Community Awareness Opportunity Explore Bring together Initiative Participating Networking ...of these, "community" takes the cake. What do you even mean when you say "providing the community with this opportunity"? Do you mean you're going to let the 5-year-olds that live in your town have their share of the grant funding? What about the owner of the old barbershop that could use the money, but isn't actually eligible because it's not really open to business entities? Where or who exactly is your "community"? It's such a broadly used word that it requires further definition - but that definition is rarely, if ever, spelled out. I see this all the time in print journalism, and I'm left wondering what common characteristic or interest is defining the "community" under consideration. Maybe everybody should just re-read George Orwell's Politics and the English Language .

We have this page we do at the paper I work at that runs every Friday with a list of interesting things to do over the weekend, a movie review and some piece of outlandish entertainment news (like, Justin Bieber arrested again!). Along the side of this page runs a weekly column, something lighthearted or localized to set the tone for the weekend. We've been a bit frustrated by this column for various reasons, so I asked my editor a couple of days ago if we could replace it. She asked, what with? And I may or may not have volunteered to write the weekly piece. So, she said, write me a couple spec pieces -- that's journo lingo for "these are the pieces that will forever convince you of my fantastic writing ability" -- and we'll see. I wrote the spec pieces tonight (or... this morning?). I present them to her tomorrow. I mean today. If she likes 'em, I'm on the hook for writing something rather amusing each week (kind of in the style of the Life on my O...

Not only are they eminently fitting for me, my old college roomie MADE them herself. They’re the only set in existence. I keep telling her she should start a little craft business selling jewelry.

I came across an excellent observation on imprecatory and abusive language from the prolific pen of C. S. Lewis: …In the vocabulary of abuse and complaint we see things that once were words passing out of the realm of language (properly so called) and becoming the equivalents of inarticulate sounds… The “swear-words”— damn for complaint and damn you for abuse—are a good example. Historically the whole Christian eschatology lies behind them. If no one had ever consigned his enemy to the eternal fires and believed that there were eternal fires to receive him, these ejaculations would never have existed. But inflation, the spontaneous hyperboles of ill temper, and the decay of religion have long since emptied them of that lurid content. Those who have no belief in damnation—and some who have—now damn inanimate objects which would on any view be ineligible for it…. It has ceased to be profane. It has also become very much less forceful…. So with abusive terms. No one would now call hi...

Last month, I learned I can write 2,000 words of fiction in an hour and a half if I don’t think too hard. It’s not good fiction, but it’s grammatically correct. I also learned that if I quit watching movies, reading novels and surfing the Internet, I can write a 50,000-word novella in one month, start to finish. This year I participated in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo , for the second time in my life. It comes every November and the goal is to write 50,000 words in one month just for the sake of writing. The first time I participated, I was a sophomore in college with nothing better to do besides watch YouTube videos. This time, I had an apartment and a full-time job. I even had to cook for myself. Was this really a good idea? So I made a bargain. If I could manage it, great. If I started to get overwhelmed, if I lost sleep or if my concentration at work started to suffer, I would give it up immediately without the guilt of quitting. But I hate to quit. I’m just abo...

Just like tearing petals off a daisy, I have asked myself whether to participate in National Novel Writing Month ( NaNoWriMo ) or to forego it this year. If I participate, I’ll feel obligated to write 2,000 words a day. If I don’t, I’ll kick myself for not trying. Oh, why not? Onward with the novel-writing challenge! It’s not like it’s a big deal if I don’t write the 50,000 words by November 30. And after all, if I write more than I ponder, I could get an easy 2,000 words in a couple hours. 2,000*(30-5)=50,000, assuming the Thanksgiving holiday and one day a week are all that I spend not writing. This just means I won’t watch any movies for the next thirty days. (Also that I might take one of my extra vacation days just to spend on housework and such that I’m sure to put off in favor of writing….) Therefore, in honor of my second year participating in NaNoWriMo and with every hope of finishing again: I do declare that I have an excellent reason to slack off on blogging, e-mailing, F...

As you know, this blog has basically no point. It is simply the airing of various observations, fascinations, and rants that find their source in the fount of my mind. That is, I write whatever I feel like writing. But I do not write every time I feel like doing so… not on this blog, at least. Much of my writing is instead left in my journal, or on scrap paper in notebooks strewn about my room. That’s because I often write to clear my head and to organize my thoughts. Most of my writing is, in fact, private—not for public consumption. Some think that to write is to be read—that there is no purpose to writing if the words on paper (or screen) are never intended to be read by someone else—but I think those who write will understand an article I found linked off of some blog or other that I frequent (I don’t remember which one right now). For many of us who love the act of writing—even when we are writing against a deadline with an editor waiting for the copy—there is something mon...

The title should convey all the information I need to share--but the emotion and exhilaration behind it is impossible to put into words. :) I got sunburned on my legs, though, which hardly ever happens and kinda stings. Also, I discovered a fascinating word from an obscure language a few days ago. Apparently lost-in-translation can get pretty bad sometimes. In addition, I will be meeting a movie star tomorrow (hopefully). The main actor in this year's hit film in this Central American country is best friends with my professor's son, and since half my class went to see the movie, he'll come visit us and we'll get to practice speaking Spanish with him. Should be fun.

... I always have lots of things planned to do. I don't normally get around to doing them quite when I meant to, though. Anyways. One of those things was to update my link list on the side there. Honestly, if there were a way I could conveniently link my Google Reader list to my blog sidebar, that would be great. But there is not. However I can give you examples... I have several folders. The ones I actually read are "Geekish" (yes, that's the name), "Christianity and life" (for which I couldn't come up with a better name), "Language" and "Friend blogs". "Geekish" sample: Futurity.org which basically collects fascinating scientific breakthroughs/studies for those who don't think the newspaper covers it enough. "Christianity and life" sample: Pyromaniacs , run mainly by a man named Phil Johnson. Fascinating theological discussions, and Spurgeon readings on top of that! "Language" sample: OK, so I love...

So yeah... my little hermanita woke up at like five-thirty this morning, no kidding. I woke up then too, as I do almost every day (and then try to fall back asleep). I did manage to fall asleep again, and slept till eight. That was amazing. Anyhow. Here is a random bunch of links I found this week: Interesting Pile. My roommate and I love this kind of thing. Most random link compilations on the Net. You can play piano on Ohio. No joke. Fun Flash game. One of the London newspapers will be distributed free. (That's my obligatory journalism note. :D ) Star Wars is soon to be remade... collaboratively . This "blog" is fantabulously "funny" and "amazing." (Grammar Nazis only!) Sweet photos of Detriot. I just love photography. And a few various related articles that perked my interest: The importance of real-life relationships. On a journalism-related blog. Who'da thunk? What we lose when technology mediates a relationship from a blog about church ...

Man, all the news I get is random. William Safire, known for his On Language columns and all-around wordplay, died recently . I still read the On Language column in the NYT, although now it's written by a Jack Rosenthal. *Sigh* I shall miss the witty wordmith's works.

I should make a label that calls itself "observations." I use the term often enough as a title formula! I just watched "Ella Enchanted" with my little friend, Bee. Today was the first time in quite awhile that I've been able to see her--I've been busy/working, she's been in D.C., etc. So we were together for most of the day; she even came with me (and my siblings) when I drove over to get my hair trimmed/styled before my trip overseas. Anyhow, we watched the movie tonight, partly to give me something to do while the rest of my family went to see "Night at the Museum 2" at the dollar theater, and to give Bee an excuse to get out of the house while her little sister, Banana, and Banana's friend practiced their homemade "ballet" performance. Carey Elwes is so funny as a bad guy, because he's so good at it! I first saw him in "The Princess Bride" (the best comedy ever, imho *wink*) and then as a bad guy in "Twi...

Millennial/collegiate terms 1.Sweet --Freakin' sweet --Friggin' sweet 2.Oh snap 3.Crap --What the crap --Holy crap 4.Heck --What the heck 5.Dang 6.Darn 7.What the flip 8.OMG (collegiate variant of Gosh) 9.Oh my lanta 10.Fo sho 11.Fur real 12.Dude 13.Awesome 14.Yay 15.Wicked (with awesome or sweet) 16.Totally 17.Hi Generally common 18.Geez --Gee --Possible oldies variant: Gee whiz 19.Gosh --Oh my gosh --Millenial/collegiate variant: OMG 20.Wow 21.Arrgh 22.Yikes 23.Holy cow 24.Oops 25.Uh-oh 26.Hey 27.Oh boy 28.What in the world 29.Whoopdedoo 30.Cool 31.Nice 32.Yuck Uniquely mine 33.Sheesh 34.Phooey 35.Oh my 36.My goodness 37.Yahoo Extreme oddities 38.Blast 39.Great Caesar's Ghost 40.Fragonard 41.Curses 42.By the beard of Zeus 43.By the hammer of Thor 44.Holy colon cancer Oldies 45.Sweet Jesus 46.Crickey 47.Gee whiz (possible variant of Geez) 48.Rats 49.Geeminee 50.My word 51.Fiddle-de-dee This is the halfway-done draft of a paper I'm writing for grammar class... all about...

So, apparently the students on staff at Cedarville University's student newspaper won't stand for the PR department looking over their shoulder . "...the PR department’s excessive attempt to censor Cedars necessarily violates our operating model, and the Cedars staff has thus decided to cease publication," the students write. "Review by the public relations department undermines our ability to think critically and engage culture. We grieve the loss of free expression and healthy discourse once found in your newspaper, traits that ought to characterize all vibrant institutions of higher learning." ( More over at World Blog. ) Sure, it's a private institution, and sure, it's a bunch of students who are still learning the ropes. But this is much farther than most (if not all) colleges take their privilege of reviewing the student newspaper. Especially since it's the PR department that's doing this. It smacks a lot of prior restraint (which i...

I was whistling "Wouldn't it be loverly?" today and got a couple more comments about whistling (both mine and in general). I do wish everyone were able to whistle; it brings such joy to life. Anyhow. Today I got the latest issue of a newsletter for which I write, and was pleased to see it filled with articles and photographs, many of which were written/photographed by people I know. (And of course, it's nice to see my own work in print. *smile*) I enjoy writing for this particular newsletter because it's a Christian one, with themed issues; the writing I do for this is like writing features for a newspaper, so it's a cross between reporting (telling a true story) and storytelling (framing it and giving the story a moral or a lesson or whatever). I love it. For one of my articles (I had two short ones) I wrote about a book I'd just finished which happened to dovetail perfectly with the theme of the article. I'm surprised (again) at how coherent an...

I don't really understand why anyone would have an intensely personal blog online... the journal-style ones, in which the author bares his soul for the world to see. What point or purpose could there be to dumping one's least developed thoughts and one's most ethereal dreams into a little box made of HTML? And then clicking the little "publish" button, like one's blog were a valuable autobiographical resource for some famous or controversial person? I sometimes think that the plethora of personal, journal-like blogs devalues the nature of a blog. Therefore, I keep most musing between the pages of my real-life, tangible journal, of paper and ink.

Me gusta mucho... escribir cartas a mi amigo, en español. (I love writing Spanish letters to my friend!) Last week an old friend of my family e-mailed me (as she's been in the habit of doing) and asked if I would correspond with her son, who's in Spanish II in high school. "Of course," I joyfully replied. Since then we have sent three or four e-mails back and forth (on each side) and his mother writes that he is enjoying the correspondence immensely. I, on my end, am also very pleased to have begun it. I get a lot of practice this way, you know, and I'm being extra careful so I don't mess his verb conjugations up (or his vocabulary, for that matter). It takes longer than I would like to write one of the e-mails, but not too long I don't think. And I'm getting a lot better as I get back into the habit of actually creating written works of Spanish instead of simply deciphering another's Spanish writing. In fact, I should be writing another one...

I stumbled on a funny blog post over at the New York Times tonight! According to them, this is how you fill out one of those "25 random things about me" lists on Facebook... 9. Mention small adversity, like long commute or annoying neighbor, and the unexpected, preferably funny, way you overcome it. 10. Cite an actual random thing that comes to mind while writing this list. 11. “Admit” that you always identified with weird ancillary character on popular TV show in 7th grade, as if you didn’t know that everyone in retrospect agrees that was the best character. 12. Expose something genuine and poignant about yourself, such as untimely death of close relative or rare genetic condition. 13. Express heartfelt thanks to friends or family for helping you through #12, or just for being there, or whatever. 14. Conclude sentimental portion of list by citing the scene in movie X that always makes you cry. Could also be a lyric, or a memory, so long as it involves crying. 15. Something...

Is literature supposed to be realist or escapist? My roommate says escapist. Is fiction? Why have I never seen texting or Facebook referred to regularly in a book? One friend has seen one of them in one book... that's all. Can escapist fiction be realistic? I think so. But to what extent? Can realistic fiction be escapist? I think so, also. What qualities set American fiction apart from that of the rest of the world? Does fiction reflect its culture? Probably.

Barbara Wallraff's post yesterday was hilarious! She quotes a former presidential speechwriter: The kabuki of the typical inaugural can be broken down into specific set pieces; the thoughts arranged in a comforting sequence that would have been instantly familiar one hundred, even two hundred, years ago. And he proceeds to list the ten points that every new president under the sun has used. It cracked me up so much that my roommate asked what was so funny.