If you pay close attention to words and love clever word play, you’ll enjoy The Bookseller, a British trade magazine, and its quirky “oddest book title” contest. I first ran across this contest in 2008 and have looked forward to reading about it ever since.

The shortlist of books (hilarious itself for the content descriptions) vying for the latest Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year was just announced last week. The contestants are:

• The Changing World of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Ellen Scherl and Marla Dubinsky (who made it to third place last year with Curbside Consultation of the Colon)
• Collectible Spoons of the 3rd Reich by James A. Yannes
• Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes by Daina Taimina
• Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots by Ronald C. Arkin
• What Kind of Bean is this Chihuahua? by Tara Jansen-Meyer
• Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter by David Crompton.

Horace Bent, custodian of the prestigious prize, says he received a record number of entries this year, many via Twitter (find him at @HoraceBent). I don’t find the entries are nearly as funny as in previous years, but maybe that’s just me.

Vote for your favourite title (scroll down to the poll on the left side), and watch for news of the winning title on Friday, March 26.

Here’s what I learned from taking a week off and flying to Florida for my younger son’s school break:

If you’re looking for beach weather, Florida might or might not have it in February. We happened to hit a week of temperatures in the mid-70s, which was certainly warmer than home (and no snow!) but not warm enough to sit on a beach except fully dressed. We Canadians were obvious; we were the ones wearing shorts while the locals had long pants and coats.

Bring your own snacks and headphones. Oh, the airlines are happy to sell you both, but who really wants a $6 sandwich and cheap $3 headphones? You can still get free coffee or a Coke, though. For now.

Be prepared to pay to see a movie. You might expect Air Canada to have been the first to figure out this new way to make money (and I’m sure they’ll be all over it soon), but it was WestJet. I read a book instead.

You really don’t want to travel anywhere with more than a carry-on bag. Going, we  were in line a full hour just to check our bags, after already checking in online. Customs and security took another hour. Coming home, we waited 50 minutes for our bags to arrive, and only one out of three made it. The other two were delivered two days later. We’re grateful this didn’t happen on the front end.

Try to stem the e-mail tide. Before leaving, I went to all the lists I follow and changed my delivery frequency to once a week instead of once a day. I added a vacation notice to a client e-mail account and recorded voice mail that made it clear I wasn’t in the office all week. Still, I came home to more than 200 messages from five working days away.

Be merciless. Because I had 200+ messages to wade through, I did a lot of skimming and deleting, particularly those list digests.

Getting away for a break is well worth it. Just having no particular responsibilities (like a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call to walk the dog, or figuring out what to make for dinner) is a pleasure.

I’m back to reality now, complete with early morning dog-walking, which I actually missed. (The walking part, not necessarily the early start.)

There aren’t many companies that have earned the trust the Red Cross has. In my in-box today was the latest example of how they do it.

I had made a donation to the Canadian Red Cross in support of their earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, and today they sent an e-mail saying, “Thank you. Your generosity is making a difference in Haiti.”

But they didn’t leave it at that.

• They listed some of the ways donations have supported their efforts, in sending over 2,600 metric tonnes of relief items; distributing one million litres of water to 200,000 people each day; and providing medical care to more than 9,600 people so far.
• They linked to  “photos of your support in action” at the Canadian Red Cross Flickr page, where you can see people carrying boxes, distributing supplies, performing surgery, draping people in blankets, comforting children.
• They noted that in addition to helping now, the Red Cross is analyzing how to rebuild the nation and make it stronger, healthier and more resilient.
• A final note includes ways to encourage others to give by setting up a personalized fundraising page, and there are links to forward the note to a friend, visit the home page for Haiti relief or follow the Red Cross on Twitter and Facebook.

This information is also found on their web site, but they didn’t wait for me to go there and find it; they made sure I saw it.

Nicely done.

Sometimes being a writer in a home office means writing, writing, writing. Interviews often take place by telephone, and files go back and forth by e-mail. If it weren’t for the fact that I have a dog, I might not even get outside, especially in winter! But by joining different networking groups, I make sure to get out and meet new people or reconnect with colleagues.

Looks like February is following the frantic pace of January when it comes to networking. Tonight I’m out with a communicator I am mentoring, plus another IABC colleague. Tomorrow and Monday, I’m having lunch with friends. And I am signed up for these events:

February 10, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
HPCA presents: Encore Improv
Peel Village golf course, 29A Hartford Trail, Brampton, ON
Whether you are negotiating, meeting with a client for the first time or fielding questions, being quick on your feet is an essential business skill for independent communicators. Learn from the Second City style of improv comedy how to respond in the moment, spark your creativity and sharpen your listening skills. Free to Halton-Peel Communications Association members; $20 for non-members. Sign up at www.hpcaonline.com. (Note: If there is still small print that says the event is closed, ignore it; it’s not. Register with Mary Harvey.)

Feb. 11, 6-8:30 p.m
IABC/AIP presents: Show Your Love for the Planet
Haworth Toronto Showroom, 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON
IABC and its Alliance of Independent Practitioners offer a “sustainable” munch & mingle. Learn about sustainable approaches to communications while you network. Participate in a “green footprint” icebreaker and have a chance to win eco-friendly door prizes. IABC members pay $30, non-members $40. Register online.

Feb. 23, 6:30-8 p.m.
IABC/Toronto Westend networking event
Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill & Sports Lounge, Oakville, ON
Strictly networking fun for $25. Register by e-mail.

Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m.
IABC presents: Successful Communications in a 2.0 World with Steve Crescenzo
Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay Street, Toronto, ON
Steve Crescenzo is one of the U.S.’s leading experts in employee communications. He comes equipped with dozens of case studies and best practices in Creative Communications from both small and large organizations in Canada and the U.S. He’ll show you how to use multimedia tools such as podcasts and video without blowing the budget, and five things you can do to turn intranets and websites from electronic wastelands to powerhouse communication tools.  IABC members $45, non-members $65. Register online.

How is your networking going so far this year? Are you getting out there?