PONDERABLES
Why do journalists let politicians get away with saying “investing” when it’s spending that they’re talking about?
Who loves being on TV the most, Donald Trump, the Kardashians, or Justin Trudeau?
THINGS I FIRMLY BELIEVE
The adage “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is wrong. In the context of the adage, a bird in the hand is worth an infinite number in the bush.
Any book introduction more than three pages long should be a chapter.
THE THRONE SPEECH AND TRUDEAU’S “ADDRESS TO THE NATION”
The speech from the throne was a classic example of thousands of words of empty rhetoric; a complete waste of time. And the media outlets should have been paid their regular advertising rates by the Liberal party for giving Trudeau time for his so-called “address to the nation,” which was nothing more than blatant election campaigning.
DONALD TRUMP
It’s interesting that almost every slur Donald Trump levels at people, especially at former president Barack Obama, actually applies to Trump himself.
Two key Republicans who are almost as despicable as Donald Trump are Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and Attorney General William Barr. They’re also Trump’s two main enablers.
A VERY GOOD QUESTION
Father Raymond J. de Souza, writing in the National Post, has raised the question as to whether Justin Trudeau (who seems to love apologizing for perceived wrongs by everybody under the sun except himself) would, if the NDP proposed such a motion in parliament, apologize for his father’s imposition of the War Measures Act during the Quebec separatist crisis in 1970. Pierre Trudeau’s use of the Act was inappropriate for at least two reasons. First, the enforcement of existing laws could just as effectively defused the situation, and second, the Act gave him dictatorial powers that applied all across the country, not just in the province of Quebec. (Interesting that son Justin tried to sneak through a similar law earlier this year under the guise of a Covid-19 measure.) Although I don’t remember who it was, I recall one journalist referring to Pierre’s action as “killing a fly on a mirror with a sledgehammer.” The reason Father de Souza suggests the NDP propose the motion is because they voted against use of the Act.
BEING LATE
Think about the signals you send by being late. You’re telling other people that:
a) You’re more important than they are
b) The things you have to do are more important than the things they have to do
c) You’re not very well-organized
d) You’re irresponsible
e) You’re insensitive to their feelings
f) All of the above.
THE VALUE OF BUSINESS PARTNERS
I spent three decades with international accounting firms, during which time I took part in probably over a thousand partners’ meetings, almost all of which entailed making decisions ranging from minor to momentous. I realized the value of having partners at the first such meeting I attended and never changed my mind. Although there were sometimes exceptions, the meetings were generally congenial and the decision-making process would be as follows. An idea would be presented or a suggestion made, the naysayers would have their say and their positions would be accepted, rebutted, or modified, with the result that the first idea or suggestion would be greatly enhanced. Then we would discuss how to make it work and decide who would be responsible for its execution.
SOME E-MAIL WRITING TIPS
Words used in e-mails need to be more precise than those used in conversation because, even with the proliferation of emojis, the reader doesn’t have the complete benefit of your tone of voice, inflection, body language, or facial expression. Here are some ways make your communications more effective.
Use impact words. For example,“smashed” is stronger than “broken” and “thrilled” is more descriptive than “happy.”
Replace any phrase beginning with the word “very” with a single descriptive word. For example, “magnificent” instead of “very good” and “sweltering” instead of “very warm.”
Usually, when you write “in other words,” the preceding words didn’t adequately make your point, so they probably should be deleted.
Use your thesaurus. If you don’t have one, get one.
If you don’t plant clear images in the minds of your readers they’ll come up with their own; and the images they conjure may not fit the images you’re trying to convey. The aim of any communication should not just to be understood, but rather to be incapable of being misunderstood.