I suppose I can be called a defensive driver. There are those who think I'm too aggressive, but with only one moving violation in thirty-five years of driving, I disagree. Moreoever, the one ticket I got was in a county where the sheriffs are latter-day Nazis, so that shouldn't really count. Even so, I think I drive like Miss Daisy would have if Morgan Freeman hadn't been around.
It seems to me that people drive the way they walk. If they're rude when they walk in crowded spaces, they'll drive rudely, too. I've had people walk ahead in lines so they could get through the revolving doors faster; these same people probably fly ahead of people in line at exits or where there are construction zones.
Rudeness knows no location, ethnicity or gender. Apparently, it also knows no event, either.
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Grammar
With a nod to the late William Safire, I'm no language maven but I do appreciate correct use of language whenever possible. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, correct English isn't possible. Other times, there's understandable confusion about which verbal or syntactical form to use. But there are plenty of mistakes that are inexcusable.
One thing that drives me nuts is when people try to speak in an elevated tone and misuse words because they think they sound more sophisticated. Although there is a split of authority on its use, whence actually means from where. When someone says from whence, he's really saying from from where which, in my mind at least, is redundant. It may sound pretty, but it's wrong.
Another thing that is annoying to my ear is when someone prefaces an action with I just want to.... Is someone preventing this person from doing that which she wants? For example, it is often heard said I just wanted to say...well, since you're speaking, why don't you just say it? This happens all the time with I want to thank you for...can't you just thank the person and be done with it?
There is and there are are becoming hopelessly confused. The former refers to singular subjects, the latter to plural subjects. The problem usually crops up when the contraction is used for there is-- there's fifty women in here! Why exactly that's permissible I don't know, but it's wrong.
When I teach Spanish, one of the first things I tell my prospective students (they always have the right to drop the class within the first week or so) is that if they hope to learn a foreign language, they'd better make sure that the language that they hold as native to them isn't foreign to them. Quite often, this refers to knowing the grammatical and syntactical terms like gerunds or imperfect or prepositional pronouns. It helps, too, if you can pronounce the language somewhat competently, knowing that to ask and to ax are pronounced differently. But even when people are only trying to speak in their native tongue, they make such horrible mistakes that it's embarrassing.
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
One thing that drives me nuts is when people try to speak in an elevated tone and misuse words because they think they sound more sophisticated. Although there is a split of authority on its use, whence actually means from where. When someone says from whence, he's really saying from from where which, in my mind at least, is redundant. It may sound pretty, but it's wrong.
Another thing that is annoying to my ear is when someone prefaces an action with I just want to.... Is someone preventing this person from doing that which she wants? For example, it is often heard said I just wanted to say...well, since you're speaking, why don't you just say it? This happens all the time with I want to thank you for...can't you just thank the person and be done with it?
There is and there are are becoming hopelessly confused. The former refers to singular subjects, the latter to plural subjects. The problem usually crops up when the contraction is used for there is-- there's fifty women in here! Why exactly that's permissible I don't know, but it's wrong.
When I teach Spanish, one of the first things I tell my prospective students (they always have the right to drop the class within the first week or so) is that if they hope to learn a foreign language, they'd better make sure that the language that they hold as native to them isn't foreign to them. Quite often, this refers to knowing the grammatical and syntactical terms like gerunds or imperfect or prepositional pronouns. It helps, too, if you can pronounce the language somewhat competently, knowing that to ask and to ax are pronounced differently. But even when people are only trying to speak in their native tongue, they make such horrible mistakes that it's embarrassing.
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Rula Lenska
A recent furor erupted because some Brit penned an article about how beautiful women are the most reviled of all women. Basically, she's trotting out the old Rula Lenska line, Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.
Well.
In the first place, judging by the picture that accompanied the article isn't the most flattering. Perhaps the real life version of the author is better than the virtual one. But that's quibbling. The real point is that beautiful people, whether they be men or women, are more often than not granted more favors by many people instead of being reviled. Envied? To be sure. But reviled? Doubtful.
Being someone that GQ has never pursued for the cover of its magazine nor who has had to beat persons of the opposite sex off, I know what being reviled for my appearance is all about. It means being taken less seriously, not being regarded as worthy. This notion of beautiful people being hated or thought less of is a joke. Sure, there is plenty of envy. Sometimes that metatastizes into hatred, but on average, beautiful people are given so many more unearned benefits and advantages simply because they own the chromosome lottery.
In point of fact, I bend over backwards to treat people not obviously beautiful in a physical way with more kindness. When there's an overweight woman on a train, I'll give up my seat. I'll hold the door open for the less fortunate women simply because I know that other men will disdain her. Sure, I'll hold the door open for beautiful women, but I also hold it open for men in their sixties. This notion that looks entitle a person to better treatment chafes, because I have years of memories of being shortchanged because I'm not one of the beautiful people.
Forgive the rant, but when someone goes out of her way to complain about how her putative beauty marks her for ill-treatment, I scoff.
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Well.
In the first place, judging by the picture that accompanied the article isn't the most flattering. Perhaps the real life version of the author is better than the virtual one. But that's quibbling. The real point is that beautiful people, whether they be men or women, are more often than not granted more favors by many people instead of being reviled. Envied? To be sure. But reviled? Doubtful.
Being someone that GQ has never pursued for the cover of its magazine nor who has had to beat persons of the opposite sex off, I know what being reviled for my appearance is all about. It means being taken less seriously, not being regarded as worthy. This notion of beautiful people being hated or thought less of is a joke. Sure, there is plenty of envy. Sometimes that metatastizes into hatred, but on average, beautiful people are given so many more unearned benefits and advantages simply because they own the chromosome lottery.
In point of fact, I bend over backwards to treat people not obviously beautiful in a physical way with more kindness. When there's an overweight woman on a train, I'll give up my seat. I'll hold the door open for the less fortunate women simply because I know that other men will disdain her. Sure, I'll hold the door open for beautiful women, but I also hold it open for men in their sixties. This notion that looks entitle a person to better treatment chafes, because I have years of memories of being shortchanged because I'm not one of the beautiful people.
Forgive the rant, but when someone goes out of her way to complain about how her putative beauty marks her for ill-treatment, I scoff.
(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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