Happy Punctuation Day!

It's no secret that I am a word nerd. I think that the proper use of grammar is so important in a society of spell check and chat/text speak.

Today is National Punctuation Day. Yes, those little marks do indeed get their own day of celebration.

And they deserve it, too! What else can change a sentence from being cannibalistic to loving? The mere addition of a comma changes the meaning of a sentence like you wouldn't believe. Observe:

Let's eat grandma!
Let's eat, grandma!

See? One tiny little mark can define whether you want to eat your own grandmother or invite her over for dinner. Kind of seems important, now doesn't it?

If you'd like to learn more about this quirky little holiday, check out the official website.
Check out some of Grammar Girl's quick and dirty tips.
Also take a look at the Purdue OWL's tips.

How about one more little fun thing? Bob the Angry Flower has a few things to say about the apostrophe:

Image Source

Happy Punctuating!

Tomatoes + Honey + Chicken

I've had some time lately to try out some new recipes. Sadly, two of them just did not work out the way I would have liked. However, on the third day: Success!

I just uncovered this recipe among some my grandmother came up with. It's got a unique texture and flavor that is borderline exotic. I was so pleasantly surprised with not only the aroma but the taste of this dish. Enjoy!

Chicken with Tomatoes and Honey

• 4c tomatoes, cut into large chunks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1t ginger, grated
• 2t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t pepper
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2T honey

• 1c chicken stock
• 1/3c golden raisins
• 1/2c cous cous

1. In a 5-quart non-stick pot over medium-high heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper.
2. Once everything is heated through, add in chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
3. Remove chicken and keep it warm.
4. Increase the heat under the sauce to high. Boil and stir often until the sauce is thick and the tomatoes begin to caramelize.
5. Stir in the honey and chicken. Reduce the heat to low while you make the cous cous.
6. Bring the chicken stock and raisins to a boil. Stir in the cous cous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit according to directions (usually about 5 minutes). Fluff with a fork before serving.

I cut my chicken into bite-sized pieces, but I think it would work better with larger pieces that are easier to get out.

What's happening here?

Technology is one of those things that is inevitable in a society. People surf the Internet on cell phones and make phone calls with the Internet. Chatting, instant messaging, and texting are three ways that adolescents and kids communicate the most with their peers (and even family members). However, I can't help but think that this influx of communication through technology is hampering the English language and perhaps degrading it into something that may be permanent. Most languages are fluid and constantly changing. For example, the OED adding words like "cyberslacking," "screenager," and "grrrl" and if a language doesn't evolve then it may very well die, but where is the line between growing to benefit society and growing to encourage an uneducated society?

Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter status updates are full of typos: "your" instead of "you're," "then" instead of "than," "2" instead of "to," "c" instead of "see," and "u" instead of "you." The problem is that these aren't once in a while mistakes, I've seen these as constant mistakes and it appears that those who create the mistakes don't really care. I think the ease of spellcheck and the fact that no one corrects these mistakes really is hampering the younger generation. I don't mean to take on a slippery slope, but what happens eventually when these kids (and even adults) submit homework or reports to bosses and it's riddled with grammatical problems? Will someone correct them or will someone just figure it's easier to let it go? What will happen to the way we write and speak if people continue to disregard the correct usage of our language that have, thus far, evolved into something great? What would classic writers like Poe, Twain, or the Brownings say about what is happening?

My point is that perhaps we need to be mindful of what is happening when it comes to communication and what the potential outcome might be. Perhaps if people stand up and point out what's happening, a degradation of our precious language might be staved off for at least another generation.