A Reminder

Although this site is titled Copy Massage, and although I am not straight, this is most definitely not a place to find information about gay massages. I'm sure other sites can help. Thank you.

Random Tip

For those of you who edit with pagination systems that display text in white-on-blue (or some other non-paper like fashion), try copying and pasting your headlines and other display type to a simple text document. Make sure the font on that text document is something easy to read, such as Times.

Read your work through. I'll bet you see something you didn't notice on the blue screen.

Changing such minor points as background color and font style can bring issues into focus. I'm not sure why it works, but it has helped me recently. When I'm working on a larger project, simply viewing all of that display type in a different context can help.

Just a thought.

Where Will You Be March 18-20?

I know where I'll be.

Yep, the most happening place in the continental United States should be in Houston. There, members of the American Copy Editors Society will hold their yearly conference.

I've made my reservations. If any of ya'll are going, let me know.

Regimen Change

Regime -- We use this word today about a government. The neo-conservatives speak of "regime change."

Regimen -- If you're on a regimen, you're on a set schedule, say of exercise or diet.

Now the problem: The words have a common ancestry. They once were nearly the same. Take a look at Merriam-Webster:

Regime -- 1 a : REGIMEN 1 b : a regular pattern of occurrence or action (as of seasonal rainfall) c : the characteristic behavior or orderly procedure of a natural phenomenon or process
2 a : mode of rule or management b : a form of government (a socialist regime) c : a government in power (predicted that the new regime would fall) d : a period of rule

and then Regimen -- 1 a : a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient b : a regular course of action and especially of strenuous training (the daily regimen of a top ballet dancer)
2 : GOVERNMENT, RULE
3 : REGIME 1c

As you can see, the words started out meaning much the same thing. Regime then seems to have diverged, with its latest meanings almost exclusively related to its social studies aspect. Regimen has been consistent for a while, but has been used sparingly to mean regime.

Confused yet? I sure am.

The point is, if you want to be clear to most people, write about Saddam Hussein's regime, not his regimen. That is, unless you're dealing with his aerobics routine.

My Main Newsroom Issue

These days, it's my abandonment of caffeine.

I drink one caffeinated soda a day. That's it. In the newspaper business, that's asking for trouble. I'm pushing forward, however, happy not to be spending the money on fizzy drinks and feeling relatively jitter-free.

Yes, the world can be a harsh, cruel place.

Redundancy Patrol

I’ve railed against “future plans” already. I heard a horrid one on TV the other day: “past history.”

Again, I am forced to ask, “Is there any other kind of history?”

If the reporter was a fan of science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, perhaps she was thinking of his “Future History” series. I doubt that’s the case, however.

Such slips can be excused in speech. We tend restate our main points until our listeners agree or hit us with a blunt object.

Let’s keep them out of writing.

Stretching for a Story

And a headline. From CNN's site:

The Jackson stunt: What now?