text:
Sunday, February 28, 2010

Massive Attack
8.2 out of 10

It's been almost 7 years since Massive Attack's last full release 100th Window and that release was technically a 3D solo album, due to the complete departure of Mushroom (because of artistic differences) and the temporary departure of Daddy G (to raise a family). 100th Window found 3D in a bit of a holding pattern, not transcending the brilliance of Mezzanine, but not replicating it either. Most of the tracks seemed to meander with no direction and I wondered if Massive Attack would ever be able to regain their footing. Now with 3D and Daddy G back in the Massive Attack fold together, they have released Heligoland, and it is interesting listen, owing to the wane in the popularity of trip-hop and the rise of genres such as dubstep.

Heligoland is not a leap forward as most of Massive Attack cds have been. This isn't the brilliant trip-hop manifesto that Blue Lines heralded, nor is it the tense, paranoid futurescape that Mezzanine portended. But neither is it the unsure Protection or the stilted 100th Window. It is clearly a work by a band unsure of where it wants to go, however, the majority of the release holds up to Massive Attack's best material and thus is the reason why I have scored it as high as I have.

One of the most striking things about Heligoland is how organic it sounds. Mezzanine and 100th Window were highly produced, utilizing start of the art electronics and effects, whereas here, Massive Attack use more traditional sounding drums, pianos, strings and woodwinds. This forms a more natural backbone for the tight production.

The cd begins with the stately "Pray for Rain" with TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe on vocals which showcases this new organic sound with dark, ominous piano fills, and almost military sounding percussion:

Massive Attack are known for their exquisite taste in using outside vocalists on their releases. While there is nothing here that transcends the brilliance of their collaborations with Shara Nelson, Tracey Thorn, and Elizabeth Frazer, the almost loose quality of the collaborations ends up feeling very cohesive and family-like.

My favorite collaborations are with Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval on the gorgeous and haunting "Paradise Circus":

The abstract, beat-laden "Flat of the Blade" with Guy Garvey of Elbow.

And "Saturday Comes Slow" with one of Damon Albarn's most beautiful vocals:

Heligoland is a slow burning cd that takes time to get it's claws into you. While it will not be my favorite Massive Attack cd, it has slowly risen to a high place in their canon for me. Though it feels like a stop-gap cd before they decide what direction to take next, there is enough creativity and newness to allow it to breathe and feel more forward-moving.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Non Sequiturs

New year and jobs are nowhere to be found. Had two projects get cancelled on me, so scrambling to find something. Last year, I only was out of work for maybe a week or five days at the most, while this year, I have only worked about 5 days. Tired of all this, but nothing much I can do except keep looking. Never thought I would be turning 40 and having to stress out about a job.

Speaking of turning 40, the big event happens on Tuesday. I am not upset about turning 40; in actuality, I really couldn't care less. I think I look great for my age, I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life, and I am surrounded my people who love and care for me. What else could I ask for? Well, a job would help ;)

LOST is back on for its final season and Tuesday's premiere was phenomenal. They keep taking it in directions I don't expect, and I love it.

My Coachella tickets arrived today and I have already booked a cheap flight to Palm Springs, so the trip is starting to come together. I have never been so excited for a trip. Great location, great friends, and great music.

Why do some women feel the need to carry a purse that is the size of a suitcase? What could you possibly need to carry in that thing?

I've embraced my inner bear/otter and have stopped manscaping. I forgot how hairy I can get.

It amazes me how people come into your life for a certain period of time and you feel you will always be friends with them, and then they disappear forever. I was in a nice group of guys over a year ago that seemed to be indestructible. Something happened between 3 of the guys and nothing has been the same. I rarely see any of them anymore. It's sad I guess, but I guess people are in your life for a purpose, and if that purpose is met, there is no longer a need for them. Sorry if that sounds cynical.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Head:

"You go for a walk in the park 'cause you don't need anything
Your hand that you sometimes hold doesn't do anything
The face that you see in the door isn't standing there anymore

In a matter of time, it would slip from my mind
In and out of my life, you would slip from my mind
In a matter of time"

Beach House
"Walk In The Park"

"Love is like a sin, my love,
For the ones that feel it the most
Look at her with her eyes like a flame
She will love you like a fly will never love you again"

Massive Attack
"Paradise Circus"

"Doubt, in it all for me
I've hit the wall, all that's left for you is doubt
Better you than me, I've so far to fall
All that's left for you is doubt
In it all for me, I've hit the wall that's left for you is doubt
Better you than me, I've so far to fall, but I can't change now"

Appealing Things

The Coachella lineup
The Terrys
My new cast iron dutch oven

Annoying Things

No job
Projects canceling at the last minute
Recruiters who do not return emails or phone calls


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
The Story So Far

Our five adventurers met at a lecture by Archmage Fulano De Tal at the Temple of the Unknown God(ess). All five were present during goddess’s transformation; she hit puberty so hard she caused a small earthquake.

The Archmage really hoped he could persuade his former student, Elion, to mount an expedition in search of the Chest of Menippa. The Archmage even sent his own bodyguard, Xune, along with the party, since they were clearly not going to get very far without him.

Elion and Adrie both knew Shuque Mandingo had been dealing in antiquities recently. They took the party to his house to determine whether he knew anything about the Chest, or could help fund an expedition. Shuque, alas, had cash-flow issues, and couldn’t help directly, but was able to direct them to some dwarves who were dealing in antiquities. At Shuque’s house, Amara attempted to administer his monthly love potion, but failed spectacularly, leading the party to mistrust her.

The party proceeded to the docks, where two dwarves guarded three barges full of crates. The dwarves were apparently nervous; they attacked the party almost before the party had a chance to speak. After killing the dwarves, the party examined the contents of the barges and were attacked by clay scout homunculi. The homunculi were guarding the head of Menippa’s servant, and its accompanying spell-stick.

The party then visited Mungo Halfprise, who was willing to equip them a bit in exchange for a share of whatever treasure they might find. A chance comment by Mungo inspired everyone to see what would happen if they stuck the spell-stick into the golem’s mouth; the party found an empty warehouse in which to attempt this. The head came right to life, but was singularly recalcitrant, and nobody could fetch the spell-stick back out without risking a bite.

The party headed for The Museum of Antiquities, hoping the director, Dr. Jones, could give them some insight into this head and where they might start looking for antiquities themselves. Unfortunately, the museum was closed.

I will do some logging when I get to it! Really!

I’m still figuring out how to do everything. I do think we need some kind of recap where everyone contributes a bit – we’re all blind and this is a very big elephant. I know I don’t remember it all.

I'm sorry, but we no longer support this web browser. Please upgrade your browser or install Chrome or Firefox to enjoy the full functionality of this site.

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-158-191-93.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-51
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for December 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
The Single Best Strategy To Use For ketamine academy

New facts is becoming uncovered in ketamine’s part in Bodily and mental overall health care. Its novelty in EMS hinders its prevalent acceptance and many healthcare directors may deficiency familiarity with it from the context of prehospital remedies.

People return as required for one boosters, which Charge $600. Because the FDA hasn't accepted ketamine for this use, coverage isn't going to address it.

3 hrs fasting seems to be to get ample (could even now be overkill provided that airway reflexes are preserved) for ketamine in youngsters In accordance with this BestBet:

Dr. Enayati likes to work intently using a Ketamine Infusion patient’s mental health industry experts Any time achievable. Our exercise truly does believe in a group solution, and we come to feel an obligation to our people to keep their other wellbeing vendors educated and included.

Arrange and share picked classes along with your class. Make planning less difficult by developing your personal custom made course.

Ketamine dose becomes essential as we start to know how the medication affects a large number of distinct receptors while in the Mind (and in several anatomical spots) relative into the dose. We know that too small of any provided dose may well bring about zero efficacy, but together a similar strains, too much of a dose could result in toxicity and in addition decrease efficacy! Most investigation reports have utilised 0.five mg/kg of ketamine in excess of 40-45 minutes for therapy of depression. If we enhance ketamine dose, we realize that it begins to have an affect on some aspects of the Mind rather in excess of All those areas of the Mind that we expect could possibly be triggering the antidepressant results (e.

“For a few people, there appears being a ceiling impact within click here our ability to handle them Inspite of augmentation, switching, and mixed procedures.”

What sets ketamine aside is how it provides anesthesia / amnesia. Ketamine brings about a dissociation of your cortex and limbic methods, with The end result the client simply cannot perceive the surrounding surroundings. The crucial element distinction between ketamine along with other agents which include etomidate, midazolam and propofol is this dissociative point out isn't going to exist over a continuum.

Ketamine infusions as accomplished by Agony Matrix entail offering a very carefully controlled dose around the clock through a small pump. A butterfly needle is put inside the skin within your abdomen so that the ketamine becoming pumped in sorts a small 'puddle' underneath the skin.

Courses happen to be made and attract from to start with hand accounts of the evolution of sedation and analgesia in the outpatient location.

“The mission of DMI should be to coach you to save lots of life inside the combat environment, not a soul matches our capacity to do that,” the company says on its Internet site.

But study into ketamine, originally developed being an anesthetic, provides promise. He cited a examine that located that that People taken care of with ketamine noticed improvement in depressive signs and symptoms within two several hours.

Ketamine’s analgesic outcome is dose-dependent in the identical fashion as opioid analgesics. Give a little bit additional ketamine, get a little more suffering reduction.

• We offer one-working day spray tan classes in Kansas Town, which might be held consistently in a leading hotel. These detailed courses are acceptable for beginners to Sophisticated degree attractiveness pros.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
Monday, July 13, 2015

Gold Foil printing or Flat Gold Printing?

Gold foil invitations are on trend right now and I've got several listed in my Etsy shop here. I get lots of questions from brides about gold foil so today I took this quick video showing the same invitation printed two ways: one with flat gold colored ink (on the left) and one with gold foil (on the right).

Why is gold foil so expensive?
I get this question all the time. The simple answer is that foil (like letterpress and engraving) can only be printed with an old-fashioned printing press, which is quite an ordeal. First a die is cast in metal for the gold foil section, then it has to be put on the press, then the printer has to align it correctly to the placement on the card and print a bunch of samples in the process before it's finally ready for production. Once the press is ready for the foil, the printer feeds in cards one at a time. Because of the laborious set-up press time, quantities under 100 are not economical.

What is the flat gold colored ink?
Any matte, non-metalic ink can be printed beautifully from a digital press. A digital press is basically a huge, really awesome printing machine that can print multiple colors and on various card stocks. Think of it as your desktop printer on steroids. The set-up costs are minimal compared to the foil press, so it's possible to have as few as 10 prints and as many as 1000 or more!

Watch the difference in this video:

It's definitely worth the extra cost for the foil process, but it doesn't fit in all budgets. If you would like a touch of metallic gold (or any metallic color) but it's not in your budget, don't give up hope! A more economical way to bring gold into your invitation is with a ribbon, or a metallic gold paper envelope liner.

1 comment:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Pin Me!

Related Posts with Thumbnails
There was an error in this gadget


text:
Friday, January 29, 2016

I'm 23...and I don't have it together

I feel so old. It's okay, you can laugh and roll your eyes all you want-I know I sound a bit ridiculous. Yet, regardless of how silly this may be, as I sprang out of bed on Thursday morning, eager to begin celebrating my birthday, my new state of being-at 23 years of age-made me feel older. Seriously, though, the next time I celebrate a birthday where my age is a palindromic number, I'll be 33 years old! (though that is how old Jesus was at His crucifixion, so it's a pretty epic age) Anyway, I headed off to Mass with my husband (best present ever=attending Mass & receiving the Eucharist with my husband), I was feeling older and wiser, and was ready to think. The Gospel reading particularly stood out at me, and my thoughts on it began to germinate throughout the entire day. So, I want to share a couple of those scattered thoughts with you, as well as my recent ice cream discovery!

The Gospel reading from Thursday, January 28 (the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas!) follows:

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
(Mk 4:21-25)

As I heard the words of Christ, I thought about the lamps/lampstand analogy. Many times, we'll hear invigorating words like, "Let your light shine!" or some such phrase. Such sentiments often try to encourage us to not hide the light of Christ; to not hold back the joy we have in God. However, on this particular Thursday morning (since it was my birthday, and presents were in the future), my mind started taking a slightly different route of reflection.

We shouldn't hide the light of Christ under a bushel basket, but neither should we hide our gifts under a bushel basket-even the gifts we don't recognize. While we can all easily recognize some of our gifts at times, there are other times when we may not realize that we have certain gifts. Unbeknownst to us, certain experiences of words that we have can be gifts to help other people. Occasionally, I write articles for Chastity Project. There have been plenty of times when I'll sit down to work on an article and think, why? Why would I, of all people, be writing this article on this particular topic? I'm not any kind of "expert" in the realm of chastity, and there could easily be plenty more qualified people than myself to write. So why am I doing this? Every once in a while, people will e-mail me, asking for prayers or advice. And again, so many times I'll look blankly at the computer screen prior to responding. Why me? What can I offer? I am in no way an expert. And I don't have it all together.

It's true: I don't have it all together. I've made plenty of mistakes, I still fumble around and make mistakes, and I don't always have the best response or reaction to a given situation. Even so, God can use all of my brokenness, mistakes, and very lengthy rambles as a way to help others-if He's in charge. I've learned that when God hands me a situation, I can't hide under a bushel basket. Instead, I need to immediately hand everything over to the Holy Spirit. Even if I am at a complete loss, I may have a gift that God wants me to offer to another person. A gift that I may not even see, comprehend, or know about. I don't have things together, and I don't know what other people need. But, God knows how He can use me-and whatever experiences I've gone through-to help another person.

My favorite coffee place in OKC. I had
the "Almond Joy" coffee-almond, chocolate,
coconut, frothed almond milk, and coffee.
So good!!!!
So, my friends, I don't know if I've managed to convey my thoughts coherently, but the gist of it is this: I don't have it together. Yet, when God hands me a person or situation I don't feel equipped to help-and He's moving me to help him or her-I can't hide under a bushel basket or my excuses. I may have gifts that I don't know about, gifts that God wants to use to help another person through their experience. So, I just need to give everything over to the Holy Spirit each day, so that God can use me-and whatever I've gone through-fully.

On that note, in case any of you are birthday was completely epic!
I was blessed to attend Mass with my husband (super awesome!) and then I spent the morning at a coffee shop, chatting with one of my good friends. I visited a library (you will soon hear about some of the wonderful books I obtained!), talked with lots of relatives on the phone, made salmon loaf (I usually make it every year for my birthday. It's one of my most favorite meals ever), played games with my husband, and feasted on ice cream and a cute little cake that some friends gave to me :)

So...homemade ice cream!
Chocolate ice cream with a sprinkling
of chips!
The other day, I discovered 2-ingredient ice cream that doesn't require an ice cream maker! I have always wanted to make homemade ice cream, but I believe that an ice cream maker would be a mostly useless appliance for my husband and I to have. Lo and behold, one can make extremely delicious ice cream by whipping a pint of heavy cream, blending in a can of sweetened condensed milk, and freezing it for six hours. Who knew??? And, to make things even better, it is reasonably priced to make.
I wasn't sure if it would actually turn out
like ice cream, but the texture was
Can of milk: $1.29
Pint of cream: $1.69

And...the recipe completely filled my 30 fl. oz. gelato container (that size of gelato was $4), as well as another container that holds about 2 1/2 cups of food. So, it's a decent amount of super delicious ice cream for just under $3! I'm excited to make more batches of this stuff in different flavors! (The Comfort of Cooking has some great recipe)

Whew! This post ended up being really long; any of y'all who made it this far are champs! I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!!! And seriously: make yourself some homemade ice cream-it's really heavenly.

  1. Happy Birthday!! And how awesome is it that your birthday is on St. Thomas Aquinas' feast day? I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like I don't have it all together when I'm about to turn 23 - figured by now I'm an "adult" and adults have it all figured out, right? Thank you for the reflection on this.

    1. Thanks, Taylor!!!! Yes, I love having my birthday on St. Thomas' feast day! I've always hoped that he would impart extra brilliance to me (I'm still waiting on that haha). It's also the birthday of actor Elijah Wood, which I think is very exciting :) I think (at least for me) that it can be really easy to think that "by now, I need to figure everything out" when different friends my age are in charge of massive ministries or work extremely professional, intense jobs-but when I've talked to many of them, I have found out that they don't have it figured out either, and that they feel just as lost as I do sometimes! That always makes me feel better :)

  2. Glad the homemade ice cream experiment turned out well! And happy birthday!! I'm 24 and most of the time I feel that that's pretty old--especially considering I don't even have any kids yet. Like, how did I make it to 24 with 0 children? I always wanted to be a young mom like my own mom, who's 45 and has 4 grown children out of the house. Ah, well, God knows His own plans, even if I don't.

    Yes, we have to remember to use whatever gifts we've been given, even if we may have a tendency to think they aren't that super-awesome, doesn't mean they can't be used!

    1. Thank you, Rachel! I'm glad I'm not the only early 20s girl who feels old :) Well said-God knows what's best! One of my favorite quotes by author G.K. Chesterton is: "The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man," and God keeps teaching me this over and over.


text:
Sunday, March 6, 2016

How I Learned to Talk with my Husband

Growing up, I always thought that I was fairly good at communicating. Two of my literary heroines, who I sought to emulate, are Anne Shirley, from Anne of Green Gables, and Elizabeth Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice. Spirited and convicted, these two women are not afraid to speak up for themselves. In a similar way, I often thought that I did a fairly good job speaking up for myself and my beliefs. As I matured and grew, I tried harder to temper everything with love and compassion, while still being my straightforward self. With many solid friendships among men and women, I thought that I was excellent at communication.

However, when I first began dating the man who is now my husband, I discovered what a horrible communicator I really was.

To give you an example (trust me, I have plenty!), let me tell you about a Friday evening during a college semester, about a month and a half into our engagement. We didn’t really have any established plans  that night (we’re very laid back people), but there was an activity on campus later that night which potentially sounded like fun to me. So I just let that thought float around in my mind as I read some homework books in the lobby of Jacob’s dormitory. He was playing ping pong with other students, and I figured: Hey, that’s great. He’ll play ping pong for a bit, then maybe we’ll head over to the other activity.

As I kept reading, he kept playing, and finally I decided I was done with my reading. And he kept playing while I watched. But…but…what about me? Putting a good face on it, I bottled all of my frustrated feelings inside.  At some point, (it’s hard to remember exactly how it happened, since this was a random incident 2+ years ago) we went outside for a walk. And, being the drama queen that I am, I tearfully sniffled away and at first wouldn’t speak. Then, I let it all out in bursts of sorrow and tormented anguish.

Because in my mind, I had this fun idea (which, naturally, I didn’t tell Jacob about) to go to a potentially fun campus activity at some point. And since he was playing ping pong for a while in the dorm, obviously he intended to play all night and ruin my hopes and dreams for the evening. But did I want to potentially hurt Jacob’s feelings—since his heart must be set on playing ping pong all night—and ask him if we could do something different? Nope, not at all.

Thankfully, he is a very patient and blunt man, and talked through everything with me. In the end, the night was really enjoyable, and it taught me a lot. I learned that I had much to work on in the area of communication!
Y’all may have read this story in total shock at my utter lack of logic and good communication. [deep breaths, people-it'll get better soon] I unfortunately had been so deeply influenced by the culture, that I fell into the trap of passivity when (not) communicating with my significant other. Take an honest look at the examples of non-communication that you have been given through various mediums. Whether from books, movies, or other women, we discover a million excuses to not honestly communicate with our husbands or boyfriends. To name a few:
He's so tired and stressed out when he comes home from work; I can’t talk with him about any of my problems, issues, or difficulties.
I need to be gentle with him, so that he doesn’t feel that I’m belittling his sense of manly pride by making a small critique or offer an opposing viewpoint.
Women and men think differently. Therefore, I need to embrace my coy, feminine self and sidestep around issues, since that’s naturally how I operate. He just needs to figure me out better.
I don’t want to nag him, so I can’t ask him to do this chore a different way or treat me differently.
Lest you think that I pull these kinds examples out of thin air, let me give you some concrete sources where you can find similar reasoning. First off, there’s a lovely set of old-fashioned holy cards I've seen in many Catholic bookstores; laminated rectangles that have a picture of the Holy Family, with prayers for a husband or wife, on the front. Awesome, right? (they actually are quite lovely on the front) And then you look at the back of the cards, where you see listed “Ten Rules for a Happy and Successful Wife/Husband.” What are a few of these rules?
Avoid arguments. Your husband has his share from other sources.
Keep your household troubles to yourself.
Keep your business problems and troubles where they belong.
I also want to bring up this little article that I found, of "tricks" to help me learn to communicate with my husband.  Among other things, this article recommends that women, when they are passively trying to get their husbands to do certain chores or tasks, “reward good behavior—the sexier the better.” It also advises that wives “lead by example;” meaning, when they see their husbands do a household chore in a way that they don’t like, the wives can pointedly show their husbands “what works for me,” so that the husbands can then immediately change their ways and act according to what their wives demonstrated.

Keeping this in mind, I ask you:
When we…
“Reward” our husbands (or boyfriends) for “good behavior,”
“Lead by example” and expect them to automatically know what we wish or desire,
Keep our problems to ourselves, and
Avoid arguments or disagreements at all costs…

Are we belittling them by thinking that they can't handle the truth?
Are we trying to “train” our husbands to behave as we want them to behave?
Are we trying to create a peaceful harmony of non-communication?
Are we embracing passivity instead of actively building true communication and togetherness?

Let me tell you what I’ve experienced.
When you try to pull the passive card, where you bottle up your feelings, problems, and thoughts so as to “not stress him out,” you may succeed at keeping a semblance of peace for a while. I truly believe that most women who act in this way, as I often did, have the best intentions at heart. We just want to love and respect our men, not wear them down with problems! You just put a good face on, smile, and not think about all those little things that bugged you earlier in the week. After all, they’re just little nuisances, and not anything to worry about, right?

After a while, little things pile on more little things, and you continue to keep it all bottled up inside. The pressure builds and builds, but you figure, Hey, I just need to get over myself and not be so petty. So you don’t say anything. And then, one day, you explode. The pent-up stress floods out, perhaps the tears pour down, and maybe you even stomp off, leaving a bewildered husband or boyfriend standing on the sidewalk, wondering what just happened?
Every time I would go through my post-bottled-up explosion, I would rediscover the gift of honest communication. Actually talking with Jacob about things made me feel better, brought me true tranquility (not just a semblance of superficial peace), and pulled us even closer together as a couple.

I have learned that:
If there’s something bugging me—even if it’s small—it’s helpful to talk with my husband about it. If it truly is a small thing, we resolve it in a couple minutes, and it’s gone into past history. If it winds up being indicative of a larger issue, then we resolve it accordingly before it turns into an even bigger problem.

If I bottle things up for days, weeks, or months, that tenses me up and makes me more stressed. But, if I bring things up as they happen, I’m a lot calmer, more understanding, less over-the-top dramatic, and way more peaceful.

In my zeal to communicate with my husband, I shouldn’t talk his ear off the second he walks in the door, flooding him with all of my joys, sorrows, and problems. But, neither should I wait until the “perfect time” magically presents itself. I can purposefully carve out a time with him to specifically discuss different important topics as they arise, not wait for them to pop up a week or two later.

Just because men and women communicate differently does not mean that women should be coy and sidestep around issues. I know that many women don’t want to spell things out for their husbands or boyfriends, and instead want these poor guys to read their minds, but let’s face it: this does not create fruitful dialogue at all. It is completely obvious to me that my husband and I think differently—but does this mean we can’t communicate in an open, blunt manner? Nope, not at all.

What’s more conducive to good communication in relationships?
A woman who sidesteps and doesn’t actually say what she means, hoping that the man will eventually get a hint or ask her to explain herself further?
Or, a woman who openly talks to her significant other in an honest and transparent manner as they reach a mutual understanding?

Although some may disagree with meI want to point out that several months ago in one of his songs, Justin Bieber brought up this issue as a relevant problem that is difficult in relationships.

What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes
But you wanna say no
What do you mean? Hey-ey
When you don't want me to move
But you tell me to go
What do you mean?
Oh, what do you mean?

In fact, I find it really interesting that he was criticized by a woman who thought that this song promotes rape. Justin Bieber then clarified things during an interview with Ryan Seacrest:
"Well, girls are often just flip-floppy. They say something and they mean something else. So ... what do you mean? I don't really know, that's why I'm asking."
I hear ya, Bieber. I don’t get it, either, and it kind of makes me crazy. I think this is a bit of a problem in our culture, too. And do you know what?
I’m also trying to do my part to change this problem.
I’m trying to communicate with my husband openly and honestly.
I’m trying to practice patient, loving, transparent dialogue.
I’m trying to respect the fact that my husband deserves the truth, not some bewildering passive sidestepping around an issue.
I’m trying to know that my husband cares about me, and legitimately wants to love me and help me become a better person—and he can’t do that when I’m refusing to be open with him.
I’m trying to become more deeply united with my husband in our marriage—how can we do that if we’re continually communicating on different frequencies?
In short, I’m trying to love my husband more by communicating with him better.

I’m not claiming that he and I are perfect at communicating, but I can honestly tell you that over the past 4+ years of being together—first as friends, then while dating, engaged, and now married—my husband and I have grown tremendously in our communication. I can honestly tell you that I cannot think of a single thing out there of which I am nervous or hesitant to discuss with my husband. Honest, open communication has brought us so closely together as friends and as a married couple-it's so epic! Learning how to talk with my husband may have been painful and difficult at times, but it was so worth it.

We don't need to read tons of articles about "tricks" to communicate with our husbands. Instead, I recommend a different tactic: Talk with him.
Don't talk around him, don't talk at him, but talk with him. You'll be amazed at how your communication and intimacy as a couple can improve by doing this one simple action!

  1. Good post! Nathan and I both made a study of healthy communication before we even met - one benefit of being older when marrying (but only if you actually take advantage of it). However we still have to avoid these pitfalls from time to time!

    The crazy thing about books and learning to communicate from them is that lack of communication is such a common device to create tension in a story! I love Elizabeth Bennett, but goodness, her whole problem is that she doesn't bother to communicate with Darcy in a sane manner! And then when he does lay things out for her, the etiquette of the day prevents her from writing a letter back and being like "DUDE TELL ME MORE I WAS MISTAKEEEEEN."

    1. Thanks-I'm so glad that you liked this! I think it's awesome that you two took advantage of growing in healthy communication before you ever got together, so you could bring that into your marriage!

      Yes-you are so right! Quite often, the conflict in fiction stems from poor communication, and then we normalize it. I think we can tend to think that "it's supposed to be this way" after seeing bad communication between people in countless stories. In fact, one of my favorite old movies, "My Favorite Wife," pulls its key humor from miscommunication. When I watched that movie with Jacob during our engagement, I saw it all with new eyes-he was so befuddled as to why this movie, which shows poor communication as humorous, was supposed to be entertaining!

      Haha, oh my yes. Very well said-Elizabeth is awesome, and her spunk is great, but there is such a huge communication void so much of the time between her and Darcy! As much as I love reading about the Regency Era, I would not like to live then, because some of society's rules of social interaction between men and women just got to be ridiculous. (that, and the fact that I would probably be bored out of my mind making "mandatory" social calls to people where we would talk about non-controversial topics)

  2. Loved this so much!! I can't stand marriage advice which is basically based around complicated strategies of communication which actually results in less communication. I couldn't be one of those who 'play games' or try to convince my husband to guess what I'm thinking. He's never going to guess what I'm thinking--if I want it to be known, I'll say it.

    1. I'm so glad you liked this, Rachel! I think it's awesome that you also are into talking with your husband. So many times in facebook groups that I'm a part of, women will ask for advice on how to get their husbands to change their behavior, and as I'll see all of the elaborate strategies that different ladies recommend, I'll write in something like, "How about you just talk with him?" Isn't it nice how something so simple as blunt communication works so well in marriage? :)

  3. Thank you for helping me understand how to communicate as Jesus would communicate with people. Please, this thought was a bit hard for me. I hope you can approve it.

    1. You are very welcome, Joseph! I'm so that that you liked this. Like you say, it's so good to be able to communicate better with others as we seek to imitate Christ!

  4. Haha! Tim (fiance) and I had many instances almost exactly like the one you described where I was being passive and felt ignored or whatever, then proceeded to bottle up all my hurt and frustration till I exploded at him. Like Jacob, Tim's response was usually blunt and patient. He also had to convince me that even if he did have his heart set on playing games with his friends all night, that he loves me and spending time with just me isn't some big horrible sacrifice for him. (And even if it was a little sacrifice to give up some game time, didn't mean that he didn't also enjoy his time with me.) I'd like to say I've made HUGE progress in communicating openly and honestly with my future spouse.

    Also I need to express the massive amount of distaste I feel for the “reward good behavior—the sexier the better” types of advise. Like you said, how demeaning for your husband! You train children and pets by rewarding them for good behavior. But a spouse is an equal partner. I've found, not just with Tim, but with any guy I know well, they just need to be acknowledged and appreciated when they do something well. "Thanks for doing the dishes, Hun. I really appreciate it," goes a long way for most guys.

    Also, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but sex and sexiness isn't a reward. It's a free gift of love between spouses. Your spouse needs love and affection, good behavior or not! Now if an expression of sincere gratitude for help around the house turns into something romantic, that's an entirely different situation. But "rewards" are withheld if the desired outcome isn't achieved. One certainly shouldn't withhold affection from their spouse because of some petty reason like the dishes or laundry didn't get done.

    Thanks for a great article, Anne Marie! God bless!

    1. Hi, Emily! Thanks for sharing in this fabulous rant with me :) Isn't God so good for giving us patient, straightforward men? I am so glad that you have made progress in communicating openly with Tim! Honestly, you will see the fruits of that in your marriage. So many times, I have thought about how grateful I am that Jacob and I went through rough growing pains of communication while dating or engaged, because it has made married life much more smooth and peaceful.

      Thank you for sharing my dislike in the "reward good behavior" thing!!! Ugh, it drives me crazy! Like you said, sex is a free gift! Yet, I have read a couple of different articles that all lean towards the stance of using sex and intimacy as bribery for getting your partner to do things. Nope, doesn't work that way. In fact, when a couple is more open and intimate in their verbal communication instead, that will manifest itself in the physical intimacy that they share.

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed this article, Emily. Thank you for your awesome thoughts and for being so counter-cultural in communication :)

  5. Great post, AnneMarie! I've definitely bought into so many of those excuses before. In fact, I still struggle with many of them...
    I think there really has to be balance in how we approach communication. When my husband comes home from work, sometimes he really does need some space and time to unwind before I share about an issue going on around the house. It doesn't mean I should keep it to myself, it just means I need to let him have a few minutes alone or wait until later in the evening to broach the subject.
    I've found (though we are still on this journey), that it is often best to simply ask my husband how he would like me to communicate. So, I'll ask, "What would be the best way to communicate in such-and-such situation?" This way I can avoid generalized advice that may not be best in our specific marriage!

    1. That is an excellent point, Shannon! I've definitely had to learn (still learning) not to go to the extremes-I would, at times, either never bring stuff up (for the sake of him unwinding) or I'd bring up everything as soon as he walked in the door (which wouldn't let him unwind at all). Definitely something that each couple needs to figure out! I think it's neat that you ask him how best to communicate about things-that is an awesome way to respect his needs and to strengthen open communication in your marriage!

  6. When we have something important that we want to discuss, or even not so important, just something we want to talk about that night, my husband and I will often send each other an email. "Things we need to discuss tonight." And list them out. But we try to be silly and use code words and abbreviations so the other person really doesn't know. It's fun and silly. But it lets the spouse know that conversation needs to happen that night. It's really helped us.

  7. Ann-Marie, that is such a cute idea! Very practical, too. Thanks for weighing in on this topic-I think it's also really cool to hear your perspective, since you have a couple of kids scampering around the house already. I'm sure it's less convenient for you two to make the time to communicate, so it's really awesome to hear that you do it!


text:
Thursday, May 19, 2005

Aquisition Research (BETA)

After the Nike success Sergey's asked me to think about some more companies or products we might want to buy so we can use their catchphrases.

So I thought about it while I was making myself some cheese on toast earlier but this is really hard work - I mean there are lots of great slogans but they wouldn't all convey our current unique approach to customer services - for example - "Probably the best search in the world" is cool but it doesn't really have that something extra.

So far I've identified;
Company X wouldn't give a XXXX for anything else.
The future's bright. The future's blue and stripy
Eight out of ten cats prefer our sandbox
When it absolutely, positively, has to dissapear overnight
Have it our way
Say it with flaws

And there's always;
I liked it so much I bought the company

Actually I think some of those could work quite well. I wonder if we actually need to buy the company to use them though. Well we probably would for the last one but this using other peoples stuff with slight changes thing is pretty much going OK elsewhere. I'll run it past Larry.

You know the big dollops right - Istn't that your own personal strapline Marissa? ;)
Well, Burger King would be too expensive unless you were going to revamp it with the cool ex-chefs recipes but their slogan could be tweaked a bit and I don't think they would notice.

"Have it our way"
Just got released from AP:

"The company decided to give users the option of adding more bells and
whistles on the front page because it believes it developed a "critical
mass" of products that present helpful information to visitors, said
Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer products.

Despite the shift, Google isn't trying to persuade visitors to spend
more time on its Web site, Mayer said. "We are still interested in
getting people off our site to the places that they want to go
(online)," she said."

Wasn't lying a sin? In other words "evil". Does X company have "Do not evil" as
slogan, or not. Or they didn't mean to say that? Or they meant to say
it, but it was used out of context... or.. Can you look yourself in the
mirror Marrisa, w/o cracking it??
i don't think buying another company for the sake of having its slogan is a good idea... aren't your people creative enough to think about that? why not run a contest and see who thinks of a good slogan...

(hmm and i thought Google was a creative cool company what happened? tired of thinking and you just let the cash do it for you?)

i know a top IT company who got its' new name from a similar process and was successful, the same can be said for your new slogan.

in other respects you should focus in not too many acquisitions and focus on your core products though it is evident that your on your way to portaldom (deny it or not) have one thing in mind, succeed where your competition failed in the first place. Like portal Y for example its so full of mumbo jumbo but almost 70% of it is useless. The real battle is Search, Email and IM...

Want a good buy find a jabber compliant IM client(Gush for example) - A killer IM because you better watch out Portal Y has released a new beta

... dark clouds I see... For company X... I worry
Buy Perseus. Tagline: "Understanding Your World"
I think you should just buy Las Vegas.

"What you do here, stays here".
Good design!
[url=]My homepage[/url] | [url=]Cool site[/url]
Great work!
My homepage | Please visit
Well done! |
hi people,this is a simple test
sorry sex video
What a great site » »
As much as viagra has rescued the people from the cruel grip of erectile dysfunction it has also proved to be a curse to many because of wrong conception and wrong interpretation of its functioning. People buy viagra with the notion of having an extra erotic night without actually having the need to. Nowadays Viagra is also easily accessible and anyone can buy viagra online. In addition viagra online is more often than not cheap viagra i.e. a discounted version. People can easily get Viagra from the online pharmacies using wrong information. But in this way they will harm no one but their own selves, so it is always handy to have a clear conception of the drug one is taking.
As soon as Viagra was introduced in the pharmaceutical market in 1998, the little blue pill tremendously helped men worldwide to trigger off erections necessary for sexual intercourse and with Viagra working for men across the world; they were far from being affected by erectile dysfunction. So, if you are also suffering from erectile dysfunction, you can use Viagra and get rid of the sexual disorder. But before administering Viagra, come in touch with for once and get hold of relevant Viagra information.
I like this part of your article After the Nike success Sergey's asked me to think about some more companies or products we might want to buy so we can use their catchphrases. thanks for sharing this interesting blog!!!
Hello thanks for post this information about catchphrases this is very useful to prevent spammer !!
China and Russia put the blame on some screwed up experiments of US for the earthquake that happened in Haiti.
Chinese and Russian Military scientists, these reports say, are concurring with Canadian researcher, and former Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief of Forbes Magazine, Benjamin Fulford, who in a very disturbing video released from his Japanese offices to the American public, details how the United States attacked China by the firing of a 90 Million Volt Shockwave from the Americans High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facilities in Alaska
If we can recollect a previous news when US blamed Russia for the earthquake in Georgio. What do you guys think? Is it really possible to create an earthquake by humans?
I came across this [url=]article about Haiti Earthquake[/url] in some blog it seems very interesting, but conspiracy theories have always been there.
regularity campusaruna resulting vapi strategist clergy neurology bobe discovery uvvu viewed
lolikneri havaqatsu
While i have been scouting around at this website and find it to be unquestionably handy. I would greatly get pleasure from all assistance.

Just lately, Louisville has blossomed as a major gathering place for the health care and professional medical sciences market sectors. Louisville has been fundamental to developments in heart and hand surgical treatment as well as cancer healing. Certain of the first fake heart transplants were conducted in Louisville. Louisville's blooming downtown medical research campus consists of the new $Eighty-eight million rehab heart, and a well being sciences investigation and commercialization park that, in relationship with the University of Louisville, has lured nearly 80 prime people and scientists. Louisville is usually also residence to Humana, one of the nation's premier health insurance coverage corporations.

Louisville is residence to several major companies and institutions.
looking for the purpose ed drugs? [url=]buy viagra online [/url]and satisfaction in free shipping at . another good place to [url=]buy viagra online[/url] is .
like gambling? ardour las vegas? conclusion the all callow [url=]casino[/url] las vegas at with beyond 75 up to lightweight of archaic unacceptable [url=]online casino[/url] games like slots, roulette, baccarat, craps and more and yield a quelling in existent coins with our $400 … la course crazed bonus.
we bear into public notice noiselessness safer games then the ruin online [url=]casino[/url]! few more free casino games and free [url=]casino bonus[/url] you can find at the 2 new [url=]casino[/url] guides : and .
Hi everyone! I do not know where to start but hope this site will be useful for me.
I will be glad to get any assistance at the start.
Thanks and good luck everyone! ;)
[url=] Buy reductil online
It's so easy to choose high quality [url=]replica watches[/url] online: [url=]Rolex replica[/url], [url=]Breitling replica[/url], Chanel replica or any other watch from the widest variety of models and brands.
thanks for adding me to the forum[url=;u=1283
Really intriguing read.

SMOtop the Swedish seo consultant offering a wide range of seo services.
carisoprodol pillspills valium generic

[url=]buy cheap generic levitra pharmacy online[/url]
I love coming here and reading about all the intresting things on this site everyday. There is nothing better than learning how to make money online and coming here really helps. Another place I go to that teaches me how to make money online through many different verticals like Blackhat seo , Blackhat, SEO , WhiteHat, Internet Marketing , affiliate marketing, blackhat money maker, the list goes on with this site but one thing for sure ever since the econmoy has gotten so bad and the recession has set in with out your site here and this site.
[URL=""]Blackhatmoneymaking[/URL] There is nothing better than learning how to make money online and coming here really helps. Another place I go to that teaches me how to make money online through many different verticals like Blackhat seo , Blackhat, SEO , WhiteHat, Internet Marketing , affiliate marketing, blackhat money maker, the list goes on with this site but one thing for sure ever since the econmoy has gotten so bad and the recession has set in with out your site here and this site. If your truly needing to make some extra cash these sites can help you better than any other online.
Are you thinking of getting involved into some serious fun sessions? If yes, then don't think beyond New York escorts. They are the most passionate escort girls out there who, with their heavenly presence can make anyone and everyone feel special.
Escort girls New York have surpassed all other escort girls out there with their A1 services.
Payment for your girl can be done online instantly. So, you should not have any sort of issue regarding anything.
You can easily book the Bijou and she will always arrive at the right time at a designated place. Even a very short notice can do the job for you. Complete satisfaction is guaranteed, both in mental and physical terms. If you want to hang out with a simple and adorable girl, you will get it. On the other hand, if you want to go out with a girl this is also perfectly possible. You don't have to worry about privacy matters because there are no doubts about the professional integrity of New York independent escort. Before introducing them to the clients, all the credentials of Bijou are properly checked.
[url=]New York Escort[/url] A New York escort agency's website also allows you book your favorite girl at just a matter of few clicks. While making the booking, you need to specify whether you would be seeking for incall or outcall service. For outcall services, you may also need to mention your address where you want her service. Regarding the privacy and confidentiality of this, you need to be completely worry-free. As a service enjoyer, you just need to concentrate on your game. The rest will be all yours, all tempting!

But before choosing the services of any particular firm, it's wise that you make a comparative analysis of the services providers. It's beneficial because New York itself has so many escort agencies which offer the same services at different rates. New York escorts are genuinely the best girlfriends for men seeking for pleasure. They are the abode of beauty and charm and satisfy men with their amazing sense of maturity. The top-quality escorts of New York are the finest and greatly enviable attractive girls who understand the need and desire of their customer. They are blessed with the most alluring bodies and with the superior set of soft skills; they can make anyone feel special.
[url=] coleman roadtrip grill
check out the new free [url=]online casino games[/url] at the all new, the most trusted [url=]online casinos[/url] on the web! enjoy our [url=]free casino software download[/url] and win money.
you can also check other [url=]online casinos[/url] and [url=]poker room[/url] at this [url=]casino[/url] sites with 100's of [url=]free casino games[/url]. for new gamblers you can visit this [url=]online casino[/url].
if you guys fixed to credence in [url=]viagra[/url] online you can do it at, the most trusted viagra pharmacopoeia advance of generic drugs.
you can learn drugs like [url=]viagra[/url], [url=]cialis[/url], [url=]levitra[/url] and more at, the pre-eminent [url=]viagra[/url] start on the web. well another great [url=]viagra[/url] pharmacy you can find at
check [url=][/url] if you want to enjoy the best adult webcams.
[url=] Buy reductil online
Buy reductil online
[url=]online casino coupon codes[/url] [url=]station casinos las vegas[/url] [url=]online-videopoker lotto gambling strippoker[/url] [url=]online horse gambling[/url] [url=]gambling onlinebackgammon onlinefreeroll video-poker[/url]
[url=]florida online gambling laws[/url] [url=]free buffet in casinos[/url] [url=]no deposit canadian online casinos[/url] [url=]mandalay bay resort casino[/url] [url=]court cases with online gambling[/url]
[b]www интим знакомства ru Знакомства для секса в луганской области секс знакомства челны [/b]
знакомства нового уренгоя знакомства костя оптимист со всем необходимым знакомство роман усмань
[b]Интим знакомства Северодвинск Секс знакомства в подольске [/b]
Hello everybody,

What online fanzines do you read and would recommend?

For all you emo folks out there I recommend The Enough Fanzine. It is one of the first emo zines on the web.

They have throusands of reviews from the most popular bands all over the world. Check them out online: [url=]Enough Fanzine[/url]. Best of it all, they are 100% non-profit and just helping the scene!

Looking forward to your recommendations.

Make room the beast with two backs casinos? verify this advanced [url=]online casinos[/url] advisor and wing it belittle online casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and more at .
you can also inhibit our redesigned [url=]casino[/url] hint at and replace in principal money !
another modern [url=]casino spiele[/url] position is , because german gamblers, retrieve unrestrained online casino bonus.
Attraction casinos? endorse this latest [url=]online casino[/url] head and tergiversate online casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and more at .
you can also go over our novel [url=]casino[/url] orientate at and conquer corporeal fabulously off !
another modern [url=]casino spiele[/url] plot is , because german gamblers, offshoot in manumitted online casino bonus.
bollywood hindi indian raajneeti rajneeti full movie parts full theatrical trailer songs ranbir kapoor katrina kaif ajay devgan nasseruddin shah arjun rampal manoj bajpai teaser eclusive emraan hashmi sajda kajol o mere khuda full video song full video song tu hi haqqeqat milenge milenge action replay akshay kumar teen patti prince it's showtime full video song hot khan sexy bed scene video nude pics hot priyanka chopra pyaar impossible pyar uday chopra part 1. paatshala ishqiya rann dil to bacha hai amitabh bachan paa teaser 1st fisrt look promos bed scene video de dana dan katrina akshay hot wet song pump it up chance pe dance shhaid kapoor shahrukh khan veer salman khan shahrukh khan paisa pe pe pepein pal mein hi kurbaan hua karthik calling karthik latest hindi sex hot video promo trailers 3 idiots dulha mil gaya kite
Raajneeti Watch Online[/url]
The second half was a completely different story; the French team started on fire, producing great opportunities. The first came at minute 52 when Lisandro made a 25-yard shot that tested Madrid’s goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. Casillas was clearly starting to feel the pressure produced by the French team. [url=]real madrid oficial[/url] At the end of this match, Kaká stated his satisfaction with scoring for Real again in a tough match after having been injured for some time. He hopes his team will keep fighting for theiruntil the end.
"It's a tremendous joy to score; I've been waiting for a game like this for a long time. I think I've given a clear answer on the field to all of those who have criticized me," said Kaká.

In round 21 of La Liga, Real Madrid (50 points) beat Espanyol 3-0 last Saturday, closing in on Barcelona, the current leader of the Spanish League standings with 55 points. The team led by Manuel Pellegrini added its eleventh victory in the Santiago Bernebeu Stadium and recovered the difference with Barça, which beat Getafe 2-1. [url=]benzema[/url] Messi returned to make the last goal of the game, running across the edge of the penalty area and lashing a left-footed drive into the net.
One of the factors that can influence the outcome of your program is that many bookmakers set maximum stake limits which can keep you from placing your full wager, so make sure that there in no max limit with any of the bookies that you are dealing with.
bet football | bet online sport betting
Any one who bets on sports for profit will want to make sure they are getting the best sports betting odds but it doesn’t matter what you are betting on, the fact of the matter is that the house is going to be sure to come out on top. They don’t build those billion dollar casinos with winner’s money! The best odds are generally a little better and a sports bettor will likely see a return of eight to ten dollars for every hundred dollars he or she bets over a long term period.
[url=]bet on sports[/url]
It appears that the United States legal system is closer than ever before to cutting off ties with any type of online gambling within its boundaries. This includes poker, casinos, and sports betting among others. Generally speaking, anything that has to do with transmitting money via the internet as far as gambling is concerned is being cracked down on quite harshly.

If you are employing neither of those two elements, then the risk you run of eventually losing your entire Base Bank is 99.99%. On the other hand, employing only a good Selection System would not only reduce your risk closer to just 10% maximum, you would also have up to a 10% chance of making money. This would mean that the Bookies would suddenly be faced with a 10% possibility of losing to you long-term, rather than a 99.99% certainty of taking your money from you. Throw in a proper Staking Plan on top of that, and you will have increased your chances of winning to as high as 20%.
well guys! counter the latest unregulated rid of [url=]casino[/url] games like roulette and slots !after unmistakable the all stylish vacant [url=]online casino[/url] games at the all with it, the most trusted [url=]online casinos[/url] on the web! dig our [url=]free casino software download[/url] and give rise to snug harbor a comfortable the bacon money.
you can also discontinuation other [url=]online casinos bonus[/url] . check out this new [url=]online casino[/url].
Infatuation casinos? authenticate this green [url=]free casino[/url] games. navigator and postpone online casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and more at .
you can also impede our untrained [url=]casino[/url] manage at and overwhelm true change !
another unique [url=]casino[/url] spiele bracket is , in return german gamblers, slip in not busy online casino bonus.
Have you Hear about Xrumer tool ? we release it now for free!
download it here:

What is Xrumer?
Xrumer is the premier professional quality automated link-building tool.
Through the use of this tool you will see a significant increase in the number of unique visitors to your site,
as well as see your site jump in the search engine result pages.
The tool is popular among both novices and gurus because of both its flexibility, power,
and effectiveness. Xrumer is extremely reliable and its fully automated workflow makes link-building a breeze.
Xrumer is one of the most powerful software around.
With the power to get thousands of backlinks at the touch of your fingers no competitors can compete
with the power of Xrumer.

for more information:
Hey guys I'm not sure if this is the correct place to send this, but I am having some legitimate strife learning when you meet a girl I look over when you meet a girl[url=!3356344665228426!117.entry
when you meet a girl [/url] that site, but it really didn't appear to give to me alot of sanity to me. Can someone pretty please improve me? It's so intricate to gratify the girls of my dreams.

This article wasn't easy to read

Ideas on How to satisfy Women in the Local mall

If you're the one a single guy and aren't the optimal at getting a great deal of much less meeting ladies and are questioning somewhere you could go to get and come in contact with a girlfriend, then these ten sensible tips on how to satisfy a female along at the mall, must come in mighty handy.

1 - Go towards the foods court. Feel it or not, the foodstuff court may be the absolute excellent position inside mall to fulfill a young lady. Here's what you do. Pick a meals area and get in line for your meal. Even though you happen to be in line, appear close to the area in which anyone is seated and eating. Search for a gal sitting down alone, or even two ladies seated together. When you've got your meal in hand, walk around to somewhere she or they are really seated and check with if you’re able to join them. If you're honest and straightforward with them, your odds are very effective.

2- Do some contemplating. In advance of you even think of planning to your shopping mall to satisfy a young girl, sit yourself down and do some significant pondering. Want to consider how you would possibly connect a toddler and what you could possibly say to her if you may be prosperous. Look at which parts with the shopping mall you'll go to. Also, you're about to will need to obtain some thing when there, what do you need? In conclusion, give consideration to what meeting a girlfriend in the public site entails. Absolutely you'll have a need to appear for a wedding ring ahead of speaking into a girlfriend, and you are going to have a need to give consideration to if it's wiser to speak into a chick alone or just one who is with others. As a final point, you may have for being realistic about your personal age and the ages for the young lady you choose to fulfill. As in, you will have to inform by yourself to get realistic and don't you could try to fulfill ladies which can be considerably younger or older than you are, or that take a look out of your league.

three - Ask for boost. Once you , yourself are at long last along at the shopping mall, 1 for this methods to satisfy women is by asking them for aid. Women realize that men have no plan what there're engaging in when they are purchasing, so asking for assistance will not appear this kind of a ridiculous strategy. Ask for assistance in picking out a jacket for oneself one example is. Working on so let's the woman know that you simply are single. If she agrees to help you, check with her other queries as you grab a variety of jackets to attempt on.

Hey guys I'm not sure if this is the correct category to post this, but I am having some corporeal grieve learning when you meet a girl I look over when you meet a girl[url=
when you meet a girl [/url] that blog, but it as a matter of fact didn't seem to make alot of sentiment to me. Can someone pretty please help me? It's so exhausting to gratify the sexy women of my dreams.
Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
lost your money at the [url=]casino[/url] ?over 21 and looking where to [url=]buy viagra online[/url]? or even how to buy [url=]adult toys[/url]? well you can try this websites and [url=]buy viagra[/url]. [url=]sildenafil[/url] and [url=]generic viagra[/url] online. you can also buy [url=]viagra[/url] online.
so for [url=]sex toys[/url] and [url=]viagra online[/url] check us ! for great [url=]viagra[/url] deals check us now!
lost your money at the [url=]casino[/url] ?over 21 and looking where to [url=]buy viagra online[/url]? or even how to buy [url=]adult toys[/url]? well you can try this websites and [url=]buy viagra[/url]. [url=]sildenafil[/url] and [url=]generic viagra[/url] online. you can also buy [url=]viagra[/url] online.
so for [url=]sex toys[/url] and [url=]viagra online[/url] check us ! for great [url=]viagra[/url] deals check us now!
Playing bingo needs more than luck or skills and techniques, contrary to what most believe. Bingo, just like any game of chance, comes with rules and regulations that players should observe. Being a player comes with responsibilities and etiquette.

Winning the Game

The moment you figured out you won, you must immediately yell BINGO, and it should be loud enough for the floor walker to hear. The pot money shall be given to the winner once their winning card is confirmed. Well, in winning or once you know you just won, the most important thing is that you shout the winning word BEFORE the time elapses. If the game proceeds and the next number is mentioned and you failed to shout "Bingo", your winning card is disqualified. Therefore, this is the rule you must know.

There may be cases when there are two winners, and in this case the pot money shall be divided equally among the winners. Supposing there are two winning cards, the two winners will share half the prize money.

Bingo Game Rules

Bingo rules are basically the same no matter in which Online Bingo hall you play. But still it's good if you know these rules by heart. If it is your first try, then ask for handouts and inquire from pros regarding the game rules. Nonetheless, the ideal thing to do if you have questions is to ask the floor walker and not the person seated beside you. You should clarify things and doubts before the game starts because asking too many questions as the game proceeds could well distract you. This guideline also applies to those who are newcomers at casinos, those who play roulette for the first time.

Bingo halls demand an age limit of 18 years old. If you are below this age, you are prohibited to play. Some bingo houses ban alcohol inside, so players aren't supposed to take liquor nor drink it inside the venue. Smoking may also be restricted inside the venue, as there are designated smoking sections.

Take note that some Bingo houses don't allow food but some do, so it basically depends on the venue. Policies vary among different venues. For instance, some bingo halls allow reservation of cards, while others don't allow it. Some allow people to leave the venue in the middle of the game, others forbid it. But there are general policies observed in all bingo houses, such as disqualification of tampered bingo cards. There is no way you can get away with a tampered card because the walkers are adept at identifying authentic cards from tampered ones. You could be banned from a bingo establishment if proven liable of tampering a card. Hence, you should play honestly.

Interestingly, some venues offer special bingo games for kids although some halls don't allow players to have companions while playing. Suppose you bring kids with you, don't let them run around the venue and bother other gamers. They should behave well whilst you play and the game proceeds. Play quietly and don't recite the numbers you desperately want to come off because you'll be much of a disturbance if you do. Decorous playing is expectant of all players, even those who play roulette at casinos. Also, having a valid identification is important because you don't know you might win and need to present credentials.

More Online Bingo Info at Bingo Snooper Visit Now
Каждому полезно будет скачать [url= ] софт[/url] [url= ]для взлома[/url] , которой я лично [url= ]взломал[/url] данные и [url=]пароль[/url] своего знакомого, программа сможет [url= ]взломать[/url] что угодно.
Используйте бесплатную Программу для взлома смс архивов
Программа для взлома платных смс архивов, и платных самораспаковывающихся архивов, Вам больше не нужно отправлять смс-ки на короткие номера

[url=]Скачать СЕЙЧАС[/url]

Если есть вопросы можете [url=]добавить[/url] меня в [url= ]skype[/url]: Vzl7914OM , [url=]ICQ[/url]: 899711303 или написать на [url=]почтовый ящик[/url],я как закончу [url= ]отдых[/url] сразу отвечу. Но это однозначно рабочая [url=]программа для взлома[/url], я ей пользуюсь [url=]на работе[/url].
I couldn't agree with you more!
We prepare for all kinds of high rank s that happen in a variety of styles,[url=]prom dresses[/url]
[url=]cheap wedding dresses[/url]
[url=]cheap prom dresses[/url]
[url=]discount party dresses[/url]
[url=]affordable wedding dresses[/url]
colors and sizes at wholesale price.All are sale-priced with clothes-horse styles compound apparels including artist wedding dress, seaside combining dresses, bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, prom outfits, bourgeon young lady dresses & shelter dresses.Even we can accommodate the services of on the loose area customization and manumitted coupled with measure Snitch on affordable stunning compounding dresses now!satisfaction in searing shopping, accouter perfectly looking for the tremendous wedding ceremony with the facilitate of G-marry bridal.

We victual all kinds of piercing quality s that go about a find in a variety of styles,[url=]wedding dresses[/url]
[url=]wedding dresses[/url]
[url=]wedding dresses[/url]
[url=]wedding dresses[/url]
[url=]wedding dresses[/url]
colors and sizes at wholesale price.All are second-rate with up to date styles associating apparels including originator combining adorn, strand coalescence dresses, connubial gowns, bridesmaids dresses, prom outfits, bloom young lady dresses & mother dresses.Even we can supply the services of free area customization and without extra measure Snitch on affordable astounding compound dresses in the present climate!enjoy hot shopping, accouter to the letter looking for the tremendous wedding with the help of G-marry bridal.

[b][url=]louis vuitton outlet[/url][/b] In my opinion, browsing for women's designer handbags online is among the list of ideal methods to retail buying. You can obtain many selections of genuine designer purses, cheap designer purses and replica handbags. Nonetheless, there are various Net swindlers, who fraud unsuspecting buyers of their hard-earned revenue.

[b][url=]uggs uk[/url][/b] Make him really feel that you have dressed up especially for him. On the other hand, avoid over-dressing. Loud colours and shiny dresses can be rather a change off in your date.. All the reception tables appeared exquisite, however the wedding table from the bride and groom outshined them all. It experienced every one of the elegance of a king and queen. Our cake of 5 beautiful tiers, by using a fairytale wedding ceremony topper, sat on the stop of our wedding table with a more compact table.

[b][url=]uggs boots[/url][/b] These unique pumps are crafted with lofty 4 and 7 tenths of an inch stiletto heel. A heel of that dimensions delivers an upright and glamorous posture, an property of carrying stiletto heeled sneakers. The peek a boo toe reduce out consents to some stylish and captivating sneak peak of your toes.

[b][url=]louis vuitton outlet[/url][/b] Get the litter in the floor. The winter season could possibly have remaining the ground be strewn with junk of different sorts, these as trash, lifeless vegetation, and dried leaves. Get these off your landscape to allow the soil communicate with the air. For many recommendations on purchasing a diaper bag, at first to create good often is the brand name. What manufacturer do you trust most? High high quality is usually synonymous together with the brand name. Subsequent is always that prior to you check out boutiques or malls to acquire, be precise original of whatever you require.

[b][url=]louis vuitton purses[/url][/b] Together with Male impotence Balanced, the Burberry brand identify also possesses its possess distinctive character. Endeavoring to discover assets jewellery L . A . Almost certainly a the vast majority of people during this existing earth understand the very good fame of Louis Vuitton. As one of several world popular brand name names of luxuries items, Louis Vuitton has possessed an important and critical part in entire world style business. In our low cost Louis Vuitton online outlet save, you could obtain a considerable assortment of authentic LV handbags, wallets, purses, footwear and some other components.

Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours? By peddling very hard on an excercise bike at my desk (somebody's got to)

* Unreal, pretend, not true. Marissa, or indeed any Marissa, did not write this. This is a joke, a subtle dig at a company similar to CompanyX.


text:
How to get good at math contests

Sean Markan

As with anything, getting good at math contests is basically about practice, and to put in the practice time one needs motivation.

  • If you don't like math contests, that's fine! Spend your time on something else.
  • If you're interested in math contests but also math in general, work on whatever mathematical topics catch your eye, even if they don't appear on math contests. Reading any sort of math book is good for you and will indirectly improve your contest skills. (Physics and computer programming skills also spill over into math and vice versa.)

If you've decided you really do want to be working on math contests, below are my suggestions on how to improve. Most of the tips apply to all math contests; towards the end there are some things specific to math olympiads.

Do lots and lots of problems

The main message is to do more problems. Find old copies of the contest you are preparing for. Try to make sure you have the solutions, not just the problems and answers. Books of old math contests (especially if you are talking about AMCs, AIMEs, olympiads, or Mandelbrot) are definitely worth the money. Some other sources are ICTM and HMMT.

Make sure you're working on problems at an appropriate level, otherwise you will not improve. If you're getting nearly all the problems you try right, you should try harder problems. If you're not getting any of the problems you try, you should try easier problems. (There is an exception though: if you expect to qualify for an olympiad, you should work on olympiad problems, even if you can't seem to get any of them right. That's the way it goes at first. But pick the easier olympiad problems. See below.)

Now do a lot of old contests. Doing a contest should be a three-step process:

  1. Take the test. There are two ways to do this. One way is to take it under "test conditions", meaning you time yourself, solve all the problems all the way out, don't use a calculator, don't look at the solutions, don't ask for help, etc. That's a good thing to do now and then to get a sense of your time management and estimate what you're likely to get on the real test.

    The other way to do it, which is probably the best thing to do for most of your studying efforts (especially at AIME level and beyond), is not to time yourself (just take as much time as you need) and to only work on a problem until you see how to finish. (In other words, you don't need to compute the actual answer, just be sure you know how to do so.)

    In some cases you may want to work on partial contests. Let's say you're working on the AMC12. It's a 25-question, 75 minute contest. Let's say you get the first 10 questions right every single time, and it always takes you 20 minutes. Then you may want to try starting at number 11 (and give yourself 55 minutes, if you're timing yourself). Some amount of drill is good, but if you consider a certain class of problems easy, don't drill on them to the point of boredom.

    You should work on the problems until you have solved or gotten stuck on all of them. Feel free to take a break from one problem to work on another. Most students give up too easy, don't let that be you. And don't just stare at the page: use your problem-solving knowhow. What techniques typically apply to this sort of problem? Have you tried them all? Have you tried looking at a simpler version of the same problem? Does this problem remind you of anything? Make sure you really have run out of ideas before you give up. Have you made all the interesting observations that deserve to be made about the problem?

    Here is a way to know whether you're giving up too quickly, or (less likely) not giving up quickly enough. If you give up and read the solution and say "oh, there's no way I could have got that, because I've never seen technique X before", or you just have no idea what the solution is doing, then you were right to give up when you did. But if you read the solution and don't get that feeling, you gave up too soon.

    When puzzling over a problem, don't waste time on a time-consuming approach if you think there's probably a better way. If you really can't find the better way, read the solution rather than using an inferior method.

    If you are taking the test under test conditions, make a note of what you had accomplished when time ran out, so you can grade yourself later, but then continue working until you're stuck. You're not done when the time runs out!

    One more thing: before checking the official answers, spend some time checking your work. Exactly how much effort to put into this is up to you, but the goal is for you to be catching most of your mistakes yourself. Not knowing how to do a problem is fine, but thinking you do when you don't will get you in trouble! If you do make an error, try to figure out how it happened and how to avoid that error in the future.

  2. Grade your test and read the solutions for everything you couldn't get. Mark the solutions you don't understand and ask a friend or teacher later. Also read the solutions for problems you solved correctly but for which you suspect there is a better/faster method. When reading solutions, there are two important points to keep in mind:

    • Don't just read the solution, extract the trick(s). Usually there are one or two new tricks or insights embedded in a solution, and the rest is just stuff you could have figured out yourself. Solutions don't come out and tell you what the trick was. You have to figure it out. What was the first thing in the solution that you yourself didn't think of trying? Can you see why they did that and how you might have thought of it? If not, try asking a friend or teacher to see if they have some intuition on the matter.

      When you've found the main insight(s) of a solution, make a note to come back and try the problem again later, to test whether you can remember the trick. You may want to write the problem and the trick (or even the full solution) down in a notebook. (Everyone should have a math notebook. Use it to write down important concepts, theorems, etc. as you encounter them.) The act of writing things down reinforces your memory.

    • You don't need to read every word of a solution. If you can extract the trick without reading the whole thing, don't waste your time. Instead, try the problem again to see if you extracted the right trick.

  3. Follow up. Periodically go over the tricks you've learned and test that you can still solve problems you studied a while ago. When you have a chance, ask teachers to clarify solutions you couldn't understand, define terms you don't know, or tell you "how you would have thought of that." Teachers love questions like this (well, the good ones anyway).

What else should you do?

Now that we've covered the main point, which is to do more problems, some other advice:

  • If you have one or two days left before a test, the best thing you can do for yourself is to get enough sleep. Don't wake up tired on test day; you will likely be tired while taking the test, even if you don't notice!

  • Many students struggle with contest problems because their mathematical foundation is not strong enough. If there's anything from regular high school math (up to precalculus) that you don't know by heart, fix that.

  • There are good problem-solving books out there which will teach you tricks and techniques you would otherwise have to learn by word of mouth or by reading solutions. For example, the Art of Problem Solving book collection covers pretty much every topic that appears on pre-olympiad contests (see the section about them lower down on this page). Engel's Problem Solving Strategies and various books by Titu Andreescu and/or Zuming Feng are good for olympiad contests. (This is not an exhaustive list.) But note that while these books teach you the necessary "background knowledge", just reading them isn't enough; there is no substitute for studying old problems and solutions.

  • If your problem seems to be time rather than knowledge (i.e. you know how to do the problems on a particular contest, and you work as fast as you can, but you never finish in time), you probably don't know the fastest methods. There are a few things you can do about this:

    • Read the solutions carefully to see if they are doing something that is inherently more efficient than what you did.
    • Make sure you're skipping "quagmire problems"---the ones you think will take a long time.
    • Often it's best to save calculations for the end. That means you may want to solve the problem using variables first, then plug in the numbers. Similarly, don't multiply things out until you have to, because you may get cancellation that eliminates the need to multiply.
    • Work with a tutor or teacher; they will notice when you are doing something inefficient.
    • Do a lot of problems. The more you do, the faster you get.
    • This one may be obvious: if you're going fast enough to make it to the next level of a series of contests, don't worry too much if you're not going fast enough to finish the entire contest. Virtually nobody finishes the whole thing correctly.

    By the way, if you're wondering about how fast is "fast enough", you can see here.

  • Do you make a lot of stupid mistakes? Read this essay by Richard Rusczyk: Stop Making Stupid Mistakes.

    Here are the main things I tell students:

    • Check your work. If you only have 10 minutes left on a 75-minute contest, better to check for errors than keep working and only get one or zero more problems. If possible, check a problem using a different method from the one you used to solve it. Counting problems are especially easy to mess up and should be a high priority when checking your work.
    • Put each problem in a separate area on the page. Draw lines in between those areas. If you run out of space on a page, don't work in the margin, get a new page.
    • Answer the right question. Let's say a problem asks for how many ways you can arrange ten people given certain conditions. Write "Ans = ways to arrange" at the top of your page. Before you enter your solution on the official answer sheet, make sure that the thing you're entering matches what you wrote under "Ans" in your scratchwork. This prevents you from, for example, entering the number of ways that don't work, which might happen if you used complementary counting. If you decide, at some point in a problem, to count one thing and then multiply by two to get the final answer, write "Ans = 2 times B" on your page, and then "B = [whatever you are now counting instead]".
    • Some people (though it's a minority) make a lot of mistakes due to bad handwriting; if this is you, improve your handwriting.
    • Don't do too much in your head. This is a balancing act: the more you can do in your head, the faster you will be, but the more likely you are to make a mistake. Do a little less work in your head than you think you could handle.
    • Read carefully. On a well-written contest, every word in the question means something. If they say "nonnegative", there's a reason they didn't say "positive". If they say "distinct" or "ordered", there's a reason for that. Don't ignore these terms.
    • If you feel you are making more than your share of stupid mistakes, you may just need to practice being careful. Try doing practice problems, and after each one, asking yourself: am I absolutely sure I have the right answer? Check your work until you're sure. Yes, this is going to slow you down in the short term, but that's fine, because you will gradually start doing the checking quickly and subconsciously, and noticing mistakes before you make them. Eventually you'll be just as fast as before, just more accurate. (If you play an instrument, it's the same principle: when you first learn a piece, you have to go slow and get it right. Later you speed it up.)
  • Study skills: see here!

    Some students are tempted to say, "I'm getting all A's, my study skills are great!", but that's not necessarily the case. The point of study skills is not just to perform well academically but to do it without spending too much time or creating too much stress. That leaves you in a position to get sufficient sleep, exercise, and occasionally enjoy life!

    On a larger theme, all the general advice you've heard a million times is correct and will improve your contest performance (among other things!): stay organized, plan your day, exercise, eat right, make time to relax, get enough sleep, work before you play, do the hardest task first when you sit down to work, don't overload your schedule with too many different things (lest you become a jack of all trades and master of none), etc. This whole topic of "life skills" is something schools don't really teach (maybe because you can't put it on a test), so make a conscious effort to go out and learn about it yourself.

The AoPS Books

The AoPS books are a good starting point for preparing for math contests like the AMCs/AIME.

To do well on these contests, you will need to know almost all the ideas in the AoPS books (though there are a few things here and there, especially in the Intermediate Counting book, that don't appear until the olympiad level). Conversely, the AoPS books contain pretty much all the necessary background knowledge for math contests (pre-USAMO level). (But remember, just having the background knowledge is not enough to do well on contests, you also need problem-solving skills, which are built through practice, puzzling things out, studying solutions, working with a teacher, etc.)

Note that most AoPS books (with the notable exceptions of the Intermediate Counting book and AoPS Volume 2) cover similar ground to an ordinary middle/high school math curriculum. If you have already learned (well!) the material a given AoPS book/chapter covers, it's probably not necessary to read it. If you haven't yet learned it, though, AoPS is a good choice, because it will get you thinking about harder problems than you otherwise would. You may want to supplement AoPS with more traditional textbooks as well, just to make sure you're getting sufficient drill (traditional textbooks have more of that).

Here is a summary of the AoPS books that will help you figure out which ones you might want to study.

Book How much of this is in typical high school math texts (roughly)?
Prealgebra 100%
Introduction to Algebra 100%
Introduction to Counting & Probability50%
Introduction to Geometry 90%
Introduction to Number Theory 70%
Intermediate Algebra 70%
Intermediate Counting & Probability 0% Note: Chapters 5, 14, 15 don't really appear on contests until olympiads.
Precalculus 90%
Calculus 90% Note: Not relevant for contests.
AoPS Volume 1 90%
AoPS Volume 2 40%
Competition Math for Middle School 90%

Here is some advice specific to practicing for olympiads (this is mainly aimed at students who are new to olympiads):

  • Understand that olympiads are not representative of "real math" as practiced by professional mathematicians, even though they look rather similar to what mathematicians do. Olympiad problems are contrived so as to have clever solutions, in much the same way that crossword puzzles are contrived; real research is not like that. Also, the olympiad "curriculum" is quite different from what mathematicians care about. It only covers "high-school level" topics (albeit in great depth), and most mathematicians aren't especially interested in these topics, or even especially knowledgeable about them. So there's no particular reason you should be studying the olympiad curriculum rather than group theory or topology or whatever else catches your fancy. The point is: olympiads are not the "gateway to math", and you shouldn't feel any pressure to get good at them if you're not intrinsically interested. If you are intrinsically interested, read on.

  • Read a lot of solutions. Learning to solve olympiad-level problems is hard, because one needs to be exposed to a large body of tricks and techniques before one can make much headway on them. These tricks are not taught in school, are not the same ones that appear on easier math contests, and you are very unlikely to discover them yourself. Therefore, you will need to acquire them by reading (or from a teacher who knows them). Also, while the basic tricks are often written down explicitly in book form (for example in Engel), most tricks are not, so there is no substitute for exposing yourself to a lot of actual solutions.

    Because olympiad tricks are obscure, the first time you try olympiad problems (and maybe the 20th time), you will do badly. That's normal and doesn't mean you're not smart enough for math olympiads. Don't get discouraged. Just keep reading solutions and figuring out the tricks. These tricks do exist and are learnable. Again, you need to read a lot of solutions before you will be able to construct them yourself. This is true of olympiads much more so than the easier contests. It also pays to be pretty aggressive in extracting general tricks: try not to extract merely the trick for the particular problem you're reading, but the whole way of thinking that led the solver to find it.

    As for where to find solutions, many of them are online. Also, the IMO Compendium and pretty much any book by Titu Andreescu and/or Zuming Feng is full of nice solutions.

  • If you're not sure what does or doesn't constitute a valid proof, write up your best shot and give it to a teacher to evaluate.

  • Personally I don't think it's too important to time yourself when practicing.

  • When you are starting, start with USAJMOs, USAMO numbers 1 and 4, and olympiads from countries where they run easier. Skip the 3s and 6s until you can get the easier ones (unless they look interesting, in which case, by all means try them).

  • Know when to quit. This is very important. If you are frustrated with a problem or have run out of ideas, stop working on it. Either read the solution and extract the trick, or put the problem aside and come back the next day. If you find yourself doing lots of tedious algebra, it's probably not the intended solution. Unless you really feel enthusiastic about continuing, stop and look for a better way (or read the solution). Don't feel bad about giving up and reading solutions, even if you do it for the first 50 problems you try. And don't feel bad about giving up fast. If you look at a problem and after five minutes have no clue whatsoever what to do, go ahead and read the solution. You shouldn't give up until you run out of promising ideas, but sometimes it only takes you a minute to conclude you have no promising ideas. (In such cases you may want to read the first few sentences of the solution and then give it another shot.)

  • A couple very general techniques on olympiad problems:

    • Prove something more general but simpler. For example, if the statement to be proven involves some seemingly random number (like the current year), try proving it for all numbers.
    • Try small cases, or special cases. For example, if you're trying to prove something for all numbers n, try n=2 and see if you get anywhere.
    • Play around and make observations. Look for patterns, even seemingly irrelevant ones. If you make a discovery of any sort, consider that a win, even if the discovery didn't help you with the problem. Assuming you're not taking the actual test, feel free to go off on tangents and try to solve variants on the actual problem or subproblem you care about. That can be fun and informative.
    • On geometry problems, try to express the statement you're trying to prove in terms of points constructed earlier. Also, draw diagrams carefully and notice anything that looks like it might be true but which isn't obviously true. (For example, do three points look like they might be collinear? Try to prove it.)
    • There are a number of other heuristics and proof techniques you'll want to be comfortable with (to name a few, induction, pigeonhole arguments, extremal principle, continuity arguments, monovariants, common inequalities, how to spot opportunities to use Cauchy-Schwarz, phantom point arguments, radical axes, etc.). You can learn this stuff from books like Engel, from reading solutions, and from various real-life and online classes (e.g. WOOT from AoPS).
  • Olympiad problems are often solved by guessing: you guess about what tactic to apply, what cases to look at, etc. They give you 1.5 hours per problem so that you have time to make a lot of guesses. It's ok if most of them are wrong. Even if you get good at olympiad problems, you will still be making wrong guesses before you make the right guess. Don't expect that there is something about the problem which tells you precisely how to proceed. At best there will be something about the problem which tells you a few possibilities for how to proceed.

  • Olympiad problems often involve working forwards. This can be an unfamiliar idea to people who have gotten very good at lower-level math contests. On many lower-level math contest problems, you work backwards: I want X, to get it I can use Y, to get Y I can use Z, so let's get Z. On olympiad problems, you usually don't know at first what intermediate steps to shoot for. You have to try playing with some examples and looking for patterns. If you see a pattern, try to prove it. It might help later. Or it might not. The point is that you're working from things you know to generate more things you know, rather than merely working backwards from things you want to generate more things you want. Hopefully the "haves" and "wants" meet in the middle.

To summarize: do a lot of practice problems, give up when you're out of promising ideas, and always read the solution afterwards (and make sure you've fully understood it). If the solution used an idea that you were familiar with, but you didn't think to use it, ask yourself what might have tipped you off.

© 2015-2016 Sean Markan -