tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853670315574744042024-03-13T09:59:02.866-05:00True to WordsA blog about language, communication and writing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-60939289454304940962016-07-11T09:49:00.001-05:002016-07-11T09:49:31.735-05:00Mourning the Death of Examiner.comExaminer.com has come to the end of it's road, though the links don't appear to have died yet by July 10th as <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/07/05/online-content-platform-examiner-com-shutting-down/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">indicated by several sources</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM6zy7c-XeCqcWGfk16YcjUmzhEAJGZrSOh5B-olUUxXhmY5rQiE6HJaGyssj7r2rCGAJzUQgFUdCEPsHyuDu5-VsSHyZssdBchbc0ABATmE839cAO68Ri5DIsWTMxkerqKm9AEHGM_c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-11+at+9.46.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM6zy7c-XeCqcWGfk16YcjUmzhEAJGZrSOh5B-olUUxXhmY5rQiE6HJaGyssj7r2rCGAJzUQgFUdCEPsHyuDu5-VsSHyZssdBchbc0ABATmE839cAO68Ri5DIsWTMxkerqKm9AEHGM_c/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-11+at+9.46.56+AM.png" width="170" /></a></div>
I've been writing for Examiner.com as the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/pet-news-in-minneapolis/sara-duane" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner</a> since January 2011. Though I haven't been as active in recent years as I'd like to be, it was always there as a writing outlet for me and on a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Since I found out it will be shutting down, every time I've thought about Examiner or had an idea for an article, my heart has broken a little bit more to think it won't be there anymore. <br />
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Beyond the writing, it was a great place to read stories about what was going on, that might not get covered by traditional news stories. For my pet niche in particular, it was a great resource for helping pets in high-kill shelters make it out alive and for drawing attention to animal abuse cases that might otherwise have been neglected. It really makes me wonder how Examiner.com will ever be replaced in the rescue world.<br />
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I'm holding out a tiny sliver of hope that maybe Examiner.com could be purchased by some other entity more interested in keeping it alive. But now it's July 11th and there have been no updates, so I'm fairly certain it's not going to happen. Fingers crossed!<br />
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In the meantime, I've downloaded all of my Examiner.com content and will be republishing it elsewhere when I have a little bit of time. For now, I'm hoping the links to my previous articles don't turn into 404 errors until I've had the chance to make the switch.<br />
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Additionally, my Minneapolis Pet News Examiner Facebook Page will always be around - there will always be pet news to share in my neck of the woods, even if I'm not the one writing the article. <br />
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Goodbye, Examiner.com. It's been a fun ride! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-10818868031555153262016-05-12T16:54:00.001-05:002016-05-12T17:15:41.482-05:0010 Essential Music Albums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnV2qjyVHKxcD6-ZMo278JKNGRG0Kjhjzm0RF9cQXFNjWi4NodBwlEmNsCu2hArGy6BHptNmUjDxod1OdCvG73KgujFK0xBcADPxS0nnaYA5IWupXHYzHNTvDl6ZRjo8QjcyQh1igWnE/s1600/top+10+albums.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnV2qjyVHKxcD6-ZMo278JKNGRG0Kjhjzm0RF9cQXFNjWi4NodBwlEmNsCu2hArGy6BHptNmUjDxod1OdCvG73KgujFK0xBcADPxS0nnaYA5IWupXHYzHNTvDl6ZRjo8QjcyQh1igWnE/s320/top+10+albums.png" width="320" /></a></div>
For the last week or so, one of my favorite radio stations - <a href="http://www.thecurrent.org/" target="_blank">89.3 FM The Current</a> - has been counting down the top <a href="http://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2016/05/05/893-essential-albums" target="_blank">893 essential albums</a>, according to a survey of its listeners. Even though the music on The Current is generally good, it's been especially great during this project - I've had my radio glued to 89.3 for days!<br />
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And it got me to thinking: What are my top 10 most essential or influential albums?<br />
These are the 10 albums that I remember the most and had the greatest hand in influencing my musical tastes. They're mostly in order of when I discovered them, not necessarily when they were released.<br />
<ol>
<li>Ricky Nelson - All My Best</li>
<li>Michael Jackson - Thriller</li>
<li>U2 - The Joshua Tree</li>
<li>Garth Brooks - No Fences</li>
<li>Metallica - (The Black Album)</li>
<li>Tool - Aenima</li>
<li>Offspring - Smash</li>
<li>Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets</li>
<li>Florence and the Machine - Lungs</li>
<li>Dessa - A Badly Broken Code</li>
</ol>
And once I have it all written out, that's quite a hodge-podge of music. That's OK, because I listen to many types of tunes, and many of my favorite bands couldn't fit on this list. I thought it would be hard to narrow down my top 10, but I was really going for the albums I put on repeat and listened to for hours.<br />
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What are your top 10 most influential and/or essential albums?<br />
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<i>Sara Duane is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-38167589719981853632016-03-31T12:00:00.000-05:002016-03-31T23:22:50.262-05:00The Word: RetronymI found a new word! I love new <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Words" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">words</a>. And what's great about this word is it describes making new words out of old words. The word? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retronym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Retronym</a>.<br />
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retronym: \<span class="lr_dct_ph">ˈretrōnim\</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: 1980</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Function: noun</div>
<br />
: a
new term for something that differentiates the original from a more recent form or version <br />
<br />
Giving something old a new name. It happens often due to progress or the advancement of technology. For example, the term "acoustic guitar" was sparked after the arrival of electric guitars - before then, it was just a guitar. Anything with "old fashioned" or "classic" included in the name is a retorynm, such as "Coca Cola Classic" or "old fashioned ice cream." Retronyms are also created in other ways, though, such as the initiation of the phrases "Contiguous United States" or
"Lower 48" after Alaska and
Hawaii became states.<br />
<br />
Retronyms can also be applied to people. When a ruler has or adopts the same
name as a predecessor, the Roman numeral I is added to the original's name retroactively (if he hadn't already used one during his lifetime). In the United States, when a son is named after the father (Jr.), the elder may be given the suffix Senior
(Sr.).<br />
<br />
Now that you've had a crash course on what they are, you've probably realized you use retronyms all the time. There's a nice <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_retronyms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">list here</a>, but I've included 10 of my favorite retronyms below: <br />
<ol>
<li><b>Analog clock</b>: Before the invention of digital clocks, most clocks had faces and hands. Related: Analog watch.</li>
<li><b>Bar soap</b>: This term arose with the advent of shower and bath soaps in liquid and gel form. Mmmm, bubbly loofas.</li>
<li><b>Corn on the cob</b>: This Minnesota favorite used to be called simply "corn" before canned corn became widely available.</li>
<li><b>Landline phone service</b>: Before cellphones and smartphones, this term was generally only used by military personnel and amateur radio operators. </li>
<li><b>Real numbers</b>: This phrase was coined after the invention of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_number" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">imaginary numbers</a>, which are a very real thing.</li>
<li><b>Black-and-white television or movie</b>: It was just "the movies" or "television" until color television came along. Furthermore, the retronym "Standard Definition Television" has become necessary to differentiate it from HDTV (high definition). Related: Silent film.</li>
<li><b>Snail mail or postal mail</b>: Before email and voice mail, all mail was simply mail. Obviously much slower by comparison – thus, the "snail" addition. </li>
<li><b>Star Trek: The Original Series</b>: It used to be just Star Trek, but this retronym became a necessity after a multitude of movies and spinoffs.</li>
<li><b>Offline</b>: Also known as "face to face," or "in real life" (IRL). Before computer and smartphones came around, the ways to communicate were landline phone, snail mail, or face to face. Now there's so many ways people can interact online, we had to coin a new term to describe reality and daily life. Think on that for a moment.</li>
<li><b>Regular coffee</b>: Personally I think it should be "real coffee," but whatever it's called, I just need to be able to tell it apart from the decaffeinated stuff. </li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><b>Bonus</b>: <b>Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.</b> When it was released in 1977, it was just Star Wars. The new title was applied after the first sequel was introduced. Now Star Wars refers to the entire series. </li>
</ul>
Strange things happen to language over the course of time: Sometimes retronyms flip around. When razors with encased blades were introduced, they were called "safety razors" to distinguish them from what at the time was just simply "razors". Now, we would never call those plastic things a safety razor, we tend to just call it a razor, and we refer to the original style of razors generally as "straight razors" or "cut-throat razors".<br />
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Retronyms. New words to describe old things. The process of applying these labels obviously has been happening for a long time as new things are invented. It's interesting that we didn't have a word to describe this process until a relative short while ago. As technology speeds along, we're sure to see more of them pop up in the future.<br />
<br />
<i>Sara Duane is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-52365199714358729952016-03-02T02:11:00.002-06:002016-03-02T02:11:53.244-06:00History of Business Cards, Greeting Cards & RSVPsFor as long as I can remember, I've always had a fondness for history. When I was young, I was constantly digging through history books. When the History Channel first came to be, it was my favorite TV station (though it's gone downhill considerably since then). Most recently, I was a trustee on the board for the Rockford Area Historical Society.<br />
<br />
So of course when I have the opportunity to combine history with writing, I run with it. While at Smartpress.com, I wrote a few blog posts about the history of some common printed items. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCc8Iq8at1RiWmm_Bs0ibBPRDJuL8kPXrg4xTZDxClAO9OO4lLAmfCCBMTsDF4kSpMxek3cfXJMjOktGBFrOLk1Vv-4SJCiIld5_yPGH2_AKSUOgmF9PVTeDMO2CxdvPebjRgk5lrWUk/s1600/world-first-commercially-available-greeting-card-1843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCc8Iq8at1RiWmm_Bs0ibBPRDJuL8kPXrg4xTZDxClAO9OO4lLAmfCCBMTsDF4kSpMxek3cfXJMjOktGBFrOLk1Vv-4SJCiIld5_yPGH2_AKSUOgmF9PVTeDMO2CxdvPebjRgk5lrWUk/s320/world-first-commercially-available-greeting-card-1843.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://blog.smartpress.com/history-of-greeting-cards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History of Greeting Cards</a>. Though it might seem like holiday cards and greeting cards have only been around as long as Hallmark has been in existence, the first examples of what has evolved into today’s greeting card can be traced back to the ancient China and Egypt.<br />
<a href="http://blog.smartpress.com/history-of-valentines-day-greetings-cards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://blog.smartpress.com/history-of-valentines-day-greetings-cards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History of Valentine's Day Cards</a>. Though Valentine messages haven't been around for quite as long, the oldest ones still in existence are almost 600 years old. They didn't really catch on until the late 1700s, and it wasn't until the 1800s that they started to resemble what we see today. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.smartpress.com/history-of-the-rsvp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History of the RSVP</a>. RSVP is short for “répondez s’il vous plaît,” and translates into “reply if you please” or “please reply”. In that sense, the concept of an RSVP hasn't changed much since the 19th century, but how you respond to it (or don't respond) has. Let's just say the Francophones of the past may not be pleased if you didn't respond at all - yay or nay.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IpKgLoBjrnZkJ4nqimMI_yHR0oN15XV7eP47_qGX5MQ47DYgRkFi3ZAqUbzRL_dqYwoZOe7ddO-ljVi8lZ7Wv2qkqJe3XQmXh2o6Iu4P9_wEsGU-_BZeVe4AfkT9CjrRt_wNztCUk38/s1600/trade-card-business-card-19th-century.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IpKgLoBjrnZkJ4nqimMI_yHR0oN15XV7eP47_qGX5MQ47DYgRkFi3ZAqUbzRL_dqYwoZOe7ddO-ljVi8lZ7Wv2qkqJe3XQmXh2o6Iu4P9_wEsGU-_BZeVe4AfkT9CjrRt_wNztCUk38/s320/trade-card-business-card-19th-century.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://blog.smartpress.com/history-of-the-business-card" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History of the Business Card</a>. Ah, yes, the most ubiquitous piece of print in a professional's marketing arsenal. Seems like a modern invention that some Madison Avenue big shot created as way to advertise his expertise. But business cards roots extend back to Imperial China. That makes sense, when you consider that the Chinese are believed to have invented paper in the first place. <br />
<br />
Yup, I love <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/History" target="_blank">history</a>. And <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Etymology" target="_blank">etymology</a>, which is basically the history of <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Words" target="_blank">words </a>and <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Language" target="_blank">language</a>. I also love <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Science" target="_blank">science</a> and <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Politics" target="_blank">politics</a>, too. But before you get to thinking that everything around here is scholarly, I also love <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Profanity" target="_blank">profanity</a>. I'm excited to get back to writing about the things that I really enjoy exploring.<br />
<br />
<i>Sara Duane is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-17560197952738280202016-02-26T00:54:00.000-06:002016-02-29T14:59:54.633-06:00Minneapolis Pet News - Since I've Been Gone...The last time I re-blogged my <a href="http://www.examiner.com/pet-news-in-minneapolis/sara-duane" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner</a> stories was more than 2 years ago. I've covered a lot of topics in that time, and I'd like to share them below. There's been a little bit of advice about dogs, cats and birds - three types of pets that I happen to know a lot about, because I share my home with one of each!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Dogs </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosDm3Bszl_bHlFWG2V8J5C3TP3d6tNi-hS7GWi8bUNu3HLGLldHC_scebTqcfWAgfqpxxjAsKxB4ci4Yt2OaNgZSI1U24RLcZeElZEhXpB-Ur8T8RD71uVzJnHxAVLG_3ISQTKtdM21M/s1600/panda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosDm3Bszl_bHlFWG2V8J5C3TP3d6tNi-hS7GWi8bUNu3HLGLldHC_scebTqcfWAgfqpxxjAsKxB4ci4Yt2OaNgZSI1U24RLcZeElZEhXpB-Ur8T8RD71uVzJnHxAVLG_3ISQTKtdM21M/s320/panda.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/help-pets-cope-with-minnesota-s-long-rough-winter" target="_blank">Help pets cope with Minnesota's long, rough winter</a>. <br />
Though this winter is almost over, some dogs <br />
(including mine!) are probably going a bit stir crazy right about now. These are some tips for keeping your dogs safe and satisfied in the cold season.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/keep-dogs-safe-from-ticks-this-summer" target="_blank">Keep Minnesota dogs safe from ticks this summer</a>. On the flip side, the weather is warming up and sooner than you think, it will be time for bugs to emerge. Learn about tick prevention and treatment with these tips. <br />
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<a href="http://www.examiner.com/list/dogs-should-never-eat-these-fruits-and-vegetables" target="_blank">Dogs should never eat these fruits and vegetables</a>. Summer is when consumption of fruits and veggies increase among humans. You may be tempted to share your food with your dog, but there are some they should never, ever eat. <br />
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<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/lost-dogs-mn-helps-reunite-people-with-lost-pets" target="_blank">Lost Dogs-MN helps reunite people with lost pets</a>. The Facebook page Lost Dogs Minnesota, otherwise known as Lost Dogs-MN, has become a vital place for helping dogs get back home.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Cats</h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/da/7e/da7e81849cb4c39481c930855727ebce.jpg?itok=qsC-SvDa" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/da/7e/da7e81849cb4c39481c930855727ebce.jpg?itok=qsC-SvDa" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/pancreatitis-symptoms-and-treatment-for-cats" target="_blank">Pancreatitis symptoms and treatment for cats</a>. My cat Krillin has had repeated bouts with pancreatitis. <br />
Here, I pass on a bit of my own knowledge, as well as information researched through trusted veterinary sources. <br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/at-home-pet-euthanasia-the-twin-cities-metro" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/at-home-pet-euthanasia-the-twin-cities-metro" target="_blank">At-home pet euthanasia in the Twin Cities Metro</a>. Sadly, I had to use these services last year. My beloved Tweak, who lived to be at least 17 (it's hard to know, since he was first adopted as a stray), went to sleep on October 15, 2015.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Birds </h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/f0/63/f063314a11ad504812e5c1da822c7dfb.jpg?itok=HyxuQYUS" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/f0/63/f063314a11ad504812e5c1da822c7dfb.jpg?itok=HyxuQYUS" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/giardia-infection-and-feather-plucking-parrots" target="_blank">Giardia infection and feather plucking in parrots</a>. Feather plucking is a psychological issue of <br />
boredom in parrots. Giardia is a parasitic infection that can occur in many animals. Sometimes, though, giardia is the reason a bird plucks and mutilates. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/giardia-infection-feather-plucking-a-first-hand-account" target="_blank">Giardia infection & feather plucking: A first-hand account</a>. Unfortunately, I have experience this, too. Have pets long enough, you eventually have to deal with their illnesses. Read about my account of giardia with my parrot. I'm still dealing with feather plucking issues!<br />
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If you would like to receive Minneapolis and Twin Cities pet articles, including news, events and advice, follow the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Minneapolis.Pet.News.Examiner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner on Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.examiner.com/user/252731/1774461/subscribe?destination=user/252731/1774461/articles">subscribe to email alerts</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-59010718388121977162016-02-25T02:01:00.001-06:002016-02-25T17:50:17.432-06:00Breathing Life Into a Ghost Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvWOO5EbpCEOGw0OaCodaCndDyevm6kCWC-s6rsE2R41Derf6QcxBE6GA7l8uUSSafcn-TnAXb-N7Ph5hJG31ZKNefcIlt3mIVkADm4cVZGHdMYQIfTsF2raDAVTDUzKSLqDaFrnkxHI/s1600/Brown_lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvWOO5EbpCEOGw0OaCodaCndDyevm6kCWC-s6rsE2R41Derf6QcxBE6GA7l8uUSSafcn-TnAXb-N7Ph5hJG31ZKNefcIlt3mIVkADm4cVZGHdMYQIfTsF2raDAVTDUzKSLqDaFrnkxHI/s320/Brown_lady.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
It's been exactly two years since I published in True to Words. Sad! Time to bring this ghost blog back to life.<br />
<br />
For not having published a new post in two years, traffic has been surprisingly steady. As in several days within the last month there have been traffic spikes greater than 100 visitors. That's... actually pretty incredible for a zombie blog.<br />
<br />
So, here I am, ready to breathe new life into True to Words. I still really feel strongly about the reasons why I started this blog: To have a creative outlet all my own, to explore language, and to have a bit of fun writing. To give you a taste of what to expect in the future, these are my 5 most popular posts of all time:<br />
<br />
<b>5. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/09/language-barrier-finger-lickin-good.html" target="_blank">Language Barrier: Finger Lickin' Good</a>. </b>Sometimes, your marketing messages don't quite translate into another language. KFC learned that the hard way. <br />
<br />
<b>4. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/02/longest-words-in-english-language.html" target="_blank">Longest Words in the English Language</a>. </b>Yes, that word from Mary Poppins is here. And so is antidisestablishmentarianism. But you won't believe how many letters are in the longest word ever.<br />
<br />
<b>3. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/02/floriography-language-of-flowers.html" target="_blank">Floriography: The Language of Flowers</a>. </b>When a flower isn't just a flower, you have floriography. You might already know what yellow roses mean, but do you know what a yellow carnation means?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-photography-graffiti-is-like.html" target="_blank"> Friday Photography - Graffiti is Like Modern Day Cave Painting</a>. </b>Before I started <a href="http://samcanshoot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sam Can Shoot</a> (another ghost blog which I may revive), I featured photos every Friday. This post was a little different from all the rest and the title speaks for itself. <br />
<br />
<b>1. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/06/dinner-vs-supper.html" target="_blank">Dinner vs. Supper</a>. </b>The popularity of this post astounds me, and people still leave comments on it - more than 43,000 views at the time of this writing. Read about how dinner and supper aren't quite the same, and dinner actually started as breakfast!<br />
<br />
<i>Sara Duane is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-73928247434419741912014-02-25T09:56:00.000-06:002016-02-25T00:58:16.406-06:00A Word to the WiseA poem I heard recently that I really liked and wanted to share. It seems that it was first published in November, 1906, in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YN3QAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">St. Nicholas Illustrated Magazine for Young Folk</a>. It appears right between a comic strip and an article entitled "How Knives Cut."<br />
<br />
<img border="0" height="320" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjZ3PVqPtuqzUZpplGFQ8eEMnbYVvZuWIVF5dHdCYWN4nUK3EIWhc-XZoWYcHQGvDPE2LEOlDyN5Ijhg-1kHXgoQSbC24647pMJiTAYBMeNzMXzYLyDUEBcjiEgIj3pX_876Oye-73Ro/s1600/owl.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" width="195" /><b>A Word to the Wise</b><br />
By Louise M. Laughton<br />
<br />
Little owlet in the glen<br />
I'm ashamed of you;<br />
You are ungrammatical<br />
In speaking as you do, <br />
You should say, "To <i>whom</i>! To <i>whom</i>!"<br />
Not, "To <i>who</i>! To <i>who</i>!"<br />
<br />
Your small friend, Miss Katy-did, <br />
May be <i>green</i>, 't is true, <br />
But you never hear <i>her </i>say<br />
"Kay <i>do</i>! She <i>do</i>!"<br />
<br />
<i>Sara Duane is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-19897804459285630522013-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-30T09:00:07.223-05:00September Article Roundup: Minneapolis Pet News Examiner<a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/ba/12/ba128643e333e2d196ae4fbd0d713439.JPG?itok=3Y30iFTh" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/ba/12/ba128643e333e2d196ae4fbd0d713439.JPG?itok=3Y30iFTh" width="320" /></a>
I've sort-of adopted another blog for a while (more on that later) and still work as a freelancer on other people's blogs (probably not so much on that later), so poor True to Words has appeared to be abandoned. It's always in the back of my mind, though, and now the itch to clean out the tumble-weeds on this blog has struck. So here we go.<br />
<br />
As much as I haven't been keeping up with this blog, I have been sort-of keeping up with my Examiner.com articles. I missed my June article roundup article, so there are more in this post than previously expected!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/exercising-safely-with-your-pet" target="_blank">Exercising safely with your dog</a>. When there's no snow on the ground during the spring, summer and fall months, Minnesotans engage in more outdoor exercise and many times that includes their dogs. It's good for pets to exercise, as up to 40 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, but just like people, there are some exercises that are better for them than others. Learn more about fun activities that both people and canines can do to stay fit while staying safe.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/minneapolis-ranks-no-10-for-dog-friendly-cities" target="_blank">Minneapolis ranked a Top 10 dog-friendly city</a>. Estately ranked the top 17 Best U.S. Cities for Dogs. Minneapolis ranked No. 10 for dog loving cities. The evaluation included several factors to determine the rankings, including weather, Walk Score, yard size, dog activities, Meetup groups, and the availability of dog sitters on Rover.com. Minneapolis scored well in several categories, with the only thing that seem to factor against Minneapolis being the harsh winters that keep people and their pups indoors for months on end.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/tips-for-keeping-pets-safe-on-the-fourth-of-july" target="_blank">Tips for keeping pets safe on the Fourth of July</a>. This was written with the Fourth of July in mind but could also be considered for other gatherings and events. Many of the same dangers present for July 4th are present during other parties, minus the fireworks. That could include lots of guests, alcoholic beverages and too much food available. If you're having a party soon and you have pets, take a few minutes to peruse this article.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/21/f8/21f84f67a9872ed501c43d0b59c9860e.jpg?itok=70_G48_o" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/21/f8/21f84f67a9872ed501c43d0b59c9860e.jpg?itok=70_G48_o" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/minneapolis-pups-have-pride" target="_blank">Minneapolis pups have Pride (Photos)</a>. The 41st annual Pride celebration in Minneapolis was held this year in Loring Park from June 28th to June 30th. I attended the festival and the annual Pride parade on Sunday afternoon, which marched down Hennepin Avenue through downtown Minneapolis. I snapped a bunch of pics of pups pimping their pride, but I'm disappointed that I missed on particular pooch who had been dyed into a rainbow of colors. Next year, my pretty, I'll get a picture of that little dog, too!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/stop-the-bleeding-an-open-letter-to-police-on-the-shooting-of-pets" target="_blank">Stop the Bleeding: An open letter to police on the shooting of pets</a>. It makes me sad that this article ever had to be written. It makes me even more sad to know that it's one of my most popular posts, knowing that its being shared in sadness and outrage at the callous killing of our best friends at the hands of people who are supposed to be keeping them safe. Click through to read about the excuses that are being made and the problems this is causing to our communities. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/pet-memorial-day-event-to-be-held-minneapolis" target="_blank">Pet Memorial Day event to be held in Minneapolis</a>. More pets these days are considered part of the family. When a loved pet dies, the loss felt by human companions is comparable to the death of a family member. Attending a pet memorial is a healthy way for humans to cope with the deaths of companion animals. Two organizations that work closely with pets and their human companions created the Twin Cities area’s first-ever Pet Memorial Day event on National Pet Memorial Day, September 8th. I didn't attend it, this was more of an announcement so other people who wanted to could.<br />
<br />
The next article roundup will be in December, but my next blog post will most decidedly be sooner. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-16990295987022167092013-04-22T09:04:00.000-05:002013-04-22T09:04:00.155-05:0017 Quotes About Communication<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHYr5VJz2P6oNa1X4S_wI7r8LhUXxRJOin3UAtkQnmWafgRh5ceLQpMTPw9tIIEbZDL6YmsFMiQbmUmA3Wn5zgW63QeTWpuZ5LqX6fr6shgRpLVCx6NixAlinPFGWw2D7LtFeIt5A1A/s1600/quotation-marks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHYr5VJz2P6oNa1X4S_wI7r8LhUXxRJOin3UAtkQnmWafgRh5ceLQpMTPw9tIIEbZDL6YmsFMiQbmUmA3Wn5zgW63QeTWpuZ5LqX6fr6shgRpLVCx6NixAlinPFGWw2D7LtFeIt5A1A/s200/quotation-marks.gif" width="190" /></a></div>
Communication is the activity of conveying, receiving and exchanging information, as by speech, visuals, signals, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/05/15-quotes-about-writing.html" target="_blank">writing</a> or behavior.<br />
<br />
We all think that we know how to communicate, and that we're always communicating effectively. But we so often forget that real communication between two parties - not just talking at a person or listening to someone - requires actually sharing information in such a way that both the message conveyor and the message receiver understand what is being said.<br />
<br />
While that may seem simple, it's far too often easier said than done.<br />
<br />
Let's face it, if I had a special secret for making sure you are instantly understood by others, or how to automatically understand everyone who communicates with you, I'd be a millionaire and this blog would have a more precise focus. But I don't, so instead, I have put together a collection of 17 <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2013/01/13-quotes-about-inspiration.html" target="_blank">inspirational</a> quotes from some great minds that may have been on to something.<br />
<br />
<i>"First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak." ~ Epictetus</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Grammar is the logic of speech, even as logic is the grammar of reason." ~ Richard Chenevix Trench</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Genius is the ability to put into effect what is on your mind." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." ~ Hans Hofmann</i><br />
<br />
<i>"There is only one rule for being a good talker - learn to listen." ~ Christopher Morley</i><br />
<br />
<i>"A word to the wise is infuriating." ~ Hunter S. Thompson</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The liberty of speaking and writing guards our other liberties." ~ Thomas Jefferson</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them." ~ Stephen King</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable." ~ Leonard Bernstein</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The tongue is the only instrument that gets sharper with use." ~ Washington Irving</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." ~ Dr. Laurence J. Peter</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The less people know, the more they yell." ~ Seth Godin</i><br />
<br />
<i>"If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now." ~ Woodrow Wilson</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The mouth is made for communication, and nothing is more articulate than a kiss." ~ Jarod Kintz</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." ~ George Bernard Shaw </i><br />
<br />
<i>"If you have nothing to say, say nothing." ~ Mark Twain</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-33858656131803107902013-04-08T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-08T08:00:04.359-05:00Haiku News - April 8, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjwFM8Z9oX5ZhyPdHaBWAjz8YIkk_qd745vvcQnPA_5YpPx0NnCDovM3QQGhnRCOz6Pka18IdXrIhTPS8dLWYOXbIbRuKvHdorhe0a0P19edggKOcFebaQ2oGiTPxFeFPSLgq2T_t04c/s1600/cursive+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjwFM8Z9oX5ZhyPdHaBWAjz8YIkk_qd745vvcQnPA_5YpPx0NnCDovM3QQGhnRCOz6Pka18IdXrIhTPS8dLWYOXbIbRuKvHdorhe0a0P19edggKOcFebaQ2oGiTPxFeFPSLgq2T_t04c/s200/cursive+writing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Should <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/09/cursive-writing-fading-skill.html" target="_blank">cursive writing</a><br />
still be <a href="http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x237739033/Cursive-writing-vs-keyboarding-Responses-mixed-in-many-states" target="_blank">taught in schools</a>? Or was<br />
it a passing fad?<br />
<br />
Whistling language<br />
<a href="http://news.discovery.com/human/life/whistled-language-130405.htm" target="_blank">faces extinction</a> because<br />
texts are easier.<br />
<br />
If a baby calls<br />
a baby "a baby," is<br />
<a href="http://www.babble.com/toddler/when-your-baby-says-baby-is-she-still-really-a-baby/" target="_blank">it still a baby</a>?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/04/text-slang-creeping-into-academic-work.html" target="_blank">Text-speak</a> is either<br />
a whole new language to learn<br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/9966117/Text-speak-language-evolution-or-just-laziness.html" target="_blank">or pure laziness</a>.<br />
<br />
"LOL" is three <br />
decades old, but "<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2304691/O-M-G-Tech-phrase-loved-todays-teenagers-used-100-YEARS-AGO-letter-Churchill.html" target="_blank">OMG</a>"<br />
is near one hundred.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-34274726308251100332013-03-31T23:59:00.000-05:002013-04-01T15:33:24.765-05:00Article Roundup: Minneapolis Pet News Examiner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5150/5875833427_eb1429411c_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5150/5875833427_eb1429411c_n.jpg" /></a></div>
Couldn't let March squeak by without a blog post after I had been doing so well! I forgive myself, as I have been searching for a new job. But now that I have steady work, it's time to get back into a schedule, from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Molting%20birds%20need%20extra%20care%20and%20love%20http://exm.nr/10rQFza" target="_blank">Sam Can Shoot</a> to True to Words to the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/pet-news-in-minneapolis/sara-duane-gladden" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner</a>.<br />
<br />
Speaking of, I've written a new article for Minneapolis Pet News Examiner every month. Here are the most recent articles. Unless I start writing more than one per month, I think I'll do these little roundup posts quarterly. End of the first quarter!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/molting-birds-need-extra-care-and-love" rel="bookmark">Molting birds need extra care and love</a>. My house is full of life in the form of fur, fins and feathers - the latter of which I've been finding an inordinate number lately. My parrot, Harry, has been molting pretty hard since January and the poor guy is so uncomfortable. Makes me feel just a twinge of guilt for using his pain as fodder for an article.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/hedgehogs-linked-to-outbreak-of-rare-salmonella-infections" rel="bookmark">Hedgehogs linked to outbreak of rare salmonella infections</a>. Hedgehogs are pets that I haven't had before. Though I'm not sure of their appeal beyond their adorable cuteness (you can't really pet them, can you?), to each their own: Everyone likes pets for their own reasons. But these little guys have actually been tied to a rare strait of salmonella infection cases, several of which occurred in Minnesota.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/minnesota-dog-cat-ownership-has-declined" rel="bookmark">Minnesota dog, cat ownership has declined</a>. The rate of pet ownership in Minnesota ranks among the lowest in the nation, according to survey data released from the American Veterinary Medical Association. Could the recession be to blame? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/keep-pets-safe-on-new-year-s-eve-with-these-tips" rel="bookmark">Keep pets safe on New Year's Eve with these tips</a>. Though this article was written with New Year's Eve in mind, these tips could apply to any gathering of people that may be occurring in a household with pets. I'd say that the very first tip is one of the most important.<br />
<br />
If you would like to receive Minneapolis and Twin Cities pet articles, including news, events and advice, follow the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Minneapolis.Pet.News.Examiner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner on Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.examiner.com/user/252731/1774461/subscribe?destination=user/252731/1774461/articles">subscribe to email alerts</a>. <br />
<br />
Take a look at the <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/11/recent-article-roundup-minneapolis-pet.html" target="_blank">previous Minneapolis Pet News Roundup</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-65236198699505616252013-02-26T06:30:00.000-06:002013-06-05T13:54:59.529-05:00Using Body Language to Send a MessageI've been searching for a new full time job, so that means a lot of interviewing. To be my best, I've been researching a bit about <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/02/body-language-wordless-communication.html" target="_blank">body language</a>. <br />
<br />
As a writer and language enthusiast, I tend to put a greater emphasis on the words that are said, either from myself or other people. But that's not the whole message, is it? It's amazing what your body can communicate, even if your mouth is saying something else!<br />
<br />
That's why this infographic from OnlineUniversities.com is so great. It's like a mini cheat-sheet for some very basic ideas regarding <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/02/body-language-wordless-communication.html" target="_blank">body language</a>. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img _fcksavedurl="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/130208BodyLanguageFINAL.jpg" alt="Body Language Infographic" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/130208BodyLanguageFINAL.jpg" width="500" /> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-85186376031958705952013-02-14T12:03:00.000-06:002013-02-24T12:36:45.632-06:00Love Haiku News - February 14, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8474032088_ffc4747960_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8474032088_ffc4747960_m.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love stories behind </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the <a href="http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/who-sent-the-first-valentines-day-cards" target="_blank">very first Valentines</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">are centuries old.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speak the language of </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0214-20130214,0,2842102.column" target="_blank">fierce barbarian horse lords </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
this Valentine's Day…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…Even Dothraki</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
is a <a href="http://www.theboombox.com/2013/02/14/hip-hop-and-valentines-day/" target="_blank">more lyrical</a> love</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
language than <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/10/hip-hop-and-english-language.html" target="_blank">hip hop</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before Internet, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/02/13/vinegar_valentines_an_old_tradition_of_sending_mean_cards_anonymously.html" target="_blank">Vinegar Valentines</a> were</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a troll’s choice weapon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ya’aburnee</b>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/love-words-foreign-_n_2647888.html" target="_blank">my love</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">onsra</b> for us. We
shall</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Retrouvailles</b>
once more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Valentine's Day! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-35044598282592941002013-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:002013-02-24T13:44:05.438-06:00What Your Technology "Body Language" Conveys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OE3yIvlTOxXYsaUJAul5-19gp7eWPSsHU4U7jwjkWgN9I0VqcR1BisoTPi0R4rHgdBlQLQ6l0sPRhKSiF6QURH7Jg0JNSwi4fB_GI0ytKz7gcuQnTR289bPRQfhlFd4i7LzzYuwUb3A/s1600/2013_02_05+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Technology Body Language" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OE3yIvlTOxXYsaUJAul5-19gp7eWPSsHU4U7jwjkWgN9I0VqcR1BisoTPi0R4rHgdBlQLQ6l0sPRhKSiF6QURH7Jg0JNSwi4fB_GI0ytKz7gcuQnTR289bPRQfhlFd4i7LzzYuwUb3A/s320/2013_02_05+012.JPG" title="Technology Body Language" width="213" /></a></div>
There was ink in the printer and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I could bring my own paper copy of the board meeting agenda. But where was it?<br />
<br />
I was in the parking lot of the office building, moments away from walking in to a board meeting and couldn’t find the papers anywhere. I had more will to go to in without the agenda than to retrace my steps across town and back, so I grabbed my Kindle, all the while hoping the building had unencumbered Wi-Fi.<br />
<br />
I entered a room full of people shuffling papers - they had their agendas. The only items in my hands were the tablet and my cell phone. A few seconds later, I was in my seat and connected to the internet. A minute or two after that, I had downloaded the agenda and opened a new document to take notes.<br />
<br />
I was ready to listen and learn.<br />
<br />
<b>Technology Body Language</b><br />
<br />
From the moment I'd walked into the room with only mobile devices in hand, I felt a little uneasy: I was the only one not using pen and paper. Usually I take these utensils with me everywhere, happily scribbling away and jotting down random notes when the mood or <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2013/01/13-quotes-about-inspiration.html" target="_blank">inspiration</a> strikes. Other tech savvy peers have given me sideways looks for such things, as they efficiently typed away on their laptops or smart phone. There is something about the act of writing things down, though, that helps me retain the information for later use when it was needed. <br />
<br />
Yet there I was, in the reverse situation using 21st century technology when no one else was. From the stares I was getting, I got the distinct impression that judgements about me and my technology were being passed. And not all of them were good. <br />
<br />
I am accustomed to technology <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/02/body-language-wordless-communication.html" target="_blank">body language</a> projecting an image of productivity and efficiency. What was my mobile device saying about me here that was so different? Unlike so many other work-life and business-related situations where technology has been, is, and will continue to be extremely important to success, it was being seen as a distraction. <br />
<br />
This wasn't the first time that I felt technology contributed to my messages being <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/02/lost-in-translation.html" target="_blank">lost in the translation</a>. I'm sure it's not the last.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMZScjmofZ0RgaaOos0Xd0CFcoeBRV0oawldFl5-pGmEqLGRyEKMYQi5IR2Hc6Wb8t3XfDIIAnKhnMOzSjkm5wg7Hu3OuO_cF-e_gxYuHWLVHKl3P-najGCNjnbia8fc29kSrccoDD4o/s1600/2013_02_05+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Technology Body Language" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMZScjmofZ0RgaaOos0Xd0CFcoeBRV0oawldFl5-pGmEqLGRyEKMYQi5IR2Hc6Wb8t3XfDIIAnKhnMOzSjkm5wg7Hu3OuO_cF-e_gxYuHWLVHKl3P-najGCNjnbia8fc29kSrccoDD4o/s320/2013_02_05+010.JPG" title="Technology Body Language" width="213" /></a><b>The Message Your Technology Sends</b> <br />
<br />
Personal beliefs color how we interpret everything, including technology and the technology of others. Some people see a smart phone or mobile device as a <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/samuel/2013/01/dear-colleague-put-the-noteboo.html" target="_blank">tool for productivity</a>. Others see it as a way to be entertained or distracted.<br />
<br />
While I am accustomed to being around people who believed the former, its shocking to enter environments where the latter opinion prevails.<br />
<br />
<i>She's a "Millennial" with a mobile device, she must be playing a game, surfing the web or worse yet, posting on Facebook! Is she Instagramming? Maybe she's typing "OMG, this meeting is teh boring" on the Twitters.</i><br />
<br />
That's sad because mobile devices have become to many just as important business tools as a computer or phone. They aren't just for communicating, playing games and shopping, they're tools for creating, learning, sharing and more.<br />
<br />
<b>Mobile Devices vs. Paper</b> <br />
<br />
I have particularly become a fan of using them in any way that you could use paper, like books, magazines, meeting agendas. Using them as replacement for paper presents a variety of advantages over using a pen and paper to take notes. <br />
<ol>
<li><b>Convenience.</b> I received the agenda for the meeting as a digital file via email,
meaning I could access it by any mobile device (even if I couldn't have
accessed the Wi-Fi via the Kindle, I could have looked up the agenda on
my phone using my data plan). This convenience came in handy after my
printed copy was ultimately forgotten on the coffee table, never used
and subsequently recycled.</li>
<li><b>Complication</b>. If you have a digital file, use it. Often it isn't always necessarily easy for everyone to get a paper copy of a digital file, with a big reason being printer issues: It's out of ink; the person is out of paper; they don't even own a printer. Additionally, if you write notes and have to later transfer updates to the digital file, you're performing twice the work. </li>
<li><b>Cost.</b> Say your organization takes it upon itself to print off the documents for everyone attending every meeting. That costs ink, paper and the time it takes to ensure everything is printed, counted and collated, multiplied by however many copies you need and all the meetings you have, for as long as the company exists. Suddenly the cost of going digital doesn't sound so bad.</li>
<li><b>Clutter.</b> Reduce the amount of paper hanging around the office and your home. I don't even know how long that printed agenda floated around the house before it finally made it into the bin. Feel the need to have a version on file? Keep it on your mobile device, send it to your computer, upload it to the cloud or whatever other storage method you prefer. </li>
<li><b>Conservation.</b> Save some trees by viewing documents on mobile devices instead of printing them. But it's more than just reducing how many trees are cut down. Making paper causes additional environmental damage due to the chemicals used in the bleaching process, while dyes and inks can add up in the environment, too. There is also a cost to the energy used by constantly-running machines to make paper and print documents. Though manufacturing or powering of mobile devices isn't exactly carbon neutral, they can be used over and over and over again and sold, given away or recycled when you've upgraded or they've reached the end of their use.</li>
</ol>
Yes, of course, there is the cost of the technology itself. But many people already have at least a smartphone, if not some kind of tablet. Additionally, I think that the price you pay for them can be made up pretty quickly in gained productivity and reduced spending on other resources once you get used to using them.<br />
<br />
Then you'll end up finding even more ways they can be useful, and they'll become nearly priceless. For example, beyond my productivity with work functions, in my house such activities as reading, browsing, shopping, cooking, blogging, exercising, traveling, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/05/15-quotes-about-writing.html" target="_blank">writing</a>, editing photos, drawing and, yes, gaming will never be the same.<br />
<br />
<b>Broadcast Loud and Clear</b><br />
<br />
You use technology as a <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creative</a> tool, not just a toy. You're tech-savvy and connected. You're efficient and organized. You like to keep up to date on trends and in the know about who is doing what. You don't want to be chained to your desk or tied up in inefficient processes. Your use of technology says a lot about you, own it and make sure people know about it. <br />
<br />
Nevermind what other people think, if your technology could talk, what would it say about you?<br />
<br />
<i>Sara Duane-Gladden is a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">freelance writer</a> in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota. </i> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-22991712849722350622013-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:002013-01-14T10:55:35.104-06:00Haiku News - January 14, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLrztehhEOziL-ubHIxHBfPOhDDjX1PCxrPXKkf4Fa0mCEXHZNAfI7pNrkgDYdkKjPEGYyb9KATJMPfwEL0ZgaCza8BFsOtZaaicY5eJ6xjXAweZMeQRptXExvgYeqjcr12koqHtmNpc/s1600/2013_01_13+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLrztehhEOziL-ubHIxHBfPOhDDjX1PCxrPXKkf4Fa0mCEXHZNAfI7pNrkgDYdkKjPEGYyb9KATJMPfwEL0ZgaCza8BFsOtZaaicY5eJ6xjXAweZMeQRptXExvgYeqjcr12koqHtmNpc/s200/2013_01_13+036.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Beating "YOLO" and <br />
"fiscal cliff," <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/01/05/hashtag-word-of-year/" target="_blank">"#hashtag" declared </a><br />
the <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-compilation-of-word-lists-for-2012.html" target="_blank">word of the year</a>.<br />
<br />
Profane gestures are<br />
protected free speech, by law:<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/flip-off-police_n_2403563.html" target="_blank">Feel free to flip off</a>.<br />
<br />
Dirty-mouthed parents,<br />
wanting clean-talking children,<br />
<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5974514/babies-start-acquiring-language-in-the-womb" target="_blank">self-censor preterm</a>.<br />
<br />
There are no words in<br />
the English language that can<br />
<a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-01/emotions-which-there-are-no-english-words-infographic" target="_blank">describe these feelings</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pe.com/business/business-columns/practical-business-radical-headlines/20130112-the-secret-language-of-organizations.ece" target="_blank">The secret language</a><br />
within a company can<br />
frustrate new recruits.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/11/haiku-news-november-27-2012.html" target="_blank">Haiku News - November 27, 2012 </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-22025589891642306742013-01-08T06:30:00.000-06:002013-02-27T00:33:47.895-06:00Fourth Anniversary ~ True to WordsToday is the fourth anniversary of the first post ever published at <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-blog-first-post.html" target="_blank">True to Words</a>. Happy birthday, TTW! Have some virtual cake!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A Very Merry Unbirthday to Me</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4B_L36xB_xjfsoxKJDViy_VIC4wo1meWSq2wykuShETB5CA4pAW12NJNYDRmSZyXyo68yIp3kgZnc-7AYKUdijZeXeLWCGbLRTYzEFCFI2hzvIDQHY40eJbV15U8SLn8T4UIceIR-ws/s1600/8255989649_1876183e7e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4B_L36xB_xjfsoxKJDViy_VIC4wo1meWSq2wykuShETB5CA4pAW12NJNYDRmSZyXyo68yIp3kgZnc-7AYKUdijZeXeLWCGbLRTYzEFCFI2hzvIDQHY40eJbV15U8SLn8T4UIceIR-ws/s1600/8255989649_1876183e7e.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
And some champagne!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN61MaD8Y8GxmZq9bVYIfS0VOFUykQ2YmvTjJAPHihVemxf7Wg0JN2FI-dVgbWmkeDfU7WENOhkDAAkV6hN4anNEHe706B6ufRppIUs9VVciZwM2lBUT608Hc7b3epGbyfnfvVFXiZ-nU/s1600/8307444577_2728168b67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN61MaD8Y8GxmZq9bVYIfS0VOFUykQ2YmvTjJAPHihVemxf7Wg0JN2FI-dVgbWmkeDfU7WENOhkDAAkV6hN4anNEHe706B6ufRppIUs9VVciZwM2lBUT608Hc7b3epGbyfnfvVFXiZ-nU/s1600/8307444577_2728168b67.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
Ugh, but 2012 was a rough year, as far as blogging is concerned. I barely posted! Here's hoping that I can maintain and increase the momentum of started here in 2013, as True to Words heads into its fifth year! *clink*Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-69926004848571974042013-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:002013-01-07T07:00:01.731-06:0013 Quotes About Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHYr5VJz2P6oNa1X4S_wI7r8LhUXxRJOin3UAtkQnmWafgRh5ceLQpMTPw9tIIEbZDL6YmsFMiQbmUmA3Wn5zgW63QeTWpuZ5LqX6fr6shgRpLVCx6NixAlinPFGWw2D7LtFeIt5A1A/s200/quotation-marks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapHYr5VJz2P6oNa1X4S_wI7r8LhUXxRJOin3UAtkQnmWafgRh5ceLQpMTPw9tIIEbZDL6YmsFMiQbmUmA3Wn5zgW63QeTWpuZ5LqX6fr6shgRpLVCx6NixAlinPFGWw2D7LtFeIt5A1A/s200/quotation-marks.gif" width="190" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILfXjnb9fDb9M_N2J0fx9neUMKNr6Q36aiSsQwT-Yn0J1au3JDmf1KjQMES_tHK45zCJxo477y-x4dzVX5jf5wziWe2DXS2Wr-2s4A5lA6gKEWtEF7NQRwIVS6Hf-9L1DxItyWGfn8Jk/s1600/Inspiration+Light+Bulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
It has been easy to think creatively for client work, but inspiration for my own projects has been sparse lately. There are ideas... Few that truly excite me.<br />
<br />
Excitement and inspiration are musts for great <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creative</a> <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/05/15-quotes-about-writing.html" target="_blank">writing</a> results, whether its a song, a novel, or copy for an ad. But I don't think that giving in to what basically amounts to "writer's block" helps anything, either. So here I am, powering through on the first Monday of 2013 with a post chalk-full of inspirational quotes with the hopes that I can stir up a little inspiration within myself and others.<br />
<br />
Read on for 13 quotes about Inspiration.<br />
<br />
<i>"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." ~ Jack London<br /><br />"Human beings have speculated about the relationship between inspiration and insanity for centuries." ~ Patty Duke<br /><br />"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson<br /><br />"Inspiration is a farce that poets have invented to give themselves importance." ~ Jean Anouilh<br /><br />"Change your thoughts and you change your world." ~ Norman Vincent Peale<br /><br />"Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it." ~ Madeleine L'Engle<br /><br />"Think with your whole body." ~ Taisen Deshimaru<br /><br />"The moment of inspiration can come from memory, or language, or the imagination, or experience - anything that makes an impression forcibly enough for language to form." ~ Carol Ann Duffy<br /><br />"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" ~ Audrey Hepburn<br /><br />"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." ~ Thomas A. Edison<br /><br />"It is always the simple that produces the marvelous." ~ Amelia Barr<br /><br />"A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all." ~ Rita Mae Brown<br /><br />"The power of imagination makes us infinite." ~ John Muir</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-87937026694511389792013-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:002013-02-27T00:33:47.927-06:00 True to Words' Top Posts of 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7Kjcdeycmp7ptPn_wLJUHfpKgwPnnav2IPc8WTfea2HrRipGUgj5b0Vb1QQKega1QoacHAhL0c7EHwkJ_QirC17zg3Sy8Q319e-w1kN07tGSsIv3rOcLFXWS5tZ2ZXnDhhSTFsDxGv8/s1600/Top+5+2012.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7Kjcdeycmp7ptPn_wLJUHfpKgwPnnav2IPc8WTfea2HrRipGUgj5b0Vb1QQKega1QoacHAhL0c7EHwkJ_QirC17zg3Sy8Q319e-w1kN07tGSsIv3rOcLFXWS5tZ2ZXnDhhSTFsDxGv8/s1600/Top+5+2012.gif" /></a></div>
At the start of a new year, I like to compile a list of the top 10 most popular posts from the previous year. Considering I barely wrote a dozen posts last year on this blog, a top 10 post would basically rehash the entirety of 2012. So here is a list of the top five most popular blog posts at True to Words last year.<br />
<br />
5. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-true-to-words-of-2011.html" target="_blank">Top 10 True to "Words" of 2011</a>. In 2011 I discovered <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/04/gender-stereotyping-and-word-clouds.html" target="_blank">word clouds</a> I had some fun with Wordle - a word cloud generator. It inspired me to create a list of the most popularly repeated words on True to Words, for the <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/08/true-to-words-cloud.html" target="_blank">entire blog</a> and as part of a year-end review for 2011. I'm not sure I'm as curious about that for 2012, but I'll probably still explore that the next time I play with the word cloud generator. Check out <a href="http://www.wordle.net/" target="_blank">Wordle </a>if you're interested in a basic program, but if you get serious, <a href="http://www.mosaizer.com/Wordaizer/" target="_blank">Wordaizer </a>seems to be the way to go.<br />
<br />
4. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/12/make-fleece-tie-blanket.html" target="_blank">Friday Photography - Make a Fleece Tie Blanket</a>. A fine example of my slacking, this post was just published last week and it's already in the top five. I made a fleece blanket as a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law and used the photos as part of my regular Friday Photography segment. In this post I gave instructions on how to make a fleece tie blanket, while telling a story about my own experience making one. They are surprisingly easy, so you'll particularly want to check it out if you're the crafty type.<br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/01/stop-sopa-pipa.html" target="_blank">STOP SOPA & PIPA</a>. In January of 2012, the U.S. Congress and Senate were going to vote on a pair of bills that would have had a fundamentally altered the internet as we know it. On January 16th, websites across the United States
participated in a "blackout" to protest the legislation. Visitors to protesting sites would simply see a black
screen with perhaps an explanation for why the site was black. I couldn't figure out the HTML to black out my blog
and all the websites that could teach me how were already blacked out, so this was my way to protest on that
day.<br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/11/guest-blog-posts-at-toprank.html" target="_blank">Guest Blog Posts at TopRank</a>. I wasn't just ignoring my blogs without reason, I was busy writing other things. For about a year and a half, I worked at TopRank Online Marketing, first as a writer and then as the content marketing manager. During my time there, I had the opportunity to write several social media marketing posts that appeared on the company's prominent blog. This compilation links to my best guest posts published there.<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/05/15-quotes-about-writing.html" target="_blank">15 Quotes About Writing</a>. I love writing. It's valuable and beloved to me in so many ways, I could hardly explain it in anything less than a novel. So instead, I assembled a list of quotes from some respected writers and other great minds that do a good job of exposing the tip of the ice berg that is the love I feel for writing (and its related topic, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creativity</a>). I am done being a nerd now, thank you.<br />
<br />
I hope the brevity of this list, and the shortness of the corresponding photo blog post, <a href="http://samcanshoot.blogspot.com/2013/01/sam-can-shoot-top-posts-for-2012.html" target="_blank">Sam Can Shoot Top Posts of 2012</a>, will inspire me to be a more prolific writer, blogger and photographer in 2013.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-10-posts-for-true-to-words-first.html" target="_blank">Top 10 Posts for True to Words' First Year</a><br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-10-posts-of-2010.html" target="_blank">True to Words' Top 10 Posts of 2010 </a><br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/01/true-to-words-top-10-posts-2011.html" target="_blank">True to Words' Top 10 Posts of 2011 </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-8926931482005004752013-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:002016-03-02T01:57:48.076-06:00 A Compilation of Word Lists for 2012 & 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year, there are dozens of different major word lists and
countless more minor words lists that are presented. I usually like to try to discuss them and this year is no different (check out the <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/12/words-of-year-for-2010.html" target="_blank">word lists for 2010</a> and <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2012/01/compilation-of-word-lists-for-2011-2012.html" target="_blank">word lists for 2011</a>).<br />
<br />
Except, it seems like there are a lot more of them for this year. Here is a compilation of some of the best word lists for 2012, as well as predictions (or hoped banishments) for 2013.<br />
<br />
<b>Merriam-Webster's Most Looked-Up Words of 2012</b><br />
<a href="http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/Socialism-and-Capitalism-Are-The-Most-Searched-Words-of-2012-182180731.html" target="_blank">Merriam-Webster's most looked-up words of 2012</a>
are "socialism" and "capitalism." The rest of the list includes "malarkey,"
"globalization," "marriage" and "bigot." Could you tell it was an election
year?<br />
<br />
<b>The American Dialect Society's Words of 2012</b><br />
The <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2012/12/16/and-word-year/6crtUpm2kfDhBMHleHpu7H/story.html" target="_blank">American Dialect Society's 2012 words list</a> also includes many campaign-related words, but not all of them are as such.
My favorites on this list are "Eastwooding" and "hate-watching." Who
hate-watches anything, anyway? Sounds like a waste of time and energy.<br />
<br />
<b>The Financial Times Lexicon Top 10 of 2012</b><br />
The <a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/ece30fa8-494f-11e2-b25b-00144feab49a.html#axzz2FkhYx8f4" target="_blank">FT Lexicon's word list for 2012</a> is a little different, as this
finance-related publication has a list of words that reflects its
industry. "Mutual fund" was the top term, followed by "recession" at
number two. Hey, it seems "fiscal cliff" is at number 10! Haven't heard that phrase before.<br />
<br />
<b>Collins' Online Dictionary Words of 2012</b><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/dec/21/gangnam-style-legbomb-collins-words-2012" target="_blank">Collins' Online Dictionary's word list</a>
presents a word for each month of 2012. "Gangnam style" is introduced
for September. "Fiscal cliff" is not surprisingly the word for December. Is there a trend?<br />
<br />
<b>The Atlantic's A-Z Guide to 2012's Worst Words</b><br />
This
is quite a list! A very thorough analysis of <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/12/worst-words-2012/59909/" target="_blank">words that were born or overused during 2012</a>, from "actually" and "YOLO" to (gasp!) "fiscal
cliff" and "legitimate rape," this list is a great place to start for
words to banish for 2013. I can handle <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoe-triska/worst-word-2012-_b_2257280.html" target="_blank">YOLO</a>, but seriously, can we ban
"fiscal cliff" already?<br />
<br />
<b>Words That Need to Be Retired in 2013</b><br />
The
Atlantic had a great list, but the SF Weekly didn't quite think
it was enough and <a href="http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/12/words_2013_terrible_puns_retire.php" target="_blank">added its own words to the list</a>, including "adorkable"
and "ZOMG!" Excellent additions, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
<b>New words of 2012: What a Shamazing Year</b><br />
Are
you noticing that a lot of 2012 words are ones that people never want
to hear again? <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9740009/New-words-of-2012-what-a-shamazing-year.html" target="_blank">The Telegraph's 2012 </a>list had a distinctly British flavor and
was almost entirely made out of portmanteaus, including "brandalism" and
"Eurogeddon." We really are fans of combining two words together, aren't we?<br />
<br />
<b>Words You'll Hear Plenty in 2013</b><br />
BusinessNewsDaily
interviewed small business owners, PR people, entrepreneurs and others
to discover which<a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/31/buzzwords-2013/" target="_blank"> buzzwords we may see in 2013</a>. The list
again includes a lot of portmonteaus like "phablets," "advertainment" and
"tri-ti-tasking." I guess we'll be multitasking even more in 2013! And possibly starting a trend of combing three words together.<br />
<br />
<b>2012: The Year in Food Words </b><br />
Finally,
a topic that everyone loves. This list is unique in that it compiles
the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-friedland/year-food-words_b_2347849.html" target="_blank">best food-related words that were popular in 2012</a>.
Most notable on this list, in my opinion, are ultra-pizza (yum!),
potato movement and buzz bars.<br />
<br />
What would you add or subtract from this list - either words we heard a lot in 2012 or words you don't want to hear anymore in 2013? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-39257255210892381942013-01-01T00:00:00.000-06:002016-03-02T01:59:41.939-06:00Happy New Year 2013!Happy New Year 2013! Here's hoping that your new year is even better than the last!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-61856906623730010882012-12-28T17:00:00.000-06:002012-12-28T17:56:16.167-06:00Friday Photography - Make a Fleece Tie BlanketMuch like how it had been ages since my last <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Haiku" target="_blank">Haiku News</a> post, I haven't had a <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/Photography" target="_blank">Friday Photography</a> post for a while. Truthfully, I have about 15 photography projects I can share, but I've lacked inspiration for the written word. Maybe expressing my <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creativity</a> through other outlets will inspire me to write soon.<br />
<br />
One thing I made recently was a fleece tie blanket for my sister-in-law's Christmas present. I hadn't realized how easy these are to make - no sewing and all you need is a scissors! Now I understand why I see them everywhere.<br />
<br />
1. The first step is to get two pieces of fleece that are the same size. The pieces I had were both 62 inches wide and 72 inches long. My sister-in-law is going into the air force, so I used the pattern below for the top and blue fleece for the back.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>United States Air Force Fleece Pattern</b></div>
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<br />
2. Take the two pieces of fleece and put the "wrong" sides together, with the "right" sides of the fabric visible. It might not always matter, but for my piece, I had to be careful that right side was facing out for the front, or all the text would have been backwards. For the blue backing, I put the softer side of the fleece on the outside.<br />
<br />
3. Arrange the two pieces of fleece, one lined up over the other, on a flat surface. Mine was large enough, the only place I could do this was on the floor. This resulted in some unexpected assistance with making sure the fleece was flat.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Helper Dog</b></div>
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<br />
4. Cut a square out of all four corners. This is to prevent bunching in the future. In this image, you can just barely see the blue fleece underneath the USAF fleece.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Cutting Corners</b></div>
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5. Cut 1-inch-wide fringes along the edge of one side of the blanket. How long you make the fringes depends on what you'd like the final product to look like, but they should be three inches long at minimum. Then, beginning at one end, tie the first top fringe to the fringe below it. Please see the image below as an example - the cut fringes are on the right, and the ties are on the left.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ties & Cuts</b></div>
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<br />
6. Repeat the process on all four sides of the fleece, being careful not to wrinkle the fleece. This took a while for me, which resulted in more unexpected help with keeping the fleece flat.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Helper Kitty</b></div>
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<br />
A lot of unexpected help.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2 Helper Kitties</b></div>
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<b>3 Helper Kitties</b></div>
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<br />
7. Start back on the edge you began with and re-tighten the knots. If the fabric starts bunching, stretching the knotted edge should smooth the blanket out.<br />
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<b>Finished Fleece Tied Blanket </b></div>
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Finally I was finished! And I realize that I didn't take that great of a photo of the finished product, but hopefully, you can still see the tied edge. Even so, now you know how to make a fleece tied blanket!<br />
<br />
Happy Friday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-65091564634884716472012-11-27T00:36:00.003-06:002012-11-27T00:37:19.484-06:00Haiku News - November 27, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEDyO-e7OgEKNIzZ3PnjtaHWMNj5qjk2oXLu6MXw8nPoojkj0kYgNvuIHmTwutJMXOXAn9_3Jzw6nmUZGdJ7ldyjRV6oa3s29-xEv_2H2ch3FdIRB7snI__RFUTngzSLwN9CAQWOIto/s1600/birthday+party+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEDyO-e7OgEKNIzZ3PnjtaHWMNj5qjk2oXLu6MXw8nPoojkj0kYgNvuIHmTwutJMXOXAn9_3Jzw6nmUZGdJ7ldyjRV6oa3s29-xEv_2H2ch3FdIRB7snI__RFUTngzSLwN9CAQWOIto/s200/birthday+party+kids.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Even when you're five, <br />
<a href="http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/parenting/kids+party+games-267723.html" target="_blank">partying with your friends</a> helps<br />
social skills, language.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238459/Tragedy-Dar-chimpanzee-learned-sign-language-infancy-unexpectedly-dies-age-36.html" target="_blank">famous chimp</a> known<br />
for his <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/11/painting-lyrics-in-air-with-his-hands.html" target="_blank">sign language</a> savvy<br />
will be dearly missed.<br />
<br />
Science shows freestyle<br />
<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/10/hip-hop-and-english-language.html" target="_blank">rapping</a> gets your <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creative</a><br />
<a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20121116/Freestyle-rapping-increases-brain-activity-in-the-medial-prefrontal-cortex.aspx" target="_blank">synapses zapping</a>.<br />
<br />
It's not just music<br />
notes that <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/10/30/3620816.htm" target="_blank">tone deaf people</a> have<br />
trouble perceiving.<br />
<br />
Forget Chinese: When<br />
it comes to global business, <br />
<a href="http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/tech/career-language-key-to-its-success-1.176634" target="_blank">English aids success</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-224227377648586422012-11-23T11:08:00.001-06:002012-11-23T11:09:09.853-06:00Recent Article Roundup: Minneapolis Pet News Examiner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From fostering pets to keeping them safe during the Thanksgiving holiday, here is a short list of my most recent articles for the Minneapolis Pet News Examiner. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/share-the-gift-of-love-on-black-friday-adopt-a-pet?cid=db_articles">Share the gift of love on Black Friday: Adopt a pet!</a><br />
Today is Black Friday! While many shoppers have been flooding into the mall, trying to get deals on
gadgets, clothing and toys, a few discerning people will be getting
something more worthwhile and meaningful for their lives. The Animal Human Society locations in the Twin Cities are having a Black Friday sale. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/a-pet-proof-thanksgiving?cid=db_articles">A pet-proof Thanksgiving</a> (Or "A pet-proof Christmas - the same ideas apply!)<br />
The holidays are awesome. The food, the family, the festivities:
What’s not to love? But for dog or cat owners, there are a few other
things to consider. Special attention
should be taken to ensure that dogs and cats are kept safe during large family gatherings.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/twin-cities-second-annual-frankie-s-friends-fun-run-walk?cid=db_articles">Twin Cities’ Second Annual Frankie's Friends Fun Run/Walk</a><br />
Frankie's Friends, a charity that helps Minnesota families pay for lifesaving specialty
veterinary care for sick or injured pets, held a 5k run/walk in
Saint Paul during October. The fun run might be over, but <a href="http://www.frankiesfriends.com/donate/why-give/" target="_blank">donations to help pets and families</a> are welcome and accepted at any time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/save-lives-by-becoming-a-foster-pet-parent?cid=db_articles">Save lives by becoming a foster pet parent</a><br />
Pet overpopulation is a serious problem in the
United States. Becoming a foster “parent” for a pet until it can
find a permanent adoptive home saves the lives of animals that would
otherwise be euthanized for no other reason than a lack of shelter
space. People who become foster pet parents save two
lives when they open their homes: The dog or cat they take in, and the
next pet to take its place at the shelter. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/june-is-adopt-a-shelter-cat-month-16?cid=db_articles">June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month</a><br />
Ha! This one is an old one, but it doesn't have to be "Adopt a Shelter Cat Month" for you to adopt a cat or kitten. June is just a specific time of year when spring is in the air, and thousands of
cats and kittens begin pouring into animal shelters throughout the U.S.
at a higher rate.<br />
<br />
If you would like to receive Minneapolis and Twin Cities pet articles, including news, events and advice, follow the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Minneapolis.Pet.News.Examiner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner on Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.examiner.com/user/252731/1774461/subscribe?destination=user/252731/1774461/articles">subscribe to email alerts</a>. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-53247300206231569632012-11-14T06:58:00.000-06:002016-03-02T01:59:14.746-06:00Guest Blog Posts at TopRank<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmUJUM6kbIOIsEGQW9AD52fbl-olbfAlioj60aEwujrZUd5CBibRzFkbz1oGmb4fdjQgwfoeahWuvYqRHV5nc7-Gn3uZKeqjZAJdbjOrlsCj3U74dqwPpspzN7z2fikxW-7Dc3ZEIelw/s1600/Sara+Duane-Gladden+coffee+cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmUJUM6kbIOIsEGQW9AD52fbl-olbfAlioj60aEwujrZUd5CBibRzFkbz1oGmb4fdjQgwfoeahWuvYqRHV5nc7-Gn3uZKeqjZAJdbjOrlsCj3U74dqwPpspzN7z2fikxW-7Dc3ZEIelw/s400/Sara+Duane-Gladden+coffee+cup.jpg" width="170" /></a>
Dusting off the True to Words blog and getting it restarted... again. I've been having a hard time trying to figure out what to write, so thought maybe I could aggregate some links to TopRank Blog guest posts I wrote over the summer and fall. Baby steps, right? Besides, it seems appropriate, considering these posts absorbed the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/snduane/" target="_blank">creative writing</a> energy that otherwise would have been applied here at TTW and <a href="http://samcanshoot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sam Can Shoot</a>.<br />
<br />
Read the summaries and click to learn more about each topic.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/06/5-b2c-marketing-lessons-pinterest/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 B2C Pinteresting Marketing Lessons From Top Online Retailers</a><br />
With over 100 million monthly visitors, <a href="http://samcanshoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/pinterest.html" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> is now the 3rd largest social network after Facebook and Twitter, and drives more traffic than Yahoo search. For retailers marketing to consumers online, it’s an essential social marketing and engagement channel - and here are five top Pinteresters from which to learn.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/09/6-lessons-from-2012-back-to-school-digital-marketing-campaigns/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6 Lessons Marketers Can Learn from 2012 “Back to School” Marketing Campaigns </a><br />
In the buildup to kids, teens and young adults reentering the classroom, retailers were drawing in customers and adding up cash from back-to-school sales.
Ready go to to social media school? Here are six back-to-school social media campaigns that made the grade this year.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/10/5-b2b-content-marketing-blunders/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 Types of B2B Content Marketing Blunders That Offer Teachable Moments </a><br />
Though nobody likes to make mistakes, the beauty of an error is that you can learn from the experience. It’s even better if you can learn from someone else’s blunder.
The B2B content marketing stories in this post are true and the mistakes are all too common - but they can be remedied!<br />
<br />
Writing these posts was fun and gave me the opportunity to do some in-depth research on topics that I really enjoy: Creating content and using social media. This isn't the only writing work I've done writing lately. Check back soon for an update on articles recently written for the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/pet-news-in-minneapolis/sara-duane-gladden" target="_blank">Minneapolis Pet News Examiner</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1385367031557474404.post-22723827363608072762012-05-17T19:00:00.000-05:002012-05-18T11:52:22.203-05:0015 Quotes About Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The act of writing serves purposes that range from sharing information to artistic expression, exposing injustices to perpetuating lies and more. Whether the final result is a novel, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2009/12/under-your-skin.html" target="_blank">poem</a>, journalistic article or even online marketing content, written word can be valuable, worthless, healing, poisonous, placating, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/04/27-of-congressional-communication-is.html" target="_blank">taunting</a>, all of the above, none of the above and an infinite combinations of other adjectives and descriptive phrases. <br />
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At the same time, without written works, valuable information, historical events, incredible stories and other knowledge of the past would be lost to time. Without writing – and reading – there would be so much we wouldn’t know that our current lives and lifestyle would likely not exist. In this post, read fifteen quotes describing this incredibly overlooked, everyday art form.<br />
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<i>“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” ~ Ben Franklin<br /> </i><br />
<i>“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne<br /> </i><br />
<i>“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~ William Wordsworth<br /> </i><br />
<i>“Writing is a struggle against silence.” ~ Carlos Fuentes<br /> </i><br />
<i>“The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-quotes-about-creativity.html" target="_blank">creative</a> delight.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson<br /> </i><br />
<i>“One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment.” ~ Hart Crane<br /> </i><br />
<i>“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” ~ <a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/2010/10/mark-twain-still-on-top-100-years-later.html" target="_blank">Mark Twain</a><br /> </i><br />
<i>“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” ~ Thomas Jefferson<br /> </i><br />
<i>“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” ~ Ernest Hemingway</i><br />
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<i>“If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison<br /> </i><br />
<i>“A man will turn over half a library to make one book.” ~ Samuel Johnson</i><br />
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<i>“Writing is both mask and unveiling.” ~ E.B. White<br /> </i><br />
<i>“<a href="http://truetowords.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Word" target="_blank">Words </a>are the most powerful drug used by mankind.” ~ Rudyard Kipling<br /> </i><br />
<i>“I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.” ~ Peter De Vries<br /> </i><br />
<i>“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17541041766477875058noreply@blogger.com0