Comments on: Dinner with Mary http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/ Just another Pajamasmedia.com weblog Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:06:12 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: smtpgirl08 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78166 smtpgirl08 Wed, 21 Jun 2006 05:08:54 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78166 How do I email Roger directly for this shitty piece? Mary Cheney's book TANKED What more drivel do we consume before the reality sets IN!!! Hey people, no direct link for the letter to the editor, what a putz. I guess Roger doesn't like critism, whether good or bad. FORVEVER SMTPGIRL How do I email Roger directly for this shitty piece?

Mary Cheney’s book TANKED

What more drivel do we consume before the reality sets IN!!!

Hey people, no direct link for the letter to the editor, what a putz.

I guess Roger doesn’t like critism, whether good or bad.

FORVEVER SMTPGIRL

]]> By: smtpgirl08 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78165 smtpgirl08 Wed, 21 Jun 2006 05:01:35 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78165 How do I email Roger directly for this shitty piece? Mary Cheney's book TANKED What more drivel do we consume before the reality sets IN!!! How do I email Roger directly for this shitty piece?

Mary Cheney’s book TANKED

What more drivel do we consume before the reality sets IN!!!

]]> By: smtpgirl08 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78164 smtpgirl08 Wed, 21 Jun 2006 04:47:11 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78164 HELPING, NOT HURTING WAS MARY CHENEY'S DINNER A BUST?? I DO HOPE THE SNAKS WERE UP TO PAR, RIBS NAPKINS I, AT LEAST HAVE A DIRECTION, NO PUBES IN OFFICE HELPING, NOT HURTING

WAS MARY CHENEY’S DINNER A BUST?? I DO HOPE THE SNAKS WERE UP TO PAR, RIBS NAPKINS

I, AT LEAST HAVE A DIRECTION, NO PUBES IN OFFICE

]]> By: Captain Hate http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78163 Captain Hate Sat, 13 May 2006 19:23:06 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78163 Obviously I didn't intend to blame the poor grammar of today on my parents, which is what the first sentence of the last paragraph implies. Which goes to point out another thing about my grad school experience: I would never submit a paper unless I'd reviewed a hard copy of it (usually many iterations of corrections). It's surprising how something on paper can appear so differently than the same text on a screen. It's even better than "Preview". Then again, maybe this thread is dead and nobody noticed!! Obviously I didn’t intend to blame the poor grammar of today on my parents, which is what the first sentence of the last paragraph implies. Which goes to point out another thing about my grad school experience: I would never submit a paper unless I’d reviewed a hard copy of it (usually many iterations of corrections). It’s surprising how something on paper can appear so differently than the same text on a screen. It’s even better than “Preview”.

Then again, maybe this thread is dead and nobody noticed!!

]]> By: Captain Hate http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78162 Captain Hate Sat, 13 May 2006 18:45:34 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78162 "Back to grammar/syntax/spelling, I'm in IT. In my experience, most notes by programmers and engineers are concise and intelligible compared to the misspelled gibberish that frequently flows from management. (Don't get me started on management. As in politics, the cream rarely rises to the top.)" When I studied for my MBA at Case-Western Reserve's Weatherhead School of Management, I was appalled at the grammar of my peers (I'm in IT also, btw). Whenever we had a group paper, I insisted on preparing the final copy since I was opposed to being represented by sloppy and illiterate writing. I was used to having comments on my individual papers that they were the best written of those submitted. The poor grammar of today is a major failing of our school system, although my parents had something to do with it because, even though they didn't attend college, they were very well-spoken and insisted on the same for me. I expected the same for my children, although the one attending public school had problems until she went to a tutor (at the school's suggestion and her parent's insistence) during her first year at Bard College. Her high school English teachers performed no positive function; they should have been embarrassed to receive their paychecks. My wife and I continually complained to them at the parent/teacher conferences, out of which nothing positive happened. So much for this empowerment garbage when dealing with the education establishment. “Back to grammar/syntax/spelling, I’m in IT. In my experience, most notes by programmers and engineers are concise and intelligible compared to the misspelled gibberish that frequently flows from management. (Don’t get me started on management. As in politics, the cream rarely rises to the top.)”

When I studied for my MBA at Case-Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management, I was appalled at the grammar of my peers (I’m in IT also, btw). Whenever we had a group paper, I insisted on preparing the final copy since I was opposed to being represented by sloppy and illiterate writing. I was used to having comments on my individual papers that they were the best written of those submitted.

The poor grammar of today is a major failing of our school system, although my parents had something to do with it because, even though they didn’t attend college, they were very well-spoken and insisted on the same for me. I expected the same for my children, although the one attending public school had problems until she went to a tutor (at the school’s suggestion and her parent’s insistence) during her first year at Bard College. Her high school English teachers performed no positive function; they should have been embarrassed to receive their paychecks. My wife and I continually complained to them at the parent/teacher conferences, out of which nothing positive happened. So much for this empowerment garbage when dealing with the education establishment.

]]> By: Godzilla http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78161 Godzilla Sat, 13 May 2006 17:32:42 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78161 In the unabridged online Merriam-Webster dictionary, CD is the following entry, followed by the required citation (wouldn't want to be accused of a copyright violation!): Main Entry: CD Function: noun Inflected Form(s): -s : COMPACT DISC herein "CD." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (13 May 2006). The Inflected Form entry gives guidance on forming plurals, comparatives, and superlatives, so it looks like CDs is the way to grammar heaven. At the very least, using CDs, you will be armed to the teeth with weighty justification. P.S. Not wanting to bum dope anyone, I must amend a previous statement: "It is when <b>to be</b> is involved in the sentence, and pronouns are used, that I have the most trouble: Then it must have been (he, him) and (I, me) (who, whom) should have taken the initiative. The correct choices are he and I (nominative case) and who (as subject of should have taken). " The reason why he and I are the correct choices has nothing to do with <b>to be</b>. The reason they are correct is because they are subject complements of the subject <b>It</b>. The choices were correct but not for the reason I had implicitly stated. Again, the same sentence was taken from: This per the Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook, The Ultimate Desk Reference. This is a plagiarism and copyright-violation free zone! In the unabridged online Merriam-Webster dictionary, CD is the following entry, followed by the required citation (wouldn’t want to be accused of a copyright violation!):

Main Entry: CD
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): -s
: COMPACT DISC herein

“CD.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (13 May 2006).

The Inflected Form entry gives guidance on forming plurals, comparatives, and superlatives, so it looks like CDs is the way to grammar heaven. At the very least, using CDs, you will be armed to the teeth with weighty justification.

P.S.

Not wanting to bum dope anyone, I must amend a previous statement:

“It is when to be is involved in the sentence, and pronouns are used, that I have the most trouble:

Then it must have been (he, him) and (I, me) (who, whom) should have taken the initiative.

The correct choices are he and I (nominative case) and who (as subject of should have taken).
”

The reason why he and I are the correct choices has nothing to do with to be. The reason they are correct is because they are subject complements of the subject It.

The choices were correct but not for the reason I had implicitly stated.

Again, the same sentence was taken from:

This per the Webster’s New World English Grammar Handbook, The Ultimate Desk Reference.

This is a plagiarism and copyright-violation free zone!

]]> By: mythusmage http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78160 mythusmage Sat, 13 May 2006 04:45:12 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78160 With Father on his deathbed a crown prince once sang, "Soon I'm gonna reign, I can feel it." With Father on his deathbed a crown prince once sang, “Soon I’m gonna reign, I can feel it.”

]]> By: dick http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78159 dick Fri, 12 May 2006 23:13:33 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78159 While I understand the errors mentioned above, the one that really grinds on me is reign/rein. I haven't seen it so much lately but for a while there almost every one wanted to reign in the government or reign in the spending or talk about the rein of Queen Elizabeth. I am reminded of a high school English teacher I had, the only one who was not an old-timer. She was talking to us about peddling the bicycle, pedaling food, etc. She also had no idea about affect and effect. It drove me crazy!! However, the one that trips me up is whether you buy CD's or CDs. I am not sure which is right when you have a plural of something that is all caps. Anyone have a rule for that one? While I understand the errors mentioned above, the one that really grinds on me is reign/rein. I haven’t seen it so much lately but for a while there almost every one wanted to reign in the government or reign in the spending or talk about the rein of Queen Elizabeth.

I am reminded of a high school English teacher I had, the only one who was not an old-timer. She was talking to us about peddling the bicycle, pedaling food, etc. She also had no idea about affect and effect. It drove me crazy!!

However, the one that trips me up is whether you buy CD’s or CDs. I am not sure which is right when you have a plural of something that is all caps. Anyone have a rule for that one?

]]> By: mythusmage http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78158 mythusmage Fri, 12 May 2006 21:11:56 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78158 Grammar: Has it ever occured to anyone that grammar (among other subjects) is de-emphasized in education in order to make people dependent on authority figures? That the purpose of the educational system is to foster a sense of dependency on 'betters'? Mary Cheny: Mary, you feel like dropping a comment here we'll do our best to keep Roger from acting like a drooling fan boy. But we can't guarantee absolute success. Grammar:

Has it ever occured to anyone that grammar (among other subjects) is de-emphasized in education in order to make people dependent on authority figures? That the purpose of the educational system is to foster a sense of dependency on ‘betters’?

Mary Cheny:

Mary, you feel like dropping a comment here we’ll do our best to keep Roger from acting like a drooling fan boy. But we can’t guarantee absolute success.

]]> By: Godzilla http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78157 Godzilla Fri, 12 May 2006 19:37:51 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2006/05/11/dinner-with-mary/#comment-78157 Not to open up a can of worms, but the real bugaboo with the correct use of pronouns is whether to use the objective or nominative case. i.e. The person who wrote this post was thought to be I. The rule: pronouns used as subjects, subject complements, and complements of the infinitive to be without a subject must be in the nominative case. It is when to be is involved in the sentence, and pronouns are used, that I have the most trouble: Then it must have been (he, him) and (I, me) (who, whom) should have taken the initiative. The correct choices are he and I (nominative case) and who (as subject of should have taken). This per the Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook, The Ultimate Desk Reference. ~wouldn't want to be accused of plagiarism! Not to open up a can of worms, but the real bugaboo with the correct use of pronouns is whether to use the objective or nominative case.

i.e. The person who wrote this post was thought to be I.

The rule: pronouns used as subjects, subject complements, and complements of the infinitive to be without a subject must be in the nominative case.

It is when to be is involved in the sentence, and pronouns are used, that I have the most trouble:

Then it must have been (he, him) and (I, me) (who, whom) should have taken the initiative.

The correct choices are he and I (nominative case) and who (as subject of should have taken).

This per the Webster’s New World English Grammar Handbook, The Ultimate Desk Reference.

~wouldn’t want to be accused of plagiarism!

]]>