Comments on Crazy Days and Nights: Who Doesn't Love America's Youth

I know I'm very late to this party, but I just hav...

2008-06-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

I know I'm very late to this party, but I just have to add my two cents as well. I'm in a rather unique situation, where I'm one of them while being forced to shake my fist and correct them. What I mean by this is that I'm a youngin'. I'm 22. But I also teach college. English. Basic, remedial, spelling-and-grammar English. I'm not a TA, I'm a professor. And, yes, my students DO try to incorporate internet-speak into their essays. They think I should understand because I'm young and wired.

And, the list of words that bother you guys when mixed up . . . I just gave a test over look-alikes and sound-alikes, and I'm having to re-test after more exercises because they all failed.

Grr. I'm done now.

Sometimes I wipe out misplaced apostrophes on chal...

2008-06-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wipe out misplaced apostrophes on chalked signs. I'm not ashamed of it, either! ;-) I just can't stand to see "baked spud's" written on a menu. It hurts my head.

RAGDOLL! I hope you see this...When I was in high ...

2008-06-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

RAGDOLL! I hope you see this...
When I was in high school, I read an essay in which someone had written, "Jesus fasted in the dessert." That was 20 years ago, and it still makes me laugh!!!

Thanks for the reminder.

I agree with y'all...What the hell happened to grammar? To the proper use of apostrophes?
I saw a professionally painted, weathered sign at an apartment complex just today that said "YOUR the star here!"
I mentioned the sign was weathered, because I just couldn't believe it had never been corrected.

YikesI need to wash my brain with bleach now...You...

2008-06-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Yikes

I need to wash my brain with bleach now...

You realize that these grammarians also turn in their homework written in "txt spk". Seriously, if I had not seen it, I would not have believed it.

"Honey, the president can't be bothered."What scar...

2008-06-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

"Honey, the president can't be bothered."

What scares me... is that those kids might actually BE the president. Then again they are probably far more literate than our current one.

Spell-check doesn't catch things like your vs. you...

2008-06-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Spell-check doesn't catch things like your vs. you're, its vs. it's, affect vs. effect. Last week, I was reading a newsletter that's written by copy editors, and the caption on the front page said, "... bush up on your editing skills ..." Seriously. And spell-check isn't going to say, "Hey, that's supposed to be 'brush.' "

It's so difficult for me to text people; I have to spell out the words and punctuate properly. It's really hard to stop thinking in English and start thinking in text-speak. I'm assuming the reverse is true, which is why kids today are screwing themselves over. When you write so much in text-speak, you forget how to write in English. And they don't seem to think that this deterioration of language skills is a big deal.

well said Crich

2008-06-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

well said Crich

Oh, yeah, I want them to be happy as adults and so...

2008-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, yeah, I want them to be happy as adults and sometimes that means you can't have the Escalade till you earn it yourself.

What is really sad is that the schools are now acc...

2008-06-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

What is really sad is that the schools are now accomodating these kids who can't spell and passing them anyway. Not all but many kids and their parents feel so entitled to being catered to, they don't want to have to lift a finger. They don't learn how to spell because they have spell check, (a teacher actually said that to me) but they are too lazy to even do that.

My advice to everyone: turn off the MTV and myspace. Make your kids scrub the fucking toilet and do their homework. NEVER leave them at the mall by themselves. Take away the $400 cell phone and don't believe for a second they won't lie to your face. Not all kids are doing self destructive things, but they are kids with young minds and they are exposed to so much in this day and age. You have to be more than aware and have "good communication". I don't care if my kids aren't considered cool in school. I care that they will grow up and be responsible, hard-working, self-sufficient, mannered people. They will be considerate and understand the value of a dollar. I want them to have the tools to be whatever it is they want to be. That takes hardwork and an education. That is what I take seriously. Most importantly, love them and hug them and kiss them everyday, 100 times a day.

This is a sore spot with me. Can you tell?

Ragdoll, the non-native English speakers I know ac...

2008-06-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ragdoll, the non-native English speakers I know actually have a *better* grip on English or at least try harder.

Gayla, I'm 22... I gripe about the "young whippersnappers" too. There seems to be a invisible dividing line, I haven't figured out the ages yet. However there is so much that is different in the youth (under 18) of today than even my people at my age.

I play games on Pogo.com to pass the time. Have y...

2008-06-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

I play games on Pogo.com to pass the time. Have you ever seen what goes on in those chat rooms? People saying "gl e1" or "im leving tc mdf cu 2morrow hagd tc gb". It's almost as intriguing to figure out what they're trying to say as it is to play the games, although far more irritating.

I have a 30 year old friend that speaks in "chat s...

2008-06-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have a 30 year old friend that speaks in "chat speech" in normal everyday life I am left confused and slightly irritated. I just hope "lol" "omg" and other gems are not the "like" cool" "ummmmm" for my son. My head would explode. Oh and the 30 year old is a loan officer.

Bad fish--don't fret--I will never switch from you...

2008-06-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

Bad fish--don't fret--I will never switch from you to OMG!

I get a little pissed when tools like this have a ...

2008-06-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

I get a little pissed when tools like this have a major site and some kind of following, when I bust my butt writing thoughtful little mini stand up comedy routines/rants for up to twelve hours a day and practically have to beg for readership.

are you kidding i heard a mallrat say "lol". he SA...

2008-06-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

are you kidding i heard a mallrat say "lol". he SAID it.
i need a nap.

norrah--if you speak to high school teachers, many...

2008-06-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

norrah--if you speak to high school teachers, many will confirm that text writing appears in school work.
It is a big problem.

1 d0|\|'7 $33 \/\/|-|47'$ \/\/r0|\|9 \/\/17|-| 7|-...

2008-06-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

1 d0|\|'7 $33 \/\/|-|47'$ \/\/r0|\|9 \/\/17|-| 7|-|31r $P3LL1|\|9 4|\|D 9r4/\/\/\/\4r!
aha.
l337. i finally understand how to speak and write it and all of the preteens now just use TXT!1 language.

i don't think we have to worry about the future of the children because they don't write like that in school. If they do then they would probably become celebrities or athletes.

only online they write like that, to seem much cooler and carefree then they really are.

Ragdoll: one of the things that gripes me is that...

2008-06-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ragdoll: one of the things that gripes me is that, on the internet, not everyone lives just around the corner from you. Many people for whom English is a second (or third, or fourth) language are trying to read these comments. In my mind it's only courteous to try to speak as clearly as possible, to facilitate that person's ability to know what you're saying.

Like you, though, I give a pass to Rivkatrina Kstgrebigne who gets her adjectives messed up a little. I have a long time French friend who makes definitive statements, the likes of which we would follow with the word "period" to indicate that this is all there is to it. It's this way. Period. However, she uses the word "comma" instead of "period", and to make it even funnier, misspells "comma" as "coma". Which is also pretty final in itself, and maybe she does know what she's doing, after all.

Don't blame the kids--how many parents take their ...

2008-06-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Don't blame the kids--how many parents take their kids to bookstores, libraries, etc and STRESS over and over how important reading is? Not that many anymore--they are too self-absorbed.
My kids & their friends are known at the klibrary by their 1st names. Parents need to supervise what's going on. Yet, it is ok when texting, but not in actual writing. I fear the future of the U.S. at this rate.

Aw, that's not fair pimp, you're putting all the d...

2008-06-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Aw, that's not fair pimp, you're putting all the dumb on the girls. The boys are no better. And that's assuming they took a break from the video games long enough to even know how to text.

And damn you jokerista, don't put that thought in my head! I thought med school would be the one area where standards wouldn't be lowered. It's med school dammit! Two incorrect or transposed letters could screw up your prescription order, they've GOT to keep standards. Right?

"More fun if my 14 year old nephew texts to know what I want "for desert" I invariably reply "Gobi" or "Sahara" or "Mojave" to purposely eff with the kid...."

That's hilarious ragdoll!

Final note: I'm 26. I SHOULD NOT BE BITCHING ABOUT KIDS THESE DAYS ALREADY. I'm still young enough to be their older sibling and not their parent!

Oooh syko...that bugs me!Especially when it's mean...

2008-06-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oooh syko...that bugs me!

Especially when it's meant to be PLURAL. Like "My package's from Amazon were delivered". GAH!! Gahgahgahgah!

PimpND. Yes. And TommyGirl's pooper scoopers if t...

2008-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

PimpND. Yes. And TommyGirl's pooper scoopers if they are of the male gender.

Since it's the internet, I give an automatic pass to obvious non-native speakers of English. Also, if the poster's native language is made up of characters that don't even appear in the English alphabet, they get a pass and a little gold star.

Jax: THE CAT THINGS! They drive me insane, and my retired mom likes to e-mail them to me. Can I get her a part time job or some volunteer work? Would it be mean to suggest that? " dear Mom, in lieu of sending me LOLCATS, why not help out at the local shelter a couple of afternoons per week. kthxbai."

Others I find annoying:to, too, twoaffect, effectp...

2008-06-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Others I find annoying:

to, too, two
affect, effect
principle, principal
your, you're

and nobody knows where to put the apostrophe! I work in a law firm and the managing partner, a man acknowledged by even his enemies to be brilliant, possessing both a law degree and a CPA, consistently dictates "its, i-t-apostrophe-s". I ignore him and spell it right. Other secretaries don't, and I just cringe to see those things go out to clients or other attorneys who just might know a little grammar.

We can categorize these geniuses with the ones cal...

2008-06-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

We can categorize these geniuses with the ones calling in to Seacrest's show with Brody Jenner.

Answer: none. They will be the trophy wives of th...

2008-06-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Answer: none. They will be the trophy wives of the President, the doc who treats you when you're 80, etc.