Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Monday, January 26, 2009

Editorial Comments

I've been, among other things, a free-lance editor. So when TAPS writes of a friend who self-published, and had edit issues, it got me thinking. There are two levels of edit that need to be done. One, proofing, to catch spelling and grammatical errors, and the second, content-editing, to consider organization of information and more complex usages than basic grammar, like metaphor, and consistancy for instance. The question is: Does what you wrote mean what you meant it to say when you wrote it?... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Daily Rag or library? Amusement or resource?

Blogit gets treated like a magazine or newspaper: read once, and let it go. Many of us want short reads, like two inches of newspaper column, a bit of this, a bit of that. It's a quick-gratification thing. But we have writers here that offer more: thoughtful, well-informed commentary; brilliant, insightful philosophy; visions of other places and people that share experience in a life-enriching, inspiring way; humor that really does make you laugh out loud! This is a community of writers, and... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Banks schmanks...

Well, here's the new American Revolution... Not political, but financial. For generations it has been all about profits to the owners, the stock-holders. Everything in how we do commerce has long been arranged to the benefit of that dynamic. The credit give-away that has turned to debacle came out of the striving for ever more profit. Now that credit-giving is tightened up and running scared, the only people who can buy stuff are those who can buy it outright. Only those who already have money... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Walk this way...

http://producten.hema.nl/ This will give you a few magical moments in a Dutch department store catalog. It is not about buying anything... and you don't have to speak Dutch or wear wooden shoes. Just--enjoy! Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Naut asked about this...

Here is what I wrote previously regarding Murchie, the House Entity... http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/CLRedding/312476 We perceive a small portion of the full range of wavelengths that are the electromagnetic spectrum. Our basic senses only go so far, though I daresay there are many things just beyond, things we might pick up as a flutter or flash in our peripheral perceptions--and even more that we simply miss altogether. Some things we can only surmise from some of their effects, which... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, January 9, 2009

My daughter who has lived these past two years

in Singapore, and her husband with her, is on the move once again! They have bought a lovely house outside Wellington, New Zealand, and she will be flying there to live, next week. The new house has what we call, in our family, a house entity. This is an out-of-body entity whose interest and calling is the house itself, and those who live in it. We have one in this house I have lived in the past 23 years, who has a particular affection for the cats. When Marika and her husband spent their first... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 5, 2009

I dreamed of lava...

I came across a poem I didn't remember until I read it--don't think I ever presented it here. I dreamed of lava... Red and snapping devouring like a dragon... and with a touch like Midas' turning everything to flame... Oozing unhurried from the deep hot places of the Earth... Overtaking by fascination like a serpent-- So suddenly, it's too late to run! Sign in to see full entry.

Great Apes are people now...

Well, of course, this has long been recognized by a few, like Roger and Debbi Fouts who look after Washoe's family in Ellensburg, WA, and of course, Jane Goodall. If this has not been an area of interest for you, you might not know that Washoe was the first chimpanzee to be taught American Sign Language, and who later taught it independently to her son. She died a few months ago, the second of her small family to go. Now there is her son, Loulis, and his two remaining companions, Dar and Tatu.... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Olympia: Home of the Anti-Climax

I heard incorrectly too--thought they said we would have sunshine and blue skies tomorrow. We will, of course, but they will be on the other side of the clouds that will be raining on us. *sigh* Jack Russells are cute little guys, and smart, too, aren't they? And active! Olympia is a drag for New Year's if you don't have reservations. It's either that--no walk-ins, sorry--or everyone closes up at 9 because its Wednesday. You'd think they would want the business! We ended up having dinner among... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Gapcohen wrote today about the super-commercialization of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This began as my comment to her post. There are three Walmarts within easy driving distance from here, and they are preparing to put in another down the road, less than a mile from here. It will be next to a Costco and Fred Meyer (that may be a chain that does not yet extend to every corner of the US--yet.) There is another FM about 7 miles from this one. There are Sears and Target anchoring one mall across the... Sign in to see full entry.

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