It's Just One Of Those Days

Sometimes it's the little things that make you want to pull your hair out. Usually it's the GOP, but other topics can do it too.

For example, here's the headline of a story I came across from my old "hometown" paper:

Buck Creek State Park drowning victim dies

Does anyone else see the idiocy here? Don't they have copy writers at this paper? This is the Dayton Daily News for Pete's sake. 

Then there is the matter of dealing with AT&T. (Yes, I'm going to go there....) I simply wanted to change my billing date as my direct deposits  aren't in my account until the second Wednesday of the month. Don't ask me who thought THAT up. AT&T's late date is the 3rd of the month. At this particular point in time, things are a little tight for us, and every dollar is accounted for in a timely manner. I simply wanted to make things a little easier to get payments there on time.

Did you know that AT&T does not have to be competitive..the girl on the phone said something to that effect. The billing date is based upon your phone number...???? To change that date you MUST GET A NEW NUMBER. You heard it here, folks. AND there is a $35.00 dollar charge to do so. Unbelievable.......

And the Right is trying to have us all believe that FREE MARKET and not the government is the ONLY way to get things done efficiently. And I'm sure they've already compromised English classes....

MY ENGLISH TEACHER IS NOT HAPPY

I found this fascinating quote today:

OK, so, maybe that's a bit extreme; but anyone who lives in our household has probably gotten used to hearing me growl, "fewer!" when some talking head -- especially on the news -- uses "less" when the proper term would be, well, "fewer." For example, a report on the state of the U.S. economy that aired not too long ago mentioned that the economic stimulus plan had generated less jobs than expected. (It's painful even to type that...) No, no, NO!!! The plan has created FEWER jobs!!! Sigh. Generations of English teachers must be spinning in their graves...Fr. John McCuen, Observations from an Empty Well, Nov 2009

A man after my own heart! I just about lose it when I hear these so-called journalists go on in their somber tones about serious topics, and they don't have a clue that they have lessened it's effect on me because they have mangled the delivery. I'm left sitting, yelling at the television or screaming at the radio, correcting the bad grammar. I've totally ignored the message: I'm skewering the messenger. My kids are used to it by now.....they're adults, with kids of their own. But two of my daughters say that now when they interview people for positions, or have employee meetings this little buzzer goes off in their heads: "Oh, that doesn't sound right. Mom would not like that at ALL."

I know you're busy, so I'll just condense my usual rants about the Fall Of The Correct Usage Of Grammar and The Dumbing Down Of America. My family has heard it already. Several times.

1.) TROOP refers to a specific association of people (more than 1) such as a Boy Scout troop, Brownie troop NOT an individual person ie: twenty troops were killed today in Iraq.
2.) REGIME is sort of a political overthrow of government, not a REGIMEN. My exercise regimen leaves a lot to be desired, but we won't go there.
3.) Using MYSELF instead of ME or I in a statement. "Sarah Palin and myself will be at the book signing at Costco today." Of course, saying Sarah and I would be anywhere together is a fantasy and very dumb.
4.)I HAVE GOT to tell you that in English-classes-past this was a definite no-no. Any form of these two words used together was incorrect, but now has morphed into acceptable. I still cringe.
5.) As in the case of FEWER and LESS, the correct usage of MOST and MAJORITY has also taken a hit. It has to do with numbers: most of the class would agree, but the majority of the thirty students have come to accept it I guess. Did you get that?
6.) I'm not letting this one go: not only using MYSELF incorrectly, but placing it/me before everyone else you're discussing. "Myself, John, Betty, and Mary are going out for lunch today." Apparently you're hungrier than the rest of your friends or you would have said "John, Betty, Mary, and I are going out for lunch today." Of course, you're treating, aren't you?