by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

The English language is a diverse one with so many words to choose from. So, why of all these words do I choose a word such as f**k as my favorite word? I'm a writer. Shouldn't I know more words or choose something more creative?

You tell me what word is more creative than f**k. I dare you. What other word can you stick anywhere and have it fit in perfectly? It colors any sentence, adds more meaning wherever it is placed, and honestly, it's simply fun to use.

Pick any other word and try to fill it in where I've filled in f**k (or f**king) in the following sentences and I can guarantee you it will sound extremely awkward, unlike my f**k word, which sounds perfectly normal anywhere.

I f**ing love posting my f**king writing on this f**king site. It's the most f**ing awesome f**ing thing since f**ing sliced bread.

Now try to place any other so-called creative word there in place of f**ing and see just how colorful it becomes. Not so colorful anymore,is it?

Yes, I am a writer who creatively chooses f**k as my favorite word and is darn proud of it.

Besides, as Harry Widdifield says, cursing is one of our given rights. It's just language, which we have the right to use.

I dare you to show me a more creative and colorful word in the English language.

But that's not ladylike! Hmmm...

Do you share my favorite word? Do you think my creative word is not so creative? Tell us in the comment section.

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

If you've ever forgotten your Windows 8 password, you'll know that the only way suggested to recover it is through a second administrator account or a password recovery disk. If your computer is connected to the internet, all you need to do is reset your Windows Live password via another device. But what if you aren’t connected to the internet when the password is lost, don’t have a recovery disk, and don’t have a second admin account on your Windows 8 device? Well generally, you might just be f*cked… until now.

Think I’m about to suggest reinstalling Windows 8 completely? Heck no! You’d lose all of your important files. Plus, I’m a nerdy geek and I like my stuff to stay how I want it. So you know I found another way to reset the password on my Windows 8 laptop when I needed to. What happened is my laptop was out of commission, due to a hardware issue. I had taken it in for repairs after it sat unused a few months (yeah I have more than one laptop so I was okay without it) and forgotten the password.

At first I went into panic mode when I got it back and couldn’t get in. But then I said to myself, “You’ve got this. You know you do” and of course I was right. So what did I do? Well, I thought about it myself for a second after the usual help suggestions were a no-go. Aren’t they always useless?

Here’s what I did to reset my Windows 8 password on a laptop without a password recovery disk or second admin account. I first went to my Microsoft Live account and reset that password from another computer. But without being connected to the internet, what good would that do? It wasn’t going to detect the changed password.

Ah, but see I am creative. Don’t forget that when I have my bad moments, okay? Smart people have smart phones, right? Well, sometimes. In my case, that happens to be true. My Smartphone is always connected to the internet either via its internal connection or the home Wi-Fi connection. This time it was connected to the home W-Fi. So how does that help me? There’s this little thing I pay extra for called USB tethering. You plug your phone into the computer via USB and enable tethering and voila, you’re online on the computer, too.

From there, it was cake. Once online, I could then log in using the new Windows Live password I had just reset. There were no lost files, no having to reinstall Windows 8, no calling expensive repair people. Yup. I got into my locked Windows 8 laptop after forgetting the password and all it took was some quick guesswork that is probably common sense to some, but may be helpful to those who may not have thought of using these steps.

Here’s hoping my nerdiness helps someone else who had the same issue I did – and for goodness sakes, make two admin accounts on your computer if you don’t have a Smartphone with tethering enabled. You’re welcome.

**Photo Credit/Copyright: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

One of the questions I get asked most commonly as an experienced freelance writer is “Which photos can I use in my articles?” There’s much more to it than just doing a search. In fact, doing a search without knowing what to check for could land you in some very hot water if you use the wrong image. I generally recommend using your own images to avoid common issues. However, not everyone is a photographer, so that isn't always possible.

Where should I look?
First, check with the client or site you are submitting to. Some prefer specific sources. Once you know the rules as far as this goes, you can go from there. You can look pretty much anywhere, but the photos need to be licensed for what you intend on using them for and be within the guidelines of where you will be posting them. Many sources offer free stock photos with various licensing rights attached. Some of my favorite sources besides my own images include Flickr and Wikimedia Commons.

How do I know which licensing types to use?
This will depend on your usage of the image, as much as the site as it's going on. If you are using the image for commercial purposes (meaning you will earn in any way from anything the image is used for), you must look for either public domain images or images that can be licensed for commercial use. All images available for use should clearly indicate the licensing type and terms.

What about Google Images and Yahoo! Images?
It may seem that because these two search engines are specifically for finding images that the images found there would be safe to use. But before you use one, stop!! Retrace the image tracks. What do I mean? Check the licensing rights with the source link (hint: Yahoo! and Google Images are not image sources).

I read all this and still have no clue what to do
When in doubt, don't use the image. Ever. If you can't understand whether you can use an image or not, then you should only use your own images. Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense and you'll be better safe than sorry using only images you yourself have created or none at all.

Questions? Experiences to share?

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi
(Photo is free to use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes with credit to Lyn Lomasi as the photographer and a link back to this page as the source)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Every day as I am browsing Facebook, I see at least one photo posted where it is the intent for people to comment and bash the person who is the subject. I see this most common with either very slender women or very large women. Why? Facebook photo bashing needs to stop. Now.

For those of you doing said bashing, who made you the authority on how someone else should look? Perhaps they have a health issue causing them to gain or lose weight. Perhaps there is nothing wrong at all and you're just rude and judgmental. Maybe it is something else altogether.

People come in all shapes and sizes and all of them are awesome. Being different is what makes us each unique. And we are all beautiful for our own reasons.

“But look how tight her clothes are for her size.” “She looks like a skeleton.”

Again, do you know how she got there? Furthermore, even if you do, it's her body not yours. Only she can decide what to do with it. “But I have to look at it.” Umm, no you don't. If you really don't like it that much, then look away. But don't make her problem – if she even has one – worse by posting her photo online and ridiculing her.

Ever looked at the figures on cyberbullicide – suicide as a reaction to being bullied online? Could you really live with yourself if that happened to someone because you wanted to have some “fun” commenting on a photo online? Really? If care for your fellow man/woman doesn't stop you from leaving those nasty comments, perhaps the knowledge that cyberbullying is a crime will. That's right folks, it can land you in jail or worse, depending on the effects of the bullying on the victim. Look that up too while you're at it.

I propose a challenge to anyone considering leaving a not-so-flattering comment on one of these photos. Find something nice to say instead. I guarantee you that will feel a whole lot better than the alternative.

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this elsewhere (no longer published there)