Public Groupon Editorial Manual - Some of the Best Guidance on Writing Humourous Marketing Copy You'll Find on the Intarwebz (and Arguably, Anywhere Else)

https://docs.google.com/View?id=dmv9rbh_11gtqx983t

Groupon's writing style is very similar to Thinkgeek's - absurd, witty, and engaging without ever sacrificing clarity of information, and the hard-sell call to action.

I was going to write that it 'may not be appropriate for all markets and clients', and then I realisd that while it definitely may not be appropriate for all instances - what is? It's appropriate for many, many instances.

It's just that clients are often afraid.

And when clients are afraid, they fall back on corporatese.

That's one of the tragedies of copywriting. Corporatese. I can write it. I do write it. But it makes the craftsperson in me who wants to deliver a fine product sad every time.

Plinks - I Hear a Call

My poor, poor neighbours. I'm attempting to play assorted songs by ear. Poked around a few iPad piano apps, but the one with the most friendly keys and effects seems to be Pianist Pro.

PLINK! goes the nugget! PLINKETY PLINK PLINK!

...now if only I remembered how to read sheet music. Then I could subject them to my absolutely atrocious sight-reading. (It was atrocious even back when I could do it.)

And yes, I'm still not playing very fluently. XD 10 years out of practice, no score, and an unfamiliar touchscreen thingie. Must improvezorzorzor!

The Wonderful Things You Learn From Language Filters

So there I was, chatting with a friend in Jade Dynasty, an F2P MMO from Perfect World Entertainment.

Quoth a nugget:

I was looking lustfully at the shinies of shiny doom!

Or that's what I tried to say.

Quoth an in-game nugget:

I was looking lu****lly at the shinies of shiny doom!

Eek! Wut? LOL!

You see, gentle readers - and be warned, your delicate sensibilities may be offended! The word 'lustfully' (and of course, 'lustful' too) contains the acronym 'STFU'.

LuSTFUlly.

Is that not a wonderful thing? I would never have seen it by myself. XD

Note to self: Not reading sheet music for over a decade will ensure, when you wish to read sheet music, that you are no longer remotely capable of doing so.

...pity my neighbours, for my shiny new iPad has given me a virtual piano, with which I am attempting to transpose assorted songs by ear.

Mooahahaha.

Also, the main problem with all iPad piano apps is the placement of the hands. If you want to actually play, as opposed to hunt-and-peck typist style that seems to be on most of the demos, then it's really hard to hold the keys - the iPad is either too sensitive, or not sensitive enough, and you don't have the option of resting/trailing your fingers across the keys as you proceed to the next note. This makes the notes sound rather clipped, if the keys aren't side by side. Haven't figured out if there's a way to control that yet.

Perhaps a pressure sensitive piano app? Now that would rock.