The Colloid Base

I read with great interest that companies are already well advanced in their preparations for the next stage of development for mobile devices. There are several allegiances forming between mobile phone manufacturers such as Ericsson, Internet providers like Orange mobile broadband and appliance and equipment manufacturers of all kinds of common household electrical goods. When I started reading the article I couldn’t figure out what manufacturers of items such as TVs, light switches and even electric ovens were doing having secret discussions with broadband providers and mobile makers. From what I read it seems that all these companies have figured out that they have a common interest in being linked together. Again I couldn’t see the connection between an oven and my mobile device. But apparently what they intend to do is to allow us to access our household devices directly, are Not via a computer or some kind of terminal. We will in fact call-up our household appliances directly; we will make a call to our TV. The purpose of these direct connections will be to control these devices while we are not at home. Then it struck me how useful search connections could be. Forgotten to turn on the burglar alarm, then you just need to give it a bell and tell it to switch on. Going to be unexpectedly home late this evening, all you have to do is call a your living room light and tell it to come on to give the illusion that you are at home. Or you could place a casserole in the oven and at 3 PM call the appliance an tell it to cook on high heat for two hours then simmer on a low light until 6.30 when you will be home. These are great ideas that I can see having endless other uses once they come online.

As Voice over IP is becoming increasingly available, lots of people are now considering switching to VoIP. The big advantage is that by sending calls through a broadband internet connection rather than a traditional telephone line you can make really cheap calls. You do not have to be a technology wizard to get started with Voice over IP either. The average person can have VoIP set up and be enjoying VoIP in about half an hour.

An important factor where it pays to do some research before making a decision is in the selection of a VoIP provider. There are a growing number of internet telephony service providers that you can sign up with and it is important to choose one that will meet your requirements.

Selecting a VoIP company can be a bit different from selecting which electricity, gas or other service provider to use. Problems such as features and quality of service all come into play as do the technical requirements and the price. So here are a few tips to help you decide who to choose.

1. Firstly, check who offers the essential services you want and make sure you have the technology to use those services.

2. Then make a comparison to guage what you are getting for your money. One internet telephony provider may offer a number of different packages and price plans, while others take a single standard approach. Some are willing to offer separate deals for personal users and home businesses but others do not.

3. Some VoIP service providers like Vonage also offer various deals allowing you to make cheap calls to UK and Ireland landlines for a fixed monthly fee. It is also worth investigating significantly cheap international call costs, if you make a lot of them. Some VoIP providers offer bundles of international minutes at reduced rates for heavy users.

4. It is also nice to to be able to make use of other features, such as a second line or being able to add a virtual phone number in another city to your VoIP service. When receive a call on the virtual number from a landline, they only pay their local call rate to reach you, even if you are overseas. If this sounds like something that appeals to you then look into what each VoIP provider offers.

5. Any good service provider offers technical support and effective customer service to get you up and running. They will also include services to manage your connections, such as call diversion or configuring voicemail, as well as bill management services.

6. Many internet telephony services provide easy to use web interfaces where subscribers can manage their accounts, set up diversions and voicemail on the fly, and order additional lines or other services.

Once you have gathered all this information you will be in a better position to make your mind up based on the different options offered by each individual provider.

The days where laptops for gaming were a specialist market are vanishing really quick. For sure they were not produced in large qty’s but companies did generate a lot of money on them. These were the notebooks you continuously thought of but were out of your reach. They were like the supreme example of what could be done with notebook technology, the best laptops around. Although they did get everybody thrilled I do not think they sold well because not many people actually buy laptops that are that pricey. Well established brands have recently introduced their own gaming notebooks so its all changing as I write this.

If mass produced, brands can render enormous profits on gaming laptops. Profit margins have been so small recently that this is a great chance to make more cash by selling hardware. Multinational brands would surely find it effortless to get prospects to buy these laptops. Do the smaller players even stand a chance with this kind of competition? The high end technology will quickly make its path into the sight of the average consumers. Buyers will also gather a lot more peace of mind when spending a big amount of cash. With that these notebooks are in addition considered to be the best laptops already, even though they actually aren’t. This is probably the last service that local brands can offer that the bigger brands can’t. The customizations service is an enormous benefit to the customer. Generally this kind of consumer is in the know in regards to the technology and can easily evaluate specifications. More often than not the specs mean a lot a more than the design for these sort of purchasers.

Of course from the buyers position, its a good thing. I could forecast some price wars occurring in this sector after the initial months. Although that’s my take on it, its just my point of view and quite possibly not what will occur. New things are continuously being introduced and that should keep costs constantly high. I guess we’ll have to see whether this saturation makes any big positives for gamers.

Laptops seem to be the current popular thing this year. Taiwanese companies have said part shortages will affect shipments this year due to the astronomical demands. Its actually incredible that financial circumstances and all haven’t hindered this demand for laptop computers either. New devices are coming out all the time that litterally create new niches in the laptop computer industry.

Gaming laptops are one of the varieties that have seen growth. Good gaming laptops can be had relatively cheap for average gaming needs. Playing games on laptops is indeed a reality now with the advancements in technology. Even more astonishing these days In my opinion is how sleek the chassis’s are getting especially when you think about much performance is in them. Desktops are bigger and consume more electricity so no matter how much better gaming laptops have got desktops will always run better. I don’t give it too long before we see ultra portable gaming laptops on the streets.

Talking of gaming laptops, the vast alternatives are available when they are custom built. Sometimes with bigger manufacturers the quality of the core parts is not that good. In my view point being able to configure the processor, memory and hard drive is most suited the more extreme users out there. Premade laptop computers are targeted at consumers who have common needs and that is probably not you right? Specialist users require custom laptops for this reason. There is a large array of options for custom built laptops with OEM’s all providing an exceptional personal service. This would be a massive enticer to a handfull of specialist sectors.

Plenty of funky laptops are being launched in the coming months. The in thing along with those mentioned looks to be low priced umpc’s. This area is already getting stern competition and is getting overloaded. Consumers need thin, amazingly light devices yet they also want them to have big screens. If we ignore processing speed I’m sure we would witness those versions of laptops today. Consumer trends indicate that gaming laptops will get increasingly mobile in the next couple of years. There’s no knowing what ideas we will see but no doubt there will be many.

Also check out these gaming laptop at rizeon.

DR. SENTIEL ROMMEL:

As part of the research team that sought to know how advanced the ancient navigational equipment and computers or astrolabes were, this man deserves credit he has not received; although it might be that credit would come in the form of ridicule such as was directed at Barraclough Fell. Here is an excerpt from The Epigraphic Society Occasional Publication no. 20 on pages 2-3 which makes mention of his assistance in these regards that prove Maui was not the only possessor of a Torquetum or Tanawa in pre-Christian times.

“Navigation equipment depicted in the Irian Caves”

From Commander F. E. Bassett, USN, Chairman, Navigation Department, United States Naval Academy (Annapolis):

22 November 1974

‘Your letter concerning the West Irian cave discoveries was received with great interest… The following comments are offered concerning the sketches. They are only educated guesses based on the collective knowledge of navigation department personnel of celestial navigation (we have no experts on navigation prior to the European “Age of Discoveries”. But we do have a number of texts that may point you in the correct direction in your search for a leading authority)…

a. no apparent significance.

b. Agreement. It would seem that the light ray is the only logical explanation. (Note by editor: this refers to the first figure in the series of diagrams published in Occ. Pub. No. 18. The sketch was submitted to the Naval authorities before the associated hieroglyphic text was identified and deciphered. The deciphered caption proved to read ‘ray from the sun’.)…

c. The drawing appears to resemble an explanatory diagram discussing the theory of parallel light rays from outer space. The theory assumes that the celestial bodies are at an infinite distance from the earth. (Note by editor: this refers to the second figure in Occ. Pub. No. 18. Here again Commander Bassett’s interpretation is in excellent agreement with the hieroglyphic text subsequently deciphered.)

d. It is speculated that figure d is a diagram illustrating that one body would be observed at different altitudes from different positions of observers. (Note by editor: This refers to the third diagram in Occ. Pub. No. 18 for which no related text has been so far identified. Commander Bassett’s suggestion seems to be a very reasonable and appropriate explanation of the diagram.)

‘Group 3. Items shown as anchors appear definitely to be anchors. Item A might perhaps be a grapnel hook. Items B and C could possibly be altitude measuring devices which use a plumb bob to establish the vertical. The circular portion may be inscribed with angular scale. {The Masonic T- square has this concept and may symbolize their ancient trading secret that enabled them to go to where they wanted and continue to trade for cocaine, emeralds and gold without much competition for many millennia. I will cover this in greater detail shortly.} (Note by editor: these items are still under study at Harvard where there is agreement with these comments; one item depicted is apparently an early form of Torquetum, an analog computer employing a plumb bob and circular scales, used in the study of planetary motion along the elliptic. Dr. Sentiel Rommel is developing a replica.)….

Item E best resembles illustrations of early astrolabes. (Note by the Editor: the hieroglyphic text accompanying this figure is believed to read ‘Number reckoner of the Delta astronomer’; and Harvard scientists developed a wood model based on the sketch, calibrated to give time by night, the position of the zodiacal constellations at all hours for all days of the year, the daily correction of correction of cross staff zenith angle to yield latitude, and the daily position of the sun on the ecliptic. This model will be published after further study by Dr. Sentiel Rommel.)…”

The mention of Delta intrigues me. I know the Great Pyramid produces Delta wave form energy and I believe most astrolabes were in tune with the cosmic and earth energy. The one found in Wisconsin dates to the same era or earlier than the Antikythera, based on metallurgical analysis. There are two perfect tetrahedra in the Great Pyramid and the energy flowing around and over (or through) it causes changing effects which may be discernable in other key locations on the Earth Energy Grid where many have shown the same harmonic vibration does exist. The Mayan people built their city centers on these key points. Masons build stelae in the middle of existing roads in the Nova Scotia Grid tied in with Oak Island. I think we can imagine these technologies may account for the two sidereal charts of the heavens (along with recently discovered lenses in various parts of the world) inside the Great Pyramid. That means there was this kind of technology around approximately 80,000 years ago. The Platonic Solids stones in the Ashmolean Museum are estimated to have been done around 1400 BC and they are very interesting to say the least. They probably include an understanding including the Pentagon-Dodecahedron, Stargates and many other things I am working on with other people. There is an Octagon representing Air, an Icosahedron (Water), a Dodecahedron (Ether), a Tetrahedron (Fire) and a Hexahedron (Earth).

It brings us to the T-Square which figures so prominent in the Masonic token or symbology. The early one had no arc for angular calculation but the Torquetum required the perpendicular calculation which it would provide. This important symbol is known as the T-Square of Ptah and the Masons claim they are the continuation of knowledge going back at least ten thousand years. The other meanings of the degrees which all Masons go through and ties in to the vertebrae number (33) and the most puissant level claimed by Crowley (90) are all intuited in the hierarchy needed to make a decent code. If overheard one simply explains the least important or offensive attribution of the code. So in this one excerpt we have the technology and a far more ancient date thereof than our history has told us - we also have it appearing all over the world along with some secretive potentials associated with it.

Author of Diverse Druids and many other books soon to be available, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest writer at http://World-Mysteries.com where a CD has some of the books or they can be had as E-books

Switchgrass has long been a staple crop of farmers. It is used as fodder for farm animals, fuel, and electrical needs, as a buffer strip and soil erosion control.

However, when President Bush introduced The Biofuels Initiative during his 2006 state of the nation address, he moved this native prairie grass’ use as an energy crop to the forefront.

The Biofuels Initiative is a critical part of the president’s advanced energy initiatives. It seeks to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil suppliers by more than 75% of oil imports by 2025.

The aim is to accomplish this with the use of non-food based biomass, such as agricultural waste, trees, forest residues, and perennial grasses specifically switchgrass to produce energy fuels.

When distilled switchgrass produces ethanol, an alcohol that fuels vehicles. Currently ethanol is blended at a ratio of 15 percent to 85 percent of gasoline and sold as E-85.

Switchgrass or Tall Panic Grass is a short rhizomatous plant. It is highly adaptable for it can be planted in different parts of the country of varying climate conditions. It is also drought resistant.

From planting to care and harvesting, it costs less energy to produce biofuel from switchgrass.

Harvest semi-annually
Switch is a perennial crop, which means it can be harvested twice a year for close to 10 years, before the crop has to be replanted. It also grows fast, absorbs the solar energy, and turns this energy into cellulose. Ethanol is extracted from the cellulose by means of distillation.

High yield per acre
Results from among 19 BFDP (Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program) research sites on both the Eastern and Central United States have shown that switchgrass can be harvested at 15 tons an acre. When distilled into ethanol, this yields 1,500 gallons of ethanol an acre. When averaged on a six-year basis, this means a yield of 115,000 of gallons of ethanol from each acre.

Cost efficient
Results from a study undertaken by the University of California Berkeley, has found out that it takes more energy to produce gasoline than it does to produce ethanol.

Multiple uses
Expected advances in gasification technologies will yield other useful fuels: diesel fuel, methane gas, and methanol.

Environmentally Friendly
Switchgrass poses no danger to the soil’s fertility as it even adds organic matter.

Switchgrass has an intricate system of stems and roots. This system reaches into the deeper parts of the soil to hold on to it, stopping soil erosion.

Switchgrass are reliable buffers. Farmers plant these grasses along wetlands and steambanks to filter out pesticides and to prevent these dangerous chemicals from entering the water supply.

Switchgrass removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and puts these back in the soil. Fossil fuels, on the other hand release huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, increasing air pollution and worsening the greenhouse gas effects.

Financially rewarding
It costs less to grow switchgrass. When you add government tax incentives and grants raising switchgrass will be as profitable as extracting fossil fuels.

These are the present disadvantages of using switchgrass as the main source of biofuels.

The need to improve pretreatment technologies
Current technologies are not efficient in extracting higher yields from switchgrass. R&D efforts should correct this.

The need to allocate land for switchgrass
Is there available agricultural land to plant switchgrass? A system must be set in place to ensure there is land for both switchgrass and food crops.

The use of switchgrass as an energy crop is decidedly viable from the economic, production, and environmental aspects.

However, the success of switchgrass as an energy crop will depend on these key factors: government policies and funding, R&D efforts, technological innovations and vehicle efficiency.

This article was written by Article Authors
for this Switch Grassjewelry site

CCNA and CCNP candidates are well-versed in Spanning-Tree Protocol, and one of the great things about STP is that it works well with little or no additional configuration. There is one situation where STP works against us just a bit while it prevents switching loops, and that is the situation where two switches have multiple physical connections.

You would think that if you have two separate physical connections between two switches, twice as much data could be sent from one switch to the other than if there was only one connection. STP doesn’t allow this by default, however in an effort to prevent switching loops from forming, one of the paths will be blocked.

SW1 and SW2 are connected via two separate physical connections, on ports fast0/11 and fast 0/12. As we can see here on SW1, only port 0/11 is actually forwarding traffic. STP has put the other port into blocking mode (BLK).

SW1#show spanning vlan 10

(some output removed for clarity)

Interface Role Sts Cost Prio.Nbr Type

Fa0/11 Root FWD 19 128.11 P2p

Fa0/12 Altn BLK 19 128.12 P2p

While STP is helping us by preventing switching loops, STP is also hurting us by preventing us from using a perfectly valid path between SW1 and SW2. We could literally double the bandwidth available between the two switches if we could use that path that is currently being blocked.

The secret to using the currently blocked path is configuring an Etherchannel. An Etherchannel is simply a logical bundling of 2 - 8 physical connections between two Cisco switches.

Configuring an Etherchannel is actually quite simple. Use the command “channel-group 1 mode on” on every port you want to be placed into the Etherchannel. Of course, this must be done on both switches if you configure an Etherchannel on one switch and don’t do so on the correct ports on the other switch, the line protocol will go down and stay there.

The beauty of an Etherchannel is that STP sees the Etherchannel as one connection. If any of the physical connections inside the Etherchannel go down, STP does not see this, and STP will not recalculate. While traffic flow between the two switches will obviously be slowed, the delay in transmission caused by an STP recalculation is avoided. An Etherchannel also allows us to use multiple physical connections at one time.

Here’s how to put these ports into an Etherchannel:

SW1#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

SW1(config)#interface fast 0/11

SW1(config-if)#channel-group 1 mode on

Creating a port-channel interface Port-channel 1

SW1(config-if)#interface fast 0/12

SW1(config-if)#channel-group 1 mode on

SW2#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

SW2(config)#int fast 0/11

SW2(config-if)#channel-group 1 mode on

SW2(config-if)#int fast 0/12

SW2(config-if)#channel-group 1 mode on

The command “show interface trunk” and “show spanning-tree vlan 10″ will be used to verify the Etherchannel configuration.

SW2#show interface trunk (some output removed for clarity)

Port Mode Encapsulation Status Native vlan

Po1 desirable 802.1q trunking 1

SW2#show spanning vlan 10 (some output removed for clarity)

Interface Role Sts Cost Prio.Nbr Type

Po1 Desg FWD 12 128.65 P2p

Before configuring the Etherchannel, we saw individual ports here. Now we see “Po1″, which stands for the interface “port-channel1″. This is the logical interface created when an Etherchannel is built. We are now using both physical paths between the two switches at one time!

That’s one major benefit in action let’s see another. Ordinarily, if the single open path between two trunking switches goes down, there is a significant delay while another valid path is opened - close to a minute in some situations. We will now shut down port 0/11 on SW2 and see the effect on the etherchannel.

SW2#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

SW2(config)#int fast 0/11

SW2(config-if)#shutdown

3w0d: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface FastEthernet0/11, changed
state to administratively down

SW2#show spanning vlan 10

VLAN0010

Spanning tree enabled protocol ieee

Interface Role Sts Cost Prio.Nbr Type

Po1 Desg FWD 19 128.65 P2p

SW2#show interface trunk

Port Mode Encapsulation Status Native vlan

Po1 desirable 802.1q trunking 1

The Etherchannel did not go down! STP sees the Etherchannel as a single link therefore, as far as STP is concerned, nothing happened.

Building an Etherchannel and knowing how it can benefit your network is an essential skill for CCNA and CCNP success, and it comes in very handy on the job as well. Make sure you are comfortable with building one before taking Cisco’s exams!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, “Where do I start?!”

In part 3 of our 5 part article, we the discuss what HDTV is.

HDTV stands for High Definition TV. Clarity and detail are clear and crisp and truly unmatched. After watching HDTV on a regular basisit’s hard to go back!

Technically defined, HDTV displays vertical resolutions of 720 or 1080. This refers to the number of horizontal lines on the screen that make up the picture. Don’t get caught up in the number of lines, it doesn’t necessarily make for a better picture. While this may hold true for Plasmas, LCD and DLP TV’s are evaluated differently. For example, 1080, is better on DLP and LCD for displaying slower moving video such as TV shows, news casters and other still images like photos from your recent vacation. While, 720 is better for fast motion pictures like action films, football games and similar fast moving programming.

Lastly you will notice next to the 720 or 1080 designations you will find a letter “I” or “p”. This refers to the compatibility of video signals. Progressive scan (”P”) is the newer method of creating a TV picture. The TV creates the picture from top to bottom in one pass and produces a better picture on newer technology TVs. Interlaced (”I”) is most common method of creating a TV picture. The TV creates the picture in two top to bottom passes, first all the odd lines, and than the even lines. Developed for CRT TVs to produce a better picture. Most of your older videotapes, DVD’s and laser disc will be in the interlaced format. You will likely want to consider a TV that accepts both formats.

* Next in Part 4 of this article: Ok, now the true question… do I need HDTV?

©2005 Architechtronics, Inc. All rights reserved.

To stay on the cutting-edge of home automation, theater, and technology join “The EDGE” todayit’s free! http://www.architechtronics.com/edge.html

Brett Griffin lives and works in Philadelphia, PA. Brett has 12 years of experience in the technology industry and strives to seamlessly blend high performance technologies into one easy to use system. As co-founder of Architechtronics, Brett uses his creativity and experience to help builders, dealers, and homeowners meet their technology desires in their home.

CD duplication is the process of taking what is on one CD and putting into more CD’s to sell or give away. It is very important to insure that what you plan to do is legal. By this we mean that it is just never okay to duplicate music that is owned by someone else. They need to purchase it themselves. But, if you plan to produce, market and sell your own CD, you have the need for high quality CD duplication. That’s where we can help. If you are in need of great quality and great prices, think about these things before you turn to one company. CD duplication is an expense that shouldn’t take over the budget!

Tip One. Comparison shop. All companies of all types of business need to be able to find the company that is going to provide them the best price. You are lucky enough to be able to do this right online. No place else is easier to find the CD duplication methods that you need. Look from one company to the next to find the best price for your job.

Tip Two. Keep it within budget. Easier said than done, but it is important to find a company that can work within your budget or you need to get a bigger budget. Doing these things on credit can hurt you down the road.

Tip Three. Never skimp on quality. If your music or other CD’s mean that much to you, put them in the hands of a reliable duplicator. Don’t just trust anyone. Get a guarantee of the quality of their work too.

CD duplication is a necessary process of the music and movie business. There is no doubt that you need this service, but by taking the time to get the best company for the job, you will insure that your finished product is of as high quality as it can be. This is a necessary step in developing your product.

About the Author

Find more information and tips about CD duplication by visiting http://www.dailycdduplicationnews.info

Currently circulating the Internet is “Man’s Rules”. The sender requests you send it on to all females, so that women will “finally understand men.” It’s a list of things men want women to understand, and like all humor, it makes a point. Then again to men it might not be so humorous.

And here we go on communication …

Point number 6 is: “Ask for what you want. Let us be perfectly clear on this one. Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Hints DO NOT WORK!

So I could end the article here, except this isn’t about male and female communication, it’s about hints. It’s about communication:

Communication is much harder than it appears to be. Assume you’re being misunderstood, and also assume you are misunderstanding are two good basic assumptions to make.
The more you care about the person and the relationship the harder it is to be direct, because the stakes of the turndown are higher.
Men aren’t the only sex that doesn’t get “hints”
Hints DO NOT WORK.

Now let me elaborate.

HARD & HARDER

We need to get something straight from the beginning. All the coaching, all the psychology, all the Charm School, all the Emotional Intelligence, all the seminars, lessons and eBooks in the world will not get your what you want all the time.

That’s a sad fact of life. So the more you want it, and the more you want it from a certain person, the more the risk.

There are many situations where we feel we MUST have something. A compliment, a reassurance or a word of comfort from our partner. A project deadline met at work. A contract signed. A larger part of the pie. For our child to wear the pink dress instead of the dirty blue jeans. A date. A marriage.

Never is it guaranteed. The more vague and “hinty” you are about it, the less likely you are to get it however. Here’s one reason why. If the person has it to give, and wants to give it, they’ll give it. If not, they won’t. Any ‘vagueness’ leaves you in that territory where they can pretend to give you something you pretend you want. And ah, the resentment.

It’s easier in the long run. Take your “nos” upfront and move on. Either into a more convincing argument, or on to another source, or downgrading the “need” to a “preference.”

MEN & HINTS

I don’t see this as particular to the male of the species. It can exist between the sexes, that’s for sure, but I’m afraid to break the news that I think it happens between all people.

I’ve had male bosses tell me things that were completely incomprehensible to me. They might as well have been “hints” for all the sense they made. I consider, “Produce a pleading,” when I don’t know what a “pleading” is to be “hint.”

Just because women are traditionally ahead in empathy and in the area of personal relationships, we consider asking for nurturing or comfort to be hints, but it doesn’t remain just with females.

I think men ask also “hint” for things. They ask for something else when they don’t know how to ask for what they want, or what it’s called, and in that sense, it’s a “hint.”

Take kids for instance - always a safer topic, right? When your three year scoops his plate off the table and on to the floor he’s “hinting” that he doesn’t like something. I almost wrote “doesn’t like what’s being served,” but it could be anything with a three year old, and that’s the trouble with “hints.” Maybe it wasn’t the carrots but the plate or his little sister.

When your partner complains about the way the house looks, or the way the dinner tastes, it may be a “hint” that he’d like more affection. Ya know?

When you tell your administrative assistant, “Go run this off and collate it for me,” you are “hinting.” There are two ways to collate. (Yes there are. Did you know that? See how hard it is?) And what happens after that?

My doctor told me the other day, “Take this PRN.” That’s a hint. What does “PRN” mean?

Does being direct and not hinting insure you’ll get what you want? No. But neither does being indirect and hinting, and the chances are higher if you’re direct. And being clear about what you want is a lot better for your sense of personal power.

Come on and hawk it up like a hairball. You’ve probably discovered in intimate relationship communication by now, you’re a lot better off to go ahead and say it. If you don’t because you fear it will harm the relationship, it might. But not saying something that important will definitely harm the relationship. Somewhere down the line not saying “Don’t kiss me like that, kiss me like this,” becomes “I want a divorce.” Who ever meant for it to go that far?

Clear up your communication as best you can, and work on your tone of voice. We’re all in this together!

TONE OF VOICE

Sometimes people think being “direct,” means being loud, demanding, or forceful. Maybe you think it should be accompanied by pointing fingers and pounding fists. Not at all! It often works well to soften your voice when you’re preparing to be direct. After all when we hear something loud and threatening (always a personal perception and personal threshold), we’re geared to fight or flight and we don’t receive or process information well.

Don’t know about you, but I tend to stumble into all my greatest learning experiences. I remember the first time I got a sore throat when I had a child in the house and couldn’t talk above a whisper. He did everything I asked, like a little lamb. I’ve also tried it at work. I find I have exceptionally peaceful days when I have a cold and can’t talk loud. hmmm

HINTS DON’T WORK

It is the hardest thing in the world to come out and say what you want, clearly and distinctly, in a way that can be answered “yes” or “no.” It’s particularly important when it matters most - when it’s emotional, and involves someone you love.

Asking for something you want emotionally puts you in a vulnerable position. It’s high-risk. If the answer is “no,” all hope has been removed. However, it defines you as a person with choices who makes demands and has boundaries. It frees you to go and get what you want elsewhere, or to redefine what you want. It gives you knowledge and information. It takes you out of the fantasy world of wishing and hoping, and puts you clearly on the path to being an agent in your own life and getting what you want that can be gotten!

GO FOR IT!

©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . I offer coaching, distance learning courses, and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your continued personal and professional development. For free ezine, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc.