Top of the evening to all...
We are all aware of the hemming and hawing that Hamlet commits in Shakespeare's famous play. The Bard, however, did not take note of the physical manifestations of Hamlet's stress. We are, of course, all aware that stress can cause physical concerns.
For Hamlet, it was constant digestive issues. It really drove him crazy.
This of course leads Polonius to say "though this be madness, yet there be methane in't."
I am clearly guilty of Polonius assault.
Good night to all.
R/SCG
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Why Do I Do This to Myself?
Top of the evening everyone...
I read the news every day, without fail. In the paper version (yes...I still get the paper version), I thoroughly enjoy not just the news, but also the letters to the editor and the op-ed page. Sometimes, I go there first.
I also read on line. On line, many of the articles will allow any and all readers to make comments on the article. This is distressing, to say the least.
For starters, the grammar is awful. It suggests a low level of either education or concern, neither of which are particularly palatable.
Beyond that, the degree of racism, sexism, and extremism just makes these comments vile. It is remarkably discomforting to read the rhetoric that is on these pages. It makes it easy to see why the American political scene is so polarized and fragmented these days.
It has been very little time since my last post, but I must return to Bloom County. The comments that have gone with the return of the comic strip have been delightful. People have been kind and appreciative not just of the return of the comic, but of each other. As well, the comments on the facebook page have had good spelling and grammar. There is hope.
Welcome back, Bloom County. We missed you in ways that never occurred to us.
R/SCG
Mockingbird...
Top of the evening to all...
Some of you might remember that I wrote a blog entry back in 2012. The title of the entry was Books on a Desert Island. We had been assigned to come back to class with three non-religious books that we would want with us if stranded on a desert island.
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" was on my list. I mentioned then that it was the only book I have ever read that I did not want to see come to an end.
I have always assumed that Scout is the narrator of the story, and that therefore Harper Lee was writing as Scout. My favourite comic returned over the last few months. Berkley Breathed had a connection with Ms. Lee. His touching tribute to her in his comic last Sunday made me wonder though. He suggests that Ms. Lee is actually Arthur "Boo" Radley.
The story obviously cannot happen without Boo Radley. He maintains a sense of mystery to the story, leaving the children wondering who keeps placing gifts for them in the tree. He would have had a front-row view of Atticus shooting the rabid dog. He saves Scout and Jem's life as they crossed the school yard and past his own yard.
Having thought about it, I believe that Scout was the narrator. It had never dawned on me though to consider Boo Radley as something other than an important but only peripheral character. Considering that Ms. Lee might have been writing from that vantage point changes the story. The next time I read it, I will be asking what Boo Radley sees at each point.
Nelle Harper Lee, rest in peace.
R/SCG
Some of you might remember that I wrote a blog entry back in 2012. The title of the entry was Books on a Desert Island. We had been assigned to come back to class with three non-religious books that we would want with us if stranded on a desert island.
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" was on my list. I mentioned then that it was the only book I have ever read that I did not want to see come to an end.
I have always assumed that Scout is the narrator of the story, and that therefore Harper Lee was writing as Scout. My favourite comic returned over the last few months. Berkley Breathed had a connection with Ms. Lee. His touching tribute to her in his comic last Sunday made me wonder though. He suggests that Ms. Lee is actually Arthur "Boo" Radley.
The story obviously cannot happen without Boo Radley. He maintains a sense of mystery to the story, leaving the children wondering who keeps placing gifts for them in the tree. He would have had a front-row view of Atticus shooting the rabid dog. He saves Scout and Jem's life as they crossed the school yard and past his own yard.
Having thought about it, I believe that Scout was the narrator. It had never dawned on me though to consider Boo Radley as something other than an important but only peripheral character. Considering that Ms. Lee might have been writing from that vantage point changes the story. The next time I read it, I will be asking what Boo Radley sees at each point.
Nelle Harper Lee, rest in peace.
R/SCG
Sunday, February 14, 2016
That's His Job...
Top of the afternoon to all.
It has been a while since I have written. I hope you have not forgotten about me.
You are all likely aware by now that US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died. He was a legal giant who sat on the Supreme Court for three decades. For those of you who are to the more liberal side in your politics, I hope this is not how you would have wanted him to depart the bench. That being said, he was the scion of conservative jurisprudence. The US legal system will feel his absence. Like him or dislike him, his influence on the Court will be felt for decades.
According to the US Constitution, the nomination of justices to the Supreme Court is the responsibility of the President, pending approval by the Senate. Over the last 30 years, this has become an increasingly partisan issue, much to my chagrin. With the partisan nature of Washington politics, a Democratic President will not be able to get a nomination past a Republican Senate, especially during a presidential election year.
As such, those on the political right are saying that the President should not nominate a justice, but rather let it wait until after January 20th, 2017, when there is a new POTUS. Those on the left are saying he should nominate now, as the Supreme Court should not be without its full complement of justices for what will be over a year.
Those arguing both sides are doing a lousy job concealing the political rancour that has been the hallmark of US politics over the last several years.
My politics are somewhat right of centre, but not by much. With the right candidate, perhaps Mayor Bloomberg, they are somewhat left of centre, but not by much.
My politics are irrelevant here. I hold with those who are pushing for nomination now. It is not because the President should be concerned about a full complement of justices. It is not because of the elections in any way.
It is really very simple. The Constitution also says that the President is elected for a term of four years. By tradition, presidents held the office for two terms, until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected four times. After his death, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, formally limiting presidents to two terms. The Constitution does not say that s/he is elected for four years, except on certain matters. Like him or not, President Obama's job continues until noon, January 20th, 2017. Failure to nominate a justice for the Supreme Court is an abdication of the responsibility that the American people have emphatically placed in his hands.
Whether he picks a liberal or a conservative, I hope that he picks someone whose intellect matches that of Justice Scalia.
May Justice Antonin Scalia rest in peace, and may all people on both sides of the political spectrum recognize his life of service to the country as well as his devotion to the foundation of its legal system.
R/SCG
It has been a while since I have written. I hope you have not forgotten about me.
You are all likely aware by now that US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died. He was a legal giant who sat on the Supreme Court for three decades. For those of you who are to the more liberal side in your politics, I hope this is not how you would have wanted him to depart the bench. That being said, he was the scion of conservative jurisprudence. The US legal system will feel his absence. Like him or dislike him, his influence on the Court will be felt for decades.
According to the US Constitution, the nomination of justices to the Supreme Court is the responsibility of the President, pending approval by the Senate. Over the last 30 years, this has become an increasingly partisan issue, much to my chagrin. With the partisan nature of Washington politics, a Democratic President will not be able to get a nomination past a Republican Senate, especially during a presidential election year.
As such, those on the political right are saying that the President should not nominate a justice, but rather let it wait until after January 20th, 2017, when there is a new POTUS. Those on the left are saying he should nominate now, as the Supreme Court should not be without its full complement of justices for what will be over a year.
Those arguing both sides are doing a lousy job concealing the political rancour that has been the hallmark of US politics over the last several years.
My politics are somewhat right of centre, but not by much. With the right candidate, perhaps Mayor Bloomberg, they are somewhat left of centre, but not by much.
My politics are irrelevant here. I hold with those who are pushing for nomination now. It is not because the President should be concerned about a full complement of justices. It is not because of the elections in any way.
It is really very simple. The Constitution also says that the President is elected for a term of four years. By tradition, presidents held the office for two terms, until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected four times. After his death, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, formally limiting presidents to two terms. The Constitution does not say that s/he is elected for four years, except on certain matters. Like him or not, President Obama's job continues until noon, January 20th, 2017. Failure to nominate a justice for the Supreme Court is an abdication of the responsibility that the American people have emphatically placed in his hands.
Whether he picks a liberal or a conservative, I hope that he picks someone whose intellect matches that of Justice Scalia.
May Justice Antonin Scalia rest in peace, and may all people on both sides of the political spectrum recognize his life of service to the country as well as his devotion to the foundation of its legal system.
R/SCG
Sunday, January 3, 2016
A French-Canadian in Oxford...
Top of the evening to all...
After Justin Trudeau was sworn at...I mean sworn in...as Prime Minister, I sent him a note of congratulations. This is a right and proper courtesy, quite separate from how I might feel about his politics. I assume he got thousands of such notes.
There was a letter from his office when I got back from vacation this last week. Obviously, I opened it. There was a letter thanking me for the note of congratulations. After showing it to several people, we are all of the opinion that it is a signed letter. It was not a stamp. I am flattered.
I had a chuckle though. After everything I wrote about the differences in grammatical styles here and in the US, I noted that the letter from the PM made use of the Oxford comma.
Have a good evening everyone.
R/SCG
After Justin Trudeau was sworn at...I mean sworn in...as Prime Minister, I sent him a note of congratulations. This is a right and proper courtesy, quite separate from how I might feel about his politics. I assume he got thousands of such notes.
There was a letter from his office when I got back from vacation this last week. Obviously, I opened it. There was a letter thanking me for the note of congratulations. After showing it to several people, we are all of the opinion that it is a signed letter. It was not a stamp. I am flattered.
I had a chuckle though. After everything I wrote about the differences in grammatical styles here and in the US, I noted that the letter from the PM made use of the Oxford comma.
Have a good evening everyone.
R/SCG
Sunday, November 29, 2015
An American in Oxford...
Top of the afternoon all....
After my last blog post about the abuse of the English language, I thought it appropriate to to pause and chat about the comma.
Many of you have heard of the Oxford comma. It is sometimes referred to as the Queen's comma. It is the last comma in a set. For example: I ate spaghetti, salad, and an orange. The last comma in that sentence, separating salad from the orange, is the Oxford comma. It is acceptable not to use it in certain circumstances. There are, however, circumstances where it is absolutely necessary.
I would like to thank my friends, the Queen and the Prime Minister.
I would like to thank my friends, the Queen, and the Prime Minister.
As far as I can tell, these are two separate sentences. In the first sentence, the phrase after the comma is an appositive. An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that explains or identifies the word right before it. It is usually marked with a comma separating it from the noun being described (with thanks to the Purdue University grammar owl). As such, the first sentence means that the Queen and the PM are my friends.
In the second sentence, I am thanking three distinct entities. The Queen and the PM may or may not be my friends. This second sentence has the Oxford comma.
Here is the interesting thing. I learned about the Oxford comma in grade school, although we did not call it that. That it is known either as the Oxford comma or the Queen's comma suggests that it should be important in British grammar. I learned about it in the United States. What makes this even more interesting is that I do not see it used that often living here in Canada, where one would presume that something that is common in British grammar might have more of an effect.
I always use it. It is confusing when it is not present.
Have a great day.
By the way, I have updated my most recent entry on the abuses of the English language. I am about to make one more change. Hopefully, I can leave it alone.
R/SCG
After my last blog post about the abuse of the English language, I thought it appropriate to to pause and chat about the comma.
Many of you have heard of the Oxford comma. It is sometimes referred to as the Queen's comma. It is the last comma in a set. For example: I ate spaghetti, salad, and an orange. The last comma in that sentence, separating salad from the orange, is the Oxford comma. It is acceptable not to use it in certain circumstances. There are, however, circumstances where it is absolutely necessary.
I would like to thank my friends, the Queen and the Prime Minister.
I would like to thank my friends, the Queen, and the Prime Minister.
As far as I can tell, these are two separate sentences. In the first sentence, the phrase after the comma is an appositive. An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that explains or identifies the word right before it. It is usually marked with a comma separating it from the noun being described (with thanks to the Purdue University grammar owl). As such, the first sentence means that the Queen and the PM are my friends.
In the second sentence, I am thanking three distinct entities. The Queen and the PM may or may not be my friends. This second sentence has the Oxford comma.
Here is the interesting thing. I learned about the Oxford comma in grade school, although we did not call it that. That it is known either as the Oxford comma or the Queen's comma suggests that it should be important in British grammar. I learned about it in the United States. What makes this even more interesting is that I do not see it used that often living here in Canada, where one would presume that something that is common in British grammar might have more of an effect.
I always use it. It is confusing when it is not present.
Have a great day.
By the way, I have updated my most recent entry on the abuses of the English language. I am about to make one more change. Hopefully, I can leave it alone.
R/SCG
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Apologies to My Unpaid Editors....
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen...
I am a huge fan of Lynne Truss. She wrote the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." It is a masterpiece of satire on the demise of the formal structures of the English language. Every day, some other assault on the language takes place.
The following blog entry will be a linguistic and grammatical disaster. It is deliberate. My goal is to take as many of the current linguistic fads and combine them into one coherent (?) blog entry. There will be poor spelling, misuse of commas and apostrophes, bad usage, and words that do not exist.
To GS and EKB, my unpaid editors who often catch my typos, I humbly apologize.
I am giving this my usual signoff here, as I do not want my name to be associated with what is about to be written. I have also put a few extra spaces between my name and this entry, and have changed the font.
R/SCG
I was walking in the wood's one day. I heard a loud noise. I looked to my rite to see a large bare. It was ginormous. I yelled at the bare. Nothing I did would effect it though. I turned to run away. I was moving. I was literally running as fast as I could. Over they're, I saw a yard with some shrubbery and too people. It was the bushes, Barbara and George. Its great that they were their. "May I hide in you're yard?" "Of course," they said. I was like "thank you. Nice yard...my complements to the groundskeeper." I wondered what I should hide under. As I hid, a truck full of bare food went driving by at the precise moment that a breeze blue towards the bare. It was a perfect storm, and it allowed me to escape.
I am still stressed after this. Between you and I, I must speak with the chaplin.
I am a huge fan of Lynne Truss. She wrote the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." It is a masterpiece of satire on the demise of the formal structures of the English language. Every day, some other assault on the language takes place.
The following blog entry will be a linguistic and grammatical disaster. It is deliberate. My goal is to take as many of the current linguistic fads and combine them into one coherent (?) blog entry. There will be poor spelling, misuse of commas and apostrophes, bad usage, and words that do not exist.
To GS and EKB, my unpaid editors who often catch my typos, I humbly apologize.
I am giving this my usual signoff here, as I do not want my name to be associated with what is about to be written. I have also put a few extra spaces between my name and this entry, and have changed the font.
R/SCG
I was walking in the wood's one day. I heard a loud noise. I looked to my rite to see a large bare. It was ginormous. I yelled at the bare. Nothing I did would effect it though. I turned to run away. I was moving. I was literally running as fast as I could. Over they're, I saw a yard with some shrubbery and too people. It was the bushes, Barbara and George. Its great that they were their. "May I hide in you're yard?" "Of course," they said. I was like "thank you. Nice yard...my complements to the groundskeeper." I wondered what I should hide under. As I hid, a truck full of bare food went driving by at the precise moment that a breeze blue towards the bare. It was a perfect storm, and it allowed me to escape.
I am still stressed after this. Between you and I, I must speak with the chaplin.
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