A-Z for Members Challenges

The title of course comes from my favourite song from Sesame Street – it is the only word which has every letter from the English alphabet, only once, and in the correct order...

I was brought up with various poetic verses to help one remember the alphabet – including “A was an Archer and shot at a frog” - “Nursery Novelties” - “The History of an Apple Pie Written by Z” - “Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation” (which includes not only the famous “Peter Piper picked a peck of pepper,” but also tongue twisters based on every letter of the alphabet except X, Y & Z who share the last verse) – and when my children were young I discovered “Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos” – all of the above verses are reproduced in “A Nursery Companion” (with 22 other lovely illustrated poetic tales for the young) provided by Iona and Peter Opie and published by Oxford University Press in 1980.

Other verses (which I can hardly remember) included one with a verse for each Letter, the most memorable of which went “I was once a bottle of ink; inky…” which always had us rolling on the floor laughing. I think the first verse of this particular one was “A was once an apple pie…” but the bottle of ink was the funniest and has remained when everything else has drifted into obscurity.

Of course, with this background, and my overactive sense of syntax, I was bound to eventually choose this topic for discussion.

Having just read an "About Me" review which was under this topic but didn't refer to the alphabet at all was such a disappointment to me that I couldn't resist putting fingers to computer keypad and dashing off my own version of The (Ciao!) Alphabet ~ according to jesi . I have brought this forward again in response to the many A-Z for Members Challenges Reviews currently being posted.

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A ~~ is for approachable.

I do hope that you will always find me willing and able to listen to you. I am as often in my private guest book as my public one, so you can feel confident writing me private notes without arrows - they will be visible to me (and Ciao!) – and I might even see them before I see your arrows anyway. I tend to remove arrows and some messages anyway. If your message has been removed, it may well have been copied into the private book.

B ~~ is for balanced.

I try to ensure my reviews give a balanced picture. No matter how much you dislike a product, remember - SOMEONE might be looking for JUST the thing you hate the most about it. Try to keep things in perspective and non-accusative. You do not want to put a company on the defensive. You want improvement; and if need be, redress. So make sure you are courteous in your complaints and not vindictive. Talk as if you are expecting a positive reaction. Sometimes this is not easy, but remember that few people want to listen to a "harpy" or a whiner. And when you have a positive response, update your review promptly.

C ~~ is for communication.

I will always try to communicate to you any reasons why I am having difficulty in understanding your reviews, or have difficulties with your point of view. If I seem to be pedantic, I do not mean to offend, I am simply trying to clarify issues you have raised (however unintentionally) in my mind. I do try to keep the channels of communication open and am always happy to listen to you (as long as you do not try to patronise me). Do Not Assume I Understand When You Think You Have Explained, because.... (see "D ~~ is for...” below)

D ~~ is for dyslexic and dyspraxic.

I will not go into all the details here, as I have written a review on Members' Advice on Dyslexia. You may well find, though, that when I find your reviews either less than Very Helpful or even less than Helpful, that the addition of spaces between paragraphs, a good proof-read, and spell-check will improve MY comprehension, and correspondingly, YOUR rating. To a certain extent, Headings and formatting also help me find my way through your review . . . and I LOVE your pictures . . . they often explain more than your words ever can.

E ~~ is for erudite and eclectic.

If you read my "about me" you will see "eclectic" describes my reading tastes. I have always loved reading - and used to read everything I could get my hands on (preferably a second-hand or slightly tinted page or navy text) - thus deriving my ideas and style from various sources, letting the information sink into my brain for filing. Thus I also became erudite (learned). Even I am amazed sometimes at the information I know - without consciously looking for it.

F ~~ is for friendly.

I will always try to welcome anyone I haven't met before here on Ciao! I also will take you at your own face value, while noticing how other people react to you and assessing what you write myself. I will try to encourage you whenever I can, and to see your potential. If I can, and if you let me, I will try my best to help you reach your potential as well. Feel free to ask 'stupid' questions in my private guestbooks, and if I can help, I will. After all, we all started somewhere, and everytime new things are introduced, my insatiable curiosity makes me investigate further.

G ~~ is for gregarious and gentle.

I love the feeling of community we have here on Ciao! I have had some real fun in Guestbook Parties - with everyone posting in the same book. The review for Docpov's birthday was another lovely idea - with everyone posting greetings in the comments - so that if he puts it in his "Favourites" he will have a forever record of our greetings to him. I try to be gentle with people (and, as a nurse, I am good at giving injections).

H ~~ is for honest and helpful.

I hope that I will always be helpful and honest in my ratings, comments and reviews. Unfortunately, when honesty and tactfulness conflict, honesty often wins. I do however try to phrase things as carefully as possible. Please don't be offended . . . leave me a note in my private guestbook, and I'll try to take your ideas on board.

I ~~ is for intelligent and intuitive.

Intelligence has very little to do with achievements or lack of such; nor for understanding. However, I function well when it comes to analyses and patterning. Sometimes what would otherwise be considered unrelated facts put themselves together in my mind. This is particularly true when you consider matching styles and attitudes. I often know when someone is being mocking - even if I do not understand if they are mocking me or someone else – it makes me uneasy. I think this is something I have in common with autistic persons and children – I pick up the emotion before I pick up the meaning.

J ~~ is for jester, just jes and judicious.

My father, being Kingsley was known as "King" – therefore, my older sister Nancy, who had charge of the babies, was the "Court nanny" and I was the "Court jester" and as such was expected to be funny. This was probably one reason why all the dyslexic indications (as described in my review on the subject) were treated as jokes. I am not one to like fuss and bother; my real name is Jessie, and to my friends, I'm just "jes" or jesi. I try to always be fair, sensible and prudent; sound in discernment and judgement (i.e. judicious) – hopefully my current studies in Law will assist me in my ultimate aim.

K ~~ is for kindhearted and kidney stones.

I have always been a compassionate and caring person. I made a good nurse and got on very well with patients. Unfortunately, I have been a patient myself quite a few times. Of course, having experienced extreme pain myself, I probably appreciate others' suffering more than some. I was hospitalised for kidney stones in 1984 and twice in 1987. I had a kidney stone shattered again at the end of 1998. And now, I often wonder if I am creating more. I should have seen my consultant in November 2004, but he was so inconsiderate as to die that September; I was finally seen this year (2010), and had my first CAT Scan (providing evidence that currently I appear to be 'stone-free'). I continue to drink my beverages diluted so as to not risk concentrated urine which might again produce the stones.

L ~~ is for lively and listener.

I have always had a lively sense of humour and a lively sense of the ridiculous. I sometimes have difficulties not laughing when I see ambiguity, particularly when it is unintentional. Similarly, when I see a word misused in place of the correct word, I have a lively imagination and visualise the offending word in action. I am a good listener – with the ability to store what you say somewhere safe. When you speak again, I remember what you have told me before, even if I have not consciously been remembering it. If you tell me it is confidential, I always protect what you have told me.

M ~~ is for 'Mozzy.

When my eldest daughter became pregnant for the first time, I was 44. As I was about to become a grandmother for the first time, I decided that I was going to CHOOSE the name I was going to be called by. My older sister being Nancy (or Nan, or Nanny) I was not prepared to be either Nan or Nanny - besides which "nanny" is a technical term in nursing. My mother-in-law was "Granny" - my own mother was "Grandmommy" with her mother, still alive being "Grandma." My husband's Grandmother had been "Moz" to his mother and "Nan-moz" to him. Thus I coined the name 'Mozzy - which being interpreted is short for Grand-'mozzy.

(I was also a "mosquito" at camp when I was about 13; the other groups being "wasps" and "spiders")

N ~~ is for namesake, nurse and nocturnal.

I was named after my great-grandmother and always had a very close relationship with my grandfather whose mother's name I bore. I missed him terribly when he died in December 1963. I qualified as a nurse at Kings College Hospital in 1976 and ended up as a permanent night staff nurse. Even now, I sometimes find myself doing the night-shift, reading/rating/commenting when I cannot sleep . . . or even listening to BBC Radio 4 LW Test Match Special team during commentary in Australia (the second Ashes Test Match starts at 11:30pm tomorrow night ~ 2nd December 2010!).

O ~~ is for obstinate, ordinary and opinionated.

Because I like to express my opinions honestly, I can be quite obstinate in my interpretation of things. I know we need opinionated people on this site. I can also be quite obstinate in standing up for the members of my CoT - both sides. I don't quit easily. I consider myself to be an ordinary “prospective buyer” as I often use our site to research items which interest me, and will rate reviews on usefulness in making an informed decision rather than on literary merit. I am looking for a well-researched review with clear information, personalized opinion and a bit of humour. I sometimes take literary merit into consideration in rating “exceptional” – but only when the other ingredients are there already. . . . and I am obstinate in refusing to rate an otherwise "Exceptional" review if it is lacking, or in the wrong place, or is full of spelling or grammatical errors. However, I will always come back to read (and possibly re-rate) if you come back to my private book and let me know when suggested changes have been made.

P ~~ is for persistent.

I am known for my inability to let go. Unfortunately, this trait is not always appreciated. If I believe your review can be improved, and you have not corrected the details I have suggested, I might annoy you with my persistence. I will not rate Very Helpful until it is. And some people have found out to their surprise that a few grammatical/semantic corrections have elevated a not yet Helpful review to Exceptional review in my consideration. Maybe P is for “picky” also… and “private” … If I think something belongs in my private guestbook, I will copy it and remove it from public view. . . . and I generally remove arrows from my public book as I don't need them, and think they look unnecessarily 'exclusive' to other guestbook visitors.

Q ~~ is for quixotic and quizzical.

I will ask you questions if I want to clarify things I don’t understand. These questions may often seem to people to be either off-topic or even eccentric – this is due to my brain going off on different tangents when your description sparks a particular train of thought in my convoluted brain. This is probably due to my lively imagination again…

R ~~ is for reserved and respectful.

I am a very reserved person and have a part of myself which is very private. Sometimes you may put a comment in my guestbook which I would like to keep but which I feel is too personal for public display. That comment will be copied into my private guestbook (including the date and time sent). I do not ignore what you send me, and will think about what you say. If appropriate, I will reply, sometimes in your private guestbook. As I am in and out of my own private book, I will not always notice that I haven’t put any arrows or pointers to “direct” you; if you often have private messages, I will probably not bother to point unless it is urgent. I usually keep a copy of what I say in your private book in case you miss it for a while. I respect you and your opinions, even when I disagree with you. Please let me know in my private guestbook if you think I have not been respectful to you or your opinion.

S ~~ is for safe.

What you share is safe with me. I can keep secrets and I don’t judge. If you feel that no one is listening and you need someone to just listen, you can dump it in my private guest book. I hope I won’t take offense – if you intend to offend me, I may just ignore what you have said. I’ll try to reply if I can; sometimes all I can do is pray for you. I must confess that I probably will anyway.

T ~~ is for trusting.

I tend to trust people. This is not quite the same as putting trust in them or adding them to my CoT (circle of trust – aka buddies). I will take you at your face value until you show me otherwise. Once you have broken trust with me, I will keep you at slightly longer arms length, and be more careful what I share with you or in your presence. This does not mean that I do not appreciate you or respect you. It just means that I do not feel confident with you knowing certain things about myself. This probably is due to my personal lack of self-esteem. It is ironic that I will do my best to build up your confidence in your abilities while being so insecure myself.

U ~~ is for ubiquitous and unsuspicious.

I like big words – this one just means “adj. 1) present everywhere or in several places simultaneously. 2) often encountered. [based on Latin ubique ‘everywhere’]” (The Oxford Compact English Dictionary © 1996) I am often encountered on the site – as I have several windows open at once and will follow-up several reviews at once if they are posted while I am online and signed onto MSN Messenger. Very rarely do I notice abuse, however. Possibly due to my unsuspicious nature. However, I can see potential consequences and will let you know if I think something said could be unwise, or potentially inflammatory.

V ~~ is for valentine and visionary.

I was born on Valentine’s Day, and I feel that it has moulded my character into a loving person who cares about others. I am a visionary because I want to help others to be the best they can be and will do all in my capabilities to do just that. Currently I have a vision to help the work of our church with homeless and asylum seekers.

W ~~ is for willing worker and welcome.

I am quite willing to assist if required – wherever or whenever. The fact that my physical incapacities may prevent me do not in themselves negate my willingness. Welcome is what I try to give newcomers to Ciao! (and those who are new to me). I also welcome advice on how to improve my reviews to make them more helpful to prospective buyers.

X ~~ is for xylophone, x-ray and xenophobia.

I have had many x-rays in my life – initially it was only at the dentist. Since I’ve been in England I have had my teeth x-rayed quite a few times, my arm when I broke it playing “hacker” (like hockey but with knobbly sticks) in 1974, a barium enema x-ray investigation in 1975, my ankle in Paris (1977) when I was hit from behind by a skateboard, my hip in Jan 1981 when I was kicked by a steel-toe-capped shoe, various times from 1984 onwards when investigating kidney stones and gall stones, and when I broke my wrist and had it put in plaster in 1996. My recent CAT Scan was a kind of 3D Xray. I used to play the xylophone at school, but now just play keyboard/piano. I have a Casio full-sized keys keyboard. I have been the victim of xenophobia when people have not liked my nationality, and I am very conscious of others bullying members who aren't of the same nationality.

Y ~~ is for youthful.

I have never looked my age – and I am not “fuddy-duddy” in my outlook. I put this down to several things. One is from having left time to live in eternity at the age of 11. I also have rarely used makeup nor smoked, and I love to drink water so my complexion has stayed fresher. When I was 21 I was mistaken for 13. I long ago decided that the perfect age was 23 and decided that that was where I would be forever. I was a full-time student until recently, so I still mix with students of all ages and enjoy life. I don’t let other people worry me and give all my grief back to God. I trust Him and His timing more than anything. Being content also keeps you young. I got a shock last August when my 'pension plan' matured, as I was not 60 until Valentine's Day (2011).

Z ~~ is for “zat’s all folks!”

(it could have been Zimmer-frame but I’m not ready for one yet) . . . and, of course, my Zest for Life!

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© jesi 2004, 2010, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ≈≈≈≈{; -)-{{:::{||||||<

Thanks for Reading!

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