Arial is a Horrible Font: A Good Font Means a Lot
So, I don't know if you've noticed this, but Arial is the default font for like everything.
This is a problem for me, because I hate Arial. I mean, I really hate it. Like, I like black licorice more than I like Arial and black licorice makes me gag. I mean, that's probably why I like Blogger so much; it doesn't use Arial. I can't stand Arial; It's so round and obtrusive. The problem is that there are so many things written in so many different fonts (and a lot of things written in Arial, frustratingly) on the Internet. So every time you think you've escaped every thing that uses Arial it pops up out of nowhere and attacks you - like that giant alligator in that movie about that giant alligator who lived in a lake and ate cows.
Now, I know that all of this mean literally nothing to most of the people who are going to read this blog (especially the part about the alligator). But, as someone who writes a lot, I can tell you that a good font means a lot. The way I see it, a good font should be very understated, plain, and discrete. Which is why I can't stand Arial, it's so big and loud that it takes up all the space that should be filled with thoughts. That's the problem. There are certain fonts that just sap your creative energy, and Arial is one of them. When I was a lot younger, I liked to use 'fun' fonts like Comic Sans MS. But, that's not an acceptable font to use in most situations, and, since I've gotten older I've found that I like it less and less anyway.
The obvious solution to this is to use Times New Roman, which is pretty neutral, but I have bad experiences with Times New Roman. When I was in high school, I had a teacher who was so fanatic about MLA format that she would take off points from your paper if you forgot to change the default font in the header from Cambria to Times New Roman. It was like .25 points off your paper for every letter in Cambria or something crazy like that. Seriously!
So, as a result of that, I really hate Times New Roman. Unfortunately, a lot of professors require that you use it in college, although most aren't fanatical enough about it to take points off for it. Actually, I have a professor this semester who talked for 5 minutes about how he didn't understand why students used 1.5 spacing instead of 2 point spacing, but then went on to say that it really didn't matter or affect your grade in any way.
Facepalm.
But in any case I've been traumatized by Times New Roman. So, now, sometimes, I leave my header in Cambria on purpose, just for the heck of it. Once or twice, I've turned in whole papers typed in Cambria font, just for spite. And when I turn it in, I count in my mind the number of MLA formatting rules I'm breaking and I just smile to myself. Once, I even drew a teeny tiny alligator above one of my page numbers.
That's how you rebel in the English department.
Just sayin'
This is a problem for me, because I hate Arial. I mean, I really hate it. Like, I like black licorice more than I like Arial and black licorice makes me gag. I mean, that's probably why I like Blogger so much; it doesn't use Arial. I can't stand Arial; It's so round and obtrusive. The problem is that there are so many things written in so many different fonts (and a lot of things written in Arial, frustratingly) on the Internet. So every time you think you've escaped every thing that uses Arial it pops up out of nowhere and attacks you - like that giant alligator in that movie about that giant alligator who lived in a lake and ate cows.
Now, I know that all of this mean literally nothing to most of the people who are going to read this blog (especially the part about the alligator). But, as someone who writes a lot, I can tell you that a good font means a lot. The way I see it, a good font should be very understated, plain, and discrete. Which is why I can't stand Arial, it's so big and loud that it takes up all the space that should be filled with thoughts. That's the problem. There are certain fonts that just sap your creative energy, and Arial is one of them. When I was a lot younger, I liked to use 'fun' fonts like Comic Sans MS. But, that's not an acceptable font to use in most situations, and, since I've gotten older I've found that I like it less and less anyway.
The obvious solution to this is to use Times New Roman, which is pretty neutral, but I have bad experiences with Times New Roman. When I was in high school, I had a teacher who was so fanatic about MLA format that she would take off points from your paper if you forgot to change the default font in the header from Cambria to Times New Roman. It was like .25 points off your paper for every letter in Cambria or something crazy like that. Seriously!
So, as a result of that, I really hate Times New Roman. Unfortunately, a lot of professors require that you use it in college, although most aren't fanatical enough about it to take points off for it. Actually, I have a professor this semester who talked for 5 minutes about how he didn't understand why students used 1.5 spacing instead of 2 point spacing, but then went on to say that it really didn't matter or affect your grade in any way.
Facepalm.
But in any case I've been traumatized by Times New Roman. So, now, sometimes, I leave my header in Cambria on purpose, just for the heck of it. Once or twice, I've turned in whole papers typed in Cambria font, just for spite. And when I turn it in, I count in my mind the number of MLA formatting rules I'm breaking and I just smile to myself. Once, I even drew a teeny tiny alligator above one of my page numbers.
That's how you rebel in the English department.
Just sayin'
I think MLA format should require a tiny alligator drawing in the header.
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