23 Secret Santa Gift Ideas Your Coworkers Will Love

23 Secret Santa Gift Ideas Your Coworkers Will Love You probably spend a lot of time with your coworkers, but youre somehow always baffled when it comes to gift-giving.Youre probably not able to pick the right gift for each of them right away. Do you find yourself pondering on the issue for too long?Are you surprised with how much your creativity may fail you when it comes to the tradition of Secret Santa?Even though you may know when your colleagues sleep, how they wake up and what they eat, can you really say that you know what would really really surprise them?You might know a couple of your colleagues well, but what about the rest of them?Lets face it, its impossible to know everyone well, no matter how much time you spent teambuilding.Hopefully, you remembered to google the solutions for the problem because we have the list of classics your colleagues will love and appreciate.Here are a couple of solutions that might help:1. BOX OF CHOCOLATEEstimated Price: $2.00Despite the general opinion that consuming chocolate you are gaining weight and high blood pressure, its not all that grim. Its confirmed that chocolate helps synthesize serotonin, which is known as the hormone of happiness.Even if you dont know your colleagues very well you can be damn sure their mood will be improved and that theyll appreciate the gift. Its a golden classic.2. BOTTLE OF WINEEstimated Price: $5.00We all have that one colleague who likes to relax with a glass (or a bottle of wine) every now and then.Be careful though, if you give this gift to a lady, she might invite you to help her empty the bottle and you know that you shouldnt mix business and pleasure or should you?It can also be a very serious gift if you are giving it to your superior, but in that case, you better buy an expensive one. Here are the top ten wines you can buy.Did we mention that wine also lowers the risk of heart disease? You cant make a mistake with this gift, honestly.3. MOUSE PADEstimated Price: $3.00We all have a gamer or two in our lines. Even ordinary mort als who are not into gaming have the need for a decent mouse pad since not all of our desks are smooth and polished enough for our cursor to flow freely.Not manipulating your cursor effectively can really waste your time and cause frustration at work so this one can work. Here are  the top eight mouse pads  for work and home. There are some cool designs as well.4. COFFEE MUGEstimated Price: $1.00  There are, undoubtedly, serious coffee worshipers in every single office in the world. In relation to that, there are rituals on drinking this productivity juice and coffee mug is an important sacrament in these rituals.By the way, check out these fifty coffee mugs.Be wary of writing on your coffee mug. Its the first thing you see when you start your workday so it can have a prophetic quality or send subliminal messages to program your subconscious mind.5. TRAVEL TOURPrice Range from $50.00This one is more expensive than the others so make sure that its worth it.The proper way to help your coworker after a hard year of work is to give him a tour-card gift.Its a more sentimental gift than that of a product, but that only increases its value. You’re giving your colleague a gift of experience.Remember how we all dreamt of spending our money on traveling the world? Well, something happened and we got caught up in the chase so we never do it anymore.We think about traveling but we choose to spend our money elsewhere. Thats why, with this gift, youll help your colleague get out of his/her comfort zone and experience the joy of travel once again.Here are also the top  eighteen places  to travel if he doesn’t like sun or women.6. SIMPLE EARRINGSEstimated Price: $4.00Earrings are the traditional addition to women’s looks, but men wear it more and more with genders going fluid and stuff. Kidding, it doesnt have to be the gender thing. Sometimes people just like to look cool.By helping them do that you form a specific kind of bond. Its a Secret Santa trend to craft the ea rrings yourself if you want to make it intimate, but if you dont have time to do it, cruise the Internet a little bit.There are hand-crafted earrings all around and some of them are as cool as it gets.Then again, if your team is more on the luxurious side of life, the markets got you covered there as well.7. RINGEstimated Price: $4.00Much like the earrings, a ring can be a piece of jewelry, but there are ways of making it much more than that.You and your teammates can have bro rings to signify your semper fi relationship.On the other hand, rings may often mean intimate commitment so it can be a curveball.Its a good way of reminding your colleague that youre there for them as a friend as well.8. BRACELETPrice: $1.00Bracelets always have some meaning relating to specific types of bonds. Giving this gift to your coworker can mean that you want to bond your friendship on work and become better coworkers.On the other hand, it can be a simple piece of jewelry without the need to philosoph ize on the matter. It can just look good, right?There are cool bracelets you can make yourself or you can buy hand-crafted bracelets online.P.S. Dont think of bracelets as womens accessories only. There are bracelets that are macho asf.9. A PHOTO ALBUMThe Estimated Price of $7This one is an old classic, but since things are going retro, its still popular.Dont just buy an empty photo album though. Fill it up with photos of your team doing different activities together.You probably spend 40 hours a week trapped in the office with those people. There must be tons of photographs in your phones and on social media.Just make those photos… materialize. Things have a different flavor when theyre not virtual. Make those memories count and amass. Its a good teambuilding gift as well.10. ENGRAVED PENEstimated Price: $50.00Shopping for coworkers can be tough. You don’t want to overbuy it, but you also don’t want to be cheap.This gift can be a very special one, but it can also be an impers onal evergreen gift. It depends on what you engrave. It can be a joke that you all laughed to which will remind your colleague of the cool moments you spent together.It can be a powerful punch-line or a saying of some sort as well. 11. BOOKPrice: $20.00Finding the right book for you coworker can be a rough one, but it’s not all that bad. Just make sure that your colleagues like to read before you opt for this one.Itd be a shame for them to use the book you gave them as a decorative piece of furniture.Even if theyre not keen on poetry etc., there are very useful books that all of us should read if we plan on ever learning useful skills.There are numerous business books that you can give to your coworkers that strive towards better careers. Here are the best fifteen business books you can give to your coworker.12. FLOWERSEstimated Price: $10.00Giving flowers fits every situation. Happy or sad it doesn’t matter, flowers can be the perfect gift. Every flower speaks for itself. You s hould know something about the symbolic meaning of the flowers you may choose to give.For example, roses indicate romantic feelings so its not something you wanna give to your boss unless thats exactly what youre aiming for.Pelargonium may be a good option for you as its a traditional present symbolizing true alliance among friends. It doesn’t matter if you are living in a small apartment or house, flowers can give your nest a nicer look.There is perfect online ordering, where you can find any flower you think your coworker will love and all you have to do is use your phone. Your flowers can also be sent to the doorstep of your coworker any day you want.However, the best way to give flowers is to give it yourself they will appreciate you more.Its also for the best for the plants or flowers to be alive. That way youre giving them something to nurture in the times to come.Its not just a product or a thing that youre giving. Youre giving them a chance to devote to something and that is something all of us need to learn how to appreciate.13. GLOVESPrice: $30.00Since more and more people became addicted to smartphones and other touchscreen gadgets, gloves can be ideal for them.It gets rough during winters because you cant type with your gloves on.You can give your colleagues fingerless gloves which can be semi-useful since their fingers will still be in touch with weather or you can buy them the latest gloves since nowadays gloves are being made touchscreen friendlier.If you have gardener among your coworkers you should get them gardening gloves as well.This one works subliminally as well. The general meaning of gloves lies in the fact that they are protecting their wearer.Since you are the one that’s giving it to your coworkers they will feel safer and wormer working with you.14. PILLOWPrice: $20.00There are a lot of reasons that a pillow is an ideal gift for everyone. You don’t have to worry about size because pillows come in all sizes and shapes.Giving the pillow might be a bit odd, but its cool enough, right? Sleep is an important ritual as well.Providing sacraments for sleeping makes you a part of an important everyday experience that your colleagues have.Decent sleep is what everyone dreams about, and pillow is one of the things that can help your coworkers get enough sleep for work.You never know how important it is to have a good pillow until you start having problems with your neck and posture.By providing a good sleep for everyone in the office, you invest in the overall working atmosphere because everyones happy when they get a good night sleep.Its remarkable how much quality sleep can affect the stress levels in your office so, no matter how odd this gift may seem, its bound to pay off sooner or later.Here are  the top seven pillows  that will help your coworkers sleep better. Because having a nice sleep can’t be paid for.15. FITNESS TRACKEREstimated Price: $50.00There are few things that can naturally boost your dopamine levels (dopamine is another happy hormone) and exercise beats them all.However, its not easy to exercise. Its hard to stay put and motivate yourself to push through.Keeping track of your fitness activities is a sure way of knowing where you stand with your results.When it comes to fitness, the logic is simple the amount of work you put in equals the results. When you have the numbers, its not easy to fool yourself anymore. You have only yourself to thank or blame for the results.All of that works to motivate you to succeed and take responsibility in life.A fitness tracker will help your colleagues monitor their activity by making them more alert about their goal of losing weight.They will also start sharing their weekly goals achieved instead of daily complaining. Training with an incredible device will make your coworker more accountable and persistent about their work.It is a great thing for anyone who is trying to improve their lifestyle or just lose weight. All they have to do is stop complaining and start using the device you gave them, and they will be eternally grateful.The positive atmosphere in the office will also skyrocket because there are few things better than fitness when it comes to dopamine.16. SCARFEstimated Price: $15.00When you think about a timeless fashionable gift, scarf must be the first thing crossing your mind. It has been worn for centuries by different nations.Muslim women are wearing it to show their modesty. While in the West people usually wear it as a fashion accessory and a token of luxury.Giving your coworker this type of cloth will make them feel gracious.17. PRINTED SOCKSEstimated Price: $5.00When we were kids we usually received socks from our grandmothers and mothers. There is something unexplainable happening when you get socks. You almost feel like a kid again.Another thing about the socks is that you always seem to lose them somehow. Its like the washing machine eats them or something.Getting your coworker a new pair o f printed socks with a funny line on them can be a perfect gift for them. They are not expensive, but they are thoughtful asf, so thats what counts.There are a lot of articles saying what to wear and what not to wear. Socks are not that popular in those articles so its hard to make a mistake there.It’s not like buying a sweater or a jacket. Getting socks for someone is a lot easier, especially if you know their shoe size, if you don’t you can still buy the most common size.There are various styles of socks but the best ones and the warmest ones are wool socks.Dominant diamond standard in durable and warm footwear! 18. LEATHER BAGEstimated Price: $100.00Giving a leather bag is a gift for the special coworker. It shows that you are in their lives for a long time. It shows you believe in their ambitions for succeeding in the work.Leather bag is considered as a classic which will show them you have good taste even make them feel they have good taste.Its a bit expensive though so go for it only if your salary kicks through the roof.P.S. A backpack is a good idea if youre buying for a male coworker.19. PERFUMEEstimated Price: $50.00Giving perfume shows that you care. It’s a highly thoughtful gift. It’s a gift that your colleagues will be wearing daily and theyll think of you every time they put it on.But that makes it a personal gift so you want to give it to your female coworker or if some of your closest coworkers have a perfume wish-list, this is a perfect gift for them.Be careful not to overstep the line though. General opinion on giving someone a perfume is the affection of your love towards that person.20. A LEATHER NOTEBOOKEstimated Price: $20.00Sometimes you or your coworkers have some great ideas while drinking beer. Tomorrow none of you can remember the ideas. The beer is the cause of them appearing and disappearing from your memory.Leather notebook is the perfect gift for everyone that likes to brainstorm over a pint or two. It is also an inspirat ional gift.All great entrepreneurs and geniuses have had their own notebooks where they kept track of their enterprises.The thing with brilliant minds is that they have so many good ideas that they start to disregard them and they become reckless.Having a cool leather notebook may motivate that brilliant colleague that you may have to actually write something down. It can also make the rookie from your team look more professional. It will make him look like he is taking his job seriously and that is the best way of introducing him to old clients.It is also a great gift for a guy that always forgets the birthdays of his family members. If your coworkers are fashion junkies, it is a great business-fashion addition.21. SCENTED CANDLESEstimated Price: $5.00The workplace usually has a stressful atmosphere. The anxiety levels kick through the roof and you can just smell them in the air.Nowadays there are scented candles with so many individual designs. Finding out the right one for you co worker’s desk is not that hard.All your receiver needs to do is simply look at them or smell their scent and he will feel relieved of stress for at least some time.Candles have a great impact on our working routine. Its a bit contra-intuitive, but they can help cool things down motivate us and makes us stay on top of our game.22. WIRELESS SPEAKEREstimated Price: $40.00Working every day in the same place can be tough and stressful. Everyone needs some type of ventilation and a wireless speaker can help you with that.Whenever your coworker feels pressured music can help. Research conducted by neuroscientists found that music makes us happy by helping the release of Dopamine.Listening to music changes your brains chemistry a great deal.23. UMBRELLAEstimated Price: $15.00When buying a gift there’s a lot to consider.What’s my budget, should it be tech or non-tech? Is it something useful and in which way can my coworker use it?An umbrella might be the perfect thing you give to your coworkers. It comes handy in at least two seasons and its fashionable if you go for that gentlemanly look.People lose umbrellas all the time so you can never have enough of thoseHere are the  ten best umbrellas  the designers offered us this year.CONCLUSIONIt doesn’t matter what you give and what you get, what matter is who you get it from. Christmas is best spent with your family members and your business is most successful if you view your coworkers as family.After all, you do spend almost half of your life with those people (unless you switch positions and companies every now and then).Secret Santa is a good way to spice Christmas and New Years up to and reading this article is a sure way not to suck at this wonderful teambuilding activity.

The Effects of Racism and Misogyny in Othello Essay example

The Effects of Racism and Misogyny in Othello Race and gender heavily influence the course of peoples’ lives. Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† depicts a society in which racist and misogynist behaviour informs and affects how characters are perceived and treated. Women in the play are viewed by men as objects, available for their possession and use. The constant subtle and overt racism that Othello encounters throughout the play contribute to his downfall. The unjust treatment of women and people of colour in â€Å"Othello† is proof that their society is one of racism and misogyny. Male characters in the play perceive women as objects to possess and use as they see fit. Unwed women were considered the property of their fathers until marriage, and†¦show more content†¦This becomes indisputable when Emilia says, â€Å"’They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/ they eat us hungrily, and when they are full,/ they belch us.’† (3 .4.98-103). Emilia remarks on the way men use women with a lack of reverence, treating them as food to consume when they want and to throw away when they are finished. This statement is an accurate metaphor for Bianca and Cassio’s relationship, but also for that of Emilia and her verbally abusive husband, Iago. Every female character in Othello faces disrespect, mistreatment and misogyny from the men in their lives. Racism is prevalent and poignant in Venetian society. Iago uses racist language to amplify the anger in Brabantio when he reports on Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Iago shouts, â€Å"‘Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ is tupping your white ewe.’†(1.1.89-90). Iago uses racial slurs to his advantage, by calling Othello â€Å"an old black ram† he is referring to the Elizabethan-period belief that black men were animalistic sexually, and he is trying to anger Brabantio with the imagery of his daughter sleeping with an older black man. Brabantio’s racism is the dominant reason for his reaction to Desdemona and Othello’s marriage. This is evident when he claims, â€Å"‘She, in spite of nature,/ of years, of country, credit, every thing,/ to fall in love with what she fear’d to look on?’†(1.3.96-98). In this quote, Brabantio is trying to explain that the idea ofShow MoreRelatedA Malevolent Villain Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pageswork. Another malicious character is Iago, the villain in one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Othello. In this play Iago sets out to destroy Othello for multiple reasons, most of which are unsubstantiated imaginings. Iago’s role as a malicious villain is evidenced by his misogynist, racist, and manipulative behaviors. The first evidence of Iago’s malicious villainy is his misogyny. Iago hates women and repeatedly debases sex. He is cruel to his wife and does not show her love. HenryRead MoreEssay on Othello – Racism Expressed in Words1961 Words   |  8 PagesOthello –   Racism Expressed in Words  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bard of Avon’s tragic play Othello expresses racism; there is no doubt about this among most critics. However, to what degree – to a vulgar extent? Or to an excusable level?    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack comments on the audience’s reaction to the black-white union in the play:    That a beautiful Venetian girl should fall in love with â€Å"a veritable negro† seemed to manyRead More Racism in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay2606 Words   |  11 PagesRacism in William Shakespeare’s Othello    In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello racism is featured throughout, not only by Iago in his despicable animalistic remarks about Othello’s marriage, but also by other characters. Let us in this essay analyze the racial references and their degrees of implicit racism. Racism persists from the opening scene till the closing scene in this play. In â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello† Valerie Wayne comments on the racism inherent inRead More The Character of Iago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1620 Words   |  7 PagesIago in Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play Othello, the character Iago plays a paramount role in the destruction of Othello and all of those around him.   Some critics state that Iagos actions are motiveless and that he is a purely evil character.   However, during the course of this paper, certain motives for Iagos actions will be discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the first motive to be understood the reader must become knowledgeable of Othellos heritage and the setting of the play.   Othello is a MoslemRead MoreEssay on Analyses of Race and Gender Issues in Shakespeares Othello3144 Words   |  13 PagesAnalyses of Race and Gender Issues in Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discussion of race in Shakespeares Othello has received a great deal of critical attention. Virginia Mason Vaughn, in her book Othello: A Contextual History, surveys this critical history, beginning with Marvin Rosenbergs 1961 book The Masks of Othello (a book documenting the nineteenth-century tendency toward representing Othello as light-skinned), and continuing through to Jack DAmicos 1991 book The Moor in English RenaissanceRead MoreEssay Heart of Darkness vs Seasons of Migrations to the North3138 Words   |  13 Pagesthese novellas are supported by moral and psychological views that are exerted throughout. Alienation is a key concept in the novellas as they symbolise dislocation. To reveal the consequences of displacement, Conrad implemented evident racism and Salih employed misogyny that later on created criticisms. The idea of control represents both continents in these novels. Europe seemed to have a dominant control over Africa and because of this Europeans attempted to impose their failed morals upon the

How to Revise an Essay

Revising an essays may seem like a difficult task, but once you know some tricks of the trade, it can be a lot easier and more rewarding. Try these three strategies to improve your work: Read it out loud. Read your paper out loud, even just to yourself. Listen to your sentences. Do they sound correct? Do your sentences sound choppy or disconnected? Do the words you use sound like they fit in the sentence? Are your sentences longer than you would normally speak? Many people are auditory learners, meaning that they have a better sense of their writing when they hear it. Reading your work out loud can help you catch mistakes by hearing them, when you never would have seen them. Reoutline your argument. Look at the topic sentence of each paragraph. Make an outline of your paper, using each topic sentence as an entry. Look at your argument structure. Does each paragraph in a given section add to your argument? Does your paper follow a logical order? Do you repeat yourself? Does each paragraph add to the final product? Looking at how you succeeded in organizing your argument can also show where you failed at making your point and can help you find ways to better present your argument. Put it away for a while. The best way to revise an essay is to put it aside for an evening. Do other work, go have some fun, think about anything other than the paper. When you return to it, come at it with fresh eyes. Was that argument really what you were trying to say? Have you left out any words or ideas that you thought you had included? Is there a better structure for your argument? By stepping away from the paper, you can edit it later as if it were someone else work, and catch mistakes that were blending in yesterday.

Looking for Mr. Right Free Essays

Most single people in every society around the world have one thing in common. We are all looking for a partner that we can marry. Every society has its method on how we choose a spouse. We will write a custom essay sample on Looking for Mr. Right or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Indians have arranged marriages, the Chinese have online dating websites, and the Americans have social gatherings. All of the methods are different but do we find the the perfect partner? While on a field trip, Serena Nanda, met many young singles that was in the process of being arranged for marriage. She couldn’t understand, why these young men and women weren’t reluctant and against the idea of them being married off to a complete stranger that their parents picked. In America we are not used to the term arranged marriage. In an American society, we marry someone we choose, are attracted, and love. Whereas in china they have online dating where they choose from many profiles online and chat through emails which then leads to meeting in person and finally getting married. In Indian culture arranged marriages have been the norm for many centuries and almost all marriages are arranged. Serena Nanda, met this young intelligent college graduate name Sita. She had been waiting close to over a year for her parents to pick someone whom she would marry. Sita believed, marriage is so important that it should not be left to them, inexperienced people, to choose. It’s so important that she left it in the hands of her parents. While, Americans would say, â€Å"we who are getting married would know best. † Since we are going to be spending the rest of our life we should know whom we would get along with or whom we love. In contrast, Gong Haiyan is a college educated chinese women, who does not have the luxury of having a option between arranged marriage or of choosing for herself. If it was up to her parent to pick a partner for her they would be able to find someone whom she would be interested . And if it was up to her to find someone. She didn’t have time and like she said, â€Å"I didn’t know a soul in the city. † The only option she had was online dating. This method is a relatively a new form of finding a love. In a Chinese society of 1. billion people separated from love by â€Å"three towering mountains,†with no social scenes, no time, and no connections. China’s online dating solves all these problems. With a couple minutes they can create a profile in a online dating website with little or no money and be connected to other singles. Online dating is designed to help provide an efficient way for people to meet potential partners and to get to know them thr ough emails. Eventually you narrow down your options and if you connect then you get married. This method has worked and many Chinese have found a spouse and are happy. Gong Haiyan and many other found their spouse through online dating are married. For Americans dating takes place in social gatherings. Social gatherings can be co-ed softball teams, bars, parties, churches or libraries where people with similar interests can meet and socialize. The process of dating in America is called traditional dating in a social scene. It starts by asking a man or woman of interest out on a traditional date. Usually Americans ask out on several dates to dinners, dances or movies and get’s to further explore the relationship and person he or she is. You get to know that person’s character and personality through dating and if a friendship is developed then it can lead to a romantic relationship and hopefully lead to marriage. Whereas in India they rely on the parents guidance, they decide if the match is suitable and only then will the bride and groom have a say. They won’t compel their child to marry a person whom they dislike. If the match is refused by one only then will another be sought. The process of looking for a partner for their child is not easy. It may take years to find the right match. Arranged marriage, online dating and traditional dating have many similarities but yet at the same time have many differences. Arranged marriages in India have made me realize just how picky marriage are. In India marriage is not just important between the individuals but also important between the family. They need to know the bride’s characteristics to see if she will get along with the family of the groom. Once married the bride will move in with the groom’s family and she needs to get along or she can find it very difficult. In the end all they want is someone that has a good personality that the family could get along. Whereas in China and America they don’t pay attention to the bride or groom getting along with the family because they are not expecting to move in with the In-laws. For this reason family relationship is overlooked and is not a priority. Another major difference is how divorce is looked at. In India family reputation is so important that a divorce is still a scandal. And in China and America, divorce is just looked as normal. It happens when two individuals lose interest in each other or when they no longer are happy. In America when one is in love with someone, we don’t care if someone in the household was divorced. It has no weight. In India if someone in the household was divorced it puts the whole family in a negative light and it makes hard to get re-married. In every society single people are looking for someone to marry. In India the parents of the bride and groom are focused in finding the right partner. In China online dating tend to focus on finding a husband or wife and in America oneself looks for a prospective partner. In the end the methods are different but the end result is the same, they all find a husband or wife but did they make right decision? Only time will tell. How to cite Looking for Mr. Right, Papers

Rap Poem Essays - English-language Films, Szd Speech,

Rap Poem Hi I think I say I cry For we can't see Or realize Our fate Not shown yet casted in slate The grown Don't even hesitate to ignore and wait to late for They see it as a chore too broad a subject to explore too set our ways too closed our doors to many days have come and gone not correcting what is wrong yet still life goes on Why do we learn to share as youths The truth we still don't see for you and me forgot it's trapped inside our thoughts not coming out not free to be about nothing i can say aloud but proud i will write no worry's of a fight not scared of the bite Greed to want not to need to bite the hand that feeds i want more demand don't pleed cut down the tree don't plant the seed how long until we see me i can't be the only one there are tons why don't they talk and walk the walk our length of time is unknown before the bomb will be blown and cast the shadow on every home then no issues to discuss no talk no fuss no trucks no bus no passion no lust no shine just rust just a faint gust of past how the humans did not last Neverending is time like a crime that plagues or mind tick tock we don't stop and think to be and feel the sea and the grass between our toes the fragrence to our nose why when it's time to die we try and absorb like we've never been here before time keeps us sore deep into the core more and more it will sink for we will never link the fact that time equals stress the crest of our attitudes all longitudes and latitudes a build up of filled up emotion it's time to meet the quotient Still we sit and wait to teach to late we can't convense ourselves just keep stacking on the shelves maybe even we try but it is that you have to pry for these or our lives but ignorence is bliss or is it this we will accept as we have left cancer to grow the hair to fro the boat to row the seas to flow until they flood upon our lands passed our sands into our hands a burrdon is placed tiss we were graced but thats erased shot into space a place we don't know scared we are of this the great obiss whats waiting for us to miss slowly we are hesitating this to me feels degrating why sit react procrastation killed the cat or something like that we dream of what we wish was fact like a shell not yet cracked why are we here comes a tear to my eye as if we are just a lie a small small peice of pie not to tall not to wide but still we are stuck inside the crust is flustered with the dust from our minds and time and greed and what we think we do not see and the way we only focus on whats presented to our imagination we can't wait too long lets make the wrong become the wrongs turn the wisper into a song for soon we will be gone until then life goes on.

Definition and Examples of Subvocalizing

Definition and Examples of Subvocalizing Though subvocalizing, the act of  saying words silently to oneself while reading, tends to limit how fast we can read, it isnt necessarily an undesirable habit. As Emerald Dechant observes, It seems likely that speech traces are a part of all, or nearly all, thinking and probably even silent reading. . . . That speech aids thinking was recognized by early philosophers and psychologists (Understanding and Teaching Reading). Examples of Subvocalizing A powerful but woefully under-discussed influence on readers is the sound of your written words, which they hear inside their heads as they subvocalizegoing through the mental processes of generating speech, but not actually triggering speech muscles or uttering sounds. As the piece unfolds, readers listen to this mental speech as if it were spoken aloud. What they hear is, in fact, their own voices saying your words, but saying them silently.Here is a fairly typical sentence. Try reading it silently and then out loud. It was the Boston Public Library, opened in 1852, that founded the American tradition of free public libraries open to all citizens. As you read the sentence you should notice a pause in the flow of words after Library and 1852 . . .. Breath units divide the information in the sentence into segments that readers subvocalize separately.(Joe Glaser, Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve Your Writing. Oxford Univ. Press, 1999) Subvocalizing and Reading Speed Most of us read by subvocalizing (saying to ourselves) the words in the text. Although subvocalizing can help us remember what we read, it limits how fast we can read. Because covert speech is not much faster than overt speech, subvocalization limits reading speed to the rate of speaking; we could read faster if we didnt translate printed words into speech-based code.(Stephen K. Reed, Cognition: Theories and Applications, 9th ed. Cengage, 2012)[R]eading theorists such as Gough (1972) believe that in high-speed fluent reading, subvocalizing does not actually happen because the speed of silent reading is faster than what would occur if readers said each word silently to themselves as they read. The silent reading speed for 12th graders when reading for meaning is 250 words per minute, whereas the speed for oral reading is only 150 words per minute (Carver, 1990). However, in beginning reading, when the word-recognition process is far slower than in skilled fluent reading, subvocalizati on . . . may be taking place because the reading speed is so much slower.(S. Jay Samuels Toward a Model of Reading Fluency. What Research Has to Say About Fluency Instruction, eds. S.J. Samuels and A.E. Farstrup. International Reading Assoc., 2006) Subvocalizing and Reading Comprehension [R]eading is message reconstruction (like reading a map), and for the most part comprehension of meaning depends on using all the cues available. Readers will be better decoders of meaning is they understand sentence structures and if they concentrate most of their processing ability on the extraction of meanings using both semantic and syntactic context in reading. Readers must check the validity of their predictions in reading by seeing whether they produced language structures as they know them and whether they make sense. . . .In summary, an adequate response in reading thus demands much more than the mere identification and recognition of the configuration of the written word.(Emerald Dechant, Understanding and Teaching Reading: An Interactive Model. Routledge, 1991)Subvocalization (or reading silently to oneself) cant in itself contribute to meaning or understanding any more than reading aloud can. Indeed, like reading aloud, subvocalization can only be accomplished with anythi ng like normal speed and intonation if it is preceded by comprehension. We dont listen to ourselves mumbling parts of words or fragments of phrases and then comprehend. If anything, subvocalization slows readers down and interferes with comprehension. The habit of subvocalization can be broken without loss of comprehension (Hardyck Petrinovich, 1970).(Frank Smith, Understanding Reading, 6th ed. Routledge, 2011)

How to Make Blogging Work as an Author

How to Make Blogging Work as an Author How To Make Blogging Work As An Author - An interview with Anne R. Allen Here’s another thing that we, startups, have in common with indie authors: we often blog. Whether it’s as a way to establish ourselves (in time) as thought leaders in our industry, to drive traffic to a main website, or to keep customers engaged with us, we are big fans of what we use to call â€Å"content marketing†.This strategy is all the more attractive to authors that they are used to producing content for a living. However, â€Å"blogging† is not â€Å"writing†. It’s writing, engaging, promoting, socialising, etc. It is time-consuming and not necessarily something all authors are good at. I believe there are actually two schools of thought out there, one urging authors to have a blog, the other one stating that time spent on writing for the blog is time you could have spent writing â€Å"sell-able† material: books.So today we interview one of the most successful author bloggers out there: Anne R. Allen. And she offers some good p oints on how useful blogging can be, if done right!Reedsy: Hi Anne, thanks for granting us this interview. It is fair to say that you have, together with Ruth Harris, one of the best-performing author blogs out there. And you’ve written several posts on blogging, but we’d love to dive deeper into that. The â€Å"B† word is sometimes scary to authors: do you think blogging is a requirement for indie authors today? Or just a very useful option?Anne: Thanks. I do post extensively on blogging. I’m a big fan of â€Å"slow blogging†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthat is blogging once a week or less. I feel a working fiction writer doesn’t need to blog as often as somebody who is blogging to monetize, and most of the rules for blogging don’t apply to novelists.But fiction writers can definitely benefit from maintaining a blog.I’ve also written a book that discusses blogging in depth, along with the other skills I think benefit a 21st Century writer. The boo k is HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE, co-written with NYT bestseller, Catherine Ryan Hyde.I’m working on a short handbook specifically for new authors who want to learn to blog. It will launch with Kotu Beach Press later this year.In answer to your question: no, not every author should (or can) blog. Some authors aren’t cut out for writing little nonfiction essays every week. If you hate it, that will show, so don’t do it if it’s not fun for you.On the other hand, blogging is probably the most useful form of social media for the new author. For one thing, it’s the only kind of social media where you have most of the control. It gets you into search engines, helps you relate one-to-one with potential readers, and connects you with other authors and publishing professionals.Virtually all the people I work with in this industry I met through my blog. That includes two of my publishers, my first agent, my blog partner, and the wonderful fellow authors I work with for boxed sets and joint promotions.  Reedsy: I feel there is as big a proliferation of content in blogging as there is in books†¦ And the â€Å"big blogs† are the ones most trusted by the readers, so is it still possible nowadays for a starting blogger to get â€Å"big†, and how might they achieve that?Anne: Wonderful new blogs are getting my attention all the time. They don’t need to be â€Å"big† like ours to be useful to an author for networking and interacting with fans. All a blog needs to do is provide an author with a kind of â€Å"home† online where people can stop by and get to know you.Reedsy: What is the most common mistake you see authors making in their blogging activities?Anne: Oh, you probably shouldn’t get me started†¦let’s give my top 6:Not visiting other blogs. Social media is social, people, get out and meet the neighbors!Dark background, light font. Tough on the eyes and looks like an old M ySpace page. If you’re a writer, your text is all-important. Make it readable!Posting erratically. Don’t try to post every day. Choose a day of the week or month to post, and then do it regularly.Starting a bunch of blogs. Unless you write in wildly different genres, say Christian YA and Erotica, you don’t need more than one blog. You won’t be able to keep them up and readers will be confused and won’t be able to find you.Treating it like a personal journal. A blog is more like a magazine column. Be professional. Nobody cares what you had for lunch.Not putting your name on your blog! I can’t believe how many writers give their blog a cutesy title and don’t let us have a clue who the heck they are and how to contact them. You’re trying to establish a brand here, not join an anonymous hackers club.Reedsy: Is it useful to mix content forms and media (text, image, audio, video) or better to stick to one?Anne: It depends on you and your audience. Ruth and I are strictly old school and our audience is mostly mature adults. They prefer their information gimmick-free. No videos and very few images. Those things take a lot longer to load and we want people to be able to read our blog quickly and interact in the comments. But every blog is different. Lots of great blogs use video, podcasts, and tons of images.Reedsy: You mention in one of your posts that you believe the 500 word limit many set for their posts is archaic now. What would your recommendation be? Is it useful to mix lengths or should the reader always be able to know what to expect?Anne: I’ve seen studies that say today’s ideal blogpost is about 1200-1500 words. Our readers would be very disappointed to see a 500 word post. They expect in-depth work from us. But if you blog more often than once a week, shorter is fine.Reedsy: What should the #1 motivation be for an author to start a blog: the desire to monetise it eventually (through ads or referral programs), the intention of generating traffic to increase book sales, or just for fun?Anne: First, if you’re a new author, I don’t think monetizing a blog is a good idea. The income from affiliates and other advertising sources is going to be pennies a month. Ads annoy your readers and make you look needy.Your blog should aim to raise your online profile and be the â€Å"hub† of your online presence. Blogs aren’t that great for direct sales. What they do is help establish your platform. They make you Googleable. Having fun is a bonus.Reedsy: The #1 topic out there on authors’ blogs is writing and publishing advice. Is this still a good thing to go for or should authors start thinking about blogging on other subjects (maybe topics that are more related to their readership)?Anne: There are a lot of â€Å"how to fight writer’s block† and â€Å"prop up your book’s sagging middle† blogposts out there, so a blog t hat concentrates on writing tips is going to have a lot of competition.What you blog about can change and grow with your career. When you’re starting out, you want to network with other authors, so writing-related stuff can be useful, but later, when you want to reach fans, you’ll want to change focus. Write more about your settings and subject matter and let people know about you as a person.Reedsy: What is the best way to promote a blog? Is it fair to say guest-posting is the most effective method?Anne: Guest posting is probably the best way to get your name out there, whether you have your own blog or not. Landing a spot on a high profile blog can jumpstart a career in a major way. My blog went from about 10 hits a week to 1000 when I won a guest spot on Nathan Bransford’s blog in 2010.But it doesn’t have to be a high profile blog (blogs like ours are booked a year in advance and we only take people who already have big followings†¦although we may run a contest for a guest spot sometime this summer.)But guesting on a smaller blog run by an author who writes in the same genre can actually sell more books than getting on a blog that gets 100K hits a month like ours. One of my best sales days in my early career came when I visited a chick lit blog with only a couple of dozen followers. Nearly every reader bought my book.And the #1 way to get invited to guest blog is also the best way to get traffic to your blog: comment on other blogs. Get to know the blogging community. One comment on a blog like Nathan’s or The Passive Voice (or ours) will put your name in front of thousands of readers.Also, don’t underestimate the power of other social media. My blog took off mostly from Tweets from readers.Google Plus is also essential for bloggers, IMO, because a post that’s reposted on Google Plus will immediately get a high SERP rank.   If somebody Googles â€Å"How to Blog† I might see one of my articles on the first page of the search results. But it won’t be a link to the actual blog. It will be a link to my Google Plus page where the blog has been automatically reposted. People who click through will see my entire Google Plus profile as well as the blogpost link. Very nice for getting your name out there.Facebook is becoming less and less useful for authors (or anybody else), but we still do get about 10% of our traffic from FB shares.Reedsy: Thanks for your time, Anne!  Anne R. Allen is an award-winning blogger and the author seven comic novels, including the bestselling Camilla Randall Mysteries. She has recently published a book of short stories and verses: WHY GRANDMA BOUGHT THAT CAR and she’s the co-author, with NYT bestseller Catherine Ryan Hyde, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDEYou can find her and Reedsy on Twitter: @annerallen and @reedsyhq​Credit for the header photograph goes to  Christine Ahern  Do you have a blog too? How often do you post and what’s your experience it in terms of dos and don'ts? Make sure to leave us your opinion, or any question you’d like to ask Anne, in the comments below!