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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
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Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 8, 2008
/ 2 Adar I 5768
Hand over the pen
By
Lori Borgman
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
My mother once called and told me to never again write her in longhand. She said,
"Your writing is atrocious, Toni."
"My name is Lori," I said. "You ought to know that, you're my mother."
'Well, on this card you sent it looks like Toni. And your aunt called to
say she got a thank you note from your address, but it was signed by
someone named Tom. She wants to know why she wasn't told about Tom. She
also wants to know if I can decipher the note for her."
If not for the fact that my mom has been gone for three years, I'd think
she was the one who put me on the mailing list for the "Most Pitiful
Handwriting" contest sponsored by SimplyHandwritten.com, a greeting card
handwriting company.
Then again, it could have been the mail carrier. Occasionally our mail
takes the long route when someone copies our address from my handwritten
return address and thinks our street starts with an F instead of a D.
And that it ends in ley instead of by. "Went over to Farley again," the
mail carrier says. "Bring that finish to your b up higher and then go
over and drop down with the y."
Everybody's an expert.
Of course, it could have been the husband who entered my name. He used to complain
that my 4s and 7s and 9s looked alike in the checkbook. I agreed it was a problem
and then I fixed it. I use plastic.
The contest is open to anyone with bad writing. You just send two to three sentences
in English on any subject, but the sponsors also stipulate no profanity or
vulgarism.
If the handwriting is really bad, how would they know?
The person with the worst handwriting wins a box of thank you cards.
The contest was launched to coincide with John Hancock's birthday. He
was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence and gets an A for
penmanship. Big letters, the J and the h and the k have tall ascenders
and he even dotted the i right above the i, not somewhere in the next
time zone. People like John make life hard for the rest of us.
I dream of nice handwriting. I go slow, I think about what I'm doing, but nine times
out of 10 my personal notes look like ransom demands.
Two out of our three kids don't use cursive at all. I take that back, the one might
but it's so illegible you can't tell. He's artsy. Enough said.
The other one uses a sort of italic or print cursive where she prints letters but
semi-connects them. The third one uses real penmanship, but she has to, as she's
becoming a teacher. Teachers have laws about that sort of thing.
Newsweek recently reported that educators are concerned that kids find the speed and
ease of using a keyboard far more appealing than the beauty that comes from writing
by hand. Teachers also believe that handwriting fluency is a fundamental building
block to all sorts of learning math, spelling, the whole nine yards.
The SAT exam now requires a handwritten essay, partly in an effort to reverse the
de-emphasis on handwriting and composition.
The writing is on the wall. Penmanship matters. So a word to kids: Mind your p's and
q's. Literally.
Take it from someone who has learned the hard way - me Tom. Or Toni. You know,
the one who lives on Farley Street.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Lori Borgman is the author of , most recently, "Pass the Faith, Please" (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) and I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids To comment, please click here. To visit her website click here.
ARCHIVES
© 2008, Lori Borgman
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