Grammar Propaganda II

Is America becoming a nation of imbeciles? We care nothing for morals or education anymore, and, quite frankly, it's upsetting. I hate living in a culture where MTV, VH1, and all things popular culture and mainstream become so much more important than what actually matters and lasts. Don't worry, I'm not going to go off on a political rant. I'm not interested in debating with anyone, and no one seems to care what I think about any issue whatsoever. Therefore, I will rant about grammar. As if you care about grammar, anyway.

You people have no idea how stupid you seem when you say "your" instead of "you're." It's not that I think I'm smarter than anyone else: quite the reverse. America has one of the worst education systems in the world. Our high school seniors, except for a few, struggle with basic Agebra. In other countries such as Switzerland and Japan, high school seniors have already finished Calculus 1 or higher maths. Teachers in American schools do not force their students to read, write, or comprehend anything of importance.

Alright, on to the lesson.

MOOD
English is spoken in three moods: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive.
*The indicative mood either states a fact or asks a question. It is how verbs are normally used in speech and writing.
*The imperative mood makes either a demand or a request.
> Go away!
*The subjunctive mood is rarely used, but it is extremely important. It is the hypothetical mood and is used in the case of a hypothetical or doubtful case.
> If I were (not was) you, I would study.
> The teacher demands that the student finish (not finishes) on time.

You may also use should, could, or would in the subjuntive mood to avoid confusion.

LAY/LIE
Lay needs an object, so you would use it as such:
> Please lay your book on the coffee table.
Lie does not need an object for some odd reason:
> I'll lie down.

LESS/FEWER
If you can count a quantity, use fewer rather than less. You don't have less calories, you have fewer calories. You can have less salt, though.

HOLE/WHOLE
I can't believe I even have to go into this one. Whole and hole may be homonyms, but they are in no way similar.
*Hole (n):
1. an opening through something; gap; aperture
2. a hollow place in a solid body or mass; a cavity

*Whole (n):
1. comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total
2. containing all the elements properly belonging; complete
3. undivided; in one piece

Cannot is one word, not two.

One can aggravate a situation, but cannot aggravate a person.

I know this is annoying to all of you, but I am tired of stupidity and ignorance. It makes me angry to see people just not care about something so important. While you may not be an English major, the ability to both speak and write well will do a lot in the long run.

However, if you'd rather remain uneducated and unsuccessful, be my guest. It's your life: live it how you wish. Personally, I'd like to be seen as at least somewhat intelligent with an IQ at least above 70.

But, as I said, it is a choice.

Grammar Propaganda

I'm sick of seeing things like this: "Your so cool," et cetera. It's "YOU'RE so cool." The word "your" implies ownership, whereas "you're" simply means "you are."

TyPINg LiKe tHiZ iS aNnOyinG, AND SO iiS TYPiiNG liiKE THiiS. If you are a perfectly normal teenager/adult, you have no excuse for typing in this manner.

"Its" and "it's" are not the same word. "Its" implies ownership and is a pronoun. "It's" is the contraction for "it is."

Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, not outside.
Example: "Lorem ipsum," "Lorem ipsum..." "Lorem ipsum?" "Lorem ipsum!" "Lorem ipsum."

"To" is used at the beginning of a prepositional phrase and does not express quantity.
Example: I want to go to the fair.
"Too" implies an quantity of some sort.
Example: That's too much!
"Two" is the number between one and three.

"There" is a place.
"Their" implies ownership in the third person.
"They're" means "they are."

"Irregardless" is not a word. The correct word is "regardless."

You don't do "good," you do "well."
Example: "I'm doing well!" "He's doing well." "I'm well."
"Good" is used as such: "Good job!"

"Alot" does not exist. "Allot" does, and it means "to distribute."
The correct phrase is "a lot," and it is not used in formal writing.

"Affect" and "effect" are not the same word. When you "affect" something, you are doing something. The "effect" is the result.

When you say "I could care less," you are implying not that you don't care, but that you do care somewhat, but you don't care very much. The correct phrase is "I couldn't care less."

It's "congratulations," not "congradulations."

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More propaganda later.

The French Diet and Amazing Grace

Wow, long time no post. Like anyone ever reads this, but still.

I've found something very interesting. Obvious, but interesting. The French are extremely smart in this area: food.

The French eat three meals a day just like we Americans do, but they enjoy their food, eat much more quality food, and don't snack during the day. That's the key to a healthy diet: quality over quantity. Eat quality foods that taste good and enjoy them!

Also, my dad and I just got through seeing Amazing Grace. Notice the hunk Ioan Gruffudd over on your left. ;) He played William Wilburforce, the man who was instrumental in abolishing slavery and the slave trade in the British Empire. I don't care what the critics say; this was an amazing movie and it was most definitely worth seeing!

So eat better and watch good movies!

Pourquoi?

Why do we become what we hate the most? Why do we become so enamored with our hatred towards others and then become like them and not know it until it's too late?

"What was done to me was monstrous."
"And they created a monster."

Why do we hide behind masks of deceitful happiness and love while despising ourselves and the world around us?

Why must we make life so complicated when it could be so simple?

Why does love, the most wonderful thing in the world, have to hurt so much?

Why is knowledge so undesirable?

Why do we question those who know what is right and follow those who know nothing?

Why do we reject what we need the most?

Why do we reach for things that would hurt us rather than the things that would save our lives?

Why would we rather fight for something we don't want than to take what is given that we need?

Why would we rather keep digging our graves deeper and deeper rather than reaching up and getting help?

Why do those who do evil have an easier time in life than those who do good?

And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down
I'm falling on my knees

Psalm 73
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others,
I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Devotion - My Utmost for His Highest

February 13
The Devotion of Hearing

1 Samuel 3:10 - "Samuel answered, ’Speak, for Your servant hears’"

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, "You are My friends . . ." ( John 15:14 ). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don’t even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us.

The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41 ). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don’t hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, "Speak, for Your servant hears." If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God’s voice today?

John 15:14 (MSG) - "You are my friends when you do the things I command you."

John 11:41 (NAS) -"So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me...'"

From My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers


I don't know about everyone else, but I haven't been listening to God as intently as I should. In fact, I've neglected my relationship with Him for things like school, music, and friends. All of these things might be nice, but they won't last forever. What I need is to really get down and just do what I need to do to make things right with God.
But how do I do that? I suppose the first step is to get rid of all the things that distract me. Then what? Well, I'll start eliminating distractions one by one; just taking small steps at first. If I overwhelm myself, I'll just give up. So step one is to listen to less secular music and read my Bible before I do anything in the day.

To Victor Hugo

1802 - 1885

"To Victor Hugo" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Victor in Drama, Victor in Romance,
Cloud-weaver of phantasmal hopes and fears,
French of the French, and Lord of human tears;
Child-lover; Bard whose fame-lit laurels glance
Darkening the wreaths of all that would advance,
Beyond our strait, their claim to be thy peers;
Weird Titan by thy winter weight of years
As yet unbroken, Stormy voice of France!
Who dost not love our England--so they say;
I know not--England, France, all man to be
Will make one people ere man's race be run:
And I, desiring that diviner day,
Yield thee full thanks for thy full courtesy
To younger England in the boy my son.

Wow, I suck at blogging.

I get so sidetracked sometimes. I'd apologize, but no one reads this thing anyway. :P