Date: Friday, February 11th, 2011
Word of the Day: daedal (DEE\duhl); complex or ingenious in form or function; intricate; skillful; artistic; ingenious
Weight: two hundred and six (206) pounds
Goal: lose one hundred (100) pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose: seventy-four (74)
Waist Size: forty-one (41) inches
Days until Royal Wedding: seventy-eight (78) Has Kate picked out her dishes yet?
Rowing Duration: thirty (30) minutes, three (3) seconds
I will not sing/type the Happy Birthday song again to my sister-in-law, Louise, but I will acknowledge that today, Miss Louise turns forty (40) years old, even though she looks like she is still a teen-ager! For the record, I called Louise on the telephone and sang to her, how could I not?
Speaking of birthdays, today's birthday goes to Boris Pasternak, who as you all know, wrote the novel "Dr. Zhivago!" But did you know that Pasternak was a Russian author whose novel, the aforementioned, "Dr. Zhivago" an epic of wandering, spiritual isolation, and love amid the revolution and its aftermath, became a bestseller in the West, but was only circulated in secrecy in the Soviet Union until 1987. Boris Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1958, but he was forced to decline it because of Soviet opposition to his work.
My sister, Judy, came by yesterday and is here now for a visit; Judy has been a great help, there is a room in our basement that Judy helped clean up yesterday, Judy says she likes doing cleaning work as it is her form of exercise, how about that?
Okay Sally and Jessie, never say I don't care, this is especially for you two: Justin Bieber injured his knee last night in a live performance he gave in Cleveland, the injury is said to have occurred midway through the show, but Justin, don't fear, was able to finish, he is Canadian you know.
Also, for Sally, Jessie and the rest of you Justin Bieber fans, Justin's movie, "Never Say Never," which opens everywhere today, only got two (2) stars rating in today's Globe and Mail, but I bet this movie still ranks in a small fortune, who am I kidding, the movie's grosses may rival that of "Avatar," wait and see, you read it here first.
For any of you planning to go South, or some sunny place for the March or Spring Break, maybe you should consider getting your American dollars now, seeing how our dollar is still at par.
Okay, it has been awhile since I gave some writing tips, so I thought I might give you something to think about, for some people, if a topic interests them, they are quite content to immerse themselves in extensive online articles that are otherwise indistinguishable from print content. Alot of web site visitors, however, have a different set of expectations when they read on a computer, nearly every medium has its own rules; here are seven (7) tips to help you write for an online audience, whether you have your own site or blog or whether you submit content to other people’s sites:
1. Write for scanners, not for readers.
Before you buy a book, you probably read the jacket copy, you don't?, I'm surprised, but I do, I read, the synopsis, testimonials, the author’s biography. When you pick up a magazine or a newspaper, you quickly peruse the headlines.
The same principle applies online: Provide points of entry for scanners, headlines, subheadings, bullet lists, captions. Write clear, concise sentences. Keep paragraphs and other blocks of copy short and tight.
Most important, keep in mind that visitors may never click over from scanning to reading, so pack as much information as you can into the points of entry.
2. Know your audience.
Do you want your readers to geek out about some high tech topic? Do you hope they’ll come back to your site because you rate products effectively and they know they can count on you? Should they leave your site knowing what’s happening in the world today? Is your goal to get them to bookmark your site because you busted their guts with your witty prose? Shape your content accordingly, not just how it reads but also how it appears.
3. Design your content.
Provide visual clues about organization, intent, and content: Make subheadings smaller than headlines. In a heading for a pros-and-cons list, colour “Pros” green and “Cons” red. On a site about target shooting, replace the dots in a bullet list with images of real bullets, or, on a gardening site, swap little flowers in place of the dots. But don’t push it, your subliminal messaging should be “See how useful/entertaining this site is?” not “See how clever I am?”
4. Think like a journalist.
One of the principles of journalistic writing is presenting information in an inverted pyramid of vital to trivial, with who, what, when, where, and why (otherwise known as the 5 W's) right up top. Tell readers what you want them to know, now, and save the background information and the additional details for later.
5. Translate print content.
When you upload copy already published on paper, re purpose it for the Internet: Offer points of entry, tighten and divide complex sentences, break up long paragraphs, and cut extraneous content.
6. Be witty sparingly.
Gosh, it really hurts to include this one, but as much as it hurts a fan of punning and alliteration to write this, leave your sense of humour at the door (then sneak it in later). Straightforward headlines make it onto search engines’ search returns and draw readers in; chuckle some wordplay doesn’t. Save the wacky stuff for after they’ve committed to remaining on your site.
7. Link. Link. Link.
When building an argument or providing an example, instead of extensively repeating what has already been published online, insert a link to the source. Don’t fear losing visitors; you’ve followed the rest of my advice, so they’ll come back.
Okay, I was going to save the following for Valentine's Day, but I can't wait, I want to share it with you, the following is a list of the ten (10) most iconic movie kisses, (I'm such a romantic!):
Is there anything as romantic as a classic big screen kiss? Even today, when most Hollywood movies don't exactly fade to black after the lovers lock lips, the best kisses still have the power to send shivers down the spine. In honour of Valentine's Day, InStyle and I, chose the most memorable cinematic embraces: upside down, on a boat, and in the pouring rain and I happen to agree with the choices, they are:
1. "Gone with the Wind" "You need kissing badly," Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler, told Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara in this 1939 epic. "You should be kissed, and often. And by someone who knows how." Later on, while proposing to the twice-widowed Scarlett, he proves he's the man for the job.
2. "Lady and the Tramp" She was the original uptown girl, much like my friend Lily, who isn't a dog; he was a lovable drifter. But when these two crazy pups came together over a very long piece of spaghetti in this 1955 animated film, it was forever.
3. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Truman Capote's original 1958 novella wasn't exactly a love story, so the author was less than thrilled with the 1961 big screen adaptation. (For one thing, he'd wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly; I'm sure that Mr. Capote said this during the height of his drug-use phase!) But audiences adored this stylish film, particularly for the final scene, in which Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard) make a rainy New York City alley seem as romantic as any pink-streaked sunset.
4. "When Harry Met Sally" This 1989 comedy made numerous witty contributions to the romantic lexicon, and kick started a (still-raging) debate as to whether men and women could "really" be friends, but it was the pair's New Year's Eve reconciliation that moved viewers to tears. As Billy Crystal (Harry) told Meg Ryan (Sally): "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
5. "Pretty Woman" "I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian (Julia Roberts) warns Edward (Richard Gere) at the beginning of this 1990 movie. So when she does, it's pivotal, the audience understands that she's come to regard Edward as much more than a client. But even that kiss can't beat the one at the happy ending, after Edward "rescues" Vivian on her fire escape and she promises to "rescue him right back."
6. "Ghost" Technically, in this scene from the 1990 film, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is making out with Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). But because Oda Mae is channeling Molly's late boyfriend Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze), it's Sam that Molly -- and the viewers -- get to see.
7. "Titanic" Director James Cameron initially planned to cast "an Audrey Hepburn type" to play the female lead in this 1997 epic, and Leonardo DiCaprio nearly turned down his role. It's still captivating to see him woo Kate Winslet's Rose, even if, as DiCaprio said in a recent interview, kissing Kate is "like kissing a family member."
8. "Spiderman" The upside down kiss that Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) shared with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) in this 2002 flick was breath-taking for Maguire, but not for the reasons you might think. "The whole time I had rainwater running up my nose," he said. "Then, when Kirsten rolled back the mask, she cut my air off completely."
9. "Slumdog Millionaire" It was easy to see why Jamal (Dev Patel) was so hung up on his childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto). When they finally kiss on a Mumbai train platform, it's a moment as exuberantly optimistic as the goofy dance scene that follows. Bonus points for still being a couple to this off-screen day.
10. "Twilight" Even the most diehard members of Team Jacob can't deny the romantic power of Bella and Edward's first kiss. Kristen Stewart, who's almost uniformly closemouthed about her off-screen relationship with costar Robert Pattinson, did offer "I get to kiss Edward Cullen," when asked to name a few of her favorite things about the gig.
Well did InStyle, and me, omit one of the iconic kisses on your list, if they did, do advise me so I can share it with my readers, not your name silly, but the iconic kiss, my people need to know this information, okay, they don't need it, they enjoy it, gosh, some of you are so exact and particular.
Hope you have a good day, its another really cold one, dress warmly.
Topics coming soon:
Art
Politics
Image via Wikipedia
Cartoons
Word of the Day: daedal (DEE\duhl); complex or ingenious in form or function; intricate; skillful; artistic; ingenious
Weight: two hundred and six (206) pounds
Goal: lose one hundred (100) pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose: seventy-four (74)
Waist Size: forty-one (41) inches
Days until Royal Wedding: seventy-eight (78) Has Kate picked out her dishes yet?
Rowing Duration: thirty (30) minutes, three (3) seconds
I will not sing/type the Happy Birthday song again to my sister-in-law, Louise, but I will acknowledge that today, Miss Louise turns forty (40) years old, even though she looks like she is still a teen-ager! For the record, I called Louise on the telephone and sang to her, how could I not?
Speaking of birthdays, today's birthday goes to Boris Pasternak, who as you all know, wrote the novel "Dr. Zhivago!" But did you know that Pasternak was a Russian author whose novel, the aforementioned, "Dr. Zhivago" an epic of wandering, spiritual isolation, and love amid the revolution and its aftermath, became a bestseller in the West, but was only circulated in secrecy in the Soviet Union until 1987. Boris Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1958, but he was forced to decline it because of Soviet opposition to his work.
My sister, Judy, came by yesterday and is here now for a visit; Judy has been a great help, there is a room in our basement that Judy helped clean up yesterday, Judy says she likes doing cleaning work as it is her form of exercise, how about that?
Okay Sally and Jessie, never say I don't care, this is especially for you two: Justin Bieber injured his knee last night in a live performance he gave in Cleveland, the injury is said to have occurred midway through the show, but Justin, don't fear, was able to finish, he is Canadian you know.
Also, for Sally, Jessie and the rest of you Justin Bieber fans, Justin's movie, "Never Say Never," which opens everywhere today, only got two (2) stars rating in today's Globe and Mail, but I bet this movie still ranks in a small fortune, who am I kidding, the movie's grosses may rival that of "Avatar," wait and see, you read it here first.
For any of you planning to go South, or some sunny place for the March or Spring Break, maybe you should consider getting your American dollars now, seeing how our dollar is still at par.
Okay, it has been awhile since I gave some writing tips, so I thought I might give you something to think about, for some people, if a topic interests them, they are quite content to immerse themselves in extensive online articles that are otherwise indistinguishable from print content. Alot of web site visitors, however, have a different set of expectations when they read on a computer, nearly every medium has its own rules; here are seven (7) tips to help you write for an online audience, whether you have your own site or blog or whether you submit content to other people’s sites:
1. Write for scanners, not for readers.
Before you buy a book, you probably read the jacket copy, you don't?, I'm surprised, but I do, I read, the synopsis, testimonials, the author’s biography. When you pick up a magazine or a newspaper, you quickly peruse the headlines.
The same principle applies online: Provide points of entry for scanners, headlines, subheadings, bullet lists, captions. Write clear, concise sentences. Keep paragraphs and other blocks of copy short and tight.
Most important, keep in mind that visitors may never click over from scanning to reading, so pack as much information as you can into the points of entry.
2. Know your audience.
Do you want your readers to geek out about some high tech topic? Do you hope they’ll come back to your site because you rate products effectively and they know they can count on you? Should they leave your site knowing what’s happening in the world today? Is your goal to get them to bookmark your site because you busted their guts with your witty prose? Shape your content accordingly, not just how it reads but also how it appears.
3. Design your content.
Provide visual clues about organization, intent, and content: Make subheadings smaller than headlines. In a heading for a pros-and-cons list, colour “Pros” green and “Cons” red. On a site about target shooting, replace the dots in a bullet list with images of real bullets, or, on a gardening site, swap little flowers in place of the dots. But don’t push it, your subliminal messaging should be “See how useful/entertaining this site is?” not “See how clever I am?”
4. Think like a journalist.
One of the principles of journalistic writing is presenting information in an inverted pyramid of vital to trivial, with who, what, when, where, and why (otherwise known as the 5 W's) right up top. Tell readers what you want them to know, now, and save the background information and the additional details for later.
5. Translate print content.
When you upload copy already published on paper, re purpose it for the Internet: Offer points of entry, tighten and divide complex sentences, break up long paragraphs, and cut extraneous content.
6. Be witty sparingly.
Gosh, it really hurts to include this one, but as much as it hurts a fan of punning and alliteration to write this, leave your sense of humour at the door (then sneak it in later). Straightforward headlines make it onto search engines’ search returns and draw readers in; chuckle some wordplay doesn’t. Save the wacky stuff for after they’ve committed to remaining on your site.
7. Link. Link. Link.
When building an argument or providing an example, instead of extensively repeating what has already been published online, insert a link to the source. Don’t fear losing visitors; you’ve followed the rest of my advice, so they’ll come back.
Okay, I was going to save the following for Valentine's Day, but I can't wait, I want to share it with you, the following is a list of the ten (10) most iconic movie kisses, (I'm such a romantic!):
Is there anything as romantic as a classic big screen kiss? Even today, when most Hollywood movies don't exactly fade to black after the lovers lock lips, the best kisses still have the power to send shivers down the spine. In honour of Valentine's Day, InStyle and I, chose the most memorable cinematic embraces: upside down, on a boat, and in the pouring rain and I happen to agree with the choices, they are:
1. "Gone with the Wind" "You need kissing badly," Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler, told Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara in this 1939 epic. "You should be kissed, and often. And by someone who knows how." Later on, while proposing to the twice-widowed Scarlett, he proves he's the man for the job.
2. "Lady and the Tramp" She was the original uptown girl, much like my friend Lily, who isn't a dog; he was a lovable drifter. But when these two crazy pups came together over a very long piece of spaghetti in this 1955 animated film, it was forever.
3. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Truman Capote's original 1958 novella wasn't exactly a love story, so the author was less than thrilled with the 1961 big screen adaptation. (For one thing, he'd wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly; I'm sure that Mr. Capote said this during the height of his drug-use phase!) But audiences adored this stylish film, particularly for the final scene, in which Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard) make a rainy New York City alley seem as romantic as any pink-streaked sunset.
4. "When Harry Met Sally" This 1989 comedy made numerous witty contributions to the romantic lexicon, and kick started a (still-raging) debate as to whether men and women could "really" be friends, but it was the pair's New Year's Eve reconciliation that moved viewers to tears. As Billy Crystal (Harry) told Meg Ryan (Sally): "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
5. "Pretty Woman" "I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian (Julia Roberts) warns Edward (Richard Gere) at the beginning of this 1990 movie. So when she does, it's pivotal, the audience understands that she's come to regard Edward as much more than a client. But even that kiss can't beat the one at the happy ending, after Edward "rescues" Vivian on her fire escape and she promises to "rescue him right back."
6. "Ghost" Technically, in this scene from the 1990 film, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is making out with Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). But because Oda Mae is channeling Molly's late boyfriend Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze), it's Sam that Molly -- and the viewers -- get to see.
7. "Titanic" Director James Cameron initially planned to cast "an Audrey Hepburn type" to play the female lead in this 1997 epic, and Leonardo DiCaprio nearly turned down his role. It's still captivating to see him woo Kate Winslet's Rose, even if, as DiCaprio said in a recent interview, kissing Kate is "like kissing a family member."
8. "Spiderman" The upside down kiss that Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) shared with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) in this 2002 flick was breath-taking for Maguire, but not for the reasons you might think. "The whole time I had rainwater running up my nose," he said. "Then, when Kirsten rolled back the mask, she cut my air off completely."
9. "Slumdog Millionaire" It was easy to see why Jamal (Dev Patel) was so hung up on his childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto). When they finally kiss on a Mumbai train platform, it's a moment as exuberantly optimistic as the goofy dance scene that follows. Bonus points for still being a couple to this off-screen day.
10. "Twilight" Even the most diehard members of Team Jacob can't deny the romantic power of Bella and Edward's first kiss. Kristen Stewart, who's almost uniformly closemouthed about her off-screen relationship with costar Robert Pattinson, did offer "I get to kiss Edward Cullen," when asked to name a few of her favorite things about the gig.
Well did InStyle, and me, omit one of the iconic kisses on your list, if they did, do advise me so I can share it with my readers, not your name silly, but the iconic kiss, my people need to know this information, okay, they don't need it, they enjoy it, gosh, some of you are so exact and particular.
Hope you have a good day, its another really cold one, dress warmly.
Topics coming soon:
Art
Politics
Image via WikipediaCartoons
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