Read-Think-b4-u-Write

Finally, someone has actually proved that zombies aren't real. I am always amazed how some people believe in zombies, ghost, the paranormal, but then claim there can be no god or spirituality. So, dare we talk about god? I'm sure it will offend someone...okay, let's do it. Here are some scientists who believed in a higher power and how they reconciled those beliefs (thanks Huffington Post ). 1. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Among his accomplishments (and getting him excommunicated from the Catholic Church) supporting the theory that the earth moved around the sun and not the other way around. I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with senses, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use and by some other means to give us knowledge which we can attain by them. He would not require use to deny sense and reason in physical matters which are set before our eyes and minds by direct experience or necessary demonstrations....

In 1899, French artists presented the world of 2000 . They see the 21st century filled with flying fire fighters, postal deliveries, and the police catching the bad guy. School teachers feed books into a machine that will speak the books to students wearing headphones. Everything has wires - no wi fi here - yet.  These drawings remind me of the original Superman - Action Comics No. 1, July 1938. Maybe it is the printing. The pictures were printed as "illustrated trade cards" for public consumption.  Whenever I see pictures or stories like this, they are always filled with flying vehicles and people. But I always wonder where is my flying car or my wings? While we don't have people with wings delivering packages and such, we have gone a step further further, removing the human equation and allowing drones to deliver packages and unmanned cars to deliver us. It's interesting that these futurists never remove the human element in their visions. People are always present;...

  Over at Lapham's Quarterly there is a story entitled "Flesh and Page" . I knew a bit about the making of parchment and the switch to paper because it seemed like a good story. But this article is a full-blown history of how parchment was made--animal by animal. The author of the article, Bruce Holsinger, asserts instructions for making parchment were not well written, often incomplete, or even insensible. But since parchment was an expensive commodity, medieval creators more likely were loath to reveal their recipes. When making a local product with local animals and local organic base and acidic compounds, recipes were bound to vary and vary widely. Regardless, there are dozens of recipes left from medieval times. Parchment had a reverential place in most societies. So much so, that it caused religious uproars regarding the manner in which animal skins were prepared especially among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But another argument seems to rival religious authority....

There’s a recent article in The Millions that begins by giving a history lesson on “sorts” and “upper” and “lower” case. Now, this may not be something that gets you excited, but I find it fun to learn history, especially its minutiae. “How Many Errorrs Are in This Essay?” by Ed Simon is a jaunt through the history of errors of all kinds. Did you know the St. James Bible was called the "Wicked Bible" because the first printing contained the error "Thou shalt commit adultery"? Yikes. What a mistake to clean up. Books of the 17th century were created by gathering and placing miniscule "sorts" (individual letters) into frames one letter, line, and page at a time. You couldn't just leave them around gathering dust, you had to take them apart to create new pages. That means the page containing "Thou shalt commit adultery" had to be completely redone, by hand, for hours. But as they say, that's not all. The author goes into the history of huma...

No matter where, when, or how (before or after you graduate, before or after you write a book, etc.), someday you may be lucky enough to meet your career hero, be it Mark Zuckerburg or Elon Musk. If you are a writer, you may be lucky enough to meet your favorite author, agent, or publisher. What do you do? You prepare for success and pitch yourself. An elevator pitch is a short synopsis of your skills and abilities, and like any other sales pitch, first impressions are important. These pitches are also important when you go to job fairs, networking events, or conferences. thebalancecareers.com Your elevator pitch is a summary (or thesis, if you will) of your answer to the question "Tell me a little about yourself?" - an often used opener to the job interview. Here are some of the basics from thebalancecareers.com: 1) Keep it short. No more than 60 seconds. 2) Be Persuasive. This is a double-edged sword, be persuasive, not needy. 3) Share your skills . Not the ...

First impressions are really important when it comes to a job interview, meeting the in-laws for the first time, trying to land a sale, and many, many other social situations... ...and it only takes two to three seconds to make a first impression. According to Mind Tools the key elements to making a great first impression are:      1. Be on time.      2. Present yourself appropriately.      3. Be yourself.      4.  Have a winning smile.      5. Be open and confident.      6. Use small talk.      7. Be positive.      8. Be courteous and attentive. We have all probably heard this list before (or something like it), and you've probably been to a job interview, or have had to meet someone you wanted to impress, but did you ever think about the first impression your writing makes? You should. When you send a letter or an article to a colleague or publ...