Halloween 2010

I had a fun Halloween this year and actually dressed up three times. In three different costumes.

First up: 70s outfit. 

This was for work because I couldn't justify wearing a dress and something long sleeved for any of my other activities. The whole ensemble came from my grandma's dress up closet. This is actually something she used to wear when she taught home ec. So we have the bright yellow paisley dress, the white broach pin, the white belt (actually Susie's), the 5-inch wooden platform shoes...with butterflies etched out, the bright orange purse, my glasses, flipped out hair and the epic poof...which had kinda died before this picture.

Next: Nerd

My roommates had planned a series of activities for the month of October: The 13 Days of Halloween, if you will. This ended with a big Halloween party. It wasn't at our place but joined with some other girls in another ward. I had wanted to be a nerd before, but hadn't found any of the things I needed. But at my grandparents, I realized that, hey, my grandpa probably has suspenders. And he did. So I put that costume together Friday after work for the party. Plus I hadn't had time to finish my Saturday night costume. I had forgotten this when I threw my stuff together, but my one roommate went as a Mathelete. So our costumes were very similar. And my other one had my same glasses, so all our costumes kinda matched. Oh before the party, my friend Kailee wanted to dress up with me and go to dinner. We ended up not having time for dinner but did do errands and stop by my brother's concert. This night I have like 7 activities to go to, so I first did this stuff with Kailee, then stopped by Susie's Halloween party on my way home, went to hang out with some girls in my relief society, made treats for my roomies' party, and went out to that. Whew.

Finally: Raggedy Ann

This was the main costume I didn't think would work out. But after searching for red and white tights, I finally found some. I figured out a way to make my red hair, and happened to have a blue dress that would work. Then Susie had those weird pants from Spain in white that would totally work as bloomers. The only thing I needed was a white apron, which I THOUGHT would be easy enough to find. Turns out it wasn't. So Saturday morning I picked up some cheap off white ish fabric at Walmart as a back up plan to stitching together by hand something that might represent an apron, at least for one night. Then that afternoon when I was helping a friend find stuff for his costume, I picked up a cute white polka dot pillowcase. And that is what I pieced my apron out of. It was good because it already had a hem at the bottom. I used the seam from the part I cut off to be the strap over my shoulders. And I tied an extra strip around my waist. Wa-la! I was kinda pleased with how well it turned out.

It's October 25.

It's October 25.

I'm excited.

Taylor Swift's Speak Now is released today.

I will be purchasing the cd at Target on my lunch break.

I'm lucky enough to be located 1/2 mile from Target.

I have to admit I was a little worried about how well I'd like the album based on the pre-released tracks so far:

Mine, Speak Now, Back to December, Mean.

The only one I really liked right away was "Back to December." Taylor Swift's slower songs are always my favorite.

Tonight I went and previewed the songs on Amazon. I am once again truly excited by what I heard.

So...here's til noon Monday when I shall make my way to Target, purchase the cd, and then spend the remainder of my lunch break in my car listening.

It shall be splendid.

Graduates don't use pencils

BYU,

I received the Alumni Questionnaire you send to each BYU graduate three years after graduation. I am one of those graduates. That's right, I haven't graced your campus as a student since December 2007.

But here's the thing. Since graduating, I have moved on to the real world—a world where we write on computers or phones, maybe even with pens (I even use an erasable pen for editing).

So when your questionnaire requires that I fill in my response with a pencil...I'm a little stumped. You see, I don't regularly visit a testing center that requires a No. 2 pencil to grade my bubble sheet. (Not a Scantron, thank you very much Bud.) I don't EVER use a pencil. Most notes I take on a computer or with a pen on a sticky note. A pencil?? What IS that?

I searched my room for 15 minutes trying to find one. I found one from a Relief Society package I got last week. But I don't have a pencil sharpener. I'm stumped.

Maybe my not being able to fill out the questionnaire will help you categorize me as a BYU graduate:

• I am not married and thus do not have kids who may more regularly use a pencil.
• I do work in the industry I graduated in (Communications)—an industry increasingly welcoming technology and the Web and saying goodbye to things like paper...and pencils.
• I am confident in my ability to stay informed on developments in technology.

My favorite question on the survey:

If I were starting my college career over, would I choose to graduate with the same major?

Definitely Yes

I love what I do. I couldn't have asked for a better degree combination to fit my skills, interests, and career goals.

That's right, I'm Karianne Salisbury

BYU Graduate

B.A. degree in Communications: Print Journalism

Emphasis: Design and New Media

Minor: Editing (magazine track)

Next up...an MBA degree?? We shall see.

back to blonde

I've been talking about it for more than a year.

I've failed in my plan to do it in the past.

But folks, it's true. Karianne is back to blonde.

Getting my hair cut or dyed is one of those things I talk about all the time but that take me a long time to actually get around to.

I'll often place it on my To-do list for months at a time. But since my sophomore year in college, my hair has been really dark. I like my hair really dark. (See pic from freshmen year...and that I do really talk about this a lot.) So when my hair would lighten and grow out, I've often thought about going lighter again...just to do something different.

But it's easier to go dark than it is to go light. So when I'd go in for a hair appointment and ask about going light, they'd tell me it would be a process since I'd have to take many steps to get to that blonde point.

I'm not patient for something like that.

So I simply go dark once again. My hair has been growing out for a while now and since I'm not one who is uber on top of my hair maintenance, I have done nothing to it for about two years (aside from cuts). This time in 2008 really probably was the last time I died my hair. When I moved into my current ward in 2009, I had maybe 2 inches of root growth. Now only the tips of my hair had any dye. Soo...this would be one of my few opportunities to go blonde. I had light hair. I wasn't itching to go dark.

And I did it. You'll have to see it in person. :)

A look behind General Conference - Part 2

Continued from "A look behind General Conference - Part 1" 

Alright, let's get into the process...what I can remember, that is. This all begins probably six months before the upcoming conference. That's right, as soon as one conference is finished, the Church begins preparing for the next. There is even a lady (at least while I was there) who oversees the whole process. She had about a 50-page detailed schedule that outlines exactly what each employee should be doing by exactly what day...for everything related to conference.

But the "good stuff" comes the few weeks directly before and after the conference weekend. So here are some of the general things that go on on the editorial side that I got to be involved with. I'm sorry this is long, but I think it's interesting!! :)

Fact Checking:
     Not every talk is available beforehand, but most are and are sent to the Church curriculum department. (That is the department the magazines operate under.) At this point each talk is read over twice, by Reader A and Reader B. Both will read through the sermon and mark any basic grammatical changes that will need to included once the text is formatted for the magazines. These aren't typically passed back to the speaker, unless there is a strong need for a change, such as one that would alter the meaning in the text. But the key part of this process is the fact checking. Any reference to a scripture, past conference talk, various speeches, poems, stories, etc. is tracked down and documented. So if a talk references Ezra T. Benson's "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet," the staff member would find the original reference, photocopy the address, make sure the next text matches the original, and attach the fact-checked materials to the talk. We would be photocopying the scriptures, lesson manuals, Preach My Gospel, True to the Faith, prophet biographies, etc. Any material that is referenced in a talk is attached to that talk. Reader A is responsible for the primary gathering, but Reader B will run through the materials again and add any that are missing. The staff members will work on a variety of talks as either Reader A and Reader B at any time.

Live Watching
     Obviously the staff members are always watching for some significant announcement or something deemed "out of the ordinary." Typically these kinds of announcements would take place in the Saturday sessions (such as five new temples). When I worked with the magazines as an intern, I was assigned to attend the Sunday morning session. I had my name on a list of press members and received a press pass from the Church. I arrived at the Conference Center Sunday morning and presented my credentials. From here I was directed to the news room. This room is on the back of the main floor directly facing the stand. There are about four rows of seats, and we all watch through the window of walls in front of us. The reporters in this row technically "can" be seen through the windows but it's a little difficult.

When you walk into the room, you are handed a stack of materials, the most significant of which are the printed text from every speaker that session. Then each of the news members can follow along with the speakers as they present their sermons. *That was definitely one of my favorite things!* It was great to be able to write notes straight on the talks, being able to highlight what stood out, etc. I wasn't writing any news reports of the talks, but if you look at, say, the Deseret News, they offer articles from each talk. And they offer direct quotes...which would come from these printed materials. If I could access this every session, I definitely would. We, of course, also make note of any changes or deviations from the written plans.

Another thing about this room is that the senior missionaries also bring in and set up snacks. I personally thought it was the perfect medium setting for watching conference. I could be dressed up and attending the session in the Conference Center. But the reporters would also make comments, get up and walk around, partake of snacks, etc.

Press Conferences
These don't always take place, but any time a change in leadership takes place, the Church will hold a press conference. When President Hinckley died (which was during my internship), they help an immediate press conference. The Young Women presidency was reorganized during this conference, so a press conference was held during the two Sunday sessions in the Beehive building. This simple conference introduced the new sisters and allowed them to share their thoughts and plans for the calling. Then the conference attendees lined up to ask questions.


This conference strongly affected my personal thoughts towards the current Young Women presidency. I think they are amazing and capable leaders for this organization. Elaine Dalton would hug each of us (probably the notably younger "young women" attending at least) and truly displayed love for the people around her.

Pulpit Checks
Early Monday morning after the conference, the flurry begins. Every staff member participates in pulpit checks. Again, we each receive a print out of the talk and a DVD with the video of that talk on it. And we watch it again, this time officially marking ANY VARIATIONS from the written text to the spoken words. At least two people re-watch each talk. If there are notable differences that came over the pulpit, it's likely one or two people would check the new material.

It really was so fun to return to work after a conference weekend and set to work listening to the talks again. :)

New General Authority/Auxiliary Biographies
Typically General Authorities are released in the October sessions of conference and new General Authorities are called in the April sessions. I was lucky enough to be around during the April sessions because the magazines write biographies for the magazines of each new person called. The magazine staff members usually have an idea of how many biographies they will have to write based on how many authorities were released the previous conference. Sometimes they might be surprised with more than they expected. While I was there 15 men (yes, fifteen!) were called to serve in the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, plus the reorganized Young Women's presidency, the call of Elder D. Todd Christofferson as a new member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. Each of these individuals would get a biography in the magazines.

I got to interview and write the bio for Gary E. Stevenson, Tad. R. Callister, and Mary N. Cook.


Proofing
To me, this was one of the most unique things about the process of producing the General Conference issue. A whole team of editors come in during these few weeks to volunteer their services. One of the main things they do is proofing the text that has been formatted in the layout. Again there is an Editor A and an Editor B. Editor B will have a copy of the formatted text. Editor A will have a copy of the conference talk any changes made by editors previously. Editor B will then read aloud the text as Editor A follows along making sure everything is exactly the same. Yes, EXACTLY.

See, Editor A will read everything that appears in the text, including capitalization and punctuation. Take the following passage, for example:

"No one of you is a small or insignificant thing, in part because you make the Gospel of Jesus Christ what it is — a living reminder of His grace and mercy, a private but powerful manifestation in small villages and large cities of the good He did and the life He gave trying to bring salvation to other people. We are honored beyond expression to be counted one with you in such a sacred cause."

This would be read as follows:

Pos cap No one of you is a small or insignificant thing com in part because you make the cap Gospel of two cap Jesus Christ what it is space em dash space a living reminder of cap His grace and mercy com a private but powerful manifestation in small villages and large cities of the good cap He did and the life cap He gave trying to bring salvation to other people point cap We are honored beyond expression to be counted one with you in such a sacred cause point pos

A key for clarification

pos = apostrophy
cap = capitalized letter
com = comma
point = period
bang = exclamation point


It's fun to do and the people who have been doing it for years are AMAZING. It's like second nature. I admit after this process, I would randomly read text like this for fun.

Anyways, that's all I have to share for now. This went a bit longer than I had planned, but I should know by now that I ramble. I hope it's been interesting! 

A look behind General Conference - Part 1

I had the amazing opportunity to work for the LDS Church magazines from January to May 2008. During that time, one of the most significant things I got to help out with was General Conference. Any member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knows how big of a deal conference is. These conferences happen twice a year and offer a unique opportunity for the modern-day apostles and prophets to address the Church as a whole--all 13 million of its members across the world.

So, this Saturday morning, when the 180th semi-annual conference begins, the speakers are not simply addressing the 21,000 attendees sitting in the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are addressing the millions of Church members who anxiously await the inspired messages from leaders. In Utah, members are likely gathered with their families and friends in their own homes where the conference is broadcast to the local television station. Throughout the world, members will gather in church houses to listen to the address, often with the dubbed language translations.

To pull off such an event takes a lot of planning and a lot of preparation--there is seriously so much involved! I was personally involved with the part involving the Liahona magazine, one of the Church's official magazines. You see, within 4 weeks from the date that the conference takes place, the text from the addresses is compiled into a 148-page magazine, completely designed with top-notch formatting, pictures, etc. Oh, and did I mention this is re-done for 166 languages, which requires the text to be completely reformatted each time? (Take a section of text and translate it into Italian, Arabic, or Greek (just examples) to see how dramatic the change is.)

And, again, that's all in 4 weeks. So I wanted to share a little bit about my experience working with the Church during this time and everything that it involves.

Continued on "A look behind General Conference - Part 2"
 

Seriously, who crushes on ME?

Just a thought I had as I'm working away: 

In 9th grade I was in class and talking to my group of friends in our corner of the chemistry classroom. One friend sat behind me and was an avid planner user. He'd write all of his assignments and activities in it.

One day, three or four of us were chatting as we worked on an assignment. I happen to look back to this friend's desk. He was talking and not paying attention.

But something in his planner caught my eye. There it was...

MY NAME!

With a heart drawn around it.

Later my suspicious was confirmed that this boy did indeed have a crush on me. (Hey, I was cool once upon a time.)

My favorite part is that he expressed his crush by doodling my name with hearts. Hehe, 9th graders.

National Punctuation Day 2010

"In the family of punctuation, where the full stop is the daddy and the comma is mummy, and the semicolon quietly practices the piano with crossed hands, the exclamation mark is the big attention-deficit brother who gets over-excited and breaks things and laughs too loudly." 

- Eats, Shoots and Leaves

A home in Provo

I was reading some of my old blog posts a couple nights ago. I had ventured back to 2007 when I was preparing to graduate from BYU and trying to figure out what to do next in life.

At one point I had an interview with the Daily Herald to be a copy editor. I knew as soon as they set up the interview that it wouldn't be a good fit for me. But I went to the interview anyways and responded to quite a bit of questioning about what I thought about staying in Provo long term.

I admit, I wasn't fond of the idea. Like any soon-to-be graduate, I told the interviewer what they apparently wanted to hear. Something along the lines that I liked Provo and I'd be up for moving or staying depending on the type of job I got. But inside I really wanted change. I wanted adventure. I wanted to do somethinh new, exciting, and slightly terrifying because of all the unknowns involved.

Here I am, however, three years later, living in Provo and loving my life. My attempts in Salt Lake, Virginia and Orem seem to have failed, and I found myself in P-town once again. Despite my 2007 desires, I am in a fantastic point in life and have had so many great things happen to me here in Provo.


At work I was compiling some of the things Utah has been recognized for lately. In August 2010, the Business Facilities Magazine released rankings for the typical categories, and Utah had a strong standing. So strong that if there were a category for "Most Improved State," Utah would probably have won it. (Yes that's a direct quote from the magazine text.)

Let's take a look at what Utah was named:

#1 in Quality of Life
#2 in Best Education Climate
#3 in Best Business Climate
#3 in Geothermal Power Generation Leaders
#7 in Economic Growth Potential
#7 in Employment Leader
#8 in Best Transportation Infrastructure
#10 in Best Business Tax Climate


I have to say I'm proud to live in Utah. I've lived here for about 12 years total (6 years growing up and 6 years for college and beyond). This rankings are from just one organization but I get the opportunity to report on the many rankings the state receives all time time from Forbes, Yahoo, CNN Money, CNBC, Money Magazine, etc. And I'm glad other people recognize the great things Utah has to offer. I'm glad I get to benefit from and participate in those things as well.

As much as I love D.C. and the idea of the big, unknown possibilities out there in the world, I know I have a home in Provo.

Ingram Hill: New Album

I was just browsing online and guess what I found out! Ingram Hill has a new album that will be released next week on Sept. 28.

Whup Whup. The fall is the time to release new albums apparently.

So far we have Brendan James, Matt White, Ingram Hill, The Script, Taylor Swift (October 25!)...

I haven't been following these releases too closely, so please tell me if you know of any!

For now, a quick feature on Ingram Hill while we wait one week to check out the new album.

I've known about this band since about 2004 when they had one or two singles. To my knowledge that is the only broad exposure they've had. I attended their concert in Salt Lake in 2008, and it was so fun!

Their music isn't my faaavorite when it comes to general listening. But there are definitely times I'm in a good Ingram Hill mood. Plus the lead singer is way attractive with his goofy grin and Tennessean accent...and yes, he's married.

I've always had a thing for bitter break up songs, so today I'll share "On My Way." Check out the studio version if you can; this video has a bit of static.

The lyrics are kinda dramatic to the point where they are funny. Plus when you are in a break-up mood sometimes you just waaant to express negative feelings toward that person, and I love how this song releases the depth and drama of those thoughts. I remember good times listening to this song on repeat for a while after their concert. I hope you enjoy...and that I'm not the only weird person who likes break up songs! :)

(Grace: I was just thinking about your story about that song you like...This song definitely helps me relate. Haha.) 

On My Way Lyrics, by Ingram Hill
I don't want your old letters
And I don't want to be friends
I've had enough to last a lifetime
and I don't wanna go again
I don't have to find a reason
And I don't have to answer why
It doesn't matter who is wrong here
I just wanna see you cry

And on my way I'll take the sunshine
On my way I'll take your dreams
On my way I'll say I'm sorry to no one but me

Let your family know I'm leavin
Lie to your girlfriends that you're well
Call and leave a cryin' message
I wanna know it hurts like hell

And on my way I'll take the sunshine
on my way I'll take your dreams
On my way I'll say I'm sorry to no one but me
On my way I'll be my own man
And I'll only please myself
On my way my pride's the only feeling I've got left

I don't appreciate being teased

We live in a world that often seems to be taken over by technology. Everyone has a cell phone attached to them at all times. We live in a world of GPS. You can click a button and know exactly where you are and exactly what is around you and how long it will take you to get from Point A to, well, any point anywhere.

But still. I receive an e-mail. It says my package has been shipped. Lucky me; there is a tracking number. I click and guess what it tells me...

No, not the remarkably awesome details one might expect. I do not learn that my package is in the back right corner of Truck 528 that is currently traveling from Random City in Nebraska to Other Random City 200 miles away. The link does not tell me where the package has been every 3 hours for the past day.

Instead I learn that my package was PICKED UP four days ago.

What kind of tracking is that?

What has happened in the past FOUR days? Has the package remained in the same hands that retrieved it from the warehouse?

Shouldn't the tracking link provide SOME kind of information...think of the things we should be able to learn!!

But no. Instead I shall have to wait until 30 minutes after my package has arrived. Then if I get the time to click on the link again, it will probably have updated to DELIVERED.

Hopefully I'll have already figured that out myself...

I'm excited for life

I spend a fair amount of time during the day on a computer. And by fair amount, I mean at least 8 hours. Every day.

I often get excited, have random thoughts, or simply want to express something, anything, during my days. I tend to do this simply by updating my Gmail chat status in my Gmail inbox. Yes, Gmail is pretty much open all day for me.

I find that I often have a thought and then that is followed by an urge to update that status once again. Sometimes I have too many at once to accommodate. If I JUST updated, I want to give that status some live time, rather than already moving onto the next. So I've been just keeping track of some of those status urges and am now sharing them here in this blog. :) 

I am excited for life. It holds great things.

I am excited for my new work computer to arrive.

My new favorite Brendan James song is "The Lucky Ones."And I am officially in love with his new album.

I am excited to get down to business and tackle some projects I've been putting off.

I am apparently excited about a lot of things lately.

I have amazing friends and amazing people who always randomly want to be my friends. Seriously, these people are awesome, I just don't understand why they care so much about me.

I need to be more like people like that.

I am loving having new music to listen to again.

I am so looking forward to General Conference.

Things just get in the way. I want less things and more meaning in life.

I am so glad I can listen to the Brendan James album. I'm loving it.

"This time I gotta get it right, gotta get it right now, gotta get it right this time. My life is passing me by, I've got to take a deep breath and get it right."

I love that my sister sent me an e-mail reminding me of the greatness that is Pickles comics.

I now know how to respond when people question me about not liking animals. I can learn from Gramps in Pickles: "I wouldn't say I don't like cats. I'm just not particularly fond of their existence." http://comics.com/pickles/2010-07-10/

I can't be annoyed by traffic jams when they give me at least a few minutes to listen to this album all the way through.

I'm kinda obsessed with the "Boys will be Girls" YouTube videos. "I just put w, for whatevs." is currently my favorite line.

I am so grateful for life and the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves me.

I'm reading a book about the flaws in our thinking patterns...so far I have yet to agree with the book. Is my thinking flawed? Isn't everyone's?

Maybe I'll write a book...

I've decided that I want to write a book. This book would be all about...me. :P It is inspired by the words of President Uchtdorf. The tentative title could possibly be "Finding My Happily Ever After."

Up front, I have to say this is not a book about love. Nor is it about the end of all problems like the phrase often seems to indicate in the fairy tale world. Rather, stealing President Uchtdorf's words, it would use the experiences of my life to focus on how we can all be "heros and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after."

Living "happily ever after" doesn't stop at love. It continues through love and includes all the struggles of finding your place in life. I believe it means finding light and happiness through the continual trials we all face. It means continuing to progress, to encounter new experiences, to stretch yourself beyond your capabilities, to grow and come closer to being the person you want to be.


I just love Uchtdorf's talk that was given to the Young Women of the LDS Church in April 2010. If this is even possible, Uchtdorf was my general authority superstar from the last conference. I've listened to all of his talks many, many times since then, and I love the guidance and inspiration his words provide.

Some tidbits that stand out to me and that offer inspiration for my little book.


Heavenly Father has given us the gift of eternal life. But with that comes some prerequisites:
1) We have to overcome adversity.
2) Sometimes we have to experience sadness and trial.
3) Our Heavenly Father knows the path we need to follow. We have to trust him.
4)  The little things like attending Church meetings, praying or reading the scriptures are things we do because they are part of God's path, and that path will lead us to our "happily ever after" destination.


"We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way."

I've recently started using a phrase with some friends about putting trust and faith in God. You see, God has little secrets that he keeps from us sometimes. If he tells us the secret when he's not supposed to, it would ruin the surprise. Have you ever tried to keep a surprise party from someone and so desperately wanted to tell them that they are loved and perhaps something great is coming their way? I feel like Heavenly Father is like that with us sometimes. He knows what we are feeling and really wants us to know how much He loves us and the magnificent blessings that will come our way. But he can't just tell us. We have to wait and experience the surprise and joy for ourselves. Sometimes we need to stop pestering him and just keep living our lives with faith.

"Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” [all fairy tale heroins] had to experience great adversity...In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy."

This might be a book I just write for me. I've found that I love reading things I've written and being able to look back at what I was experiencing and learning at those times. I love it. I want to be better at recording the every day things I experience that teach me so much, even though I don't realize it at the time. I want to build the connections between the person I once was, the person I am, and the person I'm always striving to become.

I steal things

Today I was in a public restroom. While I was washing my hands, a Hispanic lady was washing her hands in the sink next to me. She had a friend in a stall and had said something to her, and it seemed that this lady was a pretty good English speaker.

When I try to get a paper towel, I find that my dispenser is not working. I look over at the other one and this lady is taking her time slowly drying her hands in front of it. I ask if I can squeeze in for a towel.

"Oh sure."

"Thank you!"

"Oh, I really like your purse."

Now she is complementing my red and white striped purse that I recently obtained from Susie after it spent two years stored away in a box in Virginia.

"Oh thank you."

"Where did you get it?"

"Well, I actually stole it from my sister."

BLANK STARE.

Did she not understand me? She looks kinda puzzled. At this point I realize that maybe, just maybe, this lady only understood the part that I stole it.

"Uh, I mean. It used to be my sister's so she ended up giving it to me, so I don't know where it originally came from. Yea I liked it so my sister gave it to me. I think she got it from my other sister who got it somewhere, who *bought* it somewhere. So, uh, yea I don't know where you could get one."

"Ooh. I get it."

Perhaps I need to be more careful when I tell random strangers about my stealing habits.

I had a dream...

Last night I had a dream...

I was working at my old job still, but I had already quit and was completing my final two weeks. Somehow I got really caught up in a project.

After the weekend, I return to work. I was supposed to go to my new job. But instead I forgot and went to my old job. I went in, sat down at my desk, put in my headphones, and went right to work. I was making progress on a project that was at the point in the process that I really enjoy.

My boss comes over and sits at my desk. I look over at him, say hi, and look back to my screen to work.

A couple minutes pass.

All of the sudden, my mind realizes that something is "off." My mind clears, and I start to feel a little sheepish. I look over at my boss, who has been making small talk with me. I stop him mid sentence and say, "Oh, I'm not supposed to be here, am I?"

He looks at me with a look that says..."weellllll....."

In short, I gather my stuff and quickly exit, all the while thinking about what my new job thinks about me randomly not showing up.

Luckily that didn't really happen. How embarrassing.

la la blah la la

There are a few things in life that have me a little ... hmm ... well "off" to say the least.

First of all, I'm really frustrated when people don't answer their phones. See, I get a phone call, but I can't take it at that moment. Ten minutes later I go to return the call and check my voicemail first. The person has left a 5 minute long, depressing, soft spoken message that I can't even understand but that is expressing that something is wrong and they might like my help.

I'm all for helping when I can or at least being a listening ear. I return the call. Said person does not answer their phone. By the time they finished leaving the long, depressing message, it can't be more than five minutes. I call again. They still don't answer. Instead of letting me help resolve whatever is wrong on both sides, this person has instead just passed their worries on to me. I can't do anything about it because they won't answer their phone and I am instead left to deal with their problems on my own. What exactly is wrong? I don't know. But for some reason I have to be informed that there is some kind of problem that I now feel some sort of responsibility to address. But wait...I  can't even begin to address it.

I'm probably making this too big of a deal but it's seriously really draining!

If you leave someone a message like that, you should be prepared to receive a return phone call as soon as possible. Ulg, it's just rude.

I feel like I'm being a big downer.  Luckily I have great friends who are always encouraging me to be positive, and I have the words of modern day apostles and prophets to listen to help me have faith and strength to keep going through life. (Yes, that's what I'm doing right now. I love Elder Holland and President Uchtdorf.)

Those are some of the best things that help me when I feel like my inadequacies are pulling me down and keeping me from doing the things I so desperately want to do and accomplish on a daily basis.

Blah, sorry this is a laaame post. On a better note, I successfully made a parmesan chicken recipe that my sister shared. It was amazing. And I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Yea!

New Albums from Old(ish) Favorite Artists

I love finding new artists. Usually I dedicate a considerable amount to time to that each summer. Other things have occupied my time these past several months. Hey, that's life.

But the great thing is that some of these lesser known artists are actually coming out with new albums. Yay! I get new music without having to discover new people. (Although I never really minded that.)

So, in my recent resolve to return to blogging, I want to share some new music that I'm excited about.

Today I am sharing: Brendan James.

This guy was included in my second concert I went to ever--back in 2008. (Yea, I got a late start.) There were three people performing at this concert and I liked all three but Brendan James was probably who I was least excited about...But who ended up impressing me the most. I bought his cd online a couple weeks later and fell in love even more.

My favorite song is Green. I know all the lyrics. :) 


This was my first time watching this video...I'm not sure what I think.

Another thing to note: This guy can HUM! Seriously. he is the best hummer I have ever heard. When he hums, I melt. OK, it's not really a "hum" ... let me try to show you what I mean.



The delightful sound you hear at the beginning is just one example of the amazingness...

And the point of this post. Brendan James had a new album come out last week. I've actually only listened to the songs maybe once. It seems to have a bit of a different feel, but I think I could get used to it. I'm debating if I should use some of my free Amazon credits (yes from Swagbucks) to purchase it. Hmm....

Here's one song from his album. It's the only decent YouTube video I could find. Also check out his myspace page to listen to all the new songs on his new album. 

My update on 2010.

I AM going to post more often. I love blogging and I love social media so it seems really lame that I haven't been participating much at all...especially in comparison to my old habits. (P.S. Any of that outlandish talk about going private is now out of my system...although a blog redesign might be in store.) 

I'm currently on my lunch break at work. I ate my leftovers from dinner yesterday and called my sister Christianne because I haven't talked to her in a bit. I had some errands to run, but I think I'll accomplish those during lunch tomorrow. So I stayed in the office reading a couple articles, catching up on some e-mails, and now, writing a blog. 

There are a lot of different things I want to focus on in life right now. I just perused my post about my 2010 goals. Some are completely out of the question for being accomplished now, but I like that there are some things I have done.

Currently I'm focusing on...
 
#16 Read more often. I made a visit to the library last week where I picked up "Mormon Scientist," "Oliver Twist" and "The Peacegiver." (It's kinda a random assortment but what on my list was available.)


#14 Be less shy; more vulnerable My ward this past year has been a great environment for me to open up more and be more confident and friendly with everyone around me. I feel that because I was so easily accepted into the social aspects, I have been able to more confidently accept who I am, quirks and all, and ease into a place where I am more able to use my positive traits to serve the people around me. As far as vulnerable goes, I also think I've encountered more situations where I have to take risks, let my soul be unprotected for a bit. It's been good, and I definitely think these situations have been (and continue to be) things that, for me, are necessary to continue progressing, moving past hard situations, and encountering new experiences. 


#18. Always remember that I am a strong, confident daughter of Heavenly Father. I can do hard things. I can accomplish great dreams. I can be the person I want to be. This one is more ongoing. This is my personal motto that I have to remind myself to remember. Sometimes I forget...but then it comes back. 



Things I HAVE accomplished:

#3. Double my current savings. Yay! I also payed off my car so I am completely, 100% free of debt. I wasn't sure about this one when I quit my job, but I had actually met this goal by May so I was doing well. :)

#13. Write Susie a real letter once every other week for the remainder of her mission. Oh, and make her a mission scrapbook. OK I didn't REAALLY write a "real letter" every other week. But I did write her substantial emails every week...which, as I've come to learn, were some of the most popular in the mission and MAY HAVE on more than one occasion been forwarded around the mission. Sigh. 


Oh, and I did make her scrapbook...although we have the last few months to finish. Maybe I'll post about this scrapbook sometime because it freaking rocks! 



Things I WON'T accomplish:

#6. Scrapbook 1 hour each week. (I'm SO behind!) Have I scrapbooked once this year?? I don't think so. Wait, yes I have. Once for myself and for Susie's scrapbook. booyaah. 

#11. Write in my journal once a week. If my success at blogging is any indication...yea this hasn't happened. Althoooough, I can probably turn Susie's weekly emails into a journal. Ah-ha, maybe I'm more successful than I though.

#4. Travel outside the country. Right now, I don't see this happening. I also lost my passport (horrible I know), so I need to replace it. And I've had at least 3 horrible dreams about desperately needing my passport at the last minute. I'm using those as a sign to apply for a new one...I just haven't gotten around to it. 

#12. Make monthly goals, meet monthly challenges. Each month has probably had its own goals and stuff...but I wasn't consciously doing this...

#17. Attend the temple at least once a month. (I tried for once a week for a while last year but missed a few, so this is more safe.) I haven't been horrible, but I have missed a month...aag.


Things I haven't done but that are possible: (Yep, so I'm saayinng there's a chance.)

1. Officially start HS2COLLEGE. Prepare at least one 8-page publication.

2. Learn to more effectively build a Web site. I manage my work's website currently, so that pretty much means that counts for this goal.

5. Publish five articles or posts on other sites or publications. Another thing I can use work stuff for...I've currently written for our own site, Utah Valley Magazine and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. I have a couple articles for the Church Magazines...and I'll try to submit stuff around.

7. Build my personal brand and network for future career opportunities. Part of this is blogging and tweeting more often. I also want to build my editorial and high school journalism focus online.

8. Post on HS2COLLEGE site every day for a month.

9. Create two video or podcast posts.

10. Automate my finances.

15. Take a cycling class

Flying by...

Today is September 1. There are only four months left in 2010. That is a little hard for me to comprehend.

Last September I attempted to blog every day of the month. It was kinda hard. And then I only posted once in October and a couple times in November. I haven't been much of a blogge for the past little while, but it wasn't until I realized today was September that I made the connection that it has been AN ENTIRE YEAR since I completed that challenge. Wow.

That FLEW by...

I don't know why but it's tough to comprehend that a whole year has gone by. That's 365 days; 12 months. 

Last month I also celebrated my one-year friendiversary with my dear Whitney Allen. We met last year during the first week that we moved into the ward and have been pretty much inseperably since. Our ward started announcing our ward campout, which was the first activity we went to together last year. We had come a full circle within the ward.

When we first became friends, we were so connected that everyone always asked how long we had known each other before that ward. We'd simply reply. Oh, we just met. It was great. She is amazing. So during those first few months, it seemed as though we had known each other for forever...but then we'd stop and think, "I didn't even know you six weeks ago."

Now it seems SO WEIRD that we have already known each other a year. It's like we are supposed to still be new friends, but we are definitely crossing over into the "old friends" zone.

Time has flown...but it's definitely flown with flair. It's been a fantastic year.


Some pictures honoring the one year of friendship...Yea...I'm cheesy. :)

Deciphering My Color

So I recently re-took the color code test. I think it may have been a simplier one. I wasn't too surprised by my result, but I do have representation of each color in my results. My strongest color is blue, with white as a close second, then red, then yellow. (I'm just not fun-loving at all. :P)

I typically agree with those results. However, I do recognize that there are definitely so faults in the whole quizzing system. I think those taking the quiz...or maybe it's just me...will often judge themself too harshly in some areas, without enough consideration for some traits, and overall create a complete bias in the quiz results.

For example: The past two people I have asked to guess my colors have both replied: Red and yellow.

My results were very clearly blue and white!!

Why is there a descrepency in my personal results and how others view me??

I suppose that is something I will now have to resolve to discover.

So, let me know. What colors would YOU use to describe the lovely Karianne Salisbury?

 * RED (Motive: POWER)—These are the power wielders. Power: the ability to move from point A to point B and get things done, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership and generally are responsible, decisive, proactive and assertive.


* BLUE (Motive: INTIMACY)—These are the do-gooders. Intimacy: connecting, creating quality relationships and having purpose, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of quality and service and are generally loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.

* WHITE (Motive: PEACE)—These are the peacekeepers. Peace: the ability to stay calm and balanced even in the midst of conflict, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable, and good-listeners.

* YELLOW (Motive: Fun)—These are the fun lovers. Fun: the joy of living life “in the moment”, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of enthusiasm and optimism and are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.

still debating and updates

So folks, I'm still debating on going private. In some ways it entirely conflicts with some of my thoughts, but there are some things I want to post about but not so broadly. I have an original name and my blog frequently shows up with any sort of search related to me. I don't mind random people reading, but part of me believes my online identity should remain focused on other things. Lots of people blog and have no problems, but there are lots of sources that frequently point to mine. So yes, things to debate in my mind.

With that, straight to other news. I'll hopefully expand on this later, but here's a quick update that many of you are probably aware of. I officially quit my job this month—the job I have been at for the past two years. It was kinda a terrifying experience for me because I've never quit a job of any kind before and there were so many factors involved. However, the past couple weeks have not gone as I planned. My "plan" upon quitting was considerably altered and after considering two additional job offers, I started in a new position today.

Yes, today was my first day in a new position for a new company. I filled out some paperwork, did a little bit of training, and quickly got to work. One of my first tasks was sending out the weekly email newsletter to the whole organization. This newsletter also shared a little blurb about me, so I thought I'd share.

We also have a new Communications Director: Karianne Salisbury. Karianne is a writer, graphic and layout designer, social media guru, and an editor. I hope you will join me in welcoming Karianne, who started today. I believe that we can and must communicate better; we need to be clear and timely with updates on education opportunities, changes in the economy, tools from NAR, ways social media can improve your business, and provide local economic development and transportation and construction updates, to name a few. Karianne is poised to do this and more.

I'll give more details and more about the story of the transition in my life. For now, I'm back to work and further debating my blog's privacy settings. :P

Hello friends!

Hello, hello and happy July! So my life has recently taken an exciting turn of events and does involve a lot of changes.

A lot of these changes are leading me towards making a certain decision that is something I never even wanted to consider.

THIS blog may be going...ahh...private.

Oh man, that hurt to type.

Note the "this" emphasis. I'm currently in a position where I really want to develop my professional brand and who I personally am in the world of writing, editing, journalism and publishing. To do so, I will be upping my presence online in terms of my blog posting, twitter usage, etc.

In the past, this blog has been a mirage of my personal life (but not so much lately) and a bit of my professional interests, which has included anything from music, to personal branding, to writing, editing, journalism, career whateverness...well, you've seen my posts.

Also, I want to do better at updating my friends and family at the fun and exciting things I get to do everyday. Plus about the decisions I get to make and the adventures I get to face.

In order to do this, I'm prooobably going to make this blog private and transfer my professional focus to a new domain.

Grammar Girl Widget

Wow, I am really excited.

Why?

Because I just added the Grammar Girl widget to my left sidebar. Whup whup. I'm a big fan of Grammar Girl and regularly either read her posts or listen to her podcasts. I also own her book, "Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." It is also very likely that I will soon own her second book, "The Grammar Devotional," sometime in the near future.

*Did I mention that I'm purchasing books, movies, and music all the time now for FREE? Yes, you should all check out Swagbucks. (AND JOIN THROUGH MY LINK SO I GET A REFERRAL.) Honestly, even if I didn't get referrals, I would still recommend this site. (Check out my post and explanation of the site when I started.) I personally choose to spend my swagbucks on Amazon gift cards that I spend on the items I listed above. Yay.

Back to grammar.

Oh, AND, if I ever get a chance to teach a high school journalism class, I would definitely use this reference in the classroom.

Soo...if any of you are as excited as I am—and you should be—just scroll down a tiny bit and THERE IT WILL BE. Right there in my left sidebar. It has taken the place of the outdated Summer Songs 2009 music playlist that has not actually shown up since Imeem shut down. (That was a very sad day. Plus now Lala is dying, which means I am dying too. Come on music industry!)

What will it do? Why, I am so glad you asked.

The widget will display the titles and play the audio clips for the ten most recent episodes of the Grammar Girl podcast show. Users clicking the “Listen” button in the widget as it appears on my site will be able to listen to the complete podcast episode without leaving my blog.

That's right—you don't even have to leave my blog. You can stay all day long. You can read all of my years and years of entries. What? I'm the only one that occassionally does that? I guess I can accept that.

Yes, I am very busy right now. I am only distracting myself from the craziness that is life by posting about perhaps the most insignificant thing I did today. Perhaps you'll get to know about the significant things in...meh, two weeks? Maybe three. OK, maybe four, just to be safe. :)

a quick update

I am not doing well at my blogging lately, but here are just a couple quick updates on the life of Karianne.

1. I am running my first race of any kind this Satuday—Race for the Cure in Salt Lake. We have a team with people in my ward who are running for a girl in my ward with cancer right now.

2. Last Saturday I attended yet another dance workshop at the Repertory Dance Theater in Salt Lake. The blisters on my toes were the worse they'd ever been so I was little worried about my upcoming race. But here it is Wednesday and while there are still dark circles on the bottoms of my toes, they don't hurt. I think my 3.2 mile run shall go smoothly.

3. I am experiencing my first week as the 1st counselor in my Relief Society. Yes, I was a little surprised at the call. We have an entirely new presidency and a ton of new girls (recent boundary changes), so we have a bit of work to do to hit the ground running. Plus many of the girls who were moved out of our ward with the change were in callings in our Relief Society. So as the education counselor, you can bet I was THRILLED to find that we have NO teachers and NO music people for the Sunday meetings. I had called the one remaining teacher we thought we had left to make sure she was still teaching the lesson this Sunday. She called back saying she had decided to move randomly and would be leaving this Thursday. She would come back to teach for us, but she was also going to be out of town for a wedding. After calling both the listed pianist and music coordinator, I found that they both had been released in JANUARY. But I'm happy to say that I have a teacher and music for Sunday already. Whew. Hopefully this becomes smoother soon.

4. I am deciding where to live come August. I realize it will jump up on me faster than I realize...but hey, that's life. I've been leaning towards moving lately, but we shall see. It seems like just when I get comfortable in my new calling, I might have to move. Hmmm...

5. There are so many other things that I'm not comfortable discussing on here anymore. Several factors play into that.

6. Susie, my sister missionary, (take that either way) is returning August 6th. You can bet I am excited. Mckay will be coming to BYU for summer term in June. I am also excited about that. I am planning to go out to Virginia in August for Susie's return. Some friends and I are discussing a big road trip, buuut it might take more time than I have available. I do have some built-up PTO to use, but again, many factors play into that.

7. I turned 24 last month. I had a WONDERFUL birthday and was so pleasantly surprised by all the people who showed up to celebrate with me. I loved and appreciated so much everything everyone did for me.

8. La la lalala. That is all for here.

Hello my friends

Hello my friends. Hello the long lost blogging world. Yes, who would have thought that my presence here would have diminished so greatly so quickly. Actually, I have been blogging—once a week at Creative Juices (just remembered I have to post tomorrow :P). So that takes my blogging attention, as does the upkeep of my sister's mission blog.

I need to come back. I can feel it. I have books I want to read and write about. I have topics that I would love to share. I've just been keeping busy. But my return is coming, just you wait. I actually thought a bit about my writing and editing experience lately. Honestly, I think I'm pretty good at what I do. Yes, that might include a very small niche, but I love it and love doing it, learning more about it, sharing tidbits with others, teaching it... I was about to say that it just comes naturally to me—but I guess that's true and not true. I've always enjoyed it, but I've also studied a lot and learned a lot through experience, reading, studying, and classes. So where I am has taken a ton of training, but it hasn't really seemed like training.

I am long-winded on here, I know. I actually just took the GMAT. I haven't publicly announced this to a lot of people, but it's been taking a lot of my time lately. I actually REALLY enjoyed studying for it, as strange as that seems. I haven't done any real math classes (not counting physics, stats, etc.) since the beginning of high school. But I love doing that math. Figuring out formulas, seeing patterns, manipulating data so you understand what it's saying, and then solving for answers... I've really enjoyed reading about the types of math problems, and then practicing, practicing, practicing until I know exactly what I'm doing and how to solve them. I get excited and it's fun. I might just continue practicing even now that's it's over....

I didn't study at all for the verbal section, which is made up of sentence correction problems, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning. This is kinda what I do everyday, so I wasn't really worried—nothing in comparison to all the math that needed major reviewing. However, I was still really surprised (but oh so thankful) that I did amazing on this section of the test. The 99th percentile amazing. Is there actually a 100th percentile? I wondered that. The test is adaptive, so I could tell that it was getting pretty difficult. But man, it felt good to be able to go into those questions, knowing my stuff, and knock each of those wrong answers out of the running.

I've found in the business world, these verbal skills aren't that commonly found. I went to a few prep classes, and I'd be the only one to get all the questions right in the reviews. I even had students come up to ask me questions, and one even asked me to edit all of his assignments for his business communication class. I know I have a real advantage in that regard, and I'm hoping to be able to use it—especially to possibly help train and teach others. I really like doing that kind of stuff.

Anyways, I've lost my purpose in writing this. I suppose it's just my first step in getting back to blogging. I need to write more. But I also need to do that aside from my random blog babblings. I actually have a renowned goal to publish an article in some magazine. What should I write about? For what publication?? Ideas, people, ideas. I need them.

Ok. I'll won't tempt you to keep enduring this. Some of you are nice enough to keep reading through my ramblings even when I'm sure most, and probably me as well, would have stopped after the first graph. (BTW "graph" is short for "paragraph" in the editing world. I'm always paranoid someone will be off looking for the infamous graph with 4 columns and rows and not be able to find it.

P.S. Guess what's in a month minus two days. AAAAHHH

Yes, I use Swagbucks

Well, about two months ago I finally joined the ranks of Swagbucks users. I'd heard about it for a while in the blogosphere but didn't ever want to sign up—I guess I simply wasn't motivated and didn't understand.

Put simply, you earn Swagbucks by searching the Web and can redeem those points for gift cards and prizes. I have probably earned enough for about $20 of Amazon gift cards, just for searching the Web. I think the most important thing to remember is you can simply use Swagbucks for things you already do anyways.

Things I've Come to Understand:
*You don't have to search for Swagbucks, the site awards them to you as you do your normal searching. (I still prefer the main Google search, but for the most part searching through Swagbucks meets my needs.)

*It might not seem like much at first, but it adds up quickly and you are rewarded for normal activity.

*The Swagbucks toolbar is essential to remind you to search through Swagbucks, plus gives messages for special codes you can redeem for extra points.

*Just searching is only the first layer of Swagbucks. There are tons of Special Offers that offer you points for things you probably use anyways. Signing up for Snapfish (photo printing) gives you 45 points. Making a purchase on GoDaddy (Web domain) gives you 150 points. Using VistaPrint (online business cards and printing) gives you 150 points. I haven't signed up for all of these yet, but ALL are things I've been planning to do before I got Swagbucks. If I sign up, I can redeem 350 points which could give me about $25 for a gift card of my choice, or to use to purchase music, t.v. episodes, and more. Did I mention that I'd get back more money than I'll actually spend at those sites?

*Although the times that you win can vary, I typically plan on getting at least 3 rewards a day: morning, afternoon, evening. If it's been a while since I've won, I'll search and usually win on the first one or two entries.

*You also get points (Swagbucks I should say) for shopping online. You get a certain amount of points for however much you spend. Heard of iTunes, Walmart, or 1800Contacts?? I use all regularly, and all qualify you for points.

I get some extra Swagbucks for referrals, so if you are interested, please check it out and sign up from my link. Ask me questions, and I'll try to answer.

2010 Goals

I just posted my first post of the year. It seems like it was my first post in like...3 months. And no, I'm not going to check the actual date.

But this was the first time I saw the date at the top—Jan. 4, 2010. Why is it always weird for the first time? I haven't even written it down yet. More fun will come I'm sure.

Last year (2008) I did a list of my top 10 experiences. I briefly thought about doing it again for 2009 but didn't feel motivated yet. Reading mine from 2008 offered a little bit of encouragement though. I'm not usually a big resolution person either. I like making goals and to-do lists but I've never been too serious about New Year's Resolutions.

Today I got a little kick and started writing down some things I hope to accomplish this year. So maybe these aren't resolutions but these are my goals for 2010, in no particular order.

1. Officially start HS2COLLEGE. Prepare at least one 8-page publication.

2. Learn to more effectively build a Web site.

3. Double my current savings.

4. Travel outside the country.

5. Publish five articles or posts on other sites or publications.

6. Scrapbook 1 hour each week. (I'm SO behind!)

7. Build my personal brand and network for future career opportunities. (I have specific ideas and steps for this.)

8. Post on HS2COLLEGE site every day for a month.

9. Create two video or podcast posts.

10. Automate my finances. (Based on my reading the book "I Will Teach You to Be Rich.")

11. Write in my journal once a week.

12. Make monthly goals, meet monthly challenges.

13. Write Susie a real letter once every other week for the remainder of her mission. Oh, and make her a mission scrapbook.

14. Try to be less shy, awkward in situations. Let myself be vulnerable more often.

15. Take a cycling class. (I still never have!)

16. Read more often.

17. Attend the temple at least once a month. (I tried for once a week for a while last year but missed a few, so this is more safe.)

18. Always remember that I am a strong, confident daughter of Heavenly Father. I can do great things. I can accomplish great dreams. I can be the person I want to be.

OK, I have a few others. And several of these are very vague for now. But that's that. I also love my sister's 2010 motto "No Junk." I want to get rid of lots of random stuff, plus be more controlling of my entertainment and how I spend my time. I'm hoping to address this type of stuff in monthly goals each month.

My views on grammar and usage

When it comes to modern language usage, especially concerning any technology-related terms, I get slightly frustrated with those who make claims like "'Text' is not a verb," implying a speaker cannot say "I'll text you the information." Instead a speaker would have to say, for example, "I'll send you a text message with the information." (Don't even consider using any forbidden slang terms like "info.") In the second example, the verb is now "send," while the noun "text message" is acting as a direct object. (Get crazy and shorten that to "text.") "You" is then the indirect object, and "with the information" is a prepositional phrase. ...Oh dear, I've let my 7th grade sentence dissection exercises lead me off track. *Focusing*

I admit. I am a decriptivist as far as grammarians go—if you can bring yourself to even slightly consider me a grammarian. And I just realized I have a much easier time identifying myself based on my views of grammar and English usage than I do on my views of political issues. In the world of grammarians, with many stereotypically described with a better-than-thou motivation to find every—any—mistake, I often feel as though I am the minority fighting for my voice to be heard, struggling for my beliefs to be understood, accepted, maybe respected. But the bombardment of those screaming "Y-O-U-apostrophe-R-E means 'you are.' Y-O-U-R means 'your" (Oh wait, that was Ross in "Friends") tends to overshadow my stubborn statements of "Yes, 'texted' can be used as a past tense verb of 'text'" or my response "I'm good." to questions of how I'm doing.



No, I'm not saying you don't need to use an apostrophe and the extra "e" in "you're" or to not bother distinguishing between "there," "their," and "they're." While I'm not sure how to exactly determine what will eternally be right and wrong in overall usage of a language, there are accepted styles of language for various settings that you simply have to conform to. (Well I suppose you don't HAVE to.) But to be taken seriously academically and in job interviews, there is one form of "correct" language and to be taken seriously in another setting, there is different form. I for one embrace the fact that I can speak differently than I write in a professional setting. That my academic writing differs from my writing on my blog. That I can speak one way with my friends and another with subject experts. That every day I can make up words and opt to include usage I wouldn't dream of in another setting.

I have control of my language.

Do you remember your teachers telling you to never start a sentence with "and"? Or the dramatics of the apostasy that follows if you split an infinitive? No doubt these teachers also emphasized that a preposition should never end a sentence. These "hard-and-fast rules" reflect years of trying to control a language and fit it in a mold. (I love that I listed these three examples and then found all three mentioned in an article entitled "Three Grammar Rules You Can (And Should) Break.")

There may be some individuals somewhere who still insist on these rules. Maybe. Perhaps some nitpicky teachers are still teaching them. Perhaps. But really what is the point? Sooner or later, students and language users realize that the contorted, un-split sentence is awkward and, hey, look around, people are splitting the heck out of infinitives left and right. Nevermind that not ending a sentence with a preposition is a rule that really has nothing to do with the preposition but instead wants to get rid of unnecessary words. ("I have no idea where this rule came from" is fine. "Where are you at?" might be better as "Where are you?")

Forrester: Paragraph three starts...with a conjunction, "and." You should never start a sentence with a conjunction.

Jamal: Sure you can.

Forrester: No, it's a firm rule.

Jamal: No, it was a firm rule. Sometimes using a conjunction at the start of a sentence makes it stand out. And that may be what the writer's trying to do.

Forrester: And what is the risk?

Jamal: Well the risk is doing it too much. It's a distraction. And it could give your piece a run-on feeling. But for the most part, the rule on using "and" or "but" at the start of a sentence is pretty shaky. Even though it's still taught by too many professors. Some of the best writers have ignored that rule for years, including you.

Maybe this is all a result of the English language completely and definitely going down the drain. The teenagers are ruining it! Text messaging and e-mail will be the end of all that was good and all that we cherished!

...

Calm down people. Yes, here is where my passion for descriptive grammar steps in. I think I pretty regularly make conscious decisions about what I say and how I use the English language. That's right, once again, I do my research, choose my side and proceed to respond "I'm good" to the question "How are you?"

How many times have you heard "Ain't ain't a word, and you ain't supposed to say it." But is it not widely used informally? I don't personally use "ain't" on a regular basis, but I love belting "Ain't it a shame that every time you hear my name you can't think straight" with Kellie Pickler like any country music-loving gal. No, technically "ain't" may not be a word in standard usage, but it's everywhere and can't be denied. It might drive some people crazy, but who can say that "ain't" can't be a "proper" word? Why were "haven't," "who's," "doesn't" and "you're" chosen, but "ain't" left behind?

P.S. This is not me advocating for a wider use of "ain't." I'm just saying.

I just discovered yet another book to add to my To-Read list: "The Lexicographer's Dilemma
The Evolution of English from Shakespeare to South Park. " The author, Jack Lynch, is a professor of English at Rutgers University and was the editor of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary. From what I've read thus far, he describes how we got "proper English" and that grammar isn't made up of rules or laws like the law of gravity or those against thefts. Instead they are fallible by people and subject to change.

"Most of these [rules of English] probably describe the speech habits of of some class of people, once upon a time. It will tend to be the upper class of people a generation or two ago. And that's what many people decided proper English is," says Jack Lynch.

Stated simply, I advocate for grammar usage based on the needs and desires of the people who use the language. I embrace language change and get excited when those changes evolve, are identified, and then accepted. Disregarding various opinions and arguments of whether those changes are for the better or worse, I appreciate the notion of a group of people taking control of their own lives—in this case language. Language as a whole should embrace change, especially those reflective of a current culture and lifestyle.