Posted on August 28, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

There are many things they don’t teach you in kindergarten, things which you come by on your own. For example, you duck_dodge when someone starts firing, or run for help the moment a man tries to make meatballs out of you with an ax. You know enough not to talk loudly when the boss is having a headache, or invite him to your son’s piano recital. Without being told by anyone, you understand what a passport wallet is for and why males, from your son to your father and even up to your sometime-lover, prefer leather wallets above all. Naturally, you also know that “fuck” is not the nicest of words, and you should try not to use it before the kids, at work, and polite company.

Believe it or not, however, there are books that have fuck in them. Just what their authors, editors, and publishers were thinking, we would never know. Perhaps “fuck” is a good marketing tool for drawing attention? Find out as you read on.

1. The Fuck-up

If you enjoyed Broadway’s Rent, then you would be amused by this book. It’s short and tells a story well. Arthur Nersesian engages readers as a man whose life is a series of fuck-ups.

2. The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports

If you’re Kevin L. Donihe and you love sports almost as much as you love swearing, what do you do? Why, write The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports, of course! This book is sure to be a hilarious read. Donihe speaks in a voice that is both witty and deranged.

3. Fuck a Hippie… But Be a Punk

More pamphlet than a book, this one goes for $25 over at Amazon.com. I have no idea what it contains, except that it was published by Glass Eye Books in 2001, and is probably entertaining enough to warrant the waste of paper.

4. You Don’t Have to Fuck People Over to Survive

This volume is a collection of comic strips, images, and visual history that are both deeply personal and undeniably political at the same time. Seth Tobocman takes a stand on complex relationships and the world of mobs, bastards, bohemians, and bosses.

5. English as a Second F*cking Language: How to Swear Effectively, Explained in Detail with Numerous Examples Taken From Everyday Life

This book discusses the grammar of swearing. Who knew there was a grammatical way to cuss the loss of men’s wallets, for example? But seriously, this book is a good guide to someone who is just learning to communicate in English and can’t swear too well. At least not yet.

What are you waiting for? Go grab a good read about fuck.

Posted on August 27, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

We have become a generation that values the quick and the instant. We live in a hectic, driven, 24/7-society full of power-walking, power-talking workaholics - where even Madonna sleeps with a BlackBerry hidden under her pillow and everyone else tries to cram 31 hours of work into a 24-hour work day. We try to rise to the top by putting in longer hours, eating and drinking faster than anyone else, and buying everything in bulk from diapers and Cross pen sets to condiments and dog food. Full throttle is how we like it because by speeding our motions up, we think we can get more done.

Quite ironically, experts are saying differently. They think lowering one’s work tempo actually makes you more productive. How could this happen? The more you speed your motion up, the more wear and tear your cardiovascular system endures. You put your immune system and your long-term health in general at risk. This is why it’s important to slow down. By slowing down, you give your body time to recover from stress and the frenetic work-out it’s been through. Moreover, multi-tasking - which is essentially switching back and forth between tasks - is more likely to distract you, thereby slowing you down. Better work, not longer hours, is what bosses are after.

So, how do you make yourself more productive?

1. Go workplace slow. Take your time speaking, smiling, and interacting with your colleagues.

2. Do only one task at a time.

3. When you fall short of a deadline, do not run around shrieking, “This was due yesterday.” Rather, sit down, inform your boss the task took longer than you thought it would, and then get to work finishing what you can.

4. Stop automatically equating minutes worked to dollars earned; put that money clip wallet down! Worrying about your finances while you do your work is not likely to help you finish your work quicker.

5. Focus and organize. Take 10 minutes of each day to plan. Grab a Cross Pen and write down what you need to finish for the day and how you plan to accomplish these.

Remember, just because some supermarkets are open 24/7 doesn’t mean you have to work the same hours as well. To be more productive, you don’t have to work faster than the speed of light. Don’t work harder; work smarter.

Posted on August 20, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

Defensive driving has become a popular sector of the education market in many states with Texas and Florida leading the surge. Training companies have sprung up like weeds since several States began to encourage drivers who had been ticketed, to attend defensive driving classes. In many areas, you can trade your ticket for class time. The result is you learn in school and get that ticket cancelled from your record. More and more of these ticket academies even offer internet defensive driving classes.

Ticket income is a major cash cow for most states. To give a share of this up in exchange for education indicates the schools really work. There has been mounting pressure for more and better driver education for two primary reasons. The death rate from automobile accidents has gotten out of control … especially in the under 25 age group. These deaths and the accompanying collision costs, are putting a big dent in insurance companies profitability as well as their ability to provide affordable insurance.

If you have had your license for anything more than a month, you already know what kind of foolishness goes on out on the road. Let’s be honest… you are really good at seeing other people do stupid things, so this article isn’t about whether you know right from wrong, is it? The goal is to remember what’s right and correct it, when it’s our turn to do something stupid.

The key to achievement in any pursuit, is to adopt an attitude of pride. Are you proud of your driving skills? Like many other things in life, defensive driving is a matter of your attitude.

Driving a car is the closest most of us will ever come to flight under our own power. Just step on that gas and go, go, go. It’s easy to get carried away and some of us forget there are others out there on the road with us.

Do you want to stay health and out of a wheelchair or alive for that matter. Then realize that a certain percentage of the drivers who you share the road with are dangerous. This simple awareness, can convert you into a defensive driver immediately.

For you to make that transition from amateur to pro easily and quickly, you simply need to admit that bad drivers… possibly including you… represent a real threat to your health and wellbeing. Not to put too dramatic a point on this, but the risks are quite genuine and very much include that line between life and death.

If you understand this, then you are a good driver or well on your way to becoming one. Watch everything and everyone around you, from the time you turn the key to when you park at the end of the trip. Safe drivers live longer and spend a lot less money on insurance premiums… two admirable goals to achieve, wouldn’t you agree? Could it be that Texas defensive driving courses help here?

Posted on August 14, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

success secrets
Everybody is uncompleted and it is primarily by way of self improvement|personal development|success secrets and personal growth,success secrets|personal growth|self development[/spin]that we can complete ourselves as well as grow ourselves to the success that we dream for; thus, we should always work on self enhancement, whether your job calls for it or not. People who practice meditation want to succeed in reaching an outlook in which their bodies are serene as well as focused, for the reason that it deepens mental and emotional concentration, focus and also awareness; no doubts about it, it is really a very good self development idea.

online classes
With more and more of us in society looking to make more out of our lives, we see that there is a remarkable and continued rise in the adult distance education. We are all recognising that we need to use goal setting and self improvement if we are to rise above mediocrity and achieve great things in life. There are many and various components involved in the personal growth movement and all you need do is to find out what the focus is in your life and use the resources to move forward starting today.

Continuing education is one effective way for self improvement. Through study, you are able to learn some important skills, knowledge that are very essential for life and living. That is the reason why many are enrolling to some learning program even if those who can not afford to go to schools– online learning is there alternative.

The rise in the availability of online classesare really a great thing when you consider that someone could be living in somewhere such as India could be working towards studying a degree from a university in a place such a California. It is the rise in the availability of distance learning facilities that have made this at all possible. Largely we can thank the widespread use of the internet that has been a major enabler as for that the internet is a great thing for people the world all over.

adult distance education
If you want to enroll for a particular course but not available in your locality– worry not! The Internet provides lots of online courses that you can choose from. Many educational institution have brought their courses online to cater the demands of those individuals who want to earn a degree but have boundaries as their constraints. E-learning, also known as electronic distance learning is the answer to this problem. Programs like this is available anytime, anywhere, 24/7, as long as you have a computer, and of course, with Internet connections.

Posted on July 26, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

Video Production
Streaming Video and videos of all types and flavors have arrived. Gone are the days of choppy frames and blurry images. What was once a novelty is now the expected on web sites and in other formats from online training to cell phone capability. Yet many corporations have been caught by surprise. The public is demanding and many companies are trying to meet that demand.

First let us review just a bit of the evidence.

Organizations like You Tube have demonstrated it’s mass appeal to the public which increasing prefer to view a high impact video as opposed to clicking through and reading static material and viewing material be it on web sites of at trade shows. The publics craving for video is for good reason. Columbia University has been cited in one of their studies as showing that a web site with a high quality video will lock the publics attention at a rate of five to one over static sites. An added benefit is the viewers retention rate is 150% greater than when viewing static images and reading materials. The final statistic which is awe inspiring to any marketing and sales group is a business has an 80% more likelihood of its target audience purchasing companies product when presented in video form. Pretty convincing.

Streaming video and video productions are offering the smaller to medium size companies an opportunity to challenge larger companies that in the past have simply outgunned them. This new medium in terms of application has become a great equalizer especially if a large competitor is sleeping at the switch regarding the power of video.

Video Production Company
The smaller to mediums size companies are now having their needs fulfilled for streaming video, training videos, corporate videos, video productions for electronic press releases and marketing campaigns, and video editing services provided by full service video production and editing services companies. They have found that by working with the one stop shopping video production companies that the process is simplier, and doable at a price they can afford..

Video Production
The process typically will involve a team which will help them go from script to screen leaving no loose ends. They need no technical knowledge and are quick to catch on in taking the suggestions of what works and what does not work in the world of video production by such companies. They are taking comfort in not having to deal with a number of disparate entities in putting a project together. This has allowed them to make up for their inability in the past to match with the larger companies internal infrastructure of employees who were busily moving their marketing effort forward and overwhelming them with sheer force of numbers and of course those big dollars.

The equalizer is here and it is called the use of video production for one and all.

Good luck.

Posted on July 26, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

There are tools that can be used to increase your marketing reach. They are a combination of video productions, streaming videos for your web sites, Tradeshow Booth, and video marketing. Usually just one video need be produced but can be used on each leg of your marketing chair.

Let’s review a typical approach taken by most businesses in their marketing efforts. They will feature a product or a service on their webs site, Attend a trade show using large format graphics and signage for branding, and send out printed material or brochures. What is not noticeable is the common denominator between all three approaches which is that they are all what is what is now termed “Static” In the end it is simply material which must be read. The only difference is how and where it is read.

In all three attempts at marketing one might note that each has to be created from the ground floor up and with that process go the attendant costs in materials, labor, and time. There are further inefficiencies that marketing manager must face. The life span of a trade show message is limited to the number of days of the trade show. How many people actually visit the Tradeshow Booth? How much of the message will the customer really remember in the buzzing about of the trade show atmosphere? Another example might be the some of the pitfalls of printed material for marketing. Is it getting to the right person? How long will it be kept? How easily can or will it be passed on?

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? There is and it is called Regenerative marketing, a three pronged approach to extend your reach and stretch your dollar.

What exactly is regenerative marketing? Regenerative marketing has evolved from the combination of 3 very powerful marketing tools:
Tradeshow Booth and the use of Video
Your internet website, Streaming video
Marketing Campaigns featuring Trade Show Videos

Step 1. Video shows your business in the best possible light, with streaming images of the home office, staff, production, examples of a new product or service in use, testimonials, or even an interview with a company principal sharing the vision of the future and the benefits of doing business with you to mention only a few.

Step 2 .Video adds the element of motion. Well created video production uses movement, sound, color, and creative editing. These elements are a primary factor in attracting attention from passing traffic. Prospective clients eyes can’t help but to follow the bouncing ball.

Step 3. Using a Video with your Tradeshow Booth gives you an extra salesperson in your booth. A salesperson who gives the same, “perfect presentation”, every time. You can be distracted talking to a prospect and miss other potential customers while engaged in conversation. Video permits exposure to traffic in multiple numbers as they walk by, and creates more opportunity for questions and comments that your sales people can take advantage of.

Booth Videos
This approach will allow you to use the same video production to take the company’s focal point, as used in the tradeshow(s), and making it available to anyone who visits the company website, And , Or, have prospects directed there by means such as company sales reps, e-mail campaigns, postcard flyers, electronic press releases, etc. The final result will be thousands of more opportunities to expose new prospects to your primary marketing message, and as a bonus, have them see you as even bigger and more polished than your competition.

Companies have already begun to use these techniques. Don’t be late!!

Good Luck!!!

Posted on July 25, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

Video Sales
Far too many exhibitors are happy to use the me too marketing approach. With shows that attract hundreds or even thousands of exhibitors, there are very few that seem to stand out from the crowd. Most companies that exhibit at tradeshows do so in the form of the industry standard, namely, get a booth, set up a trade show display, print some graphics for the back wall, and hope that the staff working the booth are engaging enough to catch the attendees attention and effectively communicate the main message for the show, etc, etc, etc.

Video Marketing
First, your company can put its best foot forward in a totally controlled manner through the process of video revising because the video is shot before the show itself with images of the home office, examples of a new product or service in use, or even an interview with a company principal sharing the vision of the future and the benefits of doing business with you.

Next comes the question of motion and sizzle. Well developed video production uses movement, sound, color, and creative editing. These elements are a primary factor in grabbing attention from passing traffic.

Third, it provides what one might call the perfect salesperson and qualifier for your booth. It can literally serve as an extra sales representative. Think in terms of the “perfect presentation”, every time. A presentation made in the same way, same style, same information, as you originally created it every time.

Regenerative Marketing.

Video Streaming
A new concept has been developed. What regenerative marketing does is convert the trade show booths video content to streaming video and placing it in a predominant position on the company website. Simply put, it is the ability to take the company’s primary message, as used in the tradeshow(s), and make it available to anyone who either on their own, visits the company website, or is directed there by any means such as company sales reps, e-mail campaigns, postcard flyers, etc. Thousands more opportunities to expose new prospects to your primary marketing message, and as a bonus, have them see you as even bigger and more polished than you competition.

The “We Were There” sizzle on the web site shows your web viewers that you are an active company. Informs attendees of the previous show that they “may have missed you and should put you on their calendar for the next show. There is nothing more dynamic than showing a company active and a player through of motion, sound and color and your message is available 24/7, 365 days a year. The trade show and web site become integrated and completely seamless.

Posted on July 24, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

Here are some pointers for getting started with homeschooling:

* Find your state’s homeschool group. You can do this online easily by typing in your state and the keyword “homeschooling” at your favorite search engine. Then go to your state listing. You can usually find many different sites that will offer this information for you.

* Find your local support group for parents of home schooled kids. Such groups will help you to get advice from other parents and is a great place to find like minded people to share your concerns etc.

* Know the laws in your state about homeschooling. If you have questions, arrange for an evaluation with your local school board so that you can verify that your son or daughter is approved for homeschooling. They will also check for a proposal from you about homeschooling your child

* Get any magazines, books and/or other supplies that you will need in order for you to have steady resources on hand to offer tips etc.

When it comes to the homeschooling of your kids, there are quite a few factors that play into not just what you will do about it, but also how you will make sure that you are approved to do it. Like everything else, this is a process. Many people have questions that they need to answer about homeschooling. As the parent/teacher of your child, you must do the following to get started with homeschooling:

* Develop your homeschooling curriculum that is both approved by the school board or state, as well as meeting your ability to teach.

* Arrange a meeting with the school board or state education officials so that they can offer you any help with tutors etc. that are approved. You will also be presenting your proposal at this meeting.

* Get information about and register for evaluations with your school board or state to make sure that your child is meeting with the approved standards in your area.

* Get yourself certified to teach your child

* Create a homeschooling proposal for what you are planning to teach your child and how you plan to go about it.

It’s always good for parent and child to have a shared interest. Face painting is an excellent hobby. I’ve yet to meet a child who does not like having their face painted, or their hand or arm. And the older child can learn to face paint too. It’s a great way to express creativity. Face painting designs are suitable for so many occasions, not just Halloween. Think themed birthday parties, Christmas, 4th July etc.
Find out more
Face painting instructions
Face painting pictures
face painting ideas

Posted on July 11, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

PR is a business science that faces an accelerated evolution. Bozidar Novak, the founder of SPEM Communication group is one of the communication experts that pushes business of strategic communications on the top of agenda of many big companies. To put it simply, in the past the Public Relations agencies did 80% of their work directly managing contacts with media and supplying them stories, nowadays well over 50% of expert communication consultancy time goes to educating and leading the top management of the client.

Every company has to take ongoing efforts to build sustainable image within the array of different stakeholders. Public Relations people like Bozidar Novak have are in a role of strategic partners with client’s executive board, making client’s life easier once a crisis situation happens. They are needed as prevention experts more than for cleaning up after the crisis already occurred. We should all remember that there is that small, repeatedly overlooked word in the term “Public Relations”, a word called Relations!

Therefore Bozidar Novak suggests that Public Relations need to be a self-understanding and all present part of each strategically oriented company, especially if the company quotes on stock market. The reputation has a “best before” date, and this date is just before the crisis happens. There is too much on stake for a responsible company to gamble with its international image, and there are good financial reasons why not to do it as well. A lack of clearly managed Public Relations function within a company is worse than having no PR function at all, especially in times of crisis. The consequences of not having communication experts on board are extremely unpleasant.

Bozidar Novak SPEM witnessed many bad communication decisions that ruined the reputation of some successful companies worldwide. If perception oriented company loses its reputation, it loses all – Bozidar Novak “Crisis communications 2000″. Bozidar Novak spent over 20 years as strategic communication consultant in the Adriatic region.

Posted on July 10, 2008 in Education and Training by No Comments »

Why do you need an executive producer for a web site short streaming video, a trhity

Video Shoots
The executive producer is in truth the nexus, the key player in a command and control center of any video production be it streaming video for a web site, infomercials, a sales and marketing, broadcast, corporate, or training video. This is the person who will provide you with the logistics and other ancillary services necessary to keep the production on track and prevent cost overruns or nasty surprises. For example in some companies it is the executive producer who will provide help in script writing, compilation of shot sheets, selection of talent if necessary and very importantly the choosing of the proper camera crew to shoot your video be it on a location of your choosing or using staging facilities. Working closely with the executive producer can mean all the difference in the world in the creation of a prosperous video production. It is important that you feel comfortable with the executive producer so that you are confident\secure in their suggestions and observation.

Video Shoots
But let’s dig a bit deeper into the nuts and bolts of the and wherefores of the world of executive production as it applies directly to you. You should establish a good relationship as soon as possible. It is after all the executive producer who will ultimately come up with the cost of your video. A good idea is to start early in the process. When asking for a quote from a video production house insist that that the executive producer be in on what your requirements from the very beginning of the bidding process. They can help you not only in the area of proper pricing but can make suggestions early on that might be a price saver for you. Use their expertise to your advantage.

Video Marketing
As we drill down further we see that the strength of a good executive producer lies in their contacts and their being well respected in their field by people in the industry. It is in assembling a proper team with all the right players that is but one of the ingredients in a good executive producer. Remember that a good video production is an art form and art of any type is about people who know, respect and want to work with those people that meet their standards. “Birds of a feather” as it were.

The logistics are the next area where the executive producer can help you realize a strong cost savings. First a realistic schedule has to be established. This requires vision, not only in line of sight but often over the horizon. Scripts, camera crews, talent, creative producers editing time, post production reviews must be planned out in advance. A competent executive producer will give you a plan in advance and on paper to show how the schedule will be met. This schedule should be shown to you on as day by day breakdown of activities.

Remember that while creative directors provide the sizzle it is the Executive Producer makes it all possible.

Good luck.

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