TOP DRAWER INK NEWSLETTER

 

Here's the latest issue of Top Drawer Ink, the newsletter written by author HL Carpenter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.

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March 4, 2006
Volume 4, Number 5
ISSN 1554-6330

In this issue:

1. Carpenter Country
2. Top Drawer Article
3. Top Drawer Tips
4. Top Drawer Book Review
5. Top Drawer Satire

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CARPENTER COUNTRY
What's Happening in Our Neck of the Human Experience

 

Here in Carpenter Country we love words. To us, a day spent putting the right words together is a good day. Songwriters must feel the same way when they pen new lyrics.

Words have power. They can make us happy or sad, convey a promise, a command, a signal or a rumor.

There are good words like “I love you.”

Bad words like “You’re fired!” If you watch The Apprentice, you’ll notice that final line often leaves people wordless.

But “you’re fired” isn’t the only conversation stopper. Other combinations of words such as, “your Uncle Joe is a slob”, “you look terrible”, “what’s wrong with you”, “I don’t know” and “I don’t care” will do the job too.

The right words can teach. They offer suggestions, feedback, accolades. The wrong words are usually spoken loudly, with sarcasm, a frown or a phony smile. On occasion they’ve brought down kings, queens, even presidents.

Some of us are wordy and can go on forever. Wordy people are the ones those of few words like to hang out with.

Words can be spoken in different tones. They can be softly tranquil, loudly piping, stressfully sharp. They can also be worrisome, ineffectual or pompous. People use words in many ways. To argue, promise, comment and chat.

But the best words of all are kind words.

They are the keys to happiness.

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TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Tax Scams
by
HL Carpenter

 

The IRS is once again warning taxpayers to be wary of scams and schemes promising to save you tax dollars – usually for a hefty fee. While there are legitimate ways to trim your tax bill, nothing on this list qualifies.

Read the entire article here

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TOP DRAWER TIPS
Topics and Tidbits

 

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TOP DRAWER BOOK REVIEW

by
HL Carpenter

 

It’s Not What You Say, It’s What You Do
by Laurence Haughton
ISBN 0-385-51041-1
244 pages; hardcover; $24.95
Doubleday, New York, 2004

Child psychologists have been communicating the message to parents for years: Children copy your actions, not your exhortations.

Now the old adage has been applied to the business world.

Read the entire review here

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TOP DRAWER SATIRE

Up On the Down Side
by
HL Carpenter

 

Wars. Pandemics. The price of stamps.

There are many reasons to become a pessimist in the 21st century. So many, in fact, that pessimism is a growth market, with sales expected to reach $600 billion in 2006. Riding high on this positive trend, the industry is expanding an already depressing array of products.

Read the rest here