Busy Times

I haven't really spent much time blogging. Not sure that I have much to add after all the email, facebook and twitter posts. I'm very focused on the Daily Racing Form Preservation Project right now. The project funding is running out, and it is time to start fund raising. The good news about collaborations is that behemoth tasks can be approached, managed and accomplished. The bad thing about collaborations is that EVERYONE has something to say and not everyone is listening carefully or fully understands what each other is saying. Sometimes, my role is to be the Rosetta Stone among the collaborators. When I'm successful, the effort is gratifying.

I'm going to hone my 2.0 skills. I would really like to reach a point where I could create a website and manage it. Shall I continue with the 23 Things training? I think so. I also need to get a new computer at home, re-establish the home network and take stock of our communications services at home. I think we pay way too much for too many services that we rarely use.

Well, this is a post. Not much of one. But it will do for now.

Election jitters

That's what I have. Election jitters. I can feel such energy in the air today. People are voting. Everywhere. Long lines. Broken machines. Backup paper ballots. I hope they are voting for Obama. I hope they are voting for hope. I hope they are voting for a better future. I hope they are voting for forward momemtum and compassion and intelligence and energy and vision. I hope they are voting for redemption over America's racist past. I hope they are voting for diversity and opportunity. I hope they are voting for "can do!"

Election jitters. Let the results begin. Let the future begin.

Reflects positively on the university

So what does that mean anyway? So and so reflects well on the University. If so and so, let's say, Amy, is a "star," Amy shines. Amy doesn't reflect. Mirrors reflect. Glass reflects. Amy shines. The moon reflects the sun's light to the earth, but it doesn't shine. technically. So where does this phrase come from. Perhaps the university basks in Amy's star shine---can I say, it basks in Amy's reflected glory? Does the University reflect Amy's star shine?

What is the proper way to say, "Amy makes the University look good"?

pbwiki

I finally had time to work on pbwiki during the weekend. I have some questions, but I'm learning as I go. The name of the wiki is "Becky Preservati's Stable". Can you guess that Derby fever is upon us? I keep creating pages, but I haven't figured out how to link to them and have them appear as a tab. I'm sure there is a guideline for that at the peanut butter factory, I mean, website.

By the way if you did not see the Risen Star Stakes on TVG this past Saturday. Check out Pyro's performance at http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/videos

Click on the Risen Star Stakes, not the Risen Star Preview.

I'm working on a post about an independent radio producer that I know, Jesse Dukes. More on that later.

RSS

Sensory overload. in a word.

The tutorial was LONG. And was there really a video?

College Presidents and words

Well, someone today told me that I was "word" person. I've not really considered myself a word person, but I am a talker. But thinking on it, I guess I do pay attention to words. I mean, I use a real dictionary every once in a while to see if a word means what I think it means. And, then I look at the words around the searched word. It's interesting to me.

But, in terms of using some tricky words correctly, I'll never get "lay" and "lie" sorted out, and I don't think I'll ever be much a swimmer (except at the beach) because I dread using the past tense or the participial form. Swam? Swum?

There are few words that I do use correctly thanks to the wonderful book, "A Civil Tongue" by Edwin Newman, a newscaster in the 1960's and 1970's. He wrote "A Civil Tongue" in 1975, and some of his priceless observations about proper word usage have stuck with me ever since. For instance, I do know how to use "comprise" properly. The greater comprises the smaller. The greater is also "composed of " (not comprised of) the smallers.

There is a big difference between "less" and "fewer". "Less" implies a static quality or condition that is diminuative to a greater quality, condition or quantity. I have less interest in blogging than most people. The prices for Antonio Melani shoes at Neiman Marcus are less than the prices at Lord and Taylor. To use "less" to indicate items can be really problematic. For instance, if I say that my parents have less children the LaRoccos, that means that we kids are of "lesser quality". What I should say is that "my parents have "fewer" children than the LaRoccos. When you go to grocery store, the express line should say. "Express line for customers with "fewer" than 15 items." If you say something about KDL, and you say that Centre College has "less items" in the KDL that would be wrong, but it you said that Centre College has "less content" ( content being a singular/plural neutral word), that would be correct.

Another important distinction to learn is the difference between "nauseous" (pardon me while I check the dictionary for spelling) and "nauseated". The word "nauseous" means "causing nausea." The word "nauseated" means you are experiencing nausea. If you are not well and are experiencing nausea, then you are "nauseated." To say that you are "nauseous" means that you are causing nausea in someone else. In other words, when little suzi says she's nauseous, she's making me sick.

Well, I could go on, but to get to the title: "college presidents". Newman also observed most really successful college presidents have "interchangeable" names. He listed a slew of them from the 1970's in his book. It's true. That's why Lee Todd is great. His name is Lee Todd, but it also makes sense interchangeably as Todd Lee. Edgar Shannon at UVa when I was there was an awesome scholar and college president. Edgar Shannon or Shannon Edgar.

Now consider PDP: who's the future college president? Molinaro Mary? Plarr Margie? Hall Benjamin (pretty close)? Sullivan Cliff (very likely---think Montgomery Cliff), Terry Kopana (definitely since many people interchange Ko's name.

So that's the story about words for now. Maybe I'll add a chapter later.

Getting started with Blogs (should it be capitalized?)

Well, here I am. In blogspace. So far, I don't really have much to say.

My brother Thom blogs a lot. I wonder if he will find this space. I never think to read his entries unless he tells me to look at them. Some of the entries are really fine.

His coverage of the Thanksgiving Family Band rendition of "Froggy Went a Courtin' " went national, and soon a Tom and Jerry (Hanna and Barbara) version of the ballad surfaced. http://newt9.blogspot.com/2007/11/feast.html You can watch the "Toon" and hear some of the live music at the the blogspot above. My son, Jesse, is a seated guitarist wearing a white shirt. The other musical interlude features a John Prine favorite with another of my brothers on primary vocals.

Now that I looked at this blogspot again, I'm glad that it was recorded. The event was wonderful, and I'm glad my family had this wonderful get together.

Also, Thom's coverage of the Breeder's Cup from Monmouth Park right on the money.

He blogs Va Tech sports and news, "Save the Golf Course" rallies, Virginia Teachers' Association activities and many other things that he recalls from his/my colorful childhoods--although, I must admit, I never knew how colorful his childhood was until he started blogging it. Every once in a while, I become a character in his recollections. "Beatles on My Porch" is one of his fun memories.

He's become a very good writer, and the blog is his most expressive medium. So, if you find this is cyberblogspace. I hope you enjoy the stuff Thom assembled in his blog. And, if you want the words to "Froggy Went a Courtin'"--well, you can certainly find them on the web, and I recommend John McCutcheon's recording to learn the pronounciation.

Cheers from Becky's Blue Blog.