English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

4:04 PM

Wow, overheard "You can't ask it like that. For some people it is and for some people it isn't, and you are just going to have to deal with that." to my friend who is working on another project with a feisty ignoramus.

aedia λ

@Cerberus Have you been opening a lot of wine bottles? My head is killing me.

@Kitḫ Huhwha?

Kitḫ

@aediaλ My friend asked a simple question so she could figure out how to structure the data. That was the response she got.

aedia λ

Is the sky blue? [ ] y [ ] n [ ] I never go outside

Like that?

Kitḫ

No, more like "Is this a year long course?"

Matt Эллен

@aediaλ [ ] it's ALWAYS BLACK

aedia λ

4:06 PM

Hahahaha.

Kitḫ

I don't get how these people fail to understand this stuff, when we hold their hands through it.

If is it for some and not for others, how do we know which ones are in the year long course and which ones are not?

Matt Эллен

female intuition?

aedia λ

Um. You ask them?

Kitḫ

Well, because the ones who are in the year long course re-register next semester.

aedia λ

Or is there something I'm missing?

Kitḫ

4:08 PM

How do we know from the data which ones are in which?

But the response is "You are just going to have to deal with it."

Matt Эллен

pretty rude

Kitḫ

Yep.

aedia λ

... the way you deal with it is by making it required to tell you what it is so you can sort it, right?

Kitḫ

Yep.

Mahnax

You should use jQuery.

Matt Эллен

4:10 PM

lol

aedia λ

I just took headache meds and I'm waiting for them to work, so I feel stoopider than ewesual.

@Mahnax Baa no you should sort it with colors!

Everyone likes colors!

Mahnax

@aediaλ Sparkly colours?

Yes!

Yay!

4:13 PM

@aediaλ One of the colours is probably unicorn.

aedia λ

I think that comes in the deluxe 150ct telescoping tower.

Mahnax

@aediaλ Ehh..?

aedia λ

The biggest crayon package available. There's been inflation since my childhood.

It used to be, like, 64 or something.

Kitḫ

Anyway, the long and short of it is that there is no way to differentiate between the two based on the data.

Sorry. I got distracted.

Anyway, I should probably w-rk.

Matt Эллен

@Kitḫ I knew I was meant to be doing something

Mahnax

4:26 PM

@aediaλ Hahaha!

When I was in grade school the largest was less than 150, that's for sure.

aedia λ

@Kitḫ Wait! Need trepanning!

proffers head

Kitḫ

@aediaλ OK then. Hold still.

aedia λ

I herd u expert.

Kitḫ

fetches steel spike and big rock

You might feel a little pinch.

Mahnax

@aedia RUN!

Kitḫ

4:29 PM

Oh fine.

aedia λ

Pls can remove gray stuffs too. Is squishy.

Kitḫ

puts down rock and spike

Mahnax

@Kitḫ Much appreciated.

aedia λ

Aww, not today?

Kitḫ

We'll do it the "modern" way.

aedia λ

4:29 PM

But it hurts!

gets Dremel tool

Plz send teh codez..

Yay!

injects epi and lidocaine just behind ear

makes small incision

uses burr to make hole

lets evil spirits out

i cant rm grey stuffs. Ceiling Cat sez no.

aedia λ

But dey cause porblems!

Kitḫ

4:32 PM

puts skin glue on incision

Matt Эллен

wat about cellar cat?

Kitḫ

Hmm. Cellar Cat mebbe sez yes.

aedia λ

Evil sprits go live wif him.

Mahnax

dis pace eez incompwehensibow.

Kitḫ

but he hapy wif evil spirit form unicorn hed.

here, haz cheez buger insted.

aedia λ

4:33 PM

Om nom nom!

Mahnax

Slurp.

aedia λ

Ahhh. Much bettr.

Kitḫ

Now pls to use jQry.

Fix grey stuffs.

Matt Эллен

jquery broke my codez

Kitḫ

stoopid jqry

Matt Эллен

4:34 PM

stoopid

Mahnax

stewpid

Mmm, stew.

aedia λ

Give offering to Cellar Cat.

Mebbe he fix.

Matt Эллен

wat cn I ofr cellar cat?

Kitḫ

chezzbugers

and brokn codez

aedia λ

And all half emty coffe cupz in office.

Matt Эллен

4:39 PM

ooo cellar cat! I ofr u da broken codez of jQuery.EventSource, a cheezburger, and all the coffee from this place. Please be fixing my codez so Firefox don't crash no more

aedia λ

Cellar Cat can haz mine.

Matt Эллен

tanx!

aedia λ

At lease I think dat wehre dey go usually.

Ceiling Cat disproves of dem.

Matt Эллен

I gess I just wait now

@aediaλ lol imagines aedia's ceiling covered in coffee stains

Kitḫ

Oh! foodez time!

Matt Эллен

4:44 PM

yay!

aedia λ

Waah I wantz foodez but portent w-rkez keeps happnin.

stomps

stomps lighter fer not make Cellar Cat angry until Matt's JQrys fixored

JSBᾶngs

woah. i stick my head into here and everyone's turned into LOLUnicorns

aedia λ

I got trepanned!

Not sure how much grey stuffs Kit took out.

JSBᾶngs

i would have thought that unicorn brains were the color of chewed-up skittles

aedia λ

tries to look inside head

Can't see.

I just assumed.

Skittles are kind of white on the inside, aren't they?

Matt Эллен

4:52 PM

aye

aedia λ

Maybe my skull is the candy bit and the brains are a boring color.

JSBᾶngs

yes, with little flecks of color in them

google image search for "chewed up skittles" is very disappointing

aedia λ

Well, if they're chewed, yeah. But then they turn kind of a mucky brown if you gnaw more than one color, right?

I don't have any handy to examine.

JSBᾶngs

surely somebody has chewed up a bunch of skittles, spat them out, and then put the picture on the internet

aedia λ

But I used to fill Altoid tins with Skittles all through high school.

Matt Эллен

4:54 PM

@JSBᾶngs right, that sounds like a challenge. I have skittles at home...

aedia λ

It's a wonder my teeth aren't worse.

Not that I spat them out constantly, but I think I did try building things with them.

The skittles, not my teeth.

JSBᾶngs

wants to see aedia building things with her teeth

aedia λ

Gah, I was better at talking lolunicorn. Headache meds are not helping. Or maybe they're helping, but this is me + side effects talking. I don't know anymore.

Haha.

Kitḫ

I am inexplicably awash in sadness.

aedia λ

Why for? Oh, inexplicably. Right. Um.

JSBᾶngs

4:58 PM

awwwwww

Matt Эллен

@Kitḫ sends hugs though the internet

aedia λ

hugs

Kitḫ

It's just weird. Probably PMS. Thanks though.

You know what didn't help? Looking at the news.

The news was depressing. Shocking, I know.

Matt Эллен

aye

Kitḫ

I don't know why I thought it might cheer me up.

I must be deluded.

Here, @aedia, let me check your incision...

Matt Эллен

5:03 PM

I should probably read more news. I've not even been keeping up with science

Kitḫ

You don't have to keep up with science?

Matt Эллен

not really. I read new scientist of my own accord.

Anything that affects me regarding NMR I will be told directly

Kitḫ

Wait, what? You do NMR? Did I know that?

Matt Эллен

I imagine something along the lines of "NMR has ceased to be used by anyone. you are all redundant"

JSBᾶngs

i don't pay attention to news. i read some blogs, and if there's anything important going on, they'll tell me

Matt Эллен

5:06 PM

@Kitḫ Well, I don't have to know much about NMR. I just write the software

Kitḫ

You mean, NMR as in nuclear magnetic resonance?

@Matt is cool

@Kitḫ aye

That effing rocks.

this is a frikkin great place to work :)

JSBᾶngs

5:07 PM

the software i write is much less cool

Kitḫ

The only thing cooler than that would be writing shit for NASA.

Matt Эллен

@JSBᾶngs thanks!

Kitḫ

Or, possibly, Interpol.

Matt Эллен

@Kitḫ I met a guy who works not too far from here, who has written code for NASA

for one of the Mars landers

I was in awe

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

not the one that crashed because of bad software, I hope

Matt Эллен

5:09 PM

I don't think so :D

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Cuz if so, maybe a little less awe is appropriate :)

Matt Эллен

quite!

Kitḫ

Holy crap! I make one little conversion error back in the nineties and no one ever lets me forget it. sulks

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

you should ask him

@Kitḫ No I was referring to the polar lander

Kitḫ

Oh. Uh. Nevermind.

I had sexual relations with a woman who was a researcher at JPL.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:11 PM

But come on. You didn't spend the 90s writing "small forces" software at nasa. you spent it having sexual relations.

gah! jinx

Kitḫ

I can do both of those things.

At the same time.

I am that good.

Matt Эллен

In some countries, one constitutes the other

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

small forces over here, larger forces over HERE

Kitḫ

giggle

Well, I am pretty passionate about writing code.

user19161

No giggling in chat!

Matt Эллен

5:14 PM

this question seems off:

0

Q: British Railway Stations - How do Brits read railway time tables?

This question is related to two others referring to "how to speak out loud 24-hour clock times". It has been asked how do English-speaking countries that officially use the 24-hour clock system refer to times greater than noon, like for instance 13:00hs (1 PM), when in fact, in the very same UK,...

time

aedia λ

@Kitḫ proffers head again

Matt Эллен

"How do British people deal with telling the time?" I don't get it. How does anyone deal with it?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@aediaλ isn't it usually the unicorn doing the trepanning? zs1.smbc-comics.com/comics/20061125.gif

JSBᾶngs

i'm thinking too localized

aedia λ

@MattЭллен That's still really cool!

user19161

5:16 PM

@MattЭллен I am OK with it. I have been too evil with downvotes and closevotes.

Kitḫ

@aediaλ pokes incision to see if anything oozes out

@JSBᾶngs I might say overly broad or no clear way to answer it.

Matt Эллен

@JSBᾶngs possibly. I don't see it helping anyone in the future

@Kitḫ that too

Kitḫ

It's just a specific example of "how to speak out loud 24-hour clock times."

And apparently we already have two of those.

user19161

Barrie hops in and out without saying anything.

aedia λ

@MrShinyandNew安宇 Hah I forgot about that one! Nah, see, I'm too short to reach other people's heads. I usually go right for the middle.

Matt Эллен

5:19 PM

@aediaλ less trepanning, more chestpanning

aedia λ

Matt Эллен

or whatever would be the right word

aedia λ

Like this.

Matt Эллен

@aediaλ yay! one fewer mimes

user19161

@aediaλ Is that you in the background?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:19 PM

A good technique

aedia λ

@JasperLoy No, silly, it's me skewering the mime.

I was feeling a little pale that day.

user19161

@aediaλ But of course, that does not look like you in the least.

Kitḫ

Everybody hates mimes!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Kitḫ why is that?

Kitḫ

media.photobucket.com/image/mime%20cartoon/Mannequin3D/…

@MrShinyandNew安宇 I don't know. It's instinctive.

Matt Эллен

5:22 PM

see ya'll

JSBᾶngs

i have a soft spot for mimes. not that i've ever met any

Kitḫ

@MattЭллен hugs and kisses Bye! Feel better!

JSBᾶngs

bye, @Matt!

user19161

@JSBᾶngs Congrats on unvegetating.

aedia λ

@MattЭллен By estimating the time since the radio said "At the tone, it is now Midnight Greenwich Mean Time"?

All Brits tell time by listening to the BBC World Service, right?

@MattЭллен Bai!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:27 PM

@aediaλ at the tone?

aedia λ

@MrShinyandNew安宇 Oh goodness yes.

JSBᾶngs

0

Q: What are geeks' words for "Thank you" / "Thanks" / "Cheers"?

How do geeks (IT geeks) say "thank you" or "thanks", mainly to each other? Are there any special phrases or maybe ways of expressing appreciation that are used between geeks? I'll appreciate any help :)

technical

Kitḫ

At the sound of the tone.

JSBᾶngs

^ too localized. also WTF?

aedia λ

Sheesh I can't even think right.

Kitḫ

5:28 PM

senses weakness I'll think for you then, @aedia.

aedia λ

Yes, ma'am. Whatever you say.

user19161

@JSBᾶngs I just edited it but that's not relevant though. Ya WTF.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

anyone remember what it's called when you write a word properly, but then look at it and suddenly can't shake the feeling that it's spelled wrong, or isn't even a word at all?

aedia λ

Are you getting semantic satiation or is it something else?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@aediaλ that might be it

aedia λ

5:30 PM

I think it might be the same thing even if you haven't been writing/reading the word repeatedly.

user19161

@kit I saw thy comment. WTF?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yesterday I was dealing with some software that tracks user behaviour, and when they do things we log a "goal". After 10 minutes I was totally convinced that I'd misspelled "goal"

Kitḫ

@JasperLoy u no speek lolspeek. u no get it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

but I was ok with a variable named paymentGoal

Kitḫ

Too much like "gaol."

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:33 PM

I think that geek greeting question needs a really good fake answer

Let's come up with some good ones, post them, then all go vote it up

Kitḫ

OK. You post it, I'll upvote you.

aedia λ

I don't know, though. Lately I've been having the problem a lot with i and t and lowercase L and things like that when there's a bunch together, like fertility or diethylstilbestrol or intraepithelial. I feel like it's a keming problem or something though.

Or that other thing that's like keming but isn't. Ligatures?

Kitḫ

Ligatures. And intraepithelial.

Ha! Jinx!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@aediaλ your problem is "diethylstilbestrol" and "intraepeth... dammit you edited while I was typing

aedia λ

Yeah problem just manifested itself.

Kit caught me.

Kitḫ

5:35 PM

Spelling is hard. Let's go shopping!

aedia λ

Can we do it on teh interwebs?

Kitḫ

@MrShinyandNew安宇 How about Response.Write("Kthx")

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

or maybe we should answer with gReek greetings etc

hmmmm or klingon

Kitḫ

high fives

aedia λ

Hurry it's almost closed!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:38 PM

ok I posted a Klingon answer

JSBᾶngs

cute, but we still need to close the question

Kitḫ

Only after you upvote MrShiny. crosses arms obstinately

JSBᾶngs

@Kit done

Kitḫ

@JSBᾶngs done

aedia λ

I tried to just put "ty" in my comment but I couldn't come up with a good way to trick the comment formatting. I tried an emptyish link, but then it showed up. Pfft.

Kitḫ

5:43 PM

Did you use whitespaces?

Did you try jQuery?

JSBᾶngs

the comment thingy is cleverer than whitespaces

aedia λ

I think they show up too in comments.

Haha.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

woo! I edited to add Sindarin

Wow I've never posted a joke answer before. I'm giddy with the thrill of bending the rules!

Kitḫ

I am unbelievably enamored of you right now.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Nobody can resist a rebel!

But I must be off to get coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Cerberus

5:49 PM

Morning.

Kitḫ

hugs @Cerb

Hi!

Cerberus

Hi!

aedia λ

6:14 PM

Hola!

Cerberus

Hey!

aedia λ

Oh, must feed before I get stuck at my desk again for hours. BRB.

Kitḫ

changes clothes in her office with the door open again

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

6:30 PM

@Kitḫ You have an office with a door? jealous

aedia λ

I know! I yearn for a door!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

6:49 PM

@aediaλ I used to have a cubicle and I liked that. But my current office is more open-concept and so our desks have little walls but we don't have cubes.

Actually my gravatar is a picture of my desk. That's me, right now. secure.gravatar.com/avatar/…

aedia λ

My monitors look like that too. And my coffee.

@MrShinyandNew安宇 What's that to your left?

Oh, also, I don't have a briefcase; I have a backpack.

And a purse that's more like a saddlebag.

Unicorns aren't good at carrying briefcases.

My walls are taller. My tall friend, who just left for a new job, could see over them though, and would stand up to ask me questions over the cube wall.

It unnerved me the first time or two but now I'll miss it a lot.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…