By Don Hauptman
I have long been fascinated by funny mistakes committed by people who should know better. Whenever I find an amusing goof, I seize upon it. "How did the copy editors and proofreaders and fact-checkers miss that one?" I think.
Many people share my passion, judging by the popularity of Jay Leno's "Headlines" segments, bloopers and outtakes on TV, and lists of errors, real or alleged, that circulate online. ("Dog for sale, eats anything, fond of children.")
Even more appealing is when the boner is followed by a witty or snarky retort, in the style of The New Yorker.
I'm working on a book -- a compilation of these gems. Here are a few samples:
Correction: "Some jesters in a British competition described in a page-one article last Monday ride on unicycles. The article incorrectly said they ride on unicorns."
The unicorns' union is filing a protest about those lost jobs.
Photo caption: "Karen Duplessis and her son, Patrick, are Patrick Henry's ancestors."
And they look so young, too.
Headline: "Though Frail, Castro Denies He's Dead"
But why should we believe him?
Newscaster: "We'll be talking to one of the producers of Law and Order SUV -- excuse me, SVU."
The cops are really cracking down on those gas guzzlers.
Newspaper article: "An island surrounded by water, Manhattan has long been without a beach, prompting locals to flee by bridges and tunnels during the dog days."
Thanks for differentiating it from all those islands surrounded by cottage cheese.
In an era of declining literacy, perhaps the laughter and ridicule that bloopers provoke are a hopeful sign that we still care about language. Keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll start spotting them, too.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Lessons from PT Barnum-Free E-Book
Would you like to learn from the creator of the "Greatest Show on Earth"?
Learn from PT Barnum in e-book, audio book and workbook format about fundamentals of accumulating wealth, and more importantly ...holding on to it.
The title is called "The Art of Money Getting - Golden Rule Package" and it's based on the work of legendary marketer and "Money Getter" PT Barnum.and here is your link:
http://www.ptbarnumspeaks.com/thankyoupt091030.html
You may download to your computer. Enjoy!
Learn from PT Barnum in e-book, audio book and workbook format about fundamentals of accumulating wealth, and more importantly ...holding on to it.
The title is called "The Art of Money Getting - Golden Rule Package" and it's based on the work of legendary marketer and "Money Getter" PT Barnum.and here is your link:
http://www.ptbarnumspeaks.com/thankyoupt091030.html
You may download to your computer. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
More Free E-book
Dr Joe Vitale ('The Secret') latest offering "Attract Money Now". A hard cover version will set you back US29.95. Enjoy.
http://www.mrfire.com/attractmoneynow//AttractMoneyNow-book-PDF-final.pdf
http://www.mrfire.com/attractmoneynow//AttractMoneyNow-book-PDF-final.pdf
Friday, November 13, 2009
Word of the Day- Ebullient
Ebullient (ih-BUL-yunt) -- from the Latin for "boiling up" -- means overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement.
Example: "But often your customers, although ebullient about your product or service, aren't able to express their enthusiasm very well in writing. So what do you do?"
Example: "But often your customers, although ebullient about your product or service, aren't able to express their enthusiasm very well in writing. So what do you do?"
Self Improvement E-Books
Self Improvement E-Books. Download at this links. Enjoy
a) Think and Grow Rich -Napoleon Hill
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/Think_and_Grow_Rich.pdf
b) The Magic Story -Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/The%20Magic%20Story.pdf
c)The Science of Getting Rich-Wallace D. Wattles
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/The%20Science%20of%20Getting%20Rich.pdf
a) Think and Grow Rich -Napoleon Hill
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/Think_and_Grow_Rich.pdf
b) The Magic Story -Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/The%20Magic%20Story.pdf
c)The Science of Getting Rich-Wallace D. Wattles
http://30daywealthmaps.s3.amazonaws.com/The%20Science%20of%20Getting%20Rich.pdf
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Perfection vs Excellence
Perfection is being right.
Excellence is willing to be wrong.
Perfection is fear
Excellence is taking a risk.
Perfection is anger and frustration.
Excellence is powerful.
Perfection is control.
Excellence is spontaneous.
Perfection is judgement.
Excellence is accepting.
Perfection is taking.
Excellence is giving.
Perfection is doubt.
Excellence is confidence.
Perfection is pressure.
Excellence is natural.
Perfection is the destination.
Excellence is the journey.
Excellence is willing to be wrong.
Perfection is fear
Excellence is taking a risk.
Perfection is anger and frustration.
Excellence is powerful.
Perfection is control.
Excellence is spontaneous.
Perfection is judgement.
Excellence is accepting.
Perfection is taking.
Excellence is giving.
Perfection is doubt.
Excellence is confidence.
Perfection is pressure.
Excellence is natural.
Perfection is the destination.
Excellence is the journey.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Language Perfectionist: A Concatenation of Confusables
By Don Hauptman
In my reading, I frequently encounter misused and confused words. Here are five recent sightings, most from major newspapers:
"Anyone who passes even feint praise on anything containing Adam Sandler..."
The writer means faint praise -- not very much. A feint is a deceptive or diversionary action.
"Now, watching a young and inexperienced American president appear to waiver on his commitment...."
This is a common mix-up. To be indecisive is to waver. A waiver is a relinquishment of a right or claim.
"Unaware of the possibility of evoking Section 1732, I set up a private transfer treaty to move him to an American prison."
To evoke means to summon or call to mind. The correct word in this context is invoke, to cite as justification.
"If pot were legal, the beer industry would loose money."
The distinction should be obvious. But an amazing number of people confuse lose, to mislay, with loose, the antonym of tight.
"[When I studied foreign languages,] absurdity acted as the impotence for comprehension and eventual memorization."
Somehow, the desired word impetus, meaning stimulus, morphed into impotence. My guess is that this was the result of an unintended Microsoft Word "auto-correction." Computers are useful tools but they can also create new problems. There's no substitute for human intelligence, common sense, and proofreading.
In my reading, I frequently encounter misused and confused words. Here are five recent sightings, most from major newspapers:
"Anyone who passes even feint praise on anything containing Adam Sandler..."
The writer means faint praise -- not very much. A feint is a deceptive or diversionary action.
"Now, watching a young and inexperienced American president appear to waiver on his commitment...."
This is a common mix-up. To be indecisive is to waver. A waiver is a relinquishment of a right or claim.
"Unaware of the possibility of evoking Section 1732, I set up a private transfer treaty to move him to an American prison."
To evoke means to summon or call to mind. The correct word in this context is invoke, to cite as justification.
"If pot were legal, the beer industry would loose money."
The distinction should be obvious. But an amazing number of people confuse lose, to mislay, with loose, the antonym of tight.
"[When I studied foreign languages,] absurdity acted as the impotence for comprehension and eventual memorization."
Somehow, the desired word impetus, meaning stimulus, morphed into impotence. My guess is that this was the result of an unintended Microsoft Word "auto-correction." Computers are useful tools but they can also create new problems. There's no substitute for human intelligence, common sense, and proofreading.
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