#optimistic and dishonest is a fun combination
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gourdlycatgen · 2 months ago
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The regular loner named Thicket is a midnight black amab gnc cat with a classic tabby coat and high white spotting. The pronouns this cat uses are he/him + nounself. This cat has patchy, spiky fur and grassy green eyes. This cat likes dogs, and loves rain. The cat is optimistic and dishonset. The cat wouldn't notice a dog coming too close. This cat has one scar and an oriental body.
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old-souldier · 5 years ago
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Character Astrology Chart:
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Jordan Kennedy Capricorn Sun | Libra Moon | Leo Ascendant
Capricorn Sun [Who you are]
Capricorns are assiduous, conscientious and steady persons. They do not push in the front, but they are clever and wait while doing their work. However, there is no reason to rest and wait for success and claim to power. Tireless and severe they are, and so they gain respect.
Capricorns never give up a goal or finished struggling – engaged in a fight like in life and death battle. They would never deny claiming livelihood and security. They accept bad blows from behind as normal attack. Capricorns are those who become stronger by that. They are climbers and never stop climbing before they would have reached the summit. Realists and sober – and they never would leave the path of reality and soberness. Capricorns believe in values of the material world.
Their life is their profession. People born under the zodiac sign Capricorn represent never-ending capacities to adapt to the current circumstances. Contacts are necessary, but they are for good. They are good partners. Life is a business and rules help to confirm.
Capricorns appear brusque, and it is a missing link of warmth. There is such a well-defined distance in between – and it might be required. They are level headed – and for this aspect, it looks like a kind of calculation - but it is their nature.
The way is the path of advantages, and so they are rigid to themselves – gaining security – but never escalating. Always thrifty and in most cases almost miserly as well. Finally – in the end – heirs are lucky about that characteristic. Lust of life, generosity, and fickleness they hate. Capricorns work for duty, and always they are just realists – they prefer real stages and perform in economics, politics [parties] and in public services [cultural affairs office]. People born under the zodiac sign Capricorn just tear down a building when the new house is built up complete. Maybe there is an aspect of weakness – exactly in that manner. Their predominating motto could be called: no risk – no fun, but security and success. One day it could be their mistake to hate changing an opinion or point of view – and in the end, even a pale value considering ranks and orders – worst case rivals defeat them.
Strengths of Capricorn
Steady, serious, convinced, assiduous, patient, practical, tough, prudent, thrifty, reserved, cautious, conservative, taciturn, strict and lonely.
Weaknesses of Capricorn
heartless, rigid, pitiless, merciless, unforgiving, hard, inflexible, fossil, miserly, deceitful, devious, sinister character, cold, cantankerous, cranky, envious, jealous, vindictive, revengeful, false and dishonest.
Libra Moon [Your Inner Self. Your base Reactions, Instincts, and Emotions.]
Moon in Libra people have a strong need for partnership. Without someone to share their lives with, they feel utterly incomplete. This is why many people with this position get involved in marriages or living-together arrangements quite young. Because this drive for harmony, peace, and sharing is so powerful, Lunar Librans are apt to do a lot of conceding. They are sympathetic and concerned for others, enjoy socializing and revel in a good debate. Mental rapport with others is especially important to them. Lunar Librans feel safe and secure when they are in a partnership. These are the people who seem to always need to have someone tag along with them wherever they go -- even if it is to the corner store. They find strength and reinforcement in and through others. People with this position are often quite charming. They can be very attractive to be around and are often given to flirtatiousness. Rarely directly aggressive, these people win your heart with their gentle and refined ways. Moon in Libra natives simply can't help but see flaws in their environment and their relationships. In fact, anything out of whack will bother them until it's fixed. Although diplomatic with acquaintances, when Moon in Libra natives argue with their long-standing partners, they rarely let up until they win. And, winning an argument is a Libran specialty--in fact, they may not even believe what they are saying but will adopt all kinds of ideas just to get the last word. Living with Lunar Librans can sometimes feel like you are on trial, and Libra is the expert lawyer. Sometimes, though, Libra is defending you and supporting your point of view. Lunar Librans' idealistic outlook and constant striving for the best, most harmonious lifestyle can lead to much discontent. Looking for that one (elusive) perfect way to lead their lives can detract from the enjoyment of the moment.
Leo Ascendant  [How You Are to the World. Natural defenses and how you cope with day-to-day issues]
Ascendant Leo wants to achieve some glory on this earth. They want to create something significant in their lifetime. They use an enjoyable way and execute their plan energetically. They are fed by positive energy and consider aspects of life as a game at which they want to take the lead.
They enjoy life and act out their feelings. Ascendant Leo does not suffer from self-doubt but rather seems to be arrogant and egocentric. They want to have the leading part and like to be on stage. They are not open-minded or receptive towards criticism or good advice.
Ascendant Leo with a positive attitude towards life in combination with the enthusiasm and hearty eagerness – these attributes make them a good mentor, and they will win somebody’s heart for their plans and ideas. They have visions and the ability to mediate and motivate each other. By the way, he appears self-reliant and dictatorial as well – predestined for leading parts.
Ascendant Leo is open-minded and prepared to take new paths. Unconventional thinking is their part – sometimes they cross the line of appropriate behavior.
Strengthen of Rising Sign Leo
Self-confident, creative, independent, optimistic, kind-hearted, benevolent, generous, faithful, honest, dynamic, enthusiastic and active.
Weaknesses of Rising Sign Leo
Bouncing, vain, insolent, domineering, autocratic, pleasure-seeking, prodigal, egocentric, arrogant, fond of being the leader and likes to be praised.
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mrdarcysdadbod · 2 years ago
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(thank u for the graceful parenthetical; it's not what I was saying but I get it re strong reactions to Austen Opinions)
I had a much longer response to this typed out but it was kind of rambling (ETA: lol) and essentially came down to the fact that I meant Elinor was naive in the sense of not being cynical or skeptical, rather than being childish, primarily bc she listens to Willoughby talk instead of just walking out or going "cool motive! Still a dickhole. Now get off my property or I'm gonna go get the guy who already tried to shoot you and let him shoot at you some more." There's optimism in thinking he can have anything worthwhile to say in his own defense, after all the ways he's lied and hurt people and ruined lives quite literally for fun and profit. I don't think that Mrs. Jennings or Mrs. Dashwood would've had the same patience for him, because they're older and more experienced.
I would also compare her reaction, cross book, with someone like Elizabeth, who is cynical, and when she meets Wickham again after knowing the truth, is cold and uninterested towards him afterwards, even though they were friends before.
I am also, again, coming from the view that everything Willoughby says at this point is a lie to save face. I think his account of how Sophia saw Marianne's letter is fake and not even trying that hard to be convincing. I think that Elinor challenging some of it but still ultimately believing him to be an honest person (which she definitely does, per the text) is fundamentally naive, even if it's a naivete that stems from a good and compassionate nature.
I don't say she's naive or taken in by Willoughby to cast aspersions on her or condemn her, again I think that he's quite a good manipulator and he got himself alone with her specifically to take advantage of her kind and optimistic character, the same way he took advantage of Marianne's romanticism and Sophia's combination of wealth and lack of strong family connections (she's an orphan with guardians that apparently don't care about her, which gives me the impression that she doesn't actually have a ton of power against her fiance, or people to protect her, lending credence to my opinion that it's comical of him to try and say that she could force him to do, uh, anything he didn't want to) and Eliza's complete lack of connections or stability. Sense and Sensibility falls on the cynical side of Austen's writing, compared to something like Persuasion or Pride and Prejudice, so I think it would be harder to argue that, after all the other young women Willoughby has taken advantage of, Elinor is the one that he's being honest with, even as he definitely has something to gain from improving her opinion of him so that she doesn't circulate stories of what a rat bastard he is in the neighborhood of the house he still plans to inherit and live in. It's not that I think Elinor is stupid or childlike or anything, just that there's probably a level of experience and, again, cynicism she simply doesn't have that would color her opinion of him. The fact that she looks at someone she knows to be dishonest and manipulative, suspects him of manipulating her, and then still comes away thinking he has "a disposition naturally open and honest," and fully believing in his love for Marianne (which, I won't make a point either way on that count, but given how he has repeatedly lied and the way he talks about Eliza who he also allegedly loved, I wouldn't put much stock in his claims to feeling or the feelings he claims) is telling.
Again, I don't think this is a bad thing! I think it's a quality that has probably served her and will certainly continue to serve her as the wife of a parson. She's aware that she thinks better of him than he deserves, but the fact that she still has that good opinion- however she qualifies and diminishes it to herself- and that she briefly, even in their conversation at the end, wishes that his wife would die so he could marry Marianne after all, is a kind of naivete, even if it's one she's growing out of or at least of which she's conscious.
Tbh my ideal Sense and Sensibility adaptation doesn't need to be particularly faithful or accurate or even well made, it just needs to have the scene at the end where Willoughby talks to Elinor only instead of her forgiving him or whatever she just pours a pot of scalding tea over his head about it.
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bxynjolf · 8 years ago
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really LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES.
repost , don’t reblog ! tag 10 ! good luck !
TAGGED. @paternall (thanks daddy B) )  TAGGING. @ulfhrafnx, @mcrcer, @snowtorn / @summergilded, @necromantiia, @arepure, @ratholed, @mortedistelle, @wcrlike, @kismetfervor, @jadeiism, aaaand whoever else would care to do this thing! Just say your favorite thief tagged you. ;o 
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BASICS. FULL NAME : "Brynjolf” NICKNAME : Bryn, “Big Bad Brynjolf”, if you have a death wish “jolfy”. AGE : 38 BIRTHDAY : August 17th.  ETHNIC GROUP : Nord?  NATIONALITY : Nord LANGUAGE / S :  Aldmeri, Dunmeri, (written) Dwemer, (written) Khajiit, common.  SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Heterosexual. ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Heteromantic. RELATIONSHIP STATUS : verse dependent; single or unfortunately married to work/@mcrcer​. CLASS : Lower class HOME TOWN / AREA : Riften !  CURRENT HOME : Riften (moved back after some years)  PROFESSION : Full time Second-in-Command of the Skyrim Thieves Guild, part time “merchant” of “exotic wares” (conman). 
PHYSICAL. HAIR : Deep auburn. EYES : Emerald green, sharp.  NOSE : Long, slightly crooked, and proud.  FACE : Strong jaw, defined cheekbones, trimmed facial hair.  LIPS : Chapped, full.  COMPLEXION : Pale.  BLEMISHES : Faint freckles spattered across his arms and over the bridge of his nose. SCARS :  One right across his cheek, a few scattered along his back, and various nicks across his hands and fingers.  TATTOOS : One; the Thieves’ Guild insignia on his right shoulder blade.  HEIGHT : 6″1-6″2. WEIGHT : 155 lbs. BUILD : Lean. Tall. Underweight, but broad shouldered.  FEATURES : Encouraging, sloping smile, bright eyes, arched brows. ALLERGIES : prison.  USUAL HAIR STYLE : Combed and kept down; he will occasionally wear it up too, usually in the fashion of a messy man bun or sloppy braid.  USUAL FACE LOOK : Tired, eager (opportunistic), alert.   USUAL CLOTHING :  Thieves Guild armor; if not the Guild armor, he’ll don noble attire in colors that compliment his features. 
PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Failing the Guild, losing one of his own/recruits, bankruptcy, poverty, the savage stereotypes of the supernatural (not a fan of vampires).  ASPIRATION / S : To bring the Guild back to its former glory, (later) to fill their Vaults brimming with wealth, to establish client connections in other regions such as Morrowind or Cyrodil, and secure relations with other (successful) Thieves Guild/Dark Brotherhood sanctuaries.   POSITIVE TRAITS : Loyal. Caring. Hard working. Optimistic. Persevering.   NEGATIVE TRAITS : Stubborn. Selfless to a fault. Dishonest. Talkative.  MBTI : Protagonist personality (ENFJ, -A/-T) ZODIAC : Leo TEMPERAMENT : Sanguine, according to this test !  SOUL TYPE / S : The Helper. ANIMALS : Rat. Dog.  VICE HABIT / S : Drinking.  FAITH : Atheist; later, Nightingale/servant of Nocturnal. GHOSTS ? : No thank you. AFTERLIFE ? : Unfortunately, yes. REINCARNATION ? : He has to; he’s bound to serve Nocturnal once he’s passed. ALIENS ? : No.  POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Verse dependent; largely neutral.  ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : Wealthy. He’d love to own a proud residence of his own within one of the larger cities; it could act as an additional base for Thieves/Thieves in training plus provide underground escapes for those caught within that city! Also, he’s fond of the simpler if finer things; solid, sturdy, polished steel in place of the bargain bits he picks up, new fabrics, fresh clothes, etc. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : Verse dependent.  EDUCATION LEVEL : none.
FAMILY. FATHER : Alive. Best forgotten, in his opinion.  MOTHER : Deceased; passed when he was 10. SIBLINGS : none. EXTENDED FAMILY :  none. NAME MEANING / S :  Old Norse given name, a combination of Old Norse bryn, from brynja 'coat of mail, armor, protection'.  HISTORICAL CONNECTION ? : none.
FAVOURITES. BOOK : Fall of the Snow Prince  MOVIE :                 5 SONGS :                      DEITY : None. Nocturnal  HOLIDAY :  No particular favorite!  MONTH : Hearthfire.  SEASON : Autumn.  PLACE :  Riften.  WEATHER : Cool, mild. Ideally, a clear, sunny day with a slight chill.  SOUND : Silence. The clink of coins. The quiet shuffle of paper.  SCENT / S : Cinnamon and sugar, crisp pine, fresh air.   TASTE / S :  Sweetrolls, buttered potatoes, rich broths, savory meats.  FEEL / S :  Washed linens, buffed steel, untouched parchment.  ANIMAL / S : Dogs. NUMBER : 17. COLOUR / S : Faded black. Murky tones. Bright green. Navy blue. Burgundy. 
EXTRA. TALENTS : Multilingual. Writing. Observation. Socialization/making connections. Money savvy. BAD AT : Two-handed weaponry, shields, experienced hand to hand combat, abiding the law. TURN ONS : A job well done you sinners     TURN OFFS : Mercer, assassination attempts, entitlement, offense/attacks against his own, insults in regards to his faction, snootiness, lethargy.  HOBBIES :  Reading, writing, nature walks.  TROPES : AESTHETIC TAGS : Shadows. Murk. Gold. Hearty drinks. One-handed weaponry. GPOY QUOTES : "Sorry, lass/lad. I’ve important things to do. We’ll speak another time.” 
FC INFO. MAIN FC / S : Aragorn; LOTR. ( Viggo Mortensen ) ALT FC / S : Hozier is his modern faceclaim!  OLDER FC / S : Nope!  YOUNGER FC / S :  Isaac Hempstead Wright is who I use for him when he’s a child.  VOICE CLAIM / S : ROBERT ATKINS DOWNS. GENDERBENT FC / S : nah
MUN QUESTIONS. Q1 : If you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ? A1 : ‘50 First Crimes’; a film that shows the progressive slope of criminal activities a young, Scottish male gets up to before finally settling at both the skeeziest and most secure criminal organization. Style? George Lucas. Soundtrack? Bagpipes. Fantastic movie idea? Absolutely.  Q2 : What would their soundtrack / score sound like ? A2 : A never-ending score of bagpipes all varying in pitches and tone. Sad bagpipes. Happy bagpipes. Bagpipes for sure, though.  Q3 : Why did you start writing this character ? A3 : @mcrcer​ stated (on another blog of theirs) that they were debating whether or not to make their own Mercer blog. At the time, I didn’t think Elder Scrolls had a fandom, and since Brynjolf was one of the few characters I distinctly remember being fond of + my love for Guild companions, I decided on Brynjolf. The initial alternative was either going to be Farkas or Vilkas, the latter more likely than the former just because. Sassy werewolf. Honestly. It’s too great. Q4 : What first attracted you to this character ? A4: That accent tho. The fun of Brynjolf is that, despite being a canon character, there’s very little information on him? So, like with most canon characters I play, there’s a canon foundation that you can extrapolate from and develop, yet you can still make unique with your own thoughts. I also love that, regardless of your own character’s background or skill level, he’ll always hire you on. He recruits anybody. That’s unbridled opportunism at its finest!!   Q5 : Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5 : He’s quicker to take to talking rather than fighting. Though it’s worked out well enough in some cases, one of these days he’s going to either get tossed in prison or murdered for trespassing. Also, a substantial amount of obstacles could be easily resolved if he took to his brethren’s stereotype and just challenged them to a d-d-d-duel and bested them in battle, but alas. Firstly, he’s not the best come combat on equal grounds; secondly, he plays the business politics more than anything.  Q6 : What do you have in common with your muse ? A6 : We both have a fabulous sense of style and poor choice in management.  Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ? A7 :                                                               
Q8 : What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ? A8 : @mcrcer​ is always a hoot. Their Mercer is delightful to aggravate, and then on the flip side, mellow out. All our interactions I cherish, but I especially like the ones where Brynjolf is an unfortunate middleman to an oncoming mayhem. @ulfhrafnx​ is also rad af because, not only are they the only Companion OC I’ve stumbled across, but their character is just??? So cool?? Legit. I’m weak. Our interactions thus far have been wonderful if only because I take the piss out of poor Brynjolf being caught by this fierce warrior lady. @summergilded / @snowtorn are also a peach; Khidell amuses Brynjolf on the daily, even if it later results in some lecturing from Mercer, and Cirion is yet another really interesting OC, particularly because it’s one of few threads where Brynjolf’s lowkey hobby comes to play.  Q9 : What gives you inspiration to write your muse ? A9 : You know why I keep on about bagpipes? When I write Brynjolf, I feel the best thing that helps me keep to his tone is by listening to several playlists of Celtic Rock/Bagpipes while perusing Scottish Twitter. Alternatively, seeing certain thief aesthetics or even listening to particularly upbeat music sparks a lot of muse for him! 
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notarealdisciple · 5 years ago
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‘Social’ Verbs and Prepositions
  Talking, laughing, joking – these are some of the actions we do while we are with friends and family. In today’s report, we explore the grammar behind such actions. Specifically, we will show you how English speakers use verbs and prepositions to describe common actions in social situations. “Social” verbs and prepositions In earlier Everyday Grammar programs, we explored phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have a verb and a particle, a kind of short word. Phrasal verbs have an idiomatic meaning. In other words, the words together mean something different from what you might expect. Today, we explore verbs and prepositions that appear next to each other in a sentence. Although they may look like phrasal verbs, they do not have an idiomatic meaning. To do this, we will explore what we like to call “social” verb and preposition combinations. They describe how people express and react to ideas. We will talk about two main groups: social verbs with “about” and social verbs with “to.” Talk about/laugh about/joke about Our first group includes the verbs talk, laugh and joke. In everyday speech, speakers often use these verbs with the preposition “about.” Here is an example. Imagine a group of young people went out last weekend. One of them reports what took place: 1: What did you do last weekend? 2: Oh, we went to a café and talked about the drama in Ben’s life. 1: Really? What kind of drama? 2: Well, Ben sent a bunch of money to some guy saying he was a Nigerian prince. I guess he had never heard of that famous internet scam…  1: That’s crazy! I think Ben should read the news more often.   2: Yeah, but Ben didn’t seem mad - he laughed about the whole situation.  He even joked about it, too! 1: What a positive person! Here, you heard how speakers might describe an event in the past. You heard the speakers talk about a situation, laugh about a situation and joke about a situation. Speakers might use these structures when talking about the future as well. In this example, the group N.E.R.D. has a song about a time in the future, when the singer will be able to look back at an event and laugh about it.  Someday I'll laugh about it All that preciousness we had it Couldn't it last like that I doubt it Come on girl lets laugh about it Talk to/Listen to Our next group of “social” verb and preposition combinations includes “talk to” and “listen to.” “Talk” and “listen” are verbs; “to” is a preposition. You can talk to someone and you can listen to someone. For example: I enjoy talking to my friends and family. She said I was not listening to her. You can also talk to something and listen to something, as in: Is Joe talking to that tree? Are you listening to that song again? Popular music gives you many examples of talk to and listen to. Let’s listen to an example. The famous American singer Frank Sinatra sang the following words: Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me Your magical kiss can take me just so far   Rock group Evanescence gives you an example of how you “listen to” something.   Listen to each drop of rain (listen, listen) Whispering secrets in vain (listen, listen) ​ Closing thoughts Now that you have heard examples and explanations of common “social” verb and preposition combinations, try to practice using them yourself. Be sure to look for examples of them when you watch American television shows or listen to music. In future Everyday Grammar stories, we will talk about more fun grammar topics… And that’s Everyday Grammar. I’m John Russell. And I’m Jill Robbins.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drama – n. a situation or series of events that is exciting and that affects people's emotions scam – n. a dishonest way to make money by deceiving people positive – adj. hopeful or optimistic preciousness – n. very valuable or important We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/social-verbs-and-prepositions/5034291.html
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rebeccahpedersen · 7 years ago
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How Does Your Street Name Affect Home Values?
TorontoRealtyBlog
We’ve touched on this topic a few times over the years, and often had fun with some silly street names.
But there’s one street name, right here in Ontario, that’s not so funny.
Residents in rural Puslinch, Ontario are fighting to change the name of a particular “offensive” street name in their township right now, and meeting a little resistance along the way.
Let’s discuss, and then perhaps look at some of the more bizarre street names here in Toronto…
I sold a house last week on Runnymede Road in Bloor West Village, and the name of the street actually helped my clients secure the property.
Runnmede Road, as you probably know, is a busy street.
Busy streets, as you also know, affect the value of a home.
Apples to apples, nobody would choose to live on a busy street!  And thus an identical house on a busy street, compared to a quiet street, would undoubtedly sell for less on the open market.
Runnymede Road is a busy street, but moreso north of Bloor Street.
The property my clients purchased is located just south of Bloor, and as Runnymede only begins one block south at Morningside Avenue, there is far, far less traffic on the street than on the section of Runnymede located north of Bloor.
I figured there were likely a lot of buyers, and perhaps buyer agents, who didn’t stop to check whether this house was south of Bloor, and simply assumed it was on the “really busy” stretch of road that takes you up to Dundas Street.
In the end, we figure the negative conotation of “Runnymede Road” may have saves us a bit of money, and probably saved us competing for the house.
I have all kinds of stories about street names in Toronto, some good, some bad.
You may have heard this one before – but years and years ago, I had a client who refused to look at a house on Gooch.
My clients were looking in Bloor West Village, and the proverbial “perfect home” came onto the market, and I sent them the listing.
The guy was all jazzed about the house, already asking about closing dates, and potential selling prices.
The girl, on the other hand, put her foot down.
“There’s absolutely no way in hell I’m living on a street called Gooch.”
I didn’t think she was serious at first; I figured it was that sort of “no way in hell” where maybe you’re just expressing your first impression, and then eventually you’ll warm to the idea.
But she explained, “The word ‘Gooch’ sounds like a combination of crotch, hooch, and one other I can’t even say out loud.”
She added that she feared what her grandmother might say when she told her the address.
So there’s a story about a bad street name, that you kind of have to laugh at.
If you read the papers over the weekend (raise your hand if you still get home delivery?), you probably read the story about the residents of a street in Puslinch, Ontario, who have petitioned the city to get the street name changed.
The street name in question?
Swastika Trail
The street was named back in the 1920’s, when the swastika was still a religious symbol, synonymous with good luck and prosperity.
As we all know, the Nazi Party in Germany eventually adopted the swastika as their dominant symbol, and the rest is history.
Swastika Trail has been in existence in this rural part of Ontario for nearly 100 years, but only now are residents trying to get the name changed.
There have been a half-dozen articles on this over the last few days, but the CBC article was the most complete.  Check it out HERE.
I read that B’Nai Brith Canada was involved, and petitioning the Township of Puslinch to change the name, but it wasn’t until I read the CBC article that I became aware it was the residents themselves who reached out to B’Nai Brith Canada, and not the other way around.
Interestingly enough, there are residents who are against the name-change!
Who’d have thought?
Now is this the same thing as people being against the idea of changing the name, “Washington Redskins?”
Different?  Same?  Not the right topic for a real estate blog?  Right.
Some interesting tid-bits from the CBC article include one resident on the street who encountered a seller on Ebay who wouldn’t honour her purchase, because the seller was Jewish and thought the resident was a white supremacist.
Another resident claims that a real estate agents have claimed people “didn’t have to use the street name Swastika Trail, they could substitute the rural route address.”
This proved to be false, of course.  Imagine that – real estate agents being dishonest…
So I suppose the bigger question here is, “Should the street name be changed because it’s offensive?”
But as I said, then we get into a 2-part debate about whether the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Edmonton Eskimos, Florida State Seminoles, and a host of other teams need to change their names, as well as (and this is the more contentious part of the debate), which names and/or logos are offensive, and which aren’t.
The Cleveland Indians baseball team were established in 1901, and it was around 1932 that the team started using a characature of an indian as their primary logo.
The most well-known version of “Chief Wahoo,” which is a giant, smiling, red-faced indian cartoon, has appeared on the baseball team’s apparel since 1951, and is still in use today.
In recent years, there have been calls from all kinds of people, from all kinds of places, to cease using the “offensive” Chief Wahoo logo.  The Washington Redskins took their battle to federal court.  The Edmonton Eskimos are having their day in the court of public opinion as we speak.
So what do you make of the residents of Puslinch, Ontario, who don’t want the name “Swastika Trail” to be changed?
A pessmist would say, “They’re racist, or at the very least, insensitive.”
An optimist would say, “The swastika was made into an awful symbol, from what was formerly a great symbol.  We want to make it great again; make it the symbol of prosperity and good fortune that it used to be.”
Some believe that the street name was established before the swastika logo was hijacked by evil.  Now how does that compare with the idea that the Cleveland Indians logo or Washington Redskins’ name were created “in a different time,” that somehow shouldn’t be relevant today?
Are these situations the same?  Different?
So that’s the part of the debate that we can’t solve, and forgive me for straying way off topic on what is (primarily…) a blog about real estate, but some context is necessary.
As for whether a street name can affect the value of homes in the area, well, I think that should be quite obvious at this point.
For the life of me, I don’t know who would buy a house on Swastika Trail.  Even if the buyer doesn’t care about the name, they surely have to consider the implication it would have on resale value.
If I can tell the story of a buyer who wouldn’t buy on “Gooch Avenue,” then surely you can imaine the impact that “Swastika Trail” could have.
I wrote a blog back in 2015 where I talked about things other than the street name, such as the “half” street numbers, ie. 112 1/2 Main Street, the letters, ie. 97A Main Street and 97B Main Street, and the numbers of cultural significance, ie. the positive reaction to “8” and the negative reaction to “4.”
You can read that blog HERE if you’re curious.
And then there’s my 2013 video on funny street names in Toronto.
Have a look, and maybe even question why I decided to film this in the alleyway at my office, rather than just about any other place in the city that would have looked better…
youtube
Whether it’s the street name or the street number, they both can have a positive or negative affect on the valuation of the property.
I’ve seen home-owners who live on a corner lot go out of their way to change the address from one street to the other.  “Sutherland” vs. “Bessborough,” for example.  I recall a neighbour in Leaside undertaking to change the address of his/her house over a decade ago, and I honestly think it had a significant affect, maybe as much as 10%.
I often mock the idea of “luxury goods,” since I would derive zero added marginal utility from owning a Louis Vuitton bag, compared to one I bought at Sporting Life.  But that’s me, and maybe I don’t represent the masses.  If a majority of consumers do recognize an added utility and added value from a brand-name consumer good, then I can’t argue the value is real.
I’m no expert in consumer goods.
But I am an expert in real estate.  So trust me when I say that the “brand name” of a particular street is a real thing.
Forget about Swastika Trail, or many of the ridiculous names you’ll find by Googling “funny street names” (most are related to male/female anatomy), but rather think about something more realistic in terms of your property search.  Would you pay more, or less, for a different street name?
There are “brand name” streets in every neighbourhood.
Heward Avenue is often referred to as a “prime street” in Leslieville, so much so, in fact, that I believe there’s a premium placed on houses on that street, compared to, say, Winnifred Avenue, two streets over.
I mentioned “Bessborough Drive” above.  That’s another great example of a real, identifiable premium for a street name.
So who, ultimately, creates that premium?  Who decides on how much it is?
Buyers, of course.
So if you’re a buyer, the decision is yours.
Would you pay more, or less, for a given street name?
I’d love to hear about some real-life examples from the readers.
Oh – and weigh in on the Swastika Trail issue too, if you’re up for it…
The post How Does Your Street Name Affect Home Values? appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.
Originated from http://ift.tt/2jsHcZQ
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notarealdisciple · 5 years ago
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‘Social’ Verbs and Prepositions
  Talking, laughing, joking – these are some of the actions we do while we are with friends and family. In today’s report, we explore the grammar behind such actions. Specifically, we will show you how English speakers use verbs and prepositions to describe common actions in social situations. “Social” verbs and prepositions In earlier Everyday Grammar programs, we explored phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have a verb and a particle, a kind of short word. Phrasal verbs have an idiomatic meaning. In other words, the words together mean something different from what you might expect. Today, we explore verbs and prepositions that appear next to each other in a sentence. Although they may look like phrasal verbs, they do not have an idiomatic meaning. To do this, we will explore what we like to call “social” verb and preposition combinations. They describe how people express and react to ideas. We will talk about two main groups: social verbs with “about” and social verbs with “to.” Talk about/laugh about/joke about Our first group includes the verbs talk, laugh and joke. In everyday speech, speakers often use these verbs with the preposition “about.” Here is an example. Imagine a group of young people went out last weekend. One of them reports what took place: 1: What did you do last weekend? 2: Oh, we went to a café and talked about the drama in Ben’s life. 1: Really? What kind of drama? 2: Well, Ben sent a bunch of money to some guy saying he was a Nigerian prince. I guess he had never heard of that famous internet scam…  1: That’s crazy! I think Ben should read the news more often.   2: Yeah, but Ben didn’t seem mad - he laughed about the whole situation.  He even joked about it, too! 1: What a positive person! Here, you heard how speakers might describe an event in the past. You heard the speakers talk about a situation, laugh about a situation and joke about a situation. Speakers might use these structures when talking about the future as well. In this example, the group N.E.R.D. has a song about a time in the future, when the singer will be able to look back at an event and laugh about it.  Someday I'll laugh about it All that preciousness we had it Couldn't it last like that I doubt it Come on girl lets laugh about it Talk to/Listen to Our next group of “social” verb and preposition combinations includes “talk to” and “listen to.” “Talk” and “listen” are verbs; “to” is a preposition. You can talk to someone and you can listen to someone. For example: I enjoy talking to my friends and family. She said I was not listening to her. You can also talk to something and listen to something, as in: Is Joe talking to that tree? Are you listening to that song again? Popular music gives you many examples of talk to and listen to. Let’s listen to an example. The famous American singer Frank Sinatra sang the following words: Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me Your magical kiss can take me just so far   Rock group Evanescence gives you an example of how you “listen to” something.   Listen to each drop of rain (listen, listen) Whispering secrets in vain (listen, listen) ​ Closing thoughts Now that you have heard examples and explanations of common “social” verb and preposition combinations, try to practice using them yourself. Be sure to look for examples of them when you watch American television shows or listen to music. In future Everyday Grammar stories, we will talk about more fun grammar topics… And that’s Everyday Grammar. I’m John Russell. And I’m Jill Robbins.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drama – n. a situation or series of events that is exciting and that affects people's emotions scam – n. a dishonest way to make money by deceiving people positive – adj. hopeful or optimistic preciousness – n. very valuable or important We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/social-verbs-and-prepositions/5034291.html
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rebeccahpedersen · 7 years ago
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How Does Your Street Name Affect Home Values?
TorontoRealtyBlog
We’ve touched on this topic a few times over the years, and often had fun with some silly street names.
But there’s one street name, right here in Ontario, that’s not so funny.
Residents in rural Puslinch, Ontario are fighting to change the name of a particular “offensive” street name in their township right now, and meeting a little resistance along the way.
Let’s discuss, and then perhaps look at some of the more bizarre street names here in Toronto…
I sold a house last week on Runnymede Road in Bloor West Village, and the name of the street actually helped my clients secure the property.
Runnmede Road, as you probably know, is a busy street.
Busy streets, as you also know, affect the value of a home.
Apples to apples, nobody would choose to live on a busy street!  And thus an identical house on a busy street, compared to a quiet street, would undoubtedly sell for less on the open market.
Runnymede Road is a busy street, but moreso north of Bloor Street.
The property my clients purchased is located just south of Bloor, and as Runnymede only begins one block south at Morningside Avenue, there is far, far less traffic on the street than on the section of Runnymede located north of Bloor.
I figured there were likely a lot of buyers, and perhaps buyer agents, who didn’t stop to check whether this house was south of Bloor, and simply assumed it was on the “really busy” stretch of road that takes you up to Dundas Street.
In the end, we figure the negative conotation of “Runnymede Road” may have saves us a bit of money, and probably saved us competing for the house.
I have all kinds of stories about street names in Toronto, some good, some bad.
You may have heard this one before – but years and years ago, I had a client who refused to look at a house on Gooch.
My clients were looking in Bloor West Village, and the proverbial “perfect home” came onto the market, and I sent them the listing.
The guy was all jazzed about the house, already asking about closing dates, and potential selling prices.
The girl, on the other hand, put her foot down.
“There’s absolutely no way in hell I’m living on a street called Gooch.”
I didn’t think she was serious at first; I figured it was that sort of “no way in hell” where maybe you’re just expressing your first impression, and then eventually you’ll warm to the idea.
But she explained, “The word ‘Gooch’ sounds like a combination of crotch, hooch, and one other I can’t even say out loud.”
She added that she feared what her grandmother might say when she told her the address.
So there’s a story about a bad street name, that you kind of have to laugh at.
If you read the papers over the weekend (raise your hand if you still get home delivery?), you probably read the story about the residents of a street in Puslinch, Ontario, who have petitioned the city to get the street name changed.
The street name in question?
Swastika Trail
The street was named back in the 1920’s, when the swastika was still a religious symbol, synonymous with good luck and prosperity.
As we all know, the Nazi Party in Germany eventually adopted the swastika as their dominant symbol, and the rest is history.
Swastika Trail has been in existence in this rural part of Ontario for nearly 100 years, but only now are residents trying to get the name changed.
There have been a half-dozen articles on this over the last few days, but the CBC article was the most complete.  Check it out HERE.
I read that B’Nai Brith Canada was involved, and petitioning the Township of Puslinch to change the name, but it wasn’t until I read the CBC article that I became aware it was the residents themselves who reached out to B’Nai Brith Canada, and not the other way around.
Interestingly enough, there are residents who are against the name-change!
Who’d have thought?
Now is this the same thing as people being against the idea of changing the name, “Washington Redskins?”
Different?  Same?  Not the right topic for a real estate blog?  Right.
Some interesting tid-bits from the CBC article include one resident on the street who encountered a seller on Ebay who wouldn’t honour her purchase, because the seller was Jewish and thought the resident was a white supremacist.
Another resident claims that a real estate agents have claimed people “didn’t have to use the street name Swastika Trail, they could substitute the rural route address.”
This proved to be false, of course.  Imagine that – real estate agents being dishonest…
So I suppose the bigger question here is, “Should the street name be changed because it’s offensive?”
But as I said, then we get into a 2-part debate about whether the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Edmonton Eskimos, Florida State Seminoles, and a host of other teams need to change their names, as well as (and this is the more contentious part of the debate), which names and/or logos are offensive, and which aren’t.
The Cleveland Indians baseball team were established in 1901, and it was around 1932 that the team started using a characature of an indian as their primary logo.
The most well-known version of “Chief Wahoo,” which is a giant, smiling, red-faced indian cartoon, has appeared on the baseball team’s apparel since 1951, and is still in use today.
In recent years, there have been calls from all kinds of people, from all kinds of places, to cease using the “offensive” Chief Wahoo logo.  The Washington Redskins took their battle to federal court.  The Edmonton Eskimos are having their day in the court of public opinion as we speak.
So what do you make of the residents of Puslinch, Ontario, who don’t want the name “Swastika Trail” to be changed?
A pessmist would say, “They’re racist, or at the very least, insensitive.”
An optimist would say, “The swastika was made into an awful symbol, from what was formerly a great symbol.  We want to make it great again; make it the symbol of prosperity and good fortune that it used to be.”
Some believe that the street name was established before the swastika logo was hijacked by evil.  Now how does that compare with the idea that the Cleveland Indians logo or Washington Redskins’ name were created “in a different time,” that somehow shouldn’t be relevant today?
Are these situations the same?  Different?
So that’s the part of the debate that we can’t solve, and forgive me for straying way off topic on what is (primarily…) a blog about real estate, but some context is necessary.
As for whether a street name can affect the value of homes in the area, well, I think that should be quite obvious at this point.
For the life of me, I don’t know who would buy a house on Swastika Trail.  Even if the buyer doesn’t care about the name, they surely have to consider the implication it would have on resale value.
If I can tell the story of a buyer who wouldn’t buy on “Gooch Avenue,” then surely you can imaine the impact that “Swastika Trail” could have.
I wrote a blog back in 2015 where I talked about things other than the street name, such as the “half” street numbers, ie. 112 1/2 Main Street, the letters, ie. 97A Main Street and 97B Main Street, and the numbers of cultural significance, ie. the positive reaction to “8” and the negative reaction to “4.”
You can read that blog HERE if you’re curious.
And then there’s my 2013 video on funny street names in Toronto.
Have a look, and maybe even question why I decided to film this in the alleyway at my office, rather than just about any other place in the city that would have looked better…
youtube
Whether it’s the street name or the street number, they both can have a positive or negative affect on the valuation of the property.
I’ve seen home-owners who live on a corner lot go out of their way to change the address from one street to the other.  “Sutherland” vs. “Bessborough,” for example.  I recall a neighbour in Leaside undertaking to change the address of his/her house over a decade ago, and I honestly think it had a significant affect, maybe as much as 10%.
I often mock the idea of “luxury goods,” since I would derive zero added marginal utility from owning a Louis Vuitton bag, compared to one I bought at Sporting Life.  But that’s me, and maybe I don’t represent the masses.  If a majority of consumers do recognize an added utility and added value from a brand-name consumer good, then I can’t argue the value is real.
I’m no expert in consumer goods.
But I am an expert in real estate.  So trust me when I say that the “brand name” of a particular street is a real thing.
Forget about Swastika Trail, or many of the ridiculous names you’ll find by Googling “funny street names” (most are related to male/female anatomy), but rather think about something more realistic in terms of your property search.  Would you pay more, or less, for a different street name?
There are “brand name” streets in every neighbourhood.
Heward Avenue is often referred to as a “prime street” in Leslieville, so much so, in fact, that I believe there’s a premium placed on houses on that street, compared to, say, Winnifred Avenue, two streets over.
I mentioned “Bessborough Drive” above.  That’s another great example of a real, identifiable premium for a street name.
So who, ultimately, creates that premium?  Who decides on how much it is?
Buyers, of course.
So if you’re a buyer, the decision is yours.
Would you pay more, or less, for a given street name?
I’d love to hear about some real-life examples from the readers.
Oh – and weigh in on the Swastika Trail issue too, if you’re up for it…
The post How Does Your Street Name Affect Home Values? appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.
Originated from http://ift.tt/2jsHcZQ
0 notes