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Greetings,
Quotaholics:
I
have a terrible confession. I’m a double spacer. I end every sentence
with two spaces.
Now
as all of you know, I’m not much of a writer. I had never really written
anything intended for others to read until Bruce offered me a chance to
write for RGQ. What little I know about writing style I learned in a crash
course from Bruce.
I like to blame my lack of proper use of the English language on the fact
that I learned it in Arkansas. And as it turns out my double spacing was
learned in public school. Unfortunately most of you probably learned the
same habit for the same reason. We took a typing class.
According to an article by Farhad Manjoo at Slate.com,
hundreds of years ago "Inconsistency reigned in all facets of written
communication; there were few conventions regarding spelling, punctuation,
character design, and ways to add emphasis to type. But as typesetting
became more widespread, its practitioners began to adopt best practices.
Felici (James Felici, author of the The Complete Manual of Typography)
writes that typesetters in Europe began to settle on a single space around
the early 20th century. America followed soon after."
"Every modern typographer agrees on the one-space rule. It’s one
of the canonical rules of the profession… Most ordinary people would
know the one-space rule, too, if it weren’t for a quirk of history. In
the middle of the last century, a now-outmoded technology—the manual
typewriter—invaded the American workplace. To accommodate that machine’s
shortcomings, everyone began to type wrong. And even though we no longer
use typewriters, we all still type like we do."
"The problem with typewriters was that they used monospaced type—that
is, every character occupied an equal amount of horizontal space. This
bucked a long tradition of proportional typesetting, in which skinny characters
(like I or 1) were given less space than fat ones (like W or M). Monospaced
type gives you text that looks ‘loose’ and uneven; there’s a lot of white
space between characters and words, so it’s more difficult to spot the
spaces between sentences immediately. Hence the adoption of the two-space
rule—on a typewriter, an extra space after a sentence makes text
easier to read. Here’s the thing, though: Monospaced fonts went out in
the 1970s. First electric typewriters and then computers began to offer
people ways to create text using proportional fonts. Today nearly every
font on your PC is proportional. (Courier is the one major exception.)
Because we’ve all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after a
period no longer enhances readability, typographers say. It diminishes
it."
I learned to type in the mid 1960’s, on a manual typewriter of course,
so two spaces were probably the rule back then. But according to the Slate
article, most students are still learning to use double spacing. The reason?
That’s the way the teachers learned to do it.
The article concludes with, "So, kids, if your teachers force you
to use two spaces, send them a link to this article. Use this as your
subject line: ‘If you type two spaces after a period, you’re doing it
wrong.’"
The article did give me another excuse to continue my double spacing.
My articles use Courier font, a non-proportional font. So really I’m only
continuing to double space to make it easier for you, the readers. Besides,
hard as I try, I just can’t keep my thumb from hitting that space bar
twice!
Are you a double spacer? Did you learn to do it that way in typing class?
Did you learn it after electric typewriters had made it unnecessary? Do
you think you will change?
Incorrectly,
Comment
on this article |
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| Today’s
Quotes |
“Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly
by their attitudes.” - Charles Prestwich Scott
“Your attitude about who you are and what you have is a very little
thing that makes a very big difference.” - Theodore Roosevelt
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| Today’s
Chuckle |
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Dedicated Students
[Thanks Bonnie]
One day at lunchtime
at a restaurant near the college I saw three students hard at work on
their calculators. Surprised that they had received such an obviously
interesting problem to keep them working at it even during lunch time,
I asked them what their assignment was.
One girl looked at me and replied, “We’re figuring out how many days
until spring break.”
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| Life
Sentences |
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself
less.”
“We’re a nation of laws, but the good thing about America, is that laws
reside in the people and people can change the laws.”
“There are illegitimate parents, but I don’t believe there are any illegitimate
children.” - All by American pastor and author Rick Warren born on this
day in 1954
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| Image’n
That! |
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I
Went To High School With Her!
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| My
Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment |
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Speak right up!
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| Cliff’s
Notes
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Procedures
Every job has certain tasks that have to be performed. In most
cases, those tasks need to be completed in a specific order to be more
efficient and timely. A prime example is making that deposit into
your account before writing those checks.
But only the medical professions call what they do "procedures"
on a routine basis. Removal of a skin lesion is a "procedure".
Removal of a gangrenous limb is called a "procedure".
Almost everything except taking temperatures or blood pressure is called
a "procedure", but even those may privately have the same
pseudonym. Only the more invasive "procedures" are called
"operations".
As I mentioned previously, I just underwent a "procedure".
I am back home & resting from a colonoscopy (pronounced co-lonos-copy,
not colon-o-scope-y). It was simply a preventative measure.
I had come of age, so to speak. Well, past due to hear them tell
it. As many of you will undergo this "procedure" someday,
I’ll share my experience with you.
It all began with the appointment and a prescription for an industrial
strength laxative. I picked it up a few days before my scheduled
appointment. They suggested I begin the process between 4:30 and
5 p.m. the evening before my scheduled "procedure".
As I am a morning person, I chose to begin earlier, and I’m glad I did.
I mixed up the solution in the milk jug that comes with the package.
At 3 p.m., I took the introductory pill. From there it was a waiting
game as drinking the solution was to wait until the pill had begun the
process. Although there were noises and sensations the pill was
having an effect, it took over 2 1/2 hours for it to produce results.
It was then I could begin drinking the solution.
I was to drink 8 fluid ounces of the liquid and any clear liquids I
desired for the duration. Although the liquid comes with flavor
packets, I chose to add some "Crystal Light" type flavorings,
keeping in mind that no red or blue coloring could be part of it.
It discolors the colon, too, I am told. So, I chose a green tea
and mango concoction. That lasted for about 4 doses, then it got
old, so I added the cherry flavor packet that came with the package
to the remainder of the liquid. It had no sweetener in it, so,
as you drink it, you do not taste anything other than the liquid.
YUK!
The whole idea is to clean you out completely, with no solids in the
discharge. The whole process began slowly, but, as the level of
liquid dropped from the container, the frequency of visits to the bathroom
increased. After hours of cramps, gurgles, and soiled clothing,
my task was complete. A word to the wise, do not cough as you
hustle yourself to the bathroom. At a little past 11:30 p.m.,
I was confident I could go to bed safely and call it a night.
Here’s your quiz:
What are some of the "procedures" you run into in your daily
life?
Do you have a routine you generally follow?
Have you had a "medical procedure"?
Procedures - Start At #1 And Continue To The "End"
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| BJ’s
Ponderings |
OK
so with names. My full legal name is B. J. Cassady. What the heck
kind a name is that? Why not name me 33 or <+? I asked my mother
why the strange name(less) and the answer was: She wanted to name
me Stanley (thank God that didn’t happen) and my father wanted to
name me Bob Jr. My mother said there would be no Juniors in the family
and somehow the letters B and J were selected. To my father B. J.
stood for Bob Jr, however on my birth certificate it reads B. J.
While
cleaning out my navel of lint, I thought about this. Bob Jr.? Heck
my father’s birth name was… Favrid Arvid Cassady. Favrid Arvid?
What kind of parents did he have? Well the children were named: Maude
(yech), Blanche (yech), Octavia (yech), Viva Vashti, and Serepta.
Gee I wonder why my dad would want to change his name. Then there
was Floyd. Floyd? After all those bizarre names. I bet he got beaten
up by his siblings for his normal name. What were these people thinking?
Let’s randomly pick letters out and give a name. Well I should talk
with my two letters.
Comment
On This Article
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Today
In History |
January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There
are 337 days remaining until the end of the year
Holidays and observances
- Data Privacy
Day
- Feast of Thomas
Aquinas
Events on this date
- 1077 –
Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
is lifted.
- 1547 –
Henry VIII dies. His nine year old son, Edward VI becomes King, and
the first Protestant ruler of England.
- 1624 –
Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean,
on the island of Saint Kitts.
- 1724 –
The Russian Academy of Sciences is founded in St. Petersburg by Peter
the Great, and implemented by Senate decree. It is called the St.
Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917.
- 1813 –
Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom.
- 1855 –
The first locomotive runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
on the Panama Railway.
- 1896 –
Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent became the first person to be
convicted of speeding. He is fined 1 shilling, plus costs, for speeding
at 8 mph (13 km/h), thus exceeding the contemporary speed limit of
2 mph (3.2 km/h).
- 1909 –
United States troops leave Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay
Naval Base after being there since the Spanish-American War.
- 1916 –
Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States
Supreme Court.
- 1921 –
A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is installed beneath the Arc
de Triomphe in Paris to honor the unknown dead of World War I.
- 1935 –
Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic
abortion.
- 1945 –
World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the
newly reopened Burma Road.
- 1958 –
The Lego company patents the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible
with bricks produced today.
- 1965 –
The current design of the Flag of Canada is chosen by an act of Parliament.
- 1977 –
The first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977, which severely
affects and cripples much of Upstate New York, but Buffalo, NY, Syracuse,
NY, Watertown, NY, and surrounding areas are most affected, each area
accumulating close to 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow on this one day.
- 1986 –
Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission – Space Shuttle Challenger
breaks apart after liftoff killing all seven astronauts on board.
Born on this date
- 1225 –
Saint Thomas Aquinas
- 1312 –
Queen Joan II of Navarre
- 1457 –
King Henry VII of England
- 1540 –
Ludolph van Ceulen, German mathematician
- 1622 –
Adrien Auzout, French astronomer
- 1784 –
George Hamilton Gordon Aberdeen, Prime Minister of the UK
- 1841 –
Henry Morton Stanley, Welsh-born explorer and journalist
- 1864 –
Charles W. Nash, American automobile entrepreneur
- 1890 –
Robert Stroud, American convict, the Birdman of Alcatraz
- 1908 –
Paul Misraki, French composer and songwriter
- 1912 –
Jackson Pollock, American painter
- 1922 –
Robert W. Holley, American biochemist, Nobel laureate
- 1935 –
David Lodge, English author
- 1948 –
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Soviet-born dancer and actor
- 1954 –
Rick Warren, American pastor and author
- 1963 –
Dan Spitz, American musician, guitarist (Anthrax)
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| Lucille’s
Lunacy |
I sat for a
long time, trying to digest her instructions. I gently probed my eye socket
and the muscle that was left for an entry where I could "pop"
anything in. I couldn’t find a slit or a zipper. I put the plastic balls
in my coat pocket and went to my appointment.
"I tried to put these back in," I informed my doctor. "I
couldn’t find an easy way to do it. Perhaps you can show me?"
The doctor gulped, and paled a little according to my mother. "You
can’t do that! It requires surgery."
He offered to reinstall them. At least I think that’s what he did. I was
running down the hall at a pretty fast clip yelling something about "not
in this life time". By then, I felt confident that I had already
suffered enough.
I have worn sunglasses for most of my adult life. I’m used to them, and
have tried to out collect Elton John over the years. Elton was still ahead
when I got my operation. He didn’t seem as prone to sit on parts of his
collection.
I don’t think Elton was ever in danger from me when it came to collecting
glasses. For a short while, I had even hoped to give up the race altogether.
But, thanks to modern technology, and my own chicken hearted nature, I’ve
started collecting again, and, I’ve found a place to store my collection
that is out of butt range, so Sir John, the race is on. Crunch! Snap!
— Or maybe not.
Comment
On This Article
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| Poet-Tree |
That was a great line too. Here’s another
from ldo.
Next opening line…
Joe wanted to kiss his new date…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
The
monkey was staring at me
Staring, as he sat in his tree
I stared at him right back
Watching him plan his attack
Then he stood and all over me he did pee. - Bonnie |
The
monkey was staring at me
And said while watching the show Glee,
"I guess these guys have spunk
But the one that’s a hunk
Is the ‘Facts of Life’ George Clooney!" - Anne Onimous |
The monkey
was staring at me
Intently from a tall bay tree
Trouble it did me find
When he reached behind
And towards me threw something steamy. - E. Cole Aye |
The monkey
was staring at me
While holding a glass of Chablis
And asked, "Are you someone
Who believes Darwin
Or that a deity created thee?" - E. Cole Aye |
The monkey
was staring at me
like I had not one head, but three
but when I sat down
he thought I was a clown
and so the monkey clapped with great glee. - Cassandra in New
York |
The monkey
was staring at me
And I was staring at he
Then he messed in his hand
And threw it at Ann
And got it all over she. - Skeeter |
The monkey
was staring at me
‘Til he got stung by a bee
It hurt I could tell
When from his perch he fell
And screamed like a mad banshee. - Skeeter |
The monkey
was staring at me
With the good eye left from said bee
He looked up from the floor
Didn’t want any more
So from his cage he did flee. - Skeeter |
The monkey
was staring at me
And the others around me you see
When his keeper came by
Monk spit in his eye
And a good laugh was had by we. - Skeeter |
The monkey
was staring at me
as I started to climb his big tree.
Some bananas I had,
but the monkey was bad.
As he let loose with all of his pee. - ldo |
The monkey
was staring at me
as I tripped and fell down on my knee.
I said a bad word,
but the monkey had heard,
as he shouted out loud in great glee. - ldo |
The weather
outside is so clear
So I’ll hike over to the pier
And try to catch a fish
For my dinner dish.
Instead of a line, I’ll use a spear. - E. Cole Aye |
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Reader Comments
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Re: Happy
I don’t know why my link to the article I was using didn’t work. I
know I put it in there, but I must have hit a wrong button. It was:
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2011/01/happiness-interview-dan-heath-im-a-big-fan-of-chip-heath-and-dan-heaths-book-made-to-stick-why-some-ideas-survive-a.html
- Patti
I’M happy as i have kept my weight off and i haven’t eaten healthy
that day.I make it again the next day and i’m even happier.So i make
it a week even better.so i practice this each day.So that i don’t
have to see those 332 lbs come back ever again. - dEE
What I do to make myself happy is download digital talking books,
and read a good book to lose myself in and that makes me very happy.
The other thing that makes me happy is to visit my grand kids, and
one more thing that makes me happy is to go to work. I love what I
do, and there aren’t that many people who can say that their job makes
them happy, and that it makes them feel good about themselves. I think
that the way I get in the way of my being happy is when I let my mind
slip back to a past bad memory, but I pull myself out pretty quick
with a good book, or with a visit to my grand kids, or just by working
a phone shift. - Tazz
Re:
Fear
Well Cliff, I have had the dreaded colonoscopy at least 4 times and
each time, it is the preparation that I dread. Since I am asleep during
the procedure, I don’t know what is going on, therefore, do not care.
However, the prep beforehand is almost more than I can bear (or is
it bare? LOL) I hope all went well for you. I’m sure your worries
were all in vain. - Mare in Mare-land
What causes me to react in fear? Mostly creepy crawlies - bugs; silverfish;
bats; snakes; spiders; also "things in the water" - as in
lakes, where you can’t see the bottom. I pretty much won’t swim in
a lake, pond, or reservoir for that reason. Irrational, I know!
Medical procedures don’t particularly bother me, but I think some
of that is due to the fact that I’ve had really exceptional doctors
for the procedures I have had done. - Tesser
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
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and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
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