Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Blogging Can Keep You Physically Fit And Happy--- And Your Home Clean
I just finished an 1,800-word environmental investigative piece, and I’m ecstatic about its completion. Good writing--- my good writing--- does that to me. It energizes me and gives me such a sense of well being that I feel almost intoxicated. Typically, I exercise or do some manual labor to burn...
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Monday, September 4, 2006
Some Bloggers Mislead Their Readers AND The Titillation Factor
First, let me say that I am guilty of posting headlines that might “relate” to my posts but are not substantially about them. Call it the “titillation” factor. Some readers might feel misled by them, but, overall, I believe they appreciate the deception because they see the humor intended. And they...
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Friday, September 1, 2006
Don't Do Doubles--- The Most Silliest Example
Here’s another example of a how those who should know better butcher our language. The man who said the following has been a news anchor in a major television market for more than 30 years. He also is a lecturer and radio commentator. And, in fact, I heard him say this on the radio this morning:...
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Are You Implying Or Inferring OR Fun With Penelope In Poughkeepsie
Here’s a simple one, but one that is important, nevertheless. Misuse can cause miscommunication, and the whole point of writing (and speaking) is to communicate as clearly as possible. Well... for most of us it is. First, “imply” refers to the speaker--- or writer. As he wrote the good-bye note to...
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Monday, August 28, 2006
We Judge Others Based On Our Prejudices. Language Is Mine.
Receiving messages such as the following from my internet provider just fills me with confidence regarding its overall competency. (Since writing this, I have dropped this provider. The rest of its service, it seems, was as poor as the writing ability of this employee.) Customer's are now able to...
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Saturday, August 26, 2006
A Queer Situation OR The Power Of Prejudice Revealed
I’ve always loved words. When I was young, I soaked them up the way that a sponge absorbs liquid. One of my early favorites was “queer.” I have no idea where I first heard it, but I liked it. And I liked its meaning: “Deviating from the expected or normal. Strange. Peculiar.” I think maybe that I...
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Friday, August 25, 2006
Want To Be An Annoying Writer? You Aren't Alone
Here's one of my favorite quotes about writing, mostly because I enjoy the humor of it, not because I subscribe to the notion. Some here at Blogit, however, I suspect do write with this intent. Anyway... without further ado: If you can't annoy somebody, there is little point in writing--- Kingsley...
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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Hopefully, You Will Avoid This Error
Honestly, though, I don’t think that you will. Only grammar geeks ---- and I--- even know about this one. And its misuse has become an accepted part of the spoken and written language. I just thought that you might find this interesting and if you decide to adhere to the rules on this one (and are...
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Monday, August 21, 2006
Language Mistakes From Those Who Should Know Better
During the past couple of days, I heard or read these mistakes made by people who should know better. 1). TV basketball announcer: There was a foul on he as well. Arrrghhh! I hate that one. The correct pronoun is “him.” Remember that objective pronouns (him, her, me, them) follow prepositions (on,...
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Friday, August 18, 2006
Internet-Inspired Writing Errors? OR Can I Barrow A Role From Your Draw?
Here are three errors that I notice in internet writing that I rarely saw among the works of my college and high school students. I’m certain that many more exist. I believe that they are products of over-reliance on spell-check. In other words, the author probably knows the correct word to use, but...
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