Best humor essays according to redditors

We found 1,205 Reddit comments discussing the best humor essays. We ranked the 318 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top Reddit comments about Humor Essays:

u/jimbo831 · 228 pointsr/EnoughTrumpSpam

That is from my Senator, Al Franken, in his book Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Told Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the right. Also available as a video.

u/MCA2142 · 148 pointsr/Fuckthealtright

Before he was a senator, Al Franken wrote a book called, "Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right".

It destroys Ann Coulter, and it's one of the most hilarious books I've ever read.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216

u/[deleted] · 127 pointsr/nfl
u/RamsesThePigeon · 64 pointsr/casualiama

Listen, /u/Warlizard... you and I have been through a fair amount over the years. We've had some compelling conversations, shared some secrets, and even discussed a collaboration which both of us failed to give any serious consideration. In a very real way, I think of us as the Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel of the site, and not just because of that one time when some guy wrote a weird novella about the two of us tangoing with /u/vargas.

The thing is, despite all we've been through, you've been more than a little bit cold when it comes to one particular topic... and so here, on the anniversary of your most notorious claim to fame – more well-known even than your oeuvre of excellent literature, your many creative accomplishments, or your utterly unflappable sense of ironic wit – I've decided to publicly clear the air as I ask you the same question that I've been approaching you with for the better part of four years:

Can I have some of your french fries?

u/preggit · 62 pointsr/nfl

I found it! (amazing title by the way) Thank you for having a kindle edition, I'm definitely going to check it out. Does that also say you'll have an audio version available where you are the narrator?

u/TooManyInLitter · 58 pointsr/DebateAnAtheist

> I am a borderline exmuslim who is doubting.

Op be safe. What is the penalty for leaving Islam (Apostasy)? [Hint - it is not a firm handshake and a goodbye wishing you health and long life].

> Would you believe in Islam if there were no scientific errors in the Quran?

> In Islam there are no scientific errors and all have basically been worked around as misinterpretations.

First, no I still would not believe that Islam represented credible and supportable trueness concerning the existence of the God YHWH/Allah, nor the claims of Allah's interventions/revelations.

Why?

For the same reason you (and I) [probably] do not accept the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and His Noodly Appendages just because "The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" is shown to be scientifically accurate; or of the Most Holy of Holy's, The Scared Narratives of Harry Potter, are shown to be completely accurate in the science presented.

Secondly, there are scientific errors within the Qur'an, and even though these errors have been apologized to death, a critical assessment of these apologetics... in accordance with the claimed revelation from Allah in The Heavenly Qur'an:

"Produce your proof, if you should be truthful" (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:111) to me; just as Islam requires that the claims of Judaism and Christianity have to be proved, then the same reasoning requires that the claims of Islam must be proved as well. After all, "Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason" (Surat Al-'Anfāl 8:22).

shows that the errors are actually errors and/or non-credible post-hoc reinterpretation of vague and non-precise ayat/ayah. To wit, an example and commentary:

  • Detailed description of embryology in Quran

    Now here is an actual example of that would be considered scientific
    foreknowledge in the Qur'an, if supportable - a candidate for an actual prophetic
    miracle.

    Al-Mu'minun 23:14 Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and
    We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump,
    bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into
    another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.


    So the bones came before the covering flash. Interesting. And not
    supported by contemporary medical knowledge.

    Without going into the scientific miracle of where the sperm are
    produced (i.e., The Qur'an states sperm is made/stored in the small of
    the back near the kidneys - and not the testicles), as I do not care to
    argue the mental gymnastics required to apologize this "Truth" of the
    Qur'an, the embryonic development of the bone first followed by flesh is
    completely falsified. Again, in order to spare myself the crapfest of
    apologetics to justify this "Prophecy" I will ask the question - Did
    this information concerning embryonic growth already exist prior to the
    claimed revelation via the Book of the Mother, via the messenger Angel
    Gabriel (Jibra'il), via some form of supernatural to natural
    communication to the Prophet Muhammad, via spoken voice to various
    followers of the Prophet, from various followers spoken to scribes
    years/decades after the death of Muhammad?

    Why look at that, Aristotle, in the 4th century BCE described embryonic
    development (Aristotle, De Generatione Animalium, Book II,
    739b20-739b30, as per Jonathan Barnes \(ed.\), The Complete Works of
    Aristotle, \(Princeton, 1985\), Vol 1, p.
    1148.
    ),
    and his treatise also contains the same erroneous idea that the embryo
    developed from a formless mass.

    Damn, when the Prophet plagiarizes already "known" information, he still
    got it wrong by plagiarizing that which was incorrect.

    The post-hoc interpretation of Qur'anic ayat/verses using highly
    selective imaginative interpretations of the meaning of the various
    words to claim support for a scientific miracle represents highly flawed
    apologetics.

    It is interesting that the claim of miracle of the prophecies of
    "scientific miracles" or "scientific foreknowledge" in the Qur'an are
    all post hoc interpretations to their discovery by mere mortal humans.
    It would be more convincing if the scientific knowledge was identifiable
    as usable knowledge prior to human knowledge based development or
    confirmation of this knowledge - rather than a post hoc interpretation
    of a verse/narrative such that this knowledge is only, somehow, found
    after it already becomes known.

    Look at these claimed Qur'an miracles and the date that there were
    recognized and the claims made - the overwhelming majority were made
    after science laid the foundation for interpretation. Rephrased - All of
    the claims of scientific miracles are made in hindsight (post hoc) -
    all are made following the advancement of knowledge from other sources
    and the verbiage within the Qur'an is then interpreted to show that this
    knowledge was, somehow, there all along. As a source of scientific
    knowledge, then, at best, the Qur'an has little worth.

    If you wish to demonstrate that there is value in the scientific
    knowledge claimed to be within the Qur'an, please present a scientific
    postulation/hypothesis/theory derived from a verse, or from verses, from
    the Qur'an that was developed prior to the development of this
    knowledge from other sources. Or make prediction(s) of future scientific
    knowledge based upon the Qur'an and develop a method of inquiry based
    on this claimed scientific knowledge and gathering observable and
    measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning and
    experimentation and show that this predicted scientific knowledge to be
    true to a high level of reliability and confidence. I am willing to wait
    a lifetime for a beforehand/foresight version of scientific knowledge
    from the Qur'an to be demonstrated in any meaningful way. Otherwise,
    post hoc interpretations holds no credibility of the Qur'an as a source
    of scientific claims/foreknowledge.

    Finally, let us not overlook the numerous scientific errors, with or
    without claims of prophecy/scientific foreknowledge, that are present in
    the Qur'an:

    1
    Astronomy


    1.1 Geocentricism

    1.2 Setting and Rising Place of the Sun

    1.3 Stars are Missiles Shot at Devils

    1.4 Moon is Further from the Earth than the Stars

    1.5 Moon Emits Light

    1.6 Moon was Split in Two

    1.7 Seven Planets in the Universe

    1.8 Seven Heavens

    1.9 Earth Created in Six Days

    1.10 Earth Created before Stars

    1.11 Sun is a Flat Disk

    1.12 Sky is a Tent/Dome

    1.13 Sky Guards the Earth

    1.14 Sky is Made of Solid Material

    1.15 Sky can Fall Down on People

    1.16 Ignorance of the North and South Poles

    2 Biology

    2.1 Evolution

    2.1.1 Human Creation from Clay

    2.1.2 First Humans: Adam and Eve

    2.1.3 Humans Created in Paradise and then Brought to Earth

    2.2 Embryology

    2.2.1 Sperm Originates Between the Backbone and Ribs

    2.2.2 Embryo is Formed from Male and Female Fluids

    2.2.3 No Mention of Female Ovum

    2.2.4 Humans Created from a Clot of Blood

    2.2.5 Only Allah Knows the Gender of a Fetus

    2.3 All Organisms are Created in Pairs

    2.4 Womb has Three Layers

    2.5 Bones are Formed before Flesh

    2.6 Source and Purity of Milk

    3 Geology and Meteorology

    3.1 The Earth is Flat

    3.1.1 Facing Toward Mecca

    3.1.2 Earth is Spread Out and Flat

    3.1.3 Earth is Like a Couch

    3.1.4 Earth is Like a Carpet

    3.1.5 Earth is a Wide Plain

    3.1.6 Earth is Level

    3.2 Earth has Seven Atmospheric Layers

    3.3 The Earth does not Rotate

    3.4 Permanent Barrier between Fresh and Salt Water

    3.5 Mountains Prevent Earthquakes

    3.6 Mountains Cast into the Earth

    3.7 Chest Contracts with Altitude

    3.8 Earthquakes are a Punishment from God

    3.9 Hurricanes and Blizzards are a Punishment from God

    3.10 Rainwater is Pure

    3.11 No Evaporation in Water Cycle

    3.12 Hail Comes from Mountains in the Sky

    3.13 Thunder is an Angel

    4 Zoology

    4.1 Bees Eat Fruit

    4.2 Ants Recognize Humans and Speak with Each Other

    4.3 Horses Created as Transportation

    4.4 Bird Flight is a Miracle

    4.5 Classification of Creatures

    4.6 Only Eight Types of Cattle

    4.7 Birth Defects and Imperfections

    4.8 Poisonous Sea Life is Edible

    4.9 Birds Fight Elephants

    4.10 Sinful Animals

    5 History

    5.1 Wall of Iron between Two Mountains

    5.2 Christians Worship Mary as Part of the Trinity

    5.3 Noah's Ark holds Every Species

    5.4 Pharaoh or Pharaohs

    5.5 Jews call Ezra the Son of God

    5.6 Supernatural Destruction of Cities

    5.7 Humans can Sleep for Three Hundred Years

    5.8 Humans can Live for a Thousand Years

    5.9 Non-Existent Mosque in Jerusalem

    6 Sociology

    6.1 Fasting and Prayer Requirements at the Poles

    6.2 People are Protected in Mecca

    6.3 Non-Muslims are Deaf, Dumb, and Blind

    6.4 All Animals Live in Communities

    6.5 Requirement to Learn in Arabic

    7 Myths and Legendary Tales

    7.1 Humans Transformed into Apes

    7.2 Tribe Trapped Behind a Wall

    7.3 Supernatural Food

    7.4 A Stick Transforms into a Serpent

    7.5 Solomon's Army of Genies and Birds

    7.6 Jonah Performs Repentance inside a Fish

    7.7 Muhammad Flies on a Winged Horse to Heaven

    7.8 Body Parts Speak

    7.9 The Ocean Split in Half

    7.10 Solomon can Control the Wind

    7.11 A Dead Man Testified against his Killer

    7.12 Animals Speak to Humans

    7.13 Mountains and Birds can Sing Songs

    8 Others

    8.1 Mathematical Error in Hereditary Laws

    8.2 People use the Forehead to Lie

    8.3 Space Flight is Impossible
u/markulees · 36 pointsr/funny

Adam Carola is great! I miss the days of "love line" the radio show. Good ol' Dr. Drew and Adam. Check out his book In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks

u/SubtleProductPlacer · 36 pointsr/funny

"these are the appropriate alternate items to mark your place in your book:

  • Money (nothing less than a twenty)
  • Another copy of this book"

    Considering the book is under $20 on Amazon, using a second book instead of a $20 bill is only cost effective.
u/Warlizard · 36 pointsr/announcements

Back the fuck up.

Just so I'm clear, if I post something with an affiliate link, I get shadow-banned for spamming Reddit but when you do it, it's a new revenue model?

Am I missing something here? Is this new? Are you officially saying that Reddit users may now add an affiliate code to anything they link?

In the 5 years since my book came out, it has been linked countless times on Reddit. I can only imagine how much affiliate money I would have made by putting a little code after that and raking in the phat dough.

BRB, adding affiliate links to ALL THE THINGS!

EDIT:

Just to be clear, if I link my book like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Warlizard-Chronicles-Adventures-Vodka-Women/dp/0615461875?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0615461875&linkCode=w00&linkId=a17fd354f33b5cbdd0411289137ec0ab&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=warlizard-20

then nothing will be changed but if I just link it like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Warlizard-Chronicles-Adventures-Vodka-Women/dp/0615461875

Then your software will add in a Reddit affiliate link to it and you guys will get the revenue?

Just trying to clarify. I can't see any way this could be abused at all.

Oh, and here's my book, one more time, with affiliate link added, just so people can see an example of how this works:

http://www.amazon.com/Warlizard-Chronicles-Adventures-Vodka-Women/dp/0615461875?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0615461875&linkCode=w00&linkId=a17fd354f33b5cbdd0411289137ec0ab&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=warlizard-20

u/niiru · 34 pointsr/funny

Not in Britain!

Which I learned while reading this fantastic book.

u/pascha · 33 pointsr/history

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a book of Native American languages, Native American Sign Language and the Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes on an Android tablet with a solar charger.

I would aim for the East Coast of North America where I would attempt to bring all of the tribes together as a weak federal Pastafarian Republic. I would unify the languages and write a strong, peaceful constitution with equal rights and literacy for all, to keep the tribes from fighting amongst themselves and would predict the arrival of whitey in 3,800 moons and draw pictures of their boats. It would be ingrained in each and every Native American that whitey's are savages and are only coming there to steal their gold, women and maize.

Once it was established, we would expand into South America and the Caribbean islands, Hispaniola first! I would instruct them to build a large, white cross on the coast of Hispaniola where Columbus will land. Once he lands, they will declare Columbus the Messiah and crucify him on the spot. That should get rid of the Europeans long enough for the Americas to be sovereign.

*Edit for explanation.

u/senectus · 32 pointsr/atheistparents

Some advice on the indoctrination stuff:
counter it with a copy of the Qur'an (in english) a copy of the Torah and just for kicks a copy of this http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568 .
When asked why, just reply that you're very happy to teach her about religions in equal parts. It will be her decision to choose which of them if any she wants to follow.

The Birth room:
No. In the US might be different, but over here in Australia its up to the mother who is in attendance. Oh and I would suggest that NO ONE gets to visit except the father until you're past the baby blues. (approx 4 days) This is what We did for both our children, and I think that quiet bonding and "coming to grips" time is really important Also it takes away any unneeded stress brought about by the sudden hormone influx you're going to get smashed with.

This is not just off the cuff advice, this is exactly how I have behaved and acted with our family. They wont like it, but they'll get over it... little babies are great for disarming cranky grandparents.

oh and Re: the breastfeeding.
F!#K her. She gets zero say in this (and most the rest). you do what you feel is right, incidentally if for whatever reason you can not breastfeed (it happens), don't feel she "won" and you failed, just own whatever decision you make.
She is a momentary blip in the life of your child, you're her mother and she'll always see you as #1 in her life.

u/Gusfoo · 31 pointsr/LearnUselessTalents

The worst-case scenario survival handbook may fit the bill. Want to know how to jump from a motorbike in to a car? Or win a sword fight?

u/Who_GNU · 29 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

No wading needed, there are automated tools to search your comment history.

I now know you live in Scottsdale, AZ, you have a wife and at least one son. (It also says you have a mother, but I could have guessed that. Chances are you have a father, too.)

You are a writer, here is your web page, and your rather amusing looking book on Amazon.

Also, you are a personal fan of lots of eyeliner. (seeing it, not wearing it)

u/untide · 26 pointsr/funny
u/raumschiffzummond · 23 pointsr/etymology

"Instability" and "unstable" have the same root, the Latin adjective "stabilis" (from the verb "stare," to stay). Like /u/probably-yeah said, the prefixes "in" and "un" came to English from different sources: "in" is French/Latin and "un" is Germanic.

English spelling really didn't standardize until the advent of the printing press, and then the choices were made by book publishers and were often arbitrary. 'Correct' English spelling was developed piecemeal, and various attempts to streamline it over the centuries have failed. Source: Bill Bryson, The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way.

u/mnmachinist · 23 pointsr/HistoryPorn
u/MooseLips_SinkShips · 23 pointsr/BoJackHorseman

Awesome catch. Anyone who doesn't know, it's a reference to this book. I'm guessing the gag is also that Alan gets shot and then immediately leaves in the scene.

u/pirround · 21 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

You've had a setback, but it isn't the end of the world. Things probably aren't as bad as you think they are, but it will take work both to catch up, and to convince yourself that you're up to speed.

  1. Decide you're going to work at this. It sounds like this is where the major gap has been -- without your parents providing goals, it can be difficult to motivate yourself. Make a schedule, and stick to it. Assume something like four hours of work a day and do it -- you might find allocating certain hours works better. I don't know if you have other responsibilities, like a job or caring for family, so ultimately you'll have to decide on this.

  2. Figure out how far behind you really are.

    a) Reading

    A lot of English skills are about practice, so reading anything (including Reddit) is good. Maybe pick up a popular book:

    "The Hunger Games" or "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone" are both at about a grade 6 level. I'd avoid Twilight, which is at about a grade 4 level (and everything past the first book is crap, in my opinion).

    If that's okay, try "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "1984". These are more cultural classics (so you can feel more sophisticated), but at still interesting to read, and are at about a grade 8-9 level.

    There aren't really a lot of books that are more difficult than that to read, so if you can manage that, you can read well enough to do a GED.

    The more difficult books generally use archaic language like "The Canterbury Tales" or Shakespeare. In general I wouldn't recommend Shakespeare since reading plays is difficult, the language complicates things, too many people treat them as serious and deadly dull, and it takes a lot of work to even understand many of the references -- that's a place for a good teacher (and teachers who are up to the task are few and far between).

    You might also try looking at something like (Dont-Know-Much-About-History)[http://www.amazon.com/Don't Know Much About History/dp/0060083824]. It's fairly advanced reading (grade 11-12), and it teaches some aspects of US history that you might not know. If you like that, there's a similar book by the same author about geography. I'll also suggest (Mother Tongue)[http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430] by Bill Bryson. Again a possibly interesting subject, and it's funny.

    For other books, a good librarian can be a great resource, or some sites can offer some suggestions for books based on reading level.

    b) Writing

    I think that clear written communication is a very important skill. Your question was clear, so that's a good sign you aren't too far behind. Some Essay writing is more common in higher education, but the skills are still useful in office work. The introduction in an essay and an executive summary are quite similar.

    The problem here is that getting someone else's point of view is very helpful. You might be able to find some assistance on Reddit, but many colleges have writing centers to help students with this. You could probably approach a local high-school teacher -- in many cases they are willing to help any motivated student. It's amazing how much you can improve if you find someone who is decent and take the time to re-write the essay a few times to incorporate their suggestions. It's difficult to completely rewrite an essay multiple times, but going through the effort once or twice can make a dramatic difference. (As a student my wife worked in one of those writing centers and several times had cases where the professors didn't believe the students could improve that much that quickly.)

    c) Math

    There are a number of sites like http://ca.ixl.com/ that have basic math tests. These don't try to teach math like Khan Academy does, but they can help figure out where to start going through the lessons.

    I'm already helping with some math tutoring, so I'm fairly comfortable offering my help here. (If you're serious about this, PM me ahead of time since I'm not always logged into Reddit.)

  3. Catching up

    Depending on how far behind you actually are you have a few options.

    As others have said, there are GED courses at many community colleges.

    If you don't feel ready for that there are also free online high school classes. I don't know much about these, but this one seems to have a pretty standard curriculum, and gets reasonable approval from the home schooling forums. There are also summer school and adult education high school courses that you can take in most places. Or you might try enrolling in regular high school -- this might be the best option, since it provides a structure, extra help from teachers if you're willing to ask for it, and some of the social contact. If you sign up for next year now you'll have given yourself a deadline for some of the other work, which might help with the motivation.
u/steveyoo97 · 21 pointsr/atheism

It got bad reviews because it's supposedly a pretty crappy spin-off book from the original FSM book, which has multiple, positive reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568/ref=pd_sim_b_1

u/MALEDICTIONS · 20 pointsr/funny

It's a pretty funny book if anyone is thinking about buying it.

edit: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Sorry, I thought the title was implied from the parent comment.

u/Marted · 19 pointsr/ToiletPaperUSA

Buy the book.
^^^^You ^^^^can ^^^^also ^^^^pirate ^^^^it.

u/TheAdamMorrison · 19 pointsr/ChapoTrapHouse

I think everyone here in particular should buy the Chapo book.


edit: when I made this comment I thought I was on r/mma, turns out i was just on drunk

u/kyleadolson · 18 pointsr/magicTCG

Owen wins 1,169,474 more games then eats, shoots, and leaves.

u/he-said-youd-call · 17 pointsr/Showerthoughts

On an unrelated note, I just discovered this guy has a book! Totally buying that with my next paycheck. You're one of my favorite redditors, extremely longstanding running joke aside.

u/Iron_Nightingale · 16 pointsr/politics
u/HembraunAirginator · 16 pointsr/traingifs
u/jerryonimo · 15 pointsr/pics

Bill Bryson made the point, in his very enjoyable 1998 book "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail", that the Forest Service builds and maintains more miles of roads than any other part of the federal government.

u/randible · 15 pointsr/WTF

I believe you mean "eats shoots and leaves"

u/boxbeat · 14 pointsr/gaybros

If you're looking for a fun, but enriching read, I highly recommend Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything". It's tough to put down and you're guaranteed to learn some amazing things.

Similarly, Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" comes to mind, although I haven't read it in some time. Seems fitting for the gaybros since it's about hiking the Appalachian Trail - a dream of mine some day.

u/most_superlative · 14 pointsr/pics

I always get very excited when anyone acknowledges my username, so thanks! And yes, I love it very much; I'd recommend The Mother Tongue - English and How It Got That Way if you want a hilarious (seriously, it is) book on English that'll make you love it too.

u/elemenstor · 14 pointsr/funny

What's the link to it? You're definitely funny, and I'd love to read more.

Also, the "crazy letters" idea reminds me of the book Letters from a Nut. I recommend it.

u/HotRodLincoln · 13 pointsr/pics

OP hasn't slept since he enrolled. Everyone should cut him a break.

[1]

u/BackstrokeBitch · 13 pointsr/submechanophobia

Alright, if this happens, here's whatcha need to do.

STEP 1

Roll down or break your windows as soon as you hit the water. This will equalize pressure and let you out. To break it, use anything from the headrest of your seat, to your foot, to a ladies heeled shoe.

STEP 2

GTFO. Don't take anything with you unless its someone else. Don't waste time on anything but a person, because if the water is deeper than fifteen feet, your car will end up upside down. This complicates things.

STEP 3

If you can't open or break the windows, do not panic. Wait until your car touches bottom and starts filling up. Once the water reaches your chest, take a very deep breath and open your door. Swim to the surface.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558 this book, which I'm super glad I have a use for, finally.

u/TrefoilHat · 12 pointsr/oculus

This may be a reference to Stephen Colbert's book, "I Am America (And So Can You!)"

u/Bichpwner · 12 pointsr/wakinguppodcast

CTH is openly communist, they peddle a militant post-structural historical revisionism.

https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287

Standard Neo-Marxist fare.

u/snkngshps · 11 pointsr/politics

And from someone who literally wrote a (great) book called "Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them"

u/gobloblob · 11 pointsr/atheism

Nothing spiked sales of Al Franken's book Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, a Fair and Balanced Look at the Right like Bill O'Reilly whining about it.

u/wallysmith127 · 10 pointsr/shadowrunreturns

For some background, Kluwe is like tailor made for reddit: very vocal on social issues (anti-Prism, pro-gay marriage, etc.), professional athlete (punter on the Raiders), massive gamer (loves Monster Hunter and his twitter handle is @ChrisWarcraft) and his reddit handle is /u/loate. He even tweets training camp videos using Google Glass and he's written a pretty awesome nerdtastic book Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies.

So yeah, pretty awesome to see him as a consistent NPC in Shadowrun. I've been a fan of his since his UCLA days (GO BRUINS) so it's cool to see him still grabbing various headlines long after his college days.

u/mcrabb23 · 10 pointsr/funny

You might like this book if you haven't already read it.

u/TheL0nePonderer · 10 pointsr/atheism

Thanks, apparently that's reprinted from Al Franken's "Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."

Just ordered!

u/thanatocoenosis · 10 pointsr/Kentucky

Read this for some insight on yourself and your fellow Republicans. "Idiot America: how stupidity became a virtue in the land of the free"

u/DiscreteChi · 10 pointsr/Destiny

Isn't as bad as it sounds!

Currently reading Akira and Chapo while waiting for On Disobedience and a book of Cicero's writings to arrive.

u/yetisyny · 10 pointsr/ContraPoints

Oh right, it got torn apart by critics, that explains the 5-star rating on Amazon and the overwhelmingly positive reviews... https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287

Still, you should email Virgil about your dislike of the show, I am sure he would appreciate the feedback.

u/admorobo · 9 pointsr/suggestmeabook

If he's into the outdoors, I'd recommend A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson or The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert

u/beliefsarerelative · 9 pointsr/WTF
u/Beaglepower · 9 pointsr/WTF

Sounds like Ted Nancy's Letters From a Nut. He sends letters to real people and places and publishes the letter and response. They are laugh out loud funny.

u/Ivotedforher · 9 pointsr/nottheonion

Everyone needs to read the book which started funny crank letters in the late 20th century: Letters from a Nut https://www.amazon.com/dp/0380973545/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZQdJDbCMGE2GF

u/godofallcows · 9 pointsr/fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu

Buy his book. It's cheap and amazing. Like "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" but better.

http://www.amazon.com/Warlizard-Chronicles-Adventures-Vodka-Women/dp/0615461875

u/guru42101 · 9 pointsr/Kentucky

The one true word: https://smile.amazon.com/Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568/

I have a friend who is a biology teacher and ordained Pastafarian. He plans on teaching it as an alternative to evolution.

u/plentyofrabbits · 9 pointsr/SandersForPresident

The Gospel CLEARLY states that global temperatures have risen as the global pirate population decreased. Therefore, climate change is anthropogenic but more economic than environmental.

R'Amen.

u/inhuman4 · 9 pointsr/CanadaPolitics

Human Rights Tribunal gets it wrong again.

Atheism is not a creed, it is the absence of a creed. Calling athiesm a creed is like calling "Off" a TV channel.

People should not be distributing religious materials in classrooms. It's a stupid idea and it should be stopped because:

  • Grade 5 is not an appropriate age to be debates relgious ideas. Kids just are not mature enough

  • It puts the government in a position of having to determine not just what counts as a religion, but also which books are considered holy.

    The whole thing is foolish. The minute Islamic groups start taking the school up on this offer there is going to be a shit storm.

    The problem is that Mr. Choinard chose a book that sounds reasonable. This FSM would have gotten the point across more clearly.
u/gunslinger81 · 8 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I recommend going to your local ibrary and finding The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. He's funny and has an engaging style (plus it isn't very long). He's one of my favorite nonfiction authors.

Bryson also wrote a companion book called Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States. I haven't read that one yet, but just based on the author, it's probably something worth checking out.

u/Helzibah · 8 pointsr/Minecraft

Strongly recommended if you like dry British humour. In fact, I would recommend listening to the original radio series rather than reading the books. The voice acting is excellent and I find that the first revision of the stories is actually the best written, but that may just be bias as that's where I started.

u/russellvt · 8 pointsr/IAmA

Just some linkage for the lazy: "The Warlizard Chronicles: Adventures with Vodka, Women, & War" ... since he was "nice enough" to not include it (ie. self-promote), here.

Edit: Looks like a good book (and I nearly died laughing at Tucker Max's first novel, to which this is compared) ... so (Warlizard's book is) now on my own wish list.

Edit: clarified indefinite article in the previous stealth edit

u/xumun · 8 pointsr/politics

> Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.


> Charles P Pierce is currently the lead political blogger for Esquire, a position he has held since September 2011. He also wrote for ESPN's Grantland. He has also written for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe Sunday magazine, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Sports Illustrated, The National Sports Daily, GQ, and the e-zine Slate as well as the Media Matters blog Altercation, hosted by historian/pundit Eric Alterman.

u/mini4x · 8 pointsr/ATBGE
u/KevlarYarmulke · 8 pointsr/houston

That's hilarious but I think it's actually this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812976568/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Wc9Wub1K72CTY

u/bobby_racket · 8 pointsr/MorbidReality
u/bmwnut · 8 pointsr/SantaBarbara

Whoa there hombre. Serial comma all the way.

u/usbduong33 · 8 pointsr/MLS

Matt Doyle's response to Twellman's "ding-dong" comment:

>Got my xmas shopping for @TaylorTwellman done:

> http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41z6w-f6QeL.jpg

u/Bike-o-king · 7 pointsr/childfree

http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Tell-Them/dp/0452285216

It's a good read. And funny too. The author is now a US senator.

u/sleepydog404 · 7 pointsr/DontPanic

Here's a box set on Amazon of all 5 radio series:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hitchhikers-Guide-To-Galaxy/dp/0563504196/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E0Z1PTPGEBY0ZSKG1GG

Thing is the first 2 series, the "Primary" and "Secondary Phases" were the original series made by Douglas Adams. The other 3 'Phases' were recorded after his death and after some of the original cast, like Peter Jones & Richard Vernon, had passed away too. So if it's just the original radio series you want you might want to scan ebay etc. for second hand copies of the first 2. They've been released on vinyl and cassette tape (which I have) a number of times. Or you could go the whole hog and buy the box set on CD. It's not cheap but well worth listening to if you're a fan.

u/upwithwhich · 7 pointsr/tipofmytongue

I know the colors are off, but could it be The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook?

u/tom-slacker · 7 pointsr/singapore

repay the favor by giving them this next time:

https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568

u/Hellestheaeus · 7 pointsr/ChapoTrapHouse

Every question here is covered in the book.

u/Catma · 7 pointsr/u_toyotausa

The fact that most people in the thread are actually engaging with the bait question instead of remarking on the jarring arrival of the reality-indifferent corporate sponsor is a good indication that humanity is doomed. That's why I would preserve The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason. Available now from Simon and Schuster wherever great books are sold. Buy the book!


https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287

u/tb8592 · 6 pointsr/askphilosophy

This book, "Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar" is very helpful for understanding basic philosophy concepts through jokes. I read it when I was younger and it was very entertaining to read, not overwhelming or intimidating, and pretty funny also.

https://www.amazon.com/Plato-Platypus-Walk-into-Understanding/dp/0143113879

u/kevan0317 · 6 pointsr/CampingandHiking

A walk in the woods - Bill Bryson. Read this book and randomly met the author on the virginia creeper a few months afterwards. Super nice guy.

u/ChuckSpears · 6 pointsr/WhiteRights

The Pussification of the American Male


>A couple years back, I was at the Phoenix airport bar. It was empty except for one heavy-set, gray bearded, grizzled guy who looked like he just rode his donkey into town after a long day of panning for silver in them thar hills. He ordered a Jack Daniels straight up, and that's when I overheard the young guy with the earring behind the bar asking him if he had ID. At first the old sea captain just laughed. But the guy with the twinkle in his ear asked again. At this point it became apparent that he was serious. Dan Haggerty's dad fired back, "You've got to be kidding me, son." The bartender replied, "New policy. Everyone has to show their ID." Then I watched Burl Ives reluctantly reach into his dungarees and pull out his military identification card from World War II.

It's a sad and eerie harbinger of our times that the Oprah-watching, crystal-rubbing, Whole Foods-shopping moms and their whipped attorney husbands have taken the ability to reason away from the poor schlub who makes the Bloody Marys. What we used to settle with common sense or a fist, we now settle with hand sanitizer and lawyers. Adam Carolla has had enough of this insanity and he's here to help us get our collective balls back.

In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks: . . . And Other Complaints from an Angry Middle-Aged White Guy
by Adam Carolla

u/bumbletowne · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

This is a very interesting point. Last week I read The Mother Tongue by Bryson. It's a wonderful overview of the development and divergence of the English language, and explores the tendencies for Americans to retain the foreign word for an object: but also the trend of using the German or French word for a foreign article over a spanish/mandarin/japanese one.

He argued that it came down to isolation of a language affecting it's development the most. There are people in England who are not mutually intelligible to one another, just as there are people who cannot understand one another in America, but they are all technically speaking the same language. The idiomatic expressions are more unique than regional dress or music (with the exception of the appalachians). Yet, if you add things like Uber or Wonder or Kinder to the front of a word, it becomes mutually intelligible across most dialects because of common Germanic roots. The same could be said for the latin participles, also.
I assume with foods that are easy to pronounce and are phonetically identifiable (for example saur sounds like 'sour' and kraut has a hard sound like 'cabbage'... retaining saurkraut is not as difficult as say: poutine, which is often called monster fries or urban fries).

u/pattycraq · 6 pointsr/books

Tough to decide between the two, but it's the same author and they're tied together so I'll just go with it: Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States and The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. As a lover of language and its history, it's really interesting to see the links between usage in Britain and America.

I didn't know of Bryson before randomly buying these (damn, do I love book stores) and plan on buying more of his in the future when my reading list has been pared down a bit. (I've since learned he's very well-known and my outdoors-loving, recovering alcoholic dad read a Bryson book about getting sober and hiking the Appalachians a few years back.) His writing is very engaging and incredibly funny. I've read a lot of other linguistic books that weren't nearly as "fun" to read as these. Highly recommended.

u/In_The_News · 6 pointsr/Christianity

>That suffering is pointless is a pagan and atheist notion, not a Christian one.

I wholeheartedly disagree. Christ ended physical suffering for a lot of people. He healed people so they wouldn't suffer. The whole point of Christ's existence was to end the suffering of people separated from God.

And, this just gets under my skin, someone saying they're "suffering for Jesus" is a pharisee. They're spitting in the face of the gifts of modern medicine - a gift from God to ease the suffering of a host of people.

I really and truly hope you never have to endure, or worse yet, see a loved on endure, true medical suffering. When you see what it does to a person, how it breaks them, there's nothing at all redemptive about that. It is painful, it is heartbreaking, it is the last thing that you think God wants his children to go through. And, believe me, you would want to do anything in your power to stop it through any means necessary.

Acts 5:41 is aimed at being a social outcast and a political refugee, not someone who is going through Chemo or someone who is battling MS.

And, we need to talk about Paul. Paul, formerly Saul, one, didn't know Jesus, never followed Jesus and really didn't have any first-hand knowledge of Christ at all. So there's that. And, when we read anything written by Paul, we're reading someone else's 1800 year old mail. It's like Letters From A Nut, except we don't have the letter he is replying it. We are missing basically all of the context.

Now, Luke is a little more reliable. And again, we see Christ talking in parable. He didn't mean to literally pick up a cross, obviously. So how do you jump to the conclusion that physical suffering is what he meant?

>"Should we stop palliative care of cancer patients and the elderly?"

But why not? If suffering is some wonderful gift, why not give everyone a good healthy dose of pain? Perhaps because it is cruel? On their way out of this world shouldn't folks get the "character building" experience of excruciating pain? Meet Jesus in the throes of agony? I mean, that's what The Saints ^^TM did...

Or perhaps your humanity kicks in and you realize that suffering is, really, rather pointless in our modern society.

u/EvilChainsaw · 6 pointsr/humor

Reminds me of the books by Ted L. Nancy. "Letters from a Nut" is the first one.

u/KSDem · 6 pointsr/WayOfTheBern

Dear Mr. Pierce:

  1. If you don't understand the importance of FOIA, both to the public and to the Fourth Estate, you're too stupid to be writing for Esquire. If you have an opportunity, you might want to visit the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press website for a quick tutorial.

  2. Before you write about the NYT stalking Clinton, you should probably do a little more research on how she stalked them.

  3. "She gets to write a book. She gets to have a say. Deal with it." Like Christine O'Donnell?

    Someone should probably clue Pierce in on the fact that stupidity is not a virtue and that "Idiot America" will call him out on his own each and every single time.
u/KrosTrikare · 6 pointsr/atheism
u/MonkeyPretzel · 6 pointsr/MST3K

Satellite of Love, LLC, (a/k/a Shout Factory, since they are at the same address), holds the trademark to the actual silhouette, or at least one version of it. https://trademarks.justia.com/868/61/n-86861602.html

The trouble with going after the Nazis, excuse me, white nationalists, for infringement as I've seen suggested elsewhere, is that the trademark holders haven't gone after other uses of the silhouette, modified like it is on that book cover or not. Take a look at the cover of the Chapo Trap House book, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287 .

Also, there were so many years when the silhouette and use of it went unchallenged by the former holder, Best Brains, that it set a president of free use. So it would likely be a prolonged legal case with probably a not-good chance of a positive outcome for Shout Factory, who most likely doesn't have the budget for such a battle.

Edit: Apparently Best Brains may have never trademarked the silhouette.

u/Retroactive_Spider · 6 pointsr/movies

> "That bus is full of children Superman!!"

You should read Eats, Shoots and Leaves at some point in your life.

u/TheCheshireCody · 6 pointsr/grammar

There are formal grammar guides and more 'layman' and humorous guides, but I've found the best success just by learning from context. Read quality books in any field and see how authors write. Read articles in newspapers and magazines that are not sold on supermarket checkout lines, and notice the writing. Learn by osmosis, just by seeing correct grammar and observing it. You'll get a feel for comma placement, apostrophe use, and so forth. Honestly, that's how I learned.

I will say the few sentences you've typed above are pretty decent. Only a couple of minor, nitpicky, errors.

u/ReindeerHoof · 5 pointsr/classicalmusic

The first thing that I suggest is that you buy a reputable book that will teach you how to write. I'm not saying that you're a bad writer, but I would wager that most people write three times worse than they think they can (I am including myself). On Writing Well is a classic, and you might also want to read this one and this one, although I strongly recommend completing the first one. What's included is:

a) Keep it simple. Don't say it's going to be a turbulent precipitation, say that it's going to rain. A lot.

b) Study each adverb and adjective. Any words that aren't necessary should be cut. Is it really important to say that the violin was wooden? Probably not. What about the sentence "She smiled happily"? The "happily" isn't necessary, that's what "smiled" means.

c) Use specific verbs.

d) Consistency is key. Switching tenses or something similar in the middle of writing is generally a bad move.

e) Proofread. Duh. That goes hand in hand with editing.

So, yeah. You should really look into that stuff area. One read-through will help significantly.

Ok. So now that I finished preaching to you, let's move on. I didn't find any templates in my quick search, so that's of no use right now. What you can do, though, is study very well-written program notes. Are their sentences long or short? When are they longer or shorter, and why? Is the tone active or passive (psst. it's probably active)? What's the tone that they use, and what is your impression at the end? You get the gist. If you write down what you think your thoughts for three of these, you'll have a good idea what you're shooting for. Other than that, it's all up to you, so go nuts.

Anecdotes are also a nice way to make things entertaining. Search for stories, or impacts on the audience. Did you know there are at least six editions of the Rite of Spring? Why was the one your orchestra's performing (let's assume) created? Many people also don't know about the riot after its premier. Stravinsky escaped out the back entrance to avoid the aristocratic mob. Say fun things, win fun prizes, or something like that.

It's also important to know that stories tend to follow the path of one person. The Odyssey could have had its crew be the focus, instead it was Odysseus. Inside Out could have placed all the emotions front and center, but it was Sadness and Joy that saved the girl. Keep that in mind if you're going down a similar path.

Man, I went all out on this. Good luck with your program.

u/icyrae · 5 pointsr/writing
  • The Writing Life by Annie Dillard -- An example both in the things she says and how she says it of damn good writing. It's short, and influential. I read it three times in twenty four hours the first time I picked it up.

  • [Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087788918X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=087788918X&linkCode=as2&tag=crysbrya-20) by Madeline L'Engle -- I recommend this for anyone of any faith or lack thereof for L'Engle's discussions on true art, the morality of art, the effect it has on a person's being and possibly the best writing I've ever read of hers, and I love L'Engle's novels, so that's saying something.

  • On Writing Well by William Zinnser -- My personal copy has probably half the book underlined, but my favorite chapter, by far, is Chapter 2, Simplicity. I feel it should be required reading for every author aspirant.

  • The Art of the Personal Essay by Philip Lopate -- This is an anthology, but a better teacher of good personal writing than any how-to book I've ever read.

  • Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss -- You'll never find grammar or punctuation boring again after reading Truss's hilarious and informative treatment of the worthiness of punctuation, in current times and throughout history. (Though I disagree with her dismissal of the interrobang.)
u/doomparrot42 · 5 pointsr/BadSocialScience

So you say:

> If I think that I'm a competent and nice person, and I have a roommate or coworker that treats me like a fool and a jerk, that's going to create some cognitive dissonance, for sure. But I don't have the right to control what he mirrors back to me.

But then you say:

> The problem is that others feel cowed by them and afraid to discuss things.

How is it the fault of "PC types" how others respond to them? They don't have the right to control what people mirror back to them, after all.

> But at the same time we have to also recognize that being part of a society necessarily involves repressing some aspects of ourselves in order to interact with others. Animals don't do this - they do not empathize, they do not conceive that other animals have rights, so they rape and assault and steal.

Acting as though humans, because we are animals, are all prone to the same impulses and desires as animals is rather fallacious. And as it happens, many animals can and do empathize. Bonobos do not rape or assault, for example; they're a pacifistic species that uses sexuality to form bonds, reconcile differences, and keep the peace. Animal psychology isn't my specialty, but you're talking veneer theory here, which is not really a current part of the field. Check out Frans de Waal's primatology research - it's not as simple as "animals are brutal and society represses that in humans." Learning to exist in an interdependent society, and so learning to practice altruism and to set aside violent tendencies, is not remotely the same thing as attempting to pretend to be something that you are not in order to protect yourself from bigots.

You're still talking about identity in a broad sense strictly from your perspective on/understanding of the term. That doesn't mean that it's everyone's experience. You're not Schroedinger's human, both extant and not until observed. Identity may be refined through interaction but it is potentially defined in many different ways. In the case of pronoun choice, that's not about asking people to mirror back your identity to you, that's about asking people to not forcibly impose their own reality onto you. There is a distinction. Your framing makes it sound more like "speshul snowflakes need everyone to validate them" - that's not the point, at all.

And you mentioned that you were thinking of reading Heidegger this summer? If you have time to reddit you have time to read. Pick up an actual book, it'll do you good. You don't seem to have much of a sense of humor, maybe try this.

u/HeadphoneJackal · 5 pointsr/running

If you like reading, here are a few other great books:

u/youstaygolden · 5 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a hilarious account of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, interspersed with really interesting information/stories about the creation of the trail and other US National Parks.

u/gooneruk · 5 pointsr/funny

This isn't far off the title of a book by NFL punter Chris Kluwe: "Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies". Kindred spirits?

u/TenaciousBe · 5 pointsr/minnesotavikings

Dammit, Kluwe, I wasn't planning on tearing up today. Beautifully written piece about the state I call my home. Sigh.

Also, don't forget his book is out! http://www.amazon.com/Beautifully-Unique-Sparkleponies-Football-Absurdities/dp/0316236772

u/crashsuit · 5 pointsr/KenM

Letters From A Nut is full of great stuff too.

u/Locke005 · 5 pointsr/books
u/Airazz · 5 pointsr/exmuslim

Yea, messenger is Bobby Henderson and book is The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. As it is known, FSM is quite a tricky god, he loves deceiving humans and causing confusion for his own amusement. That's where all other gods come from, it's Him playing with us.

u/a_random_username · 5 pointsr/Minecraft

Of all the words in the English language.... you screw up the plurization of pandas

u/heyitsanne · 4 pointsr/philosophy

Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar - amazon

Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy - wiki

And even though it is pretty heavy philosophy, I can't leave out David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature - wiki

u/JBB_Alien · 4 pointsr/todayilearned

Sweet! I live right outside of New Haven, CT and knew nothing about it. I've been reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and been getting the itch to do something cool like the AT, but this may be more in my realm.

Awesome post!

u/tchufnagel · 4 pointsr/AskAcademia

He might really like this book by Bill Bryson: The Mother Tongue.

u/philphan25 · 4 pointsr/gaming

I am America (And So Can You!)

u/howitzer86 · 4 pointsr/technology

It's pretty cool to transfer business cards and apps to other Palm Pilots though. If you ever meet another Palm owner...

As for me, the first and last time I did it was when I came across a Palm V. So I dug up my Palm m100, had my 5 minute nostalgia moment, and then did something else.

And before you say I'm too young to be nostalgic about it - I knew what a Palm Pilot was when they were popular. But being a kid then all I could do was drool over the magazine ads. When I could finally get one, I got a good years use out of it because the smart phones were still out of reach and all I had was a Motorolla brick phone.

I am 1990, and so can you! ^^^reference

//edit just realized, you could transfer apps... oy... times have changed.

u/Susarian · 4 pointsr/PoliticalHumor

> Lies and the lying liars who lie them.

Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken

https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216

Commercial!

u/ChoppingOnionsForYou · 4 pointsr/books

Don't read the book. Listen to the original radio series.

Edit: Here you go!

And at the risk of a serious flurry of downvotes, I'll quietly agree with you.

u/JohnG70 · 4 pointsr/exmormon

It sounds like you want to learn more about the great, the wise, the merciful, FSM!

The FSM watches over us with is meaty eyes and every so often, when we are hungry, he touches us with his noodly tentacles.

I'd like to offer you a book that explains more about the FSM. Unfortunately this book isn't free, but you can order it from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568

u/Samantha_Cruz · 4 pointsr/atheism

are they also going to require Koran lessons as well? what about the Vedas? will there be daily readings from the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

u/zorak8me · 4 pointsr/pics

If we are to believe Lynne Truss, this depends on your country. Punctuation inside quotes is good enough for the New Yorker, but across the pond it would be considered uncouth. There is also a difference in the use of serial commas between the U.S. (love 'em) and Britain (hate 'em). I don't have a style guide around but I think there is an exemption to putting the comma inside quotes (in the US). This might be the case where you would put the comma outside the quotes. Damn my lack of a proper style guide, and damn my brain for picking up so much information about the comma.

u/Epilepep · 4 pointsr/AskReddit
u/trek_wars · 4 pointsr/de

Frequently Bought Together

u/silverdae · 4 pointsr/GradSchool

Eats, Shoots & Leaves The no nonsense guide to punctuation.

The Craft of Research

Craft of Scientific Presentations

Edward Tufte I've never read anything of his, but I see this recommendation from time to time.

Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Because sometimes you need a vacation. :)

u/TedTheViking · 3 pointsr/AdviceAnimals
u/thespacesbetweenme · 3 pointsr/grammar

This comment is wonderful, because it shows the importance of situational awareness. While the example below is in relation to commas in a list, it still points out the importance of seeing it through to make your proper point.

Eats, shoots, and leaves.
The panda has a meal, fires it’s pistol then splits.

Eats shoots and leaves.
The panda eats bamboo and plants.

This shows how important this comment is. You need to always take a good look!

(Taken from the wonderful book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: A Zero Tolerance Approach yo Punctuation.

u/Badgladmadwords · 3 pointsr/eroticauthors

When it's used as part of or in place of a name, capitalize. Otherwise, don't.

"and the king was sad" is correct, because "the king" is not a noun, but "and King John was sad" would be correct because "king" here is the title as part and parcel of the name.

In your blurb above, the capitalization on queen is incorrect.

This book is one I always have nearby somewhere when I'm writing. Definitely worth a few bucks. Grammatical errors will put a lot of people off - even if you make the same grammatical errors consistently through your MS.

u/jayeffbee · 3 pointsr/EDC

I'm pretty obsessed with proper grammar and punctuation, and I love semicolons (even though Kurt Vonnegut would reject me for it). I would give you a long explanation since I love talking, being a teacher and all, but the Oatmeal's comic is much more concise and amusing than I could ever hope to be.

As a grammar nerd, I'd recommend the classics when it comes to grammar and usage: Eats, Shoots & Leaves and The Elements of Style.

u/FlyingPhotog · 3 pointsr/videos

There's a whole cheeky book based on this joke.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592402038/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4rwRzbR2Y15QR

u/factorysealed · 3 pointsr/woodworking

How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612193269/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_Z1SFwbK264WAW

u/clamdigger · 3 pointsr/fountainpens

I once had the good fortune of seeing David Rees perform How To Sharpen Pencils live and on stage... it was absolutely amazing. I really wish he'd do the same for brooms.

u/Coloradical27 · 3 pointsr/philosophy

Hi, I have a degree in Philosophy and teach Philosophy/English to high schooler. The following advice and recommendations are what I give my students who are interested in philosophy. I would not recommend Kant as an introduction (not that he's bad, but he is difficult to understand). Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar is a book that explains philosophical topics and questions through humor and uses jokes to illustrate the concepts. It is accessible and thought provoking. If you are interested in logic you might enjoy Logicomix. It is a graphic novel that gives a biographical narrative of Bertrand Russell, an English philosopher whose work is the basis of all modern logic. It is not a book about logic per se, but it does give a good introduction to what logic is and how it can be used. Also, Russell's book A History of Western Philosophy is a good place to start your education in philosophy. If you are interested in atheism, read Richard Dawkins' book The God Delusion. This book goes through the most common arguments for the existence of God, and debunks them using logic and reasoning. Good luck and read on!

u/Sherbert42 · 3 pointsr/askphilosophy

Thanks for mentioning you're seventeen; it does make a difference (to my mind!). M'colleagues below have recommended some pretty heavy reading, which I don't think is what you're really looking for on the face of it. If I were to recommend a book about philosophy to a seventeen-year-old, I wouldn't recommend a textbook, I'd recommend the following:

Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar. This is a book of jokes about philosophy. They're not very funny, but it's a good way to learn some ideas. Doesn't talk about people (old dead white men, for the most part); focuses on ideas.

The Pig that Wants to be Eaten. This is a little less frivolous; it's 100 little thought experiments. I'd say this is a bite-at-a-time book; read one, put the book down and think about it for a bit, then read another. I really enjoyed this.

Philosophy 101. This little volume is a pretty decent intro to some of the key ideas and thinkers of philosophy. No, it's not a textbook and it's not written by a professional philosopher, which is why I've recommended it. Its mistakes are small enough that if you get interested and start reading some more about the topic you'll pick up where the author went wrong pretty quickly. Again, this is a bite-at-a-time book.

Hope that helps, and of course if you find an idea and you have questions about it: ask away. :)

u/mistermcsqueeb · 3 pointsr/CampingandHiking
u/Jackpot777 · 3 pointsr/outside

There's a player on the game called [Player[Bill Bryson]], he wrote a funny user guide about the Appalachian Trail mission. It's more of a blog, really, but you may find it very helpful. I liked it.

Not many people that undertake the mission do it all in one go. But doing it as sectional quests is still great for [INT]. This is a good place to start.

u/tamargrande · 3 pointsr/books

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. It's not long, but I think it would be perfect for your adventure.

u/tekton89 · 3 pointsr/gaybros
  • Primary thing you need to do is make sure that when you go camping, you inform someone what your plans are and when you'll be back, so that if anything at all happens, that person can alert the proper authorities, fly in helicopters, release the hounds etc.

  • I'll refer you to REI, but a lot of that is kind of advertising their own products, encouraging you to purchase the latest gadget and so on, but it has some good nuggets of wisdom, like the checklist. You can also rent tents from them instead of going full-hog and buying one (if there's one in your vicinity). Don't get sucked into acquiring all the awesome things though. Going camping is about what you can leave behind.

  • ESSENTIALS I hate to say it cause the gays and Boy Scouts of America don't mix too well, but their 10 essentials list is actually awesome. And for that matter, their handbook on camping could be useful.

  • COMFORT Tent: depending on how cozy you want to get with this friend, a 2-4 person tent should do, and if packing it up into a small space and lugging it around isn't an issue, don't worry too much about weight. Stove: Coleman's the classic, and it will last forever, just make sure you can get it lit. (practice!). Sleeping bags/sleeping pads/cots/air mattress: all different options for sleeping comfort.

  • FOOD You should probably plan on 2 big meals a day, like breakfast and dinner. Pre-made pancake batter, frozen pre-made omelet mix, pre-cooked sausages, and bacon are good starters for breakfast. My favorite thing for dinner is hobo packs: heavy duty aluminum foil "boats" that you fill with peppers, potatoes, cubed steak, onions, seasoning, that you throw in the fire pit, after sealing them up nice and tight. They'll cook up in like 20-30 minutes.

    Wear layers, bring way more water than you need/have access to fresh clean water. Pack sufficient food. One of the best things, if you're not too keen on lugging everything around with you is car camping. Have a look at your state's park services, they usually have spots that you can rent for super cheap for the weekend, drive your car up, pitch the tent, and get started on the fire.

    Also, heres a great book, kind of on camping.

    Anything else that I can think: wet-wipes in a ziploc bag. Ziploc bags. Bug repellent. Lighter fluid. Propane for stove. Lighter. Pocket knife. Hatchet - seriously helpful. ICE. Cooking always takes way longer than you think it will, with set-up, assembly, clean-up. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Man, now I want to go camping.

    Have a good time with your "buddy".
u/pippx · 3 pointsr/simpleliving

If y'all want to read some more of Bryson's thoughts on this, many of his travel books delve very deeply into it. My two favorites are A Walk in the Woods and The Lost Continent.

u/mscomies · 3 pointsr/KotakuInAction

Maybe he's trying to drum up some controversy to get people to buy his book?

u/rebo2 · 3 pointsr/videos

If you like this kind of stuff, here's an entire book devoted to the subject https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-English-How-That/dp/0380715430

u/crezy · 3 pointsr/WTF

If you find the history of the English language interesting, I highly recommend the book The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson: http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Tongue-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380715430

u/tomatopaste · 3 pointsr/WTF

Trivia: it was aks and asteriks until fairly recently.

Here's one mention. I first read about this in Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue.

u/IlllllIIlllIIllIIIII · 3 pointsr/KenM

Is anyone else noticing the parallel with these longer exchanges and the Letters From a Nut books? http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Nut-Ted-L-Nancy/dp/0380973545

u/wilsonh915 · 3 pointsr/funny

A guy did a whole book of stuff like this about 13 or 14 years ago through snail mail. Some of them are a hoot.

http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Nut-Ted-L-Nancy/dp/0380973545

u/BeautifulVictory · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I have great murican books and MASH! 1776

LET FREEDOM RINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

u/JasonAnarchy · 3 pointsr/politics

This was written during the Bush administration but seems perfectly relevant to what's happening now: https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484770195&sr=8-1&keywords=al+franken

u/stemgang · 3 pointsr/The_Donald

It's called lying. Reddit admins lie because they are liars.

Here's a classic book of projection that even lies about who the liars are: https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216

u/teashopslacker · 3 pointsr/PoliticalHumor
u/SweetSummerWind · 3 pointsr/PoliticalHumor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Franken

You can thank the junior US Senator from Minnesota for penning this.

http://www.beliefnet.com/news/2003/09/the-gospel-of-supply-side-jesus.aspx

>Reprinted from Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them-A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies_and_the_Lying_Liars_Who_Tell_Them

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_v._Franken
>August 7, 2003. Fox News Channel, the plaintiff, sought to enjoin Al Franken from using Fox's trademark phrase "fair & balanced" in the title of his then-forthcoming book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.[1] Judge Denny Chin denied Fox's motion for injunction on August 22, and the network dropped the suit three days later.


https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216

u/Doktor_Rob · 3 pointsr/DontPanic

In 2005, I was thrilled when this became available in the US.

Link to Complete Radio Series on Audio CD

It was expensive, and it was a long wait, but before that the only versions available were MP3. The HHGttG was groundbreaking for many reasons, but one was the high quality of the audio, especially the effects. The reviews for the MP3 version often complained about the sound quality. Unfortunately, at least in the US, there just wasn't any simple options for listening to the series as it was originally broadcast until this came out. There was a previously released vinyl recording, but it was out of print and I haven't had a turntable since the '80s.

u/thedivinezero · 3 pointsr/NoStupidQuestions

Never seen Mythbusters. Have read this book though.

u/JonnyShips · 3 pointsr/todayilearned

Check this out on AMZN:

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811825558/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

u/sigzvp · 3 pointsr/atheism

The author of this article has clearly done no research on The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The works of His Noodliness are well documented in A Letter from Saint Bobby Henderson to the Kansas State Board of Education. The miracles described in this sacred Epistle include influencing the results of radiometric dating, the increase of global warming, and the decline of piracy. We have pictorial documentation of the moment of creation, created by Bobby after receiving a vision of His Noodliness creating a mountain, some trees, and a midget. More can be found in The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Finally, there are millions of Pastafarians willing to become martyrs for His Noodliness, but we're just so darned likeable that no one has wanted to martyr us.

u/Rinnosuke · 3 pointsr/atheism
u/Rockran · 3 pointsr/atheism

This is so blasphemous to his Noodlyness.

It's almost like you've never read The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster..

u/canadianpastafarian · 3 pointsr/offbeat

I guess you haven't read the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

u/kabiman · 3 pointsr/pastafarianism

Read the Gospel and the Loose Canon. Conversion ceremonies can be fun, and you can create your own. They should, of course, include pasta, pirate regalia, and grog.

Our holiday's include fridays, Holiday- a vague celebration around december- and ramendan, where we eat ramen in remembrance of all the college students who survive on it.

Keep the 8 I Really Rather You Didn'tsin mind, and have fun!

u/RavingRationality · 3 pointsr/DebateReligion

> I have heard that Marks Gospel comes from Peters Testimony, so Mark is technically an account from St. Peter.

I have heard that the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was dictated to Bobby Henderson directly from the spirit of Edward Teach, in communion with the Messianic Manicotti, and so is technically an account from Blackbeard Himself.

You probably think this is ridiculous (and I agree) -- but keep in mind we know Edward Teach/Blackbeard and Bobby Henderson are/were real people. We have no such assurance with Peter or Mark.

u/kyawee · 3 pointsr/pics

I thought you were referencing the book. :(

u/mrpickleby · 3 pointsr/Economics

I'm going to steal someone else's joke to explain this terrible crime. It's a tragic tale but when little Mobius was only five, his family sat down for a quiet Sunday dinner. Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

In walks this panda. He sits down at the table, eats, shoots, and leaves, killing both parents (no rape involved).

The panda, you see, didn't know he was just supposed to go into the bamboo grove in the back yard to "eat shoots and leaves." So he did what he thought he was told when he got off the bus.

u/mobyhead1 · 3 pointsr/reddit.com

It's right up there with the title of that book that complained about such things: Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

u/andrew_richmo · 2 pointsr/philosophy

For those new to philosophy, I'd recommend The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher, as well as Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar. I'm not all the way through the second one but it seems interesting. These are fairly simple but interesting introductory books that teach you some of the issues philosophers deal with.

Hope this helps!

u/Fotorush · 2 pointsr/philosophy

I'm 16 and this book helped me get a handle on the basics
It's a bit corny, but it's understandable and goes through ethics, logic, metaphysics, etc, as well as some of the well known philosophers.
You can flip through the first few pages to get a feel for it.

u/dweissglass · 2 pointsr/teachphilosophy

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I got hit with a pretty nasty respiratory bug which put me down for awhile.

Anyway, on to talking about a general plan for this project. I think that the best thing to do would be to start with a light touch, and see how well she takes to it.

With that in mind, I might recommend starting with 'Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar'. Plato and a Platypus is a cheap, and reasonably instructive (though superficial) introduction to a range of philosophical questions through jokes. It is a strange approach, but one I think works quite well as a something like a philosophical appetizer that introduces lots of interesting topics. It has a sequel focused on politics ("Aristotle and an Aardvark") which is also quite good. I will warn that not all of the jokes are appropriate for all audiences, so whether you like this book might depend on how liberal you feel like being regarding jokes featuring explicit language, adult themes, etc.

I also definitely recommend anything from the Oxford Very Short Introduction series, particularly (given your interests) the Very Short Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics. In my experience, the entire VSI series is excellent, and I've used some of them to teach philosophy at the community college level. They are extremely brief (they can fit into my pockets) and accessible, and also quite cheap (usually about 10 bucks a piece). They are written by leading experts on each given topic, and there is an enormous selection if you decide that you want to explore particular topics (Ancient Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Theology, etc). They will be a bit tougher than Plato and a Platypus in that they don't typically have much fluff, but should still be generally relatively accessible. The Ethics volume is pretty solid, built around a series of major questions that ethics needs to respond to. I will offer two warnings about the VSI series:
(1) VSI formatting is largely left up to the author, so the approach varies considerably from text to text. This allows authors to structure the material however they feel is best, which usually turns out great. Just be ready for some jumps in how they deal with things (e.g., the Ethics volume is divided into sections which each review some set of related questions and possible answers, while the Logic volume is problem centered and features new tools of formal logic to address various problems presented in each chapter)
(2) Authors of VSI are almost always working scholars with particular philosophical viewpoints - and this will come across in their texts. Expect some axes to be ground, and presuppositions assumed. That said, of the one's I've read (maybe 5 or so at this point), they still presented a rather fair overview of the field.

I think for books, you will be hard pressed to do better than Plato and a Platypus/Aristotle and an Aardvark to provoke the feeling that philosophy is worthwhile, and the Very Short Introduction series to provide an actual introduction into the field.

There are also some great philosophy podcasts. The best for a non-philosopher is likely "Philosophize This", which is a largely chronological review of a fair chunk of the most significant philosophers in history (even including some non-Western thinkers). Again, the material isn't explicitly aimed at younger folk, so there may be some touchy content, but it is generally an exceptional program. They have quite a backlog now (something like 90 episodes), so there is plenty of material there.

Also, I've found a couple of course plans for philosophy in middle school. The strongest looking one to me is this one from UNC. Definitely worth looking at as a way to structure your thoughts, but I would augment it with some of the resources covered above.

I think this would yield a pretty low cost way to test if this approach will work. Assuming you were to buy all four books I've mentioned, I think it would run a total of about $40 per person, which should make this a pretty light investment in terms of money. Likewise, the books are all relatively short, so you might make it through them in as little as a month (if you were really motivated).

I think the real trick will be in deciding where to go after the initial introduction has been made and more serious texts are being considered, but this will depend a lot on how this project develops. I think the best thing to do with that is to wait and see how things turn out, then plan the next leg of the introduction. I'll be around for the foreseeable future, and would be happy to help you figure that out when the time comes.

Let me know what you think, and keep me in the loop as the project unfolds. I am very interested in this project and would be happy to lend a hand when possible.

u/CmdrNandr · 2 pointsr/philosophy

I would also recommend Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar. I found the book extremely entertaining because of the corny jokes (and some of them are god awful), and it made some schools of philosophy easier to understand for me.

There is also a new blog someone from Reddit started yesterday, and it is highly entertaining.

u/anomoly · 2 pointsr/todayilearned

> ... and totally not known even remotely enough in general.

I think this is one of the reasons I'm so open about recommending his work. He seems to have the ability to take topics that most people may not be exposed to and make them comprehensible. It's similar to the way I feel about Mary Roach in books like Stiff, Bonk, and Gulp.

Along with that, Bryson has some purely entertaining works like A Walk in the Woods, Notes From a Small Island, and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir that are just a joy to read. I guess I'll stop now because I'm starting to feel like shill.

Edit: spelling is hard.

u/getElephantById · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions
  • A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, who wrote A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's about hiking the Appalachian Trail, but as you might guess given the author, it's about a lot more than that.

  • I have not read the book, but I saw the documentary version of American Nomads by Richard Grant. It's a collection of vignette pieces about different people or groups of people living nomadic lifestyles.
u/pancakeman157 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

A Walk in the Woods is about my home hiking trail: the Appalachian Trail. This trail was basically in our backyard and I would hike there often before I went off to school in Idaho. We're now settled in Texas so to go hiking we'll need to trek a bit further.

A great book I read recently was Hawaii and it was marvelous. Its no wonder Michener was awarded the Pulitzer for his work.

For kids, I would recommend The Eleventh Hour. Its a mystery about a birthday party and a delicious meal. Very fun. Young kids will really like the pictures and the older kids will like trying to solve the mystery.

u/xampl9 · 2 pointsr/CampingandHiking

Snickers Bars apparently attract them like mad.

Or so Bill Bryson says.

u/Hart_Attack · 2 pointsr/TagProIRL

I'm really bad at reading through just one book at a time, so I'm in the middle of a few at the moment.

-A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

-Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (admittedly, it's been a while since I've picked this one up)

-Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

I just finished a great book called The Other Wes Moore, also. It was super interesting.

I'm a big fan of non-fiction books, in case that wasn't immediately apparent by the list.

u/seanomenon · 2 pointsr/alcoholism

I'm sure your friend has access to all the recovery literature he can handle, and more. I wouldn't even go there, if you are considering it.

I might go for some light entertainment.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is about hiking the Appalachian Trail, it's an easy read and it's hilariously funny.

Cheryl Strayed's Wild is about hiking the PCT and is also a fun read.

For novels, I have to recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and Middlesex by Jeffery Eugendes. They are both big huge sprawling books that are also super enjoyable and easy to read. (So they are not a new Moby Dick.) I've never read them, but I hear the Lord of the Rings books are completely absorbing too. They would take up a huge chunk of his time.

You might also send some comfort clothes. Some warm socks or slippers or sweatpants or a hoodie, something like that. (I'm a huge fan of LL Bean's sweats, they are super comfy and well made.) Also maybe an iTunes gift card if he's got an iphone or ipod.

Out of curiosity, what's the scifi book you're sending? I'm a big scifi fan too.

u/titleunknown · 2 pointsr/backpacking

This guy has some good info

Kristen Gates has great info on ultralight gear and has tons of experience.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a good read.

Youtube also has anything you could ever want to learn.

Also since you will be packing around trees. Many long distance hikers have sworn by hammocks, they are good alternative to tents when attempting to save weight.

u/HolographicMemory · 2 pointsr/Gifts

Hiking socks, you can never have enough cozy socks. For a gag gift, you can get her a Go Girl. There is loads of books on hiking experiences. Here is one my mom seemed to like. Maybe books about going off the grid? Hope i was able to help.

u/Capissen38 · 2 pointsr/IAmA
u/adn5027 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

[A Walk in the Woods] (http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347030356&sr=8-1&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods) by Bill Bryson. I'm telling you, it's hilarious and a really good read. Most of his other books are quite funny as well, but this is my favorite.

u/Spamicles · 2 pointsr/labrats

For a light-hearted survival guide, check out http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Your-Stupid-Decision-School/dp/0307589447 .

u/latche · 2 pointsr/GradSchool

I asked for this book. Gotta find some humor in it!

Also, it might be nice to get her a gift card to a restaurant she likes. Forces her to go and enjoy herself without spending her own money :)

u/ILikeLenexa · 2 pointsr/TwoXChromosomes

I'll just go ahead and hop on this wagon and point to a book that helps you keep a smile in the hard times:

http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Your-Stupid-Decision-School/dp/0307589447

u/cherise605 · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

I bought this book in my first year.

u/PoopThatTookaPee · 2 pointsr/reddit.com

read "In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks" by Adam Carolla...he explains this inevitability quite nicely
http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Years-Well-All-Chicks/dp/0307717372

u/FrozenFood · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Years-Well-All-Chicks/dp/0307717372
In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks
Adam Corolla

u/Backstop · 2 pointsr/funny

Maybe it's viral marketing for former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe's new book.

u/rchaseio · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Napkin and orange are examples of article confusion. The original words were apkin and norange (think of Spanish naranja). When pronounced, an apkin and a norange became a napkin and an orange. At least that's what Bill Bryson related in Mother Tongue, one of my favorite books.

u/sasseriansection · 2 pointsr/whatisthisthing
u/TheCohen · 2 pointsr/APLang

Of course I'm biased because this is what I love to do for a living (teach about language), but I also find myself learning about language in my free time.

Here are my "Greatest Hits" of language people, programs, blogs, and readings, in no particular order (despite the fact that I've numbered them):

  1. Geoff Nunberg's segment on NPR's Fresh Air. Link to the Geoff Nunberg archive on NPR

  2. The "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine. I like the current columnist, Ben Zimmer, but I'm partial to William Safire. Here's a link to Safire's "How to Read a Column"

  3. There are a number of good language blogs. It's probably "cheating" to put them all in one item, but here goes:

  1. Books:

  1. Random stuff: I like George Carlin's many humorous takes on language and Margaret Atwood's fiction and Dr. Seuss's many made-up and lovely sounding words.

    And I subscribe to /r/logophilia, which often has many amusing words, like pulchritudinous, an ugly word that means something beautiful.

    EDIT: And it's great to get a book on usage. I like Garner's Modern American Usage, but here's a list from Diana Hacker at Bedford of other good usage guides
u/flipmode_squad · 2 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

This book has a chapter on curse words and where each of them came from. It's very interesting.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

u/pants_yell · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

i laugh every single time I read the Letters from a Nut series by Ted L. Nancy. it depends on how you define clean humor though, these books are probably around pg-13 level (at worst).

u/Corrom · 2 pointsr/funny

If you want more craziness like this I'd suggest reading Letters from a nut

u/dantheman125 · 2 pointsr/promos

Letters from a Nut
Ted L Nancy is a genius.

u/jekzeesh · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I like Stephen Colbert's book as far as thought provoking comedy goes.

u/southern_boy · 2 pointsr/TumblrInAction

I'm no misogynist but I do know that a woman has no place in a man's world.

^In ^case ^you ^haven't ^read ^this ^book ^it ^is ^funny.

u/anaesthetic · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. https://www.amazon.com/Sweese-Water-Bottle-Stainless-Mountaineering/dp/B07919DKTG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758293&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+water+bottle&dpID=519i3lMlxQL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  2. https://www.amazon.com/Hawaiian-Artificial-Hibiscus-Flowers-Supplies/dp/B079GRT4RX/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758336&sr=8-7&keywords=grass+skirt&dpID=51V5zd6FNAL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  3. https://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Hooded-Beach-Towel-Pattern/dp/B078N79VMY/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758367&sr=8-14&keywords=beach+towel+whale

  4. https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Inflatable-Floating-Swimming-Float/dp/B01ATSY0BC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758441&sr=8-1&keywords=inner+tube+palm+tree

  5. https://www.amazon.com/zeroUV-Fashion-Sunglasses-Pink-White-Gradient/dp/B00JSE38FI/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758468&sr=8-48&keywords=sunglasses+novelty

  6. https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Cat-Canvas-Shoulder-Bag/dp/B074KHSDR4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758550&sr=8-13&keywords=beach+bag+cat

  7. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TE951IE/?coliid=I3A76A4Q8AFUH0&colid=3NAKB1MZGOKWC&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

  8. https://www.amazon.com/Die-Hard-Bruce-Willis/dp/B000SZK41M/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1527758644&sr=1-3&keywords=die+hard

  9. https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-SCM502-Vintage-Snow-Maker/dp/B0006DOX04/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1527758665&sr=8-5&keywords=snocone+machine&dpID=41lm-u0eRgL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  10. https://www.amazon.com/Windchimes-Powered-Spinner-decorate-Courtyard/dp/B074FW9845/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527758771&sr=1-1&keywords=galaxy+windchime&dpID=61BrO3vS9tL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  11. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IAGSD68/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=A1O63NEWOAZXWR&psc=1 This one is actually difficult because I am single and have never met my father, but my friend Ben is an amazing human being who has bought me countless burgers and bottles o' booze and a super cool nerd who teaches me all sorts of things, so he'd appreciate this.

  12. https://www.amazon.com/Am-America-So-Can-You/dp/0446582182/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759057&sr=8-2&keywords=i+am+america

  13. https://www.amazon.com/YXCSELL-Decorating-Support-lifelike-Christmas/dp/B076TYV4HP/ref=sr_1_22?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527759196&sr=1-22&keywords=cuddly+cloud

  14. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FV8ZLB/?coliid=IVG60FVMWNWKU&colid=15ILCM2SYAL8L&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

  15. https://www.amazon.com/7even-Year-Collective-Greatest-1994-2001/dp/B00433B8MO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759254&sr=8-4&keywords=collective+soul&dpID=31S6Yrts8jL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  16. https://www.amazon.com/Munchies-Cheese-Flavored-Snack-Ounce/dp/B00N4LUOJ4/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759771&sr=8-3&keywords=munchies&dpID=514Ik-ZHTmL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

  17. https://www.amazon.com/NOKI-PP4206-Pineapple-Glass-Straw/dp/B079SBLC5H/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759372&sr=8-32&keywords=pineapple+colada

  18. https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-2-Denknova-Multi-color-Changing-Backyard/dp/B07B49DJ68/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759406&sr=8-32&keywords=garden+light

  19. https://www.amazon.com/GoSports-Playing-Scoreboard-Dry-Erase-Carrying/dp/B0195I21HC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1527759678&sr=1-1&keywords=giant+dice

  20. https://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Sculptures-Decorations-Home-Gifts/dp/B00PKQRQNI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1527759471&sr=8-9&keywords=shark+glass&dpID=51aM36Y44zL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
u/EByrne · 2 pointsr/nfl

You're honestly going to claim that this strikes you as the work of a man who would rather express his views in a subtle, nonconfrontational manner than go public and go extreme?

Again, FWIW, I really like Franken as a senator. He cares about the right issues. But that doesn't change his past, and his past doesn't make him a bad or unfit senator.

u/borderwave2 · 2 pointsr/BlackPeopleTwitter

The book in question came out in 2004 iirc?
Link

u/hottubrhymemachine · 2 pointsr/politics

Not for sure on that, I linked the first imgur album from google. Though a quick google search shows that it comes from Al Franken's book Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

u/VacationAwayFromWork · 2 pointsr/politics
u/funnyfaceking · 2 pointsr/WeinsteinEffect

>One case has pictorial documentation of groping,

Groping does not cast shadows.

> the perp was a sitting United States senator.

The USO tour was in 2006. Franken was not elected until 2009.

>It happened to be an organic development of the #metoo movement.

Leeann Tweeden was a right wing talk radio host who did frequent appearances on Fox News. Al Franken has been an aggressive and effective critic and agitator against Fox News longer than just about anyone. This was an orchestrated hit by the right taking advantage of an organic movement that developed primarily out of the left.

>The other case has a 35+ year accusation from high school, without any corroboration

Dozens of people attempted to contact the FBI with corrobation, but the executive branch limited the scope of the investigation into it's own nominee .

> it’s a politically motivated Democrat hit job

Sez you. change my mind.

>It’s a disgrace to all those who are real victims of sexual assault and rape.

Don't speak for me.

> Both situations make liberals look bad

That's clearly all you and your mind care about. Bye.

u/ailboles · 2 pointsr/politics

Just leaving this here for your readership pleasure. Recall, Fox tried to sue him for skewering their tag line.

Damn, that does feel like a lifetime ago.

u/Ch3t · 2 pointsr/politics

Al Franken already wrote a book about it.

u/gadsdenfags · 2 pointsr/PoliticalDiscussion

Yes. He lies for an agenda discrediting even his valid points. Don't take anything he says as more than just entertainment. Give this a read or just read up on his other lies. http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Tell-Them/dp/0452285216

u/_njd_ · 2 pointsr/books

If you're in the UK, there's a CD box-set for £40.

If you're in the US, the whole set is nearly $87.

But "season one" (Guide and Restaurant) are on CD for about $20.

u/nemothorx · 2 pointsr/DontPanic

This is the older one you're thinking of?

https://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-Complete-Radio/dp/0563504196


The older one has five radio series, unconfirmed if it's the remaster of the first two phases and the extended edits of the next three, but I believe it is all that, and bonus disk:

>containing two programs from the BBC Archive: Kaleidoscope from 1980 (going behind the scenes of the second series) and Six Characters in Search of an Answer: Arthur Dent from 2002


Meanwhile the link you posted is explicit about being the remaster and extended edits. It has a bonus material of

>a 55-minute feature programme, Douglas Adams’s Guide tothe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a fascinating 50-minute interview with Douglas Adams

and

>Douglas Adams’s appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Bookclub, in which he talks to James Naughtie and a group of readers about comedy, sci-fi, the creation of his characters and his influences




disclaimer: I'm only going by what is described on Amazon from those links. I own the older box set as described, but yet to get around to picking up the newer one

u/beastgp · 2 pointsr/HHGTTG

Here's the box set of the radio plays on Amazon in the US. They're also available individually and via the other methods outlined by u/CaptainJZH
One thing to watch out for if you're browsing around is that there's the Radio series, then an album recording (slightly different) as well as standard audiobooks (not acted, only read aloud)

u/Barimen · 2 pointsr/tifu

> and so it's fun to see people's reactions when they hear about it. Besides, this is not NEARLY the weirdest thing about me.

Well, you almost had me think you're /u/Warlizard. If you want to suddenly seem perfectly normal, I recommend you to buy his book. GF got me one as a gift. It's... well, it's quite something. I recommend it.

You can find stories from the book in comments he left in various askreddit threads and such.

u/Fuzzy_Pickles · 2 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

Every time I see you, I just kind of want to post this. More people need to read that.

u/Argarck · 2 pointsr/blog

Alright, you win.

I would give you gold, but instead im gonna buy your book.

u/AngryWren · 2 pointsr/dontyouknowwhoiam

At least it is shows as available on amazon.de where it also offers the audible version vor 0€.

Edit: Also the whole book is readable through Google Books

u/MonkeySteriods · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions
  1. "Emails from an Asshole"
  2. I'll Go Home Then, It's Warm and Has Chairs. The Unpublished Emails (The reviews claim that the emails were published.. but its still amusing anyways)
  3. [The Warlizard Chronicles: Adventures with Vodka, Women, & War] (http://www.amazon.com/Warlizard-Chronicles-Adventures-Vodka-Women/dp/0615461875) By one of our very own reddit users /u/warlizard


    Granted these are humor books so its going to be more entertaining than helpful.
u/eurodditor · 2 pointsr/france

> Elle a perdu parce qu'elle a été victime d'attaques incessantes contre les démocrates pendant des mois, des attaques infondées et risibles.

Non. Si c'était ça qui faisait perdre une élection aux États-Unis, Obama n'aurait jamais pu être président. Trump non-plus d'ailleurs.

> Est-ce que c'est les démocrates qui écrivent des livres intitulé

Sans dec, tu crois que les démocrates sont des anges ou bien tu viens de découvrir que la politique aux US c'est encore plus violent que chez nous ? Bien-sûr que les démocrates écrivent aussi des horreurs sur les Républicains. Comme The Republican Brain, Idiot America, après l'élection de Trump on a déjà sorti Insane Clown President, Too dumb to fail, et autres bouquins écrit parfois par des élus Démocrates et contenant des illustrations telles que des images "dépeignant les républicains comme des éléphants rouges maléfiques portant une crosstika" (mélange de croix chrétienne et de swastika)...

Si tu crois que les démocrates sont tendres avec les républicains et que seuls les républicains tapent fort sur les démocrates, tu planes à 10 000. Mais tout ça c'est pas grave, ça n'a pas vraiment d'importance : les attaques contre tel ou tel bord politique, ça ne trigger que les militants convaincus de chaque bord. Or c'est pas ceux-là qui font une élection, puisqu'ils votent à peu près toujours pareil.

Le problème des démocrates, c'est pas qu'ils ont attaqué les républicains.

C'est qu'ils ont attaqué des tas de gens qui n'étaient pas spécialement politisés et qui à vrai dire auraient pu pencher du côté démocrate, mais que les élites démocrates méprisaient profondément parce qu'ils avaient le tort de pas penser comme il faut ou de manquer d'éloquence face au titulaire d'un PhD en liberal arts, et que ces petites gens, de dépit, alors qu'ils auraient dû être défendus par les démocrates justement parce que ce sont des petites gens (ce qui ne veut pas forcément dire leur donner raison sur tout hein, mais déjà chercher à les comprendre plutôt que de les traiter de débiles et de racistes/sexistes/homophobes/xénophobes/etc. ça aurait été un bon début) sont allés se réfugier dans les bras des républicains. Qui les ont accueilli à bras ouvert parce qu'ils ont bien compris, eux, que c'était ces gens là qui allaient faire pencher l'élection d'un côté ou de l'autre. Et ça n'a pas manqué.

u/Nautis · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Ugh, it's at my mom's house right now. Let me do some searching online real fast and see if I can find it.


Here it is.


http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

u/ActionKermit · 2 pointsr/IAmA

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the de facto holy text of FSMism.

u/belltiara · 2 pointsr/atheism

Someone hasn't been studying their gospel.

u/krasn0yarsk · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

What about this piece of fiction?

u/J_Barish · 2 pointsr/news

Wikipedia article on the subject

Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

So yes, there is a text, but really the entire FSM or Pastafarian movement is just to point out that if one religion is made special, then any other must be equally as special even if people deem it ridiculous. Also, strainers are stylish head wear.

u/knerdy-knits · 2 pointsr/atheism
u/stinky96 · 2 pointsr/funny

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Enjoy a good book that covers both the topic of pandas and apostrophes.

u/Smaxx · 2 pointsr/elderscrollsonline

Yeah, some books might offer a good read. :D

u/escapevelocity11 · 2 pointsr/GradSchool

*Yes, you are right. What do I need to do to improve it?

Here are several links to books that might be helpful:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

u/Wilawah · 2 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

Read Eats, Shoots & Leaves, you will thank me later.

u/typo101 · 2 pointsr/atheism

It's a nice quote, but doesn't really make sense to me. A period does not indicate one is finished speaking. It simply helps us organize our words in a more understandable manner. I would imagine a supreme being doesn't speak in run-on sentences.

I am not an English major, although I did enjoy reading Eats, shoots and leaves, but that quote has one too many commas. The first comma should be a period.

u/thebbman · 2 pointsr/3DS

If you want more help read Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Very quick and funny read that will greatly improve your punctuation.

u/nastyjman · 2 pointsr/writing
u/SlidePanda · 2 pointsr/motorcycles
u/ScrabbleDudesGF · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Have you read Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss? It isn't long, but it is a great, funny book about common grammatical errors. It includes some interesting history about grammar and the context helps cement grammar guidelines into your brain.

u/Flying_Atheist · 2 pointsr/writing

Not a website, but rather a book. I would highly recommend Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. It's incredibly entertaining and very educational.


EDIT: here's a link

u/-_birds_- · 2 pointsr/me_irl
u/tragopanic · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
u/freezoneandproud · 2 pointsr/scientology

I'll comment on both content (fact-checking) and writing structure & style. I realize others have corrected some of the data but I'm going through this as a line-edit so you'll see some repetition.

In particular: Even after the fact checking, if I were grading or judging your article (and without giving away details about my true identity, that "if" would hold some authority), I would give you no better than a C because of statements like "Overall the religion is nothing more than a money grab created by a con man," particularly given that it is obvious you have little knowledge of the subject.

If you are reporting, you report, and you do not opine. The essence of journalism (or anything like it) is to explain the facts without your emotional involvement, and to report how both supporters and detractors see the subject. ("Those in favor of this legislation see it as a way to help the disadvantaged; those opposed feel the monies raised would only benefit the military-industrial complex and never help anybody.") The idea is always to present the facts so that the reader can make an informed decision. That is especially true when you find you feel strongly in one direction or another. (Also, it's more interesting.)

Obviously, many of the people here agree with your sentiment that "Overall the religion is nothing more than a money grab created by a con man." But some people do not share that conclusion, and if you were to write an essay well, you'd reflect their world view as well. And in any case, you don't support your assertion that he was a con man. (He wasn't -- he was far more complex than that -- but you're not alone in that conclusion.)

One of the essay's weaknesses is that you can't decide whether to give a timeline of the CofS's history or to describe it. The combination doesn't work. If I were you I'd focus on the description, even though you tried to grasp it yourself by following the timeline. (That's especially so since you got so much of the timeline wrong.)

For context: I am not a member of the Church of Scientology; I left in 1980. But I practice scientology independently, and I'm among those who expand/change auditing technology to improve its workability. That makes the CofS members feel that I'm a heretic. It also means that I examine what I learned in scientology in detail to determine what part I agree with and what I object to. So take my advice with that in mind.

> Scientology is a new age religion founded in 1954 by L. Ron Hubbard.

As others pointed out: not "new-age" (that term was invented far later) and the date was 1953.

>Hubbard was a well-established science fiction writer with some 140 stories published in pulp fiction comics.

Leave out the "with some 140 stories published in pulp fiction comics." It isn't necessary, it has factual errors (never in comics), and it does not add to the description of Scientology. You either go into Hubbard's background in depth or you describe Scientology. The assignment clearly is to do the latter.

> In 1950 he released a book called Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health which became a best seller on the New York Times. Dianetics is not spiritual in itself but actually more of a psychoanalysis book.

Copyedit: Book titles are italicized, so it should be Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Also, most people abbreviate long titles like this, and the accepted writing style is to show that abbreviation after the full use of the title, so you'd write "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (DMSMH)" and thereafter refer to the book as DMSMH. That's especially important here given that Dianetics refers to the practice or subject, and DMSMH makes it clear when you're writing about the book itself.

> In the book he spoke of finding the “dynamic principal of existence” which is to survive. The book explains that in our mind we have a section regarded as the reactive mind. Our brain records everything in our lives, and the fears and threats that trigger a survival response are placed in our sub conscious reactive mind. This way we can call upon these memories in similar situation to avoid them and survive. The Scientology website gives the example of a person eating a food that later made them sick. Now when they see that food, the reactive mind reminds them of sickness they felt before in an attempt to no experience that reaction again. These bad memories are known as “engrams”.

Copy edit: In the U.S., periods and commas go inside the punctuation. Thus:

  • are known as “engrams.”
    not
  • are known as “engrams”.

    (For more on improving this writing skill, read the very funny and instructive Eats, Shoots & Leaves.)

    > The book then explains that we are all thetans, spirits that are immortal and are simply placed into bodies. They are trillions of years old and the creators of the material world which they willed into existence according to the book(URL1).

    Incorrect. DMSMH does not discuss thetans or introduce the topic. It very deliberately does not mention past lives (which was a weird-o topic in the very conservative 1950s). Dianetics (both the subject as theory and the auditing as practiced) focused purely on people addressing engrams to reduce their emotional charge, and not on our spiritual existence. It certainly did not go into "how long we've been around" as spiritual beings.

    > We as thetans are not pure however according to the book. All of our past lives engrams as well as all our pre-birth and present experiences also develop engrams that have tainted the thetan. The only way to become a pure thetan is through the process of auditing.

    Incorrect data. First, again, nothing about thetans is addresses in DMSMH; that's in other, later books.

    Second, there's no discussion of "purity" in any manner. Or rather, the concept is that we are each already immensely powerful (and kinda cool) but have collected some bad crap along the way to be cleaned up. Rather like an adorable little kid who plays in the mud; all you need to do is wash off the mud, to begin with, and then later you help the kid learn new skills and abilities (including how to avoid getting dirty in mud puddles). You aren't trying to become something you are not; you're working to become more of what you are.

    The key point here is that scientology sees each of us as immortal spiritual beings, called "thetans," as "spirit" and "soul" have so many meanings that they can confuse the issue. For example, in many religions you "have" a soul; in scientology there is a baseline belief that you are a soul. I am a thetan; I don't have one.

    > L. Ron Hubbard use to do shows where he would audit audience members. They would then claim to be able to see past lives and even go so far as to experience something called “exteriorization” which is when someone’s soul is separated from their mind and body.

    Copy edit: "used to," not "use to."

    Copy edit: "when someone’s soul is separated from their mind and body" is poor grammar because "someone" is singular and "their" is plural. Rephrase. It's up to you whether to write, "is released from his mind and body" or " ...his or her mind and body" or whatnot, but fix that.

    Line edit: How is the fact of him doing "shows" relevant to describing what Scientology is? This appears to be a case of, "I read it, and it sounded interesting, so I thought I'd include it." The fact of him doing "shows" was never the issue. (They were fun, but that's irrelevant here.) I think the point you mean to make is that from the earliest, Dianetics and Scientology were addressing topics such as past lives and the separation of the body and soul (what scientology calls a thetan).

    Also they were never "shows." They were technology demonstrations, done for the same reason that Apple attracts thousands of people to product announcements. That is, "This is something new and we want to show you how it works." It was never about him showing off in a carnival way. This was training: "Let me show you how it's done," for the same reason people watch videos on YouTube to learn how to crochet. You see how an expert does things and then you go off and do it yourself.

    You also imply an inaccurate cause-and-effect when you write, "They would then claim to be able to see past lives and ...". From the earliest experiments with Dianetics, and the number of people practicing auditing after reading DMSMH, people ran into past lives. Initially it was frowned upon to run those (like I said, in the 50s this was really weird), but everyone discovered that the only way to address the emotional charge -- to resolve the incident that might have ended with that case of food poisoning -- was to address whatever came up. Similarly, people were going exterior whether or not Hubbard was around.

    Your wording in this section betrays a negative attitude that does not belong. You can easily say that people getting auditing reported experiences from past lives, and some said they went exterior (the spiritual being separating from the body) ...without any judgement.

    Scientological comment: Yes, I have plenty of past life memories, and I'm generally pretty damned happy when I go exterior. Neither are the aim of what I'm doing, however.

    > In 1952 Hubbard released a second book building off of Dianetics called Scientology: A Religious Philosophy, this is where the religion was born. With the release of the book, Hubbard also established a few churches around America for Scientology. This is how his self-help pseudoscience writings became a religion.

    Factually incorrect data. Fix that.

    [continued...]
u/ilovebooks08 · 2 pointsr/funny
u/Ferniff · 2 pointsr/NotTimAndEric
u/cakemonster · 2 pointsr/firstworldproblems

I'm a big fan of Lynne Truss' book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves." One big takeaway is what you echoed -- use whatever punctuation and phraseology you (the writer) need to convey what you mean. If it feels like you need a comma, use that comma. Dickish and pretentious writers operate in a different realm but you get the idea.

u/figpucker · 2 pointsr/DeadBedrooms

Eats shoots and leaves.

I think /u/db_bob meant "I've already decided it wont be. Just looking for every little thing i can do to waylay any what ifs." in response to "Can this be your life until you die?"

u/lotusmira · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Where are the finicky grammar/punctuation jokes? A classic (so much so that they named a book after it):

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.
'Why?' asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
'Well, I'm a panda,' he says, at the door. 'Look it up.'
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. 'Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.'

Also:

Q: What's another name for Santa's elves?
A: Subordinate Clauses

Etcetera. :)

u/WarnerVonBraun · 1 pointr/UFOs

I recommend "Eats shoots and leaves" ... you can read it in a single sitting.

u/Veeks · 1 pointr/writing

Eats, Shoots and Leaves is both hilarious and educational. Highly recommend.

u/NovelNovelist · 1 pointr/writing

Ooh, you should check out Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I haven't read it in about 15 years, but I recall it presenting the information in a very fun, memorable way.

u/billbapapa · 1 pointr/writing
u/Sir_not_sir · 1 pointr/Showerthoughts

I refer you to the classic, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves".

u/onikitsune · 1 pointr/funny

well, yea, except my co-workers keep trying to kill me.

^I'll ^show ^myself ^out

^http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

u/littlewren42 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

If you want to read something with a different voice and very unique style, there's always Nabokov's Pale Fire. For something much more technical, you should consider checking out Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. It was assigned reading in one of my classes along with Strunk & White, and they both really helped me out.

u/hideousblackamoor · 1 pointr/Screenwriting


celtx 2.9.7 has a stageplay template. In the Typeset mode, you can choose between American stageplay format and International stageplay format.

https://screenplayreaders.com/celtx/

__

"Have You Turned Your Screenplay Into a Stageplay?"

https://www.englishgrammar101.com/

https://faculty.washington.edu/heagerty/Courses/b572/public/StrunkWhite.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

u/Melvin8 · 1 pointr/grammar

As a native English speaker, I don't know a book that would teach you the finer details of grammar. But I do know a book that discusses grammar in an entertaining way. Give Eats, Shoots, and Leaves a try. Even if you already know the grammar it discusses, at least you'll get to enjoy a great book.

u/McGrude · 1 pointr/funny
u/TarBallsOfSteel · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

Few bits of advice.

  1. Start reading. Every good writer is well read.
  2. Speaking of reading.. Here are some books I'd recommend for learning writing skills.

    https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

    This is a great book explaining everything you need to know about punctuation in a fun way.

    https://www.amazon.com/Vocabulary-Cartoons-Learn-Minute-Forget-ebook/dp/B00FBL1GL0

    This book is how I learned a bunch of vocabulary words. You'll never forget them with the help of the fun cartoons that help you recall the words.

    https://www.amazon.com/Brysons-Dictionary-Writers-Editors-Bryson/dp/0767922700

    Bryson is a great author and this book can be helpful to you as well.

  3. Start Journaling daily. This is a great skill to learn because it helps focus your thoughts after a long day and it will help you organize ideas quickly in your mind as you write them down.

    4.Finally, practice writing. I don't know what field you are studying but I would recommend learning about academic writing. Find journals (through your college library) that are about your field of study and try reading an article or two and take notes on them. The goal is to try and connect a topic from your classes with an article or some other writing (you can find articles online from reputable sources other than journals) . Then you can try writing about your own perspective on the topic in a research style paper. This way you will learn more about what you are studying and see how other professionals write about it. Also, look for books about your field as they will be great resources for your writing.

  4. If you would like more information about academic writing and how I personally organize notes and go about researching topics to write my own papers just comment or pm and we can talk more.
u/Metamere · 1 pointr/funny

The giant panda is actually the most dangerous bear in the world, because it eats, shoots & leaves.

u/denjin · 1 pointr/reddit.com

Lynn Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation never capitalises after a colon. In all matters, she is correct.

u/ParkieDude · 1 pointr/ECE

Recommended Reading:
https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

The more you read, the better your writing. Thankfully I am still very technical, but write up drafts to the best of my ability as our team has some excellent word smiths. Above book is how we solve arguments, but still working on comma usage.

u/midknightsketcher · 1 pointr/wow

Maybe he should have read this book.

u/PrinceHumperTinkTink · 1 pointr/Cooking

>This Friday I'm cooking grilled my staff Grilled Cheese for lunch.

Wow. I can recommend a good cookbook.

u/jwax33 · 1 pointr/gaybros

$24/mo is absurd. The best way to check grammar is to put it down and come back an hour or two later to proofread. If you're desperate, MS Word does have a built-in grammar check tool you can use or Open Office has some grammar check extensions you can download such as LanguageTool.

If you question your own grammar, get a couple of light and easy grammar references to keep by your desk. Eats, Shoots & Leaves or The Transitive Vampire are two that are easy to work with and don't take themselves too seriously.

EDIT: Also, if you need to write regularly, buy one of these: The Synonym Finder. Hands down one of the best, easiest to use on the market. I write professionally and I have 5 copies of this book -- one for every place I may wind up writing. That's how useful I find it.

u/ummmbacon · 1 pointr/navy

She is awesome, started with the podcast a few years ago and got the book. Have you read Eats, Shoots & Leaves as well?

u/PufferFishX · 1 pointr/technicalwriting

It's not free, but "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss is a pretty great read about the importance of punctuation. AND it's cleverly written.

u/DRUMS11 · 1 pointr/atheism

It's a very decent punctuation joke. And also the name of a book about punctuation (which includes the joke): Eats Shoots and Leaves

u/amandarinorange · 1 pointr/grammar

Here are a few grammar books that are not only helpful but also very readable. Actually, a quick Amazon search brings up a lot of books, but these are the ones I recommend from firsthand experience:

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Woe is I

Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies (<-- probably the most informal of the 3)

u/Celibar · 1 pointr/funny
u/yo_me_paspali · 1 pointr/conspiracy

That sucks. Just relax about it.

This will help you immensely.

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

u/cowgod42 · 1 pointr/funny
u/ExistentialistCamel · 1 pointr/DestructiveReaders

I'm ordering a copy of 'Eats Shoots & Leaves' (link), a humorous way to learn grammar. /u/Idonthaveaname referred me to it, and I can't wait to get it. The book was a number one best seller, and it's a grammar tutorial book if that tells you anything about it's comedic value.

link to my big post about fantasy/sci-fi openings. Scroll past the specific comments.

u/averyrule · 1 pointr/hockey
u/Diskotekno · 1 pointr/WTF

For more information on this strange cultural practice and many others I recommend checking out this book: A Practical Guide to Racism by CH Dalton.

u/snowfun · 1 pointr/funny

After looking at that book this got suggested

u/vattafairefoote · 1 pointr/gaming

I couldn't agree more. Let me take this circlejerk to fruition by recommending this tome.

u/TeaOurOhElEllieDeed · 1 pointr/books

Dave Barry's Complete Guide To Guys

A Practical Guide to Racism

Brain Droppings

All Hilarious Books that you will never get tired of rereading.

u/ComputerSavvy · 1 pointr/videos
u/beezlebub33 · 1 pointr/funny

And you can buy the book

u/compuzr · 1 pointr/funny

Oh, good, there' a video now! I have the book, but some things were still unclear. I hope this video guide, in addition to the book, gets me to where I need to be.

u/alexandrustr · 1 pointr/ArtisanVideos

The book is also on Amazon

Even if it's a joke he took it very far and he's making money out of it.

u/sadfaceman · 1 pointr/gaming

It is... Sorta. He wrote an entire book on the topic, it's pretty funny:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1612193269

u/stu556 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I see someone else has read Plato and a Platypus...

u/deviantenigma · 1 pointr/philosophy

Plato and the platypus might be pretty good for you. It goes over the basics. Not sure how it stands up to other books.

http://www.amazon.com/Plato-Platypus-Walk-into-Understanding/dp/0143113879/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317963654&sr=1-1

u/notsofast789 · 1 pointr/Jokes

I honestly didn't know or see, I'm not usually a reader of r/funny or r/jokes. I read it in a very clever philosophy overview like 48 hours ago. Judging by the karma you got for your attempt, it would have been foolish on my part to steal from you. I thought it might be amusing to some, as I laughed out loud a little at the Starbucks I was reading it in.

Please tell me you're not picking fights over a meaningless and imaginary currency on a website that is designed for the discussion, not for the points. That'd be quite low and worthless.

u/simism66 · 1 pointr/askphilosophy

I have a few suggestions.

The Philosophy Gym has 25 short philosophy things, with pictures and dialogues. Stephen Law also has a lot of other books of similar style that might be worth looking into.

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar is a philosophy joke book, which might be a fun coffee table book.

The Philosophy Bites book has 25 interviews with leading contemporary philosophers.

The Stone Reader has articles by leading contemporary philosophers that were published in the New York Times philosophy column, The Stone.

Hope that helps!

u/kinship · 1 pointr/philosophy
u/WindowOnInfinity · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

If you like these sorts of philosophical books, I can also recommend What's Wrong With Eating People? and Plato and A Platypus Walk into A Bar.

u/SachaTheHippo · 1 pointr/pics

This reference is also available in a wonderful book called Plato and a Platypus Walk Into A Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes

http://www.amazon.com/Plato-Platypus-Walk-into-Understanding/dp/0143113879

u/mistermajik2000 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143113879/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Va7gybENNW9CQ

u/6daycreation · 1 pointr/askphilosophy

I thumbed through the one on Aristotle. I thought it was entertaining, though not entirely accurate. Symposia, for example, would probably be better understood as "drinking parties," rather than "dinner parties."

I appreciate the joke-approach, e.g. Plato and a Platypus, though I suspect that these sorts of books are more entertaining for philosophers than they are to the general public.

u/Arryreddit · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Truly one of the best philosophy jokes... This is a fun book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0143113879

u/s2xtreme4u · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Favorite song: I'm a cloud by Boy hits car

Favorite book: A walk in the woods by bill bryson

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Favorite game: Phase10

u/damnyoureloud · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Just popped in to say, I'm sure you've read A Walk in the Woods, right? If not, READ IT!! It's an awesome and humorous account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

u/TheBB · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/vulchiegoodness · 1 pointr/getting_over_it

mountains and hiking are fantastic for putting things in perspective. Im in the middle of listening to a walk in the woods and id be happy to send it to you once im done with it. give you some interesting factoids and tidbits to ponder while you're hiking.

u/dogmatic001 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I second the Horwitz nomination and add Richard Grant, author of "God's Middle Finger" and "Crazy River."
Both of those demonstrate a spirit for and enjoyment of adventure that was the core energy in Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" and "A Walk in the Woods".

u/blp9 · 1 pointr/camping

We were all 18 once...


Specifically, the problem with "go out to eat or go to a convenience store" is that both of those are going to basically nullify the benefit you have to backwoodsing it. Nearly anywhere in the US you can get a room to rent for something like $250/mo if you're willing to drive a bit. This doesn't apply to big places like New York or San Francisco... but if you're able to camp there, you can probably find a place to live for cheap. But if you're buying prepared food, I don't see that being less than $20 a day.


But look at dry goods like rice and beans. You can actually eat a 1:1 ratio of rice and beans and get a complete protein for a few dollars a day. A fridge (see above about renting a room) is going to be able to stretch your food dollars much further than if you have no refrigeration.


Regardless, you should use this summer as an opportunity to test-run some of this. Go find some dispersed camping sites, try camping for a week.


Also, I want to highly recommend you read Into the Wild: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0385486804 -- maybe A Walk In the Woods, too: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2165P9GZRK25U&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods+bill+bryson&qid=1562608312

u/dork_side · 1 pointr/todayilearned

I was so happy to see this on Reddit today! Until I read Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods about his experience with the Appalachian Trail (a really enjoyable read, and funny), I had no idea that our forests in this area of the country once looked much, much different.

u/mborrus · 1 pointr/books

My favorite book in a long time which I'm currently reading is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It doesn't have much to do with anything but it keeps me entertained. Definitely check it out.

Second favorite is A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Both are rather obscure of meaning but have a fun precedence (this possibly more comical than the other)

If you are looking for a semi-serious book I recommend The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. It does have to do with an ex-military doctor but it is hardly the focus of the book. It follows the creation of the Oxford American Dictionary, but it isn't quite what you'd expect. I don't believe I could give you in depth analysis for any of these nor if you'd like them. They are my favorite books (minus Calvin and Hobbs) and are worth a read.

u/arglebargle_IV · 1 pointr/AskReddit

This isn't exactly what you're looking for, but if you end up finding something for $92 or less, throw in a copy of A Walk in the Woods.

u/bruce656 · 1 pointr/WTF

I recommend reading this before you go. One of the funniest books I've ever read.

u/RowdyInDC · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I see you're interested in through-hiking the trail. Have you read Bryson's book "A Walk in the Woods"? I nearly peed myself reading it. http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

u/TehBossLizard · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Bill Bryson? lol If you havent read the book I'm sorry
http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

u/Antixian · 1 pointr/biology

Might I recommend picking up this book. [LINK]

u/ass_munch_reborn · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Adam Carolla's "In Fifty Years We'll Be Chicks".

The cover looks like a gay S&M book:

http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Years-Well-All-Chicks/dp/0307717372

And living in the Bay Area, it wouldn't be that odd seeing a guy reading about gay S&M at a fast food place.

I almost want to say, preemptively, to people passing by - "NOOO!!!!! This is the guy who showed girls jumping on trampolines!"

u/patattack98 · 1 pointr/reddit.com

I think the majority of reddit needs to read this book by Adam Carrolla

u/zdiggler · 1 pointr/AskReddit

We'll All Be chicks.

u/iamzombus · 1 pointr/funny

Does this same rule apply to the book Chris Kulwe aka /u/Loate wrote?

'Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies'

u/mnhr · 1 pointr/pics

Well there's this textbook but it's absurdly priced.

Bill Bryson has a book on the language. I haven't read it but Bryson is an excellent (very humorous) author.

Besides that, here is a free online summary. My claim about French is reiterated here.
>More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words.

u/thislittlemonkey · 1 pointr/AskReddit

You should read Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.

u/j1xwnbsr · 1 pointr/AdviceAnimals

Well, to linguists (and others), it does matter - to them! To the rest of us, what matters is that we all agree to use the same order - it keeps things, well, orderly. Because we've all implicitly agreed to use this order, it would gain nothing by trying to break it and use something else - if any order is just as good as any other, the current order is perfectly fine, and more importantly, compatible with current usage.


As to "why it matters that there is an order" I think can be answered not about language, but about human perception: we want to find order in chaos, and see patterns in everything, even when there is none - which is why gamblers have a huge problem, we see things like the face on mars, read tea leaves, etc. So we feel that there should be a reason why the letters are ABC, when there really isn't one outside of historical usage that changed over time.




For a good book related to the subject of English in general, pick up a copy of The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. Well written, very accessible to non-linguists.

u/muldoon_vs_raptor · 1 pointr/books
u/nordic_spiderman · 1 pointr/todayilearned

And I suggest this book: Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue

u/bisonburgers · 1 pointr/harrypotter

While you're waiting for the timer, you might try reading books on liguistics.

I'm being snarky, but I'm also being serious. You clearly are interested in linguistics, but you don't seem to know that much about how and why words form and evolve their meaning. A great book that I love because it's not a technical book for professional linguists, but for people like us who have a general interest in language and its history, is The Mother Tongue: - English And How It Got That Way, by Bill Bryson. Where a grammar teacher might say "'it's history' is wrong, the correct way to say it is 'its history'", a linguist might say, "'its' is considered correct, but someday that could change". That's a super general example, but from the reading I've done, I've noticed that linguists not only accept, but often prefer, when language breaks the rules, rather than abides by it.

u/ObamasVasDeferens · 1 pointr/Jokes

I'm really not trying to rage against anything or break anything down. You just remind me of the French Academy, that stalwart defender of the French language which bans any "Anglicized" words from signs, and insists on people using the unwieldy "'courrier électronique" instead of "email." They're guided by the same principle you are: that there's some sort of "pure" form of the language.

I suggest reading Bill Bryson's excellent book The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way". In it, Bryson explains that most of the sacred English "rules"- for example, not ending sentences with a preposition- were simply made up and decided upon by stodgy old men. These men weren't translating rules from the heavens- they were just being persnickety and officious.

Language adapts. It incorporates new ideas, it gets rid of old ones, it naturally discards of things which are no longer useful to its speakers.

Insisting on a "proper" way to speak is lingual facism, if you'll excuse my hyperbole.

u/greenTrees6 · 1 pointr/interestingasfuck

This is simply one of the funniest books I have ever read. And it answers this question, and many others.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

u/tatty000 · 1 pointr/funny

I highly recommend "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson. Hilarious and great history and understanding of the English language;

https://www.amazon.ca/Mother-Tongue-English-How-that/dp/0380715430

u/FetusFeast · 1 pointr/books

lets see...

u/Minyun · 1 pointr/southafrica

Language plays a vital role in the forming and destruction of empires.

u/zeptimius · 1 pointr/AskReddit

From this book:
Plane crash = "involuntary conversion"
Patient died = "negative patient-care outcome"
And not sure if this count as an euphemism but
toothpicks = "interdental stimulators"
As the book says, 'Why call a spade a spade if you can call it a manual earth-restructuring implement?'

u/Mohaan · 1 pointr/funny

Can I recommend "Letters from a nut" if you enjoy these letters. It's a great toilet book.

u/TheTeenageOldman · 1 pointr/Ebay
u/Isai76 · 1 pointr/funny
u/TripperDay · 1 pointr/funny

If want authenticity, you can check out The Lazlo Letters or Letters from a Nut

u/deader115 · 1 pointr/pics
u/SausageMcMerkin · 1 pointr/TrueReddit
u/IAmA_Risky_Click_AMA · 1 pointr/forwardsfromgrandma

As far as I can tell, this is the source.

u/spribyl · 1 pointr/politics

To thing they drumded Al because of a photo from 20 years ago and everthing thing trump has done is worse and more recent.

Lies, Lying, Liars Balanced Right.
https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Balanced-Right/dp/0452285216

u/allahfalsegod · 1 pointr/politics

Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right

With the exception of the brief Senate career of the author and the truth catching up to O'Reilly (anecdotes in the book) what's changed? Even the "gospel of supply side Jesus" comes from somewhere.

u/Bob3333 · 1 pointr/WTF

It's a classical conservative technique that was pretty well documented in Al Franken's book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Take something out of context, concoct an inflammatory story, repeat it, and embellish it until it becomes "general knowledge."

u/AStrangeStranger · 1 pointr/gifs

Try the TV Show (may be a bit dated now) or the best version Radio Series as an alternate

u/Dain42 · 1 pointr/gaymers

For me...Marvin will always be Stephen Moore and Ford will always be Geoffrey McGivern, as in the original radio plays (actually, all the radio plays, for that matter).

Back before it was available in the US, I ordered the complete set of all the radio plays from amazon.co.uk. Worth every penny (EDIT: and yes, £0.01 is still called a "penny", at least since they switched to decimal currency).

u/colecovizion · 1 pointr/DontPanic

Is the "special edition remaster" the same one as this? https://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-Complete-Radio/dp/0563504196

u/freakyemo · 1 pointr/DontPanic

The radio plays can be bought from amazon for the full set of the first 5 phases. I would particularly recommend buying the radio series, It really is the coolest thing since cryogenics.
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0563504196/ref=asc_df_05635041969506194?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=0563504196)

Eoin Colfer really gets the style and feel of Douglas, If you enjoy Douglas's work you will certainly enjoy "And another thing", my only pet peeve is that I would have much preferred he had continued with the extended ending found in the radio series.

u/BklynMoonshiner · 1 pointr/HistoryPorn
u/anticommon · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Back in my junior high days the most influential book for me was a toss up between Run, boy, Run and SoldierX.

In highschool, I found No Country for Old Men, The Road, and Fast Food Nation extremely moving. Brave new world is up there as well.


Right now, I'm reading this and it's actually really great.

u/thirdegree · 1 pointr/wow

The Warlizard Chronicles

Anyone who hasn't read it, do so. Dude's fucking crazy.

u/TimeZarg · 1 pointr/politics

I would recommend this book as an interesting light read, it's all about this topic. . .anti-science sentiment in the US going back to the 19th century, the embracement of ignorance and pseudoscience and the 'cranks' that peddle it, and how it has evolved into what we see today. I find myself reminded of it regularly.

u/NurseBetty · 1 pointr/politics

there's actually a really good book on how stupidity and 'everyone's an expert' has been bred in America, called "Idiot America: How Stupidity became a Virtue in the land of the free."

He's a bit rabid at points in his derision of the cranks in America but he has some really good points, and explains where and when it became normal for 'both sides of the argument' to be sold as truth.

Here's the intro to the book

u/TreeFan · 1 pointr/AskReddit

For those too lazy to check themselves, here are some of the best books on the subject that this thread deals with:

This guy saw it starting long ago...
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life - Richard Hofstadter:
http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Intellectualism-American-Life-Richard-Hofstadter/dp/0394703170/ref=pd_sim_b_27

another (old) book by the same guy, equally prophetic:
The Paranoid Style in American Politics:
http://www.amazon.com/Paranoid-Style-American-Politics-Vintage/dp/0307388441/ref=pd_sim_b_40

The Age of American Unreason - Susan Jacoby:
http://www.amazon.com/Age-American-Unreason-Vintage/dp/1400096383/ref=pd_sim_b_30

Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and The Triumph of Ignorance - Alexander Zaitchik:
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Nonsense-Glenn-Triumph-Ignorance/dp/0470557397/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278099576&sr=1-8

Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free - Charles P. Pierce:
http://www.amazon.com/Idiot-America-Stupidity-Became-Virtue/dp/0767926153/ref=pd_sim_b_3

u/Malizulu · 1 pointr/funny
u/skraptastic · 1 pointr/BoyScouts

Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure

Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook

I have brought both these books to many summer camps. They are fun to pass around and both have excellent scouting uses.

If you just want something to read for fun if you haven't read World War Z/Zombie Survival Guide those are fun written by Mel Brooks son.

11/22/63 by Stephen King is an amazing read. Someone from today travels back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination.

I read mostly fantasy/scifi so I'm probably not much help.

u/kmolleja · 1 pointr/playitforward

This game looks awesome! In the case of a zombie apocalypse I would grab my copy of the trusty Worst Case Scenario Book! From improvising weapons to living off the land, perfect for anyone running from hordes of zombies.

Thanks for the PiF!

Steam id: kmolleja

u/workinpr0gress · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is funny and actually informative.. if you need to wrestle an alligator or something.

u/Rhodesians · 1 pointr/movies

My favorite bathroom book. Albeit I'll never be in those situations, but still a fun read.

Edit: Missing period.

u/lectroid · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue
u/noblestabbings · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I got this as a present. Its a cool little book! http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Case-Scenario-Survival-Handbook/dp/0811825558

u/magahsama · 1 pointr/answers

in the wors case scenario books the author, after speaking with varios 'experts' (id guess physicists, im not at home right now so i cant check the book) says that its best to lay down in the middle.

It spreads the impact surface area and does the best possible job of keeping collapsing walls away from you.

u/ApollosCrow · 1 pointr/books

I think I'd want to write more than I'd want to read. So I'd want the five fattest, sturdiest blank-page journals I could get. Then I suppose I'd need to catch a bunch of inky cephalopods and gather some feathers for quills.

Or:

1.) The Worst-Case-Scenario Survival Handbook

2.) Norton Anthology of Poetry

3.) Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces

4.) Cosmos by Carl Sagan

5.) Ulysses by James Joyce

u/kibbles0515 · 1 pointr/coolguides
u/LittleHelperRobot · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

Non-mobile: Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

u/E_Roth_3 · 1 pointr/funny
u/texas_ironman93 · 1 pointr/fsm

Here's where you can buy it
The paperback is cheaper, but I definitely like the quality of the hardcover.
Here is the pdf version
It's free, but I always preferred a physical copy.

u/CereallySerious · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the earliest known surviving manuscript collection of texts found in multiple caves near the Dead Sea. The name actually contributes to the common misconception that the scrolls were named after it's location discovery.

If one carefully examines the text(actual digital copies can be examined here), which are claimed to be of great historical, religious and linguistic significance, the context further contributes to the ideologies of the CFSP, see the Gospel of the FSM.
In summary, it's just a bunch of scrolls of multiple authors who write about a fictional novel about the death of the Sea.

u/viper_dude08 · 1 pointr/pics

I have read it and you're full of shit.

u/Guck_Mal · 1 pointr/atheism

>The FSM was shot down earlier in another thread because he didn't have a book written about him

there is book. it is called: The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster/dp/0812976568?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180375352&sr=8-1

u/quackmeister · 1 pointr/books

I'd like to recommend this book, but I'm too lazy to log into both Reddit AND Shelfari.

u/Gleanings · 1 pointr/freemasonry

>not every GL wants to be in the business of approving books

Without standards, you end up with this and comic books on your altar.

Congratulations! You have been made a tool.

This is why Florida made their changes. And good for them.

u/devianaut · 1 pointr/exchristian
u/kimwim42 · 1 pointr/reddit.com

I have the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in my bookcase at home, as well as The Book of Bob. Both are great jumping off bases for a new religion.

u/schrute_buck · 1 pointr/politics

That's fine. Me & my Bible will be heading down their to enlighten those poor knowledge starved young minds.

u/FireKnightV · 1 pointr/DebateReligion

> So, couldn't an Atheist convert to Giant Spaghettism and write a Speghetti inspired book detailing God and his/her creations?

The Pastafarians actually did.

For the Win

u/rartuin270 · 1 pointr/todayilearned

Someone should swear on this

u/CompoundClover · 1 pointr/news
u/aimeecat · 1 pointr/atheism

There is a hell for people who don't believe Hogwarts is real ??!?

Let me google that for you. BTW - it's a hoot.

Reading some of your comments I have a question for you:

If you don't accept all of the bible (e.g. don't follow all of the rules in Leviticus etc etc) why not just ignore the rest as well? Doesn't it seem a little dishonest to select only the bits of a religion that you like but then claim to follow the religion? Surely you should follow it all to the letter?

u/MaiqTheFibber · 1 pointr/fsm
u/OsamaBinJacob · 1 pointr/atheism

> what book do atheist kill for?

Why The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster of course! Though his Noodlyness would really rather you didn't.

u/JDawgSabronas · 1 pointr/Pastafarian

Worshiping an omnipotent, omnipresent flying monster made entirely of spaghetti.

Geez, it's almost as if you've never read The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

u/MaxRenn · 1 pointr/politics
u/thanks_daddy · 1 pointr/Cumtown
u/ThinkMinty · 1 pointr/ChapoTrapHouse

A Chapo Guide to Revolution and Anarchy Comics: The Complete Edition are good places to start. I've also seen people recommend The ABCs of Socialism, but I haven't read it so I can only say I've seen others say it's good.

---

https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287

https://www.amazon.com/Anarchy-Comics-Collection-Jay-Kinney/dp/1604865318/

u/Vermifex · 1 pointr/JordanPeterson

damn, none funny at all? ouch.

I know what will change your opinion. You should buy the book. https://www.amazon.com/Chapo-Guide-Revolution-Manifesto-Against/dp/1501187287

u/yosemighty_sam · 1 pointr/offbeat

Do I have the book for you: Eats, Shoots and leaves

u/theghostie · 1 pointr/writing

If you haven't already read it, I suggest falling in love with this book.

Also, try PaperbackSwap if you're in need of free books, plus shipping costs.

u/mrhorrible · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Good comment. I'm not on either side of your argument at the moment. Originally, I was against Grammar Nazis for the exact reasons that you mention. I feel like grammar is made of rules formulated that describe how people use language. (But some grammar nazis act as though it's the other way around).

I believe that the language is in the hands of whoever's using it. Thus, I'll make up my own words when I wish, or find novel usages when I want. I'll even use unconventional punctuation when I can justify it. However, in learning to combat grammar nazis, I first had to really learn what I was doing, so I could know how to argue them. In learning these things, I became a nazi myself.

But it's not for the reason you mentioned. It's not about preventing a perceived degradation. It's about courtesy. Hah. Yup. I'd never use a term like that myself, but check out this book by Lynne Truss. She states that it is "rude" to not put effort into clarity in one's own writing. By using the wrong words or improper spelling, a burden is put on the reader (in addition to any misinterpretations).

u/cryptorchidism · 1 pointr/WTF

>So waiting at a stoplight is dangerous?

Yep. Take any motorcycle safety course and you'll have that drilled into you. You always need to be aware of what's behind you when stopped.

>So lets just go ahead and run it. That's your solution. Clever! That's a lot better than waiting at the stoplight, right?

Not my solution, but that's what's going through the cyclist's mind. Have you ever talked to one? (note: yelling profanities out the window doesn't count) If they check for the presence of traffic in the intersection, I think it's no more dangerous than the habitual stop-sign running that motorists engage in.

>Does that mean that stoplights are dangerous for me too?

Yes, but to a lesser extent. You have a metal cage surrounding you that's designed to sacrifice itself in a collision to save your life. Bikers of both varieties have no such luxury.

>Should I just run all stop lights?

I'd prefer you didn't. You're way more likely to kill someone else than a cyclist (incidentally you're also way more likely to get ticketed, I suspect for the same reason). You have worst situational awareness than a cyclist (again, the metal cage thing). You also have less maneuverability and take up more space, making a collision that much more likely.

>Better to blindly push through it?

No. Blindly running a light is stupid and dangerous, and anyone who does that puts their life in serious jeopardy. Any driver who does that also puts other lives in jeopardy.

Also, long runs of periods aren't actually a way to denote sentence breaks in English. I recommend this book.

u/acog · 1 pointr/pics
u/ReluctantParticipant · 0 pointsr/backpacking

I enjoyed this one. The same author did one for his PCT thru-hike, but I think it wasn't as good.

I'll also second dec92010's recommendation for A Walk in the Woods.

u/ZeroHex · 0 pointsr/funny

Read The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson if this subject interests you. It's a layman's book going through some of the quirks of the English language.

From my own limited experience on the subject of linguistics and languages English is one of the most flexible languages for adopting and adapting vocabulary. We've got any number of loan words that originate in French/Spanish/Italian (the "Romance" group and the Latin they all stem from) as well as German (grammar and vocab) and even Japanese.

u/BeABetterHumanBeing · 0 pointsr/ainbow

Get another shot ready.

No, I really should try to follow my username.

I'm a language descriptivist, not a language prescriptivist. Essentially, the distinction is that for descriptivists, the definition of words is how they are used, whereas for prescriptivists, the definition of a word is prescribed, usually by a particular authority, such as a dictionary.

In the descriptivist paradigm, it is impossible to use a word incorrectly (but it can be used contrary to what is usual or expected), new words come into and out of existence all the time, and a person can define a word for their own contextual use as they please.

In the prescriptivist paradigm, a word is incorrect if its use doesn't match the prescribing authority, new words must be specifically added by the authority, and a person is supposed to find the exact word or composition of words they need from the provided supply.

I find some problems with prescriptivism. First off, it means that some people who own the language others use. Second, there are many prescribing authorities, and they don't all agree. Third, if you want a word to describe a new concept, you're screwed.

I like descriptivism. First off, it's a better, more accurate model for how people actually use language; people make up new words all the time; languages evolve, borrowing and adapting where they see fit. Second, allowing people to define words within a context allows for more expressiveness, compactness, and power in the language we use.

An example of a prescriptive language in French[1]. An prescriptive authority would be one like Webster's dictionary[2].

A descriptive language would be one like English. A descriptive authority would be one like the Oxford English Dictionary.

[1] French has the infamous Académie française, which determines exactly what the language consists of. The academy has been involved in suppression of native languages such as Breton and Basque as recently as 2008, and of native languages in the french colonies when France had colonies. Prescriptivists can commit crimes against humanity.

[2] Noah Webster was a very important person in the history of english, for many of the wrong reasons. He was staunchly involved in trying to reform english, and was more or less singlehandedly responsible for a number of changes in our speak. The dictionary itself has strayed towards descriptivism since its book on english usage in 1993.

The topic is actually a really big one, and well discussed. An excellent book on the history of english that touches on the subject is The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson.

u/Oblivious122 · 0 pointsr/gifs
u/ExcellentSombrero · 0 pointsr/mildlyinteresting

> You just gotta get over this issue you have with admitting when you're wrong.

Still confused, I see.

> f/7.1 is not a shallow DoF by any stretch.

This statement is correct for the OP's photograph, and you know it. It doesn't take intelligence to lift a statement out of context and then discredit your own misrepresentation of it. This is a uniquely conservative approach to debate. There's a whole book written about it, which is very good. I recommend it to anyone. I only mention the political aspect because it's interesting what something as simple as debate style can reveal about someone.

u/FrankReynolds · 0 pointsr/politics

Just an FYI to everyone, and I hope this doesn't get buried to far:

Al Franken has authored a few political-centered books. My favorite being: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.

I strongly suggest picking up at least that one, and maybe The Truth

u/Tsilent_Tsunami · 0 pointsr/subredditoftheday

The Warlizard Chronicles

Haha, I have a few of those stories in my collection, but too much of it is stuff I would never publish. lol Good for you.

u/LizardBurger · 0 pointsr/TheSilphRoad

Hello, yes, I am! Have you ordered my book yet?

u/IZY2091 · 0 pointsr/Pastafarian

I can tell from your comments: You are a close minded die hard atheist who demonizes religion, and you blindly hate the very idea of religion based on what you have heard from others.

Isn't that the something as someone who is dedicated to a church and demonizes the "heathen Atheists" based on what others have told them?

Just think about it. You claim all this bad things will come from Pastafarianism but just from your questions I can tell you have never even read a page of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Reply if you wish but I have no desire to continue a conversation with a close minded individual like you currently are being, so I will no longer be replying to any of your comments. You have a good life and I honestly do hope you find inner peace.

u/CrispyBrisket · 0 pointsr/Cooking
u/FinanceITGuy · 0 pointsr/funny

I would think a security chief would be aware of the eats, shoots and leaves issue.

u/Calamity_Jesus · 0 pointsr/serialpodcast

>she got Jay to admit to lying on the stand

"Lying on the stand," is what you said.

"Lying, on the stand," is what you meant.

They're totally different things. The first one is perjury. The second one is just a sign of an unreliable witness.

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

u/19Kilo · 0 pointsr/news

Your grammar is a good indicator of how you communicate in the real world. If you have trouble forming a cogent sentence in text where you have red squiggly lines to indicate misspelling, or clear violations of norms, like putting two spaces after a period, it indicates that your spoken response in the real world may be lacking.

Grammar is important. Like the Lynn Truss book demonstrates, there is a huge difference between the following statements:

A panda eats shoots and leaves.

A panda eats, shoots and leaves.

u/jamesmango · -1 pointsr/titlegore

Needs punctuation. I know what the title conveys, but it's one of those "eats shoots and leaves" kind of sentences.

EDIT; Eats Shoots and Leaves as in the book on punctuation.

u/fantasyfest · -1 pointsr/atheism
u/Grimmbles · -2 pointsr/books

The Art of Manliness by Maddox. 26 letters in the alphabet, 26 chapters about manly things.

In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks: . . . And Other Complaints from an Angry Middle-Aged White Guy by Adam Carolla. His podcast might be awful now, and longtime fans will know many of the stories in here, but it's a good fun read. Adam hates everything about modern pussified society.

u/popeben · -2 pointsr/politics

Tea Party stoeld my intellects ='[

u/Rimbosity · -2 pointsr/CFB

On the assumption that you are not trolling and actually are this poorly educated, you need to go back and review basic rules of English Grammar. If you don't have a copy of The Elements of Style, you need to pick one up and read it. I can also recommend to you the very entertaining Woe is I or Eats, Shoots & Leaves if you want to be entertained as well as better-informed.

The noun that follows "than" when it is used as for comparison is always in agreement with the noun it would have replaced if it were the only element of the sentence; moreover, "be" verbs have no object. Ergo:

> Pete may be fat, but that lady is fatter than he.

"That lady" is the subject of the sentence, ergo we use "he" for our pronoun instead of "him." But if we presume that this lady's misfortunes continue:

> After the mugger began beating on her with a shovel, Pete said, "Better that he beat up her than me."

In this case the lady is the object of the mugger's bludgeoning with a garden implement, ergo we use "her" and "me" instead of "she" or "I."

The one confusing aspect to this is that in informal English, we generally permit people to sloppily treat the end of our "be" verbs as objects, thus the joke in the title of O'Conner's wonderful book, because "Woe is I" sounds wrong, even though it is strictly correct.

One assumes a hottie educated enough to get into Stanford would know the difference and use the correct phrase.

Edit: Also, as a postscript, given that I'm currently fighting with my SO as to whether our son should be educated in our country or hers, the huge number of up-votes you are receiving is not helping my cause. All of you, stop being whiny bitches about not knowing how to speak and write properly and go learn something:

u/tkrex · -3 pointsr/AskReddit

PUNCTUATION! I'm sorry, but MsWinty, your sentences do not mean what you think they mean.

>"One girls bathroom and one boys bathroom each with two stalls in the front of the school..."

Why did these two bathrooms have stalls outside the building? How far in front of the building? Were they attached to the building, or did you have to walk some distance to reach them? Did they have more stalls inside the building? Also, girl's and boy's need apostrophes to make them possessive.

I recommend Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

u/Roxinos · -3 pointsr/reddit.com

Here's the original source.

u/Loate · -6 pointsr/KotakuInAction

Been out for a year and a half. You can order it on Amazon here.

u/RamboGoesMeow · -6 pointsr/atheism

Check out Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue. It's a fantastic read that explains where the English language came from and why it's so messed up.

u/andrew1718 · -8 pointsr/thelastofus

I generally don't like it when people are grammar Nazis, but maybe English isn't your first language so... You are using "there", which means a location. What you mean to say is "their", which implies ownership. It's one of the dumbest, most confusing things in English... but then again, it's a language full of dumb and confusing things.

Although, Bill Bryson makes a good case for English's seemingly random nature as being the reason it so influential.