Useless Conversation

[MisterNoisy]

So I started riding the new bike Tuesday (an hour or so each day) and I'm loving it.  It'd been well over ten years since I'd ridden one and so far it's been sort of a throwback to younger days - just riding around the neighborhood with no particular destination in mind.  Even being a little shaky in the knees after a ride from using muscles that have been long-neglected is a good feeling.  This weekend, I plan to start using it for errand-running/grocery trips.

[Xanthippe]

Hey Sky, check this out:

http://www.geek.com/news/physics-exploiting-axe-splits-wood-in-record-time-1591725/

You beat me to it. I just saw this and was going to point Sky to it.

[Sky]

Because he's in a poor form when splitting. Imagine that hunched back after six cords. My back never hurts, actually I get more work on my quads from picking up splits.

[schild]

Hooray for that axe link because I saw THIS! 

Loot Crate is Bausome, for real.

Loot Crate is for people that like Dr. Who and The Guild and all that entails.

Do you like those things, Signe?

[Cyrrex]

Because he's in a poor form when splitting. Imagine that hunched back after six cords. My back never hurts, actually I get more work on my quads from picking up splits.

Hmm.  It looks like his form breaks down after the first two big chops or so, because then he chokes up on the thing and really goes at it for more speed.  Chocking up like that will reduce the stress on his back greatly while allowing him to sorta slap at the wood.  It also gives him control of the thing so that the twisting action doesn't cause him a problem.

For prolonged usage, you might be right.  You might not want to chop 4 cords of wood like that...but then, only crazy people chop that much wood at one time ( ).  I am guessing that for the average schlub like me who goes out and chops a few blocks at a time - really just making kindling out of pre-chopped stuff for a smaller stove - it would be nice.  What I am saying is that I want one.

[CaptainNapkin]

So I started riding the new bike Tuesday (an hour or so each day) and I'm loving it.  It'd been well over ten years since I'd ridden one and so far it's been sort of a throwback to younger days - just riding around the neighborhood with no particular destination in mind.  Even being a little shaky in the knees after a ride from using muscles that have been long-neglected is a good feeling.  This weekend, I plan to start using it for errand-running/grocery trips.

What bike did you settle on?

[Signe]

Hooray for that axe link because I saw THIS! 

Loot Crate is Bausome, for real.

Loot Crate is for people that like Dr. Who and The Guild and all that entails.

Do you like those things, Signe?

uh... no.  But I like loots!  What does "The Guild" mean?

[Merusk]

It was Felicia Days web series mocking MMO players and MMO culture.

[Numtini]

It was Felicia Days web series mocking MMO players and MMO culture.

I'd say making light of it, not mocking it. I actually quite liked the series.

[MrHat]

Not sure where to put this - but I have a 3' tall Mario Statue from back in the day, it's about 15 years old.

I've never seen one like it.

Until today, I decided to do my quarterly search for it and found this.

$2200.

Not bad.

[Merusk]

That's the one you got repainted a few years back isn't it? 

It was Felicia Days web series mocking MMO players and MMO culture.

I'd say making light of it, not mocking it. I actually quite liked the series.

It waffles between the two inmy opinion.  Since there's nobody normal shown I think that puts it more on the mocking side.  Day is the straight man, who's typically your "normal" window and she's a neurotic shutin.

[schild]

Not sure where to put this - but I have a 3' tall Mario Statue from back in the day, it's about 15 years old.

I've never seen one like it.

Until today, I decided to do my quarterly search for it and found this.

$2200.

Not bad.

That moron will regret offering free shipping. If you ebay it, make shipping ~$200 insured.

[Yegolev]

Grammar question:
How do you spell the posessive form of the name Orpheus?

[Reg]

Firstly, it's possessive. And wouldn't the possessive of Orpheus be Orpheus'?

[Lantyssa]

Yes, though phonetically I'd say it Orpheus-es.

[Reg]

I found a good article about it : http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm

Apparently, Orpheus's would also be acceptable. Being English there are a bazillion exceptions to the rule. I think it comes down to using whatever looks right to you and being consistent.

[Yegolev]

Grammar question:
How do you spell the possessive form of the name Orpheus?

[Merusk]

Firstly, it's possessive. And wouldn't the possessive of Orpheus be Orpheus'?

[Yegolev]

I think it comes down to using whatever looks right to you and being consistent.

Unless Party A is a fourth-grade boy and Party B is a fourth-grade English teacher.

[Cyrrex]

I was taught that the possessive form of a name that ends with an "s" is indeed just to do it like Reg suggested and end it with the apostrophe.  Nobody on planet earth says these things correctly out loud, but that is how some of us write it. 

[proudft]

I am in the Orpheus's camp. Just the s with that dangling apostrophe looks naked to me, and Elements of Style is ON MY SIDE. 

[Merusk]

I and my kids were taught Orpheus' up here in the North.

[Nebu]

I and my kids were taught Orpheus' up here in the North.

I was taught to avoid using 's on words that end in s.  It's more of an aesthetic thing.

[Chimpy]

I don't remember clearly but for some reason I think I was taught that you use an 's for all singular possessives, regardless of the ending, and then you use s' for plurals that end in s. Plurals that end in other letters get the 's treatment.

But it has been a long time since I have needed to use that. And I would re-arrange sentences to avoid the 's/s' issue altogether if I was not sure. i.e. "The cat that belong to Orpheus" instead of "Orpheus'/Orpheus's cat"

[Samwise]

I don't remember clearly but for some reason I think I was taught that you use an 's for all singular possessives, regardless of the ending, and then you use s' for plurals that end in s. Plurals that end in other letters get the 's treatment.

Yup.  

Although Orpheus might be an exception since it's an "ancient" name.  You could always go with an Anglicized version of the Ancient Greek possessive, which I think would be "Orpheuos".  

[Nevermore]

Orphei 

[Ingmar]

Orpheus's is correct. Dropping the s from the 's would be appropriate only, IMO, if you're writing spoken dialogue for a character who would drop the extra sound when speaking, transcribing someone who dropped it while speaking, etc. Sometimes it does sound weird to add it when you're speaking out loud.

[Paelos]

This is the most boring day in useless conversation ever.

[Trippy]

Would you rather I merged the sun-bathing hag thread in here?

[Phildo]

Orphei 

Greek name, so wouldn't it be something like Orpheos?  Like how Paelos is plural for Paeleus.

[Paelos]

Would you rather I merged the sun-bathing hag thread in here?

So very much, yes.

[proudft]

Annis or greenhag?

[Phildo]

I've been informed that I was wrong and that it is most likely Orpheues, but that "names are weird and it might be even more different."  Greeks, man.

E: Nope, now I'm being told the plural is Orpheis, and the possessive plural is Orpheos.  Even people who study this can't keep it straight.  I'm out.

[Rasix]

Why can't people chew with their mouth closed? I can hear this guy, and he's 4 offices away from me.  

I have to do status charts for our project manager who is still on maternity leave.  The instructions are not working.  WHY WON'T YOU LET ME UPDATE DATA, EXCEL?

[Reg]

People that chew with their mouths open are disgusting. I was in a situation where I was trapped next to one for his entire lunch and it just about drove me insane.