From last weekend: John and his vanquished foe:
I convinced him to shrink wrap both trees this year. Yay less work for me!
Nomz.
It was a close match, but after some thorough investigation I think the orange wins this round. But of course I'm open to doing more "research." (Lots of folks on Twitter mentioned the Wasabi KitKats in Japan. Erm. I think I'll stick with these.)
I just wore my newest cutie Stay Puft shirt, and for the first time ever noticed what Woot prints on their shirt labels:
Oh, sure, NOW they tell me.
And speaking of shirts, I got this one for John for Christmas:
John and I have had a running joke most of our marriage where we ask the other, "Would you saaaay, we have a PLETHORA of [fill-in-the-blank]s?" So naturally, I went nuts when I found this over at Woot. (And if anyone will get the reference, I know it's you guys.)
I had a rough time yesterday; actually woke up having a panic attack, which hasn't happened in years. After half a Xanax and a trip to the chiropractor, though, I was mostly back to myself, if a bit frazzled. (Most of the credit goes to Dr. Tenpenny - such a great doc.)
I spent the rest of the day in recuperation mode: couch naps, mindless Pinterest browsing, and a little easy papercraft:
Calvin & Hobbes makes everything better.
Head over to Dave's Geeky Ideas for the free download - and while you're there, check out the rest of his blog of geek product concepts, like this Hungry Hippos necklace. I'm newly addicted.
Anyhoo, as papercraft goes it doesn't get much easier than this; all you cut out is a box, an arrow, and a flat 2D image. I was so careful cutting out Hobbes' fur, though... only to discover this morning that Tonks decided to groom their little heads overnight. (Hence the blurry, waterlogged bits.) DANGIT, TONKS.
Ahem.
I've also been playing BioShock: Infinite again (yes, AGAIN) - but this time on our new gaming PC. John convinced me to sign off on the purchase mostly because of Infinite; once I learned the graphics could be even MORE gorgeous on a PC, I was game. Literally. (This also means I can start reviewing PC-only games! Um, when I find the time, of course...)
Anyway, I bring this up because we've gotten ourselves into a grammar dispute. Over a video game. (If ever you doubted our geekdom...)
Here's a crappy cellphone pic of the offending screen in question:
;)
And to end on a laugh, you guys watch True Facts by Ze Frank, right? And you've seen his latest one on armadillos, right?
Just in case:
Happy weekend, everyone!
So, I thought the comma shouldn't be there. but I wasn't sure why, so I asked my (English-major) husband. He said that you don't need a comma between a verb (drown) and its object (the mountains). If you moved the prepositional phrase "in flame" to the end of the sentence - "and drown the mountains of man in flame" or put it in parentheses "and drown (in flame) the mountains of man", you wouldn't use a comma. I hope that makes sense to you, because I'm not sure I followed all that! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd, I NEED that shirt to go with my plethora of grammar words here.
If I'm reading the sentence right (as "The prophet's descendants will sit on the throne and drown people in flame."), neither comma should be there, because the subject doesn't change. Though I haven't gotten that far in the game yet, so if I'm misinterpreting the meaning, ignore me. XD But a compound sentence (e.g. "Booker arrived in Columbia, and it turned out to be really creepy.") needs a comma because it has two subjects, "Booker" and "it", whereas one like "Booker arrived in Columbia and decided it was creepy." doesn't need one, because the "and" is just linking two verbs done by the same subject. The test is that if you could turn the two parts separated by the "and" into two separate sentences, you need a comma, and if you can't, no comma. :)
ReplyDeleteI jumped on here to say just that. Professional editor here: neither comma should be there, but I like Pegster's idea below that it indicates breaks in the verse. It's not the best solution, honestly, for the game devs to have come up with, but it makes partial sense.
DeleteThe 3 Amigos!!! "Would you say I have a...Plethora...of Piñatas?! I LOVE that you just referenced that Jen. :D http://youtu.be/tyBUMntP6DI
ReplyDeleteCALVIN & HOBBS! I will be cutting these out and displaying in my office tomorrow. Ze Frank ROCKS. JEN ROCKS. Thanks for being you and sharing all the cool geeky stuff you find wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI think the comma is there to indicate the end of a line of prose. It's not grammatical.
ReplyDeleteAs in,
DeleteThe seed of the prophet shall sit the throne,
And drown in flame,
The mountains of man.
Ooh, that makes sense! It's weird because the scroll has line breaks already, but if it were in, say, a paper about the prophecy, that would make total sense
DeleteI think the first comma is unnecessary and the second one is utterly wrong. The sentence is at risk for being misinterpreted as the seed of the prophet sitting on the mountains of man -- one more word and it'd say she sat the throne of the mountains of man, as well as drowning them in flames.
ReplyDeleteHi there! English major, here. :) O.k. Both of those commas are in the wrong places. The first one is redundant. (No commas are needed before the word "and". The second one.... just shouldn't be there. The sentence could read: "The seed of the prophet shall sit on the throne and drown in flame the mountains of man." This would be a perfectly acceptable sentence. I think the real problem here is that they took a poetic sentence and tried to lay it out like a regular sentence and this made the grammar wonky. "The seed of the prophet shall sit on the throne/ and drown in flame/ the mountains of man." See what happened there? The places where there would normally be poetic line breaks is exactly where they ended up putting commas (which is, of course, an incorrect use of commas). Hope this makes sense.
ReplyDeleteSeconding this. (English major with a concentration in linguistics!)
DeleteThirding! (English teacher, Language and Linguistics major)
DeleteFourthing this! I edited my grandpa's novel plus two of my own, so I studies commas A LOT!!
DeleteFifthing! (Quinting?) Also, it desperately needs a preposition in between "shall sit" and "throne". I can't see one on that image, and everyone seems to be adding "on" which makes the most sense but isn't there right now.
DeleteNo..."sit the throne" is an expression. Just like "sit a horse".
DeleteIn Holland, we use commas a lot... Maybe the person who wrote this was Dutch?
DeleteI almost forgot to mention that the shrink-wrapped Christmas tree looks like Shelob. Thought you'd appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteLord! I can hear my nerdy LOTR husband correcting me...I meant to say that the shrink-wrapped Christmas tree looks like what Shelob did to Frodo. :)
DeleteFor some reason this just made my day. Probably because I know people who would correct me on the excat same thing. Thank you for the laugh :)
DeleteA comma is sometimes used as a pause in a haiku. Given that this is read in a game they may have been put there for emphasis.
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing me to Dave's Geeky Ideas' blog. I'm going through the "Geek Bling" tag and am laughing over and appreciating Etsy’s Rude and Reckless Jabba the Hutt Necklace and other posts.
ReplyDeleteRe: Green Tea Hershey's Products. You can actually find a lot of the global/unusual flavors at the visitor's center (Hershey's Chocolate World, in Hershey, there are two others in Chicago and Times Square.) They also get a lot of the "new" products as a test market. It's worth visiting during the dead time between Christmas and Easter- there's pretty much no one there in January and February, it's wonderful (speaking as a former employee.)
ReplyDelete1) I don't know what the whole quote should be, but I'm guessing that the questionable comma should be a semi-colon. and 2) I LOVE MY GAMING PC. I bought it last spring. Seriously, the best way to play videogames is to play them on the computer. I've basically abandoned all my other consoles (except my N64) because almost everything runs better on the PC. The only things I play on consoles are exclusives. But since the XBox 360 "exclusives" are usually ported to PC really quickly, it basically just functions as a Netflix player these days.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of gaming pc do you have? Do you mind sharing your specs? I was going to ask Jen what kind they got as well. I am looking into getting myself a new one and have been on a laptop so long I don't even know what's out there anymore, sadly.
DeleteI bought a custom-built PC from someone else, and then replaced some parts with updated or better parts. I'm currently on vacation, but when I get back and can make sure the specs in my head are correct, I'll let you know.
Delete1) The comma should not be there. two commas in a sentence like that indicate a thought separate from the overall text but if you take this one out, the sentence doesn't make sense. At least, that's my take on it! :-)
ReplyDelete2) Thank you for the video links! I'm a science teacher and I WISH I could show these in class. I'm obsessed with owls and that one made me laugh so hard! Thanks again!
The way that this sentence is written now, the second comma changes the meaning to the seed of the prophet drowning in flame. The part about the mountains of men looks to be the beginning of another thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the camp that says both commas are wrong.
ReplyDeleteTake out the first comma and it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteIt depends. If the mountains of man are being drowned, then no comma. If the seed of the prophet is being drowned (and is also known as the mountains of man) then it's fine.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOk, about the Kit Kat, try the Hazelnut one! It will change your life. I bought five and put them in my own stocking. They are so yummy!
ReplyDeleteOmg, 3 Amigos shirt!!!!! /want
ReplyDeleteI'll presume they aren't line marking devices, as I'd have one after "Prophet" if they were.
ReplyDeletePeople are saying the first comma shouldn't be there. The issue is that this is not modern (as in the last several decades, not centuries) English. Comma usage has changed, and even during my lifetime we've gone from "use it" to don't use it."
There is a pause there in the SPOKEN rendition of the passage, and that should be noted in the WRITTEN version under rules that existed relatively recently. The subject may be the same, but there are two separate predicates.
The second comma, however, messes up the sentence. Without it, it says that the prophet's child will rule, and also that that person will bring destruction on man's works. With it, the prophet's child drowns in flame, and a sentence fragment is spliced onto the end without context.
That's how I read it too. The commas, although not correct in the written sense, are there to indicate dramatic pause when spoken. It reminds me of how actors read Shakespeare's plays. :)
DeleteCommas are both wrong (professional translator here!)
ReplyDeleteI once found a mocha KitKat....and let me tell you, it was AWESOME! I have been on the lookout for them ever since! (I'm not a fan of orange+chocolate, and believe me, I've tried.)
ReplyDeleteI had not seen these "true facts" before, now my husband and I were laughing for an hour :)
ReplyDeleteI noticed those pesky commas too - but what can you expect from a society like Columbia's? ;D
ReplyDeleteI came to say that NEITHER comma should be there*, and I'm leaving wanting one of Amy's mocha KitKats.
ReplyDelete*proud owner of the second-most-useless undergrad degree, a BA in English Literature
As a fellow English Lit major, I'm wondering what you think the MOST useless undergrad degree is, if English Lit is only the second-most-useless. I've always been of the opinion that English Lit was THE MOST useless! :)
DeleteHow can you tell it's a mail plane?
ReplyDeleteBecause of the tiny balls.
Ahahaha. I might have to get one of those El Guapo shirts.
I'm not a huge fan of either of those commas. When in doubt leave it out.
"My little Buttercup has the sweetest..."
ReplyDelete"Smile!! Smile!!"
Love that movie. And that comma needs to go.
Hahaha!! I am now going to have this stuck in my head all day! Love it!! :D
DeleteNeither comma should be there, unfortunately. If you only have two things joined by the "and" conjunction, you don't use a comma before "and": "bread and butter" instead of "bread, and butter."
ReplyDeleteAlso, although we noticed the "not to be used for pants" thing on Woot shirts a long time ago, my husband just got a new one last night and we joked about it:
Me: "Oh, no! You have to send this shirt back immediately!"
Him: "Why?"
Me: "Because you can't use it as pants. How misleading!"
Him: "Oh, you're right! I'll email them later about it."
;)
Maybe it's just me, but the absence of "on" throws me off a lot more than the unnecessary commas. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for making us aware of that Amigos shirt! It's a classic for my fam!
ReplyDeleteAmy
I just love how your Doctor's name is "Tenpenny" it is a name straight out of a steampunk novel!!
ReplyDeleteRight? Or maybe Harry Potter. Either way, it's fabulous.
DeleteThe only justification I could see for the second comma is if "the mountains of man" is modifying "flame."
ReplyDeletePerhaps the comma is ok if the first half of the sentence, the seed sitting the throne, has no cause and effect relationship to the second half. So the seed sits the throne, and independent of, or concurrent with that, the mountains of man drown in flames. Kind of a backward construct for the idea, but could be. Like saying, "And decked with holly, the Smith's halls" or "And exist with largeness, Zack Morris's phone."
ReplyDelete"The seed of the prophet shall sit the throne and drown in flames the mountains of man," is correct. Attempting to justify the commas, we can speculate that the mountains of man are the throne. If so, drowning in flames is an aside and could justifiably be separated from the sentence with a set of commas. It'd be like, "The seed of the prophet shall sit [on as a] throne the mountains of man, and oh, he'll also drown the mountains in flames, by the way."
ReplyDeleteI'll leave the commenting on commas to others. I'd just like to give a shout out to Red Bubble, who also has awesome tags (it's the little things, right?) "Do not slap pandas", "Do not tease geese" are some we found on our t-shirts this Christmas. And the tags come attached to the cutest little clothespins I've ever seen. They make me want to make…something…out of them. Haven't figured out what just yet.
ReplyDeleteI actually bought that same Plethora shirt when it first appeared on Woot. But being the scatterbrained idiot that I am I didn't notice I was purchasing a smaller size than needed and thus have never worn it. But I keep it in my closet in hopes that someday it will fit. Oh yes, it will fit.
ReplyDeleteDo not disparage the wasabi KitKats! They are made of awesome. Admittedly, I prefer the green tea and the purple sweet potato ones, but the wasabis are actually pretty tasty and not overly hot. I'm not a fan of the corn or watermelon ones though.
ReplyDeletePurple sweet potato?? I would SO try that.
DeleteThere are also cheese and shrimp kit-kats (no chocolate on them, think wafers with Cheetos cheese and like shrimp flavoring). I brought some back from Japan for my brother and he said the cheese were pretty good; but, he couldn't bring himself to try the shrimp.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. That second comma should totally be a period.
ReplyDeleteThe offending comma should not be there.
ReplyDeleteI try not to read any written words in games too closely. They're riddled with errors.
Thank you for continuing to blog! Good luck with everything.
While the story of the Sea Whores is an impressive video, have you seen the Morgan Freeman video?
ReplyDeleteMorgan Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Morgan Freeman.
This one made me cry laughing.
Grammar question: It is not only from an era where we spoke very differently than now, it is also a line of poetry, thus is feels un-natural to modern readers - I happen to read a lot of obscure antique literature so this doesn't even read awkwardly to me:
ReplyDeleteThe seed of the prophet
Shall sit the Throne,
And drown in Flame,
The mountains of man.
Translation/meaning:
The prophet = Jesus/Allah/Whoever
The seed = The ideas of peace, love and freedom taught by all prophets
Mountains of man = Corporate constructs and legal fictions created by man in the name of control/justice/government which seem like large impenetrable structures.
To drown in flame = be utterly destroyed
In other words:
Love and freedom will rule the world in peace once the prophet's words are followed and Man's creations have been destroyed by the fires of truth.
Nice to see even mainstream things like video games trying to point out to people that the world is run by corrupt slavers and that we are all unwittingly their slaves. Gives us freedom fighters a little more hope to see things like that.
Sorry to all of you that think there should be a period or something, study up on how grammatical structure has changed over the centuries, you might be shocked at how vastly the language has evolved.
On an unrelated topic, I know I am hugely late in this, but I just started playing Minecraft and am totally hooked. I just wish I could invent my own recipes, I have so many ideas! I am currently playing on a server that pays me BitCoins to mine and build! It is fabulous!
That shirt! I have a burning need for it. The Three Amigos is one of my all time favorites!
ReplyDeleteGrammar: It looks like they're using commas to mark the end of the lines of a poem (not so much bad grammar as horrific punctuation), except the top line is either twice as long or they don't feel the need for a pause between the first two.
ReplyDeleteAs written as prose, either comma should be excluded (preferably both). In order to create the correct timing/pauses, you need something to be after "throne" and "flame". A n-dash would be my recommendation, but it would make it very Emily Dickinson.
I don't think either comma is neccessary. Just a full stop after 'flame' would be fine. It feels like it is then going into a new sentance. Happy New Year btw! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe comma is not necessary but poetry may be punctuated in any way the poet feels fit...
ReplyDeleteI love that you care about grammar in a video game!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that extra comma is...just extra lol! But now I also have a very strong desire to play Infinite all over again...for like the 6th (or is it 7th...8th?!) time. I love this game, I'm not a huge gamer anymore (not because I don't wish to be, but simply due to lack of time) but I can't express how fabulous this one is. It's just simply beautiful and I always get a catch in my throat at the end!
ReplyDeleteIt depends: if 'and drown in flame' is an interjection, then yes, both commas are necessary. It's a more gentle version of "The seed of the prophet shall sit the throne - and drown in flame - the mountains of man." If its saying that the seed will sit the throne, and also (but independently of the other action) drown the mountains in flame, then no. I haven't played the game - is the throne in the mountains?
ReplyDeleteI thought the dispute was going to be about the fact that the poster says 'shall sit the throne' instead of 'shall sit ON the throne'. That's the one that's bugging me to type.
The comma has been thoroughly discussed. I'm writing to thank you for sharing ze Frank. Enlightenment AND snark, how marvelous! I shall be sharing this with my snarky minions.
ReplyDeleteLove all you do, Jen!
Cathy M.