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So I finally got around to getting my car checked out. It's been making an unpleasant noise since about June, but it had been running fine, so I did what most people would do: ignore it under the assumption that if something was really going wrong, my car would subtly tell me of its problems. You know, subtly, like spontaneous combustion while I am in the driver's seat. Turns out all the trips to Phoenix were probably not the best idea, as a water pump was falling apart (hence the noise) and on top of that, the fan belt was wearing down. But the point of this blog is not to talk about how seemingly intelligent people do incredibly stupid things. The point of it is to say that I've gotten these parts fixed, and now my vehicle is running just fine. I no longer have to listen to my music at a higher decibel to mask out the grinding, gurgling noise that it was making. Points for my ear drums!

Speaking of intelligence, grammar and usage has really been getting me down lately. No, I've not been messing it up more than usual. I just assumed that anyone who had gotten through basic eighth grade English class would be better at speaking and writing their native tongue than they truly are. I guess I begged the question. I use this term less because I want to and more because this is the correct manner in which it should be used. Begging the question means to beg (assume) that there is truth to something without seeing real proof. Another painful usage error is the term "for all intensive purposes". Really guys, you should know how to say it before you try to act smart, irregardless of your true IQ. (Irregardless is another pet peeve of mine, and therefore was placed in that context purposefully.)

Will found this sentence on a slashdot.org forum the other day, which is why I bring all of this up:
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. Which begs the question, "Who cares?"
Please tell me that someone else is as annoyed by this as I am.

xo,
B.

PS- My birthday is in approximately ten days, depending on where you live geographically (this means you, Robin). This means that I have succeeded in proper metabolic function for twenty-three years!