1. My recent rantings regarding the proliferation of "I mean" in our speech continues with a recent talking head responding to a question: "Absolutely, I mean..." The word absolutely is clear and absolute. To then place an I mean after removes the firmness, thus demeaning his declarative absolutely.
But I have made a discovery. People are really not meaning to clarify when they utter those two words. No sir. They are not wanting to further clarify or explain. What they are doing when they say "I mean" is to place a comma in their speech. We have effectively come up with words or phrases to throw in where a comma would be if we were writing it on paper. Ah ha. See if I'm not right. I also think we have become so used to hearing and saying "I mean" that we have tended to not even pay attention tot he phrase. Listen on ESPN or the Sunday morning talk shows and how often "I mean" is said, not to clarify, but simply as a comma.
I have made another discovery: I am rabid about this subject because I had a grammar Nazi as a mother. She was always correcting us three boys with correct pronunciation and sentence structure. For instance, if any of us said "Where at?" or "Where is it at?", she would pounce on it and respond with "Behind the at." Huh, you might ask. Well, 'where' does not need an "at". It simply needs 'where'. 'Where is it' does not need an at, it simply needs where. Sins of the mothers sort of thing I guess.
2. Patti, one of my two favorite people in Creve Coeur, do not read the following. It is base and uncivilized. OK, now that we've gotten Patti away from the screen, I have a confession. It probably emanates from growing up in a small town or perhaps working on my uncle's farm during summers from high school through college and then occasionally on days off when working at the Mary Davis home, and not being able to do it in St. Pete. Yes, I'm an outdoor whizzer lover.
3. "We’re not aware of any reason which justifies this share price movement.” A BP spokesman commenting on the recent calamitous drop in the price of BP’s stock.
Gee — greedy, incompetent, uncaring, tone deaf AND stupid. I can’t see any reason for the drop in their stock price either, can you?
A few weeks ago I called for a boycott and thanks to all of you, BP is propping up (does propping need an up?) their franchises due to declining sales. Well, it is true we want to penalize them for destroying part of America, but we need them to stay healthy enough to keep paying us. Solution? Go to BP every other time. Just enough to keep them viable, but not enough to make them uber-rich.
5. Proud Grampa Tim holding his first grandchild, Arianna Lynne. Best wishes for everyone. Tim and Carrie are first-time grandparents. Richard is a first-time uncle, and Ashley an aunt.
6. Nothing good will come from this situation. Best get that kid out of there.
7. Anyone stuck in Florida who would like to see this year's Big Bang Boom show at Lake Story can see the whole show thanks to WGIL. Google WGIL and then scroll to the bottom.
8. One of my compadres at Knox County Academy, Matt Warnsing, was hired this week as Director of Discovery Depot. Matt is one of the good guys and I wish him well.
Teacher Matt Warnsing takes wheel at Discovery Depot - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail
9. Just finished watching two seasons of Breaking Bad. It is fricking good.
10. "Not everyone can be a talker. Their words are meaningless without listeners." So if I'm a little quiet around the table or campfire, rest assured you are being heard.
11. Bought a new camera three weeks. My old one has survived many bumps and bruises on bike rides, accidental drops, and is beginning to make a weird sound when I turn it on. In the interest of continuing to photograph memories for the family and this blog I decided it was time to have a back-up. After a long review of various cameras available I decided on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. It is cheaper than the others but has a lot of things you can do manually. I'm still a point-and-shoot guy but this will allow me to tinker more. I'll still use the old one for times I'm riding roughshod, for quick easy shots, but I'll take the new one when I have more time to frame pictures.
12. Is it just me or is it sometimes true that the more un-American some people are the tighter they wrap themselves in the flag? Joseph McCarthy? FDR who approved our own concentration camps? Pat Robertson?
14. I have been living on primarily a frozen burger diet. I'm beginning to hate them. And not just because they shrivel down to nothing.
But I have made a discovery. People are really not meaning to clarify when they utter those two words. No sir. They are not wanting to further clarify or explain. What they are doing when they say "I mean" is to place a comma in their speech. We have effectively come up with words or phrases to throw in where a comma would be if we were writing it on paper. Ah ha. See if I'm not right. I also think we have become so used to hearing and saying "I mean" that we have tended to not even pay attention tot he phrase. Listen on ESPN or the Sunday morning talk shows and how often "I mean" is said, not to clarify, but simply as a comma.
I have made another discovery: I am rabid about this subject because I had a grammar Nazi as a mother. She was always correcting us three boys with correct pronunciation and sentence structure. For instance, if any of us said "Where at?" or "Where is it at?", she would pounce on it and respond with "Behind the at." Huh, you might ask. Well, 'where' does not need an "at". It simply needs 'where'. 'Where is it' does not need an at, it simply needs where. Sins of the mothers sort of thing I guess.
2. Patti, one of my two favorite people in Creve Coeur, do not read the following. It is base and uncivilized. OK, now that we've gotten Patti away from the screen, I have a confession. It probably emanates from growing up in a small town or perhaps working on my uncle's farm during summers from high school through college and then occasionally on days off when working at the Mary Davis home, and not being able to do it in St. Pete. Yes, I'm an outdoor whizzer lover.
3. "We’re not aware of any reason which justifies this share price movement.” A BP spokesman commenting on the recent calamitous drop in the price of BP’s stock.
Gee — greedy, incompetent, uncaring, tone deaf AND stupid. I can’t see any reason for the drop in their stock price either, can you?
A few weeks ago I called for a boycott and thanks to all of you, BP is propping up (does propping need an up?) their franchises due to declining sales. Well, it is true we want to penalize them for destroying part of America, but we need them to stay healthy enough to keep paying us. Solution? Go to BP every other time. Just enough to keep them viable, but not enough to make them uber-rich.
4. On Sunday June 13 the Mild Ones saddled-up and went to Viola for ice cream. Won't see that on Sons of Anarchy.
5. Proud Grampa Tim holding his first grandchild, Arianna Lynne. Best wishes for everyone. Tim and Carrie are first-time grandparents. Richard is a first-time uncle, and Ashley an aunt.
6. Nothing good will come from this situation. Best get that kid out of there.
7. Anyone stuck in Florida who would like to see this year's Big Bang Boom show at Lake Story can see the whole show thanks to WGIL. Google WGIL and then scroll to the bottom.
8. One of my compadres at Knox County Academy, Matt Warnsing, was hired this week as Director of Discovery Depot. Matt is one of the good guys and I wish him well.
Teacher Matt Warnsing takes wheel at Discovery Depot - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail
9. Just finished watching two seasons of Breaking Bad. It is fricking good.
10. "Not everyone can be a talker. Their words are meaningless without listeners." So if I'm a little quiet around the table or campfire, rest assured you are being heard.
11. Bought a new camera three weeks. My old one has survived many bumps and bruises on bike rides, accidental drops, and is beginning to make a weird sound when I turn it on. In the interest of continuing to photograph memories for the family and this blog I decided it was time to have a back-up. After a long review of various cameras available I decided on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. It is cheaper than the others but has a lot of things you can do manually. I'm still a point-and-shoot guy but this will allow me to tinker more. I'll still use the old one for times I'm riding roughshod, for quick easy shots, but I'll take the new one when I have more time to frame pictures.
12. Is it just me or is it sometimes true that the more un-American some people are the tighter they wrap themselves in the flag? Joseph McCarthy? FDR who approved our own concentration camps? Pat Robertson?
13. The hostas we planted under the big pine tree out front on Chambers Street are still doing well.
14. I have been living on primarily a frozen burger diet. I'm beginning to hate them. And not just because they shrivel down to nothing.
15. There was a time that all I had to do was show up at a car show with my 1961 Chrysler Imperial (Priscilla) and I'd go home with a trophy. Sometimes I'd take Baby, my 62 Plymouth, but she didn't win very often. Fun days. There was a fellow named Earl Steinkamp, who I hated because he was a loud-mouth little bully, who had a 61 Chrysler 300 and always bitched if he didn't win. Got to be I'd go just to piss him off. Earl is no longer with us and I no longer have my 61.
Anyway, some guy in Davenport stopped by to pick up my trophies for what reason I have no idea. They were free and some people just want stuff, I suppose. But those late Saturday or Sunday afternoons when I'd get a trophy and bring it home to display were extra special. Kind of sad to see them carted off.
I hope there are old cars in Florida, and I hope they have shows. I'd very much like to do that again someday.
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