Not strictly on topic, but I'd like to know how people take this statement:

"We're not genetically programmed to make political decisions"

Needs a period imo.

My interpretation: Making political decisions is not something that comes naturally to us, implying we’re likely to be bad at it.

Touché!

Canceler - Thanks for replying. I was thinking more along the lines of genetics having no influence on the political decisions we make.

Voting habits (like income levels) are largely hereditary, but probably not genetic.

This is a great an example of a grammatical error that is actually humorous.


Back to the serious business, does one buy an SSD or a SSD?

I really hope we don't use the article appropriate for the abbreviation, cuz f that s.

The choice of article is based on how you say the sound. If you say the abbreviation with an initial vowel sound, you use "an". In your example, the initial sound is a short "e" sound. So "an".

It's not based on how one would say what the abbreviation stands for?(solid state drive)

Nope. Unless you actually read/speak it that way (say the words).

Think about it. The only reason we even have the article "an" as an alternative to "a" is because when "a" is followed by words with an initial vowel sound, enunciation can be difficult, as is understanding it when heard. Using "an" puts a hard sound in between and makes it easier to both say and hear.

Ah, so it's a function of that? I would never in my life say "ess ess dee" I would just say "solid state drive"

though with LED I never say "light emitting diode" I just say "ell eee dee" so I guess it's
a ssd and an LED.

word

But when you write "ssd" people read it as "es es dee".

How could the rule possibly depend on whether you, personally, ever say the thing the acronym represents?

So I should write "a LED" just because I have said "light emitting diode" before?

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"[On this day in 1949] At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, the USSR successfully detonates its first atomic bomb, code name "First Lightning." In order to measure the effects of the blast, the Soviet scientists constructed buildings, bridges, and other civilian structures in the vicinity of the bomb. They also placed animals in cages nearby so that they could test the effects of nuclear radiation on human-like mammals. The atomic explosion, which at 20 kilotons was roughly equal to "Trinity," the first U.S. atomic explosion, destroyed those structures and incinerated the animals."

I don't like the use of the present tense in the first sentence (History channel website does this all the time), especially since the rest of the paragraph is in the past tense. Thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_present

http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/histpreterm.htm

"Historical present" is special tense used in narration, that is different from regular present tense.

This comma is driving me crazy.

And here.

I hole-hardedly agree, but allow me to play doubles advocate here for a moment. For all intensive purposes I think you are wrong. In an age where false morals are a diamond dozen, true virtues are a blessing in the skies. We often put our false morality on a petal stool like a bunch of pre-Madonnas, but you all seem to be taking something very valuable for granite. So I ask of you to mustard up all the strength you can because it is a doggy dog world out there. Although there is some merit to what you are saying it seems like you have a huge ship on your shoulder. In your argument you seem to throw everything in but the kids Nsync, and even though you are having a feel day with this I am here to bring you back into reality. I have a sick sense when it comes to these types of things. It is almost spooky, because I cannot turn a blonde eye to these glaring flaws in your rhetoric. I have zero taller ants when it comes to people spouting out hate in the name of moral righteousness. You just need to remember what comes around is all around, and when supply and command fails you will be the first to go. Make my words, when you get down to brass stacks it doesn't take rocket appliances to get two birds stoned at once. It's clear who makes the pants in this relationship, and sometimes you just have to swallow your prize and accept the facts. You might have to come to this conclusion through denial and error but I swear on my mother's mating name that when you put the petal to the medal you will pass with flying carpets like it’s a peach of cake.

Well then the entire paragraph or article should be in the "historical present."

Found this at the end of an article today on Yahoo (yes, Yahoo):

"If nothing works to quell your nausea, know this: Motion sickness lessons with experience, says Horn. In other words, the more you drive down that bumpy road or fly on a plane, the less you’ll be affected by their dizzying effects. And you don’t have to swear off amusement parks either — just be selective about the rides. For example, a roller coaster has more linear acceleration, whereas the spinning teacups have angular acceleration — and a Ferris wheel can have either, depending on its height."

Cmon Yahoo. You are bettor than that.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/conquer...795392342.html

I sometimes get carried away with commas. It is, however, ok to set off dependent clauses that way if that is how I would say it. I do what I want sometimes.

You can, of course, do you what you want. But should not.

Doubles? Who is Doubles?

I think he meant "double's". We shouldn't begrudge him this one minor error.