I see, Trudy, but in reading over past kerfuffles, I see a pattern of folks defining "doesn't agree with me and says so" as being bitchy or overbearing. I don't see it that way. I have always spoken out against people being unkind, and called them on it if I am around, but I am willing to give anyone a pass for one or two bad days or bad posts as I hope they will for me.

I see a pattern of folks defining "doesn't agree with me and says so" as being bitchy or overbearing.

I don't think it's that so much as "says so repeatedly, over and over." Which - discussion. I state my opinion, someone differs, I reiterate to clarify or expand, yadda yadda. I do it myself. But sometimes it feels like being hit over the head with it, just due to the repitition. And if I've stated and refined my position several times, and then a few others chime in to agree or to expand upon what I've said, it compounds. The intent and the impact aren't the same, and I'm not sure it's a fixable thing. Because noone's doing anything wrong, really. Nature of the beast, I think, between the medium and the fact that we're mostly a lot of talky meat. OK, I personally have tried to make an effort to resist the urge to clarify and expound every time I think of something new to add. And it's haaard.

Dumb question for the hivemind? When did the mm/dd/yy (or dd/mm/yy) date format start to be in common usage?

Tuesday.

t not helping

looks at brenda's response

thinks how unhelpful it was

t clarifies

I don't know if that was helpful. It seems to me brenda didn't think she was helping.

t /clarity

I found this:

This order [mdy] is used in the United States and countries with U.S. influence (but the U.S. federal government sometimes uses day, month, year). England originally used day, month, year, then for a while used month, day, year, and finally the original form (day, month, year) was revived around 1900. The U.S. uses the middle form of month, day, year. Canada uses both conventions, those starting with the day and those starting with the month.

In wikipedia. I can google some more after I finish making the pancakes.

Well, the dd/mm/yy I think of as European, not an American usage. But when either of them started, that's a good question to which I have no answer. Did google give any help?

Hey ita, can you also find out IF the southern hemisphere is warmer (overall temperature, so I guess land and water) and if so why?

I can find the info for mars (warmer because the southern hemisphere's polar ice cap is about 1/3 the size of the northern one), but I can't find anything for the earth. Pablo and I are arguing about it.

Also can you come make pancakes here?

Kat, if you want to play along at home, I'm making the CI fluffy pancakes. But they're already on the griddle, so they're going nowhere other than my stomach.

Which is kind of a waste, since I can't eat the whole thing. And the batter won't keep.

As for temperature, complicated question, huh? Why you and Pablo have to be like that?

Dude, if ita is getting in her car to go make pancakes, she needs to come up here.

on edit: darn.