Copywriter, technical writer, translator (FR>EN, ES>EN, IT>EN), journalist

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Getting the edge in document assembly

Senior partners don’t simply hand the firm’s reins to associates when they retire. Passing their knowledge, insights and expertise to the next generation of leaders is a process best systematically practised over years. This is the second of a two- part series on document assembly systems. The

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The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T TSI

Over the last ten years, automakers have disposed not just of models but entire nameplates (thank you, Great Recession). That’s why it was a pleasure to drive a model that carries the same name as a car I owned more than two decades ago: the 2016 Jetta 1.4 TSI Trendline+.

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Why writers should use mind maps

I don’t experience writer’s block. That isn’t a boast. I’ve developed tactics that enable me to write a decent first draft without much difficulty. The main tactic: I use a mind map.

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Fuel economy as a game: the 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi

Ask any teacher how best to help people learn, and they’ll often recommend you turn learning into a game. Makers of hybrid vehicles have taken note. All things being equal, hybrid vehicles reduce fuel consumption over equivalent internal combustion engine- (ICE-) only vehicles. Drivers who want to achieve even better

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My relationship with Getting Things Done

The David Allen Company is taking its Getting Things Done show to Toronto (my hometown) in a few weeks. That, plus a recent reminder about the system, got me thinking more deeply about how I use it in my own life. Warning: this post ended up being

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Making document assembly more efficient

Asim Iqbal has suffered the document assembly itch. “I sat there as a junior, assigned to do a book of authorities. I had all my cases printed. I was drawing lines by hand. And I was thinking: ‘This is ridiculous.’ I’m taking stuff from an online source,

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Hitting the hockey highway in the 2016 Ford Flex AWD

Bad weather seemed to be the watchword for my week with the 2016 Ford Flex AWD Limited. Just look at it the day after I picked it up for this review. Fortunately, weather didn’t put a damper on anybody’s spirits. The Flex was going to prove an able teammate

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What a phone scam sounds like

Hearing messages like the one in this post annoys me. Before I go into my bullet-pointed rant, click the link below to listen to a 40-second recording I made of a voice mail message early this spring (my apologies for the rough audio quality, but it is all understandable):

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2016 Mitsubishi Outlander ES 4WD

In the automotive market, crossovers may be the hottest, most competitive segment. So it’s no surprise Mitsubishi brought a number of refinements to its 2016 Outlander.

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Nostalgia for outdated technology

A recent road test in a BMW reacquainted me with the task of drawing letters on a touchpad. BMW’s version of the in-car screen system consists of a controller that you twist like a knob, shove in several directions like a joystick and press like a button. This

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