Brainstorming :)

[JudyN]

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The rule that 'fewer' should be used for countable items was pretty much invented in 1770 by Robert Baker, who wrote '“[Less] is most commonly used in speaking of a Number; where I should think Fewer would do better. ‘No Fewer than a Hundred’ appears to me, not only more elegant than ‘No less than a Hundred,’ but more strictly proper.” So not a rule, just his personal preference, which was not backed up by actual usage pretty much since the start of written English. People have latched onto it - in today's terms it pretty much went viral - but that was purely chance, or good marketing of his book, or whatever.

Nevertheless, I would still usually change 'less' to 'fewer' for countables when editing (unless 'less' seems right - 'I have one less dog than you'), because the last thing the author wants is someone criticising their book (or worse, criticising the editor!). And it's been taken to be correct for so long that it does now often feel more natural.

 

[Flobo]

Ah and this is why I asked for help on here! I tend to write as I speak, which is fine if I'm writing a letter to someone but doing something more formal takes me a while and I need to get a second opinion to help with the fine tuning. Though my daughter kept wanting to put a comma before the 'or' in a sentence as did google, the 'Oxford comma'? I didn't like that and thankfully nor did @JudyN

I'll upload one pic of a pendant I have just taken but my camara on my phone is a bit rubbish. I'll get my tech assistant(daughter) to take some better ones!

 

[JudyN]

The Oxford comma is usually omitted in British English (unless it helps with the sense) - but it's OK to use as long as it's consistent

 

[Tinytom]

That pendant is lovely @Flobo....look forward to more pics and prices ...unless you want to pm me them

 

[JudyN]

That pendant is lovely @Flobo.

I read that as 'That pedant is lovely'!

 

[Flobo]

Fab, I'll get some more pics up over weekend.

 

[arealhuman]

Looks like some people in my part of the world could do with your card, @Flobo. Have a read of this

 

[JudyN]

That's so sad, arealhuman Sadly, it'd take more than clear rules for people like that to behave responsibly. It's a shame they can't be put down, instead of their dogs

 

[Tinytom]

Onlead dogs will soon be law ....but the idiots with these dogs wont abide unfortunately...This is why we walk our dogs 430am 3ach day ...even on holiday we have been going to the beach at 5am ....its not the dogs it's the awful owners ....so sad that poor dog lost its life

 

[Flobo]

That is so sad...what's sadder though is that this seems to be happening more and more.

I saw on the news this morning another man has lost his life from a dog attack, another large bull breed. It was good to hear the behaviourist that they interviewed high light the fact that these bull breeds are being used more and more as status symbols for young men(aka d**kheads!) and purposefully not socialised with other dogs or people as well as being specifically breed to be huge. If they can't be managed by one person there is always some one else who will take them on because they look good, right!? Usually not knowing their history or having any understanding of the dog. I've seen 4 different ones in our area, both walked in pairs. My worry is if one of my reactive dogs kicks off how the hell is one, usually slim built young man going to hold back two strong dogs if they don't like my dogs attitude! They are very big, powerful looking dogs and I do absolutely avoid them. Illegal ear cropping seems to be a thing with them too. It was just good to hear someone talk about the problem being with the type of person who has this dog for the wrong reasons... he did also said how sensitive bull breeds are...
I've always loved these dogs and I have had one in my life that I adored(apart from his, um, farting) They are so not deserving of the abuse they suffer because of their looks... that takes me back to something leashed for life said once about how in America bull breeds are the most abused breed of dog, it seems we're following suit here now

 

[Tinytom]

I first met my best friend Pam who was a dog warden 26 yrs ago ...she had lots of bull breeds then that's were used for fighting and for drug dealers...the second was the poor lurcher....and we are a country of dog lovers...

 

[Flobo]

It is heart breaking... I watched a Panorama recently called 'Dogs, Dealers and Organised Crime' about the extreme breeding and huge amounts of money being made, a very upsetting and worrying watch... but worth a watch all the same (it's on BBC iPlayer).

 

[Deri Price]

Great idea! Too many people let their dogs off whilst not caring that other dogs aren't so friendly, which causes stress for the owner and the dog due to being restrained unnecessarily.

 

[arealhuman]

The trouble is, the punishment never fits the crime. Controversial, I know. But often you hear about people who have inflicted terrible harm on animals and their sentence is something like being banned for keeping dogs (or horses, or cats, etc.) for 10 years. Yeah, that'll show them.

Some crimes really do scream out for the US retributive system of justice to be applied, not the system that relies heavily on rehabilitation as is widely used here. In some cases, people really do deserve to be locked in a tiny room for a long period of time.

 

[Flobo]

As promised some pics of my jewellery, with many thanks to my personal tech support person
I love making it, just rubbish at flogging it! Hence taking it to the stall I'm doing. Our branch of RSPCA has the Reptile Rescue on site so I'm hoping I'll get some interest. If anyone here likes it pm me, @JudyN is that allowed? I know it's not dog related so no worries if not!

 

[JudyN]

@Flobo, I think it's fine seeing as you're responding to a request to post the pics

 

[Flobo]

Fab, thank you!

 

[Hemlock]

Lovely work, Flobo

 

[arealhuman]

Nice jewellery, @Flobo!

 

[Flobo]

I have my postcards back from printers! I'm quite pleased with how they've turned out
I showed my parents at the weekend and my dad commented on how he found them easy to read in the colours I've(well, daughter) used. I showed her the kind of colours I wanted and she fine tuned it for me with her young artistic eyes!
I think I'm nearly all set for the fair now, just ordered some business cards for my jewellery just in case I get interest, gazebo has been put up and checked and tables organised. Oh, still need to borrow a couple of camping chairs, must put that on my list before I forget!