Wickhead's Guide to Verbal Gusto Second Edition

Wickhead believes ... Give somebody a candid compliment and its memory can last for years; maybe a lifetime. But just because it comes from the heart doesn't preclude a little topspin. That's where this offbeat opus sallies forth. Why fore? Forsooth, it puts at your nimble fingertips synapse-stimulating words and concepts which aid your supple mind in tapping your soaring intellect to create the vibration refreshing ... my liege. All this results not only in you generating compliments with artistic flair, but also in you being catapulted to the status of writer extraordinaire at the apex of your game-and this is good. For example: you could tell your girlfriend she looks great. Or you could sprinkle in a little verbal spice and say... You're resplendent beyond regulations and as radiant as a Nassau sunrise. Plus, I might add, the crem de la crem, no whip! Or, perhaps, you're at the computer and an unwanted ad keeps popping up. You could ask your computer-whiz son for help for the umpteenth time, or you could stay loose, write tight, and inquire ... My good and skillful offspring, since you are renowned and revered throughout the hood as the Commodore of Communication, might you be able to jettison the ad into the ocean blue? And wouldn't ya know, there's no hot water in the house; time to call your handyman husband. But alas, you get his voicemail. The perfect time for ... Hark, yon husband, tis I, the Lady of the Manor, and forsooth, the royal water heater appears to no longer be all systems go. Perhaps, when the affairs of state permit, you could inspect the once bubbling cauldron and insight its triumphant return of warmth to the castle's frosty faucets. I bid you a fond, albeit a sans BTU adieu. There's a small sample demonstrating how easy it is to be a more creative writer when you've got the right resource ... and, this is the right resource. Because when you use verbal gusto you not only make a positive point, you become an edifying and entertaining exponent of the "art of the compliment." Adure my friends, and may the bon mot be with you, not to mention the auspicious aesthetic. Wickhead.

Jim Kelly is a member of the Mindstorms Developers Program and has access to the beta software and hardware. He maintains a blog dedicated to NXT. He was accepted as a member of the beta team for testing of the new Mindstorms NXT. He created the #1 Mindstorms NXT blog in January 2006, and it continues to draw an estimated 30,000+ readers monthly for news, updates, and information on NXT. Readers and fans of NXT know his name and that he is actively involved in promoting NXT as well as teaching kids and adults how to design, build, and program robots using the new kit.