The movie is set in a distant time and place where just about anything can happen. The potential for amazing special effects is built into the scenario, which is always good. It gets difficult when the characters have to explain what’s about to happen in a way that is believable. Usually, it’s done with a simple analogy that the audience can relate to. “It’s like a rubber band that if you stretch it too far it’ll break!” Take the same need to explain and put it into the real world, however, and it gets even harder. Accuracy is critical, if nothing else, because a bad analogy is worse than no analogy.
Home » 2009 (Page 19)
Yearly Archives: 2009
Pronouns
The reader can make of it what they want. This may seem like a perfectly reasonable sentence in English to most people, but it has a serious problem. If the word “readers” is plural the problem goes away, but it’s singular for a reason. The subject is the reader, who is referred to later as “they”. In this case, “they” is not a plural pronoun, but a singular one meaning “he or she”. It’s a common usage, but it’s wrong. So what is the problem?
Justice
On 1 May, Justice Souter confirmed some long running rumors and formally announced he was preparing to retire. Before the ink was dry on his signature, the game over his replacement started. No one was nominated for the position yet, of course, but a number of people were preparing to skewer whoever was so anointed as other prepared to defend them. It was good old-fashioned tribalism made into a bizarre ritual performance.
PowerPoint Ballistics
You find yourself in a dark room, dazzled by charts and graphs and pictures that go by just fast enough to lose you. The speaker at the front is well intentioned and trying desperately to make you as enthusiastic as they are, but it’s no use. Your mind wanders, desperately trying to find something to daydream about that will keep you from nodding off, drooling on yourself, or both.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a special holiday, and not just because it honors those who gave their lives for our nation. It was a spontaneous holiday that came about because it seemed necessary more than politically expedient. There was little official about it until long after it was part of our national calendar.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 