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July 29, 2005

new english

"Smart" people aren't as intelligent as one might think. At least they don't always come off as smart. One of my major pet peeves is the creation of words in a way that defies the word's original definition. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all about making up words. But words can be created such that the word and its definition are paradoxical. Here are a couple of my favorite examples:

Word: exotify
Intended definition: to make exotic

Here's the thing. You can't make something exotic. Something that is exotic is generally known to be mysterious, non-native, or unusual. Something cannot be made mysterious, non-native, or unusual. It's a paradox. To manufacture exoticism is entirely contradictory to the essence of the word.

Word: conversate
Intended definition: to discuss with someone, or converse

For this one, the real word was right there. It was right there. Just take away a few unnecessary phonemes and you've got it. I guess "conversate" must have sounded more formal or sophisticated. Wrong. It sounds dumb. Cause it ain't a word.

As I said, I'm all about making up words. Word creation is an art best done to illustrate vividly the intent or extremity of a situation. This shit just sounds dumb. Now, a great deal of intelligence does not relate to one's ability to communicate that intelligence. Still, making up this kind of word really gives the illusion of being clueless.

Posted by ben at 3:09 PM | Comments (3)


July 27, 2005

too much bustle

While I know his assignment in Niger doesn't directly address the current famine in Niger, articles like this make evident the altruism of Drew's efforts to help the people of that country to survive. I think it's one of the few noble and admirable dedications of life and energy that there is these days.

In other, less profound news, things are finally starting to wrap up. I know that most people don't get to take the summer off for relaxation and reflection, but it's something that I can truly say I've become used to. After working in a school last year, I realized something. A lot of people consider having summer vacation to be a luxury. But it's not. It's a requirement. Working in a school is extraordinarily draining for the adults. I haven't been doing it this year, but I have been working with kids part-time, and I can honestly say that having the next two months off will benefit me. It gives me a chance to sit back and reflect on what it is I'm actually doing. And taking a break gives me the opportunity to think about aspects of my teaching approach that I want to tinker with. I think that other professions would really benefit from having a period of at least a month where everyone could take a step back from what they're doing and try to gain some objectivity regarding the issues that challenge them daily. Like they do in Europe. No one does a damn thing in August there. Food for thought.

On a lighter note, this article on ESPN's Page 2 was fantastic. It's about rules in various sports that, well, suck. The one about timeouts in the final minutes of NBA games is so true it hurts. The last two minutes of an NBA basketball game takes half and hour. At least. Worthless.

Looks like the Cubs might actually be putting things together. Wood is going to be in the bullpen the rest of the year, but that should be fine. They need better arms down there anyways. It's certainly one of their weaknesses, along with left field. I like the new kid they called up. Rich Hill. He's got a Zito-like slow curve and really good command of it. He'll get a lot of guys out with that pitch. They've been scrappy lately. And I like it. It's always good to win with late-inning comebacks and extra-inning rallies. I've gotta say though, I do not understand for the life of me Felipe Alou's managing style. He changed pitchers after every hitter two days ago. Then today in the ninth, he brought in a right-hander to face the left-handed hitting Gerut and a left-hander (Jeff Fassero, of all people) to face Macias, Walker, Lee, and Burnitz. After a Burnitz hit, the game was over. Ferrario maybe you can shed some light.

Posted by ben at 7:01 PM | Comments (5)


July 23, 2005

sometimes it takes a little longer

Going back to school is an extraordinarily interesting process. Learning as a full time job is really a lot of fun. But I'd venture to say that a classroom is not necessary for learning to continue. I say this because I intend to continue learning, but I'm not sure I could tolerate being in class for much longer. Thankfully, only a week of requisite sitting remains. As a time without class becomes imminent, I find it increasingly difficult to maintain focus and attention on the tasks at hand, both in and out of class. And so, thought patterns like this surface...

I've been making a heart-felt effort to further absorb the new Coldplay album. And I must say, I'm liking it more and more. I still wish the last track and a greater sense of finality. But the rest of it I'm finding increasingly interesting. Here's the thing. The transparent sound of their first two albums is something I really enjoyed. It seems to me that they went away from that in this album. I must say, though, they showed signs of wanting to break out into the sound that they honed on X&Y. I can see that now. "Daylight" from A Rush of Blood to the Head comes to mind as one such predictor.

My reaction reminds me of how some people reacted to Before these Crowded Streets from Dave Matthews Band. Yes, it sounds different, but that doesn't mean the band has abandoned itself or its roots. Granted, Dave Matthews Band did later abandon themselves to a certain extent. But not on that album. Speaking of which, has anyone heard the new one called Stand Up? I'm curious about it.

Another album I've recently rediscovered is What's the Story Morning Glory? by Oasis. Sibling rivalry is really a shame. Especially when it prevents good music from being made. Cause What's the Story is really quite good.

Posted by ben at 3:58 PM | Comments (0)


July 19, 2005

the end of an era

It has come to my attention that the link at the beginning of my entry from July 12th is no longer any good. For that, I apologize. Stupid CNN, moving things around. The gist of the story was that some fella with so much money that he feels the need to use it as kindling in his backyard barbecue paid $18,000 for a bar of soap. The details regarding the soap are inconsequential, as the only excuse for such an act would be if that bar of soap was made during the filming of Fight Club a la Megan's suggestion. This was not the case. Thus, the details of the story are irrelevant, which is good cause I don't remember them now. 18 grand on a bar of soap. And I'm not thinking that using it increases its resale value.

In what some may consider an awful tragedy but others see as a mind-expanding opportunity, my XBox decided it had had enough over the weekend and stopped working entirely without warning. It froze, then it froze again, then it worked, then it gave me the ominous Error 21 message, which, according to the technological experts at the XBox customer service desk, means that the shit don't work no more. Since my warranty is expired, it'll cost the ripe sum of $80 to get it fixed, not including the cost of shipping it to wherever it is that they fix these things. So I'm looking at $100 to fix something I bought for like $180 about a year ago. I'm not thinking that's worth it.

And thus begins the post-video game era. Theoretically, this involves completing schoolwork ahead of time and spending my free time reading for pleasure and working out. I really enjoy reading for pleasure. I just don't really do it. David Sedaris is pretty funny. He writes short stories, which is perfect for my reading needs. Any other title suggestions are more than welcome. I'm thinking A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius should be on the short list. What else? I've heard good things about Vonnegut's short stories, but I don't know much about them. Is there a collection that is particularly good?

In other news, the Cubs have officially traded my favorite young guy in their system. Jason Dubois was sent to Cleveland last night for Jody Gerut. Dubois is a slugger in the making, but his defense is really not good. His arm is subpar, even for a left fielder, and his range is extremely small. He was born to DH, and thus I am happy that he gets to go fulfill his destiny in the AL. Jody Gerut, on the other hand, has a reputation for being a strong defender and appears to have the potential to hit for average. He has an on-base percentage around .350, which is not bad at all for a fourth outfielder. He's another lefty that can come off the bench late in the game and he can play all three outfield positions. He should be able to give Burnitz a rest every few days, which that old man really needs. He looks like he's huffin' and puffin' out on the bases. Gerut's a bona fide fourth outfielder, which is something the Cubs lacked. It's a small piece, but it's a good trade overall. More speed, more contact, better arm, better range, less power. Trades are easy to sum up if it's one-for-one and outfielder-for-outfielder.

Another interesting thing I read about Gerut is that he really likes to read in the clubhouse. According to a story on MLB.com, a journalist saw him reading David McCullough's biography of John Adams in the clubhouse and the two discussed it at length. There's not enough that can be said about smart ballplayers. Baseball is a smart game. I'd trade for the bookworm any day of the week, as long as he's got skills.

Posted by ben at 5:31 PM | Comments (7)


July 14, 2005

a grain of salt

In my critique of the new Coldplay album, I neglected a very important point that Ferrario aptly noted. "Fix You" is a phenomenal song that is very much in the tradition of beautiful, full, and melodic ballads. I can't say enough about how complete this song is. On the whole, I really do enjoy the Coldplay album. I wish more of it was like "Fix You" though.

A few nights ago, Jon Stewart did a few extraordinarily funny clips about the whole CIA leak story called "More Best Leak Ever" and "McClellan's Flop Sweat". It's funny for a number of reasons. I mean, things are pretty damn absurd. Jon Stewart really makes it tolerable.

Posted by ben at 4:54 PM | Comments (0)


July 12, 2005

who are they anyway?

This is what makes futile any attempts to understand humanity.

Speaking of things that I can't make sense of, I recently purchased the new Coldplay album titled X&Y. I really enjoyed their first two albums. Both had a relatively somber tone. On both Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head, Chris Martin's full yet simple piano really laid a foundation from which the music flourished. My favorite aspect of both albums was the final tracks: "Everything's Not Lost" and "Amsterdam," respectively. They gave both albums a real continuity and a sense of finality. "Twisted Logic" does not have that same sense about it, and that void almost makes the whole album suffer. This, however, is not my chief complaint. From track one, this album sounds exactly like U2's last album should have. Chris Martin's voice sounds more like Bono's from The Joshua Tree than his emotional, somewhat airy tone from "Spies" and "We Never Change." I can't find any piano on it either. It must be buried under the guitars, which sound like the kind of repetitive yet powerful riffs perfected by The Edge. I like X&Y, but I don't really like that it came from Coldplay. I wish it had taken the place of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, an album that truly makes no sense to me. It's as if U2 forgot how to write meaningful lyrics. I'm upset that I spent money on that album, and I'm even more upset that one of the best bands of the 80s and 90s might be losing their creative edge.

This work by Coldplay doesn't really concern me. They've only recently become the kind of band that can fill big stadiums and amphitheaters. They're growing. Unfortunately, their process of self-discovery seems to have required them to abandon a huge part of what made them not only great, but unique. Their talent goes far beyond what surfaces on this album, assuming it hasn't atrophied since A Rush of Blood to the Head.

On another note, I guess all it takes to turn the Cubbies around is an extended ranting session. They responded to my call by winning three straight going into the break. Maybe they needed the excitement that the new kids bring to the clubhouse.

Posted by ben at 2:51 PM | Comments (1)


July 8, 2005

a sad day

I'm getting that feeling in my gut. And it's not a good one. I'm starting to believe that the Cubbies have no chance in hell at making the playoffs this year. This morning, I read that they've sent Corey Patterson and Jason Dubois to the minors and brought up a couple of Double-A outfielders to take their spots on the roster. About damn time. Corey hasn't consistently put the baseball between the white lines since mid May. He doesn't know how to lead off, and that's really what he should be doing with this team. He's only 25, so I'm nowhere close to losing patience with him, and it doesn't look like the Cubs are either. But nothing was getting any better by putting him on the lineup card every day.

The moves leave a regular outfield of Hollandsworth, Hairston, and Burnitz from left to right. Ugh. Maybe Hairston will turn into the leadoff man the team so desperately needs. Maybe Burnitz will learn how to do something between getting an extra-base hit and either striking out or hitting into a double play. But it's not likely, as he's a long-time journeyman who has not yet attempted this skill. Maybe Hollandsworth's upward trend will continue and he'll end up hitting over .300 for the season. Personally, I find none of these possibilities to be particularly likely. The big issue is that no one is stepping up. On the good teams, someone steps up that wasn't expected to when the season started. For a while that was Neifi Perez, but that lasted as long as a tic tac.

Let's be blunt. Somebody's gotta get on base before Lee. How he's in the top five in RBI (Not RBIs. RBI stands for "Runs Batted In." It's already plural.) is a mystery. But now he's injured. Hopefully it's as mild an injury as they say it is, but I don't know if I buy it. Getting Nomar back will be a much-needed boost, almost akin to a mid-season trade. But we said that last year about Prior and Wood coming back. It helps, but it only makes them as good as they were projected to be at the beginning of the season, if it even makes them that good.

I feel hope fading. And I can't decide which is worse: watching my beloved Cubs lose or beginning to feel ambivalent about it. I'll always be a fan. For a true fan, watching them lose in ugly ways hurts too much to tolerate consistently. I mean, it's not like losing is a new thing for them. They find new ways to disappoint. As soon as I start to get used to a .500 winning percentage, they start to show signs of a team destined to finish below the Cardinals, Astros, AND Brewers in the NL Central. As of now, that's where they deserve to finish.

All I want is to watch good baseball. If they lose 90 games this year but play well, I'll deal. Fundamentally sound baseball is fun to watch. This recent stuff is not.

Posted by ben at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)


July 7, 2005

mazel tov

The life of a graduate students is really fantastic. I get a good amount of sleep. I get to spend time at home while the sun's up, though this is less unique in these dog days of summer, as the sun tends not to retire until after 9 PM. Yet for all of these unparalleled positives, a close examination can reveal a few flaws. For instance, my schedule is anything but standard. It changes day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month.

Since I'm really the definition of a creature of habit, having an irregular schedule really presents a unique challenge. Last quarter, which, in the non-Northwestern world equates to the months of late March through early June, I worked out 3 days every week. When the quarter started, it was instituted as a part of my regular routine. And because it was always at the same time every week, I kept it up. Such also was the case with this whole blogging experiment. I had a bunch of free time where I needed to stay at school but didn't have anything to work on, or at least not anything I particularly cared to work on. And during that time, I could write to this hodgepodge of nonsense. But since I completed the week-long supercourse, everything's relaxed. I don't have down time at school any more, which is more good than bad. It's good in the sense that I can be at home more, but it's bad in the sense that this blog has been wholly neglected for, what, about a month now. And for that, I apologize. I'll try to do better.

A few weeks ago, I went to a wedding. It was a special wedding. And a Jewish one at that. The first of my good friends got married, and we're all extraordinarily excited for them. A friend took some great pictures too. It was my first Jewish wedding. Never seen one before, but I liked it. I don't think I'm eligible, but if I was, I'd do it. Lots of singing, dancing, drinking, and general merriment.

In addition to the excellent wedding, I got to go to Vermont for the first time. And I didn't want to leave. So beautiful. Rolling green hills. Maple sugar candy, though Christina made herself sick on them. It had a very small-town feel to it, but it also had a progressive twinge to it. Best of both worlds in a certain sense. Anyways, I highly recommend taking advantage of anything that looks like it might be an opportunity to go there.

A quick note on "Batman Begins," which I saw recently. It's amazing. Any who haven't seen it should, especially if you're a fan of superhero movies. I find the evolution of superheros to be extraordinarily interesting, especially if it is as complex as Batman's. I won't offer details, cause reading about them before seeing it would really be a shame. So see it.

And I'll try to do better with the blogging in the future.

Posted by ben at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)