I wrote a blog on Journalism awhile back that focused on what the word means and should mean. While I did mention how grateful I am to the free press, I think it’s time to be more than grateful for the concept. It’s time to start yelling that gratitude from the rooftops and to shine… Continue Reading
Making the World More Understandable
Category Archives: Rants
The “Should” of Expectations
Ages ago, I wrote about “should” and what I define as the right and wrong way to use that word. Recently, while speaking with one of my various coaches, I mentioned that something was expected. Her response was that an expectation is just as bad as a should. And I realized that it was time… Continue Reading
Politics, Thought Leadership, and Morals
As a member of the board of my local chapter of the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators), I was involved in a conversation about should we be talking politics. We didn’t come to a conclusion. Also with that group, I’ve been in conversations about thought leadership – what is it and who are some… Continue Reading
How to Be a Writer without Writing a Book
I once wrote a blog about irony. Although I made several interesting and insightful observations, the general point is that I’m one of those people that can’t define the word, but do know when it hits me over the head with a brick. (I am, however, likely to miss the more subtle examples.) For a… Continue Reading
The Point of My Service Business
I recently heard someone say that if a business only provides a service, it doesn’t have any lasting impact. That one hit me hard. While not a secret, I don’t say this often: I’m terrified of ending up like Eleanor Rigby. I don’t expect to be in the history books (unless as a possible author… Continue Reading
Words That Don’t Work: Nonplus
I believe that a person with a basic understanding of the language ought to be able to understand content published for the general population – even if they encounter a word they haven’t seen before. Obviously, text books, scientific articles, philosophical debates, and the such are likely to contain words that will send the reader… Continue Reading
The Hazards of PowerPoint
This blog originally started as a guest blog for my friend Elizabeth Bachman; lately, however, I’ve been wanting to refer to the content, so I thought I’d spin it for myself. While I’d rather write a presentation than give one, I sit through them with some regularity. And I’ve sat through some really BAD presentations.… Continue Reading
Properly Pronounce!
In a blog that I don’t think I’ll publish, I discussed the importance of proper pronunciation. That rant focused on how commonly people drop Rs from words such as “library” and “February.” And while I do find that tendency annoying, the blog itself was just a little too pissy – even for me. That said,… Continue Reading
Straight Talk, Not Buzzspeak
Erika Napoletano is someone I stumbled upon a few years ago – don’t ask me how, I have no clue. I subscribe to her blog – I don’t read it often, but they all still live in my inbox. I love her work because she talks straight, thinks along the same lines I do, and… Continue Reading
Going Too Far with Gender Neutrality
When being specific could be wrong, when referring to a person of unknown gender, it is better to be general than specific. And, job positions ought to be neutral. Male or female, someone is a server or a flight attendant. However, I believe people are taking gender neutrality too far. The idea for this blog… Continue Reading