| Author | Message | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4264 Registered: 8-2001 |
Puzzle regulars may know that I write a monthly op-ed column. One of my recent columns was about obesity. Writing it involved a problem I've never had with any of my other columns, & this has nothing to do with the fact that I used to be fat. So what was the problem?? | ||
| Absinthe (Absinthe)
New member Username: Absinthe Post Number: 190 Registered: 3-2009 |
Was the problem that you literally couldn't write it -- say, your computer broke or your pens were all out of ink? Was it a research or fact-checking issue? Were you forbidden from writing it? Were you forced to write it? Is obesity relevant? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4265 Registered: 8-2001 |
Absinthe (Absinthe) New member Username: Absinthe Post Number: 190 Registered: 3-2009 Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 11:27 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was the problem that you literally couldn't write it -- say, your computer broke or your pens were all out of ink?no Was it a research or fact-checking issue? noWere you forbidden from writing it? no Were you forced to write it? no Is obesity relevant? yes | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 977 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the obesity of others (not you) relevant? Does the problem have anything to do with obesity (but not yours specifically)? Are the specific topic, language, newspaper (or website?), readers, location or time period relevant? Were you satisfied with the column after you solved the problem and finished it? Was the problem physical or mental? Could this problem occur with any other column? On any other topic? To any other writer? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4266 Registered: 8-2001 |
Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo) New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 977 Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 1:40 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is the obesity of others (not you) relevant?noish or no Does the problem have anything to do with obesity (but not yours specifically)? yesAre the specific topic, language, newspaper (or website?), readers, location or time period relevant? yes Were you satisfied with the column after you solved the problem and finished it?As satisfied as I am with most of my columns Was the problem physical or mental? the latter Could this problem occur with any other column? possibly, but this was the worst case I've ever encountered, & I've beeb writing a monthly column for over a year On any other topic? see previous answer To any other writer? Yes | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 498 Registered: 6-2003 |
Was it a topic where it is difficult to say something funny about? a topic where it is difficult to have an opposite opinion? would I immediately understand the problem when I read the column? can I read the column somewhere in the web? (where?) | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4270 Registered: 8-2001 |
Sundowner (Sundowner) New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 498 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 9:47 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it a topic where it is difficult to say something funny about? no a topic where it is difficult to have an opposite opinion? no would I immediately understand the problem when I read the column? unlikely yes (where?) Google "Felicia Nimue" with "girth" (For some reason, I'm hasving trouble copying & pasting the web address) | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 984 Registered: 5-2003 |
"Are the specific topic, language, newspaper (or website?), readers, location or time period relevant? yes" I have to be literal, I see... Which of the following are relevant? Topic? Lanquage? Newspaper/website in which the item was published? Readers? Location? Time period? The problem isn't writer's block, is it? Did it take you longer than normal to write the article? Did you get more comment from readers than usual? Link to the article: http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_acker31_03-31-09_CADQKRI_v20.3e693ac.html | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 391 Registered: 6-2008 |
Did the problem relate to finding value-neutral terminology? identifying sources to cite? expressing yourself adequately within length constraints? | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 164 Registered: 2-2009 |
Did you have to change the column after having written a first draft in order to solve this problem? Was the problem related to the amount of space/words you could use? Was your column too large/long? not large/long enough? Was the problem related to the usage of words? the position of the column in its published form? any other articles or columns in the publication? scheduling? issues dealing with the machine on which you write the column? issues with the publication itself (or any of its constituent employees?)? political correctness? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4272 Registered: 8-2001 |
name: Jenburdoo Post Number: 984 Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 12:29 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) "Are the specific topic, language, newspaper (or website?), readers, location or time period relevant? yes" I have to be literal, I see... Which of the following are relevant? Topic? yes Lanquage? Newspaper/website in which the item was published? no Readers? noish Location? no Time period? no The problem isn't writer's block, is it? no Did it take you longer than normal to write the article? no Did you get more comment from readers than usual? no Link to the article: http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_acker31_03-31-09_CADQKRI_v20.3e693ac.html Biograd (Biograd) New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 391 Registered: 6-2008 Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 10:30 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did the problem relate to finding value-neutral terminology? no. Op-eds do not have to be "value neutral" identifying sources to cite? no expressing yourself adequately within length constraints? no Kalira (Kalira) New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 164 Registered: 2-2009 Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 2:14 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did you have to change the column after having written a first draft in order to solve this problem? I took in into account all along Was the problem related to the amount of space/words you could use? no Was your column too large/long? no not large/long enough? no Was the problem related to the usage of words? yesthe position of the column in its published form? no any other articles or columns in the publication? scheduling? noissues dealing with the machine on which you write the column? no issues with the publication itself (or any of its constituent employees? no)? no political correctness? no | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 500 Registered: 6-2003 |
Did the problem occur before you wrote the column? while you did research on the topic? while you were writing? while it was proofread? when it was published? later? Did you receive reader's comments? Relevant? Did you chose the topic for this column yourself? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4273 Registered: 8-2001 |
Sundowner (Sundowner) New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 500 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 10:30 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did the problem occur before you wrote the column? yes while you did research on the topic? no while you were writing? yes while it was proofread? somewhat when it was published? no later? no Did you receive reader's comments? irrelRelevant? no Did you chose the topic for this column yourself? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4274 Registered: 8-2001 |
Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 11:18 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Sundowner (Sundowner) New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 500 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 10:30 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP Did you chose the topic for this column yourself? yes but irrel | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 990 Registered: 5-2003 |
Does it have anything to do with offending readers? Did the problem cause you to take longer to write the article? Write it earlier or later than you otherwise would have? Is there any relationship with another column? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4275 Registered: 8-2001 |
Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo) New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 990 Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Saturday, May 16, 2009 - 12:48 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Does it have anything to do with offending readers?no Did the problem cause you to take longer to write the article? yes Write it earlier or later than you otherwise would have? no Is there any relationship with another column? no | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1500 Registered: 6-2005 |
I enjoyed the article - very clever play on words. Somehow I was reminded of an episode of House MD - attempting to diagnose a patient without the diagnosis having to do with his weight. Does your writing difficulty have to do with word choice? How you referenced your external sources? Having to get out a thesaurus & not repeat words so often? (I noticed the word obesity or a derivative is only used twice.) Did you suffer from writer's block more than any other article? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4278 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1500 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Monday, May 18, 2009 - 10:00 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) I enjoyed the article - very clever play on words. Thanks!!Somehow I was reminded of an episode of House MD - attempting to diagnose a patient without the diagnosis having to do with his weight.|b{ I rarely watch "House." I'm too busy watching high-class intellectual programs like "Law & Order," Without a Trace," "Jeopardy!" & "Wheel of Fortune."} Does your writing difficulty have to do with word choice? yesHow you referenced your external sources? irrel ( I send the editor a list of my references) Having to get out a thesaurus & not repeat words so often? no(I noticed the word obesity or a derivative is only used twice.) Did you suffer from writer's block more than any other article? no | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1502 Registered: 6-2005 |
Was it a specific word you had to choose? Was there a word that you had difficulty using? For personal reasons? I.e. The Fat advocates prefer the term "fat" as opposed to "obese" in order to stop people from thinking it's a disease? Meanwhile you hate the term? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4280 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1502 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 12:54 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it a specific word you had to choose? yope or noishWas there a word that you had difficulty using? yesishFor personal reasons? noish I.e. The Fat advocates prefer the term "fat" as opposed to "obese" in order to stop people from thinking it's a disease? irrel Meanwhile you hate the term? No, I have no objections to either 'fat' or 'obese'. | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 501 Registered: 6-2003 |
Was it more difficult to find appropriate words to play on? to avoid the possibility of offending someone? to find funny euphemisms? Are other people involved in this problem? people you've met before? friends? relatives? your students? the editor? the publisher? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1905 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is the problem anything to do with how much of the article is written in the first person? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1906 Registered: 1-2007 |
PS forgot to say that i really enjoyed the article. One more thought anything to do with the "girth control" play on words? is spell checking relevant? | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1503 Registered: 6-2005 |
Was it a specific word you had to NOT choose? Or just a word you needed to work in carefully? Was your reason for doing this professional? emotional? comical? editorial? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4281 Registered: 8-2001 |
Sundowner (Sundowner) New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 501 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 8:48 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it more difficult to find appropriate words to play on? noto avoid the possibility of offending someone? No one who writes op-eds should worry about the possibility of offending someone. to find funny euphemisms? no Are other people involved in this problem? yes people you've met before? somefriends? somerelatives? no your students? somethe editor? yes the publisher? possibly Peter365 (Peter365) New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1905 Registered: 1-2007 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 2:50 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is the problem anything to do with how much of the article is written in the first person? no Peter365 (Peter365) New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1906 Registered: 1-2007 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 2:56 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) PS forgot to say that i really enjoyed the article. Thanks!! One more thought anything to do with the "girth control" play on words? no is spell checking relevant? no Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1503 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 4:25 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it a specific word you had to NOT choose? yesish Or just a word you needed to work in carefully? no Was your reason for doing this professional? yesemotional? yescomical? yes editorial? yes | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1504 Registered: 6-2005 |
Was it a specific word you had to NOT choose? yesish Clarifying: Was it a specific word COMBINATION you had to avoid? Had to work in? Does the word/word combination appear at all in the article? In the title? Are you still snickering about it? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4283 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1504 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 11:26 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it a specific word you had to NOT choose? yesish Clarifying: Was it a specific word COMBINATION you had to avoid? noHad to work in? no Does the word/word combination appear at all in the article? I think I managed to avoid the problem, but it took LOTS OF EFFORT In the title? no Are you still snickering about it? Yes, I think the whole situation is pretty funny & I hope forum members will, too! | ||
| Alex319 (Alex319)
New member Username: Alex319 Post Number: 806 Registered: 5-2007 |
Was it multiple words (as opposed to one word) and you had to avoid all of them? Did you have to avoid the particular word or words because... ...it could be perceived as obscene? ...using it would undermine your point? ...it has more than one meaning? so readers could be confused? ...it could be mistakenly perceived as ironic or sarcastic? ...it could bring up unwanted associations? ...your editor or publisher would object? because of something personal to them? because of style guidelines used by the paper? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1907 Registered: 1-2007 |
Did your membership of the LTPF contribute to this difficulty in anyway? Were you trying to avoid an acronym that non lateral puzzlers would not understand? | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1505 Registered: 6-2005 |
Rather than a specific word or words... was it an IDEA you had to avoid? A concept? An insult? A compliment? Something else that could be worded many different ways? Did it involve having to avoid glorifying one side of the issue over another? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4284 Registered: 8-2001 |
New member Username: Alex319 Post Number: 806 Registered: 5-2007 Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 5:41 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it multiple words (as opposed to one word) yesand you had to avoid all of them? yes Did you have to avoid the particular word or words because... ...it could be perceived as obscene? no ...using it would undermine your point? no ...it has more than one meaning? yesish so readers could be confused? no ...it could be mistakenly perceived as ironic or sarcastic?yope ...it could bring up unwanted associations? yes ...your editor or publisher would object? If he did it would be because of the problem itselfbecause of something personal to them? nobecause of style guidelines used by the paper? no Peter365 (Peter365) New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1907 Registered: 1-2007 Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 10:37 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did your membership of the LTPF contribute to this difficulty in anyway? no Were you trying to avoid an acronym that non lateral puzzlers would not understand? no Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1505 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 4:10 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Rather than a specific word or words... was it an IDEA you had to avoid? yopeA concept? An insult? noA compliment? noSomething else that could be worded many different ways? noDid it involve having to avoid glorifying one side of the issue over another? no. Op-ed columnists are allowed to favor one side. It's not like being a reporter. | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1506 Registered: 6-2005 |
Ah but your OP-ED was promoting a third side - the happy medium and trying to avoid one side over the other! Do the words you were trying to avoid involve "sizeism" or anything else that might associate the descrimination with racism? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4286 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1506 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 9:40 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Ah but your OP-ED was promoting a third side - the happy medium and trying to avoid one side over the other!But that's because I dislike BOTH sides. Also, this is almost the only column of mine that promotes a "happy medium." Do the words you were trying to avoid involve "sizeism" or anything else that might associate the descrimination with racism? no | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1009 Registered: 5-2003 |
Did you deliberately try to avoid using a common term of some sort, that normally would be found in a column on this topic? Were you challenging yourself? | ||
| Kdoc (Kdoc)
New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 870 Registered: 7-2001 |
so there was a particular word that you wanted to avoid? a word that would be an obvious choice in an article on obesity? or a word that would be used in any article but would bring problems if used in one on obesity? was it a scientific term? a descriptive word? a noun? an adverb? was it a word that people would associate with some other medical condition? might it make the readers think you were talking about something else? is it a word which might be used as a euphemism for something else? is it a word that might seem to have political overtones? has there been some recent change/event which makes this word unusable now? or difficult to use? by choosing to not use the word do you aim to protect yourself in some way? to stop others having a lower opinion of you? if you had used it what were you worried might happen - that you might appear stupid? ignorant? uncaring? illiberal? foolish? naive? right wing? racist? envious? greedy? lacking a sense of humour? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4289 Registered: 8-2001 |
Kdoc (Kdoc) New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 870 Registered: 7-2001 Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 8:44 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) so there was a particular word that you wanted to avoid? yesisha word that would be an obvious choice in an article on obesity? no or a word that would be used in any article but would bring problems if used in one on obesity? yes!! was it a scientific term? no a descriptive word? yes a noun? yesan adverb? yes was it a word that people would associate with some other medical condition? no might it make the readers think you were talking about something else? no is it a word which might be used as a euphemism for something else? yope is it a word that might seem to have political overtones? no has there been some recent change/event which makes this word unusable now? no or difficult to use? no by choosing to not use the word do you aim to protect yourself in some way? yesish to stop others having a lower opinion of you? yesishif you had used it what were you worried might happen - that you might appear stupid? yesignorant? yopeuncaring? possible but unlikelyilliberal? no foolish? yesnaive? yesish right wing? no racist? noenvious? nogreedy? no lacking a sense of humour? possibly | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1507 Registered: 6-2005 |
Is it something along the lines of "burden," i.e. "heavy burden on society?" | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4294 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet) New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 1507 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Friday, May 22, 2009 - 7:31 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is it something along the lines of "burden," i.e. "heavy burden on society?" You're very ORT (On the right track!!) | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 503 Registered: 6-2003 |
is it the word "weight"? (or anything along "weighty", "weightful", ..?) I noticed that this word does not occur in the whole column. Did you want to avoid the impression that obesity is mainly about controlling the physical weight? | ||
| Anneja (Anneja)
New member Username: Anneja Post Number: 40 Registered: 5-2009 |
is it a word that you would normally use in your column, but because of the topic would mean something else? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4306 Registered: 8-2001 |
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 503 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 8:04 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) is it the word "weight"? (or anything along "weighty", "weightful", ..?) yes I noticed that this word does not occur in the whole column. Did you want to avoid the impression that obesity is mainly about controlling the physical weight? no--isn't that what it IS about?? Anneja (Anneja) New member Username: Anneja Post Number: 40 Registered: 5-2009 Posted on Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 4:23 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) is it a word that you would normally use in your column, but because of the topic would mean something else? yes ****SPOILER************ How many of you have ever considered the LARGE EXTENT to which ordinary speech so HEAVILY relies on words & phrases that involve WEIGHTY figures of speexh? It is a HUGE problem for someone who writes about obesity & wants to avoid sounding silly by making inadvertent puns. Please check out my BIG new puzzle! | ||
| Blackmagic (Blackmagic)
New member Username: Blackmagic Post Number: 24 Registered: 5-2009 |
speexh? surely that should be speech? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 4353 Registered: 8-2001 |
RIGHT--IT"S A TYPO. WHOOPS! |
