tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192665762024-03-13T22:22:29.516-07:00UnGarbl'd ThoughtsClarity. Advocacy. Simplicity. Creativity. I like making connections. Not to confuse but to understand. From inspiring to amusing to unexpected ... to politically progressive. Between people, places, things. Ideas, beliefs, words. Events, issues, solutions. To explain. To enjoy. To grow. To advise. For fun, call me Garbl. I'm an acronym! Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.comBlogger1127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-20878694589716375772022-05-28T10:16:00.001-07:002022-05-28T10:16:35.877-07:00Leonard Pitts Jr.: Sen. Bill Cassidy still doesn’t know what hit himLeonard Pitts Jr. concludes this column:Language — spoken language especially — has a way of making naked the implicit biases and unspoken assumptions of its users. That’s what happened here.In a few poorly considered words, Cassidy managed to otherize women he says he means to support. Small wonder race is frequently an argument, but seldom a conversation. What’s most frustrating here, you see, Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-24092988301118036142022-02-06T15:20:00.001-08:002022-02-06T15:20:55.735-08:00Persuasive Writing Strategies and Tips, with Examples | Grammarly BlogMatt Ellis writes at Grammarly:"Aside from standard writing skills, a persuasive essay author can also draw on personal experience, logical arguments, an appeal to emotion, and compelling speech to influence readers."Persuasive writing relies on different techniques and strategies than other written works: In a persuasive essay, it’s not enough to simply inform; you also have to convince the Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-48837597456134575032022-02-03T10:35:00.004-08:002022-02-03T10:35:46.695-08:00Before you rage against critical race theory, it might be helpful to know what it isMarcus Harrison Green writes in The Seattle Times:"For the record, critical race theory originated as a field of academic study from 1970s legal scholarship, led by Derrick Bell, that described how racism influences the gears of our nation’s legal, education, health care, and other social systems. "The theoretical framework is most often encountered in the halls of higher education, and — Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-12726086355631989722022-02-03T10:13:00.009-08:002022-02-03T10:37:07.716-08:00The Language of Anti-Racism | YES! Magazine"Whether you’re a seasoned racial justice activist in the front lines of every protest or someone who’s in the beginning steps of racial literacy, we can all take time to evaluate the terminology we use when talking about race. "In Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter, authors Candis Watts Smith, an associate professor at Penn State University, and Tehama Lopez Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-50257653761540545682022-01-05T23:27:00.006-08:002022-01-05T23:33:26.806-08:00To folks who happen into this blog from wherever they may be on the web ...As you'll likely notice, I do not update my blog very frequently. The last post was in May 2021. That could change in 2022, as I ponder how I can make use of this existing space to express my thoughts and opinions about writing and other topics. You may also notice that past links in this blog to my website, Garbl's Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0Port Townsend, WA 98368, USA48.117038699999988 -122.760447119.806804863821142 -157.9166971 76.427272536178833 -87.6041971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-44166383338288982732021-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:002021-05-03T14:27:31.027-07:00Help preserve, improve Fort Worden State Park as a recreational, historic, educational, natural resource www.givebigwa.org/FRIENDSOFFORTWORDENSince my wife and I moved from Seattle to Port Townsend in 2015, one of our favorite places has been Fort Worden State Park. We enjoy reading and sunsets on the beach, walking along forest trails and gun batteries on Artillery Hill, taking photographs, wandering the new Chinese Gardens Interpretive Trail, attending concerts, workshops, and other events Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-48592422604241903802021-03-07T08:22:00.002-08:002021-03-07T08:22:16.112-08:00Outlining: Create a Useful Outline for Your Writing | Grammarly BlogLindsay Kramer writes at the Grammarly Blog:"No matter what you’re writing, outlining is a crucial early step in the writing process. An outline provides the framework upon which your finished piece of writing is built; it provides the template to fill in with your unique insights and ideas. "Of the five steps of the writing process, outlining is part of the second: preparing. Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-22586988739372033502021-02-19T08:53:00.006-08:002021-02-19T08:53:38.522-08:00What’s Your Pronoun? | ACES: The Society for EditingWhat’s Your Pronoun? | ACES: The Society for EditingChristine Steele writes in ACES: The Society for Editing:"Sometimes people might make assumptions about the gender of another person based on that person’s appearance or name. Using someone’s correct personal pronoun is a way to respect them and create an inclusive environment, even online."Besides they, which was Merriam-Webster’s 2019 Word ofGarblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-55348281651103537132021-02-18T10:47:00.000-08:002021-02-18T10:47:00.473-08:00Microaggressions in Editing | ACES: The Society for EditingMicroaggressions in Editing | ACES: The Society for Editing"Editors, like all humans, have implicit biases, which can sometimes be reflected in our edits. Although we may believe that we’re improving the copy, we may actually be undoing the conscious choices that writers have made, especially when we make assumptions as we’re editing. "Sometimes our biases show themselves in microaggressionsGarblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-3986957579990281602021-02-18T10:37:00.005-08:002021-02-18T10:37:26.928-08:00Immigration law: Biden wants to remove this controversial word from US laws - CNNPoliticsImmigration law: Biden wants to remove this controversial word from US laws - CNNPoliticsFrom CNN:"The term 'illegal alien,' long decried as a dehumanizing slur by immigrant rights advocates, became even more of a lightning rod during the Trump era -- with some top federal officials encouraging its use and several states and local governments taking up measures to ban it."'The language change onGarblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-65203398573672885462021-01-18T15:11:00.005-08:002022-02-03T11:05:39.392-08:00 The End of My Tools for Writers | Updated: Garbl's Writing Center has returned at a new domainUpdated: Garbl's Writing Center has returned at a new domainThe End of My Tools for WritersA longtime website of mine, Garbl's Writing Center, and its domain name, garbl.info, have disappeared from the internet. The free editorial style and usage manual, concise writing guides, and plain-language writing guide at Garbl's Writing Center are no longer available (though links to it still exist on Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-19664310117899480662021-01-04T14:42:00.003-08:002021-01-04T14:42:51.968-08:00Trump's Insurgency From Inside the Oval Office - The New York TimesTrump's Insurgency From Inside the Oval Office - The New York TimesPeter Baker writes at the New York Times:"President Trump’s relentless effort to overturn the result of the election that he lost has become the most serious stress test of American democracy in generations, led not by outside revolutionaries intent on bringing down the system but by the very leader charged with defending it."In Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-4232957469839595942020-07-20T07:57:00.001-07:002020-07-20T08:00:46.463-07:00The Associated Press: Why we will lowercase white
Why we will lowercase white
by John Daniszewski, Vice President for Standards on July 20, 2020
AP style will continue to lowercase the term white in racial, ethnic and cultural senses. This decision follows our move last month to capitalize Black in such uses. We consulted with a wide group of people internally and externally around the globe and considered a Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-32435163895797272792020-06-25T13:12:00.001-07:002020-06-25T13:16:57.225-07:00Objectivity isn’t a magic wand - Columbia Journalism ReviewI'm delighted that the Black Lives Movement has sparked increased attention to the issue of "objectivity" in the news media. I hope the discussion continues within the news media and journalism school as well as within the general public -- and leads to improved and revised attitudes toward so-called objectivity.
Still, for what it's worth, reconsidering the value and function of objectivity Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-34157842957066002822020-06-25T12:21:00.001-07:002020-06-25T12:21:53.013-07:00Nature Needs New PronounsAs both an environmentalist and writer, I'm intrigued by the ideas and proposal in this article. I support further discussion and consideration. Still, as both a regular style manual user and creator, I'm very aware of the lengthy and continuing discussions of the appropriate pronouns for referring to humans; specifically, referring generically to a single human as "they" or "their" -- Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-14727477756601856482020-05-13T09:41:00.002-07:002020-05-13T09:45:56.553-07:00Enough is Enough: Global Nuclear Weapons Spending 2020
Nine nuclear-armed states spent roughly $73 billion on their nuclear arsenals last year! That’s $138,699 per minute! These numbers come from the latest investigation of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), published today: “Enough is Enough: 2019 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending.”
That estimate includes costs to maintain current nuclear warheads and nuclear delivery Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-36831984454499841672020-04-28T09:51:00.001-07:002020-04-28T09:52:43.066-07:00Microsoft Word will now mark two spaces after a period as an error.Has Microsoft ended the Great Spacing Debate once and for all?
Chloe Hadavas writes in Slate.com:
"On Friday, the Verge reported that Microsoft has started updating Microsoft Word to flag two spaces after a period as an error. (The suggested correction goes without saying.)
"Microsoft is currently testing the update on the latest desktop version of Word and plans to roll out the change Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-78663079729535786282020-04-14T19:36:00.000-07:002020-04-28T09:52:58.868-07:00The Media Bias Chart, Version 5.1Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-72205782234109714152020-03-23T18:00:00.000-07:002020-03-23T18:01:03.969-07:00Everyone is contagious!My philosophy of social distancing during the coronavirus crisis:
Everyone is contagious!
Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-55383816245724838032020-03-19T11:29:00.001-07:002020-03-19T11:31:05.549-07:00Urge Congress to adopt these urgently needed steps to true security amidst the coronavirus pandemicUrge Congress to adopt these urgently needed steps to true security amidst the coronavirus pandemic
I just sent emails to my U.S. representative and senators with support for steps that can lead to greater economic stimulus while targeting aid toward people who need it most. My message said, in part:
I support truly grassroots economic action that targets aid to the most vulnerable and Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-63702571375830352392020-03-19T10:50:00.003-07:002020-03-19T11:04:35.897-07:00What’s the Best Term for Referring to Old People? - The AtlanticWhat’s the Best Term for Referring to Old People?
Joe Pinsker writes in The Atlantic:
"Calling someone old is generally not considered polite, because the word, accurate though it might be, is frequently considered pejorative.
"It’s a label that people tend to shy away from: In 2016, the Marist Poll asked American adults if they thought a 65-year-old qualified as old. Sixty percent of Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-17085966116565594032020-03-19T10:44:00.001-07:002020-03-19T10:46:01.289-07:00How Language Is Deployed as a Weapon of War – Mother JonesHow Language Is Deployed as a Weapon of War
Daniel King writes at Mother Jones:
"How we talk about war is an early measure of whether we’re drifting to war, and whether we’re on guard against the manufacturing or stretching of reasons for it. It’s a historical constant: Carefully chosen euphemisms and deceptive sentence structures are routinely deployed to drum up public support and pave the Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-29815516556943739612020-03-19T10:35:00.001-07:002020-03-19T10:37:13.847-07:00The use of jargon kills people’s interest in science, politicsThe use of jargon kills people’s interest in science, politics
Jeff Grabmeier writes in Ohio State News:
"The problem is that the mere presence of jargon sends a discouraging message to readers, said Hillary Shulman, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University.
"'The use of difficult, specialized words are a signal that tells people that they Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-67703283129094751032020-03-19T10:30:00.001-07:002020-03-19T10:32:02.548-07:00Want people to care about climate change? Skip the jargon. | GristWant people to care about climate change? Skip the jargon
“The only thing that’s dumb is speaking to people in language that they don’t understand.”
Kate Yoder writes in Grist.org:
"Forget 'dumbing down.' Using more common language is 'smartening up,' said Susan Joy Hassol, director of the nonprofit science outreach group Climate Communication in North Carolina, who coaches scientists and Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19266576.post-82445324695051772482020-02-26T18:30:00.001-08:002020-02-26T18:31:46.980-08:00Progressive Voters GuideProgressive Voters Guide: Get the facts before you vote!
CHECK THIS OUT! New Fuse Voters Guide for the Washington presidential primary election!
Fuse writes on the homepage:
"The Fuse Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Our presidential primary guide does not make a Garblhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15608380665012153393noreply@blogger.com0