Kwaree Blog

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT

I have oftentimes described myself as a Utilitarian. Each time I described myself this way, I can’t say that I remember knowing what that term meant. I always kind of figured it was something like, “must have some sort of utility” or “get all the feel good stuff out of the way and let’s get down to the nitty gritty” or “something basic to fulfill a basic need.” As it turns out, I wasn’t that far off.

Wikipedia describes Utilitarianism as “the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall utility…the greatest good for the greatest number of people…somewhat narrow economic or pragmatic viewpoint.” I would say that I was pretty accurate. This, coupled with that fact that I have an issue with being stuck on the “Physiological” rung of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (I knew that Psych 101 would come in handy) makes for some pretty boring lifestyle.

Moving on…

I have never really appreciated art. I thought it was pretty much a waste of time. I mean, I liked to way some of it looked, but I didn’t get the point. Of course, this was when I was a kid. I’m sure most kids are like that. If you aren’t sure what I mean, go ahead and bring your child to the Met. See what happens.

As I got older, I started enjoying some styles of art, but they had to serve a purpose. Let’s say that a city had a huge mural painted on the side of a building and it looked really great. Now, I can appreciate that. I think the mural would really stand out and put people in a better mood. It would also enhance the look of the city and it may help tourism in the area, if there were multiple murals.

I am probably not alone. Again, I like to think of things in a very basic sense. I like things that function and I think of functionality so much, it’s hard for me to get my head out of that. It’s sort of like dragging a painting into a house that’s being built an asking the carpenter what he thinks of it. He’s probably going to ask you to leave because he is in another zone. Perhaps if that same carpenter went out to a show and had a few drinks, then he would be willing to give you a somewhat honest opinion of what he thinks of the artwork.

I do have my moments though. The problem is that I never know what they are going to arrive.

We decided to visit the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT this past Saturday. I think this was a “recommended” trip, if you know what I mean. The sort of trip that is suggested and usually ends up being fun. I kick and scream before these types of outings, only to simmer down once we get there. Then, I usually lead the pack and get all sorts of excited. As excited as I get, I still have a fairly short attention span. I give museums about a half hour, unless they are really neat like the Boston Museum of Science. Then, I can stay as long as it takes to go through all the exhibits. Arts museums…half hour.

I must say, I was surprised by the Wadsworth Museum of Art. It was a pretty nice place. When we first got there, we passed by some typical stuff, but when we visited the Baroque and the Italian Renaissance paintings, I was really impressed. I think the thing that got me was the size of each painting. They were much larger than I though they would be. Also, the color was more vibrant. It was nice to stand so close to such history and really look at what it took to create each piece. Needless to say, I began to feel thankful for being taken out of my normal routine to become a somewhat more cultured individual. I now consider myself an art expert, so if you have any questions…

I am glad I got that off my chest. Now, on to the pictures of pictures.

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Less Vs. Fewer

While we are on the topic of English, I thought I would bring up another biggie. If you don’t hate me by now, you will after I write either this post or my next (and hopefully last) grammar correction post. I think we are all in agreement that nobody likes having their grammar corrected. I bet many people take it as a personal insult, no matter how many times they tell you that they are grateful that you just “corrected” them.

The funny thing about this whole grammar topic is that I really only know a few rules and they aren’t even real rules. I am sure there is some big, thick book out there that contains the official rules that we are all supposed to abide by, but we most likely wouldn’t be able to understand that. All you guys out there who are familiar with the real deal are rolling your eyes at me. Hey, at least I try.

Let’s get down to business.

The reason I bring this post up is because I just noticed the lead story on Yahoo!. It goes like this: Get ready for wild weather – The return of El Niño conditions could lead to dramatic storms through the winter. » Less fish, more rain.

Okay, there are two problems with this. The overriding issue is that whoever wrote this is in the writing business. If you are in the writing business, I would make a wild guess that you know how to write. The next problem is the grammar in the story description, “Less fish, more rain.” It should be “Fewer fish, more rain.”

It’s funny, because while reading the actual story, I noticed this line: “The warming of the ocean can also lead to a reduction in the seafood catch off the West Coast, and fewer fish can also impact food sources for several types of birds and marine mammals.” Hey, they got it right there, but not on the homepage. Weird.

So, what’s the rule? I was always taught that if you can count it, it’s fewer. If you can’t, it’s less. Here are some examples:

- I have fewer brain cells than…
- You have less body mass than…
- You have fewer hairs than…
- I have less hair than…

Oh yeah, you know all those signs at the checkout counters in supermarkets that say, “10 items or less?” Well, they are wrong. The wrong person made those signs and had them printed them up. They should have had them proofread. Oh well. I guess our nation’s youth will just continue to have “10 items or less” seared into their minds.

Here is a good website that explains the “Less vs. fewer” rule better than I did.

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The Difference Between “Me” And “I”

My sister and I were having a conversation yesterday about all the wild variations of mistakes people make when using “me” and “I” in sentences. It was a heated conversation because we both kind of know when to use what and were luckily raised by an English major.

I have a few different views of the English language. The first one is, “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you speak correctly? Have you seriously been talking this way your whole life?” The second view is, “I really have no love for the English language. If it were up to me, we would all be speaking Spanish right now. At least Spanish makes more sense. Screw it up all you want.” Finally, the last view I have about the English language is, “Okay, we’ve all gone to school for enough years now to know the difference between Me and Jane went to the mall and Jane and I went to the mall. You are just being lazy.” I think I like the third view the best. Not by choice, but by the simple fact that I have had my English corrected for most of my life.

Here is the one that I find excruciatingly annoying:

Come look at the picture of Jane and I.

That one kills me. It absolutely kills me. I don’t know why I let things like this get to me, but I do. I admit that it’s a personality defect. I see it all the time, especially in photo captions on the internet.

Let me be clear here. I am not thinking of anyone in particular as I write this. I promise. This post stems from the conversation my sister and I had yesterday. I know how paranoid I get when people write about certain things. I always think they are talking about me. I am not talking about you. I swear.

Here is the simple rule that my mother used to tell me all the time when I was running out the door. I would say, “Me and Rob are going to the store.” She would reply, “Hold it right there you handsome little devil. It’s Rob and I are going to the store. Just take Rob out of the sentence. Would you say, Me am going to the store?”

That rule makes pretty good sense. So, instead of saying, “Come look at the picture of Jane and I,” I would say, “Come look at the picture of Jane and me.” Just take Jane out of the sentence.

Laura is much more forgiving when it comes to these types of things, but that’s not to say she doesn’t recognize errors in people’s grammar. She tells me that we have had this “I” thing jammed in our brains for way too many years and now people are using it for everything. It’s true, I guess. I mean, why else would everyone be doing it? Back in the day it was “me.” All sorts of people were saying, “Me and Jane went here” and “It’s for me and John.”

My sister emailed me a funny website that has a continuation of this conversation. You can find it by clicking here.

You know, sometimes I wish I was really the type of person that says something like, “This blog is owned by I.” Life would be so much easier.

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Understanding, Danish, First Day, History And Unleashing Jiu Jitsu

Understanding Jiu Jitsu

A friend of mine want to start practice Jiu Jitsu. For this reason I was searching some information about Jiu Jitsu to help him to understand this old form of martial arts. I hope this information will also help you.

Danish Jiu Jitsu

This is a squidoo lens about jiu jitsu as I, a Dane, experience it. My training, my techniques, seminars I go to, and my philosophy regarding jiu jitsu. In Denmark, the primary form of jiu jitsu is nihon ju jitsu, so that’s my focus.

First Day In A Jiu Jitsu Class

A girl’s introduction to martial arts and Jiu Jitsu.

Jiu Jitsu Unleashed : Unleash The Art Of Gentleness In You

Learn the art of Jiu Jitsu, basic moves, techniques and etiquettes.

History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

If ever there was a model for the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle then Rolls Gracie was it, son of the founder, Carlos Gracie, and an instructor at the Gracie Academy, his passion for life and Jiu Jitsu was unquestionable – inspiring people on and off the mat everywhere he travelled.

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Visiting Eastern Connecticut State University

On the way to Home Depot yesterday, I decided to take a detour and quickly drive through Eastern Connecticut State University. I am checking out the local colleges for interesting classes. I already found a nice “Entrepreneurial” class over at UConn. It teaches you how to set up, operate, successfully harvest and start over a small business. That’s my gig. East Conn has some good photography and writing classes that I am interested in.

Now, I know these are the worst pictures on the planet, but please understand that it is really difficult to get these photos without feeling like I am doing something wrong. This country has got me so damn paranoid, that I can’t even feel comfortable taking pictures of a college from my car. I keep thinking that the “Thought Police” are going to jump out of the bushes and arrest me.

Anyway, this is what I got. I must say, this is a really nice little college. It is very clean and inviting. I have no idea what the quality of the academics is, but as far as looks go, it passes.

Tennis courts at Eastern Connecticut State University

Neat recycling cans at Eastern Connecticut State University

Looking up Eastern Road at Eastern Connecticut State University

Constitution Hall at Eastern Connecticut State University

Tower at Eastern Connecticut State University

J. Eugene Smith Library at Eastern Connecticut State University

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Visiting the University of Connecticut – Storrs, CT

Yesterday, while out and about, Laura and I decided to do a drive-by at the University of Connecticut, or better know as UConn in Storrs, CT. I took a gander at this area on Google Earth a few times and we actually wanted to visit for some time, but never got around to it. Now that we’re about 20 minutes from the town, it’s much easier to get it done.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with UConn, it’s basically the whole town of Storrs. I am not sure if the residents would agree with me, but that’s the way it seemed. I think it’s kind of like State College, PA and Penn State. Either way, it was pretty cool and much larger than I imagined. It was actually the biggest college I have ever visted.

Too bad it was raining and so gloomy out. I took the above photos while we were driving. We did a little zoom zoom through part of the campus.

When I was going to Binghamton University, I had a roommate who just came from Penn State. He said it took a half-hour to get anywhere on campus. That’s what it seemed like here.

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Visiting Eastern Connecticut State University

The other day, while driving home from Home Depot in Willimantic, CT, I noticed a sign that said, “Eastern Connecticut State University.” I thought that was pretty strange, because I had no clue that Eastern Connecticut was so close by. I knew that UConn was pretty close, but that was it.

Since I was intrigued, I decided that it would be nice to drive through the campus on a nice sunny day like today. We are always looking for a good college campus to go to shows, etc…

We drove over to Willimantic this afternoon and pulled into campus. I was very pleasantly surprised. The school is very well taken care of and quite attractive. Laura really doesn’t care if a school looks good or not, but I do. She is all about function and I am (a good part) about looks. I try to explain to her that I want to be happy when walking through a campus and not look only at bare concrete and parking lots. I am not sure I am ever going to get my point across. Either way, this campus looked great.

We drove around and left campus after a little while. I was going to take some pictures, but it was just too busy. We drove around town a little bit and then drove to the new hometown to stop at the local food store to get some cold food for dinner. Again, the gas people are coming on Monday. We need that to cook.

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Antigone at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz

Laura and I went up to New Paltz this past sunday for another show. This time, the show was called, “Antigone.” Now, you may think it’s strange that I wrote it that way, but I have actually never heard of this.

Here is a short description…

“One of the great tragedies of the ancient Greek theatre, “Antigone” is the story of a young girl with the will to rise up alone against the forces of government, culture, and family to live and die for her beliefs.”

It was a good show. I think the students, as usual, did a great job. I did have a little problem this time. We didn’t sit in the front row, like we did last time, so there was no place for me to stretch my legs. I kept having to move around the whole time, because I have trouble sitting still. I think this stems from my childhood, when I was a bad boy.

Oh well. I think we are going to wait until the Spring semester to go up for the next show.

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Common Punctuation Errors With Blogging

I was reading again about the whole Google PageRank thing (which is getting rather nausiating) and came across a fun blog post called, “Six Common Punctuation Errors that Bedevil Bloggers.”

I try to proof read my posts, but I am sure that I make mistakes. The best ones are the ones that I don’t even know I make. I know that I use the “…” a lot. I am always sure to put the punctuation inside the end quote. I think I do a pretty good job with commas. People might disagree with that one because they don’t get how I write. Basically, I put a comma where I pause when I speak. I guess I write in spoken English. From what I have heard, people seems to like that.

Anyway, if you think you need to clean up your act…or your posts, you might want to take a look at the link above. If nothing else, it will make you feel smarter.

PS – Here is one I absolutely love. It’s when people use “I” incorrectly, such as, “Jeff and I at the mall.” or “Look at Jeff and I.” I think the whole “I” thing has been pummeled into people’s heads way too much.

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Learning Spanish Update

I just wanted to let you know that I am now on CD 7, out of 8. These, of course, are the CDs that Laura got me for my birthday…the “Learn Spanish Behind the Wheel” ones.

I would probably guess that I am at the second year level. Now, I (me) am not at that level, but the CDs are. I am planning on finishing these up and then listening to them again. They are proving to be really good. I think I want to listen to as much as I can, and then start reading a Spanish textbook that Laura has on a shelf.

After that, I plan on becoming an interpreter.

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