Cracking into August this morning at one of our favorite spots. Angels Gate, on the lower park of Fort MacArthur’s Upper Reservation just below the gun batteries.
An era in Boston has come to an end as the Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers today just before the 4PM trading deadline.
We went to the ballgame last night, now officially the last non-Manny Dodger game, missing him by a matter of hours. Dodger Stadium will be a much different joint in the next couple months.
2008 World Series Prediction:
DODGERS OVER THE ANGELS IN SEVEN!
Here’s a remarkably gracious letter from a librarian to a woman who objected to the inclusion of “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” in the children’s section of said librarian’s branch. It’s a picture book, with illustrated anthropomorphic animals, depicting a young girl who feels she’s losing her favorite uncle to a gay marriage.
I probably would’ve responded to her with two words, but that’s another topic.
Fascinating. An eBay auction just closed for a pair of Levi’s from the 1890s. Winning bidder’s forking out over thirty-six grand. Plus shipping and insurance. The description: [click to continue…]
We often use words or phrases to describe words within sentences, and we determine the meaning of sentences by placing these descriptives next to the words they point to or “modify”.
A modifier is a word or a phrase that describes something else. You should place it as close as possible to what it describes.
Sometimes we are careless and place descriptive phrases away from the words they modify, making our sentences unclear or inaccurate. These phrases are called misplaced modifiers. Be aware of misplaced modifiers that allow for unintended (and often humorous) interpretations. Consider the following:
- Here are some helpful suggestions for protecting your valuables from our hotel security staff.
- The young girl was walking the dog in the short skirt.
- The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar.
In these examples it is easy to see what went wrong. The security staff are not thieves, the dog isn’t wearing a short skirt, and the boy probably doesn’t have a spiked collar. Because the modifier is misplaced, we need to think for a second before we understand the intended meaning. The correct versions are:
- Here are some helpful suggestions from our hotel security staff for protecting your valuables.
- The young girl in the short skirt was walking the dog.
- The dog with the spiked collar was chasing the boy.
See how the proper placement clarifies the meaning? (You might be surprised to find out how often we make corrections just like these in everyday writing, such as white papers, brochures, and proposals!) By placing the modifiers correctly you can eliminate the possibility that your reader will misunderstand, and you’ll have a better chance of getting your point across.
Source: The Gregg Reference Manual.
