Special 2016 “Alan Harrison’s Birthday” Edition: Pack Up the Babies and Grab the Old Ladies – And an Easy-To-Fulfill Wish List
I was born on May 14. Conceived on a hot August night. Neil Diamond would’ve been proud. He was old enough to have a kid then, so…who knows? Brother Love? Are you my papa?
From him, I want flowers.
From you, I want (this is your cue):
- A 137-word card. ( <–Yes, that’s a link.)
- Share your favorite 137 Words post with your social network (that’s “share,” not “like”).
- To join a great company with a great mission. In Seattle.
- Health for The Kid.
- Guidance for The Kid.
- The love of my life to be happy, fulfilled, and curious. You know who you are.
- The ability for you to guide your favorite nonprofit to safety, security, and success.
- Brilliantly measurable missions, better than you believe you’re capable of.
- Complete, successful execution of those brilliant new missions.
- Pie, not cake.
Verbal Tics and Jargon Reduce Your Ability to Communicate Effectively. What’s Your Fingernails-on-the-Chalkboard Verbal Tic?
So the word I overuse most lists “accordingly,” “consequently,” “ergo,” “hence,” “therefore,” and “thus” among its synonyms. I’m among many who have this unfortunate tic.
So we’ve used it to reframe questions to fit our answers. We’ve used it as a replacement for “uh,” “um,” “y’know,” or “well.” We’ve used it to preface an opinion for the purpose of making it sound as though we represent universal consensus.
So honestly, we’ve stopped knowing why we use it at all. Or that we use it at all.
So I discovered the tic by listening to Harry Shearer’s brilliant radio program, Le Show.
So I have other communication peeves having to do with the words “literally” and “notoriety,” the phrase “the exact opposite,” and the valley-girl end-of-statement uptick, now prevalent among both genders. But “glass houses” and all that.
137 Words 