The TecBlast Blog

There is a new trend in the world of online article writers to demand perfection of themselves in their work. In fact it has now gone beyond that as many are calling for perfection in the articles of other writers as well. On one online article submission website they want to demand perfect spelling in article titles.

The way I see it; if someone is miss spelling all the titles for search engine gaming then kick them out of the system. But making some rule for no reason is for weak-minded government regulators who have never done anything in their lives. If many writers find company with that sort of mindset, I feel it my duty to judge them by the company they keep.

Most writers have psychological problems and this is a known fact; they are the most apt to be on drugs, alcoholics, moody and anti-social. And if this is the case, why should we listen to them when they tell the rest of us how to live and wish to force rules on all of us?

No wonder the attacks on the Press Secretary, you cannot please a bunch of writers, they are a persnickety group of underachievers, who complain and piss and moan about everything and will not get off their butts to do anything about it. Sure the pen might be mightier than the sword and the word processor is therefore a machine gun of sorts. But writers need to rethink their positions and stop shooting themselves in the foot and at the mirror, because to me they look rather jaded in their reflections. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

A dumbbell is a piece of equipment which is usually used in pairs - one for each hand - for weight training purposes. And of course it can be used individually.

As has already been said dumbbells are commonly used in pairs by those bodybuilders, sports players, wrestlers, and casual people who want to increase strength and muscle size.

People who are a bit interested in dumbbells know that there are two types of them: adjustable and fixed-weight. The difference between them is quite clear from their names and doesn’t require any additional explanations. Unless… The cost of the latter is commonly lower.

Adjustable dumbbells are usually chrome plated and have cast iron construction. Adjustable weight parts are simple to slide and click. For many models weight can be changed to 5-10-15-20-25 Lbs. They don’t take much space; you can store it in your closet. Each dumbbell has sturdy tray for more convenient storage.

For people who constantly use dumbbells at their home gyms there are specially developed models that start with 50 Lbs and expand to 90 Lbs or even to 130 Lbs if necessary. If not take into account their cost such dumbbells are the most effective pieces of fitness equipment developed for strength/weight training.

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I recall attending a large seminar with approximately 200 people in the room. After the presentation, the speaker opened for questions. I was sitting right at the back and I have to say, had no idea what was going on for the next ten minutes. What did he do wrong?

Listen carefully to the question and repeat it aloud. I couldn’t hear the person with his question. The microphone was doing the rounds but the seats were so tightly packed, this didn’t find its way to the questioner. Make sure you, as the speaker, understood the question correctly and that your audience knows the question to which you are responding.

Answer directly. Look directly at the person asking the question. Give simple answers to simple questions. If the question demands a lengthy reply, agree to discuss it later with anyone interested. I think from my example, a conversation ensued between the speaker and the questioner. Virtually the entire audience took little interest. It was a shame because the actual speech was very good.

Refer to your speech. Whenever possible, tie your answer to a point in your speech. Look upon these questions as a way to reinforce and clarify your presentation.

Anticipate areas of questioning. Prepare factual support material in three or four areas in which you anticipate questions.

Be friendly, always keep your temper. A cool presentation creates an aura of confidence. When the questioner is hostile respond as if he or she were a friend. Any attempt to “put down” your questioner with sarcasm will immediately draw the audience’s sympathy to the questioner.

Always tell the truth - If you try to bend the truth, you almost always will be caught. Play it straight, even if your position is momentarily weakened.

Treat two questions from the same person as two separate questions

Don’t place your hands on your hips or point at the audience. These are scolding poses and give you the appearance of preaching.

Keep things moving. There is a rhythm to a good question-and-answer exchange. They volley back and forth in a brisk manner. Keep your answers brief and to the point with many members of the audience participating.

Conclude smartly. Be prepared with some appropriate closing remarks. End with a summary statement that wraps up the essential message you want them to remember.

Eliminate Conflicting Ideas - clarify the problem or conflict from their point of view. Don’t try to get them to full agree with your perspective. The goal is not to get them to see black (their side) or white (your side). Get them to at least grey (half way point). The best you can hope to expect is to get your audience to at least understand and acknowledge your point of view. At the same token you need to acknowledge and understand theirs first. As Steven Covey says in his work, “Seek first to understand before you can expect to be understood”

So there we have some brief tips on how to deal with a question and answer session following a presentation.

Paul is an international speaker, trainer, author and coach based in the UK. He specialises in rapport selling and rapport sales management and can ignite his audiences large or small. Rapport selling gets more results.
Get your Ebook Presentation Excellence at http://www.archertraining.co.uk and sign up to our regular EZine of sales and management tips.

How do you start writing a novel?

The first thing I do is decide the genre and the setting.

I suppose you saw some version of Back to the Future. Here the setting is changing not because of location, but because of time period. Flashing back or forward changes the appearance of the same location. The setting is new, isn’t it?

Genre is the type of novel you are writing. That could be a western, action, romance, detective, mystery, gothic, or what ever you decide to dream up.

Science fiction would be another genre.

Did you notice a possible change in the genre in one version of Back to the Future? The kid on the skateboard changed to a gun-totting westerner. Well, it was still science fiction.

The setting is where the action takes place. If the action is in the present, you will not have a great deal of research to do on the time period of the action. However, if the action takes place in 1850 or 130 B.C., you must do research on that time period as was done in Back to the Future.

Once you have decided where the action is to take place and in what time period, you can define your characters. Here are some things to consider:

Names:

Does the name of each character fit into the location and time period?

Don’t call your Viking raider, Joe.

Try Eric the Mad or some such.

Language:

What would the language be of your character?

If he lived in 1750 in London, what phrases would he use?

What would he sound like?

That will depend on his class won’t it?

A London cobbler would not sound the same as the Captain of the King’s Guard would he?

What about the King himself?

How would he sound? What vocabulary would he use?

Here is a Warning:

Don’t write a period novel if you are not willing to obtain the education and knowledge you will need to write it.

The key to good writing is to write about things you know and understand.

Of course, if you are writing science fiction, you can do anything you darn please as long as it “rings true” to science fiction readers.

That’s why the advice often given to writers is to read heavily in the genre in which they intend to write.

That’s one way to get an education, isn’t it?

Dress

If you met a man in Walgreen wearing a silver body-tight jumpsuit and having antenna sticking out of a gold helmet, you would think: That guy isn’t from here!

If your character walks into a Wild West bar in 1850 wearing a green suit, you will have some explaining to do. My guess would be that he is Irish and will be asking for a Guinness. Note: Guinness started in 1759 but I doubt that you would find it in the Wild West in 1850.

Dress must be consistent just as language is important. You need to know the local dress, not some stereotype dress you saw in a “B” movie.

Dress is also characteristic of vocation and class. A banker, a blacksmith, a millwright, etc., would all be differently dressed in the same location during the same time period.

Early settlers from Texas in Arizona could be told by their hats.

Other Factors:

If your character is a nurse, you must know something about how a nurse performed at her location and during her time period.

Don’t have that soldier shoot someone with a Winchester during the War of 1812. Oliver Winchester was born in 1810.

Each character needs a history. A person’s history at least in part determines his or her actions. You may never mention such a history in your novel, but you must know it.

Each character needs characteristics. You may never mention most of them but you must know them. These are the things that in combination make your character distinct from all other characters in the world. Take Superman for instance or Henry the Eighth.

The bottom line is that all things must be consistent and logical if you want your novel to fly.

If something is strange, you have some explaining to do.

How to do Research

The easiest way to do your research is by reading in your genre.

I don’t like reading most novels. Therefore I do research on the time and place.

I like to start with a map of the area. Then I like to read the history of the area even before the time period determined. I read history books, old magazine articles, Internet articles, etc. I like to visit the area and visit museums and historical societies. I like to talk to the people, especially the old timers that have significant tales to tell.

Go into book stores, yard sales, book sales, junk shops, antiques shops, and other places you can pick up magazines and books for a song. Look at the stuff they are selling in antique shops and ask about the history of unusual items. The way you do that is to say this: What is that thing?

In a way, it is much like being a newspaper reporter. I like to search old newspapers for interesting stories to see what other “reporters” have done.

Look in old encyclopedias, catalogs, and almanacs. You will be surprised what you can learn.

When I was writing Revenge on the Mogollon Rim, I decided to read one of Zane Grey’s novels, the settings of which was in the areas near my home in Arizona.

I knew something about Zane Grey because I was a guide and worked on exhibits for the local museum.

I expected to help in the rebuilding of his cabin that was destroyed in the Dude Fire. However, I moved from the area (Payson, AZ) before that task was started.

Anyway, I was reading his novel and came up on a phrase that didn’t seem right to me. It was a view his character saw from the Mogollon Rim. I didn’t think he had it right. I drove to the Rim and parked very near the place he described. Then I saw that Zane Grey had described the view perfectly. Mountains don’t move that fast.

It’s a good idea to know your subject, your location (setting), and your characters before you start writing the novel. Well, don’t let that stop you. You can fill in the blanks later.

Just don’t let some bold character take over your book.

Writing, how to write, setting, characters, language, characteristics, history, time period, research

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.aaaflagpoles.com

There is a stigma associated with writers turning to editors for assistance with their work. Some people see outside editing as an unfair advantage, a form of literary cheating. Writers are expected to be able to objectively evaluate their own work. Interestingly, this is exactly the opposite of what one finds in other professions. Witness the famous phrase, ” A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” Let’s not forget, ” A lawyer who represents herself has a fool for a client.” Writers are treated differently from these other professionals, though. Writers are somehow expected to turn in perfect drafts of novels, articles, work reports, and term papers. Their work must be edited before it is turned in. Anything less is considered unprofessional and unacceptable.

Here’s the twist in this story. Best-selling authors, magazine writers, and newspaper columnists all have editors! That’s right, perfection is only required ahead of time from students, business people, and unknown writers. Those who have “arrived” suddenly benefit from editorial guidance and second opinions on their work before it reaches its final audience.

What’s wrong with this picture? What’s a writer who is still in school or hasn’t yet been published to do? One option is to ignore the naysayers. Go right ahead and get help on writing projects before they are submitted. Ask a friend or a relative who has a firm grasp of grammar and writes well if he or she will edit or at least proofread your work. If nobody in your immediate social circle qualifies, there are many people and companies offering proofreading and editing services. If time and budget allow, take advantage of them.

What about when circumstances force a writer to tough it out alone before turning in the work? If you’re forced to take written matters into your own hands, here are the things to look for while acting as your own editor.

Spelling - Run spell check, but don’t rely on it exclusively. Look up words if you are unsure about them, even if the software approves them. Never think, “That’s close enough,” or “They won’t notice,” or “A few spelling mistakes are acceptable.” If you’ve been the victim of an educational class or system that told you that spelling doesn’t count, then whoever told you that has done you a disservice. Spelling counts!

Grammar - Many people advise that you make sure what you write matches the way you speak. That will work if you speak correctly all the time. If not, you can easily review grammar lessons online at no cost if you need a refresher.

Punctuation - Make sure you put in all the apostrophes and quotes necessary. Double check to make sure you ended interrogative questions with question marks. It’s easy to just type a period at the end of all the sentences out of habit.

Typos - Blame the gremlin that hides in your keyboard if you want to, but fix them anyway. Even though people will probably know what you meant to type, don’t make them guess.

Clarity - When a writer knows what he is saying, he sometimes overlooks other possible interpretations. “The mother checked on the baby while she was crying.” Who was crying in that sentence? It could be either one of them. “All the tabloids had to say that the Hollywood couple filed for divorce.” Does that mean that there were multiple tabloids and each and every one reported the same story or does that mean that there were no other details available and the tabloids simply had only that one fact to report?

Consistency - Verify that whenever there are two or more acceptable forms of the same word, the same form should be used every time throughout the piece. Examples to watch for are TV/television and USA/U.S.A/US of A.

Organization - Make sure your thoughts flow logically and each idea builds upon the one before it. You can’t make your point if nobody can find it!

Word usage - All forms of communication should fit their audiences. The way a person expresses herself at a Super Bowl party should be different than in a formal written report to her boss.

Scanning your work projects or term papers for these different areas will not only improve the particular assignment on which you’re working, the process sets your brain on the right path for future writing projects as well. Maybe your readers will be saying, “A writer who has himself for an editor just may be on to something.”

© 2006 Matthew W. Grant is a writer and consultant who founded A+ Editors, an online editing and writing service. For more information, visit http://www.APlusEditors.com.

Divorce is hard, there’s no question about it. Not only has your marriage ended but, most likely, your lifestyle is undergoing some drastic changes also. This is especially true if you are forced to leave the place that was home to you and your family.

Depending on your particular situation, you may find that moving into an apartment is your only option. Many times it’s hard to think of an apartment as home after you’ve been accustomed to living in a house surrounded by family. But, if you choose your apartment wisely, you may find it’ll become a cozy, comfortable haven.

Take some time to select your apartment.

Remember, this is going to be your new home. Don’t rush the selection process. Decide how much you can afford to spend for rent and look at as many apartments in that range as you can. Location should be one of your prime considerations. Your life is complicated enough right now, don’t make it worse by choosing an inconvenient location where commuting becomes a problem.

If your children will be visiting regularly be sure your apartment is large enough to let them feel at home. If possible, select an apartment with a room just for them. Let them have a hand in decorating it so they’ll feel a part of it.

If you have joint custody of the children and they will be living with you while attending school, you’ll also want to choose an apartment that is convenient to their schools and recreation areas.

The type of apartment you choose will be important to how well you adapt to living in it. Like a house, choose one that fits your personality. If you like puttering in the yard, make sure there is some private space where you can do that ~ even if it’s just planting flower boxes on your patio. If you enjoy cooking, make sure the kitchen meets your requirements.

You also need to consider the atmosphere of your apartment complex. If you’re going to have children living with you part time, most likely a singles community would not be the best choice. Neither would you probably want to choose an apartment in a building that is filled with senior citizens. If there are pets involved, make sure rules don’t prohibit them.

Turn your apartment into a home.

Don’t consider your apartment a place of exile! It’s your new home and if you want to be happy there, you must give it your attention. Unpack the boxes and arrange your furniture in a way that’s pleasing to you. Hang pictures or other art work on the walls and stamp your new home with your own personality. If you take pride in decorating it according to your own tastes, you’ll find it becomes a welcoming and comfortable place to be. Remember you no longer have to consider anyone else’s preferences ~ this is all yours to do with as you please!

The more you’re apartment reflects you and your interests, the more it will seem like home.

Enjoy it!

About the Author:

Kyle Thomas Haley has been helping people relocate on the Internet since 1999 with Apartment and Relocation Websites:

The Apartment Net and A Relocation and Moving Guide.

Copyright 1999 - 2005 STANZEEKAY Inc. You have permission to publish this article, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and none of the links or content are removed or changed.

Sports shoes is probably the most important piece of equipment you will get so it is imperative that you pick and choose the appropriate pair. Find superb deals on surfing gear online today.

Many people don’t realise that there are big differences in the way sports trainers support your feet. It’s not great for your feet if you take part in football or tennis in the identical trainers you use whilst running.

“Unfortunately, 65% of the UK’s recreational men sportsmen & women wear the incorrect shoes for their chosen sports activity,” he says. “Trainers are the most necessary piece of exercise equipment you’ll ever pay money for & altering what you wear on your feet can avoid damage.”

Football can put a lot of pressure on the feet, especially when playing on synthetic surfaces such as AstroTurf. The shoes can also put force on your feet, and it’s not strange for a footballer to suffer from corns, calluses or damaged, thickened and ingrown toenails. A good, well-fitted pair of football boots is fundamental & there should not be any signs of pressure on the foot after a match or training session.

Racquet sports: It’s critical when taking part racquet sports, for example tennis or badminton, to elect to choose shoes particularly intended for the purpose. These sports activity involve a great amount of left-to-right movement and sports footwear won’t provide the suitable steadiness. Racquet sport footwear are heavier and more firm than jogging trainers, as their toes are manufactured for stop-&-go action. Comfort must be your core concern and It’s important to substitute your sports trainers frequently.

Hill walking is a marvellous way to begin a fitness schedule, whilst the more experienced go for climbing. It’s tremendous for your cardiovascular health but is lower impact and so comes with less risk of damage.

sport betting online

Legions of gamers may recently have found the slogan “offshore sports betting” by now, though some might not be totally assured what it means. A foreign betting website essentially acts extraneous to the scope of a distinct country but alternatively it could mean an internet based sports betting web site which places their main computers inside the boundaries of a state in which web based gaming isn’t currently outlawed. In short therefore, it is a gambling facility which functions outside the national territory of the better. Online sports gambling web sites are regulated with the help of 3 assemblies. These structures are the OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association FTGA.

The OSGA are an autonomous federation which regulates the offshore gambling industry, they are trying to also deliver sports bettors the capacity to swiftly determine honest internet organizations to play games of fortune with. The authority strives to protect the rights of customers, and in addition they do not charge any affiliation expenses. The Offshore Gaming Association is a well-qualified and equitable third party agency who pronounce equitable impressions, advised by your assessments, independent scrutiny, telephone chats, industry insider tips also imparts inside gossip.

The IGC is a nonprofit agency. The agency was established to allow a forum for concerned people to discuss subjects and also to improve communal matters in the multinational web-based gambling trade, to ensure frank and also responsible industry standard procedures and methods that strive to heighten client confidence in net based betting products and benefits, also to help as the sports gambling industry’s generic strategy defender and it also provides an info clearinghouse.

The Interactive Gaming Council has built a distinction for upholding reliability, consistency and in addition solidity via the code of conduct it demonstrates, also its appeal for honest gambling web sites. The Interactive Gaming Council regularizes overseas gambling by using a special 10-step code of conduct not to mention charges sports gaming websites a payment to show their logo. Unfulfilled clients may, should they wish, state any of their arguments to the IGC.

The FTGA was set up in order to construct a standard to raise the standards of world wide web based gaming trading operations. The IGC understand that by conducting business with partners of honorable standing, they are able to found an affiliation of the most trustworthy and professional internet betting operations all over the planet.

These are organizations that attempt to manage the transactions of live gaming and which should serve to take the sting out of most if not all of the uneasiness due to the apprehension held by doubters. Computer accessible sports gaming websites are actually trustworthy, in that individual data should not be required also the payments not to mention the odds should be as equal and reasonable as your usual Vegas-type bet. These websites lower traveling costs, but nevertheless maintain the original essence, however today you may game in your home.

Many times, individuals have to opt between filing for insolvency or permitting their mortgage lender to foreclose on their home. If monthly or bi-weekly home loan payments are not received on time, the bank may file a foreclosure on the property. The only guaranteed way to stop foreclosure proceedings from occurring is to pay the mortgage lender as agreed. House loans are very similar to car loans, if you do not pay your monthly payments you can get it repossessed. It is the very same for everybody who has not been able to pay her house loan; the mortgage lender will likely kick your family out of the house and sell it to get back some of their loses.

Insolvency proceedings are a legal action registered by a person who cannot pay their debts as agreed. Once filed, all active civil proceedings connected with the mortgage will be stopped. As such, a mortgage lender must cease every collection action, including foreclosure. However, a lender can ask for relief from the mandatory stay, and once it is allowed, may go on with the previously mentioned process. Declaring Bankruptcy will not halt foreclosure and you must still pay back your mortgage. Going into bankruptcy does not resolve the original problems; it just makes the foreclosure proceed slower.

Although insolvency can not stop a foreclosure permanently, it could allow an individual time to pay back the over due or at least it will make it little gentler to pay back a lender. Bankruptcy law necessitates that a mortgage lender to suspend foreclosure actions, a mortgage payer will have a short time to raise the cash to pay back the lender. Bankruptcy is the last option for all debtors. This will eventually happen when he is completely incapable of satisfying their creditor’s commitments. With insolvency, some non-secured debts will in all likelihood be discharged but the home loan will not. The home owner has to be ready to repay the real estate loan inside the allotted time frame as the debt is guaranteed by tangible assets. In addition, chapter 13 insolvency has a schedule of fees that will be ordered by the court, that will allow the home owner make payments on their mortgage to get caught up on their balance.

There will be legal fees. Possibly, it might cost more in legal fees than it does to just bootstrap it and make up the past due payments on the house loan. If you know somebody that is considering that filing for bankruptcy can be a benefit to the problem, a good attorney will probably be capable of answering any questions you have. Because insolvency proceedings are very complicated, the home owner ought not attempt to do it by themselves.

This is not legal advice. Contact a bankruptcy attorney in your municipality for bankruptcy advice advisement.