Writers Writing. Write? Right!
Archive for April, 2011
Wealthy Janitors
04/29/2011
Frank Lloyd Wright
–Frank Lloyd Wright
Dave Barry vs. the Metric System
04/28/2011
Dave Barry
I’m not sure whether this means the actual women weighed 63 kg or the weights they lifted weighed 63 kg.
Or possibly the temperature in the weightlifting hall was 63 kg.
There’s no way to know for sure without finding out what a “kg” is, and my belief, as an American, is that if I have to start understanding the metric system, then the terrorists have won.”
–Dave Barry
Poor Orphan
04/27/2011
Abraham Lincoln
–Abraham Lincoln
Vocabulary Builder
04/22/2011
Here’s a great link to a vocabulary builder at Quizlet: Kaplan GRE Flash Cards.
Rather than scrolling through the flashcards, just scroll downward on the page to the area where the flash card content is shown in aggregate, and you’ll find a list of 500 words and their definitions. What a great, quick way to refresh your vocabulary!
And here’s a link that tells you more about Quizlet, a powerful learning resource.
Just remember this: as a writer, your job is NOT to impress people with your awesome vocabulary. Your job is to be able to convey complex concepts in an easily understandable format. Your vocabulary skills simply help you quickly grasp this information; your skill as a writer converts this knowledge into a usable format for the benefit of your readers.
As one of my professors used to say: “Your Job is to Obviate Obfuscation and Eschew Sesquipedalianism!” [Look it up; it's a JOKE : ) ]. Or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson so elegantly put it: “Simplify, simplify.”
Diplomacy Defined
04/21/2011
Will Rogers
–Will Rogers
Writing
04/18/2011
Steve Martin
–Steve Martin
Puritanism Defined
04/16/2011
HL Mencken
–H.L. Mencken
E-Book Sales Top Paperbacks For First Time
04/16/2011
On April 15, 2011, CNN Money reported that sales of E-books outpaced those of paperbacks for the first time.
The growth of e-books is stunning; sales rose 202% from February 2010 to February 2011, and Amazon reported in January 2011 that its sales of e-books surpassed those of paperbacks.
Good news for trees, writers, and Amazon. Bad news for traditional book publishers and traditional book stores.
The PACE of the shift is what is so stunning to analysts. And this pace spells doom to bookstores who are unable to accept this new reality and make quick and nimble adjustments to their business model. The world has fundamentally changed.
Welcome to WordPros
04/14/2011
WORDPROS’ BLOG Celebrates Great Writing. It’s also filled with tips and tricks to help you improve your own writing skills. Whether you are a professional writer, a blogger, an Executive Secretary, or an English Major, a few basic tips can take your writing from bland to WOW.
OUR MOST BASIC ADVICE for the beginning writer? (more…)
got enemies?
04/14/2011
Winston Churchill
Good.
That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
–Sir Winston Churchill
City Structure vs. Mental Structure
04/14/2011
by Kerri Elders
in Psychology
“What is it about certain cities and places that fosters specific attitudes? Am I imagining that this is the case? To what extent does the infrastructure of cities shape the lives, work, and sensibilities of their inhabitants? Quite significantly, I suspect.”
Interesting thoughts on something we’ve all observed (but perhaps not fully registered) from Talking Heads’ David Byrne (who is also a wonderful writer and avid city bicyclist–check out his new book: Bicycle Diaries
Geek Out: Google Domestic Trend Charts
04/14/2011
Here’s a cool resource for economic freelancers (or for anyone who is interested in real world charts and graphs): America’s past economic performance, as demonstrated by trends in Google searches, adjusted for search volume.
The first page shows a couple of fascinating charts: the first is the “Google Retail Index and Clothing Store Sales” and one called the “Auto Buyers Index.” Actual retail sales figures are added on the Retail Index chart–interesting trends here.
It’s also obvious from the Auto Buyers Index that Cash for Clunkers had a dramatic effect, as was widely reported by the news media.
You can generate all types of charts by clicking through the lists on the left sidebar. Google also invites you to download the data, search for trends, & report back your results. You can learn more about this resource here.
There’s even MORE info about this project on the Google Research Blog.