My Take on Grammar

            Grammar is something that changes from decade to decade. Much of what is written now would have shocked the people of the 1900s. Should we stick to the “proper” forms of grammar, or open our doors to new and improved ways of writing?

            A great fun fact is that the reason for many of the grammar rules that have existed, and then died a horrible death, is because many of the people who had their hand in standardizing the English language wanted to model it after Latin. However, English is not Latin by any means and created these crazy rules that did not allow English’s true Anglo-Saxon roots flow.

            Truthfully, I tend to lean towards the traditional ways of grammar. I absolutely love the Oxford comma, otherwise known as the serial comma, but I know that it is not used in many forms of writing such as AP format and the journalism field.

            The Grammar Girl book is fabulous; it presents grammar in a way that is not intimidating to someone who might not have a need to take an excess of grammar classes in school. I appreciate her “quick and dirty tips”; however, I feel that some are just laziness.

            That is completely my opinion! When I am writing in a formal voice I hold myself to a much higher standard. I tend to overdue my grammar so I have the option of pulling it back if I want.

            I think Grammar Girl has a valid point; much of our grammar is insane and learning these quick tips will help us in a pinch, but I do not think it is a substitute for the real thing.

            Grammar needs to be taught every year, during every grade, no exceptions, no matter what subject you will go on to study. I think my last class all about grammar was freshmen year of high school, and I can tell you this much: freshmen are never masters at anything except making mistakes. 

            I remember being in high school and wondering why all my papers had “comma splice” written all over it. I had no idea what a comma splice was and my teacher did not go over it. It wasn't until I looked it up and taught myself proper usage that I began to use commas correctly.

            Just remember that grammar has areas that based on the style of the writer. Be creative and let the words flow! 

A Fake Business Overview

What makes a good business? Where exactly do I start? These are some of the questions that many first time business owners have probably asked themselves.

I, for one, am not the business owner type. I know this. I have no desire to start a business. It is not because I think I am going to fail, only because I have no real passion for it.

My fake business is just enough for me. My fake business for class will be my outlet for seeing if this wacky idea that occurred to my friends and I over dinner is really worth it, but most likely it will just be an idea and never come to fruition.

My idea for a business is to have a restaurant where you can play video games. Much like a Dave and Busters, this place will feature good food and a good time with family and friends.

I have no idea what it would cost to start something like this up: $10,000? $50,000? $100,000? I am not sure. But, what I do know is that there is a market out there for this.

How many times, if you play video games, have you sat with your friends eating food and having fun? A lot, right? I think a place like this could really shine, in that regard.

Now, what makes this business different from just ordering out and being in the comfort of your own home is that you can have parties, tournaments, and bring your own games and gear.

How will we get guests to leave so others can enjoy the fun? Well, renting a room could be an option. If your dinner stops but your fun does, renting a game room would be the next step.

The food, I hope, would be reasonable; anywhere from $5-$20. Again, I have no idea what I should charge for these fake meals, so I am just going off what sounds reasonable to me. Of course there will be a bar which will have drinks from $5-$9 with specials running several nights out of the week.

I was thinking that there should be a gaming fee; a couple dollars for insurance purposes. It really bothers me that places like Dave and Busters has you pay for tokens; you are already paying for a full meal! So having a small charge to keep up on the up keep of the consoles, games, maintenance, etc. of the items is reasonable.

Overall, this idea is pretty cool. Would I ever make it a reality? No, because I am not too crazy about owning my own business. But, it is nice to map it out and be creative with a fake business.