Anthony Spano on: Spelling and Grammar

Hello, my good friends.

The command of the English language of American citizens is appalling. High school and college students bastardize the English language every day. I understand that English is easily the hardest language in the world to learn and master, but you hear it every day. Please learn to speak in a way that doesn't make you look like a total asshole.

I blame social media. One person speaks like an idiot, and it spreads like an STD. Now we actually have people saying things like "swag" and "doe" and "What's gucci?". ("Doe" is said in place of "though". We aren't speaking about female deer...)

Your = possession
You're = you are
There = over there
Their = possession of them
They're = they are

Supposably should almost never be used. You mean to say supposedly.

Spelling in this country is horrendous. Admittedly, I am a dominant speller. In seventh grade, I won my class, grade, and school spelling bee. I went to Brooklyn for a district-wide spelling bee, and won that. I went to the citywide spelling bee and placed in the top 50. I even got a lovely jacket for going so far that I promptly threw away because it was pretty embarrassing. I'm not asking for linguistics majors, though. I'm just asking people to learn how to spell routinely used words.

Nobody is asking you to spell antidisestablishmentarianism.

Thanks.

Anthony Spano

Where I Am and Where I'm Going

To all zero people that will read this:

I don't exactly know why I'm writing a blog. I guess it's because I'm bored. I would also like to capture my thoughts at the current time because when I write a memoir, everything is right here. Nobody will read that either, but they should. My perspective is pretty interesting.

I am currently a junior at the infinitely prestigious College of Staten Island. I left The College of New Jersey after my freshman year, and not a day has gone by that I haven't regretted it. The problems that I had at TCNJ don't hold a candle to the monotony of life on Staten Island. On the plus side, I have pushed myself to graduate a year early. I am also working on an Honors thesis, pursuing membership into Psi Chi, and en route to graduating Magna Cum Laude. In three years. That's pretty clutch.

I need a job in a big way. I'm currently training young kids in the art of soccer, and it might be one of the most rewarding things I could possibly be doing. Seeing a young kid master something you've worked your ass off to teach them is something I'll always enjoy. I love little boys and girls, and I obviously mean that in the least perverted way possible. I want to be a role model. I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

I don't drink. I don't smoke. As both become more acceptable, I find myself as a member of the overwhelming minority. That's fine with me. Say what you want, but at the end of the day, I'm graduating in three years with a GPA hovering around the 3.8 mark.

I stopped playing organized sports. Playing on St. Peter's varsity soccer team killed any thrill of competition for me. Being a "scholar" meant that I couldn't be an athlete, or have a shred of athletic ability. Obviously, the people who assumed this are the same people that won't be graduating from college. However, you name a sport, and I will play it. I love sports. I love the Steelers, like the Yankees and the Jets (Winnipeg, not New York), and hate basketball.

In school and in sports, I hold myself to the highest possible standard. Nothing less than perfect is good enough. Say what you want, but I give 110% in everything that I do. 

I hope I don't sound pompous or arrogant. That isn't my intent, and it is far from my personality. I have insecurities the same as everyone else. I focus more on these than I do my successes. My pessimism and cynicism suck, but that's who I am and how I think. I wish I could change it, but I can't.

Hope you enjoyed.

Anthony Spano