"The beauty of goodness" - Reading notes for Les Miserables

"The beauty of goodness"

Mademoiselle Baptistine was a long, pale, thin, gentle creature; she realized the ideal expressed by the word "respectable"; for it seems that a woman must needs be a mother in order to be venerable.She had never been pretty; her whole life, which had been nothing but a succession of holy deeds, had finally conferred upon her a sort of pallor and transparency; and as she advanced in years she had acquired what may be called the beauty of goodness. What had been leanness in her youth had become transparency in her maturity; and this diaphaneity allowed the angel to be seen.

She was a soul rather than a virgin. Her person seemed made of a shadow; there was hardly sufficient body to provide for sex; a little matter enclosing a light; large eyes forever drooping;-- a mere pretext for a soul's remaining on the earth.

How to Be a Good Listener

Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf. - Native American Proverb

Listening is an essential part of communication, and it is different from hearing. Being a good and patient listener helps you not only solve many problems at work or home, but also to see the world through the eyes of others, thereby opening your understanding and enhancing your capacity for empathy. Besides which, you learn a lot from listening. As deceptively simple as listening to and acknowledging other people may seem, doing it well, particularly when disagreements arise, takes sincere effort and lots of practice.

The complete artical is HERE

带桃花的诗词

风雨看舟前落花戏为新句
唐 杜 甫
江上人家桃树枝，春寒细雨入疏篱。
影遭碧水潜勾引，风妒红花却倒吹。
吹花困懒旁舟楫，水光风力俱相怯。
赤僧轻薄遮入怀，珍重分明不来接。
湿久飞迟半欲高，萦沙惹草细于毛。
蜜蜂蝴喋生情性，偷眼晴蜓避百劳。

晚 桃 花
唐 白居易
一要红桃桠拂池，竹遮松荫晚开时。
非因斜日无由见，不是闲人岂得知？
寒地生材遗较易，贫家养女嫁常迟。
春深欲落谁怜惜，白侍郎来折一枝。

四月九日幽谷见绯桃盛开
宋 欧阳修
经年种花满幽谷，花开不暇把一卮。
人生此事尚难必，况欲功名书鼎彝。
深红浅紫看虽好，颜色不耐东风吹。
绯桃一树独后发，意若待我留芳菲。
清香嫩蕊含不吐，日日怪我来何迟。
无情草木不解语，向我有意偏依依。
群芳落尽始烂熳，荣枯不与众艳随。
含花意厚何以报，唯有醉倒花东西。
盛开比落犹数日，清樽沿可三四携。

岁岁年年花相似，年年岁岁人不同。春风有意艳桃花，桃花无意惹诗情！

《再游玄都观绝句》：百亩庭中半是苔，桃花净尽菜花开。种桃道士归何处？前度刘郎今又来。

桃之夭夭，灼灼其华。
之子于归，宜其室家。
桃之夭夭，有蕡其实。
之子于归，宜其家室。
桃之夭夭，其叶蓁蓁。
之子于归，宜其家人。

桃花庵 明 · 唐伯虎


桃花坞里桃花庵，桃花庵里桃花仙；桃花仙人种桃树，又摘桃花换酒钱。
酒醒只在花前坐，酒醉还来花下眠；半醒半醉日复日，花落花开年复年。
但愿老死花酒间，不愿鞠躬车马前；车尘马足贵者趣，酒盏花枝贫者缘。
若将富贵比贫贱，一在平地一在天；若将贫贱比车马，他得驱驰我得闲。
世人笑我太疯癫，我笑世人看不穿；不见五陵豪杰墓，无花无酒锄作田。

桃 花 令
桃花帘外春意暖， 桃花帘内晨妆懒。
帘外桃花帘内人， 人与桃花隔不远。

桃花帘外开依旧， 帘中人比桃花秀。
花解怜人弄清柔， 隔帘折枝风吹透。

风透湘帘花满庭， 庭前春色自多情。
闲苔院落门空掩， 斜日栏杆人自凭。

凭栏人向东风倚， 茜裙偷傍桃花立。
桃花落叶乱纷纷， 花绽新红叶凝碧。

胭脂鲜艳何相类， 花之颜色人之媚。
若将人面比桃花， 面自桃红花自美。



去年今日此门中，人面桃花相映红。
人面不知何处去，桃花依旧笑春风。
——唐.崔护：《题城南庄》

肠断春江欲尽头，杖立徐步立芳洲。
癫狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流。
——唐.杜甫：《绝句漫兴》

满树和娇烂漫红，万枝丹彩灼春融。
何当结作千年实，将示人间造化工。
——唐.吴融：《桃花》

小桃西望那人家，出树香梢几树花。
只恐东风能作恶，乱红如雨坠窗纱。
——宋.刘敞：《桃花》

二月春归风雨天，碧桃花下感流年。
残红尚有三千树，不及初开一朵鲜。
——清.袁枚：《题桃树》
百叶双桃晚更红，窥窗映竹见珍珑。
应知吏侍归天上，故伴仙郎宿禁中。
唐 韩愈《题百叶桃花》
江上人家桃树枝，春寒细雨出疏篱。
影遭碧水潜勾引，风妒红花却倒吹。
唐 杜甫《风雨看舟前落花绝句》

千叶桃花胜百花，孤荣春软驻年华。
若教避俗秦人见，知向河源旧侣夸。
唐 杨凭《千叶桃花》

桃花春色暖先开，明媚谁人不看来。
可惜狂风吹落后，殷红片片点莓苔。
唐 周朴《桃花》

寻得桃源好避秦，桃红又见一年春。
花飞莫遣随流水，怕有渔郎来问津。
宋 谢枋得《庆全庵桃花》

桃源只在镜湖中，影落清波十里红。
自别西川海棠后，初将烂醉答春风。
宋 陆游《泛舟观桃花》


桃花春水生，白石今出没。
摇荡女萝枝，半摇青天月。
唐 李白《忆秋浦桃花旧游》

桃花浅深处，似匀深浅妆。
春风助肠断，吹落白衣裳。
唐 元稹《桃花》

风暖仙源里，春和水国中。
流莺应见落，舞蝶未知空。
唐 齐己《桃花》

争花不待叶，密缀欲无条。
傍沼人窥鉴，惊鱼水溅桥。
宋 苏轼《桃花》

What is Trojan horse?

A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer.
The term comes from the a Greek story of the Trojan War, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.
Trojan horses are broken down in classification based on how they breach systems and the damage they cause. The seven main types of Trojan horses are:
Remote Access Trojans
Data Sending Trojans
Destructive Trojans
Proxy Trojans
FTP Trojans
security software disabler Trojans
denial-of-service attack (DoS) Trojans
Also see The Difference Between a Virus, Worm and Trojan Horse in the Did You Know? section of Webopedia.

250 Things You Wish You Know That Will Guarantee Your Speaking Success

1. Audience always comes first, ask yourself “How can they benefit from listening to me?”
   
2. Remember, it’s never about you!
   
3. Stage time, Stage time, Stage time.
   
4. Humor is greatly appreciated by your audience. Have you ever hear someone complain “This guy is way too funny!”?
   
5. Never try to wing a speech - your audience will know it.
   
6. Most people seek validation and not education - don’t be like most people.
   
7. If you want to be twice as good in 70 days, do a self evaluation after every speech or presentation.
   
8. We all bomb - get over it.
   
9. More importantly, learn how you can get better the next time.
   
10. Don’t ever imagine your audience naked. Unless you are a pervert who gets your high on seeing naked bodies.
    
11. Tell a story, make a point.
    
12. Tell another story, make another point.
    
13. Make a serious point after you get your audience laughing - they remember better.
    
14. Read Public Speaking for Success by Dale Carnegie - best book ever written!
    
15. Read The FAQ Book on Public Speaking by Eric Feng and Andrew Zhan - 2nd best book ever written!
    
16. Create a story bank. Each time something interesting happens - big or small - write it down. You never know where you can use it.
    
17. Stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul don’t cut it. Original’s better. Repeat after me. Original’s better.
    
18. That applies to quotes too. Pay attention to memorable quotes said by your dad, your boss, your best friend, your arch-enemy, your crush etc. Your audience will love it.
    
19. This will also give you the opportunity to tell a story about how the quote came about. Twice the fun for your audience!
    
20. The more you prepare, the less nervous you get.
    
21. Do some warm up exercises before you go on stage. I find simple stretching and push-ups to be extremely helpful.
    
22. The art is hiding the art itself. Be so prepared that you can appear natural on stage.
    
23. Follow the 80/20 rule - 80% prepared. 20% impromptu. Being prepared is extremely important but when you are too prepared, you take the fun out of a speech. The 20% spontaneity allows you to milk any situations that arises while you deliver your speech.
    
24. If you want to be a phenomenal speaker, hone your improvisational skills.
    
25. Sign up for an improv class.
    
26. No class? Watch an improv instead. I recommend Whose line is it anyway?
    
27. Join Toastmasters. This is one of the best ways to gain confidence and clock stage time.
    
28. And don’t just speak at your club. Make it a point to visit at least one new club every month. Volunteer for an appointment. Serve and more important, speak!
    
29. Participate actively in the Table Topics segment, it will help you hone your improvisational skills.
    
30. Even though you can only do one table topic on stage, you can run through the rest in your head. It’s a form of warm up.
    
31. Know your audience very well - understand their needs, pains and desires.
    
32. A powerful speech is one that can help solve your audience’s problems.
    
33. Be audience-centric - think about how your speech can benefit them.
    
34. Your nervousness stems from you being too I-centric: Will they like ME? Will MY speech bomb? Will they laugh at ME? Will I forget MY lines? Will they think I am good? Trying focusing on your audience instead.
    
35. You can start by asking “How can the audience benefit from listening to me?”
    
36. If you want to become a better speaker in a shorter amont of time, get yourself a mentor.
    
37. Observe other speakers, both good and bad. If there is something a speaker did right, learn from it and incorporate it in your speech. If there is something a speaker did wrong, find out why and avoid it at all cost.
    
38. Practice makes permanence.
    
39. If you think you are good enough, that’s when your downfall as a speaker begins.
    
40. Find like-minded friends who want to get better at their speaking. Meet regularly and help each other grow.
    
41. Make your audience the heroes. Share success stories from people in your audience.
    
42. A powerful story has four elements - it makes you think, makes you feel, makes you laugh and most importantly, it delivers a message that can change your life.
    
43. The best way to learn is to teach somebody else. Find opportunities to do that. Offer pointers. Offer coaching. Offer suggestions. Remember, you can’t give away what you don’t have. Once you teach somebody else what you learned, it reinforces and improves your speaking skills.
    
44. Solid content and high speech value will always win your audience over. No questions about it.
    
45. Punchi Dewal, Loku Dewal (in Sihalese), which means small step, major stride. Focus on doing the small things right and you will get there soon enough.
    
46. When you pray to become a confident and charismatic speaker, you don’t just immediately become one. Instead you are given opportunity after opportunity to become one. So grab them!
    
47. 3 questions to ask after every speech - (i) what have I done well? (ii) what can be done better? (iii) what’s one thing I want to improve in my next speech?
    
48. Keep doing the things you have done well and focus on getting the one thing you want to improve done well as well. If you are successful, move on to the next thing. If you are not, don’t dismay. Find out why and work at it.
    
49. Even Rome wasn’t built in a day. So be patient!
    
50. Don’t try to impress. Instead try to, share, help, inspire, teach, inform, guide, persuade, motivate… or make the world a little bit better.
    
51. Stay present in the moment. Forget about the conversations running in your head. Be with your audience. Enjoy the time you have with them.
    
52. Keep your presentation simple. One message, three points and a kick-ass call for action.
    
53. Remember, less is more. Keep your speech short and sweet.
    
54. Be conversational. Put aside your “stage voice” and just be yourself. Talk to your audience like they are your friends.
    
55. What’s one story that only YOU can tell? Spend time creating that signature story.
    
56. Start strong (always).
    
57. Tell half a story and the proceed with your main message. Make sure your message ties in well with that story and don’t forget to tell the rest of your story at the end of your speech. You won’t want to leave your audience high and dry, will you?
    
58. Ask a question that gets your audience thinking.
    
59. Do a demonstration that leads to your message. Recommended to involve your audience.
    
60. Shock them with facts and numbers, but please don’t overwhelm them. Shock not kill.
    
61. Start off with a video or cartoon, funny is optional.
    
62. Pause…leave them wondering. Grab their attention, and then start.
    
63. Once in a while, do something different or crazy.
    
64. Remember, the greatest enemy of speakers is same-ness. (Thanks Patricia Fripp for the tip!)
    
65. Never ask your audience how are they doing at the start of your presentation because we know you don’t really care. It’s just a sign that you are unprepared.
    
66. That includes “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” and “Good evening”.
    
67. Memorize your introduction because in the first 30 seconds, you are the most nervous and your audience is the most skeptical. A memorized introduction will help you stay composed.
    
68. Likewise, memorize your conclusions so that you end strong and remain memorable.
    
69. However, don’t memorize your entire speech. Internalize. (Thanks David Brooks for the tip!)
    
70. Never, ever go overtime.
    
71. Don’t introduce a new point in your conclusion - you will only confuse them.
    
72. Don’t end with Q&A. Make sure you have the last word.
    
73. Don’t end abruptly either.
    
74. Avoid abstractions. Always relate to a common experience.
    
75. A fail-safe question to answer in your speech - What’s in it for me?
    
76. If you fail to answer that question, your audience will not buy into your speech. You might as well not deliver your speech.
    
77. In order to successfully deliver an inspiring speech, you - the speaker - has to first be inspired.
    
78. No pain, no action. If you want to get your audience into action, you need to first understand where their pains are. Once you have identified that particular pain, poke at it. Recreate the scenario so that they can re-experience the pain, both physically and emotionally. When you have successfully brought your audience to that state, they will be begging you to offer them a remedy or a quick solution to rid them of the pain.
    
79. Grabbing your audience’s attention is easy. The challenge is keeping it.
    
80. The key to grabbing attention is surprise. The key to keeping attention is interest.
    
81. In order to generate interest, you have to first create a gap in their knowledge. As George Loewenstein, a behavioral economist at Carnegie Mellon University explained, “Gap causes pain. When we want to know something but we don’t, it is like having an itch that we need to scratch.” In order for the pain to go away, the gap has to be filled.
    
82. Tell them enough to whet their appetite but do not reveal the big secret yet. Here’s one you can try: tell them a story of how a man from the streets became rich and famous overnight without giving them the specifics.
    
83. Look at ONE person at a time when you are delivering your speech.
    
84. Look them in the eye, don’t be shy.
    
85. But please don’t stare. It’s rude.
    
86. Do this whether you are speaking to a small crowd or a big crowd. You will make them feel very loved.
    
87. Smile. Smile when you are walking up to the stage. Smile when you make a mistake. Smile when your audience laugh at your story. Smile when you are delivering your message. Smile when you conclude. Smile when you leave the stage. Smile.
    
88. Avoid bullet points in your powerpoint presentation. They are sleep inducing.
    
89. Pictures tell a thousand words. Use them in your presentations.
    
90. Your slides are NOT your notecards.
    
91. Your slides are NOT for documentation purposes.
    
92. Your slide is NOT your note page.
    
93. Your slideshow is NOT the star. You are!
    
94. Too many tables, figures and graphs may not be a good thing. Remember, everything in moderation.
    
95. Have a mix.
    
96. Do a spell check on your slides before you flash them on the screen. They are glaring.
    
97. Who says you have to use the default powerpoint templates? Create your own.
    
98. Using Microsoft clip art and sound effects for your presentation are things of the past.
    
99. If a picture can replace the words, do so!
    
100. Use professional pictures from Stock Images or Stock Xchng instead.
     
101. Try flickr. They have very original pictures too.
     
102. Have you ever thought about embedding a video in your slide? Try youtube. They have every video under the sun.
     
103. Ten steps to becoming a better speaker. (see below)
     
104. Speak.
     
105. Speak more.
     
106. Speak even more.
     
107. Speak even more than that.
     
108. Speak when you don’t want to.
     
109. Speak when you do.
     
110. Speak when you have something to say.
     
111. Speak when you don’t.
     
112. Speak all the time.
     
113. Keep speaking.
     
114. In short, it is all about stage time. (Yes I said that before but it’s so important that it warrants a 2nd reminder)
     
115. Having said that, don’t speak for the sake of speaking. It helps if you WANT to speak. It makes the entire process more fun for you and the audience.
     
116. Videotaping yourself speak can be very confronting but necessary, especially if you want to improve.
     
117. Take extra effort to remove all your pause fillers from your speech. Common culprits include “urm”, “ah”, “so”, “you know”, “hmm” etc. They are known to reduce your credibility ten folds.
     
118. One way of overcoming them is to get used to the silence.
     
119. Music happens where there are no notes. Magic happens when there are no words.
     
120. Don’t just obey the speaking rules just because they are rules. Instead, question the rules! Every rule is there for a reason. Understand the reason behind it and you can better decide if you should stick to the rule or do something different.
     
121. By all mean thank your audience. They deserve it contrary to popular beliefs. However, don’t you think it is a waste to thank them at the end of your speech when you can do something more impactful and memorable? My suggestion is to thank them, before you deliver your conclusion.
     
122. You can use cue cards but make sure they don’t distract you or the audience.
     
123. And if you have to use them, make sure they are in card form instead of paper. It will be very obvious that you are shaking if you hold on to paper.
     
124. Give your audience what THEY want and not what you think they want or even what you want… That’s right people, it’s always about them!
     
125. Speak on something that you believe in. Your sincerity and enthusiasm will come through strongly.
     
126. Focus on your strengths as a speaker. Make sure you know how to recreate them, and even make them stronger.
     
127. Make your strengths so strong that your weaknesses are a non-issue.
     
128. Stop asking WHY. (Why am I so sucky in speaking? Why did the audience look so bored?) Try asking HOW. (How can I be less sucky? How can I make the audience interested in what I have to say?) Why gets you defensive and stuck. How gets you moving forward.
     
129. Return to basics.
     
130. Search for your old speeches; make some changes and give them again.
     
131. Review your notes; apply those pointers that you may have missed.
     
132. Take up a basic public speaking workshop and relearn!
     
133. Offer to coach new speakers and teach them the basics.
     
134. For advanced Toastmasters, redo your basic manual.
     
135. Remember some of your audience’s names and use them in your speech. They will love you for it!
     
136. A host or emcee is also a cheerleader.
     
137. Play simple games with them and make them look good. Embarass them and no one will participate in your activities.
     
138. Do your homework - make sure you know the flow of the entire program.
     
139. Remember, you are not the star of the show. Your audience or your guests are.
     
140. The best speeches are not written, they are rewritten.
     
141. The next time you prepare a speech, do some imagination. If your speech is a piece of music, what music will it be? If your speech is a colour, what colour will it be? If you speech is a dish, what dish will it be? The secret is to cross and merge different senses so that your speech becomes richer and more real to the audience.
     
142. Have “flesh” time with your audience before you get up on stage to speak.
     
143. In other words, go shake their hands and get to know them. Make small talk. This way, you won’t feel like you are talking to a bunch of strangers when you are up on stage.
     
144. Here’s 9 sure-fire ways to piss your audience off. Try at your risk.
     
145. Starting weak: “I guess I should probably get started…. uh…ok here goes…”
     
146. Giving the audience zero eye contact
     
147. Reading off the slides
     
148. Having slides with heap full of words (and MORE words!)
     
149. Having NO message (Variation: Failing to make a point and leaving us confused)
     
150. Mumbling throughtout the entire speech
     
151. Apologizing to the audience right at the start:“I’m not exactly sure what I want to say but I will try…”
     
152. Ending late - it’s obvious you don’t respect our time!
     
153. Be totally unprepared - it shows how much you value us!
     
154. Before you go up on stage, recall an incident where you were successful. Re-experience the emotions, be it excitement, pride, joy, euphoria. If you want, you can clench your fist and do the Tiger Wood “Yes!” gesture.
     
155. Plan-Pause-Scan: Plan where you want to stand. Pause and get yourself composed. Scan at the audience. And then begin your memorized introduction.
     
156. Once in a while, take a risk in your speech.
     
157. Bite your tongue when you feel very dry in your mouth. Lightly, please. You won’t want to die in front of your audience, will you?
     
158. Make it a daily habit to observe one speaker. Preferably someone you want to learn from.
     
159. Sing karaoke. It helps.
     
160. Everyone is a public speaker. Yes, even YOU!
     
161. Here are eight compelling reasons why you should master public speaking.
     
162. Public Speaking is the #1 fear for most people, surpassing the fear of death. At least you won’t be tormented with this unnecessary fear anymore.
     
163. At some point in life, you will be forced to speak in public whether you like it or not. How about preparing yourself in advance?
     
164. A successful leader must be competent in expressing himself/herself to a group of people. Unless you do not want to be a leader, public speaking is a must-have skill!
     
165. Being a better speaker can help you to stand out from the crowd in a positive way, which leads to increased self-confidence and better grades.
     
166. You will inevitably learn to write well because writing skills and speaking skills are not mutually exclusive.
     
167. When you are good at one, you will naturally be good at the other as well.
     
168. Let’s face it! Employers consistently rank public speaking and related communication skills as one of the top skills they look for in employees. You won’t want others to have an unfair advantage over you, will you?
     
169. Public Speaking is a trainable skill i.e. you are capable of being an excellent public speaker. Why deprive yourself of such an opportunity to shine?
     
170. You will be giving yourself the most important gift of all – the ability to speak up and stand out!
     
171. Oh one more thing, you get more dates.
     
172. Challenge yourself - join a speech contest.
     
173. You can win by giving it your all.
     
174. A remarkable speech is a memorable speech. And here’s how you can make it remarkable.
     
175. Come out with ten ways to modify your speech and overwhelm your audience with its remarkability
     
176. Each time you think of something safe to do for your speech, reverse it!
     
177. Find things that are “just not done” in the speaking industry and go do it (for the fun of it!)
     
178. Ask “Why not?” Almost everything you don’t do has no good reasson for it. It is usually the result of fear and assumption. So why not?
     
179. Treat your next speech like a game! Have loads of fun with it!
     
180. I learnt this from Seth Godin: One message per slide. Part of the less is more rule.
     
181. This one too: One story per point. The story doesn’t have to be long. Just make sure it underscores your point.
     
182. Find opportunities to surprise your audience. It keeps them at the edge of their seats.
     
183. Likewise, find opportunities to involve your audience. No matter how interesting you are, it gets boring if you do all the talking.
     
184. Variety keeps your audience on their toes. Find different ways to deliver your content. It could be a story, a videoclip, a demonstration, a pair share, an activity, a guest share, quotes, numbers, graphs, visuals and the list goes on.
     
185. Be really interested in your audience. It shows.
     
186. When you put your heart and soul into doing one thing, results are bound to show up. This applies to life too.
     
187. Ask and you shall receive. Never be afraid to ask for feedback. Do it for yourself.
     
188. Murphy’s law does apply to speaking too. Be prepared.
     
189. Always write your speech because what is written can be edited to be more colorful, concise, powerful and precise.
     
190. Write it not for the eye, but for the ear. Make sure it sounds conversational.
     
191. Start small to win big. Here’s two ways.
     
192. Read ONE public speaking article a day. Try The Public Speaking Blog.
     
193. Try ONE tip/technique that you have read about in your next speech.
     
194. Tip from 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix - on the scale of 1 - 10, find your “11″! Be exceptional.
     
195. Don’t be afraid to ask for evaluation. Remember, it is for your own good. Take it with a pinch of salt.
     
196. Having said that, not all advice is good advice. Test them out. If they work, keep it. If they don’t, drop it.
     
197. You are only as good as your last speech.
     
198. The two main arsenal of a speaker is his stories and analogies. The better his stories and analogies, the more he get paid. (Thanks Darren La Croix for the tip!)
     
199. Avoid using bombastic words or technical words that no one understands. It doesn’t make you any smarter.
     
200. Here are 6 more ways to persuade your audience. Repeat the same point (usually your key message) in many ways. This will ensure that your message gets sticky.
     
201. Trust in the power of the word “because”. Psychological studies have shown that people are more likely to comply with a request if you simply give them a reason why… even if that reason makes no sense.
     
202. Get your audience to agree with you many times, as early as possible. It’s hard for them to say no when they have say yes to you 20 times.
     
203. Have social proof. Quotes from famous people adds a lot of credibility to your speech.
     
204. Show comparisons. By relating your message to something familiar (using similes, metaphors, analogies), you help to make your argument more palatable for your audience.
     
205. Address all objections to your case. Remember, every objection is an opportunity for them to say yes to you.
     
206. Being funny has less to do techniques and more to do with attitude.
     
207. Always look at the funny side of things, ask yourself “What’s funny about this?”
     
208. Pay attention to stories and things that happen to us. (funny stuff does happen)
     
209. Jot them down and store them in a humor bank. This way, you can refer to them each time you give a speech. You can save money on joke books even!
     
210. Audience laughed when they are successfully tricked. That’s the mechanic behind humor.
     
211. People learn the best when they are laughing.
     
212. Practice – test your humor in your presentation and conversations.
     
213. Seek out other people in the limelight who are funny - learn from them.
     
214. Make a serious point after your audience laugh, it sticks better.
     
215. It helps if you are optimistic about life.
     
216. People are developed funny, not born funny.
     
217. It’s never about you, it’s about the audience. (don’t tell jokes that YOU think it’s funny)
     
218. Self effacing humor works. (don’t insult your audience, make fun of yourself)
     
219. Keep your funny stories short. The size of the laugh is inversely proportional to the number of words used to get to the punchline.
     
220. Avoid off language, sexist and racist jokes.
     
221. Being funny starts from being creative. To churn your creative juices, get a journal and start free writing (at least up to 3 pages). In a diary, you think about what you want to say. However in free writing, you don’t. There are no filters. All you have to do is to keep your pen moving. If you are using a computer, then keep typing. This will help in speeding up your thinking ability too.
     
222. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to make a crowd of 100 laugh then a room of 10. This is because when you have more people, the audience feels more comfortable. And when they are comfortable, they laugh easier.
     
223. If possible, speak in a small room. This way, all your audience will be packed together. It will make you look good. And there will be more energy in the room for you to play around with.
     
224. Be knowledgeable – know your stuff. Present 70% of what you prepared. Keep the rest for emergency purposes for eg. during Q&A or when you need to show off.
     
225. You get creative ideas at all time. Carry around a digital recorder or notebook everywhere you go. Whenever a creative idea strikes you, record or write it. You only have 37 secs of window time to capture the idea. Don’t wait till you are booked for speech before you think of what to say.
     
226. It’s really easy to be a memorable speaker.
     
227. Be hideously bad.
     
228. Or you can be exceptionally good. It’s your choice.
     
229. Audience voted these three characteristics as the most important for a speaker - sincerity, knowledge and humor.
     
230. Come early. Walk the stage and get used to being on top.
     
231. Test your mic. Test your slides. Test your pointer. Leave nothing to chance.
     
232. 95% growth happens when you are out with the audience. It’s just another way of telling you to get stage time!
     
233. Don’t be afraid to say this to your audience - “RIP ME APART!” Repeat after me, “RIP ME APART!”
     
234. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. When you are sad, be sad. When you are excited, be excited. When you are be angry, be angry.
     
235. Make sure you enunciate your words correctly. Diction is a tell tale sign of your ability as a speaker.
     
236. If need be, speak S.L.O.W.E.R.
     
237. Practice breathing from your diaphragm. It enhances your vocals and also make you sound less breathy.
     
238. To start, you don’t have to be good. But to be good, you have to start.
     
239. 10 “You” for Every “I” in your speech! Remember, keep your speech audience-centric.
     
240. The next time you speak, leverage on another “AHA” moments by other speakers. If there is a particular word or occurence that made your audience laugh previously, find ways to bring them into your speech. This will not only make you popular. It demonstrates your speaking prowess as well.
     
241. Stories are only an asset to your speech if you bring your audience into your story through a “U”-centric question. For example, “Have YOU ever step on a scale and was forced to face reality?” And then you proceed with your story.
     
242. This is much better than telling your audience blatantly that you have a story to tell. Avoid this too “Oh, and this remind me of a story…” Equally lame.
     
243. Always organize your speech. Start with a simple structure. It’s like the backbone to your speech. Without it, no matter how good your content is, it will fall flat.
     
244. Writing a speech is similar to writing a hollywood script or a thriller novel. Don’t waste time. Start where the action is! Let the audience do the figuring out - they like it.
     
245. 台上十分钟，台下十年功 (realized this when I was competing in Macau in 2006). What it means in English is “Ten minutes on stage is equivalent to ten years of training offstage”.
     
246. It’s ok to fail or bomb on stage. What is more important is the lesson behind it. Learn it well and make sure you don’t forget.
     
247. Be willing to fall.
     
248. Fall forward.
     
249. Don’t let a bad presentation stop you. We all have them, learn from it and go get them.
     
250. Persistence is key. And I think you have it if you have read from point 1 all the way to point 250.
     

蝴蝶

两厢情愿的幸福
有什么错误
蛮不讲理的隔阻
比绑架还要残酷
门当户对的世俗
害了多少无辜
有情人不能眷属
人世间那么多无助
乌云密布
迎娶的路
心里早已想好了归宿
为爱付出
他的生命已经结束
化作蝴蝶飞舞
天空灿烂夺目
是生命绚丽的蓝图
迎着晨露
无拘无束
到一个自由的国度
哪怕仅仅是一棵树
人间可恶
留恋何苦
还不如与蜘蛛为伍
梁祝一曲流传千古
是你如泣如诉的苦

The secret to finding a great job

The secret to finding a great job
Posted by Steve Tobak Post a comment

Think you can get a good job by blindly sending your resume into human resources and waiting for the phone to ring? Sure, and you're going to be Apple's next CEO, hook up with Scarlett Johansson or David Beckham and live happily ever after.

If you'd like to know how it works in the real world, read on.

I know what you're saying: your job function is in demand, you've never had trouble getting a job before, or you're a top executive who doesn't need advice. That may be true, but a lot can happen over the course of your working life. Your fortunes may change, the market may change, or you may even change career direction.

In any case, there will likely come a time when you will need some advice on how to efficiently land a great job.

For that occasion, here are five inside rules for improving your odds of finding a good, satisfying job as quickly as possible. And no, this isn't about resumes. Having a good resume is par for the course. All I'll say about that is keep it brief - one page if your career is less than ten years, two pages max.

I know these rules might seem obvious on the surface. That's why it's so surprising how few people actually follow them. Anyway, it's always the simple things that work best.

Know what you're after
Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you may not get there." I'm constantly amazed at how few people get this. When I ask, "What do you want to do next?" I get a blank stare, a jumble of incoherent thoughts, or the generic, "I'm seeking a challenging position of responsibility within an organization that fosters innovation and blah, blah, blah."

You need to have some idea of what you're looking for in terms of job function, management level, type and stage of company, industry, etc. If you cast too narrow a net, you won't get enough opportunities to select from; too wide a net and you'll spend most of your time narrowing it down. You can always fine tune as you go.

Actively manage the process
Do you marry the first person you date, buy the first house you see, eat any food that's put in front of you? Of course not. The same goes for your job. You don't want to overdo it, but some amount of planning is a good thing.

Besides knowing approximately what you're looking for, it's a good idea to do some planning with respect to the process itself. How long can you last without going crazy or running out of funds? How much of your time do you plan to spend on the search? What strategies will you employ? How selective can you reasonably be, given your skill, experience and the current market dynamics?

The search won't go exactly as planned, but if you have a plan, you'll be better prepared for the inevitable surprises.

Use your network to get an inside track
It's okay to find a company or a job through the internet or classifieds, but don't just send in your resume. Instead, use your network to find somebody who can get you the hiring manager's contact info or make an introduction. It's easier than you think and worth the effort.

Also, don't just email blast your resume to your entire network; wait until you've identified specific positions. Once people have seen your resume, they're not likely to give it a second look. Take it slow, that way you can fine tune depending on the feedback you get.

Avoid time-wasters
My apologies to the employment profession, but in general, avoid HR and headhunters. I really mean that. They work for the company, not for you. It's their job to weed out applicants, not to keep you informed. You can waste incredible amounts of time being a ball up in the air while these folks seek the perfect candidate.

Don't worry about circumventing the system; no hiring manager worth working for will turn down a direct contact from a competent individual.

Of course there are retained searches where you have no choice but to work with an executive recruiter. Just don't forget who pays them - it isn't you.

Push the envelope
Robert Browning said, "... a man's reach should exceed his grasp ..." If you're not getting any rejections, you're probably not reaching far enough. But don't go way beyond your level of competency and set yourself up for failure or dozens of rejections.

Lastly, and most importantly, sell yourself. Job specs are typically works in progress. If they want someone with a specific degree or experience that you don't have, don't let that deter you. Get in there and fight for the job! You'll probably lose most of the time, but the one time you win, that'll be the job worth fighting for.

The bottom line: It's a competitive world out there. Finding a great, fulfilling job is just like anything else in life. It takes strategy, planning, determination, and of course, luck. So give it everything you've got and don't forget to let us know what you learn along the way. Happy hunting!

Steve Tobak is managing partner of Invisor Consulting LLC. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET.