Thursday, May 19, 2005
It's a Question of Etiquette
In the movie Fight Club in the scene where Edward Norton is sitting next to Brad Pitt in an airplane and Pitt, sitting in the window seat, gets up to use the bathroom or something and says, as he is sliding between Norton and the seat in front of him, "Do I give you the ass or the crotch? It's a question of etiquette."
Well I have a question for you all regarding Facebook etiquette.
If someone requests to add you as a friend, can you deny them?
And if you accept them, even though you aren't real close friends, just casual "Hi, how are you? I'm good, too" friends, and then you see them the next day, do you need to acknowledge the facebook contact, or is it better to let it go unsaid?
I had this experience recently and I let it go unsaid, which I think is better, but this facebook bullshit is relatively new to me so the etitquette that may or may not be involved is still being discovered. But I don't think a comment like, "Hey, confirmed you, thanks for the facebooking," is warranted. Actually, if I heard someone say that I would kick their ass.
Alright, I've answered my own question. But it was on mind and now it's on yours... for at least 10 seconds.
Until The Next.
Well I have a question for you all regarding Facebook etiquette.
If someone requests to add you as a friend, can you deny them?
And if you accept them, even though you aren't real close friends, just casual "Hi, how are you? I'm good, too" friends, and then you see them the next day, do you need to acknowledge the facebook contact, or is it better to let it go unsaid?
I had this experience recently and I let it go unsaid, which I think is better, but this facebook bullshit is relatively new to me so the etitquette that may or may not be involved is still being discovered. But I don't think a comment like, "Hey, confirmed you, thanks for the facebooking," is warranted. Actually, if I heard someone say that I would kick their ass.
Alright, I've answered my own question. But it was on mind and now it's on yours... for at least 10 seconds.
Until The Next.
Degrees
I wrote yesterday about how the words "unique" and "historic" don't come in degrees. Something is either unique or it isn't. It isn't a little unique or very unique or pretty unique.
Since then I've been thinking about degrees of things.
From Kevin Bacon and Facebook, we learn that there are degrees of separation.
I challenge you to challenge me to link Kevin Bacon to any actor in six degrees. I won't even cheat.
Anyway, we too often qualify words that can't be qualified. We use words as simple as "so" to indicate that the word that will follow it has a more powerful meaning than if it was standing alone.
Example: That's so fucked up.
Does the so change the meaning of the sentence "That's fucked up."? No, but when a speaker inserts the so he intends the sentence to carry more meaning than it otherwise would.
Some words do have degrees though. Look at an elementary school report card. There is "Good," but then there is "Very Good." Ah, the coveted VG, a higher degree of the G.
"Different" is another one. Two things, or people, can be a little different or they can be very different.
Even without using qualifying words we fumble meanings when we don't use the proper word for what we mean, we skip degrees, or make huge leaps to a new word.
Let me explain.
Say you are eating a slice of pizza and someone asks you how it is and you say, "Amazing!" Now let's say you just sat in the first row behind the catcher at Game 7 of the World Series and your favorite team won on a walk-off homer by your favorite player in the bottom of the ninth and someone asks you what it was like and you say, "Amazing!"
Logically, one can conclude that eating that slice of pizza meant the same thing to you that seeing that game did. This is why we need to stagger our descriptive words. As a society we are using words like unbelievable, incredible, disastorous, horrible, and amazing all too often. We need to be selective with these words.
Save the words at the extreme ends of the spectrum for special occasions. Use the ones in the middle for everyday things.
These are the things on which I dwell.
If everything is amazing to you or everything horrendous, how is someone ever going to really know what you think about something?
I'm just here to try to improve your everyday communication.
Until Later.
Since then I've been thinking about degrees of things.
From Kevin Bacon and Facebook, we learn that there are degrees of separation.
I challenge you to challenge me to link Kevin Bacon to any actor in six degrees. I won't even cheat.
Anyway, we too often qualify words that can't be qualified. We use words as simple as "so" to indicate that the word that will follow it has a more powerful meaning than if it was standing alone.
Example: That's so fucked up.
Does the so change the meaning of the sentence "That's fucked up."? No, but when a speaker inserts the so he intends the sentence to carry more meaning than it otherwise would.
Some words do have degrees though. Look at an elementary school report card. There is "Good," but then there is "Very Good." Ah, the coveted VG, a higher degree of the G.
"Different" is another one. Two things, or people, can be a little different or they can be very different.
Even without using qualifying words we fumble meanings when we don't use the proper word for what we mean, we skip degrees, or make huge leaps to a new word.
Let me explain.
Say you are eating a slice of pizza and someone asks you how it is and you say, "Amazing!" Now let's say you just sat in the first row behind the catcher at Game 7 of the World Series and your favorite team won on a walk-off homer by your favorite player in the bottom of the ninth and someone asks you what it was like and you say, "Amazing!"
Logically, one can conclude that eating that slice of pizza meant the same thing to you that seeing that game did. This is why we need to stagger our descriptive words. As a society we are using words like unbelievable, incredible, disastorous, horrible, and amazing all too often. We need to be selective with these words.
Save the words at the extreme ends of the spectrum for special occasions. Use the ones in the middle for everyday things.
These are the things on which I dwell.
If everything is amazing to you or everything horrendous, how is someone ever going to really know what you think about something?
I'm just here to try to improve your everyday communication.
Until Later.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The Sun is Setting on the 213
I'm a big fan of Fun with Numbers and Fun with Words.
Fun with words: I was watching the West Wing today. I am ready to say that the episode titled "Noel" (guest starring Adam Arkin) is one of the top 5 TV episodes of all time. Anyway, in it, Martin Sheen's character, POTUS (President of the United States), points out that using phrases like "very unique" or "most historic" are redundant and pointless. Those might not be the exact the phrases but the idea is there. If something is unique it is one of a kind; it can't be very unique. Likewise for historic, historic is historic. There aren't degrees for these things.
Future writers take note! I'll fucking kill you if you fuck this up later on! Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Nope. Justified? 100%.
Words are funny. There are a lot of words that people use incorrectly in daily language.
Do you remember in elementary/middle school when you had to do Daily Oral Language (DOL)? Do you also remember when you first learned about oral sex and then tried to make something sexual out of the phrase "Daily Oral Language"??? Okay then... just me.
Jesse is having his fun with words on his blog, having you people fill in the blanks to songs pertaining to the title of his blog (bad pop music). Speaking of titles of blogs, I think Jesse should write more about bad pop music. I would like his thoughts on popular songs of the day.
This is often how Jesse and I communicate. We are guys. Sometimes words between guys are not given the proper weight or the intended sentiment isn't able to be passed along so we find other ways of expressing ourselves. Generally, I do a pretty good job of just spilling it, but not always. Examples: Me requesting thoughts from Jesse. Jesse thanking me in his blog for the grad presents I gave him.
Just guys, emotionally guarded guys.
I'm generous most of the time, could be why I'm often broke but if I wasn't as generous as possible, I would feel like a dick. I still owe a few people a few things to commemorate a few occassions.
I'm trying to get back into a classic Deets post mode.
Getting back to your roots always helps so I have some Blink playing a Beast sitting near me.
I had a very fun afternoon this afternoon. This afternoon was really fun.
Who does that last line sound like? Anyone?
The days of the 213 are winding down. All things come to an end and that end always brings about a new beginning. I was just thinking about that about three and a half minutes ago when I was listening to Reckless Abandon by Blink-182. That song became the theme song for me and some great friends for a few summers and listening to it brings a lot back. I feel happier just hearing the first few lines. That time ended. We don't see each other as much as we should and rarely are we all together at the same time when we do. But a new time began and now that time is ending too. We will each mourn the passing of this era in our own way, but ultimately there will be a place in each of our hearts where it will be solidified. The word solidified implies that the emotional connection to the 213 and its members and its great times will be set in stone within the heart, but as happens to all things we lose, pieces of it will slowly crumble over time and things will be lost forever. Hopefully we hold on to what is most important and relive it with each and every reunion.
After I wrote that I went into the kitchen to get a new beer and told Will and Jesse than I'm a great writer. They scoffed. Jesse speculated about what I would have said had he said that to me. Will accused me of stealing his shit (which I did not).
This is what I'll miss.
Until The Next.
Fun with words: I was watching the West Wing today. I am ready to say that the episode titled "Noel" (guest starring Adam Arkin) is one of the top 5 TV episodes of all time. Anyway, in it, Martin Sheen's character, POTUS (President of the United States), points out that using phrases like "very unique" or "most historic" are redundant and pointless. Those might not be the exact the phrases but the idea is there. If something is unique it is one of a kind; it can't be very unique. Likewise for historic, historic is historic. There aren't degrees for these things.
Future writers take note! I'll fucking kill you if you fuck this up later on! Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Nope. Justified? 100%.
Words are funny. There are a lot of words that people use incorrectly in daily language.
Do you remember in elementary/middle school when you had to do Daily Oral Language (DOL)? Do you also remember when you first learned about oral sex and then tried to make something sexual out of the phrase "Daily Oral Language"??? Okay then... just me.
Jesse is having his fun with words on his blog, having you people fill in the blanks to songs pertaining to the title of his blog (bad pop music). Speaking of titles of blogs, I think Jesse should write more about bad pop music. I would like his thoughts on popular songs of the day.
This is often how Jesse and I communicate. We are guys. Sometimes words between guys are not given the proper weight or the intended sentiment isn't able to be passed along so we find other ways of expressing ourselves. Generally, I do a pretty good job of just spilling it, but not always. Examples: Me requesting thoughts from Jesse. Jesse thanking me in his blog for the grad presents I gave him.
Just guys, emotionally guarded guys.
I'm generous most of the time, could be why I'm often broke but if I wasn't as generous as possible, I would feel like a dick. I still owe a few people a few things to commemorate a few occassions.
I'm trying to get back into a classic Deets post mode.
Getting back to your roots always helps so I have some Blink playing a Beast sitting near me.
I had a very fun afternoon this afternoon. This afternoon was really fun.
Who does that last line sound like? Anyone?
The days of the 213 are winding down. All things come to an end and that end always brings about a new beginning. I was just thinking about that about three and a half minutes ago when I was listening to Reckless Abandon by Blink-182. That song became the theme song for me and some great friends for a few summers and listening to it brings a lot back. I feel happier just hearing the first few lines. That time ended. We don't see each other as much as we should and rarely are we all together at the same time when we do. But a new time began and now that time is ending too. We will each mourn the passing of this era in our own way, but ultimately there will be a place in each of our hearts where it will be solidified. The word solidified implies that the emotional connection to the 213 and its members and its great times will be set in stone within the heart, but as happens to all things we lose, pieces of it will slowly crumble over time and things will be lost forever. Hopefully we hold on to what is most important and relive it with each and every reunion.
After I wrote that I went into the kitchen to get a new beer and told Will and Jesse than I'm a great writer. They scoffed. Jesse speculated about what I would have said had he said that to me. Will accused me of stealing his shit (which I did not).
This is what I'll miss.
Until The Next.
Update that is sadly turning bi-weekly
Finals week. I'm not working that hard, but to me it feels really hard since I usually do next to nothing.
Do you ever do this? I was walking down Water St. today with a little pep in my step after doing well on a final examination and I had Talib Kweli blasting in both ears via my headphones (turn 'em up). "Rush" was playing and I caught myself singing/rapping/mumbling along to the lyrics out loud. Immediately after realizing this I looked around in both directions and behind me to see if anyone was in hear shot. Nobody was, thankfully, because after I looked around I realized that if someone was within hear shot of hearing my disharmonic sing-a-long and I did see them, then we were destined to share an awkward moment of eye contact before pretending to ignore each other's existence until our paths parted.
Life's little moments. I love 'em.
I can't wait to get loaded tonight.
Back Soon.
Do you ever do this? I was walking down Water St. today with a little pep in my step after doing well on a final examination and I had Talib Kweli blasting in both ears via my headphones (turn 'em up). "Rush" was playing and I caught myself singing/rapping/mumbling along to the lyrics out loud. Immediately after realizing this I looked around in both directions and behind me to see if anyone was in hear shot. Nobody was, thankfully, because after I looked around I realized that if someone was within hear shot of hearing my disharmonic sing-a-long and I did see them, then we were destined to share an awkward moment of eye contact before pretending to ignore each other's existence until our paths parted.
Life's little moments. I love 'em.
I can't wait to get loaded tonight.
Back Soon.
