Driving Blotto
I made it home from Tijuana yesterday in 1.5 hours, which is pretty darn fast, but it felt rather dangerous because I was still crazy drunk from the night before. I didn’t feel bad when I left, but once I was on the road I started getting that out-of-body-experience thing going and I knew I only had three options.
I could pull over and wait till I was sober … ha, but seriously. So I had two options: I wasn’t sure if I should drive faster so that I’d be endangering other people’s lives for a shorter period of time, or if I should drive slower so as to minimize the chance of a serious accident. What do you think?
August 1st, 2004 at 12:45 pm
pe·jor·a·tive ( P ) Pronunciation Key (p-jôr-tv, -jr-, pj-rtv, pj-)
adj.
1. Tending to make or become worse.
2. Disparaging; belittling.
n.
A disparaging or belittling word or expression
Pejorative
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A word or phrase is pejorative if it expresses contempt or disapproval about the thing or person described. Most pejorative expressions may also be used in a non-pejorative way, however, and (as with any implied meaning) determining the intent of the speaker is problematic.
Although pejorative means the same thing as disparaging, the latter term may be applied to a look or gesture as well as to words and phrases.
Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually grow to have a non-pejorative sense. This happened with the terms Yankee and Ham radio operator, which changed from being slang insults to being worn with pride. In other cases, some groups have attempted to reclaim formerly offensive words applied against them, with limited success: In many cases, usage of a term like nigger, redneck, dyke, queer, faggot, tranny, Kraut, or cripple by someone outside the group is still considered pejorative (and thus offensive).
Conversely, a neutral (non-pejorative) term may grow to become pejorative: The term retarded, to refer to a person whose mental capacity is permanently weak, was originally used as a euphemism to avoid the pejorative senses of words like moronic, feebleminded, and half-witted. But it quickly grew to have a pejorative sense of its own. (It is worth noting that, in its own time, moron was a euphemism for the pejorative word idiot.) This same progression, from neutral to pejorative, may be happening with the words challenged and special, used in the same sense, today. Language writer Steven Pinker has called this process “the euphemism treadmill.”
Since meanings change over time, consult an up-to-date dictionary for information on specific words.
The word “Ami” could actually sound rather endearing as well, depends on how to take it. It sounds better to m than the word “American” which kinda sounds hard in comparison.
The word “piglet,” for example in Europe is often used in an endearing manner and in the US you can’t really call your partner “your cute lil piglet, they may get insulted, here but in other places people enjoy being a piglet.
Wish there would be some endearing term out there other than the Term “American” or “Ami” (which is bad) Any suggestions?
Sorry, did not mean to insult anybodies feelings1
August 1st, 2004 at 1:16 pm
For what it’s worth, I’ve always believed that reducing the amount of one’s exposure to hazard conditions is the proper approach, and the most efficient way to do this is to get as far from them as possible as quickly as possible.
If you’re 2.5 sheets or more to the wind, you’re impaired at 40 mph; 80, at least, will get you home twice as fast.
August 1st, 2004 at 1:56 pm
…Well I have pulled over and napped once on the drive home from Yosemite, and that was useful. Ever other time I’ve been very tired I’ve found that driving faster can be useful, but not because I get home faster (an added bonus), but because I’m more alert. At 55-60, it so slow, I could put myself to sleep with a normal amount of rest
August 1st, 2004 at 2:00 pm
I’d suggest checking out the link. I can think of three times I was on the 5 from the Bay Area to L.A. that I was dangerously close to falling asleep. Two of them I slept in gas station parking lots (one overnight) and another overnight in a rest stop. Seriously, if you’re tired pull over. The suggestion about motel parking lots is OK. So might be gas station, casino, fast food, or Wal*Mart parking lots. The indicator to look for would be truckers or RVers doing the same. If there are none of those, find something else.
August 1st, 2004 at 2:54 pm
What do I think? I think where is a cop when you need one! The guy was drunk — not just tired.
August 1st, 2004 at 4:00 pm
What do you you think?
I I think your subtlety escapes the average yorker.
August 1st, 2004 at 6:01 pm
Well I hope you know I was kidding.
August 1st, 2004 at 10:07 pm
I suspected as much, but you never know.
August 2nd, 2004 at 9:32 pm
“I I think…”
Smartass.
August 2nd, 2004 at 9:43 pm
Smartass.
We wish we were witty. We work with what we got.
August 3rd, 2004 at 2:21 am
If you get yourself killed (with or without taking other drivers with you) we’ll lose a great blogger. Jeff, don’t drink and drive!
August 11th, 2004 at 5:27 am
Accidents waiting to happen
The mix is perfect: two or three inches of rain, which means that drainage, theoretical at best in some parts of town, has become all but nonexistent; street lights are…