Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
Incidentally, I'm starting to come around on the various plurals of "you." Incorrect though they may be, they do add efficiency. I actually prefer "yous" to "y'all," but for some reason it sounds a little awkward to end a sentence with it (though even if one were wishing a singular person a happy holiday, one wouldn't put "you" after a direct address comma to conclude the benediction).
So here's what I propose (and I know it's complicated, but so is the rest of our language):
1) When ending a sentence addressed to a group, a folksy Southern "y'all" is correct.
e.g.) "Happy Thanksgiving, y'all"
2) In the middle of the sentence, a hearty Northeastern "yous" is correct.
e.g.) "What do yous want?"
3) When beginning a sentence, "y'all" is correct, unless addressing a named group of people, in which case "yous" becomes the modifier.
e.g.) "Y'all come back now!" and "Y'all want some lemonade?" as opposed to "Yous guys are good people" or "Yous congressional leaders need to stop acting like children."
So...what do yous readers think?
Showing posts with label endorsements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label endorsements. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, June 05, 2009
HoagieFest
I'm really excited for HoagieFest 2009. In fact, I am immediately endorsing this Fest. Read about it here at Awesomeopolis.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Most Badass TV Character
Calling all Firefly fans! River Tam, a 10-seed in Awesomeopolis's Most Badass TV Character bracket poll, has made it all the way to the finals! After a huge upset by this spunky little badass over a strong 2nd-seeded Jack Bauer, she now faces off in the battle of the brains against Dr. Gregory House. Her opponent uses his brain to fight diseases, and River, well, she can kill you with her brain.
I'm not sure how many Firefly fans I have left reading this blog (I know I used to have a lot more...say hi if you're still out there), but I'd like to endorse River Tam over Dr. House in this match. She has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons (such as this one, this one, a memory or two, and the fact that I nominated her for this contest).
For those of you wondering how these two made it to the finals, Dr. House was supported by a huge community of Hungarian fans of House, MD, and River was catapulted past Jack by a collection of Sci-Fi nerds, Joss Whedon devotees, and lonely guys who think she's cute--all of whom spend way too much time surfing the internet.
I'm not sure how many Firefly fans I have left reading this blog (I know I used to have a lot more...say hi if you're still out there), but I'd like to endorse River Tam over Dr. House in this match. She has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons (such as this one, this one, a memory or two, and the fact that I nominated her for this contest).
For those of you wondering how these two made it to the finals, Dr. House was supported by a huge community of Hungarian fans of House, MD, and River was catapulted past Jack by a collection of Sci-Fi nerds, Joss Whedon devotees, and lonely guys who think she's cute--all of whom spend way too much time surfing the internet.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
My New Blog's Shoutout
So this new blogging project with which I may or may not be involved is running a bracket competition to determine the most badass TV character. This competition, primarily conceived and executed by the most badass roommate I've ever had the pleasure of living with, just got a shoutout in a blog on USA Today (7th from the bottom in the post called "Early buzz: Shins, Krasinski, Wanderlust and more").
I'd also like to endorse the Doctor from Dr. Who as the most badass TV character. As a fourth seed, this Time Lord wiped out two whole species, including his own, to save the entire universe. If that's not stone-cold badass, I don't know what is. Further examples of the Doctor's badassery as the competition continues.
I'd also like to endorse the Doctor from Dr. Who as the most badass TV character. As a fourth seed, this Time Lord wiped out two whole species, including his own, to save the entire universe. If that's not stone-cold badass, I don't know what is. Further examples of the Doctor's badassery as the competition continues.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
My Reminder to Vote
Vote. And vote for Obama.
You know what I'm sick of? People who say it doesn't matter who you vote for. It does matter. I'll concede there's some small advantage to having people vote at all; it could make them more likely to participate in other ways, be more engaged, or at least increase civic awareness.
But if I encourage people to vote no matter who they vote for, isn't it kind of a wash? Vote for Obama. If you're going to vote for McCain, I encourage you to stay home. Stay home...that's such a contrary and unusual statement this time of year, it's practically taboo! And why? One fewer vote for the guy I don't think should win is as good as one extra vote for the guy I think should. Getting someone to switch their vote is a swing of two votes. So if you don't know for whom to vote, I'm not going to tell you it doesn't matter, or even to vote regardless. And I don't care if that seems "undemocratic" (how un-American of me to support a candidate, participate in the process, try to convince people based on issues, encourage others to do likewise in a manner I consider constructive and beneficial, and discourage them from taking actions I would consider detrimental to the country! How horrible!).
So screw this non-partisan support for democracy in which we encourage everyone with no opinion, no information, nothing to add, to go in and cast a completely arbitrary ballot adding randomness to the process. It does matter how you cast your ballot; the future of the world is at stake (we are, after all, choosing its most powerful person).
In that spirit, I'd like to reiterate this blog's endorsement for Barack Obama, who has a superior healthcare plan (McCain's is terrible), a better ability to represent us to the rest of the world (the President's primary responsibility), a better Vice President (as well as a lower chance of needing one), more economic sense (by McCain's own hastily retracted admission), a better philosophy regarding Iraq (spend the money here), a better philosophy regarding every other country (talking, collaboration, all that sissy stuff which saves lives, costs less money, and results in net increases in prosperity), a better energy policy (McCain has a similar stated policy, though in 26 years in Congress, he has voted in accordance with in only a tiny fraction of the time), a better economic plan (McCain's stops at "stay the course with more tax cuts slanted towards rich people"), better advisors (more policy experts, fewer political disciples of the likes of Rove), and a far superior ability to get people to work together, along with a knack for making carefully considered and thoughtful decisions. The world's a complicated place, and it's getting more so. We need a leader looking to the future, not the past. We need someone who's willing to keep an open mind, to have all kinds of discussions with legislators, world leaders, and experts. We need Barack Obama to win this election.
So please, remember to vote, and to vote for Obama.
You know what I'm sick of? People who say it doesn't matter who you vote for. It does matter. I'll concede there's some small advantage to having people vote at all; it could make them more likely to participate in other ways, be more engaged, or at least increase civic awareness.
But if I encourage people to vote no matter who they vote for, isn't it kind of a wash? Vote for Obama. If you're going to vote for McCain, I encourage you to stay home. Stay home...that's such a contrary and unusual statement this time of year, it's practically taboo! And why? One fewer vote for the guy I don't think should win is as good as one extra vote for the guy I think should. Getting someone to switch their vote is a swing of two votes. So if you don't know for whom to vote, I'm not going to tell you it doesn't matter, or even to vote regardless. And I don't care if that seems "undemocratic" (how un-American of me to support a candidate, participate in the process, try to convince people based on issues, encourage others to do likewise in a manner I consider constructive and beneficial, and discourage them from taking actions I would consider detrimental to the country! How horrible!).
So screw this non-partisan support for democracy in which we encourage everyone with no opinion, no information, nothing to add, to go in and cast a completely arbitrary ballot adding randomness to the process. It does matter how you cast your ballot; the future of the world is at stake (we are, after all, choosing its most powerful person).
In that spirit, I'd like to reiterate this blog's endorsement for Barack Obama, who has a superior healthcare plan (McCain's is terrible), a better ability to represent us to the rest of the world (the President's primary responsibility), a better Vice President (as well as a lower chance of needing one), more economic sense (by McCain's own hastily retracted admission), a better philosophy regarding Iraq (spend the money here), a better philosophy regarding every other country (talking, collaboration, all that sissy stuff which saves lives, costs less money, and results in net increases in prosperity), a better energy policy (McCain has a similar stated policy, though in 26 years in Congress, he has voted in accordance with in only a tiny fraction of the time), a better economic plan (McCain's stops at "stay the course with more tax cuts slanted towards rich people"), better advisors (more policy experts, fewer political disciples of the likes of Rove), and a far superior ability to get people to work together, along with a knack for making carefully considered and thoughtful decisions. The world's a complicated place, and it's getting more so. We need a leader looking to the future, not the past. We need someone who's willing to keep an open mind, to have all kinds of discussions with legislators, world leaders, and experts. We need Barack Obama to win this election.
So please, remember to vote, and to vote for Obama.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
My Boy John, and My New Boy Barack
John Edwards, whom this blog endorsed for President of the United States, has finally endorsed a candidate of his own after dropping out of the race in late January. He has endorsed Barack Obama for President, after voting for him last week in North Carolina's primary.
His endorsement is well timed--as super-delegates flock to the front runner and as this much anticipated announcement is sure to detract from Hillary Clinton's overwhelming victory in West Virginia, one of the three least interesting states in the union by far (I'd argue it's top 1 or 2, but definitely up there with North Dakota and Oklahoma).
Edwards is endorsing Obama for his progressive vision. This blog's editorial board, and ergo this blog, will also endorse Barack Obama for President, now that Edwards is out of the race and the time has come for a new endorsement. Though Edward's opinion factored in slightly given this blog's previous alignment, the reasoning for this endorsement is actually quite different from Edwards' own reasons. The president is our chief negotiator, and has tremendous impact on foreign policy. Obama has shown a willingness to engage other leaders that the other candidates have not, as they espouse a hybrid elitist/cowboy diplomacy that isn't sustainable. Their refusal to engage, their aloof, haughty, holier-than-thou approach to foreign relations would continue the international embarrassment brought upon us by our current president. Our relationship with emerging economic superpowers will define the 21st century (mostly China, but to a lesser extent Europe and later India), and we need an engaged leader who commands respect, who can bring people together, and who is always willing to negotiate in good faith.
Obama's willingness to receive input, and desire to build a consensus, also factored strongly into this endorsement. Where the other candidates are arrogant, Obama willingly concedes that there are many good ideas he hasn't thought of. I believe this to be a strength, especially given the complexity of the issues our next president will have to face (especially relating to appointments, privacy issues, foreign relations, the middle east, and of course, the economy). Obama's idea to appoint a Chief Technology Adviser is a great one. While McCain can't grasp the complexity of the new economy and the emerging and constantly-in-flux world order (to dramatize foreign affairs quite a bit), and while Hillary would rather give a long rambling nonsensical rant that more or less just proves she doesn't know what an interest rate is than admit she doesn't know the long term macroeconomic implications of a plan she stole from someone else and claimed as her own, Obama is seeking ways to get the best information as fast as possible, so that he might make better decisions. He's looking forward more than any other candidate, and liberal or conservative, the 21st century requires leaders like him.
So if you haven't yet voted in a primary, help Obama defeat Senator Clinton. And when the general election comes, it is the strongest recommendation of Nobody Doesn't Like Molten Boron that you help Barack Obama defeat John McCain, who has flip-flopped so many times in the past few years that he makes John Kerry look like...hm...who never flip flops...he makes John Kerry look like Charles Montgomery Burns.
Also, a special congratulations to John Edwards, my boy, for getting 7% of the vote in West Virginia, despite the notable handicap of not having campaigned there and not having been in the race for almost four months before the election!
His endorsement is well timed--as super-delegates flock to the front runner and as this much anticipated announcement is sure to detract from Hillary Clinton's overwhelming victory in West Virginia, one of the three least interesting states in the union by far (I'd argue it's top 1 or 2, but definitely up there with North Dakota and Oklahoma).
Edwards is endorsing Obama for his progressive vision. This blog's editorial board, and ergo this blog, will also endorse Barack Obama for President, now that Edwards is out of the race and the time has come for a new endorsement. Though Edward's opinion factored in slightly given this blog's previous alignment, the reasoning for this endorsement is actually quite different from Edwards' own reasons. The president is our chief negotiator, and has tremendous impact on foreign policy. Obama has shown a willingness to engage other leaders that the other candidates have not, as they espouse a hybrid elitist/cowboy diplomacy that isn't sustainable. Their refusal to engage, their aloof, haughty, holier-than-thou approach to foreign relations would continue the international embarrassment brought upon us by our current president. Our relationship with emerging economic superpowers will define the 21st century (mostly China, but to a lesser extent Europe and later India), and we need an engaged leader who commands respect, who can bring people together, and who is always willing to negotiate in good faith.
Obama's willingness to receive input, and desire to build a consensus, also factored strongly into this endorsement. Where the other candidates are arrogant, Obama willingly concedes that there are many good ideas he hasn't thought of. I believe this to be a strength, especially given the complexity of the issues our next president will have to face (especially relating to appointments, privacy issues, foreign relations, the middle east, and of course, the economy). Obama's idea to appoint a Chief Technology Adviser is a great one. While McCain can't grasp the complexity of the new economy and the emerging and constantly-in-flux world order (to dramatize foreign affairs quite a bit), and while Hillary would rather give a long rambling nonsensical rant that more or less just proves she doesn't know what an interest rate is than admit she doesn't know the long term macroeconomic implications of a plan she stole from someone else and claimed as her own, Obama is seeking ways to get the best information as fast as possible, so that he might make better decisions. He's looking forward more than any other candidate, and liberal or conservative, the 21st century requires leaders like him.
So if you haven't yet voted in a primary, help Obama defeat Senator Clinton. And when the general election comes, it is the strongest recommendation of Nobody Doesn't Like Molten Boron that you help Barack Obama defeat John McCain, who has flip-flopped so many times in the past few years that he makes John Kerry look like...hm...who never flip flops...he makes John Kerry look like Charles Montgomery Burns.
Also, a special congratulations to John Edwards, my boy, for getting 7% of the vote in West Virginia, despite the notable handicap of not having campaigned there and not having been in the race for almost four months before the election!
Friday, January 18, 2008
My New Subway Line
SEPTA (the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) and PATCO (the Port Authority Transit Corporation that operates a Philly-NJ line) are exploring a partnership. That's right, an unprecedented collaboration seeks to combine PATCO's planning and financial strengths with SEPTA's operational strengths (what operational strengths? Well, according to the Inquirer, they managed to operate over 1,800 miles of transportation routes while quite underfunded...if you knew what their budget was like, you'd consider their operation quite impressive too). Though there are currently a few plans, the proposed joint-project would construct a trolley or light-rail line that ran up and down the Philadelphia waterfront (on the Delaware river), and could even extend as far as west as City Hall (which I would love to see, and which would improve access since Philadelphia's 3 other major subway/trolley lines all run through that station). Though 8 to 10 years away, and dependent on some federal funding, it's a good project for the city, and a good sign that local authorities are working together to benefit me, the consumer (and probably some other people as well).
Though the case for the new line is that it will save residents time and money, I think it will actually do far more than expedite travel that would have happened anyway. I believe this project, if completed and connected to City Hall, would encourage Center City residents to spread out more, visit locations up and down the waterfront. And by the same token, it will make it easier for those living up and down the waterfront to enjoy a night on the town in Center City. I think it will create economic activity for the city. And though this may be a pipe dream, I also believe that it may help the city attract businesses and retain college graduates. Convenient public transportation makes the city more attractive to young people--and SEPTA buses just can't compete with Boston's T, NY's MTA or DC's Metro.
For all these reasons and more, I've decided that this blog will make it's second endorsement ever: this project. Nobody Doesn't Like Molten Boron hereby supports, encourages, and endorses the construction of a light rail or trolley line up and down Philly's waterfront, especially if it connects to the City Hall station. This could be a great project for the city and region.
Though the case for the new line is that it will save residents time and money, I think it will actually do far more than expedite travel that would have happened anyway. I believe this project, if completed and connected to City Hall, would encourage Center City residents to spread out more, visit locations up and down the waterfront. And by the same token, it will make it easier for those living up and down the waterfront to enjoy a night on the town in Center City. I think it will create economic activity for the city. And though this may be a pipe dream, I also believe that it may help the city attract businesses and retain college graduates. Convenient public transportation makes the city more attractive to young people--and SEPTA buses just can't compete with Boston's T, NY's MTA or DC's Metro.
For all these reasons and more, I've decided that this blog will make it's second endorsement ever: this project. Nobody Doesn't Like Molten Boron hereby supports, encourages, and endorses the construction of a light rail or trolley line up and down Philly's waterfront, especially if it connects to the City Hall station. This could be a great project for the city and region.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
My Endorsement
I'm going to Rochester, NY for a few days--and I'll be pretty busy for a few days after that--so you can enjoy a brief respite from the droning I throw the way of my readers. I'll be back to my approximate once-to-thrice a week schedule after that.
Meanwhile, Happy New Years to everyone, especially all zero of you who responded to my last post (if you're bored in my absence, feel free to do that).
Finally, since I'll be gone for the Iowa Caucuses, I'd like to encourage any Iowans who may be reading to vote for John Edwards. While I don't know of any Iowans who have ever visited this blog, I'm hoping that if I use the word "Iowa" enough in this paragraph (along with words like "Presidential" and "Caucus"), that someone will find their way here. And to those undecided searchers, I say, vote for John Edwards. He has this blog's endorsement. A good health plan; a sympathy for working Americans; a realistic economic outlook; and an intelligent and intelligible leader. If you don't think I'm smart enough to be making recommendations to you, I invite you to read some of my previous posts on political topics. Also consider that I'm a Republican from Pennsylvania, so there's no party or local loyalty involved here.
I'd also like to recommend John Edwards to any of you undecideds from New Hampshire, or anywhere else in the 50 states.
I'm considering endorsing other things too (other politicians, products, services, courses of action, etc.). It's time I started wielding this blog like the tiny tiny hammer of influence that it is (you know, for the good of mankind). My first round of endorsements will probably be fairly obvious (John Edwards, Futurama, Costco, etc.), but we'll see how this evolves. If my readers would like some advice when making a choice, let me know and maybe you'll get an endorsement (if I have the time to research and think about your dilemma, and I feel confident enough to put the full weight of my considerable reputation behind my choice).
For the time being, though, in the words of Al Gore: "Peace out, y'all."
Meanwhile, Happy New Years to everyone, especially all zero of you who responded to my last post (if you're bored in my absence, feel free to do that).
Finally, since I'll be gone for the Iowa Caucuses, I'd like to encourage any Iowans who may be reading to vote for John Edwards. While I don't know of any Iowans who have ever visited this blog, I'm hoping that if I use the word "Iowa" enough in this paragraph (along with words like "Presidential" and "Caucus"), that someone will find their way here. And to those undecided searchers, I say, vote for John Edwards. He has this blog's endorsement. A good health plan; a sympathy for working Americans; a realistic economic outlook; and an intelligent and intelligible leader. If you don't think I'm smart enough to be making recommendations to you, I invite you to read some of my previous posts on political topics. Also consider that I'm a Republican from Pennsylvania, so there's no party or local loyalty involved here.
I'd also like to recommend John Edwards to any of you undecideds from New Hampshire, or anywhere else in the 50 states.
I'm considering endorsing other things too (other politicians, products, services, courses of action, etc.). It's time I started wielding this blog like the tiny tiny hammer of influence that it is (you know, for the good of mankind). My first round of endorsements will probably be fairly obvious (John Edwards, Futurama, Costco, etc.), but we'll see how this evolves. If my readers would like some advice when making a choice, let me know and maybe you'll get an endorsement (if I have the time to research and think about your dilemma, and I feel confident enough to put the full weight of my considerable reputation behind my choice).
For the time being, though, in the words of Al Gore: "Peace out, y'all."
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