PaydaySamba

You have a raging passion for your subject. Or you have a strong financial motive to speak on your subject. Or maybe you simply want everybody to like you!

Whatever your Cause, people must be able to understand your speech–your physical speech–before they are able to give you the response you’re working for.

Consonants and vowels are the building blocks of intelligible speech. It’s the breath that supports and carries these consonants and vowels to our listeners.If we focus on these three elements of speech–consonants, vowels, breath–we’ll have an excellent basis for clear, understandable presentations.

Here’re some pointers:

Consonants must be well-articulated and crisp. To achieve this, say each of the words below by itself, slowly. Use your tongue and lips to shape each consonant clearly. Exaggerate! Speak every syllable.

1.wash 2.washing 3.Washington 4.definitely (all 4 syllables) 5.accessible (ak sess i buhl) 6.Antarctic (ant ark tik) 7.residing (Make the “s” a definite “Z” sound.) 8.treatise 9.not 10.non-native

Now speak the sentence below, breaking it up into smaller segments, if you like, until you can say the entire sentence very clearly at a normal pace.

“The treatise on the Antarctic was definitely not accessible to the non-native speakers residing in Washington.”

You may notice that you run out of breath before you can get the whole sentence said. If not, congratulations! If so, mark a place or two where you can sneak a breath without interrupting the flow. Try this:

“The treatise on the Antarctic (breath) was definitely not accessible (breathe here only if you absolutely must) to the non-native speakers (breath) residing in Washington.”

Vowels should be given the true vowel sounds. We Americans are becoming increasingly lax in differentiating between the vowel sounds–so much so that “uh” has become the vowel of choice for A, E, I, O and U! I believe it’s a blend of pure laziness and a cultural deficit of actual listening to sounds. We’re so cruelly bombarded with noise of all sorts that we take refuge in turning off our active hearing.

Breath! Ah, the breath!–the fundament for all speaking. This is not the place to give you exercises to strengthen and lengthen your breath; that must go in other articles.

However, this will help:

Think of your breath as being released on a steady, constant stream. That stream continues steadily during the tiny silences between words, connecting one word to the following word. Think On-going and Easy.

Avoid giving an explosion of breath for a few words, then letting the breath drop before the next little explosion of breath. You lose a great deal of breath by breathing too frequently and too shallowly.

THINK: CONSONANTS. VOWELS. BREATH.
THINK: MY BREATH IS ON-GOING AND EASY.

Carole McMichaels, Speaker, Coach, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also get your free report, “7 Valuable Tips on Writing a Mind-Gripping Speech”. http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com

A writer should never try to imitate another’s style because it will not work. Since each writer is a unique individual that includes how he or she puts words together to express ideas that are exclusive to them. That is his or her distinctive way of expression. This individuality comes from the writer’s background, education, culture, and lifestyle. All of these influence the way in which a person articulates.

It is essential and imperative that each writer finds and develops his or her manner of expression, acquires his or her own style. This is what gives the writing originality.

This does not mean that the writer should ignore grammar, spelling, or word choice. Although language is continually evolving and acceptable customs change, it is important to adhere to the basics if one is to be understood and comprehended. How one puts the words together is what constitutes style.

It is this distinctiveness that must be developed, not by imitation, but by practice. The more one writes without thought of simulation, the more one’s own style matures and becomes recognizable and distinctive, his or her own.

To develop one’s own style, one should read widely, but without the intention to ape or mimic any other writer’s manner. Of course, as important is writing; it must be practiced on a continual basis, every day, often. From this eclectic source will come the writer’s own unique style that will fit better than any duplication of another’s method.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature so he writes historical novels, most based on Canadian history.
He may be contacted at:

E-mail: go1c@telusplanet.net

Website: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c

Blog: http://go1c.blogspot.com

Article Marketing is the hottest way of marketing your web sites, but writing does not come naturally to many people. We’ll show you an easier way to start your writing career.

All through school and then maybe college or university, even as the writing became more detailed and longer. No matter how many times you have done it, writing is probably a task that many of your have continuously avoided. Now at a time when writing articles could help your job or work, facing the job at hand can be daunting.

I’m one of those strange people that enjoy writing, but even I get stumped some times and while there are a great number of people who do like writing, there are still those who would rather walk on hot coals than write an article. So for those people and the ones who like writing and would prefer to be more prepared here are some hints and methods that might help you.

Step 1: Prepare an outline or template first.

One of the best pieces of advice that I was given, many years ago, and which I still use in my consultancy is:
“Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them why you told them.”
Roughly translated into an outline this is:
• Pick a subject
• Introduce it
• Go into your detail
• Conclude as to why this was important.
Another template to think of – and one that gets published often is:
“Ten Reasons Why”, “Top Ten Ideas”, “Seven Solutions”
Well you get the idea.

Step 2: Pick your topic

Pick something you know about and start jotting down ideas. I find it easy to pick a temporary title sometimes other times I work on the subject and then the title just comes along on it’s on.

The Top Ten is always the easiest and as it is a popular one with ezine publishers maybe you should make this your first one.

Maybe it is something for dog lovers so you could have:
* Top 10 best ways to make sure your dog gets its walk.
* Top 10 ways to meet other dog walkers
* Top 10 best ways to raise pups

Well you get the idea.

Step 3: Headings and Summaries

The first sentence for your article, should immediately grab the attention of your reader and introduce the subject of your article.

Many article sites ask for a summary of the article as well. The summary is used in two places:
* On the article site as a part of the search process
* On the search engine entry that links to where the article is on the article site
So you can see that this is the place to pique the imagination of the potential reader as well as get you well placed in the search engines.

Step 4: Add the Content

You should now be in full writing mode and able to jot down the rest of the article, remembering the conclusion. Read it through several times – but don’t expect perfection.

The more interesting the article is, the more people will read and remember it.

The best ezine articles are between 300 and 750 words long. I have written longer articles of 1,000 to 1,250 words, and had them featured on web sites, but long articles don’t fare well in ezines. So pick your market and try to get the right length for your choice of publication.

Step 5: The Resource Box

This is the reason for writing. The resource box is the 4 -7 lines that sits on the end of the article. The format should be as:
* Your Copyrights
* 2-4 lines about your expertise. You can usually include up to 3 hyperlinks. Affiliate links are generally not allowed – so give your web site address.
* The terms of using your article – the expression “You may print this article without charge, provided this resource box remains intact.”

Now that is it.

© Copyright 2006 Biz Guru LLC
Lee Lister, writes as The Biz Guru, for a number of web sites including her own sites http://www.BizGuru.us and http://www.clikks.com for all our informational products.

With over 20 year’s management and business consultancy experience with businesses large and small as well as being a serial entrepreneur, she now helps others set up, develop and market their businesses.

You might like to join our Clikks Ezine: – aimed at the small businesses – click or brick with a web site presence. We provide business strategy and marketing assistance and products. clikks_ezine@aweber.com

This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Graduation Caps

Graduation ceremonies are happy occasions filled with color. To add to the color is usually the graduation regalia adorned by the graduands. Graduation caps are important pieces of the regalia as they do not only complete the attire but symbolize one’s achievements as well. The caps are sometimes used in some institutions to differentiate the students who are graduating. On the graduation caps are usually tassels which are the caps ‘prominent features. The strands on the caps can be braided or can be left loose depending on the designer. Another feature that is difficult to overlook is the shape of the caps.

Usually, the caps come in a square shape. Some of the materials used to make graduation caps mare like polyester, cotton and silk. When going to buy the caps, one should put into consideration the material used to make them. It is also advisable for the buyer to buy in bulk so that they can benefit form the numerous discounts that are given to people by the sellers of these caps. Another factor to consider when buying the cap is the color; one should ensure that the color matches that of the gown and is one that the institution has approved.

GraduationSource, a leader in graduation regalia products since 1960.

There’s really only one duty a writer owes to
themselves and their readers – and that is to
constantly strive to improve.

Ask any seasoned writer and they’ll tell you
that getting better at the craft is probably
the most fulfilling aspect of writing.

Because you are effectively getting better at
communicating your ideas – and placing your
world view into the minds of others. To me
this is an almost magical concept.

So – constant improvement – how does one
achieve it? Here are nine short tips:

1. Read Like it’s Going Out of Fashion

You’ve heard it a million times before.
You can’t love writing without first loving
to read. Read a lot. Read everything. Analyze
writing and writers. Study what works, what
doesn’t, wonder why and learn from it.

Realize too that the published writing
you see has probably been worked and
reworked over and over to appear effortless.
Don’t assume professional writers get it
down perfect every time. They don’t. Their
work too has been analyzed, edited and
beaten into shape by themselves and other
editors.

2. Study Your Own Writing

Study every word, every sentence, every
phrase. Are you maximizing the effect of
your words? Could you say the same thing
a different way?

Don’t just blindly accept your words as
perfect. Professionals know there is
always another way of stating something,
setting a scene, explaining an emotion.
Too many novice writers fall in love with
their words, refusing to accept there
might be a better way to get to what is
true.

3. Learn to Love Criticism

When we start out, criticism hurts – big
time. We’ve bared our soul. We’ve agonized
over our words and are proud of what we’ve
said. Off-hand comments about our work
can feel like a body slam, even an
attack on our capabilities, our character,
our integrity.

But that’s not what is going on. People
love to criticize – it’s human nature.
Even the best writers are criticized.
The point is to learn from criticism
and rise above it. Listen to what is
being said, make changes if necessary
but do it for you. You are the final
arbiter – but don’t be blind or sulky
about it. Take it on board.

4. Read Aloud to Others

Reading out loud can highlight the
strengths and weaknesses within your
writing. Especially in the areas of
rhythm, wordiness and dialogue. It’s
a great test.

Read to friends and family, yes, but
also read to other writers. Let them
make comments. Enjoy the process.

Try this. Read a short piece to a
group of friends/writers. Make note
of how your writing sounds to them.
Listen to suggestions. Make changes,
read it aloud again. Keep doing this
until everyone involved thinks the
writing – every word, every phrase –
is perfect.

5. Try Different Styles

It’s too easy to get stuck in one area
of expertise. If you’re a fiction buff,
try writing magazine articles or
screenplays. If you’re a journalist,
try free-form fiction. If you’re a
literary type, try writing advertising
copy. Don’t limit yourself. All types
of writing are good in their own way
and experimenting with them can teach
you little tricks that help you become
a more mature, fully rounded writer.

Novice writers tend to think they
shouldn’t experiment, that somehow it
might taint their art. Nothing could
be further from the truth.

6. Take Courses, Read More Books on
Writing

The process of being taught, of
exposing yourself to the ideas of
others, cannot be underestimated. Even
if you disagree with what is being said,
it all helps stretch you and give you
a deeper understanding of what is good
and right for your writing.

When you take lessons in writing, study
hard, do the exercises, listen to the
feedback, act on it and write some more.
Your writing will improve the more you
do it. Don’t sit and fret over your
writing. Just do it.

7. Seek Out Good Advice

I quite often hear novice writers
complain that they’re learning nothing
new about writing from the various
authorities they consult. They sound
disillusioned, as if there’s more pertinent
information out there, if only they could
find it.

Odd, considering I’ve never met a seasoned
writer didn’t love to debate the absolute
basics of word-play, grammar, sentence
structure and all the other little things
that novices seem to grow weary of hearing.

Remember. You can never hear good advice
too many times.

8. Give Back

Share your knowledge. Teach what you have
learnt about writing to others. Too often
novice writers can feel there’s some sort
of clique of professionals who don’t want
to talk to them or associate with them.

We writers, whatever our abilities, must
learn to see ourselves as a community
with similar aims – to actively enhance
all our writing – to raise the bar and
to act for the betterment of all writers.

9. Constantly Want More From Yourself

Stretch yourself continuously. Find new
ways of expressing yourself.

Writing is sometimes a strange past-time.
A writing project that begins like an
adventure can quickly become an obsession
that ends up feeling like some self
inflicted curse!

But all writing experience is good,
whether it’s fun or not. Not all of
your writing is going to be fun and
fulfilling. Some of it may be a hard
slog or a nuisance. This is okay.

If you want to succeed in writing,
it should become your life, your
passion, even your reason to be. It’s
a fine and noble way of life.

If you want it, embrace it, and your
writing will benefit enormously. Go for it!

Best of luck and – whatever you do – keep writing.

Rob Parnell
Best Selling Author of:
The Easy Way to Write a Novel
http://easywaytowrite.com/novel.html

As a freelance writer, some of my least favorite projects are those where the client wants me to rewrite an existing article. I have since learned that this type of statement, “It’ll only involve a little editing,” usually really means, “You’ll have to rewrite the entire article in order for it to make sense.” My advice to you, the freelancer, is try to determine in advance just how much “editing” you will have to do, otherwise be prepared to initiate a time consuming rewrite that won’t pay for itself.

My first sizable rewriting job was one I now call, “my blunder from down under.” By down under, I certainly don’t mean Australia – you have to dig a lot deeper to go to where it is hotter. Get it? A real “devil” of a job!

The job involved “editing” five articles by including new information and cleaning up verbiage and syntax. Or so I thought. As it turned out, each of the five articles lacked clear and concise purpose and failed to produce a tight and sensible conclusion. I saw the “writing on the wall” and decided that the editing job would need to turn into a complete rewrite in order to make any sense of them.

Two full days later my work was done after submitting the drafts to the client, having the client send back additional changes and comments, and resubmitting the final copies back to the client.

After this experience I was mentally exhausted and frustrated, but I learned a valuable lesson: work diligently to uncover what a job entails before agreeing to take on a project and/or leave open the possibility that your price may change [read: will increase] should extra work be involved.

It was a tough lesson learned, but I found out that the “devil” is really in the details when it comes to accepting a rewriting project. Either way it is “work” for you!

Copyright 2006 — Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Please visit Matt’s blog for absolutely stunning and humorous writings from the master himself!

Healthcare professionals call an enlarged prostate benign prostate hyperplasia, or BPH. This entails that the prostate gland, a gland which envelops the urethra and is located just under the bladder, grows larger and this can impair and block the stream of urine. As males age, the prostate grows and may produce complaints for example trouble in micturition, weak urinary flow, and even an impression of fullness in the bladder even after urination. Frequent night time visits to the toilet and recurring urinary tract inflammation may also be arise from a swollen prostatic gland.

What Is Benign Prostate Hypertrophy?

Men over 60 commonly develop prostate enlargement. It is advocated that men in their 50’s be tested by their doctors each year, even if no symptoms occur, to help sustain improved prostate gland health. Look For medical intervention at once if the urine or you are unable to micturate. Treatments for prostate enlargement can include surgical operations or drug therapy. Nevertheless, surgical procedures can lead to further problems for example impotence and incontinence. Hypertension drugs and drugs which shrink the affected prostate may also be given to improve prostatic function, however, medicines often result in unwanted repercussions so what alternatives are indicated?

Got a Swollen Prostate Gland? Find Holistic Treatments to Improve Prostate Gland Health

To encourage better prostate function and avoid any problems connected with an enlarged prostate, various treatments may be indicated. Inflammation is greatly alleviated by the remedy Afican pygeum, alleviating many of the symptoms. Made from the fruit of an African evergreen plant, African pygeum has been prescribed extensively by the Europeans for a number of years as a treatment to encourage better prostate gland health. Cutting Back the dietary fats may help, as well as increasing exercise, the pressure in the prostate should also be lessened thru ejaculating more frequently, and trying to cut out periods of prolonged sitting. Prostate Gland associated symptoms are often worsened through taking anti-histamines or decongestant drugs purchased over the counter, so take them sparingly. Further recommendations include to cut out drinking near going to bed to cut down on trips to the bathroom during the night, and reducing alcoholic drinks and drinking much less coffee and tea can reduce the symptoms experienced. There are plenty of other holistic treatments recommended for improved prostate function — such as the herb saw palmetto, starflower oil capsules, the chemical element selenium, and also lycopene, which can be extracted from tomatoes. Be sure to talk over your plans with your health care professional prior to commencing any natural treatment of an enlarged prostate gland.

The writer’s journey is paved with bumpy roads, sharp curves and a lot
of dead-ends. If you write to live you are probably paying the rent. If you
live to write, probably someone else is paying the rent. Having done
both I believe that if you are doing what fulfills you, nature will support
you and you will succeed. The true blessing, however, is when you are
fulfilled simply by the act of doing it.

I once interviewed a
Benedictine Monk at his abbey in Baltimore, Maryland. An amateur
sculptor, he invited me to see his studio in a shed behind the main
building. During our chilly walk through the bare March gardens, I asked
him what was the goal of his monastic life; what did he hope to
accomplish when he could serve so many suffering people by being out
in the world. A handsome, soft-spoken middle-aged man with a happy
face and an inner light, he replied, “It isn’t the goal. It’s the journey. My
life’s
journey is
inward and no less difficult than yours.” In our few hours together he
gave me much to ponderabout journeys and goals and the vast
differences between the two things writers must deal withinformation
and wisdom.

For example, while information is the
journalist’s lifeline, it is the journalist’s responsibility to get it straight.
With myriad means of gathering information today, getting the facts right
should be relatively easy. Tell that to Dan Rather. Maybe if
CBS hadn’t rushed to get the story, they would have gotten the
story straight. The fiction writer also has to get the facts straight. A story
that takes place in seventeenth century Japan must taste, feel and smell
like the period. The writer has to virtually live the experience while he or
she is writing about it. The outward journey is the research; the inner
journey is beyond verbalizing.

Joseph Campbell defined the
archetype of the hero in The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
George Lucas took from The Hero’s Journey and gave us Star
Wars. All are inner and outer journeys.

If indeed life is a
journey, the writer’s journey is fraught with its own unique obstacles.
Writers are either deep in contemplation with their muse (writing),
slaying the dragon (rewriting), searching for the Holy Grail (agent or
publisher), confronting inner demons (rejections, ego), battling the dark
side (scam artists). In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker has his Yoda
and Obi-Wan for wisdom and courage. In The Matrix, Neo has
Morpheus and the Oracle. What do writers have? Hopefully, our intuition
when we listen to it and our perception when we’re open-minded.


Writers consistently borrow from other writers, so excuse me if I
quote Dr. Wayne Dyer. “When you change the way you look at
things, the things you look at change.” Actually he borrowed it from
someone who died a few thousand years ago. But never mind.


In my eagerness to get a manuscript published, instead of relying
on my own insight, I rushed to judgment and almost engaged a less
than honorable literary agent. The discovery made me angry. When I
began
receiving emails from other writers who had the same experience with
the same shysters, I began to see the humor in it. My narrow-minded
perception of the incident gradually opened to a panorama. It’s
interesting how the larger picture tends to reveal how small and
insignificant are the cheats and the deceitful. But stuff happens on
everyone’s journey. Whether creatures from the imagination of a genius,
or our own uncertainties on those slippery bends in the road, there
will always be the dark side. We cannot know how near or far the goal.
We do know that information without wisdom is useless. And it’s the
journey that makes
us wise.

Susan Scharfman is a writer/editor at http://www.susanscharfman.com

Nursing homes are designed to serve usually elderly patients who require long-term, therapeutic and preventive care. Most of the residents of a nursing home will have medical conditions but whilst a little frail they are generally not bedridden. They may need canes or walkers to help them get around and aid with everyday tasks such as eating, dressing and washing. The design of the nursing hiome is very important as most residents will spend the remaining years of their life there.

A nursing home isn’t just a facility where care is provided – it really is a home for its residents. With this in mind the design of the home means that it needs to cater for both the residents emotional and physical needs. The nursing home needs to be welcoming whilst combining the needed practicalities of good medical care. If you dont get the care home contract furniture right and dont give it good consideration when designing you nursing home then it can play a big part of the overall feel of the home and its ability to care for the residents. Contract furniture specialists are easy to find with a little research on the internet.

It is important to get the nursing home environment right as it can have a big impact on the residents health. It is very difficult to get the design correct both from a designers point of view and an architects. Such things as outside space, catering, activity areas along with residents conditions such as poor eyesight can effect this. A welcoming environment is far more conducive to the recovery of patients than a sterile hospital.

A Barrister’s bookcase is a unreformed bookcase that is believed to have originated in Britain. Its differentiating feature is a transparent field glass face. This glass face is hinged at the allowing a person clean access to volumes and other legal papers plainly by raising the glass door. A barrister bookcase is perfect for just about anything. Barrister bookcases were frequently used by lawyers since it was necessary for them to keep on moving. Today, they are also very favorable, particularly if one is invariably on the move. The doors make this the case. This entails they can be moved while whole.

These glass shelves

Barrister bookcases have the favored position of protecting things from debrisand other foreign impurities. They offer great protection. Apart from junk, sun is also blockedby adding tempered glass. . This will help in minimizing the amount and intensity of sunlight impacting the spines of the books. This will maintain the books colour and its bindings from withering.

The bookcases, despite many benifits,can be rather expensive. Fortunately, their many rewards have moved some makers to start producing replica editions and some in modern versions at very reasonable prices. Some editions have simple looks. These can fit any theme.They can also be trimmed and made into customized storage units easily.They can be stacked allowing them to be easily used to create creative unit arrangements. Some can be used to create end tables, breakfronts or even dining areas.