The end of the world, and other tidbits
Jan. 31st, 2004 01:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missroserose--There is apparently a "Which Olsen Twin Are You?" online quiz up on MSN Kidz. I'm sure the idea has been done before on Quizilla or some such place, but the fact that this is something that someone likely got paid to write and encode is really not a happy one to me. Unfortunately, almost everyone that I know reads this journal has already heard my rant about the SpawnOfSatan Olsen Twins multiple times, so I'm not going to bother to type it out again. Suffice it to say, anything/anyone publicized that much without doing anything redeeming to deserve it should be hung by their ankles over a vat of boiling oil by a rope that's made of edible, rodent-attracting fibres. (Yes, Paris Hilton, that includes you. "Celebutante," indeed.)
--Work is a lot more boring when your co-worker doesn't show up. Of course, it seems that you all are "benefiting" from the fact that I don't have anyone to talk to, because instead I'm directing my thoughts to an (imaginary?) wide, unseen audience...
--Am reading "Pride and Prejudice" for British Literature, and I must admit that I'm rather surprised at how much I'm enjoying it, considering that the story, while taking place in the 19th century, is thematically identical to such modern-day trash as, say, Clueless (essentially, how rich people spend their time worrying about reputation and parties and who's sleeping with whom). After some reflection, I've decided that the reason is probably twofold: (a) the social interactions among people in the 19th century were based upon respect for each other, as opposed to constantly putting each other down as they are now, and (b) Jane Austen seems to be almost the same type of person that I am; that is, much more intelligent than many of those surrounding her, and therefore able to participate in (and write about!) their behavior while secretly laughing at how seriously these people take themselves. Which, I think, is one of the reasons why she wrote the book - while real people in these situations would have probably considered themselves to be deadly serious in their pursuits, when it's all written down on paper the characters show themselves for how boring and inane they truly are. The heroine, fortunately, is slightly less so, which is probably why I haven't become bored with the novel yet. Tongue-in-cheek social satire will only go so far...
--Four-color pens are nifty, especially when you can use the red color to really decimate someone's attempt at a short story (average of 15 grammatical errors per page, anyone?)
--According to Dictionary.com, the word decimate "originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions." Word origins are fun. =)
--Hm. "...when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage." Does this mean I'm only using the word "decimate" 26% correctly?
--Okay, I think I've officially crossed the border into "too much spare time" territory...
--Work is a lot more boring when your co-worker doesn't show up. Of course, it seems that you all are "benefiting" from the fact that I don't have anyone to talk to, because instead I'm directing my thoughts to an (imaginary?) wide, unseen audience...
--Am reading "Pride and Prejudice" for British Literature, and I must admit that I'm rather surprised at how much I'm enjoying it, considering that the story, while taking place in the 19th century, is thematically identical to such modern-day trash as, say, Clueless (essentially, how rich people spend their time worrying about reputation and parties and who's sleeping with whom). After some reflection, I've decided that the reason is probably twofold: (a) the social interactions among people in the 19th century were based upon respect for each other, as opposed to constantly putting each other down as they are now, and (b) Jane Austen seems to be almost the same type of person that I am; that is, much more intelligent than many of those surrounding her, and therefore able to participate in (and write about!) their behavior while secretly laughing at how seriously these people take themselves. Which, I think, is one of the reasons why she wrote the book - while real people in these situations would have probably considered themselves to be deadly serious in their pursuits, when it's all written down on paper the characters show themselves for how boring and inane they truly are. The heroine, fortunately, is slightly less so, which is probably why I haven't become bored with the novel yet. Tongue-in-cheek social satire will only go so far...
--Four-color pens are nifty, especially when you can use the red color to really decimate someone's attempt at a short story (average of 15 grammatical errors per page, anyone?)
--According to Dictionary.com, the word decimate "originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions." Word origins are fun. =)
--Hm. "...when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage." Does this mean I'm only using the word "decimate" 26% correctly?
--Okay, I think I've officially crossed the border into "too much spare time" territory...
