How To Far Away From Glum

It's sometimes necessary to take steps that may seem to be rather strange. You might start, as an example, by making a list of all the great things that you have in your life. Such a list might include absolutely everything, from loved ones to ice cream that can currently be found within your freezer at home!

As I said, this may seem like a rather odd thing to do. So why is it something that you would even consider? The answer is that you should look to avoid the danger of assuming that all is going wrong in life. It may well be the case that improvements can be made, but it's unlikely that things are as bad as they first appear.

Once you start making the list, you'll discover that it's hard to stop a smile from forming on your lips. You'll consider great things in life and many of the reasons why you actually enjoy the daily routine. You'll certainly see that there's a lot to be happy about. This is a list that you should keep safe too.

You might, for instance, want to pin it on a message board. Alternatively, it could be attached to your fridge. Ideally, you'll want to place it somewhere that it can be seen every single day. Every time you look at the list, you'll be reminded of the fantastic elements of your life.

Escape From A Cycle Of Negativity

It's sometimes all too easy to feel like life isn't going as well as it should be. Minor niggles can develop into more significant issues, causing you to spend more time thinking about what's going wrong. The truth is, however, that you might feel better if you take a more positive attitude.

This could, of course, be said to be easy in theory. But the reality may be substantially different, causing you to question whether you can achieve the happiness that you seek. It's not a simple process to escape from a cycle of negativity and this is something that may concern you. How can you make the changes that are necessary in order to allow you to think in a different way?

Business and financial negotiating

Negotiating can serve as an effective mechanism for reducing costs and helping to improve cash flow almost immediately. For small businesses who do not want to engage in negotiations or do not have the negotiating skills to do so, outside help should be considered to fill this critical gap. The typical small business owner simply does not have the luxury of choosing from a long list of alternative business solutions to solve current economic and financial problems impacting them. They need real time solutions, and business negotiating is up to that task if given the chance.

It is certainly true that each business has a set of unique problems. This is one of the most critical factors to explain why each small business owner must assume responsibility for solving their own challenges rather than waiting for the outcome of an election or some other external event to resolve anything.  is a strategic solution that is available to all small businesses on a real-time basis. It is a here-and-now answer to a variety of business problems.

Negotiating strategies

Negotiating strategies can play an important role for small businesses seeking to dig their way out of a deep hole caused by a perfect storm of declining sales, increasing costs and decreasing commercial loans from banks. The ability to use financial negotiations to their advantage has been underused by small business owners for a variety of reasons. But the lack of alternative business solutions to address pressing problems has elevated the value of negotiating to a level not previously seen.

Business finance complications being experienced by small companies continue to be a problem for the entire economy. While banks have received an inordinate amount of government financial support to help banking institutions recover from an economic crisis that many would argue was caused by them, small businesses and individuals have been largely left to fend for themselves. A prudent use of effective negotiation is a key tool that each small business owner can use to help their company survive the difficult challenges still facing them.

Get To Print Brochures

The third step before you get to print brochures is to have a template. The template and the fold type are some of the most important parts to consider before printing a brochure. The template will be used for the proper positioning of the words, pictures, and everything that is printed on your brochure, while the fold gives the presentation. The template would depend on whatever type of fold you want for your brochure. Once you finalize the fold and the template of your brochure, it is time to personalize and match the template with your product. Fill in the necessary areas, especially if you choose to have the Tri fold or the Roll fold type of brochure with 4 or more panels.

When everything is all set, find the appropriate paper that will be used for the brochure. There are different kinds of paper that can be used for brochures. Glossy (a.k.a. shiny paper) is one of them. There are two kinds of glossy paper that you can choose from: the thicker one, similar to what printing companies use in magazine covers, and, the thin one, which is commonly used in magazine pages. Several light, non-glossy kinds can also be used, and these usually come out cheaper compared to glossy ones.

create a tag line

Next,  that suits the main feature, or the best quality, of a service that the product or the establishment offers. Choose a catch phrase that would make it stand out, in order to grab the people’s attention. Here is an example of how you can catch their attention: Let us say, you are selling a new model of a cellular phone that has a waterproof feature. Catch phrases that say “Call Me Underwater” and “Be Poseidon” are good ideas. Keep in mind that there are also some brochures that need to be more professional, while some may require a more mature content. These brochures are the ones that involve business, real-estate, hotel services, and the likes.

creating a brochure

In creating a brochure, you have to know its basic parts so you can come up with a cost-effective, successful tool for advertising. There are a lot of types of brochures that you can choose from. There are different sizes, colors, and even textures. Price range also differs, depending on the size of the brochure, the paper used, and so on. The brochure’s folds also play an important role on its appearance and overall impact.
The first step in making a brochure is to identify and understand your target market. When you already know your target market, it is easier to find appropriate colors and words to use, before you start to print brochures. Children usually favor the ones that are easy-to-read with lots of pictures, while adults would prefer those that are straightforward and informative ones. The usage of striking images and color tones can liven up the brochure, no matter what age group you are targeting.

Proving Statements

You will plant something with your lead and answer that on your closing line. The lead will help the client decide if they want to read the ad further. That means your ad is a success if its recipient get to the closing line part.

And that is the pressure that lies on the proving statements. Your clients have gone that far. But they still have the option to put the ad down if they find it full of crap. So do not fall on this trap. Let your proving statements prove that you have good products. Let it make a mark and leave a positive impression enough for the client to read all through the closing line.

Proving Statements
It is given that your clients are holding your ad. That means that they are not really expecting that you will say anything bad about your own business. You won’t use offset printing for your materials if you will only ruin them by your words.http://chinaprinting-image.com/

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry to everyone I've ever offended by making fun of their terrible grammar or spelling.  Why? .

Did you read it?  Are you done laughing?  Okay, well, although I agree that the letter is hilarious, the outcome of the note--in case you missed it, that would be toilets installed on India's trains--is monumental...at least to people with tiny bladders.  Anyone?  Anyone else out there?  I can't be the only one.

So again, I'm sorry.  Apparently you can get your point across without a good grasp of how to use words.

Note: This doesn't mean I'm going to stop making fun of people's terrible grammar or spelling.  Only when they're writing about toilets.

A part of my heart that's been dead for five years

Okay, so maybe I didn't actually use any of those words except the first one in my resignation, but trust me, the sentiment got across.  People keep asking me how I feel, and to be honest, it feels the same.  I should feel terrified (because I don't have another job lined up), excited (because the future is unknown), and relieved (because I've been wanting to do this for a long time).  But so far I just feel like I'm still going to work each day and still have a steady paycheck for the next two-ish weeks.  So, normal.

Deep down, though, where all of my secret thoughts are stored--to only be released when I write, because otherwise the words just don't come--I'm ecstatic.  A part of my heart that's been dead for five years, or at the very least in hibernation, is stirring.  It's about to come alive (or wake up...I really should have stuck to one metaphor) and it is terrifying and exciting and relieving. 

For the next few days, when I think about what I've accomplished, well, I don't even have to think.  I quit, yo.  These three little words are huge.

Sweet Words

I'm not a designer, nor can I think of a situation in my past, present, or near future when I would need to create Lorem Ipsum for anything.  So maybe I should be a bit ashamed to admit that I just spent five minutes generating dessert-related nonsense filler text using Cupcake Ipsum.  But I'm not.  Because Jelly lollipop ice cream cheesecake chocolate.  And Croissant candy canes caramels chocolate bar croissant cookie gummi bears. 

And also, I discovered a dessert I didn't know existed: faworki.  So it was totally worth my tim

Safe Word

For a construction site?  Sure.  For life?  No way.  Safety=safety.  That's it.

I could have remained at my job and been incredibly safe.  Now that I have no job, I'm terrified and unsure and feel anything but safe.  But I still think it was the right decision.  While it definitely could end up being the stupidest thing I've ever done, it could also end up being the best.  Had I stayed, I know for a fact it would not have been the best thing I've ever done.  So for me, risk=possibility.  And that's the most beautiful word I can think of right now.

Spelling Wrong Words

When I was younger, I couldn't spell the word privilege to save my life.  For whatever reason, I just couldn't learn the order of the letters.  I had to look it up every single time.  Finally, one day I decided to learn it, for once and for all, and I did.  It was simple, once I actually tried.

There's an epidemic of the privilege situation going on, and it spans the globe.  Working at a publishing company, I read a lot of proposals and descriptions of books claiming they were indispensable.  But they were actually indispensible.  The first few times I thought nothing of it, because I wasn't sure how to spell that word.  But then when I saw it written the other (right) way, I figured it was just another American/British English spelling difference.  So I looked it up, only to find that -ible doesn't even exist.

Since that revelation, I've come across the word countless times, and there was always a 60/40 split, wrong to right.  So now I'm just stumped.  Is this all a big conspiracy to get me to think I'm spelling the word correctly but really I'm wrong?  Or are entire countries unaware of the word's proper spelling?  Honestly I'm not sure which it is.

special instructions for a "Tall Exit."

On a recent flight, the annoying teenage girl in front of me was looking at the safety information card that can be found in the seat pocket in front of you.  I glanced at it and saw what I thought were special instructions for a "Tall Exit."  At once amused and outraged, I pulled out my own card and looked at it again.  Then I snapped a picture of it, thinking, Wow, so now tall people can't even escape from a plane the normal way?

That's why I love the written word.  You can read something over and over again and it may not be until the third time that you finally get it.  When it's written down, you have time to mull it over to make sure you're understanding the message, which you don't always have a chance to do with spoken conversations.  That's also why I never liked text messages.  There's still plenty of opportunity for misunderstanding, but the immediacy encourages you not to think about things first.  Then of course you have the results of the miscommunication right there in front of you to read over again.  And again.

Why You Can Not Find What You Need

Sometimes I wonder if, by immediately discounting anyone who misspells obvious words, I'm missing out on something.  For example, what if this is actually the best apartment in the city?

Then I think, Do I really want to rent from someone who can't even get such a small thing right?

(The answer is no, in case there was any doubt.)

Grammatically Incorrect Words

In years past, I may have delighted in today's holiday, smug in the knowledge that even if I sometimes break grammar rules, I almost always know them.  I may have felt a little sad for the future, acknowledging that writing the possessive its with the apostrophe is becoming so common that it may soon become acceptable (I mean, I hope it doesn't, but you never know).

But this year I've decided not to gloat about the fact that I understand when to use "your" and "you're."  I've decided not to write about funny grammatical errors other have made.  Instead, I'm celebrating by remembering that, while fairly important (at least to me), proper grammar isn't everything.

Tomorrow, I will go back to making fun of people who can't distinguish between a comma and a period.  Today, I will just wish you a happy National Grammar Day.

I like our langue

You always read about people who've taken a creative, bold, and usually seemingly silly approach to getting hired and ultimately reaching their goals, and you think, Well, sure, it worked for this guy/gal, but that's the exception.  I don't really feel like an exception.  (Maybe you don't think exactly that because you don't use the word "gal," but you get the idea.)

But these days, these acts of "nonconformity," if you want to call them that, are actually so abundant that they've almost become the norm.  So why haven't I done something like it yet?  Why haven't I written a letter like this one (that, in 1934, probably was a little more unique)?

I guess it's because I feel like these ploys are gimmicky, and I shouldn't have to stoop so low as to stand out based on my tactic.  I should be successful based purely on my talent. 

Of course, there's the argument that people who come up with these tactics are obviously creative and talented.  And then also the one about who cares how you were discovered, because in the end the important thing is that you were

Up and more, That's all

My nephew is taking his time learning to speak, so he doesn't say too much yet, though he has his own versions of lots of words--like "help," and "apple," and "birthday," which don't sound anything like the actual words and therefore can only be interpreted by his family.  But for months, he's been saying 2 things very clearly.  He says "up" out loud, and he knows how to say "more" in sign language.

Up and more.  That's all.  It doesn't seem like much, but my nephew has taught me that these words have so many shades of meaning.  You want to be closer to something, or see something?  Up.  You want to keep eating, or you want to see something funny again?  More. You want to gain the perspective of those around you?  Up.  You don't want to leave the people you're with?  More.  You just want to be held?  Up.  You just want to be loved?

Perfect Day Publishing

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of Amazon opinions, I think you have to be at least a little impressed by a certain small press that abstains from using the retail giant.

I had never heard of Perfect Day Publishing until I read about one of its products, Love is Not Constantly Wondering If You Are Making the Biggest Mistake of Your Life, in a Slate article. From the description, I knew immediately I would buy the book.  What I didn't know was that I would get a personalized email letting me know my order would be delayed because they needed to print more books.  I also didn't know I'd get another personalized email explaining how they had to hand-weigh the packages in the shipment so they might have made a mistake on the postage to the tune of -20 cents.  I didn't know when the book arrived, my address would be hand-written, or that I would also receive a stapled copy of A Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek: The Next Generation, written by a 7th grader.

Murakami

I've never read anything by Murakami before, so I don't know if the sprawling, sometimes tedious narrative including minor characters that seem to contribute very little to the plot, repetitiveness indicating a lack of confidence in readers' attention, or fixation on breasts are trademarks of this author's style. I do know that as a writer, a reader, and a lover of parallel universes, these complaints weren't enough to ruin the story for me.  If you're any of the three, I'd suggest you give the book a try.

But what was most interesting to me as I read the book was the ever apparent truth that it was a translation.  Every time I reached a passage that didn't flow properly or a sentence that didn't quite make sense, I questioned whether it was Murakami's writing that made it so or simply a lack of proper English equivalent.  Most fascinating to me was the use of, "I wonder."  Used repeatedly as a kind of substitute (I assume) for "Hmm," or "I don't know," the phrase really grew on me by the end of the 900+ pages. When a character said something another character didn't understand or couldn't answer, he didn't shrug it off with, "I don't know."  He left it open for future discussion with, "I wonder."  I'm sure it's a result of the translator choosing the words closest to the actual Japanese expression, but I found myself asking whether our real life plots might go further if we switched to that phrase in our own conversations.  I wonder

Chinese Have 4 Distinct Tones

In taking Chinese lessons, it's becomming very clear to me that I have a limited range to my voice. In English, what this means is that I am able to say sarcastic things and people have no idea whether I'm serious.  In Chinese, this means I can't pronounce the words correctly.

To properly speak Chinese, you need to clearly distinguish between the different tones (there are 4 distinct tones) in order to convey the word you're trying to say.  If you use the wrong tone, you could be saying something else completely.

This truth is causing me trouble because I don't have a natural rise and fall to my voice.  But it also makes me really curious about sarcasm in Chinese.  Do they have it?  Since the tone of voice is typically what marks it, it would seem that it's impossible to use it in a tonal language.

If that's the case, then people must be so much more sincere.  They must not be able to say, "I'm fine," in a flat tone when they really don't mean it.  They must be more honest with each other.

Then again, there are probably ways to bend the truth in every language.

Formulaic Words For English

There was a trending hashtag today on Twitter for notebook. As someone who once wrote something that got published in the NYTimes, I found it especially hilarious.

My suggested title for my essay, "Winnie the Pooh and Baggage, Too," was clearly not right for that publication, but the title it was actually published under, "Fuzzy, Purple and Full of Thorns," didn't seem right for the essay (not that I'm complaining, considering I was ecstatic to have a piece in the newspaper at all.  They could have called it "Not Worth Your Time to Read" and I still wouldn't have complained).

What's so interesting to me about the hashtag and its popularity is that, while the exercise poked fun at the obvious stylistic pattern of the headlines, it was at the same time a nod of appreciation. That the New York Times has a style so recognizable can only be a good thing.  It calls to mind what they say about the media: there's no such thing as bad publicity. Writing style may be the same way.

I'm not suggesting some writing styles aren't subjectively (and even possibly objectively) better than others. I am, however, noticing that authors with a very distinct style tend to be more popular.  Whether you want to praise a writing style or disparage it, you are still talking about it.  It's an idea that these days, for better or for worse, seems to be even more crucial for writers to consider.  I'm not necessarily alluding to a certain book with a neutral color in its title, but if I am, I'm still giving it extra attention, so its author must be doing something right.