122 Matching Annotations
  1. Jul 2025
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  4. Oct 2024
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  6. Jun 2024
    1. OK apparently meaning isn't immediately clear to some. But I disapprove of your approach, and disagree with your conclusion. I don't need to disinter my dictionary to understand the word. Simple comparison with other words that use the prefix will disgorge the meaning with a minimum of discomfort, all from the comfort of your armchair. I don't mean to discourage dictionary use, but rather, to encourage examining the language you already know. Without such comparison, blind prescriptionist obedience to dicta from the dictionary may lead one astray. For even in the pages of the dictionary, one may find numerous examples of disobedience to its every dictum.
    1. A good, adaptive or healthy coping mechanism is one where the coping behaviour leads to the problem being resolved, or at least dealt with, in way that reduces stress and reduces harm. A bad, maladaptive, unhealthy or destructive coping mechanism is one where the behaviour does not resolve the problem in the long-term and may actually increase the harm. Unhealthy coping strategies may feel like they are having the desired effect in the short term.
    1. In this sense, humor would help maintain a good emotional state while avoiding solving the problem at hand; and this strategy has been proposed to be particularly effective with low controllable or uncontrollable stressors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic scenario [18].

      humor as a coping mechanism on uncontrollable situations would be hedonistic disengagement because we have no control over the situation nor can we anticipate what's gonna happen next

    2. Approach coping includes strategies such as active coping, positive reframing, and planning, while avoidance coping includes denial, behavioral disengagement, and distraction. While humor has been reported in association with all these strategies [11,12,13,14], it is largely considered an independent coping strategy, which does not cluster with the avoidance and approach coping styles [15].

      humor is an independent coping strategy

    1. "Humor is a broad, multifaceted term that represents anything that people say or do that others perceive as funny and tends to make them laugh, as well as the mental processes that go into both creating and perceiving such an amusing stimulus, and also the emotional response of mirth involved in the enjoyment of it."

      pg.2

    2. "It is important to recognize that humor is fundamentally a social phenomenon; other people provide the context in which we experience humor...humor occurs in nearly every type of interpersonal relationship. We laugh and joke much more frequently when we are with other people than when we are by ourselves (R. A. Martin & Kuiper, 1999); Provine & Fischer, 1989). People do occassionally laugh when they are alone, such as while watching a comedy show on televion, reading a humorous book, or remembering a funny personal experience. However, these instances of laughter are still "social" in that they involve the imagined or implied presence of other people (Allport, 1954). One is still responding to people as characters in the television program or the book, or reliving in memory an event that involved other people. Humor essentially is a way for people to interact in a playful manner."

      pg.2

    3. "humor involves an idea, image, text or event that is in some sense incongruous, odd, unusual, unexpected, surprising, or out-of-the-ordinary. In addition, the humor stimulus must be accompanied by cues that signal us to appraise the stimulus in a playful, nonserious, nonliteral frame of mind in which people temporarily abandon rules of logic and expectations of common sense and congruity (e.g. Apter, 1982, Berlyne, 1972; Cohen, 1999; Cundall, 2007; McGhee, 192; Morreall, 1987; Mulkay, 1988).

      pg.4

    1. Coping is generally categorized into four major categories which are[1]: Problem-focused, which addresses the problem causing the distress: Examples of this style include active coping, planning, restraint coping, and suppression of competing activities.Emotion-focused, which aims to reduce the negative emotions associated with the problem: Examples of this style include positive reframing, acceptance, turning to religion, and humor.Meaning-focused, in which an individual uses cognitive strategies to derive and manage the meaning of the situationSocial coping (support-seeking) in which an individual reduces stress by seeking emotional or instrumental support from their community.

      interesting

      people with humor as coping mechanism seem to by emotion focused

    2. Generally, coping is divided into reactive coping (a reaction following the stressor) and proactive coping (aiming to neutralize future stressors). Proactive individuals excel in stable environments because they are more routinized, rigid, and are less reactive to stressors, while reactive individuals perform better in a more variable environment.

      reactive coping - focused on the reaction of a specific stressor; better in variable environment proactive coping - focused on neutralizing future stressors; less reactive to stressors

      do people with humor as coping mechanism reactive or proactive?

    3. Coping is defined as the thoughts and behaviors mobilized to manage internal and external stressful situations.[1] It is a term used distinctively for conscious and voluntary mobilization of acts, different from 'defense mechanisms' that are subconscious or unconscious adaptive responses, both of which aim to reduce or tolerate stress.[2]

      coping - conscious and voluntary defense - subconscious or unconscious adaptive

  7. Jan 2024
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  11. Dec 2022
  12. Nov 2022

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  13. Oct 2022
    1. I'm afraid you missed the joke ;-) While you believe spaces are required on both sides of an em dash, there is no consensus on this point. For example, most (but not all) American authorities say /no/ spaces should be used. That's the joke. In writing a line about "only one way to do it", I used a device (em dash) for which at least two ways to do it (with spaces, without spaces) are commonly used, neither of which is obvious -- and deliberately picked a third way just to rub it in. This will never change ;-)
  14. Sep 2022
  15. Jul 2022
    1. Inquisitor: You have sucked at the poisoned breast of Erasmus… But St John says “There are three that bear witness in heaven, the father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.” Anabaptist: I have heard that Erasmus in his Annotationes upon that phrase shows that this text is not in the Greek original

      LMAO

    1. My head was as red as a lobster; but, in other respects, I was as nicely dressed for the ceremonies of the evening as a man need be.

      What's the role of self-deprecating humor in this novel, especially on the part of Betteredge the 'house-steward' narrator/character? So far, no other narrators/characters self consciously make fun of themselves, although Betteredge will describe the silliness or odd behavior of other characters. Which ones are not "clownish" and why? And how do these descriptions affect readers' judgements about various characters' reliability about the information and observations they offer?

  16. Apr 2022
  17. Mar 2022
    1. Finnemore initially dismissed the puzzle as too difficult for him to solve, but circumstances led him to reconsider. “The only way I'd even have a shot at it was if I were for some bizarre reason trapped in my own home for months on end, with nowhere to go and no-one to see,” Finnemore told The Telegraph in 2020. “Unfortunately, the universe heard me.”
  18. Feb 2022
  19. Jan 2022
  20. Sep 2021
  21. Jun 2021
  22. Apr 2021
    1. Environmentally friendly factoriesGavin uses the Cubiko Games workshop ‘factory’. Yes, it is a bit cold in the winter but, hey, I built it myself. Transporting goods from the ‘factory’ is very economical, it is about 20 metres from the factory to Gavins house via the garden. The worker in the ‘factory’ (Gavin) is committed to looking after the environment and tries his best to use every piece of wood to the best of his ability. The working conditions are great. (Flexi-time, unlimited food and drink breaks). No child labour. (Samuel sometimes ventures into the factory but we don’t put him to work).
    1. This is the essence of "You don't know what you don't know," only it's being expressed in a comical way, much like Yogi Berra might have said. (To those unfamiliar with the Yogi Berra reference, he was a professional baseball player who was reknowned for his wry way of saying things, such as, "It ain't over 'til it's over," and, "You can observe a lot by watching."
    1. I intend to live forever. So far, so good. Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories. I think it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly. If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone, somewhere is making a penny. What's another word for Thesaurus? I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place.
    2. Some humor is just funny on a surface level, or incorporates words that sound funny. What makes dry humor unique is that it isn't always obviously funny, especially with a deadpan delivery; you often need to think about it. The humor is entirely within the meaning of the words.
    3. "Wry" evolved from a meaning of "to twist". Applied to humor, it refers to humor that is bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing; distorted or perverted in meaning; warped, misdirected, or perverse; words that are unsuitable or wrong; scornful and mocking in a humorous way--it covers a lot of territory (see WordReference.com).
    1. British HumorDry humor is particularly associated with British humor. Fawlty Towers, a British television comedy that aired from 1975 to 1979 is considered an unusually good example of dry humor. The series is set in a family run seaside hotel operated by a cynical and snobbish man, played by John Cleese, who finds himself in constant conflict with hotel guests. No matter how outlandishly silly each episode becomes, there is never any sense that the characters are trying to be funny.
  23. Mar 2021
    1. Addition of the keyword would allow such syntax as If ThisThing Ain't Nothing Then According the source "We're just trying to keep up with advances in the English language which, as you know, is changing almost as fast as technology itself."
  24. Feb 2021
    1. “Why would Pete Wells order delivery from us?” the sous-chef asked.“Maybe he’s hungry?” Mr. Tran replied.I was. But I was on the job, too, and that first order persuaded me

      Q & A syntax which reveals two separate perspectives to the reader-- adds to the change factor within these times that Wells is trying to communicate. Informal tone taken on by Pete as food is more personal and opinionated. His audience are those who want to experience new, good food amidst these times. Humor and irony with the "Maybe he's hungry?" from Mr. Tran, stating the obvious with a purpose along with explaining how the chefs can't forget about the job at hand.

  25. Nov 2020
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  29. Mar 2020
    1. As part of our preparedness we have a “whole house” generator, which is the size of a nuclear submarine but more expensive.

      This statement reveals how people have spent much money and time preparing for the hurricane, but the simile undercuts the heavy subject with humor. The author's purpose could be to provide comic relief in a time of fear and panic, a way to distract those in Florida from the hurricane.

    1. When I was young, during the Cretaceous period

      Barry addresses his age in a humorous and light-hearted way to detract focus from the growing age of grandparents but instead focus on the experiences they get to have and all they should be thankful for.

    2. That’s the iguana community’s favorite movie. It’s showing 24/7 down at the LizardPlex.

      Barry continues his humorous tone while writing his article about the serious and emotional holiday of Grandparents Day by incorporating silly an obviously untrue pieces of "information."

  30. Feb 2020
    1. we have one quality that every soccer team needs: a willingness to try, against all odds, to erect the team tent.

      Barry presents soccer dads as necessities to any soccer team, but provides a funny and simple example in order to remain light and not get too deep and emotional. This stays in line with Barry's method of discussing meaningful or serious things in a humorous way to keep the audience happy and entertained versus depressed or emotional.

    2. Our other coach is Deano Nunez. We call him “Deano” because that is his name.

      This unnecessary explanation is included to make people laugh since the reason they call the coach "Deano" is obvious. This adds a bit more humor and informality to the piece to keep its lightheartedness.

    3. Sophie has always been a cautious, meticulous person; she hates to do the wrong thing.

      Barry uses his daughter as an example of how some children can be overly cautious and may need help getting out of their comfort zone, but he portrays this idea in a more humorous way to lighten the seriousness of his message. This helps the audience accept what he is saying while not feeling depressed or hopeless about it.

  31. Jan 2020
    1. Humor treads at the frontier of consciousness. When a comic finds a funny joke, they are unearthing a truth that people are only kind of aware of, but the whole room grasps that everybody else is aware of the truth, and laughter ensues.

      Humor as a comprehension

  32. Sep 2019
  33. Apr 2019
    1. “But beyond the pleasure of Dreyer’s prose and authorial tone, I think there is something else at play with the popularity of his book,” he explained. “To put it as simply as possible, the man cares, and we need people who care right now.”

      I believe that the main reason why Benjamin Dreyer's Dreyer's English: an Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style is so well-read, is that he's funny.

      The humor is dry as a paper board, for example:

      The NSA may be reading your emails and texts, but I’m not. If you prefer “Hi John” to “Hi, John,” you go right ahead.

      and:

      For the sake of clarity, we use hyphens to helpfully link up a pair or passel of words preceding and modifying a noun, as in: first-rate movie fifth-floor apartment middle-class morality nasty-looking restaurant all-you-can-eat buffet However, convention (a.k.a. tradition, a.k.a. consensus, a.k.a. it’s simply how it’s done, so don’t argue with it) allows for exceptions in some cases in which a misreading is unlikely, as in, say: real estate agent high school students And though you may, now that you’re staring at these constructions, wonder worryingly about the reality of that estate agent or the sobriety of those school students, I’d urge you to stop staring and move on. (Staring at words is always a bad idea. Stare at the word “the” for more than ten seconds and reality begins to recede.)

      Another thing, Dreyer is both funny and witty. Here's a bonus example of this:

      As a lexicographer friend once confided over sushi, the dictionary takes its cues from use: If writers don’t change things, the dictionary doesn’t change things. If you want your best-seller to be a bestseller, you have to help make that happen. If you want to play videogames rather than video games, go for it. I hope that makes you feel powerful. It should.

  34. Jan 2019
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  36. Nov 2018
  37. Aug 2017
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  43. Dec 2016
  44. Oct 2016
  45. Sep 2016
    1. It's 2016. Dad says that he and Ma will leave the country if Hillary is elected. They are big Republicans. What conservative country should they move to?

      Pakistan. This may seem surprising at first, but Pakistan is the clear choice for the disgruntled American conservative when you look at it logically.

  46. tellingstory.com tellingstory.com
  47. Jul 2016
  48. Jan 2016
  49. Dec 2015
    1. “Speakin’ o’ creeds,” and here old Mrs. Sargent paused in her work, “Elder Ransom from Acreville stopped with us last night, an’ he tells me they recite the Euthanasian Creed every few Sundays in the Episcopal Church.  I didn’t want him to know how ignorant I was, but I looked up the word in the dictionary.  It means easy death, and I can’t see any sense in that, though it’s a terrible long creed, the Elder says, an’ if it’s any longer ’n ourn, I should think anybody might easy die learnin’ it!” “I think the word is Athanasian,” ventured the minister’s wife.
    1. Pronunciations for hexadecimal numbers:<br> 0xB3 "bibbity-three"<br> 0xF5 "fleventy-five"<br> 0xDB "dickety-bee"

      BZARG is the work of Tim Babb, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is Lighting Optimization Lead for Pixar Animation Studios.

      This blog focuses primarily on graphics, physics, programming, and probably some philosophy and fiction

  50. Aug 2015
    1. Um sujeito pergunta sobre o "não matarás" e a necessidade, talvez, de ter matado Hitler. Gugu responde que os mandamentos servem como referência para quando você não tem como avaliar a bondade e a necessidade de um ato ("se você não sabe o que fazer, não matarás"). Gugu lembra também que no mesmo dia do mandamento "não matarás", Moisés mandou matar 10 mil que estavam adorando o bezerro de ouro.

      Vem uma mulher toda séria e talvez até um pouco assustada com aquilo, e ela comenta:

      -- Mas com o advento de Jesus, entra o período da graça, e nós não podemos julgar se é um bem matar ou não. Nós não podemos julgar. Não cabe a nós julgar.

      -- Claro que nós podemos! Não cabe a nós julgar se o sujeito vai pro inferno, vai pro céu, mas é claro que cabe a nós!

      -- Você matá-lo?

      -- Claro que sim!

      -- Eu não posso julgar, não posso condenar ninguém à morte.

      -- Como não? Cadê? Onde que tá isso no Evangelho? Não tá isso lá.

      -- O julgamento pertence a Deus.

      -- O julgamento pertence a Deus! O tiro na cabeça às vezes pertence a nós.

  51. Apr 2015
    1. Yes, there were an absurd number of mistakes in Rolling Stone’s journalistic method, but like most events ostensibly about ethics in journalism, the kernel of the controversy is about politics, not journalism.

      Hahaha, yup. Ethics in journalism, indeed.

  52. Dec 2014
  53. Feb 2014
    1. “To a soundtrack of heavy metal, free-software geekstar Jono Bacon recounts the story of how he learned to gently yet productively manhandle groups of unruly Internet folks gathered around a common topic or cause. His process and methods are set out in his book, The Art of Community , where Jono’s non-ego-driven account of community building will aid all manner of bosses, since almost every subject matter these days has a community with hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and even (as in the case of World of Warcraft) millions of people clamoring around it. (Even David Hasselhoff!)

      The spectre of the Great Hasselhoff has been invoked!

  54. Sep 2013