Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 163

Should You Follow a Style Guide for Your Blog?

Table of contents for Writing StylesChanging StylesShould You Follow a Style Guide for Your Blog?

[image error]An interesting discussion developed on my last post, Changing Styles. If you haven't read, click over and read it now, and be sure to read the comments.

As a result of that discussion, I'm turning the post into a series of three.

One question that arose was whether bloggers should follow a style guide.  I used the example of my little sister many years ago. When we used to write letters by hand without benefit of spell-check, she would spell a word a different way every time she used it. Her philosophy was that by guessing a bunch of different ways to spell the word, she might get it right once in the letter.

My philosophy is that it's better to be consistently wrong than to be wrong most of the time and right once in a while. It's even better to be right all the time. So I think it's important to have consistency in your blog.

Inconsistencies can be distracting and confusing for readers. Any time readers are distracted or confused, they are trying to figure out what you meant or why you did something the way you did rather than focusing on your message. Whether you're writing a novel or a blog post, you don't want to pull the readers out of your story or your article.

Matt Keegan agrees with me. He was thinking along the same lines when he wrote How to Maintain a Consistent Writing Voice. He emphasized that inconsistency in a blog damages the blogger's credibility.

However, we both agree with commenters that blogs don't have to follow the same rigid rules as some types of writing, such as academic writing. I no longer edit academic papers because I don't enjoy that type of writing—often written to impress rather than to inform or entertain. Most of the projects I edit are far less formal, primarily novels and some nonfiction books. The goal of these books is to inform or entertain—or both, and they are written in an informal, easy-to-read-and-understand style. Yet it's important to follow a style guide (generally the The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition) for consistency. Without some guide to follow, the writing will be inconsistent. Perhaps words will be spelled differently in different parts of the book, or the serial comma will used in some places and not others. Knowing the preferred way to spell the words and that Chicago style requires serial commas, the writers can avoid those inconsistencies.

I tend to follow Chicago style since that's what I'm familiar with and use the most. One commenter likes MLA style found in MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th Edition because that's what she accustomed to. Matt uses Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2010 for some of his projects. I don't think it matters what style you follow, as long as you are consistent.

In fact, you can use something more basic than the extensive style guides like the ones mentioned above. The classic Strunk and White's The Elements of Style covers the major things you need to consider. An excellent online resource is the Guide to Grammar and Writing from the Capital Community College. It's free and easy-to-use. When I was Editor-in-Chief for an Internet publishing company, we used the Guide To Grammar and Writing as our style guide with some additional information in a stylesheet (which I will cover in the next installment in the series).

The major style guides include preferred spelling for many words, which some of the more basic guides don't. You should choose a preferred dictionary to ensure that you are consistent in spelling—there are discrepancies among dictionaries as well as among style guides.

If you create or write blogs for clients, you need to determine the style for the blog at the onset. Many organizations already have a preferred style, and you will be expected to follow that style. If the company doesn't use a specific style, you can choose the style. If other people post to the blog, they need to know the style, as well. For a group blog, the Guide to Grammar and Writing or a similar online resource that can easily be accessed by all bloggers may be best. Other style guides, including Chicago Manual of Style, are available online, but most require a paid subscription or the purchase of the print book to access the online edition.

Don't let your readers become distracted and confused by inconsistencies in your blog. Keep them focused on your brilliant words by using a style guide to maintain consistency in your writing style.

Related Posts:Editing: Part 4 – What are style guides and why do I need them?Changing StylesSelf-Publishing Primer: Part 8 – How do I write my book?Review: The Writer's Digest Guide to Query LettersRules or artistic license?Powered by Contextual Related Posts Previous in series

Changing Styles

We all know styles change. What's fashionable today—in clothing fashion, home decor, and even writing—is passe tomorrow.  

Most of us would agree that some of the great classics of all time probably wouldn't be published today because the writing style is too different from what publishers like now.

But did you know that you might have to change the way you write, depending on the preferred style of the publication? If you write for a newspaper, for example, you will probably be required to use AP (Associated Press) style for your article or column.

Students writing academic papers will use specific style guides assigned by their school. The APA Publication Manual from the American Psychological Association is used in the social and behavior sciences, along with education. The Modern Language Association Handbook is often required for papers in humanities classes.

And in the book publishing industry, the style guide used most often is the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), published by the University of Chicago Press. As you might imagine, this is the style I generally use since most of my work is with books.

A few months ago, the 16th Edition of the CMOS was released simultaneously in hardcover and as an online subscription. Since then, I find myself referring to the online manual far more often than I did before to make sure I'm following the current style.

The purpose of using a style guide is to ensure consistency in written documents. Do you use a serial comma (the comma before the last item in a series)? If you using AP Style, you don't use the serial comma unless the meaning is unclear without it (red, white and blue). If you're using Chicago style or most of the academic styles, you always use the serial comma (red, white, and blue).

Consistency is threatened when the style guidelines change. For example, Chicago used to spell Web site as two words, with Web capitalized. In the 16th Edition, the preferred spelling is website (one word, all lowercase). However, web page is two words, all lowercase. The abbreviation for United States is now US, not U.S.

Maintaining consistency in  a book or similar publication is easy when styles changes. Just stick with a single edition, preferably the 16th Edition unless the project was already far advanced when the latest edition came out.

But what about my blog and website? Posts and pages written in the past use 15th Edition style. I'm gradually making the transition to the 16th Edition as I discover changes. So you'll find Web site in older posts, and website in more recent posts. It's not that I can't remember which to use—it's that the rules have changed.

Do you follow a specific style in your blog? If so, what style do you use and why did you choose it? How do you handle evolving style rules?

David Bowles recently wrote about a related topic: the changing meanings of words. He asked the question if the dialogue in his historical fiction should use words that are no longer used or that have different meanings today than when his characters lived in the eighteenth century. You may want to drop by his post and give him your opinion.

photo credit: Red Dress Fashion Show

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Just Do It!

A client recently asked me, "How did you learn how to do so many things?" She found it unusual that I write, edit, help writers self-publish, create and maintain websites, and a few other miscellaneous things.

It goes back to my parents and the way I was raised. Although my parents were simple people without a lot of worldly resources, all of their children grew up believing we could do anything we wanted to. No one on either side of my family had ever gone to college, but it never occurred to my siblings or me that we couldn't get a college degree.

When I went to college, I depended on financial aid, academic scholarships, and jobs. I was in a work-study program that provided a twenty-hour a week job at the college while I carried a full load of classes. When I reported to my assigned job in the library, the librarian pointed to a typewriter and said I would be typing catalog cards. As I described in Abject Terror + A Bluff = New Confidence, I panicked when I saw the typewriter. It was an electric, and all my experience was on a manual typewriter. Imagining myself fired from the job because I couldn't even turn on an electric typewriter, I envisioned myself being kicked out of school because I couldn't pay the tuition, embarrassing my family who was so proud of the first college student in the family. I could see my whole life ruined over this failure, so I bluffed my way through, succeeded in the job, and discovered I could do more than I thought I could.

After that, I developed the habit of answering, "Sure, I can," when someone asks me, "Can you ?"

As a result of trying to keep one little plant alive on my desk, I learned enough about plant care to start a plant store that grew into the third largest interior landscape company in our metropolitan area.

Through the years I was in business, I made a lot of mistakes and I made some good decisions that seemed selfish at the time. I learned to run a business even though I had no background in business before I opened my plant shop.

I learned to speak in public by starting off speaking to garden clubs with five or ten members. Over time, I began to speak to larger groups both about plant care and about business. At one point, I addressed the convention of a statewide nursery organization with several thousand people in attendance. However, what meant the most to me was to hear that I encouraged one person I didn't meet until years later.

After I had a stroke, I decided it was time to follow my dream of becoming a writer, so I wrote a novel, sold my interior landscape company, and became a full-time writer.

I became an editor because I contacted a publisher and pointed out editing problems with some of the books published by the company.

In the nearly fifteen years I've been a freelancer, I've done new things when a client asked for a website, layout of their book, cover design, or any of the other things required to prepare a book for publication. Now if you look at the services I offer, you'll see I've added many of these services to my repertoire.

I find that I enjoy helping a few clients do everything related to publishing their book rather than writing a lot of articles or editing a lot of manuscripts. I enjoy the variety, and I get a real sense of satisfaction seeing the finished product.

However, you may have no desire to add more skills to your professional skill set. But there's probably something you would like to try, something you want to learn, something you wish to experience. Maybe you think it's too challenging or frivolous or time-consuming. My advice: Just do it! 

It's not too late, and you're capable of doing far more than you give yourself credit for. So whether you want to learn a new skill, travel to an exotic place, change careers–or anything else, just do it!

photo credit: smemon87

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Review – Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut!

[image error]Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut!

Terry L. Sumerlin

SE Publishing, 2011

ISBN Paperback: 9780965966238

ISBN EBook: 9780965966245

Paperback, 172 pages; also multiple ebook formats

Let me begin by telling what you already know if you read my last post.  Author Terry L. Sumerlin is my client, and I formatted this book for both print and ebook formats.

But I don't think it's a conflict of interest for me to review the book because, unlike most books I work on, I didn't edit it. In fact, I didn't even read the book until after it was published.

Leadership: It Takes More Than a  Great Haircut! is a compilation of columns that Terry wrote for the San Antonio Business Journal. Since they were professionally edited at the time they were published in the newspaper, there was no need to edit them again.

Of course, it would be a conflict of interest if I told you how beautifully the book is laid out, but I won't do that. I'll confine my review to the contents.

Terry calls himself "The Barber-osopher," a combination of barber and philosopher. He owns a barber shop and actually gives haircuts when he's not giving keynote speeches or writing newspaper columns or books.

I was actually tempted to stop formatting and start reading several times during the production of the book. As I applied the heading style to titles like "When Geckos Do the Backstroke," "Clothes Can't Cover the Naked Truth," and "When the Headless Horseman Drives a Town Car," my curiosity was piqued. I really wanted to know what in the world he was talking about.

When I finally got the chance to sit down and read the book from cover to cover (well, from front to back on the Kindle), I wasn't disappointed. Terry uses examples from everyday life—incidents that happen in his barber shop or situations he encounters during his travels and speaking engagements—to illustrate leadership principles. Sometimes the stories bring a groan of sympathy for a difficult challenge he's faced, but, more often, the stories bring chuckles and laughter as Terry gives humor to everyday observations and frustrations.

This is a book you can enjoy in a quick, fun read and one that you will relish for the important leadership lessons you will learn.

Although the book provides valuable advice for businesspeople, the leadership lessons are equally applicable to personal relationships. I highly recommend Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut! to anyone who enjoys humor and who wants to improve their interactions with others as well as their ability to effectively handle the challenges we all face in life.

Disclosure: I received compensation from the author for laying out the book, creating the electronic editions, and other publishing services. I have received no compensation for reviewing the book or interviewing the author on my blog. I'm sharing with my readers because I love the book and think they will too.

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Interview with The Barber-osopher: Terry L. Sumerlin

[image error]My guest today is Terry L. Sumerlin, author of Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut! Terry is a client, but I didn't edit his book. You see, the book is a compilation of columns he's written for the San Antonio Business Journal. The articles were all professionally edited at the time they were published, so Terry just needed me to format the book for print and convert it to ebook formats. Although I was tempted by the intriguing chapter titles, I didn't actually read the book until after it was published.

I will post a review of Terry's book next Tuesday, so be sure to come back for that.

Lillie: Welcome to A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, Terry. You call yourself "The Barber-osopher," and two of your previous books have "Barber-osophy" in the titles. What is a "barber-osopher" and how did you become one?

Terry:  Thank you, Lillie, for your kind invitation. It's a pleasure to be with you.  As you would guess, "barber-osopher" is a bit of tongue in cheek. I'm a barber/philosopher, one who owns a 54-year-old barbershop and who travels internationally sharing sometimes humorous life and business lessons that I call barber-osophy. So, I coined the term to fit what I do.

Lillie: And an excellent term it is. What prompted you to start writing books as well as speaking?  

Terry:  I've always enjoyed writing and it has always come easily for me. For a long time, as part of my writing, I've kept a journal. My first barber-osophy book came almost right out of my journal. Now, though I still try to infuse humor into my writing, I think it has taken on a bit more sophisticated approach. It dovetails into my speaking.    

Lillie: Tell us about your relationship with the San Antonio Business Journal.

Terry:  Actually, the approach to my writing that I just described, I believe, is the result of my relationship with the San Antonio Business Journal. It forced me to focus on business issues. I believe the relationship has helped me as a writer.

This wonderful relationship began by persistence. I contacted the editor by sending him samples of my work. Then I contacted him again—and again.  I thought I was being a pest. He later told me had I not been persistent, I would have been merely one of hundreds of requests they receive regularly.

Lillie: What a great lesson for all writers! It demonstrates that rejection is just one step closer to a yes. Let's move from rejection to irony. Anyone looking at the cover of your book will notice the irony of the title and your photo. How did you come up with the title?

Terry:  Lillie, for a number of years I worked with an Internet consultant in connection with my website and search engine optimization. One day, as I was on a speaking engagement in Breckenridge, CO, she, her husband, and I were having a hamburger and enjoying the day. I mentioned to them that I was writing a book on leadership. As a result, we began to kick around some titles. The one she liked best was Leadership: It Takes More Than a $400 Haircut! For a long time that was the working title. Then I got additional input from others I respect and decided to change it to Great Haircut.  The head shot for the cover was something I sort of came up with like a blind hog finding an acorn. I obviously don't have a great haircut!   

Lillie: I like the way you interject humor into what you write. Leadership: It takes More Than a Great Haircut! contains a lot of anecdotes and humorous stories to illustrate your points. Can you give us a few tips on using humor in our writing? Do you think anyone can learn to use humor in their writing (or speaking, for that matter) or is that a talent that you either have or you don't?

Terry:  While speaking in Las Vegas, I was asked essentially the same question in a Q & A.  I'm not sure I have all the answers to this one, but I think I have some. A good sense of humor comes from keen observation, and that comes from forgetting about self and observing others and life. Life and people are funny. We just don't always notice.

For both speaking and writing, I'm always trying out humor on friends and family. Unless a groan is what is wanted, discard groaners. Also, unless one is a comedian (which I'm not) a funny story must always have a point—and it should be clearly stated so that the reader or audience is not left asking, "Why did he tell that?"

One other word of warning, something I learned from Art Linkletter: The longer the story, the stronger the punch line had better be. Otherwise, people feel they've wasted their time. One liners have the least amount of risk of failure.    

Lillie: Writers like to say that "everyone" should read their book, but we know that the more closely authors define their target audience, the more successful they are. Describe your ideal reader—the person who would benefit the most from reading your book.

Terry:  As a speaker, I've had to learn that I'm not for everyone. As a writer, the same is true. That said, I must quote one endorsement: "It's the kind of book that makes a great gift for any age. People over 50 will enjoy reminiscing and "connecting the dots," while those under 50 will be helped to create and develop their own character base. I can't think of anyone that would not benefit from reading it—several times!" Laurie Magers, Executive Assistant to Zig Ziglar, Author and Motivational Teacher

I would have to say that the same person who would not like to hear me speak would not enjoy my book—and for the same reason. He or she is not interested in learning more about how to more effectively deal with people or life.

Lillie: What is the most important thing you want readers to take away from Leadership: It Takes a Great Haircut!?

Terry:  Lillie, one my favorite quotes is from Samuel Johnson: "Men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves." I would hope that as individuals we would take away at least one idea or thought that makes each of us better people—in the home, in the workplace, and even in society. The only sure way to improve society is to improve self. 

Lillie: Where can readers learn more about you and your books? 

Terry: First, I would direct people to my website: www.barberosophy.com. My books are available on the "publications" page. They are also available through Amazon.com. Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut! is available on Kindle at Amazon and in other ebook formats at Smashwords. 

Lillie: Is there anything I've failed to ask that you would like to share with my readers?

Terry:  I would add one more thing. Winston Churchill said: "Never, never, never, never give up." If I had given up, I would not be writing for the Business Journal. If I had given up after my first book did not sell as I had hoped, I would never have written what I think is now my very best book. If the reader loves to write, I would encourage him or her to WRITE. Learn the craft. Fill your mind by being a voracious reader. Grow and mature with everything you read and write. But, don't give up! 

Lillie: Excellent advice, Terry. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing a bit of Barber-opsophy with my readers. They will probably have more questions for you. Will you check in during the day to respond to comments and answer questions?

Terry:  Thank YOU, Lillie.  I'll be checking in throughout the day, and will be happy to respond to comments and questions.

Lillie: If you have questions for Terry, leave a comment below, and be sure to come back Tuesday for the review of Terry's book.

===================

[image error]Terry L. Sumerlin has inspired and entertained CEOs and graduates of The Harvard Business School, as well as athletes, coaches, teachers, salespeople, business owners, and government personnel. He's addressed men and women from Halifax to Honolulu and from St. Paul to St. Thomas. For nearly a decade he's written a monthly leadership column for American City Business Journals and is the author of the popular Barber-osophy series as well as the inspirational novella, A Human Becoming. Terry and his wife Sherry live in San Antonio, Texas.

Disclosure: I received compensation from the author for laying out the book, creating the electronic editions,and other publishing services. I have received no compensation for writing about the book or interviewing the author on my blog. I'm sharing with my readers because I love the book and think they will too. The links to Amazon.com and Smashwords are affiliate links.

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Thanks to December 2010 Commenters

 


Thank you to the 131 commenters who left 191 comments in December. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them.Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.


 


Top Contributor (23 comments)


Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes


 


Major Contributors (4-5 comments)


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts


Dave
Mountainland Applied Technology College


Dawn Colclasure
Dawn Colclasure Blog


Ron 
Flats to Rent Bournemouth


 


Outstanding Contributors (3 comments)


Amelia
Barcode 1 UK


Brooke
The Bluestocking Guide


Carl
Carl's Words of Inspiration


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts' Philosophy Blog


Dominique
4 Walls and a View


Jenny
Software Business Partners


Shailender
India Darshan


 


Significant Contributors (2 comments)


Bonnie
Finding Cheap Software for Your Computer


China
Finding Cheap Software for Your Computer


Cindy
Yark BMW


Claire
Starapplet.com


Eric
The Conversion Doctor (Eric Graham) Review


Helen Ginger
Straight from Hel


Jack
Jack Di


Janet
Adex Instream


Mia
SBP


Percy
Air Popcorn Maker


Jason
Pet Portraits by Tajart


Bonnie
Finding Cheap Software for Your Computer


 


Important Contributors


Abigail
Washington Drug Rehab


Alex
The Cottages on  Government Way


Anastasia Seis
Anastasia Seis, Writer and Actor


Andrew Heaton
Good Honest Dollar


Angie
Luwasa Cleaning


Anita
Language  Schools Bournemouth


Eric
ExamSoft


Anthony
Pest Control Chicagoland


Ayumi
Inspiring Lives


Banxts
eBanxts


Beth
Comtec


Bianca
All Day Auto Transport


Bill
Master Keys


Bill Tillman
n/a


Bing
Xbox Repair DVD


Blaine
Camera Reviews


Bob
Spiritual Numerology


Cathy
Luwasa Cleaning


Charlie
Free Christian Dating Sites


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Robert's Technology Blog


Claire
First Anti Aging


Claire
 


Claus
Byens Advokat


Daniel
The Sock Buster


Darla
Sleep Apnea Pillow


Dave
Sturm Law


David
Kindle 3G


David
Learning to Play Guitar


elsa
ElectricMousetraps.com


Enna
Acne Centre


Eric
Cambium Works


Eric Graham
Family Help


Gabriella
Barton Floor Covering Outlet


Gail
GrowMap


Grace
The Personal Cook Files


harold
MyHeartRateMonitor.com


Helen
Long Beach Honda


Holly Jahangiri
It's All a Matter of Perspective


Jamie
Treadmill Reviews


Janet
Janet Kaderli


Jared
Hypo-Peripheral Processing


Jason
Evan M. Levow, Attorney at Law


Jason
Kasiserthesage


Jeff
Natural Remedies and You


Jeffrey Reade
Jeffrey Revell Reade – Algo Blog


Jenny
n/a


Jenny
Melissa Skidmore Photography


Jim
Botany Herbs


Jim
Total Mobile Phone


Jo
Purely Shutters


Joe
DIY Shed Plans Center


Joe
Universal Lending & Real Estate


Josh
Payday Advance Plus


Juan
Prime Choice Auto Parts


Julius
SolarPowerInverterSite.com


Karen
Broker-Laan


Kate
Time to Revitalize


Katie Paster
Andamios


Katrina
Frankenfish


Katty
Intellectsoft


Katya
Games 24×7


Keith Davis
Espeaking


Larry
Pattay Crazy


Lasse
Fitness Blog


Lee
Electricians in Ilseworth


Lee
Unique Gift Baskets


Lori Widmer
Words on the Page


Madelyn
n/a


Marc
Microwave Cart


Marian
onlineeducationresearch.info


Marie
EasyTravelBargains.com


Mark
Bail Bonds Charleston


Mark Hodson
The Healthy Holiday Company


Mike
Free Fiction Books


Mike
Hovnanian Senior Housing


Mike
Print Media Limited


Mike Williams
Professional Shed Plans


Mike Williams
Woodworking Plans and Designs


Nat
Tustin Automotive Group


nina
onlineeducationresearch.info


Pat
The Vineyards


Patrick Beaufort
Grape Growing School


Paul
My Dog Grooming Clippers


Paul
My Great Guide


Paula Jo
Clean Star Home & Garden World


Per
Vippean


Percy
debtpayments.info


Percy
HandheldEBookReaderSite.com


Percy
relationshipsproblemsandanswers.info


Percy
SonicElectricToothbrush.com


Philip
Snoring Cures


Priya
Brainwave


Rachel
Blue Pay Go


Ram
Ram Yad Photography


Rich
Soto


Rob
Steroids


Ron & Joann
Window Cleaning Newport Coast


Russ
Southern Coast Realty


Ryan
Poker School


Satyavan Raj
themarriagesutra.com


Sophia
Cool Glow


Stacey
Mark Kia


Steve
List Here


susci
Powers McCartan PLLC


Tim
What Mobile


Tom
9CT Gold Locket


ven
howtodotaxes.info


Vicki
Jewelry Making How To



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Abortion: Legalized Murder

My heart is breaking today. In the 38 years since the Supreme Court handed down the decision in the Roe v Wade case, more than 52 million precious babies have been legally murdered in the womb.

Nearly half of all pregnancies to American women are unintended; four in 10 of these end in abortion. ~ Guttmacher Institute

Millions of human beings made in the image of God have decided their desires and needs are more important than the lives of other human beings made in the image of God. Millions of human beings have decided they have the right to decide who lives or dies–a right that belongs to God alone.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ~ Genesis 1:27
Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. ~ Isaiah 49:1b
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. ~ Jeremiah 1:5a
Your hands have made and fashioned me. ~ Psalm 119:73a
You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be. ~ Psalm 139:13-16
You shall not murder. ~ Exodus 20:13
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. ~ Deuteronomy 30:19b-20

Follow these links to information about abortion and thoughts of people a lot smarter than I am:

An Overview of Abortion in 2 Minutes from Abort73.com
Abortion Facts from The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
It's Time to Stop Pretending Abortion Is Anything Other Than the Ruthless Killing of an Innocent Human Being by Randy Alcorn
Worshiping Moloch by William J. Murray
On the 38th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Most Americans Still Don't Understand the Court's Decision by Father Frank Pavone
The Philadelphia Horror: How Mass Murder Gets a Pass by Michelle Malkin

Here are some of my thoughts on abortion:

Another Year, Another Million and a Half Dead Babies
A Thirty-Six Year Tragedy
The Most Basic Human Right: Life
Slavery and Abortion: Moral Relatives
In Memory of 40 Million Aborted Babies

Some say the language of this post is too strident, not conducive to compromise and cooperation. When millions of lives are at stake, we can't compromise. We must be peaceful and do everything in love, but we must act. We must stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

God forgive us all for murdering the most innocent and vulnerable among us.

O GOD, Almighty and merciful, who healest those that are broken in heart, and turnest the sadness of the sorrowful to joy; Let thy fatherly goodness be upon all that thou hast made, especially those who have not yet breathed outside the womb. Protect them from the hands of those who would take their precious lives and allow thy plans for them to be fulfilled. Remember in pity such as are this day frightened, confused, cast down, and tempted to end their sufferings by spilling innocent blood. By thy heavenly grace preserve them from falling into sin; though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they be perplexed, save them from despair and show them the better way. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him, who for our sakes was born and lived and died, thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

photo credit: Theodore Scott

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National Religious Freedom Day 2011

January 16 is National Religious Freedom Day. The following explanation comes from A Guide for Commemorating Religious Freedom at School at ReligiousFreedomDay.com.

Each year, since 1993, the President declares January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day, and, as in 2005, calls upon Americans to "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship."

The day is the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom. Thomas Jefferson drafted the legislation and considered it one of his greatest achievements. It stopped the practice of taxing people to pay for the support of the local clergy, and it protected the civil rights of people to express their religious beliefs without suffering discrimination.

The men who drafted the U.S. Constitution leaned heavily on Jefferson's statute in establishing the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom. Today, that protection is as important as ever.

We are blessed in the United States to have religious freedom, and it is important that we protect freedom OF religion from those who advocate for freedom FROM religion. Each individual has the right to choose who or what to worship or whether to worship at all.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15b, KJV)

Let us thank God for our religious freedom and pray for those who don't have the same freedom.

O God, who art the giver of all good gifts; We bless thy Name and give thee thanks for the religious freedom guaranteed to us in these United States. Grant that we worship thee, the one true God, faithfully and reverently, and that we protect this freedom for future generations, ever mindful that we enjoy liberty that many have not. We offer supplications for thy children around the world who do not enjoy the freedom to worship thee openly and freely without fear of persecution. We beseech thee to remember them in thy mercy and spread religious freedom around the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who liveth and reignth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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Book Helpdesk

A little book/IT humor for National Book Month.

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Review: Thumbing Through Thoreau

[image error] Thumbing Through Thoreau: A Book of Quotations by Henry David Thoreau

Kenny Luck

Illustrators: Jay Luke and Ren Adams

Tribute Books

April 19, 2010

Hardcover, 320 pages, $24.95

Also available in Kindle edition at Amazon.com and ebook formats at Smashwords

Quotations with original illustrations

I received a PDF review copy, which I converted and read on my Kindle (the original model that does not read PDF). The presentation was unappealing and often difficult to read, which I correctly assumed was a result of the conversion. I haven't seen what the official Kindle edition looks like, though my suspicion is that it isn't very effective. As much as I am a fan of reading on a handheld reader, with a book that is so dependent on layout, PDF is the only ebook format that retains the original layout.

After I read the book on Kindle, I went back and reviewed the PDF version. The layout of the PDF (and, I'm confident, the print book) is beautiful. Each quotation is enhanced by an evocative black and white illustration. The quotations themselves are artistically laid out—individual words in different font sizes and colors (from shades of gray to black). The effect is stunning, but not easy to read.

For a fan of Thoreau, this is an excellent collection of quotes. Author Kenny Luck is such a devoted fan, some might call him obsessed with Thoreau. Although many of the quotes resonated with me, I'm not enamored of all of Thoreau's words.

I have not seen the hardcover edition of the book, but I expect that it makes a wonderful coffee-table book. Rather than reading from beginning to end as I did, it seems to me the ideal way to read this book would be to pick it up and relish a few pages of art and aphorisms at a time, then wait a little while for the next treat.

Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of the book from the publisher. I have not accepted any compensation for this review and made no commitment to give a favorable review. The links to Amazon.com and Smashwords are affiliate links.

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