Best early voting story ever
by V.E. on October 24th, 2008
filed under politics
“Upon arriving at the Hamilton County Board of Elections in Cincinnati to vote early today I happened upon some friends of my mother’s — three small, elderly Jewish women. They were quite upset as they were being refused admittance to the polling location due to their Obama T-Shirts, hats and buttons. Apparently you cannot wear Obama/McCain gear into polling locations here in Ohio…. They were practically on the verge of tears.
“After a minute or two of this a huge man (6’5″, 300 lbs easy) wearing a Dale Earnhardt jacket and Bengal’s baseball cap left the voting line, came up to us and introduced himself as Mike. He told us he had overheard our conversation and asked if the ladies would like to borrow his jacket to put over their t-shirts so they could go in and vote. The ladies quickly agreed. As long as I live I will never forget the image of these 80-plus-year-old Jewish ladies walking into the polling location wearing a huge Dale Earnhardt racing jacket that came over their hands and down to their knees!
“Mike patiently waited for each woman to cast their vote, accepted their many thanks and then got back in line (I saved him a place while he was helping out the ladies). When Mike got back in line I asked him if he was an Obama supporter. He said that he was not, but that he couldn’t stand to see those ladies so upset. I thanked him for being a gentleman in a time of bitter partisanship and wished him well.
“After I voted, I walked out to the street to find my mother’s friends surrounding our new friend Mike — they were laughing and having a great time. I joined them and soon learned that Mike had changed his mind in the polling booth and ended up voting for Obama. When I asked him why he changed his mind at the last minute, he explained that while he was waiting for his jacket he got into a conversation with one of the ladies who had explained how the Jewish community, and she, had worked side by side with the black community during the civil rights movements of the ’60s, and that this vote was the culmination of those personal and community efforts so many years ago. That this election for her was more than just a vote… but a chance at history.
“Mike looked at me and said, ‘Obama’s going to win, and I didn’t want to tell my grandchildren some day that I had an opportunity to vote for the first black president, but I missed my chance at history and voted for the other guy.’”
————
I did NOT write this, and I don’t know the person who did, but you can read the original post here. I’m just reposting the story because it’s awesome.
Interesting
by V.E. on October 22nd, 2008
filed under entertainment, personal
Very helpful US Airways information.
The “Brokers with hands on their faces” Blog. via
Addicting, totally brain-numbing online game.
It could happen to you
by V.E. on October 19th, 2008
filed under politics
This is your brain…
Public Service Announcement
by V.E. on October 17th, 2008
filed under favorite, politics
… from the cast of Gossip Girl. via
Dictionary Day!
by V.E. on October 16th, 2008
Today is dictionary day! I just learned of this holiday this week, and I’m excited to share it with you. Dictionary day honors Noah Webster, often called the Father of the American Dictionary, who was born October 16, 1758. In fact, you can find his original dictionary at Project Gutenberg. The New York Times even celebrated in 1908! And it’s been 100 years since then!
Words are awesome. Check out Hot for Words, Etymonline, Behind the Name, and The Word Detective for cool rad sweet words, their origins, and their histories. Pretty cool when you dig a little deeper. ^_^
As for my interesting dictionary fact of the day: Prescriptive VS. Descriptive
When you’re arguing about what constitutes a word and someone says, “Hah! See? It’s in the dictionary. It is a word!” … make them think again. Check out what kind of dictionary you’re actually using.
On the one hand, a prescriptive dictionary is one that “codif[ies] and enforce[s] the rules of standard grammar”—presents words as they should be used, regardless of the time period. On the other hand, a descriptive dictionary is one that “describe[s] how people use the language, including terms considered non-standard or ‘wrong’ like ain’t and irregardless“—presents words as they are being used at the moment. Personally, I tend to fall into primarily the prescriptive camp with allowances for pervasive changes in word meanings.
Here’s where you can stump ‘em. If the person you’re arguing with pulls out the “It’s a word because it’s in the dictionary” argument, s/he’s pulling from both the prescriptive and descriptive camps, and that shouldn’t fly. Say you’re talking about the word ain’t. If it actually is in the dictionary you’re using, that person is using a prescriptive statement with a descriptive dictionary. That is, saying that it’s a word “because it’s in the dictionary” assumes that the dictionary knows best and is being held up as a standard against which potential words are compared. If s/he were to be consistent, s/he wouldn’t have found ain’t in the dictionary (because s/he’d be using a presciptive one) OR, saying that the word is in the dictionary wouldn’t be a big deal and someone else could argue, “Yes, but the ‘word’ aks (as in, ‘I aksed you a question’) is in there, and IT isn’t a word.”
I love talking words. I’m a huge nerd… etymologically speaking. ^____^
(Thanks, meebo.)
Why I dislike giving advice
by V.E. on October 16th, 2008
Conversation via AIM earlier today. What a loser.
[17:51] HIM: Hi Vi
[17:52] ME: hi
[17:55] HIM: How’s by you?
[17:56] ME: decent
[17:56] ME: about to leave work
[17:56] ME: hoiw’re you?
[17:58] HIM: good
[17:58] HIM: just got home from work
[17:59] HIM: wondering what to do about the girl at work who said i was cute two weeks ago and hasn’t talked to me since then
[17:59] ME: you could be just cute
[17:59] HIM: i am being as cute as i can
[17:59] HIM: but it’s not working
[18:01] ME: no, I mean
[18:01] ME: it could be that’s all she thinks and hasn’t thought about it further than that
[18:02] HIM: okay, but that doesn’t tell me what i should do?
[18:02] HIM: should i do anything? or just wait?
[18:02] ME: are you expecting her to make the first move?
[18:03] HIM: no, i am expecting that i will blow this chance just like i always do and my life will continue to be a disaster
[18:04] ME: …
[18:05] ME: you’re probably right
[18:05] HIM: thanks
[18:05] ME: … whatever you think to be true about yourself, you’re probably right
[18:06] ME: so if you think it’ll be a disaster, it probably will be
[18:06] HIM: so i don’t have to do anything?
[18:06] HIM: okay then
[18:06] ME: you don’t need me to tell you what to do
[18:07] ME: you wouldn’t listen anyway
[18:07] HIM: that’s right! you are so right! you know me so well.
[18:08] HIM: i can just forget about her. she doesn’t need me anyway.
[18:08] ME: …
[18:08] ME: okay
[18:08] ME: if that’s what you want
[18:08] HIM: is it?
[18:10] HIM: all this thinking is making me tired
[18:12] HIM: okay but seriously, all joking aside, what should i do?
[18:15] ME: do what you want to do
[18:15] ME: I barely know the situation
[18:16] ME: and I don’t give out advice because I don’t want people to blame me for taking my advice.
[18:17] HIM: Well fine! Some friend you are. I come to you because I need help, and you turn me away. Thanks alot. See if I ever help you with anything. 
[18:17] ME: have I ever asked for your help?
[18:18] HIM: I’m sure you must have, once or twice in your life.
[18:18] HIM: But what’s it matter?
[18:21] HIM: Is this tough love? Is that what you’re doing?
[18:26] HIM: I thought friends were supposed to help each other. That’s what it says on TV. I see on TV all these shows where friends have long talks with each other, and help each other out. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? How come my friends never do that?
[18:28] HIM: I just want a normal life but everybody shits on me all the time. And they act like I’m so weird even when I’m being perfectly normal and reasonable and logical. And everybody wants to argue with me and ask me questions and it makes me tired. Why can’t you just treat me normal?
[18:30] ME: … first of all, there’s no such thing as “normal”
[18:30] ME: but secondly, I AM treating you normally
[18:30] HIM: No you’re not, you’re being all mean and refusing to talk to me.
[18:31] ME: It would help if we both used “I” statements
[18:31] ME: I think I am treating you normally
[18:31] ME: that is, I’m treating you the way I treat everyone else
[18:32] ME: I don’t think I’m being mean
[18:34] HIM: okay how can i talk if i can’t say the word ‘you’?
[18:34] ME: Use personal feelings
[18:35] HIM: i am angry
[18:35] ME: all right, that’s good
[18:35] ME: keep going
[18:35] HIM: i think you’re funny
[18:35] HIM: wait i can’t say that word
[18:35] HIM: i don’t feel anything right now. i am just chewing on a paperclip.
[18:36] ME: All right, well, there you go
[18:36] ME: Before you ask out a girl or fear disaster, work on better expressing your feelings.
[18:36] ME: how’s that for advice?
[18:37] HIM: That’s terrible advice because it’s very vague.
[18:37] ME: The best advice given is vague
[18:38] ME: specific advice is rarely applicable in more than one situation
[18:38] ME: anyway
[18:38] ME: I have to get going
[18:38] ME: I’ll talk to you later
[18:38] HIM: Oh my God you are so stupid. I don’t have a problem expressing my feelings. That’s not the problem at all. You don’t know anything about anything. I don’t know why I even asked you!
Nebraska safe-haven law
by V.E. on October 16th, 2008
filed under health, politics, wtf
Um, what?
(And note… that’s Fox News. sigh.)
