breakthesky.net » Question of the Week

The Oxford (or Serial) Comma

Manda — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:11:42 +0000

I am home from my trip to the East Coast! Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip. I visited friends and family and did a lot of sightseeing, as well as shopping. The best part was when I got together with my friends from school and we were all reunited – the last time we’ll be reunited for a year, as I’m going abroad for the year and most of them are going abroad for at least a semester.

Anyway, now that I’m home again, time to return to my regular blog programming. Stephen Colbert interviewed Vampire Weekend on his show in June 2010 and the following interview took place:

Stephen: Can I take you to task for something, for a second?
Everyone: Sure.
Stephen: In one of your songs, you have the lyrics: Who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?
Ezra: Yes.
Stephen: I’m here to tell you, I do. Shall we explain what an oxford comma is to the people?
Ezra: Oh. It’s always a little tough to explain… an oxford comma would be a comma that you’d put before the and or the or, at the end of a list.
Stephen: Red, white, and blue.
Ezra: Exactly.
Stephen: I mean, red comma white comma and blue.
Ezra: Do you really need the comma?
Stephen: Yes, you do need the comma.
Ezra: Why do you need the comma?
Stephen: Because otherwise it’s: red, white and blue. Our flag is not red, white and blue. That’s red and baby blue!
Ezra: There are situations where it’s necessary.
Stephen: All situations. All of them except it’s, like, a law firm. That’s every other— No, listen, have you heard of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style?
Ezra: Yes.
Stephen: Heard of that? I refer you to… (opens book) page fucking two: In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term. (snaps book shut in Ezra’s face)
Ezra: Yeah, but I mean -
Stephen: Does that sting? That’s E.B. White, you heard of him?
Ezra: Respect to Strunk and White, but it’s just protocol. It’s not— there’s no real reason.
Stephen: Yeah, it’s language. Why don’t you just take all punctuation out, be like the Romans?
Ezra: Sometimes we do.
Stephen: Really?
Ezra: I mean, we’re a band. Y’know? (shrugs)
Stephen: I weep for our nation. But, I do enjoy your music. Will you stick around and do one of your songs that is properly punctuated?
Ezra: We’ll see.
Stephen: All right, we’ll be right back with a performance from Vampire comma Weekend!

I always used to use an Oxford comma, but then when I started taking journalism classes in college I had to stop using it because AP style forbids it. Still, I prefer an Oxford comma over none; it’s what I was taught all throughout school (until college) and I think sentences look neater with one!

Question of the Week: Do you use an Oxford comma?

Texts From Last Night Bios

Manda — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:27:12 +0000

I am a firm believer that if you search the Texts From Last Night website hard enough, you will be able to find a text that can sum you up in, well, a text. This belief is affirmed by the countless times a text from TFLN has popped up in my Facebook news feed due to a friend writing it on another friend’s wall.

This is the text from TFLN that sums me up in a nutshell:

(314): In case you were wondering, you weren’t dreaming. I really did get stuck between my bed and the wall last night.

I actually have that text in my “About Me” box underneath my profile picture on my Facebook profile :P

(For those who are wondering: yes, I have gotten stuck between my bed and the wall before; I had to get a friend to move the bed so that I could get unstuck. It was pretty painful at the time but it makes for quite the story!)

Question of the Week: Have you found a text from TFLN that pretty much sums up who/how you are?

(Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for my mom. Her surgery went well and the whole family is very thankful for that.)

Journaling Again

Manda — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:15:11 +0000

Yesterday, I took out my journal and began to write again. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve journaled the way I used to in high school. When I was a senior in high school, I wrote in a paper journal every day. I slacked off my first semester of college, but I picked it up again second semester and the summer between my first and second year of college. Once I began sophomore year, though, I didn’t journal at all.

Actually, that’s a bit of a lie. I wrote one journal entry for the entirety of the year. I wrote it after a relationship exploded in my face, and I remember thinking that writing it out would help me put the situation in perspective. And it did, as writing always does. But what really irks me about that entry is that out of all the numerous events of the year I chose to document in my journal, I chose that one. Of all my successes and failures, I wrote about someone I no longer care for in the slightest and don’t even speak to anymore. I mean, really? The guy flat-out used me and that pretty much says all there is to say about the entire situation.

Anyway. Seeing as that I have some breathing space this summer, unlike my crazy schedule last semester, I figured it’s about time to put pen to paper once again. There’s a lot I need to get through, but it’s better to catch up now than later!

In the years to come, when I look back on my teen and college years, I’ll have various digital and online journals to reflect on, like this blog and my LiveJournal. But I know I’ll want something more personal to read, which is why I’m keeping a paper journal. It’s where I write about all of the ups and downs, the good and the ugly. It’s uncensored, unedited and written without an audience in mind. My paper journals are essentially me in paper form, and that’s something that will only become more valuable and more precious to me as I get older.

Question of the Week: Do you keep a journal? Is your journal in paper, digital and/or online form?

Which Glee Character Are You?

Manda — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:48:25 +0000

I took the Which Glee Character Are You? quiz and this was my result:

I agree with the first sentence about being passionate, determined and positive (although maybe not so much with the positive as I am pretty cynical at times). And I do work tirelessly for what I believe in, which sometimes shifts my priorities (I’m a classic workaholic). But helping others unlock their true potential? Sure, I don’t mind helping others, but I imagine it’d be hard to help others unlock potential when I’m still trying to figure out mine!

My one criticism of this quiz is that I wish there were a wider variety of characters that could have been an answer. (I also think the descriptions of the characters are a little dated since the quiz was ostensibly written during the first 13 episodes of the season.) Out of all the characters on the show, I don’t think that I am that much like Will in comparison to, say, Quinn. I quickly skimmed through the quiz comments and judging by what people have said, only a handful of the characters from the show were possible answers. Still, the other Glee quizzes out there are pretty crappy; this was the best one I found!

Question of the Week: Which Glee character are you?

An Exercise in Patience

Manda — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:06:49 +0000

Ever since I completed a major project in early February, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the results. The nature of this project means that even though it was completed towards the beginning of the semester, the results aren’t known until the end of the semester. Obviously, this is incredibly frustrating for an impatient person like myself, and I’ve been doing my best to not think about it all semester. I’ve been doing pretty well, but now that it’s down to the wire, I am finding it harder and harder not to think about it.

It’s strange, because even though I know I can’t do anything about it now, I feel more anxious over the project than I did before I handed it in. Before the deadline I could tweak the project if necessary, but now there’s absolutely nothing I can do except wait. I’ve been doing pretty good with the waiting, but as each day gets closer and closer to the possibility of finding out about the results I find myself fretting over it more and more. The fact that there is no set date as to when the results are announced makes it difficult to wait, too. In theory, I could be finding out about it any day now, which is terrifying yet thrilling at the same time.

If nothing else, I am learning how to become patient throughout this process. But my goodness, being patient is hard! The hardest part, I think, is not even the waiting. It’s the not knowing. I am the type of person who has to know everything, and having information withheld from me is pretty much torture. So, this whole experience has definitely been quite the learning curve. Hopefully it all works out in the end…

Question of the Week: What are some ways to keep yourself preoccupied/distracted when you are waiting to find out about something?

Inviting Yourself

Manda — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:48:58 +0000

In my immediate circle of friends, there is one person that has a tendency to invite herself to whatever events/happenings we have planned. In a group of friends as big as mine, there is a natural tendency for factions of the group to plan smaller things (dinner, shopping, etc) for those who they are closest with in the group rather than for all the friends. Everyone knows that the bigger the group is the more difficult it is to plan something that everyone wants to do, so we hang out in our smaller “factions” for the most part. This person, however, just doesn’t quite get that and tends to show up at any given time unannounced, unexpected, and sometimes unwanted.

In terms of family, I have an extended family member who has a habit of inviting himself to outings my immediate family plans, such as going out to the movies or dinner. It doesn’t even have to be a formally planned outing; he’s often come over just to hang out and watch TV or eat a home-cooked meal (my mother is a great cook). I know he’s family, but I still find it a little weird that he’ll just invite himself to come over, particularly if there’s nothing planned. It’s not like my family is an exciting host as more often than not each of us are preoccupied with our own agendas and can’t afford to divert attention to guests!

I’ve always been particularly cautious of inviting myself to events/places because I know I’m not always happy to see others who have invited themselves. It places everyone in an awkward situation: the people who didn’t invite the person, and the person who might not be welcome but still showed up anyway. And even though I’ve had somewhat uncomfortable encounters with people who just show up and assume I will be flattered with their presence, I still have yet to find a strategy to handle that type of situation. I’ve no issue on calling out people on misjudgments, but I know the people I am with do have problems with doing that so a much subtler, more low-key way of handling it is needed.

Question of the Week: How do you handle people that have invited themselves to an event? Do you think that it is appropriate for one to do so, or does it make you feel uncomfortable?

The First Boy I Ever Liked

Manda — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:31:58 +0000

A girl will never forget the first boy she ever likes.
- He’s Just Not That Into You

I watched He’s Just Not That Into You recently and the above quote got me reminiscing about the first boy I ever had a crush on. It’s true; a girl never forgets. It doesn’t matter if the crush was in college, middle school, or even kindergarten. No matter when it happened, a girl always remembers.

My first crush was on a boy that was in my class in elementary school. He had blond hair and blue eyes and a wicked sense of humor that always made me laugh. Nothing ever came close to happening between us, though. He was charismatic; I was shy. He was popular; I was not. He was too well-noticed by everyone in our class and I was too soft-spoken to register on anyone’s radar.

When we entered middle school, we were separated by the fact that our last names began with letters on opposite ends of the alphabet. He liked another girl by then, and I had lost interest and was content with being friends, however loose the term might have been (we were really acquaintances at best by that point). Then I moved overseas and I never saw or heard from him again.

I looked him up on Facebook the other day as I was curious to see where he ended up after all of these years. He’s currently an engineering student at a prestigious university and, by all accounts, seems to be doing pretty well for himself. Somehow, I doubt we would recognize each other on the off chance we ever crossed paths. I am nothing like the girl I was when I was in elementary school, and something tells me he’s changed immensely since then as well.

Question of the Week: Do you remember the first person you ever liked?

Do You Farmville?

Manda — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:13:57 +0000

Almost everyone who has a Facebook account has heard of the Farmville application. Essentially, it’s a virtual farm where Facebook users can grow crops, tend to animals, and build a farm. You can visit your friends’ farms and watch your own farm slowly change from a pathetic-looking plot of grass to an expansive, thriving farm.

Personally, I don’t play Farmville, but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious about this game that over half of my friends are crazy about. There has been a lot of debate in my group of friends about the merits of Farmville, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two types of people in this world: people that Farmville, and people that don’t. There is just no other explanation for this intense, obsessive Facebook app. It’s kind of like the Jetman craze two years ago, which makes me wonder what up and coming app will be the next big thing!

Question of the Week: Do you Farmville?

Getting Back Together With Someone

Manda — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:35:28 +0000

Deciding to get back together with someone is a complicated and difficult decision. Just remember that the person you are getting back together with is the same person who, not long before, looked you in your beautiful face, took full stock of you and all your qualities, and told you that he was no longer in need of your company.
- He’s Just Not That Into You

While I’ve never had any experience in getting back together with anyone I’ve been involved with¹, I know that it’s never an easy situation. I’ve seen enough of my friends take a chance on getting back together with their ex, sometimes ignoring all of the advice given to them by close friends and family and going against their better judgment. For some, it’s worked out, although of course the relationship wasn’t the same as it was before the break up. For others, it’s turned out horribly and the two parties are worse off for not realizing that despite their hopes, they couldn’t overcome the issues that caused the first breakup. It’s a situation fraught with risks and the potential to be hurt in a way like no other, and while I do think there are some situations where getting back together is for the best, I think there are certain steps that need to be taken before it gets to that point.

I’ve always been adamant that if a guy breaks up with me and then asks for me back sometime down the road, I need to make the guy prove to me that he really is in it for the long haul. He needs to show me that he really, truly, totally wants me back in his life and knows just how damn lucky he is if I agree to take him back. I wouldn’t want a guy to ask for me back just because he wants someone in his life again and I happen to be there to fill the void. I want him to want me for me. I also need to know he won’t hurt me the way he did in the past. Even though we will have problems if we become a couple once more as all couples have their share of problems, they can’t be the same ones that caused our relationship to end the first time around, and both of us will need to have already worked through those issues before deciding to get back together.

One of my greatest concerns when it comes to getting together with someone the first time is whether or not I will lose him as a friend if/when the relationship ends. However, history has shown that I maintain good relationships with all the boys I’ve been romantically linked to, so it’s a worry that has (somewhat) lessened with time. But if I get back together with an ex, good terms or not, and the relationship ends for the same reason it ended the first time around, then I know I can never, ever allow myself to be friends with him again. It’s one thing for someone you care about to hurt you once. It’s quite another thing if that persons hurts you twice, especially if it was in the same way both times.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
- Chinese Proverb

Question of the Week: What do you think about getting back together with someone? Would you consider it, or are you totally against it? If you aren’t opposed to the idea, are there any requirements/musts that need to happen before you get back together with the person?

I’ve skirted around the situation but never actually had anything come of it.

Halloween

Manda — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:00:05 +0000

I have mixed feelings about Halloween, and I’m pretty apathetic about the “holiday” in general. I like the free candy aspect of it, but I dislike the need to come up with a witty and creative costume every year, as well as the fact that most girls use the holiday as an excuse to parade around in next to nothing in the name of wearing a “costume”.

Last year, my friend and I dressed up as Sarah and Bristol Palin and went trick-or-treating at international embassies. While that was fun and definitely something I will remember forever, embassy trick-or-treating wasn’t really something I wanted to do this year. And since I worked all during the day at my new job, by the time the evening rolled around I was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to go out anywhere.

I ended up staying in for Halloween with a friend. We watched Shaun of the Dead (my compromise on a scary movie, as I can’t watch horror films without having nightmares for weeks) and passed out candy to anyone that stopped by. It was a very nice, very low-key Halloween, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have if I had gone out partying instead. Some days, a night in with friends is so much nicer than going out with strangers!

Question of the Week: How did you spend Halloween this year?