Clipmarks | Voice Clips

Fifty Tools which can help you in Writing

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 04:32:41 GMT

clipped by: HoneyTown

Clip Source: www.lifehack.org

Tags: english

11 Rules of Writing

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:28:59 GMT

clipped by: wurdzgurl

Clip Source: www.junketstudies.com

1. To join two independent clauses, use a comma followed by a conjunction, a semicolon alone, or a semicolon followed by a sentence modifier.

2. Use commas to bracket nonrestrictive phrases, which are not essential to the sentence's meaning.

3. Do not use commas to bracket phrases that are essential to a sentence's meaning.

4. When beginning a sentence with an introductory phrase or an introductory (dependent) clause, include a comma.

5. To indicate possession, end a singular noun with an apostrophe followed by an "s". Otherwise, the noun's form seems plural.

6. Use proper punctuation to integrate a quotation into a sentence. If the introductory material is an independent clause, add the quotation after a colon. If the introductory material ends in "thinks," "saying," or some other verb indicating expression, use a comma.

7. Make the subject and verb agree with each other, not with a word that comes between them.

8. Be sure that a pronoun, a participial phrase, or an appositive refers clearly to the proper subject.

9. Use parallel construction to make a strong point and create a smooth flow.

10. Use the active voice unless you specifically need to use the passive.

11. Omit unnecessary words.

Tags: writing, grammar

Phone Menu of a Mental Hospital..

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:35:05 GMT

clipped by: tron2007

Clip Source: masalajokes.blogspot.com

Hello and thank you for calling The state Mental Hospital.

Please select from the following options menu:

If you are obsessive-compulsive, press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2 for you.

If you have multiple personalities, press 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want. Stay on
the

line so we can trace your call.

If you are delusional, press 7 and your call will be forwarded to the

MotherShip.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will
tell

you which number to press.

If you are manic-depressive, it doesn't matter which number you press,

nothing will make you happy anyway.

If you are dyslexic, press 9696969696969696.

If you are bipolar, please leave a message after the beep or before
the

beep or after the beep. Please wait for the beep.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9. If you have short-term

memory loss, press 9. If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

Tags: humor, humour, general, funny, joke, jokes, sex

10 Tips to Eliminate Wordiness

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 16:54:28 GMT

clipped by: Djiezes

Clip Source: owl.english.purdue.edu

Conciseness: Methods of Eliminating Wordiness

1. Eliminate unnecessary determiners and modifiers

2. Change phrases into single words

3. Change unnecessary that, who, and which clauses into phrases

4. Avoid overusing expletives at the beginning of sentences

5. Use active rather than passive verbs

See our document on active and passive voice for a more thorough explanation of this topic.

6. Avoid overusing noun forms of verbs

Use verbs when possible rather than noun forms known as nominalizations. Sentences with many nominalizations usually have forms of be as the main verbs. Using the action verbs disguised in nominalizations as the main verbs--instead of forms of be--can help to create engaging rather than dull prose.

7. Reword unnecessary infinitive phrases

Some infinitive phrases can be converted into finite verbs or brief noun phrases. Making such changes also often results in the replacement of a be-verb with an action verb.

8. Replace circumlocutions with direct expressions

9. Omit words that explain the obvious or provide excessive detail

Be sure always to consider your readers as you draft and revise your writing. If you find passages that explain or describe in detail what would already be obvious to readers, delete or reword them.

10. Omit repetitive wording

Watch for phrases or longer passages in your writing in which you repeat words with similar meanings. Below are some general examples of unnecessary repetition contrasted with more concise versions, followed by lists and examples of specific redundant word pairs and categories.

Redundant Pairs

Redundant Categories

Tags: writing, write, howto, concise, short, tips, tricks, help, language, linguistics, list

How to be creative

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:22:37 GMT

clipped by: lightblack

Clip Source: www.gapingvoid.com

how to be creative

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

Tags: howto, how to, creativity, creative

28 Ways to make a girl smile!!

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 13:12:21 GMT

clipped by: tron2007

Clip Source: masalajokes.blogspot.com

28 Ways to make a girl smile!!

1 . Tell her she is beautiful, not hot, fine or sexy.

2 . Hold her hand at any moment even if it is just for a second.

3 . Kiss her on the forehead.

4 . Leave her voice messages to wake up to.

5 . Always tell her you love her at any and all times.

6 . When she is upset hold her tight and tell her how much she means to you.

7 . Recognize the small things . . . they usally mean the most.

8 . Call her sweety. {not baby}

9 . Sing to her no matter how horrible your voice is.

10 . Pick her over all the other girls you hang out with.

Tags: general, funny

How to be charming!!!!

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:06:35 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: nice and easy

Clip Source: www.wikihow.com

Good posture will give the impression of self confidence (even if you don't feel that way on the inside). While walking, it is always important to maintain a relaxed yet definitive upright posture- spine long, shoulders back.

Relax the muscles in your face to the point where you have a natural, pleasant expression permanently engraved there. For some people, it helps to dwell on something or someone that makes them happy

Make a connection.

Remember people's names

Be interested in people.

Orient topics toward the audience.

Praise others instead of gossiping.

Issue compliments generously

Be gracious in accepting compliments

Control your tone of voice.

Empathy is at the core of charm. If you can't tell what makes people happy or unhappy, you have no way to assess whether you are saying the right or wrong thing.

Never argue

Never laugh at your own jokes

Never over-explain anything

Tags: charming, personality traits, personality development.

Little Known Facts (and perhaps best kept that way!)

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:35:38 GMT

clipped by: coecoe321
clipper's remarks: There are lots more, but these were the ones I found interesting. Check out the website for lots of useless tidbits!

Clip Source: jesuitnola.org

Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

The 57 on the Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

The first owner of the Marlboro company died of lung cancer.

Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.

There are only seven professional (MLB), (NHL), (NBA), (NFL) that do not end in "s" Colorado Avalanche, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Utah Jazz.

The glue on postage stamps in Israel is certified kosher.

On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.

The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself. (How did they study this?)

7% of Americans will eat McDonalds today.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China.

Debra Winger was the voice of E.T.

The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)

Actor Tommy Lee Jones and vice-president Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

Tags: facts, trivia, misc

7 Tips to Increase Your Confidence

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:42:23 GMT

clipped by: carmelia

Clip Source: www.topachievement.com

1.) Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

2.) In doing something for the first time, imagine that you have already done it in the past.

3.) Find someone who is already confident in that area and copy them.

4.) Use the “as-if” frame.

If you were confident, how would you be acting?

5.) Go into the future and ask if what you’re faced with is such a big deal.

6.) Remember that you lose out on 100% of the opportunities that you never go for.

7.) Disarm the nagging, negative internal voice.

Tags: life

History's greatest replies

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:35:06 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth
clipper's remarks: "All of them—along with many, many hundreds more—appear in my Viva la Repartee book."

Pope John XXIII

One of the few pontiffs in history with a rich sense of humor, Pope John XXIII once reported to an interviewer that important problems would frequently come to mind in the middle of the night, disturbing his sleep. Half awake, he'd make a mental note: "I must speak to the pope about that." "Then," he confessed, "I would be wide awake and remember—I am the pope!" Once asked by a journalist, "How many people work in the Vatican?" the pontiff pondered the question, giving the impression that he was trying to come up with an accurate estimate. Then, with a straight face, he answered: "About half."

(more at the source)

Clip Source: www.drmardy.com

John Barrymore

As he was relieving himself, a woman entered and was shocked to see a man urinating into one of the toilets. "How dare you!" she exclaimed, "This is for ladies!" The actor turned toward the woman, organ in hand, and resonantly said in full actor's voice:

"And so, madam, is this."

Robert Benchley

After lunching at the Algonquin Hotel one day

Benchley offhandedly said to the uniformed man standing by the front door, "My good man, would you please get me a taxi?" The man immediately took offense and replied indignantly, "I'm not a doorman. I happen to be a rear admiral in the United States Navy." Benchley instantly quipped:

"All right then,
get me a battleship."

Calvin Coolidge

At a White House dinner one evening, a female guest sidled up to the President and whispered in his ear, "You must talk to me, Mr. President. I made a bet today that I could get more than two words out of you." Coolidge whispered back:

"You lose."

Misplaced Deity Sought By Christians

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:06:28 GMT

clipped by: amothindisguise

Clip Source: www.turoks.net

So, I'm standing at a bus stop and they pull up. A car load of well meaning, bible thumping nut cases that are just frantic! The middle aged professionally dressed woman rushes forward...She takes my arm and with trembling voice, she asks...."Have you found Jesus?" Her eyes plead with an urgency that is out of proportion to a bus stop.

So calmly as I can muster, without being sarcastic, I reply, "You people lost him, again?"

"What is wrong with you Christians? Every time I turn around you've lost Him!" I hit her with a glare of accusation. "I mean really..." I take a measured breath. "How do you expect to have anyone follow a deity that you can't even find?"

"Of course, you Christians aren't much fun," I continue. By now they are all out of the car. Befuddled, aghast, and at a loss for words. "Of course," I offer trying to give them some defense for losing Jesus. "He could have left due to religious differences. If I remember correctly, He was Jewish.

Tags: jokes, funny, hillarious, christian

Science of Flirting

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:42:11 GMT

clipped by: wurdzgurl

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

It can take between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if we fancy someone. But this has little to do with your smooth-talking. As far as attraction goes, here's how we get the message:

55% is through body language

38% is the tone and speed of our voice

Only 7% is through what we say

Stare into each others' eyes

Match their moves

Don't play hard to get

Understanding lonely hearts ads

Be dangerous

Tags: relationships, dating

Jihadist Video Shows 12 Year Old Boy Beheading Man

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 20:08:15 GMT

clipped by: joaaron2468
clipper's remarks: 12! 12! 12! What the F@#$. The Boy was 12 and doing this crap. Now you tell me, Where will the outrage be say, from the CAIR organization, denouncing such a horrible act. The BOY was 12 for God sake. He did not need to be part of a beheading. If Islam and Muslims do not speak out then there is no hope for Islam.

Clip Source: www.breitbart.com

Jihadist Video Shows Boy Beheading Man

KILI FAQIRAN, Pakistan (AP) - The boy with the knife looks barely 12. In a high-pitched voice, he denounces the bound, blindfolded man before him as an American spy. Then he hacks off the captive's head to cries of "God is great!" and hoists it in triumph by the hair

A video circulating in Pakistan records the grisly death of Ghulam Nabi, a Pakistani militant accused of betraying a top Taliban official who was killed in a December airstrike in Afghanistan.

An Associated Press reporter confirmed Nabi's identity by visiting his family in Kili Faqiran, their remote village in southwestern Pakistan.

The video, which was obtained by AP Television News in the border city of Peshawar on Tuesday, appears authentic and is unprecedented in jihadist propaganda because of the youth of the executioner.

The footage shows Nabi making what is described as a confession, being blindfolded with a checkered scarf.

Tags: science, war, religion, politics, news, internet, education

we are nothing but the stories we tell ourselves

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:05:59 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: You owe no allegiance to that self-image if it harms you. If you don't like the story your life has become — tell yourself a better one.

Think about the person you want to be and do what that person would do. Act the way that person would act.
Amazingly enough, once you start acting like that person, people will start treating you like that person.

Clip Source: www.bloodletters.com

Find the demon.

Do you know what I'm talking about? It's the little voice in the back of your head that's always whispering, “You can't.” You know the demon. You may think you hate the demon, but you don't. You love it. You let it own you. You do everything it says. Everytime there's something you want, you consult the demon first, to see if it will say, “You can't have that

What you don't realize is that your demon doesn't know anything. It's an idiot. It's nothing but a parrot, repeating back to you anything negative that it's ever heard, anything that makes you hurt, makes you squirm. If a teacher once told you “You'll never accomplish anything,” it was listening; it hoards words like that and repeats them back to you to watch you jump. It doesn't know what it's saying. It doesn't care.

Exorcise yourself

We're nothing but the stories we tell ourselves.

You're a carefully-rehearsed list of weaknesses and strengths you've told yourself you have.

Tags: just beautiful, inspirational, point of view, interesting.

Sound Clips: The Human Instrument

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:49:50 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: AMAZINGLY FLEXIBLE the human voice creates sounds as rich and complex as those of conventional musical instruments--but with much smaller equipment.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Although the human vocal system is small, it manages to create sounds as varied and beautiful as those produced by a variety of musical instruments. The question is: How can singers produce all those remarkable sounds?

All instruments, including our singing voices, have a sound source, a resonator that reinforces (amplifies) the basic sound and a radiator that transmits the sound to listeners. In people, the source is vibrating vocal folds (vocal cords) of the larynx or voice box; the resonator is the sound-boosting airway above the larynx; and the radiator is the opening of the mouth.

The human voice can create an impressive array of sounds because it relies on non-linear feedback by which a small input can result in a disproportionately large output. One of the voice’s more effective nonlinear mechanisms is inertive reactance, whereby singers create special conditions in their vocal tract to amplify sounds generated by the vocal folds.

Tags: human voice