A call for new punctuation!

it’s about bloody time!

 

The way our speech cadence has changed over time is to me an unknown. But surely those who came up with the period, the comma, or even the ellipses was not thinking about sarcasm.

 

Take this example I read from this article just now: (scroll to last paragraph)

 

Funny. That’s precisely the sort of no-nonsense advice your grandmother would have given.

 

clearly what this guy is trying to convey is not funny period. it’s “funny” as in “hm curious” which takes on an entirely different tone.

 

writers

linguists

scholars!

 

I beg of thee.. please lets think about this type of revision more urgently than personal pronouns. While still important, there are communication errors happening all the time for a far larger population, including those who are begging for a gender-neutral pronoun.

 

STILL IMPORTANT.

 

but priorities people…

 

Everyone these days communicates via text or chat. Regularly I get the feedback during my English lessons from the older bosses that their millennial employees can’t and don’t pick up the phone unless you beg them to! They automatically default to text.

 

A revision of punctuation has never been more important as it has become in the digital age. Period.

Try and disagree.

links I’m loving right now

first:

This list on wikipedia of territorial disputes around the world. First off, it’s hella long. Crazy how much we don’t know until we seek it out. Second of all, I love the way these lists are organised, and they come along with a definition. While we always know, don’t fully trust wikipedia as a source for citation, it is a great place to start.

 

now this:

Fifty Anthony Bourdain quotes. Turn the volume on, hover your finger on the right arrow button, because we can read this to our selves much faster than the pace of the video. Nevertheless it’s great. I am such big fan of Anthony Bourdain (RIP). And I love his voice and his stylistic choices and colorful language. pair that with a guy full of worldly experience and you can’t go wrong.

 

 

and then this:

This is a Vice News report on Mental Health crisis in Florida. And talks about the baker act. Clearly there is something going on with anxiety in the youth. I mean, myself included. I have never been suicidal EVER, so I am not equating myself to these kids. Clearly though there is something going on with this huge rise in unhappiness or worry. the video also briefly touches on how much health care could cost for keeping a kid in therapy/in the hospital while they are trying to recover. It is just such a shame that parents have to decide between “mortgaging the house” and making sure their kid stays alive and get the help they need.

briefly on my panic attack; focus more on this German medical bill

I had a panic attack last month at our weekly Monday morning meeting. sure I have a lot of responsibilities as managing the training agency, but honestly nothing was overwhelming me in my life at that time.

It started with me being forgetful, leaving my wallet at home. then the dizziness set in. I felt my tongue to be swollen, and then I couldn’t even form sentences during the meeting. it got so bad that I became worried- which we all know, makes it worse. My heart started to race, and I was secretly looking up the symptoms of a stroke on my laptop.

I closed the laptop, and announced to the team (in an incoherent sentence) that I had to go to the hospital. My assistant (German native) took me to the ER in a taxi.

All that happened was I had a panic attack. not a stroke (lol).

 

okay..funny but not funny. but funny now.

 

Fast-forward a month to today when I opened my mailbox to find a letter from the hospital.

 

Now I am not early exorbitant amounts of money as an englishtrainer slash agency manager. we’re small. so of course I was less than excited, and even started pre-planning how I was going to have to go to the bank to apply for a loan.

 

how American of me.

 

BECAUSE THIS BILL IS ONLY FOR 10 FKIN EUROS.

 

ten bucks!

 

I went to the er, got sedated, checked by a professional, left after a few hours, AND IT ONLY COST TEN BUCKS.

 

so clearly I am amazedhappyenthralledoverjoyedconfusedinquizzativebutdontreallycarecauseitsonlyTENBUCKS…

 

awesome Germany. two thumbs up.

thanks for anyone not having to worry about getting worried.

 

(but also I pay about 40 percent of my monthly salary to the state so, I thank myself too). #curtsy