Language

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 9:33:06
So I figured now that I have some time, I might as well learn a new language. I was considering either French or Italian. Which would you think would be better to learn? Which would be more useful?
#2

oxybe

Nov 23, 2010 9:49:24
french, though the "make ladies swoon" property is highly exaggerated. 

if family guy has taught me anything, italian can be ad hoc'd by putting on a fake mustache, looking angry and going "bippita bop! bippita boppa boopi!" while waving your arms.
#3

scypio

Nov 23, 2010 9:54:28
I'd also vote for French because its classier and used more often. So I'd think its more useful unless you went to Italy or something. Also, don't the Olympics still have French as an official language?
#4

pluisjen

Nov 23, 2010 10:04:18
Where do you live? I'd think that factors into it a lot. And what do you want to do with your new language?
#5

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 10:08:08
french, though the "make ladies swoon" property is highly exaggerated. 

if family guy has taught me anything, italian can be ad hoc'd by putting on a fake mustache, looking angry and going "bippita bop! bippita boppa boopi!" while waving your arms.




Yeah, I learned in high school how untrue the "learn French, get the girls" thing is. I took French freshman year cause that's the class the hot girls were in. I can still count to five in French and say hello, my name is...  but that is about it.
#6

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 10:12:15
Where do you live? I'd think that factors into it a lot. And what do you want to do with your new language?




I live in Miami Florida. I want to learn a new language just to learn it. I'm sure it can be useful at some point. I have a cousin who lives in Switzerland who know English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and is learning Japanese. She sends me a bunch of email jokes in French, Italian, German, and a few in Portuguese. This is considering I only Speak English and Spanish. I think I'd like to read one of her emails without having that urge to toss her down a flight of stairs.
#7

pluisjen

Nov 23, 2010 10:15:30
You could do French. It helps if you ever go to France as the French are notoriously arrogant and often refuse to speak English, even though they know the language Tongue out

You could also try German, it's a pretty big language and it sounds very intimidating and rough (language of choice for Dwarves!) but it can be annoying.

I'd not suggest Dutch though, it really sucks as a language Tongue out

Japanese can be good if you like Anime/Mange, they're supposed to be much better in their native tongues.
#8

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 10:26:17
You could do French. It helps if you ever go to France as the French are notoriously arrogant and often refuse to speak English, even though they know the language 

You could also try German, it's a pretty big language and it sounds very intimidating and rough (language of choice for Dwarves!) but it can be annoying.

I'd not suggest Dutch though, it really sucks as a language 

Japanese can be good if you like Anime/Mange, they're supposed to be much better in their native tongues.



I've ruled out Japanese because it's become so emo... at least around these parts.  My girl friend's dad works one an airline company and starting in March we get tickets to pretty much anywhere for free or extremely low rates. I think international flights are charged,  but the cost is really low. So either France or Italy may be on the menu come summer. It would be good to talk to people without asking them if they speak English or Spanish.
#9

ADHadh

Nov 23, 2010 10:29:02
French sounds like the more universal option. More countries speak French than Italian. It still has the aura of being "the language of diplomats". And it's one of the closest to Latin, which is a plus if you know at least a bit about Latin.
It's still helluva difficult; or maybe I find it this way because in Polish you usually read all the letters in a word and they hardly ever change sound (except in specific pairs), while in French you read "eau" as "oh". It makes no sense!
#10

EscherEnigma

Nov 23, 2010 10:44:18
Russian.  I hear it's great for thinking pessimistic thoughts in.
#11

ADHadh

Nov 23, 2010 10:47:34
Russian.  I hear it's great for thinking pessimistic thoughts in.


Pair it up with German to express them.
#12

boraxe

Nov 23, 2010 10:49:38
How about Mandarin? It'll come in handy in a few years when China owns America.
#13

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 11:00:17
How about Mandarin? It'll come in handy in a few years when China owns America.



Mandarin would be great to know when China takes over the U.S., but isn't the world going to end in 2012? China doesn't have much time.  
#14

ADHadh

Nov 23, 2010 11:22:10
How about Mandarin? It'll come in handy in a few years when China owns America.



Mandarin would be great to know when China takes over the U.S., but isn't the world going to end in 2012? China doesn't have much time.  


Dude, you're underestimating Chinese.
#15

jesse.two.coins

Nov 23, 2010 11:37:41
French sounds like the more universal option. More countries speak French than Italian. It still has the aura of being "the language of diplomats". And it's one of the closest to Latin, which is a plus if you know at least a bit about Latin.
It's still helluva difficult; or maybe I find it this way because in Polish you usually read all the letters in a word and they hardly ever change sound (except in specific pairs), while in French you read "eau" as "oh". It makes no sense!



and if you live in florida then learn french to deal with the haitians
#16

zombie_babies

Nov 23, 2010 11:43:59
Russian.  I hear it's great for thinking pessimistic thoughts in.



Quite true. 

Pair it up with German to express them.



And French, oddly enough.  When a classic Russian author wanted to make a point, he typically did so in French.

How about Mandarin? It'll come in handy in a few years when China owns America.



A few years?  I thought we were already sold ...

______________

For a suggestion, I do believe French will be more useful simply because, I believe, it's spoken in more places.  Now if you live on or near the Jersey shore, you may well want to learn Italian.  So, you know, you can speak to the people there and still not be understood. 
#17

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 11:46:01
French sounds like the more universal option. More countries speak French than Italian. It still has the aura of being "the language of diplomats". And it's one of the closest to Latin, which is a plus if you know at least a bit about Latin.
It's still helluva difficult; or maybe I find it this way because in Polish you usually read all the letters in a word and they hardly ever change sound (except in specific pairs), while in French you read "eau" as "oh". It makes no sense!



and if you live in florida then learn french to deal with the haitians



Haitians speak French-creole. It isn't French. French is its base, but it also has African, Spanish, and even English thrown into the mix. I have a few friends that are Haitian and speak both French and French-Creole. If you spoke French to someone that spoke French-Creole and not French, you may be able to understand some of what they said, but not everything as they are two different things.
#18

jesse.two.coins

Nov 23, 2010 11:47:10
French sounds like the more universal option. More countries speak French than Italian. It still has the aura of being "the language of diplomats". And it's one of the closest to Latin, which is a plus if you know at least a bit about Latin.
It's still helluva difficult; or maybe I find it this way because in Polish you usually read all the letters in a word and they hardly ever change sound (except in specific pairs), while in French you read "eau" as "oh". It makes no sense!



and if you live in florida then learn french to deal with the haitians



Haitians speak French-creole. It isn't French. French is its base, but it also has African, Spanish, and even English thrown into the mix. I have a few friends that are Haitian and speak both French and French-Creole. If you spoke French to someone that spoke French-Creole and not French, you may be able to understand some of what they said, but not everything as they are two different things.



better than understanding nothing
#19

EscherEnigma

Nov 23, 2010 11:50:52
You could always learn ASL.  That'd be an unusual choice.
#20

boraxe

Nov 23, 2010 11:52:21
If you're going to spend a lot of time on the internet you could try learning -for-brains. A lot of folks online seem to speak it almost exclusively.
#21

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 11:54:58
You could always learn ASL.  That'd be an unusual choice.



I had actually thought bout that when I started college. I had originally wanted to be an interpreter and thought about learning sign language so I could work with the hearing impaired. Down here ASL interpreters make around $150 an hour.
#22

jesse.two.coins

Nov 23, 2010 12:00:56
If you're going to spend a lot of time on the internet you could try learning -for-brains. A lot of folks online seem to speak it almost exclusively.



I'm fluent
#23

Escef

Nov 23, 2010 12:45:10
Latin. It is the base for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and French. Of all the Romance languages Romanian is the closest to the original Latin (due to isolation) and French the furthest (due to repeated buttstompings and the victors moving in).
#24

oxybe

Nov 23, 2010 13:14:48
trust me french dialects are horrific when you start looking at them. 

first you have france french, which sounds snooty and kinda hard to understand.

then you have quebec french, which has it's own twang and unintelligible slang that i hate.

then you have acadian french, which has been nicknamed "Frenglish" and is a travesty to any linguist. it contains more contractions then you can shake a stick at, it still has a heavy influence of the old french and it mixes things up with english words, because "Car" is shorter then "Automobile" and "Truck" then "Camion". it's... utilitarian... in a horrible, horrible way. and i wouldn't change it for the world

then you have the moroccan french, which is the most beautiful and well-enunciated french i've ever heard.
#25

ADHadh

Nov 23, 2010 13:27:06

first you have france french, which sounds snooty and kinda hard to understand.


I'm pretty sure "France French" is as an accurate term as "British English" ;)
#26

oxybe

Nov 23, 2010 16:21:08
If you live in Florida, learn French. So many Québecois go there during the winter.





we're trying to encourage him to learn french, not steer him towards another language
#27

oxybe

Nov 23, 2010 16:27:20

first you have france french, which sounds snooty and kinda hard to understand.


I'm pretty sure "France French" is as an accurate term as "British English" ;)





ce le francais d'la france ca. ya point d'ce "francais international" icette. ya l'francais d'icette, ya l'francais de d'la, pi d'la, pi d'la... j'men chriss si qu'tu parle le chiac ou l'acajun, au moyn t'es comp'nable.
#28

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 23, 2010 19:48:04
If you live in Florida, learn French. So many Québecois go there during the winter.



Yes, many Québecois do come here during the winter. They give Canadians a bad name by the way. Not all of them, just a majority. 
#29

Mad_Jack

Nov 24, 2010 0:12:22
It's still helluva difficult; or maybe I find it this way because in Polish you usually read all the letters in a word and they hardly ever change sound (except in specific pairs), while in French you read "eau" as "oh". It makes no sense!



 Oh, hell - don't ever bother trying to learn Gaelic, then, lol. It has four less letters in it's alphabet than English, but each word has at least three extra letters and half of them either aren't pronounced (but completely change the meaning) or don't sound the same as they would in English (or Polish, for that matter) - the letters "bh", for example, are pronounced more like a "v", and the Irish hero Finn McCool's name is actually spelled more like Fion MacCumhall , hehe... Tongue out


#30

ADHadh

Nov 24, 2010 6:55:12
Man, my French grew awful - I understood next to nothing from those posts.
What I've meant is that there isn't such a thing as British English - London itself has a number of dialects. The same is more than likely true with France.
International French makes sense though.
#31

oxybe

Nov 24, 2010 8:27:29
 your french isn't necessarily awful, our dialects just are.

which is why you shouldn't type the way you talk

#32

Robin_Hoodlum

Nov 24, 2010 8:43:41
Actually, Spainish would be best, if you live in the States.
Also, the Army is offering big cash bonuses to those who can speak Pashto and ... that other language they speak in Afghanapakiraqistan.
#33

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 8:51:31
Actually, Spainish would be best, if you live in the States.
Also, the Army is offering big cash bonuses to those who can speak Pashto and ... that other language they speak in Afghanapakiraqistan.



Iraq is almost completely Arabic, with some Farsi in the East. You might get one or two other tongues in the Northern mountains, but I haven't heard much on that. Afghanistan is a horriffic jumble of languages. I can't comment on Pakistan without doing some research.
#34

Klirshon

Nov 24, 2010 9:02:23
While that is true, RH, homicial_squirrel noted Spanish was one of the languages already known (post #6).

If French or Italian are the only languages you wish to learn presently, I would suggest the former as a utilitarian approach.
#35

Robin_Hoodlum

Nov 24, 2010 9:05:40
While that is true, RH, homicial_squirrel noted Spanish was one of the languages already known (post #6).



My bad.
I didn't read all the posts.
#36

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 9:08:26
Actually, Spainish would be best, if you live in the States.
Also, the Army is offering big cash bonuses to those who can speak Pashto and ... that other language they speak in Afghanapakiraqistan.




I speak/write Spanish fluently. I used to work as an interpreter for clients who had immigration cases. I was thinking of Arabic, but I'm not to fond of going over to Afghanistan or Iraq. Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant and thought it would be interesting to learn Mandarin so I could talk with the waiters and waitresses when order food.

 
#37

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 9:09:41
While that is true, RH, homicial_squirrel noted Spanish was one of the languages already known (post #6).



My bad.
I didn't read all the posts.




It's cool...
#38

Klirshon

Nov 24, 2010 9:13:35
That is quite alright. You did answer the original question with what you figured to be the best solution.
#39

scypio

Nov 24, 2010 9:18:47
I speak/write Spanish fluently. I used to work as an interpreter for clients who had immigration cases. I was thinking of Arabic, but I'm not to fond of going over to Afghanistan or Iraq. Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant and thought it would be interesting to learn Mandarin so I could talk with the waiters and waitresses when order food.

I'm learning Mandarin now and its been a decent amount of work. I'm taking an adult learning class at a university and we had a high attrition rate (3/5 of the students stopped attending).

It almost feels like you're learning two or three languages. There's the actual word in Mandarin, the Pingyin word (Englishifacation, although still pretty weird), and the Chinese character. I also have problems with the tones (tones matter greatly) and pronounciation.

But I think its rewarding. Its also good points with the wife (her family speaks Mandarin).

Edit: Its also interesting since its so different from English and Spanish.
#40

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 9:24:58

I speak/write Spanish fluently. I used to work as an interpreter for clients who had immigration cases. I was thinking of Arabic, but I'm not to fond of going over to Afghanistan or Iraq.
 



The US military's Africom is HQ'd in Germany. Fluency in Arabic and French are big points in your favor with them. I'm just saying you don't need to go to Iraq or the 'Stan to use Arabic.
#41

zombie_babies

Nov 24, 2010 9:27:59
I speak/write Spanish fluently. I used to work as an interpreter for clients who had immigration cases. I was thinking of Arabic, but I'm not to fond of going over to Afghanistan or Iraq. Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant and thought it would be interesting to learn Mandarin so I could talk with the waiters and waitresses when order food.  



Actually, a lot of the wait staff and even the chefs are not descended from the same line as the food they serve.  Frequently you'll see Chinese in Japanese sushi joints, Vietnamese in Chinese restaurants, etc.  Not that Mandarin wouldn't be wonderfully useful and likely quite rewarding to learn, of course.  I'm jus' sayin' jus' to say - something I do all too often.  Apparently, I hold my senseless babble in higher regard than your time. 
#42

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 9:31:46
I speak/write Spanish fluently. I used to work as an interpreter for clients who had immigration cases. I was thinking of Arabic, but I'm not to fond of going over to Afghanistan or Iraq. Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant and thought it would be interesting to learn Mandarin so I could talk with the waiters and waitresses when order food.  



Actually, a lot of the wait staff and even the chefs are not descended from the same line as the food they serve.  Frequently you'll see Chinese in Japanese sushi joints, Vietnamese in Chinese restaurants, etc.  Not that Mandarin wouldn't be wonderfully useful and likely quite rewarding to learn, of course.  I'm jus' sayin' jus' to say - something I do all too often.  Apparently, I hold my senseless babble in higher regard than your time. 



I once saw Haitian cooks in a Japanese sushi restaurant. 
#43

zombie_babies

Nov 24, 2010 9:36:03
Man, I could care less who prepares the food so long as it's good, ya know?    Last time I was in a Chinese place we had a wonderful chef (can't remember his name - it was likely fake anyway.  I hate it when they make 'em do that.  I'm perfectly comfortable with your real name) that happened to be Vietnamese.  Fantastic food, fantastic personality, overall a great time.
#44

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 9:40:06

The US military's Africom is HQ'd in Germany. Fluency in Arabic and French are big points in your favor with them. I'm just saying you don't need to go to Iraq or the 'Stan to use Arabic.



Germany sounds fun. If I was still working as an interpreter I would have definitely gone into this. Sadly I have moved on from that. I was fun while I did it. It also paid amazingly well. Unfortunately jobs became scarce and I didn't want to work with one of those interpreter/translation companies. They cheat you horribly out of pay.

Although, I am interested in doing research concerning training programs. Maybe French would be a better choice. Hmmm...  
#45

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 9:45:10
Man, I could care less who prepares the food so long as it's good, ya know?    Last time I was in a Chinese place we had a wonderful chef (can't remember his name - it was likely fake anyway.  I hate it when they make 'em do that.  I'm perfectly comfortable with your real name) that happened to be Vietnamese.  Fantastic food, fantastic personality, overall a great time.



Unfortunately this was a mall food court sushi place. I'm not big on eating at mall food courts. The place had all these Vietnamese ladies in the front. The only reason I saw the chefs was that the door to the back swung open a bit to wide when one of the ladies went to the back to get something. I don't think they wanted anyone seeing they had Haitian chefs.

There is this Indian restaurant down here and the chef is actually Brazilian. That place is awesome. He makes better food than the Indian chefs at other Indian restaurants I've been to. 
#46

scypio

Nov 24, 2010 9:47:56
Man, I really want some Asian food now, especially Vietnamese (even though I had it on Monday), Korean, or Szechuan Chinese. But I don't think there are any of those places around my work (the town I live in rocks with food though), just Thai and Malaysian.
#47

zombie_babies

Nov 24, 2010 10:03:43
Unfortunately this was a mall food court sushi place. I'm not big on eating at mall food courts. The place had all these Vietnamese ladies in the front. The only reason I saw the chefs was that the door to the back swung open a bit to wide when one of the ladies went to the back to get something. I don't think they wanted anyone seeing they had Haitian chefs.

There is this Indian restaurant down here and the chef is actually Brazilian. That place is awesome. He makes better food than the Indian chefs at other Indian restaurants I've been to. 



Yeah, I wouldn't touch mall sushi with your chopsticks. 
#48

boraxe

Nov 24, 2010 10:04:20
The only reason I saw the chefs was that the door to the back swung open a bit to wide when one of the ladies went to the back to get something. I don't think they wanted anyone seeing they had Haitian chefs.


How can you tell someone is Haitian just by looking at them?
#49

Robin_Hoodlum

Nov 24, 2010 10:28:53
Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant and thought it would be interesting to learn Mandarin so I could talk with the waiters and waitresses when order food.

 



Nice!
Sounds like a good idea!
#50

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 10:58:33
The only reason I saw the chefs was that the door to the back swung open a bit to wide when one of the ladies went to the back to get something. I don't think they wanted anyone seeing they had Haitian chefs.


How can you tell someone is Haitian just by looking at them?




He is wearing a shirt that says "Hi, I'm Haitian"?

I may have forgotten to mention that they were talking rather loudly to each other (the chefs that is). They spoke Creole. I may not understand it, but I can tell when you are speaking it.  
#51

pluisjen

Nov 24, 2010 10:59:08
I think the food is about as close to authentical as the waitresses, which is to say "not at all" Tongue out

But I do agree it tastes good. Going to a japanese specialties restaurant in half an hour, nom nom.
#52

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 11:02:31
I think the food is about as close to authentical as the waitresses, which is to say "not at all" 

But I do agree it tastes good. Going to a japanese specialties restaurant in half an hour, nom nom.




I think authenticity in food is over rated. I'd rather have food that tastes good than food that is authentic and taste horrible.
#53

pluisjen

Nov 24, 2010 11:14:27
Oh I definately agree, but it's just that some people here were giving the impression they thought that Chinese food was really Chinese, but most of it really isn't. I don't mind at all, it tastes great, but I'll still be wary should I actually go to China, and not expect to get the same stuff...
#54

boraxe

Nov 24, 2010 11:19:21
I think authenticity in food is over rated. I'd rather have food that tastes good than food that is authentic and taste horrible.


It's kinda like when someone says something is "an acquired taste", which means "it tastes like ass but you eventually get used to it".
#55

ADHadh

Nov 24, 2010 11:21:04
Oh I definately agree, but it's just that some people here were giving the impression they thought that Chinese food was really Chinese, but most of it really isn't. I don't mind at all, it tastes great, but I'll still be wary should I actually go to China, and not expect to get the same stuff...


You should expect snakes and scorpions.

Love Boraxe's line :D
#56

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 11:23:29
I think authenticity in food is over rated. I'd rather have food that tastes good than food that is authentic and taste horrible.


It's kinda like when someone says something is "an acquired taste", which means "it tastes like ass but you eventually get used to it".



Yes! 
There are some foods I have no Idea why you would ever want to acquire a taste for it.  
#57

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 11:32:07
I remember the first time I tried root beer I thought the stuff was disgusting. But it was the only thing available to drink, and I was thirsty. After a while, I got used to it.

Right up there with coffee. I have no illusions about coffee, nor do I lie about why I drink it. I want the caffeine.
#58

oxybe

Nov 24, 2010 11:41:32
cranberries were that way for me, or at least cranberry cocktail. when i was a little kid the bitterness turned me off it as i found it horrible, but i tried it again a few years later once i aquired a taste for bitter stuff and it's pretty much one of my fav juices now.
#59

scypio

Nov 24, 2010 11:58:00
I think olives were like that for me. I didn't necessarily like them, but figured I should try them when I went to Athens. Eventually, I ate enough of them that I actually like them a good amount now.
#60

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 21:10:20
I remember the first time I tried root beer I thought the stuff was disgusting. But it was the only thing available to drink, and I was thirsty. After a while, I got used to it.

Right up there with coffee. I have no illusions about coffee, nor do I lie about why I drink it. I want the caffeine.



How do you take your coffee? I love coffee, but it has to have cream and sugar. Plain black coffee taste horrible to me.
#61

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 21:15:46
I remember the first time I tried root beer I thought the stuff was disgusting. But it was the only thing available to drink, and I was thirsty. After a while, I got used to it.

Right up there with coffee. I have no illusions about coffee, nor do I lie about why I drink it. I want the caffeine.



How do you take your coffee? I love coffee, but it has to have cream and sugar. Plain black coffee taste horrible to me.



I prefer my coffee to match my heart: dark and bitter. I'm so used to taking it black that sugar and cream taste unpleasantly strange to me. I'm also known to not care if my coffee has gone cold, I'll still drink it.

#62

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 21:24:40


I prefer my coffee to match my heart: dark and bitter. I'm so used to taking it black that sugar and cream taste unpleasantly strange to me. I'm also known to not care if my coffee has gone cold, I'll still drink it.




I knew this girl whose family used to tell me that they drank their coffee black because it was healthier. This always perplexed me because they would drink their "healthy coffee" and eat 4 eggs and a pile of bacon bacon for breakfast. 
#63

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 21:35:27


I prefer my coffee to match my heart: dark and bitter. I'm so used to taking it black that sugar and cream taste unpleasantly strange to me. I'm also known to not care if my coffee has gone cold, I'll still drink it.




I knew this girl whose family used to tell me that they drank their coffee black because it was healthier. This always perplexed me because they would drink their "healthy coffee" and eat 4 eggs and a pile of bacon bacon for breakfast. 



Maybe if you go the Atkins route, but that takes a lot of dedication.

As a side note, caffeine has been medically documented to increase athletic performance. Any diet guru who tells you it's bad for you is either lying or expecting you to put cream and sugar in it. Caffeine is, however, a diuretic; so you do have to make sure that you maintain a fairly high level of water intake (and salts, over-hydration can flush enough electrolyte out of the body to be dangerous).
#64

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 24, 2010 21:53:34

Maybe if you go the Atkins route, but that takes a lot of dedication.

As a side note, caffeine has been medically documented to increase athletic performance. Any diet guru who tells you it's bad for you is either lying or expecting you to put cream and sugar in it. Caffeine is, however, a diuretic; so you do have to make sure that you maintain a fairly high level of water intake (and salts, over-hydration can flush enough electrolyte out of the body to be dangerous).



I'm not too fond of the Atkins diet. I've know a few people who have used it to lose weight. Some have gained a lot of weight back as soon as they get off and try to eat normally again. 

Also, there was a new study that shows that coffee helps prevent diabetes. The researchers aren't sure what it is about the coffee, even decaf does it. 
#65

Escef

Nov 24, 2010 22:16:31
I'm not too fond of the Atkins diet. I've know a few people who have used it to lose weight. Some have gained a lot of weight back as soon as they get off and try to eat normally again.


Well, that's the problem with Atkins, you really can't ever get off of it. If you try to go back to normal carbohydrate intake levels you will most likely balloon up. Hence why I say that Atkins requires a lot of dedication.

When I was in Iraq I was on some kind of pseudo-Atkins for a while (I played it mostly by ear). I got out of the military about a month and a half after I got back from deployment, and within a few months had packed on around 40 pounds. These days closer to 50. I'm not particularly happy about it, but I also haven't consistently found the motivation to do something about it.
#66

MechaPilot

Nov 24, 2010 23:33:21
Latin. It is the base for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and French. Of all the Romance languages Romanian is the closest to the original Latin (due to isolation) and French the furthest (due to repeated buttstompings and the victors moving in).



Latin is a good choice if you plan to study other romance languages, or if you plan to enter any of the following professional fields: Christian Clergy, Medicine, Law, Science, or History (there are a lot of Roman historical sources).

I'm actually studying latin independently.  I decided to pick Latin as my 3rd language because I'm Catholic (and Latin is our language), and because I write a lot of fantasy stories that include magic (and I thought it would be cool to have wizards chanting/incanting with actual latin).


first you have france french, which sounds snooty and kinda hard to understand.


I'm pretty sure "France French" is as an accurate term as "British English" ;)



You've never heard the term "the king's english"?
#67

ADHadh

Nov 25, 2010 5:55:06


first you have france french, which sounds snooty and kinda hard to understand.


I'm pretty sure "France French" is as an accurate term as "British English" ;)



You've never heard the term "the king's english"?


As a matter of fact, no. I assume that's the one I've been taught ;)
#68

Robin_Hoodlum

Nov 25, 2010 8:35:14
Speaking of coffee...
Back in my Army days, we would get instant coffee packets, as well as creamer and sugar packets, in our MRE's.
I knew this one guy that would open all 3 packets, pour them into his mouth, and eat them.
Yes.
Eat them.

A coffee packet, a creamer packet, and a sugar packet...
#69

pluisjen

Nov 25, 2010 8:37:51
I used to do that to instant-soup when I was younger. It's incredibly salty and tastes nothing like soup.
#70

MechaPilot

Nov 25, 2010 14:44:05
Speaking of coffee...
Back in my Army days, we would get instant coffee packets, as well as creamer and sugar packets, in our MRE's.
I knew this one guy that would open all 3 packets, pour them into his mouth, and eat them.
Yes.
Eat them.

A coffee packet, a creamer packet, and a sugar packet...



I had a friend that used to chew coffee grounds the way one would chew tobacco.  It was a rather disgusting habit.
#71

ADHadh

Nov 25, 2010 15:17:48
Speaking of coffee...
Back in my Army days, we would get instant coffee packets, as well as creamer and sugar packets, in our MRE's.
I knew this one guy that would open all 3 packets, pour them into his mouth, and eat them.
Yes.
Eat them.

A coffee packet, a creamer packet, and a sugar packet...


Real Men™ add boiling water.
#72

Klirshon

Nov 25, 2010 15:59:02
I for one would be amused as a result of watching a fleshling drink boiling water.
#73

oxybe

Nov 25, 2010 16:14:39
Speaking of coffee...
Back in my Army days, we would get instant coffee packets, as well as creamer and sugar packets, in our MRE's.
I knew this one guy that would open all 3 packets, pour them into his mouth, and eat them.
Yes.
Eat them.

A coffee packet, a creamer packet, and a sugar packet...


Real Men™ add boiling water.



real men glare at cold water and the intensity brings it to a boil.
#74

Robin_Hoodlum

Nov 25, 2010 16:18:59
Speaking of coffee...
Back in my Army days, we would get instant coffee packets, as well as creamer and sugar packets, in our MRE's.
I knew this one guy that would open all 3 packets, pour them into his mouth, and eat them.
Yes.
Eat them.

A coffee packet, a creamer packet, and a sugar packet...


Real Men™ add boiling water.



real men glare at cold water and the intensity brings it to a boil.




That's how Chuck Norris makes coffee!
#75

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 26, 2010 1:24:39
$50 to the first person to post a video of themselves drinking boiling water1

___________________________________________________________

It's a joke. Don't try this. 

#76

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 7:37:45
$50 to the first person to post a video of themselves drinking boiling water1

___________________________________________________________

It's a joke. Don't try this. 




nope too late!!! paypal?
#77

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 8:14:29
$50 to the first person to post a video of themselves drinking boiling water1

___________________________________________________________

It's a joke. Don't try this. 




nope too late!!! paypal?



Video or it didn't happen
#78

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 8:16:37
$50 to the first person to post a video of themselves drinking boiling water1

___________________________________________________________

It's a joke. Don't try this. 




nope too late!!! paypal?



Video or it didn't happen



I meant too late to take it back, money first :]
#79

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 8:25:48
$50 to the first person to post a video of themselves drinking boiling water1

___________________________________________________________

It's a joke. Don't try this. 




nope too late!!! paypal?



Video or it didn't happen



I meant too late to take it back, money first :]



You have to post the video first. Funny thing is, this isn't the first time I've said X amount of money for Y-stupid action. While I worked in a theater, I jokingly said, $10 to whomever drinks a cup of butter (theater pop-corn butter). One of the other kids working there took me up on it and we all watched as he drank a cup of not completely melted butter. 

The question now is whether or not Jesse will  drink boiling water.
#80

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 8:30:07
money first. If you don't trust me then why should I trust you to pay me after?
#81

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 8:39:56
money first. If you don't trust me then why should I trust you to pay me after?




That is the question isn't it. Besides, I would rather you didn't.
#82

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 8:43:02
money first. If you don't trust me then why should I trust you to pay me after?




That is the question isn't it. Besides, I would rather you didn't.



aha i had a loophole but ok :]
#83

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 8:45:53
money first. If you don't trust me then why should I trust you to pay me after?




That is the question isn't it. Besides, I would rather you didn't.



aha i had a loophole but ok :]



What was this loophole?
#84

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 8:48:57
money first. If you don't trust me then why should I trust you to pay me after?




That is the question isn't it. Besides, I would rather you didn't.



aha i had a loophole but ok :]



What was this loophole?



take a dropper and drink exactly 1 drop of boiling water
#85

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 8:51:21


take a dropper and drink exactly 1 drop of boiling water



Interesting. Next time I'll make sure to give a measurement of the amount of water.

 
#86

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 8:54:23
mhm, I'll just find another Tongue out
#87

EscherEnigma

Nov 29, 2010 10:27:20
I'd be rather curious how you could easily maintain the temperature in a dropper.
#88

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 11:47:35
I'd be rather curious how you could easily maintain the temperature in a dropper.



by heating it above boiling and quickly drinking it. It would obviously still hurt but worth $50...i want it in euros lmao
#89

ADHadh

Nov 29, 2010 12:02:15
I'd be rather curious how you could easily maintain the temperature in a dropper.



by heating it above boiling and quickly drinking it. It would obviously still hurt but worth $50...i want it in euros lmao


Do you want 50€ or $50 worth in €? I wonder what would you want euros for.
#90

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:03:42
I want 50 euros lol and because i dont have any euros
#91

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:11:32
Why would you want 50 Europeens to live with you?



they amuse me
#92

homicidal_squirrel

Nov 29, 2010 12:16:44
Yeah, but the smell.




#93

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:21:01
Yeah, but the smell.



croissants and cigarette smoke? and a hint of cheap eau de toilette?
#94

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:25:37
You're forgetting the cheeses. The smellier the better (sooooo true, yummy).

And the joke around here is that French people do not wash. Without any further research and not carring about offending other cultures, I will amalgame all Europeens and say that they all do not wash like the French, even if it was never my experience.

for ban...



you're literally asking for this ban huh?
#95

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:28:56
Nope, it is a joke. Yet I know that some people just get a boner when they report me.



that one made me giggle Tongue out thats how I know I'm not mature yet :D
#96

ADHadh

Nov 29, 2010 12:30:39
You're forgetting the cheeses. The smellier the better (sooooo true, yummy).

And the joke around here is that French people do not wash. Without any further research and not carring about offending other cultures, I will amalgame all Europeens and say that they all do not wash like the French, even if it was never my experience.

for ban...


I'd report you for calling me French.



;)
#97

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:31:45
You're forgetting the cheeses. The smellier the better (sooooo true, yummy).

And the joke around here is that French people do not wash. Without any further research and not carring about offending other cultures, I will amalgame all Europeens and say that they all do not wash like the French, even if it was never my experience.

for ban...


I'd report you for calling me French.



;)



I've been reported alot lol they just delete my posts
#98

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:36:32
Awww the French. The Americans of Europe, like the Japanese are the Americans of Asia. I wonder who are the Americans of South American, Africa and the Middle East.



chileans, sudanese, and jews haha
#99

jesse.two.coins

Nov 29, 2010 12:43:18

Yeah, Israel fits the bill.




sarcasm? Yell lol
#100

pluisjen

Nov 30, 2010 1:57:17
If someone wants to give you 50$ and you ask for 50 euros you´re not being very nice, considering the euros are worth considerably more Tongue out

But hey, if you want some send me some money and your address and I´ll snail mail you some Wink
#101

jesse.two.coins

Nov 30, 2010 7:14:44
If someone wants to give you 50$ and you ask for 50 euros you´re not being very nice, considering the euros are worth considerably more Tongue out

But hey, if you want some send me some money and your address and I´ll snail mail you some Wink



it was a bet lol he wasn't giving it to me lol I had to earn it :p and sure!!! as long as you dont scam me :/
#102

pluisjen

Nov 30, 2010 7:47:01
Remarkebly, I'm pretty reliable when it comes to something serious. PM me your home address, I'll give you a PayPal account.

Expect it to take a few days to weeks though, snail mail isn't very fast. And you'll have to pay a few $ in stamps I think. 
#103

jesse.two.coins

Nov 30, 2010 8:09:31
Remarkebly, I'm pretty reliable when it comes to something serious. PM me your home address, I'll give you a PayPal account.

Expect it to take a few days to weeks though, snail mail isn't very fast. And you'll have to pay a few $ in stamps I think. 



we'll have to postpone this till I can put some more money in my paypal ok?
#104

pluisjen

Nov 30, 2010 8:22:23
No problem, just make sure you send me a PM before you send me any money, because I don't generally watch my bank account that closely Wink
#105

jesse.two.coins

Nov 30, 2010 8:29:14
No problem, just make sure you send me a PM before you send me any money, because I don't generally watch my bank account that closely Wink



i'll flood your paypal lmao
#106

pluisjen

Nov 30, 2010 8:34:46
I'm not going to complain Undecided
#107

jesse.two.coins

Nov 30, 2010 8:43:49
I'm not going to complain Undecided



with rupees and dinari lmao
#108

pluisjen

Nov 30, 2010 8:45:49
Like I care, it's automatically converted to euro's anyway Tongue out
#109

jesse.two.coins

Nov 30, 2010 9:01:25
Like I care, it's automatically converted to euro's anyway Tongue out



it seems there is a flaw in my plan :[