Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Today's "Truth or Consequences" Questions: What do you think of any professional communicators or writers who embellish or alter their experiences? I assume that the question here is about Brian Williams. I had to look up the details of this story this morning as I have not followed it closely. Also, I have to say that I am not familiar with any of the alphabet channel news people since Walter Cronkite. At any rate, when it comes to any national news, I find it difficult to believe anything I hear and, most of the time, only half of what I see.
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Why or why not? I'm like most Americans appear to be. I will likely forgive the explanation if the fibber was originally on my political side.
If you had read a non-fiction book, really enjoyed it and later learned some of it was not strictly accurate, how would that color your view of the book or the author? I will refer to my the answer above.
Would you avoid any future books by that author, as a result? Again, I will refer to my second answer above although I even find it difficult to believe how-to instructions anymore.
How long after a food item's expiration date has passed are you willing to chance it? It's according to what the food is.
Are you waiting for better weather to grill or are you a year-round griller or do you grill at all? We've already had some grilling days here but I'll wait.
Just for fun:
How would you spell the word "phonetic" phonetically? (See attached)
Last edited by High_Plains_Retired; 05-01-2015 at 01:20 PM..
Today's "Truth or Consequences" Questions: What do you think of any professional communicators or writers who embellish or alter their experiences? Let's just say that I don't think highly of them.
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Why or why not? If it only happens once then I suspect a flawed memory.
If you had read a non-fiction book, really enjoyed it and later learned some of it was not strictly accurate, how would that color your view of the book or the author? I no longer buy books by the author.
Would you avoid any future books by that author, as a result? Absolutely.
Foodie Questions: What did you have for your most recent meal? A chicken sandwich.
How long after a food item's expiration date has passed are you willing to chance it? It depends on the food. Usually I will toss it after 2 days have passed.
Are you waiting for better weather to grill or are you a year-round griller or do you grill at all? I don't grill.
Just for fun: How would you spell the word "phonetic" phonetically? fon-net-ick
Today in History:
1502 Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India
1541 City of Santiago, Chile founded
1733 Englishman James Oglethorpe founded Georgia, the 13th colony with its first city at Savannah
1832 Ecuador annexed the Galápagos Islands
1851 Gold found in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, starting the Australian gold rushes
1926 Carl Sandburg's two-volume biography, "Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years" published
1963 Construction began on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
1994 Four men broke into the National Gallery of Norway and stole Edvard Munch's iconic painting "The Scream"
(The painting was later recovered.)
Today's Quote:
"Marriage is like the Army; everyone complains, but you'd be surprised at the large number of people who re-enlist."
~James Garner, actor
Today’s Word:
Kewpie [kyoo-pee] noun
Trademark.
a brand name for a small, plump doll with a topknot, usually made of plaster or celluloid
Origin: 1909, American English, coined by an illustrator as an altered form of a diminutive of Cupid I have one. My uncle won it for me at the fair when I was 3.
Today Is:
Plum Pudding Day
Darwin's Birthday, 1809, in Shropshire, England
Lincoln's Birthday, also 1809, in Kentucky, USA
Paul Bunyan Day, said to be born in MI, MN, ME or CA, but not at the same time
---> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan
This Week Includes:
International Hoof Care Week
Random Acts of Kindness Week
International Friendship Week
Today's Nostalgia Picture:
"Rosie" meets her match? 1942, Inglewood, CA, a team works on the cockpit of a C-47 aircraft. My father flew C-47s over "The Hump" in WWII.
US governement photo, in the public domain.
Have a positively riveting Thursday! Thanks, bjh. These questions were very thoughtful.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,463 posts, read 25,999,509 times
Reputation: 59843
Today's "Truth or Consequences" Questions:
What do you think of any professional communicators or writers who embellish or alter their experiences? Very disappointed.
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Sometimes the dust has got to settle before the facts come out. The excuses are generally pretty lame. Even the pilot is not sure on what happened.
Why or why not? Not immediately.
If you had read a non-fiction book, really enjoyed it and later learned some of it was not strictly accurate, how would that color your view of the book or the author? I'd be disappointed.
Would you avoid any future books by that author, as a result? Probably.
Foodie Questions:
What did you have for your most recent meal? A pizza sandwich and a glass of mile.
How long after a food item's expiration date has passed are you willing to chance it? Dunno, I depend on the Super Chief giving the stuff the sniff test, seems to work pretty well.
Are you waiting for better weather to grill or are you a year-round griller or do you grill at all? Nope, grilling is pretty mush a year round activity here.
Just for fun:
How would you spell the word "phonetic" phonetically? Using my un-published dicshunaire it's funetic.
Today's "Truth or Consequences" Questions: What do you think of any professional communicators or writers who embellish or alter their experiences? I formerly worked in TV news and my first husband was a newspaper reporter, so I have strong opinions about that sort of thing. I know for a fact that my husband, who considered himself a wit, would sometimes use made-up quotes in his interviews because he thought of something clever and wanted to see it in print. So he would have his interview subject "say" it. I'm surprised that he never got caught.
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Why or why not? I absolutely do not believe any of the excuses. Journalists are storytellers, and sometimes their desire to tell a good story, whether or not it's the truth, is more powerful than their adherence to journalistic principles. The media is such a competitive business, I am sure that fudging the truth for the sake of a good story happens a lot more than we know.
If you had read a non-fiction book, really enjoyed it and later learned some of it was not strictly accurate, how would that color your view of the book or the author? Yes, but if no one was harmed by the fiction and it was a good, well-written book otherwise, I wouldn't refuse to read it for that reason. It's just that I would consider it fiction.
Would you avoid any future books by that author, as a result? No, but I would question their factual veracity.
Foodie Questions: What did you have for your most recent meal? I had Trader Joe's puffed wheat with sliced bananas and strawberries, a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee.
How long after a food item's expiration date has passed are you willing to chance it? It depends on the item. Most food expiration dates are flexible, I think. I will use a dry product such as rice or a baking mix long past the date. Perishable items, usually not more than a few days past the date, but it depends. I have used eggs a month or more past the sell-by date, and they've always been good. Canned goods will still be edible for at least five years.
Are you waiting for better weather to grill or are you a year-round griller or do you grill at all? San Francisco weather isn't ideal for grilling because even in the summer we get a lot of chilly ocean breezes and fog. So no, I don't grill and have never even owned a grill. Our neighbors grill occasionally, but not very often.
Just for fun:
How would you spell the word "phonetic" phonetically? foe-net'-ick
Thanks, bjh! And now, in honor of International Hoof Care Day, I think I'll go paint my toenails.
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Why or why not? No ... I think people who misreport the news or other "facts" do it deliberately. Also, one of the things I learned in journalism is that there is no such thing as unbiased news ... Just the mere decision of what to report or not to report reflects bias.
When I took Journalism class in high school, the teacher told us two things the first day:
1) If writing isn't your cup of tea, you shouldn't be taking this class.
2) There is no such thing as good news.
I'm surprised I still remember that, all these years later.
These answers made for some great reading! Thanks everyone!
Today's "Truth or Consequences" Questions: What do you think of any professional communicators or writers who embellish or alter their experiences?
I agree that journalists should be reporting facts and are usually well aware when they stretch them. Maybe they could honestly have a problem if they work on a lot of details over a long period of time like for an in-depth newspaper or magazine article. But writing books can be a different kettle of fish entirely in my opinion. Some of you mentioned autobiography and memoir, which is a really important difference that hadn't occurred to me. If a book is about you, how can you fact check? You have to go by your own memory which leads to ---V
When this kind of thing crops up, do you buy into explanations of flawed memory or differing viewpoints? Why or why not?
When I was younger and had a much sharper memory I absolutely would not have. But as I've gotten older and have memory gaps or flaws myself, I think it can make sense to give the benefit of the doubt at times. If, as some of you mentioned, there's a pattern of these flaws, especially to sound more dramatic - then that may indicate a deeper problem. Differing opinions can be a real mess because of the he said/she said vibe. I've seen people have completely different takes on the same situation. What can you do? *shrug*
If you had read a non-fiction book, really enjoyed it and later learned some of it was not strictly accurate, how would that color your view of the book or the author?
Disappointed is a good word choice many mentioned. We do like to know if we're being told facts or fiction, don't we? Writers should lay down the ground rules at the start of the book with comments like, names have been changed, etc. As long as they are up front about anything that was artful, then that's perfectly alright. We just want to know starting out.
Would you avoid any future books by that author, as a result?
Not entirely, especially if the writing itself is good. I just might read something of theirs with a grain of salt or two.
Foodie Questions: What did you have for your most recent meal?
Got in kind of late so burger and fries. More exercise tomorrow then?
How long after a food item's expiration date has passed are you willing to chance it?
Agree with many of you that canned and dried goods can be used a while after. Things like milk, cheese, etc. if they don't smell right, toss 'em.
Are you waiting for better weather to grill or are you a year-round griller or do you grill at all?
It's usually mild enough to grill year round, but we don't grill as often as I'd like.
Just for fun:
How would you spell the word "phonetic" phonetically?
Here's my try: "fuh-NET-ik"
Okay, this isn't very exciting, but here goes: Have a "fuhn WEEK-ind"
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
More exercise tomorrow then? 
