I’m not generally too much of a grammar nazi, but sometimes stuff just jumps out at you. (Though you are best warned not to bring up peanuts around me or to accidentally refer to a chimpanzee as a monkey).
I was reading this article on slate. On the second page towards the top is a sentence that I couldn’t read past:
“There is something inherently radical about hip-hop, period,a genre in which the historically voiceless command the microphone and, from the repurposed DJ equipment of hip-hop’s South Bronx infancy to the artist-owned labels of today, the means of production.”
My own emphasis added there. See there, the author uses the word period as if to emphasize the inherent radicalness of hip-hop. Ok, if you’re going to type the word period in your sentence for emphasis - USE A FRIGGIN PERIOD!!!!
On Facebook there was a Note thread thing about “firsts” while reading through it I was reminded of my first best friend (being that it was one of the questions on the list). I was thinking how I knew her for such a short time, and it’s too bad I can never get in touch with her again, since we live in different countries, and haven’t spoken since we both lived overseas as children. So, on a lark I typed her name in the search field on FB. There were several folks with her name. There was one person with her name listed as living in her native country. The photo didn’t trigger any memories, but she looked to be about the right age. I figured “what the hell” worst case I get ignored. Best case she writes back and says “sorry I’m not her, but good luck.”
It’s her. Now I feel like a stalker. I honestly did not expect it to be her. I don’t know what to say to her. She says my name seems familiar. I’ve remembered her all these 25+ years as my first best friend, and she barely recognizes my name. She responded back with a statement about where we both lived overseas, so I know it’s her. I don’t know what to say back to her. I don’t know why I’m so…I don’t know…affected.
In other news, I dreamt about my one of my exboyfriends last night. It was really weird. For some reason I had an obligation to visit him. When I got to his place, is very pleasant wife met me at the door, and I discovered that his entire family was living in his house with his wife and kid(s) - parents and siblings w/ their spouses. It was one of those houses that can only exist in dreams. It was a very normal one story apparently 3 bedroom home, but once inside it was expansive, yet crowded. Then for some reason I had to stay the night, so he (we’ll call him Xavier) said I’d sleep on the floor in the room with him and his wife. His dad suggested that I sleep in the living room on the couch - I concurred. Then I discovered that Xavier was terrified of the living room for some reason. Turns out it was haunted, and I was there to help.
So - I’m in the living room with him, and I can see the “demon” that no one else can see but Xavier can sense. Evidently this demon fed off of Xavier’s fears - not fears of the demon, but general life stresses fears. Like worrying about paying the bills, and evidently Xavier was worried that we had a bad break-up and it was never resolved. Next thing you know we’re all sitting around while he expresses all his fears and concerns in a very Psychotherapeutic kind of way. All the venting weakened the demon until I presume it went away. I woke up before we really reached a conclusion.