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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear Editors,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Slate.com has an amusing take on the Olympics with its ‘Sap-o-meter’,
a widget that automatically tracks the usage of sappy words in TV coverage of
the Olympics and displays them a tag cloud; see <a
href="http://www.slate.com/id/2197239/"
title="blocked::http://www.slate.com/id/2197239/">http://www.slate.com/id/2197239/</a>
and daily updates at Slate.com. As they explain:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>“….we drew up a list of 33 syrupy words that NBC has
chronically overused: <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">adversity</font></i></em>,
<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">battled</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">cancer</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">challenges</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">courage</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">cry</font></i></em>, <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">death</font></i></em>,
<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">dedication</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">determination</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">dream</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">emotion</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">glory</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">golden</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">hardship</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">heart</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">hero</font></i></em>, <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">inspiration</font></i></em>,
<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">inspire</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">journey</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">magic</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">memory</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">miracle</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">mom</font></i></em>, <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">mother</font></i></em>,
<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">Olympic-sized</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">overcome</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">passion</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">proud</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">sacrifice</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">spirit</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">tears</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">tragedy</font></i></em>, <em><i><font
face="Times New Roman">triumph</font></i></em>….”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I thought we could use a similar Sap-o-meter for biomedical press
releases and other promotional materials. In an idle moment (ok, I was
procrastinating instead of editing a press release), I drafted a list of words
& phrases that I reach for when inspiration fails:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dreamed <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Unlocking<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Mystery<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Devastating<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Ravage<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Scourge<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Afflicted<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Urgent need<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Millions of Americans<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>New hope<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Advance<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>breakthrough<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Impressive<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Exciting<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Remarkable<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Extraordinary<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Ground-breaking<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Revolutionary<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Spectacular<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>State-of-the-art<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Renowned<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>World-class<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Cutting-edge<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Tour-de-force<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Unimaginable<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Impact<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Anyone want to nominate contenders for the sappiest press
release? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>-------------------------------------------------------</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Charles Jennings, Ph.D.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Director, Neurotechnology Program</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>McGovern Institute for Brain Research</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>MIT 46-3160</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Cambridge</span></font></st1:City><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, <st1:State
w:st="on">MA</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">02139</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(617) 324 3977</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a href="mailto:charlesj@mit.edu">charlesj@mit.edu</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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