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19 Jul 2006, 13:55
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#1
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cynic
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Bishop Auckland Co. Durham
Posts: 8,809
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christ, get a life
so, as many of you know, i work in a library. I have just witnessed the single most pathetic thing EVER.
we have various signs in the building 'fiction' 'non-fiction' and others of that ilk.
one of these signs reads: DVD's
now, this is wrong, it SHOULD read DVDS if we were being properly correct, but that looked silly, as did DVDs, so we put the apostrophie in.
this sign has been in place for nearly 5 years
we have just had a customer completely kick off, in the middle of the library, about it being incorrectly spelt, and demand to know how to make a formal complaint to the county council about our incorrect use of apostrophies...
seriously... GET A ****ING LIFE YOU OLD BAG
in what scheme of things is an incorrectly placed apostrophie grounds for a formal complaint (a complaint, may i add, that will require a formal investigation by an officer of the council, and will waste resources and man hours like they were going out of fashion)
i blame lynne truss.
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lazy
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19 Jul 2006, 13:57
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#2
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Fightin-irish for life
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: guinness brewery
Posts: 2,177
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Re: christ, get a life
lol , seems you have yourself a serial complainer
__________________
Ascendancy, now with added Irish
"In the absence of orders, find something and kill it."
-Rommel
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19 Jul 2006, 14:02
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#3
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:alpha:
Join Date: May 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 7,871
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Re: christ, get a life
Just say it stands for Dick Van Dyke and that area of the library is dedicated to him for his stirring performance in Mary Poppins.
__________________
"There is no I in team, but there are two in anal fisting"
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19 Jul 2006, 14:17
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#4
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overtired
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,900
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Re: christ, get a life
"yes we know, and we're waiting for the replacement sign to be installed" would have fobbed her off.
or "you'll be dead soon, what's it to you?"
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19 Jul 2006, 14:26
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#5
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1-X
or "you'll be dead soon, what's it to you?"
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Or just say the first half of that sentence and tail off while staring her in the eyes menacingly.
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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19 Jul 2006, 14:40
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#6
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Angry Young Man
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Mister Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street
Posts: 7,518
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Re: christ, get a life
was it jakiri?
__________________
Believe in me, cause i don't believe in anything
And i wanna be someone, to believe, to believe in
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19 Jul 2006, 14:49
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#7
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Hamster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Crewe, England
Posts: 3,606
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Re: christ, get a life
Tbh I do see the persons point. The point being perfectly summed up by yourself
In a world where our native languages are being eroded by things like text speak our libraries should be the last place to see the English language being butchered. Yes it may be unfair to hold libraries to a higher degree just because they are a place which showcases the English language but they have a responsibility to ensure that their use of language is correct.
So it may be petty and it may be a waste of time and energy to investigate it but she does have a bit of a point.
__________________
Wakey
PD and Suggestions Moderator
Co-founder of [F-Crew]
The Farnborough Crew
Cos anything else is just an alliance
Join our public channel at #f-crew
Last edited by wakey; 20 Jul 2006 at 11:32.
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19 Jul 2006, 14:55
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#8
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Caveat Lector
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 3,038
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Re: christ, get a life
I'm gonna maybe end up working in a library too. :0
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19 Jul 2006, 15:21
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#9
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Guy next door
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 4,745
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Re: christ, get a life
I get these people sometimes at phone at my work. I just laugh or make them feel silly. Laughing (Like an old wizzard) while asking if he's serious followed by a disconnection is the most fun.
__________________
..look
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19 Jul 2006, 15:36
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#10
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toccata & Fugue
You shold have said "NO! This apostrophe implies ownership. This sign belongs to the DVDs, so stfu!"
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Ah but then it would be DVDs'.
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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19 Jul 2006, 15:37
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#11
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overtired
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,900
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadrunner_0
we have just had a customer completely kick off, in the middle of the library about it being incorrectly spelt
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shouldn't you all have said "SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" and given her a dirty look?
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19 Jul 2006, 16:02
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#12
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so f*cking zen
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitting Bottom
Posts: 8,499
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Re: christ, get a life
You should have told them that due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it's libraries.*
* and then said that when you said "it's" as in "it's libraries" there wasn't actually an apostrophe there because like you said the council can't afford them.
__________________
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
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19 Jul 2006, 16:06
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#13
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dace
You should have told them that due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it's libraries.*
* and then said that when you said "it's" as in "it's libraries" there wasn't actually an apostrophe there because like you said the council can't afford them.
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I'm really confused as to whether this was superb irony or the deranged ravings of a complete moron.
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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19 Jul 2006, 16:14
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#14
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dace
You should have told them that due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it's libraries.*
* and then said that when you said "it's" as in "it's libraries" there wasn't actually an apostrophe there because like you said the council can't afford them.
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The problem was the presence, not the lack, of said apostrophe. Furthermore, that should be "its libraries" unless you think Northern people would say "due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it is libraries".
I'm going for deranged lunatic.
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19 Jul 2006, 16:28
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#15
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Caveat Lector
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 3,038
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1-X
shouldn't you all have said "SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" and given her a dirty look?
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Unfair stereotype of us librarians.
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19 Jul 2006, 17:13
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#16
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:alpha:
Join Date: May 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 7,871
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri
The problem was the presence, not the lack, of said apostrophe. Furthermore, that should be "its libraries" unless you think Northern people would say "due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it is libraries".
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Compared to poor old rr, in Scotland they have MORE than enough money for apostrophes! So much so that they'll throw them into any old context!
__________________
"There is no I in team, but there are two in anal fisting"
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19 Jul 2006, 17:21
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#17
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Bona Fide Jesus Freak
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: In the Word of the Lord
Posts: 765
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Re: christ, get a life
I deal with people like the old lady everyday. There is little you can do but change the sign because she will cause a stink until its done. Some people just want things a certain way and they will do anything to see it done. This DVD sign is now her purpose in life since she probably did not have one before.
__________________
Matthew 24:9 (New International Version) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."
Who the hell gave you posrep you christian fundamentalist?
god is bollox, mkay and you are not discussing it
You're not the voice of Christianity di**head.
CT R22-20, [1up] R18-16, TGV R15,
The Illuminati - [NoS] - R14-13
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19 Jul 2006, 17:29
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#18
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Insanity Prawn Boy!
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: In a bush where you can't find me
Posts: 2,474
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travler
I deal with people like the old lady everyday. There is little you can do but change the sign because she will cause a stink until its done. Some people just want things a certain way and they will do anything to see it done. This DVD sign is now her purpose in life since she probably did not have one before.
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MAybe that's how things are done in America, but in England things are different as most Englishmen are non-confrontational (except Northaners, but they don't count)
__________________
They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them.
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19 Jul 2006, 17:42
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#19
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Bona Fide Jesus Freak
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: In the Word of the Lord
Posts: 765
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demon Dave
MAybe that's how things are done in America, but in England things are different as most Englishmen are non-confrontational (except Northaners, but they don't count)
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What about Englishwomen?
__________________
Matthew 24:9 (New International Version) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."
Who the hell gave you posrep you christian fundamentalist?
god is bollox, mkay and you are not discussing it
You're not the voice of Christianity di**head.
CT R22-20, [1up] R18-16, TGV R15,
The Illuminati - [NoS] - R14-13
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19 Jul 2006, 18:01
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#20
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Insanity Prawn Boy!
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: In a bush where you can't find me
Posts: 2,474
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travler
What about Englishwomen?
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They do what the man says or they get beaten
__________________
They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:17
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#21
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demon Dave
They do what the man says or they get beaten
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You're thinking of the Irish.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:24
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#22
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so f*cking zen
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitting Bottom
Posts: 8,499
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by JonnyBGood
I'm really confused as to whether this was superb irony or the deranged ravings of a complete moron.
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SUPERB IRONY!
__________________
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:32
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,094
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Re: christ, get a life
as superb as george bush's irony regarding syria?
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19 Jul 2006, 18:34
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#24
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Hi there ...
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 481
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Re: christ, get a life
funny that everyone assumes that the customer was a woman
__________________
#Reunion
[Ascendancy] - While you were trying, we were sleeping
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19 Jul 2006, 18:41
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#25
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by jupp
funny that everyone assumes that the customer was a woman
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95% of the customers of the average libraries are old women.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:41
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#26
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Love's Sweet Exile
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Living on a Stair (Now Sword-less)
Posts: 2,371
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by wakey
Tbh I do see the persons point. The point being perfectly summed up by yourself
In a world where our native languages are being eroded by things like text speak our libraries should be the last place to see the English language being butchered. Yes it may be unfair to hold libraries to a higher degree just because they are a place which showcases the English language but they have a responsibility to ensure that their use of language is correct.
So it may be petty and it may be a waste of time and energy to investigate it but she does have a a bit of a point.
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First rule of pedantry is to really, really make sure you don't have any mistakes of your own.
__________________
--SYMM--
Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do
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19 Jul 2006, 18:42
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#27
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by SYMM
First rule of pedantry is to really, really make sure you don't have any mistakes of your own.
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Or to freely accept the correction.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:49
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#28
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so f*cking zen
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitting Bottom
Posts: 8,499
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by jupp
funny that everyone assumes that the customer was a woman
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"old bag" is generally a term used to refer to an annoying old woman
__________________
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:52
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#29
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri
You're thinking of the Irish.
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Nobody thinks about the Irish dude.
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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19 Jul 2006, 18:59
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#30
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Love's Sweet Exile
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Living on a Stair (Now Sword-less)
Posts: 2,371
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri
Or to freely accept the correction.
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Which correction?
__________________
--SYMM--
Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do
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19 Jul 2006, 19:03
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#31
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 258
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Re: christ, get a life
I actually agree with the customer. Not that I'd ever bother making a complaint or even comment about it.
I'd probably just think, 'Ha! How ironic'.
__________________
You ain't seen me, right!
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19 Jul 2006, 19:05
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#32
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USS Oklahoma
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,500
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Re: christ, get a life
You have some viable options.
You could put a blob of duct tape over the apostrophe which will make the sign look like shit. It will probably cause the crone to have another fit because the sign isn't neat. Then you could play the poverty card.
or
It will cause others to complain and you can then remove the duct tape and when she complains again you tell her that you had fixed it but others had complained and you had to revert to the original form.
Another possibility would be to leave the sign alone and add apostrophes to every other sign in the library. Fiction's, non-fiction's. Then when she complains you tell her, "Oh. I'm sorry I thought you said there weren't enough apostrophes. My mistake but then we haven't the budget to replace all of the signs again."
or
You could redo the sign to read DVD'z.
__________________
Ignorance is curable, stupidity is not.
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19 Jul 2006, 19:12
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#33
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Next goal wins!
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: London
Posts: 5,406
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Re: christ, get a life
You should buy a pot of paint and sort it out. You can still hate the old lady the rest of her life and make it hell though. Whenever she gets a book out find out the ending and tell her (indirectly, have a conversation about it when she's in close earshot or somethign). It would be great, you could destroy her soul.
Or you could just let it go, either/or.
__________________
bastard bastard bastard bastard
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19 Jul 2006, 19:14
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#34
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:alpha:
Join Date: May 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 7,871
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Re: christ, get a life
Tippex!
PS next time she takes a book out and returns it don't scan it in properly so it looks like she hasn't returned it, then she'll be charged VAST sums of money for it (like 67p!)
__________________
"There is no I in team, but there are two in anal fisting"
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19 Jul 2006, 19:14
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#35
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deepflow
You should buy a pot of paint and sort her out.
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Apostrophe the bitch!
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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19 Jul 2006, 19:15
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#36
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cynic
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Bishop Auckland Co. Durham
Posts: 8,809
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Re: christ, get a life
i have to alter the sign on fiday morning, unfortunately, removing the apostrophie will take a good bit of paint from the wall and i wont be able to re-paint it until sunday so there is going to be a gaping gap on the wall until then
wakey: as i said, we knew it was a mistake, it was however, a lot more work to correct it that to just leave it there as no one had a problem with it until now
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lazy
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19 Jul 2006, 19:15
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#37
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Henry Kelly
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,374
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by dda
Another possibility would be to leave the sign alone and add apostrophes to every other sign in the library. Fiction's, non-fiction's. Then when she complains you tell her, "Oh. I'm sorry I thought you said there weren't enough apostrophes. My mistake but then we haven't the budget to replace all of the signs again."
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This one. But then go further. Photocopy hundreds of giant apostrophes and stick them to every surface, tables, chairs, books, shelves, the ceiling. Then arrange a number of books in a pentagram shape around the main desk, stand proudly atop it books and shelves aflame, your body naked but for a loin-cloth and a giant (and backward) apostrophe emblem drawn on your chest and stomach by stamping yourself strategically with the inky date stamp device, screaming primally and holding the head of your nemesis by its hair, soggy neck-bits dripping into the fire.
Yeah.
__________________
You're now playing ketchup
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19 Jul 2006, 19:16
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#38
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I dunno...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: manchester
Posts: 1,502
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Re: christ, get a life
You could have said that you were following the New York Times' style guide. Although that might not have worked.
__________________
He shall drink naught but brine, for I'll not show him / Where the quick freshes are.
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19 Jul 2006, 19:24
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#39
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cynic
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Bishop Auckland Co. Durham
Posts: 8,809
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomkat
Tippex!
PS next time she takes a book out and returns it don't scan it in properly so it looks like she hasn't returned it, then she'll be charged VAST sums of money for it (like 67p!)
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heh, 67p? you wish, due to govt cuts (at the same time as demanding that we spend more of said budget on books, go figure) our overdue fees are now or the wrong side of high :/ i have seen people with book fines alone of over £100
__________________
lazy
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19 Jul 2006, 19:40
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#40
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Henry Kelly
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,374
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by pablissimo
...stand proudly atop it books and shelves aflame, your body naked but for a loin-cloth and a giant (and backward) apostrophe emblem drawn on your chest and stomach by stamping yourself strategically with the inky date stamp device, screaming primally and holding the head of your nemesis by its hair, soggy neck-bits dripping into the fire.
Yeah.
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Artist's Impression
__________________
You're now playing ketchup
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19 Jul 2006, 19:55
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#41
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:alpha:
Join Date: May 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 7,871
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadrunner_0
heh, 67p? you wish, due to govt cuts (at the same time as demanding that we spend more of said budget on books, go figure) our overdue fees are now or the wrong side of high :/ i have seen people with book fines alone of over £100
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Get on it then!
__________________
"There is no I in team, but there are two in anal fisting"
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19 Jul 2006, 20:34
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#42
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Dum Di Dum Di
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 858
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadrunner_0
one of these signs reads: DVD's
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Are you sure it's not allowed?
The wikipedia article linked just says DVDs is more common than DVD's nowadays. Not that it matters much, but in Norwegian we do use the apostrophe atleast (DVD'er)
Quote:
Originally Posted by wikipedia
The traditional style of pluralizing single letters with the addition of ’s (for example, B’s come after A’s) was extended to some of the earliest initialisms, which tended to be written with periods to indicate the omission of letters; some writers still pluralize initialisms in this way. [...]
However, it has become common among many writers to inflect initialisms as ordinary words,, using simple s, without an apostrophe, for the plural. In this case, compact discs becomes CDs. The logic here is that the apostrophe should be restricted to possessives: for example, the CD’s label (the label of the compact disc).
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19 Jul 2006, 20:59
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#43
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by SYMM
Which correction?
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Well, if you're pedantic and make mistakes and noone notices then there's a level of irony there, but as noone notices it may as well not exist.
If you're pedantic, make mistakes and someone DOES notice, then I don't see any inconsistency if you actually made an honest mistake and accept that.
You know, what you were talking about?
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19 Jul 2006, 21:14
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#44
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Beoyotch
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 361
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadrunner_0
one of these signs reads: DVD's
now, this is wrong, it SHOULD read DVDS if we were being properly correct, but that looked silly, as did DVDs, so we put the apostrophie in.
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Make your life easier by removing all but one DVD, and then use a sign saying DVD.
__________________
Peekaboo!
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19 Jul 2006, 21:16
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#45
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Beoyotch
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 361
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dace
You should have told them that due to underfunding the local council could no longer afford apostrophes in it's libraries.*
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Could also be due to the underfunding of the public school system, thus they did not know better.
__________________
Peekaboo!
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19 Jul 2006, 21:16
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#46
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by coffee-
Make your life easier by removing all but one DVD, and then use a sign saying DVD.
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But that gets rid of half their stock!
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20 Jul 2006, 10:46
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#47
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cynic
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Bishop Auckland Co. Durham
Posts: 8,809
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri
But that gets rid of half their stock!
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oi you cheeky get, we have over 1k DVD's in stock and a budget of... 3k this year (iirc) for more, as i am in charge of said budget we also have the best selection of manga in the county
__________________
lazy
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20 Jul 2006, 10:54
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#48
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Wait, isn't manga a fruit?
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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20 Jul 2006, 10:56
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#49
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by JonnyBGood
Wait, isn't manga a fruit?
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You're thinking of animelons.
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20 Jul 2006, 10:59
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#50
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: christ, get a life
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri
You're thinking of animelons.
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i woz thinkin of ur mum
__________________
Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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