Some phrases need an extra word because it "helps the cadence of a sentence or clarifies an unfamiliar usage." For example, instead of using a couple versions, you should instead use a couple of versions. However, Kilpatrick agrees with me that less is more.

He gave the example of a headline that mentioned great masterpieces. "Surely all masterpieces are great by definition," he said. Therefore, great is unnecessary and gets in the way of us getting to the necessary word - masterpieces.

My editing professor taught us common redundancies, also called tautologies. Here are several: free gift, PIN number, ATM machine, final destination, brief summary.

Note previous grammar tips from “The Writer’s Art:” "Grammar tips: sentence basics, not so basic," “Grammar tips: concision editing, often misused words,” and “Grammar tips: referent pronouns made easy.”

SELECT GETDATE() AS CurrentTime GO 3

The result below will be displayed with "Result to Text" mode turned on.

CurrentTime
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2008-06-20 11:52:54.200 (1 row(s) affected)

CurrentTime
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2008-06-20 11:52:54.217 (1 row(s) affected)

CurrentTime
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2008-06-20 11:52:54.217 (1 row(s) affected)

"i love u" u've said before
words far too easily spoken
like dust & chaff in the wind
words believed by a heart broken

but "i love u" is all i have left to say
repeated cliche bouncing against the wall
these 3 words to me so precious
to u i know meant nothing at all

Most barking dogs are quiet the activity master, every time they open their mouth they make something happen, either your mailman leaves, or your neighbor shuts his window and oh yes, yells out something nasty or your head splits into a thousand aching pieces, like I said they are quite the activist. Unfortunately for them though activism isn't as a rule appreciated by the average idle individual, to survive amongst humans you are expected to be as on leash as themselves. Thus all barking dogs need to be quieted and difficult though that task is it needs to be done.

Now, for starters, recognize the fact that barking in itself is not a problem. Dogs bark, just like cats mew and people make promises....it's just something they do when they want something done. For instance they bark to tell you that they are hungry at dinnertime or to let you know that there is someone at the door etc. and on all these occasions barking is fine and in fact appreciated. It begins to become a problem however when your dog refuses to stop barking despite your telling him to. Thus the job in hand is not to shut your dog up completely but to teach him to shut up when you ask him to.

So begin your training with a simple command like 'speak' or 'bark' and pat him and give him a cookie when he woofs a bit. Now tell him 'enough' or 'that's it' as soon as his woofing increases and immediately plop a cookie into his mouth, he won't have a choice but to stop, food has often made the best of men seal their lips so what's a dog! Now that that routine is final repeat it a couple of times. Next time he barks to let you know the mailman's at your door praise him heartily and then sternly ask him to shut up with a 'enough' or 'that's it' (remember to use the same command to avoid confusing him) and give him a cookie.

Once this regime settles in your dog will soon pick up what "enough" or "that's it" means. In case he doesn't and continues to bark despite your command give a sharp tug on his collar and say "Enough" in a rebuking, no-nonsense voice. He will soon learn that that's his cue to stop. Now this training will take a good number of weeks to really start working. However make sure you don't give up mid way. A few dogs are by nature a little fond of barking and making noise so these will take more doing than the others.

While training consider if his misbehavior has anything to do with his feeling depressed or left out. Dogs are very sensitive psychologically and little things which you might not even notice might affect them. See if you are leaving your dog alone too long, or if he is going hungry, if you keep him outside in his kennel at night bring him to sleep indoors for a few days and see if there is any change in his attitude.

Barking dogs are in many ways like cranky crying babies (except the fangs and teeth part though) and they need proper attitude training to bring them back to acceptable track, but they also need good time and attention and loving, so make sure your training is a right mix of all of these.

The Pirates application on Facebook hooked me with the monkey, I love monkeys!

So what hook are you using to get people to read your blog?  visit your myspace page?  What hooks do you use to get people to come to 3D library events?  How can you apply those to the web?

Chan: Ah? You know the man?

Pedro: No, I don't, except for that one encounter.

Chan:  Interesting. Are you also an historian?

Pedro: No.

Charlie (to Chan): What did he say after he sat down?

This passage contains a few brief words that make me laugh every time I read them.  Aaron tries to explain to Moses how the golden calf came to be. 

Aaron says, “Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”  

Give me a break!  Come on Aaron.  That calf didn't create itself.  You made it for them. 

The Israelites wanted a god they could see and touch. We do to. So they melted their valuables and fashioned a golden calf.  The calf wasn’t just a convenient image to worship; it was reminiscent of the cow and the bull that were a part of Egyptian worship rituals. The bull was also part of the Baal worship of the Canaanite culture. (this culture would continue to haunt the Israelites for hundreds of years). The Israelites watered down their faith by including pagan elements from pagan practices.  And the consequences of this act would follow them for years and generations to come.

They allowed elements of their old lifestyles, previous experiences and bad habits to continue to shape and define who they were.  They still were not grasping what it was to be the children of a Holy God. 

Why did the Israelites make such a tragic mistake? In a word, fear. They were afraid. Now let's be clear on something here.  Being afraid is not an offense to God. But how we respond in our fear can be a big problem. When the Israelites were afraid they reverted back to the familiar past. Even though they were slaves in Egypt, life back in Egypt was predictable. And like the Israelites, when we are scared, we often seek out the familiar and stable . . . even if that stability is negative.  

The end of this part of the story of the golden calf is more tragic than its beginning. The people were permanently affected by their decisions to turn their backs on God. According to verse 35, the people were plagued because of what they did.  [Remember last week? -- Connecting the dots?] 

The Israelites probably had a series of “if only” moments. If only they had remained faithful to God. If only they had resisted the urge to worship the golden calf. If only they had waited patiently for the Lord. If only they were willing to break the cycle of disobedience to God and live a life of holiness. 

As we discussed last week, the bad news is that we often have to live with the consequences of our sins. The good news is that God is the God of forgiveness and restoration. We can be in a right relationship with God even after we have let Him down. We can be restored, we can move forward. We can leave the mistakes of the past behind us, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can walk in Holiness and not repeat them over and over. 

We can break the cycle of sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent . . .  

Read the back of your shampoo bottle.  It says, wash, rinse and repeat.  No one in their right mind expects us to live in the shower and continually wash, rinse and repeat.  I think it is reasonable at some point to get out of the shower.  Dry off.  Get dressed and go to work! 

We are not supposed to live in the shower.  And I guess that is where the shampoo analogy breaks down a little bit.  But the analogy does work when it comes to Holiness.  God calls us to live a life of holiness.  Like the Israelites, we, who are Christians, are His children.  And He has given us His Son to die for our sins so that we might be forgiven.  And he has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and empower us to live that life of holiness that He calls us to.

swollen eyes
will reside
restless sleep
offers some respite
but no medicine
can erase
what i know i know

cos i know i know
that i knew
i shd hv known
shd hv shd hv shd hv
so i cried cried cried
this knowing knowing
repeating meaninglessly
in my deep anguished being

but its ok my dear
cos i died died died
a very very very
long long long ago
yet i live
living
alive

Senator Barack Obama is the exact opposite of President George W. Bush.

Earth shattering, I know. The differences are obvious – party, race, age, background, experience. The list could go on. In nearly every aspect, one differs greatly from the other. But it’s the one similarity between the current President and the Illinois Senator that could lead to 8 years of déjà vu for Americans.

In what now seems like a drug-induced hallucination, there was actually a time when people trusted President Bush to make decisions. It was the weeks and months immediately after 9/11. Americans were united. We all turned to our newly elected Commander in Chief, ready to follow wherever he led. President Bush could ask for anything – especially if it was in the name of fighting terrorism – and it would be given to him on a silver platter.

And it was.

A war in Iraq – with “fight them over there instead of fighting them over here” as its mantra – was approved. Over the next 7 years, most of those who weren’t opposed to the war in the first place have since changed their minds. But in 2001, at the dawn of his presidency, Bush had struck the jackpot. Because of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Bush had the nearly unanimous support of the American people. But as many politicians do, he took advantage of the opportunity for his own personal gain. Instead of doing what was best for America, he did what was best for him. (Although, if you ask me, Dick Cheney was the evil villain mastermind behind it all and Bush was the loveable mostly-naïve sidekick)

Now, fast-forward 7 years. When it comes to the support of the American people, Barack Obama is not much different than the 2001 President Bush. Granted, the reasons behind their followings are very different – one was a result of a terrible national tragedy and the other is a result of his amazing eloquence and ability to inspire – but if Obama makes it to the White House, we may find ourselves in the same circumstance we did two terms ago.

There will be a new party in town, and Obama will be in charge of it. His throngs of followers will have only increased between now and November, potentially giving him a significant majority of supporters. And just like with post-9/11, we will trustingly hand over the keys to the country.

And it’s that very trust – the trust that was adulterated by the Bush administration – that we hope Obama doesn’t capitalize on for personal gain. But he might. This raconteur could win our hearts and sweet-talk his way to the oval office, only to shock us all by falling into the same rut as his predecessors. He may end up defaulting to traditional politics, pushing a personal agenda and repeating the previous 8 years. All the pieces are in place for that to happen. If he gets in the driver’s seat, a lot of Americans won’t question the road trip ahead.

But I hope that doesn’t happen. And I’m confident it won’t. In my experience, people base their vote on which candidate feels right. Sure, other things are taken into account – political party, liberal or conservative, the issues – but the reason Obama feels like the right choice to a lot of people is not just because he speaks well. There’s something more than his mesmerizing oration, his robust baritone voice or his commanding presence. His mantra has been “Change We Can Believe In” and we Americans repeat it back, with one slight difference – “Change We Want To Believe In.” We want to believe that things will be different – that he will be different – and that’s why people follow. That’s why they’re willing to trust him. Obama seems genuine. Sincere. Real. Heartfelt. Truthful.

But the dominos have more or less been set up. If Obama is elected, we will have another president we’re ready to follow. Another president we’re willing to trust. Another president we feel comfortable making decisions for us.

So let’s hope he makes the right ones.

The fees of the obedience instructors can differ, and you would also have to take your dog to the class where the training would take place. But if you are the trainer, you can have the whole thing done almost without any expense, and that too at your own home. So if you have decided to be the trainer, you must have some knowledge on dog training first.

You should teach your dog three basic things first - sit, stay, and come. The first thing you need to teach your dog is to sit. The one thing you would surely need for this is dog treats.

Make sure that you choose a quiet place for this training, so as not to distract your dog's attention. Ask the dog to sit again and again while you hold the treat over his head. Thus, he will have to turn his head up, and will sit there willingly to get the treat.

If he still doesn't sit, gently push his back down. When you have made him sit, praise him and give him his treat. If you repeat the word 'sit', your dog will realize that the command is related to sitting and will obey you to receive his rewards.

The next thing you need to teach your dog is to stay. This part of the training can be a little difficult. This is a command which your dog would have to learn when you teach him to "come". Make him sit in a place without any direction.

Repeat the word "stay" as you gradually walk back. Maintain an eye contact with the dog, and if he rises from his position, say "no" and start all over again. This training does take some time and patience. It would be easies if you initially get someone to sit and hold him back if he doesn't "stay".

If he has learnt this part, try walking away with your back towards the dog. He will probably rise now to follow you. Tell him "no" and repeat the process asking him to stay in his position as you move away.

When your dog has passed this test, teach him to come. Make him stay and then call him in a cheerful voice and thump your knee as you repeat the word "come". Reward him, as he will probably respond to your call promptly enough.

The key word of dog training is praise, and not punishment, as dogs respond more to a positive behavior, rather than a negative one. Keep these tips in mind and you would be able to install these three basic commands into your dog.

If you follow this process of training, you would surely be the proud owner of an obedient pet whom everybody praises.

...

Dua tahun yang lalu di Semarang, Repeat Jateng masih berkumpul bersama. Berbagi tawa, canda, dan tangis. Ingatkah malam itu? Tanggal 6-6-6, malam perpisahan bagi Repeat. Malam terakhir yang kita habiskan bersama di LPMP.

Saat itu sangat mengharukan. Repeat menyanyikan lagu Peter Pan yang berjudul Semua Tentang Kita. Menyanyi sambil sesenggukan. Mata berkaca-kaca. Menyadari bahwa mungkin tidak ada malam berikutnya di LPMP.

Teman-teman Repeat, meski waktu telah lama berlalu, jarak telah memisahkan kita semua, jangan pernah lupa malam ini. Jangan pernah lupa saat-saat itu. Kita semua teman selamanya...

Let me know what you think. I hope they repeat the items!

~hasta la vista, baby!

Above: A 3-year old kid give a synopsis of the plot for "Star Wars."  Very cute video - but I already KNOW the plot for the movie!

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone where, after about 3 or 4 minutes in, you realize that they are basically repeating the same point they made in the 1st minute, only in different ways?

Have you ever talked to a person where, after the first few minutes, it becomes clear to you that they are just saying the same idea over and over again, just using different words?

Have you ever been speaking to someone when, suddenly, you realize that what they are talking about hasn't changed, just the phrasing of it?

Did you just read the 3 sentences above, and think to yourself: "Isn't Mr. Taylor just saying the same thing over and over again??"

One more question: isn't it ANNOYING when someone does that?!?

As adults, we understand language enough to not have to hear the same ideals told to us over and over again.  Therefore, the reason we find such conversations annoying is because repetitiveness is not necessary once we've heard something and understood it.

In fact, it's pretty annoying anytime someone tries to reiterate or tell us something that we already know.  Like, what sense does it make for someone to tell me how to type faster (I already type close to 60 words per minute), or why owning a house is better than renting, when I already KNOW that stuff!

Unfortunately, people that don't know us don't know what things we may or may not know.  Consequently, they may feel the need to tell you something they think you may not know, if only because they aren't aware that you know it.

So... what does all this have to do with having kids?

Kids are the WORST OFFENDERS of what I call the "Telling Me Something I Already Know" syndrome! 

Children are newcomers to this planet, meaning everything they learn or hear about for their first few years of existence is something new... to THEM.  The rest of us know about 90% of whatever it is they're learning, which means we don't have to hear about it.

However, since it's new to THEM, they automatically think they HAVE to tell us what they've learned because they want to share info they think we don't know.

And frankly, having to hear some of that stuff - AGAIN - is annoying!

A perfect example of this is when they try to tell their parents a joke.  Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Why did the chicken cro-" 

Oh, you've heard that one before?  Well guess what? If a kid comes up to you and starts this joke, you (a) can't stop them from telling it because they may get upset and start to cry, and (b) can't act like you've heard it, because then it takes the fun of the answer being a surprise away from them!

And this goes for just about anything a kid tries to show or tell you.  Again, EVERYTHING is new and exciting to them, including things that may be old and boring to you. 

They want to go to the circus, and you've been there 10 times in your life already; they want to talk to you about their newfound love of learning about the Solar System, and you've learned everything you ever wanted to know about it while taking science classes in school.

To be fair, there is that 10% of the time a kid will come home and talk to you about something that you may not have known - but even that stuff tends to be bastardizations of something you've done before! 

They talk to you about that new "Hannah Montana" song, not realizing that she's basically Britney Spears, which YOU experienced 10 years ago (who, by the way, was a repeat of Tiffany, another pop princess in the 1980s); they tell you about their favorite new TV show, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and you think to yourself: "But I was watching that 18 YEARS ago! I don't wanna hear about that!"

Oh, that's too bad - but if you didn't want to live your life on repeat, you should have, like me, decided to NEVER have kids!

-A.P. Taylor

Send your "Why I'm NEVER Having Kids" stories/ideas to neverhavingkids@gmail.com.

This is one of my favourite fan made videos from the bomb episodes. The music used is Snow Patrol - Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking. Obviously full of spoilers if you haven't seen the episodes :)

.

Last week I had a nasty ear ache and thought I had an ear infection, but it cleared up on it's own without treatment.  Just thought is was an after affect of the first round of the plague........  

Saturday I was so exhausted.  I dragged myself around all day.  Finally around dinner time I felt so tired I had to lay down to take a nap...... ended up getting almost 12 hours sleep.  

Monday night was sleepless with a nasty sore throat that lasted into Tuesday.

Tuesday night mid yoga my head suddenly filled up with fluid and my nose has not stopped running since.  

Wednesday, yesterday, I went home early from work with the ick.  Did not want to expose my colleagues to my germs.  

I called in sick today.  No fever, but the damn nose will not stop running!!! I have zero energy.  And am bored silly.  Daytime TV sucks, but I am too tired to read or be on-line.  I hope to get some good solid sleep tonight and drag my ass to work tomorrow, even if it is for only a portion of the day, I don't want to fall too far behind.  

Oh, and the generous loving partner that I am I shared it with H! That's what love is all about, we share everything.  He called a little while ago to say that he's feeling the start of it again.  

Not that there is ever a good time to be sick, but it figures that we would get the plague redux just in time for the holiday weekend.  

I don't know what this virus is, but it is inconvenient, nasty and just as misery inducing the second time around.    

-Alice

Oh that's it, because I have to cover her job, the one job I loathe and detest the most, oh how I enjoy these fortnights. Yes they're always fortnights, Sharlene can't take a weeks holiday, she's never been anywhere in this great country of ours, she doesn't think it's worth it, philistine.

Though apparently where she is in the Med it's cloudy and colder then her, so tough sh#t to her :).

But this also means I have to put up with Natalie. The constant yapping, hearing the same story over and over as she tells it to eveyone who comes in the office, or phones up and the fact she has an opinion on just about everything. But enough of these, you've heard me moan about them before. What been driving me crazy this time are the little things.

The fact that when she answers a question she doesn't just reply "ok" or "no problem", but intead, every bloody time, she says "okikoki", "okikoki, okikoki, okifeckinkoki". All day everyday, thats it. And then during those rare quiet moments when she isn;t talking she's eating. And she's one of those loud eaters, you know the type the ones who can't eat with their mouths closed, so you hear every chew and swallow. Which is just great when your in a quiet office, just the two of you and the noise just seems to be enhanced so much.

Roll on Friday, when another fortnight of hell should hopefully be over.

All the available social networks and blog marketing tools will do little to increase return visits to your blogs unless you first polish your posts. Follow these suggestions to improve your posts, and readers will come back for more.

Keep in mind that you are competing with thousands of people for your readers’ attention. You’ll need to reward your visitors by giving them well written posts. (The blue italicized terms in this article link to my earlier posts and are not necessary to understand this post; they serve only to provide a greater depth of information on the various topics)

Online writing is a unique, hybrid form of communication because it combines the benefits and challenges of mass communication and interpersonal communication (see Communicating Online: Opportunities and Obstacles). Understanding this uniqueness will help you tailor your writing to your target audience.

Here are some helpful tools to polish your post successfully.

1. Most importantly, make sure you have something to say. All the writing tips in the world can’t help the writer without an interesting or provocative topic. Posting writing without a clear purpose may cause readers not to return. It’s difficult to get new readers, but it’s even more of a challenge getting disappointed readers to return. (If your well of inspiration is running dry check out: Overcoming Writer’s Block).

2. In the first sentence or two of your post, tell your readers what’s in it for them – explain how your post will make a difference in their lives. If your readers can’t find anything that impacts them right away, many will leave after the first paragraph. Consider How to use News Values such as impact, timeliness, prominence, and novelty when determining your posts potential value for your readers.

For those who stay past the first paragraph, remember: you’ve made your promise; now it’s time to deliver.

3. Write to express, not impress. Put the thesaurus away. If you’re writing to inform or to entertain, prefer the simple to the complex. Write like you talk. (say "use", not "utilize"; write: "I was aware of", instead of "I was cognizant of").

4. Brevity is an important goal because readers prefer conciseness. The average sentence should be about 15 words. Avoid wordiness (instead of writing members of the group, write group members). Also avoid redundancies (instead of writing the children completely surrounded me, just write the children surrounded me).

5. Avoid terms that can cause confusion. (i.e. “She was young;” young is too vague – it means different things to different people). Remember words have denotations and connotations, so avoid ambiguous terms. Instead of saying that she was young, say: she was nearly 8 years old. There are also many commonly confused words in the English language. Be aware of the meaning of all your words. Further and farther, fewer and less, and accept and except are just a few of the common errors found in careless writing. (See Commonly Misused Words).

6. Say what you mean. If your purpose is to convey information, eliminate euphemisms. Euphemisms are meant to soften the blow of a potentially offensive or blunt idea, such as “collateral damage” for unintended civilian deaths. Euphemisms can cause loss of clarity. (Read about editing out euphemisms in Layers of Revision). If your post lacks clarity, it’s doomed. Readers won’t spend time on posts they can’t understand.

7. Use examples and anecdotes. When explaining something complicated or something your readers might not have experienced, give an example. For example, explain that learning to use CSS to design a webpage is like learning how to play a sport or a musical instrument; first you must learn the rules, then you must practice to improve. Similarly, an anecdote is a very short story included to elaborate on and emphasize the facts. Instead of saying the girls were mischievous, consider using an anecdote to show us. Limit anecdotes to one (or two at most) per post. (See: Writing is like Baking a Cake)

8. Punctuation matters; people do judge a book by its cover (See: If Punctuation Marks were People). If you have spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing, people will lose confidence in you. They will question your facts and assumptions if they catch that you were careless with your pronouns and commas (See: The Problem with Pronouns)

9. Use vivid description. Keep in mind the maxim: Show, don’t tell. Don’t tell us that Billy was happy with his new puppy; show us. Readers appreciate it when you use your senses to describe details. They want to hear, see, feel, smell, touch and taste what you’re describing. (See: Think visually).  

10. Proofread: take the time to polish your post. We often find errors when it’s too late. Edit your posts prior to publication. You don’t have to be a walking, talking grammar book, you just need to know when to turn to one. (Check out: English Handbook for the Game of your Life)

The best way to get visitors to return to your blog is to make them happy. While social networks and search engines are useful as treasure maps, your posts are the treasures –the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Follow these tips to polish them, and let them shine.

نگاهِ آشنا

نگاه تو آشناست؛ هر بار تکرار می‌شود و باز مثل اعجازی شیرین تازه است.

Familiar but Novel