Arts Entertainments

Find out who you are when your marriage or long-term relationship ends

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Many times when you’re in a long-term relationship, particularly one that’s unhealthy, it’s easy to lose touch with who you are and the things you’re good at and enjoy. Unfortunately, I know this very well from personal experience. You can become so focused on your partner that you end up neglecting your own needs. The relationship addresses your basic need to feel valued, safe, and secure.

So if that relationship suddenly ends, it can feel like you no longer have value or that you are completely alone.

The truth is that you already have value. To help you instill this belief and build trust, try these steps. Remember, if you want to attract a healthy relationship in the future, you must first learn to value yourself!

1. It is essential that you allow yourself to grieve the loss of the relationship. In the process, you may even find that it’s not your ex you miss as much as the security the relationship seemed to provide. Give yourself permission to really wallow and experience the loss for as long as you can bear it. I personally recommend Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream and romantic movies, preferably at the same time!

2. When you feel ready, get up (literally if you have to), dust yourself off, and get curious about what really matters most to you in life. I recommend reading The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood to identify your top five passions and learn how to keep them front and center in your everyday life. The authors invite you to describe what your ideal life would be like and what you would be doing.

3. By exploring your passions, you are likely to discover your most important values. These may include integrity, commitment, respect for self and others, connection, community, compassion, making a difference, excellence, honesty, or safety, to name a few.

4. Discover your natural strengths and talents. Start by recalling an activity you enjoyed as a child so much that you could do it for hours without noticing the passage of time. Keep looking and trying new activities and adventures. I also recommend purchasing and reading Tom Rath’s book StrengthsFinder 2.0. This book will give you the opportunity to complete a detailed online assessment to discover his top five talents and specific actions you can take to help him tap into his natural talents.

T. Harv Eker, CEO and President of Peak Potentials Training, sums it up best in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind when he writes:

Each of us has something special to offer the world. Each of us has our own natural gifts and talents. To be truly happy, we must use our own uniqueness to add value to the lives of others.

Best of luck on your unique and exciting journey! Please feel free to share this article with someone you think would find it useful.

Technology

Choosing a satellite TV provider

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The satellite television industry has made great strides over the cable television industry in recent years. With the price of cable television skyrocketing each year, many cable subscribers are making the switch to satellite television. Okay, so you’ve decided to switch to satellite TV; but which satellite TV provider do you choose? A satellite television provider is a company that owns and operates satellites in geostationary orbit around the earth. These satellites transmit the signal from the satellite to your satellite dish and from there the signal is transferred to your receiver (black box). The two largest satellite television providers in the United States are DirecTV and DISH Network. The vast majority of satellite TV subscribers in the United States use one or the other, so this article will focus on comparing the two satellite giants in an attempt to help you decide which one is better for you.

With the almost exponential growth of the satellite TV industry, both DISH Network and DirecTV are now in a position where they can afford to offer satellite equipment (satellite dish and receivers) for free to their subscribers. So for starters, both DISH Network and DirecTV offer free satellite equipment. Basically the only requirements are that you are a first time subscriber and have a credit card for monthly billing purposes. So if the equipment is free, how do the two providers make money? Well, you have to pay for monthly programming, of course. The price of your monthly programming bill depends on the programming package you choose.

DISH Network’s America Top 60 programming package starts at $24.99 per month and local channels are available. DISH Network is not currently making new subscribers commit to a one-year contract. You can cancel your subscription at any time without paying any financial penalty. DirecTV’s entry level programming package is called the Total Choice package and it comes with local channels and costs $39.99 per month. With the Total Choice package you get over 130 channels. DirecTV requires you to sign a one-year subscription contract. If you cancel your service before the end of the year, you must pay a penalty to DirecTV.

As both satellite giants use the latest technology in their satellites and receiving equipment, what sets them apart from the two is in the programming options they provide to their subscribers. I would rate DirecTV a bit ahead of DISH Network on their sports packages as they offer seasonal sports options like the NFL Sunday Ticket which DirecTV has exclusive rights to. Both providers offer tons of premium movie packages to choose from, including HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. All of these come with multiple channels per movie package. Since DISH Network has more satellites in orbit than DirecTV, they have the ability to offer up to 500 viewing channels, whereas with DirecTV, you can “only” get 250 channels. Also, DISH Network offers many more foreign programming packages than DirecTV.

Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer 100% digital picture and CD-quality sound on all of their programming. Again, they are tied for this important quality. This technology allows for a perfect, sharp picture that cable TV simply can’t provide.

DISH Network, a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications, was founded in 1996 by Charles Ergan. While not as old as DirecTV, DISH Network was the fastest satellite provider to reach the 100,000 subscriber level in just four short months. DISH Network currently has more than nine million satellite television subscribers in all 50 United States and the District of Columbia. DISH Network has many ‘firsts’ under its belt, including being the first company to offer a satellite TV receiver that had a built-in DVR (Digital Video Recorder).

DirecTV was started in 1994 and is the largest satellite television provider in the United States. When it first launched in 1994, Direct TV was the first satellite television company to offer all digital-quality multi-channel television programming using Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) technology. DBS technology is now the standard for the satellite TV industry and we have the ingenuity of DirecTV engineers to thank. Although DirecTV does not have as large a bandwidth allocation as the DISH network, to counter this, DirecTV has arranged to have exclusive agreements with programming companies to cater to the programming whims of its subscribers.

In the most important area of ​​customer service, both DirecTV and DISH Network offer excellent customer service and support. They both offer online FAQ sections and help sections on their websites. You can also call both numbers toll-free for help with any problems you may have. Pay-Per-View movies can be ordered using your remote control or by calling the toll-free 800 number for any of the providers.

Both DirecTV and DISH Network offer free professional installation as part of their free satellite TV promotions. One difference is that DirecTV will install your equipment for free in up to five rooms, while DISH Network currently only installs for free in up to four rooms in your home.

DISH NETWORK and DIRECTV POINT-by-POINT RATINGS:

  • Satellite equipment – DirecTV – FREE; DISH Network – FREE
  • Satellite Installation – DirecTV – FREE (up to 5 tv’s) DISH Network – FREE (up to 4 tv’s)
  • Picture Quality – DirecTV – Outstanding DISH Network – Outstanding
  • Prices – DirecTV Total Choice Package $39.99 per month DISH Network America’s Top 60 Package $24.99 per month
  • Number of Programming – DirecTV offers programming packages of up to 250 channels DISH Network has the capacity to offer up to 500 channels
  • Programming Quality: DirecTV has excellent programming package options with a heavy emphasis on seasonal sports packages. DISH Network also has great options for programming packages with a little less emphasis on sports.
  • Customer Service – DirecTV – Outstanding with online support and free 800. DISH Network – Outstanding with online support and 800 toll free.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION:

Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer a great television viewing experience. The image reception for both is far superior to that of cable television. DISH Network’s basic package is cheaper than DirecTV’s; but then the Total Choice package comes with many more channels. DirecTV is stronger in the area of ​​sports coverage, while DISH Network puts a little more emphasis on its premium movie packages and foreign programming options. And both have excellent customer support, having both won the prestigious JD Power award in recent years for providing the best overall service among cable and satellite subscribers.

Our recommendation is that both DirecTV and DISH Network offer a television viewing experience superior to cable television. Both are much cheaper than cable, offer superior picture quality, and offer free equipment and installation. Both also offer superior customer service compared to local cable providers. If you’re a big sports fan and just need that premium sports package, then DirecTV is for you; but if you’re not a big sports fan and cost is an issue, then you might want to go with DISH Network and their entry-level US Top 60 at just $24.99 a month. Also, remember that DirecTV will require a one-year commitment, while with DISH Network there is no contract to sign, which means you can cancel your service at any time and not have to pay a penalty.

Whichever satellite provider you choose, you can’t go wrong. As a DISH Network subscriber and seller with several years of experience in the satellite TV industry (sold both DirecTV and DISH Network), I recommend you stop wiring, stop feeding the pig, and switch to satellite TV service today. . The vastly superior picture quality provided by DBS satellite technology makes it worth the trade. It’s like being in heaven watching TV with no more wavy lines on the TV screen!

Business

Origin and Evolution of Coaching (Life/Wellness/Business Coaching)

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Introduction

From its beginning in the 1930s as a process designed for executive development and sales, coaching has evolved from these original applications to include a much broader range of disciplines. Coaching now encompasses a virtually unlimited variety of niche specialties, ranging from wellness and fitness to relationships, life management, and business performance. In some cases, coaching even serves in matters of spirituality and life purpose. All this to say that the coaching profession has exploded and in the process has created a diverse population of passionate individuals committed to leading lives informed by personal choice while advocating for others to do the same.

Although the profession is relatively new in terms of accreditation and officially sanctioned standards, the roots of coaching run deep. Indeed, countless pioneers, thought leaders, and seminal theorists have contributed to and shaped the myriad styles, or modalities, of coaching that are widely used today. In this article, I will provide an overview of coaching’s evolutionary path and its ever-growing list of applications that have transformed contemporary views of successful living. I’ll end with a brief look at Whole Person Coaching®, a modality I developed in response to the growing need for coaches to equip themselves with tools to shift clients’ deepest fears and take them beyond the struggle into the uncharted territories of their future. .

Origins of the term “coach”

We are all familiar enough with the common definition of the term related to athletics, which according to Merriam-Webster is its second definition, as “a private tutor” or “one who instructs or coaches, especially one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a direct sports and team strategy.” However, coaches (sports, life, wellness, or other) are much more than tutors who convey information in a one-way communication pattern. Instead, a professional coach works with an individual to bring out the best in themselves personally or professionally by leveraging their unique skills, some of which are often latent or unrealized.The coach then helps set clear goals and helps design a roadmap for the client successfully achieve those goals. From there, she stays active as a behind-the-scenes partner, serving on the client side to help them achieve r success.

Interestingly, some believe that the origins of the term coach have more to do with the main meaning of the word in the dictionary, such as “a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, a passenger car intended primarily for day trips, a bus or trailer, ” etc. This sense of the word refers to the physical transportation of an individual from one place to another. Although it is no longer standard practice to use brute force to motivate our clients, the crux of this concept still holds true. A professional Whole Person Coach®, for example, uses physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual movements to transition a client from one place to another. And all of this is done with the customer behind the wheel, driving himself to his self-proclaimed destination.

Dictionary meanings aside, the term coaching has come to represent a highly specialized career path for those dedicated to collaboratively creating positive change for others, whether personal or professional.

Theoretical roots of coaching

It could be argued that the roots of coaching go back to the Socratic method. While Socrates’ process may not have been fully appreciated in classical Greece, as evidenced by his death sentence, his method of using inquiry to challenge oneself and gain understanding left a permanent mark on the culture. and is now considered a powerful tool that improves life. tool. It has been in use in the business arena for decades.

An expert in the field, Vikki Brock, PhD, MCC, provides the big story behind the conception, birth, and maturation of coaching in her Sourcebook of Coaching History, in which she traces the evolution of the foundational disciplines over time. of the history of the profession. .

In fact, we see that numerous disciplines, ranging from the personal growth and development industry to accelerated learning and development theories and practices, have contributed to modern coaching. According to Dr. Brock, coaching also has its roots in biology, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and many other social sciences.

Key theorists in the coaching profession

According to Dr. Brock’s research, we see original thinkers like psychotherapist Alfred Adler in the early 1930s imagining people as creators of their own lives. Adler discussed goal setting and life planning processes to help people create their future.

In addition, great innovators such as Dale Carnegie in the field of self-improvement, Erik Erickson in psychosocial development, Carl Jung with future orientation, Abraham Maslow with Carl Rogers’ hierarchy of needs and motivations, and client focus all contributed. to the profession. . His influences began to show in the 1950s, generating many reflection processes known as coaching.

Organizational development theorists, including Ed Schein, Peter Block, Chris Argyris, and Ken Blanchard, burst onto the scene in the 1960s and 1970s, along with Werner Erhard and Neurolinguistic Program (NLP) theorists Michael Grinder and Richard Bandler.

Together, these individuals contributed greatly to the theories and practice of human effectiveness and success, as well as to the disciplines of business and organizational development and leadership. The breakthrough in personal effectiveness, fulfillment, and success in the second half of the 20th century is largely attributed to the innovations in coaching and its specialized practices that still shape and inform coaching methodologies today.

But it wasn’t until the 1980s that coaching really took off, backed by the popular work of Tim Gallwey, John Whitmore and Stephen Covey. In the 1990s, coaching also flourished with authors and contributors such as Anthony Robbins, Daniel Goleman, Martin Seligman, Peter Senge, David Cooperrider, Ken Wilber, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Marshall Goldsmith to name just a few.

Today, the coaching profession is flourishing in almost every industry, constantly evolving as companies small and large continue to use its learning and development tools for everything from leadership and team development, to sales, customer service , strategic planning, effective communications, process improvement and conflict resolution. More recently, coaching has even been used to promote the health and well-being of employees in organizations, serving as a proactive way to improve workforce productivity and general well-being.

Professional coaching also continues to find its way well beyond the large corporate organizational environment, which is just one aspect of the industry. Since the mid-1990s, the refined practice of coaching has been so successful that it is now a widely accepted profession, with educational programs offered through universities and training institutes around the world.

Supported by professional associations such as the International Coach Federation (ICF), the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC), the coaching industry is protected by established guidelines related to best practices and ethics. As a result, more and more people from all walks of life are seeking professionally accredited coaches to help them achieve their goals and give practical expression to their dreams and visions.

One of the fastest growing segments in coaching today is in the area of ​​personal growth and development, which requires specialized programs and techniques for individuals seeking a wide range of personal goals including happiness, success, career transition and work/life balance, as well as personal health and wellness, relationships, family issues, artistic pursuits, and life purpose, to name just a few.

Whole person coaching

The Whole Person Coaching® (WPC) system is one such refined and specialized holistic approach. With interdisciplinary roots in models of adult development, emotional intelligence, neuroscience, archetypes, myths, and storytelling, as well as somatic theory, the WPC® process invites wholeness into the client’s life by integrating all that is, as well as as the most important thing, in all aspects of your life. With this combination, the individual not only learns to live from a place of personal power, but also positions himself to continue to navigate and chart the course of life that feels most congruent. In doing so, WPC® clients master trust and competition, thriving intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually from their own unique gifts and resources.

conclusion

The range of professionals using coaching now extends far beyond the fields of business, human resources, and communications, to include doctors, alternative health and wellness professionals, teachers, nurses, and thought leaders and experts. who seek deep processes to develop their expertise in better clothing for total life. In fact, as a result of the professionalization and popularization of coaching in recent decades, more and more people are discovering that their knowledge and life experiences are valuable not only for themselves but also for others. For these practitioners of the coaching profession, the needs, applications and benefits of coaching are limited only by the imagination. In fact, as coaching’s popularity has grown, as many specialized coaching models, methods, and styles have developed as there are specific coaching niches. There is no limit to coaching as a powerful tool for change. The future of coaching only gets brighter as do those who use it to tap into all that they are.

Home Kitchen

Kitchen Cabinets – Setting the Style for Your Kitchen

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Kitchen cabinets are a vital consideration for any contemporary kitchen, whether you’re building a brand new kitchen or just redecorating. It’s not always as easy to install cabinets as it seems. Sometimes it is necessary to bring in a professional to help you with the best options. You may also need a qualified carpenter to redesign your kitchen to make the most of the space you have and envision how many cupboards you’ll need to store your crockery and cookware. Bringing in a professional can also mean you’ll get a better deal on premium materials.

You can often find experts to help you redesign your kitchen or bathroom at retailers, wholesalers, and building contractors. Kitchen consultants can also be found at housing centers and some of them will be qualified architects. Having an expert on board a project means you’ll benefit from their understanding of how kitchens are used, how to place important kitchen accessories in the most appropriate place, and they can recommend particular brands to suit your requirements.

What you can expect from your cabinets varies. There are manufacturers that offer a customized product where the customer can choose from a range of possibilities. But this degree of freedom to pick and choose isn’t likely if you buy wholesale or from a source center – these outlets will have a stock you can choose from. You will usually be offered a selection of cabinet doors. For example, many vendors offer at least maple, cherry, or a simple light wood stain. This type of choice is easy for the builder to offer and would even be available in new construction projects where kitchen accessories have already been ordered in bulk and the choice is relatively limited.

If you have the freedom to choose your own cabinets, you can choose from a wide range of materials for the entire cabinet or just the cabinet doors. Below is a sample list of some options:

-Alder

– Ash

– Birch

-Cherry

-Hard nut

– Maple

– Oak

-Pine tree

– Poplar

-Nut

– Decorative laminate

– Metal

When choosing kitchen cabinets on your own or even with an expert, ask if kitchen cabinet brands are KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing Association) approved and have the KCMA seal on the inside of the cabinet. Only kitchen cabinet manufacturers in the United States and Canada that have passed rigorous testing on each and every brand made by an approved company can display this seal. You can tell the manufacturer by the code on the seal. Below are the kitchen cabinet manufacturers and their codes currently approved by KCMA:

– American Woodmark Corporation, Code X.

– MasterBrand Cabinets, MBCI Code.

– Continental Cabinets, Inc., Code CC.

– Cabinets De Pere, Inc., Code PJB.

– MasterBrand/HomeCrest cabinets, code HA.

– Kompact Kitchen, Inc., Code I.

– Republic/Legacy Cabinets Inc., code LE.

– Prestige Acquisition Corp., PI Code.

– Republic Industries, Inc., Code RI.

– Rosebud Manufacturing Co., Code RK.

– Armstrong cabinet products, Code H.

– Eurocraft, EUC code.

– Texwood Industries, LP, Code QJ.

– KraftMaid Cabinets, Inc., code GA.

You can get many more kitchen cabinet ideas in the large kitchen sections of your local department store. But why not save time by starting at http://www.anekitchencabinets.com/?

Auto

Sideloader Forklift Brands and Types

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Side-loading forklifts, also known as lift trucks, come in sizes ranging from a 3-ton capacity to 55-ton capacity. Depending on your needs. It is used in construction, lumberyards, shipping warehouses, etc. They are used for general material handling and moving pallets of wood products, pipes, concrete and any other long loads that a standard forklift would not be able to lift.

There are accessories available for these machines that would allow you to load things like 55 gallon drums, cables, pipes when it would not otherwise be possible. The elevator works by hydraulics so it has the ability to lift a lot of weight.

Many companies have turned to manufacturing side-loading forklifts. Companies like Mitsubishi, Toyota, Caterpillar, Yale and more. Actually, it was thought after the standard front loader forklift. There had to be a way to transport large objects through tight spots and that’s where this guy comes in.

Not only is this type of forklift more valuable in smaller locations, but it is also one of the best forklifts when it comes to maneuverability and comfort. They all have heated cabins, sprung seats and a smooth ride. Although you wouldn’t use it inside stores for stock, you would use a pallet jack to move products from one area to another. With the side loading forklift you can do much more.

Prices for a sideloader will vary from dealer to dealer, model to model, and any additional accessories you need. It’s best to search multiple dealerships for new and used equipment, as there are a multitude of both available. Once you have a good idea of ​​what you need to get, what you need it for, etc., compare their prices and options at each location.

It is beneficial and often required to undergo safety training before operating a sideloader. If you have the opportunity to take one of those training courses, definitely do it. There are so many problems with injuries and accidents from not taking a safety course that most employers and even dealers require proof that you took it to cover themselves from liability. Do yourself a favor and sign up for one before you buy a forklift.

Digital Marketing

Readability Metrics: Are They Getting Your Message?

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What is “readability” and why is it important? According to the encyclopedia, “Legibility is a measure of the accessibility of a piece of writing, indicating how broad an audience it will reach. Legibility is a judgment of how easy a text is to understand.” [Wikipedia 2006]

Because it is important? Well, out of all the confusing uncertainties about whether your marketing message or website copy is the right one to get the job done, one thing you can be sure of is whether your readers can understand it. Your writing skills can be good, bad, or indifferent, but you can be absolutely certain that if they can’t read you, you don’t stand a chance.

tools of the trade

While copywriting itself is as much an art as it is a science, luckily readability metrics are easy to calculate, simple to interpret, and they don’t lie. Most of us don’t use them, but we should. This is the minimum: how many of your readers can “get” what you are writing. Tools to determine this are readily available, free, and easy to use.

In Tools in Word, your spell checker will calculate some summary counts and averages, as well as two readability metrics if you check “Check readability statistics” in Spelling and Grammar Options. But it does the latter, so you have to go through all the spell checking first. Although maybe not such a bad idea…

Much more powerful, however, is an excellent free tool from Readability.info. This online resource calculates readability scores for Word files and entire websites in the blink of an eye. As they say, “By comparing the readability score of different documents (or web pages), you can better hone your writing and make sure you’re not creating sentences and paragraphs that are too complex for your audience.”

Specifically, the tool provides the following readability and associated metrics:

  • Readability indices
  • prize information
  • Word Usage Information
  • Prize starts

Another free tool that’s not as powerful but certainly useful (and you probably haven’t heard of it before) is Future Now Online. us-us calculator. No, it is not a urine test for illegal drugs! This nifty tool analyzes the words on your site to see if you’re talking mostly about your customers and their needs, or if you’re talking mostly about yourself.

We are quite proud of our businesses, products and services. But of course customers don’t care much about that (strange, isn’t it?). Rather, they are very interested in themselves and their own wants and needs. Future Now’s quick scan can help you adjust that balance. You will probably be surprised by the objective analysis.

Readability scores

This is a good time to review the various popular readability indices, all of which are calculated by the Readability.info tool. Some take a different approach or measure things a little differently, and in any case, everyone selects just a few favorites that they regularly trust. Are here:

Tea Automated Readability Index (ARI) is designed to measure the comprehensibility of a text. Like many of the other indices, its output is a rough representation of the US grade level needed to understand the text. Unlike the other indices, the ARI, along with the Coleman-Liau, is based on a factor of characters per word, rather than the usual syllables per word. Formula: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Readability_Index

Tea Coleman–Liau index was designed to measure the comprehensibility of a text. Like the ARI but unlike most other indices, the Coleman-Liau is based on characters rather than syllables per word. Although opinion varies on its accuracy compared to syllable/word and complex word indices, computer programs count characters more easily and accurately than syllables. Formula: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman-Liau_Index

Tea Flesch-Kincaid readability tests they are designed to indicate how difficult it is to understand a reading passage. There are two tests, the Flesch Reading Ease Index and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score. These are supposedly the same measures, just placed on a different scale, but the results of the two tests don’t always correlate closely. Formula: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch-Kincaid_Readability_Test

Tea Trigger fog index is a test that indicates the number of years of formal education a person requires to easily understand a text on first reading. That is, if a passage has a fog index of 12, it is at the reading level of a US high school student. The test was developed by Robert Gunning, an American businessman, in 1952. Texts that are designed to a wide audience generally require a Fog Index of less than 12. Formula: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunning-Fog_Index

Tea laesbarhedsindex The readability formula (LIX) is useful because it is simple and can be used in documents of any Western European language. The test calculates an index score for a text sample based on the length of the sentence and the number of long words (namely, words containing seven or more characters). Formula: [http://www.oleandersolutions.com/lix.html]

SMOG (Simple Measure Of Gobbledygook) is a widely used readability formula that estimates the years of education needed to understand a piece of writing. It produces an extraordinarily high correlation of 0.985 with the scores of readers who comprehended 100% of the exam materials. G. Harry McLaughlin invented it in 1969 as a more precise and easier to calculate substitute for the Gunning-Fog_Index. Formula:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMOG_%28Simple_Measure_Of_Gobbledygook%29

What is good?

A “good” score of course depends on your target audience, your chosen style (part of the brand), and what you intend to do. But there are some general rules. According to Future Now [2006] Referring to various published studies, an “ideal writing standard” might be the following:

  • No more than 4.25 characters per word.
  • No more than 5% passive voice.
  • No less than 80% readability.
  • A Flesch-Kincaid grade level between 4 and 65 (the sky’s the limit, it seems…)
  • A fog index above 13 puts you in the danger zone.

While the grade level seems arbitrary depending on who your target audience is, it should be said that the average bestseller is around grade level 4, newspapers around level 6, and business books 7-8. . Lower than you might have thought.

Of course, your audience can read at higher levels, but you want your message to be easy to read. If your readability scores seem way out of line with your audience’s skills, Future Now offers some strategies for making amends:

  • Rewrite passive sentences so that they become active sentences.
  • Eliminate unnecessary words like “the” or “a,” extraneous words like “it,” adjectives that don’t have significant impact, or anything that doesn’t help your message.
  • Replace 50 cent words with 5 cent words as long as the difference is not critical to your style or meaning.
  • Let your verbs do the work that you would otherwise assign to your adjectives.
  • Take the time to learn how your customers talk about your product or service so you can write to them in the language they actually use.

Just one piece of the puzzle

Obviously this is just a quick introduction to the topic. But taking a closer look at the content of your text quantitatively may yield some surprises, as well as hints at adjustments you may want to make. While there are strong guidelines, in general, there is no “good” or “bad” score, it all depends on what you want to achieve.

If you’re targeting the widest possible audience, then the lowest reasonable rating level is what you want. If this is a serious enough discussion for a B2B audience, then you may not want to simplify your content, but rather aim for a grade 8-10 level of understanding. It all depends.

Terms like “Behavioral Targeting Monetization” or even more complex ones may not appeal to readability programs, but you know you should use them in certain circumstances. “Metric” is a terribly useful word, but it’s not familiar to most people at first. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do: don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

And, of course, these numbers aren’t the only critical element in your writing: “Obviously, numbers alone can’t make you a good writer. Many other factors contribute to readable and understandable writing.” We could also add “cash” there.

These factors include not only what good copywriters do, but also things like font, size, color, placement, etc. etc.. in your presentation or website design. Even the day and time you send an email marketing message. There are many pieces to this puzzle and the more you know about each one, the better your chances of success!

References

Future Now. “Can your customers read what you write?” GrokDotCom Volume 139 09/15/06.
http://grokdotcom.com/Volumes/index.htm

“readability,” Wikipedia 03/10/06. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Readability

Relationship

the christmas robin

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The humble robin is a traditional symbol of Christmas in the UK, the colorful bird often depicted on our festive greeting cards and Christmas gift wrapping. We also use robin ornaments to decorate our Christmas trees and our Christmas cakes or chocolate logs. It is no wonder that we appreciate this beautiful and cheerful little bird as part of our Christmas festivities because it is so colorful and most other birds have migrated to warmer climates. And during our long, bleak winters, we are uplifted by hearing the joyful song of the festive robin.

However, there’s more to this jolly fellow than just cute Christmas cards of him posing in snow-covered mailboxes and nesting in old copper watering cans.

Robins live throughout Europe (except in the far north) and Western Siberia. We notice an increase in the number of robins in the UK during the winter months, as robins from colder climates move to warmer gathering areas for the winter during the autumn.

Robins that live in close proximity to people can become quite tame, especially to avid gardeners. Some cheeky robins have learned to take advantage of unearthed worms caused by gardeners digging and turning up the soil.

Robins have also been found to be able to fish. However, not for large fish, as the robin is only 14 cm long and weighs between 14 and 21 grams. Robins can float and dive for fish in shallow water.

Male robins are very territorial and sing to proclaim their territory, what sounds to us like a cheery winter song is actually an occupancy warning to other robins in the area. Robins will fight to defend their territory.

Robins mate and nest in late March. The female robin builds a nest of dry dead leaves and moss in tree crevices, wall cavities, or undergrowth.

Because robins don’t build traditional nests out of twigs and sticks, but simply line holes and cracks, that’s why we hear stories of robins nesting in old watering cans and wellies.

The female lays 4-6 small white to slightly blue speckled eggs which she incubates for 2 weeks.

At two weeks of age, robin chicks can fly. At this time, the parent robin feeds her offspring for another 3 weeks until the chicks become independent at about five weeks of age, meanwhile the female broods her second young.

Chicks are not born with the trademark vibrant red chest feathers. They shed their chick feathers to make way for their touch of red on their breasts.

Not many robin chicks get to show off their new red feathers with photo poses atop mailboxes or snow-covered pine trees because more than half of the chicks die in their first year.

However, robins can live to the ripe old age of 5 years, which is something to sing about.

So think of this festive little bird this Christmas because he works hard for a living. Maybe leave them some tasty Christmas treats at their bird table, some bacon rind, and a ball of stuffing. And maybe leave some old terracotta pots for a homeless female robin looking for a place to build her nest.

Health Fitness

The 5 X 5 Training Program

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Sometimes we all fall into a rut or get stuck and look for a rut to shake things up and jump start the gains. And often when this happens, guys start looking for the newest “hot” routine they see in a magazine. But more often than not, the answer lies not in what’s new and cool, but in what’s tried and true. If this is the case for you, you should definitely consider the 5×5 workout. It’s a proven, easily adaptable routine that’s great for both beginners and advanced trainers.

The basics of 5×5 are pretty simple: five reps and five sets of each exercise. You have a 90-second rest between sets and a three-minute rest between exercises if your goal is strength or a 90-second rest between exercises if your goal is size. You can also choose something in the middle – the choice is yours and entirely depends on what you hope to achieve.

Due to its intensity, powerlifters often use the 5×5 program for gains in both size and strength. It’s also an ideal training regimen for someone who has been lifting more reps for a while before starting a serious weightlifting program.

The basic 5×5 program can be performed as a split or full body routine. You can do a full body workout 2-3 times a week or you can alternate upper body one day and lower body the next or any other combination you like. Regardless of what you decide, you can maximize your results by focusing on compound exercises, which use multiple muscle groups, rather than isolation exercises that only target a single muscle.

To get the most out of 5×5, you should use the maximum weight you can lift. When you can do 5 sets of 5 with that weight, increase the weight by 5-10% until you can do 5 sets of 5 again, and so on. You can also increase the intensity by shortening the rest periods between sets and exercises.

Here are some sample routines (note: because the 5×5 program is intense, always make sure you do several warm-up sets before starting). Remember that the 5×5 routine is very adaptable, so think of combinations that work for you. However, in any case, keep your training to a maximum of one hour.

Full Body Workout:

This is a great full-body exercise that you can do three times a week:

Monday: bench press, incline row, squats, and deadlifts;

Wednesday: Dips, chin-ups, deadlifts, and hanging leg raises (only 2 sets of 5 reps for leg raises);

Friday: incline bench press, front squat, glute/hamstring raise; renegade rowing (with dumbbells or kettlebells) and saxon side bends;
Split Routines:

Here are a couple of good 5×5 split routines to get you started:

Split one:

Monday/Thursday: Bench Press, Incline Row, Barbell Curls, and Triceps Curls;

Wednesday/Friday: barbell squats, glute/hamstring kickback, seated calf raises, hanging leg raises;

Split Two: This is an advanced 6 days a week routine (Alternate A/B):

Monday/Thursday (chest/back): A) Incline bench press, wide-grip pull-ups (palms facing you), weighted rope crunches; B) Chest dips, one arm dumbbell rows, weighted lying leg raises;

Tuesday/Friday (shoulders/arms): A) Stand-up rowing; close grip bench press, preacher curl; B) Rear deltoid rows, tricep curls, incline hammer curls;

Wednesday/Saturday (legs): A) Squats, lying leg curls, calf raises; B) Leg press, stiff leg deadlift, calf press;

One of the things I love about the 5×5 is that it’s very customizable to meet your particular lifting goals. Since 5×5 has been around for so long, it’s easy to find plenty of proven routines for just about anyone: beginners, powerlifters, high-intensity trainers, and more. Because of its intensity, whether you’re doing a full-body workout, a split routine, or another modified version of the program, you should do the 5×5 program in a 12-week cycle. Work hard for 12 weeks and at the end of the cycle take a week or two out of the gym to give your body a chance to recover.

Particularly when it comes to bodybuilding, the answers to what we seek are not necessarily found by looking for the latest and greatest, but by looking back, learning from the wisdom and experience of the greats who have come before us. If you’re looking to make gains in both size and strength, and think you’re up for the challenge, then you might want to give the 5×5 workout a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Legal Law

Management: leadership is not just a plaque on the door

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For many, getting a new degree, a corner office, or more brass around the neck is seen as destiny. Often the transition, the right of way, and the plaque on the door become an open invitation or excuse to stop learning.

The truth about a promotion, if you are a Leader instead of a manager… is that the promotion is simply a new beginning that creates a whole new level of responsibility and opportunity. A serious student of business and leadership NEVER stops learning, asking questions and perfecting her craft.

Leadership is a trade, an art, and a noble occupation. For some it is a lifelong aspiration. For others, simply a path to their version of success.

My wife has a great saying: “Everyone wants a paycheck, but not everyone is willing to work!” In the realm of leadership, the correlation is “Everyone wants the title, but not everyone is willing to take responsibility.”

I have been lucky, my leadership career began more than 30 years ago. I have had great mentors, role models and coaches along the way. They all taught me their version of two extremely valuable lessons. First, never stop learning and second, never forget where you came from.

I can still vividly remember living paycheck to paycheck, buying generic pasta at the store and playing the ‘what bill am I not paying this week’ game. I think even though I’m past those days, I’m taking more time to think about how my decisions will affect staff, customers, and vendors. I do this because I feel a strong sense of responsibility and because those memories from 20 years ago are still alive today. I remember where I come from.

What are the memories that are alive in your past? What critical events have shaped the way you act and make decisions? Take a few minutes this week and think about your career, regardless of how long you’ve been in your leadership role. What types of leaders and managers have you worked with? What lessons, both good and bad, can you draw from those experiences? How can you incorporate them into your leadership style and improve your craft?

In fact, I learned some of my best leadership lessons from a competitor who thought employees were “a dime,” treated everyone poorly, and always did things the same way. He taught me a lot about how NOT to run a business.

Moving on to the subject of lifelong learning. All of the effective leaders I have been fortunate enough to meet and talk with consider themselves lifelong learners. Common traits include being voracious readers, serious students of world and business history, and can always be found talking to both peers and co-workers about ways to improve. They spend a lot of time looking for the next opportunity to grow themselves and their business.

If you are a newly promoted leader, welcome. If you are a veteran, take a step back and learn from those around you. Congratulations on the well-deserved and newly installed plaque on your door, don’t tarnish it with lousy skills.

Lifestyle Fashion

Signs of guilt and remorse after an affair

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I get a lot of mail from people who have recently found out about or are trying to deal effectively with their spouse’s affair. One of the biggest concerns that most of them have is if their spouse is truly sorry, remorseful and guilty for cheating on them. People who have been cheated on want very much to see remorse and signs of guilt in their spouse, because they think this indicates that the behavior will not be repeated and also allows for some empathy and motivation to do things right.

Therefore, people often ask me what kinds of things or signs they should look for when these things are present. I will describe some of the most common indicators of both guilt and remorse in the following article.

When a spouse feels guilty about cheating, they will often tell you repeatedly that they are sorry: It is true that actions in this situation are more important and revealing than words. However, many people who have been deceived want very sincere and repetitive pain terms. When dealing with someone who feels guilt and remorse, you will often hear repeated and sincere apologies.

Not only that, but they will often take this further and tell you exactly why they are sorry. So you’re not only getting “I’m sorry” but you’re also hearing things like “I’m so sorry I hurt you, betrayed you, and took you for granted like this. I know you’re so hurt and I feel like you’ll never be able to trust me again, but I can.” assure you that I will do everything in my power to make it up to you.”

Often when I say this to spouses, they respond by telling me that they don’t get this kind of apology, but they feel they want and need it very much. Many people will ask me if that means their spouse is not repentant or remorseful enough. He doesn’t have to mean this and he may not.

It is not uncommon for the cheating spouse to try to minimize or cover up the affair because they know that the consequences are very painful for everyone involved. To do this, they will shut up thinking that they are choosing not to rub more salt in the wound. In this situation, he will sometimes have to tell them very directly that he needs these things for his own healing. That said, it’s really the actions a person takes rather than the words he says that tell you what his motivations, intentions, and feelings really are, which brings me to my next point.

When a spouse feels remorseful about the affair, they will often go to great lengths to give you what you need to move on and take full responsibility: Hopefully, it goes without saying that people who feel the matter is their fault will quickly and decisively take responsibility for their own actions. This is very important. Many spouses who have cheated will avoid this “it’s all my fault” stance in an effort not to draw attention to their actions or themselves, but this strategy is almost always a mistake.

It is important to remember that the faithful spouse had done nothing wrong. Sure, the marriage probably wasn’t perfect. Few are. But only one person made the decision to be unfaithful to him. And, only one person is to blame and is responsible for this. While both people will need to work together to fix this bug, only one person took the action that set this all in motion.

A spouse who is truly guilty and remorseful about this will take full responsibility for their decisions and for fixing this. This may take a bit of persuasion or some heart-to-heart discussions, but at the end of the day, they need to realize that the healing process lies with them.

To that end, many remorse-fueled spouses will do whatever it takes to help you move on. They will offer guarantees. They will be recorded and held accountable. They will go to counseling if this is what you want. And they will be patient with all your questions and struggles because they know that they created this themselves. Again, if you don’t see this from your spouse, try telling him directly what you need and demanding to see if he will respond the way he needs.

A spouse who truly takes responsibility for the affair will help you rebuild your self-esteem: There is no doubt that finding out your spouse had an affair can change your world overnight. You doubt yourself in many ways. Sometimes, you don’t even feel like the same person. You wonder how you were so naive and worry that you are no longer attractive or desirable.

These doubts are very painful and destructive, and many people will intuitively know that in order to truly heal and move forward, they will need to address and overcome these things. A repentant spouse wants only the best for his or her partner. He puts his well-being above all else, so she will support his need to rebuild her self-esteem and his self-esteem.

Occasionally, the cheating spouse will tell me that they are worried that their spouse is getting better so they can go out and retaliate with their own cheating. This is rarely the case, and honestly, it’s in everyone’s best interest for both parties to be as emotionally healthy and safe as possible. Part of restoring confidence is believing that you are strong enough to handle whatever comes your way. And people who have been deeply hurt will often have work to do to get to this place.

That said, over time, you don’t want guilt and remorse to define and be the predominant emotions in your marriage. At the end of the day, you want to rebuild the marriage to a point where both people are happy and fulfilled rather than experiencing primarily negative emotions like guilt. But this is a process that will take time and will include many small steps before the process is complete.