syl's tips and tricks
72
Public Speaking 101
1. Read everything you can get your hands on.
If you hate reading, then you should start to like it.
There's no way you can increase your skill to converse if you don't know how to convey your ideas into words. Having a generic vocabulary is fine but if you want to excel in communication, you had best not bore your listener/reader/s because you only know 10,000 words or less. Find words that sound compelling enough to attract attention.
2. Watch television or movies.
This is one main reason why couch potatoes and movie junkies excel in public speaking. Why? Because if you watch a wide variety of shows and films, you get exposed to different ways of pronunciations as well as proper (although the trend these days are more of improper) sentence construction and use. Knowing how to spell a word sometimes isn't enough to use it properly.
Long, boring narratives like documentaries are best suited for this.
3. Converse often
Practice makes perfect. Ever wondered why schools are adamant on using English as their primary means of communication? That's because the longer you've been using a certain language, the more familiar and in-tuned you'll be with it. If you have no one to talk to, practice by speaking out loud (obviously when no one is around, they might get ideas). Hearing how yourself sounds will help you track down problems.
4. Speak at a moderate pace
Too slow and you bore people with short attention span. Too fast and you risk the ire of people who can't keep up.
5. Self - conscious = BAD
When you get on stage and in the lime light, you should forget about how you look and how people see you. Worry about it before AND after. Doing so during a speech can lead to nervousness, stuttering, mental blocks and spell instant disaster.
6. Use your voice
Even when your topic is exciting, your vocabulary is huge and your presence dazzling, doing a monologue in public is not very enticing. Proper intonation and stresses on your words can draw the biggest of crowds. Speak as if to inform, not to compel others to stop and listen but to absorb every word that comes out you.
-
I've read on a book about warfare once that in order to amass an army, high stature or standing reputation isn't at all a requirement. You just need to be eloquent.
5 reasons to avoid call centers for help
I've always been appalled by the call center system because non-technical people are supposed to filter and sort through our concerns so that the technical people, those in-charge of repair, maintenance, etc, won't waste time doing so. Sadly it's this system itself that causes the problems that it's supposed to be preventing.. Here's why:
1. A call center agent is not a technician This is a common misconception to those who don't know how the system works. The call center agents face the flood of calls and act as a buffer. Yes it's economical and beneficial to the company because the job hierarchy prevents one staff member from doing the job of the other. For the customer's side, it can mean long waits for a response to their support tickets or worse even no response at all. Because they rely on a set of "symptoms" rather than general knowledge of what's going on, explaining a major problem is almost always a pain.
2. Good English skills does not mean good troubleshooting skills Call centers look for people who can speak well and little else. I won't deny that there are people in the service that have competent knowledge of the problems they're working with but the fact remains that because the experts and technicians don't come into the problem until much later into the support process you're faced with the daunting task of simplifying a complex problem so that the agent will understand.
3. Calling entail the need for patience. Lots of patience "-our apologies for your inconveniences" etc. etc. I'm sure we've all heard that because it's the SOP for nearly all call centers. Receiving sympathy when needed can often divert people from the fact that when you receive that same line for the 3rd or 4th time on the same problem it equates to being told to shut up and wait. That would not be a problem unless of course your problem is a simple one like a burned out adapter for your broadband modem.
4. Not all call center agents are there to help This is probably a one in a thousand call but it happens. They quickly divert the conversation to filing a report without even diagnosing what the problem is and drop the line. Though it probably won't happen exactly that way, it's a general idea of what to expect.
5. Asking other people is faster It's a tried and tested answer. Because most of what you need can be looked up on the net, unless it's a major problem that really requires technical help, call centers should be your last resort.
Dealing with Stress
Stress is a change that we adapt to in our daily lives. You can almost describe it as pressure, demand, or any situation that requires physical and/or mental exertion. It can be positive or negative, ranging from something that motivates you to work or something that drags you to a halt. The negative effects can include lack of productivity, depression, loneliness, frustration or even anger. Those symptoms can sometimes cause much larger problems like break-ups, disparity at work, etc. Here are a few tips to help cope with the effects of stress:
1. R n R:
Take some time off and let loose. Work related stress can be due to the pile up of projects and deadlines. A vacation in the middle of the week will help you let loose all that accumulated stress.
2. Scream it out
Find a secluded place-your room, a toilet, an empty parking lot, anywhere you're sure that no can hear you and think that you've lost your mind-and scream your heart out. Scandalous, but it works.
3. Exercise
Sweating it out in the gym can reduce anxiety and frustrations.
4. Acupuncture
If you're willing to try alternative medicine, this is one method you shouldn't miss out. It can be quite relaxing, it can cure stiff shoulders too.
5. Manage your time and effort
If you have multiple sources of stress (deadlines, increased responsibilities), prioritize. Break large demands into small, manageable parts and work through one task at a time. Do what needs to be done first, leaving other things for tomorrow.
6. Call a friend
There are problems that you can't be solved alone. Ask for help as soon as you can.
Updates from my Site
- How to capture screenshots on your PSP
Now that you#8217;ve installed custom firmware on your PSP, you#8217;re probably wondering what you can do with it right? How about taking screenshots on your PSP? Interested? Keep on reading Requirements: Any PSP with Custom Firmware installed. If you don#8217;t have custom firmware on your PSP, read this guide on how to install custom firmware. Download: Screencapture | Screencapture How to install Screen Capture on your PSP Extract the Screencapture pack anywhere on your computer Connect your PSP to your PC and check if there is a seplugins folder on the root of your memory stick. If you don#8217;t have a seplugins folder, copy the seplugins folder to the root of your memory stick as shown below If you don#8217;t have a seplugins folder, check if you have these 3 files inside it: Copy screenshotbmp.prx from the seplugins from the folder you#8217;ve extracted to the seplugins folder on the root of your memory stick Go to the seplugins folder and open these files: game.txt pops.txt vsh.txt On each file add the line: ms0:/seplugins/screenshotbmp.prx If you don#8217;t have any of those 3 files mentioned above, just copy the ones from the seplugins folder you#8217;ve just extracted Turn off your PSP (Off, not standby, if you#8217;re running custom firmware via chickHen, DO NOT do this) Enter the recovery menu (if you#8217;ve not on chickHen, hold the R button when turning on your PSP Go to plugins and enable the screenshotbmp.prx where you want to use it game = inside a PSP game pops = inside a POPS loader game/ PSX game vsh = on your XMB Press the note button and you should see your PSP#8217;s screen inverting it#8217;s colors (you#8217;ll know it when you see it). This is the screenshot plugin working. Go to Photos on your XMB and you should see your screenshot The images below were taken with this plugin. It#8217;s my character on Monster Hunter Freedom Unite How to capture screenshots on your PSP originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on July 4, 2009, 2:42 am. This post is part of the category Homebrew. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: Extend your PSP#8217;s battery life with the Hold+ plugin PSP-3000 finally gets hacked [Homebrew]PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.3 - 6 days ago
- Install Custom Firmware Enabler via ChickHEN R2
If you#8217;re having trouble installing custom firmware 5.03 GEN-A don#8217;t fret. You can install Custom Firmware Enabler (cfwe in shorter terms) instead. CFWE enables the functions of the M33 custom firmware using ChickHEN. So yes, it#8217;s from the same team that brought us Dark Alex#8217;s 5.00 M33 custom firmware. Custom Firmware Enabler will allow you to run homebrew on the PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 w/TA-088v3 and lets you play your games from ISO/CSO files. Interested yet? Read ON. This guide will help you install Custom Firmware Enabler on your PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA-088v3 to custom firmware. Note that the steps are quite numerous because there are 3 parts to installing Custom Firmware Enabler. Read them well and make sure you understand them before proceeding. There is no danger of bricking your PSP unless you deviate from the instructions listed below. Unlike custom firmware for hackable PSPs, the danger of bricking your PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA-088v3 is quite real. If you#8217;re not sure about a step, take the time to post a question. How to Install Custom Firmware Enabler for ChickHEN Important: If you have a PSP-2000 and have no idea what motherboard you have, be sure to read this CFW Compatibility Guide. If you have a PSP-2000 that#8217;s not TA-088v3 or PSP-1000 and want to convert your PSP to custom firmware, read this guide on How to install custom firmware. After installing custom firmware, update to 5.00 m33. If you have confirmed that you have a PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 then read on. If you don#8217;t want to install the Custom Firmware Enabler and want to install custom firmware 5.03 Gen-A instead, just read the 5.03 Gen-A installation guide. Requirements: A PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 motherboard. Davee#8217;s chickHen installed and running Download: CFWE | CFWE (currently version 3.5) Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups) Before you proceed to installing custom firmware CFWE, you need to install and successfully run the chickHen hack. Read the guide and comeback here to finish the installation. How to Install Custom Firmware Enabler Connect your PSP to the computer in USB Mode when you have loaded ChickHEN R2. Unzip CFWEnabler350.zip on your computer Copy the folder to your psp CFWEnabler in X: / PSP / GAME / Disconnect the PSP from USB. On your PSP, Go to GAME gt; Memory Stick gt; CFWEnabler The CFWEnabler screen will boot up, Select install and your PSP will reboot. Congratulations, you now have 5.00 M33-6 (yes, it loads 5.00 M33-6) on your PSP. FAQS: Help! 503.pbp is corrupted, I can#8217;t run it #8211; If you#8217;re experiencing this problem, rename the 503.pbp to EBOOT.pbp. (Do this ONLY if you#8217;re experiencing the problem indicated) Will it brick my PSP? #8211; Only if you mess around with the instructions. If I turn off my PSP, do I reload CFWE? #8211; Yes, you just have to run it again but, you don#8217;t need flash anything. Will plugins work? #8211; Yes, they work. KNOWN BUGS: To be updated with a proper list. Thanks to the Dark Alex team for this release. Install Custom Firmware Enabler via ChickHEN R2 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on June 21, 2009, 2:03 pm. This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-A Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.03 GEN-A via ChickHEN R2 Install ChickHen R2 on your PSP How to check if your PSP can have CFW installed List of PSP Official Firmware PSP Brite remains immune to Custom Firmware PSP Custom Firmware 5.00 M33 is Released How to Install Custom Firmware on your PSP [Homebrew]PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.3 Get Pandora without extra battery or Memory Stick - 3 weeks ago
- Starcraft 2 Lego Collection
Starcraft fan? Check. Lego fan? Check. What do you get when you combine them? A Starcraft 2 Lego Collection! A Protoss Immortal A Protoss Probe A Terran Banshee Terran SCV Absolutely neat! You can check out the rest of pepaquin#8217;s Starcraft II Lego collection Where#8217;s the zerg you ask? Building them with lego would make them look blocky but at least we have this Zerg cake Don#8217;t forget to check out Starcraft 2 release date for the latest info from the game#8217;s release. [via Game Xao's version edition of the Starcraft 2 release date, a href="http://starfeeder.gameriot.com/" rel="nofollow"gt;Starfeeder on Lego Terran SCV] Starcraft 2 Lego Collection originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on June 19, 2009, 11:24 pm. This post is part of the category Fanboyism. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: Starcraft 2 release date is 2009? StarCraft II#8217;s Epic Teaser StarCraft II set to be a Trilogy - 3 weeks ago
- Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-A
While everyone#8217;s still waiting for a Dark Alex release his version of 5.50 custom firmware, PSP GEN has managed to release their 5.50 GEN-A Custom Firmware. Do note that the earlier 5.03 GEN-A via ChickHEN hack release is for PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3. This version of 5.50 GEN-A is for PSP-1000 / non-TA088v3 PSP-2000#8217;s. Important: DO NOT attempt to install this on PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3. YOU WILL BRICK YOUR PSP IF YOU DO. Requirements: PSP Phat or PSP Slim with 3.52 M33 or higher. If you don#8217;t have custom Firmware yet, read this CFW Compatibility Guide to see if you can have it installed on your PSP. If you don#8217;t have custom firmware, read this guide on How to install custom firmware first. PSP battery that’s at least 78% full Download: 5.50 GEN-A | 5.50 GEN-A Disable ALL plugins. Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups) How to install 5.50 GEN-A CFW on your PSP: Extract the 5.50 GEN-A files to your computer. Copy the PSP folder to your PSP’s memory stick. (Yes, just drag the whole folder there) Run 5.50 UPDATE from under Game on your PSP’s XMB After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot. Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.50 GEN-A Important Notes: What do I get with Custom firmware 5.50GEN-A? All functions of the official 5.50 firmware The [Information Board] has been added under [PlayStation Network] PS3 owners are already familiar with this feature. It displays news and updates from SCEE in the upper right corner of the screen. You can now obtain information about the games ahead of the new content available on the Playstation Store, and other news from your PSP even if you are connected to WiFi. Support for Internet security service provided by Trend Micro has been added to [Internet Browser] End Micro Web Security: use technology to block access to malicious sites that can steal personal information and confidential - Trend Micro Kid#8217;s Safety: You can block access to websites with inappropriate content. An icon for built-in Internet Search has been added to the menu bar of your browser Instead of having to point your browser to Google then search, you can do your searches directly on your XMB. Option to search for the game title on Google. By selecting the icon of the game and then pressing triangle and selecting running Internet Search, you get to search for sites using the name of the game. It is now possible to see an additional level of hierarchy under [Photo] [Music] and [Video] Launch of UMDs to ISOs to CSOs and demos require firmware 5.02 or below Launch homebrews Launch of PS1 games (converted to PSP) Access to Recovery mode (adjusts the processor speed of the PSP, FLASH access, use plug-ins etc.). Hat off to PSP GEN for 5.50 GEN-A. Post a comment if you need help or clarifications. Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-A originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on June 14, 2009, 1:53 pm. This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: Install Custom Firmware Enabler via ChickHEN R2 Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.03 GEN-A via ChickHEN R2 Install ChickHen R2 on your PSP How to check if your PSP can have CFW installed List of PSP Official Firmware PSP Brite remains immune to Custom Firmware PSP Custom Firmware 5.00 M33 is Released How to Install Custom Firmware on your PSP [Homebrew]PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.3 Get Pandora without extra battery or Memory Stick - 4 weeks ago
- Life-Size Gundam RX-78-2 Completed
It#8217;s the biggest Gundam model you#8217;ll ever see (so far). This 1/1 scale Gundam RX-78-2 statue is just one of the Mobile Suit Gundam’s 30th anniversary celebrations and gundam fans around the world are drooling like crazy over this huge mecha. Can you pilot it? Sadly no. It#8217;s just a statue but you can view more in the gallery below. The pictures are via punynari, from his site, Moe Passion. The Gundam is planned to be OFFICIALLY unveiled on July 11, and be shown until August 31st. More information on the mecha is available at the official Gundam 30th Anniversary website. EDIT: Added night time photos. They#8217;re awesome! Life-Size Gundam RX-78-2 Completed originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on June 9, 2009, 8:12 pm. This post is part of the category Fanboyism. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: Gundam 00 #8211; Episode 17 and 18 Gundam 00 #8211; Episode 15 and 16 Gundam 00 #8211; Episode 14 Gundam 00 #8211; Initial Review - 4 weeks ago
Tips to awaken your creative spark
1. Get sugar in your system Although most people recommend drinks with caffeine, I suggest taking in anything sugar coated. Yes, caffeine stimulates the body -insert caffeine facts here- but in my experience, it's boost lasts generally from 2 hours to roughly 20 minutes. When it wears off you're bound to take in seconds and repeat until needed. And we all know that too much of something is bad for your health. The beauty of sugar or, sweets in general is, that all you need is a small amount at a time to give your brain a jumpstart. If you're worried about calories then you can always use sugar alternatives.
2. Move around If your room is as boring as mine, chances are your inspiration will wane the moment you take a break from what you're doing. Move somewhere you'll be at ease and inspired like a quiet park, a scenic view or even just somewhere very familiar. If you're at ease it's much easier to think stuff up.
3. Listen to music It's a given to help induce your creativity but sometimes the wrong type of music can lead to loss of concentration. I've found that the best genre to listen to is something slow and soft. The gentle pace and rhythm can help with the flow of your creative thinking.
4. Look up on relevant stuff When creating a formal work like a paper or a report, searching for information that's both relevant to your work and interesting to you can help. Although it sounds contradictory, bear in mind that so long as what you're working on interests your concentration lasts much longer.
5. Always seek C&C While most people hate being criticized, especially those with egos the size of of skyscrapers, it's the best way to find out flaws and kinks in your work. This works well especially to writers because the best proof-reader isn't yourself.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down [flag this hub]
