|
|
|
|
Solving your writing problems since 1998! |
|
| |||||||||||
|
The Write Way 16 January 2004 Save! Save! Save! Greetings, I think I've recovered sufficiently now to discuss my recent harrowing experiences. You know, it doesn't do to put the horror into words too soon after the event; psychiatrists always advise letting Time heal some of the wounds, so this week I want to talk about (gulp) what happened when I (shudder) ...
Using the apostrophe to show possession and omission - http://www.write101.com/sample.htm Using the apostrophe with acronyms, letters and numbers: http://www.write101.com/W.Tips184.htm The 'Postrophe in the Palace: http://www.write101.com/W.Tips176.htm And some advice on how to avoid falling victim to rampant apostrophomission. "A disturbing trend is sweeping across America: The apostrophe (’) is disappearing from American English. At the same time, the number of apostrophobes – writers possessed of an exaggerated and illogical fear of apostrophes – is increasing at an alarming rate." Read more: http://www.wilbers.com/apostrophes.htm This week's quiz: Here are some terms that relate to the world of the Movers and Shakers in the Pointy End of town: oligopoly, disbursement, monopsony, Keynesian, assets, bonds, monopoly, macroeconomics, debentures, deflation 1. securities issued by companies and the government as a way of raising finance 2. a reduction in national income and output 3. in theory, an industry where one firm produces the entire output of a market 4. any possessions that have value in an exchange 5. market dominated by a very few sellers who account for a large proportion of output 6. a group of economists who believe that changes in government income and expenditure are the most effective instrument of government economic policy 7. study of the whole economy 8. long term fixed interest loans to companies 9. a market in which goods or services are offered by several sellers but there is only one buyer 10.the transfer of financial resources and or good and services from a donor to a recipient Subscriber, Trev Quinn (Regina SK), found that last week's newsletter hit the spot: "The Jan. 9 issue of "The Write Way" was extremely timely. I just had time to read through it, try to wrap my aging brain around Pisano's postulate and head out for Coffee with the Boys.
"What makes 100%?
What does it mean to give more than 100%? Do you ever wonder about
those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all
been to meetings where someone wants you to give more than 100%.
How about achieving 103%? Well, here's a little mathematical formula
that might help you answer those questions:
If the
letters of the alphabet were represented by numbers
(A=1,B=2,C=3,D=4,E=5,F=6,G=7,H=8,I=9,J=10,K=11,L=12,M=13,
N=14,0=15.P=16,Q=17, R=18,S=19,T=20,U=21,V=22,W=23,X=24,Y=25,Z=26)
then
H A R D W O R K
(8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11) = 98%
and
KNOWLEDGE
(11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5) = 96%
but
ATTITUDE
(1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5) =100%
however
BULLSHIT
(2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20) = 103%
and
ASS KISSING
(1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7) = 127%
"So - one can conclude
with mathematical certainty that - while hard work and knowledge will
get you close and attitude will get you there, it's bullshit and
ass-kissing that will put you over the top!
"(Actually, the copy
that I copied this from showed the last total as "118%", but I
was picky enough to check the math before sending it on.)
Trev also has an excellent idea that you and a few mates might like to consider to keep you out of trouble:
"The Boys" who
gather for coffee every Friday morning have a lot of fun, solve a lot of
incredibly complicated philosophical problems and learn a lot about our
community. We gather in a different spot every Friday. This
morning was the 195th venue we've visited since we started doing this.
We've had coffee in museums, galleries, business boardrooms, theatres,
manufacturing plants, association headquarters - even the provincial
jail - as well as in the usual run-of-the-mill coffee shops. We
consist of a variety of retired guys - a physician, a judge, a
veterinarian, a minister, a banker, a pharmacist, an insurance manager,
a health economist, a couple of public relations managers, a
couple of business managers, a university professor, a teacher and
a couple of R.C.M.P. officers to keep us out of trouble. It's
a lot of fun."
Isn't that a great idea? For many years, I used to go out with a group of mates to a different restaurant once a month. While we always intended to use these get-togethers for more erudite pursuits, because we held them mid-week during term time, and because we all taught at the same school, they tended to degenerate into hilarious sessions of taking the mickey out of the more obnoxious members of the admin team, similarly endowed students and parents of same. But we had some t'riffic meals! Last week's quiz: Match the terms with their definitions: algorithm, cube, decagon, congruent, apex, vertex, polygon, polyhedron, pi, rhombus 1. a 3-dimensional shape, all whose surfaces (faces) are flat. Each face consists of a polygon and the interior of the polygon. - POLYHEDRON 2. in a pyramid or cone, the vertex opposite the base - APEX 3. the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is the same for every circle, approximately 3.14. - PI 4. the point at which the rays of an angle, two sides of a polygon, or the edges of a polyhedron meet - VERTEX 5. a solid figure bounded by 6 congruent squares - CUBE 6. a parallelogram whose sides are all the same length. The angles are usually not right angles, but they may be right angles. - RHOMBUS 7. a closed figure consisting of line segments (sides) connected endpoint to endpoint - POLYGON 8. two figures that are identical-the same size and shape - CONGRUENT 9. a polygon with 10 sides - DECAGON 10. set of step-by-step instructions for doing something carrying out a computation, solving a problem and so on - ALGORITHM Ed Micca found this maths story: In school, little Johnny had a very tough time learning his arithmetic, but fortunately for him, his teacher, Miss Crabtree, was most encouraging. One day she called him to the blackboard to solve an addition problem. Picking up the chalk, Johnny proceeded to write in very large letters, 2 + 2 = 3 and 15/16ths. Mrs. Crabtree exclaimed, "Very good, Johnny! You almost got it!" And here's an interesting question: Teacher: If you have three
chocolate bars and I ask you to give me one, how many will you have left?
Many thanks to everyone who has already
voted for the newsletter and site at the annual Preditors and Editors
Poll. You still have until 21 January to cast your vote ... sadly it's
not a case of "vote early and vote often" since your latest
vote overrides any earlier votes. The Write Way is entered in two
categories - go to this page: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ and
scroll down till you come to the Magazine/e-zine
Editors page Click on the link and then
find my name (Jennifer Stewart) and vote. Then go back and click on the Nonfiction
Magazine/e-zines page and scroll down until you reach The Write Way
and vote for the newsletter. If
you've enjoyed the new forum, you could also vote for it by going to the
same page http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ and
scrolling down to find the Writers'
Discussion Forum page. Click on that link
and vote for Write101.
When you've voted, you'll be sent an email
to confirm your vote and you can also check on the current standings by
clicking the "here" link.
Thank you!
Dave Wagner thought we'd get a giggle from
this:
"The following book titles are actual books as collected by The Bookseller magazine in its annual 'Odd Title of the Year' competition. Be Bold With Bananas, by the Australian Banana Growers Council The Inheritance of Hairy Ear Rims, by Reginald Ruggles and P.N. Badhuri A Toddler's Guide to the Rubber Industry, by D. Lowe Constipation and Our Civilization, by James Charles Thomson Perhaps 'writers block' is sometimes a good thing?" As I commented to Dave, no doubt they were all funded by government research grants! I regularly drop by to read the comments on the Map of the World: http://pub37.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=3170114826 Please spare a moment to add your comment and flag. A Little Something Extra Now here's something you may not have considered writing ... greeting card messages. Just pause to think for a moment how many cards there are in gift shops, newsagencies, department stores etc. Squillions of 'em ... and someone has to write all the verses in them! Why not you? Patrisha Stauss has been doing this for a number of years and has written an informative little booklet that explains how to go about researching the market, contacting publishers and protecting your rights. She also emphasises the importance of taking a professional approach to your writing. After all, if you hope to support your brood of starving children or keep your spoilt furred, finned and feathered friends in the manner to which they have become accustomed, you need to adopt a business-like attitude. Many of the tips Patrisha gives in her book Freelance Writing for Greeting Card Companies would apply to any type of writing, not just greeting cards. She gives a list of the basic equipment you need to set up as a professional writer and some of the ongoing costs associated. Things we tend to overlook like paper, ink cartridges, discs and then visits from your friendly, local 'puter doctor. Because greeting card verses and messages are brief, you need to submit multiple ideas to publishers, so you really need to have a foolproof system to keep track of your submissions, and Patrisha has some practical ways you can do this in her book. See more here: http://www.write101.com/goodbooksfreelance.htm Word of the week: Empasm (n) A perfumed powder sprinkled upon the body to mask the odour of sweat. And couldn't we have done with a kilo or two of empasm at the sales! Queensland summers tend to be hot and sticky ... Say no more! The word comes (possibly) from a similar Greek word that means to sprinkle in or on. If you received this
newsletter from a friend and you'd like to have your very own copy
delivered to you on Friday, just click here: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
and why not spread the word? Send your friends
a copy and invite them to join our merry band - we number over 8,500 now. I know you spotted this too, but Pam was the first to contact me about it ... <Ed tells me he learnt
Latin in the days when altar boys got their knuckles wrapped (literally)
if they put the wrong ending on their nouns ... so I'm pleased to have
found someone who can keep me honest!> In vain did I try to get Ed to 'fess up that he was like one of those savvy kids who stuffed his trousers with newspapers to soften the effects of the cane, and had found a way to wrap his knuckles in skin-coloured cloth to lessen the impact ... Alas and alack he couldn't save me, so I have to face your righteous condemnation for letting that one slip. This week's Latin phrase is tailor-made for those denizens of the deep, dark depths of the shopping mall: Emptrix nata sum! (Born to shop!) [EMP-trix NAH-tah SOOM] Did you know you can get your very own tote bag emblazoned with this wonderful declaration? Just click here: http://www.cafeshops.com/write101 Regards, Jennifer P.S. Want to donate to the upkeep of this newsletter? Here's how: 1. Pay by PayPal:
2. Click here to subscribe for a full year OR 3. Use your credit card on my secure order form: http://www.write101.com/fund.htm (You can also access the PayPal subscription link from this page if the link above didn't work for you. With PayPal, you can use your credit card, PayPal account or pay online using your own cheque account.) OR 4. Send a cheque (made payable to Jennifer Stewart): http://www.write101.com/fund.htm To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: mailto:WritingTips-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to the web site, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WritingTips This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode. |
|
Home
| Contact
| Order
| Site
Map |Subscribe
Copyright 200 |
