I, like many other English-speakers, have been unknowingly commiting the equivalant to semantic rape. For what I can only imagine to be my entire life I have been misusing the word hopefully.
The majority of English-speakers (at least those whose mother-tongue is English), hopefully is usually used unwittingly in place of “I hope” or “it is hoped”. However, this is completely wrong, as hopefully actually means “full of hope”. Which is actually so logical it hurts my chin.
Take the following sentence:
“Hopefully, it will not rain tomorrow.”
Since only living things can be full of hope, the above is wrong, and probably causes educated people to tear their own hearts out.
Stranger still is the following, which is correct:
“I went hopefully to the shops to buy a Playstation 3.”
How disappointed I was when I realised the PS3 has not been released yet.
Author Archives: jon
Berries From Heaven
Today we went across the road to pick cloudberries, a delicay in Sweden mainly due to its behaviour.
Cloudberries, unlike a lot of other berries, do not grow in clumps. Or indeed on the same plant. No, the cloudberry is a solitary chap, growing close to the ground and preferring marshland. Which is possibly why they cost a small fortune in shops.
There is nothing quite like an outing to the swamps to search for a rare fruit, especially one which refuses to produce itself at a pickable level. Of course, being summertime and being a swamp means an added attraction: mosquito city.
I’m reasonably used to these little bloodsucking bastards by now, but this was ridiculous, even for my standards. Even a frequent application of mosquito repellent didn’t deter the swarm, and Jo even managed to get bitten on the lip.
Our total catch was a bucket’s worth. This is a pretty good harvest, considering the cloudberry’s anti-social growth-pattern. It’s just a pity I do not have a fondness for them.
Windows Crap
No, not an anti-Microsoft sentiment, but a general statement about renovation.
I’ve been stripping the windows of our house’s relaxation room for the last week. It’s turning in to a long and painful process, and taking far longer than I had hoped.
Still, I’m trying to do the job well, since the windows we have are quite unique, being as old as they are.
London Bombing
After September 11th in the USA, and Madrid, London has been exposed to a new terrorist attack, with the London Underground and a bus being bombed, killing 52 people.
At present Al Qaida is suspected for the attacks, and The European Al Qaida or Al Qaida in Europe (or some such bollocks) has taken responsibilty.
It doesn’t happen so often nowadays that I take a standpoint about things I can even hope to understand, but for the sake of this blog, I shall.
America :they should never have gone to war. I know many people were gladdened by it, but having lived in the IRA era, where terrorism was the norm for a bitter and ignored underdog, it was plain to see the consequences of war.
Terrorism :the killing of innocent civilians sucks, and always shall do.
Spain : you should never have withdrawn your troops after the Madrid bombing. It gives power to the terrorists. Also, finish what you started, you bastards.
G8 Thoughts
The anticipated G8 meeting has come and gone. The 8 richest countries in the world (U.K., U.S.A., Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Italy and Canada) gathered to discuss two important issues: poverty in Africa and global warming.
Not surprisingly (due, I’m sure, to America’s unwillingness to being told what to do) nothing came of the environmental talks, though several points were reached about Africa, in the form of money and medicine for the Aids epidemic.
Protesters have claimed that nothing good can ever come from the G8 meeting, because of the very idea that Tony Blair wants to see privatisation in the continent, which itself will perpetuate the problem.
The Jon of 15 years ago would have been standing behind the protesters with a raised fist in a show of revolutionary camaradarie; however, the Jon of now (although from tomorrow, the Jon of then) can’t help feeling more positive about the situation. A bit, mind you.
While I think it is a noble cause, I’m less concerned about the evil machinations of consumerism, and more worried about corruption and weapon trade in the New Africa.