Good intentions

I start off my days with such good intentions. Then, somewhere along the way I end up spending two hours on YouTube instead of reading articles for my dissertation. I need discipline. In so many areas of my life ... school, quiet times, working out, healthy eating, cleaning. Realizing you have a problem is the first step, right? So I am going to change this. Really.

My computer crisis turned out not to be as bad as the HP guy told me it was. I got everything fixed, hopefully, and didn't lose anything after all. Yay! I have a month left before my warranty expires, so if something still is wrong, it better happen soon.

Now, to switch topics. Nothing bothers me more than seeing English butchered in the written form. (Actually, that's not true. Lots of things bother me more ... poverty, slavery, racism, abuse, seeing drunk guys peeing on buildings as I do nightly in Leeds ... you get the picture.) Never have I seen it so abused as I have this year. I think it is because text messaging is really popular here so everybody uses shorthand and abbreviations. Also, a lot of my friends speaks English as a second language, so when they try to use slang it can just get confusing. For instance, this week I received an e-mail inviting me to "port-luck" from my Singaporean friend. Take a look at some of the most egregious messages I've received:

Itz a Friday after all so therez no better time 2 start a get2geda than sunset.

Now shez out with anoda piece 4rom da Archives.

No shakes about it. Happi Niu Yia, da Chinese Way.

W8 4 me.

Like nails on a chalkboard.

Fun British phrases of the day:
good fun: Yes, we learned to play cricket. It was good fun.
give it a go: I've always wanted to learn, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I hear these phrases at least five times a day. They make sense, but we don't really use them in America. Wonder why.