Agree or disagree with Barack Obama’s policies, there’s no denying he’s an effective speaker. Tuesday’s (January 24th) “State Of The Union” showed, again, that Obama knows how to deliver a message. As in anything, we can get better at communication skills by watching people who have mastered them. Let’s break down some of the techniques the President used as he addressed the nation. We’re not concerned with content, only with delivery, and will focus on three broad areas: demeanor, mechanics, and techniques.
Demeanor: Obama was calm and relaxed as he entered the Chamber of the House of Representatives. As he smiled and shook hands on his way to the podium, he looked comfortable and in control. Optimism was the theme of the day and it was carried through the entire event, from beginning to end. Of course, you don’t get to be President without confidence, and Obama certainly seemed to exude poise and self-assurance. He did stumble a few times in his delivery; but, over the course of an hour, one can expect that. Mostly, his delivery was smooth and assured.
Mechanics: The President has mastered the mechanics of public speaking. He showed solid “technique” in his use of gestures, eye contact and stage presence. His vocal skills were good; pitch and rate of speed. I also thought he made good use of the technique of highlighting a point by pausing and using a LOWER tone of voice. Most often we tend to “crescendo” a particularly important passage in a speech. Obama talked at such a high energy level that taking it even higher would have been harsh. Instead, when he wanted to emphasize a point” he often used the “spoken whisper” as a highlight. It worked. I thought, as a mater of speech mechanics, that he reached his high energy level too quickly. Sustaining that energy tires an audience. But, Obama managed to hold the energy up; in part by effective pausing, giving us all a chance to rest.
Techniques: The president’s speech was an interesting construction. The “introductory” portion was long. But, once in, the President did what all speakers should: tell us what you’re going to tell us, tell us, then tell us what you told us. He also used a repetitive “theme statement” when he spoke, often, of an economy or America “built to last.” He made frequent use of alliteration. He never used that tool boldly, but often in more subtle ways. For example, when talking of tax breaks for energy companies he said the tax breaks were going most heavily to companies that “had never been more profitable” instead of those “that had never been more promising.” Of course, the President made frequent use of the story. He told the stories of people who had overcome unemployment by making use of a government/private partnership. He had these people in the audience and directed us to see them; to put a face on his message.
There were, in my opinion, some flaws. I was a little surprised he didn’t use bigger, grander stories. But I can appreciate his choices. The President tried to use humor; talking about a regulation that inadvertently equated milk with oil, requiring dairy farmers to submit a plan to clean up a spill and quipping, here there was good reason to “cry over spilled milk.” Obama is not Letterman, and though I applaud the effort, it was only fair at best. I was a bit disappointed that, for me at least, the President did not spell out a clear over-arching vision. But he did carry through the twin themes of optimism and “built to last” and that seemed to be enough.
There is no doubt the President is a skilled and very effective communicator; and I will leave you with one thought on something I thought the President did particularly well. He tried very hard, and I think he succeeded spectacularly, in identifying with large segments of his audience. Several times he spoke of national concerns and expressed his own frustrations. He essentially said, for example, that: you’re mad at Wall Street, and so am I…you think Washington is broken and so do I…you want the bickering to stop and so do I. In my opinion, his attempt to make common cause with broad groups and prevailing national opinion was his single biggest accomplishment of the night.
The State Of The Union was a solid performance. We’d all do well to take bits of the Presidents techniques and incorporate them into our own presentations.
A standard cut is an ideal strategy for these types of athletes: a bodybuilder preparing for a show a month or two away a model preparing for a photo shoot a month or two away a beginner or novice athlete or bodybuilder that needs to start off slow a weightlifter coming back after a prolonged [...]
The Russian technique model is the best way to go for US lifters when attempting to learn how to perform the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. In a hundred years, when most of us will not be walking on this planet, the Russians will still have lifters performing the Olympic Lifts at a high degree of skill level compared to their counterparts. While there are a myriad of strength systems and technique models–Chinese, Bulgarian, Turkish, German–the Russian classical technique model emphasizing technique first over strength is the best model to follow. The carryover from good technique to improved strength shows in their skill level when moving the barbell correctly.
Mikhail Koklyaev – Arnold Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio
Classic hip & shoulder rising together and moving under the bar smoothly with no foot stomp is classical Russian technique and is the most sound way to move a barbell in my opinion and is employed here at Columbus Weightlifting every day.
I get my meat from a small organic family farm. Every year I buy a meat “share”, and then get a monthly delivery, along with 4 dozen pastured (ponded?) duck and chicken eggs.
Not only is it delicious, I also develop a relationship with my farmers. I follow their adventures, what the kids are up to, etc. I know where my meat and eggs come from, and whose hands harvested them (or which teenager chased the wayward calves back into pasture this week). Plus, I know that my money goes directly back to them. Everyone wins. (And their roasts… oy. Transcendent.)
From time to time, Mr. Farmer sends round a newsletter (”The Compost Pile”) with some tidbits and insider knowledge. It’s often provocative and shocking in the sense that he pulls the curtain back from the nefarious goings-on within industrial agriculture.
Here’s a recent newsletter. After reading:
Hit “reply” and let me know what you think.
How do YOU learn about your food?
What’s important to YOU in choosing “healthy” and safe foods?
The Compost Pile
I spent most of the weekend at my 20th University Class reunion. It was a great time catching up with good friends that I don’t see very often. Invariably the conversation turns to organic versus conventional as I am the only member of my class that is involved in organic agriculture.
I had an interesting discussion with a classmate who I respect a great deal. He grows primarily sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins. We got into a discussion of BT (GMO) corn versus all the insecticides that he needs to use to control the corn borer. He said that he didn’t believe that consumers actually cared about the environment or whether they were eating insecticides or genetically modified corn. The market signals he was getting indicated that there was no tolerance for a borer.
His data indicates that averaged over the entire growing season, they would have an “infection rate” of about 4% of cobs with the borer present if they used no spray or GMO varieties. That’s 1 in 25 cobs or a 50-50 chance that if you bought a random dozen you would have 1 cob with a borer present. (That’s a simplification of the math because early in the season the rates are lower and they build over the season).
The borer generally eats a few kernels at the silk end of the cob and is immediately obvious when you husk the corn. The borers cause no economic damage (there is no impact on yield); it is purely aesthetic.
This is another case where most people debate the wrong question. The question to be asking is not whether spraying insecticides is better than GMO corn but rather is either preferred to 1 cob in 25 having cosmetic damage that is easily removed with a sharp knife (or eaten around).
I know where my answer lies. But I also know that any sweet corn producer that routinely has borers present will go out of business very quickly.
One other quick tidbit – I’m sure you all recognize “Red Delicious” apples by the taper and four prominent bumps on the flower end of the apple. I always wondered why our tree didn’t produce similarly shaped fruit. I had assumed that ours was a different sub-cultivar.
It turns out that the apples are sprayed with a growth regulator to change their shape into the distinctive tapered end with the bumps. Another unecessary trip through the orchard with the sprayer for completely cosmetic reasons… the majority of the marketplace doesn’t care about production methods as long as their food looks and tastes how they expect it to.
The one place we could agree is that we wished there were Ontario produce labelling regulations that were enforced. I’ll give you two examples: Both he and I know of situations where conventional produce is being sold as organic.
Currently, we only have a national regulation in Canada that covers inter-provincial trade. Any produce that is produced and consumed in the same province isn’t subject to the regulation. There is no enforcement action that can be taken against these individuals currently, especially if they aren’t using a certified organic logo in their display.
The second example is produce which is having its provenance changed. Primarily, imported produce is being relabelled with Foodland Ontario stickers and sold as “Product of Ontario”. It’s almost impossible to catch because so much produce is traded in cash deals with no paperwork. What percentage of the produce you find in stores is not represented truthfully is anyone’s guess. He can’t report what he sees because he would be shut out of the wholesale market instantly and would lose his livelihood.
We are offering the Level 1 Sports Performance Course from USAW at various locations in the next few weeks. If you are looking to be certified in the Olympic Lifts and want to know how to use the proper cues, you have come to the right place.
Fat loss workout routines are among the things that you should start learning if you are aiming to reduce weight and obtain a more desirable and a slimmer figure. You have to take complete control over your weight as this is helpful in ensuring that you avoid various health complications that can be linked to being overweight and obese. There are actually a lot of fat loss workout routines that you can try and all it takes is for you to find that which will work suitably for you. By finding the best fat loss workout routine, then you get a guarantee that your weight is reduced.
One of the simplest yet effective techniques that you can try is taking at least thirty minutes of pleasurable exercise. You can perform this by doing traditional cardio exercises, doing housework, running errands, performing manual labor or playing your favorite sport. You just have to make sure that you do any of these every single day to ensure that this fat loss workout will work to your greatest advantage. It is also important for you to finish this type of workout with any of the many relaxation techniques including deep breathing, visualization methods or yoga postures. This will allow you to remove all forms of stress that tend to pile up during the day.
When doing fat loss workout routines, you are advised to consume a substantial amount of water. You should never allow yourself to be dehydrated once you start to perform your workout. Since fat loss workout programs can cause you to heavily perspire, you should be able to supply your body with sufficient amount of water. Keep in mind that dehydration is considered to be a serious condition. If you do not do anything to replace the fluids that are released after your fat loss workout, then there is a great possibility that the program will not work as you desire.
Another of the many fat loss workout routines that you can try is that which involves performing a weight training exercise. Weight training is proven to be effective in ensuring that a person burns a substantial amount of fat, so you can expect this to work well for you as well. When trying out weight training, you have to know that body sculpting and bodybuilding are two of the most popular approaches. Body sculpting, as a part of the many fat loss workout routines, is designed to help you achieve balanced leaned muscles. Bodybuilding, on the other hand, is useful not only in reducing weight but also in ensuring that the muscle mass of your body is increased.
When trying out a fat loss workout plan, it is important for you to pair it with a healthy diet and lifestyle. You have to make sure that you take foods that are essential in improving your health. It is also advisable for you to stay away from those vices that can only cause complications to your health like excessive smoking and alcohol drinking. Through this, you can expect to obtain great results from regularly practicing your chosen fat loss workout routine.
We are offering the Level 1 Sports Performance Course from USAW at various locations in the next few weeks. If you are looking to be certified in the Olympic Lifts and want to know how to use the proper cues, you have come to the right place.
A Nissan Maxima features a excellent mix of design as well as performance. On the other hand, retaining the efficiency of this car at greatest level could be a big challenge. It is true that motor vehicle parts become broken down with time. Thus, you will need to change these at one point. Likewise, you would have to replace your Nissan Maxima accessories after several years of time, thus keeping this excellent car while traveling. This can be one of the thoroughly tested types of enhancing the Nissan Maxima performance. The Nissan Maxima accessories Nissan Maxima accessory parts such as CTMax485, can easily be located in most internet dealers as well as your local vehicle parts shop.
However, you have to be careful that you only get the legitimate Nissan Maxima accessories. The reason being there are some online retailers that sell replica vehicle parts. These types of dealers sell replica motor vehicle components to anyone without even suspecting because they are capable of come up with complete replicas. The only problem is the parts that they offer to purchase can spell trouble for your car. Installing them in you Nissan Maxima will certainly adversely affect its overall performance .That isn’t to say all imitation car parts don’t last for a long to time. Consequently you’ll be forced to return to your parts dealer for a whole list of Nissan Maxima accessories along with parts following a short time.
To enhance your Nissan Maxima performance, you should swap its exhausted equipment while using Nissan Maxima labeled kinds. To as be available kits or individually. Buying motor vehicle parts with packages is believed a good solution because packages can be purchased at affordable prices. This could also reduce your Nissan Maxima maintenance expenses. However, keeping the Nissan Maxima accessories for your hand just isn’t the only real issue you still will need somebody to help you install them.
Many drivers would not have the mandatory expertise to repair even slight issues in their cars. In this case, you shouldn’t try and take on a significant repair activity to your Nissan Maxima. The reason being there could possibly be some technical issues that include powerful cars that will only be understood by experts. These individuals know at each Nissan Maxima accessories.
In addition, not having the correct specs of the Nissan Maxima accessories as well as parts can be a hassle. You ought to consequently seek for assistance prior to you buying them, particularly the custom-made ones. The reason being custom-made car accessories for example CTMaxVIP plus components aren’t easily returned after you buy them. Therefore, buying the incorrect ones may possibly indicate lack of money, or worse still, keep with a car component that you do not enjoy.
Understand that if you wish to improve your Nissan Maxima performance by using products that include Nissan Maxima projector headlights, you shouldn’t feel the pinch in your wallet excessively, but a little, because this may come at a little extra cost. On the other hand, in case you an actual Nissan Maxima fanatic, it should not trouble you very much.
Received this from a marketing dept the other day:
******** Dear Krista…
I wanted to introduce you to a new project we’re working on – the PepsiCo Women’s Inspiration Network – PepsiCo WIN – an online interactive channel featuring compelling video content on topics important to women. We share a behind-the scenes look at events, offer interviews with experts across a variety of topics, and discuss trends and latest information. We cover both the fun and the informative in a way that encourages conversation and provides inspiration.
PepsiCo WIN will be on-site at the SxSW Interactive conference in Austin, TX March 11-14 to capture content about the latest digital trends and talk with some female influencers in the digital and technology space. By providing women access to informative content, PepsiCo WIN will serve as a driving force of female encouragement and empowerment – and help all of us be inspired to truly make a difference.
In addition to sharing content from the historically ground-breaking conference, PepsiCo WIN will be honoring and celebrating women in the digital and technology communities during an event called Digitini. Digitini, in its second year, will be co-hosted by Sloane Berrent of TheCausemopolitan.com and PepsiCo WIN during SxSWi to spotlight women who are leaders in the digital space.
We invite you and your readers to tune-in and share their thoughts, engage in conversations on the topics that matter. Visit PepsiCo WIN to join the discussions, share information, your perspective and most importantly feel inspired.
********
My response:
Given that PepsiCo is one of the leading providers of highly processed non-food items (including sweetened drinks — known to be a key factor in obesity and metabolic derangement — as well as chips/snacks such as Frito Lay and sugared breakfast cereals targeted at children), I cannot see how in any way this empowers or encourages women besides encouraging them to develop type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, or at the very least a decreased state of health and wellbeing.
Indeed, PepsiCo’s products have arguably been a significant detriment to women’s health. My readers will not be tuning in nor feeling inspired by PepsiCo.
Reader Katie M is featured on our reader mail page here. She’s been busy recently. Here’s the email she just sent:
Hi Krista,
I want to give you a progress update on me. Years ago, you taught me to do a pull up. A real, big-girl pull up. I felt invincible, like I could take on the world. It was a major life changer because I was always the last girl to be picked for teams in PE class in school. I was an uncoordinated nerd.
So, in the natural progression of things, I began powerlifting. My last meet — yesterday — I got a 340-lb. squat, 175-lb. bench press and 300-lb. deadlift. I’m in the 132-lb. weight class (between 123 and 132 lbs.).
I just like to keep you in the loop since you started this insanity. Here’s the video:
The squat is ugly because the guy running the monolift (the contraction that holds the squat bar) wasn’t paying attention, but the lift was still good, so no harm. And I need to work on the rounded back on my deadlift. Still, not shabby for a nerd, I think.
Techniques: The president’s speech was an interesting construction. The “introductory” portion was long. But, once in, the President did what all speakers should: tell us what you’re going to tell us, tell us, then tell us what you told us. He also used a repetitive “theme statement” when he spoke, often, of an economy or America “built to last.” He made frequent use of alliteration. He never used that tool boldly, but often in more subtle ways. For example, when talking of tax breaks for energy companies he said the tax breaks were going most heavily to companies that “had never been more profitable” instead of those “that had never been more promising.” Of course, the President made frequent use of the story. He told the stories of people who had overcome unemployment by making use of a government/private partnership. He had these people in the audience and directed us to see them; to put a face on his message.
