Sweet Tooth - My New Favorite Online Time-Wasting Activity

I could sit and read these for hours.
Literally.
Hours.

Teachable Moment - "Recognizing" Humor

I've been researching ways to teach humor to my creative nonfiction students, as this is by far the hardest unit to really pin down, I've found. So, like always, I try to just Google my way to something curious, a way to spark my own inner teaching muse. I like to think if they can find cool stuff on Google, so can I. Why not show them the best of the web, when appropriate.

So after a crystal-ball-type-search of "Why is humor individual?" I came across this astoundingly logic-based blog posting. It reads like one of those really great Newsweek articles that you find wedged between all the horrors of politics and the economy. A spark of something truly, intellectually brilliant, in a shiny-magazine-article-packaging way: humor can be understood as a cognitive act, i.e. we've sorta figured out how the brain recognizes this thing called humor. The first paragraph as an amuse bouche:

"The theory is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why any individual finds anything funny. Effectively it explains that humour occurs when the brain recognizes a pattern that surprises it, and that recognition of this sort is rewarded with the experience of the humorous response, an element of which is broadcast as laughter."

Humor is based on patterns. When I recognize something (it is now a pattern, having occurred more than once), it makes me laugh as a reward for being observant. I notice something "funny" about my hubby--his fly is unzipped, let's say--I laugh because I recognize that it should be up, not down. The pattern of zipped flies is broken by this oddity; I get a laugh at his expense because, hey, I noticed it first. This type of humor, I can only imagine, strengthens when the actual "oddity experience" becomes a pattern. So, when I notice my hubby's fly unzipped the fourth time this week, it's EXCEPTIONALLY funny, because a) I recognize that it should be up, generally, and b) I recognize that he does this all the time. Double Bonus Humor.

The article does say the humor of patterned content IS debateable though, since "no content can be inherently more or less funny than any other. It's all about the person looking on the scene, since "[t]he individual is of paramount importance in determining what they find amusing, bringing memories, associations, meta-meaning, disposition, their tendency to recognize patterns and their comprehension of similarity to the equation."

What I'm really interested in, though, is trying to push my students to understand this by looking at two humorous essays of completely different styles and subjects. When I have taught these two essays together (in the past), students invariably have one that they like better. Why?, I ask. They usually can't explain, and if I try to do the same it ends up begin more about technique than an actual preference. (Thus the curse of the lit major. We can't just read an essay, we deconstruct it, right?) I'm happy with just figuring out what we like in these, but as we move toward actually writing humorous pieces of their own, I want a stronger arsenal of suggestions.

I'm thinking/hoping to use this article as a springboard to help them deconstruct their favorite scene (after an interim away from the piece) and see what patterns might exist. Then, to move forward, I'll ask them to think about patterning something that the reader can associate with, as a way to better their chances for being humorous. I'll tie this to a freewrite they'll have just done on "life's irritations" or "obsessions & phobias" and I'm hoping, convince them to make these seemingly inconsequential subjects "ring true" in the minds of the readers. It should make them laugh every time, right...at least that's what all the latest research shows. : )

Two Words (ok Ed, three!) - (You) Read This!

Perusing the web for an article on active and passive voice usage in business communication (for my professional writing students) I stumbled across Ed Barr's really great blog.

My favorite recent posting is entitled "You only need two words."

I think this concept of "concision as emphasis" is fabulous for professional writing students, and in some ways can be a basis for creative writing as well. It's not always about how much detail you can add. It's not the fancy words or the beautifully extended metaphor. Often the most profound messages stand out simply because of their, well, simplicity.

To me, these statements share another commonality, (which I've fixated on since I just prepared a lecture about sentence structure). These two-word sentences only include a subject and a verb. An object is not included, not necessary. These sentences focus on the action of a single entity, and declare a type of singularity. One person, one action, one moment, one impact. These sentences expand emotionally because they define only a single point out there somewhere. It is the reader's responsibility, then, to position herself in regards to the sentence. "How does this change me, now?" she might ask. What has ultimately been accomplished, then, is a sentence that necessarily engages the reader by not dictating how she must relate to that new information. Relationships are made, but they are more profound since the reader is part of the process. She understands.

Teachable Moment - Business Memos

And I thought I knew just about everything, j/k...

I'm teaching 3 sections of a professional writing course this semester, and, as always, the first assignment proves to be a bit of a challenge for my students, i.e. omg wtf do you want me to do?!?

The Assignment: Write a memo evaluating a sales message for effective communication.

The Question: "I don't have my book yet, so I what is 'memo format'?"

The Answer: I'll just google "memo format" and get something easy as a proxy.

The Complication: This article, which I desperately want to share, but seriously, not as the very first thing I show an assignment-overwhelmed student. HA!

The article provides a cogent, near-academic (but somehow SO NOT academic) approach to the science of visual rhetoric, document production, and the ills of worshipping at the altar of Word Defaults. The writer is truly taking the audience-centric "You" attitude I preach, and is considering (on a tab and space and leading level) how we actually SEE a memo and the DECODE that information more or less quickly. It's brilliant, and frightening, and, well, the kind of stuff that just gives me the willies.

I have never so seriously considered my entire writing life with a healthy dose of oh-god-did-I make-the-Example-3-mistake!?! dismay. In some ways it is an epiphany and a radical departure from everything I've ever thought to consider about the banality of business document composition. In other ways, it's the kind of tedious, nit-pickingy type of thing students despise instructors for expecting. Thus the perils of the academy and its academicians perched precariously on the edge of obsessive attention to curricular detail (we so desperately want to teach everything, really, even the crazy, tiny stuff like this).

I'm thinking now that this blog might just be the best thing going for my teaching. I can obsess and digress, they can inquire and be inspired, and we can carry on these fabulous discussions without the formality of the classroom, or the stingy "allotments" of the classroom.

If only I can get them all to read it...at least a little...without me.

Sweet Tooth - Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast Food Processor

So I officially put my order in for the new Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast Food Processor. It involves an unspecified waitlist-wait and an ominous phone call from the local W-S. Who knows how long this will take, and I'm practically foaming at the mouth for this one.





For those of you familiar with the old-school Cuisnarts, this handy guide (which I happen to think is a fabulous marketing tool...it's practically dripping with WIIFM, and it's audience-centered for those who only need to know "why it's BETTER than what I already have") should do all the convincing--8 new features.

Honestly I only need 3 of the new features to shell out $300 for this baby:

1. Three (count 'em 3) Bowl Sizes - I love my little Mini-Prep, but seriously, 24 ounces does not a true "food" processor make. I have a "sauce" processor and a "nut" processor, but nothing that in and of itself resembles a full serving of "food" comes out of my Mini-Prep, at least not in less than a few,messy batches. I've longed to upgrade for several months, and have often borrowed my friend J.'s Prep 11 Plus (a very strategic wedding gift from me to her, haha), but I still like how when I just need a little chop-chop, the smaller bowl on my Mini-Prep is perfect (and fits comfortably on my dishwasher's top-rack). So what's better than having two food processors, in appropriate sizes? Having one that does the work of a mini and a maxi. (Oh, and did I mention they are NESTING BOWLS, so yay for more cabinet/counter space for additionally fabulous small electrics!)

2. Spill-Proof Blending - I like to make saucy things in my food processor. With any older version, you get the "slosh factor," especially when you're pulsing. (Like, how many times in a row can I possibly fling some brightly-colored sauce base all over my kitchen counter? And do remember I have grouted tile countertops.) With a new rubber gasket on the lid, I have no fear of any "slosh factor." Bring it.

3. Cord Storage - Three words: Retractable Power Cord. 'Nuff said. (And for those anal-retentive kitchen-keepers out there, you don't need another reason, period.)

Given that there are 50 reviews on Williams-Sonoma's website (with an average rating of 4.9 stars), I think this is a true cook's tool, with a battery of new "revisions" to make this piece of equipment a beloved staple in a serious kitchen.

Let me know if anyone else has experiences with food processors and/or Cuisinart. Let's share the love!

Infusions - Spicy Globe Basil Vodka

I've been enamored lately with vodka, especially of the "additionally flavored" kind. I've come to discover that many cheaper vodkas contain chemical cocktails that taste like berry/melon/lemon/bubblegum/etc, but often don't contain anything remotely close to the original "flavoring substance." Most of the higher-end liquors don't call themselves flavored, but "infused," a term that implies a gentler, natural process of extracting flavors from organic material.

With a little background research though, I realized that even this naming was a marketing ploy. How much "faux flavor" vodka/soda have I been drinking at the Recovery Room, thinking I'm getting something that's less, how do I say it, "concocted."

I came across instructions for infusing spirits, so I'm trying my hand at a truly infused spirit. I had some leftover Smirnoff in the freezer and a potful of basil in the backyard (variety: spicy globe). I snipped 2 good size springs, filled a "sun-tea" pitcher with about 700 mL of Smirnoff, tossed in the basil and gave it a hearty good shake. I figured this would be a good experiment, since I can't stomach Smirnoff, even with soda, and my article reminds us that

just as during Prohibition, when mixers were born to make bad liquor more tolerable, flavoring makes a cheaper vodka more tolerable.

I'll let you all know how it turns out, 3-5 days from now. If it works, I think I'm going to have on well-stocked, organic-herb-infused-vodka bar.

Out of Sight, but Still Shaping...

Ack! I've been on end-of-semester-grading hiatus and have totally spaced on my blog. Since I'm also about to run out the door yet again, I thought I'd give you all an interesting link. I found another Sales Machine post that just reiterates what I've been teaching in ENG 301 - Writing for the Professions for the past few years. You have to think about your audience--what they know and what they want--and give them a message that's clear, concise, and somehow unique at the same time. In other words, write something that's momentarily evocative, then shut up. Sounds like a good flash fictions piece, doesn't it? Enjoy!

How to Write a Killer Sales Message

Teachable Moment - PowerPoint-ers

Today's lesson involves a much-bemoaned topic among academics and business professionals alike: PowerPoint (and death thereby). It's a technology with so much potential, yet it is used, quite frequently, as a torture device.

Tonight, I am teaching presentation strategies to a group of upper-division writing students. A lecture I did previously involved the most heinous PowerPoint presentation ever. It involved a pink-on-pink color scheme, a swirly, unreadable font, and an inordinate amount of "Animations." The pièce de résistance in the whole affair was my appearance -- no makeup, a ball cap, and some seriously ratty pajama pants. It was dramatic, and tragic, but utterly the most engaging lecture I've ever put together. Freak them out a little, and students will listen to what you have to say, well, for at least 10 minutes or so until Facebook-withdrawal kicks in.

As I was preparing my lecture materials this morning, (more accurately, as I was blog-hopping trying to avoid preparing my lecture materials) I ran across this video as part of a Sales Machine blog posting, a comedy routine by comedian Don McMillan entitled "Life after Death by PowerPoint." I think it's just as convincing, and his delivery is quite nice in the 4 minute skit.

If I can save one room full of potential clients from a near-death experience, I think that's justification for a teaching career, don't you think? Enjoy!

Baked (Not Fried) Cheese Puffs & Product Packaging

Just shopping at Fresh and Easy on 19th and Glendale and I was rendered speechless by the packaging on their new Baked (Not Fried) Cheese Puffs. The bag is the EXACT color of the powdery cheesy goodness that covers your fingers. (See photo, case in point). I could not resist. I came home and ate half the bag. I thought I'd research why this happened to me. I came across the following article that made me feel better:

Food Packaging | Packaging gets psyched | Food Processing Shared via AddThis

And a highlight:

Some marketers contend that of all the visual cues a package incorporates, color is the single most important. Consumers have only seconds to make a purchasing decision in the supermarket, and color registers much faster than text or complex graphics.

Colors are associated with various emotional states and need to convey an appropriate mood for the product and/or brand. In some parts of the grocery store, like the cereal aisle, the colors on the packages “are screaming ‘buy me,’ but not all products want to do that,” says Ed Cristman, design director at Axion Design (www.axiondesign.com), San Anselmo, Calif.

Needless to say I am just another victim of some genius kid-marketer at corporate. I love-hate you, kid!

Sweet Tooth - Writing Spaces

Today's undeniably interesting, delicious tidbit comes from the blogosphere.

I found a great blog posting from one of my former colleagues, and I think you'll enjoy it too. The subject is where writers write, and I've always had a great interest in how people "keep house," so to speak, especially where they feel they are the most creative. In a nod to including a photo of her writing space, I've included a shot of mine too.

(And as perhaps a completely circuitous reference, my colleague is responsible for the collaborative arts project on the wall, top left.)

So let's be bold. I invite you to photograph a space in which you feel creative. Perhaps some day I'll dare to show a shot of my 70s remodel kitchen, but I'm hoping we'll have the funds to remodel long before I ever have to share that cave. LOL.

Starbucks, anyone?

And now I know...

Brand Eating: Eating Out and In in a Consumer Culture: Starbuck's Coffee Demystified... Sorta