Tip of the Week #207: Cheaper Stamps

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If you still use postage stamps, or if your business does, this could be a very useful tip.

You may know that postage stamps are going up to 58 cents at the end of this month.  

Currently, you can buy the “forever” stamps for 55 cents.  You can buy them on the U.S. Postal Service site: https://store.usps.com/store/product/buy-stamps/mid-atlantic-lighthouses-S_481004

Even better, you can still buy “forever” stamps on Amazon for 49 cents!  I found out about this today when a roll of 100 stamps showed up on my desk.  

My very frugal wife ordered a roll of “forever” stamps for the old price of 49 cents.  Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/3kfITt3

Since I use about 4 stamps a year, and since I now have one hundred “forever” stamps, I may actually be set forever.  These stamps will probably outlast me. 

(I had to retract this tip the moment it went out.  Turns out I was looking at postcard stamps.)

So, a few minutes later, I sent a new tip:

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Well… this is embarrassing.

Turns out, the tip about stamps doesn’t work.  Don’t order them.  Those are postcard stamps… which makes the tip a bad deal.

So, here’s another tip.  Totally unrelated.

If you are a writer, and you actually want people to read what you write, avoid big words.

Sometimes writers are tempted to use big words instead of simple words.  Big words sound more impressive.

But, this is actually a mistake.  Big, technical, impressive ten-dollar words will end up frustrating your readers.

In the simplest terms, the English language is half German, half Latin.  Doesn’t quite work out that way… but, as I said, I’m simplifying.

Most of our day to day common words are of Germanic origin.  They are Anglo-Saxon.

Most of our multi-syllable (big) words are from Latin.

For example, we can say house-cat.  Or, we can say domesticated cat.

House cat is from Anglo-Saxon.  Domesticated is from Latin.

Hemingway felt the same.  He once chided Faulkner for using big (Latin derived words):

“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the $10 words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”

Do your readers a favor.  Use the Anglo-Saxon words.

 

Classes are back!  Here’s the schedule:

During the month of August, we will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.  

After Labor Day (Monday, September 6) classes will meet every weekday morning, Monday through Friday.  

Also, during the month of August, I will be hosting some Q&A/Orientation classes on my site.  If you are not sure how to use my site, or if you have questions about languages, Visual Latin, or Word Up, feel free to join.  

Here is the link to the next one: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/7504401472409055246

If you don’t want to come on Thursday night, you can just watch the recording here: https://dwanethomas.com/q-2/

French

This week, we will wrap up chapter 1 of Le Francais par la Methode Nature.  Last year, I took students through the first 20 chapters, or so.  This time, we will try to make it to the end.  There are 50 chapters.  It will take a few years.  I do not intend to start over next summer.   

French meets from 7:30 – 7:55 am Central Time Zone.  During the month of August, we will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.  After Labor Day (Monday, September 6) classes will meet every weekday morning, Monday through Friday.  

 

Spanish

In Spanish, we are currently in chapter 18 of the book All Spanish Method by Guillermo Aviles.  If you are starting out this year, and you want to tag along, the previous chapters are all up on my site.  Subscribers have access to them 24/7. 

Keep in mind… I am still learning Spanish.  So, I am “teaching” this class.  Really, I am learning in front of my students.  

Spanish meets from 7:00 – 7:25 am Central Time Zone.  During the month of August, we will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.  After Labor Day (Monday, September 6) classes will meet every weekday morning, Monday through Friday.  

 

Latin

I am teaching three Latin classes, as it turns out.  

Latin 3: Third Year Latin by Robert Henle meets from 6:30 – 6:55 am Central Time Zone.  We have six chapters left in this book.  We start chapter 16 next week.  

Skip this class if you can.  Instead, read Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg.  But, if you must read the Henle book, I will do my best to help you.  

Latin 2: From 8:00-8:25 am Central Time Zone, we continue to work our way through Exercitia Latina.  We are currently in chapter 20.  This class is really for those who want to go even deeper into Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg.

Latin 1: Finally, we started Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg over again.  Enough people asked.  We are currently in chapter one.  We meet from 8:30-8:55 am Central Time Zone.  

Though I can’t believe it, every year some people come to every class I teach.  I guess they just like my voice.  

So, if you decide to come to them all, here are the same classes from above in chronological order:

 

And now… the same thing I say every week.

Subscribers sometimes use my weekly emails as reminders to unsubscribe from my site.

Just keep in mind… I offer something no one else in academia (as far as I know) offers.  Stick with me for 3 uninterrupted years and you will have a lifetime subscription.

I now know this is a dumb business decision on my part, but I have heard from many of you that it is a huge help, so the offer stands.

Of course, if you are just starting out in Latin, you may be happier with Visual Latin.    

Visual Latin is a full-blown Latin course.  It is rigorous, just not as rigorous as the classes on my site.  The classes on my site are more “next level” classes, really.  

By the way, if you are into etymology (the history of words), and if you would like to see me make a fool of myself, you might enjoy Word Up.  

Five years ago, or so, we launched this series just to see if it would work.  It did.  

And, after years of listening to many of you beg for more, I finally gave in and agreed to make a fool of myself once again.  

So now, Volumes 2 and 3 of Word Up are available.  

And… if you aren’t a member of my site and would like to join, click here: https://dwanethomas.com/join/.

I hope you had a very happy Saturday!
Dwane


P.S.
If someone forwarded you this email and you would like to hear from me every week, just go to this page: https://dwanethomas.com/
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