by Sue Horner | Mar 19, 2022 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
The mysterious case of PXO began with a pile of traffic cones at two nearby parks. A few weeks later, signs arrived, announcing a “PXO Program.” It was a term I’d never heard, and the name of the contractor involved (Aqua Tech Solution Inc.) suggested water might be...
by Sue Horner | Mar 11, 2022 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
If you spend any time on social media, you know that words disappear in as little as a few seconds. So when I find interesting, helpful or just plain funny posts, I like to share them. Here’s another collection of content you might appreciate and might have missed:...
by Sue Horner | Jan 20, 2022 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
At 100+ decibels, the sound of a large jet nearing a runway’s end is as noisy as being in the front row of a rock concert. (Remember those?) While the pandemic slashed the number of planes landing at and taking off from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport,...
by Sue Horner | Sep 2, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Roughly this time last year, I was lamenting the overuse of words like cadence that have turned them into jargon or buzzwords. It’s still everywhere, as in this recent example: “Prime Your Revenue Engine with a Prospecting Cadence.” It’s also been a big year for...
by Sue Horner | May 20, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I’m taking part in a fundraising 5K event this summer called Push for Your Tush. As usual with such events, I had to sign a release – actually a “RELEASE, WAIVER and INDEMNITY AGREEMENT,” in all caps every time it is mentioned – for the organizer, Colorectal Cancer...
by Sue Horner | Feb 19, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Endless Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams meetings have changed how we look and relate to our co-workers and bosses. Home offices give a glimpse of how we live. Pets and small children are likely to loudly demand attention as our calls get underway, or we might forget...
by Sue Horner | Nov 4, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I was among the many Canadians glued to the TV, watching the election results with America. I made it to midnight, and went to bed when it was clear there would be no speedy result. One word kept popping out at me during discussions on CBC’s The National: Several...
by Sue Horner | Oct 14, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Plain language can save lives or make them harder, as the Center for Plain Language noted on Twitter this week. The occasion: International Plain Language Day (Oct. 13). We were disappointed with many of the results of the Federal Plain Language Report Card this year....
by Sue Horner | Feb 19, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“Exciting changes at Paper.li!” said the email subject line. (Paper.li helps you “create a web presence” with an online newspaper that contains your “curated” content.) The email continued, “We’re thrilled to have you as part of our community, and want you to be the...
by Sue Horner | Oct 24, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I’m on Plain Language duty. While my client overhauls structure and cuts duplication on the website, I’m trying to make the content more readable. The existing words are often off the readable charts – post-graduate, say, or grade 13 – whereas my client hopes for...
