Another weekend gone by...

[misscam]

misscam's LJ stalker is maureenlycaon!

maureenlycaon is stalking you because another friend of yours told them you liked them. They are also prank calling you regularly!

LiveJournal Username:

LJ Stalker Finder
From Go-Quiz.com



Hah! I wonder if I'm stalking anyone?

Been a lovely weekend - bro came to visit and we watched the D-Day event in Normandie. It was strangely touching -as my brother phrased it: "There is nothing quite as moving as old men being moved." It was also quite nice to see the German leader and the French leader embrace. It's not that long ago Europe was divided and always ready for a war. And now we have peace. May it last.

Reagan died this weekend, but I felt no particulary sorrowover that. I was too young to notice him when he was president. But I feel pity for him - of all the ways to die, Altzeimer's must be one of the nastiest. I would not wish that upon anyone.

And if any of you are wondering why I haven't been online much of late - my laptop is having power issues. It's not getting enough power, so it drains the battery when it's on. Thus I can only use it for a little time until the battery is almost out, then recharge it (which takes forever). Obviously, it needs to be fixed. It also keeps me from writing as much - and the fact that it's summer and warm and alluring outside.

Speaking of writing - sometimes, I think writing OFUM was the silliest thing I ever did, for some of the e-mails I get about various thing OFU-related are just a pain in the ass. Requests, nags about some other OFU not being updated (as if that is my responsibility), questions I have already answered a gazillion times... Sometimes, I just get really fed up. (Of course, alot of the e-mail I get is also pleasant, but since waking up today I've had several dizzy spells and annoying e-mail does not help.) And to add to that, some just can't seem to spell - when requesting to do a fanfiction university to teach the art of good writing, for crying out loud. I mean, how hard is it to know the difference between you're/your, anyway?

When Norway invades the US, I'm sending American teenagers to GrammarBootCamp, that's for sure. And until they can form coherent sentences and know the many pleasures of King Kong Comma in his proper place, they can live on gammalost and flatbrød. Perhaps even lutefisk.

(Yes, I know. I'm evil and venegful. It feels oh so good.)

P.S Thanks to all those who offered to help on my previous entry. If I haven't e-mailed you, it means I shan't call on your help this time around. But thanks muchly for the offer. *bows*

Comments

[nonnychan.livejournal.com]

Heh. My English teacher put me through the equivalent of Grammar Boot Camp back in high school, so I fully support the mandatory grammar-izing of all American teenagers. (I agree about you're/your, but the one that kills me is its/it's.)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Well, I can somewhat understand the its/it's confusion, given that possessive usually has an apostrophe. The car's wheel - one could easily just think "oh yeah, so it should be 'it's wheel'!" I can somewhat understand that, even if it looks all kinds of wrong. Your/you're, on the other hand... One of them has a verb in it, for Odin's sake!

*goes off on arant*

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

pulsarkat's LJ stalker is misscam!

misscam is stalking you because a little birdie told them you talked behind their back. They are also getting with your significant other!

LiveJournal Username:

LJ Stalker Finder
From Go-Quiz.com

Well, I did work in a pet shop once, cleaning the cages of little birdies who did know how to talk and I assume that they got angry when I didn't give them extra treats...

Actually, I've been doing this until I got everyone on my friends list, and while I was trying to get that last person, you were stalking me quite a bit - apparently you're in jail for murder (need I ask who you killed? ^_^;), because you have nothing better to do, you're deluded, you're prank calling me a lot, you find my journal an interesting read, and I'm better at bowling than you. (That says quite a bit at how utterly awful at bowling you are then. ^_^;)

I don't really miss Reagan myself, but I've found myself ranting at how disgusted I am by any LJ entries I've seen around saying, "Rejoice! Reagan is dead!" I think that's sick - I wouldn't like him as President again, but really now, he hasn't been in office for years, there's no reason to rejoice in his death. (Though I suppose it's nice to know he doesn't have to suffer with old age and alzheimers anymore.) Ah well.

King Kong Comma :D Don't forget to teach them how to abuse semicolons; those are useful for college term papers. (Also, use (and overuse) of parenthesis are good things to kick people around about as well (sometimes people need to be reminded that too many parenthesis get confusing or annoying)). And of course, there's always our lovely friend, the ellipsis...

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I must be a persistent stalker ;)

Yeah, it seems a bit in bad taste to cheer at someone being dead, no matter who, really. I wouldn't cheer if Bush dropped dead, as much as I really, really dislike him. But at least Reagan won't have to suffer any more now, so perhaps that is a good thing.

:P:P Me and Saz once gave all the little punctuation marks names. King Kong Comma, Apostle Apostrope, Queen Questionmark, etc. Quite fun.

[bjam1402.livejournal.com]

On GrammarBootCamp for American teenagers.

Please, dear Eru, please do this. We're doing a grammar unit at the moment in my 8th grade class. This is a class of 13-14 year olds. They don't know how to spell, let alone use grammar correctly. The amount of times I have visibly flinced when someone writes something incorrectly must be in the hundreds. It doesn't help that the bloddy teacher is always messing up her its/it's and you're/your. It's depressing to think about that these are the people teaching literature to the next generation -_-

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you are - especially if you really did come across a picture of me and fall in love, as the quiz listed in my own LJ says you did. ;)

Well, perhaps there are some cultures out there that celebrate death, I would have a little more understanding for someone from one of those, but not Americans or British as I've been seeing. ;P On another, sillier note, I think it was the Daily Show that was mentioning how interesting all these memorial TV programs and services for Reagan have been looking as if they've been preparing for a while. Imagine being someone famous and historical and running into someone at a party who was assigned with preparing such memorial programs and biographies and stuff about *you* for when you die. ^_^;

Hey, I'm an English major, I have to find any grammar jokes at least giggle-worthy. :D I could use some brushing up on grammar myself (haven't had a grammar class since my first year of high school), but too bad more American teenagers couldn't properly punctuate their way out of a paper bag... Seems some of them just need to pay more attention to what they read, that's pretty much how I learned. Though judging all the bad LOTR fics out there that are supposed to be based on the books and not the movies, we all know how well teenagers who use bad grammar pay attention to what they supposedly read. ^_^;

*raises hand*

[bodldops.livejournal.com]

If Norway does invade the US, and you send everyone to grammar!bootcamp, can I be one of your evil minions? I swear, my classmates can't spell to save their lives. Oh, and don't stop at the teenagers. My co-workers can't spell either. I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with the 'sick mitten' and the 'septic mange'. There should be a special section of the camp for medical terminology.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

*pats* There, there. I promise all will be better when Leif return. We might even give some adults GrammarBootCamp. *eyes Bush*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Heh, I remember once reading a touching obituary in a Norwegian paper - the only drawback was that the guy wasn't dead! Apparently, they have obituaries on the stand-by and this had been printed by mistake.

Haven't really seen a pic of you, so I can't really comment on that charge :P

Reading is an excellent way to learn proper language skills- provided what you read is grammatically and spelling-wise sound. Otherwise...

[belegcuthalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Miss Cam! You have my deepest, heartfelt pity... but are you really sure that a grammar boot camp would improve Bush's ... erh... abilities?

Re: *raises hand*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Hmm, perhaps. Do you look cute in a horned helmet? Can you crack a whip? Can you toss lutefisk without passing out?

If so, you're qualified to be a minion.

Perhaps there should be a GeriatricGrammarBootCamp as well.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

No, but I would enjoy it so very much seeing him try.

*cracks whip*

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

There was another Daily Show joke on the subject a while ago, when some guy died and one touching obituary was noted - mainly because the author of that obituary died a few years before the guy the obituary was about did. ^_^;;; The guest star of that day's show did confirm that they do those things and have them ready in case something happens suddenly.

Wonder if there are any universities in the world that offer classes on how to write a proper obituary...

Well, if you saw any pictures of me and fell in love, it's probably because in the photo I'm posing in front of a pretty Irish or Swiss landscape - those landscapes should make lots of people fall in love. ^_^; Unless you were really looking for a person to dress up and make into a Viking people might call So-and-so the Red and couldn't find anyone better. ^_^;

And as it seems that some of these bad grammar using people only read each others' IMs or fanfics... ouch. ^_^; What scares me sometimes is when people I know are smart and can spell choose to write in mangled English I can't read at all (my eyes especially refuse to read any words spelled with numbers) - well, perhaps it might be just a matter of preference in IMs and weblogs and all, but it gives me a headache. My youngest sister does that, it drives me up the wall whenever she IMs me because I can't make sense of what her messages say - good thing I don't even try to read entire fanfics written like that or similarly. ^_^;

[norwegianne.livejournal.com]

Of course everything will be better when Leif returns. Is he not the Leif?

[norwegianne.livejournal.com]

You know, Cam? To be proper evil and vengeful you should probably be able to spell vengeful... Ok... that was just me being evil. *Evil and twisted face on for the invasion planning*

This invasion is shaping up to be worse every minute. But looking over a lot of the fics - a boot camp would not be wrong. And not just for kids. I've seen American people, who stated in their profiles that they were over 30, murder their own language in their stories. It's not just the kids.

Hmm. Too young to feel much of anything about Ronald Reagan, except that it was probably better for him to die than to live with the Altzheimer's. But the man did reach his nineties - and, the final years excepted, probably had a long and good life. Despite being the President of America. (...)

Yeah, going back to my evil plotting now.

[deesarrachi.livejournal.com]

Most annoying grammar mistakes?

Their/They're/there (which is maybe understandable)

Those lovely to/too/two mistakes

And, of course, my biggest twitch-inducer:

Alot.

But I must say, the most annoying grammar mistakes I find are the ones in my own writing. Because I feel that I should know better.

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

I know an English teacher who would most likely cheerfully help you with Grammar Boot Camp. My freshman year teacher would start every class by writing a horribly mangled sentence on the board, and then offering candy to whoever could fix all the mistakes. Dum-dums, to be exact, after which she would remind us that you are what you eat.

[jakie-f.livejournal.com]

Why don't you make an FAQ for OFUM?

As for GrammarBootCamp - why not make Latin mandatory instead? I'm learning more about grammar in my first-year Latin class then I have in fifteen years of advanced English classes.

Because you see, they no longer actually teach grammar in English. It's now called "Language Arts" and focuses on analyzing Spanish slice-of-life novels, the Art of the Five Paragraph Essay, and so-called "Elements of Style," a curriculum which operates under the idea that we will learn elements of style, spelling, and basic grammar by osmosis. It's shitty curriculum that makes it easy to pass the class without actually learning you have to blame, not any innate lack of intelligence on behalf of American teenagers.

As for typos... I make typos because I type quick and forget to proofread before posting. Those I consider forgivable, if irritating. Typos in fanfic, which you can and should proofread, are not.

speaking of typos...

[(Anonymous)]

Ah, typos. What can I say? Last month I corrected someone's research project in class, and by the end of it, well, let's just say that someone attacked by an evil vampiric cat has less red marks. Anyway, they blamed every single mistake on typos. The poor things have become scapegoats. Oh, and on a funnier note, my sister said something today about a "verbal typo". V. odd.

Re: *raises hand*

[bodldops.livejournal.com]

I love hats.
Whip-cracking is a required skill for any self-respecting animal science major.
I handle parvo dogs and yeast infections - lutefisk should be a cakewalk.

Yay, I'm a minion!

[doubtful-salmon.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have to comment, because I was looking for something buried deep in my LJ from a year ago and I actually wrote about how hysterical that bit in The Daily Show was.

I couldn't help it. All right.

[doubtful-salmon.livejournal.com]

All right, I understand sending MOST American teenagers to GrammarBootCamp, but I think there should be some sort of entrance exam, because I think I could very easily pass it. I scored in the 98th percentile for "verbal" among the most intelligent of my grade in the PSATs, so I feel as though I could perhaps be more useful. If you would like to torture the prisoners, you could always have me cook.

Also, I would like to show you the following conversation:

Friend: You know how people call Voldemort "Voldie"?
Friend: If you called Suaron "Sauri" it'd be pronounced "Sorry" and that just wouldn't work
Friend: or... Sari
Self: HAHAHA I KNOW
Self: SARI
Self: HAHAHAHA
Friend: but either way
Self: SAURON SHOULD WEAR A SARI
Self: TOTALLY
Self: And play Sorry!
Friend: HA HA HAHA
Friend: A sari wearing Sauri plays Sorry
Self: Oh MAN. I should tell that to her.
Friend: Who?
Self: Miss Cam.
Friend: OOOOOOOOOOH
Self: "This is what happens...when you call him Sauri!"
Self: Students: "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Self: Sauron: *stands up*
Self: Students in Back: "What is a 'sari'?"
Self: Another: "A loose-fitting--"
Friend: *snort*
Self: Everyone: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

It could be a terrifying way for the students to understand what happens when people use stupid pet names for villains.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'm forever in love with the Norwegian landscape, I fear, so it's too late to woo me with a Swiss or an Irish landscape.

IMs tend to be declarartion of war upon grammar and spelling. It may save the people typing some time when disregarding spelling, but they lose that time many times over as I feebly attempt to make sense of it. Feh.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

That he is.

We should raise a huge statue of him that all Americans can look up at and admire. And make stamps with him on. Behold the Leif!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

:P:P

*tosses Toey out of her room*

No, it's not just the kids. But at least the kids can still be saved, I fear it may be too late for some of the adults. Their mind is resistent to proper grammar and spelling. But perhaps the power of Leif can still win the day.

Over ninety years is a fairly good run, no doubt about that. But ten years with Altzheimer's (if not more) can't have been too pleasant. I'd rather have a quick death with mind still intact. *shudders*

Nice icon;)