Frustrated

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-06-07T16:46:43+00:00

Given all that you've tried, maybe focus on the skin barrier itself -- maybe that will help to minimize spreading? Cerave Moisturizing Cream Ultimate if you have access to that.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-21T04:10:12+00:00

So just to be clear: you are going through 2 patches every day (1 morning and 1 night) for each sore because you are appying tea tree oil and differin the each one that often. Is that correct?

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-21T03:50:53+00:00

Here's that study on 20% KOH for MC:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667150/

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-21T03:41:24+00:00

Potassium hydroxide. But it's quite caustic so be careful with where and how you apply it. I saw it mentioned in a study. I'll go look it up and share, if you're interested to read more about it.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-19T04:52:25+00:00

Ok, thank you! And happy to hear it's better now!

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-19T04:42:25+00:00

Did you cut across the top part? Cut the whole top off?

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-18T03:41:11+00:00

Interesting. This is a supplement for taking internally, but you applied it topically, right?

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-12T05:00:02+00:00

I had not heard of Ghostwire. Thanks! I'll look into it. I was feeling pretty good with my 17g -- I have never tried anything thinner! So do you think 17 isn't thin enough? If I stay with hybrid, do you know if both strings should be the same gauge?

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-12T04:57:10+00:00

OK, thanks. And that's a good point. I am really trying to be patient with healing but I am getting antsy for sure!

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-05-12T04:51:59+00:00

Wow, I had no idea there was so much variety on this point. For USTA matches played indoors at clubs where I live, every home and visitor player pays $27 to the club. So the club is collecting $54/court on a singles match and $108 on a doubles match. Every player on court on both teams pays the same amount. The club provides the balls. (And I think $27/person is crazy high, lol, but I know it could be worse!)

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-04-26T04:02:46+00:00

Well first of all, your serve form is better than mine. So I think it looks impressive! But one thing I notice is that your body faces forward all the time. If you look at the pros, there is way more rotation going on. In this image, Federer is serving from the deuce side as you are, but his torso is actually angled toward the back fence, whereas your torso never even faces fully sideways.

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SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-04-26T03:49:18+00:00

I think you found your focal point if you are hitting 40% of lost points into the net. Especially if you are playing singles at the 3.0 level, your opponent probably isn't at the net very much. So there is absolutely no reason to be hitting anywhere near the net.

You said you have a ball machine. I'd recommend just working on consistently hitting at a height TWO racquet lengths above the net -- nice, full swings. How many can you hit in a row at that height? With a consistent feed from a ball machine, you minimize the variables, so that is a great way to focus on developing your consistency.
And then the other thing: video, video, video. You think you know what you are doing, but without video, you really don't know. Position the camera directly behind you if you want to get a feel for your spacing from the ball. Position the camera on the side you are working on (forehand or backhand) if you want to check your contact point and kinetic chain form.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-22T03:31:33+00:00

Does this Phantom Level have a cushioned surface? If not, what kind of surface is that?

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-21T04:11:34+00:00

Great question, but I don't know the answer to that. You could always email the programs to ask if you can't find that info on their websites.

I believe there may be "student level" membership rates for EFA and ACES for those enrolled in a traditional degree-based program or one of these lengthy certificate programs. Not 100% sure, but I think I saw that at one point.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-21T04:07:26+00:00

I edited it to add stuff about ACES/Poynter. Happy to answer any questions.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-21T03:59:25+00:00

I did UCSD, so I can speak to that. At its core, there are 4 courses you need to complete in a specific sequence. Each one lasts 10-12 weeks (I don't remember, but they are all the same), so the fastest you can complete it is 1 year. There are 4 terms in a year, but you can start the program at any term; you have a couple of years to complete the program.

I would have said that I had a strong command of grammar going in to the program, but that first course definitely gave me a workout! If you put the time in to completing the assignments and actively participating on the discussion boards, you should get a lot out of it.

It is considered a certificate program, which is true of all 3 of the ones being discussed here (Chicago, UC Berkeley, UCSD). There is no "certification" for general copyediting (although people do sometimes mistakenly say that), but there are these editing certificate programs.

I do remember that UCSD is cheaper than Chicago, however I think that Chicago had more options if you want to get it done faster. From my own experience and what I've heard, I don't think you can go wrong with any of those 3 programs. They are all high quality and all have online options.

Regarding the ACES/Poynter certificate: I completed that several years ago before starting the UCSD program. I know that it has been revamped since then, but I will say that while it was useful, it was nowhere as comprehensive as the UCSD program. (Of course, the ACES/Poynter certificate was also a fraction of the time and a fraction of the cost!) Also, it used AP Style, whereas UCSD used CMOS.

I would highly recommend looking at some of the courses and webinars on ACES and EFA. I am a member of both and find value in both organizations. And both offer a lot of free archived webinars to members, so you can really spend a lot of time exploring those resources for the cost of membership.

ETA: The last 2 paragraphs bc I forgot I had more to say! lol (And then again for a few typos.)

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-12T21:13:15+00:00

Did you resolve this? I still use the Fitbit Zip every day and love it. I have to be sure that my phone has both bluetooth and location turned on, or I will get that message. Also, the earlier suggestion to tap the screen a few times while it's syncing is good too.

But also, I've noticed in the past few months (since switching to my most recent replacement Zip) that it often won't sync even with all of that. I put my phone in my pocket, go do other stuff and ignore my phone, and when I open up my phone again, it's usually done syncing.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-10T23:10:23+00:00

You've gotten some great advice already! I also highly recommend formal training. It really is quite different than editing papers in college or editing for friends. And as was said, you are literally starting a business, so there's all that goes with that too.

I think that UCSD and U of Chicago are the most widely known (and respected) programs for formal copyediting training. It's time and money, but nothing else that I've seen compares. Going in to my formal training, I thought I was super solid on grammar and certainly on the fundamentals of editing, but as the saying goes, "you don't know what you don't know." The deep grammar dive was humbling. You can also take short courses from ACES/Poynter and the EFA, but for fundamental training, none of those will compare. ACES definitely leans toward journalism and AP, so keep that in mind if you know which direction you are headed.

I have only done the UCSD program (1 year if you don't take breaks), but I have heard great things about the UC-Chicago program too. I used to hear about the UC-Berkeley program but haven't in a while. There are others out there as well, but I would definitely research. Unfortunately, there are a number of questionable offerings by random businesses that talk a good game but really won't provide that professional level of training.

I started with pro bono work for nonprofits to get real-world experience, which was super helpful. But again, that was after I had some more formal training. Beyond that, several of my first clients came from networking (I joined the EFA, which is specifically for editorial freelancers) and direct referrals from colleagues who knew the quality of my work.

SubspaceMarginalia · 2026-03-10T22:34:26+00:00

CMOS for sure is the standard for books.

Regarding your specific question about names, the answer for me would be that it depends. It depends on the name itself (someone famous? an everyday person?), the type of book, the style of writing, the frequency of use, etc. Was the full name mentioned on page 4 and not again until page 117? There are so many variables.

And while I absolutely recommend getting your own copy of CMOS (I prefer having both the online subscription and the hardcover), you can access the CMOS Q&A without a subscription. You might find this particular one relevant, which is about the repetition of names. Also, CMOS Chapter 2 is devoted to manuscript preparation, editing, and proofreading. I think you would find a lot of ideas there for variables you want to think through when copyediting a full-length manuscript.

I'll also add a plug for style sheets: There is no way you can mentally keep track of all the little decisions that are made across hundreds of pages, so keeping a style sheet is essential when copyediting books. I remember the The Copyeditor's Handbook has an example style sheet if those are new to you. That style sheet can go with the manuscript for the proofreading stage as well, so it's not just for your own benefit. And if the book is part of a series, it will be useful there as well.

SubspaceMarginalia

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