My husband and I have been watching Masters of Sex, a TV series playing on Showtime.
The story is about Masters and Johnson, the team that studied sex back in the 1950s.
The show is very well acted with Michael Sheen playing the role of William Masters and Lizzy Caplan portraying Virginia Johnson. The storyline does a terrific job of depicting gender disparity prevalent at the time (women are inferior) and portrays these attitudes in a most believable way.
There is nudity in the series but not enough to be distracting. The show is really about the two main characters and the lives of those around them. The viewer is invited to learn about people who participated in the study, the wife of William Masters, the provost of the college and his family, and others who were involved with Masters and Johnson in some fashion.
It presents a very nicely rounded view of the whole process of the study as well as what life was like back then.
The most recent episode presented a Civil Defense drill and how the entire country was being urged to hide under desks in the event of a nuclear attack. It was very well done.
There are few shows that I actually want to own on DVD, but this is one of them. I would watch this whole series again. I do not know if this will be a continuing series or if these 10 episodes are all of the show, but if you have missed it I suggest watching it when you can.
It has also given me an interest in Masters and Johnson, particularly Virginia Johnson, who is portrayed as a very strong and capable woman who knows her own mind (and body) in an admirable way. I wouldn't mind finding a biography of her if there is one.
Friday, December 06, 2013
Thursday, December 05, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen ways to strengthen your writing:
1. Eliminate these words most of the time: just, really, very, quite, almost, amazing, literally. These are filler words that echo the way we speak, but they weaken sentences. To say a diamond is "really hard" is silly. Hard is hard. The word doesn't need a modifier. What is the difference between being "good" and "quite good?"
2. Be strong and certain in your statements. Eliminate words such as perhaps, maybe,or the phrase in my opinion.
3. Use exact descriptions. Eliminate words such as stuff or things. Describe the stuff and things instead. Be specific.
4. Rewrite sentences that use the word got or get. This is a lazy word; instead of writing, "I got the truck stuck," rewrite for a more vivid sentence: "I drove the truck into a bank of mud, and it refused to move." Sure, more words, but definitely more descriptive.
5. Sentences that use forms of the verb to be, ie., am/are was/were and have been. Weak verbs make weak sentences. While these verbs may be useful for linking ideas, generally speaking sentences using to be verbs can be changed to more better convey ideas.
6. The verb have is also a weak verb. Example: I have a lunch scheduled for Friday. Better: I scheduled lunch for Friday.
7. Your sentences should incorporate a subject and a verb. Use them close to together and try not to separate them with wandering phrases.
8. Write in active voice, not passive voice. Do not confuse past tense for passive voice. Voice means the sentence is about the person doing something, not having something done to them. Example: The law was changed by the Virginia state legislature. Better: The Virginia state legislature changed the law.
9. Eliminate words that end in ly. Often, adverbs end in ly, and if a verb needs help, then the writer needs a better verb. Use your thesaurus.
10. Use metaphor and simile to bring color to your writing.
11. Edit for repeating words. Writers write the words they love, or the easy and lazy words, repeatedly throughout a piece sometimes. Look for repetitive language and eradicate it.
12. Incorporate the senses into your writing. How does the day taste, smell, feel, sound, look?
13. Learn proper punctuation. It's not cute when you decide not to capitalize your sentences or use periods to end them, it's irritating and hard to read. Pick up a grammar book and flip through it. Better yet, if you're a serious writer, spring for the hardback book or a subscription to The Chicago Manual of Style. Everything you need to know is in that book.
The idea for this came from this article:
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229369#ixzz2mQ7wyHE9
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 322nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Eliminate these words most of the time: just, really, very, quite, almost, amazing, literally. These are filler words that echo the way we speak, but they weaken sentences. To say a diamond is "really hard" is silly. Hard is hard. The word doesn't need a modifier. What is the difference between being "good" and "quite good?"
2. Be strong and certain in your statements. Eliminate words such as perhaps, maybe,or the phrase in my opinion.
3. Use exact descriptions. Eliminate words such as stuff or things. Describe the stuff and things instead. Be specific.
4. Rewrite sentences that use the word got or get. This is a lazy word; instead of writing, "I got the truck stuck," rewrite for a more vivid sentence: "I drove the truck into a bank of mud, and it refused to move." Sure, more words, but definitely more descriptive.
5. Sentences that use forms of the verb to be, ie., am/are was/were and have been. Weak verbs make weak sentences. While these verbs may be useful for linking ideas, generally speaking sentences using to be verbs can be changed to more better convey ideas.
6. The verb have is also a weak verb. Example: I have a lunch scheduled for Friday. Better: I scheduled lunch for Friday.
7. Your sentences should incorporate a subject and a verb. Use them close to together and try not to separate them with wandering phrases.
8. Write in active voice, not passive voice. Do not confuse past tense for passive voice. Voice means the sentence is about the person doing something, not having something done to them. Example: The law was changed by the Virginia state legislature. Better: The Virginia state legislature changed the law.
9. Eliminate words that end in ly. Often, adverbs end in ly, and if a verb needs help, then the writer needs a better verb. Use your thesaurus.
10. Use metaphor and simile to bring color to your writing.
11. Edit for repeating words. Writers write the words they love, or the easy and lazy words, repeatedly throughout a piece sometimes. Look for repetitive language and eradicate it.
12. Incorporate the senses into your writing. How does the day taste, smell, feel, sound, look?
13. Learn proper punctuation. It's not cute when you decide not to capitalize your sentences or use periods to end them, it's irritating and hard to read. Pick up a grammar book and flip through it. Better yet, if you're a serious writer, spring for the hardback book or a subscription to The Chicago Manual of Style. Everything you need to know is in that book.
The idea for this came from this article:
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229369#ixzz2mQ7wyHE9
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 322nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Books: The Tao Of Writing
The Tao of Writing
By Ralph Wahlstrom
Copyright 2006
210 pages
I recently became interested in the Tao Te Ching, and just happened to have this book here on my shelf. (As an aside, I don't know how long it had sat unread on my shelf, but it is not made with the best paper and it had become musty, so I ordered it again and downloaded it to my Nook. The lack of dust is the most valid reason for e-readers ever.)
In any event, this is a book about creativity and flow. I was most intrigued by a section on something called "I Search" which is a form of writing wherein the author explores something - rather like I do on this blog, actually. You find something of interest and delve into it however deep you want.
Additionally, the author talks about feng shui and how clutter and a room that is not open can inhibit the writing process. This has caused me to take another look at the structure of my office. I am not sure how I might remake things - for one thing I can't move my desk simply because I am too puny - but perhaps there are changes I can make that would help. There is a lot of *stuff* in my office that perhaps doesn't need to be here.
At the end the author offers up 60 writing exercises that look very intriguing and interesting.
Definitely a good addition to any writer's library.
Just a note unrelated to the book - I learned with my Nook order that if you don't get the right version of the book, you can't enlarge the text. I apparently ordered the actual book publisher's version and could not make Nook notes in it, or highlight passages. Until this I hadn't realized that it made a difference what version of a book you ordered, and frankly this particular version is less useful in an e-reader. The book took me much longer to read than it should have simply because the text was so small in the e-reader and this book version that I ordered would not let me enlarge it. There was another version available and apparently that was the one I should have ordered. Barnes & Noble apparently will not let you return Nook purchases so I was stuck with it and certainly wasn't going to pay for the book a third time. I don't know if Amazon lets you return Kindle purchases but if so that is certainly a reason to look at the Kindle.
Since I have a hard copy, I plan to make photocopies of the exercises in the back for my own use and then donate the book to the library, since it has become too musty for my sensitive lungs. Of if anyone reading wants it, let me know. I know book dust doesn't bother everyone.
By Ralph Wahlstrom
Copyright 2006
210 pages
I recently became interested in the Tao Te Ching, and just happened to have this book here on my shelf. (As an aside, I don't know how long it had sat unread on my shelf, but it is not made with the best paper and it had become musty, so I ordered it again and downloaded it to my Nook. The lack of dust is the most valid reason for e-readers ever.)
In any event, this is a book about creativity and flow. I was most intrigued by a section on something called "I Search" which is a form of writing wherein the author explores something - rather like I do on this blog, actually. You find something of interest and delve into it however deep you want.
Additionally, the author talks about feng shui and how clutter and a room that is not open can inhibit the writing process. This has caused me to take another look at the structure of my office. I am not sure how I might remake things - for one thing I can't move my desk simply because I am too puny - but perhaps there are changes I can make that would help. There is a lot of *stuff* in my office that perhaps doesn't need to be here.
At the end the author offers up 60 writing exercises that look very intriguing and interesting.
Definitely a good addition to any writer's library.
Just a note unrelated to the book - I learned with my Nook order that if you don't get the right version of the book, you can't enlarge the text. I apparently ordered the actual book publisher's version and could not make Nook notes in it, or highlight passages. Until this I hadn't realized that it made a difference what version of a book you ordered, and frankly this particular version is less useful in an e-reader. The book took me much longer to read than it should have simply because the text was so small in the e-reader and this book version that I ordered would not let me enlarge it. There was another version available and apparently that was the one I should have ordered. Barnes & Noble apparently will not let you return Nook purchases so I was stuck with it and certainly wasn't going to pay for the book a third time. I don't know if Amazon lets you return Kindle purchases but if so that is certainly a reason to look at the Kindle.
Since I have a hard copy, I plan to make photocopies of the exercises in the back for my own use and then donate the book to the library, since it has become too musty for my sensitive lungs. Of if anyone reading wants it, let me know. I know book dust doesn't bother everyone.
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
The C&O Railway Heritage Center
The C&O Railway Heritage Center is located in Clifton Forge, Virginia, in Alleghany County. It is about 45 minutes from where I live. We had never been to this museum, which opened in 2008.
The C&O Railroad (Chesapeake & Ohio) is the reason Clifton Forge exists. It was an important stop on the rail line and the place where the company serviced its equipment.
The museum features indoor and outdoor exhibits, including this large engine, on loan from the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
I love the look of train tracks as they head off to parts unknown.
This is the depot. I believe this is a reincarnation of the original 1900 passenger station.
Trains are really big (understatement of the year).
This is the depot inside. There was not a lot of room and notice the wood stove for heat. The modern version has a heat pump, thank goodness.
An old map depicting the C&O routes.
This is the back of the depot. The other tower structure housed telecommunications, which back in the day would have been telegraph operators and signal men.
We had an informative fellow give us a tour of the place. He's on the left; my most excellent husband is on the right.
The logo up close.
What an amazing machine.
The wheels were about as high as I am tall, which is to say, more than five feet.
The train is open for inspection during the tours. The tour cost $8 per person.
A shot down the side of the train.
This is the inside of the steam engine. The hole is the firebox.
The story of the 614 steam engine.
My husband the real-life fireman sat in the fireman's seat on the engine.
Inside the firebox.
Gauges and things the engineer had to watch.
The baggage car.
The dining car, all decked out for the holidays.
My husband and our tour guide.
This sign was in the museum. It is my new favorite sign.
A very nice model train rain around the center of the museum. It depicted the Clifton Forge area and other depot stops.
The model train as it chugged along.
The original Clifton Forge stop.
We had a good time visiting this museum. It is quite a little jewel to have here in the mountains.
The C&O Railroad (Chesapeake & Ohio) is the reason Clifton Forge exists. It was an important stop on the rail line and the place where the company serviced its equipment.
The museum features indoor and outdoor exhibits, including this large engine, on loan from the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
I love the look of train tracks as they head off to parts unknown.
This is the depot. I believe this is a reincarnation of the original 1900 passenger station.
Trains are really big (understatement of the year).
This is the depot inside. There was not a lot of room and notice the wood stove for heat. The modern version has a heat pump, thank goodness.
An old map depicting the C&O routes.
This is the back of the depot. The other tower structure housed telecommunications, which back in the day would have been telegraph operators and signal men.
We had an informative fellow give us a tour of the place. He's on the left; my most excellent husband is on the right.
The 614, also on loan to the museum, was an effort by the owners of The Greenbrier to get folks from DC to the resort.
The logo up close.
What an amazing machine.
The wheels were about as high as I am tall, which is to say, more than five feet.
The train is open for inspection during the tours. The tour cost $8 per person.
A shot down the side of the train.
This is the inside of the steam engine. The hole is the firebox.
The story of the 614 steam engine.
My husband the real-life fireman sat in the fireman's seat on the engine.
Inside the firebox.
Gauges and things the engineer had to watch.
The baggage car.
The dining car, all decked out for the holidays.
My husband and our tour guide.
This sign was in the museum. It is my new favorite sign.
A very nice model train rain around the center of the museum. It depicted the Clifton Forge area and other depot stops.
The model train as it chugged along.
There were many varying sizes of model trains, all of them actual working products, in the museum. Information about the railroad lined the walls.
The original Clifton Forge stop.
We had a good time visiting this museum. It is quite a little jewel to have here in the mountains.
Monday, December 02, 2013
Humpback Covered Bridge
Humpback Bridge, located in Alleghany County just outside Covington, is the oldest of five remaining covered bridges in Virginia. This structure, built in 1857, was saved by preservationists in 1954; it ceased to be used for traffic in 1929 when the state built a bypass. The bridge is about a 60 minute drive away from us.
This plaque tells the story. I notice the dates on the plaque and those at the VDOT website I used to learn more about the bridge do not match up exactly. At any rate, Humpback Bridge is a Virginia and National Historic Landmark. No one disputes the historic nature of the structure!
It's a beautiful piece of functional art. It sits in a park with picnic area.
This amazing monument to our history affirms for me how much our ancestors cared about quality and aesthetic beauty.
This is an old gear from the paper mill in Covington. It is used to form an "O" in the word "LOVE," which you can see in the first picture and in the picture below. The L and E are also from materials with historic meaning to the local community, and the three makes up the "V."
I confess to feeling a sense of history (and perhaps romance) when I walked toward the opening.
Said feeling was quickly eradicated at the site of graffiti. Apparently everyone who visits (except us) feels compelled to write their name on the inside of the bridge.
People put their names and a date in most instances. It was an odd experience to see this - it took away the romance of the structure, but added an intriguing aspect of humanity to it. In researching the history for this blog post, I could find no references to the graffiti, though.
These are the inner trusses of the covered roof. I understand the roof was repaired just this summer (2013).
This is the flooring. You can see how it slopes.
I studied some of the graffiti looking for the oldest dates. Below is one of the older ones.
However, I also found one that dated 1954, though it was very faint and didn't show up well for a picture. So the tradition of writing on the walls of this structure has been going on for a very long time.
To reach Humpback Bridge from Botetourt, head north on US 220, get on I-64 West, go to exit 10, and it's about 1/2 mile on Rt. 60. Very easy to reach and it would be a nice day trip if you took a picnic lunch.
We went in the middle of November, and it was a little cold for picnicking. I want to return to take photos of this bridge again in the spring; I imagine it is quite lovely there at that time of year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)