Do I get an additional one point for noting that you forgot to include me as someone who has already earned a zillion points for taking you to the WWC, and therefore am WAY ahead of downing, nicole, and kris? So I actually should have a zillion and one jdbp's (short for "JD brownie points").

Now a zillion and two jdbp's for coining a really superb acronym.

I think Tammy and I ought to get a bunch of extras for all our verbose contributions =)

(Yes, I'm just kidding, in case you couldn't tell...)

Yeah! what dana said!

You left out "been" between "I've" and "having". Does that count as a typo?

Dowingba gets a brownie point. :(

Brownie points for typos are going to add up fast, aren't they?

Too bad they aren't retroactive to September 29th....then I'd have five jdbp's. :(

Why?

Does this seem necessary, J.D., when your website has generated so much response in the past sans Brownie Points?? This is seems to me to be a post-secondary school cry for authority and affirmation, J.D.

Yours (as always),

!!!!!!!!!!!

:(

Certainly not what I intended.

I just thought it would be a fun way to a) eliminate those damn spelling mistakes typos and b) reward those who contribute this site. It was spurred by Kris finding yet another instance of "through" for "threw", and by Nicole and dowingba taking time to write stories.

I don't look at it as affirmation for me, but as affirmation for you, the reader.

But, then, like I said, if this seems stupid (and too Aimee, it does), it'll go away, as most stupid things do.

My goal here was fun. Fun. FUN!

Ahem.

and too Aimee should probably be and to Aimee...

Yes, they'll add up fast, there's no really good way to track them, you're going to end up with random people showing up and pointing things out every once in awhile and so you'll end up with a bunch of us regulars with a bunch of points, and a bunch of random strangers with a few.

I think it's a bit dopey, frankly, but it's your blog, so whatever. I wasn't planning on paying much attention, frankly. Shrug.

I too am not into the brownie points but there does seem to be a lot of obvious interest in it. What does light my fire is the story thing. Brownie points or not it's interesting to see what people come up with.

And dana don't say it's dopey. That could hurt his feelings. He was "egged on" by some of his readers ya know.

And dana don't say it's dopey. That could hurt his feelings.

I normally wouldn't use dopey without qualification, but I know JD, and I know probably won't hurt is feelings and, if it did, he'd let me know and I'd be able to apologize. Shrug.

1. I think it was stated that jdbp's don't count in posts, just for the original entry.

2. For those who don't like the brownie point system, don't spoil it for everyone else.

Two more hours and I'll be free for two whole days! Yippee!

No, no, Tammy. If it's dopey, it's dopey! (Though I prefer the term stupid.) My feelings are not hurt.

However, since there is apparently an element of stupidity (or dopiness) in the whole thing, I'll simply keep a private tally rather than posting a tracking board for the entire world to see.

It's supposed to be fun, damn it! :)

J.D. - I would suggest you post it, or those of us that want to know where we stand will be constantly bugging you for the totals....and it seems to me that you have enough emails to return as it is, eh?

Plus, who couldn't like something that has 'brownie' in the title?

Too much pressure!! Now I will think about my comments even more before posting.

I think it's a good idea. I'd feel guilty about recieving a prize for the otherwise jerkish practise of pointing out typos though...

(And yes, when practice is a verb it's supposed to be spelled with an S; a rule nobody seems to adhere to anymore.)

However, Dowingba, I do believe they still adhere to the old rule 'I before e except after c' As in your word receive above. "about recieving"

Actually, my Websters lists "practise" as an alternate form of "practice", but says nothing about "practise" being the preferred verb form of practice. In fact, "practise" didn't warrant it's own entry. Is this an issue where we Americans took a shortcut on the way to the dictionary?

As long as we're being tangential, let me mention my favorite non-American English word (so far): twee, which means (I believe) small and cute. A fluffy kitten could be twee, for example, or your three-year-old in his Joseph, Father of God costume. (Why is it Mary, Mother of God, but not Joseph, Father of God? Sexism?)

I'm sure there are other equally fun non-American English words, and I don't just mean alternates like "torch" for "flashlight" or "boot" for "trunk". I mean words that I don't even know exist until I hear Alan Titschmarsh use them on Ground Force.

Actually, I think Joseph's official title is "Cuckold of God."

I think we should all start using "fancy" in the British sense, as in, "fancy a beer?", to mean: could you go for a beer? Just think, it could start with Jd's blog and sweep the internet, then the nation, next, the world. The British will think they've started it, but we'll know the truth (Truth).

While I'm posting, I must say I don't really fancy the idea of the brownie points. Sorry, hon'.

Jd you could track it on the forum.

Oh and JD technically Mary should not be referred to as the mother of God either. She was the mother of Jesus. Joseph is not called the Father of Jesus because God is Jesus father.

And because Joseph had nothing to do with the conception of Jesus (ie: immaculate conception). Mary, however, gave birth to Jesus.

And yes, I noticed my "i before e" blunder just after I posted that comment. I am the absolute worst at adhering to that rule mostly because the rule makes no sense. Practise as the preferred verbial spelling is how I learned it personally, and "practice" used as a verb just looks plain wrong to me. I'd like to point out though that the way I used to the word in the statement above may just not be a verb. Isn't "pointing" the verb in that statement and "practise" is in fact a noun? Gah, head exploding.

Ok Dowingba lets take a look at this sentence. I haven't taught school since '96 but when I did I taught English. Lets see what I remember.

I'd feel guilty about recieving a prize for the otherwise jerkish practise of pointing out typos though...

I(subject)would feel(verb) guilty(adjective)
about(preposition)recieving(verb)a(article)prize(noun)for(preposition)the(article)otherwise(adverb)jerkish(verb)practise(noun)of(preposition)pointing(verb)out(adjective)typos(noun).

So that means practice is a noun in that sentence.

I(subject) concur(verb).

"jerkish" in that sentence, though, would be an adjective, not a verb.

Yes as it describes the noun practise. The reason I made it a verb was because of the word otherwise. If Otherwise is an adverb it has to modify a verb. I couldn't figure out what that verb would be. So maybe my problem lies with counting otherwise as an adverb. I bet it's an adjective too. Yep I get it. It is. Otherwise and jerkish are both adjectives describing practice. Thanks for pointing that out. Somebody listened in English class I can tell.

No, "otherwise" is an adverb. If it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, then it's an adverb.

I know that. But I don't believe it is modifying the word jerkish. I think it's describing practice which is a noun. It's a jerkish practice. It's an otherwise practice or alternative practice.

There is another problem. The word out is a preposition, not an adjective.

For once I had a minute to read JD's post. As I look through the comments (funny though they are) I have to wonder...

What the fuck do you people do all day?!

-jeremy

I work the breakfast, lunch and dinner shifts every day at work, while doing a wedding once a week until 3am (EST), and then breakfast, lunch, and dinner again the next day ad infinitum. What do you do all day?

JD, not sure what you did to the design of this site, but it looks like absolute crap on Mozilla Firebird and 1.3. Looks fine on IE though...

How much time do you guys have on your hands?!
'God walked among men' implies that Jesus WAS God - well the incarnation of God, made from flesh, but not God's actaul son. Jesus is referred to as God's own son because Jesus was a man, and all mankind are God's children.
If you believe in God, that is.
And not all british people say 'do you fancy a drink?' in that sense - only the english and welsh.

Also, Kris, before you start using the word 'fancy' in the 'british sense', thinking it will sweep the word JUST cos Jd used it on his 'blog', maybe you should think about what the english think of the americans...
theyre fat, stupid, up themselves wankers who think theyre the only ones in the world.

Fortunately for us, at least they have manners enough to keep their opinions where they belong.

Hey, Maria I doubt you know that by trying to make a dig at Kris you have just slammed JD's wife. Hmmm. I don't think he'll take too kindly to that. Maybe you'd better stay away from here.

See, Maria, the AWL (Almighty Web Lord) of this blog has a loyal following, and many who frequent this site are his abject subjects since they depend on his good graces for the existence of their own blogs. So if some newbie comes in here and starts talking smart, they might get mad. JD won't mind, though. Also, don't mind Tammy. She is rude, too. Like you.

Is "cos" a cute little British abbreviation for because?

Let's "sweep the world" with that one too, cos I fancy it.

I am a Brit and I would like to add my opinion on some of the points raised here (even though everyone else will have moved on to the next post). First of all, Scots (of which I am one) also use the word "fancy" as in "fancy a pint?" (of beer). Similarly, if I find someone physically attractive, I might say that I "fancy" them. I would not describe something that is simply cute as being twee, however. A kitten per se is not twee, for example, but a kitten in a jacket might be twee. I can't think where the difference lies: I think tweeness requires an element of affectation, perhaps.

On the subject of Jesus' parentage, under Scots law there is a rebuttable presumption that the husband of the gestative mother is the father. In other words, Joseph would be deemed to be Jesus' father unless evidence existed to prove otherwise.

I think the brownie points idea is fabulous. It's about time grammatical (sorry JD - typographical) sticklers were rewarded. On the subject of practise/practice, I was taught that the way to remember it is to think of advise/advice.

I think Joel deserves several brownie points for "Cuckold of God".

Wouldn't you say that calling somebody rude is rude? Especially when that somebody is your elder?

Calling someone rude is the epitome of rude.

On the subject of cute abbreviations, do Americans use the word comfy?

They do.

yep 'cos' is a word for because. go on, sweep the world for all i care, it may bring a litle joy to someone's life.(oh by the way congratulations on that 'i fancy it' joke - very clever)
sorry about my comment on americans. i like them really. i wrote that comment when i was, er, drunk, yes, thats it!
also, sorry for, ahem, "slamming" jd's wife. o and thank you anthony for sticking up for me, i wont mind tammy.
and again generally sorry to you all for being a nosy prick, i have no idea how on earth i came by this sight or why the hell i even bothered putting my useless boring opinions on it, but there we are and id just like to clear that up. i really should get out more.

Let's get it straight here Dowingba and Tammy. It's "i before e except after c, or when sounded like "a" as in neighbour and weigh." So the word is "receiving" And, yes, I'm Canadian so neighbour is spelled with a "u".
PS Tammy, I miss your blog....