There are few things that bother me like poor grammar, especially when written by an otherwise clever person. This has ruined plays, blogs, poems, and essays that I've read, and it bothers me a little more each day. This wouldn't be the case if the majority of these works weren't by writing majors. It's only worse in the case of individuals who know how to fix their work, but don't bother to re-read any of their own material and produce drivel instead.
My own grammar is far from perfect, but there are little things that play on my nerves more than most others.
Tense Shifts - This is a common and relatively easy mistake to make. I'm guilty of it from time to time as well, but I usually correct it as I'm typing. The use of "were" and "is" in the same sentence referencing objects that are not in a state of constant being doesn't anger me, per say, but it is annoying and detrimental to an otherwise intelligent piece.
Contractions - I love these things. If I didn't have them, my writing would be much more dry and less personal. When they're used incorrectly however, I whip out my handy red-pen and scribble the hell out of whatever paper I'm looking at. Some of these improper contractions include you're, they're, we're, and it's. These do not mean "You forgot your book!/Let's go there!/They forgot their elephant!/It lost its way!" Common mistakes, yes. This does not mean that they cannot be fixed, or that common sense can't just fix it if anyone had the drive to read their own work. Good job.
Punctuation - For the love of Jesus shaped cookies, use punctuation. If you don't, I will throw things at you. When you do not use punctuation, you look like an asshole. Even if you use too many commas, you are still using them.
When you don't use commas and want to show something it looks like you have too much to say and only one breath to say it before the world explodes and they will never know the love you had for their domesticated animal
Get it?
And I/And Me - The rules are still the same, whether or not you have a friend with you. You're polite, so your friend comes first, but you're still the same as you were. "Dave and I went walking," is the same as "I went walking." Except there's Dave too. "Who wants to walk with Dave and me?" is the same as "Who wants to walk with me?" It's not complicated at all, contrary to common belief when you're in the third grade. As time goes on, your view is supposed to grow and mature on its own.
Then/Than - When? Then! This is probably better than whatever you're using to remember the difference, based on what I read on a day to day basis.
When you're intelligent and you type as if you weren't, then it doesn't matter what you have to say. You will look stupid, and be laughed at. I will be the one encouraging others to laugh at you. Please, for the love of fuck, proofread.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Year of the Black Rainbow: A Fanboy's Expectations
It should come as no surprise that I am a fan of progressive rock, comic books, and science fiction. It should be less of a surprise then that my favorite band is Coheed and Cambria. It's not an obsession, like with other fans, but it is a very healthy fandom. I've seen them live (about) ten times, met the band once, met the singer (Claudio Sanchez) several times after, and posted on the fansite on a regular basis for a long time.
It's not obsessive, there are people far worse when it comes to Coheed. As of yet I do not have any logos tattooed, nor have I changed my legal name to any character's surname. These things happen with this band, seriously.
I love Coheed because they play well, write well, and Claudio was ambitious enough to try to tell a four part science fiction epic over five albums. These songs are not all heavy handed geek drivel, and you don't need to know what's going on to enjoy them. Most fans are aware that there is a story happening, but don't know a damn thing about it except that "The Crowing" is some kind of character and a lot of bad shit happens in the third album. I was one of the fans who followed more closely, trying to figure out what was happening in each scene of the story. I own most of the comics that explain the story so far (I'm missing the second half of Amory Wars for now, but the trade will make up for the 3 issues from Vol. 2 that I don't have).
Two days ago the fifth album was announced for early next year, Year of the Black Rainbow. Like thousands of other fans, I'm pretty stoked. This album tells the beginning of the story, rather than the end (Claudio's a geek too, and from what I can tell loved Star Wars enough to do a prequel in homage. He also wore a Boba Fett hoodie for NY Comic Con.) It will hopefully explain a few dozen plot holes, fill in who the hell Coheed and Cambria are a little more (the band is named after two characters that die in the first album), and I believe push for a more metal approach to how they write.
The past two years have been spent mostly touring and promoting the previous album with metal bands. The bulk of 2009 was split between Slipknot, Heaven & Hell, and recording. The Slipknot show leaned more towards metal than any other time I'd ever seen them. The relatively short set was all of the heaviest things they'd had over the past 3 albums (Second Stage Turbine Blade was a much lighter album, despite the grim content. More later.) It was probably to cater to Slipknot's fans, but the tour with Slipknot at all was a shock to most. Heaven & Hell makes sense at least, as both bands have stronger individual musicianship than Slipknot, whom excel with band unity and coherence.
The other push I expect towards metal comes from the individual tastes in the band. Sanchez and Travis Stever (guitar) both have roots in metal, growing up with Iron Maiden (with a fanboy myspace shot of the two with Bruce Dickinson, which is fucking awesome), Dio-Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), and many others that were less referenced in interviews.
They have a wide musical palate, but metal is still in the roots. The current drummer, Chris Penne, also comes from a VERY progressive metal background as the former drummer for Dillinger Escape Plan. If you've never heard them, check out "Panasonic Youth." You'll understand what I mean.
Really it only seems like Mic Todd (bass) grounds them out, but he's also a guitarist by nature. Most guitarists will have a greater appreciation for metal than other musicians, and we already know he can play the shit out of it. He ripped up scales on an acoustic right before the Neverender shows (a four night series, each night is a complete album played from start to finish. Mic's stuff was before night two in New York), and is relaxed enough to run with what's going on while adding just enough to make it his own.
If you have never heard Coheed and Cambria's music before, there's a few things to note:
1) Lyrical content ranges from sappy love songs ("Wake Up," "Light and the Glass") to murdering children ("Time Consumer," "Everything Evil," "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3"), to insane conversations with symbolic dogs and demonic bicycles ("Ten Speed [of God's Blood and Burial]," "The Hound [of Blood and Rank]") to things that no one really understands, but might be love songs about guns and basketball players turned characters ("The Velourium Camper I: Faint of Hearts," "33.")
2) Musically, the lyrics sometimes clash with the musical feeling. This paints an ironic sound scape that will have you singing along with things you wouldn't ever normally sing to. "Ten Speed" and "Faint of Hearts" are wonderful examples of this.
3) The story becomes very post modern towards the end, in an Animal-Man like shift where the Writer of the story becomes a character in themselves. It's a confusing story that is not fully fleshed out in the songs, leaving room for interpretations. That's what hooks people who are into this sort of thing.
4) Live shows are brutal for a band that is not always/usually all that heavy. People leave these shows with broken faces and trampled legs. I had to pull my girlfriend through a sea of people at Roseland Ballroom's show a few years ago to keep her from getting pulled under and trampled to death (great show.) They are worth seeing live despite the personal danger, as they perform better live than on the albums.
A final thought before doing something more productive than having a fanboy rant: Since they're huge Dio fans and he was recently diagnosed with cancer, I suspect that the reference to Rainbow in the new title is homage to him. If this is the case, then I think Ronnie (James Dio) would be/is honored and proud.
It's not obsessive, there are people far worse when it comes to Coheed. As of yet I do not have any logos tattooed, nor have I changed my legal name to any character's surname. These things happen with this band, seriously.
I love Coheed because they play well, write well, and Claudio was ambitious enough to try to tell a four part science fiction epic over five albums. These songs are not all heavy handed geek drivel, and you don't need to know what's going on to enjoy them. Most fans are aware that there is a story happening, but don't know a damn thing about it except that "The Crowing" is some kind of character and a lot of bad shit happens in the third album. I was one of the fans who followed more closely, trying to figure out what was happening in each scene of the story. I own most of the comics that explain the story so far (I'm missing the second half of Amory Wars for now, but the trade will make up for the 3 issues from Vol. 2 that I don't have).
Two days ago the fifth album was announced for early next year, Year of the Black Rainbow. Like thousands of other fans, I'm pretty stoked. This album tells the beginning of the story, rather than the end (Claudio's a geek too, and from what I can tell loved Star Wars enough to do a prequel in homage. He also wore a Boba Fett hoodie for NY Comic Con.) It will hopefully explain a few dozen plot holes, fill in who the hell Coheed and Cambria are a little more (the band is named after two characters that die in the first album), and I believe push for a more metal approach to how they write.
The past two years have been spent mostly touring and promoting the previous album with metal bands. The bulk of 2009 was split between Slipknot, Heaven & Hell, and recording. The Slipknot show leaned more towards metal than any other time I'd ever seen them. The relatively short set was all of the heaviest things they'd had over the past 3 albums (Second Stage Turbine Blade was a much lighter album, despite the grim content. More later.) It was probably to cater to Slipknot's fans, but the tour with Slipknot at all was a shock to most. Heaven & Hell makes sense at least, as both bands have stronger individual musicianship than Slipknot, whom excel with band unity and coherence.
The other push I expect towards metal comes from the individual tastes in the band. Sanchez and Travis Stever (guitar) both have roots in metal, growing up with Iron Maiden (with a fanboy myspace shot of the two with Bruce Dickinson, which is fucking awesome), Dio-Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), and many others that were less referenced in interviews.
They have a wide musical palate, but metal is still in the roots. The current drummer, Chris Penne, also comes from a VERY progressive metal background as the former drummer for Dillinger Escape Plan. If you've never heard them, check out "Panasonic Youth." You'll understand what I mean.
Really it only seems like Mic Todd (bass) grounds them out, but he's also a guitarist by nature. Most guitarists will have a greater appreciation for metal than other musicians, and we already know he can play the shit out of it. He ripped up scales on an acoustic right before the Neverender shows (a four night series, each night is a complete album played from start to finish. Mic's stuff was before night two in New York), and is relaxed enough to run with what's going on while adding just enough to make it his own.
If you have never heard Coheed and Cambria's music before, there's a few things to note:
1) Lyrical content ranges from sappy love songs ("Wake Up," "Light and the Glass") to murdering children ("Time Consumer," "Everything Evil," "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3"), to insane conversations with symbolic dogs and demonic bicycles ("Ten Speed [of God's Blood and Burial]," "The Hound [of Blood and Rank]") to things that no one really understands, but might be love songs about guns and basketball players turned characters ("The Velourium Camper I: Faint of Hearts," "33.")
2) Musically, the lyrics sometimes clash with the musical feeling. This paints an ironic sound scape that will have you singing along with things you wouldn't ever normally sing to. "Ten Speed" and "Faint of Hearts" are wonderful examples of this.
3) The story becomes very post modern towards the end, in an Animal-Man like shift where the Writer of the story becomes a character in themselves. It's a confusing story that is not fully fleshed out in the songs, leaving room for interpretations. That's what hooks people who are into this sort of thing.
4) Live shows are brutal for a band that is not always/usually all that heavy. People leave these shows with broken faces and trampled legs. I had to pull my girlfriend through a sea of people at Roseland Ballroom's show a few years ago to keep her from getting pulled under and trampled to death (great show.) They are worth seeing live despite the personal danger, as they perform better live than on the albums.
A final thought before doing something more productive than having a fanboy rant: Since they're huge Dio fans and he was recently diagnosed with cancer, I suspect that the reference to Rainbow in the new title is homage to him. If this is the case, then I think Ronnie (James Dio) would be/is honored and proud.
The Foresight Metapost of Win
In the time since I last posted, many things worth writing about have happened. I have not had time to write any of them down yet, but they were all noteworthy in their own ways. Here's a short list of topics I will be posting about in the next two days:
The MTA: Part 4.5
The Merits of Slavery over the Holocaust (derived from a conversation in a magazine office, of all places)
Grammar: Their is no thing two you're argument
Falaffel and the Oral Orgasm
Polyamorousity and Monogomy
Year of the Black Rainbow: A Fanboy's Expectations
I've been writing more often for classes, so each of these posts may or may not feel like a short, informal essay. This is fine though, this is the case for most of my posts.
Depending on my mood in the morning, I may do the Black Rainbow post first before I leave for class. The others will follow through the course of the day or shortly after.
Step One: Live Long
Step Two: ??????
Step Three: Prosper!
The MTA: Part 4.5
The Merits of Slavery over the Holocaust (derived from a conversation in a magazine office, of all places)
Grammar: Their is no thing two you're argument
Falaffel and the Oral Orgasm
Polyamorousity and Monogomy
Year of the Black Rainbow: A Fanboy's Expectations
I've been writing more often for classes, so each of these posts may or may not feel like a short, informal essay. This is fine though, this is the case for most of my posts.
Depending on my mood in the morning, I may do the Black Rainbow post first before I leave for class. The others will follow through the course of the day or shortly after.
Step One: Live Long
Step Two: ??????
Step Three: Prosper!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
On their knees, the war pigs crawling.
I am fascinated with all things social, but history has never been my strong suit. I enjoy learning about the past, but I have no memory for names & dates, and no patience for dry "academic" writing. I do my best to get through the thick, sometimes nearly meaningless words to see the inherently interesting subject, but most of the time it seems like an excuse to have SAT words finally used.
For example, I'm reading a text about Chinese art from 1620 on (incidentally called The Arts of China from 1620) for a Chinese Civilization course. The work is actually quite amazing, and the stories behind them are superb. My favorite by far is of Yun Xiang, a relatively minor artist from the 1500's who is best known not for his paintings or poetry, but because he turned down a position as an official (a highly prestigeous place in society, "elite" status). His reason was simply that he "preferred freedom to wander in the countryside."
That's fucking awesome. In an age when rejection from such a position likely leads to starvation and ostricization, he was courageous enough to follow his own will and do what mattered to him. Even if it resulted in mostly paintings of mountains (landscapes were all the rage in ancient China), he did what he wanted rather than what society demanded of him.
Problem: the book is so dry that I can hardly get through it, even though stories like this are amazing. I've been away from academic writing for so long that I can't even make it through a relatively short piece with lots of pictures.
This had better be the best/last academic paper I ever write, once I make my way through the rest of the book.
Black Sabbath will help me push through the dull.
For example, I'm reading a text about Chinese art from 1620 on (incidentally called The Arts of China from 1620) for a Chinese Civilization course. The work is actually quite amazing, and the stories behind them are superb. My favorite by far is of Yun Xiang, a relatively minor artist from the 1500's who is best known not for his paintings or poetry, but because he turned down a position as an official (a highly prestigeous place in society, "elite" status). His reason was simply that he "preferred freedom to wander in the countryside."
That's fucking awesome. In an age when rejection from such a position likely leads to starvation and ostricization, he was courageous enough to follow his own will and do what mattered to him. Even if it resulted in mostly paintings of mountains (landscapes were all the rage in ancient China), he did what he wanted rather than what society demanded of him.
Problem: the book is so dry that I can hardly get through it, even though stories like this are amazing. I've been away from academic writing for so long that I can't even make it through a relatively short piece with lots of pictures.
This had better be the best/last academic paper I ever write, once I make my way through the rest of the book.
Black Sabbath will help me push through the dull.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Politics are for smart people.
I hate intelligent people that squander their intellect by making trivial statements when claiming to argue unpopular but usually valid points. This is why I don't read many political blogs (those I subscribe to belong to friends of mine), or watch any televised news, or debate politically with a few folks I know in person.
I consider myself a centrist, which does not mean a Democrat with Republican leanings or vice versa. I have no political affiliation, and when I vote, I vote for whatever makes the most sense after personal research. I don't run my thumb down a party line and consider myself done. I pay attention to the things that matter to me when I can afford to, and I argue these points.
Others I know, however, resort to name calling and blind accusations on individuals rather than saying what it is they're doing wrong and how it could be done better. Nothing productive comes from pointing out that Glenn Beck is a fucking lunatic, even though it's obviously true. This doesn't address the fear mongering that rides based on abuse of blind faith with a political agenda, which is inherently wrong based on the separation of Church and State (which conservatives should love, since that's one of the foundations of this country).
On the same token, this doesn't mean that our President shits gold bricks (which contrary to election propaganda, is false). Like any other human, he makes mistakes and occasionally has to step back to push forward. This is true in most strategic situations. When you have matters that are more pressing than the ones you want to work on, you handle those as best as possible. If fixing one problem will help expedite the repair of others, then that issue becomes the most pressing. This is getting off topic though.
A blunt but hollow statement carries no weight. Anger means nothing if it doesn't have something to justify it's existence. Without this, it's just juvenile ranting.
Another group of individuals I hate (though specifically there was one of note) are the alarmist fear mongers. The ones I reference are not media figures, though I'm sure you can draw your own connections where they exist. The individual I reference specifically is a former friend of mine that seems to have lost his mind somewhere in the last few years. Now he's become a self important twit without anything really worth saying. What follows is an adapted conversation we had online.
"Andrew. I was at a seminar, and they explained why the economy is going to get drastically worse. I wanted to share this with you. In 2010 the economy may seem fine, but in a year or so it's going to tank drastically. You should stock up on supplies," he said to me.
"Honestly, it should've about fifteen years ago, but then the internet came into existence," I replied.
"Okay Andrew," his textual tone thick with condescension.
"I see no reason to listen to alarmists who take advantage of human psychology. Similar things were said about Y2K, and 2012, if you remember."
"That has nothing to do with it."
"Yes, it has everything to do with it. The economy - like the environment - that fluctuates."
"Okay Andrew."
"This means that it will eventually fix itself, or we will all suffer as a people."
"I'm just saying this: If you are hungry and try to take my shit, I will shoot you. Lol," he nearly concluded.
"That's fine with me, good luck with that. It seems more practical to become skilled in things that would provide, rather than stocking and mongering. For example, I am capable of farming and hunting, and quite knowledgeable when it comes to the outdoors and survival."
He should be fully aware of my Boy Scout training, specifically the survival aspects. I ate that shit up as a kid, and it stuck with me.
"Okay. Good luck."
"So when your supplies run out and you have to burn furniture for warmth, don't come to me," I finished before blocking his newest screen name.
While this current animosity has more to do with outside circumstances that he brought about on his own, the root of it still rests on the absence of concrete evidence and the use of fear. I can't stand anyone who will try to use fear as a tool to their advantage (hence my disdain for politics), especially so when it's targeted at me and my loved ones.
In the event that the economy tanks further, I will handle it in my own way. I do not need someone who's only slightly more stable financially and significantly less stable mentally to tell me how to plan my future. If I needed services like this, I could get it from someone I trust more, like the crazy guy with dreadlocks that pushes around shopping carts full of bottles.
I consider myself a centrist, which does not mean a Democrat with Republican leanings or vice versa. I have no political affiliation, and when I vote, I vote for whatever makes the most sense after personal research. I don't run my thumb down a party line and consider myself done. I pay attention to the things that matter to me when I can afford to, and I argue these points.
Others I know, however, resort to name calling and blind accusations on individuals rather than saying what it is they're doing wrong and how it could be done better. Nothing productive comes from pointing out that Glenn Beck is a fucking lunatic, even though it's obviously true. This doesn't address the fear mongering that rides based on abuse of blind faith with a political agenda, which is inherently wrong based on the separation of Church and State (which conservatives should love, since that's one of the foundations of this country).
On the same token, this doesn't mean that our President shits gold bricks (which contrary to election propaganda, is false). Like any other human, he makes mistakes and occasionally has to step back to push forward. This is true in most strategic situations. When you have matters that are more pressing than the ones you want to work on, you handle those as best as possible. If fixing one problem will help expedite the repair of others, then that issue becomes the most pressing. This is getting off topic though.
A blunt but hollow statement carries no weight. Anger means nothing if it doesn't have something to justify it's existence. Without this, it's just juvenile ranting.
Another group of individuals I hate (though specifically there was one of note) are the alarmist fear mongers. The ones I reference are not media figures, though I'm sure you can draw your own connections where they exist. The individual I reference specifically is a former friend of mine that seems to have lost his mind somewhere in the last few years. Now he's become a self important twit without anything really worth saying. What follows is an adapted conversation we had online.
"Andrew. I was at a seminar, and they explained why the economy is going to get drastically worse. I wanted to share this with you. In 2010 the economy may seem fine, but in a year or so it's going to tank drastically. You should stock up on supplies," he said to me.
"Honestly, it should've about fifteen years ago, but then the internet came into existence," I replied.
"Okay Andrew," his textual tone thick with condescension.
"I see no reason to listen to alarmists who take advantage of human psychology. Similar things were said about Y2K, and 2012, if you remember."
"That has nothing to do with it."
"Yes, it has everything to do with it. The economy - like the environment - that fluctuates."
"Okay Andrew."
"This means that it will eventually fix itself, or we will all suffer as a people."
"I'm just saying this: If you are hungry and try to take my shit, I will shoot you. Lol," he nearly concluded.
"That's fine with me, good luck with that. It seems more practical to become skilled in things that would provide, rather than stocking and mongering. For example, I am capable of farming and hunting, and quite knowledgeable when it comes to the outdoors and survival."
He should be fully aware of my Boy Scout training, specifically the survival aspects. I ate that shit up as a kid, and it stuck with me.
"Okay. Good luck."
"So when your supplies run out and you have to burn furniture for warmth, don't come to me," I finished before blocking his newest screen name.
While this current animosity has more to do with outside circumstances that he brought about on his own, the root of it still rests on the absence of concrete evidence and the use of fear. I can't stand anyone who will try to use fear as a tool to their advantage (hence my disdain for politics), especially so when it's targeted at me and my loved ones.
In the event that the economy tanks further, I will handle it in my own way. I do not need someone who's only slightly more stable financially and significantly less stable mentally to tell me how to plan my future. If I needed services like this, I could get it from someone I trust more, like the crazy guy with dreadlocks that pushes around shopping carts full of bottles.
Final countdown?
I feel accomplished tonight. I successfully wrote/rewrote two pieces, performed mass edits to a group piece (which I really, really dislike, but there's little I can do about that with 4 other people assigned to work in a 10 minute play. Two minutes a person? Not a very good idea, even in the best of circumstances), renewed one of my ID's, got the book needed to work on another paper for a different class, and am nearly ready for sleep.
Only major detriment right now is the state my floor is in. I'll clean it tomorrow afternoon eventually, I keep promising myself.
Somewhat related, after months of "cleaning," which means "months of being too busy to do anything," my bed is now clear and I can stop sleeping on the couch. Fantastic.
I don't have much left in me to say right now. I could talk some more about the MTA, but I'm too tired. It would be forced, and not as well planned as it should be for a subject so sickeningly important.
/end filler.
Only major detriment right now is the state my floor is in. I'll clean it tomorrow afternoon eventually, I keep promising myself.
Somewhat related, after months of "cleaning," which means "months of being too busy to do anything," my bed is now clear and I can stop sleeping on the couch. Fantastic.
I don't have much left in me to say right now. I could talk some more about the MTA, but I'm too tired. It would be forced, and not as well planned as it should be for a subject so sickeningly important.
/end filler.
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