Christian Ross

The Oxford Comma

Like you, I’ve been contemplating the use of Oxford commas quite a bit recently.

Some of it is due to my 2011 summer obsession of Vampire Weekend and their homage to it (NSFW: language) and some of it has just been due to how I feel when I actually write something out.

For those who aren’t hip to the comma-scene these days, the Oxford comma – aka the Serial comma – is that tricky little guy that comes last in your list just before the AND or the OR in a sentence.

The AP Stylebook treats the Oxford comma as you would a hideous beast and vows to never allow it to see the light of day. Think “Sloth” Fratelli, the monster from Goonies. Alternatively, the Chicago Manual of Style preaches it from the mountain top as if it were a double rainbow.

I remember being taught as a kid that the last comma in a list wasn’t necessary except for when it was — clear as mud. So for the most part of my life I have subscribed to the fact that I don’t really need it which would make me an AP-man for my beliefs. Recently however, the non-implementation of the Oxford comma has started to bother me more and more and I think I am ready to switch it up for a while.

I suppose the best way to explain my flip-flopping is by example, read this bad boy and make sense of it:

My breakfast of choice consists of milk, bacon and eggs and hash browns.

If we break it down, my list could either be read as:
1. milk
2. bacon
3. eggs and hash browns

or:
1. milk
2. bacon and eggs
3. hash browns

I’d prefer to take the uncertainty out of it and I believe that single little character might just do the trick.

My breakfast of choice consists of milk, bacon and eggs, and hash browns.

I realize that I could also reorder my list but what if I eat my foods in a certain order? Then I would just be a liar.

Oxford comma, friend or foe? Comment here or take it to the streets.

TinyLetter

I have no idea why I sign up for the things that I do. I’ve done a bit of writing this week which possibly spurred me on to this one. If you have any interest in getting randomly sent emails that are probably even more random in content than they are timing, feel free to give me your digits below.

Or visit my awesome TinyLetter page at http://tinyletter.com/christianross to see that this whole thing might just potentially be legit.

Yes, it’s pretty much going to be spam. But it will be subscribed spam instead of the kind you get from Nigeria.

Iggy Peck, Architect

I mused my love for An Illustrated Guide a few months ago but sadly it’s been a bit neglected since then. Figured I’d steal their thunder and post one I found this week at the library for Cohen who initially didn’t want to check it out but has since requested it back-to-back-to-back on a number of occasions.

Iggy Peck, Architect

Both the illustrations and the story are good in this one. Four thumbs up (Dad and Cohen). Recommended ages 4-8.

Buy on Amazon (affiliate link): http://amzn.to/obJzF4

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ First Floor

A little Friday music for your listening pleasure. A bit hipster but it features a banjo which makes it banjo hipster. Banjo hipster is good. Similar sound to Sufan Stevens which is as hipster as it gets.

This is a great way to start an album. Takes a minute or so to really get going; my only complaint is that I wish it was twice as long.

[audio:http://christianross.net/muxtape/freelancewhales-generator.mp3]
Download

Listen and buy the whole album on Rdio.

Reading Is(n’t) Easy

I’ve chronicled my on-again/off-again relationship with reading books in this space before and 2011 has been another year of the same. When I find a book I enjoy, like others, I have a hard time putting it down. Conversely, I’ve hit on a couple of so-so items this year which cause me to first get bored and then struggle between thinking should I finish it or just decide that the TV is the much easier route to go. Once I get derailed, it takes a bit for me to want to get back into the habit and start the whole process again.

In the last couple of months I have attempted to go a different route than the standard hardcover editions and given a try to reading some stuff on the old digital tablet. I’ve now made it through a couple of books in the Kindle app and am halfway through my second in iBooks. My goal here is not to debate the merits of either platform (I think I prefer the Kindle app at this point) but to quickly point out a new frustration I have with a medium that is still struggling to find its place in this world.

Since I know that having a love for reading is important (and that I’ve got a pretty flimsy relationship with it), one of my favorite things to do is to take my boys every other week or so to the library to get some new books. I let them pick out a few (with the full veto power a dad possesses) and I get to pick out a couple that I think they might like as well. (more…)