Grab Bag

New Service Offered

2011-08-01

PERSONALIZED EDITORIAL PROOFREADING WITH ATTENTION TO WRITER’S INTENT: WHY I CARE - WHY YOU MIGHT CARE - MY QUALIFICATIONS – INITIAL CONSULT

WHY I CARE: EXPERIENCES THAT CAUSED ME STRESS

1) PURPOSE AND CONTEXT ARE PRIMARY.

I have paid big bucks for proofreading only to find the need to correct it because the mechanized process (or training) failed to pay attention to my purpose.

2) POORLY WRITTEN FORM LETTERS GET NEGATIVE RESULTS.

I have received form letters so badly written they turned me off on the organizations sending them.

3) MY SPELL CHECK HAS LOST ITS MIND.

Not only is it unaware of the difference between “their” and “there,” it regularly makes grammar and spelling mistakes that cause me to wonder who constructed it.

WHO MIGHT APPRECIATE MY SERVICES

1) SELF-PUBLISHING AUTHORS.

The work, creativity, and style are yours, but I’ll go beyond very careful proofreading to attend to context and intent.

2) BUSINESS WRITERS CREATING LETTERS INTENDED FOR MASS MAILINGS.

I’ll look for clarity and simplicity of message and expectations for response.

3) INDIVIDUALS CREATING PERSONAL SOCIAL INVITATIONS AND NOTICES.

I’ll help fit them into the space you need, or convey the degree of warmth and welcome you want to express.

MY QUALIFYING EXPERIENCES

1) MRS. JOB, WHEN TO FORGIVE, FORGIVING ONE PAGE AT A TIME, HELPING WITH FORGIVENESS DECISIONS.

2) AN ERSTWHILE ENGLISH MAJOR TURNED PSYCHOLOGY PH.D AND PROFESSOR.

I tortured psychology students for years, demanding accuracy and clarity in the writing of papers, theses and dissertations.

3) YEARS OF TEACHING L-COURSES AT SCSU.

An L-Course? A Psychology course in which a portion of the grade depended on the student’s developing appropriate and acceptable research and writing skills.

CONTACT ME FOR A ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION

1) Email me via my web site http://www.forgivenessoptions.com

2) We can set up a phone conversation.

Abusive Relationship

2011-05-18

Tips for Forgiving an Abusive Spouse.

Forgiving an abusive spouse can be difficult, especially after the emotional and physical experiences that you have had. View the full interivew.

Meet Mrs. Job

2011-05-18

Meet Mrs. Job

Just for the fun of it

2011-05-18

Have fun and take a look at this article.

What I told the TV about forgiveness

2011-04-22

I was energetically talking to the TV as I watched an episode of “Forgiveness: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate” which was presented recently on PBS. (In fact, I just ordered a copy of the DVD for my library.) It’s really well done, with its emphasis on the complexity of the issue.

So what was my frustrated ranting? “Look at my ‘When to Forgive,’ I shouted,” It’s based exactly on that complexity, which is why it’s not called something like “The Miracle of Forgiveness” which the publishers wanted originally. The point is to recognize the reader’s specific situation and the possibilities available for an appropriate and moral response.

My frustration?? “When to Forgive” isn’t in the hands of so many people who could be helped. The same goes for my “Forgiving One Page at a Time.” Want to know more? This link will take you there.

The More Things Change; The More They Stay the Same

2011-04-14

I’d be old-fashioned in the classroom now. Oh, I did innovate. In my last course I used weekly e-mail exchanges to receive and give instant feedback on brief papers. In the 60s, I contributed to a TV course where we lectured on screen and evaluated progress with traditional methods.

But recently I heard of a web course based on two principles: Socratic method and Games theory - ?as in games like World of Warcraft.

In the 60s, our team entertained classes of 125 students with an assortment of slides and movies displayed on the big screen as we lectured in the traditional way – early version of powerpoint?

Then there’s SCSU itself. We had no glossy magazine like the college produces now, or “Southern Life,” the campus newspaper, which inspired me to write this.

What caught my eye was research Bill Sherman (psych department) did with Michelle Vancour (public health) extending her doctoral study of academic moms to the study of men in academia.

Now here’s where things stay the same. “These men ‘don’t feel the same level of guilt about going to work as moms do.” A father might say, ‘I don’t like to travel because I miss my kids,’ rather than feeling guilty about leaving them, as mom’s do”

“One key difference in how the men and women in their studies view work/family balance. Dads compartmentalize, saying ‘This is what I’ll do and this is when I’ll do it’ whereas moms try to find bits and pieces of time to fit everything in. ‘Women don’t just turn off one thing and do another,… they multitask.’”

Guilt and multitasking. Been there; done that. Still trying to train myself to compartmentalize.

Survival of the Cooperative

2011-03-26

THE AGE OF COMPASSION?

Recently I awoke wondering if I was depressed. I still don’t know whether I was, but I did know I didn’t want to sit and stare into space, much as I wanted to. That would result in guaranteed depression at the end of the day. So I read a book – I mean a print book – which I had sitting on the top of my pile: Frans deWaal, “The Age of Empathy, Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society.” I do recommend the book. His 2009 thesis revealed in the preface is so hopeful.

View the full article at my blog

For more on deWaal’s book, click here for my review on amazon.com. I’ve titled it “Survival of the Cooperative.” You’ll have to scroll down to find it on page 2.?

While I’m at it, take a look at the review of my classmate’s book, Lois Spratley, “Transatlantic Triangle.” I’ve titled my review, “Love and Nostalgia – A Darned Good Story.