Month: August 2018

There are different strategies and techniques to be discussed when writing good-news and bad-news letters. In good-news letters a writer is conveying good news to the receiver. The first paragraph (introduction) provides the good-news topic (reason for the letter). The second paragraph (discussion) provides the details of the good-news and the third paragraph (conclusion) calls for action.

Bad-news letters use the indirect approach and opens with a neutral idea while providing facts and supporting evidence. The second paragraph presents the reason for the bad news letter. The third paragraph ends with a neutral close. Tact and politeness is required when writing a letter of bad news. A writer of a letter of bad news must pay attention to tone and structure throughout the letter to avoid future problems. Writers must prevent themselves from offending the reader.

All writing is a form of persuasion. A writer tries to persuade their reader to understand his, or her point of view. Attention to wording is essential in a bad-news business letter to prevent breaking the code of ethics. An example for a reason for a bad-news letter is:

A company I work for has been advised to downsize labor cost by any means possible. The only choice I have is to terminate all temporary positions within the company. This decision requires that I write bad news letters to each of the temporary employees, terminating them and explaining to each one the reason for termination. I must take care to use tact and politeness throughout the letter while making it clear that their job performance was excellent and had no bearing on my company decision. When writing to the employee, I should offer a severance pay and to write a letter of recommendation to help the employee with job search. Additionally, medical benefits should be extended for a short time after termination. Additionally, letting the employee know that with his, or her given qualifications and proven abilities, I am confident that he or she will find another position in the near future. End on a calm and upward happy note.

Would you write “the Perkins’ dog” or “the Perkins’s dog”?

I don’t know about you, but I’m often confused by the use of plurals and possessive apostrophes in words that end in an “s” sound. Should we put just an apostrophe after the existing “s” or should we add both an apostrophe and another “s”?

Of course, I’m not sure that an awful lot of people would be able to correct us if we were wrong. After reviewing guidelines for plurals in three separate reference books, there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on the tough calls. But still it’s nice to at least have a rule-of-thumb, if for no other reason than to improve our power writing skills.

Let’s start by reviewing possessive apostrophes with singular nouns that do not end in “s”. In that case, the possessive plurals rule is quite simple: add an apostrophe and an “s”, as in John’s house or May’s book.

Similarly, you can add just an apostrophe to most plural nouns, as in the players’ box and the dogs’ bones.

Where I get into troubled waters is adding the possessive to proper nouns (i.e. names and titles) that end in a sibilant. As the Chicago Manual of Style wryly puts it, “How to form the possessive of polysyllabic personal names ending with the sound of “s” or “z” probably occasions more dissension among writers and editors than any other orthographic matter open to disagreement.” Sounds confusing, but it simply means this issue of possessive plurals is the most controversial one faced by writers and editors.

Personally, I like the way the Gregg Reference Manual treats the subject. It recommends a pronunciation-based approach. If you would add an extra syllable when saying the word, add both an apostrophe and an “s” — if you would not add an extra syllable, simply use the apostrophe. It cites the following example, “Mr. Perkins’s kindness” (if you pronounce the name in three syllables) or “Mr. Perkins’ kindness” (pronouncing the name in two syllables).

To use another example, let’s consider Mr. Perkins’ dog (where I would normally pronounce Perkins as two syllables). On the other hand, if the Perkins families were having a reunion, I might write the Perkins’s reunion (where I would normally pronounce the name as three syllables); in the latter case, this would help make it clear I’m referring to multiple members of the Perkins family.

Then again, my favorite tactic at times like this is to be an evader, and rewrite the sentence so I don’t have to make a tough decision. For example, “the kindness of Mr. Perkins” or “the reunion of the Perkins families”. Sometimes I like the coward’s way out!

In summary, having a couple of rules of thumb will increase your power writing skills when it comes to adding the possessive plural to proper names that end with the “s” sound. First, you can use pronunciation as a guide, adding an additional “s” after the apostrophe if that’s how you would say it. Second, you can simply “write around” the problem by rearranging the words so you don’t have to make a decision. Third, and finally, remember that the authorities disagree among themselves on this subject, so your decision is final.

Over the centuries, there have been many reported cases – especially in Medieval legend – of sexual hauntings involving two specific types of entities: the Incubus (male demon) and the Succubus (female demon).

The Incubus and Succubus usually manifest themselves during the nocturnal hours, preying on the victim when they are sleeping, although there have been some cases where females have actually been sexually assaulted whilst fully awake. One such experience was covered in the book and subsequent movie, The Entity.

Any female who undergoes an incubus sexual assault will not awaken, although she may experience it in a dream. If she becomes pregnant, the child will grow inside her as any normal child, except that it will possess supernatural powers. Usually the child grows into a person of evil character or a powerful wizard. According to legend, it is said that the magician Merlin was the result of physical contact between an incubus and a nun.

A succubus is the female version, and she seduces men. According to one legend, the incubus and the succubus were fallen angels. The word incubus is Latin for “nightmare”. Succubus – In medieval European folklore, a female demon (or evil spirit) who visits men in their sleep to lie with them in ghostly sexual intercourse. The man who falls victim to a succubus will not awaken, although may experience it whilst in the dream state. The biblical Lilith, the first wife to Adam before Eve, is said to also have been the very first succubus on earth. There is a version of the Lilith myth in EVERY religion in the world. Many of these creatures have different names, such as Marilith or Lilitu, but all of them have one common theme: a demon woman, often with wings, who seduces – and sometimes murders – men. A succubus.

Just as is the case with the succubus, there are also many legends about incubi (singular: incubus), but these are not be confused with succubi (which is the plural of succubus). The incubi are said to be fallen angels in Judeo-Christianity who fell to earth because they had sex with mortal women. Since then incubi have stalked the earth, seducing women in their dreams and impregnating them. The children of incubi are said to grow up to become rapists.

An evil person who raped and murdered in real life may pass on, but may not move on to Heaven or Hell. Instead, they remain on the earth plane as a spiritual being with the same personality as they had in life. They are therefore free to indulge in sexual intercourse with whoever they chose, so it’s not surprising that a spirit of such a nature may be called an Incubus or a Succubus.

There are many variations of this sexual demonic legend all over the world. For instance, in Zanzibar, an entity known as the “Popo Bawa” generally preys on men as they sleep in their beds. In the Chilo’ Province of Chile, a pathetic little dwarf, known as El Trauco, woos young naive women and then seduces them. In Hungary, a Liderc is a demonic sexual predator that operates under the cover of darkness, and will appear as little more than a wispy apparition or a fiery light. Any one of these two succubus’s can be blamed for unexpected or unwanted pregnancies, especially in unmarried women, though you could argue that it might just be a convenient fabrication to avoid vicious gossip!

Some confuse the incubus with the legendary “Old Hag” syndrome, but it is not. The Old Hag episode is usually confined to a feeling of intense pressure on the chest and, as such, not an actual ghostly sexual encounter. Another difference that separates the incubus/succubus experience from the Old Hag is that the former is not always unpleasant while the Old Hag is mostly accompanied by a feeling of death, suffocation and the horrific feeling of fighting for your life.

Because the incubus and succubus are generally experienced during the sleep state or in between it, most experts feel that it is an imaginary experience and not a real one. However, telling this to the person who has just had this eerily erotic experience, they may find that hard to believe, as to them it feels as real as actual sexual intercourse itself.

Nobody can really say for sure if these events are real or imagined, but until you’ve experienced an actual sexual assault by an incubus or succubus yourself, it’s quite hard to form a solid opinion one way or the other.

Jeremy Bentham has been cited as the founder of Utilitarianism, the concept in which the value of an action is the result of its consequences. In essence, individuals make decisions regarding their actions based upon the perceived consequences of the action; namely which action would result in the happiness and satisfaction of the largest number of people.

History tells us that Winston Churchill had foreknowledge of the November 14, 1940 bombing of the British city of Coventry. However, despite being given at least 48 hours notice that the city was to be the target of a German air raid, Churchill did not warn the residents of the area. Although a host of legal, political, and moral dilemmas arise from such a decision, Churchill was certainly faced with what must have been a horrifying decision; sacrifice the people and the city of Coventry or make the Germans aware of the fact that British code breakers had deciphered an important means of German military communication.

Breaking the code was likely a major military triumph for the British and Churchill certainly would not have wanted to sacrifice their newfound knowledge to the Germans. Therefore, Churchill would have had to choose the lesser of the evils and let the people of Coventry fend for themselves as they had in previous bombings. Certainly Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism would have found the sacrifice morally and politically right as the fate of millions throughout the world rested on Churchill’s willingness to sacrifice the city of Coventry. Still, the knowledge that the British now possessed did not prevent the annihilation of millions of Europeans.

Undoubtedly, any decision, such as that faced by Churchill in 1940, would be extremely unpleasant, and many people would not be able to commit to such a decision. However, if the sacrifice of hundreds or thousands would ultimately save millions, or even billions, the decision must be made. There can be no instance in which the decision could be determined morally wrong unless the sacrifice would not yield similar results; namely, to use Coventry as an example, if the sacrifice of the city was only to protect the knowledge of the code, and that knowledge would not ultimately save millions. The mere protection of the code would not be enough to rationalize such a decision, but the protection of millions of people would be.

The application of Bentham’s hedonistic calculus to this example yields interesting results. The pleasure that results from Churchill’s decision in this instance would have to be the potential of the code to end the war and save millions of lives, although there was surely no actual pleasure involved in the situation at all. Such an equation would be weak as the results of the decision would be some time in coming if at all. Churchill took a calculated risk in sacrificing Coventry, which could have easily backfired. However, one cannot use equations or theories to approach morality as morality is a self-defined and emotional concept.

For generations men have been giving women chocolate to show their affection for them. Chocolate makers love to see Birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day come around. They know that it’s money in their pockets. It’s as common a gift as flowers and diamonds when a man wants to apologize or make up for something. But what is it about chocolate that’s made it the symbol of love? Is it more than just a modern marketing ploy?

One chemical in chocolate is phenethylamine. It acts like a antidepressant and makes us feel good. Another chemical in chocolate is anadamine. It also contributes to feelings of well being and euphoria. These chemicals encourage the brain to produce serotonin which encourages feelings of well being. These chemicals combine to give women many of the same feelings as being in love. So you can see why men are so keen to give it as a present!

Research shows that the chocolate melting in your mouth causes an increase in your brain activity and in your heart rate. The chocolate increases these even more than hot and heavy kissing does.

This phenethylamine has the same affects as a sexual stimulant. Women who eat chocolate have been found to have more interest in sex. They have higher levels of desire and arousal. They also reported greater satisfaction.

Chocolate makes women feel better, helps relieve stress, helps get them in a romantic mood and results in greater pleasure and satisfaction. Why would any man not want to give chocolate to the woman heís in a relationship with or cares about?

1. Readers understand words

Readers understand words because they have read how sentences and words fit together, the order of a sentence and the placement of words. They understand the sentences because they have seen these words and similar sentences before. They can then use them in writing or compose similar ones.

2. Readers understand the structure of the Language

Readers have seen the structure so many times that they can readily understand how to construct great sentences. They can see that writers use different kinds of sentences to make Writing more interesting like starting out with a question. Then the author proceeds to answer it. A variety of sentences like Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative and Exclamatory make Writing much more delightful to read. Readers also see that some sentences are long and some are shorter. By varying sentence length, it keeps the Writing more lively.

3. Readers understand grammar

Good grammar only makes sense to readers. They know how different parts of speech should fit together. For example: they know in the sentence “The boy rides his bike,” that rides goes with a single subject noun. Thus, they understand subject-verb agreement. Understanding good grammar really can assist the reader in Writing. They are much more able to write complex and simple sentences.

4. Readers understand thoughts of the writer

Good readers understand the thoughts of the writer because they have read and thought along with the authors. This helps them in Writing their own compositions. This is a tremendous asset in Writing. When you read, you follow the author’s train of thought. It is so natural.

5. Readers have a great vocabulary

Because of their tremendous reading, readers have a great vocabulary. This will certainly help in Writing. They will use a variety of words, not the same old thing. I have a cousin who was such a wonderful reader. When he wrote his thesis for his doctorate, the words he used were so large and long, one needed a dictionary to look them up. He always beat everyone in Scrabble when he was little, even the adults. No one could outdo him. His vocabulary was extensive.

6. Readers know how to make their writing interesting and exciting

Readers read. They know they don’t like to read “boring” books or articles. They can see how authors use words to paint pictures and make it more interesting and exciting. Redundancy is poor Writing and writers need to stay away from it. Usually good readers are good writers. They go hand in hand. One complements the other.

7. Readers can use creative ways to make people want to read what they wrote

Finally, I would say that good readers can make their Writing creative. People want to read it. It would be a book you can’t put down. You just want to keep reading it until the end. It is like a bait to a fish. I thought The Shack was like that. It had a great story line, the kind that would interest many people. A good reader can do that. I loved it when my students were creative in Writing. Sometimes I would put a sentence or part of a sentence on the board. It was great to see their creativity using that sentence and making an adventurous story from it.

Whether you're creating a sales letter, a brochure, a newsletter, or any other business promotional piece, you need to write in a way that not only explains your product or service, but that also compels your prospects to contact you. A well-written promotional entices people to seek out more information, whether it be via a phone call, an e-mail, or an in-person visit. A good promotional piece also showcases your professionalism and your creativity.

The key word to remember here is "entice." Your promotional piece should not give every detail – that's your sales department's job. The promotional piece is merely the introduction.

Unfortunately, many promotional pieces miss the mark. Outrageous claims, weak calls to action, and sloppy formatting are the common mistakes that plague most people's writing. Such errors accomplish only one thing: They destine your promotional piece for the infamous "round file." They also show prospects that you're lazy, uncreative, and possibly incapacitated of delivering quality work.

In order to entice prospects to contact you based on your promotional mailings, you need to keep your writing both lively and factual. The following guidelines will help you write promotional pieces that even your toughest prospects can not resist.

1. Make it readable.

Only use white, off-white, or other soothing paper colors. If you think using outrageous paper colors, such as neon yellow or fuchsia, will gain attention, think again. Hurting someone's eyes is not the way to gain attention. Also, be mindful of the font you choose. Sure, your computer comes with all sorts of innovative fonts, but this is not the time to try them out. Stick with a simple font, such as Time New Roman or Arial, in a 10, 11, or 12-point type. If you have to make your print tiny in order to squeeze everything in your allotted space, then you're saying too much. As Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit." In the case of promotional writing, "Brevity is the showcase of your wits."

2. Write a headline that gets to the point.

You have less than five seconds to impress your prospects to read on. And the first thing any prospect reads is the piece's headline. So craft a compiling headline that immediately conveys why this information is important to your prospects. The four main headline formulas that work are:

o How To – The formula is "How to" + verb + product / service / noun + benefit.

Example: How to Create a Store Promotion that Increases Revenue

o New – The formula is "New" + product / service + benefit.

Example: New Tax Law Saves You Money

o Power Verb – The formula is "Power Verb" + product / service + benefit.

Example: Prepare a Business Plan that Boosts Company Profits

o Free – The formula is "Free" + product / service + benefit.

Example: Free Booklet Reveals the Secret to Lowering Your Interest Rate
Regardless of the headline formula you choose, avoid sounding like an infomercial or a used-car salesperson. Since your headline determinates if the prospect keeps reading, craft yours wisely.

3. Keep the hype to a minimum.

Many people think that in order to solicit interest in their promotional package they must write something outrageous. To some degree, this is true. Saying something outrageous is a great way to generate interest, as people naturally love controversies. Plus, if you can stir things up, you'll get lots of exposure. The thing to remember, however, is that you must be prepared to answer questions and / or prove everything you write. So if you want to write something just for sensationalism but can not back it up, do not. You must be able to support everything you print.

4. Go easy on the posturing.

While you may produce the best products or offer the most unique services in the world, that is for your prospects to decide. Every superlative you use in your promotional piece will reduce the prospect's trust in what you say. So instead of telling prospects that your product is "the most extraordinary widget to hit the market" or that your service is "capable of revolutionizing the industry," show your prospects how these claims are possible. Give the benefits of using the product or service as they refer to your prospects' lives so they can determine just how extraordinary or revolutionary the product or service really is.

5. Evoke images.

As you write, evoke more than one of the five senses. Paint a picture with your words so prospects see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what you're describing. Contrary to popular belief, the best promotional reporters think in pictures, not words. They see the image they want to convey to their prospects, and that's what they write. So if you're a candy manufacturer or a florist, for example, write so that your readers smell the candy or the flowers, not just see what they look like. If you're in the restaurant business, help your readers taste the food. If you're writing about business productivity, help your prospects hear the hustle of productivity and feel the rush of a sales call. Do more than just tell prospects what's going on.

6. Always make a compelling call to action.

What do you want the person reading your sales letter, brochure, or other promotional piece to do? Buy your product? Call you for more information? Visit your web site? Whatever action you want your prospects to take, state it clearly. Too many promotional pieces ramble on about all the features and benefits of the product, but they never tell the prospects to actually do anything. For example, in a sales letter you could write: "Please call our office immediately for more information on how we can help." A brochure could say: "Order the widget at our special introductory price today." In a newsletter you could write: "Visit our web site for more information about our new product line." Tell prospects precisely what you want them to do.

7. Clear state your contact information.

Always let prospects know what to contact and how to do so. List a name, phone number, and e-mail address prominently on every piece. Rarely will prospects search for your contact information, so display it prominently at the top and bottom of every page. Highlight the contact information if it blends in with the text too much. Remember, the goal is for your prospects to contact you. Make it easy for them to do so.

Make Your Promotional Pieces Work for You

When your promotional pieces present your information in the most compelling and factual manner, your prospects will find them and your company irresistible. So as you write future sales letters, brochures, or other promotional pieces, keep these guidelines in mind. When you do, you'll create a promotional piece that delights prospects and makes them eager to do business with you. With well-written promotional pieces, you will attract more and better clients to help your business grow.

Family members are wonderful, colorful, and a reflection, gauge or a barometer of a small peek into the window of how our thoughts and judgments formulated into the truths that we live by and reveal how we calculate our responses and reactions to our life challenges. That is one of the key elements in any interpersonal relationship, first of all, there are the emotive responses and the logical responses that are all part of the human experience. We are all innately responding to factors in our environment whether we realize it or not. Conditioning and environment play key factors in our responses and reactions to life events, though much of the judgment is inner chatter or discussion that resonates with what we believe to be true, lawful, or what resonates with our sense of justice.

We did not choose our parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or cousins, you get the picture? Now if only they would get it too! This is neither a critique or a judgement, simply an assessment brought to light.

I love my family, there’s no discounting that; I would do anything in my power to assist anyone of them, as I already have. Many, many, many times too many to publicly admit; it’s NOT the admitting that’s brings about the most pain, it’s that it continues to leave my emotional tank on,”E.” I still am not accepted as an individual that plays by different thoughts of logic, reasoning and most often sought mainly for problem-solving or guidance.* Even the giver of emotional time and investment of others is deserving of receiving and giving something more concrete and valuable; reciprocal appreciation. I give to them from my heart; listen, engage, and understand even if I do not agree, I show empathy and controlled responses before reacting in a negative or judgmental way. It’s quite the paradox to grow up and still be deemed as young in thought or not viewed to full adulthood. It’s actually both disheartening and discouraging.

It’s not in the giving, that I am looking for their love, it’s in the gift of giving; in the stretching of my hand; in the hope to receive empathy, peace and love back; that is the dilemma for me at-hand, not be shown respect of thought, love and affection;* I now choose to change the pattern for my health and for theirs as well!

The issue is always, what will they expect for me to do next? I wish them well, and I gotta let them go for a little while, till I get stronger or till they understand that life is to be lived and enjoyed by all and that includes a life of peaceful living for me as well as for them! It’s okay to take a break from the family dynamic, at least until you have had time to regroup and console yourself with productive counseling and rebuilding relationship structures and dynamics. Not an easy feat, by any means, though the return can be amazing!

Foster healthy relationships for yourself and for your loved ones to understand that history has already happened and it is in the electricity or static energy that we need to fix our current reality: Just like an electrical current, there is energy, submission, an ultimate power source,(God),working with our family, the same applies to you and me, our family can be an assistant power source, or a missing link, if that’s how they choose to think.

Family is beautiful and like kryptonite is to Superman, a very strong man, though very susceptible to outer energy, beyond his super-human strength, massive physical statue and ability to overcome obstacles. After all Superman was a man too! He hurt, felt sad, needed empathy and compassion, not that there’s anything wrong with that. If we remember from the movies, Superman sought comfort and guidance from his family, during crucial times when he needed support and guidance. His parents left messages behind knowing of his need for family strength and counseling- they supported him even after death. Can you imagine if more families did that?

We all need to feel loved and appreciated, no matter how strong we are expected to appeal or appear to family and friends, we are all deserving of love and appreciation. After you return from taking a family break, your loving family will be happy and thank you immensely, content to no end, that you showed yourself worthy of time alone, and did something healthy for yourself. They will be glad that you took time to get to know yourself better making you a happier person, ready to explore new adventures!

Love your family, and if you can, love mine too, I know that I do!!!

I enjoy learning from you and from others offering me knowledge continuously!

Casual writing in the popular mainstream style is usually very different from the type required in academic settings. One is largely loose and informal, while the other is more conventional and strict. Whenever you write in either style, being mindful of these differences is necessary to keep the material consistent throughout its course.

Contractions. In academic writing, you need to spell out words; in informal writing, you’re free to use common contractions.

Technical terms. In academic writing, the use of technical terms is expected, provided you offer up an accompanying running definition; in popular writing, the use of technical terms should be kept to a minimum, with an in-depth explanation every time.

Groupspeak. In academic writing, you should use “we” when explaining technical terms; during informal use, using specific names (as well as referring to yourself in the first person) are more acceptable.

Abstractions. In academic work, you’re encouraged to emphasize abstractions, with no need for an in-depth explanation; in popular writing, any mention of high concepts should be accompanied with plenty of examples and simplified diagrams.

Passive voice. Using passive voice is actually advisable for academic writing in some cases (when trying to demonstrate that other scientists can accomplish the same results, for instance); in popular writing, passive verbs should be avoided like the plague.

Confidence. In academic writing, you are advised to state your points forcefully, in as succinct a manner as you can; for less-stringent writing, you should hold back on the self-assured statement, showing empathy for the readers’ potential struggle with it.

Most of the best writing software around integrate a facility to check for adherence to formal writing standards. Make sure to take advantage of it when you’re tasked to write in an academic capacity.

As a writer, I often tap into my local historical sites and since I’m all about the dark and creepy, I never pass up a good ghost story.

One of my favorite places is the Culbertson Mansion of New Albany. The home was built in 1867 for William Culbertson, who was once the richest man in Indiana. The home is three stories with hand painted ceilings and walls, carved rosewood staircase, marble fireplaces, and crystal chandeliers.

The mansion is open to the public for tours, and both visitors and curators have claimed to have seen a ghostly figure in the building. The legend is that the ghost of William Culbertson’s second wife haunts the house to protect her children from her husband’s third wife.

The rumors of the mansion being haunted spread and eventually the mansion’s carriage barn was turned into a haunted house during Halloween and people lined up to tour the building in hopes of seeing a ghost for themselves.

The following is a storyline for the current “Literally, A Haunted House” fundraiser, which raises the majority of the funds for the interior restoration of the mansion.

In 1933, it was sold to a Dr. Harold Webb, who moved in with his family. He set up a practice in the home and began to gain a number of patients. Over time, several patients went missing and his family began to notice strange noises and smells coming from the basement. In 1934, after a patient found the home locked at the time of their appointment and called the police, an investigation took place. Upon entering the home, the police found the entire family dead, each by torturous means of death. After further searching the home, the basement was found to have secret passageways where the doctor had kept the missing patients and performed gruesome experiments on them. After the cleanup, the building was locked up, but finally sold to the American Legion, who restored the building. When it was finally reopened, visitors noted unusual electrical problems, missing items, and other unexplained occurrences. The carriage house now serves as a haunted house during Halloween and the proceeds benefit the restoration and maintenance of the mansion of the estate.

So, how much of the story is true? William Culbertson was married three times, with his first two wives leaving him widowed. He willed the mansion to his third wife who auctioned off the house and its contents in 1899 to a New Albany resident, John McDonald. Upon his death, the American Legion obtained it and made extensive changes.

After several different owners, the mansion was in danger of being torn down in the 1960’s, but it was purchased in 1964 by the Historic New Albany group. The Halloween haunted house tours started in 1985 to raise restoration funds.

There is no mention of Harold Webb or the gruesome experiments, but that’s okay because it still makes for a good scary story.