Using the pronoun I is not always correct. "Molly and I went to the store." Correct. "This is between Molly and I." Incorrect. It should be "This is between Molly and me." Most people are so afraid of accidentally using me incorrectly (e.g., "Molly and me went to the store") that they hypercorrect themselves and use I where the correct pronoun would be me.
For a really good explanation of the correct usage of I and me, check out the transcript for Grammar Girl's episode, Between You and Me.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
antibacterial soap
Turns out that all of us washing our hands with antibacterial soap to kill germs may actually be contributing to the creation of a breed of super-germs. Basically, the idea is that if you wash with antibacterial soap, any bacteria that survives the handwashing can pass its strength (i.e., resistance) on to the next generation of nasty bacteria. This leads to bacteria that are immune to antibiotics. Fun, huh?
For the full story, check out HowStuffWorks.com's article "Should antibacterial soap be outlawed?" (and just so you don't think this is just one sensationalist news source, here's an article on the CDC's website).
For the full story, check out HowStuffWorks.com's article "Should antibacterial soap be outlawed?" (and just so you don't think this is just one sensationalist news source, here's an article on the CDC's website).
SEVENs you should know
The seven deadly sins (and analogous virtues) are Lust (Chastity), Gluttony (Temperance), Greed (Charity), Sloth (Diligence), Wrath (Forgiveness), Envy (Kindness), and Pride (Humility).
The Seven Dwarfs (of Snow White fame) are Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, and Doc.
The seven continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia (from largest to smallest).
The seven colors of the rainbow are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Lots of people remember them using the mnemonic device ROY G BIV.
Thanks to mak for another: The Seven Wonders of the World. The list has changed over the years, but you should probably make note of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
In response to sneece: I have to admit that I only found any of this out by researching why the Great Wall of China wasn't on the original list: While the Great Wall has been built and destroyed several times over the centuries, the current incarnation of the Wall is relatively recent construction (Ming Dynasty). According to the Wikipedia list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the list was compiled by "the historian Herodotus (484 BC - ca. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca 305 - 240 BC)," indicating that both died before any famous incarnations of the wall. The Great Wall of China is included on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World, though.
Interesting tidbit I also found in my research: turns out you can't actually see the Great Wall from the moon and it's arguable if you can see it from space (check out this article, as well as the Wikipedia entry).
Also, per a discussion with sneece, I will go ahead and say that one of the most famous SEVENs would be the seven days of the week; however, if you don't know them, I'm pretty sure I can safely say that the rest of this blog is going to be a bit over your head...
The Seven Dwarfs (of Snow White fame) are Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, and Doc.
The seven continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia (from largest to smallest).
The seven colors of the rainbow are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Lots of people remember them using the mnemonic device ROY G BIV.
Thanks to mak for another: The Seven Wonders of the World. The list has changed over the years, but you should probably make note of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
In response to sneece: I have to admit that I only found any of this out by researching why the Great Wall of China wasn't on the original list: While the Great Wall has been built and destroyed several times over the centuries, the current incarnation of the Wall is relatively recent construction (Ming Dynasty). According to the Wikipedia list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the list was compiled by "the historian Herodotus (484 BC - ca. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca 305 - 240 BC)," indicating that both died before any famous incarnations of the wall. The Great Wall of China is included on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World, though.
Interesting tidbit I also found in my research: turns out you can't actually see the Great Wall from the moon and it's arguable if you can see it from space (check out this article, as well as the Wikipedia entry).
Also, per a discussion with sneece, I will go ahead and say that one of the most famous SEVENs would be the seven days of the week; however, if you don't know them, I'm pretty sure I can safely say that the rest of this blog is going to be a bit over your head...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
pedestrians
While you, as a driver, might find it inconvenient to your oh-so-very-important and busy life, in the State of Georgia, pedestrians in the crosswalk always have the right-of-way. This is especially true if you have a red light and they have a walk sign. Yes, you can turn right on red at most intersections, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to avoid hitting pedestrians. Not only do they have the right-of-way, which makes hitting them illegal, but they also have a tendency to leave inconvenient dents in your car.
You are not more important than everyone else.
Now, I am the first to admit that I suffer from ego-centric behavior on occasion; however, when everyone else is stuck in traffic, you do not have the right to drive down the emergency lane to pass everyone and then try to merge back into traffic at the front of the line. You are just not that important. If your wife is in the car giving birth, I'll give you a bye on this one occasion. Otherwise, get in line, buddy. We've all got someplace to be.
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