Word of the Week

Another word of the week is ebb, which dictionary.com defines as "the flowing back of water as the tide returns to the sea. Or a point of decline." I like how this word can define the flow of water or a concept that is declining just like the tide. This word was found in another NY Times article about the Libyan revolution by C.J. Chivers. The sentence reads, "Gunfire started to ebb..." So gunfire decreased like how the tide recedes every day. Just like the flow of our own emotions.

The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/world/africa/10libya.html?hp

Word of the Week April 9th

My word of the week is dichotomy. According to dictionary.com, this word means division in to two parts or subdivisions. I found this word in a NY Times article about the debate over education reform by Jonathan Mahler. The line reads "As it often the case with morally charged policies, false dichotomies seemed to have replaced fruitful conversation."The quote is commenting on how moral values are splitting people apart and nothing is done getting done in politics.

The quote can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/weekinreview/10reform.html?hp

Favorite Passage of the Week April 8th

I was reading an article on the New York Times website about Sidney Lumet, the director of such films as "Serpico," "12 Angry Men" and "Dog Day Afternoon." The article was by Robert Berkvist. The passage is a quote by the director himself.“While the goal of all movies is to entertain, the kind of film in which I believe goes one step further. It compels the spectator to examine one facet or another of his own conscience. It stimulates thought and sets the mental juices flowing.” 
I like this quote because I like how movies can actually say something rather than just be considered entertainment. I like to read novels depicting social and political problems. This is related to my enjoyment of movies in the same genre. 
The article can be found at 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/movies/sidney-lumet-director-of-american-classics-dies-at-86.html?hp

Catch of the Week - April 8th

I was reading my textbook for a Technical writing class the other day and I stumbled upon a silly error. The book is entitled The Essentials of Technical Communication by Elizabeth Tebeaux and Sam Dragga. Technical communication is all about business writing such as proposals, progress reports, business letters and so on. On page 174, the authors are discussing topically arranging formal reports. The sentence reads as follow, "In topical arrangement, the order in which you present your ideas should be logical and inclusive For example..." All the sentence needs is a period between inclusive and For.

Catch of the Week March 27th

I am currently reading a book for my Technical Writing course in which I have found a simple error. The book it entitled "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future" by Daniel Pink. It is about how analytical Left Brain thinking is slowly become less important than creative Right Brain thinking.

"The sentence goes as follow: Every August my mother would take my brother, sister and me to buy clothes for the new school year." The obvious mistake is that me should be I. This is a second-graders mistake.

Elements of Style Chapter Four

This chapter is entitled "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused." The differences between similar words are explained to help your writing. The first word that I use in my writing is effect. The book says not to use this term is a sentence such as "The blue walls produced a sea-like effect." This word brings about vagueness while a writer must be as specific as possible. Another word that brings about vagueness is factor. Heres a bad example the book provides, "His superior training was the great factor in his winning of the match." Here's the good example, "He won the match by being better trained." The second sentence is more direct and less awkward than the first. I use the word factor in my writing but now I will not. Feature is another word that I often use but is vague just like factor.

I want to be more specific with my writing because I am taking a Technical writing course this semester. Technical writing is all about writing for readers who do not want to read. For example, office workers don't want to read memos and work emails but they must to complete their job. A writer must be specifc as possible in the shortest amount of space.

Another good word that I misuse is however. The book declares that this word must not be used at the beginning of a sentence or clause if the word means nevertheless. I always use this word in the beginning of a sentence.

Elements of Style Chapter Three

This brief chapter was about matters of form such as the use of colloquialisms, margins, headings, hyphens, numerals, quotations and parentheses. One key point that especially applied to my writing was the use of punctuation after parentheses. The book states that punctuation marks must be placed outside the parentheses unless a whole statement is in parentheses. Another point that I learned was that formal citations  are introduced by a colon. I never heard of this before and therefore will apply it to my writing in the future. Additionally, I was not aware of the omitting of A or The from titles if I place the possessive before it. The book uses the example, The Tale of Two Cities would be Dickens's Tale of Two Cities. I was always confused about this when it came up in my writing but now that has been cleared up.

Elements of Style Chapter Two

The biggest issue for me in this chapter is the use of active voice. I use passive voice often while the active is more precise and direct. I did not know exactly what passice voice was until I read this chapter. I heard of it, but no one ever explained it to me. I will have to pay more attention to my writing in order to catch myself from using the passive voice too much. This section also explains that "making a particular word the subject of a sentence will often, determine which voice is to be used." Therefore, I have to be very observant of my own writing.
Another important section is "Omitting needless words." This is particularly important to me at this time because I am taking a Technical writing course. This course demands the writer of shorter sentences and more direct language in order to make my point and clear and precise as possible. Also I must make the reader actually read as little as possible.

Elements of Style Chapter One

The first two rules of this book are fairly straightforward. They describe the usage of possessive " 's" and the use of commas in a list, which I have known for a while now. Also the book describes the use of commas in parenthetic clauses as well as using a comma with and or but introducing an independant clause. One rule that I must learn from is a parcipital phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject. This is important to me becuase my sentences can be awkward. My parcipital phrases might not refer to the right subject grammatically, when I think they do in my own head. Another rule is to divide words at line-ends in accordance with their pronunciation. I would only use this when I have to write in right-justified, but I rarely do that. Regardless, I will have to someday and I have to remeber this rule because it never occured to me to do so.

Catch of the week 2/11/11

This catch was found on a New York Times article about the Muslim Brotherhood, a large dissident organization in Egypt. They were initially blamed for protests by the government and now they are one of the rising stars in the upcoming democratic politics of Egypt. The catch reads as follows, "... prominent Egyptians and opposition leaders... recognized, as well as a handful of young people who helped start trotest movement." I couldn't believe that I found this on The NEW YORK TIMES website!
The line should read, " As well as a handful of young people who helped start the protest movement."
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/m/muslim_brotherhood_egypt/index.html?inline=nyt-org

Favorite Passage of the Week 2/11/11

This passage is a quote from Mohammed El-Baradei, an Egyptian opposition leader within the same New York Times article. His quote reads, "We need a democratic country based on social justice." If only the whole world could be like that and truly stand for what for what they believed in. I hope that this quote is not just another saying rather than a reality. Egypt is confused right now and there is not set leader. The army is in charge but who can be trusted?
Found at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?_r=1&hp

Word of the Week 2/11/11

This week's word is communique which I found in an article about Egypt's president stepping down from power today. A communique is an "official bulletin or communication to the press or the public," as quoted from dictionary.com. President Mubarak issued a communique about stepping down after he realized he couldn't hold onto his power.
Link to article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?_r=1&hp

Headline Editing

My assignment is to edit 12 real news headlines that are mostly grammatically correct but obviously rediculous!

1. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While
Revision: Strike Could Become Longterm If Not Settled Quickly

2. Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Revision: Recent Cold Temperatures Have Been Widespread

3. London Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
Revision: Police Are Investigating The Death of a London Couple

4. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Revision: New Bridge's Opening Is Delayed

5. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Revision: Hundreds Killed By Typhoon

6. Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
Revision: Man Struck By Lightning Faces Jail Sentence

7. New Study of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group
Revision: New Study of Obesity Seeks More Participants

8. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
Revision: Astronaut Takes Blame for Spacecraft Malfunction

9. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Revision: Kids Enjoy Creating Nutritious Snacks

10. Chef Throws His Heart Into Helping Fee Needy
Revision: Chef Takes Pride Into Helping Feed Needy

11. Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
Revision: Percentage of Local High School Dropouts Decrease By Fifty Percent

12. Hospitals Are Sued by Seven Foot Doctors
Revision: Seven Podiatrists Sue Hospital

Favorite Writer

I have a couple of favorite writers that stood out to me over the years. One that particularly stands out is Albert Camus, the prolific existentialist writer who's most famous work, The Stranger, became one of my favorite books. The story of a French Algerian named Meursault, written in the first person, captivated me from the first sentence which reads, "Mother died today. Or was it yesterday. I don't remember." I was shocked to believe that someone could forget the date of their mother's death! How could a man lose interest in something as important and disheartening as that? As I continued to read the novel, I noticed Camus used very simple language to describe complex ideas. For example, Meursault only describes the bear essence of his existence and only experiences physical pleasure. The protagonist describes smoking cigarettes and swimming. When his girlfriend, Marie, asked him if he loved her, Meursault replied that it did not matter. The main character did not feel anything more than skin deep. He was almost an animal created by the meaninglessness of modern society. His world and our world are just man-made fabrications within the real world we inhabit. Camus was a genius! He said this and more only using the language of a high schooler! The Stranger is usually the first full novel students learning French read!

Albert Camus' other novel entitled The Plague, was another work of fiction that truly impressed and seduced my imagination. This book recounted the disastrous effects that epidemics have on its victims, but more importantly, its survivors! The town of Oran is blocked off from the rest of the world as the bubonic plague rips though its populace. A doctor by the name of Rieux teams up with other survivors in order to make an attempt to slow down the plague's destruction. The plague suddenly went into remission after a year and the town was reopened to the outside world, but its living residence would never be the same again. Funny how an epidemic could drastically change someone without ever entering their body. 

This creative and intelligent author spoke to me because he thought outside of the box! He questioned all that could be questioned and more. Camus even claimed that human existence was absurd, ridiculous and meaningless. He critiqued society, its morals, its culture and everything in between. I was an avid reader of political and social novels such as: 1984, Animal Farm, The Outsider, Native Son, and Invisible Man (By Ralph Ellison) in high school. Novels that made the reader question his own existence moved me more than any other literary work. Also Camus' The Stranger, made me realize that, in the end, nothing really matters because existence has its ups and downs as well as its lefts and rights. You must make the best out of any situation.

Here We Go

This my first blog post EVER! I never had the desire to do so in the past. I hope to blog about my favorite music and the favorites of others. I am a musician myself, playing the electric bass as well as and starting to play the upright bass. The upright is difficult to get used to becuase there are no frets and if your finger is a half an inch off, the note you are playing becomes a G and a half, neither a G nor a G#. Music of India, the Middle East an other parts of the world include these "microtone" but they are not used in Western music.

Currently, I am taking classes at Westconn and I am planning to switch my major from Anthropology to Jaz performance because I do like to study about foreign cultures, but it is not nearly as rewarding and fun as playing, practicing and learning music. But don't get the wrong impression, music is not easy. I am not looking for the rock star way of life. Becoming skilled in any instrument takes time and patience. One must practice the same 4 seconds of music a hundred time until they get it right. A musicians brain can burst apart while still residing within in their skulls. But the hard work pays off.

I am also  a writer, after being a musician. Fiction is my favorite! Some of my most cherished pieces of literature are 1984, The Outsider, Catch-22, and The Stranger among others. Edgar Allen Poe's A Tell-Tale Heart was the first piece a literature that truly moved me. The beating of the dead man's heart made my blood run cold. Thats when I knew the power of reading, and the creative potential in writing.


Enough about me. Now, music! Its power is stronger than the will of man! I think, at least.
All types of music move people in  different ways. The music of the sitar from India to throat singing of Mongolia to the singing of a Miles Davis' trumpet all move people in different ways.

First.
Jazz.
Art Blakey. Why is he Moanin' for. He is the shit!

(Moanin' is the title of one of his group's most famous songs.)