My Answer to Yesterday’s Quick Quiz

To make sense of this post, you need to first read the previous one, which asks you to identify an outrageous grammatical error by a TV news reporter.

Answer: The error lies in reporter Paris Schutz using the subject pronoun “he” instead of the object pronoun “him” when he utters the following words: “Yusef Salazar says today is like a coming out of the shadows for he and other undocumenteds, whose future looks….”

© Copyright 2012 V. J. Singal

 

Quick Quiz: Can You Identify the Egregious Grammatical Error in the Video Clip?

In the video clip below, there is an egregious and unforgivable grammatical error uttered by reporter Paris Schutz, who is in background. Can you identify it?

Tune in to this blog tomorrow for the answer.

© Copyright 2012 V. J. Singal

One More Time, How Do You Pronounce the First Name of Ayn Rand?

Ever since Mitt Romney named Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, Ayn Rand’s name has once again been in the ascendant, thanks to Ryan’s idolatry of the late Russian-born American writer and philosopher whose novels are polemics in favor of “rational self-interest,” individualism, and unfettered laissez-faire capitalism, among other things.

Well, attendant with the frequent mention of Ayn Rand’s name in the media is the almost equally frequent mispronunciation of her first name. For instance, just the other day (August 13), Craig Gilbert, who should know better since he is the Washington Bureau chief of a prominent Milwaukee paper, pronounced it as “Ann.” So, what is the correct pronunciation? It is exactly the way it is spelled, thus rhyming with such words as "line," "fine," "mine"….

© Copyright 2012 V. J. Singal

The Perfect Handshake: Yes, It’s “Three Pumps” Regardless of Participants’ Gender

During my seminars on “Some Simple Skills for Creating a Highly Favorable First Impression,” I invariably demonstrate the “perfect handshake,” a key component of which is doing three pumps. And that almost always provokes the following question from someone in the audience: “Should there be three pumps even when it’s a guy shaking hands with a woman?” My unequivocal “yes” surprises some, perhaps because they think that three pumps might come across as much too macho. Sometimes I respond to that bit of incredulity by telling them of a video clip showing President Obama entering a small conference room packed with women, and that as he went around the table greeting each person, yes, he did the three pumps almost unfailingly.

Click on the video clip below, and you’ll see NBC’s Brian Williams doing a three-pump handshake with Ann Romney at the conclusion of his interview with her yesterday. Yes, the pumps look to be a bit tepid, but that’s probably because a vigorous handshake can be quite awkward when both participants are seated.

© Copyright 2012 V. J. Singal