Random Thoughts – #1: 15 August 2011.

I have decided that since there are already so many people polluting the cosmos with their random, unsolicited and often useless thoughts then one more human reaching for validation can't hurt. If it could the universe would already have imploded.

I just sat here for a few moments waiting for the big bang. Clearly it didn't come.
 

So, my first contribution to the betterment of humankind is to suggest a new topic to Scott Berkun for his next speaking tour (that would be the one after the one dealing with Seattle's problematic driving – although I wouldn't know anything about that since I live on the other side of the world). Scott, how about - "Teaching aspiring authors how to spell before they start polluting the cosmos with their random, unsolicited and often useless thoughts". I was reading Scott's blog and someone wrote 'persay' in their comment to Scott. I mean really...it's 'per se' people. Scott replied to this comment but made no mention of the slip up – bravo Scott you are a stronger person than I am. I would have felt an uncontrollable urge to rip him a new one.

 

PET PEEVE OF THE DAY: people using words they can't spell to make themselves seem more intelligent or educated than they are.

 

Although, frankly, anyone who paid any attention whatsoever in high school English class would know how to spell 'per se'. Anyone who has ever read newspapers, novels, or – dare I say it- blogs – would have by now seen the words 'per se' somewhere. Now I understand that not everyone had the opportunity for an education, and that makes me sad for them as it is probably not their fault, but if you then claim you want to be a writer surely you would take the freaking time, and trouble, to buy a dictionary and look things up. That's what I did all through high school. I even kept a separate book where I wrote words of the day and read them every day to increase my vocab. I still have that book from 1975.

Furthermore, these days if you have access to the a computer and the internet to blog then you also have access to, let's see:

1. Online dictionaries
   
2. Spell check
   
3. Online thesaurus
   
4. Online friends to proof read for you ( for those who don't have any real ones like me)
   

Ok so I have started my blogging life by insulting a whole bunch of people. But it hurts me that life has become so fast food, fast bit rates, fast everything that we just don't take any pride whatsoever in what we do. I don't want to start a debate about how language is shifting due to texting or how so many new made up words are attaining legitimacy by virtue of usage, because that is the way language has evolved for millennia (well maybe not the texting as that is a new phenomenon). My argument is about people using standard words incorrectly. That's more than simple laziness. That tells me that that individual is so arrogant as to believe they can instinctively know how and when to use a word they have heard and can make up, or guess, the spelling of it. Think of all those people who have spent their lives collating dictionaries for our own personal use – spare a thought for their dedication and commitment. Then spare another thought for the fact that all their work is now available to us for NOTHING online. Use it people!

 

Now if you think I am sitting on my soapbox all holier than thou and have not caught up with the times you are very wrong. I love words, I love language, I even love how we can write sentences in the new shorthand of the 21^st century – aka textspeak. I tnk dat English will b much simpla in da future & I can c u r imprest. Im not tryna b a smrtass wit dat. Rilly.

 

I know there is at least one author out there who has written a whole book phonetically. I'll save some of you the trouble of looking it up and explain that he has written the words the way they sound to him e.g. 'persay' instead of 'per se'. A neat trick, I feel, since you really need to switch off your years of acquired knowledge and free yourself to truly hear the words not see them in your head. It is a tough read, but so impressive. It also was intentional.

SIDEBAR: to the guy who started this whole tirade with 'persay', don't even think about pretending that you were doing the same thing.

 

Ok, time for me to return to the real world, my real life and my real starving family. It is time for me to reheat last night's leftover takeaway.

 

Talk soon