Fall 2013
Dear Friend,
If you've received this Letter, I count you among my friends, family and friendly acquaintances. As such, I'd like to take the opportunity to share practical information and creative musings with you on a regular basis that might not only be useful to you, but also that might add extra sparkle to your daily living. To start, I'll share items that have made at least a little bit of difference in my professional life and/or my life life. However, it's my hope you'll come to share your useful tidbits, too! I'll be sure to try to include it in an upcoming Letter. After all, we are in this thing called Life together!
Best,
Connie Sue
P.S. Do any of you have an app you can't live without day to day? I'd like to learn about it at connie@bycswhite.com.
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Grammar Tip
affect vs effect
Deciding which of these two pseudo homophones to use can stump even the best of us, forcing a Google query, a thumb through the AP Style Manual, or even an office debate. My last run-in with the duo was while drafting an online drug and alcohol awareness course for the American Safety Council. There were dozens of opportunities to use both words in the 55,000-word tome ... the effect of drugs on the system ... er, wait, should that be affect?
Even the pros give this pair some pause. Veteran copy editor Kathy Kiely tells me, in the case of what she calls The Tricky Twins, it's hard to be right every time.
My personal Rule of Thumb? Consider using “affect” only as a verb, meaning to “influence”. We don't get off so easy with “effect,” which requires use as a noun (when meaning “result”) or as a verb (meaning “cause”).
Examples: Alcohol affects my judgment. Pot has a depressing effect on motor skills. Your words will effect change. I am affected by what you say.
In times of utter confusion, “influence,” “result” and “cause” substitute nicely. Still unsure? Kathy offers more examples here. |
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Social Circle
meetup
Being well-networked — both virtually and face to face — is important for any business, especially for those vying for a share of the local market. I was reminded of this recently when I joined the meetup.com monthly 19th Hole Professional Networking Golf Event sponsored by BKHM CPAs. Meetup, "the world’s largest network for forming or joining local groups" based on similar interests, provides the best of both worlds: once you sign up online, you can see who else is attending and even interact with them before the event and then continue the conversation face to face at the meetup. Afterward, many go back online to exchange further information.
But the real hook is the face-to-face interaction. The first event I attended resulted in a referral for a contract writer gig. It turned out that the company needed someone full time. However, it generated a new contact that I wouldn’t have made otherwise. Who knows where it might lead or what competitive edge it might give me in the future? Plus, it's a two-way street: I've met several accountants at the event, one of whom might come in handy for April 15. |
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