Racist, religious, and ethnic jokes are generally reprehensible. However, when properly used, they can do much to bring people together rather than tearing them apart. I love racist jokes. If you are shocked by this declaration, you shouldn't be because what I mean by the term is not those disgusting, brutal - and generally false - observations designed to cause offense and injury. These do not qualify as jokes, because there is nothing funny about putting people in degrading pigeonholes.
I recently did an Internet search to find out why polygamy is banned in some places in the world and is not, and even encouraged, in others. Why? Because a few years ago I did a similar search and came up with essentially nothing. Those sites that talked about the illegality of polygamy basically listed where such bans were in effect but gave no reasons why, which of course was object of the exercise. The first time I did the search I was still an Internet novice, so I thought perhaps I hadn't done it right. However this second search, undertaken several years later, turned up essentially the same result.
A good expository text should be well-thought-and well structured in order to have any chance of informing or convincing people. However, sometimes simply writing whatever comes into your head may be the best way to start. The result of this "pre-first draft" can often lay a firm foundation for the true first draft and then the final draft to come.
Mark Twain famously said: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." Of course he was absolutely right -- and partially wrong. In speaking, using exactly the right word is crucial. In speaking, it is important, but not crucial. Too much concern about finding the lightning rather than the lightning bug can be seriously detrimental.
Friedrich Schiller (1759 - 1805) was a leading German dramatist, poet, and essayist. His poem "Ode to Joy", which Beethoven set to music, is today the anthem of the 27-nation European Union. Schiller was particularly noted for his keen observations formulated in "pithy prose". These are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.
Medical research may seem a rather dull, tedious occupation; however, some of the people who engage in it have extraordinary tales to tell. Dr. Wolf Szmuness, who helped develop the first hepatitis B vaccine, is an outstanding example. The story of how he came to New York City from Poland to carry out his life-saving work reads like high fiction.
Someone once said: "There is no dull information, only dull writers." Dull texts and dull presentations on "dull" subjects are not inevitable. The secret of converting dull into dynamic is a fundamental insight into the human psyche known as "Yaffe's Law".
We all live with misconceptions about the world. This is quite normal. No one can be an expert in everything, so we simplify our learning into easy-to-remember snippets. These are often very close to the truth, but never quite there. Generally, our misconceptions are insignificant and do little harm. Some times they are very significant and do a lot of harm.
"Pithy prose" are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle. A few people (e.g. Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde) produced pithy prose, in their hundreds. Others only a handful, but these too are well worth preserving. This article (follow-up to an earlier article) is dedicated to the wit and wisdom of the most prolific source of all: Anonymous.
Expert Author: Philip Yaffe | Category: Languages Americans are notoriously poor at learning to speak other languages. Because it is country as big as a continent with only one dominant language, learning other languages in the United States is a genuine challenge. Unfortunately, language instruction in the U.S. seems oblivious to this obvious fact, rendering an already difficult task virtually impossible. How can this be remedied?
Writing a corporate image brochure is truly a study in futility. Two things are certain about these expensive, glossy booklets: 1) almost all companies of any size feel compelled to produce them; 2) virtually no one ever reads them. But it doesn't have to be this way. Applying the "expository writing attitude" can lead to corporate brochures that people not only read, but actuallyrecommend to friends and colleagues.
Expert Author: Philip Yaffe | Category: Parenting The urge to procreate, i.e. having children, is so strong in all societies that it is difficult to imagine anyone questioning its morality. It is usually the other way around; not having children is considered suspect and even immoral. Where does the truth lie?
Expert Author: Philip Yaffe | Category: Languages As the world becomes increasingly smaller, the need for a common international language that everyone would speak becomes increasingly evident. Several languages de facto already hold the position, notable English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. For political reasons, an official common language would probably have to be an artificial one specifically created to make learning it as easy as possible for all the world's varied populations. What would such a language look like?
Americans have long admired the English, who seem to speak with consummate ease, intelligence and fluency. Why this difference? As an American living abroad, author Philip Yaffe believes he has discovered the secret, and it is physical. "Knowing why the English pronounce their words the way they do can turn a poor or mediocre speaker into a superior one virtually overnight," he asserts.
Robert Frost was one of the 20th centuries best known and best loved American poets. He was also a teacher and lecturer who had a particularly pungent and provocative way of expressing things. His keen observations were often formulated in "pithy prose". These are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.
Expert Author: Philip Yaffe | Category: Languages French, like many other languages, is fundamentally more complex than English, which creates a severe psychological problem for native English speakers trying to learn it. However, in many respect French has English beat hands down. By rejoicing in French’s simplicities rather than focusing on its complexities, learning the language can be made more rapid and more enjoyable than you might have expected.
Blaise Pascal was a mathematical prodigy, publishing innovations as early as the age of 16. His most important work of philosophy is titled simply "Pensées" (Thoughts). These pithy insights say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.
Most of us fondly remember a particular pet we had when growing up. Author Philip Yaffe was luckier than most kids. His pet was not only special; it was virtually unbelievable.
Doctors are perhaps the hardest “sell” in the world. Doctors don’t buy medicines, but ideas and information that pharmaceutical companies hope will eventually turn into prescriptions. The doctor and patient sitting together are the true point of sale in medical marketing. Understanding how pharmaceutical companies promote themselves and their products to medical professionals can teach valuable marketing lessons for us all.
Eric Hoffer was a largely self-educated dockworker and migrant farm labourer. In his middle years he turned to writing. "The True Believer", a study of fanaticism and mass movements, has become a classic because of Hoffer's penetrating insights and "pithy prose". These are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.
