Saturday, March 30, 2013
Telegraphese
By Joan Whetzel
I ran across this word in a word-a-day calendar and it intrigued me. It sent me on a search to find out more about it. Though it was created in the 1800s, it is particularly relevant to today’s IM-ing, texting, and emailing world.
Telegraphese Defined
Telegraphese is a noun describing a “language” distinguished by the use of shortness or curtness and by the ellipses or abbreviations commonly used on telegrams. It’s a style of writing or speaking set apart from normal speech patterns by the omissions and abbreviations. Telegraphese is a method of writing that attempts to pack as much info into the fewest number of words or characters.
So What Is Telegraphese?
Telegraphese is the 19th century version of sending text messages. Whenever someone needed to get a message to someone else quickly – more quickly than a mailed letter, they would send a telegram. (Tele is Greek for distance, graphe is Greek for “to write”.) But to send a telegraph, or telegram, cost a lot of money since you had to pay by the word. So people began creating a form of shorthand in order make their shorter. By using abbreviations and only the most meaningful words, a message could deliver the pertinent information in as few words as possible. It has changed over time to become today’s texting and IM-ing shorthand.
Problems with Telegraphese
The biggest problem with telegraphese is that, in an attempt to be concise, the message runs the risk of becoming vague. This ambiguity can lead to misinterpretation, either accidental or on purpose.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
So Your New Baby’s a Night Owl: 5 Secret Tips Every Parent Should Know for Getting Baby to Sleep at Night
http://joanwz.hubpages.com/hub/So-Your-New-Babys-a-Night-Owl-5-Secret-Tips-Every-Parent-Should-Know-for-Getting-Baby-to-Sleep-at-Night
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Real Estate BLogs
I am currently also writing blogs 3 times a week for White Picket Realty. You can find the blogs at: http://www.whitepicketrealty.com/blog-1/
Saturday, March 23, 2013
What Architectural Style Are You Looking for?
http://quazen.com/arts/architecture/what-architectural-style-are-you-looking-for/
Week of March 24, 2013 - "Dark Desire" by Christine Feehan - A Book Review
By Joan Whetzel
Dr. Shea O'Halloran mysteriously suffers an attack of severe pain all over her body as if she's being tortured. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the pain stops. Soon afterward, she begins having a series of strange dreams of being summoned, of someone sending her images of a man she's never seen before, but to whom she feels deeply connected. Five years after the painful attack, 2 men come looking for She, convinced she is a vampire. Alarmed by their questions and insinuations, she somehow manages to escape these two men, and goes on the run for the next 2 years. Ending up in Romania, she finds the source of her dreams - and the cause of her painful attack 7 years earlier - a man named Jacques. From what he is able to tell her, Shea determines he is a vampire, but Jacques assures her he is not a vampire, but a Carpathian - there's a difference. From the first encounter between Shea and Jacques, they are strongly drawn to each other and to other Carpathians in the Romanian mountains in ways neither of them can quite comprehend. The two are drawn into a nightmare that has plagued the Carpathians for many years.
I found this book in the "urban fantasy" section of the book store. Urban fantasy is a variation of fantasy novels that - rather than being placed in an historical or future realm, or on a different planet - is placed on Earth, in the present day. However, this fantasy has slightly different twist to it. It adds the element of the good, old-fashioned bodice ripper. You know, the kind of romance where the main characters can't wait to rip each other's clothes off on their way to the bedroom. Christine Feehan doesn't get overly graphic with those details, she manages to leave at least some things to the imagination.
When I first picked up this book, I didn't realize that it was part of a series, or that it was, in fact, the 2nd book in that series. As novels go, this story stands well on its own, so I could easily stop here with book. But now I'm hooked, so I'm going to have to go back and read the first book to get caught up on what I missed. If I like that one, I may just be tempted to keep on reading the rest of the books in the series. Especially since this book left some unanswered questions.
For those of you interested in summer reading material, this would definitely make for a great entry on your summer reading list.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Week of March 14, 2013 - Review of "The Old Man and the Sea"
By Joan Whetzel
I recently, re-read this book. My first reading was in high school. I've been hooked on Hemmingway ever since because his easy writing style draws in the reader so effortlessly.
"The Old Man and the Sea" is a small book, only 127 pages, with no chapters. It's more like an extra-long short story than a novel. The old man is a Cuban fisherman named Santiago. He has befriended a young boy who used to fish with him until his latest dry streak. Santiago hasn't caught a fish in 84 days. (His previous record was 85 days without catching a fish.) The young boy's father has forbidden him to continue fishing with Santiago, instructing him instead to work with one of the more prosperous fishermen in the village because the family needs the money.
On his 85th day, Santiago heads out to sea in his fishing boat, confident that this is the day his streak of bad luck will be broken. Sure enough, the old man catches a large fish, a marlin. But the marlin does not give up easily, but puts up a fight that lasts for days, and pulls the old man far enough out to sea that he loses sight of land. He's not only fighting the marlin, he's got to fight off the sharks and his own physical fatigue.
Santiago's story is not just about his struggles with the marlin, the sharks, and fatigue, but his own personal, internal struggles as well. It's as much a test of wills as it is a test of strength - the marlin's strength and his own personal strength.
If you're looking for a good summer read, this is a good book to include on your vacation reading list. If you’ve never read Hemmingway, this is a good book to start with. And if you've read Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" before, I recommend your revisit this little gem. It's worth the read.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Week of March 10,2012 - What Is the View from your Nearest Window?
Alright, this is really an exercise in daydreaming, but one that may lead in any direction for a writer. Give it a try. Do it over several days or weeks and see what you come up with.
· Saturday. The sun is shining bright and the sky is clear. No clouds. The temperatures are cool with lows in the upper-30s and highs in the mid-60s. Right now it's nearly noon on a Saturday which means the neighbor next door was outside doing yard work this morning. Right now I can hear his radio playing in the backyard as he and his family lounge in the hot tub. (Alright I can't actually see that one, but I can only hear it.) The neighborhood kids are energized by the beautiful weather, running, screaming, playing, riding bikes and scooters, having fun. It's still too cool for birds nesting in the gardenia bush outside my office window. An occasional car drives down the street, slowing to tap the horn to make sure the kids notice the car and don't run out in front of him or her. I find the kids' joy and laughter on these days almost too inviting to remain sitting in my office. The urge to go outside and play is strong, to the point where I am just about ready to chuck it and play hooky.
· Monday. It’s dark and cloudy, and we’re expecting rain. The wind has picked up, becoming strong and gusty and making the pine trees wave precariously. The cold front should be moving through later today. Kids are off from school for a holiday, so no buses came through this morning. They must be sleeping in late since they aren’t even playing outside at 9:30am. It’s nearly lunchtime. The rain has started, right on schedule. A few splats against the window alerted me to the onset. I love rain. I sleep better at night when it’s raining and I get so much more done on rainy days. I think it’s because I am not being enticed and cajoled into going outside to play by sunshine, pleasant temperatures, and gentle breezes. Mid-afternoon, there’s some old guy pacing back and forth on the sidewalk out front. Who is this guy? He saw me watching him and left.
· Thursday. The kids walk to the school bus stop across the street and play chase while waiting. About 10 minutes later, the school bus lumbers to a stop, and takes off again once the kids have taken their seats. The weather's consisted of light rain and strong winds all morning, sunshine and gentle breezes in the afternoon. 4pm, the bus comes back down the street, depositing the kids across the street. This time, they get off the bus much slower, dragging their feet. How can they be so tired on such a beautiful afternoon. Hard week at school?
· Friday. Large truck driving down the street. Without even looking I can tell you by the sound that it's the garbage truck and not UPS or a school bus. Besides, it stops at every house just long enough to empty the garbage cans and then move on to the next. Two guys with a clip board checking out the neighbor's house. Nobody's home next door. Hmm! Should I call the police or not? No, they got back in their car and left after about a minute. Later in the afternoon, some guy a block or two over is yelling loudly. Can't make out words or exactly where it's coming from. Sounds like he might be in pain or really angry, Can't tell for sure. Otherwise nothing is moving, and it's really quiet.
· Saturday. A young couple is out for their morning walk. The elderly man across the street is just finishing his morning walk. I haven't seen his wife in a while and find myself wondering if she's okay. She's suffered several falls and broken her hips as well as an arm in recent years. She's frail and has osteoporosis. The neighbor's son has parked his truck in front of our house again. Why can't he park in front of his own house? Or in the driveway?
· Sunday. Morning is quiet as usual for a Sunday. Everyone is at church or sleeping in late. Beautiful Sunny day with a slight breeze. Birds chirping up and down the street. I love mornings like this - when I have time to go out and play. But when I have work I need to get done, they are painfully enticing. A couple of my granddaughters friends noticed my window blinds open and saw me working in my office. They won't stop pounding on the door until I answer it and tell them she's not here. The clouds moved back in this afternoon Rain started soon after. It's a chilly rainy afternoon, the complete opposite of this morning, which makes a good day for slow roasting a chicken, served with mashed potatoes and veggies for supper. "Yum! It smells like thanksgiving" one of my kids said once many years ago. 11:30pm Fire truck racing down the boulevard behind our back fence. Siren blaring, the driver stomping his fist into the horn (boys and their toys!)- both echoing off the 8 foot fences forming the boulevard’s canyon walls – the lights peeking over the top of the fence and flashing their light play across my bedroom ceiling, red-white, red-white, red-white…
I never realized how many things happen outside my usual realm of existence. I’m usually so wrapped up in my writing or the news on TV or family life, that I don’t notice what’s going on right outside my window. Another thing I notice here is how certain things trigger my imagination (the fire truck), my concerns (what’s going on with the across-the-street neighbor’s wife), and my memories (chicken dinner). Any of these details could find their place in fiction or non-fiction writing.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Home Improvements: Choosing the Right Bathroom Sink
http://quazen.com/shopping/home-and-garden/home-improvements-choosing-the-right-bathroom-sink/
Week of March 3, 2013 - Abjure: A study in Words
By Joan Whetzel
Abjure is one of those words I’ve run across but never really understood it’s meaning, or it’s writing potential. So I investigated the word to find out more about it. I found that abjure is a verb, defined as “to renounce under oath; to forswear; to recant solemnly; to repudiate; to give up, or to abstain from” according the American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam Webster Dictionary. The Thesaurus lists recant, reject, deny, give up, and relinquish as synonyms. Guess that means finding out more about these words to get the fullest understanding of the word abjure.
Recant
Recant, a verb, is a formal retraction or disavowal of a statement previously made or a previously held belief . Synonyms include: recall, retract, take back, and withdraw.
Reject
The dictionaries define this verb as to refuse to accept, to submit to, to believe or to make use of, to refuse to consider or grant, to deny, to refuse to recognize or give affection to a person, to discard an object as defective or useless, to throw something away. As a noun, reject is something or someone that has been rejected. Synonyms listed in the thesaurus include decline, dismiss, refuse, spurn, turn down, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, renounce, and repudiate.
Deny
Dictionaries define this verb as meaning to declare untrue, to contradict, to refuse to believe, to reject, to refuse to acknowledge or to recognize, to disavow, to decline to grant or allow, to give refusal to, to turn down, to turn away, or to restrain oneself from indulgence in pleasures. The Thesaurus includes the following synonyms: to contradict, contravene, or controvert; disaffirm, gainsay, negate, negative, oppugn, traverse, disallow, refuse, turn down, withhold, disacknowledge, disavow, disclaim, disown, reject, renounce, or repudiate.
Give Up
Give up, a noun, is defined as something relinquished or conceded; a give back. As a verb, to give up means to yield possession of something or to surrender; to desist from doing something or to abandon; to declare some condition or circumstance incurable; to abandon oneself to a feeling or influence or activity; to despair of seeing someone again; or, in the case of a pitcher in baseball, to allow a hit or a run. Synonyms include: deliver, furnish, hand, hand over, provide, supply, transfer, and turn over.
Relinquish
Relinquish is a verb meaning to withdraw or to retreat from; to leave behind; to give up; physically to stop holding something; to release; to give up possession of or control of something; or to yield. Synonyms listed in the Thesaurus include: abandon, abdicate, cede, demit, forswear, hand over, quitclaim, render, renounce, resign, surrender, waive, yield, abandon, break off, desist, discontinue, give up, leave off, quit, remit, stop, abound, cede, forgo, lay down, surrender, and yield.
Abjure has several meanings and synonyms. But the nuances are subtle, providing a narrow range of uses for this word. It will be interesting to find ways to use abjure.
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