital. Every time this happens, her neighbours wouldn't offer help, in example offer to mow the lawn if she's going to be away for a week at the hospital, help with the laundry, bring her other healthy daughter about.

They send her cake. Fucking cake. Sent her food, Mac and Cheese, spaghetti. Who in the right mind would do something like that? I understand if you're genuinely trying to help, if you did send them food they would not need to cook, but isn't it a bit fishy if you do the same every time this happens, and every neighbour does the same?

In the book, it was explained through Charlotte's point of view that this bizarre practise was actually because they're thankful they're not them. That they don't really care, they just sent cookies out of guilt. That they care because they must.

It isn't enough that you know they don't care, but you also know that their gifts are a physical equation of their thankfulness, guilt, sympathy and even disgust.

There's no misconception on my part that if I resent my social circle, perhaps I could actually do something about it instead of expecting five written letters to join one's faction the next day. That is a very ridiculous thing to ask for, however I feel no need to do so, no matter how miserable or even hateful I feel in my current plight.

I very sincerely hope I'm wrong, but not one person I've met that I'm not already friends with today are actually strong-willed people, that would always hold their principles aloft. I hope you don't take it that you're not worthy or anything like it, ref. "I'm not holier-than-thou" argument. I'm not talking about being put off because they are into something, or they do things a certain way - that makes us an individual, does it not? I would consider myself to be rather open-minded about a certain individual's quirkiness, I've met many characters in the past many years. I mean principles they have of themselves. How much they thought of themselves, and their self-worth. Anyone who loves themselves for what they are.

It may seem like a holier-than-thou attitude picking and perhaps reducing it to the absurd, but I can't help but feel like a lot of people I've known are but the same as ones before. I really mean it, bear with me as I write this. I hope you'd give me the benefit of the doubt as you're reading this, that I have outgrown most of the immaturity I might have had at age fifteen, and that I don't mean to write any of this to slander others and make myself feel higher or better by degrading them. It is probably one of the worst things I have done in the past, and I will never forget what I once was. Perhaps telling you others called me condescending doesn't help, but there isn't a point from not telling the world what I really am in other's views - that I'm not all that pure; I'm not all that innocent and you're free to agree.

These people - I would not say all, but I would not say some - seem easily persuaded. I don't understand why nobody could "stick to their guns". People that feel so low that they compromise themselves to make others happy. It's not a good trait at all, in my opinion. You're a push-over and you'd always be the one feeling sore, queen bee would still be flying around as happy as can be. I wish everyone could see what they were doing, at least they would not need to do someone else's bidding just to be their friend. It is perhaps the most appalling thing I've ever seen done to a person. Of the same age, of the same school, of the same class.

And then of course, when you have these good people that could only ever tag along, you have the queen bees. Seen Paramore's Misery Business music video? That crazy girl with big boobs is the queen bee. There isn't much I could bring myself to say about these sort of people without lying or being offensive except go out and enjoy a real life.

I can't help but hope that there would be more condescending, honest to God type people that would point out the obvious and see what happens.

It sucks when your insult backfires, doesn't it? I am possibly the single most unperturbed by such poor attempts at insults, but it's just that the ridiculer could not see that they are every bit as bad as they might have conceived me to be. I'm just saying.

See,
[07:50:05] <+Debilitant> Lol, 5 exp from Firemaking level
[07:50:09] <+Debilitant> (got em through lamps)
[07:50:17] <+Member> I hate Wildy clues, thats why I do level ones. :P
[07:50:28] <+Member> Level it, then.
[07:50:55] <+Ridiculer> Horatio, she's not asking what she should do with 5 xp left in the level.
[07:51:04] <+Ridiculer> She's just saying she has 5xp left in the level.
[07:51:07] <+Ridiculer> omg ur stuped
[07:51:14] <+Member> I know.
[07:51:25] <+Member> I'm just saying.
[07:51:28] <+Ridiculer> Then why did you end your sentence with the word, 'then'?
[07:51:30] <+Debilitant> I would actually
[07:51:38] <+Debilitant> Why are you trolling her?
[07:51:39] <+Ridiculer> You're acting all condescending again.
[07:51:50] <+Ridiculer> I am trying to make people like me.

I would actually @ Member, Condescending is directed at me, and there has been nothing cut before that. I would normally sort out the issue and find out how I had offended the ridiculer previously, but perhaps a public display [With the lack of an audience] of their fail is enlightenment enough. Didn't expect a friend of years to turn out to be a troll that would argue over the most insignificant of things, often as the Devil's Advocate and actually turn around to call others something they are themselves.

Cheers,
- Fire ninja out.

Sandwiches, English quirks

I asked for something today, one tiny thing, something very simple like I would like a sandwich from somewhere because I can finally eat, and I ended up with a compromise for some reason and got a bloody marmalade sandwich with a 'surprise', being slabs of butter.

I don't understand. I know there are people that are starving, but the world doesn't work like that. You don't stuff yourself knowing that others are starving, do you? I also know it's a matter of being thankful, but knowing of other's plight doesn't solve mine. For this reason, I'm not very sure why you stuff your face with food on Thanksgiving. Is it how it really works? You're thankful for what you have, so you have all of it?

As petty as it sounds, I don't understand why the simplest of requests that had been promised upon cannot be carried out. It's not once, it actually happens very often. I find myself asking for most of my necessities twice before I actually get it, and even then I had to get them myself.

It's not that I resent needing to get my own items myself much unlike all my other peers, but it's just that if you have a promise that you can't deliver, don't make one. Don't inconvenience others with your incompetence because if you just decline, they could at least do it themselves instead of holding on for your help. I probably wouldn't care if you said you can't get a bloody sandwich for me, I'd just make something I like myself. I hate marmalade, so all the more I don't understand why I got one.

A sandwich with tomato, lettuce, meat and mayo is is a far cry from marmalade. I'm just saying.


I was reading the papers today and I noticed a term used very often, mostly in blog and article titles.

"Of ducks and apples."
"Of chicken and oranges."

I don't get it. I have an issue with this term as Boo from HQ does with "How so?".

I've seen and used odd terms in English, but hardly anything like this. "Slap my ass and call me Sally"? That's a term to express dismay or even surprise. Very strange, but not as strange as this.

First off, I know for a fact that these kind of titles usually indicate whatever follows discuss these two topics, whether that be related or not.

But why the hell do you have the word 'of' before your two titles? Would "Ducks and Oranges" or "Chickens and Oranges" not suffice?

Usage; why is there the word 'of' before your two subjects? Isn't this redundant? Of what? Where is the rest of the sentence?

If either is to or, neither is to nor, of is not to and. There is no equivalent of a 'neither' to 'and', if you catch my drift.

~~~~~
Relevant definitions of 'of'
1. used to indicate distance or direction from: within a mile of the church; south of Omaha; to be robbed of one's money.
2. used to indicate derivation, origin, or source: a man of good family; the plays of Shakespeare; a piece of cake. [Replaces the word 'from']
3. used to indicate cause, motive, occasion, or reason: to die of hunger.
4. used to indicate material, component parts, substance, or contents: a dress of silk; an apartment of three rooms; a book of poems; a package of cheese.
5. used to indicate apposition or identity: Is that idiot of a salesman calling again?
6. used to indicate specific identity or a particular item within a category: the city of Chicago; thoughts of love.
8. used to indicate inclusion in a number, class, or whole: one of us.
9. used to indicate the objective relation, the object of the action noted by the preceding noun or the application of a verb or adjective: the ringing of bells; He writes her of home; I'm tired of working.
14. on the part of: It was very mean of you to laugh at me.
16. set aside for or devoted to: a minute of prayer.

Usage note:
... added to phrases beginning with the adverb how or too followed by a descriptive adjective:

How long of a drive will it be?
It's too hot of a day for tennis.

... probably modeled ... in which 'how' or 'too' is followed by 'much', an unquestionably standard use in all varieties of speech and writing:

How much of a problem will that cause the government?
There was too much of an uproar for the speaker to be heard.

The use of 'of' with descriptive adjectives after 'how' or 'too' is largely restricted to informal speech. It occurs occasionally in informal writing and written representations of speech. See also couple, off.

Source - Dictionary.com
~~~~~
[I know there are missing numbers to the definitions, I removed irrelevant ones]

Basically, you can conclude that it can be used to replace the word 'from' in some contexts, and usually goes between an adverb and an adjective. Like "to be cheated [what] of your money [something]". "To be robbed of your identity." "To be devoured of your flesh." "To be deprived of sandwiches."

Other uses already come without thinking as we speak day in and day out.

I just want to know why people title their double entry posts with 'of'. What could it possibly mean, really? Also, if the writer is trying to say the equivalent of "this or that?" then why not just say, "Chicken or Oranges?"

The only thing I can think of is that the very first origin of this term came about when the writer wanted to say, "An Entry of Chicken and Oranges", but it didn't fit. But that doesn't make sense either, it should be 'on', not 'of'.

So I know I'm not the grammar expert, I don't think I speak in perfect English all the time, but it's just that this sentence [if it is one] simply irks and bothers me.

Speak sensible English!
Cheers,
- Fire ninja out.

Toothless

I've been meaning to add another entry a few days ago, but I didn't take into account that pain can be quite distracting.

It's day three since my extraction and it still hurts a lot. I'm not sure if this should be happening, however I noted that the lower incisor goes a lot deeper than molars do. I remember I got comments a while ago like, "You look like you got shot in the head", referring to my perpetually black face.

It's ironic that I feel the same way too. Oh well.

I was wondering if I should take a picture for myself to laugh at in 18 months when I have nice teeth, but I figured I can't show it because I can't smile. I can't peel away the corners of my mouth without people going "WTF" either. And I can't talk, rendering a video pointless.

Can you say ouch?

I'm still not sure why I feel like I got punched in the jaw, and also why two PCMs didn't do a thing. Nor did one Tramadol. It should at least relieve the pain for an hour, right? Strange. I'm okay with pain, but I can't sleep with someone punching my face.

Pain is my friend, just not this time.

But most devastating of all, I CAN'T EAT! WHY?
*facedesk!!!*
I feel so bad for myself that I can barely open my mouth to stuff a teaspoon full of mashed potatoes to swallow. No crispy bacon, no spring onions, no crisps, no noodles. :|

I would really feel like bashing my head in when I read this in the future, I actually wrote an entire entry about getting my tooth extracted.


Forgotten what I wanted to write actually, didn't start whining about pain without an interesting half.

Oh well.

Cheers,
- Fire ninja out.

Evil

As I've said on Facebook,

SKIMMED MILK IS EVIL.

It's as bad as drinking watered down milk. You know why? Because that's what it is.

What else is evil? Moral next year will be evil I think. My tooth extraction tomorrow will be pretty foul too. [Seriously, front tooth eh? Sigh.]

Cheers,
- Fire ninja out.