May 28 I don’t like when people use English words or phrases without knowing how to use them. I started compiling a list after reading some blogs and noticing errors in their English. And these were not blogs started in foreign countries. These were supposedly English language based blogs! In any case, peruse the list and see if you’re guilty of any of these mistakes:
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maybe/may be - “Maybe” means perhaps while “may be” means could be. Okay okay I know that using “be” in the definition is not good. Nevertheless, there is a definite difference between the phrases. Examples: “Maybe I’ll go tonight” vs “She may be going tonight”
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they’re/their/there - This difference between words is pretty well-known, and yet it is still often misused. The first is a contraction of “they are” so you have to be able to substitute “they are everywhere you use “they’re.” “Their” is possessive. “There” indicates location. Examples: “They’re going to eat food” vs “I’m going to eat their food” vs “We are going to eat food there”
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its/it’s - This happens so often it’s sickening. Haha I just used “it’s.” Anyways “its” is a possessive of a previously mentioned inanimate object while “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.” Examples: “Don’t judge a book by its cover” vs “Look around the city in the fall and see how it’s all changing”
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site/sight - The difference between these words is that “site” means location and “sight” means something that is seen. Examples: “Why don’t we go to the construction site to see how things are going” vs “Boy those fireworks over the water sure are a sight to see.”
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buy/by/bye - “Buy” means “to purchase”, “by” is a preposition that has a number of meanings including “of or near to” or “through a particular medium”, “bye” is either a shortening of the common greeting “goodbye” or the opportunity for a team to not have to play another team in a sports tournament.
In any case that list is not, by an means, exhaustive. I think that I actually don’t mind it when people know that they are not experts at English. However, I think that I have the most problem with people when they make it seem as if they have a complete idea of what they’re saying. Such is life, huh? So try to learn what you can. Oh and stop by the Word of the Week to learn some good vocabulary.
May 28 [as-uh-nahyn]
Definition:
Completely idiotic, stupid or silly; of or like an ass
Example of usage:
In school he was intelligent and knowledgeable, but in front of his peers (especially females) he would make the most asinine comments.
You know that you like to call people stupid. Well I’m sure that many people do anyways. They must, otherwise why would I get called it so often? :P In any case this word is definitely an amusing version of stupid. However, use it wisely because it is definitely harsher than “stupid” can be. While “stupid” can be used in a joking manner, the word “asinine” isn’t often used as such. You have been warned.
May 25 So in addition to my thoughts on jury duty, I wanted to inform anyone out there of a scam that I heard about at jury duty.
It involves getting told that there is a fine for missing jury duty. The scammers will call and ask for you social security number to verify who you are as well as your credit card number in order to process your fine. Now a word to the wise: be very careful whenever you are asked for either of these pieces of information no matter what the situation is. That is a reasonable thing to remember whenever you are confronted with things like this.
So obviously after that you get taken for much more than your supposed fine. You get taken for your identity. And that is just no good.
May 25 Whenever somebody gets a summons for jury duty, they are very likely going to cry out in disappointment as soon as they see it. Why? Well it is inconvenient and a burden on us to do something that we don’t really like to do. Pretty much the main reason that we do it is so that we don’t get something like a fine or a contempt of court notice.
In any case, yesterday I served my jury duty. This is not the first time that I have had it, and I am pretty sure that it won’t be the last time. But I think that this time made me think more deeply about this thing that we call our civic duty.
For those that don’t know (and I’m not exactly sure how you wouldn’t know), jury duty in America is when you are given a summons to appear at a courthouse at a specified time and asked to possibly serve as a juror in a trial. So basically you go to a room and wait for them to call you.
See the thing is that there are lots (actually a majority) of people that have a strong distaste for jury duty. I must admit that I don’t care for it all too much either. It takes you away from things that you’d rather be doing, and it is possibly inconvenient when it comes to compensation and traveling. But if you think about it, we are all being short-sighted and foolish.
The reason that jury duty is not as bad as it seems is that it ensures us a very important right that we have by living in America. It ensures us a trial by our peers if we are ever in such a situation as would deserve a trial. And that is a great thing. I, for one, am very opposed to the idea of getting judged by a bunch of lawyer-like nit-picking professional jurors. Instead I could be judged by people who, although not exactly like me, seem like they would represent a slice of society that would in some way give me a fair and objective judgment. It is a very important part of the foundation of being the United States of America! People (very many people in fact) have died for the cause of letting us have the rights that we have. And yet we, in our selfish self-centered ways, cannot find it within ourselves to give up a day (or possibly a couple of weeks) to uphold this. Amazing, isn’t it?
I guess when you put it that way, the whole idea of serving jury duty doesn’t seem so horrible after all. Of course, I also didn’t actually get called to a jury or else I might be singing a different tune. Ah well maybe life’s more profound observations come from the sidelines. Nevertheless, think about jury duty (as well as all of the other things that happen in your life), and the ramifications that it has for your world before you immediately complain about them. So the more logical, reasonable, and sane part of me says that maybe jury duty isn’t so bad after all. But that might just last for the next 12 months until my emotional side once again takes control when I see that notice in the mail.
May 24 So I was on call for the hardly enviable jury duty this week. And of course I get called to come in. So bright and early at 7:30 AM (at which time this entry will be published) I will be in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, Central Justice Center. Oh just lovely.
Likely when put into such a fun situation, amusing things happen. In any case some responsibility (and an aversion to civic punishment) dictates that I attend.