Sadly, banning the words doesn’t seem to work
Bless the folks at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Every year for 38 years, they have tried — in vain, for the most part — to banish the top annoying, misused and overused words creeping into common use. You know it’s a futile...
The best of the Red Jacket Diaries in 2012
Thank you, dear reader, for stopping by the Red Jacket Diaries in 2012! Here are the 10 most-viewed posts this year: The annual National Punctuation Day throws out another challenge A recap of the contest for the worst opening sentence ever (following in the footsteps...
IABC members waiting to hear more on strategy
On Dec. 19, IABC held two webinar-type Q&A sessions for members to ask questions about the association’s new strategy. You know, the one that resulted in a “restructuring” that laid off half of its 32 staff members on a Friday afternoon....
Friday fun, Christmas version
Really? The Friday before Christmas, and you’re trying to get work done? Take just a minute for a laugh. • Some people like cat pictures and videos. This one is for the dog lovers. (Are those Corgi reindeer?) • Lazy Christmas decorations, or what some people...
Publication delays? Try these ideas
A colleague is tearing her hair out. A graphic designer, she’s created some attractive, readable, interesting employee newsletters and community reports. She meets every deadline, which always start out urgent. But somehow, every time a publication is almost...
5 business lessons learned at the spaaaah
At the beginning of December, I was lured into a dangerously addictive lifestyle. I may never be the same. Ste. Anne’s Spa has earned a reputation for being a decadent and relaxing getaway destination. Heavenly body treatments like hot stone massages (my...
Leave it to the Brits to celebrate bad writing about sex
In absolutely shocking news, E.L. James and her Fifty Shades books did not even make the shortlist for the annual Bad Sex in Fiction award. Nor did J.K. Rowling for her adult novel, The Casual Vacancy. According to the Guardian’s Maev Kennedy, the Fifty Shades...
No moustache, no money? IBD research needs funds, too
It took months before we realized something was going wrong with my teenage son, and by that time he had lost 10 percent of his body weight. Another four months went by before he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and treatment began. (Although it seemed like a...