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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a senior technical writer with 20 years of technical communication experience, including over 10 years with Fortune 500 IT corporations. He is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). As a member of STC's Washington DC chapter he has served as a Lead Juror and Juror in STC Technical Documentation competitions since 2000. Dr. Akinci is specialized in software, hardware, networking, security access and intrusion detection documentation. Over ... [More]

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Two Reasons Why You Should Not Discount Your Products and Services Deeply
[Business:Sales] Make the case that you're not a "Cost Center" but a "Profit Center" for the business in question. Otherwise you'll be chasing one $50 dollar hack job after another on job bidding sites since there's no end to lowering your fees and prices. It will be a RACE TO THE BOTTOM where there are no winners -- the customers included. You have to nip that spiral in the bud, with courage, conviction, and full belief in your own worth.

Writers - Don't Quote an "Hourly Rate" Or Fixed Fee For Your Writing Job
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Here is something I've learned the hard way: if you publish or quote a fixed hourly rate or a fixed fee for different types of writing services, you'll end up attracting the cheapest and hardest clients and you'll never make money in this freelance writing business. We writers are generally very nice people.

Create Lovely Microsoft Word Borders With Plain Fonts and Horizontal Lines
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Do you know that you can create great looking borders for your Microsoft Word documents by using nothing but the fonts that already exist on your machine? Here are a few combinations that you can create TOP and BOTTOM borders for your all your documents.

Movie Review - Butterfield 8 (1960)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Another "bad girl with a heart of gold" story that won gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor her first Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar in 1961 (the other for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" In 1966). The ridiculous transparency of her character's name ("Gloria Wandrous") aside, Taylor brings an implosive vulnerability to her role that is hard to match.

4 Layers of "Learning Pyramid" For a Junior Technical Communicator
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Once you take an interest in technical communication and documentation you'll quickly discover that's it's an "endless country," really. There is so much to learn and track since both the market and the technology changes constantly. But this does not mean that you can learn things randomly and become a successful technical communicator. Actually there's a better way that I call the "Learning Pyramid" which requires you establish a wide base of learning first and keep on building the upper layers on top of such a strong foundation. Each layer of this pyramid supports the more specialized layer established on top it. Read this article to learn more about the "Learning Pyramid."

Is Technical Writing Really "Boring" Or Consistent and Reliable?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] One traditional complaint leveled at technical writing is that it's "boring." I obviously strongly disagree with that charge and I'll explain why. Here is my argument, in a nutshell: Technical communication aims to explain, train, and teach us. And to achieve that, it needs to be disciplined, and consistent. If it calls a widget "Part A" on page 1, it needs to refer to the same widget with the same label on ALL the other pages.

Movies - Facts and Trivia About "The Honeymoon Killers (1970)"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] It is the only film ever shot by director Leonard Kastle who at the time was writing operas and librettos. Having written no screenplays earlier and being completely new to the movie business, Kastle was asked to ghost write the script by producer Warren Steibel. His identity was finally revealed when the script (originally written by hand) was liked by everybody, including the investors and the producers.

Movie Review - The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This Leonard Kastle film is based on the real-life story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck who met back in the 40s through "Lonely Hearts" ads. Then they became a part of American crime annals by going on a murder spree by trapping lonely but wealthy widows into Ray's "love net." Perfect casting, a scary story, plus the "amateurish" candor of a first-time director created a movie masterpiece indeed.

Book Review - Descartes's Secret Notebook
[Book-Reviews:Biographies-Memoirs] If you'd like to understand the world we live in at a much deeper level you owe it to yourself to read this book because, as Aczel reminds us, even the GPS system that we use today in our cars and airplanes would've been impossible without Descartes' principles of analytical geometry and his Cartesian System. (Did you know that?)

Movie Review - Tokyo Story (1953)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] There are movies in which "production value" is nothing to write home about (to put it mildly). The sound is so-so. Camera is o-kay. No sex or car chases either. But the story is so real and so heart-wrenching that it sears into your memory indelibly. "Tokyo Story," a modest production by all means, is one such powerful story that sweeps you along with its strong narrative current. A G-rated drama classic for all ages by director Yasujiro Ozu. Beautiful pacing with lovely black-and-white photography. A film to remember and revisit for ages.

Movie Review - Le Doulos (1962)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A convoluted crime story shot in gorgeous black-and-white frames by a great director who nevertheless could not help but be a witness and victim of the culture he was raised in. Hold the judgment and pass on the popcorn.

Technical Writing - What Constitutes "Doctoring" an Image in a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] First of all, as a technical writer, make sure that you have the legal right to use an image in your technical document before doing anything with it. Period. Then (assuming that you have the legal right to use the image in question) if you modify it, the new image is sometimes referred to as the "derivative" work or image.

Technical Writing - How to Use a Concordance File to Index Your MS Word Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You can create indexes for your MS Word technical documents by two methods: 1) Manual, and 2) Automatic (Concordance) method. In this article we will focus on the concordance method.

Technical Writing - How to Auto Format Your Technical Document With MS Word
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] MS Word has a powerful "auto format" function that you should take advantage of as a technical writer when writing your technical documents. To set up the auto correct options, select Tools AutoCorrect Options... from the main menu of your MS Word to display the AutoCorrect dialog box.

How to Use RSS Feeds to Subscribe to Craigslist Job Search Results
[Business:Careers-Employment] Craigslist-dot-com is a wonderful resource for those looking for copy or technical writing job assignments. I personally have used it many times in the past to find excellent part-time writing assignments. But most people check out the ads by eyeballing them daily. That's a lot of work. Here is a much easier and automatic way of finding out about new jobs: create your own Craigslist RSS feed.

How to Find a Job Without Asking For One
[Business:Careers-Employment] The worst thing you can do when looking for a job is to pick up the phone or write a letter and ask if they've got one. The answer, 99 out of 100, would be a firm "No!" If the company has taken out an ad inviting a response, then of course that's a different story. Then you need to address all the points mentioned in the ad and send in a formal application. But let's say you "hear" things about this one company that they "might" be hiring, even tough there is no official word on it, yet. Or perhaps that's one company that you'd really like to work for. What do you do? Read this article to learn the secret of finding a job without necessarily asking for one...

A Great Time to Retrain For Technical Communicators and Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] The U.S. and the world economy is going through some dire straits as these lines are written. But have you considered that the economic recession might also be an excellent time for retraining? That way, when the economy bounces back, you'll be in an excellent position to take advantage of the new opportunities out there. Here are 4 suggestions to bolster up your training as a technical communicator...

Technical Writing - How ADP Solved Its "Web-Based Tutorial Storyboard Template" Problem?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] The ADP technical writing team tackled a well-known problem faced by all who develop storyboards for online training modules. Changes to the final HTML module is very difficult to make once the initial development and review phase is over. Yes, the SMEs wanted to see a "finished prototype" before giving a green-light. But who said this had to be an HTML prototype? What if the whole module could be simulated in MS Word, as a Word document with a FORM that looked exactly like the finished product?

Technical Writing - An Elite Technical Publication - "Pictures of the Future" by Siemens
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Siemens corporation's "Pictures of the Future" (POF) bi-annual publication has won the STC (Society for Technical Communication) Washington DC Chapter's BEST OF SHOW Award in the 2008-2009 Technical Publications Competition (in which I served as a Lead Judge). Let's remember that POF is published on behalf of a R&D department that spends 3.4 Billion Euros a year for 8,000 inventions (or 21 inventions EVERY day!), developed in 150 corporate locations around the world. It's a great publishing and communication responsibility that Pease and his team discharged very well indeed.

7 Tips For Enhancing Your Value As a Technical Writer by Drawing Great Labels in Adobe Illustrator
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You can enhance the value of your services as a technical communicator and writer if you learn how to draw labels. Thousands of companies out there need labels to market their products. While some of these labels are rather elaborate and require the skills of a trained graphic artist, not all labels require that level of artistic skill. There are many businesses in the industrial, manufacturing and hi-tech fields that require simple labels consisting of the product name and similar basic information that you can easily create and supply in the form of a label. Read this article to learn the 7 useful productivity tips to create such basic labels in Adobe Illustrator...

Technical Writing - How to Write a Section of a Chapter
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Every chapter consists of more than one section. Reserve the first section for a "mini overview" of what follows inside the chapter.

Is Technical Writing Really "Unnecessary"?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] One sometimes hears the comment that technical writing is not only "boring" but "unnecessary" as well. Nothing can be further from the truth than that. Good technical writing at its best is INVISIBLE. You don't even know it's there and that scores of people have benefited from it. And at its most extreme, yes, good technical documentation do save lives. Bad technical writing, on the other hand, can be a frustrating and maddening consumer experience, at the least. And at its worst, bad technical documentation can outright kill people.

5 Tips For Holding a Great Technical Writing Webinar
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Pay attention to the following tips if you'd like to hold a successful technical writing webinar: 1) Do not rush your technical writing or product presentation even if you are used to speaking at a machine gun pace. There might be people in your audience with hearing problems, international participants who do not know your language that well, or there might be a technical problem with the way your voice is transmitted across the line.

How to Host a Good Technical Writing Webinar - 2 Top Recommendations
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A few days ago I participated in a technical writing webinar that I was looking forward to. But it didn't go well. It was not a good "technical communication experience" at all. I had to disconnect after 15 minutes. Afterward, I thought a bit about all the things that went wrong in that webinar and I came up with a list of "positives." Here are the two MOST IMPORTANT things that I recommend you do to hold a successful webinar.

Technical Writing - What is "Content Strategy"? - Who is a "Content Strategist"?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Your organization perhaps does have a STYLE guide. But does it have a CONTENT guide too? And if it doesn't, who is positioned better than you, a technical communicator, to bring that up?

"Technical Writing For Engineers and Scientists" by Barry J Rosenberg
[Book-Reviews] This is definitely one of the better technical writing books out there. You can tell it was written by an industry professional who himself spent quite a few years in the "trenches," trying to solve one pesky documentation problem after another and learning a valuable bunch along the way.

Where Technical Writing Meets Scientific Writing - "Euclid's Proof"
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing shares a number of characteristics and overlaps with other types of writing, including business, creative, copy, and scientific writing. Technical writers, for example, also make excellent science writers since they do not always have to write user manuals and other standard products of the trade.

Technical Writing - How to Write a Corporate Form 10-K Annual Report
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] All U.S. companies that issue publicly traded stock shares must file an Annual Report with the U.S. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) by law. They have to disclose their financial dealings, strengths and vulnerabilities, by filing Form 10-K every year.

Technical Writing - 3 Tips For Writing Corporate Form 10-K Annual Reports
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Writing Form 10-K Annual Report writing as a lucrative niche that you should consider if you have a finance or investment background or feel comfortable with terminology of economics. Every U.S. company with assets over $10 million and with 500 or more shareholders need to file an Annual Report by law and file it every year with the U.S. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).

Technical Writing - What to Do During Economic Downturns?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We are in the midst of an economic downturn as these lines are written. Things are not peachy for a lot of people right now, including writers. For technical writers, location is important in times like these. For those who do not live in hi-tech metropolitan areas, well-paying jobs might not be that easy to come. So what should a technical writer do in-between jobs? Such temporary downtimes can actually be an excellent opportunity to work on basic skill sets and build up one's portfolio.

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We technical writers usually do not stop and think about any grammar rules the way a driver never thinks about how the carburetor or alternator works. But sometimes I get letters from my readers asking various grammar questions. So let's review some of the basic rules of English grammar for a refresher.

Technical Writing - How to Use Fonts Properly in a Technical Document
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer, you should be aware of certain basics about fonts and some basic rules to observe in your documents. The most basic distinction about fonts is whether they have a "serif" or not. That's why font families are split into two major categories: Serif and Non-Serif fonts.

Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between a "Font" and "Font Family" Or "Typeface"?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A sound knowledge of fonts is a must for any technical writer. In about fifteen or twenty years that may not be as crucial as it is today if and when the technical communication field makes a wholesale shift to "structured authoring" in which the writers may lose control over how their "content" will be formatted and "presented."

Technical Writing - Use Acrobat 7 Or 9 to Export Your PDF Files Into Word With Same Formatting
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe Acrobat is a basic tool that technical writers use on a regular basis, not only to read the PDF (Portable Document Format) documents but also to create them. Once a document is converted into PDF it can be read on any machine running any kind of operating system. It acquires a cross-platform "immortality" of sorts. Acrobat's newest version (Version 9) has a few features that you should pay close attention to since it can save the day in certain situations. Read this article to learn more about it.

How to Follow the Market and Re-Position Yourself As a Technical Writer
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We live in a fast-moving world. Nothing remains the same for too long. New trends, new developments, and new facts rock our world on a daily basis. The election of President Barack Obama was one such momentous event. What that means for us writers is that we also need to "go with the flow." But that of course does not mean jumping tracks and trying our hand in topics that we don't know anything about. No. What it requires is re-positioning our profiles. If you are in the job market, study your strengths and see how you can re-package them in your updated resume as sources of strength and continuity rather than weakness and discontinuity.

Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation, STATUS BAR
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. Read this article to learn more...

Technical Writing - How to Design Boxes Around Paragraphs in Your MS Word Template
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word is easily the most widespread text and page layout software used in the world. Thus it is important that as a technical writer you know your way around this powerful software to design the best possible template for your technical writing document.

Technical Writing - How to Custom Design Numbered and Bulleted Lists in Your MS Word Template?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] MS Word, the world's most popular text and layout editor, comes with a number of built-in numbered and bulleted list templates for technical writers. But you can also go ahead and custom-design your own lists for special document templates.

3 Rules of Good English in Technical Writing
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here are three rules that will help you write technical documents that are much easier to read, understand and remember. 1) Follow the subject of the sentence immediately with the verb. 2) Chain-link multiple sentences in a paragraph by ending and starting consecutive sentences with the same topic. 3) Consolidate the group of short sentences written about the same topic.

In Defense of Technical Writing As a Job and Technical Communications As a Field
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Once in a while I come across remarks lambasting technical writing for how "boring" or "unnecessary" it is, or worse... I both understand and do not understand the level of emotional reaction to this unique writing niche. There are bad technical writers in this world just like there are bad movie directors and bad financial advisers. And neither of these occupations is for anyone and everyone. You really have to love the essence of these disciplines to enjoy their challenges and produce superlative work.

Technical Writers, Screen Writers and Financial Writers - Are They All Good and Exciting?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are some people who take delight in disparaging technical writing as a job and technical communications as a field for being "boring" and "redundant." "Who spends a Saturday night reading user manuals?" they quip. Well, you'd be surprised... I've spent "quite a few hours" in my spare time just reading and examining manuals and dreaming of ways to improve them.

Technical Writing - How to Eliminate Equivocation and Uncertainty From Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you are supposed to tell your readers what to do and how to accomplish specific tasks. It would not be an exaggeration to say that your task, in essence, is to show them "how the world works and how to act correctly when the situation demands it." When that is your mission, you'd better do it with authority and clarity. That's your responsibility as a professional communicator. Prevarication, equivocation and "hedging your bets" might be a good tactic in politics and diplomacy so that there is always room for "plausible deniability." But in technical writing you should have no room for such uncertainty.

Technical Writing - What Are the "Spec Sheets" and Why Are They Important For Technical Writers?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Can you build a house without a blueprint? Technical writers are equally helpless if they are asked to "build" a document without any "specification sheets," or "spec sheets" for short. We use the term "sheet" but actually what we are referring to is just another multi-page document SPECIFYING the DETAILS of WHAT certain ITEMS in a LIST should LOOK LIKE. In essence, that's what a "spec sheet" is all about.

Technical Writing - Old Tired Expressions and Phrases a Technical Writer Should Never Use
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] All the rules of good writing apply to technical writing as well - with the exception of a few (like the one about "using a colorful language that varies in rhythm and vocabulary"). One such rule is to stay away from old and tired phrases and expressions. There is no reason why technical writers should use the following expressions in their documents: "As a matter of speaking..." - What kind a new information this expression provides? Nothing. Read this article to discover other expressions that you should never use in a technical document.

Technical Writing - Why Should a Technical Writer Be Familiar With Design Specs and Testing Specs?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Spec sheets are like "maps" for the captain of a ship or the "blueprints" for an architect. No project can start without first putting the "specs" on paper. We have already covered in another article what Scope Statement, Marketing Specs, and Functional Specs documents are and why a technical writer should be familiar with them. Here are two more spec sheets that a technical writer should be familiar with.

Technical Writing - Importance of Scope Statement, Marketing Specs,and Functional Specs Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are many different kinds of "spec sheets" that a technical writer should pay close attention to since they may (and they do) prove to be indispensable for writing all sorts of technical document. We have already covered in another article what Design Specs, and Testing Specs documents are and why a technical writer should be familiar with them. Here are some other important "spec sheets" you should know as a technical writer.

Technical Writing - Why Should a Technical Writer Know How to Ask For the Right Kind of Spec Sheet?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine a situation in which a technical writer does not know the difference between a "testing" and a "marketing" spec sheet, and even perhaps their difference from a "scope statement." If in such a situation the writer asks to see the "marketing specs" or the "scope document" as a reference material for the troubleshooting chapter, there may be questions about his or her competency. That's why it is important that as a technical writer you know your way around these various spec sheets and know when to consult or ask for one.

How to Express Percentage Changes and Use Numbers Correctly in Technical Writing
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A number is tricky thing. As a technical writer you have to pay attention to the way you are using numbers and expressing changes in ratios and percentages. Here is an easy but fool-proof method to calculate such numeric changes correctly in your technical documents.

Technical Writing - How to Use Commas to Include Secondary Information in Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are many different sorts of secondary information in technical writing that you can include easily by the artful placement of commas in your sentences. Such secondary information includes the open forms of acronyms, qualifying phrases, direct addressing of specific parties, transitional and parenthetical expressions, etc. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.

Technical Writing - 4 Cool Tricks to Draw Page Borders in a Microsoft Word Document Template (7)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you can draw tastefully done borders around the pages of your MS Word document template. Here are four cool tricks how you can do that.

Technical Writing - How to Design Borders Around Pages of a Microsoft Word Document Template (6)?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer needs to know the MS Word inside out. Why? Because Microsoft Word is the world's most used text and page layout software. The chances are, in one technical writing job assignment or another, you'll be asked to use MS Word to design a document template or edit an existing one. So you'd better know all the wonderful things you can do with it to enhance your technical writing career. Read this article to learn how to draw all kinds of borders around the pages of your MS Word document template.

2 Features That Technical Writing Shares With Screenplay Writing, and 2 Others That it Does Not
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] At first sight, there cannot be any two writing niches as different as technical and screenplay writing. But these two different writing niches share two important characteristics as well.

Technical Writing - 4 Advantages of Hiring a Freelance Technical Writer
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Freelance technical writing demands a lot more personal energy, sacrifice, and drive than payroll work. If you are a freelancer, you already know how hard it is to find 2,000 hours of work a year; year after year. However, individuals differ greatly of course. And I'm sure that a top-earning freelancer will always make more money than a top-earning payroll writer. Having established that, let me also count the four reasons why employers may consider hiring a freelance technical writer.

2 Features That Technical Writing Shares With Copywriting and 2 Others That it Does Not
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing is different from copywriting but then there are things shared by both as well. Read this article to discover the 2 features that technical writing and copywriting do share and 2 others that they don't.

Technical Writing - What is "Variance" and How Can a Technical Writer Eliminate it in Documents?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] "Variance" is an important term in statistics and plays a crucial role in technical documentation as well. Without getting too technical about it: "variance" denotes the way the values of a set of elements vary around a central mean value.

Technical Communication - 3 College-Level Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Some technical writing jobs require that you have a science background or that you are familiar with finance and banking terminology and know how the financial markets work. Here are three such well-paying writing opportunities for technical communicators with a college background.

Technical Communication - 4 Computer Industry Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are a technical writer with a science or engineering degree, or have extensive on the job experience with computer systems, you can find yourself a well-paying job as a technical communicator in one of the below four well-paying niches: 1) Software Documentation. This is probably the most widely available hi-tech writing job there is due to prevalence of software in our lives.

Technical Writing - How to Write Objectively and Avoid the Qualifier "Very" as a Technical Writer
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing needs to be objective. When different people read a technical description, they should be able to perform identical tasks and obtain identical results. And for that to happen, the words you use must not be open to wide-raging interpretations. One of the ways to accomplish that is to eliminate the qualifier "very" from your vocabulary for once and all since the exact meaning of "very" differs greatly from one person to another. Read this article to learn through examples how to write a more objective technical documentation.

Technical Writing - How to Avoid Exaggeration and "Fine Writing" As a Technical Writer
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing fails when it tries to become "fine writing" or "creative writing." Why? Because one of the main tools of "fine writing" is attributing human-like qualities to non-human actors and agents. That's a definite taboo in technical documentation. For example you commit that error every time you write a sentence like "When the system becomes aware of a user selection, it switches channels."

Technical Communication - 7 Low-Tech Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You do not need to be a computer engineer or a scientist with Ph.D. to become a top-notch technical writer. There are many low-tech writing niches that you can prosper in even if you are not too comfortable with hi-tech subject matters. Here are seven such opportunities available to all technical writers:

Technical Communication - How to Find a Technical Writing Job in an Economic Recession
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We're going through some rough times as these lines are written. A younger technical writer friend of mine asked me what he should do to find a job. And this is the summary of what I recommended him to do. I hope it will help you in your job search as well. Read this article for my specific recommendations... Don't give up and circulate your good name around until something comes around. There are usually a lot more technical and business writing assignments out there than meets the eye.

7 Productivity Tips to Use Webinar Successfully As a Tool in Your Technical Writing Job
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers should use every productivity tool available to them to gather and present information, and facilitate the review process. A webinar, the two-way live video and audio "Web Seminar" broadcast, is one such tool.

Technical Communication - How to Use Webcasts and Webinars in Your Technical Writing Job?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Webcasts and webinars are among the tools that a technical writer can use to collect information, interview Subject Matter Experts, make a presentation to the stake-holders in a project, give and take feedback on document reviews. A webcast is a one way live video broadcast over the Internet. When there is a two-way interaction, it is called a webinar. Webcasts and webinars differ greatly in terms of the things they allow a technical writer to accomplish, depending on the company that hosts the event, its interface, and the membership plan.

Technical Communication - Make $62,780 a Year in Your Technical Writing Job
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I did not make up the annual income figure in the headline. That is the Average Annual Wage earned by technical writers across the United States in 2007 according to the "2007 Technical Communicator Salary Survey" conducted by Society for Technical Communication. For example, in California, technical writers made as low as $43,490 (the bottom 10th percentile) in 2007 and as high as $110,220 (the top 10th percentile). For the United States as a whole annual wages for technical writers ranged between a low of $36,490 and a high of $94,550. Just because you like writing does not mean you need to live a life of want and destitute.

Why Technical Writing Jobs Are Among the Best Writing Options in an Economic Depression
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I think technical writing is one of the best writing niches in an economic depression. The reason is simple. Think of all the things people quit doing in an economic depression.

9-Point Checklist to Determine If a Technical Writing Job is the Correct Career Choice For You
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are just starting out on your professional career or thinking to make a career change, you might want to use the below check list to see if technical writing would be a correct choice for you. Here are two items from this checklist: 8) Do you enjoy a steady good income generated either by steady full-time employment or a steady volume of freelance jobs? Then technical writing might indeed be the right field for you.

Technical Writing - 3 Easy Ways to Capture Screen Shots For Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Screen shots are a must if you are a technical writer authoring a software manual of any kind. Here are three easy methods to capture and use a screen shot that would increase your productivity and help your readers follow the procedural directions more easily.

3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are wondering what levels one can expect to reach in a technical writing career, here are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea. Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner. You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.

Technical Writing - Regulatory Writing - A Lucrative Writing Niche For Medical Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Medical writing is a special subset of technical writing that requires familiarity with medical and pharmaceutical terminology. It is the perfect writing niche for writers with a medical, chemistry and/or pharmacology background. Regulatory writers produce the documents to secure the approval of the government's regulatory agencies before a new drug can be marketed for general public use. In every country the respective regulatory agency differs but in the United States it is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And within the medical writing subset, regulatory writing is another specialty that pays very well since your employers are usually pharmaceutical companies that rarely have any cash problems.

Technical Writing - How to Set Page Layout Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template (4)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word, in terms of the number of writers using it, is the most popular text and page layout editing software used by the technical writers. In the fourth article of this series, we will explain how you can set the page layout options for a technical document template. Just follow these steps...

Technical Writing - Pros and Cons of Online Job-Bidding Sites For Technical Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Recently I had the opportunity to study some of the Online Job-Bidding Sites catering to copy and technical writers. Some of these sites are very well known. And some others are not. But there are a bunch of them out there and they are all similar in the way they work: the employers post their writing projects and the writers compete for them. The assignment usually goes to the lowest bidder.

Technical Writing - Downside of Some Online Job-Bidding Sites For Technical Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are some Online Job-Bidding Sites out there that offer "writing opportunities" for budgets mostly as low as $35 or $50 dollars, and going up to $250 for some gigs: The kind of respectable and professional writing careers that I recommend to my readers will be difficult to build with those kind of writing assignments that I see posted every day on such job-bidding sites. You have to ask yourself this: "Do I want to work for a whole year, bidding for one $50 gig after another, and end up making perhaps $10,000 total, if lucky? Or, do I want to build up a serious portfolio and go for a job that would pay anywhere from 3 to 10 times as much, with benefits?" In other words: what is the monetary value of your one hour, one month, and one year?

Technical Writing - Why You Should Not Outsource Your Hi-Tech Technical Documentation Project
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A hi-tech software and hardware company would be well advised not to outsource its technical documentation project to an independent vendor on the other side of the world for the following reasons: Confidentiality. Most hi-tech IT corporations have trade secrets to protect. Although a number of outsourcing vendors are reputable companies with a good track record, there is no way to know that for sure in advance for all outsourcing vendors. Documentation exactly describes how a product works, how it is installed and configured, and thus reveals all the features and benefits of a market. If such information falls into wrong hands, especially for a product that is brand new to the market, it can create a severe disadvantage for the marketing division of the company, if not for the developers.

Technical Writing - When Does it Make Sense to Outsource Your Technical Documentation Project?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Outsourcing has been one of the inevitable results of globalization. When communication costs fell off sharply thanks to the Internet, having a service performed at the other end of the world at a fraction of what you'd pay at home became too hard to resist for a number of businesses.

Movies - Are You Worried That Hollywood Will Steal Your "Great Film Idea"?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] You cannot copyright an idea. But if you write a 20-page treatment and then register it with Writers Guild of America you can perhaps claim credit for it. The registration is good for 5 years. The best is to write a full screenplay. Then the idea becomes a PRODUCT and you can copyright it to make it your INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

Movies - Lessons of WALL-E For All Screenwriters
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Yesterday I watched WALL-E -- as slick and astonishing an animation as they come! How will PIXAR top this one off, from a technical point of view, I don't know. (Are we still going to need any movie actors 100 years from today?) But when I looked at it as a screenwriter, boy, there's really nothing new under the sun. It's all repackaging, re-purposing of old ideas and rearranging the furniture -- which is not to say that any such combination of old ideas will automatically be interesting. But if you're a writer suffocating with "writer's block" you might want to do what the creators of WALL-E did.

Movies - Importance of "Dilemmas" in Movie Stories and Screenplays
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A dilemma is an important conflict engine in a screenplay. Find a good dilemma for your main character, and you practically have a good movie right there. A dilemma is a situation in which you have two options and both are WORSE than the other. It's the ultimate mental torture for anyone. A second condition for a good dilemma is that we should also CARE FOR it. A dilemma can be a dilemma TECHNICALLY. But when it comes down to it, it might be downright silly.

Movies - What the "Save the Cat" Screenwriting Method is All About?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The book SAVE THE CAT and it's sequel (STC Goes to Movies) made quite a wave within the last few years and for a good reason -- both are great books for all screenwriters, written by the industry veteran Blake Snyder. When a professional Hollywood screenwriter makes millions of dollars by selling dozens of screenplays, we'd better listen.

Technical Writing - How to Design a Twitter Background to Market Yourself As a Technical Writer
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I hope as a technical writer you're on Twitter already. It's a great social networking service through which you can market your technical writing and documentation services with great efficiency. You can increase the effectiveness of your Twitter account by custom designing a new background instead of the default background that your Twitter account comes with. A great majority of professional marketers use their own custom-designed backgrounds for higher impact and more referred traffic to their business sites. Here are the steps to design a new background for your Twitter page...

Technical Writing - How Not to Violate the English Grammar While Trying to Be Gender-Sensitive
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns. As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account." I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing.

Technical Writing - How to Select a Single-Sourcing Documentation Software?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] "Single sourcing" (also known as "structured authoring" or "XML-based structured documentation") is the technical documentation methodology through which multiple documents are created from a single set of source files. By "multiple documents" we mean the following TARGET CATEGORIES: 1) Multiple OUTPUT FORMATS: Printed book; on-line help file; help file built into the application; web page; cell phone content; etc. 2) Multiple AUDIENCES: managers; field technicians, general public; installers; call center engineers; marketing and sales staff, etc. 3) Multiple USER PERFORMANCE GOALS: Installation guide; user guide; troubleshooting guide; in-house training course; on-line training tutorial; system admin guide; etc.

Technical Writing - How to Set Your Printing Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template? (3)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you should know how to set up a document template in Microsoft Word -- arguably the world's most frequently used text and page layout editor. In the third of this article series on how to set up a technical document template by using Microsoft Word we'll explain the various printing options you can choose from to print your MS Word technical document.

Technical Writing - How to Set Your Page Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template? (2)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you should be very familiar with how to design a document template in Microsoft Word -- the world's most popular text and layout editing software. We are continuing with our article series on how to set up a technical document template by using Microsoft Word, the world's most frequently used word processor and page layout editor.

Technical Writing - How to Design Your Page Margins in a Microsoft Word Document Template (1)?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word is the world's most frequently used word processor with pretty good page layout functions. It's installed on a great majority of home and business computers in every country. So it makes sense for you as a freelance technical writer to learn how to design a document template in Word. Read this article to learn how to design your page margins in a Microsoft Word template.

Technical Writing - How to Make Sure the Information in Your Technical Document Fits the Audience
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you have to serve your audience well by asking these two important questions before writing anything: 1) Why do my end users need this information? What are they hoping to achieve with it? 2) How can I write my technical document so that it will help my end users achieve the goal that THEY (and not me) have in mind? If you are writing a hardware "User Manual," for example, tell them how to turn on the system, operate it, and turn it off.

Technical Writing - How to Use Twitter to Market Yourself As a Technical Writer?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you're to make a single change in the way you market your services as a freelance technical writer, it should be to get on the Twitter - in case you still haven't. For example, let's say you are a freelancing technical writer and you're looking for a job with a software company. 1) You can search with key words "software company" and then follow the search results by simply clicking on the "Follow" button underneath the names and icons. 2) Once they accept your invitation and also start to follow you, you can send a message to your list expressing your desire to find a job as a tech writer.

How High School and College Students Should Prepare For a Career in Technical Writing?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Are you a high school or college student planning to become a technical writer? Then first of all pay attention to your science classes. Work as hard as you can on your math, physics, chemistry, computer, biology/life science classes since you need to have good foundation in those subjects. Secondly, learn your English and composition well. Writing in a clear language and the ability to express complex topics in a simple manner is a must for a technical writer.

Technical Writing - How to Isolate and Identify the Core Idea of a Sentence by "Elimination Method"?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In technical writing sometimes we get lost in long-winded and complicated sentences. Here is a guaranteed way to isolate and identify the core idea of your sentence through what I call the "Elimination Method." When you eliminate all the 1) dependent clauses, 2) prepositional phrases, 3) conjunctions, and 4) adverbs or adverbial phrases in a sentence, what you are left with is usually the SUBJECT and the VERB (or the PREDICATE) of the sentence. And that is the CORE IDEA of a sentence.

Technical Writing - Why Should You Pay Attention to Wikis?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In case you are not too familiar with it, Wiki is a web site that can be built by many authors together. That's its most basic definition. The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian "quick." Wikipedia is the world's best known wiki but, as important as it is, it barely scratches the surface of the wiki applications on and off the Internet. The reason why you should pay attention to wikis and learn more about them is because high-tech companies have started to shift their documentation load to wikis where not only technical writers but engineers, field technicians, quality control engineers, managers, and even clients and end-users can also participate in knowledge creation. The online help software creator Quadralay is one such company that opened up its knowledge base to its end-users through corporate wiki. In such a new environment, technical communicators shoulder the editing and facilitation roles as well. Be the first one in your company to learn as much as you can about wikis. Develop your own writing guidelines and be in front of this important technological wave. The future belongs to the "quick" and the "wiki."

Technical Writing - What is DocBook and Why Should You Learn It?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] DocBook is a set of tools for implementing XML (Extended Markup Language)-based structured documentation. It is developed back in 1991 and is widely used today by those technical writers who generate single-sourced documentation. It is especially well suited for software, hardware and networking documentation. A DocBook set includes the DocBook DTD (Document Type Definition) to determine all the relationships between all document elements, a collection of pre-defined XML tags to mark up the content with, DocBook XSL stylesheet, and processing tools to apply the XSL stylesheet to the DocBook markup file. If you'd like to get ahead in your career as a technical writer who keeps up with the advances in technology and who is ready for the future, familiarize yourself with XML publishing in general and DocBook in particular. The chances are, one these days, during an interview for one of those high-paying technical writing jobs, the recruiter or the HR manager will ask you whether you know anything about DocBook or not. That's why you should start learning it now. Get ready for that day.

Technical Writing - How Wikis Will Transform Technical Writers Into Information Coordinators?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a typical situation that is repeated on a daily basis in many hi-tech companies around the world: You are a technical writer who authored all kinds of user documentation for this product or service. Let's call it "ABC" for short. The ABC is such a product that it is installed and configured in a number of different ways by the end users. Let's say your company sells security gadgets, just to give an example. The end users constantly find out new features, and perhaps even bugs, let's say, while regularly demanding new features be made available in the next model. But there is an inevitable time delay and content loss in this step-by-step process as the information is passed from one level up to another, depending on priorities, time and resources. In such cases a wiki could be what the doctor ordered for. In such a hypothetical situation the customers can directly enter their suggestions, comments, issues etc. into a wiki site. The information can be channeled instantly to all those authorized to receive it. If you are on that list, you can immediately start working on the updates and generate your drafts much faster.

Technical Writing - How to Use a Wiki For Your Technical Documentation Project
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A wiki is a collaborative writing software with which you can set up a "wiki site" as well. With wiki's powerful database, editing and messaging capabilities you as a technical writer can accomplish much for your technical communication project.

Technical Writing - What Should a Good Documentation Wiki Site Look Like?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Let's say you decided to set up a technical writing wiki site to support your document projects. What should be the futures you should be looking for? Here are some of them... Ease of Installation. Some wikis are so complicated to install that you'd better find a computer engineer to do it for you. But others are much simpler to install. And some web hosting companies offer a one-click installation on their server. Select a wiki that is appropriate for your level of technical expertise.

Movies - Rendition (2007)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Anwar Al-Ibrahimi, an Egyptian-American chemical engineer with a Green Card, is apprehended by the CIA on his return flight from a conference in South Africa. Why? Because his phone records showed that he received cell-phone calls from Rashid Salimi, a well-known terror mastermind.

Movies and TV - Ron Howard - A Tribute
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Double-Oscar winning actor/director Ron Howard is one of those rare child actors that made it very good indeed. Howard started acting when he was just a little boy with the active encouragement of his father who was a part of the New York TV scene. When the TV business started to sag, the family packed up their 1952 Plymouth and resettled in California. Howard's career turned a corner when he landed the role of the "son" in The Andy Griffith Show." He was just 6 years old.

Technical Writing - What's the Best Way to Learn Structured FrameMaker?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] FrameMaker (FM) is a great and popular technical writing tool with XML-based single-sourcing functionality. But its learning curve is rather steep. So how does a technical writer teach him- or herself structured FrameMaker? What's the best way? Here are my suggestions, based on my ten years of Fortune 500 experience... Learning structured FM is not easy but it'll be worth the effort if you are to survive and prosper in the new competitive world of technical communications.

Technical Writing - Separation of "Content" From "Format" With XML in Technical Communication
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Until very recently content of information was always a part of the format in which it was delivered. For over 500 years, for example, a book's content and the way a book looked were one and the same phenomenon. You could not think about a novel without remembering its cover, the fonts used on the page, whether it had pictures and photographs, etc.

Technical Writing - How to Write a Technical Document Consistently and Maximize User Trust?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A consistent technical document is one that instills confidence and trust in end-users. It all starts with a template. It doesn't matter whether you are creating a book, help file, or a web site. A template is a must.

Movies - "The Kingdom (2007)"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A fast moving Iraq-War-era military action thriller. An FBI team is sent to Saudi Arabia for a 5 day trip to investigate the head of a terrorist network who killed two FBI agents. Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) heads the team rounded off by a hand-picked team of professionals: Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman). On the Saudi side, Colonel Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom) who escorts the FBI team in Saudi completes the cast.

Technical Writing - A Checklist For a Software Document Writing Project
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a general check list that you might find useful to make sure your software documentation project does not miss anything. If you take your measures and precautions ahead of time depending on the answers to these questions you'll have a more successful documentation performance.

Technical Writing - The Overlap Between Print and Online Documentation Formats
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has used the "book" metaphor for a very long time. Basically, we technical writers create "books" made up of individual "pages," whether they are ever printed or not. But that metaphor has come under a lot of fire with the rise of the Internet and prevalence of online information. Both technically and semantically it started to make less sense to talk about a "book." The new concept that serves the need of the age of globalization is the "topic" and not the "book."

Movies - "The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)" - A Top-Notch Action Thriller
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "The Bourne Ultimatum" is not only non-stop spy action flick but also it's an excellent example of a thriller - a man is on the run for 3 years trying to find out who he is. He is a former CIA agent who volunteered for a top-secret program. Then things did not go as planned and Jason Bourne became a hunted man. I've never seen the kind of jumping from the roofs and driving off the roofs scenes in any other film.

Technical Writing - How to Use the PDF Format Correctly For Print and Online Publications?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] PDF in technical writing rose out of a need to read documents created by proprietary software on all kinds of different operating systems and browsers. All that difficulties ended with the PDF format. When a document or image is converted into PDF it becomes rock solid since its look does not change when transmitted from one machine to another. It also becomes 100% accessible since any machine that has the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Viewer can view it the way it was intended to be viewed by its author.

Technical Writing Programs - Oklahoma State University's Technical Writing Program
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Enrolling in a college-level certification program in Technical Writing might be time consuming and not that cheap either but it's an idea you might certainly consider. There are some excellent certificate programs offered by different universities in the United States if you are just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. Oklahoma State University (OSU)'s Technical Writing Program is one of the best available in the United States since its early beginnings back in 1977.

Technical Writing Programs - Sacramento State Technical Writing Certificate Program
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You do not necessarily need a certificate to find a job as a technical writer. However such a certificate of course never hurts; it only helps, especially if you're new to the business. There are dozens of colleges across the United States that offer such certificate. Sacramento State College of Continuing Education in California is one of them. Did you know that "technical writing and communication is one of the ten fastest growing fields both in the Sacramento area and the nation," and that the "salary estimates for the Sacramento region range from entry-level positions at $40,000-$45,000 to $75,000+ for publication managers"? An up-close look at some of the courses tells me that this program indeed teaches skills that are immediately applicable in real-world technical communication situations. If you live close to Sacramento this is one qualified program you might want to inquire for more information.

Technical Writing Programs - University of Mass Lowell Technical Writing Certification Program
[Reference-and-Education:College-University] A certificate in technical writing is not a must to enter this lucrative professional field. However, if you are considering a mid-career shift into technical writing or a young person just starting out, then a certificate from an established institution may indeed help in your job search and interviews. University of Massachussets at Lowell does have a certificate program that consists of 4 required and 2 elective courses. If you are enrolled in this program you become eligible for special internship opportunities and can also apply for the Society for Technical Communication (STC)'s scholarship programs. XML is the future of technical communications. If you are in your twenties today and seriously considering to have a career in technical communications, then you'd better learn it as fast as you can. With a firm knowledge of XML single-sourcing under your belt, you can command much higher salaries and better potions in the technical communication world. That's why my first impression of the UM Lowell program is positive. It comes across as a program with its sights firmly set on the future of our profession.

Technical Writing - Things That Technical Writers Do During a Typical Day at the Office
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Sometimes people who are considering technical writing as a career ask me what a typical day in the life of a technical writer looks like. "What kind of a writing does a technical writer exactly do?" they ask. I for example work for a software company and here is what I do in a typical year: I write user manuals, system administration guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files. Perhaps I should also mention that, while writing these products I also consult with various Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), sometimes through e-mail and other times on the phone or through teleconferences.

Technical Writing Programs - Rutgers University Technical Writing Certificate Program
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You'd be wise to explore different certificate programs offered by different universities in the United States if you are just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. A certificate is not necessary but it does not hurt either, especially if you don't have a track record to lean on at job interviews.

Technical Writing Programs - Brooklyn College Technical Writing Program
[Reference-and-Education:College-University] There are quite a few certificate programs offered in the United States by different universities for those just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. In my honest opinion, a certificate is not necessary to make it in the technical communication field but it does not hurt either, especially if your resume does not include a list of prior tech writing jobs. Brooklyn College is an educational institution that you can certainly consider if you'd like to earn a certificate in Technical Writing before you apply for a related job. Perhaps it's not one of the biggest schools around but they offer an dedicated program made up of continuing-education courses. Another thing I like about Brooklyn College's program is the way they present the portfolios of their former students.

Technical Writing - How to Write Your Technical Documents For an International Audience?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] These days an increasing number of technical documents are either read by an international audience or are translated for them. Thus, as a professional technical writer, you need to pay attention to your language to avoid any cross-cultural misunderstandings. Here are 4 things you should NOT use in your technical writing if you are addressing a universal audience about whom you do not know much about:

Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between Business Writing and Technical Writing?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are a number of books, programs, and classes out there today offering to teach "technical writing." Some of these are excellent; prepared by industry veterans who know what they're doing. But some others are basically rehashing old "business writing" concepts and techniques under the guise of "technical writing." "So what?" you may ask, which is a fair question.

Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There'll be many times when as a technical writer you'll be using text and images created by others. In order not to violate anybody's intellectual property rights, you need to know the different types of copyrights that exist (at least in the United States). The interesting thing about a copyright is that an original intellectual property, like this very article for example, has copyright protection the minute it is created.

Technical Writing - How Many Different Types of Copyright Exist For Technical Documentation?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We have covered the general facts about the U.S. copyright law in another article. In this article we'll look at different types of copyright that exist. All the information quoted in this article was correct when the article was written in December 2008 but it may have changed by the time you're reading this. Please consult U.S. Copyright Office and your attorney before making a decision on all copyright matters.

Technical Writing - How to Hold a Brainstorming Session Alone Or With Your Documentation Team?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Brainstorming is the free association method that can really create wonders when you don't know where to start a technical writing project from. The method relies on suppressing your normal censorship mechanism and allowing yourself to express any word that relates to any given concept.

Movies - "I Am Legend (2007)" - "The Omega Man" Rip-Off Worth Seeing
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "I Am Legend (2007)" is a rip-off of Charlton Heston's cult classic "The Omega Man (1971)" down to the zombies coming out at sundown. But it's an excellent rip-off thanks to Will Smith's good acting, and immense production values pumped into this expensive production which was sorely lacking in the original. In this dystopian nightmare of a post-apocalyptic and post-plague New York City, we are treated to the heartbreak of a world with a single survivor, Robert Neville (Will Smith) and his German shepherd (and boy, can that dog act!). Will Smith carries the movie all on his own for quite a while until we come across the first other human-zombie. That's quite a feat. An inspiring story of human courage, resilience and love in the face of EVERYTHING. If Dr. Neville and Anna could survive this, we all can survive whatever life keeps throwing at us in our daily lives. This is therapy in the form of a movie. This is hope, fine entertainment and art at its best.

Movies - Without a Doubt, "Doubt" is the Movie of the Year 2008
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The movie "Doubt (2008)" is an experience you shouldn't miss. It's moral roller-coaster and ethical juggernaut of a story brought to life by two of the finest actors you can find in any country on any continent: Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Father Brendan Flynn) and Meryl Streep (as the sister with the impossible name: Aloysius Beauvier). The very last scene of this great film throws in a monkey wrench to big that you can never see it coming. And the film ends right there, leaving you stunned as though you're zapped by a taser gun, without any adequate cooling off period to come back to your senses. You'll go home fighting back your tears and looking deep into your own heart about the way you went through similar situations in your own past, sometimes in flying colors and sometimes in colors that faded fast into mediocrity and moral self-righteousness. You'll be touched.

Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (3)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. We're continuing with our series on the software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer.

How to Write a Movie Review to Capture the Authentic "Viewer Experience"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I think there'll always be room in our world for Wikipedia-like completion and encyclopedic perfection for movie reviews. But I'd argue that we also need more authentic movie reviews, exactly reflecting what we felt like when we watched this work of art for the first time. If our experience includes a sense of getting lost and shifting perspectives and projecting our own interpretations on the perceived story line and characterization, let it be. That should only enrich the authentic viewer experience and not impoverish it. After all, when Picasso broke the human figure into a million pieces and put them together in a way that "did not make perfect sense" he enriched the way we perceived the world, didn't he? Why shouldn't we attempt to do and allow the same in movie reviews?

Technical Writing - How to Write a Technical Writing Resume If You're a Screenwriter?
[Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] Imagine you're a screenwriter trying to apply for a technical writing job. Why not? A writer is a writer is a writer. If you stress the relevant parts of your experience as a screenwriter there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to apply for an entrance-level technical writing position which, on the average, pays in the mid-30K to mid-40K range in the United States as these lines are written. Not bad, especially if you've made zilch the past year as a screenwriter.

Technical Writing - Components Of Windows User Interface In Software Documentation (2) - Window
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] User interface documentation, one of the important tasks in software documentation, requires clear and consistent definition of all interface components. In this second part of the series, we continue with our survey of the most important interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.

Technical Writing - Components Of Windows User Interface In Software Documentation (1) - Desktop
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation.

Movies - "Transformers (2007) - "Alien" Meets the Loud-Mouthed Smart Aleck With a Used Muscle Car
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I love "Transformers" for all the many layers that it brings together. There's the US Army over in Qatar, fighting a desert war. That's one layer.

Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation (5), DIALOGUE BOX
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. We continue with Part 5 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.

Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation (3), WINDOW Parts
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. We continue with Part 3 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.

Technical Writing - How to Write a Resume When Looking For a Job As a Technical Writer?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer needs to emphasize a number of different things in his resume when looking for a job. Don't underestimate the importance of a great looking informative resume in finding a technical writing position. This article provides specific examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical writing resume.

Technical Writing - How to Use Semicolons Correctly in Your Technical Documents?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer should use semicolons in a sentence to separate either closely related complete sentences or independent clauses that can actually be transformed into independent sentences. Semicolons are great to separate the elements in a list that include both names and titles. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.

Technical Writing - A Few Time-Tested Methods to Improve Your Email Communication Skills Right Away
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers send and receive a lot of emails as a part of their daily work. This article explains some time-tested methods that might help you communicate better and more efficiently with your technical documentation team.

Technical Writing - Test Your Technical Documentation Skills Through a Tinkertoy Construction Set
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A Tinkertoy construction set can turn into a great lab to test your technical writing skills. The "Tinkertoy Test" not only will teach you how to write better technical manuals but perhaps also help you develop more compassion for that anonymous writer who penned that "terrible" installation and configuration booklet for your VCR.

Technical Writing - How to Keep a Document Status Log to Control Your Technical Document Process
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine you're a technical writer working for a hi-tech company with different offices in different cities, and (who knows?) may be even on different continents. Let's say your job as a technical writer is complicated by the following factors: 1) You're working on more than one assignments at a time. 2) Your review and project team members are not located in the same office where you work.

Technical Writing - How to Write a Technical Writing Resume If You're a Journalist Changing Jobs?
[Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] Let's say you are a journalist who wanted to shift gears and apply for a technical writing job. Why not? What should your resume look like? How would you structure it so that your strongest points would work in your favor? Probably the most important part of such a resume is the QUALIFICATIONS part where you'll be selling your qualifications to the prospective employer and convince him or her that you'd make a good technical writer even though you do not have any prior experience in technical communications. But you of course do have experience in MASS COMMUNICATIONS. So you need to make the best of it by stressing that aspect of your work history. This article provides specific examples of how you can write a resume to apply for a technical writing job by highlighting all the relevant skills you've acquired as a journalist.

Are You a Screenwriter? - How About a New Career in Technical Writing to Make Ends Meet?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Screenwriting is a passion. I'm well aware of it since I myself have written six feature scripts within the last ten years and a seventh one is brewing somewhere in the back of my head. But I also have a confession to make: I think my chances of ever selling a script and moving on to a professional level of screenwriting is just about zero. Or, more precisely, about 500,000 to 1, at best. This article explains how as a professional writer you can support your self and your family while continuing to write your screenplays in the evenings and weekends. That way your astronomically low chances of making it to Hollywood won't hurt as much because you'd still be taking care of yourself and your family.

Technical Writing - How to Use a Comma to Separate an Introductory Phrase in a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are so many ways in which a comma is used in technical writing. A comma, for example, clarifies the meaning of a complex sentence in a technical document and helps us understand it better and quicker if the introductory phrase is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.

Technical Writing - 7 Rules of Using Commas Correctly in Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A comma is a wonderful thing when used properly. It helps us organize the content, absorb it easily, and retain it longer. Look at the way commas are used in the previous sentence, for example. Commas are great to separate the members of a list. But sometimes commas are used incorrectly. That's when they end up confusing the readers rather than helping them. Here are 7 rules of about using a comma correctly.

Are You a Journalist? - How About a New Career in Technical Writing to Make Ends Meet?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers have a much easier time finding a job since documentation is a constant feature of globalization. Journalism is exciting but tough. I should know. I've been a journalist for 4 years in mid-90s. But to make a living as a traditional reporter and journalist is becoming harder and harder. Technical writers own their cars and homes; put food on the table every day; enjoy paid annual vacations, personal days, and sick days; have full medical (and usually dental and vision as well) coverage both for themselves and their loved ones; help their kids through college; enjoy all-expenses paid training opportunities; reap the benefits of a rewarding, challenging, professional career; feel the satisfaction of helping others live better and more organized lives; and retire with 401(k) plans, IRAs, and sometimes even Pension Plans (depending on the company). So perhaps it's time to ask yourself - why not try technical writing?

Technical Writing - When Should You Use the Passive Voice in a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a rule pounded into every writer's head by all writing instructors: avoid the passive voice like the plague and use active voice whenever possible. That's good advice indeed but not the best within the context of technical writing.

Technical Writing - How to Comply With Moral and Ethical Standards in Technical Documentation
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has a number of moral and ethical standards that a professional technical writer needs to comply with. Violate them at your own peril, by risking the sudden demise of your career. Here are some of these issues.

Technical Writing - How to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Consistency of a technical documentation is what creates that subliminal sense of trust and confidence in the end-users. Someone once quipped: "it ain't technical documentation if it ain't boring." It of course is not true since I always found technical documents very interesting indeed. However, this quip reflects the truth that a technical document must be "boringly consistent" in order to be taken seriously.

Technical Writing - What is a Retronym?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Would you believe if I told you that you use one "retronym" after another whole day long? You probably wouldn't because, as a life-time student of English, I also didn't know for years what a "retronym" was. Here are some retronym examples and my reason why we as technical writers should pay attention to grammatical facts such as this. They are followed by some easy assignments for you.

Technical Writing - Anatomy of a Technical Communication Job That Pays $82,961 to $107,854 a Year
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] It's important from time to time just to remind ourselves the kind of opportunities still exist out there for qualified technical writers and communicators despite the recent economic downturn. Here is one such full-time writing position, offered by a U.S. Federal Agency to U.S. citizen writers.

Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (5)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules and lingo.

Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (4)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules and lingo. Here is the fourth set of software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer and communicator.

Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (2)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. Here are some more software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer.

Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (1)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. Here are some of the terms you should be familiar with if you are thinking to start a new career as a software documentation writer.

Technical Writing - Which Word Processor to Use - Adobe FrameMaker Or MS Word?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers have been asking this question to themselves for the good part of the last 15 years. Short answer is this - if you're writing a short memo, letter, or document, MS Word would be fine. No problem. But if you are writing a book, something over 50 pages and with figures, tables, footers, index, references, multi-level paragraph numbering, you'd better stick with FrameMaker.

Technical Writing - How to Generate Localization-Ready Technical Copy With Pre-Production Guidelines
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers can help a localization project significantly by following a set of text and image guidelines in the pre-production phase of localization - that is, when the source files are generated at the "home location." Read to learn the important text processing steps and rules that can save you or your boss a fortune in your localization project. Localize to globalize; but do it the smart way as described in this article.

Technical Writing - Anatomy of a Technical Editing Process
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is the anatomy of a technical editing process. This ORIGINAL SENTENCE is from a software user's guide: "A prompt will occur prior to deletion that confirms the operator's wish to delete the selected item and once confirmation occurs the deletion is made final." Here is a BETTER version: "A warning message displays, prompting the operator to confirm the deletion of the selected item. Once the operator confirms, the deletion becomes final."

Running - Use a Measured Running Path to Gauge Your Progress
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Around where I live, there is a certain path that measures exactly 3.2 miles, which translates to 5K, a standard race distance. One day I got into my car and drove around my neighborhood with my eye fixed on the odometer, and that's how I came up with a path that's exactly 3.2 miles.

Technical Writing - 7 Methods to Do Research For a Technical Document Before Starting to Write It
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Most technical documents require considerable research before you sit down to write them. Here are top 7 methods to conduct a comprehensive documentation research in the pre-production phase.

Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between Copy Writing and Technical Documentation?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Copy writing tries to sell products and services, as the advertisement-legend David Ogilvie always (and rightfully) maintained. Until and unless someone buys something, copywriting is not good for anything. Technical writing, on the other hand, is an answer to the basic question of HOW. But in order for technical writing to explain the "how" of anything, there has to be a clear definition of its "WHAT" and "WHY". Without that pre-requisite step, your technical writing can easily get lost in the woods, as I illustrate in this article.

Technical Writing - Top 3 Open Source Software You Can Use to Write and Design Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I use Adobe FrameMaker and Microsoft Office on a daily basis, and Microsoft Visio, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrate on an almost-daily basis. These are the tools of the technical writing trade that I wouldn't do without.

Technical Writing - Cardinal Rule of Interviewing a Subject Matter Expert (SME) For a Document
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer will periodically need to interview Subject Matter Experts (SME) to gather information about a technical documentation. More often that not, and especially within the context of software development, most SMEs are engineers and software developers. But they can also be mechanical, electrical and other types of engineers, field technicians, site foremen, call center engineers, field technicians, etc. One cardinal rule of interviewing an SME is to do your homework well, in advance.

Technical Writing - How to Handle Images When Writing a Technical Document For Localization?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If as a technical writer you know in advance that the technical document you are generating will be translated into different languages, then there are important image and font considerations that you need to take into account for a problem-free and affordable localization process. Let's immediately open a small sidebar here and stress the importance of graphics knowledge and skills in technical writing since formatting information takes as much time of a typical technical writer as expressing it in a straight forward manner.

Technical Writing - What to Translate While Localizing a Software Documentation Set?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers sometimes have to decide what to translate and what not to when they face the complex challenge of localizing a software product. Should one only translate the user and system administration manuals, for example? Or should one also include to that set the installation manuals, the quick reference and quick start guides, as well "Read Me" files and release notes? What are the monetary and market costs of including and excluding such documentation sets in the localization process?

Technical Writing - Why Qualified Translators Are a Must in Product Localization and Translation?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Money paid to qualified technical writers and translators in a localization project is money spent very well indeed. Why? Because the worst thing for a project is to have the customers or end users switch to another product since they either cannot understand the instructions and the interface, or the localized copy contains embarrassing mistakes which destroy the brand name. Here are some examples of what can go wrong in localization of technical and commercial copy.

Technical Writing - Issues in Localization of Software Products and Documentation
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Global economy brought with it the need to have the same set of technical writing products available for different target audiences speaking different languages. And not only the product labels, marketing collaterals and user documentation but whole web sites and web services now need to be "localized" as well. At its simplest, "localization" is understood as "document translation," which is true. Yes, translation of user guides from one language to another is certainly the core task of translation. But it does not stop there.

Technical Writing - Do You Just "Shutdown" Or "Shut Down" a System? "Sign In" Or "Sign-In"?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are terminology errors that even some experienced technical writers commit from time to time. The words we use when describing how to turn a system on and off, or how to enter and leave a location, are ripe for such inadvertent errors. When written APART, these two-part words are all VERBS. When written together or with a dash, they are NOUNS.

Technical Writing - Wurman's LATCH Concept of Organizing Information For Technical Documentation
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has its mechanical aspects that need to be mastered. A good technical writer must know how to use English effectively as well as various software products to produce acceptable technical documents.

Technical Writing - How to Structure FrameMaker Paragraphs While Using the Unstructured Interface?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe FrameMaker (Version 7 and above) has two powerful interfaces: Structured and Unstructured. You can check out which interface you are using by selecting File > Preferences > General from the main menu and look at the Product Interface field. That's also how you can switch between these two interface modes. Most beginning technical writers use FrameMaker (FM) in the default unstructured mode. That is fine for most technical communication applications. Using the structured features require advanced training and you probably won't need them anyways unless you're doing any "single sourcing" (which is the topic of yet another article). However, there is an easy way to imitate structured documentation while you are still in the unstructured mode.

Technical Writing - How to Design a Cover For a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are a technical writer working for a company as a payroll employee the chances are there are corporate design guidelines that you need to follow in designing the cover of your technical document. But what if you are a "lone writer," an independent contractor working out of your home office, or an employee who is asked to come up with a corporate design guideline? Here are some time-tested design suggestions culled from my 20 years of experience as a professional writer and information designer.

Technical Writing - How to Create a New Paragraph Style in a FrameMaker Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe FrameMaker is the information design platform of choice for most professional technical writers and technical communicators across the globe. Like all powerful software applications, FrameMaker also has a lot of features and configuration possibilities. One of those features is the ability to create new paragraph styles.

Technical Writing - 6 Web Writing Tips For Technical Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Web writing is one of those assignments that technical writers do well due to their organized approach to technical information. But web writing differs from regular user guide and procedural writing in some important respects. Web is a fast place. People usually don't have the time to go through long essays. Here are my top 6 time-tested recommendations for web writing...

Technical Writing - Advantage of Using Microsoft SourceSafe While Writing Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is the great thing for technical writers about Microsoft's Visual SourceSafe: once a file is checked into the SourceSafe, SourceSafe will not allow you to make changes to the LOCAL COPY of that same file and then save it. First you need to check out the SOURCE FILE that you have saved earlier into the SourceSafe (and that's why it is called the Source-Safe).

Technical Writing - How to Use Microsoft SourceSafe to Control Your Technical Documents
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Just like with most things in life, control is an important aspect of technical documentation. Control is even more important if you are working in an office as a part of a writing team. First, you need to make sure that your files are not lost. That's basic.

Technical Writing and Technical Communication As a Job and a Career - Is it For You?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You might perhaps be considering whether to become a technical writer or not. You might be wondering: "What kind of a job technical writing is exactly?" I can tell you right away that, at its most fundamental level, it's comfortable office work.

Technical Writing and XML - Why the Future of Documentation Belongs to Extended Markup Language?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] XML, that is, Extended Markup Language, is the future of technical writing and technical communication. There are TWO very important reasons why that is so... XML is at the heart of "single sourcing" movement. The whole idea is to write something once and then "tag" it in such a way that it would be possible to publish in many formats and on many gadgets and platforms without making any further changes to it. XML makes that possible.

Technical Writing - When Should You Definitely Use Jargon in a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You've heard it a thousand times and it's true: you should stay away from jargon and write as you speak. But is this rule true ALL the time, unconditionally? No, it's not.

Technical Writing - How to Edit a Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine you're looking over my shoulder as I'm editing a technical manual. This is how I do it: ORIGINAL: "Logging in involves the Operator typing in his User ID and Password." BETTER: "To log in, the Operator must enter a valid User ID and Password." Editing is cleaning. I love things that are clean and work well. Don't you?

Technical Writing - How to Use the Bulleted Lists Properly in Your Technical Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Bulleted lists are important in technical writing. They summarize information in a manner that is easy to read and absorb. Use them whenever you can to get your information across quickly.

Technical Writing - Three Sources of Employment For Technical Writers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are three ways to get a job as a technical writer: 1) On your own, as an independent freelancer. 2) Through a job agency, as a contractor. 3) As a company employee. Each offers different benefits and advantages, depending on your skills as a technical writer, your background and your personality.

Technical Writing - How to Write an Excellent Index, the Most Important Part of Any Tech Document
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Always use lower case for your Index entries. "password" instead of "Passwords", or "boat" instead of "Boat". Lower-case letters are easier to read in an Index than the upper-case letters.

Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between the Index and the Table of Contents of a Document?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] First off, make sure you understand the important difference between a TOC (Table of Contents) and an Index. A TOC presents topics in the linear order in which the reader encounters them in the book. It's a summary (and a useful one at that) of "what comes after which topic."

Technical Writing - 4 Ideas to Organize Your Technical Document Images and Screen Shots
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Most technical documents would have at least a few images to illustrate a point, or screen shots that accompany the description of a certain step-by-step procedure, etc. Organizing such images can really become a problem, especially when you have dozens and hundreds of them.

Technical Writing - How to Use the "Pending" Marker in FrameMaker
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] FrameMaker (FM) is such a wonderful software to write long and complicated books and documents. In my 20-plus years of experience as a writer, nothing comes close. FM has a very powerful built-in marker functionality with which you can mark not only your index words and cross-references, but your "pending stuff" as well.

Technical Writing - Two Different Types of Software User Manuals
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In technical writing, there are two different but related types of software user manuals and I call them "Button Guides" and "Procedural Tutorials". An ideal software manual set includes BOTH types of manuals since they are complementary and equally necessary.

Technical Writing - FrameMaker - Display Conditional Text in FM by Using a Single Text Block
[Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You want to display different versions of the same text in a FrameMaker technical document. You'd like to toggle different versions on and off. There is one condition however: you do not want to use multiple copies of the same text block (with perhaps different paragraph tags assigned to them) for fear of messing up the formatting of your pages. How would you do it? It's simple, but you need to watch out for the simple tricks explained in this article.

Microsoft Word 2003 - How to Easily Find Differences Between Two MS Word Documents and Save Them
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Here is a task that most of us have been confronted with in the past: 1. You have two documents, with slight differences between them. This happens, for example, when some has edited a text but did not save any editing marks with the document. 2. You'd like to compare these two documents, find out the parts that have been changed without, however, altering any of the source documents. 3. Then you'd like to save only the changes in a separate third file. Can you do it? With Microsoft Word 2003, yes, you can.

Microsoft Word 2003 - How to Easily Compare Two MS Word Documents Side-by-Side
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Imagine you have a MS Word document that has been edited by someone without marking the changes. So you have no idea what has been or has not been changed in the new edition. And to see for yourself what has been done, you would like to make a side-by-side visual comparison of the two documents. You can do that easily in Microsoft Word 2003.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create Great-Looking 3-D Objects in No Time
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Did you know that Microsoft Word has a great built-in utility to create fantastic-looking 3-D objects in a matter of minutes? Imagine a 3-D Callout Balloon, shaped like a fat suitcase, with different colors for its front surface and extending depth, plus, with a colorful text on it live with all kinds of text effects? You can do all that more thanks to the drawing tools hidden inside MS Word.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create a Wonderful Relationship Chart in No Time
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Microsoft Word has a great built-in utility for you to draw a Relationship Chart quickly, without fuss. You can use such a chart to illustrate the following kinds of relationships: How the people in your office are related to you or your boss? How several side projects are related to one central dominant project? How several nations are related to one another around the same international organization? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

How to Write and Design a Slide Presentation With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Presentation Wizard
[Business:Presentation] If you think you need to have MS PowerPoint to prepare a great presentation, I have to disagree respectfully. Actually there is a free alternative that does just as well, if not better.

How to Write a Meeting Agenda With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Agenda Wizard
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] OpenOffice (OO) and its Mac-version NeoOffice (NO) are two amazingly powerful and complete office suites and I dare say they are at least as good as the MS Office suite. They are FREE as well. Search for "OpenOffice" and "NeoOffice" on the Google to download them from their respective sites. Here is how to prepare Meeting Agenda document by using OO or NO Agenda Wizard.

How to Write a Fax Message With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Fax Wizard
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] OpenOffice (OO) and its Mac-version NeoOffice (NO) are two amazingly powerful and complete office suites and I dare say they are at least as good as the MS Office suite. Also: they are both free! Search for "OpenOffice" and "NeoOffice" on the Google to download them from their respective sites. Here is how to prepare a fax message by using OO or NO Fax Wizard...

How to Write a Letter With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Letter Wizard
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In case you don't know, OpenOffice (and its Mac-counterpart NeoOffice) is an amazingly powerful office suite, at least as good as the MS Office suite. It's also free. This word processor will not write your letters for you automatically but it's got a built-in Letter Wizard to help you get the basic structural elements right. A perfect letter wizard from a fully-equipped office suite that costs you zilch, zero, nada.

Writing - MS Word 2003 - Create Your Own Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS Word comes with a lot of standard and very useful keyboard shortcuts like CTRL+C for copying selected text, CTRL+X for cutting it, and CTRL+V for pasting it. But a lot of other useful functions do not have a keyboard shortcut. For example, wouldn't it be great if there was a simple keyboard shortcut for adjusting the width of a table column automatically to accommodate the cell text? Why should you use the Table menu if you can accomplish the same with just a few keystrokes and without ever touching your mouse?

Writing - Logos and Stationeries - A Classy Font Effect With MS Word
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Say you'd like to impress your customers or organization by a classy logo or header but you do not have the funds to pay a qualified graphic designer to do it for you. Here is a second best solution that can save you hundreds of dollars.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Drawing a Target Diagram on the Fly
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] You do not need an additional graphics program to insert a Target Diagram into your MS Word 2003 document. Target Diagrams are great to show the successive steps leading to a central goal.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Compare and Merge 2 Documents
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Did you know that Microsoft Word 2003 can compare two related but different documents and merge them nicely, creating a single document out of them? What's more, MS Word also gives you full manual control about the changes. You can accept or reject each change individually since they are all listed as red text balloons on the right margin of the new document, with the deleted items clearly linked to the exact location in the text where the change is made.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create a Pyramid Diagram on the Fly
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Pyramid diagrams are neat to show the hierarchical relationship between units with different quantities. You can create such a diagram on the fly without leaving MS Word 2003.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create a Colorful Venn Diagram Easily
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] I love Venn Diagrams because nothing comes to close to expressing the logical relationships between different sets of elements that well. With Microsoft Word 2003 you can create fantastic looking and colorful Venn Diagrams on the fly, with as many elements and colors you need.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create an Organization Chart in a Second
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] You can create an amazing variety of fantastic-looking Organization Diagrams in Microsoft Word 2003 without using any external graphic programs. Display your DRAW toolbar by selecting View > Toolbars > Drawing. Place your cursor where you want to insert your chart or diagram.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create Wonderful Borders and Stationery in No Time
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Microsoft Word 2003 has this great and foolproof functionality to create borders and shades with which you can whip up your own stationeries and fliers in no time. For example, let's say you have an import-export business and you'd like to create a stationery that visually signals a world-wide involvement.

Runners Live Longer According to 20-Year Medical Study
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Slowly but surely I'm approaching the age of sixty as I write these lines. When I look back, starting to run at the age of 49 stands out as one of the best things I ever did in my life.

Movie Review - High and Low (Tengoku to Jigoku) (1963)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "High and Low" is a watchable crime movie by the legendary Akira Kurosawa featuring a lot of chain-smoking men making all the decisions in an obviously patriarchal Japan of the '60s. Unless you are a feminist, you might enjoy this film with great B&W cinematography.

MAD MEN is Easily the TV Drama of 2008
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Matthew Weiner, who also wrote for my other most-favorite show The Sopranos, is a bona fide genius who deserves all the accolades for this bold social drama that lays open the inner works of a curious era in American history. I hope the 2nd season (which started in July 2008) will be as captivating and fascinating as the first one.

Writing - How to Create a New MS Word Document Automatically With a Specific Template
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS word is a powerful word processor that you can use with a lot of different templates. If you do nothing and create a new document, Word will use its default Normal.dot template to create a 8.

Employment - New York Recruitment CEO's Top 3 Advice For Job Seekers
[Business:Careers-Employment] Times are tough and good jobs are harder to come by. There is a lot of competition for available positions in this recessionary economy.

Employment - What to Ask (And NOT to Ask) During a Job Interview and What to Wear?
[Business:Careers-Employment] What are the top 3 things professional recruiters look for in a resume? What not to wear to a job interview?

Employment - Worst 3 Mistakes For Job-Hunters, 3 Best and Worst Sectors
[Business:Careers-Employment] Not using the downtime to open a business or learn new skills is a mistake that some job-seekers commit. You must get off the couch and do your best to have fun executing an idea that you always wanted to pursue. If business ownership is not for you, take a class, learn a new language or read.

MS Word - How To Import Text And Images From Another Document Or Web Site Without Copy And Paste?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS Word has a very powerful functionality hidden under its hood. You can import text and images from any other document or web site into your current document without copying and pasting anything. You can import external content into the body section of your document, as well as into your headers and footers.

Career Stuck In Neutral? Move Sideways To Find A Related But Different Job
[Business:Careers-Employment] Sometimes things do not go as planned in life. People come and go, things change, and a career that has once sparkled may just start to sag in the middle and fray over the edges. So what do you do? Just sulk in your corner and play the blues? That's certainly one alternative and the easiest one. But not the best or the only alternative for sure.

MS Word - How To Remove Hidden Personal Information From Your Text Documents
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Did you know that MS Word records a lot of information about you, and even about your computer and the network you're working on, and then saves them with the text document you are creating? Some of the information you inadvertently provide can be not only just "unfortunate" or "undesirable" but it could have legal consequences as well if it's a Word document, let's say, provided to the opposing counsel in a court setting.

MS Word - How To Make Global Changes To Your Text Document Based On Paragraph Styles?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Imagine you have a long MS Word document containing all kinds of paragraph styles. What are you going to do if you'd like to indent all section headers SIMULTANEOUSLY by one tab to the right and then change their color to red? Obviously the Find-and-Replace functionality is of no help here. Yes, you can search for the paragraphs by their style but you need to type in a search word or phrase. And after finding the headers with that specific style and search words, you cannot select them all simultaneously for a global edit. Tracking such headers from the TOC would also be very cumbersome and again impossible to select simultaneously. There is a very easy method to accomplish that in a hurry.

Advice For A Young Writer 5 - Have A Web Site Or A Blog, Or Both
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Perhaps it's best to have a regular web site with one page devoted to your blog. Many blogging software like Blogger and WordPress do allow you to do that. That way you can have the best of both world.

Advice for a Young Writer 6 - Connect with Others, Take Care of Your Body
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Take care of your health! I can't emphasize this strongly enough. Most people learn late in their careers that writing is actually an athletic event. You burn a lot of precious calories and brain cells when pounding out anything. When we write we use a lot: proteins, vitamins, amino acids, carbon and nitrogen, and God knows what else.

Advice for a Young Writer 4 - Know When to Hold and Fold Your Hand
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Be aware of the many alternatives waiting for you out there. If sports writing doesn't work, perhaps you should try catalog writing. If your newspaper job is going nowhere, perhaps you should try writing a novel or try direct marketing copy.

Advice for a Young Writer 3 - Develop a Niche, Guard Your Time
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The more you write on your specialty, the easier it'll get and the richer your material will be. It'll smell roses from a mile. People will feel your authenticity and authority the minute they start reading the first sentence.

Advice for a Young Writer 2 - Know Your Heart, Learn Your Craft
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Enroll in a writing program, if necessary. Put aside some money for your professional training even if it's just enough to buy one educational book or training CD a month. Your knowledge is your power; your ONLY power. Feed your mind well to write well.

Advice for a Young Writer 1 - Be Proud and Keep Writing
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] It's been a long haul, and fun. I always enjoyed sitting at my keyboard and click-clicking the keys. Remember that B.B. King classic, "The Thrill Is Gone"? I never had to sing that one, knock on wood.

4 Simple Steps To A Perfect Press Release
[Business:PR] You can write a perfect press release in 4 simple steps: 1. TITLE, 2. CONTACT INFO block, 3. BODY, and 4. "ABOUT" footer.

3 Tips for Traveling With Your Pet on a Business Trip
[Pets] There are many business executives and managers who love their cats and dogs so much that they can't stand to be separated from their loving animal friends, even on a business trip. If you are traveling with you pet, here are 3 golden tips for a comfortable travel experience...

Business Travelers - Beware of the "Free Wi-Fi" Scams at Airports
[Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech] Waiting in between flights at the airports with nothing to do is boring. Thus it is very tempting to snap open your laptop and hook up with the "Free Wi-Fi" network you see advertised in many airports these days. But should you? How do you know the "free" wi-fi network you are connecting to is not a dangerous scam that can cost you a lot of pain and sleepless night? With such networks of unknown security status it's better not to take the chance.

Top 5 Travel Tip Sites for Business Travelers
[Travel-and-Leisure] Here is a review of the top 5 web sites that provide great and timely tips for business travelers... 1) U.S. TSA (Transportation Security Administration) - A great site for U.S. citizens and foreigners alike. It has good material about the full experience of going through an American airport and the things to do to expedite that process.

7 Benefits T&E Expense Management Software Must Deliver for Business Managers
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] We are living on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 technologies. But we are also facing a number of economic uncertainties on a global scale. These two factors generate new demands on T&E expense management software because companies are struggling to do more with less. The margins are thin with no room for error or waste. The companies are therefore trying to cut down their business travel expenses without, however, sacrificing anything from the way they file, manage and report their data.

Electronic Records Management and T&E Expense Management Systems
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Travel and Entertainment (T&E) expense records is an important concern for most business organizations. According to Aberdeen Group research, 5 to 20 percent of all indirect spending today consists of T&E expenses. The companies studied by the Aberdeen Group processed at least 1,000 expense related reports each month. Thus the savings involved in automating that process through a scalable and reliable ERM system is clear.

7 Tips for Air Travel Without Headaches
[Travel-and-Leisure:Airline-Travel] Stick to a basic and simple diet. Avoid fresh fruits and greens abroad since they are the least disinfected of all food items and can trigger a diarrhea or dysentery attack. Bread, cheese and bottled commercial water is usually a good safe bet. Never drink water from open public fountains that's available in many foreign countries. Stay away from gourmet dishes and rich cakes at all costs. Carry anti-diarrhea and anti-constipation pills with you, just in case.

7 Rules of Effective Newsletters
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Ezine-Publishing] Stick to a firm schedule. You can publish your newsletter on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. But whichever frequency you choose, publish and deliver your print or ezine newsletter regularly. Haphazard and sporadic newsletters create an image of amateurism.

7 Ways to Build a Better Web Site
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Select a single central image to provide a visual summary of your core subject at one look. For example, if you have a site to promote your screenplays, use the image of a writer working at her keyboard, or pages of a script flying over the famous HOLLYWOOD sign, etc.

Are You On MySpace?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Social-Networking] You probably are since MySpace currently has 194 MILLION registered members. Did you know that there are only four countries in the world (China, India, United States, Indonesia) with more than 194 million citizens? That is, if MySpace was a country it would be the fifth largest in the world.

Movie Review - Tape (2001)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "Tape" proves that, in this day and age of $50-to100 million dollar films, you do not really need bank-busting special effects and production values to turn out an engaging dramatic work. But then perhaps it’s also not easy to find a script with the kind of scathing high-voltage dialog that Stephen Belber came up with. Top notch writing blossoms into 4th of July fireworks in the hands of a good director and three solid gold actors.

Movie Review - Notes On A Scandal (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is like watching Katherine Hepburn against Liz Taylor when they were both in their prime. Two superb Oscar-winner actors (Dench in 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love" and Blanchett in 2005 for "The Aviator") rush us through the rapids of a relationship that starts off as the normal and courteous daily lives of two high school teachers. Yet the personality fault lines underlying the relationship quickly split and open a dangerous crack through which both women are pulled down to the depths of darkness by their own demons.

Movie Review - Breaking and Entering (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A fascinating movie, written with great empathy around an intelligent concept, and acted like a dream. The Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, 1996) again excels both as a director and a writer. A touching film with great authenticity brought to the script by Jude Law and Juliette Binoche. 8 out of 10 for Minghella's magic and his equally enchanting crew.

Movie Review – Amazing Plot Similarities Between "Seraphim Falls (2006)" and "Apocalypto (2006)"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Since I watch a lot of movies, sometimes I see fascinating parallels and similarities between different films, both in terms of general themes and specific plot points. In some cases, they are different movies by the same director and the THEMATIC similarities are understandable. When, however, two totally unrelated films by different directors and writers share a good number of PLOT POINTS and devices, I can’t help but marvel at the power of collective sub-consciousness. How else one can explain the similarities?

Coping with Complexity - Refraining from "Over-Hedging" Our Bets
[News-and-Society] A considerable portion of the complexity in our lives arises from the fact that not only we have a Plan A and a Plan B in case the first one fails, but we continue accumulating all kinds of backup plans, like an insurance junkie. The more we try to hang on to everything and cover for every possible outcome or eventuality, the more complex our machines and lives become, by definition.

Coping With Complexity -- Making Peace With "Less Than Omniscient" Knowledge of Complex Systems
[News-and-Society] How can we cope with the complexity of our lives without losing hope for the future? I think this is one of the premiere burning questions of the twenty-first century. One strategy that I apply on a daily basis is to find a subset, a piece of the overall complexity that I can master well. Then I make my peace with my limited efficacy. As simple as that.

"Complexity" -- The Chief Culprit Why People Do Not Get Involved But Stay Passive
[News-and-Society] I agree with Bill Gates that most things in our lives are so complex that most of us end up throwing our hands in the air and letting things follow their own complicated and convoluted course.

Movie Review - Jerry and Tom (1998)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This movie, packed with linguistic pyrotechnics and directorial gunpowder, is at its core a vacuous exercise in "entertainment for entertainment's sake" because it lacks a human heart. 5 stars out of 10 for all the smart talk around corpses. But if you've seen "Pulp Fiction" or "Blood Simple" you've seen this one already with one exception – the director tried to make this a "sweeter" picture, if you can imagine that. You like your castor oil with one sugar or two?

Screenwriting - Start From the End, Not the Beginning
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Start planning and visualizing your script from the end. First decide what the "ending" will be and then move backwards all the way to the beginning of your script.

Web Site Design Basics - The New Forrester Research Report
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] According to a new report released by the Forrester Research (and reported in Wall Street Journal on June 12, 2007), here are the biggest problems today in web site design...

Chrysler PT Cruiser - The Importance of Designing Simple Things Well
[Automotive] Perhaps by taking such "design risks and challenges" the designers of PT Cruiser are trying to take a road less traveled and discover some new "aesthetic ground." Yet they should also remember what Jerry Seinfeld said about the matter - "Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason."

Speech Writing - How Did Bill Gates Prepare His Harvard Commencement Speech?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Speechwriting is a hard-to-master art form. It requires a lot of background knowledge on the part of the writer that cannot be acquired overnight. But that's not enough. A good speech also requires a clear core message. The writer, the speaker and the audience should all be able to answer the following question right away - "what was this speech all about?" It is also important to adjust the speech to the audience and the setting, or the occasion. A high school commencement speech should not read like one delivered at a gridiron or political fund raiser event.

Management - Bill Gates' 4-Point Plan to Solve Complex Problems
[Business:Change-Management] In his June 7, 2007 commencement speech delivered at Harvard, Microsoft's Bill Gates has singled out "complexity" as the chief culprit why not only many serious problems around the world don't get solved but also why people don't get involved. If only complex problems could be attacked with the proper methodology than we would have better success with solving global problems like illiteracy, epidemics, lack of clean drinking water, etc. Gates said.

How to Tell a Fake Phishing E-Mail and Protect Yourself?
[Computers-and-Technology] There is a very easy way to tell a fake phishing e-mail from a real one. One immediate clue is receiving it from a bank where you have no account. That one is obvious (you would think) but still you'd be amazed how many people take such mails seriously despite the fact that they know they don't have an account at the said institution. More importantly: Such e-mails ALWAYS include a web URL link that they want you to click and visit to "update your critical security information" etc...

Writing - Good Copy Illuminates and Delivers (the Truth)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Delivering the truth without aesthetics, without illumination, would be like that proverbial tree falling down in the forest and nobody noticing it. Does a tree really fall if there are no witnesses? We don't know. Sheer aesthetic fireworks, on the other hand, without any truth, is disservice to the world. It is betrayal of our short existence here on this earth. It's deception and the lowliest of the black-arts.

A New World of Marketing With Cell Phone Scanning and "Smartcodes"
[Business:Marketing] Imagine a future where products, billboards, and pretty much everything that is printed and put up for public display in one form or another (including T-shirts and even underwear, perhaps?) carry one "smartcode" or another for delivering on-demand real-time information to your smart phone or "mobile gadget"...

Cell Phone and Mobile Marketing Coming Of Age Thanks to "QR Code" Technology
[Business:Marketing] Marketing through cell phones, PDAs and other mobile gadgets with Internet connections is fast developing into an exciting new venue for businesses. The "QR Code" system that created a revolution in Japan has arrived in the United States with different variations. I've already seen different versions of QR (for "Quick Response") employed in the USA by delivery companies and direct marketing (magazine subscription) firms.

7 Great Things To Do in Baltimore, Maryland
[Travel-and-Leisure] Baltimore, Maryland is a grand old city that according to some has seen much better days in the past. True, some parts of the city like the "Druid Hill" neighborhood are not "perfect tourist attractions," shall we say. But there is still plenty to do and see in Baltimore for the whole family on most weekends.

Barcode, Move Aside - QR CODE is Here
[Computers-and-Technology] Soon we will be pushing flash movies, coupons, MP3 files, good-old text and god knows what else to our cell phones by pointing their tiny built-in cameras to a QR Code, taking a snapshot, and then pressing the SEND button.

Goddard Institute Issues a Warning on Global Warming
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Sometimes the fact of global warming gets a short shrift due to the more politically-charged discussion on whether it is caused naturally by, for example, an unusual cycle of sun flares, or human activity. I think the latter question will never be settled to the satisfaction of all parties involved because it has political undertones and repercussions for people who do not share the same political views.

Operating Systems - Linux or Windows? Long Live UBUNTU!
[Computers-and-Technology] So why do I still like my Ubuntu? Let me count the ways...

Books or Movies? Which is "More Useful" for Our Growth and Happiness?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I'm somewhere in between. Whatever feeds my compassion for others, keeps my heart open and my mind clear and deepens my contextual appreciation of this complicated world, that's what I'm going to imbibe.

Movie Review - Deja Vu (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is yet another fantastic Tony Scott juggernaut with a little catch - the plot does not make total sense. The penultimate scene puts Denzel in a place from where there should have been no coming back, with or without time travel. But, hey, that's Hollywood...

Movie Review - The Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is a dark, depressing and suffocating movie with no glory for the losers. If you watch it while reminding yourself of the Pearl Harbor, everything the Japanese Imperial Army did in the Pacific theater during WW2 and what would have happened if the United States did not beat Japan, your reaction to this film would understandably be more conditional, guarded and measured. But when watched as an independent artistic entity that has itself for sole reference and no other external facts, then you will not be able to hold your tears at the end of this film for a number of different reasons.

Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 3
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] If those are all true, if there are indeed "other processes" that make my concerns moot and irrelevant, is "ethics" of not killing certain animals just an illusion and a mental construct, as a way we flatter ourselves thinking that we somehow have the higher moral ground in this marvelously complex circle of creation? The same circle that can clamp down on any player with steel jaws the second the music stops?

Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Then one day I saw one rat, a single big one, struggling to walk on my patio and clearly dying. Something was wrong with the animal. He had difficulty standing on his legs, shivering, with strange formations around its mouth. Ahhh... my heart sank! POISON... So there it was, the INTENDED result of my Home Depot campaign to clean up my backyard from this infestation. It really didn't feel right and I still find it hard to explain the feeling.

Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Rats are killing me - not literally, thanks goodness, but ethically and philosophically.

Copywriting - "Unparallel Construction" in a Pizza Commercial - Part 2
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Sometimes people think "parallel construction" involves only individual sentences. But sometimes whole set and group of sentences can violate the "parallel construction" principle as well.

Copywriting - "Unparallel Construction" in a Pizza Commercial - Part 1
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] "Unparallel Construction" is the bane of commercial copy. Sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs of copy, lose their direction and fail to communicate their core message if they are composed with unparalleled components.

7 Great Things To Do in Arkansas
[Travel-and-Leisure] Take a scenic drive on Arkansas' state highways to appreciate the beauty of the Ozarks and other famous natural attractions. Arkansas Scenic 7 will take you through the best vistas the Ozark and Ouachita mountains have to offer. Arkansas 309 climbs 2,753 feet to the state's highest summit. If you don't like the heights and prefer to keep as close to the "sea level" as possible, try Interstate 530 which winds its way through wetlands and Bayou Bartholomew.

7 Great Things To Do in Arizona
[Travel-and-Leisure] GRAND CANYON, of course! I cannot think of anything more important to do in Arizona than go see this amazing true wonder of our planet earth. This is a spectacle that you won't believe it until you see it, no matter how many photos or videos you've seen before. When you stand there at the edge of what seems to be "The Infinity," words and time stop. Please make a special effort to be there if you haven't seen it yet. You won't regret it.

7 Great Things To Do in Alaska
[Travel-and-Leisure] Take that old train down the White Pass and Yukon Route! Feel the adrenaline of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush as you curve and climb your way around narrow mountain passages and breathtaking scenery. Go back home with stories to tell from your daring voyage along this International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

7 Great Things To Do in Alabama
[Travel-and-Leisure] Anniston Museum of Natural History - Dinosaurs, African elephants and other wonders of the natural world all under one roof! Must stop in Anniston, AL for all kids young or old.

Global Warming – How Much a Ton of Carbon Dioxide will Cost?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] The estimates still range anywhere between $20 and $100 per ton of CO2 released, leaving plenty room for policy makers and economists to come up with ever-changing alternate plans while providing plenty reasons for the perplexed consumers to scratch their heads. The way it looks right now in May 2007, not only the science and politics, but the economics of global warming also looks equally complex.

Web Marketing - Run Autoresponder "Split Tests" to Maximize Your Conversion Rates
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Running a "split test" is a great functionality if you are using an autoresponder to manage your web forms and reward your visitors with instant downloads.

Web Marketing - "Link Popularity" versus "Search Engine Saturation" Index
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Check the LP and SES numbers of your web site regularly since they change frequently. The best practice is to take regular measurements and then take their average for a reliable benchmark. If the numbers are good, try to understand what you did right and replicate it. If, on the other hand, the numbers are falling, analyze the reasons why and take appropriate measures to counter the trend.

Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 3 of 3
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Did you know that most people simply scroll down to the bottom of sites like this and read the Post Script FIRST? Do not hesitate to repeat your best offer and best benefits in the PS once again.

Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 2 of 3
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Always try to give something FREE to your readers as an immediate reward for taking action.

Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 1 of 3
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] A microsite is a single-page web site devoted to selling a single product or service. It is a direct marketing tool that is very suitable for network marketing (signing up new members for a Multi Level Marketing downstream) as well.

How Long Online Marketing Copy Should Be?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] The question comes up from time to time- "How long an online sales letter should be?" People new to direct marketing are a bit reluctant to send long letters for fear of "boring" their prospective customers. And that sounds like a valid point indeed in this day and age of soundbites, short YouTube clips and lightning-fast music video editing. A lot of consumers have very short attention spans.

Movie Review - Intimate Strangers (2004) (Part 2)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The absolute lack of any physical intimacy between the two main characters is probably one of the strongest virtues of this film because 1) it goes strictly against the conventional viewer expectation and thus heightens the plot tension, and 2) it brings out in deeper relief the real value of their relationship – the ability to share the unembellished truth even though William is neither authorized nor properly trained to receive it in a strictly professional sense.

Movie Review - Intimate Strangers (2004) (Part 1)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I love French cinema for its fresh and non-formulaic approach to human reality. This film directed by Patrice Leconte and written by Jerome Tonnerre studies an unusual twist on an old theme – what happens when two strangers meet by accident and develop a relationship that none of them quite expected?

How to Avoid an IRS Audit when Donating a Car to Charity? (Part 2)
[Finance:Taxes] If your vehicle is used by the charity in their daily operations, you can deduct its "fair market value" but it has to be a "significant intervening use."

How to Avoid an IRS Audit when Donating a Car to Charity? (Part 1)
[Finance:Taxes] Donating an old or little-used vehicle to charity is a win-win idea. But now, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS have more stringent requirements for deducting the donated vehicle, in compliance with The American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA). If you do not comply with these regulations, you might get an IRS audit. So it pays to be careful.

Movie Review - The Minus Man (1999), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] One faint light of redemption in the whole movie flares up briefly in the form of the flickering attraction between the sociopath Vann and the warm and vivacious postal co-worker Ferrin (Janeane Garofalo) who falls for him. But Vann is not entirely cooperative and he can't help revealing the ugly layers hiding under his cool and collected surface despite Ferrin's obvious availability.

Movie Review - The Minus Man (1999), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] As the film unfolds, we not only realize the depth of Vann's depravity but also reach a conclusion just as chilling - Vann is killing people not out of any obvious malice but as if he is conducting an experiment, with a cool and collected focus and sharp timing, with an attention to the details that would be admired by any research scientist.

Sales Receipt - Printing the Full Credit Card Number is Against the 2003 Law
[Business:Customer-Service] According to the U.S. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, which went into effect on December 4, 2006, the retailers are not allowed to print their customers' full credit card numbers on the sale receipts in an effort to prevent consumer fraud and identity theft.

Health - The Bad and the Good News for Males
[Health-and-Fitness:Mens-Issues] Did you know that average life expectancy for males (75 years) in the United States is 5 years shorter than that for a woman? But there are things you can actually do as a male to protect your health.

A Powerful Business Networking Web Site
[Business:Networking] Networking is a problem for most working professionals. Some of us just don't have much time to network (I belong to this category). Yet for others, networking is as pleasant an exercise as having a root canal at the dentist. That's why LinkedIn is such a great idea and I suspect it may work for at least some of us. It is a website where your register specifically for networking possibilities.

MS Word 2003 - How to Create and Use a Customized Dictionary?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you are writing about a very esoteric subject, or perhaps when you are using many foreign words or jargon, or working on a temporary project, you may want to keep MS Word's default custom dictionary as is and create your own project-specific customized dictionary. When the project is done, you may want to remove it from your computer altogether. This is how you can do it.

7 Great Moments in Life
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] How can you forget them? You don't.

Is Denzel Washington Becoming Our New-And-Improved Robert Mitchum?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Is Denzel becoming our new-and-improved Robert Mitchum? I mean, I forgot the number of times I have watched him in one law-enforcement role or another, and usually as a cop or a police detective... Or is he already typecast to such a degree that he ends up playing more and more of such roles?

Movie Review - Fallen (1998), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] In mid-point of the Fallen, it is clear that Azazel not only enjoys to kill but have "fun" while doing so as well. As a part of "his" (?) recreational plan, he makes Hobbes shoot a completely innocent high school math teacher and then enters Hobbes's home and kills his own brother.

Movie Review – Fallen (1998), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An entertaining genre-blender that combines all the best elements of cop crime solvers with religious super-natural horror flicks.

Movie Review - United 93 (2006), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] It is the hallmark of all great art to leave us one on one with our own inner reality and force us to face ourselves as we really are. "United 93" meets and passes that test easily.

Movie Review - United 93 (2006), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I'm sure most of us remember very clearly what we were doing on that bright sunny Tuesday morning... I was at the office, writing, editing, reading. Just another normal day at work. When we heard through a young engineer who constantly checks his stocks on his office computer that a plane hit the World Trade Center, we thought it was a nasty fluke. A terrible accident but an accident nevertheless.

Movie Review - The General (1998)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Martin Cahill is a small town crook and master thief who can best be described as the "Tony Soprano of Dublin." He is comfortable with who he is without any social mobility aspirations. All he wants is money and lots of it to take care of himself and his loved ones without working for it.

Movie Book Review - "How To Write a Movie in 21 Days- The Inner Movie Method," by Viki King
[Book-Reviews:Poetry-Playscripts] The problem with all screenplay books is that they are mostly written by people who have either not written a single screenplay themselves or could not sell any of the ones they've written.

Carbon Tax Versus Cap-and-Trade Approaches to Global Warming - Part 2
[News-and-Society:Energy] As you may recall from Part 1 of this article, in the cap-and-trade system many companies might get away with carbon emissions that are below the "certified limits". And that's a crucial point since cap-and-trade policy might bog down in implementation nightmares. Who is going to determine the "caps" on an industry by industry, and company by company basis? Wouldn't that require a new immense federal bureaucracy of its own?

Carbon Tax Versus Cap-and-Trade Approaches to Global Warming - Part 1
[News-and-Society:Energy] After making a strong case for Europe to adopt the cap-and-trade strategy back in 1997, the United States took two important steps in the other direction since then. One such development is the recent proliferation of coal-fired power plants built all over the Mid West. Within the next ten years we can expect to see dozens of coal-plants at the 1,500 MW range spewing out about a million tons of sulphur a year into the atmosphere.

EXCEL Tutorial - How to Construct a Compounding Interest Financial Calculator
[Business:Accounting] You can construct an almost infinite variety of calculators right within your MS EXCEL spreadsheet application.

Movie Review - The Apostate (1999)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is a forgettable flick despite the formidable talents of Dennis Hopper and Richard Grieco. They know how to swim but how can they save the Titanic?

Movie Review - Babel (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] We talk but we don't hear. We hear but we don't get it. We get it but we don't do nothing. And when we do something, we end up hurting others.

MS Word 2003 - How to Change the Image of Toolbar Button and How to Record a Macro?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you do not like the way a MS Word toolbar button looks, you can change its image very easily. Recording and running macros in MS Word will save you from re-performing repetitive tasks.

MS Word 2003 - How to Use the "Paste All" Function?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] MS Word 2003 can store 24 items in its Clipboard and then paste all of them in the same order that you saved them (the last one saved pasted the last). Why is this such a great function? Because it allows you to gather study and research materials from all kinds of different sources and then compile them within the same Word document for your easy reference and/or re-writing.

Why Do Nice People Finish Last? An Honest and Personal Meditation on Material Success in Life (2)
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I still believe that Real Men and Real Women Who Are As Tough As REAL OPERATORS... They Just Don't Dance. Instead, they push and push and push until things are just about to break. And the moment someone blinks, bingo! Money is made.

Why Do Nice People Finish Last? An Honest and Personal Meditation on Material Success in Life (1)
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Have you ever seen a very successful person who was also very nice? I haven’t.

Business - What is Workplace Harassment?
[Business:Workplace-Communication] Companies differ in terms of their workplace harassment policies but they all take it very seriously. Committing or allowing harassment in the workplace is against the law and can lead to firing of the individual in question and might even be followed by legal proceedings.

Movie Review - Casino Royale (2006), Part 3
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A visually satisfying thriller jam packed with action sequences, explosions, and fight scenes. It does not live up to my standards of a perfect "Bond movie" but it is good entertainment nevertheless. A 7 out of 10.

Movie Review – Casino Royale (2006), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I do not remember a single scene in which Sean Connery would even come close to having a single drop of blood on his immaculate tux. Yet, this vintage-2006 Bond changes his tux in between two sittings of a poker game when he cannot help but kill two thugs with his bare hands during the intermission.

Movie Review - Casino Royale (2006), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Daniel Craig as James Bond is good but very different in this latest addition to the long-standing string of Bond movies which depicts a young Bond earning his "00" status. This is a prequel to everything that comes after it. We are watching Bond coming into his own by proving his metal to a skeptical M.

The Peace of Kindness - Part 3
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] CAUTION: Kindness is known to create addiction and dizziness and in some cases spells of euphoria and genuine side-splitting laughter. Start easy and go slow if you are operating heavy machinery, under the influence of feelings of grandeur and erudition, or you occupy a highly decorated post of collective respectability.

James Gandolfini - What's Next For "Tony Soprano"?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] It must be though to be Jim Gandolfini these days. He is so thoroughly identified in our minds with the "Tony Soprano" character that it is going to be hard to watch him as anybody else.

Marketing - Do People Really Care How Long You've Been in Business?
[Business:Marketing] Some marketing consultant talk about how you should always stress benefits, and never talk about features … and how you should always focus on the customer, and never on the company. But is that always true?

The Peace of Kindness - Part 2
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Why is flying through a storm an excellent incentive to be genuinely kind, right from the heart?

The Peace of Kindness - Part 1
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This world is a thicket of conflict and pain and the only way to go through it in peace is through kindness. Why are we not kind, in general, during our daily goings on?

Writing - 3 Golden Rules of Indexing
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you are indexing a document, that is, creating an Index for a document, make sure you observe the following three golden rules for maximum user satisfaction...

Movie Review - Scenes of the Crime (2001), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] In the second act of this terrific crime movie, it all comes down to whether Steven will stand by his partner in peril or sell him out in return for some hefty cash and municipal contracts. Totally vulnerable Berg is tucked away inside a van parked out on a city street, with a gun pointed at his head by Lenny. And the van is surrounded by Berg’s man, led by Seth (Noah Wyle). Dramatic conflict galore!

Movie Review - Scenes of The Crime (2001), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Without a doubt, one of the most truly interesting crime films I've watched within the last year. And imagine, this probably did not even make the movie theaters at all and went straight to video. Such a gem, worthy of your monthly online video subscription fee (and I recommend Block Buster, NOT the Netflix).

The Sopranos - Inching Towards The Inevitable Sad End
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A lot of people are facing their own old age and demise. Johnny Sack is already gone after a not-so-dignified bout with cancer in jail. In one scene, after a close up of his head that went bald due to radiotherapy, the director mercilessly cut to a pool ball hit hard by a cue stick. What does that mean? That even the most merciless crime boss of New York is nothing more than a pool ball before the cue stick of fate and time?

Why Do We Love The Sopranos? Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Sopranos know how to "take care of business." When a guy bumps their car from behind and refuses to take any responsibility for it, and challenges them with a self-righteous "sue me!", they don't sue anybody.

Why do we love The Sopranos? Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] There is so much guilt involved in loving The Sopranos, perhaps similar to the guilt of enjoying a boxing match.

MBA Without an Undergraduate Degree? Yes, it's Possible!
[Reference-and-Education:College-University] M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) is a tough and expensive graduate degree that usually requires an undergraduate diploma as a prerequisite. But, believe it or not, there are still a few M.B.A. programs around the country which accept business experience as a substitute for college degree.

Writing - Lay, Lie or Lie? How to Use These Verbs Correctly with "Visual Aid" Method?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Is there anyone who is not confused with the proper usage of the verbs "lay" and "lie"? I know I am from time to time. So that's why I developed a "visual aid" to help myself remember what is what. It works for me and I hope it'll be helpful for you as well.

Behavioral Marketing - Does Your Ad Design Match Your Target Group?
[Business:Marketing] "Behavioral Marketing" takes this classic approach a few steps further. It targets very specific consumer sub-groups for a higher closure rate. This is made possible by consumer lists compiled according to the web sites visited, the products purchased in the past, the clubs and organizational memberships, etc.

Movie Review - Battle of the Bulge (1965), Part 4
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Battle of the Bulge is a good example to those films portraying a war in which the good and the evil were separated like oil and water, and there were no moral ambiguities to any of it. One almost - not quite but "almost", nevertheless - feels "nostalgic" for those days in which we knew exactly whom we were fighting and exactly when the war began and was over. A booming 8 out of 10 as far as war movies go.

Movie Review - Battle of the Bulge (1965), Part 3
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] When the assault begins, the advancement of the unstoppable Tiger tanks is rapid. All the front Allied posts fall like matchsticks, one by one. With the help of German paratroopers dressed like GIs and who talk perfect English due to their previous experience in the United States, the Germans cut the telephone and telegraph wires and launch a successful fifth column operation to confuse and misdirect the American troops.

Movie Review - Battle of the Bulge (1965), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] In this blockbuster of a war saga Ryan is joined by Henry Fonda in the lead roles, playing Gen. Grey and Lt. Col. Daniel Kiley as the good guys. On the "bad side" we have a platinum blond and dashing Robert Shaw, as tense as a Doberman, playing the German panzer brigade commander Col. Martin Hessler. (Trivia- Shaw was the only non-German playing a Nazi officer in the film.)

Movie Review - Battle of the Bulge (1965), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A two hours and forty five minutes long WW2 classic a la GUNS OF NAVARON (1961). Go and rent the DVD right away if you like these kind of movies and you still haven't seen it. It comes complete with an INTERLUDE (2 minutes of rousing music while you watch a fixed graphic) and an INTERMISSION after the first 1:45 minutes...

Movie Review – The Ice Harvest (2005), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The "simple plan" is to first split the money and then to split Wichita early in the morning towards much warmer climates. However, fate has her own plans.

Movie Review - The Ice Harvest (2005), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An almost-perfect film-noir crime thriller that is more than just a crime thriller. Imagine a Coen Brothers masterpiece (like "Blood Simple (1984)," for example), add one delicious scoop of "The Grifters (1990)" in which John Cussack again played the anti-hero protagonist, sprinkle a pinch of "Blue Velvet (1986)" on top, and when the dough is rising, leaven it with ample measure of buddy-comedy (injected with a big heart by Oliver Platt), and there you have it -- "The Ice Harvest."

The Redeeming and Liberating Power of Literature – Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Humanities] Standup comedy, for example, is notorious for completely avoiding that issue of honesty. Although we always laugh at what we instinctively recognize to be very true and thus appreciate the comedian for giving voice to what we usually do not have the courage to say out aloud in the open, in terms of its overall intention, standup comedy seeks to grab us, make us laugh, and then leave us exhausted with that one-two punch. It is powerful because it always catches us off-guard but there is no healing, no redemption in its aftermath. Like the morning of a loveless one night stand, it leaves us emptier than before.

The Redeeming and Liberating Power of Literature – Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Humanities] True, serious, honest literature can liberate us from our chains and bonds and redeem the dignity and wholeness of a life that gets squandered in so many shopping trips to the mall, and so many idle days and nights spent in meaningless work and watching all that drivel on the tube.

Movie Review – Vibrator (2003), Part 3
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] POST SCRIPT -- I actually did solve why this film was titled "Vibrator!" What an ingenious device that vibrating phone was and how many different interpretations it leads to... perhaps we will never know what the "real truth" was between Rei and Takatoshi.

Movie Review – Vibrator (2003), Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "Vibrator" reaches an interesting impasse at a scene where the two stop to take a bath together in a hot tub. In that crucial scene, Rei realizes that Takatoshi does not fully understand the childhood and other sorts of demons that are pestering her non-stop. He does not understand the voices in her head that frequently brings her to the edge of tears or triggers a throw-up session.

Movie Review – Vibrator (2003), Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "Vibrator," by the renown Japanese director Ryuichi Hiroki, is a film that starts pretty much like the Japanese Last-Tango-in-Paris-on-the-road. But it doesn't end that way.

Movie Review – Pact of Silence (Le Pacte du Silence) (2003)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Joachim (played by the Gibraltar-chinned Gerard Depardieu, one of the greatest actors France has produced within the last 50 years) is a priest-surgeon trying to solve the mystery of a young and beautiful Carmelite nun Sarah (played by the gorgeous Elodie Bouchez) who falls sick for mysterious reasons. When he tries to inquire closer and help the reclusive nun, he is cut off by Mere Emmanuelle, the Mother Superior of the Order in Brazil, who tries to block and frustrate Joachim every step of the way – which of course makes Joachim even more determined to find out what's going on with this beautiful nun.

Movie Review - En Soap (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] For years I tried to watch and love Scandinavian movies and spent many hours with the works of such bona fide masters of the medium as Ingmar Bergman. However, to this day, I somehow could not take a full shine to these introspective films from cold countries. They are usually dark, claustrophobic, slow, depressing, heavy, and stuffed to the gills with sexual angst, guilt and alienation. Watch one these northern beauties on a sunny weekend and then have a nice day, if you can! Really... "En Soap" is another downer, this one from Denmark. A perfectly convoluted and screwed-up "art theater" and "indie festival" "ouvre."

Poetry - Two Poems By Turgut Uyar - "Mostly, It's Yours" and "It Hurts"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Two more poems by a Turkish poet practically unkown in the English-speaking world -- Turgut Uyar. For me he is as good and precious as the great Nazim. To really appreciate Uyar in full you have to read his "Divan" in Turkish. But I hope my humble translations still manage to give an inkling of his profound artistry.

Poetry - Two Poems By Turgut Uyar - "Let's Say You're Ready" and "An Evening Dream"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Two Poems by Turgut Uyar, one of the best poets ever who wrote in Turkish. His best poetry book is titled "Divan."

Movie Review - Two Men in Town (1973)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Jean Gabin is "Spencer Tracy" of France. And Alain Delon is perhaps "Warren Beatty" of the Gallic domain. The two meet in "Deux Hommes Dans La Ville" just like they did four years earlier in "The Sicilian Clan." And it's again a fine cinematic experience to watch the two veteran actors, in almost a father-son relationship, carry this crime story from one end to the other. A French crime classic with bright moments but it concludes in unrelenting darkness. Recommended especially if you are interested in watching the last rites before a French prisoner is sent to the guillotine and the mechanics of the brutal execution itself. Not a cheerful sight.

Movie Review – The Parallax View (1974) – Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This 1974 political thriller, shot only 6 years after the assassination of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, carries with it all the paranoia and anti-establishment cynicism of its day. If you liked the "Manchurian Candidate," you will certainly love "The Parallax View."

Movie Review – The Parallax View (1974) – Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Pakula's homage to Hitchcock… Director Alan Pakula proves in this political thriller that he is a true student of Hitchcock. With some movies, directing is so transparent you don't even know it's there. Yet with some other directors, the visual style is so prominently on display that it's hard to miss. Pakula is one such great director.

Movie Review - The Door in The Floor (2004) – Part 3
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is a small-budget movie with great actors and a terrific script and everything works like a (to use a contemporary metaphor) well-configured operating system ("well oiled machine" is so nineteenth century). Or "Apple of a movie," I guess, if you excuse the irresistible world play there. Highly recommended for those who enjoy intelligent adult dramas without any special effects or car chases - well, ALMOST no car chases.

Movie Review - The Door in The Floor (2004) – Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Jeff Bridges and why he still did not win even a single Oscar (as of March 2007) is one of the great mysteries of life for me. Like good wine in a classic bottle, Bridges gets better and better with age. And the way he played in this film the narcissistic, and at times sadistic and conniving, but ultimately a charming devil of an author-painter who is not beneath using women as an outlet for his suppressed rage, is nothing short of an Academy Award level performance.

Movie Review - The Door in The Floor (2004) – Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Ted and Marion Cole are probably two of the most complex characters I've watched on screen for a long while. In terms of sheer layering of conflicting values and psychic pressures, Denzel Washington's portrayal of a police detective out of his depth in "Inside Man" (2006) comes to mind. However neither Ted nor Marion characters here travel the transformative arc that Denzel's detective does.

Poetry - Two Poems By Turgut Uyar - "One Day, Early In The Morn" And "By The Thousands"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] In the spirit of gratitude to the masters that have gone before us, and in the hopes of helping inject a moment's worth of tranquility and reflection into a world that desperately needs some, I hereby present two poems by Turgut Uyar – one of the best poets who ever wrote in Turkish.

Movie Review - Catch a Fire (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The film excels in laying out in the open the steps through which law abiding working class average-Joes like Chamusso are gradually pulled into the revolutionary fold and end up transforming into well-trained guerillas ready to sacrifice their lives for the common good.

TV – The Sopranos – Pop Quiz 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] What does "Va fa Napole!" mean in Soprano-speak?

The Paradox Of Power And Freedom Of Speech
[News-and-Society:Politics] There is a very interesting paradox between power and freedom of speech. The more powerful a public figure is, the more she has to watch what is leaving her mouth because her "multiplier effect" would be immeasurably greater than that of an average citizen.

Transportation - World's Most Expensive Toll Road Coming to Wash DC Area
[Travel-and-Leisure] If the plans of two local development companies come true, the Washington DC – Virginia metropolitan area may end up boasting the world's most expensive private toll road system.

Movie Review - The Night Listener (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An interesting mental thriller following the 3-act structure. But the real story involves the aging radio talk show host's loneliness and his search for love and care in a screwed up world. He knows what he wants but the world continues to frustrate his longing for a meaningful and compassionate relationship through lies and deception. The fact that the actors usually believe in their own elaborate stories and half-truths does not make living through them any easier for Gabriel.

Movie Review - Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest - 2006
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I probably have lost my sense of making coherent connections out of broken bits of narration because throughout the movie I couldn't help but wonder - "what the hell is really going on here?" - Must see to appreciate the magic of special effects and world-class make up transforming a ship full of adults into amazingly freaky aquatic monsters. Also - if you have never seen a Godzilla-size octopus attacking a ship and eating it alive like a pretzel, this is your chance to savor it. Bon appetite!

Environment – "Carbon Credit Trading" is the New "Derivatives" Game
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Stock options, move over and make room for "carbon credits" please. A major development to spur Washington in that direction would be the launching of a carbon credit exchange soon in Beijing, China. I'm sure we are witnessing only the beginning of a brand new trading sector that will make itself felt strongly in the months and years ahead.

Movie Review – Naboer (Next Door) (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A dark Norwegian horror-thriller from deep down Roman Polanski territory... Not recommended for those with a weak heart and stomach. But this dark, daring and honest film is worth a look.

TV – The Sopranos – Pop Quiz 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Which major character gets whacked in the Fourth Season of The Sopranos series?

Writing -- How To Use "Use" Versus "Utilize" Correctly?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] "Use" is to employ objects for the purposes they were designed for. "Utilize", on the other hand, is to employ objects for unintended purposes.

Writing -- Use Gender Neutral English and Write With All Your 5-Senses Engaged
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Whenever possible, use gender-neutral words and expressions to prevent offending any of your readers. And write with Your Five Senses Engaged to Increase Web Site Traffic.

Web Design - Write A Press Release To Increase Your Web Site Traffic
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] A press release (PR) is one one the many tools available to you to draw more visitors to your web site. Granted, it is not a direct method since when someone comes across your press release and clicks on it she is taken not to your own web site but to the PR site where the release is listed. However since the release also has your links and web address, the interested reader can still find and visit your web site.

Copywriting - Start Copy in Mid-Action to Increase Web Site Traffic
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Starting copy in mid-action is a time-honored technique used by many successful fiction writers to open the first chapter of a novel with a "bang". The idea is to grab the reader by the lapels and pull her into the story. It works. You can apply the same technique to commercial copy as well.

Copywriting - Write Powerful Copy By Deleting Old And Tired Expressions
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] You'll increase your web site traffic much faster if you write clean powerful English. Remember: less is more. Eliminate all hackneyed expressions from your prose for some snappy copy.

Movies - Tony Curtis - An Appreciation
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Is this the same man that performed his own stunts in Trapeze. made us laugh in Some Like It Hot and weep in The Defiant Ones? Yes, he definitely is and will always be. I wish you well, Mr. Curtis. Whether you get well soon or not, thanks for the memories. Truly.

Environment - The Politics of "Carbon Credit" Incentives in New Zealand
[News-and-Society:Environmental] When live tress are cut, they eventually release all the carbon dioxide that they have stored inside. Thus deforestation by definition increases the "carbon footprint" and contributes to the greenhouse effect. The overall cost of "deforestation liability" is estimated to hit $650 million by 2012 in New Zealand

Environment – Carbon Credit "Manufacturing" - A New Industrial Growth Sector
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Did you know that companies can now buy and sell "carbon credits" internationally just like other goods and services regularly bought and sold on the international market?

Movies – Generating New Film Concepts from Existing Movies - 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] You can mix and match different movie titles to come up with new high concepts for a new film...

Movie Review - Giant (1956)- Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A great Texas-size entertainment that brings a whole era and the great social transformation from cattle ranching to rags-to-riches oil drilling to life on a beautiful canvas.

Movie Review - Giant (1956)- Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "Giant" is the "Gone With the Wind" of Texas- This would also be James Dean's third and last film. A few days after concluding his scenes, even when the shooting was still continuing, Dean would be killed in that famous car accident.

Writing - Open Source Software - 10 Great Free Tools of Communication
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Are you sick and tired of paying hundreds of dollars for writing and design software that does not work? You may want to give the following open-source programs a try-

Movies - Generate New Film Ideas from Existing Movies
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] By cross-tabulating the names of the existing movies you can generate an infinite number of new, interesting and sometimes humorous and whacky movie ideas.

Movie Review – Unknown (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Or, "Reservoir Dogs (1992)" meets "Memento (2000)".

Writing For An International Audience
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You'd better have a firm grip on the contemporary American slang if you are a screenwriter drafting the sequel to "Easy Rider." But if you are a business writer, get into the habit of writing without any local cultural references. Otherwise you will only end up baffling your global business partners.

Writing - Software Documentation - Special Meaning of "Business" in Software Design
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Did you know that for software developers the word "business" (as in "business requirements," "business layer," or "business specs") has a meaning totally different than its regular everyday connotation?

Writing - Write Like an "Insider"
[Writing-and-Speaking] It's a common writing mistake – a head-on and high-handed criticism which leaves the "insiders" with the impression that "this writer has no idea what's going on in here"

Tutorial - Adobe Illustrator - How to Draw a Cylinder From Scratch
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Draw a cylinder from scratch, and learn many helpful basic techniques in the process-

Web Design - 4 Great Tips to Lose Your Web Visitors for Good
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Here are 4 great ideas to make sure no one will visit your web site more than once...

Web Design - Top 6 Tips to Lose Your Web Visitors for Good
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Here are six techniques to make sure no one will visit your website more than once.

Copywriting - Two Golden Rules of Sales Copy
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] If you are writing copy to sell a home-based business opportunity, don't tell your prospective buyers that now through this opportunity they can (for example) visit all the foreign countries that they always wanted to visit. Instead, do this...

Internet and TV Connection - Fiber Optic Rules! Movie aside - Cable
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Electronics] If you are a movie or a TV fan and you like your Internet connection fast and reliable 24x7, go with Fiber Optic, if, that is, it is available in your area.

Movies - Hollywood Pop Quiz 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Which famous screenwriter said "Nobody knows anything!" to summarize the state of affairs in Hollywood? In which film does Sir Anthony Hopkins call his male co-lead a "bitch," not once but twice? Which director passed on the offer to direct The Godfather?

Environment - Capping-and-Trading Carbon Credits - Why Stop There?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Some of the proposed solutions for global warming like capping-and-trading of carbon credits can actually be transferred to other sectors and applied to other pressing social problems. Take education in general, and illiteracy in particular, for example.

Environment – Issues with the "Cap-and-Trade" Scheme
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Issue Number Two -- I do not know of too many politicians who can win an election by disclosing the hidden costs of limiting the "carbon footprint." Would the voters be willing to face skyrocketing consumer prices or brownouts and blackouts?

Environment - Capping-and-Trading Carbon Credits
[News-and-Society:Environmental] An increasing number of giant corporations in the U.S. are now endorsing the cap-and-trade system thinking they need to be at the table when the nature and amount of caps are decided. I think they are being very smart. You either have a role in determining the rules of the cap-and-trade game or you live by its ramifications. You are either sitting at the steering wheel of this cap-and-trade juggernaut or you are going to get hit by it.

Writing - Use Obituaries for Developing Your Characters
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Obituaries can be an endless source of inspiration and ideas for developing new fiction characters or putting a polish on the already developed ones. Besides, I always find it interesting to read the life stories of people I've never met; people who have led interesting lives and did their own thing.

How to Write the First 10 "Ezine Articles" Articles
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing-Articles] I truly believe that writing and reading are their own best guides and tutors. Even if we start from the most ridiculous ideas and positions, if we only keep writing on that topic, in due time we get to see our shortcomings before anyone else does. There is a self-correcting magic in writing that those who write regularly know quite well.

Poetry – Can Poetry be Translated? Yes, if it's Got a Narrative
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Every good poem is indeed a bit like a short film. There is a story there. It's either that or the whole thing is nothing but a marvelous piece of linguistic fireworks.

Movie Review - La Moustache (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A brainy French psychological thriller the taste of which lingers on even long after you see it, the way the fragrance of an exotic incense hangs in the air long after it is put out.

Movie Review - Haven (2004)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is basically a 115 minute hip-hop music video with almost a "guest appearance" by Bill Paxton. If Haven was an entry in a camera techniques competition it might have won a "Golden Handheld Camera" award. But thousands of smart close-ups, an out-of-breath editing and a beautiful island a movie do not make.

Global Warming – New Threats, Challenges and Opportunities
[News-and-Society:Environmental] As our planet continues to warm up and both the atmospheric CO2 and water levels continue to rise, there will be an explosion in the insect, rodent and vermin population. You think we've got a rat problem in big cities right now? Wait until the year 2050 when the temperature of our globe is expected to rise by anywhere from 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius. It's time to invest in the stocks of pest control giants.

Global Warming – New Ideas, Products and Services to Cope With It
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Since global warming is a given, why don't we start thinking of the ways in which we can cope with this inescapable reality as well as slowing down, stopping, and eventually perhaps reversing it?

Misha Dichter, Prokofiev's Sonata No.7, and Brush with Immortality
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] While I almost watched my spirit leave my body with the impact of the composition and the delivery, I also could not help but ponder about the injustice of death, especially the death of a comet like Prokofiev (1891-1953) and no doubt the future and inescapable demise of that angel-on-fire named Misha Dichter.

Movie Review - Uzak (Distant) (2002)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] For those of us who are used to the 3-acts-plus-the-car-chase structure so prevalent in Hollywood products, this is a "European" movie in every sense of the term. The pace is slow and the dialog is at a minimum (which is proof positive of the self-confidence and the caliber of the young director, in my judgment). But Uzak is so jam packed with many heart-wrenching scenes that when you leave the movie theater you are transported back to Istanbul and back to another reality. It is an emotional steamroller.

Movie Review -- The Departed (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The first half is spent by establishing the setting and the backdrop of the story mostly through Jack Nicholson's gravely voiceovers. It is rather slow, searching, and takes its own sweet time to get going. But the second half is like a freight train barreling down the rails straight at you.

Logic – The Burden of Disproving Something and the "50/50 Chance" Fallacy
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The burden of proof should be on the one who is making an affirmative claim. Why should the others carry the burden of disproving it?

Movies – The Importance of Casting
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Casting the right actors for the right roles is like solving half of the riddle of film production. Just look at Helen Mirren as The Queen or Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin. Could anyone else play those character this well, at Oscar level? I doubt it. And the interesting thing is, success of casting has nothing to do whatsoever with the abilities of the individual actors involved.

Movie Review - Bad Company (2002)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Bad Company (2002) is Bad News because it is not a project that Sir Anthony Hopkins should have taken part in. Period.

Movie Review - Diabolically Yours (1967)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "Diabolically Yours," despite the fact that it is in English, should still count as a French film noir (the phrase itself is French anyways) thanks to Alain Delon's tongue-in cheek acting. A classic nevertheless...

Movie Review - Land Of Plenty (2004)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Land of Plenty (2004) has a lot going for it ... It's yet another amazingly delicious and humane film by the one and only Wim Wenders, the Jim Jarmoush of Germany.

Citizen Legislation & Term Limits – An American Concept Worth Exploring
[News-and-Society:Politics] I really like the concept of "citizen legislation" - the popular representation system in force in many U.S. States where state legislators are elected only for a couple of years (usually two) and are paid very symbolic amounts, usually for a part-time job that lasts from 3 to 6 months a year.

Movie Review -- Beyond Suspicion (2000)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An improbable but still arresting downward-mobility story by the writer-director Matthew Tabak. Also released under the title "Auggie Rose."

Elections by Random Lottery? A Polemic for "Sortition"
[News-and-Society:Politics] In a true democracy where the Parliament truly (that is, in a "statistically correct" manner) represents the people, shouldn't the elections be carried out by random lottery?

Power of Branding and Freedom of Poetry
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] What would happen if before one country attacked another, the presidents and top generals from both sides were forced to lock themselves in a room and write at least one poem, expressing why they hate the "other guys" and why they must fight?

Pain Makes a Family
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Standing next to them, I am nothing. They are the survivors of world wars. I'm just a fluke who is privileged to be accepted as a friend.

The Dilemma of Leadership vs. Representation in Democracies
[News-and-Society:Politics] How far should the elected representatives of the people in a democracy go along with the popular choices and what is commonly expressed as the "voice of the people"?

Movie Review - City Hall (1996)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Some movies are just for watching and then forgetting them. They are for pure entertainment. But others like "Gods and Generals" are good enough to be a part of the curriculum in Political Science, American Studies or Sociology departments of all universities. CITY HALL is one such flick.

Philosophy of the "Optimal" - the Necessary Condition of Freedom, Part 2
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] A song is the invasion of silence by sound. But where do you stop in between Beethoven's deafness and the roar of the Space Shuttle? And when we select a zone of optimum sound, is it music or still a noise?

Philosophy of the "Optimal" - the Necessary Condition of Freedom, Part 1
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] There is "the minimum" and "the maximum." And then, there is "the optimal." Just somewhere in between. The optimal is the zone where the cruelty of zero choices intersects with the madness of an infinite selection.

Movie Review - Heaven (2002)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A deeply ambivalent thriller... If only we were provided with a consistent ethical resolution at the end... Instead we are left with a lingering and unresolved question about the morality of indiscriminate killing to redress an injustice and the role of love and romance within that troublesome context.

Movie Review - Destination Tokyo (1943), Interesting Trivia
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] When he was late to the set one day, Cary Grant was bent over and spanked by a paddle by Director Delmer Daves in order to set a clear precedent for the other staff who were also showing up late.

Movie Review – Gunga Din (1939), Detailed Analysis
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Gunga Din is built on a plot line with a "split level" personality. It is like two different organisms with two different personalities living inside the same body.

Movie Review – Gunga Din (1939), A Critical View
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Gunga Din (1939) is proof positive of two facts: 1. A famous poem might not always have the plot backbone to carry a 2-hour movie. 2. Just like you cannot make a good cup lemonade by a committee, you cannot force a good movie out of 10 writers either, even if one of them is a Nobel laureate (2 story writers, 2 official screenwriters, and 6 uncredited writers including the illustrious William Faulkner).

Movie Review - Gunga Din (1939), Interesting Trivia
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Some observers claim that Gunga Din has become the source of inspiration for many of the plot lines in the Indiana Jones films, as well as the "Temple of Doom." The motif of "The Other" lives on.

Movie Review - Destination Tokyo (1943)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An obvious war propaganda movie made back in 1943 with full blessings of the Navy Department. However, this Cary Grant flick falls flat on its face by today's standards for its lack of realism and heavy-handed exposition. Written by (also the director) Delmer Daves and Albert Maltz from a story by Steve Fisher.

Movies - Importance of Lighting in The Illusionist (2006) and Marie Antoinette (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Rembrandt said "all is light." If our reference is the visible universe, I think he is right. In movies, even emotions are dependent on the way a film is lighted. That's why I think DP (director of photography) is such a crucial part of a film crew, perhaps as important as the Director herself.

Adobe Photoshop Tutorial - Creating a Glass Orb (the Quick Method)
[Writing-and-Speaking] Adobe Photoshop Tutorial -- Creating a Glass Orb (the Quick Method)

Print Design and Layout - A Remarkable Achievement in News Magazine Design: The Economist
[Writing-and-Speaking] I've been designing magazines, brochures and a wide variety of printed documentation for over twenty years now and I have to admit that I have not seen a news magazine better designed than The Economist.

Movie Review - Hollywoodland (2006) Rocks!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This movie revolves around Reeves' career and his suspicious death. That is the factual part. The fictional part is introduced by the introduction of Adrien Brody's character, a certain Louis Simo, a private investigator coming from the seedy side of town, a quick-thinking street-smart failed-father hustler who ends up a very changed man while trying to solve the Superman's murder.

Movie Review -- The Wrong Man (1956)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is one Hitchcock movie that is all grim business and no dillydallying theatrics. No Hitchcock cameos, for example (except in the opening scene where a silhouetted Hitch addresses the viewers directly from inside what looks like an airplane hangar). No heroes hanging down from the cliffs or tall buildings in as Hitch used consistency in films like North by Northwest, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, etc. There is none of the Freudian psychoanalysis gobbledygook that we saw in Marnie and Spellbound either.

Calorie Restriction (CR) - Resveratrol and Long Life
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Reducing the calorie intake actually seems to do more than just guarantee a slim physique. According to the recent research, "calorie restriction" (CR) seems to be fighting the aging process and stretching the life span of lab mice as well.

Underweight Women Miscarry 70% More
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Looking skinny is considered a desirable fashion statement but did you know that it also leads to 70% more miscarriages in pregnant women during their first trimester?

The Nobel Prize in Nursing - A Recognition Whose Time Has Come
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Why is there not a similar Nobel prize for the Nurses, recognizing at least one "healing angel" on behalf of all the other countless health care providers, honoring them and recognizing their indisputable contribution to the world health and peace?

Movies - A Masterpiece: Don't Come Knocking (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This indy directed by Win Wenders and written and lead-acted by Sam Sheppard will stay with me for a long while. For one thing, if the immortal Edward Hopper became a movie director instead of a painter, he'd probably end up shooting this beauty. The Montana town where the movie was shot is straight out of a Hopper painting, exploding with sharp lonely shadows and stark sunlight, creating an eerie space where human folly and loneliness is impossible to hide.

Screenwriting -- Two More Screenplay Plots with Cell Phones
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Cell Phone Boiler 3 – Max Has a Maximum Surprise Cell Phone Boiler 4 - Elephants Never Forget

Screenwriting -- Two Screenplay Plots with Cell Phones
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Cell Phone Boiler 1 - Don't Touch That Damn Phone!
Cell Phone Boiler 2 – Oops! The Wrong Address Book

Web Marketing – Make Sure Your Web Site Link is Not Parked in a "Link Farm"
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Link-Popularity] Periodically check the sites linking to you to make sure that your good name is not part of a “Link Farm,” that is, those directory web sites that are set up just to provide links to one another and thus to artificially boost up their search rankings. If the search engines find your link in such a farm, even if you know nothing about it, your search can be penalized.

Web Marketing – Compare Your Brand with a Much Better Known National or Global Brand
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Site-Promotion] Here is an innovative method to improve your web site's search engine ranking. Set up a web page comparing your organization, products and/or services with a very well-known national- or perhaps world-brand competitor.

Web Marketing & Free PR - A Well-Stocked “Media Room” on Your Web Site is What Editors Need
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Development] Watch your sales or membership subscriptions soar by offering an online Media Room on your web site to provide all the necessary easy-to-use copy and photos for the editors who are on a deadline.

Screenwriting - Story Plot Asks a Question and Characters Answer It
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] For over ten years I've thought about the fascinating question of the relationship between a story plot and characters in a screenplay. At long last I believe I solved the puzzle to my own satisfaction. I'm sharing my answer here with the hopes that it will help all my fellow screenwriters struggling with the pseudo problem of whether the "story" or the "characters" is more important in writing a screenplay.

Travel Nurses - 9 Questions to Ask Before Signing up with a Healthcare Job Staffing Agency
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Travel nurses are in high demand all over the country. Due to such demand, there are also a number of staffing agencies that specialize in finding jobs for such nurses and supporting their career, personal and financial goals. So how can one decide whether to sign up with a travel nurse staffing agency or not?

Travel Nurses Spoiled With Benefits in a Rewarding Career with Excellent Future Prospects
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Imagine living in California for a year and then moving to New York for six months, And then perhaps moving out to Hawaii, with all your travel expenses paid. Imagine enjoying an above average income wherever you go, with almost 100% job security and prospective employers lined up to welcome you in your next chosen home? These are some of the things enjoyed by all travel nurses who are in very high demand.

Travel Nurses Enjoy Excellent Benefits While Visiting and Living in Exciting Cities Across the USA
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Travel nurses are hired by medical facilities for periods averaging from six months to a year or more and they are in high demand all across the United States.

Travel Nurses Are in High Demand - They Earn a Lot and See the World
[Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Travel nurses are a special breed of healthcare workers. In this century of retiring Baby Boomers who need an increasing number of health services, there simply is not enough travel nurses to go around.

Travel Maryland - Ocean City Golf Courses - Mix Business with Vacation and Sports
[Travel-and-Leisure:Golf-Travel-and-Resorts] Who says you can't have it all? Maryland has enough gold clubs to cater to every businessman and woman's fondest dream – to mix business and pleasure without neglecting either. Ocen City, well-known for its Boardwalk and fantastic beaches, is also home to the Amateur Classic held in June. Four days of putting, driving and chipping on velvet greens is the best reward any businessperson can have, especially if one is travelling with family. Ocean City has enough amusement parks, shopping venues, clubs and beaches to keep everyone happy while you play your best one one of the four championship courses: Rum Pointe, Newport Bay, River Run and Lighthouse Sound.

Travel -- Maryland -- Unique and Amazing Tourist Attractions of Frederick, Maryland
[Travel-and-Leisure] Every September, on the third week following the Labor Day holiday, the Great Frederick Fair welcomes all visitors with a program that is worthy of its name. The Fair was first held back in May 1822. How's that for some tradition? It first started as a "Cattle Show" and progressed to its current status as a 4-H agricultural educational fair and good old fashioned entertainment for the whole family. Local farmers compete to win the top prizes for their exhibited cattle and livestock.

Travel -- Maryland -- Visit Historic Museums of Frederick, Maryland for Education and Fun
[Travel-and-Leisure] Frederick, Maryland has got many museums to offer an interesting menu for the lovers of American history. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine (www.civilwarmed.org) is one such unique museum displaying the real conditions under which the wounded were operated and treated during those difficult years. The Barbara Fritchie House and Museum honors this interesting woman who supposedly challenged the mercurial Stonewall Jackson with “shoot if you must, this old gray head, but spare your country's flag.” Her reconstructed home now welcomes visitors as a museum.

Travel -- Maryland -- Historic Sights to See in Frederick, Maryland
[Travel-and-Leisure] Maryland is full of interesting spots to visit and marvel at at holidays and weekends. The historic town of Frederick at North, the county seat of Frederick County, is one such spot. If you appreciate American history, you should definitely take a walking tour of the historic downtown Frederick. The variety of churches, spires and classic looking buildings will certainly appeal to the amateur art historian in you. The ninety minute walk includes a stop by at the Historical Society of Frederick County Museum and the famous Roger Brooke Taney House.

Travel -- Maryland -- The Magic and Fun of Baltimore's Inner Harbor Is What Your Family Needs
[Travel-and-Leisure] Baltimore's Inner Harbor is one of those special places where "it's happening" all the time, in all seasons of the year. The open-air stage in the center of this bustling shopping and museum zone alone is enough to hold visitors spellbound thanks to an unusual array of performers ranging from fire-eating circus acts to great amateur bands singing their hearts out for recognition and pocket change.

Education Maryland: How Much Does Annual Tuition Cost in 26 Maryland Colleges?
[Reference-and-Education:College-University] Maryland offers a lot of options for college students, at different prices. Here is a list of how much the Maryland colleges cost in general or for the In-State (IS) and Out-of-State (OOS) students (for state colleges), according to the official 2005 figures published by the Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, Jr's office:

Travel -- Maryland -- Golf Courses -- Great Fairways and Legendary Greens to Test Your Skills
[Travel-and-Leisure] If you're a golf fan, Maryland has many options and surprises for you. The rich selection of fairways in practically every county makes Maryland an ideal destination for golf enthusiasts at every level of the game. That must be why a number of distinguished golf tournaments have been held in Maryland including LPGA McDonald's Championship (at Hartford County's Bulle Rock), U.S. Senior Open (Caves Valley Golf Club in Baltimore County), the famous Booz Allen Classic (at the classy and exclusive Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Montgomery County). The same Bethesda club will also hold the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship in 2009 and the U.S. Open two years after that.

Education – Maryland – 26 Colleges Offer a Wealth of Educational Options in the Oyster State
[Reference-and-Education:College-University] Maryland is a state that takes education seriously. The proof is in the 26 colleges and universities spread out through the state, with an important concentrations of them in Baltimore. Here is the list of the 26 to give you an idea about the wealth of options available to the “Oyster State” students:

Travel -- Maryland -- Golf Courses -- Elite Fairways Welcome the Good, the Bad and the Lucky
[Travel-and-Leisure] Whether you are a good or bad golfer does not matter. In Maryland all golfers are lucky to have access to some of the most beautifully designed courses ever. Take the Eagle's Landing in Berlin, MD for example. It is a gorgeous but tough course on the Eastern Shore that has the distinction of being the very first in Maryland certified as an "Audubon Sanctuary Golf Course." It represents a great marriage of nature and sports, with individual links placed along wetlands and marshes.

Travel Maryland: African-American Heritage Museums in Maryland That You Should Visit
[Travel-and-Leisure] Maryland is a state rich in African-American ethnic heritage. Did you know that, for example, Harriet Tubman, commemorated as the “Moses of her people” by the Maryland Civil War Centennial Commission, was born and raised in Buckstown, Maryland, not too far away from the bustling East Shore touristic attraction of Ocean City? Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center is in Cambridge, MD. This ethnic heritage is honored and preserved in a series of fascinating museums that you should visit with your whole family due to their great educational value.

Autism Society of America – An Advocacy Organization I Believe In
[Health-and-Fitness:Autism] Autism is a dreaded disease without a cure. Most of the time, and especially in its popular Hollywood depictions, it is treated as if it inflicts only those with a divine gift for performing incredible feats of memory, like the famous Rain Man played by Dustin Hoffman. Although it is true that some autistic children and adults do display such incredible intellectual feats, my own humble experience has shown me that actually it is an very painful and stressful disease for all concerned. I wish there was a cure for it and that's why I try to support all organizations that work towards that goal.

Maryland Metro -- Electoral Controversy -- Purple Metro Line in Maryland
[News-and-Society:Politics] The proposed purple metro line between Bethesda and New Carrolton, Maryland has been an on and off issue for years. The local business interests of Bethesda and Chevy Chase and other parties like the local politician Steve Silverman have been pushing for this new metro line for years, arguing it will bring new business and vitality to the area and relieve the already congested Capital Beltway (495). The detractors of the idea including some local well-to-do residents and local politicians like Ike Leggett resist the idea arguing it will increase the commercial traffic trough some choice neighborhoods and create new urban problems rather than solving them.

Travel – Washington DC – Ride the Circulator Bus
[Travel-and-Leisure] Washington DC is a grand old marvelous town chock full of monuments, museums and amazing historical sites to see and appreciate. But Washington DC also has a monster of a problem that the residents and frequent visitors are very familiar with and the first-time visitors don't know anything about – parking.

Travel – Washington DC – City Segway Tours
[Travel-and-Leisure] When I saw a group of middle-aged men and women in biking helmets but no bikes the other day in downtown Washington DC I thought it was just a group that was walking too fast. But their limbs were not moving at all. In fact they looked like some statues transported in the back of a low-riding pickup truck. Then when I got near, my jaw dropped – they were all riding Segways, the bike-like transportation contraption that sells about five grand a piece.

Travel – Ocean City, Maryland – Fun Things To Do
[Travel-and-Leisure] If you are bored in Ocean City, Maryland you will probably be bored anywhere and everywhere. Think of a delicate and narrow bacon-strip of land sandwiched in between the Atlantic Ocean and a necklace of interconnected bays - a strip 150 city blocks long!

3rd Big Myth of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:SEO] MYTH 3) "When I type "BRANZOL, CARRUTHERS, PARSIFAL, WHIMSEY & MUMBARSOLA" into Google and hit the search button my company shows up on the top of the first page! So this shows that I don't need any SEO help."

Top 2 Myths of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:SEO] Most business owners do not want to admit that "staying up on top" of the Google search results is a tough Darwinian process and requires attention to content, regular maintenance, and the kind of investment most business owners spend regularly on yellow pages, print advertisement, and gift items. So with my apologies in advance, I'd like to pop the balloon of the following two worst SEO myths circulating out there:

Web Navigation - Indispensable Rule Number 3 of Hi-ROI Web Site Navigation
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] A recent client request to review their web site usability prompted me to codify some of the rules with which I approach web navigation. These 3 principles work 100% and every deviation from them only brings confusion to the end user and thus lowers the corporate ROI (Return on Investment). Rule Number 3: Mutual Exclusivity.

Web Navigation - Indispensable Rule Number 2 of Hi-ROI Web Site Navigation
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] A recent client request to review their web site usability prompted me to codify some of the rules with which I approach web navigation. These 3 principles work 100% and every deviation from them only brings confusion to the end user and thus lowers the corporate ROI (Return on Investment). Rule Number 2: Less-Is-More.

Web Navigation - Indispensable Rule Number 1 of Hi-ROI Web Site Navigation
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] A recent client request to review their web site usability prompted me to codify some of the rules with which I approach web navigation. These 3 principles work 100% and every deviation from them only brings confusion to the end user and thus lowers the corporate ROI (Return on Investment). Rule Number 1: Don't-Make-Me-Think.

Writing -- MS Word -- Slick Word Link in a Blink
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You can insert HTML links to your MS Word documents in a split second.

MS Outlook -- Set Up an Appointment and Place It on Someone's Calendar
[Business:Workplace-Communication] I think MS Outlook is still the best mail organizer for the money out there, especially for Enterprise-size offices.

Self-Publish a Wall Calendar
[Business:Marketing] Calendars are great to keep your name in front of your clients and membership and summer is the time to start thinking about next year's calendars.

Writing - MS Word - The "Da Gates Code" of Hidden Paragraph Markers
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Have you ever wondered why you cannot edit just the way you want to edit a selected numbered list item in MS Word? Were you ever frustrated by your inability to change the step numbers from, let's say, plain-black to bold-red, no matter what you tried?

Spirituality – Compassion for the "Lottery Winners"
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I used to play lottery quite regularly but not anymore. At one point I was even scared that one day I might actually end up hitting the jackpot! I suddenly realized that I would then lose much of what precious friends and family I have right now while "winning" a lot of new toys and expensive diversions, plus the unending supercilious condescension of some filthy rich strangers.

Spirituality -- "Praising" as an Act of Honoring the World
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Most people think they'd love to be praised but I suspect sometimes they don't know exactly how to handle it. Why? Because right after that initial warm feeling of satisfaction, doubt rears its ugly head: "Was that person sincere in his praise? How do I know he really meant what he is saying? Or is there a secret agenda behind all that sugar and spice?"

Spirituality -- "Doing Nothing" as an Act of Compassion
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There are infinite acts of compassion in this world. Some are well advertised, like "feeding the hungry" or "helping the sick." Yet there are many others that are not that well advertised. I'm recognizing these other acts as I get older and have the time to stop and look back at my own life and see which acts led to what and what total good came out of it as a result.

Writing – MS Word 2003 – Create Your Own Custom Toolbars
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS Word comes with a wealth of toolbars, all accessible from the View > Toolbars menu. But what if you need your very own special toolbar with only the kind of menu items and functional tools that you need and use frequently? By designing your own toolbar you can increase your productivity substantially.

Movies – Can "Romantic Comedy" Survive the 21st Century?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] How can we have true comedy, and especially romantic comedy, when the world seems to be exploding at the seams? With all these wars, international terrorism, global warming, nuclear proliferation, unheard of pandemics, who has the heart to celebrate the innocence of a romantic comedy?

Movie Review -- The Awful Truth (1937)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Another Leo McCarey film starring Cary Grant (like AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957)). And another Cary Grant screwball comedy in which a married man is trying to stave off his wife's (THE GRASS IS GREENER) or ex-wife's (HIS GIRL FRIDAY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY) marriage to another man. This movie which launched Grant into the orbit of a bona-fide Hollywood star also brought a Best Director Oscar for McCarey.

Writing – MS Word 2003 – Use Bookmarks for Global Corrections and "Running Headers or Footers"
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Imagine you have a 200 page MS Word document with repeating text elements like an address, a name, or a date which repeated over and over throughout the document. And imagine, after finishing the document, or when it's time to update it, your boss tells you to change the name from "John" to "Bob." One way to do it of course is to use a global Find and Replace. But what if you'd like to replace only some of the "John"s to "Bob"? Are you going to check them one by one? Or what if you want to do it automatically without the need to remember to do a Find and Replace?

Movie Review - The Squid and the Whale (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is yet another great Jeff Daniels movie based on a very strong script by Noah Baumbach who also directed this family drama. Bernie Berkman (Daniels) is an English professor married to another writer Joan (delivered with great texture by Laura Linney). They have two sons Walt (Chicken) (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank (Pinkie) Berkman (Owen Kline) who go through their own breakdown episodes when they hear that their mom and dad are separating.

Movie Review - The Grass Is Greener (1960)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] As aristocratic a romantic comedy as it gets in which Cary Grant, raised dirt poor as "Archie Leach" in Bristol, England, plays Earl Victor Rhyall, a British nobleman living in a salmon pink castle with his wife Lady Hilary Rhyall (played by Deborah Kerr). The palpable Grant-Kerr chemistry that made AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957) such a success is here at play too and probably the chief factor that somewhat salvages this otherwise forgettable flick.

Movie Review - Indiscreet (1958)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A romantic comedy that takes place (like a few other Cary Grant pictures) in the world of British upper class, among well-bred and prosperous ladies and gentlemen whose chief anxiety is a good life lived alone, with no one worthy to share. That's when we forget that we are removed from this distant "parallel universe" by a class differential of galactic proportions and comfortably internalize the human drama at the core of the story regardless of our own socioeconomic background.

Movie Review - The Philadelphia Story (1940)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A romantic comedy classic directed by George Cukor and adapted to the screen by Donald Ogden Stewart from Philip Barry's Broadway hit play. Although Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart share top billing with Katherine Hepburn, this is clearly Hepburn's movie. The story revolves around her profound transformation from an "ice queen" to a warm human being who discovers what true love is -- which proves to be her ultimate salvation.

Movie Review - Firewall (2006)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Haven't we seen this movie before? Wasn't there another movie in which Harrison Ford was again trying to defend his family against rude intruders crashing into his home uninvited? Was it called "Patriot Games (1992)"? A formulaic thriller that begins and ends as expected, true to all the honorable cliches known to Hollywood. Watch it if 1) there is nothing better on the tube, 2) you are a true Harrison Ford fan, or 3) you really believe that it's possible to rob a modern bank by using nothing more than the scanning rod of a fax machine and your daughter's iPod.

Movie Review - People Will Talk (1951)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is such a curious and astonishing film that it's hard to decide whether it's a classic gem or a bungled effort to deliver a number of political messages through the "motion picture" format.

Movie Review - The Night of the Iguana (1964)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A timeless classic directed and co-written by John Houston from another great stage play by Tennessee Williams. Anthony Veiller was Houston's co-writer. An unqualified 10 out of 10 despite the fact that it won no Oscars except for the “Best Costume Design, Black-and-White” for Dorothy Jeakins. Good for Jeakins. But the absence of Oscars for this film in the “Best Acting,” “Best Writing” and “Best Directing” categories is nothing short of a joke for the rest of us movie fans.

Movie Review - Walk Don't Run (1966)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Walk Don't Run (1966) is a soft romantic comedy built on the premise of lack of living space in the cramped Tokyo of 1964 Olympics and was Cary Grant's last movie, capping his 30-plus years of successful movie career. This is the last time the movie fans savored his right-hand-always-in-his-pant's-pocket polished presence and top-notch comedy skills. Yet this is the probably one of those rare films in which he is not the lead. Despite the fact that he got a top billing in the credits, Tim Hutton (playing the young architect-athlete Steve Davis ) and Samantha Eggar (the redhead landlady Christine Easton) definitely do have equally important roles. In terms of the romantic core of the movie the lead star is Tim Hutton, not Grant.

Movie Review - Penny Serenade (1941)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An unremarkable (by today's standards) childrearing melodrama in which Cary Grant delivers a performance so good that he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. George Stevens directed the script by Morrie Ryskind. The whole movie unfolds as a series of linear flashbacks, each triggered by the LP records a disconsolate Julie (Irene Dunne) is playing on a gramophone just before she leaves her house for good. The reason? There does not seem to be anything left in her marriage to keep her there. We are soon to learn the reason why and all the tragic events that led her to that wistful moment.

Movie Review - An Affair to Remember (1957)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A remake of Leo Carey's 1939 hit "Love Affair" starring Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer and Maria Ouspenskaya. This same script would be shot (with some cosmetic plots changes) once more time as "Love Affair" in 1994 starring Warren Betty, Annette Benning, and Katherine Hepburn. Structurally this is a very interesting and lop-sided classic that starts as a comedy and ends a 5-hankie drama. If it weren't for the famous last scene I doubt if it would have the longevity it had since 1957. Since then it became an almost cult classic and is even paid homage to in Nora Ephron's SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993).

Movie Review - Bishop's Wife (1947)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I thought this would be a movie in which Cary Grant character would be falling in love with a "bishop's wife" and creating untold complications along the way. Not quite. In this very romantic "Christmas film" directed by Henry Koster, Cary Grant actually plays Dudley, an angel on earth and a creature far removed from carnal desires and preoccupations. He materializes as a response to the deepest prayers of the episcopal Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) who begs for some divine guidance to solve his vexing problem and perhaps he gets more guidance than he ever wished for.

Movie Review - His Girl Friday (1940)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A much-praised romantic comedy classic directed by Howard Hawks and written by Charles Lederer based on the stage play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. A lovely film in which both Grant and Russell prove that they have the manic energy and smooth skills to deliver their complicated lines without a mishap while not sacrificing the physical comedy details jam-packed into every scene. Two rascals who know one another better than anybody else in life – and a well meaning insurance salesman who looks like a babe in the woods next to the two main operators. Needless to say, it's also an eye-opener testimony to the way newspaper business was conducted in the 40s. We are all lucky the journalism profession, despite all its shortcoming, has much higher ethical standards today.

Movie Review - Operation Petticoat (1959)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A rather average Blake Edwards comedy released the same year as that other Cary Grant movie that would destined to become a classic of all times – NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959). OPERATION PETTICOAT is written by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin. The film is one long flashback of Admiral Sherman (Cary Grant) who used to be the first captain of an old WW2 sub about to be commissioned.

Original Movie Plot - The Green Prophecy of 2206
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Two hundred years into the future. Global warming is a past reality. Polar ice caps have melted and water covered the Ohio and San Fernando Valleys. With the rising water levels, little green bottles arrive out of nowhere. Tens of thousands of them. People just pick'em up from their doorsteps. A mystical sci-fi thriller a la Tarkovsky.

Original Movie Plot - The Borders Within
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Brandon is a strapping young college drop-out hired by the private border posse to chase and hunt down illegal immigrants down at the US-Mexico border. Brandon, riding a horse along the shores of Rio Grande, starts to track a group of illegals floating on a raft, a family of six. (An original movie plot by Creative Copywriter Ugur Akinci.)

Original Movie Plot - Running Nowhere
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Randy has a terrible fight with his wife Yolanda. So as usual he puts on his running shorts, t-shirt and jogging shoes and hits the pavement to release off some steam. At the third mile of his usual 5-mile route, Yolanda calls him on his cell phone to tell him how realy realy upset she still is with him. She just won't let it go. Their conversation escalates to a new level of outrage. Randy crushes his cell phone under his heel and takes off in a new direction unknown. (An original movie plot by Creative Copywriter Ugur Akinci.)

Original Movie Plot - Green Corleone
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Gus is a modern mafia boss who is a champion of environmentalist causes and he is still single at age 43. The first one in his family to finish a (community) college, Gus drives a Toyota Prius and recycles his trash (An original movie plot by Creative Copywriter Ugur Akinci.)

Original Movie Plot - Who is Kim?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Kim and Shawna, two very upbeat door-to-door cosmetic saleswoman die in an unexpected car accident in the middle of nowhere in Utah. Their bodies are discovered a few hours later by the State Police and taken to the City Morgue. Kim's body is stolen from the morgue by two clandestine figures in the middle of the night for a private autopsy at an underground location. The news is not good. They realize that they have actually stolen Shawna's body by mistake, due to a bureacratic error in labelling the bodies.(An original movie plot by Creative Copywriter Ugur Akinci.)

Original Movie Plot - Bounty Hunting Hearts
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Rock and Cindy are two bounty hunters, the best in their profession. Once they were married but they divorced after a terrible fight which both regretted later on... An original movie plot by Creative Copywriter Ugur Akinci. Enjoy!

Traveling - Top 10 Things to do in Ocean City, Maryland
[Travel-and-Leisure] Oh, Ocean City, Maryland how much I love thee! It's a great if crowded place to take your friends and loved ones to during the summer months of you are living anywhere near Maryland, Delaware, Virginia or the District of Columbia.

Running for Cash - Hit the Pavement and Make Up to $4,000 a Month
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Running is not a dependable way to earn a living and take care of a family, but… What if instead of playing poker or fishing over the weekends you choose to run half- and full marathons? And what if I told you that if you are a really good runner you can make up to $4,000 a month by winning a race every weekend, depending of course on the season and month of the year?

Piggyback Mortgages - S&P Study Reveals 43% Higher Default Risk
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Piggyback mortgages can save you some money upfront but as always - buyer beware. Check with your mortgage broker before making your final decision. It may be well worth it to get a copy of the original S&P study and read further on the topic.

Piggyback Mortgages – One of the 3 Alternatives to Avoid Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you are buying a home and not forking out a down payment of at least 20%, the chances are you will be asked to pay for the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). The lender wants to protect himself against the borrower defaulting on the loan. But the cost of such a guarantee, PMI, is paid monthly by the borrower and not the lender. Since the human mind is genetically wired to "get everything for nothing," a solution had to be found to detour around the pesky PMI.

Movies – The Politically Incorrect Films That Cannot Be Shot Today
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] As a movie fan I watch as many old films as new ones. Every week I watch at least 3 or 4 movies that were shot back in the 40s, 50s or the 60s. And it's amazing how politically incorrect quite a few of them are.

Movies – Why Must Movies Have an "Ending"?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The 3-Act Structure is not here by accident. It's a human invention created to protect our values, beliefs and sanity against the "chaos out there." That's why I think as long as the world exists, the neat linear ordering of "the beginning, the middle and the end" will be with us to stay.

Plot Points - The Long Hot Summer (1958)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] PROTAGONIST BEN'S DILEMMA: He is kicked from one county of Louisiana to another as a "barn burner" although the accusation could not be proven true. He wants to live a good straight life but the dark cloud of bad reputation follows him wherever he goes.

Plot Points - Munich (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Munich (2005) is a story that pleased no one. Both the Jews and the Palestinians criticized it for not doing justice to their own cause. But in his thankless mission, Spielberg came as close to adopting an objective point of view as humanly and artistically possible by showing the pros and cons of all arguments, and above all, the futility and madness of premeditated murder for both sides.

Happiness – Anything Over $12,000 Can't Buy It
[Self-Improvement:Happiness] According to a recent study conducted by Richard Layard of London School of Economics, wealth above $12,000 dollars does not necessarily increase one's happiness and contentment in life. Here is a story I heard many years ago when I was in college...

Movie Review -- The Long, Hot Summer (1958)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] What a Southern story, what a writer, what a cast and ride! In its dramatic content and tension, this Faulkner story reminded me another Southern story by another Southern writer – Tennessee Williams's "The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," also shot in 1957 and released in 1958, and also starring the impossibly handsome Paul Newman.

Reverse Mortgage – A Financing Alternative for Homeowners 62 Years and Older
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you are over 62 and own your single family home, townhouse or condominium you might be eligible for a dependable source of monthly income -- reverse mortgage.

The Matador (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is one seriously well-written action-comedy flick in which both Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear soar into the stratosphere of professional acting.

FrameMaker Single Sourcing – How to Hide Page Number Cross-References by Conditional Text
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you have a document that will be printed hardcopy (or distributed as PDF) as well as used as a help file, the hyperlinked page number cross-references usually create a problem since page numbers do not make sense in a help file and should not be there. So what are you going to do? Create two different versions of the same document, one with and the other without page number references? Of course not.

7 New Powers for the New and Improved Superman!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor] I sometimes marvel at the sweetly archaic portrayal of Superman in the movies. And I always secretly wish the new Superman had some new powers more appropriate for our day and age and more in tune with the spirit of the times. Yes, to see through the walls, stop runaway school buses full of children and stopping bullets is cool, but how about these new powers?

Microsoft Word 2003 – Research Any Topic You Want From Inside Your Document
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Microsoft Word 2003 has a great utility which one can easily call "a gift" for all writers. You can research any topic you want without leaving the document you are working on, provided you have a live Internet connection on the same computer.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create Amazing Illustrations and Drawings in a Second
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Microsoft Word 2003 has probably one of the most powerful drawing and illustration utilities around short of other full-fledged drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand. The miracles start when you display the DRAW toolbar by selecting View > Toolbars > Drawing from the main menu.

3 Basic Chemicals Your Swimming Pool Needs
[Home-Improvement:Swimming-Pools-Spas] There are the 3 indispensable chemicals that you’ll be using all the time to keep your pool clean of algae, germs, and bacteria. Get ready to spend some money on them on a regular basis...

9 Questions to Ask Before You Build an In-Ground Swimming Pool
[Home-Improvement:Swimming-Pools-Spas] Are you willing to devote time regularly to maintain your pool since an in-ground swimming pool is a high maintenance item? Please be aware that, if you are planning to sell your home one day, for some buyers an in-ground swimming pool is not an asset but actually a liability due to its high-maintenance nature.

Private In-ground Swimming Pools – Pros and Cons
[Home-Improvement:Swimming-Pools-Spas] It's the swimming and swimming-pool season again. If you are living for away to a beach or there are no public swimming pools around, a private swimming pool in the backyard is always a welcomed relief – especially if you are living in the South and have kids at home. Let's imagine you are house hunting and you came across a house with an in-ground swimming pool. Should you jump on it? Should that be the "bonus" on which you should base your decision?

Writing as a "Consultant" - Is It For You?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Every professional writer probably at some point in his/her life considered whether to work for a company or go at it along as a consultant. There are pros and cons to both positions. But which one is better for you?

Arif Mardin, a Creative Giant of Music - An Appreciation
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Arif Mardin was a creative giant in an industry too competitive for lesser souls to succeed. He was the arranger and producer behind the successes of many top-hit artists who have become household names in the past - Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Hall & Oates, Chaka Khan, Manhattan Transfer, Modern Jazz Quartet, Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand, Patti Labelle, Queen, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Roberta Flack, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, and Norah Jones.

Communication - How to Really Mean It When We Talk About "You"
[Self-Improvement:Leadership] Genuine communication creates wonders when we are really ready to listen and learn something new from "you." If we just forget about this or that "communication technique" and instead choose to ask a SPECIFIC question ABOUT the other person and then LISTEN to LEARN something NEW about "you," we'll never go wrong. It's always going to be a win-win situation.

Three Styles of Driving - and One of Them Can Kill You
[Automotive] There are three different ways of driving with three distinct effects on your health. At the end of the day you are free to choose the type of driving you are doing and free to suffer or enjoy the distinct health effects associated with them.

Take 10-Second "Micro Breaks" Throughout the Day for Your Health
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Most of those really cannot afford time off for long vacations, or get up 3 a.m. in the morning for an hour of yoga and meditation. Evenings are no better either. Long commutes back to home are becoming a standard routine in many metropolitan areas around the world. Instead, you can try taking "micro breaks," each perhaps 5 or 10 seconds long, in situations where your body is "captive" but your mind can do what it pleases,

Alonzo Mourning – An Appreciation
[Recreation-and-Sports] Don't count your chicken before they hatch. Don't get ready for an NBA championship parade before you win 4 games either.

Aaron Spelling Spelled Success – An Appreciation
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The TV industry has lost one of its most successful producers. Aaron Spelling, 83, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, has made it from a poor kid to the creator of such unforgettable shows as the CHARLIE'S ANGELS, DYNASTY, and THE LOVE BOAT has passed away in Los Angeles, as a result of a stroke.

Microsoft Word 2003 – Create a Table in a Second
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Creating tables is child's play with Microsoft Word 2003.

Spirituality – God is Everywhere, Perhaps Even in "Common Sense"
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Omniscience and omnipotence are two attributes always spelled side by side with our conception of "God." Yet there is the risk that one can take that belief perhaps a bit too mechanically and assume that since "God is in control of everything" nothing bad will happen to us no matter how we behave.

Microsoft Word 2003 - Create a Cycle Diagram in a Second
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You can create an amazing variety of fantastic-looking Cycle Diagrams in Microsoft Word 2003 without using any external graphic programs.

Spirituality – Personal Example and Integrity Matters More Than Anything Else
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When it comes to spiritual matters I believe there is a lot of talk and not enough action. And by "action," I mean the way one lives her life or the way one conducts his own business. The way we present ourselves to others just the way we are, without any throat-clearing or posturing, is a lot more effective way to communicate certain spiritual truths than mere lecturing.

Dan Rather - An Appreciation
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Dan Rather was a reporter’s reporter whom I’ve admired greatly. But I also believe that he would be still anchoring his news desk today (June 2006) if he could only rein in his political impulses.

Lightning - Cell Phones, iPods Can Zap in a Thunderstorm, British Study Claims
[Travel-and-Leisure:Outdoors] Did you know that you can get hurt bad (even killed) by lightning if you are listening to your iPod or talking on your cell phone during a thunderstorm?

Movies – "Tramway Car" Analogy of Fame in Hollywood
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Cary Grant had a marvelous analogy to explain the mechanism of fame in Hollywood. He likened the whole film industry to a tramway car with only so many seats and standing space.

Movies -- Cary Grant's "Bob Pender Years"
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Cary Grant grew up as "Archie Leach," the son of a poor working class family in Bristol, England. Once bitten by the acting bug, young Archie seems to have done his level best to get kicked out of school -- according to Nancy Nelson who probably wrote the best biographical volume on Cary Grant.

Sports – World Soccer Cup 2006 – From a UFO Log Book
[Recreation-and-Sports:Soccer] June 2006. Our UFO has landed quietly last night in a densely populated coordinate at a region humans refer to as "Germany." This particular congregation was generating so much noise we were compelled to study the anomaly...

Writing – FrameMaker Markers Ease the Pain of Big Tech Book Projects (Index Marker)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Those technical writers who have written manuals running hundreds and even thousands of pages know the difficulty of keeping index markers and cross-references under control. But if you are an Adobe FrameMaker user, you are lucky because FM provides you with many ways to mark a document. In this article I’ll show you how to use the all too important Index marker.

Writing – FrameMaker Markers Ease the Pain of Big Tech Book Projects (Comment Marker)
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Those technical writers who have written manuals running hundreds and even thousands of pages know the difficulty of keeping index markers and cross-references under control. But if you are an Adobe FrameMaker user, you are lucky because FM provides you with many ways to mark a document. In this article I’ll show you how to use the Comment marker.

8.7 Million Millionaires Around the World - and counting
[News-and-Society] The new global economy created more millionaires around the globe, according to the “10th annual World Wealth Report” released by Merrill Lynch. The total number of mega-rich now top 8.7 million.

Parallels Between TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Sometimes after watching so many movies over a period of time certain parallels stand out and call attention to themselves.

Apple May Offer Movie Downloads - What’s Next?
[Arts-and-Entertainment] Apple is in negotiations with 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and Universal Studios to offer their movies as downloads through the Apple's high-traffic iTunes store. As I have predicted in another article, I believe we'll soon start watching movies in all kinds of likely and unlikely places.

Boxing is Not Just "Fighting" -- Where Are The True Champions of the Past?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Boxing] True boxing fans like me who have known the sheer power, grace and the heart of an Ali, Sugar Ray, Hagler, Benitez, Duran, Holmes, Holyfield, Frazier or Hearns are worrying about the health of a noble sports category that may or may not survive into the future.

Mini Bio – Marilyn Monroe
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A phenomenon the likes of which comes only once or twice in a century, Marilyn Monroe has without a doubt defined what it means to be a "blonde" both during her short career and since her untimely sudden demise.

Mini Bio – Sophia Loren
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Italy’s answer to Marilyn Monroe was born on September 20, 1934 in Pozzuoli, Campania, Italy. She once said "sex appeal is 50% what you've got and 50% what people think you've got." She made the best of her 50%.

Microsoft is Accused of Monitoring Computers with "Spyware"
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Microsoft, the software giant that a lot of people love to hate, is now accused with placing “spyware” on machines using Windows XP operating system in order to make sure that there are no pirated copies out there.

How Safe is Your VoIP Service?
[Communications:VOIP] The day begins and ends. Do you know where your unused VoIP (Voice-Over-IP) minutes are?

Plot Points -- To Catch a Thief (1955)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] PROTAGONIST JOHN ROBIE'S DILEMMA: Everybody thinks he is behind the new wave of jewelry robberies around French Riviera but he cannot convince people otherwise because he had been a notorious burglar himself in the past.

Movie Review -- To Catch a Thief (1955)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Easily one of the most gorgeous and good-looking films ever shot. It's not an accident that it won Robert Burks the 1956 Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color. An eye-candy of a tourism poster of an entertainment. After watching it, you'll also be a fan of the beauty of the French Riviera.

Mini Bio – Grace Kelly
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Grace Kelly died in a traffic accident while driving her sports car in Monaco, very similar to the scene in which she was driving recklessly on the mountains overlooking Nice, France in "To Catch a Thief," with a very scared Cary Grant in the passenger seat.

Mini Bio - Cary Grant
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The soft-spoken handsome Grant infused his roles with an old-world charm combined with a uniquely American sense of humor and vitality.

Plot Points -- Shanghai Triad (1995)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Shanghai Triad (1995), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Family Plot (1976)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Hitchcock's Family Plot (1976), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Thieve's Highway (1949)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Thieve's Highway (1949), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Sugarland Express (1974)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of an early-Spielberg movie, Sugarland Express (1974), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Notorious (1946)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Hitchcock's great and often underrated classic, Notorious (1946), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Deceiver (1997)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Deceiver (1997), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Frenzy (1972)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Frenzy (1972), a Hitchcock classic, as I see them.

Plot Points -- Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Raise the Red Lantern (1991), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Wings of Desire (1987)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Wings of Desire (1987), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Dead of Winter (1987)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Dead of Winter (1987), as I see them.

Plot Points -- The Handmaid's Tale (1990)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of The Handmaid's Tale (1990), as I see them.

Plot Points -- The Crossing Guard (1995)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of The Crossing Guard (1995), as I see them.

Plot Points -- North Country (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of North Country (2005), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Separate Lies (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Separate Lies (2005), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Blue (1993)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Blue (1993), a part of the Kieslowski trilogy, as I see them.

Plot Points -- Red (1994)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of Red (1994), a part of the Kieslowski trilogy, as I see them.

Plot Points -- White (1997)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of White (1997), a part of the Kieslowski trilogy, as I see them.

Plot Points -- Deep Crimson (1996)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are plot points of Deep Crimson (1996), as I see them.

Plot Points -- Gattaca (1997)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelean 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the "tent poles" that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are plot points of Gattaca (1997), as I see them.

MS Word 2003 - How to Create Customized Letters with Mail Merge
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] This is one well-tested and bug-free MS Word feature that in my judgment beats OpenOffice's mailmerge functionality which crashes often.

Google Offers Free Spreadsheet on the Web
[Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech] Overall I’m very impressed with this new effort by Google to drive yet another nail into the coffin of the “heavy client” PC idea. The future looks more intriguing by the day.

The Power to Admit We Are Wrong
[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Drop the wrong and be free, or get crushed with its ever bloating weight. It's our call. But the world would surely be a better place to live if we can bring ourselves to opt for the former as frequently as humanly possible.

Lightning Strike – How to Protect Yourself
[Travel-and-Leisure:Outdoors] When it comes to protecting yourself against getting hit by a lightning, it is much better to be safe than sorry. Rule of thumb – if you see dark clouds approaching and if you hear the thunder, immediately take cover within a safe place because it means you are within the lightning-striking distance of 10 miles.

Lightning Strike – The Worst Place, Month, Day and Time to Get Hit
[Travel-and-Leisure:Outdoors] In a typical industrial electrical-shock accident, the amount of electricity delivered is usually under 65 kilovolts. Thus a lightning delivers more than 4 times the energy in an industrial accident.

Prayer for Thieves
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Perhaps, like a pair of scissors that cannot cut itself, perhaps your depravity is also incapable of cutting out the worst from your wound and leave behind only what is pure, fragrant and wholesome. For that I'm leaving your fate and fortune to the subtle grace of God.

10 Questions a Writer Should Ask a Client Before Accepting a Direct Mail Sales Project
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Forgetting to ask these important questions can limit your success, or worse, can even get you into deep trouble.

How Much Movie Stars Make? A Before-After Comparison
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Becoming a movie star is a tough deal. Even if you are a talented professional actor, you probably have more chances of getting hit by a meteor while walking to your car on a beautiful sunny afternoon than becoming a “star.” However, for the very very few who make it, the monetary rewards can be “substantial,” to say the least.

Lana Turner – Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The "Sweater Girl" has once said “a successful man is one who makes more money than a wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.”

Jack Nicholson – Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] One and only. A true original. An acting genius hiding behind that disarming wide "shark grin." Jack!

Client Eastwood – Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The perpetually squinting marine-core-drill-sergeant-tough Eastwood has defined what it means to be a tough, merciless but ultimately fair and honest enforcer of “justice,” starting way back with his Italian Spaghetti-Western movies like For a Fist Full of Dollars (1964).

Al Pacino – Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] In 1993, Pacino was nominated for not only one but TWO Oscars -- Best Actor in a Leading Role for Scent of a Woman (1992) and the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).

Robert DeNiro – Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Didn’t most of us in a sense grow up with Bob DeNiro?

Sterling, Virginia – Another Loudon County Star on the Rise
[Travel-and-Leisure] Sterling, VA is where the dignified history meets the bustling future. It’s always a good place to do some shopping for your daily needs.

This Is Not Your Father's Buick Anymore and That's Not Good
[Automotive] With Buicks that look like Acuras, I don’t see how GM can make it in the long run for a very simple reason -– consumers who would like to buy Acuras will go and buy Acuras, NOT Buicks that look like Acuras.

Memory – How to Memorize a Long List
[Self-Improvement:Creativity] THINK RIDICULOUS and LINK IMAGES. It's as simple as that.

A New "Concentric Aisles" Floor Plan Design for Supermarkets
[Business:Sales] I’m not sure if all that endless walking among the long aisles of a supermarket is necessary at all. I’m not sure if that’s the smartest way to design a supermarket assuming, of course, that customer satisfaction and "user friendliness" is what matters most for any corporation. So here I propose an alternative floor plan that I’ve never seen in any of the supermarkets that I’ve visited: CONCENTRIC CIRCLES.

Kundalini – the Secrets and Dangers of the "Coiled Serpent"
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] You should be very careful before you make any attempts to "awaken" your Kundalini on your own. I don’t think there are too many people in the world who really know the exact nature of this process and things can go wrong suddenly, sometimes without a remedy or a cure.

Spiritual Truth – Does It Always Make "Common Sense?"
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We all would like to think that "God is on our side" and in principle believe that spiritual truths are "good for us." We often forget that underneath it all that there's the assumption that spiritual truths are by nature "convenient" things to live by and they just make "common sense."

Urgent Task of Preserving and Restoring Old & Rare Books
[Book-Reviews] Just like the digital media faces the peril of getting wiped away and thus need to backed up regularly, paper also has its enemy – time. Millions of rare and valuable volumes are crumbling away in the nation's libraries and museums, and are attacked by mold, mildew, humidity, bugs, rats, and worse.

Joy of Collecting Autographed Books
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] When I opened the book, I was really shocked because it was autographed, with an inscription scribbled for a friend, by none other than Baron Philip Rothschild of Bordeaux, France! Lord -- what are chances of that ever happening again?!

Finding the Time to Run
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] As long as you can make a little sacrifice from your regular routine and as long as car washing and grass cutting can wait for another few hours, I'm sure you'll be able to find a few hours a week to maintain your health and enjoy yourself.

Gray Hair Is In, Definitely
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style] The evolutionary imperative selected dark hair without a single gray strand in it because gray hair subliminally signalled "old age." However, within an urban environment, gray hair could also translate as "money" and thus could appeal to the nurturing instincts of young females of child-bearing age.

Soccer - Hair Matters
[Recreation-and-Sports:Soccer] Keep an eye on the upcoming World Soccer Cup 2006. The next new male hair style might emerge not from the coiffeur salons but the lush green of World Soccer Cup fields.

Dustin Hoffman - Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] During his struggling days in New York City as an unkown actor, he shared the same house with two other unknown actors - Robert Duvall and Gene Hackman. Hoffman once said "I lived below the official American poverty line until I was 31."

Meryl Streep - Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] What I like most about Streep's acting is her total technical mastery over her craft that still somehow allows room for free exploration and improvisation. Rare is the actor that does not look like acting in a movie and Streep is one of them.

Paul Newman - Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] In "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)" Newman proved that he has no equals in bringing to the surface the vulnerabilities of the male ego without, however, jeopardizing our identification with him as the "good guy."

Elizabeth Taylor - Mini Bio
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Starring in a total of 70 movies, she is best remembered for "Suddenly Last Summer (1959)", "The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)", "Giant (1956)", "Cleopatra (1963)", and "The Taming of the Shrew (1967)".

9 Ways to be Perfectly Miserable - a Foolproof List
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Method #1: Try to discuss the "nature of God" with as many people as possible and try to convert all of them to your belief system.

Writing - How to Attach Graphics to the Headers of Your FrameMaker Document?
[Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech] Imagine you’d like to have the sweet image of a finch accompanying every section header in your FrameMaker document that has something to do with “Birds.” It's easy. This is how you do it...

Writing – How to Create Sidebar Icons in FrameMaker?
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Sidebar icons are cool. They not only look great aesthetically but they also perform a great function of emphasizing the important points in the text and making sure that the reader does not miss them.

Screenwriting – 12 Rules to Get Your Screenplay Rejected Right Away
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Rule Number 12 -- "Dramatic Structure" is for the pigeons. Create a Protagonist with no desire for anything in the world. After all, isn't he a Buddhist Monk?

Screenwriting – The Secret of Creating Fresh and Original Characters
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Combine discordant traits and lifestyles in one character and all of a sudden you have a living, breathing, exciting profile that the viewers would be curious to know more about.

Writing – How to Number the Pages and Chapters of a FrameMaker Document?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] FrameMaker has a very detailed and sophisticated numbering functionality rarely found in any other page-design software. Here is how to configure the numbering of many different elements in your book file.

Writing – How to Edit the Formatting of Cross References in FrameMaker?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] FrameMaker has a very powerful cross referencing (linking) functionality. You can easily refer to another section or element in your book by a hyper-link that will be alive when you save your document as a PDF file. Since I have explained the basics of creating a cross reference in another article, here I’ll focus on the different styles and formats in which you can insert such cross references.

Writing – How to Create Cross References in FrameMaker?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] FrameMaker has a very powerful cross referencing (text linking) functionality. You can easily refer to another section or element of your book by a hyper-link that will be alive when you save your document as a PDF file.

Writing – How to Set Up a FrameMaker Template?
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] A FrameMaker template consists of a set of Master Pages. Very easy to create. Just follow these basic steps.

Spirituality – Bhagavan Nityananda, the Great Siddha of India
[Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Although I’ve never met Bhagavan Nityananda in person, I had the good fortune of meeting his equally great disciple Baba Muktananda in America and it’s through Baba that I got to know this truly fascinating mystic and master yogi.

Screenwriting – What is a "Story?"
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you are writing for Hollywood, you must have a very clear idea of what a "story" is all about. Not everything that happens around us or we perceive constitute a story.

Running Marathon in the North Pole
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] I’ve heard many examples of ultra-running but this one gets the (freezing) cake: how about a very very cool 26.2 miles at the North Pole?

Running, Religion, & Altered State of Consciousness
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] There are quite a few religious orders which use long-distance ultra-marathon running (anything over 26 miles) as a tool to transcend the body consciousness, to eliminate the mental limitations and biases, and to open up the mind to a new "floating" awareness which looks at the world from a brand new objective point of view.

Running, Epinephrine & Getting "High"
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Running becomes a positive addiction due to the epinephrine hormone the body releases as a response to the natural stress of the activity itself.

A National DNA Bank to Fight Crime is a Violation of the Fourth Amendment?
[News-and-Society] I think we will hear a lot more about this issue in the years ahead that both promises a strong tool to fight crime in general and raises some serious constitutional issues about the protection of our civil liberties.

Prayer for All Drivers and Captains
[Travel-and-Leisure] Every time I heard that "this is your captain speaking!" over the intercom, I felt like objecting since it always felt like "this is your Protecting Angel speaking!"

Fentanyl – Killing Heroin Users in Chicago
[News-and-Society] Heroin users in and around Chicago are warned against the dangers of mixing in Fentanyl – a painkiller first synthesized in Belgium in 1950 and is 80 times stronger than heroin, according to DEA.

Celebrity Autographs – the Best and the Worst
[Arts-and-Entertainment] I love collecting celebrity autographs like millions of other movie and TV fans. Probably the autographed photo in my collection that I cherish the most belongs to Mr. Rodgers.

Survey – "Contradictions of African American Males"
[News-and-Society] The Washington Post has published a very important survey on "Being a Black Man." This is fascinating, detailed and thoughtful enough an article to pass as a Master's Thesis in many sociology departments around the nation.

Prayer for Backstabbers
[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] I appreciate what you've done for me over the years although at the time I tasted the poison of your betrayal it felt harder than anything else to bear.

Poetry – Good Poems Require Tremendous Honesty
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] I've soon realized what was lacking in my poems and what made HIS poems that hard-hitting, that breath taking. It was a simple word that I had not thought about it within the context of poetry until that time – HONESTY.

Cooking – A Universal 20 Minute Formula to Cook (Almost) Anything
[Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Granted, I'm not a gourmet cook but I never had any difficulty fixing up a delicious hot plate for myself and family within 20 minutes. You can do it too. Here is how to do it

What Gift to Buy for the Graduating High School Senior?
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Gifts] Just like every source of light also has its own shadow, happy high school graduation ceremonies also raise a small but constant issue that needs to be resolved satisfactorily: what to buy as a gift for the graduation senior?

Women – 5 Golden Rules of What to Wear to Corporate Job Interviews
[Business:Careers-Employment] If you are applying for the concession stand at your local movie theater or local fast food joint, you can probably wear whatever you like to your job interview. But if you are applying for a "more serious" corporate position, you'd better observe these 5 Golden Rules that will help you make a very positive first impression and enhance your chances of getting that high-paying important job.

Two Main Trends for Women in 2006 Hairstyles
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style] Now that we are half way into 2006 let's review the two main hairstyle trends of this year.

The Power to See Clearly Through Total Darkness
[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Jack, a man with a grave illness was taken after the surgery to a hospital room for two. Since the window-side bed was already occupied by Timothy, another patient who survived an equally serious cancer operation, Jack was given the bed on the other side of the room from which he could not see outside.

Running Through the Odors and Fragrances of the World
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] When I run around the pre-measured 5K route around my neighborhood there is nothing that comes in between the world as it is and my olfactory bulb.

The Blessings of Returning the Compliment of Another Person
[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] It is only when we try to find what is valuable in a person with comparatively "inferior" characteristics that we question our hackneyed concepts and crack our old shell of biases and stereotypes. And a person who is not as fortunate as we are in certain respects does that very well when he praises us and expects something equally valuable in return.

Running After 50 – My Story
[Recreation-and-Sports:Running] The first 100 yards I thought I was doing fine until I was stopped in my tracks with an excruciating pain that stabbed me on the side. And that was the end of my first "run." I walked back home holding my side and cussing at myself for failing in my grandiose "becoming a runner" project.

McDonald's Asian Salad – A Delicious Crunchy Winner!
[Food-and-Drink] Fresh crispy lettuce as always...plus, the greenest and tastiest beans I’ve ever seen in a long a while. Slices of tantalizing sweet tangerines. Carrots. Crunchy almonds. All topped with a great Sesame Ginger dressing by Paul Newman. Chip in another buck for that great hot cup of coffee and you’ve got yourself a deal partner.

Reston, Virginia – A High-Tech, Upper-Scale and Good-Looking Place to Live and Work
[Travel-and-Leisure] Reston is a well-managed community with a tremendous vitality and cash flow. It will continue to grow and prosper and solve its few problems as it matures into one of the great metropolitan centers of America. Who knows, one day you might also end up calling yourself a “Restonian” and encourage others to do the same.

In Praise of Paris Hilton - the Next Oprah?
[Arts-and-Entertainment] The minute she discovers that real personal and commercial growth lies beyond staying as the center of her own universe and requires opening up and shooting like a comet into the orbits of other but more mundane lives, Paris Hilton might become the next Oprah, in a different sense.

Make $67,520 a Year in Technical Writing
[Business:Careers-Employment] Just because you like writing does not mean you need to live a life of want and destitute. If you are sick and tired of not making the ends meet as a writer you owe it to yourself to check out technical writing. Not only the average tech writer made over $67K last year but those working within a corporate environment enjoyed a rich benefits package as well.

How to Crop Your Wrong-Sized PDF Pages
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] Disasters happen. Imagine you have finished a 900-page PDF document and you realize that the left margin should've been 0.5 inches smaller. Oops! No cause for fear and trembling though

Secure Your PDF Documents with Password
[Computers-and-Technology] Do you feel paranoid that the PDF documents you send through the e-mail might be read and used by unauthorized parties? You can prevent that from happening by securing your PDF documents with a password and sharing the password only with entrusted parties. Read on to find out how.

Checklist - Do You Really Need to Single-Source Your Documents?
[Computers-and-Technology] The more YES answers you give to the following questions, the more you should think about single-sourcing your documents.

Sluggish Computer? 2 Methods to Clean up your Temp Files
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Did your machine slow down lately, especially when you're using the MS Word? It may be that you've got thousands of temp files just sitting there, clogging your machine. It may be time for some serious house cleaning.

MS Word - Assigning Autotext to a Hotkey and a Toolbar
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Imagine you have a piece of text that you'd like to quickly add to your documents no matter which document you are in, and regardless of what's saved in your clipboard. One solution is to assign that text to a new toolbar button as Autotext.

9 Questions to Ask for Any Help File Project
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Every technical writer or documentation manager should ask the following questions before authorizing a help file project because the answers will have a direct impact on the final cost of the help project. Also watch out - FLARE might be replacing ROBOHELP in the future...

3 FrameMaker Tips
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] FrameMaker is arguably the most powerful page- and book-design software available today. But due to its power and complexity, small glitches can drive you crazy if you don't know the trick. Here are 3 tips for my fellow technical writers.

In Praise of Kieslowski
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Kieslowski, helped with the considerable artistry of his sound editor and composer, releases us into our own "human predicament," into our own inner spiritual landscape, after initially capturing us with his stylistic bravado. His blinding searchlight continues to reveal the greatness of the human soul even long after his untimely death.

8 Secrets of a High-Response Order Form
[Business:Marketing-Direct] If you pay attention to these 8 important points, your Order Form will become a potent tool in increasing your sales and/or donations instead of just another piece of paper heading straight for the thrash bin.

3 Movie Reviews – Blues Brothers (1980), Man of The Year (2003), The Butterfly Effect (2004)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] See these movies with contrived plots for - the Mother of All Car Crashes - a "Brazilian Tarantino" - and a convoluted movie bungled up with endless flashbacks and contrived mechanisms.

Movie Review – Arlington Road (1999)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A good thriller if you can just gloss over the gaping hole in the script. The ending is especially noteworthy. It is as good as the ending of the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.

Movie Review – Who's That Knocking At My Door? (1967)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The story line is nothing to write home about – young bum for whom women are either "girls" or "broads" and "whores" tries to find happiness as the world and his own background conspire against him. But young Keitel and Scorcese treat us to the raw talent that will eventually evolve into a focus of major fascination for us all movie fans and writers.

Movie Review – The Notebook (2004)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I'm very glad that unabashedly romantic writers like Nicholas Sparks do exist. We are all fortunate that he is not selling pharmaceuticals for a living anymore. We are richer for it.

Movie Review – Vera Cruz (1954)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Betrayal is not an issue. It's not even personal. It's just business.

Movie Review – Marty (1955)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A study in human dignity, hope and loneliness, Marty ends up on an upbeat note where even the "dogs" find the happiness they deserve in life - especially when they have a heart of gold.

Movie Review – Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An uncompromising courageous look at the gritty underbelly of New York's media and publicity empire.

"Tennis Plotting" Paradigm by William C. Martell
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] I recommend William C. Martell's "tennis plotting" approach to screenplay plotting introduced in a very perceptive essay, "Plotting Murder" published in the Scr(i)pt Magazine, Vol 11, No. 5.

Movie Review - The Long Goodbye (1973)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) is Robert Altman's impressive reinvention of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow. Altman says he loved the ending so much that he had it written into his contract that the studio could not change it. For me, it will remain as a puzzling and discordant end note casting a question mark on all that went on before it.

Movies - How Confused Do We Need To Be?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Syriana seems to be opening the gates for a new post-9/11 kind of "post structuralism" where we're permitted to confuse the audience as a matter of "high concept" and not only the style.

Movie Reviews - The Hit, Stranger Than Paradise, Rocketer Gibraltar, Empire Falls
[Arts-and-Entertainment] Two Hits & Two Disappointments

Movie Review - The Innocent (1993)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] An entertaining WW2 spy romance very much inspired by the timeless classic Casablanca.

Movie Review - Derailed (2005)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Charles Schine is a Chicago ad man in this new version of "Fatal Attraction" for the year 2005. He is a guy who neglects his wife and daughter. But more troubles wait for him at the office.

Movie Review - Braveheart (1995)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Fantastic musical score with irresistible bagpipes, married to equally fantastic scenery and battle scenes jarring in their ferocity and realism, make it a good watch indeed. Wallace's last word under torture is a long scream - "Freeeedom!" Who can remain impartial to that?

Movie Review - Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A very good crime story with good acting and beleivable character motivations, told in too many flashbacks to count. A must see for all fans of crime movies and thrillers.

Poker - Perhaps Not the Worst Risk in Life
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Casino-Gambling] When it comes to poker, we have long lost the middle ground. The chances are one is either a star-struck poker-crazed gaming nut or a vehemently outspoken anti-poker puritan. I neither fancy becoming a full-time professional poker player nor assail against a good game with the fervor of a crusader. Loving every minute of a hobby in which I take calculated and limited risks is my middle ground and I'm staying there.

Movie Review - Elmer Gantry (1960)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] ELMER GANTRY is one hopping good story of a fast talking appliance salesman from the Bible Belt who, back in the days of the Prohibition and Speak-Easies, cons his way up the steps of success and transforms into a fiery preacher who can agitate the masses in every direction he wants.

Number 1 Rule of Block-Buster Action Thrillers
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Start with a truly monstrous VILLAIN, and not with the hero. Period. Without a villain-on-steroids, there is no catastrophe at hand that our hero needs to conquer.

Movie Review - The Big Heat (1953)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The production values in this film is inferior as would be expected from a movie shot in 1953. But Glen Ford and Gloria Grahame display a nuanced sensitivity and credible approach to their characters. The story line is not too bad either, especially for film-noir fans like myself.

Movie Review - Platoon (1986)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The metaphysical horror of war has been exposed with more dramatic authority by one-of-a-kind movies like Apocalypse Now. Platoon does not go that deep but it is still a bona fide Vietnam War movie that should be on every movie fan’s must-see list.

Movie Review - Paris, Texas (1984)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is a story about losing things that are most precious to us in life. It's about losing and then somehow reclaiming them after going through the purgatory.

Movie Review - Fitzcarroldo (1982)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Great production. Cute what-if idea. Weak dramatic tension and sagging narrative. I rate it 5 out of 10 for the effort and Klaus Kinski's pompadour riot of blonde hair.

Movie Review - Go Tell The Spartans (1978)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] GO TELL THE SPARTANS (1978) is a movie you shouldn't worry about missing. It’s a Vietnam War movie that is totally outclassed by the worthy examples of the same genre like Apocalypse Now, Platoon or the Full Metal Jacket.

Movie Review - "Die Hard" Series (1, 2, 3)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] What differentiates these three action classics is not the way Willis plays McClane but the types of VILLAINS he faces.

Movie Review - The Purple Rose of Cairo (1991)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A beautiful fairy tale for adults, full of smart humor and many scenes that force us meditate on the relative merits of reality versus illusion in our daily lives.

Movie Review - L.A. Story
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] L.A. STORY is a film which proves that comedy is hard indeed.

In Praise of Jeff Daniels
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Daniels made it very clear that for him acting has always been just a job, not a career, and that his family life always came first. I'm sure he paid dearly for that choice in terms of money, fame, professional recognition and interesting roles - a choice that deserves respect.

Solaris (1972 and 2002) and the Limits of Motion Pictures
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Solaris, both Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 original and Steven Soderbergh's 2002 re-make, is a film that truly tests the limits of motion picture as a medium.

Suspending Disbelief in Movies
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] It's amazing how many movies require a mega doze of "disbelief suspension" on the part of the audience. Unless you become a willing "partner in crime," many thrillers and murder mysteries just plain don't work.

Dear Screenwriter - It Helps to Remember These Things
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] 7 Meditations on the Predicament of an Unproduced Screenwriter

Movie Review - Confidence (2003)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Great light-fare entertainment with marvelous acting by Burns and Hoffman.

Toyota Prius -- Must Drive for 7 Years to Recover the Extra Expense Over Corolla
[Automotive] How much individual economic sense does a Prius really make over a Corolla?

Movie Review: Purple Noon (1960)
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A must see thriller, especially for the way the story of two flirting and giggling playboys turns into a dark nightmare of murder and impersonation.

How to Create a 66% Chance to Increase Your Direct Mail Response Rate?
[Business:Marketing-Direct] Testing the three different versions of your sales copy on three 10% samples would mean a 66% chance of increasing your response rate over the no-test case.

Google Offers FREE Web Editor, Site and Hosting
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] If you need a relatively static website on a FREE and well-maintained server with a FREE and very easy to use foolproof editor, then you should check out what Google has to offer

Fundraiser Donations - How Much You Should Ask For?
[Business:Marketing-Direct] What is your per-piece cost and response rate?

Free Office Suite, Complete with Database Application
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] What if I told you that you can keep your precious money in your wallet and still do (almost) everything that you can do with MS Office for FREE, as in zilch, nada and nothing?

Can You Sell A Price?
[Business:Marketing-Direct] If Groucho Marx (who once said "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members") were alive today, he might have said "I’m not cheap enough to buy a valuable service that I can afford easily" and he would be right on the mark.

19 Questions A Writer Should Ask A Client Before Writing a Fundraiser Letter
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Question 19: "What BENEFITS your organization or company’s product or services deliver? Especially important here is the EMOTIONAL needs served by your organization."

7 Different Fundraiser Letters
[Business:Marketing-Direct] Fundraising letters come in many varieties. Before asking your copywriter to draft a fundraiser letter for your organization, perhaps you might want to consider the possibilities

3 Interesting Vitamin facts
[Health-and-Fitness] "Why do Eskimos and husky dogs do not eat polar bear liver?"

50-Year Mortgage - Should You Do It?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] For those hard pressed for immediate cash, a 50-year mortgage might be the answer. But others, who look at the issue from a long-term perspective, see a downside or two.