Idioms on Friendship from around the World
Idioms are cultural expressions clearly
understood by a group of people, but whose meaning cannot be deduced from the
combined literary meanings of the words in the expression. Each of the world
languages and cultures has idioms unique to them, which offer insights into how
the group perceive issues.As an
example, I will attempt to list a few idioms I came across recently on how
people around the world describe friendship. I hope that you’ll enjoy reading
them.
French
comrades get along like buttocks and shirt.
Hindu
friends are happy to exchange turbans.
English
mates are like two peas in a pod.
Russian
friends are on a short leg.
Spanish
pals are like fingernail and flesh.
Conniving
American ...
Posted May 19, 2013, 12:07 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
Getting Things DoneInertia:A body at rest tends to remain at rest.
Starting a book can sometimes be daunting. I have postponed
and dithered for two weeks, while ideas for an unrelated story pop in and out
of my mind. I promised myself a chapter done by today and yet not a line has
been written. As I distractedly nudge myself to get back to work, I stumbled
across a piece on Getting Things Done.
I figured I ought to share, who knows, you may also be in my boat (I happen to delight
in Inertia).
The gist of the document is as follows:
1.
Establish the end result. (Done that, a book to
complete a series.)
2.
Write It Down. (The ...
Posted Apr 12, 2013, 8:08 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
On Being Succinct and Effective; 140 Words or Less
Social Media provides a medium for meeting people far beyond
the scope of the backyard fence. Although many social media sites have unique
capabilities that make them different from their peers, unlike the backyard
fence, they all require brevity from their users. Twitter particularly limits
words per tweet to 140 words. This means we need to be more efficient in our
word usage on social media as we pass our messages across.Linguists estimate that out of the 600,000 English words currently
in use (Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed), the average speaker uses
only half of a percent to two percent of the word combinations and possibilities
available. As we attempt to describe life experiences and emotions, limited ...
Posted May 19, 2013, 12:16 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
Fitness Advice We Ignore
Eat more Fruits and VegetablesExercise MoreDrink more Water, avoid SodasDon’t Neglect you Routine Check upsKeep track of what you eatUse the StepsWalk the DogMow the LawnAvoid Fried foods.Park near the end of the lot, and walk.
I’m guilty of not following most of these suggestions; they
simply are not wired into my daily routine. Although I have found out that the few
times I get a weight management wakeup call and I follow them (if only for a
short time), I see results and get complements.
Fitness as they say is a lifestyle, and since I hope to live
long, I’ll be adjusting my daily routine to include ...
Posted Jul 22, 2012, 7:58 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
Congrats! You Chose a Career Behind the Desk.
Most writers live out our careers seated in front of a
computer. As we pour out our thoughts into the word processor, we start our
mornings with the coffee cup, placed on top of the stain right next to our
laptops, and we end our evenings with the pizza box on top of stacked books we
have abandoned since God knows when. In between are the numerous visits to the
refrigerator for the quick snack (especially if you write from home).
So, when the time comes for taking the author cover photos
for the book we have worked so hard to produce, we look like a stuffed potato
sack, with its thread wearing through from overload.Sitting in the same ...
Posted Jun 11, 2012, 6:20 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
Insert an Image as the background of another Image in PowerPoint
Two blogs ago, I started a topic about removing unwanted
portions of an image (obtained legally, of course). In this blog, I’ll discuss
how to insert an image as the background of another image. I will be using the
doggie image we worked on the first time, and we will replace the cute dog we
removed in the previous blog, with a cat. Now, I’m sure you get the general
idea that as a fantasy writer (I wrote, ‘Custodian of the Luima Legacy’), I am
dead sure cats and dogs get on beautifully, same as cats and mice.
i) To insert an image as the background of another image, right
click on the image and select Format
Picture ...
Posted Sep 3, 2012, 7:54 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
Remove Unwanted Portions of an Image in PowerPoint
Most times we take a picture or purchase one online (please
respect others copyright when using images from online sources) that we would
like to use to convey a message, but there may be just one item in the picture
that doesn’t flow with our theme. PowerPoint has a very cool feature for removing
background, and unwanted items from pictures.
Open PowerPoint, and select a blank slide. Click the Home
tab, Click the arrow button next to the New Slide Icon and select blank slide.
To
insert a picture in your blank slide. Click the Insert Tab, and click in
Picture. It opens an insert picture browser window which you can use to select your
picture from where it ...
Posted Aug 19, 2012, 9:27 PM by Gabrielle Poplar
