communication styles

blogging / communication styles / writing — No Comments
16
Apr 12

The Door is Open

This is also published on the new Shindoverse blog:

Over the past few years, much has been made about the harmful effects blogging or tweeting. A quick search through Google can show a myriad of “how to” articles of how to be a good blogger who doesn’t get burned because they do all these things. Then there are the cautionary tales such as the Queen of the Sky and the Phantom Professor, both who got fired from their respective jobs after their blogs and identities were discovered. Also, many prospective employer seek to vet applicants by trolling the Internet, looking to see how these people portray themselves on Facebook. Some have even gone so far as to request log-in information of job interviewees. Unfortunately, there is a lot of paranoia on this issue and it is justified. Continue reading →

blogging / communication styles / television — No Comments
4
Aug 10

State of Emergency

In case of emergency, please call Shindo. This is the number to call, even though you’ve blown off countless voicemail messages from him.

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blogging / communication styles / English language / writing — 1 Comment
17
Jul 10

Sincerely, My Dear

The awful catchphrase “I wish you well” got me thinking about some other not-so-sincere wordings in the English language. I didn’t have to look too much further from what’s used in letter writing. First, we often salute the intended reader as “Dear,” whether we feel that way about the person or not. Those close to us, such as family members or significant others, really are “Dear” to us. However, this salutation is also used to address strangers and acquaintances, such as professors, administrators, editors, and managers who have our resumés/CV’s in their hands. I may totally hate the person I’m writing to, but it’s culturally appropriate to begin the letter with “Dear ———.” With writing to various dignitaries, such as the Queen of England or the British Ambassador to the United States, I could use a salutation without “Dear,” but the likelihood of writing such letters for me are extremely slim. For the most part, I must pretend to really like the people I must write letters to.

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blogging / communication styles — 2 Comments
13
Jul 10

“I Wish You Well.”

There’s only one meaning this phrase really has and its appropriate response reciprocates the sentiment: Frak you!

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blogging / communication styles — No Comments
7
Jul 10

Throw the Cobble-Sized Rock

This post is a follow up to “Drive into the Tree.”

I suppose I should be over the awful nightmares with my bitch of an ex-boss Linda, right? Continue reading →

blogging / communication styles — 1 Comment
7
Jul 10

Drive into the Tree

As much as I’d like to say I’ve put this behind me, an incident involving the worst boss I’ve ever had still haunts me.

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blogging / communication styles / teaching / The Recession — No Comments
17
Feb 10

He’s certainly got Cloutier

For some odd reason yesterday, I found myself in the business section of NY Time‘s website when I came across this interview with George Cloutier, an entrepreneur who gets small businesses out of the holes they dig themselves into. He was full of all kinds of glib, but hard-won business wisdom such as “Fire Your Relatives. Scare Your Employees. And Stop Whining.” He also had a tough style of speaking, which fascinated me. Then I realized who he reminded me of: Gordon Ramsay. Clearly, Ramsay and/or his producers must have been aware of Cloutier’s business and his approach to rescuing businesses and realized they could make good TV out of it. With Gordon’s speech resembling a heart monitor and doing the fixer-uppers for ailing restaurants, he had channeled Cloutier without giving props to the man.

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blogging / communication styles / creative writing / shindotv — 1 Comment
5
Sep 09

Privilege for $200

It’s been a while since I’ve reflected on my experiences in my MFA program. One very significant figure, whom I’ve discussed in previous posts, was Professor Joseph K, who served as my early mentor, friend, boss, and later silent tormentor. This post is Part 21 of If You Want To Go To Grad School.

We’re at a party early on for the University’s MFA program and I mention working with Professor Joseph K. You ask me what he’s like and I’ll try to give you a sound byte answer. After all, this is a party, and the conversation’s not supposed to be too deep. So, here’s what I say: Joe’s a good guy and I work very well with him. I also enjoy his workshops a lot.

My answer would change much later, as I was only one year into my academic and professional relationship with Professor K. Being his secretary didn’t pay much, but I liked it better than working in the supermarket. There, I was paid better and I had benefits, but with Joe, I had keys to the mail room and his office, and I had a code for the English Department copier. I had a place to hang my coat, to read, to study, and even to write. I even had my own desk so I wouldn’t use his. What I had lost in practical terms, I gained in privilege. Which is essentially the case with anyone who goes into something arts or humanities related. I also harbored great hopes that my association with Joe would benefit me in the future. Perhaps I would become an editor or a professor, or even an editor-professor like Joe.

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blogging / communication styles / Internet — 5 Comments
21
Aug 09

De-Friend


“Add Me” by Chumbawamba. Title speaks clearly for the theme, but the band also gives a pretty good explanation about cyber-friendships.

Facebook has managed to change the meaning of “friend” more within three or four years than the one and a half thousand years the word has existed in English. For some other languages, we can add a few more millenia for the word’s respective counterparts. A friend on Facebook is simply someone you add, provided the other party agrees. However, the breakup is much simpler.

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communication styles / English language / writing — 6 Comments
11
Jul 09

The Grammar Police

It is my job to know grammar. I teach college-level English and I studied writing throughout my college and grad school careers. I even have a few books on grammar as it is necessary to know style and punctuation as a writer. However, I’m not the grammar police.

It has recently occurred to me that most people obsessed with grammar care less about saying something well than they do catching someone in a violation of the English language. They are superior little snots. Also, they are the type of people who would fastidiously avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. Their sentence are clunky because they have correct grammar, concision be damned. Then again, these are the people who obviously suck at math and take out their insecurities on others. Subscribing to a language dogma somehow makes them feel better about themselves as they are incapable of adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and solving equations. That would take real mind work and knowledge.

One important thing to note is the grammar-obsessed rarely teach English or writing. They’re often not even linguists, who actually take classes on this type of stuff. They are often rank amateurs who often don’t know what they’re talking about. They may even have a dangling modifier in their sentence and might not even know it.

Self-appointed grammarians, leave this stuff to the professionals. Thanks.

General advice: DO NOT ENGAGE. They are the type of people to put up a fight, especially if they’re wrong, because, the burden of proof’s on you. It always is. Christian Lander has some further advice in his post about grammar.

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