the random musings not worthy of new thread thread

Started by ice grillin you, March 28, 2006, 02:06:37 PM

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Diomedes

Can we split the country up? I almost don't care where we go as long as they don't get the nukes and the border is closed.  I want OUT of this shtein hole country.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

General_Failure


The man. The myth. The legend.

Diomedes

Okay, so I meet a new neighbor.  He introduces himself as "Donnie."  We have some common reason to be in touch, so he texts me to establish contact info exchange, etc.

The message I get says "Hi Diomedes, this is Donnie ("they/them" pronouns if you don't mind, but no big deal.)  Following up on ...."

Uh...what?  I'm pretty open minded and I get that people have gender identity issues, and that's fine.  But I guess I don't really get it because I don't understand this request.  I will honor it of course, but it's not easy to do that, especially given that the requested pronoun is not a part of speech I associate with a single individual.   If I'm getting it right, this person wants me to, for example, tell the dispatcher: "Donnie called and he wants they want you to deliver the new trees to the corner, not the parking lot."  Or some such construction.  Have I got it right? 

That sounds awful to me, and could be confusing.  Dispatcher would be fair to wonder, "Who is 'they,' this ticket is for Donnie.."

If any of you can confirm or correct me, I'd appreciate it.  I'm not trying to be ignorant or disrespectful.  I'd like to honor "their" request.  (Did I do that right?)
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

General_Failure

It's been a thing for a while now. Some people don't like the whole gender norms thing and want no parts of it, others just don't feel like they fit either gender. Either way, they're welcomed into the trans community. A kid I wound up being a surrogate internet-dad for used they/them for a while before coming out as trans, so now we just use he/him because that's who he is. I don't put much though into it, I just call people what they want to be called.

Your facebook grandpa likes to joke about it and call them all attack helicopters.

The man. The myth. The legend.

Diomedes

#30439
Quote from: General_Failure on October 14, 2020, 04:02:30 PMI don't put much though into it, I just call people what they want to be called.

Yeah but you're smarter than me.  I'll have to stop and think every time a pronoun is required for speech concerning this person, and I'm sure I'll farg it up, and sound like an ass.  I want to just comply as well because why not, but my brain gets tripped up on the singular/plural thing, so I'm def. gonna fail.  I guess the point is that I'll try.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Munson

Quote from: Diomedes on October 14, 2020, 03:50:14 PM
Okay, so I meet a new neighbor.  He introduces himself as "Donnie."  We have some common reason to be in touch, so he texts me to establish contact info exchange, etc.

The message I get says "Hi Diomedes, this is Donnie ("they/them" pronouns if you don't mind, but no big deal.)  Following up on ...."

Uh...what?  I'm pretty open minded and I get that people have gender identity issues, and that's fine.  But I guess I don't really get it because I don't understand this request.  I will honor it of course, but it's not easy to do that, especially given that the requested pronoun is not a part of speech I associate with a single individual.   If I'm getting it right, this person wants me to, for example, tell the dispatcher: "Donnie called and he wants they want you to deliver the new trees to the corner, not the parking lot."  Or some such construction.  Have I got it right? 

That sounds awful to me, and could be confusing.  Dispatcher would be fair to wonder, "Who is 'they,' this ticket is for Donnie.."

If any of you can confirm or correct me, I'd appreciate it.  I'm not trying to be ignorant or disrespectful.  I'd like to honor "their" request.  (Did I do that right?)

This is correct. They don't want to be identified as him or her but rather as they, most likely they are gender fluid at the moment.

I think it's simple enough if there's any confused to just say "no it's one person but they indicated they wanted to be identified with they/them pronouns, so"
Quote from: ice grillin you on April 01, 2008, 05:10:48 PM
perhaps you could explain sd's reasons for "disliking" it as well since you seem to be so in tune with other peoples minds

Munson

And really it'll only be a problem if you're referring to them while in front of them. They'll never actually know if you accidentally mid gender them on a call like the example you used. I mean maybe you'll feel a little bad about it but what Donnie doesn't know won't hurt them? Haha 
Quote from: ice grillin you on April 01, 2008, 05:10:48 PM
perhaps you could explain sd's reasons for "disliking" it as well since you seem to be so in tune with other peoples minds

Zanshin

Interesting. I have no interest in telling people what to feel or how to be, but I also think it's kind of pushy to expect everyone to change the nature of the English language to suit a particular individual feeling at the time. I wouldn't ask anyone to do it for me, because that's not my nature. But I'd probably try to do it anyway, because, whatever.

Diomedes

Quote from: Munson on October 14, 2020, 04:31:46 PM
And really it'll only be a problem if you're referring to them while in front of them.

Fair point.  And I'd have to think, if I farg it up and have to correct myself, I'll probably get credit for trying.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Diomedes

Quote from: Zanshin on October 14, 2020, 04:37:28 PM...but I also think it's kind of pushy to expect everyone...

Thing is, this person doesn't seem to be expect it, then react when someone fails, but instead is openly requesting that language change, and even saying "no big deal" if I can't get the hang of it...

I don't think I'd ask people to change their language either.  Other than calling me "Your Grace," of course.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Zanshin

Well, I guess it falls into the category of "it never hurts to ask." I wouldn't bring it up personally, but that's why they make chocolate and vanilla, I suppose.

General_Failure

They/them was already grammatically correct for when you didn't know someone's gender, so it's not like this is out of the blue. But that's neither here nor there, language is made entirely of ever-changing fake rules anyway.

The man. The myth. The legend.

General_Failure

Optimistic sci-fi writers never take maliciousness or idiocy into account when writing about the future. https://twitter.com/oliviasolon/status/1316895136694083587

The man. The myth. The legend.

Diomedes

That's why most decent sci-fi is pretty dystopian.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

General_Failure

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1318913304077733889

Yes, good. That eight million dollars will definitely go towards helping the people who had their lives destroyed by opioids.

QuoteThe Sackler family has already pledged to hand over the company itself plus at least $3 billion to resolve thousands of suits against the Stamford, Connecticut-based drugmaker. The company — but not the family — declared bankruptcy as a way to work out that plan, which could be worth $10 billion over time.

About half the states oppose that settlement, and also wrote Barr to ask him not to make the federal deal that includes converting Purdue into a public benefit corporation. They say it would be wrong for governments to rely on earnings from the sale of more OxyContin to fund programs to mitigate the toll of an opioid crisis wrought by prescription drugs as well as heroin and illicitly produced fentanyl.

The man. The myth. The legend.