Octopus Overlords

I’ve been doing Kk for a while now.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:12 am I honestly don't see that, and doubt the connection is strong enough to change my using that particular term.

I fully expect I'm being too sensitive to the opinions of a small number of people. I have a couple of online friend groups that tend to be aggressively progressive. Very vocal in their anti-right wing and anti-normie culture.

That's the first I've heard of it. I of course accept the appropriation of the hand gesture, but this meaning extending to the word OK? That's ridiculous. It's an overreaction. OK is ubiquitous. That's like trying to appropriate the word "yes". k or kk is just a variation on OK. I couldn't care less about losing the hand gesture as I never use it; but with regard to the word, some stuff we need to fight back on. I mostly only use it in text messages and the like, but I use it a lot there.

That doesn't mean I don't reserve the right to re-evaluate my position as culture evolves. I'm not going to knowingly use a hateful word just to be edgy or make a point. But I don't see widespread acceptance of this change in meaning on the first page of a few Google searches. If we treat it as such we're just going to propagate this change. Mind you I don't hold it against anyone who feels differently (there are certainly other words that can be used in its place); I just don't agree it's problematic at this point. If I see evidence of a majority of people being offended by it I will of course reconsider. In the meantime, I prefer to drown out any possibility of negative appropriation with rampant, unrestrained use.

Leaving the gesture aside, I think the objection of the Youngs to "OK" (the word) is that it is considered tepid and insufficiently committed. To them it sort of implies an eyeroll.

I wonder if "OK!" (with the exclamation mark) escapes that.

As ever, though, it's best to remember that the rising generation owns the language. We had our time with it, and now it's their turn.

I guess that's a view. I prefer to think that if you're alive and you use language, you have a say in how it's used even if only by demonstration. No generation's opinion is invalid. But once I'm dead I obviously won't care.

Mind you, I'm younger than most OO members and I don't have kids. I often argued for traditional usage and eschewed a lot of new slang when I was young. So, to employ a different right-wing trope, from my cold dead hands.

Sudy wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:08 pm I guess that's a view. I prefer to think that if you're alive and you use language, you have a say in how it's used even if only by demonstration. No generation's opinion is invalid. But once I'm dead I obviously won't care.

Mind you, I'm younger than most OO members and I don't have kids. I often argued for traditional usage and eschewed a lot of new slang when I was young. So, to employ a different right-wing trope, from my cold dead hands.

Well, I was being a bit arch.

A clearer point might be that language is a very social, sensitive, and adaptive instrument that changes with circumstances, and that we can't "fix" it into the stable form we happen to like best.

It's fun to remember that, historically speaking, language change has slowed considerably with the invention of print (and screens), which does fix forms and structures at least to the degree that they are preserved as texts and examples.

You could have a coherent discussion with an English-speaker from 400 years ago and (leaving slang and technological terms aside) understand yourselves to be speaking the same language. But that same person would probably have been unable to readily comprehend the speech or writing of their ancestor just 200 years prior.

Holman wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:45 pm Leaving the gesture aside, I think the objection of the Youngs to "OK" (the word) is that it is considered tepid and insufficiently committed. To them it sort of implies an eyeroll.

When I was in my thirties my wife's teenage nephew thought he was hot stuff. When he tried to impress me with some of his... stuff, I told him that people aren't really interesting to me till they are at least 21.

Then he was in his twenties I changed my minimum age level of interest to 35.

He just turned 50. I'm starting to run out of years, but I'm sure I won't really care about what he has to say till he's my age

harsh critic. I golf clap you sir. wait what!?? No golf clap emojis on this board?? Are we imbeciles???

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 7:30 pm

Ok, Boomer.

I'm almost old enough to be some of the boomers dad.

I haven't been into sports for many years, but this year I'm looking forward to watching football.
Might be because I always let my wife watch whatever she wanted. That was about all she could do.

Madmarcus wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:48 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:40 am There are actual issues with 'OK' other than the gesture?

I've seen suggestions that the gesture identification is enough to taint the word itself. Add the confusion over the changing meaning (is it a positive response, is it sarcastic, is it a complete brush off?) and it is enough for me to steer away from it most of the time even if the language needs a good, short, positive acknowledgement word. Unfortunately roger and affirmative both sound stilted and, at least to my ears, simply k sounds even more passive aggressive or sarcastic then OK.

Cool... cool, cool, cool.

Everythings cool. Alright alright alright

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:49 pm I'm almost old enough to be some of the boomers dad.

Boomers are defined as 1946-1964. You're one of us, Mr. 1949.

True, I started the boomers.

And you'll end them.

You all wish.

I'm not even sure where to put this.

.@MassDOT Highway Administrator @JLGulliver warns that there will be "severe traffic congestion" throughout the Boston area due to the Orange Line shutdown.

"If possible, avoid the region altogether until the diversion period has concluded."

To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

Not encountered Boston drivers have you?

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:11 pm To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

I lived on Cape Cod for a few years and I tried to avoid Boston like the plague .

Actually, I did some research on the web but I'm not sure how big a shutdown this is or what the relationship is between the Orange line and the rest of mass transit in the Boston area. Anyone have more information on this?

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:23 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:11 pm To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

I lived on Cape Cod for a few years and I tried to avoid Boston like the plague .

Actually, I did some research on the web but I'm not sure how big a shutdown this is or what the relationship is between the Orange line and the rest of mass transit in the Boston area. Anyone have more information on this?

The Orange Line is the second-busiest subway line, moving a little over 100,000 people per day. They figure they can get five years worth of maintenance done in 30 days with the shutdown. The T has had some high-profile safety failures lately, including a fire on an Orange Line train last month that had people jumping out the windows.

While they're at it, they're also shutting down the new Green Line extension into Somerville. They figure that will allow them to open the next and final extension earlier than they would have done.

Orange Line service is being replaced by shuttle buses, which are larger than regular city buses and therefore need routing considerations for lane size and turning radius, which will disrupt regular traffic. Given that students are about to return to school, it's going to be a very bad month for anyone who needs to go anywhere in Boston.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:11 pm To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

If all the people with the capability to work from home (and their leadership allowed it) did so, it might be feasible.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:06 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:23 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:11 pm To be clear, they are recommending people avoid Boston (and the surrounding area) for 30+ days while they shut down the Orange Line. That seems...unreasonable.

I lived on Cape Cod for a few years and I tried to avoid Boston like the plague .

Actually, I did some research on the web but I'm not sure how big a shutdown this is or what the relationship is between the Orange line and the rest of mass transit in the Boston area. Anyone have more information on this?

The Orange Line is the second-busiest subway line, moving a little over 100,000 people per day. They figure they can get five years worth of maintenance done in 30 days with the shutdown. The T has had some high-profile safety failures lately, including a fire on an Orange Line train last month that had people jumping out the windows.

While they're at it, they're also shutting down the new Green Line extension into Somerville. They figure that will allow them to open the next and final extension earlier than they would have done.

Orange Line service is being replaced by shuttle buses, which are larger than regular city buses and therefore need routing considerations for lane size and turning radius, which will disrupt regular traffic. Given that students are about to return to school, it's going to be a very bad month for anyone who needs to go anywhere in Boston.

There's also talk of the Feds coming in to take over the whole system due to all the safety issues. So that's fun.

All it takes is one road grader in Hogeye to screw up traffic.

For the guys......ever notice that an eyebrow will almost never ever itch but as soon as you go to the bathroom to pee and get everything in hand so to speak it will always itch???

Theres some kind of hidden secret rule there.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:53 pm

Are the overwrites on the map above due to the current shutdown or a longer term issue?

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:08 pm For the guys......ever notice that an eyebrow will almost never ever itch but as soon as you go to the bathroom to pee and get everything in hand so to speak it will always itch???

Theres some kind of hidden secret rule there.

You're supposed to pee *down*!

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:28 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:53 pm

Are the overwrites on the map above due to the current shutdown or a longer term issue?

Feral ghouls.

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:28 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:53 pm

Are the overwrites on the map above due to the current shutdown or a longer term issue?

That map actually dates to the winter of 2014-15, which was the worst in history.

Looks like a map from Half Life 2.

Follow the yellow brick road! Follow the yellow brick road!

Don't know if someone has posted about this already. It's called THE LINE (all caps).

What if we could start again? THE LINE rethinks everything we know about how people live, work and play. A 170 km-long vertical city, designed around people, rather than cars. A revolution in urban living. A city that delivers new wonders for the world.

It may sound outrageous and a pipe dream, but there's a lot of Saudi Arabian money behind it. Read more about it and their sister projects Trojena and Oxagon at NEOM

Ya that doesn't say anything about waste and power. People are nasty.

Also how would you get to anywhere in 20 min with no car if its 170km long?

High-speed rail.

The Line will consist of three layers, including one on the surface for pedestrians, one underground for infrastructure, and another underground for transportation. The transportation layer will include a high-speed rail system, which is claimed to allow people to go from one side of the city to the other side in 20 minutes when finished, reaching a speed of 512 km/h, which is faster than existing high-speed rail at the time of announcement.

At least everybody should get good wifi.

Sorry, that seems like a dystopian hellscape to me.

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 4:08 am Sorry, that seems like a dystopian hellscape to me.

Sorry, are we talking about THE LINE or Boston?

That's a line of a different color.