May 2008 Archives
Keys to Effective Presentations: Invigorate Your Delivery and Increase Your Confidence
Keys to Effective Presentations: Invigorate Your Delivery and Increase Your Confidence
How to deliver a memorable presentation.
- Tips to project your voice and use breathing to help reduce anxiety. Your voice can help or hurt you. Learn how to change it.
- Techniques to increase your confidence and become a dynamic presenter. Turn your lack of confidence into an asset.
- Use content to engage your audience.
- Handle Q & A strategically. Change hecklers into helpers.
- Manage visual aids to add value.
- Practical "Do's and Don'ts".
Open Q&A with the faculty included:Jill Kamp Melton.
- Tuesday, June 24, 2008
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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Keys to Effective Presentations: Invigorate Your Delivery and Increase Your Confidence
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling  |
May 31, 2008 08:37 AM Link Career ~ Training Comments (0)
Congressional Deskbook: "Obligation"
Obligation: Binding agreement by a government agency to pay for goods, products, or services.
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This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook. Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider. |
TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM
May 30, 2008 09:27 AM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Legislating in the U.S. Senate
Legislating in the U.S. Senate
Martin Gold (bio), a former floor advisor and counsel to Majority Leader Bill Frist will analyze how legislating in the U.S. Senate differs from legislating in the House of Representatives. He will share his personal experience and knowledge of the history of the Senate during this program. Mr. Gold will focus on the four pillars of Senate procedure:
- Rules
- Precedents
- Rule-Making Statutes
- Unanimous Consent Orders
Open Q&A with the faculty included: Martin Gold.
- Thursday, June 19, 2008
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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Legislating in the U.S. Senate
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling |
May 29, 2008 12:37 PM Link Senate ~ Training Comments (0)
Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Statutory and Code Research
Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Statutory and Code Research
If you are researching legislative histories, you need a thorough understanding of the sources and publication of laws, i.e., statutes and codes. During this program, you will:
- Learn about the "print and selected electronic" sources and publications of "Federal" laws in layperson's terms
- Examine the U.S. Statutes at Large and U.S. Code, and other compilations of laws
- Learn the fastest ways to find these documents in print and online
- Be apprised of other research aids
Open Q&A with the faculty included: Robert Gee.
- Wednesday, June 18, 2008
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Statutory and Code Research
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling |
May 28, 2008 10:17 AM Link Research ~ Training Comments (0)
Media Tip 41
Media Tip 41: Never respond immediately to reporter calls on potentially negative stories—craft a response using all office resources and experts. Listen “between the lines” for potential details that could be strategically crucial. And never say, “No comment.”
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This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations. Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media. An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media. Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. |
TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.
May 27, 2008 03:07 PM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Nutella ... and guilt....
See this image from Mr. Toledano.
Mmmmmmmm, Nutella
- Nutella - from Wikipedia
- Super Simple Nutella Ice Cream, Chocolate & Zucchini, February 13, 2008
- What Nutella (and I) Can Teach You About Blog Marketing
May 26, 2008 08:27 PM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Faculty Favorites: Dining and Places - Al Swift
We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite things about living in our nation's capital. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites"
Al Swift (bio), a former Member of Congress, shares his favorites.
Five most interesting places to visit
- Washington's Tomb or what was supposed to be that. It is now the place they store the Lincoln catafalque which has been used for every person who has laid in state in the rotunda since it was used for Abraham Lincoln. It is kind of hard to find but it is directly beneath the center of the Capitol Dome. Just keep going down. web site, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC.
- The Brumidi Corridor in the U.S. Capitol, Senate side. web site, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC.
- The Capitol Rotunda. web site, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC.
- The Lincoln Memorial. web site, Independence Avenue SW & 23rd Street SW, Washington, DC.
- The Smithsonian. Some of these are pretty standard, but they are not ordinary. web site, map of museums on or near the National Mall, 202-633-1000.
Five most favorite “fun” things to do
- Have a martini, a cigar, and a conversation at Shelly's Back Room, a tavern in DC. One of only two places in DC where you can enjoy a good cigar while wetting one's whistle. web site, 1331 F Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-737-3003.
- Go to the National Zoo. web site, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-633-4800.
- Go to the Arboretum. web site, 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 202-245-2726.
- Ride the paddle boats in the Tidal Basin. This is one that I have not done, but it always seemed like fun. web site, 1501 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC, 202-479-2426.
Five favorite restaurants
Well, I'm a truck driver's son and while I've learned to like the finer things in life, I haven't forgotten the joys of a good peanut butter and jam sandwich...- The Prime Rib for steak and lobster bisque. web site, 2020 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-466-8811. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- The Monocle for history and politics with your meal. web site, 107 D Street NE, Washington, DC, 202-546-4488 [WaPo | Yelp]
- Hard Times Cafe, any of them for chili. I like Texas, halfway wet with onions on the side. web site, many locations throughout the area. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- Five Guys any of them for hamburgers, what else? web site, many locations throughout the area. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- BJs Sandwich Shop in the National Press Building. For good sandwiches when you are on the run. (But I've never tried their PB&Js.) web site,
For more, also see our Visiting Washington DC pages
May 22, 2008 07:27 AM Link Dining ~ Dining and Things to Do & See ~ Faculty Favorites ~ Faculty and Authors Comments (0)
How to Find a Job in Washington, DC
How to Find a Job in Washington, DC
- Where to start--developing your game plan
- When to come to Washington
- How to build a Washington network
- Online websites
- How to get a job on the Hill
- How to interview effectively--telephone and in person
- Following up on meetings and interviews
- Reality check
Open Q&A with the faculty included: Derrick Dortch.
- Tuesday, June 17, 2008
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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How to Find a Job in Washington, DC
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling |
May 21, 2008 07:47 AM Link Career ~ Training Comments (0)
Media Tip 75
Media Tip 75: Appreciate that public figures are real people with fragile egos. Being a sympathetic ear is part of the job.
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This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations. Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media. An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media. Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. |
TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.
May 20, 2008 02:57 PM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Creating a Message That Resonates with Your Audience
Creating a Message That Resonates with Your Audience
If you want to make an impact, you need to have a clear and commanding message. This program provides the tools to create a message that resonates with your audience. Topics covered include:
- Creating your message for internal and external audiences
- The message pyramid--why it matters
- Using the Message Box to refine your message
- Theory and research
- Guidelines
Open Q&A with the faculty included: Michael Shannon.
- Tuesday, June 3, 200
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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Creating a Message That Resonates with Your Audience
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling |
May 19, 2008 08:07 AM Link Media Training ~ Training Comments (0)
And you thought your divorce was acidic....
A biochemist was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for killing her estranged husband by knocking him out and stuffing him into a vat of acid, possibly while he was still alive.
Larissa Schuster was convicted in December of murdering Timothy Schuster with the special circumstance that the murder was committed for financial gain. At the time of his death in July 2003, the Schusters were in the middle of a divorce after nearly 20 years of marriage.
"Chemist gets life for husband's acid vat murder," CNN, May 16, 2008
May 18, 2008 07:37 PM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Faculty Favorites: Dining and Places - Jim Capretta
We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite things about living in our nation's capital. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites"
Jim Capretta (bio), a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, shares his favorites.
Three most interesting places to visit
- The Museum of Natural History. web site, 10th Street & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-633-1000.
- The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, near Catholic University. web site, 3900 Harewood Road, NE, Washington, DC 202-635-5400.
- The National Archives building. web site, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 202-357-5450.
Two most favorite “fun” things to do
- Eat at the cafeteria in the Supreme Court building. Cafeteria Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on ground floor. It closes briefly to the public to accommodate Court employees at noon and 1 p.m. web site, map 202-479-3030.
- Go to the top of the Post Office Pavilion Tower. web site, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 202-289-4224.
Two favorite restaurants
- Crystal Thai web site, 4819 Arlington Boulevard (At Park Dr.), Arlington, VA, 703-522-1311. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- Five Guys web site, many locations throughout the area. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
For more, also see our Visiting Washington DC pages
May 17, 2008 10:47 AM Link Faculty Favorites Comments (0)
Congressional Deskbook: "Resolution of Ratification"
Resolution of Ratification: Senate vehicle for consideration of a treaty.
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This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook. Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider. |
TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM
May 16, 2008 09:07 AM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Parliamentary Procedure of the U.S. Senate: Debate and Amendment
Parliamentary Procedure of the U.S. Senate: Debate and Amendment
Learn about the two characteristics of the U.S. Senate that set it apart from the House of Representatives: the right to debate and the right to amend. Topics include:
- Recognition
- Non-debatable questions
- Limiting debate
- Cloture
- Amendment process
Open Q&A with the faculty included: Robert Dove.
- Thursday, May 22, 2008
- 90 minutes: 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
- More information here
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Parliamentary Procedure of the U.S. Senate: Debate and Amendment
Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling |
May 15, 2008 09:17 AM Link Congressional Operations ~ Senate ~ Training Comments (0)
Media Tip 19
Media Tip 19: Review the press list, update and build on it. It is the most important asset to a public relations professional.
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This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations. Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media. An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media. Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. |
TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.
May 13, 2008 02:07 PM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
May - June 2008 Legislative, Communication, and Media Training from TheCapitol.Net
Our latest email update:
http://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/email2008/email_2008_May13.html
Also see our new Audio Course Bundles, money-saving packages of our popular Capitol Learning Audio Courses.
TheCapitol.Net, Inc.
>> Exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences.
>> Non-partisan training and publications that show how Washington works. TM
May 12, 2008 11:17 AM Link Training Comments (0)
Congressional Deskbook: "Private Bill"
Private Bill: A measure that generally deals with an individual matter, such as a claim against the government, an individual’s immigration, or a land title. Private bills are considered in the House via the Private Calendar on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
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This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook. Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider. |
TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM
May 9, 2008 12:17 PM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Football, er, soccer, and promotion
For the promotion-phobics, the Premiership is a gilded fake while the Championship represents authentic football. ‘In my years as a supporter I have seen seven relegations and six promotions’, recounts Watford fan Graham Smith. ‘That is what being a football fan is all about. It is about supporting your team through thick and thin. It is about suffering the bad times and enjoying the good times. That’s why I like being a fan of a team that basically belong in the Football League rather than the Premier League. It is real football.’
"Every team wants to be promoted, right? Wrong," by Duleep Allirajah, Spiked!, May 9, 2008 [emphasis added]
More
- GolTV
- Fox Soccer Channel
- Major League Soccer (MLS)
- DC United
- Washington Freedom
- United Soccer Leagues (USL)
- Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA)
- Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
- US Youth Soccer
May 9, 2008 10:17 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Faculty Favorites: Dining and Places - Dave Grimaldi
We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite things about living in our nation's capital. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites"
Dave Grimaldi (bio) shares his favorites.
Five most interesting places to visit
- The Folger Shakespeare Library behind the Supreme Court. web site, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003, 202-544-4600.
- Meridian Hill Park,web site, 16th and U Streets NW, Washington, DC.
- Frederick Douglass's birth place, web site, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA, 703-777-3174.
- The Dumbarton Oaks estate in Georgetown, web site, 2715 Q Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-337-2288.
- The National Cathedral web site, Massachusetts and Wisconsin NW, Washington, DC, 202-537-6200.
Five most favorite “fun” things to do
- Going to the National Zoo two hours before closing, after all of the crowds are gone. web site, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-633-4800.
- Heading to the monuments during big snowfalls.
- Walking to Kalorama and seeing the grand ambassadors' residences. Kalorama Wikipedia entry, Kalorama, Washington, DC.
- Hitting the Dupont Circle Farmers' Market every Sunday morning. web site, 20th Street NW between Q and Massachusetts NW, Washington, DC, 202-362-8889.
- Bike riding through downtown and the Mall. You can see it all in less than a day! District of Columbia map.
Five favorite restaurants
- Cactus Cantina web site, 3300 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 202-686-7222. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- The Palm web site, 1225 19th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-293-9091. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- Sushi Taro web site 1503 17th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-462-8999. [WaPo | Yelp]
- Tosca web site, 1112 F Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-367-1990. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
- Five Guys web site, now that they offer franchises they have many locations throughout the area. [WaPo | Washingtonian | Yelp]
For more, also see our Visiting Washington DC pages
May 8, 2008 09:07 AM Link Faculty Favorites Comments (0)
Media Tip 90
Media Tip 90: Know the signs of a crisis and adapt your organization to the changing environment. Use all means available, including outside advisors, to get your boss to admit that you’re in the midst of a crisis.
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This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations. Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media. An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media. Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. |
TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.
May 6, 2008 10:07 AM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
Wal-Mart expands "discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10"
I've spent a fair amount of time shilling for Wal-Mart's prescription drug plan on this blog, so don't think for a second that I would miss today's news that the Corporate Monster from Bentonville is greatly expanding the program to include a whole slate of new drugs, including, according to AP, "several women's medications."Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday it would expand its discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10 and add several women's medications at a discount. It also said it would lower the price of more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs.
"The Wal-Mart Prescription Drug Benefit," by Michael C. Moynihan, Hit & Run, May 5, 2008
More
- Wal-Mart Pharmacy
- $4 Prescriptions Program
- List of $4 drugs available - by medical condition (5-page pdf
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May 5, 2008 03:57 PM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
"Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn?"
In the late 1800s, a German scientist named Hermann Ebbinghaus made up lists of nonsense syllables and measured how long it took to forget and then relearn them. (Here is an example of the type of list he used: bes dek fel gup huf jeik mek meun pon daus dor gim ke4k be4p bCn hes.) In experiments of breathtaking rigor and tedium, Ebbinghaus practiced and recited from memory 2.5 nonsense syllables a second, then rested for a bit and started again. Maintaining a pace of rote mental athleticism that all students of foreign verb conjugation will regard with awe, Ebbinghaus trained this way for more than a year. Then, to show that the results he was getting weren't an accident, he repeated the entire set of experiments three years later. Finally, in 1885, he published a monograph called Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. The book became the founding classic of a new discipline.
Ebbinghaus discovered many lawlike regularities of mental life. He was the first to draw a learning curve. Among his original observations was an account of a strange phenomenon that would drive his successors half batty for the next century: the spacing effect.
Ebbinghaus showed that it's possible to dramatically improve learning by correctly spacing practice sessions. On one level, this finding is trivial; all students have been warned not to cram. But the efficiencies created by precise spacing are so large, and the improvement in performance so predictable, that from nearly the moment Ebbinghaus described the spacing effect, psychologists have been urging educators to use it to accelerate human progress. After all, there is a tremendous amount of material we might want to know. Time is short.
"Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm," by Gary Wolf, Wired, April 21, 2008
More
- SuperMemo - Super Memory: Forget about forgetting
- "SuperMemo Helps You Remember Everything Before You Forget," lifehacker, April 22, 2008
- Introduction to "Memory" Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885/1913), by Robert H. Wozniak
- SuperMemo Library
- SuperMemo and learning English
May 4, 2008 10:27 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
"I Have a Dream..."
… that one day, corporate executives will tire of being bullied by demagogic politicians. I was reminded of that dream by a press release issued yesterday by Sen. Pete Domenici, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and long-time Republican major-domo on energy policy.
"I Have a Dream..." by Jerry Taylor, Cato-at-Liberty, May 1, 2008
See the article for Jerry Taylor's suggested reply to this congressional request.
However, if you are a company executive who won't send such a letter, and you need help preparing to testify before Congress, sign up for our 1-day course Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony, next scheduled for July 30, 2008
May 2, 2008 10:27 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Congressional Deskbook: "Division Vote"
Division Vote: A vote in which the committee chair or House presiding officer counts those members in favor and those in opposition to a proposition with no record made of how each voted. The chair can either ask for a show of hands or ask members to stand.
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This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook. Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms. The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page. The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider. |
TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM
May 2, 2008 09:27 AM Link Tips and Terms Comments (0)
