Archive for August, 2008
What I’ve Learned
Titles
“What I’ve Learned” is a title. Titles are important to a post. They should be descriptive. And they should be easy to understand! But a title isn’t enough…
Headings
See how a heading breaks up the content of a post? Your eyes go directly to a heading when you first look at a post. You see the headings and you understand at a glance that:
- Headings are like titles for individual sections.
- Headings divide the content into manageable parts.
Note: The above is easy to read because it is set apart using an unordered list. And, this is a note. You should immediately realize that something important is written here. It is in bold text!
Lists
First I like to introduce a list with some text. Then I like to start a list with a partial statement followed by a colon. The following is an ordered list. An ordered list:
- Uses numbers to define a sequence.
- Makes a statement about the order in which something occurs.
- Shows how many of a thing there are in a list of things.
Notes
An explanatory note can also be useful. Usually they are put at the end of a post. They might explain something about the post or they may be about the author. They may be used to thank someone who was helpful. Or they may cite references. Explanatory notes are generally in italics.
About Comments
Dear Commenter,
You didn’t comment because of the topic. You commented only after we were friends. You left a comment when I commented on your blog. And I left another comment there in response to your comment. I understand:
- You aren’t interested in topics.
- You are interested in making friends.
I read your comments. I want your comments to remain unchallenged. I want them to reflect a moment in time. They expresses who YOU are. And that is something which should be beyond debate. We agree:
- Your comments are meaningful to you.
- Your comments are meaningful to me.
A comment should be short. It shouldn’t lead to a discussion. It should be friendly. It may be a comment about the author. It may be a comment about the post. But it is, primarily, a comment about YOU.
- Don’t reply to the previous commenter.
- And don’t expect a reply to your comment.
The problem with commenting is that you are afraid. You wonder if your comment is appropriate. You don’t like to argue and fight. You worry:
- Are you being too controversial?
- Will others disagree with you?
Everyone who takes the time to read a post should have a comment about it. Your comment can be anything (how you feel):
- Your comment doesn’t have to be on topic.
- Your comment doesn’t have to be smart or funny.
You should let me know you were here. You read the post? You got something out of it! Sure, we’ve had our misunderstandings in the past. So:
- Why comment?
- How will it be perceived?
Rest assured. Though we may have had our differences in the past. Let’s get this straight, here and now:
- I write the posts… and
- You leave the comments!
Any Questions?
The Poster
Cartoons and Porn
Dear Movie Industry,
I like free downloads. Don’t hold that against me. I’ve seen old movies that I would have otherwise missed. I can watch sequels “all in a row” and (I think) get a better impression of them that way. I can watch movies I might not otherwise afford. And I watch movies that I wouldn’t otherwise watch. All of this must be good for the movie business?
So, I notice things about movies that I might otherwise have missed. There’s an animation trend. There are more independent movies. Young people have their own movies. Young girls are finally able to see movies that feature their age group and interests. And so, seasoned actors are starring in these kinds of movies (independent movies: animations and other films appropriate for children, and especially girls).
I’ve come to appreciate romances more (independent children’s movies mostly appropriate for girls). And I can see the multicultural flair that they inspire (though often I have to read the sub-titles, lol). And so I want to “thank” you for sissifying the world… turning everyone into a bunch of little girls.
But what happened to…
Action films: They’ve become comic-book films about super heroes (generally with a female hero incongruously thrown into the mix).
Horror films: They’ve become skin-flicks where big-breasted women are stalked by “monsters” (generally men) and where the hero (generally a woman) stumbles out of harms way… dumbly and innocently.
Science Fiction films: They’ve become fantasy films with sparkly unicorns and GOOD witches (girls with the power to become mermaids and other cute animals).
Romance: These feature stories about good girls who get married to bad men and, in spite of having the wedding they’ve always dreamed of, end up with a high-paying career and (ironically) rich boyfriends on the side who “take care of them”.
Cartoons: They’ve been mostly geared toward little girls since She Ra debuted as the beautiful counterpart to that homo, He Man in the 80’s (and before, since all the little girl cartoon characters have always had boyfriends… back to the time of Minnie Mouse and Olive Oil). Oh, now we have Japanese cartoons (the same). Which brings me to the point…
In the East, women “rule”. In the western world, it’s men. And the influence of places like Japan (anime) and China (porn and tentacles) has led to an influx of “cartoon porn”. So, on the one hand I want to thank you (as I’ve said): I’ve learned to appreciate this perspective. But, on the other hand, I’d just like to say: Bring back the “good ‘ol American film”!
Boys need characters like those portrayed by John Wayne, Bruce Lee, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Conan, not Kindergarten Cop). They need heroes. Yes, we need to promote equality of the sexes; but, not at the expense of testosterone. We’ve turned to gangsters and soldiers in a quest for heroes. And women will suffer for this, in the end, when men start “pimping” and “raping and pillaging” (as we surely will to re-assert our masculinity).
Thanks,
Movie Fan
Hooter’s Two for the Price of One
You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus: Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court: US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910).
Hooter’s Two for the Price of One — (A Funny Photo AND a Quote)
This is one of my other sites. Do you think it unfair, somehow, that I’m reviewing it? I think it’s a good site! I don’t think you’ll mind my review: There are things people need to know about this site that might not be obvious at first.
- The site is updated daily.
- It only has one post on the front page.
- A post consists of a photo AND a quote.
- The photo is from Flickr.
- The quote is from The Quotations Page.
- The Author’s (my) nickname is Hooter.
When a site has only one post on the front page, people can’t tell, at first glance, a) that the site has multiple posts; as such, b) that the site is updated regularly; or rather, c) the frequency with which the author posts. This is to say, since there aren’t multiple posts on the page for the reader to compare such things as dates and / or number of posts per posting period: The reader might get the impression that (simply put) “there are only a few posts on the site”. And this is simply not true! Rather, the reader should understand that the webmaster (myself) has THIS viewing experience in mind:
- The layout is clean and uncluttered.
- The initial impression is easy on the eyes.
- The “overall” can be taken-in with a single glance.
I believe this is necessary to convey the “twofer” idea as a single unit (twofer suggests two for one). There are a photo AND a quote. And they are supposed to be understood “in one breath”. Notwithstanding, the photo is from one place and the quote from another; as such, they don’t really go together (another misconception)! However, I think the quote adds two elements of humor to the site that aren’t apparent in the photo alone: Irony and Wit.
The quote shows in a more specific way what the photo strives to show in a more general way so that when the quote and the photo are contrasted with each other, the irony of the photo shines through; however, since humor isn’t meant to be understood this way, the wit (of the author) is allowed to show forth.
Irony
Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs (when something is out of place).
Wit
A message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter (like a pun, a play on words, even a rhyme).
In the example above, the irony is that tamales don’t have “eyes” (in the sense that Twain uses the term). Nonetheless, the quote comes to suggest that the viewer must use his / her “imagination”. Wittily, the words eyes and imagination take on a different meaning (with regard to the photo). And it is through this juxtaposition that the photo gains its ability to surprise and delight the viewer. Hopefully, then, this wit is carried through to the title of the post… which is often a pun. And thus photo, quote, and title become unified into a new whole.
Still, I apologize (tongue in cheek) for the author’s nickname, Hooter. Note the title of the site (shocking) is supposed to become less offensive that way (it is the possessive of Hooter, Hooter’s site, and does not refer to the female anatomy as one might otherwise guess). But, this is also in line with the intent of the site:
To showcase CLEAN photos and thereby show humor as something other than sick, twisted, sexual, mocking, or otherwise offensive.
Finally, all photos are attributed to their source (they’re linked to flickr) and the photo owners have given their consent to display them on this site (they are listed as “creative commons”).
Gone Tamale
- You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
- Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)
