9 tips to keep your audience in attention

In almost all gatherings (conventions, alumni homecomings, commencement exercises, fund raising or awarding ceremonies), guest speakers are usually invited to highlight the occasion.

To make the gathering memorable, guest speakers are selected for a certain reason, some according to their popularity and accomplishments.

As much as possible, the speaker’s profession or line of achievement must be in some way related to the occasion.

Let’s say the occasion is a convention of home developers. The likely guest speaker to grace it could be a famous housing czar well known and respected by the city and state.

To impart a lasting impression to the audience, a speaker must find ways to keep the attention glued to his speech.

If it so happens that you are the invited guest speaker of a gathering, the suggestions below may help to keep your audience listening instead of walking around or doing something else.

1. Speak in a clear, crisp, comprehensible voice with an enthusiastic tone. Avoid mumbling. Try not to eat the words as if there’s a gum in your mouth.

2. Your speech should be in consonance with the aim of the gathering, touching on issues relevant to its objective and applicable to current needs for the benefit of the majority.

3. More speakers prepare a list of the issues they want to touch on instead of a speech prepared and read (or memorized) word for word. A spontaneous speech aligned on the ideas prepared or written on the list is projected more naturally.

4. Inject humor into your speech to keep the audience attentive and waiting for more. Studies reveal that, when humor is involved, audiences find the speaker interesting to listen to. But be aware not to go beyond the line of humor because this may unintentionally embarrass others or be misunderstood by them. This might raise comments that criticize your speech. Try your best to avoid criticism.

5. When you raise an issue, one of the best ways to project it is by citing instances or examples. Correlate the example and the issue clearly.

6. Suppose the gathering was organized to save an industry or boost the morale of those that will be directly and indirectly affected by it. Try your best to deliver an inspiring speech. A speech filled with positive thoughts, like projecting a bright tomorrow, can turn a depressive mood into an enthusiastic one. If you are well versed on the industry with a solution to offer to suppress its downtrend, then say it.

7. Audience participation may seem to turn your speech into a discussion, but it is one way to confirm effectiveness of what you are saying or offering.

8. Image how the industry will look like 5 or 10 years from now on a positive flight. Be specific and realistic in your projection. If hard work is called for, say so.

9. Leave a lasting, meaningful message as you wrap up your speech.

A speech that leaves the audience thinking long after the speech has been made will also leave the audience remembering the speaker for a long time.

Artistic business opportunities

If you are fed up with punching a time clock, daily commutes and someone telling you what to do, maybe you should think about starting your own home based business. Home based business income opportunities are available for those who are willing to work hard. Here are some at home business artistic ideas that you might want to consider.

An artistic person might want to consider a home based business in marketing or advertising. There are a lot of companies that prefer to use a freelance artist for advertising rather than paying the cost of a large advertising company. This type of company allows you to put your personal touch on all your work. You also get satisfaction form seeing your work in a magazine or on television.

Another artistic business you could consider is designing book graphics. You can put yourself into something that hundreds of people are going to see. If you have a local university or college, you could start with them for work. Many schools on this level publish many books in a year and they need people to do art for the book cover or in the book. This is a good way for others to see your work when considering having you do a job.

If you artistic flair lies in another direction, you might want to paint murals. This is a job that people really enjoy. Murals are really cute in babies and young children’s rooms. Not too many people have the ability to do this type of work but they enjoy having a unique room in their homes. It is very easy to make a lot of money in a very short period of time with this home business.

Home decorating is another way to use your artistic abilities. Some people either don’t have the taste or natural ability to put together fabrics, furniture and flooring for a really nice room or house. Everyone however likes a nicely put together home. If you have the natural abilities to mix and match or the ability to see a finished product from a mess, then home decorating could be the answer to your home based business income opportunity.

Another artistic career you might want to consider is party planning. If you have the ability to plan out parties from the theme right down to the food, this is a good choice for you. Children parties are wanted by parents whose schedules are to tight to do it themselves. The ability to juggle or train animals is novel ideas for entertaining children. Executives are always looking for someone to plan receptions or company parties. These types of affairs require patience and planning skills. Imagination is also a necessary tool in the line of work.

If you have a natural talent or ability, you can make it work for you. You can enjoy what you do and never think about a 9 to 5 schedule again.

Just what is back pain and some surprising stats about it

For decades the medical profession has been observing back pain to be common in society. Most noted victims to chronic back pain being our senior citizens. The annoyances of back pain causes distress and can also prevent people from their regular activities including their work schedule and play time with family. Back pain can be the most difficult and frustrating type of pain to treat for both patients and their doctors.

Here are some of the common causes of back pain:

1. Muscles strains are considered to be the most common.

2. A ruptured intervertebral disc, otherwise known as a herniated disc which can lead to discogenic back pain

3. Improper posture, heavy lifting and repetitive motion can also cause back pain.

4. At the ageing stage, the spinal cord is likely to get constricted which can cause back pain. This is known as Spinal stenosis.

5. A person suffering from arthritis in the lumber region is commonly subjected to back pain.

6. Due to generative changes, the adjacent vertebrae in the spinal cord can become unstable and start to slip, resulting in back pain. This is called spondylolisthesis.

7. Sometimes psychological issues like fear, anxiety and depression too can add to discomfort and pain.

Types and treatments of back pain:

It can be classified into two categories.

1. Acute or short-term pain - Also known as lower back pain, the pain is probably due to lower back trauma of some sort. Incurred sports or vehicular injuries may have been the root cause of this undesirable back pain.

2. Chronic back pain: If the back pain persists for more than three months, it is considered to be chronic.

Here are some interesting facts about back pain:

* Through 1997 - 2001, the average days of work lost due to back injuries was 45.

* Around 30 to 40 percent of all workplace absences have been known to be due to back pain.

* Back strain accounts for 25% of all claims to the WCB.

* From 1997 - 2001 the WCB received 63,900 claims for back strain from males and 26,800 claims for back strain from females.

* More than two-thirds of back strains are caused by lifting and other exertions like pulling and pushing.

* Lower back pain accounts for two thirds of all back pain related cases.

Victims need to consult a doctor if their back pain persists for more than 72 hours. Surgery is not a great solution at any time, sometimes pain relievers will lessen the pain followed by the consumption of anti-inflammatory medication. Certain exercises are also recommended to strengthen the muscles and to overcome back pain. But they should be practiced in the presence of a professional or else they might make the situation worse if practiced in the wrong way.

If the pain spreads to legs, numbness in legs, rectal area and foot, development of nausea, fever, stomach pain and vomiting accompanied by back pain a person should immediately be reported to a doctor.

The key to proper treatment of back pain is to understand the cause and take preventative and pro-active measures to eliminate the pain. Remember, pain is always a sign that something else is wrong and if continually ignored may lead to more serious harm.

Do you need a cordless jigsaw

If you are in the market for a new jigsaw, or are interested in adding to your collection, you are in luck. There are a lot of jigsaws on the market today that provide a great level of performance for a relatively low price tag. The most important thing to consider when buying a jigsaw is the level of features that you get for your money. Of course, the more money you pay the more features you are going to get. But at the same time, if you can find a less expensive model with a lot of features you are doing a good job.

The top rated cordless jigsaw on the market today is the 18 volt Bosch 52318. The number one drawing feature of this model is its smooth cutting power. When you are sawing with the Bosch 52318 you never have to worry about getting caught up. It offers the smoothest operation out of all of the jigsaws on the market today. Another great advantage of this unit is that the battery carries a two year warranty, and the jigsaw itself carries a three year warranty. This means that you will never have to worry about repair costs for the first two years of ownership. And even after the warranty runs up you should not have any problems; Bosch makes some of the most reliable and durable tools in the world. For all of these features you will have to pay approximately $215.

If you are not enamored by all of the features of the Bosch, you may want to stick with the cordless jigsaws that are in the budget category. These tools will not be as powerful or precise as the top models, but they are still high quality products. If you are searching for a budget model look no further than the Ryobi P520. This model offers easy to use features, including an easy blade change system. It is ideal if you are in need of rough cutting, or if you do not use a jigsaw on a regular basis. This model can be yours for only $50.

A cordless jigsaw is a great addition to any tool collection. When you are buying, you need to determine whether you are looking for top notch quality and design, or price. Either way, there are many models of cordless jigsaws on the market for you to choose from.

What is skimming

In speaking of drawbacks of credit cards another form is the fraud of making copies of stored information upon the credit card, also known as “Skimming”. This has become extremely popular for those who are making the business of stealing other peoples financial information and making use of it. Each time you let your credit card leave your hands, you run the risk of credit card skimming.

In general, skimming occurs in a public place such as a restaurant, shop, or retail store. Anyone who is dishonest and in the fraud business such as a cashier or waiter could swipe the credit card for payment of their services and then unbeknownst to you swipe it a second time in a device known as a “skimmer”. A skimmer is a small device that is similar to the size of a pager that has a slot; this is purchased very easily on the internet. What it does is it will record information stored upon a credit card (magnetic strip) and it will do so extremely fast. Then the information that it records is passed to thieves who will then put the information upon a credit card that is counterfeit.

This essentially means that your money is now in the hands of the thieves. There is only one way to prevent this action and that is to make sure you always keep a sharp eye upon the credit cards. Skimming has also known to take place at various unwatched ATMS such as those within a mall. Your credit card could become stuck within the ATM or done in such a way that you believe that the ATM has kept your card for some reason, but in actuality, the thief has inserted something within the ATM in efforts to steal your card along with a camera that has recorded your pin number.

It is important that you become extremely aware of your surroundings and keep close eyes upon your surroundings. Make sure, if the ATM ever keeps your card that, you immediately report the instance to the bank or Credit Card Company. Additionally, you should ensure that each credit card statement you receive, you carefully examine it for anything that should not be on there. Make sure you keep all limits of credit low upon credit cards to help minimize losses if you do fall prey to skimming. With the risks of being financially crippled, you should be keenly aware of any and all activity in regards to your credit cards.

Is a picture worth a thousand words

Are you an eBay seller? If you are, you likely already know the importance of having pictures in your eBay listings. There are a many eBay buyers who will not buy an item on eBay if they haven’t seen a picture. In fact, many eBay buyers like to see more than one picture. The only problem with this is that posting a number of pictures on eBay can get expensive, especially overtime. However, there is a way that you can give your potential customers what they want, more pictures, without having to go broke while doing so.

There are really two ways you can do this. First is if you have your own web site on a hosted domain you can FTP your files to your web site and host them there. After all, you are already paying for the hosting service. The second is to use a 3rd party service to host your images. Just do an internet search and you will find plenty of image hosting sites. You should be able to get by with about 30mb of disk space.

Hosting on your own web site would be a simple matter of creating a folder, for example, auctions, and copy your images up to that folder. For now lets talk about 3rd party services. If you are looking for a way to have multiple pictures appear in your eBay auction listings, but you are urged to examine websites that are known as photo sharing sites, if you haven’t already done so. Photo sharing websites are sites that allow you to post digital photographs online and sometimes even videos. There are a large number of internet users who use photo sharing sites to upload and share pictures with friends and family members over the internet, but many internet users are also starting to use photo sharing websites to help combat their eBay seller fees, particularly the fees associated with having multiple pictures in an eBay auction.

All you will need to do is to create an account with the service. You should be required to fill out a small form, which may request a little bit of information about yourself, like your full name or your email address. You will also need to create login information for yourself, including a screen name and a safe password. Once you have that finished, you should be able to use the photo sharing website in question, whether it be PhotoBucket or not, to help you start saving money.

When using a photo sharing site, you will see that different sites have different instructions that need to be followed, but the first step will be taking pictures of your eBay items. Then you will need to upload them to your computer and then follow the photo sharing website’s instructions on how to upload your photos to their site. In most cases, this is a relatively simple process, which tends to involve selecting a few pictures from your computer’s hard drive and then hitting an upload button.

Once your pictures have been uploaded, you should see thumbnails or smaller versions of them. With PhotoBucket there are little boxes underneath each thumbnail that can be used to select the picture or pictures of you choice. You will want to select all of the pictures that you want listed in a particular eBay listing. Then, you should be able to find a link that allows you to generate an HTML code. This will lead you to another page with a lot of information on it, particularly HTML links. Many photo sharing websites outright tell you which HTML code links you should use for eBay. Copy the code and paste it in the description of your eBay auction listings and you are good to go; your pictures should appear.

Using a photo sharing site is optional, but it is definitely something to look into. As an eBay seller, you want to profit as much as you can and this also involves eliminating unnecessary expenses.

Sunburn home remedies

If you are suffering from sunburn, but do not want to go to the doctor, there are several home remedies that you can use to treat your condition. In many cases, these home remedies can provide you with better treatment than anything that you would get from your doctor.

One of the best home remedies for sun burn is to apply cold water to the affected areas. This can be done by simply placing cold compressions on the area for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. If you are looking for a more long term solution, you can soak in a bath of cold water. This may be a bit uncomfortable on the rest of your body, but it will feel great on your sunburn.

Another sunburn home remedy that is easy to follow includes nothing more than drinking a lot of water. By loading up on water you will be fighting dehydration, and at the same time speeding up the healing process.

There are also many sprays and lotions that you can put on the affected areas. The good thing about these medications is that they can be bought over the counter, and they are usually what doctors recommend anyhow. You should look for the lotion that contains aloe vera. This will be sure to speed up the healing process, while also making your skin feel much better.

Finally, don’t forget the ever popular calamine lotion if the itching is killing you. This has been proven to be one of the best ways to take the itching sensation out of sun burnt skin.

Overall, there are many home remedies that can help relieve your sunburn. There is really no reason to see the doctor because you should be able to find your own solution without much trouble at all.

Don't get burned.