Happy Ele-Birth-Ction-Day

Well, it's my birthday... and that means my license has finally expired.

Things such as renewing a driver's license seem like they're (yes, 'things' are a 'they') always way ahead of you... I was told I could renew online, but I've found out that I must attend the DDS in person because my address has changed since 4 and 1/2 years ago. As of today, I no longer have a valid driver's license. Oh well.

A friend requested I draw some preliminary sketches for his video game project. He asked for some images of different rocks and some avatar ideas, such as races and classes like in D&D. (Damn that book Junk English by Ken Smith- I'm rethinking all my sentences now!). I'm nervous about drawing for him, but this time I'll, at the very least, draw things out...

Oh, and about the book Junk English- if you've ever pulled your hair out when people say, "the fact that" unnecessarily, or "utilize" when they mean "use," this book may soothe the tempered English beast of burden and stab sloppy metaphors in the face for you. It's so easy to get caught up in sloppy jargon and cliches that when reading from the examples I find my English is much more tattered and complicated than it should be!

I'd have to disagree with a few things in his book, as he is very critical of redudant phrases. When considering creative license and common speech, it is necessary to speak "commonly," and to continue using those little phrases which people have adopted as correct. In a fiction novel, for instance, there would definitely be a loss of character if everyone spoke in correct English at all times, and even a loss of transition and stream of consciousness, if that type of stream is considered a good thing, when reading a book from a first or third person perspective.

I do agree wholeheartedly with his criticisms of the business, self-help, New Age, and marketing jargon.

An example of "junk" English would be an advertisement claiming,

"At your convenience, we now provide clean towels."

How the heck is that a "convenience?" As Smith puts it, the word convenience is now a synonym for "product" or "service." Advertising has tried and succeeded in making sheep of everyone who now believes that "convenience" or "courtesy" is as petty as expecting efficient and tidy service- HOWEVER- I realize that this may be culture bound. It may be that other cultures do consider even the slightest upgrade in standards a "courtesy," yet I don't know if they are grandstanding as much as us.

Arg, and it is definitely incorrect to say "to help facilitate." I don't claim to be correct all the time, but these phrases and words delude people to believe they are thinking. Even now I am analyzing my sentences and words carefully to avoid redundancies and inappropriate adjectives, though I hope I have been doing so for a long time.