Open Skating at the ASA

Winter is approaching, but the good news is that open skating is starting at the All Seasons Arena. The first day of open skating will be Wednesday, November 11th from noon to 2pm. Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th will also be open to skate from 1 to 3pm.
If you don’t own you own skates, don’t fret! We offer skate rentals and skate sharpening for only $2.oo per pair.

The open skating schedule will be posted soon on the Minot Rec Commission Calendar. For further questions about open skating call (701) 857-4730.
Above is a picture of the NDSF grounds crew putting in the lines for the hockey rink. Did you know they were made out of a type of paper??

My Dinner with Crumb, Part I

In this week's Traffic & Weather.

Weekend Preview: Bu and Umass Lowell

This weekend's mach up between the River Hawks and the Terriers will be a home and home series. Tonights game is in the Tsongas Arena and Saturday's game is to be played at the Agganis Arena in Boston. The River Hawks were (as of the 26th) ranked number one in the Hockey East Power rankings.
Lowell came out of last week end with two easy wins over Northeastern and Colgate. With the two wins last weekend the River Hawks brought their win total to 3 and their over all recored to 3-1. The Terriers are fresh of their fist win of the season with a big win over the University of Michigan. It should be close but I think that the teams will both win one game over the weekend.

The last time they met
The last time Lowell and Bu facedoff was the Hockey East championship game in late March. The Terriers won the game behind great goal tending By Millain (photo to the right) and some help from the refs. late in the second period lowell seamed to have tied the game 1-1. The refs reviewed the play and the goal was called off. In my mined the River Hawks screwed. Who knows what would have happened if that was a goal. You make the call after you view this video clip 

Click here for Fridays game notes

Sexy Halloween

A little bit of Halloween fun, courtesy of The Stranger. Here's the accompanying article, where Dan Savage examines the phenomena of straight folks using All Hallows Eve as an excuse to dress like sluts of both genders.

Leopard

Mee-yow!

Fourth Mavs Quarter

Alright, there's 2 minutes left in this game and based on my own unprofessional opinion and the texts I am getting from the Mavs fans I know (all two of them that have been texting me), this game is boring. And not very promising. Based on the number of empty seats I am seeing at the AAC, I would guess that the crowd agreed with me as well. Maybe it's the Little Caesar's/warm Diet Rite-esque appeal of a season opener against the Washington Wizards? Maybe it's just rustiness?

I think I picked the wrong game to live-blog. Sorry if this one seems mailed-in. It's about as mailed-in as the Mavs performance tonight.

Third Mavs Quarter

I had to take a phone call which ended up lasting the entire third quarter. I was told by someone that was watching that the only thing that happened was "Dirk hit some shots and a three. Not much."

And I also promised to mention the phrase "man-pris" in the third quarter wrap-up. Go Mavs?

Second Mavs Quarter

I know you guys said that Gooden was going to be no-Gooden but I have to disagree. What was awful was the same thing that has been awful with the Mavs since the continents of the Earth first began to break off and shift and form the current 7 continents. Those stupid, brick layups that never go. Those meh shots. Those "terrified of the paint" shots that dominated the entire first half of the second quarter. Oh Mavs, I missed you so much I even missed that stupid stuff.

Also awesome was watching Barea, for completely inexplicable reasons, fall to his knees mid-dribble in the paint. I still have no idea what happened. Sudden burst of Catholicism? Flashback to pre-basketball rent boy days? I have no idea. But it was awesomely awkward and funny.

The Mavs started finally showing and little hustle and (gasp!) defense in the last three minutes of the quarter only to have their hearts ripped out and showed to them, Temple of Doom-style, in the final second when a steal was stolen from them by Washington and sunk at the buzzer. KALI-MA!

First Quarter of the Opening Night of Mavs Season

(all apologies to the wonderful and potentially batshit crazy Anita Ekberg)

The first quarter ends tied up 21-21. Mavs shooting 38%. I'm already impressed with the applause that Barea got when he was sent in. Mavs were 9-9 on free throws. But more disturbing to me was the endless pimping of Twitters and Facebooks. Bob's Twitter. Mark's Facebook. Bob and Mark's broadcast team's Facebook. Skin's Twitter for his Facebook profile. The Twitter group to discuss the Facebook profile for the messageboard for the chat forum for people who like to IM during the game. Seriously guys, social networking has a stopping point. Like when you see those old ladies who leave the house with tattooed on eyeliner, lipliner, diesel fuel for perfume, 18 different pieces of costume jewelry, five pairs of reader glasses in her hair and a shirt with some sort of jungle cat on it? That's what your social networking overkill is becoming. Alternately, if I become that woman, please just leave me be. I'm probably totally aware of it and enjoying it.

Saved by a Meteor

Here are a couple spots from the current issue of the Richmond Guide...it's an wacky story, about a man who was found in the barn where he slept, the victim of a massive head trauma. There were four suspects, including a horse, but no prosecutor could ascribe anything beyond the flimsiest of motives. However, an unusual, strange-looking rock was found at the crime scene, and it was eventually decided that the rock was indeed a meteorite that had crashed through the roof of the barn and brained the guy! That's the story of record, anyway.

Pereira, BU, Wraparound Michigan

 Cohens lead the way
Late in the first period the Terriers grabbed the lead on the power play. The goal was scored by Zach Cohen his first of the year, on a bad play by Michigan goalie Ben Hogan. Hogan tried to bank the puck of the glass to get the puck out of the zone. The puck took an odd bounce, on to Cohen's stick and bang 1-0 Terriers. that is the first time the terriers have had a led this regular season.

“He played the one puck off the glass, which a goalie should never play. If the puck’s coming around the board you might play it, but not the glass. He played the first one off the glass, it took a bad bounce, and bang, it’s in our net.” Red Berenson Michigan head coach

 The Terriers doubled their lead at 12:59 of the second period on a Bomb By Terrier D-man Colby Cohen (no relation to Zach Cohen the other Terrier goal scorer). Cohen was able to take the puck up the middle and in to the slot area and beat Hogan high glove side before he new what had just happened.


Things get chipy and here comes Michigan 
Early in the third frame the Terriers Eric Gryba got called for a five minute major for a hit from behind. Just 59 seconds latter the same call was given to Michigan's Chris Brown. Still even though it was 4 on 4 Michigan seemed to be gaining momentum. Millan, the Terrier goalie had ben playing great up in till the 10 minute mark when there was a pile-up in front of the Terrier's net and the puck drifted by Millan's glove and in of the back of the net.

“It was a little mistake on my part, I anticipated a rebound, and it ended up getting stuck underneath my pad. While I was rotating to make the next save, it popped up and went toward the net.”- said by Millan after the goal was scored 

Less than four minutes latter Michigan tied it when Matt Rust raced in on Millan and went to his back hand and roofed it top shelf over Millan's blocker.

Heres Joey 
At the end of a typical Joe Pereira shift, digging pucks out of the conner, starting a brake out, scrapping around the net, the puck was dumped in to the Michigan zone by Bu Freshman Ryan Santana. Pereira, being the type of player he is when and  re-gained the puck in the fare conner. Michigan goalie Ben Hogan went behind his net to try to play it to his team mate. Joey lifted Hogan's stick up and raped the puck in to the vacant Michigan. Final score Boston University 3, The University of Michigan 2.

“It was actually the end of our shift, Ryan Santana had the puck, and he saw me shooting down. He dumped it in the far corner, and the goalie went out to play the puck. I jumped, and the puck was right there. Once I got control of the puck, I knew that if I took it to the net as fast as I could it would be a good chance. I just stuffed it hard.”Joe Pereira comments on his game wining goal.

Click here for a box score   

Happy Halloween from the State Fair Staff

All work and no play makes for a grumpy State Fair staff. Therefore we thought it to be pretty important to create a Halloween Monster Mash - Up from Oriental Trading Company. Click on NDSF Monster Mash to check out our staff do the Monster Mash in honor of Halloween. From our staff to yours Happy Halloween!

Sick Days

It's been a den of illness around here the last two weeks. Grisly details in this week's Traffic & Weather.

Game Day Preview: Michigan @ Bu

Tonights game again has (while it lasts) two of the top teams in the nation Boston University and The University of Michigan. Bu is coming off a poor played game against Notre Dame, last Tuesday. While Michigan comes in to tonights game with a 2-1 recored and a very close call (which they did win 3-2) against the University of Niagra, last Thursday. Revenge, that is what all  Michigan hockey players want tonight. Why might you ask? Exactly one year this sunday the Terriers destroyed the Wolverines 7-2 at Agganis Arena. In the last few meetings between the two schools it has been all about revenge. In the 2008 season the Terriers went to Yost Arena to play the Wolverines and lost two games. The Terriers got there pay back last season in a big way. The Wolverines lead the all-time series 13-9.
Click here for the Michigan preview 
Click here for game notes from goterriers.com

My Squirrel Boy

Ten years ago today, October 23, 1999, my parents (who were in town for a visit) and I stopped in front of the local Wachovia where Richmond's SOS Animal Shelter had a bunch of dogs and cats for adoption. Having recently checked with my landlord to see if it'd be okay, I figured it was time to finally go ahead and get a pup. I paid my 75 clams, and went home that day with a six month old golden retriever mix, who I named Puck.

A lot has changed since that day...we've moved a half-dozen times, met and married my wife, had a daughter...but Puck's been with me the entire way. I am and have always been a dog person - I imagine our family will have a dog for the rest of my life. But no pooch will ever be my best pal the way Ol' Puckie Boy has.

A little bit of related artwork: A few years back, as I was about to reprint Squirrel Boy, the mini-comic I did in 2000 about Puck chasing a squirrel , I considered creating a new cover for the book. I eventually went with just altering the original cover a bit...but I did do a pretty involved sketch for the new cover, which I'll share with you here.

EDIT, 10/28: Just got back from the vet for Puck's yearly checkup. I'm pleased to report he's in tip-top shape! We celebrated with a Wendy's double cheeseburger.

What About Adaptive Leadership?

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man!” - George Bernard Shaw

This week I had various inspiring mentoring sessions with several founders and leaders of technology startups in Australia and South-East Asia. As the economy is picking up, they all are leading their businesses through fast changing, hectic, but very positive times. So positive, that most of them need additional support, extra resources and extra funding to further boost their rapid growth. The local and regional market for the best resources and ideal investors is highly competitive and in my view only the best and most adaptive entrepreneurial leaders and leading entrepreneurs will win! More then ever adaptive leadership has become a key element in succeeding. So I asked them: "Are you an adaptive leader and/or entrepreneur?" To allow you to answer this question for yourself, please find below more insights and explanation about adaptive leadership.

What's adaption? Adaptation is a dynamic process of mutual influence. All creatures act on their environments, and their environments, in turn, act on them. We are all engaged in co-creation in our offices and in our families by virtue of the influences we exert on each other.

What's adaptive leadership? It is a practical leadership framework that helps individuals and organizations adapt and thrive in challenging environments. It is being able, both individually and collectively, to take on the gradual but meaningful process of adaptation. It is about diagnosing the essential from the expendable and bringing about a real challenge to the status quo. Explained in a few words; adaptive leadership is purposeful evolution in real time!

Dr. Charles Albano - who runs the US based Adaptive Leadership consulting firm - explains adaptive leadership as follows: Adaptive leadership is given to impacting the environment and it addresses a very active form of leadership, not a passive effort taken merely to adjust to circumstances as found. Biology teaches that relationships between living entities are circular and interactive. Our organizations are also living systems, being composed not just of capital goods and technology, but of people.

Organizations are capable of intelligent, purposeful collective action, actions taken to influence their environments in desired directions. We know that, like all living organisms, our organizations can learn, adapt and grow. We know that they too have life cycles of birth, growth, maturity and eventual decline.

How do adaptive systems compare to mechanical systems? It is quite a different matter to see organizations as being adaptive systems as opposed to the traditional (and ancient) way we have been conditioned to see them, namely, as Machines.

It matters a great deal whether leaders conceive of their organizations as being like machines or like living adaptive systems. It matters because it shapes the roles they and their people play. It matters because it bears directly on their ability to tap human potential. It matters because the times have changed and mechanically-based leadership and organizational practices are not adequate to the adaptive challenges being faced.

The old paradigm speaks to only the most mechanical aspects of how organizations operate, those activities that must be repeated in a standardized way. In the mechanical sphere of operations change and creativity threaten efficiency.

When an organization is led as though it were a machine, people come to be treated as parts of machines: mindless extensions of impersonal processes! When that happens, what is desperately undeveloped is commitment, creativity, innovation, flexibility and a great deal of latent potential.

What are the different dimensions? The adaptive view of organizations and leadership presents sharp contrasts along a number of dimensions, which can be best explained by comparing Mechanical (M) & Adaptive (A) views:

• (M) Attention is focused on activities.
• (A) Attention is focused on value-added outcomes.
• (M) Job descriptions are long, detailed and constraining.
• (A) Job descriptions are intentionally broad-based to allow for flexibility.
• (M) Role expectations are narrow and rigid.
• (A) Roles are fluid. Within limits, people are expected to substitute for one another.
• (M) Contacts are confined and communication is channeled by higher management.
• (A) Contacts are open and networks are encouraged to form.
• (M) Policies are mostly oriented toward control, what people can't do.
• (A) Policies encourage people to take a "can do" mindset to find solutions.
• (M) The organizational structure is bureaucratic and fragmented into many departments.
• (A) The structures are more fluid and of shorter duration. Changes in design are aimed at enhancing flexibility and responsiveness.
• (M) Authority is based on rank, and it is expected that influence will equate with formal authority.
• (A) Authority is accorded a place, but reliance on it is played down. Greater influence is accorded people who demonstrate ability to add value.
• (M) Efficiency and predictability are sought and reinforced.
• (A) Achievement, innovation and change are sought and rewarded.
• (M) Cooperation among departments is subject to a lot of formalization and clearances. Turf guarding prevails!
• (A) Cooperation is a highly regarded value in the organization and is far more easily gained.
• (M) Information is kept close hold.
• (A) Information is widely available to facilitate work accomplishment and permit more opportunities for more people to add value to operations.
• (M) Traditional values are fostered such as unit loyalty and obedience to the effect that they stifle initiative and hamper teamwork across departments.
• (A) Newer values such as cooperation, and responsiveness along with treating other units as internal "customers."

You can imagine how the working atmospheres differ. In the Mechanically managed and structured organization, people in one department know little of the missions and contributions of the others (and often don't realize how important it is for them to know). They look through "stovepipes" and see only their patch of blue, the view of the familiar world of their own work specialties. Since work is highly specialized and interdepartmental communication leaves much to be desired, things that need to be coordinated slip through the cracks. Problems as well as opportunities go unnoticed. Blame is placed on others. We-they conflicts develop. Teamwork is likely to be poor. Higher management sets up short-term cross-departmental committees and task forces to ameliorate matters. But since the leadership paradigm, the reward systems, and the organization's structure all proceed from the Mechanical mentality, little changes.

Things are stiff; the Mechanical organization is muscle-bound. Large organizations are highly susceptible to this. They get overrun by restrictive regulations, over-elaborated procedures and incredibly convoluted work processes. In short, they become bureaucratic. Mechanical organizations work (or worked) best in times when the operating environment was stable. Now chaos rules in many formerly predictable business environments-- mergers, acquisitions, new technology to absorb, changing demographics, de-regulation, global competition, competition from small, fluid, adaptive organizations. The days of the Mechanical organization and non-adaptive leadership are numbered.

What are the characteristics of Adaptive Leaders? Adaptive leadership reflects the actions of leaders who:

• Think and act to exert strategic influence on their environments. They act to assure that their organizations are well positioned competitively;
• Are proactive, foresee opportunities and put the resources in place to go after them;
• Employ a broad-based style of leadership that enables them to be personally more flexible and adaptive;
• Entertain diverse and divergent views when possible before making major decisions;
• Can admit when they are wrong and alter or abandon a non-productive course of action;
• Are astute students of their environments;
• Can generate creative options for action;
• Build their organization's capacities to learn, transform structure, change culture, and adapt technology;
• Stay knowledgeable of what their stakeholders want;
• Are willing to experiment, take risks;
• Strive to improve their personal openness to new ideas and stay abreast by being lifelong learners;
• Love and encourage innovation from the ranks of their organizations.

The above qualities are not new in leadership. What is new is the extraordinary pressures leaders face to assist their organizations to adapt successfully at a time when the traditional (all too comfortable) models of leadership no longer work!

So......"Are YOU an Adaptive Leader?"

To read and learn more about adaptive leadership I can recommened the book written by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. It is a hands-on, practical guide containing stories, tools, diagrams, cases, and worksheets to help you develop your skills as adaptive leader, able to take people outside their comfort zones and assess and address the toughest challenges.

Make this a Positive & Adaptive Day…..unless you have other plans!

Warm regards & success,



Patrick Driessen

Welcome Back

In last night's Bruins Predators game Colin Wilson the leading socorer last season, made it back to the Garden for the first time since the 2009 Hockey East championship game against Lowell. In the game Wilson scored his first NHL goal, on a tip in, to make the score 2-1 Predators at 6:17 of the second period. Do to the fact that Colin Wilson scored his first goal and played a very strong game so he got the honers of being the number "star of the game".

"it was pretty nice to get that first goal in front of all my buddies.” Wilson noted after the game was over. 

Looking Ahead              
On Tuesday the Inside College Hockey website put out there top Canadian prospects. Falling into the A   players group or the most skilled group is Charlie Coyle. Coyle has agreed to come to Boston University for the 2010-2011 season or next year. Coyle was also invited to play o the us under 18 national team that will play in the 2010 international under 18 tournament in Russia this winter. Coyle currently is playing for the South Sour Kings of the EJHL in Foxboro. 

“Yeah, this is exciting” Charlie Coyle 

Blanked

In last nights game the Terriers got shut out for the first time in exactly 100 games. The last time a team shut out the Terrier was way back on Feb 2 2007, when the Terriers and River Hawks skated to a 0-0 tie. In the first period the teams looked very even. At 8:27 of the first period, Nick Bonino set up Vinny Saponary in the middle, only to see the him nail the left post.

Midway through the second period is when the game shifted to the Irish. Billy Maday of the Irish found a juicy re-bound in font of the net and and took a wrister from about 20 feet out and beat Millan high blocker side. The Terriers had no time to re-group, only 12 seconds latter Ben Ryan, center for Notre Dame scored on a rap-around. Early in the third period the Terriers found them selfs short handed. Wile most of the terriers were a man down the play was in the Notre Dame zone, till the Irish got a brake-a-way, during an Eric Gryba hit from behind sentence, and scored making the score 3-0 Notre Dame.

Bu had many chances to get on the board in the third period. In all the there were five time the Terriers failed to get one. Including two brake-aways that ether ended up with a great save or there was no shot on goal. The other three chances hit the post and did not go in. Midway through the third the Terriers made seam like the puck would never leave the Notre Dame end. Countless time the Irish were denied by the Terrier d-men. Yet Bu still could not get on the board.

“The first time I thought I saw a BU hockey team show up was after we were down, 2-0, I think up to that point, we were still jumpy with the puck and getting bumped off the puck and we didn’t play real hard on top of the puck. We were inept on the power play [0 for 8] as far as moving the puck." -Jack Parker/ Boston Globe   

Click here for the USCHO box score 
The Terriers next game is Saturday when they host the University of Michigan.

How Mentoring Can Be An Effective Business Strategy

"Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction!" - John Crosby

By Ray B. Williams
Many small to medium sized companies have become so successful that they have been "corporatized," a term coined that describes the feeling of professionals working in those companies that makes them feel like "cogs in a wheel."

In an article the Harvard Business Review, authors Thomas J. Delong, John J. Gabarro and Robert J. Lees argue that the remedy for the corporatized phenomena is for those companies to institute a program of mentoring. While the need for mentoring was once more commonplace during good economic times, it has slowly disappeared from many organizations during the growth of the global economy and fierce competition and specifically during the recession.The mentoring relationship can serve a critical role in an employee's career, skill development; and is a key to retaining talent and a fundamental way by which the organization can shape leadership.

Workplace mentoring usually takes place between two individuals; one, the older more experience person and the other, the younger, less experienced individual. Mentors typically provide career related support which includes visibility, networking, coaching and sponsorship as well as psychosocial support by developing the protégés sense of identity, competence and effectiveness, sometimes including friendship and role modeling.

A research study conducted by professor Christina Underhill at he University of Memphis, where she examined all the research conducted on mentoring in the past 25 years showed the organization benefits from mentoring by enhanced organization attractiveness and recruitment, reduced employee turnover, increased organizational learning, and employee productivity and socialization.

The selection of a mentor is critical to the program's success. The research by DeLong, Gabarro and Lees showed that a good mentor: Is someone who is absolutely credible and whose integrity transcends any messages; tells the protégés truthful things they may not want to hear; interacts with the protégés in ways that the protégés wants to become a better person; helps the protégés feel secure enough to take risks; helps develop the protégé’s' confidence to raise above their inner doubts and fears; supports the protégé’s' attempts to set and achieve audacious but attainable goals; and present challenges and opportunities the protégés might not have seen on their own.

The Vancouver Board of Trade initiated the 'Leaders of Tomorrow' program, in which young university graduates, who want to be involved with the Board of Trade, are matched up with experienced business and professional mentors. Feedback from the both the protégés and the mentors involved in the program have indicated it has been a huge success!

Given the challenge and potential conflicts between the generations--Baby Boomers and Generation Y in particular--the promise of a beneficial and low cost initiative such as mentoring can be a smart organizational strategy!

For US based entrepreneurs, SCORE ("Counselors to America's Small Business") has thousands of volunteer mentors/counselors around the nation, ready to help entrepreneurs for FREE! Not only do they offer one-on-one mentoring, but workshops, online articles, and online help are also available. Just visit www.score.org for more info.

"One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people!" - Dick Gregory

For more mentoring insights, please read the blog post 'Can You Afford NOT To Invest In A Coach And Mentor?'

Warm regards & success,


Patrick

Central Washington Wildcats

Game Day Preview: Notre Dame @ Bu

Here come the Irish

Tonight's mach up between the Terriers and the Fighting Irish will be the first time the two teams have ever played in a non-tournament game and the first time since the 1995-96 season in the Badger Showdown in Madison Wisconsin. This game tonight will also be the first time the Irish have ever played in Agganis Arena.


Slow Starts 
Maybe in late August many people would have thought that the two teams would not have suffered a lost thus far in the season. Not the case the, Terriers and Irish have a combined 2-3 recored. Bu is o-1 and the Irish are 2-2 after losing one game each to Alabama Huntsville and Providence College.

At The Polls 
In monday's NCAA national rankings the Terriers moved down to the third slot with the loss to Umass. They still earned 2 first place votes. Mean wile the Irish dropped from the 7 spot to the 9 slot. The big mover on the day was the University of Vermont, witch moved from 11 all the way to number 7 in the nation. The Red Hawks of Miami are still the number on team in the nation.
Click here for the full poll 
Click here for tonight's Game Notes from goterriers.com 

Beach Weddings

If you're gonna go and have your wedding on the beach, it's a good idea to be specific about attire! From C-Ville Weekly.

Game 6 (18Oct09)

The Streaks are brokenBlack 10 - Jimmy, George, Mauro, Imran, Edwin, Chris S (Goalie - bleacher side)White 7 - Dave P, Dave G, Ahsan, Rocky, Leo, Peter K (Goalie - wall side)Well this was the week that finally saw a few streaks end. Chris picked up his first victory of the year (versus 5 losses) and Pete suffered his first defeat after starting the season 5-0. We knew it had to happen sooner or

♥ back from china & my NEW HAIR!!

Helloo ^^
I am back from almost 1 week trip from China.
This trip, again, to focused on shopping.
I likey likey shopping.. hehee ^^


China was GREAT, i went to Guangzhou, a big city around 2-3 hours far from HongKong by train.
i have lived in HK for about 3 years & i have lived in Guangzhou for about 2 years, so i'm already a bit familiar with that 2 city.


ONIC, a blogger friend of mine asked me to compare Bangkok & China for which are the best for shopping.
So I'll put down some points.


BANGKOK:
Must Visit -> JJ Market, Platinum Mall
Pros (^0^)
- cheap, can bargain normally, some are fixed price or wholesale price but it's already a good deal.
- quality is so-so but some are really good.
- style is up-to-date, fashionable, & fits SE Asians Fashion (esp Indo's & Thai's have a similar sense of fashion).
- they have quite many of individuals or homemade stuffs that are actually really good so it'll be limited & unique in the same time, not only the stuffs from the factories.
- easy transportation (tuktuk,taxi,bus) & they are not expensive at all.
Cons (-_-)
- not much of fake branded bags (chanel,LV).. if there is they are usually expensive or overprice compare to china
- they will take your fake branded bags with no warning in bangkok & replace them with a trash bag. so becareful, it's probably better to bring a normal bag with no brand at all. lol.
- they are quite many rules to follow in bangkok, there will be some certain penalty to pay if fail to do so. examples: strictly no lighting up any naked fire in the market.

Guangzhou, CHINA:
Must Visit -> Leather Market & lots of markets in chinese langauge. email me if you want the list.
Pros (^o^)
- CHINA is the only place to go to buy fake branded bags. it's heaven!!
- the quality is usually pretty good, but be a good eyes!!
- CHINA is the cheapest place to buy probably ANYTHING. be smart & you will have the best deal.
- Bargaining with no limits. if you think that's already cheap, trust me, it can be cheaper! lol.
bring a calculator if you want to bargain. this will make your life easier there.
- transportation is easy to find. taxi is the easiest & not expensive at all.
- not that much rules to follow. lol. unless if you're in HK.
- furniture, gadgets, etc are also a very good deal to buy in china.
Cons (-_-)
- fashion style depends on the seasons. if you are going around winter, you're most likely to find winter clothing.
- the fashion style for clothes is trendy but i personally think that shopping for clothing is trendier in BKK. xD
- they barely can speak english, learn some basic mandarin in order to succes of bargaining. lol.
- you have to be a little bit brave & skillfull to bargain in china because they usually overcharge foreigner more than 50%, unless if you're good at bargaining.
- beware of fake money! they're everywhere & you can't tell!


hope the lists answers some of your curiousity, onic! & also for others.
in my personal experienced opinion though, if you want to focus to buy clothing, shoes, & some accessories for yourself, Bangkok it's probably a better place to go because it's nearer, easier, & i'm sure it's trendier than in china. however, Bangkok is more expensive than in china.
buut if you want to buy hella lots of stuffs & you want to buy some really cool fake branded bags, then china is a perfect place for you. your choice, hun. xD


I, myself, got lots of stuffs in china.
it's almost winter in china so the summer outfits are locked in the warehouse. lol.
i'll show you what i got in another post. xD


Moving on..
I got a new haircut.. lol. Do you like ittt? hate itt?
I'll tell you some stories behind this later~~ hehee ^^

love.love ♥♥

Game day Preview: Boston University @ Umass

The Terriers enter the regular season tonight with a 1-0-1 exhibition recored. Umass has already played one regular season contest and won beating non-conference RPI 5-2. The Minutemen during there exhibition season went 0-1-0 with a 3-2 loss to New Brunswick on October 3rd. Tonight's game will be the first Hockey East in conference game of the season. Look for Millan to be in goal for the Terriers. The game starts 7:05 at the Mullins Center in Amherst Mass. Over the last few game at the Mullins center the Terriers have slim advantage over the Minutemen. 4-3-2 to be exact.
Game notes from Goterriers.com

I…Uhhh..These Cowboys…What They Need…To…Do….(sigh)/LET’S GO MAV-ERICKS, LET’S GO!

I have reached critical mass of apathy with the Cowboys. There’s nothing to say about them that anyone hasn’t said already. Wade….should…fired….year and a half ago. Tony Romo…shaky….inconsistent…at best. Five off-sides calls is…gah. Marion Barber and Felix Jones…hurt…always. Roy Williams underperforming and….Jason Witten not getting the kind of….last year…celebrating an overtime win against the winless Kansas…..dog-piling in the end zone…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

This is a very odd feeling. Usually, I have poorly-thought-out opinions to share when a team is doing well. And I have even more of them when a team is doing poorly. But Jerry Jones has shown everyone in Dallas that his priorities are, in this order: the new stadium, making money at the new stadium, selling jerseys, selling Party Passes, selling suites, selling Papa John’s pizza, selling Ford trucks, keeping his face taut and perhaps a little bit of football.

So, for the first time in a long while, I have become detached from the whole thing. I’m no fair-weather fan by any means. I will still watch every game. If the Cowboys can, miracle of all miracles, pull a better-than-.500 record out of the charred remains of this season, I will be happy for them. But this team, my team, doesn’t deserve my rapt attention. Before this season started, I made all kinds of plans to attend any home games I could on a Party Pass and maybe even shell out the big bucks for whatever home game fell closest to my birthday. But in a real kick to the junk of Jerry Jones, I’ve come to the decision that this team doesn’t deserve any of my meager paycheck. I relish in the idea of the Cowboys getting so bad that the Terrordome sits half-empty on Sundays, as it’s the only thing that Jerry cares about or would make him take any notice. I’ve never been a jersey-wearing gal but at this point, I’d make my own bootleg Bobby Carpenter jersey to not only take money out of the G-string of Jerry’s mistress but to celebrate the figurehead of mediocrity on this most mediocre of teams.

If the Cowboys are gonna “meh” out on this season, expect me to act in a similar fashion. Other than some quotes from Keith Brooking, Martellus Bennett and Miles Austin, no one on this team gives a flying dog turd about how they’re underperforming this year. In fact, Tony Romo had some quote after the Chiefs game along the lines of, “If we keep getting it done like that, I have a good feeling about our chances this season.” Really? Really? Your chances for what exactly? Normally, a quote like that would infuriate me to the point of drawing dongs and mouth sores and blacked out teeth on a picture of Tony Romo for this blog entry. But I just don’t care anymore. Be happy wallowing in false positivity and I’ll be happy knowing that I can devote my full time and attention to the Mavs by Christmas.

Part 2: Come Back to What You Know/LET’S GO MAV-ERICKS, LET’S GO!

I cannot wait for Mavericks season to start. Seeing Shawn Marion and Dirk score more than 20 each in a preseason game? My tiny basketball heart is fluttering at the mere thought. And lucky for me, that money that I had been thinking about using to make the total ass-beating of a trip to Arlington to see the Cowboys will now be used instead to walk from work to the AAC to attend as many Mavericks home games as I can this season. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a Mavs season. And I don’t have much reason to be so excited, other than the addition of Marion and Gooden, the improvement of Barea and the continued work ethic of Dirk.

It’s weird because, even as much as I get frustrated with them (sample You Go Live in Utah blog post from the first-round playoff series with Golden State two years ago: “Fucking Mavs!”), I really really love the Mavs. And I’m not going to deny the fact that part of my Mavs enthusiasm stems from my Rangers boredom and my Cowboys anger. But here’s what I would like to remind everyone:

This summer, when at absolute best, the Rangers were neck and neck with Boston for the wild card…everyone was talking about the Rangers like they were Christopher Reeve doing a gymnastics floor routine at the Olympics. That’s not a diss on the Rangers or their fans. I understand the misery and desperate search for hope in the heart of every Rangers fan. But before too long, the Rangers did what they always do. They fell apart like a Forever XXI dress in a washing machine on the gentle cycle. And no one was too angry. “Hey, they were really on fire there for a little while! They are showing so much improvement! This is what we expected because come 2011, this team is going to be a monster.” All of this about a team whose owner is essentially digging his own gold fillings out with needle-nose pliers outside of a Cash America at this very second.

I really am not picking on the Rangers. I respect their fans. Now again, my Cowboys anger might be clouding my perspective on this right now. But let’s put it this way, if your child was born the last time the Mavs made it to the Finals, you would have a healthy, walking and talking and getting ready for preschool-aged toddler. If your child was born the last time the Cowboys made it to the Super Bowl, you would have a surly, acne-riddled, grunts-as-answers teenager. And if your child was born the last time the Rangers made it to the World Series, you would only have the glint in the traffic cop’s eye before he got an urgent call and let you off with a warning. So why aren’t people more proud of the Mavs? Yes, they took a record books season of 67 wins and fed it into the wood-chipper in the first round to the Golden State Warriors. Yes, the next year they went out in the first round again to the New Orleans Hornets.

But let me re-type that. In the past 4 seasons, they have made it to the FINALS once and to the PLAYOFFS every year. Last year, they made it to the second round of the playoffs. Imagine the size of the Cowboys logo that would be burned with lasers on the surface of the moon if the Cowboys could claim that in the past four years, they have made it to the playoffs each year AND even made it to the Super Bowl once! Try to wrap your head around the kind of frenzy, tears and pandemonium that would radiate from Arlington outwards if the Rangers could make that kind of claim. Is that a sad testament to the low standards we have set for our franchises in town? Quite possibly. Am I still more than happy to watch 82 games on the chance that the team might make it past the first round of the playoffs? ABSOLUTELY.

I want Dallas to remember what we have rooted for since I moved here as a wee baby. The reason we sit in leather-tanning heat in August to watch the Rangers. The reason we are willing to let Jerry Jones rape our wallets and embarrass our city and football legacy. The reason we will get behind a washed-up Dennis Rodman if it just means one more defensive rebound. It’s so we can ultimately have one team make it to the title game and win the big prize and we can bring the big prize home and all take the day off work and go to a parade and allow a modicum of martial law to prevent us from rioting, looting and then burning the entire city down in a fit of sports ecstasy. I’m putting my money on the Mavs and will decorate my riot gear accordingly.

Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2010

The North Dakota State Fair would like to congratulate Ashley Geisenger of Bottineau, ND, our 2009 Miss Rodeo Queen. She was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2010 competition on Sunday at the Ys Men’s PRCA Badlands Circuit Finals.

Tiffany Kuntz of Bismarck, took the title. The current Miss Rodeo, Jessinta Hammer, of Kathryn, will reign for the remainder of this year until Kuntz takes her place next year. The first runner-up is Samantha Stanke, Miss Rodeo North Dakota Winter Show, West Fargo. Sadie Wardner, Miss Rodeo Mandan, Coleharbor, won the written test.

The Miss Rodeo pageants continue to be a great way for people to stay involved in the western way of life and for rodeo enthusiasts to come together.

Dream Girl

Continuing on the Legion theme. Not 100% thrilled with how it turned out, but I spent too much time on it not to post 'er.

Next up: TYROC!

Back Together

As they did for much of the 2007 season Brain Strait and John Curry are trying to keep pucks out of the net. This time it is for a different team, the Wilkes Berre/Scranton Penguins. Strait is in his first year with the club and looks to go to the NHL next season wile Curry is in his second year and is coming of a great showing last season. Curry was on the Penguins play off roster but did not see any action.

Blog Changes 
There is now a new question in the right hand conner. The answer to last week's was A Maine and they beat them 6-2.

Baltimore 2009 Wrap-up

The trip to Baltimore couldn't have gone much better...for all the fretting I was doing over the trip, it really went off almost without a hitch. It remains a great con, all about the comics, and a show where people come to buy, which is great news for small-pressers such as myself. Even my trepidation about being the very last table at the ass-end of the show (completely my own fault for waiting so long to sign up) turned out to be no problem, as I still managed to see a great deal of foot traffic.

Unfortunately, because I was flying solo at my table, about all I did was roll in, set up, and sell comics, with little time for walking around since there was no one around to mind my store. Still, I did have a great conversation with Asgard Press, from whom I also bought a swank calendar of silver age Marvel covers, and managed to grab a couple of con deals at the Twomorrows table. I also picked up Frank Cho's new sketchbook, which I regretted almost immediately. It's not that the work inside the book isn't great...it's beautiful, in fact...but his icy, disinterested personality is always a complete turn-off. Maybe it's just me.

I got to hang out with Rob Venditti, Andy Runton and Van Jensen, which is always a good time. Even managed to catch the third period of the Pens/Leafs game at the hotel bar, before crashing early, as is often the way of this old man. Next year's show is about six weeks earlier, the last weekend of August, and if I'm not chillin' at the Outer Banks or dodging hurricanes, I fully expect to be there!

Finally, here are some pics of a few of the sketches I did, the ones I remembered to photograph, anyway. Some great and less expected requests this time around, which is always nice! Joan Holloway from MAD MEN (as portrayed by the lovely Christina Hendricks), Wonder Girl and Lilith of the Teen Titans, and X-Force's U-Go Girl.

Recap: BU vs USA Under 18 Team

It is now final the 2009 Boston University Hockey team is the best team in school history. On Saturday night the Terriers razed the banners from their historic 2009 season into the rafters of Aggains Arena.  From left to right stood the National Championship, the Frozen Four, the 2009 Hockey East, the regular season Hockey East, and the last banner the 2009 Beanpot champions banner.

The Game

There was a game to play be played after all. Early in the first the Terriers were a man down and the National Team wasted no time getting on the score bored. Brandon Saad took a pass from Matt Nieto (bu recruit) and slammed it past Kieran Millan the Bu goalie. Later in the first the Terriers got a pare of goals, one from Nick Bonino a rap around goal scored on the power play. The second was scored by Chris Connolly, who took a pass from freshman Max Nicastro and blasted it of the post and into the net (photo to the left).

“Nicastro got the goalie out of position, I just wanted to put in on net; I wasn’t even looking. I was fortunate for it to go in.” - Chris Connolly 

The Terriers would get a third goal with only 8 seconds left in the second period. This goal was scored by Joe Pereira. The goal was scored on a two on one with Andrew Glass. Glass setup the play and then gave Pereira a perfect pass and he scored. The photo to the right shows Andrew Glass celebrating the Joe Pereira goal.

" Andy Glass made a great play off the boards, and I waited for the defense to commit to me and used him as a screen.”-Joe Pereira 

Click here for the USCHO box score 

Blog Changes

There is now a new video highlight in the video section and it is a recap of the 2009 and 2006 seasons 

Game 5 (11Oct09)

Losing is such a pain in the neck!Black 11 - Jimmy, Ahsan, Dave G, Pete G, Leo, Mauro, Pete K (Goalie - bleacher side)White 9 - Dave P, George, Claudio, Imran, Rocky, Chris S (Goalie - wall side)In quite an entertaining game, team Black outlasted team White and sealed their victory in "extra time" (2:10). Pete K moves to 5-0 on the season, a feat unmatched by any player or goaltender in quite a

Baltimore Bound

Hey! I'll be getting up at the crack' a dawn tomorrow morning, and heading up to Charm City for the Baltimore Comicon! You'll find me at the official ass-end of the con...my own fault, for waiting so long to grab a spot...at table 178. No worries, though...just look for the giant Atom-Bomb Bikini banner!

I'll be there all day Saturday, but leaving early Sunday to avoid all the pesky Ratbird traffic when the Ravens game empties out at around 4:30...which means if you want a sketch (and I'd love to do one for ya!), catch me sometime on the first day!

See you there!

Y’s Mens Rodeo Recap

If you didn’t make it to the Rodeo last night, it’s still not too late to get in on the action. Today from 10am to 8pm in the Upper Attrium of the State Fair Center is the Badlands Cowboy Christmas. Be sure to stop by to get your Tough Enough To Wear Pink t-shirts, so you can sport them tonight. The pre-show and the rodeo will begin at 6:30pm. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet you can still purchase them at the Y’s Mens booth in the Dakota Square Mall, by calling their ticket line (701) 852-5577, or you can purchase them in the front lobby of the State Fair Center starting at 5pm.

Tough Enough to Wear Pink gear for sale:

T-shirt: $10.00

Women’s Cut: $15.00

Koozie: $3.00

Bracelet: $2.00
Hats: $15.00

Keep your eye on our Facebook page today for your chance to win rodeo tickets. If you are the first to answer our trivia question correctlly you’ll be the lucky winner! For more information about the Y's Mens or other State Fair Center events click here.

Game day Preview: USA Under 18 Team @ Boston U

Before we get to the game starting at 6pm on Saturday the 2009 Hockey East and NCAA National Championship banners will be razed. Now to the game. The USA U18 team has a lot to offer including BU recruits Matt Nieto and Adam Clendening. Nito, lead teas usa with 67 points last season. Wile Clendening had a soled season manning the blue line.

"Adam is a very competent player with good hockey sense, He is [a] good defender with his stick and makes it tough on other team’s forwards. He makes good decisions with the puck.” -Ron RolstonU-18 coach -USA Hockey

Things to look for on the Bu side. Colby Cohen will be back in the line up after missing last weeks game do to off season surgery. Grant Rollheiser again miss the game do to a high-ankle sprain injury.

“I think there’ll be some lingering effects psychologically, maybe, Might even be a little slowed conditioning wise, but there’s no lingering effects . . . he’s better off than he was last year as far as the hip itself is concerned.” -Jack Parker 

The Ultimate Guide to Better Business Writing

100 Tips, Tools and Resources For Better Business Writing

By Amber Johnson

Most successful businesspeople have developed professional communication skills over the course of their career. They’ve written their fair share of memos, letters, emails, and reports, and their early work likely left a lot to be desired. They climbed their way through years of toil to where they are now, and you can do the same. Make use of these business writing tools, and you might just find yourself on top someday, too.

How-To

Everybody has to start somewhere; here are the very basics of business writing.

1. Writing Resource Center: This page introduces the concept of incorporating evidence and proofs into persuasive business writing.
2. The Business Writing Center: The Business Writing Center teaches 41 business writing courses online and presents business writing workshops at company sites.
3. Business Letters: Accentuating the Positive: From the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University comes professional writing tips to get your point across effectively.
4. Model Letters for Various Purposes: This handout provides several model letters for various job-search purposes including: a reference request model, a request for further negotiations model, and a reply to a rejection model.
5. Memo Writing: This link will help you with your memo problems by discussing what a memo is, describing the parts of memos, and providing examples and explanations that will make your memos more effective.
6. Email Etiquette: Although instant messaging and texting are taking over email inboxes, effective and appropriate email etiquette is still important. This resource will help you to become an effective writer and reader/manager of email.
7. Tone in Business Writing: This handout gives examples of how to use tone in business writing. This includes considering the audience and purpose for writing.
8. Using Appropriate Language: Eliminate jargon with this helpful handout.
9. Revision in Business Writing: Provides information on revising business documents for audience and purpose with emphasis on language, tone, organization, and correctness.
10. Prioritizing your Concerns: This handout will teach you how to increase the readability of your business documents.

Blogs

These bloggers are either business writing professionals or business writers in desperate need of help. All of them have important information on the subject, so read up.

11. Business Writing Blog: Check out this blog on business writing with expert advice and examples.
12. Write Better in Business : Best practices from business writing gurus.
13. Businessweek: Get the latest trends on business writing. This blog offers clear and easy-to-understand tips on the how to write with clarity.
14. Manage Your Writing: This blog is updated weekly with a new tip or tool to use to improve your business writing.
15. The Business Insider: Expert insights, advice, and trend spotting by Tim Rosa Associates.
16. Business Writing Info: A business writing blog offering tips and expert advice to improve your business writing skills.
17. Clear Business: Dan Furman’s business writing blog.
18. Wordbiz: Blogging and social media expert Debbie Weil shows her business readers how to make the perfect business blog.
19. The Art of Business Writing: Learn to write more persuasively and further your business endeavors.
20. Technical/Business Writing 101: The most important basics of business writing.

Workshops

Some of these workshops cost a pretty penny, but they have guaranteed results and offer personalized business writing help.

21. Business Writing at its Best: This is the “Rolls-Royce of business writing workshops,” according to its clients. A seasoned expert provides individually tailored workshops based on each writer’s need.
22. Syntax Training: This site offers public business writing classes guaranteed to improve business writing.
23. The Writing Workshop: Business writing training to boost your confidence.
24. American Management Association Seminar: This 2-day business writing workshop comes with valuable templates, how-to advice and feedback.
25. Writing Trainers: These online courses provide writing coaching, editing help, and free writing evaluation.
26. Bottom Line Business Writing:
27. The Email and Business Writing Workshop: In just one day, you’ll learn proven tips and techniques that guarantee every e-mail, letter, memo, and report you write will be polished and on-target.
28. Essentials of Business Writing: Learn the most imporant features of business writing, including logical and persuasive techniques.
29. Essentials of Technical Writing: Examine various types of documentation such as reports, proposals, instructions, and manuals, learn the principles of good document design, successfully incorporate graphics, and discover the keys to creating a text that gets the job done.
30. Elements of Effective Writing: Don’t let sloppy English hold you back from successful writing. These grammar pointers will help out businesspeople who aren’t naturally technical writers.

Etiquette

Business expert Natalie Cooper came up with these great tips to overcome email writing faux pas.

31. State the subject: The subject line should be specific about the topic or purpose of the email. Lines like “Need your help” or, worse, “(no subject),” are not informative enough and should be avoided.
32. Include a greeting: Whether it’s “Hi Bob” or “Dear Mr. Customer,” a salutation is a friendly and proper way to begin an email.
33. Identify the sender: When an email is the first point of contact with the recipient, it should clearly identify the sender and the reason for sending the message in the first paragraph. The signature line should also be used to good effect, with the sender’s full name and alternate contact information (phone, fax and mailing address, for example – even the sender’s Facebook or Twitter page if that information is relevant).
34. Short, sweet and to the point: The email should be as brief as possible. Ideally, it should only have one point to make and should be clear in what it is asking the recipient to do with the information (the “call to action”). Also, short email messages are much kinder to Blackberry users reading them on the go.
35. Revise, revise: No email should ever be sent without revision – or at least a quick proofread, concentrating on making the message as concise and clear as possible. And more recipients mean that the message should be read even more closely, because the more people who read the email, the greater the risk that someone will misunderstand part of it.
36. Get serious: Emoticons (”smilies”) should be avoided in business emails unless the emails are informal messages between coworkers. Likewise, text-messaging jargon is also something to avoid in professional emails (srsly!).
37. Careful with that “Reply” button: It’s all to easy to hit “Reply All” instead of just “Reply” or vice-versa, and clicking the wrong one could have very bad repercussions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The important thing for new writers to realize, is everyone makes mistakes. These lists of common errors are from writers, readers, and business professionals who have “been there, done that.” So take it easy on yourself, and look out for these writing no-no’s.

38. Common Usage Errors Quiz: Answer these questions to test your understanding of 26 common business writing problems.
39. Ten Common Business Writing Mistakes: Find out a little bit about your writing skills with this quiz. When you’re finished, check your answers to see where you can improve.
40. WorkKeys Common Business Writing Errors: A list of common business writing errors.
41. Business Writing Mistakes: Errors can damage your reputation, so follow these guidelines to ensure correctness, every time you write.
42. Proofreading your Writing: When proofreading your paper, be on the lookout for these errors.
43. Fast Email Fixes: This site shows the most common errors in business emails and how to fix them.
44. Quick Fixes for Business Writing Errors: Proofreading shouldn’t take as long as the writing itself. Make your editing fast, easy and painless, with this go-to guide.
45. Better Business English: These are things every businessperson should know, so read this, then pass it on to your colleagues.
46. Writing Mistakes that Cost You Money: Avoid these common mistakes and avoid inefficiency.
47. Getting it Write: Ten common writing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Workshops

The videos here are wonderful resources for business writers who find visual and auditory teaching most helpful.

48. Report Writing: Learn the basics of report writing through this link.
49. Email Writing: Keep your emails on-target and readable with these tips.
50. Proposal Writing: Guarantee the acceptance of your proposal by putting this tool to use.
51. Memo Writing: Spread the word with effective memos.
52. Instruction Writing: If you want something done right but don’t have time to do it yourself, watch this video and learn how to give the best directions.
53. Basic Business Letter Writing: Communicate quickly with tips from this letter writing video.
54. Expanded Business Letter Writing: Broaden your writing abilities and the length of your business letter.
55. Four Message Types: Discover the importance of message delivery, and learn how to do it correctly.
56. Business Letter Format: Helen Wilkie covers the eight parts of a business letter.
57. Email Subject Lines: Make your email stand out above all the rest by using the right subject line.

Tips

Derek Miller, a Canadian writer and editor, composed this list to help business professionals perform their best.

58. Write concisely: Some editors estimate that a third of the words in a typical letter are wasted. At every stage of writing your letter, look at it and decide what to remove — there will always be something. Remember that you want your reader to understand you and take action. Anything that does not help him or her do that is unnecessary. Avoid repeating anything, other than for specific emphasis. Remove needless words from every sentence, needless sentences from every paragraph, and needless paragraphs entirely.
59. Be complete: Don’t take conciseness too far. You should write not just what must be said, but also what should be said to achieve your goal. Your letter should not read like a telegram, but should tell your reader everything he or she needs to know, and then prod for action. Make sure that you include enough background for your reader to get what you mean, and that you come across as tactful and polite, not terse and unfeeling.
60. Use subjects and verbs: If you think of writing as driving a car, nouns and verbs are the wheels and engine, while adjectives and adverbs are the body and trim. No matter how fancy the paint and details, without power and grip your car goes nowhere. Adjectives and adverbs can enhance sturdy nouns and verbs, but they can’t rescue weak ones. Instead of “I definitely believe that the performance will be a very successful one,” write “I know the performance will succeed.” The second sentence is both stronger and shorter.
61. Write in active voice: Good writers use the active voice whenever they can. In active sentences, people do things — they act and interact. The active voice is vigorous and brief, showing who acts and how. In passive sentences, things are done — people are acted upon or, worse, disappear entirely. In most contexts, the passive voice is vague and evasive, making your reader unsure who is doing what.
62. Be specific: Most people use specific language when they talk casually: they tell stories with details, colors, and smells. Write the same way. Use words to paint pictures in your reader’s mind, not to ask him or her to dissect abstract concepts. If you have numbers, use them. Don’t discuss ideas without examples. Avoid abbreviations not everyone knows. Everybody understands words that apply to everyday life, so use everyday words and your reader will understand you.
63. Write interesting sentences: Vary the length of your sentences to avoid lulling your reader to sleep. Make some short and sharp. Draw others out by linking two or three together: clip with commas, stitch with semicolons; even staple with dashes — if you like. Don’t make all your sentences the same.
64. Write to your readers, not down to them: Most people understand far more words than they use, either in writing or speech. If you read any general how-to book, business letter, newspaper, or even these writing guidelines, you will find each written at roughly the same level of language. None treats its readers like children, but none is likely to use the word “turpitude” either. Even if you are writing to tell your readers something they know nothing about, think of them as intelligent but uninformed, not dumb.
65. Be correct: Reference books, such as style guides and dictionaries, will help you write with proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting. The facts, however, are yours alone. Letters serve as records of what you say, often spending years in filing cabinets for later reference, so your facts must be correct. If you have relevant information, present it. If you are uncertain, say so. If you merely suspect something, make the suspicion clear so your reader does not think you know more than you do. Check your letter over before you send it, to save the awkwardness of correcting a mistake after your reader sees it.
66. Use a positive tone: Use negatives such as “don’t,” “won’t,” and “not” only to deny, not to evade or be indecisive. Instead of “We can’t decide until tomorrow,” write “We should decide tomorrow,” or, better yet, “We will decide tomorrow.” Even many negative statements have single words that work better than negative statements: “disagreeable” instead of “not nice,” “late” instead of “not on time,” “wrong” instead of “non-optimal,” “rarely” instead of “not very often,” and so on.
67. Be clear: Good business writing is all about being clear. A letter is not a poem, a mystery story, or a morality play. It should not have subtle allegorical overtones requiring careful study, or different shades of meaning. In short, it should not be open to interpretation.

Networks

Connect with people who are either in your shoes or have been there before; they likely have novel tips based on their experience.

68. LinkedIn: A networking tool that helps you discover inside connections to your business and success.
69. Facebook: Message one of your contacts to ask whatever business writing questions you encounter.
70. Twitter: Connect with colleagues,follow business feeds, and direct message any of your friends for information you need about better writing.
71. Wordpress: Practice everything you’ve learned by creating a blog here.
72. Blogspot: Another great blogging service, Blogspot also features thousands of blogs from writers just like yourself.
73. Business Yelp: Allows business owners to share information about their business with their colleagues and communities.
74. Talkbiznow: Talkbiznow is a business community that provides business services for small businesses and professionals.
75. Ning: An online service to create, customize, and share a social network, which can (of course) include business writers.
76. Career Builder: Search through self-help articles on this site to find resources that make you the best business writer possible.
77. Social Harbor: Social Harbor is a full service social media marketing and search engine marketing solution for companies and their employees.

Books

Books often trump Web sites in that they offer hundreds of organized pages about one specific subject. If you have specific questions about becoming a better business writer, you might want to peruse through them at your local library or bookstore.

78. Effective Business Writing: (A Guide For Those who Write On the Job): by Maryann V. Piotrowski.
79. Business Grammar, Style & Usage: The Most Used Desk Reference for Articulate and Polished Business Writing and Speaking by Executives Worldwide : by Alicia Abell and Aspatore Book Staff.
80. The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication: Manage Your Writing: by Kenneth Davis.
81. 10 Steps to Successful Business Writing: by Jack E. Appleman.
82. Writing for Business: Expert Solutions to Everyday Challenges: by Harvard Business School Press.
83. Writing for Business: What Works, What Won’t: by Wilma Davidson.
84. The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents: by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly
85. Houghton Mifflin Strategic Business Letters and E-mail: by Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts.
86. The Business Writer’s Handbook, Ninth Edition: by Gerald J. Aldred, et al.
87. MBA Fundamentals Business Writing: by Timothy Flood.

Other Great Tools

The last few spots on this list go to valuable resources with which every business writer should be familiar.

88. businessdictionary.com: Easy-to-use free business glossary with over 20000 terms. Concise, clear, and comprehensive.
89. The Glossarist: Business dictionary and business glossary directory.
90. Thesaurus.com: Avoid bad writing by replacing jargon with words you find here.
91. Brief Guide to Business Writing: A useful, printable booklet from the Department of Management and Organizations at the University of Iowa.
92. Sample Memo from The Writing Center: A great handout from the people who know writing best.
93. Lupinworks Links: This page is full of links to other sites that are sure to improve your business writing and grammar.
94. The Business Writer’s Free Library: Follow these guidelines, and watch the quality of your writing skyrocket!
95. Grammarphobia.com: If you haven’t had all your grammar questions answered by the other links in this compilation, check out this site that has it all.
96. Writing that Works: Offers a number of resources for anyone interested in business communication, including a free email newsletter.
97. Inc.com: The daily resource for entrepreneurs, with tons of writing tips.
98. WikiBooks Business Writing: This open-book site lets you look (for free) at the intricacies of business writing.
99. Library Online Reprimand Letter Template: When you need to “be the boss,” you’ll have to step up to your role as a disciplinarian. Make sure you do it right with this great template.
100. Microsoft Employee Promotion Announcement: On the flip side, you’ll have the chance to promote your employees from time to time as well, and this template will help you keep your congratulations professional.