As I'm writing this, we're experiencing severe weather again. We're talking 80 MPH winds with rain and lightening and of course thunder. No tornadoes. Yet. The wind decided to play all over the place rather than forming into a funnel.
I'm talking wind gushing across the prairie that will wipe you off the map. It's humbling, really. Apparently, Oklahoma City had four minor earthquakes today, too.
People here in Oklahoma embrace it, though, I must say. As a matter of fact, folks here have a drinking game in honor of a local weatherman named Gary England.
People watch England during the storms and whenever he says certain words or phrases (wall cloud, lightening, "Watch Out, flying Okie") you have to drink a shot.
Yes, really.
Dante passed out after the fourth mention of "Watch out, flying cow."
Thursday, June 5, 2008
For the Love of Language Part Deux Addendum
That's it.
I've really had it.
I can't stand the disrespect for the English language.
I was driving north on I-35 and I saw an official (presumably) vehicle that was advertising its service.
HERB-O-RAMA
"Loose weight."
That's right. Herbo-o-Rama wants you to contact its service people who will teach you how to LOOSE weight.
And the owners paid money to have this painted on a van.
You LOSE weight. That is the proper verb version of the infinitive "to lose."
"Loose" is an ADJECTIVE.
Can you tell I'm losing my patience?
I've really had it.
I can't stand the disrespect for the English language.
I was driving north on I-35 and I saw an official (presumably) vehicle that was advertising its service.
HERB-O-RAMA
"Loose weight."
That's right. Herbo-o-Rama wants you to contact its service people who will teach you how to LOOSE weight.
And the owners paid money to have this painted on a van.
You LOSE weight. That is the proper verb version of the infinitive "to lose."
"Loose" is an ADJECTIVE.
Can you tell I'm losing my patience?
For The Love of Language Part Deux
Please do not glaze over.
Please don't glaze over. (You'll get this reference in a minute, trust me).
The lesson today is about helping verbs. More specifically, it's about the correct use of the helping verbs do, does, and did, especially in a negative construction where we may use "not" with the helping verb in the form of a contraction.
Do I bore you? I bet I don't.
Did she work today? She did not.
Or, no, she didn't. That is, she did not work today.
First, what led me to this, dear reader? I drive down highway 35 every day as I head to the University of Oklahoma.
And each day, I see a sign, and each day, it bothers me more and more.
The sign is for a barbeque joint run by a man named JR who decides to use this ad slogan, "It don't get no better than this."
It doesn't? I bet it does. Even though I'm in the South, "Nay, Nay, I say."
Let's break that down and see why that is an absolute abuse of the English language.
"It do not get no better than this."
First, the subject in the sentence is "it," so right off the bat we do not have subject-helping verb agreement.
Nay, nay, I say.
The appropriate helping verb is "does," and then the addition of our negative, "not."
Therefore, "It does not get no better than this."
BUT, wait. We have another glaring problem with this sentence. Which of these words doesn't belong? "IT DOES NOT GET NO BETTER THAN THIS."
JR, you're abusing the English language horribly and putting it on billboards so that Jane and Joe Q. Public thinks that is correct.
Shame on you!
Take away the double negative. "It doesn't not get better than this."
We can add a simple qualifier as well, if we want to provide more emphasis to the meaning of the sentence. "It doesn't get any better than this."
There. I feel much better now.
Please don't glaze over. (You'll get this reference in a minute, trust me).
The lesson today is about helping verbs. More specifically, it's about the correct use of the helping verbs do, does, and did, especially in a negative construction where we may use "not" with the helping verb in the form of a contraction.
Do I bore you? I bet I don't.
Did she work today? She did not.
Or, no, she didn't. That is, she did not work today.
First, what led me to this, dear reader? I drive down highway 35 every day as I head to the University of Oklahoma.
And each day, I see a sign, and each day, it bothers me more and more.
The sign is for a barbeque joint run by a man named JR who decides to use this ad slogan, "It don't get no better than this."
It doesn't? I bet it does. Even though I'm in the South, "Nay, Nay, I say."
Let's break that down and see why that is an absolute abuse of the English language.
"It do not get no better than this."
First, the subject in the sentence is "it," so right off the bat we do not have subject-helping verb agreement.
Nay, nay, I say.
The appropriate helping verb is "does," and then the addition of our negative, "not."
Therefore, "It does not get no better than this."
BUT, wait. We have another glaring problem with this sentence. Which of these words doesn't belong? "IT DOES NOT GET NO BETTER THAN THIS."
JR, you're abusing the English language horribly and putting it on billboards so that Jane and Joe Q. Public thinks that is correct.
Shame on you!
Take away the double negative. "It doesn't not get better than this."
We can add a simple qualifier as well, if we want to provide more emphasis to the meaning of the sentence. "It doesn't get any better than this."
There. I feel much better now.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Obama is in
No matter who got the nomination, this was a historic primary year.
But now, we know Obama is the candidate and Clinton supposedly is going to admit defeat shortly.
What will be interesting now is who Obama chooses as his veep. In any case, it will have to be someone who is very, very strong in foreign policy.
Obviously, the most pressing foreign policy issue is the war.
But there are plenty other foreign policy problems, those that I like to call the "undercurrents."
Pay attention now: The United States has all but been blamed for botching the Doha round of trade negotiations under the WTO.
But now, we know Obama is the candidate and Clinton supposedly is going to admit defeat shortly.
What will be interesting now is who Obama chooses as his veep. In any case, it will have to be someone who is very, very strong in foreign policy.
Obviously, the most pressing foreign policy issue is the war.
But there are plenty other foreign policy problems, those that I like to call the "undercurrents."
Pay attention now: The United States has all but been blamed for botching the Doha round of trade negotiations under the WTO.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
"Sex and the City" Delivers
So I did it.
I went to see "Sex and the City."
I try to avoid all things popular, and really, I try to navigate toward all things unique and unusual (Starbucks notwithstanding).
But I loved Sex.
I got wrapped into the movie like the best pair of Manolo Blanhiks. I felt like I was reuniting with four friends and catching up along the Mexican Riviera.
I read the reviews and the critiques. I read that Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) develops a relationship closer with her personal assistant (Jennifer Hudson) than that which she enjoys with her Fab Three, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte.
That particular critique obviously didn't take into consideration the meaning of youth and the ability of a younger person to shed light on an older (or middle-aged) person's heart.
It may sound cheesy, but the character of Louise (played by Jennifer Hudson) delivers in showing Carrie what loves means. In story telling, that was not going to come from Charlotte, Miranda or Samantha. The Fab Four, as it were, deliver in other areas as needed to move the story along.
It's just not how a story is built, especially in this case. I apologize if I am getting too technical, but it's the truth.
So we see Louise come into Carrie's life, provide a fresh perspective, and then ultimately permanently leave to go back to St. Louis where she is reunited with her ex-boyfriend, who she is going to marry.
She is very happy in choosing love for the long run, despite Carrie being presumably ditched at the altar by Big.
Carrie ultimately reunites with Big (Chris Noth) and that is the ultimate gesture of a complicated character who tries to play out her own life as if it's a storybook.
Charlotte's life plays out just as the life did of one of my own friends; the same with Miranda and Steve, who work throughout the movie to overcome Steve's infidelity.
Maybe that's the power of Sex. In it, we see so much of ourselves and the lives of our friends.
I went to see "Sex and the City."
I try to avoid all things popular, and really, I try to navigate toward all things unique and unusual (Starbucks notwithstanding).
But I loved Sex.
I got wrapped into the movie like the best pair of Manolo Blanhiks. I felt like I was reuniting with four friends and catching up along the Mexican Riviera.
I read the reviews and the critiques. I read that Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) develops a relationship closer with her personal assistant (Jennifer Hudson) than that which she enjoys with her Fab Three, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte.
That particular critique obviously didn't take into consideration the meaning of youth and the ability of a younger person to shed light on an older (or middle-aged) person's heart.
It may sound cheesy, but the character of Louise (played by Jennifer Hudson) delivers in showing Carrie what loves means. In story telling, that was not going to come from Charlotte, Miranda or Samantha. The Fab Four, as it were, deliver in other areas as needed to move the story along.
It's just not how a story is built, especially in this case. I apologize if I am getting too technical, but it's the truth.
So we see Louise come into Carrie's life, provide a fresh perspective, and then ultimately permanently leave to go back to St. Louis where she is reunited with her ex-boyfriend, who she is going to marry.
She is very happy in choosing love for the long run, despite Carrie being presumably ditched at the altar by Big.
Carrie ultimately reunites with Big (Chris Noth) and that is the ultimate gesture of a complicated character who tries to play out her own life as if it's a storybook.
Charlotte's life plays out just as the life did of one of my own friends; the same with Miranda and Steve, who work throughout the movie to overcome Steve's infidelity.
Maybe that's the power of Sex. In it, we see so much of ourselves and the lives of our friends.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Truth About The Numbers
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080531_8247.php?related=true&story1=nj_20080531_8247&story2=null&story3=null
Any of you who may be interested in the startling statistic that came out in early March that said 1 in 4 teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease, listen up.
The numbers were wrong, and the National Journal magazine explains why.
This is why I question everything. My undergraduate mass communication law professor told me, "Never believe anything you read."
Basically, make sure you question everything. Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's true.
This STD statistic was particularly disturbing, and now we can know more thanks to the National Journal.
Any of you who may be interested in the startling statistic that came out in early March that said 1 in 4 teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease, listen up.
The numbers were wrong, and the National Journal magazine explains why.
This is why I question everything. My undergraduate mass communication law professor told me, "Never believe anything you read."
Basically, make sure you question everything. Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's true.
This STD statistic was particularly disturbing, and now we can know more thanks to the National Journal.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Sex Sells
Sex and the City brought in roughly $60 million at the box office this past weekend.
I did not go to see it.
As a matter of fact, I went to see an independent film at the same theater where Sex was playing. The movie, The Fall, was interesting. It's actually a 2006 movie, but, well, we're in Oklahoma, so things happen slowly here.
You can learn more about the movie at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/
The best part of this movie, hands down, is the lead actress Catinca Untaru who plays Alexandria. Untaru is a child actress and steals the show, hands down.
I recommend the movie for anyone who likes independent films, but it is about 20 minutes too long.
I did not go to see it.
As a matter of fact, I went to see an independent film at the same theater where Sex was playing. The movie, The Fall, was interesting. It's actually a 2006 movie, but, well, we're in Oklahoma, so things happen slowly here.
You can learn more about the movie at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/
The best part of this movie, hands down, is the lead actress Catinca Untaru who plays Alexandria. Untaru is a child actress and steals the show, hands down.
I recommend the movie for anyone who likes independent films, but it is about 20 minutes too long.
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