-------- MANTEX NEWSLETTER --------
Number 98 - November 2004 - ISSN 1470-1863
Writing - New Web Technology - Fonts - Blogs
0----- 'Dictionary of Modern Quotations' - new book
This is an un-put-downable collection of sayings
from the twentieth century - plus memorable newspaper
headlines, catchphrases, snappy titles, and songs.
Topics range from the tragic "We are putting
the passengers off in small boats..." (the sinking
of the Titanic) to a rare piece of self-deprecation
from British conservative minister Edwina Currie
on reading John Major's 'frank' autobiography:
"I wasn't even in the index". [For non-UK readers,
she had been his secret lover whilst he was
Prime Minister.]
There are also lists of misquotations of the
"Come up and see me sometime" variety, plus
famous telegrams, such as Robert Benchley's to
his newspaper editor on arriving in Venice:
"Streets flooded: Please advise."
Once you start reading, you can't stop. Full
review and details at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-knowles.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #1
Which planet has the shortest day?
0----- Weird Facts #1
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
[Go on - try it!]
0----- 'A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation' - new book
Are you one of those people who wonder where
the apostrophe should go? who hesitate before
using 'I' or 'me'? - or who are not sure about
the difference between the colon and the semicolon?
And would you like it all explained without
having to plough through lots of grammatical
rules and linguistic jargon?
John Seely has written the book for you. It's
one from the new series by Oxford University
Press offering short, clear explanations of
grammar and language issues using everyday
examples. Full details and review at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/seely-3.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #2
Who wrote the song "White Christmas"?
0----- Weird Facts #2
All polar bears are left handed.
0----- 'Supervising the Doctorate' - new edition
This is a guide to postgraduate research aimed at
supervisors, but I suspect students could profit
equally from the advice.
The authors cover the whole process from striking
up the guidelines between supervisor and student,
through how to do the literature review, how to
survive despite problems of money and morale, how
to tackle the viva, and how to develop your
career once you have graduated. Details at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/delamont.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #3
What number does the Roman numeral M represent
0----- Weird Facts #3
The word 'therein' contains ten words
without rearranging letters. [Count them!]
0----- 'We the Media' - new book
Don Gillmor is a radical journalist with a
sharp knowledge of the latest developments
in web technology.
He makes the case for what he calls 'open
source journalism', giving examples of
radical writing and new forms of communication
using blogs and RSS feeds (news items sent to
you automatically).
He's very enthusiastic about the new
possibilities, but he also considers some
of the problems - of quality, copyright,
and the larger issues of ownership and control.
Fortunately, his most convincing argument is
that the Internet offers a form of self-regulation -
so long as enough people actively participate.
This is a spirited polemic dealing with a wide
range of important issues from the sharp end of
modern communications. Full review and details -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gillmor.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #4
Where was the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896?
0----- Weird Facts #4
Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards.
0----- Blog News
Subscriber Bob Chapman from Northampton UK
enjoyed the Belle de Jour blog item in our last
issue, and asked if there was a Mantex blog.
There sure is Bob - though we don't cover
quite the same sort of, a-hem, subject matter.
There's occasional overlap between our blog
and newsletter, but you can see it all first
and even write your own comments at -
http://mantex.blogspot.com
Speaking of which, there's more on blogging below.
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #5
Which gas is produced by photosynthesis?
0----- Weird Facts #5
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
0----- 'Industrial Design A-Z' - new book
Taschen books produce a series of very cheap
yet well-produced paperbacks on art and design.
This one is a counterpart to the A to Z of
designers we reviewed in the last issue.
It concentrates on industrial design, ranging
from the humble ball-point pen to refrigerators,
radios, office furniture, railway locomotives,
and even a Boeing B52 Stratofortress.
Well-known names are mixed with some lesser-known,
and the book is beautifully illustrated in full
colour. Review and details at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/fiell-2.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #6
Who crowned Bonaparte emperor of France in 1804?
0----- Weird Facts #6
The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.
0----- Hello Fontaholics! - More f.r.e.e stuff
Identify a Font
http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
Best-selling fonts
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bestsellers.html
F.r.e.e professional-quality font collections
Bitstream Vera
http://www.bitstream.com/categories/products/fonts/vera/
Simply the Best
http://simplythebest.net/fonts/
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #7
What is the study of rock fossils called?
0----- Weird Facts #7
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
0----- 'How to Make Money Scriptwriting' - new book
Do you have ambitions to write scripts - either
for films or television? If so, you need all the
help you can get, because it is a notoriously
difficult business in which to succeed.
Julian Friedmann knows how it can be done, because
he is a literary agent specialising in screenwriting.
His advice is that you must learn how the
business works in depth. You need to know how to
present your ideas; who to contact to make your
pitch; how to edit and re-write your work; and how
to work as part of a production team.
His emphasis is on film and television, but his
approach will be just as useful in other media.
If you want to succeed commercially, you've got
to learn how the profession works. Details at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/friedmann.htm
Want a chance to have your own script turned
into a film? Keep reading and see below.
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #8
What is the name of a Hawaiian grass skirt?
0----- Weird Facts #8
Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
0----- 'The Doctoral Examination Process' - new book
This is a detailed guide to the most mysterious
part of postgraduate research - the examination
which follows the writing of a thesis.
The authors aim their advice at both the student
doing the research and the lecturers who supervise
the work and examine its results.
Their observations are based on research done in
twenty British universities. It's good practical
advice all the way - with the emphasis on making
sure well in advance what your responsibilities
are, and what rights the process owes you.
Full review and details at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/tinkler.htm
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #9
Which country has the email address MV?
0----- Weird Facts #9
A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.
[Don't bother trying.]
0----- Online Editing Tutorial
Sonia Jaffe Robbins runs an editing workshop in
the Journalism Department of New York University.
She puts her course materials on line in what
makes a really interesting site if you want to
learn about the finer points of sharpening
your written style.
The site includes lots of downloadable guidance
notes and course materials. 'Banished words',
editing tips and issues, hyphenation, spelling
FAQs, plus lots of juicy links to quizzes and
tests, plus you can take the 'Gullibility Test'
at the Museum of Hoaxes, and you can even check
if people are dead yet or not.
Even if you simply read the course materials, you
will learn a lot about improving your writing skills -
and you should have plenty of fun too.
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/syllabus.html
0----- Pub Quiz - Question #10
What is measured in curies or rads?
0----- Weird Facts #10
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and nobody knows why.
[Research welcome.]
0----- Blogging, posting, and publishing.
What's the difference between a blog and a
web site? They may both be HTML pages hosted on
a server, but here's the essential difference.
Blogs are generally personal online diaries.
They can be seen like scrapbooks or sketchpads,
or sometimes as a one-person bulletin board.
Most web sites on the other hand have more a
business-model orientation. The approach will
be more business-like, more permanent, and
less personal, less chancy.
Don Gillmor discusses all these issues in his
new book "We the Media", (see above) but so far
as the Mantex newsletter is concerned I've now
decided to put most new reviews into a blog *first*.
If you want the latest news in writing, graphic
and web design, editing, language, dictionaries,
and all the other things we cover - go to the blog.
When you get there, you can even subscribe to the
RSS feed, which will automatically update you with
every new announcement.
http://mantex.blogspot.com
You can also leave a message if you want to
respond to what's there. Just click on the
COMMENT link at the bottom of every posting.
If you can't be bothered with all that
technological fag - just stay subscribed here
to the newsletter. We'll bring you all the latest
news in plain text form every month.
0----- Scriptwriters Wanted!!
Michael Trott from Speechradio.com writes:
"Your readers might be interested to know that
I am currently looking for a feature film script
to fund into production.
We need a specific type of script, although the
genre is not important as long as it is based or
can be adapted to the UK.
We need: 70 to 100 pages/minutes; no more than
6 to 8 characters; one location; appeal to a clear
demographic; good dialogue; few, if any, special
effects; and ideally a twist at the end.
We hope to complete filming and post production by
Spring 2005 and enter the film into the major UK
and European festivals next year."
Replies to - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
0----- Feedback + Corrections
Subscriber Joyce Meyer wrote from Wilmette, Illinois
to query this weird fact in the last issue:
'The state of Florida is bigger than England.'
And she's right - it isn't!
Florida = 53,927 sq m
England = 93,000 sq m
Moral: check your facts!
0----- PUB QUIZ - ANSWERS
#1. Which planet has the shortest day?
ANSWER: Mercury
#2. Who wrote the song "White Christmas"?
ANSWER: Irving Berlin
#3. What number does the Roman numeral M represent
ANSWER: 1,000
#4. Where was the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896?
ANSWER: Canada
#5. Which gas is produced by photosynthesis?
ANSWER: Oxygen
#6. Who crowned Bonaparte emperor of France in 1804?
ANSWER: Himself
#7. What is the study of rock fossils called?
ANSWER: Palaeontology
#8. What is the name of a Hawaiian grass skirt?
ANSWER: A hula
#9. which country has the email address MV?
ANSWER: The Maldives
#10. What is measure in curies or rads?
ANSWER: Radiation
0----- COMING SOON
'Larpers and Shroomers'
'Oxford Spellchecker and Dictionary'
'A-Z of Spelling'
'The Modern Movement 1910-1940'
'PDF Hacks'
'Web Search Garage'
'Handwritten'
'Web Services Essentials'
'Dictionary of Design since 1900'
'OpenOffice.org Writer'
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News-98-November-2004
ISSN 1470-1863
The British Library
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