Links Extravaganza 8.27.08 On Persuasion
What I Learned Buying a Rug In Turkey | One of my favorite “selling” stories of all time. Read it!
Eight Ways to Get Exactly What You Want | Whether you’re making them angry, grinding them down or showing some style.
The Psychology of Persuasion | Voice, body position, charm. It all matters.
Why It’s Important to Be Persuasive at Work | The role of negotiation and influence. From the Wall Street Journal.
How Persuasive Are You? | An interview with Kurt Mortensen, persuasion expert.
Your True Love is a Keystroke Away
My seventh grade science teacher Ms. Couser found her true love in a personal ad.
Back then, putting out a personal ad seemed kind of not cool. I mean, advertising yourself in the newspaper? Ms. Couser said she was so busy, she didn’t have time to find love on her own.
Today, I don’t know how popular newspaper personal ads are, but online dating is all the rage. And I don’t think it’s all that bad either.
No, we didn't meet online. But you can!
A good number of my friends and acquaintances have explored online dating and even found the match of their dreams.
My friends on Shaadi.com say it works like this: You create your profile. The site suggests matches. You can see who is checking you out, and they can see if you check them out. One of you has to be a paying member for either of you to start communicating. Once someone pays, you get each other’s contact info and can message each other, e-mail or talk on the phone. If you decide to move forward, great. If not, you move on. It could take weeks or it could take months for you to realize you’ve found the one. Or you may decide online dating’s not your thing.
I don’t know if I would have done it in my single days, but I would recommend online dating to my single friends now. It’s a good way to start a conversation, and there’s no pressure to continue if you’re not interested. There is the issue of feeling a bit vulnerable at times during the process. But that’s unavoidable no matter how you choose to pursue a relationship.
Do you have online dating success stories? Horror stories? What’s the best way to find that special someone?
Now That’s Good Meat
Last weekend was my first brochelerette party in Austin, a co-ed get-together for my friend Pokie before his Sept. 6 wedding.
We ate some of the best meat of my life. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and sliced into fajitas. Transported from La Michoacana meat market in Stafford, off of Avenue E and Main. You have got to go to this place and experience this deliciousness.
Lip lickin, finger smackin good
An Outsider’s Perspective
If someone came and observed you at your workplace today, what kind of reviews would you receive? Would they tell you you interact well with co-workers and provide excellent customer service? Or would they catch you on an off day when you’re tired from a busy workweek?
Imagine someone making surprise visits to your place of worship. Matt Rosine has been hitting up churches all over Houston and blogging about it. It’s interesting to see how they measure up. If you attend church every week, it’s easy to get caught up in your own world and not realize how you can positively or negatively affect someone’s experience. Read some of Matt’s newer posts at the Chronicle, including his take on mega churches and how they may be killing Christianity.
Other points he makes: Does a church practice what it preaches? How does the experience match up to expectations one might have from reading the church Web site? How’s the music? The sanctuary layout? Are your five senses engaged?
My friend Kasey recommended a book called Jim and Casper Go To Church. Pastor Jim Henderson and atheist Matt Casper visit and comment on churches nationwide together, mega and not-so-mega churches like Lakewood, Saddleback, Imago Dei and The Bridge.
Also, you’ll want to read David Zimmerman’s take on churches in his 9-part series at the Church Marketing Sucks blog. He reveals what first-time church visitors really care about, and it’s not the sermon or music. What makes people feel uncomfortable in church and what makes them want to come back?
Whether you regularly attend church or not, what have your church experiences been like?
Exotic Backyard Plants
The Chronicle posted a slideshow today about exotic backyard plants, featuring dragonfruit. I thought the selection of plants was sorely lacking. Below are some photos from a Facebook album I made a while back spotlighting my mom’s backyard oasis. Looks like it’s straight out of Kerala, India, right? Or as close as you can get from a backyard in Houston, Texas.
What are your favorite “exotic” plants? On that note, does anyone else feel uncomfortable using the word exotic? It makes things sound sensational or abnormal.
Things We’ve Learned About Marriage – No. 6 – “What Did You Call Me?”
It’s weird when your spouse calls you by your first name.
“You call your friends by their first name, not your wife,” I told Sajan the other day when out of the blue he called me “Sheena.”
Now this is not something I knew before marriage. What I did know is that Read the rest of this entry »
Upgrade Your Literacy
Texas is failing limited-English schoolchildren, Lisa Falkenberg writes in the Houston Chronicle. I’ve written about our dropout crisis before. Students who don’t succeed turn into adults who are struggling.
Here’s something you can do: Teach adult literacy classes.
Almost anyone can do it. Check out these two organizations in Houston that are training tutors and connecting them with adults aspiring to become literate: Literacy Council of Fort Bend and Literacy Advance.
Adult illiteracy costs the state billions of dollars each year. It’s a source of shame and frustration for those who wish they could read e-mails at work or help their kids with their homework. Many adults are willing to take time from their busy work and family schedules to learn how to read and write. All they need are willing tutors.
Last fall, I spent six hours training with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend. The training is eye-opening and actually quite fun. Now I’m ready to start teaching! There are two options. You can teach basic literacy to those who speak English as their first language. These are usually individuals who went through the school system without fully developing their reading and writing skills. Some may have had to drop out at an early age and didn’t have an opportunity to catch up. You can also teach those who speak English as a second language, which is what I’ll be doing.
They say the best way to master something is to teach, right?
How to Survive an Interstate Wedding Weekend
Two weddings, two states, one jam-packed day. Read the rest of this entry »
Links Extravaganza 8.7.08 – On Indians
More South Asian Participation Than Ever in Prez Elections This Year | From Sepia Mutiny.
Mistakes U.S. Companies Can Make in India | From the Chron.
How Can Someone Living in India Edit a Newspaper Here? | Thoughts on outsourcing news editing.
Indianized Bible is a Mega Hit in Kerala | Intriguing.
