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Archive for category Analysis (Essay Section)
Prove It!
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
Read the comment "Not a Theme In" first as a reference source to the explanation of this comment.
Many professors are loyal and obedient servants to the canon. They encourage and expect loyalty from their students and will investigate any paper that doesn't adhere to the canon of thought on a particular author and his or her work.
However, among these professors lie the one who not only will encourage adherence to the canon but also will not debate your deviation from it if you can prove the points you make within your analysis. In other words, if the theme of jealousy is not a typical concept literary critics apply to a particular contemporary work, meaning it is not a part of the canon of literary themes for that work, then you must prove that the theme you want to use may be applicable to the work under exceptional circumstances.
With this in mind, a professor of this type will require you to discuss canonical themes within the body of your paper, but will also allow you to make certain points that are not standard if you can accurately and clearly express the idea(s) with supporting textual evidence from the literary work. You may add the evidence within the body paragraphs. You must also provide additional information within the conclusion/extended discussion section of your paper, because in this section you will need to outline suggestions and recommendations for how to use the non-traditional theme and how it may have larger applicability to other works.
That's why it is important that you understand the nature of the evidence, because the evidence must be an appropriate match to your new idea. For example, everything has a match, so a theme that is already a part of the canon will fit the type of quote you use from your text. Past literary scholars have tried and tested it for suitability. However, in your quest to be different and innovative, you are proposing another "type" of theme.
Therefore, make the argument in the conclusion/extended discussion section of your paper, but don't force a quote to match your theme within the body paragraphs. That's why you have to make certain that your theme, "your" idea, is appropriately matched to the nature of the work. It is important to be innovative, but it is more important to be accurate.
In essence, before you set a goal to be innovative, make sure that what you want to do is actually possible to do. When your new idea and an appropriate quote from the text match, you have successfully proved your point.
See also the comments "An interesting idea, but it doesn't work in every example." and "Proof?"
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
There are two types of "proof" you must demonstrate throughout the course of your academic studies: 1) proof of knowledge in terms of demonstrating "what you know" through the medium of testing and 2) examples as proof in terms of demonstrating your understanding concerning the purpose of "textual evidence."
Incorporating in-text evidence within the academic paper is the most important goal that any student writer needs to set. The purpose of your education, as a student, is to learn theory and apply what you learn. In school, you learn knowledge and you talk about knowledge. For example, you learn about an author's perspective by reading an argument. You learn about the different themes within a short story. You learn about the "character" of a character in a play. You also learn how to demonstrate your knowledge. At the end of the semester, you take a test to determine how well you can apply what you have learned and this type of test typically represents a final exam. The exam measures your ability to retrieve information necessary for providing proof of knowledge.
On the final exam your professor requires you to develop your ideas by making points and providing examples as proof. In other words, it is not enough to tell the reader what the story is about (proof of knowledge) without analyzing relationships and patterns of behavior from the text (examples as proof). The reader must know the embedded meanings, not just meanings that live and breathe on the surface. In order to do this, you must present in-text evidence, examples of how a character thinks about another character.
You can't write that Katharina is a great character and she likes Petruchio without providing the exact line from the play from which they are both characters. Demonstrating your proof of knowledge and using examples as proof are both necessary for proving that you know what you know.
In the following sample excerpt, the student makes assumptions and fails to provide textual evidence to support her statements. The student doesn't demonstrate her proof of knowledge, nor does she provide examples as proof within the analysis. Let's read.
Sample Excerpt
First, Petruchio structures his own behavior just before he marries Katharina, breaking down the usual perception she has of men and people in general. It is his goal that she never figures him out. For example, the day of the wedding he is not only late, but arrives uncouth, disheveled, and uncompromising, a behavior not completely farfetched from Katharina's own attitude, but is surprisingly uncommon in that Petruchio meticulously strives to dismantle her defenses by taking (the concept of) "shock" to new levels.
Figure 35: Essay Excerpt on Petruchio and Katharina, The Taming of the Shrew
The student doesn't provide in-text evidence of claims she makes within the essay.
1) Where is the in-text evidence of Petruchio's supposed goal? How do we know that this is his goal?
2) Where is the in-text evidence that Petruchio strives to dismantle Katharina's defenses? What are Katharina's defenses?
3) How does he take the concept of shock to new levels? Is it Petruchio's main objective to shock? What is the in-text evidence?
Remember the commercial from the 1980s of the old woman picking up the hamburger bun and saying, "Where's the beef?" The in-text evidence is the beef. When you leave it out, you leave out a substantial part. You leave out the author's contribution to your paper.
You cannot make statements within your paper and not support them with evidence. If you do this, your paper will appear less than credible. There is a certain legitimacy evoked when a student appreciates an author by incorporating in-text evidence from the literary work.
Revision Considerations
In the sample excerpt, the student makes an unsupported statement and it appears to the reader as just an assumption. The only way to correct statements that lack evidence from the text is to locate a quote within the author's work that matches the student's assumption.
Doing this will help to match your ideas about the literary work with the corresponding evidence. In other words, learn how to match white socks with white socks and red socks with red socks. Don't make a statement, a generalized overview, without incorporating the proof.
For an extended explanation, see also the comment "Prove It."
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Plot Summary
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
Sometimes your professor will just write "plot summary" to show you that a particular passage represents the summary of a plot within a work. Plot summary is the opposite of analysis.
See the comment "Avoid Plot Summary" for useful tips.
For an extended explanation, see also the comment "Move Beyond Summary of Author's Ideas: Analyze vs. Summarize."
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
On the Right Path
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
For an explanation, see "Right" and/or "Right/On the Right Path."
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
To omit something is two-part: 1) you "omit" when you neglect or fail to do something and 2) you "omit" when your professor specifically tells you to leave certain elements out of your paper.
In terms of the first example, your professor expects you to understand and follow the guidelines he or she sets for the course in terms of writing and submitting papers. If your professor wants you to incorporate three sources within the analysis of your paper, don't just incorporate two. You have not completed the assignment. If your professors outline the requirements fully and you decide to do the opposite of what they require, then they can rightfully accuse you of omitting certain elements from your paper. They have the right also to give you what you deserve in terms of applying a lower grade to the paper.
In terms of the second example, there will be times when your professor wants you to omit something from your paper because that particular idea is unnecessary and has no significance to the direction of the class. For example, oftentimes your professor will tell you to leave something out because the thing has no relevance to another thing, subject, or author's viewpoints. Specifically, your professor is telling you to leave something out because if you don't remove it, it will distract the reader from the more important points that he or she needs to understand about the subject.
Therefore, don't view "Omit" as a bad thing. Just know that your professor is cultivating your writing ability by defining your skills and helping you to choose the best pieces of information to include in your papers so the topic you are discussing reflects a balanced and concise view.
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
O.K. (Okay)
Posted by Regina Y. Favors in Affirmative Replies, Analysis (Essay Section), O, Supporting Evidence on August 17, 2011
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
This is an affirmative reply.
This comment can mean one of two things, or both, depending upon the requirements of the professor and what he or she wants you to know as a requirement of the whole course. 1) The professor may comment that the whole paper is okay, making a reference to a statement of purpose in preparation for the final paper. 2) The professor may comment that a particular example you provide is not quite where it needs to be in terms of clarity, but it is "O.K."
If "okay" is in reference to satisfactory, then you haven't tried as hard as you know you can. Satisfactory always means you need to allow more time to read, take notes, and ask questions. Your essays are a reflection of how hard you really have worked. If you don't work hard, then the professor will know it; and sometimes your lack of effort will warrant "O.K."
In terms of the second, the use of "O.K." always depends upon the mood of your professor and whether or not you have adhered to course requirements. You can never really know what a professor is thinking all the time. Think about how you respond with "okay" to someone. Sometimes you feel good when you say it; but then there are days you just use "okay" because you don't have anything else to say.
To go into depth here will reflect only a generalization. Therefore, because "okay" is typically subjective, always ask your professor what he or she means by this comment. Then, start from there.
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Off the Subject
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
The best way to explain "Off the Subject" is to paint the picture of a presentation speaker beginning with one topic and rambling and venturing off into another arena of another topic. Of course, this is the simplest way of explaining this comment. This type of scenario doesn't cause you to exercise any real intellectual muscles, because you have experienced this some time in your own academic lives. You typically say about a speaker confused with regard to his subject matter, "What in the world is he talking about?" Therefore, I don't really need to add more explanation to this scenario to make my point.
On the other hand, I do feel the need to provide a definition of what it means to be both on subject and off subject at the same time. For example, if the subject matter is about Labrador Retrievers, particularly about how nice and happy they are as dogs, and you incorporate a different dog into the discussion, you are still on the subject of "dogs." However, you have changed the discussion to include another type of dog that may or may not be nice.
Where you get off subject is when you venture into a discussion about pit bulls or about police dogs. If you want to include a discussion about all dogs that are also nice, then a discussion about Labrador Retrievers will represent one of many topic areas. Remember you can't ignore "general view." Most people know about pit bulls and police dogs and they know that these are dogs are not typically "nice."In other words, what do pit bulls and police dogs have to do with the subject that all dogs are nice? This is the question you have to ask yourself as you write about a subject.
You have to know how one thing relates to another. If there is no relation, then don't use the example. In many cases, you may have to leave off some examples that you want to use in your paper, or you may have to change the thesis by leaving off the "all" altogether. Therefore, make certain you understand what it is you want to discuss within your papers.
Visualize John getting off the train before he gets to his final destination. Instead of practicing patience, he jumps off the train. When he jumps off, he finds out that he doesn't know where he is. As long as he hasn't veered too far off the path, the only thing he knows to do is stay close to the place of his fall. If he stays close, he will remember the direction in which the train was traveling.However, if he tries to find another path, because of his impatience, he might get lost; and he is unlikely to remember the direction of the train.
With this in mind, stay on the subject in the same way that you would stay on a train by remembering your purpose for writing the paper. Your thesis is the guiding lamp for your paper. Similar to a train conductor, let your thesis guide you. If you construct a clear thesis, then you will stay on subject.
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Not Sure What You Mean Here
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
When you receive the comment "Not sure what you mean here," in reference to a point you make within your paper, this means that you haven't considered your audience. "Not sure what you mean" has the same effect as "I am not sure what you mean. I am not sure what you want me to understand."
As a student, the primary audience of your paper is always your professor. The primary audience also includes your classroom peers. Any other person reading your paper represents your secondary audience.
When writing and developing the content for your essays, you must keep the audience in mind at all times. Although an author doesn't write with the reader in mind, the student, on the other hand, must write specifically for the audience. As students, you must provide an explanation of your points, especially when you include examples to prove your points.
In some cases, you can get away with not explaining every point; in a five-page paper, you do not need to explain every point. However, if your professor requires peer group activity where you switch papers, you will get the question from your fellow classmate, "What do you mean here?"
Students ask this type of question when they see that you haven't explained a point or provided an explanation for an example. "What do you mean here?", "Not sure what you mean," and "I am not sure what you mean" all signify that the person doesn't understand what you are trying to convey within your essay.
Explaining the "what" is important. You may say (write) many things in your paper, but the many things don't have any sort of connection between them. In other words, the one thing you say can mean anything. The last thing you say can mean something entirely different; but as we continue to read your paper we don't know that there is actually a difference between the things you are discussing.
In the following sample excerpt, the student writer doesn't define how she will use a particular term in her paper and she also doesn't provide the meaning of the term within the context of her paper. Let's read.
Sample Excerpt
To go against someone's will is to take away that person's choice and option. There is a natural, inherent instinct to will. Free choice involves free will to do whatever it is one wants to do without permission to do so. It really doesn't matter what the other person thinks. But what does matter is when one's will is manipulated and picked out of a lineup, so to speak, as a target. Then that person has to deal with defending his or her will to the manipulator. Adonis is determined to scorn love, but Venus has something else in mind. And in the end, Venus doesn't keep (physically) what she wills for herself. But between the both of them, love still demands its own will.
Figure 34: Essay Excerpt on Venus and the Will of Love, "Venus and Adonis," William Shakespeare
Student applies "personification" to a term and doesn't define how she will use the term.
1) Is "free choice" the same thing as "free will"?
2) How is the will manipulated? Can a will be manipulated? Or can a person be manipulated?
3) Is Adonis' determination to scorn love his free choice or his free will?
4) What does Venus have in mind? What does she do?
5) Love is not a person. It can't demand.
Revision Considerations
The best way to correct areas of your paper that require more meaning is to continue to define terms, relationships, characters, and contexts. Define how a term links relationships between characters. If you are using the term to connect characters, then provide context for the term.
For example, if you are using "free will" as a definition for "free choice," then add this as a statement within your analysis. After this, describe how you will use the term to connect characters or contexts. Consider the following scenario:
Literary Work A offers insight about Female Character A, who is jealous of Female Character B. Both characters exercise "free will" for the purpose of obtaining what they desire. Free will is defined as the right of an individual to choice. When the female characters "choose" to pursue Male Character A, they demonstrate free will. Choosing to pursue this male character is not the only time they exercise free will. In several areas of the work, specifically within references to major story events, they choose to exercise free will, which through their actions brings many secondary characters together. One example includes Event A where both female characters sponsor a party for the social elite. The female characters exercise free will as they demonstrate their jealousy in front of society by arguing over Male Character A. In essence, the exercise of free will between characters within the literary text represents a method major characters use as a premeditated choice for pursuing and obtaining what they desire.
This scenario is simple, but I think you get the point. At the beginning of a body paragraph, define how you will use a particular term and define how you will use that term to describe the relationship between characters.
Adopting the practice of defining what you mean by a particular term and/or concept will ensure that you define even the simplest of terms and provide the meaning necessary for ushering your reader throughout the analysis of your paper.
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Not Persuasive
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
Authors begin the task of writing with one of two motivations: either their purpose is 1) to inform or 2) to persuade. For example, think about "inform" in the same way that you might think about the roles of a newspaper or the television news. The writers of the urban section inform you about yesterday's events–what happened last night, who died, and who killed who. On the other hand, the person on the television screen informs you of what happened "yesterday"; but also informs you about events that will take place "today."
The main purpose of both the newspaper writer and news reporter is not to persuade you. Each individual may persuade you in some cases by making statements along the lines of "It is going to rain, so you might want to bring an umbrella." However, both hardly say something to the effect of "It is going to rain. Bring an umbrella." In other words, both the reporter and the newscaster don't use directives to command your obedience.
When a writer constructs an argument, he or she establishes a goal to persuade the reader about a particular subject matter. This writer approaches the task with the belief that what he or she presents to you, as the reader, is true as he or she sees it; and that you must follow-up the read with some action. For example, a person who tells you about a party on 16th street is just informing you about the party and its location. However, a person who tells you about the location and says, "You must go. They will have food and drinks. And you can see John," this person is persuading you. This person is saying that if you don't go, you will miss out on something great. The effectiveness of this person's persuasion is based upon your willingness to yield and the fact that you do yield.
The same line of thought applies to how you present the information of different authors within your paper, especially information about their claims, beliefs, and the recurring themes within the literary works. If you merely outline an author's ideas, then you are informing the reader about what the author thinks concerning the subject matter you are exploring. However, if you outline each author's ideas and point out where their arguments lack credibility, then you are persuading the readers about the author and the ideas each expresses within the context of their work. In essence, you are persuading the reader when you write that Author A is missing more elements than Author B; and when you persuade you also prove.
You inform the reader that Author A is missing elements by including in-text evidence within your analysis. This persuades the reader because the information is verifiable. The reader is willing to yield when he reads your assessment of Author A. In addition, when you provide the in-text evidence, the reader is willing to continue to yield. The reader has yielded completely when he or she returns to the text, reads it, retrieves the evidence you reference within your paper, and agrees with your statement about Author A. On the other hand, when you leave out important textual evidence and fill your paper with assumptions, then you have not persuaded the reader because your paper is missing these elements. In essence, because you lack verifiable information, a reader doesn't yield to your point of view.
Developing a persuasive argument is no easy task, because there are factors that influence how you persuade the reader. The most important method for ensuring that you develop a persuasive argument is to validate all of your claims. You must "back up" whatever you believe in your paper. If you write, "The author believes all dogs are nice," then you must include evidence of the author's belief. The evidence you provide can't center on this type of statement: "All dogs are nice, if they lick your face." Nowhere in the author's work is this belief.
Therefore, before you submit the final draft of your paper, check your assumptions. Revise any statement that doesn't supply textual evidence. Add a quote or another qualifying statement. Permanently remove any statement for which you can't provide proof.
For more related information, see also the comments "An interesting idea, but it doesn't work in every example." and "Proof?"
Copyright 2011 Regina Y. Favors. All Rights Reserved.
Not Entirely
Essay Section: Supporting Evidence (Analysis vs. Plot Summary)
The sample excerpt below represents a whooping generalization.
Figure 33: Essay Excerpt on Shylock's Conversion, The Merchant of Venice
|Shylock's conversion from Jew to Christian at the end of the play is not entirely of his own inclination. The sentiment of the play suggests a critical view of the Jewish religion and that the Christian faith is altogether merciful and compromising. Shylock is forced to conform to the judgment of Portia, or better yet, Christian law. In leaving his own faith, Shylock experiences a loss spiritually as well as financially. Other characters also experience different conversions related to Shylock's.
As students, we oftentimes begin the task of writing by using a summary to get us started. This is a method we use to help us understand what is going on "overall" in the work; but where we go wrong is when we mingle the general with specific. The bolded sentences within Figure 33 illustrate this case of mixing general ideas with context-specific actions.
The play is not symbolic of a critical view of one religion in comparison to another. Within the play, there may be characters who criticize the Jewish religion and who may believe that followers of the Christian faith are more longsuffering, but the play itself doesn't suggest this. The attitude of the characters suggests this.
It is a funny thing, the word. Just one word can change the meaning of a sentence; and the choice of a certain construction of a sentence can also change the meaning dramatically. For example, it is not the sentiment of the play that suggests a critical view (discriminating) toward one religion in support of another. It is the sentiment of the characters who favor one religion over another.
Therefore, don't allow a general view to supplant a specific point you want to make.


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Fall Equinox Sept. 22nd 2017
The Autumn Equinox is this Friday: 9/22/17. Each Equinox and Solstice serves as portal for the next wave of energies coming in and onto the planet. These astrological portals also serve as the triggering and awakening of a new group of souls into the ascension process.
Anyone who is on this planet at this moment, agreed to some level of ascension. Ascension basically means shifting to a higher frequency of light. Light is information, dark is essentially lack of information. The ascension codes are programmed into the DNA and once activated, there is no getting off that train, unless the person chooses to cross over. It's pretty much..sink or swim! Shit may be hitting the fan, however, it is opening the door for "shift" to happen as well! A sense of humor will really help in this process.
Once the Ascension codes are activated, so is the CLEARING process, which allows us the opportunity to increase our Light quotient. This happens naturally ( although not always comfortably both mentally, emotionally or physically) and often in big bursts and waves, when new high vibrating light frequencies come on to the planet. As the new frequencies are downloaded into our bodies, we release the layers of old cellular memory that are not in alignment to the higher energy and our most authentic selves. Thus our cells begin to hold more LIGHT! This clearing process can go on indefinitely, although I feel that we do reach a point, were the hard core clearing phrase is over and we can effortlessly release these old cellular memories with ease.
Around every Solstice and Equinox event, a new group or wave of ascending begins. This week will mark another Wave/ group of Ascenders, with each group activating at the following Equinox or Solstice respectively. This will continue yearly now, until minimum, 2035. So that racks up to around 19 yearly waves, as the first wavers started on 12/21/12, but the 2nd Wave group did not start till 3/21/15. The first wavers where setting the ground work, which was why that wave was SO long!
For those whose ascension process is now activated, or anyone who may be reading.... I want to share a few things to consider as you proceed on your Ascension path.
1. Life is simply an experience, an experiment. It is up to us to create these experiences and ALLOW these experiences to naturally unfold. We are able to control ourselves, not the experience or others.
2. Everyone is doing the best they can with the knowledge they have at the moment.
3. If its our choice, it is also our responsibility. Meaning we are responsible for what we create/project into our reality and also what we choose to perceive/see. Our life is our choice and responsibility! ( Obviously minor children, senior adults, animal companions etc.. who may be in our care are our responsibility to some level. This is not what I am talking about here.)
4. This Universe has polarity, so there are ALWAYS to sides to everything! Just like a coin has two sides, our creative projections also act as mirrors and with each mirror, serving as a message. It's our responsibility to look in the mirror and get the message. No blaming others for what we CHOOSE to see or not see. Thankfully messages repeat themselves till we got it and we need to pay attention to get the message!
4. Our beliefs are powerful, they create our reality and can be very limiting and box us in. Focusing through our inner knowing is expansive and unlimited and serves as one of the keys to discovering the infinite possibilities in the Universe.
5. Our judgement is one of biggest obstacle we will encounter when walking the Ascension path. Judgment is what keeps us limited, in resistance, separation and duality! It will slow down our evolution. It can even derail the ascension process for a while, when we choose to focus through the 3D lens of labeling our experiences ( including people, places, things and events) as good, bad, right or wrong. Preference is one thing, judgemental attitudes is another.
6. Releasing our resistance to learn, grow and evolve will help the ascension process go much smoother.
7. Getting our of own way and looking at the messages arriving into our reality and working to shift our view points is one of the most crucial factors in the ascension process. Fear is usually what keeps us from exploring these mirrors that are bringing us messages. Step out of fear and judgement to easily move forward.
8. Life is happening FOR US NOT to us. We are not victims, WE ALL have the ability to choose our own thoughts, feelings, beliefs, inner knowings, emotions, viewpoints and perspectives.
9. Everything is consciousness, with varying degrees of consciousness, coming from the same SOURCE: Prime Creator, which can also be called a million other names.( Buddha, God etc..).I am you, you are me..same SOURCE, different face and viewpoint.
10. Stepping into and re tuning to CORE HEART CENTER, which is the Inner child, is where we will find our true and most authentic empowerment. Discover and reconnect to your center! Our Center is our perfect balanced state, where we are the most joyful and fulfilled, creative and EMPOWERED! Our Center transmutes the FEAR!
11.Our Higher self/ Universe has our back! Trust in the process with an open heart and mind and know that it is ALL IN PERFECT AND DIVINE ORDER no matter what occurs!!!!
12. Many of our mirrors will also serve as TRIGGERS. Triggers are there to help us awaken to an issue that needs to be resolved and shifted in viewpoint. Triggers will come with a emotional charge of some kind, which can range from very mild to hard core! We may act (conscious) or react (unconscious) to these triggers. Triggers can come with the following feelings and or emotions such as anger, hate, rage, upset, irritability, judgment, guilt, sadness, frustration etc...this is HOW we recognize that we need to clean up something! If we choose to respond, with anything others then love, compassion, understanding and forgiving, then we have clean up detail!
13. Our physical, emotional and mental pain also serve as messages of what needs to be "cleaned up" and shifted to a different view point that aligns with our authentic truthWhile these types of messages may not be much fun, they are there to help us grow and evolve into the highest and greatest version of ourselves!
©A Celestial Solution/Heyde Class
Heyde Class is a Certified Psychic Intuitive and Metaphysical Practitioner, Author and a Metaphysical Jack of all trades! She is a First Waver Ascender with many, many moons of experience under her belt of the ascension process and clearing phrase. lol

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A Day in the Life of an Inbound Marketing-Savvy Real Estate Agent
By Matthew Bushery
About Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is becoming a major business tactic for many real estate agents working today — as should be the case, given that statistics show:
- Blogging secures 97% more inbound links for brands and professionals.
- Roughly 60% of consumers feel better about companies that produce custom content online.
- The six biggest social networks garner roughly 2.5 billion monthly active users.
What is inbound marketing? In short, it's marketing that employs tactics like blogging, landing pages, and email marketing as well as paid advertising opportunities like pay per click and social media ads. Over time, these inbound practices bring in website traffic, social media followers, and qualified leads.
And inbound marketing needs to play a big (and constantly growing) role in your real estate marketing and sales.
To give you a sense of how experienced agents use inbound marketing for real estate on a daily basis, we've lined up a pretty comprehensive (but easily attainable and manageable) schedule of how you should spend your day to become an inbound-savvy real estate agent.
7:30 a.m.: Evaluate social media activity during breakfast.
Start off the day with a simple and fun task: checking up on social media and your site's analytics.
Survey how the previous day's tweets, status updates, and other messages performed. Each social network requires different methods for evaluation, but each offers its own proprietary analytics that can help you keep tabs on who's following you, retweeting you, and sharing and consuming your content.
"Success in real estate marketing is all about being unique and consistent."
— Kim Colaprete
For Twitter, figure out which tweets were viewed, retweeted, and favorited the most, and respond to anyone who replied to one of your tweets or sent you a private message. Social media engagement is a prime lead generation method, so reply quickly to those who interact with your account. On Facebook, see how your status updates performed and what traction your paid ads received (if you advertise here, that is). With LinkedIn, check for clicks, impressions, interactions, and engagement for your updates. And with Google+, determine who's added you to their circles and shared your content.
8:00 a.m.: Plan social media posts for the entire day.
Now that yesterday's activity has been examined, focus on today's messaging. Use Buffer, TweetDeck, Hootsuite, or any other social scheduling platform of choice to organize your posts for each site. Perhaps you could retweet some of the top real estate minds or curate blog posts featuring the latest industry news and publish the content to social.
Whatever you post, just be sure to spend time finding the right content for your social channels. It pays off for marketers in all industries and fields to spend time reviewing their online marketing efforts, including and especially social media:
Integrate your posts early in the day so you don't have to worry about posting later, but schedule them for release throughout the day. Also, include links back to your real estate website, including your blog and landing pages, in practically everything you post. This is one of the best ways to secure higher traffic to your site. Just be sure the links relate closely to the social content you publish.
If you need some inspiration for your social media posts, there are plenty of real estate agents who have shown they're adept when it comes to maximizing their social presence. For instance, take Mona Koussa of eHomeSurf Real Estate in California.
Mona includes photos of her local market, info about her listings, and shares content related to real estate, business, her area, and fun tidbits homebuyers and sellers would find interesting on her Google+ page:
Numerous other examples of top-tier real estate social media profiles can be found in this recent Academy post.
9:15 a.m.: Inspect your real estate website and social media metrics in Google Analytics.
Take a deep dive into metrics for your website by using platforms like Google Analytics to see which channels are performing best and should have more time and energy dedicated to them.
Pay attention to visitors, unique visitors, page views, bounce rate, traffic source (i.e. referral and search), and average time on site. You can even sync your Facebook and Twitter accounts to analytics to get a more intricate view of how your posts and tweets are performing.
If you have time before meetings and other business chores for the day, create a report in Analytics to discover the previous week's or month's totals and percentages for each metric so you have a clear view of how to adjust your site.
10:00 a.m.: Check in with clients and leads in your CRM.
Now it's time to reach out to clients and leads to plan your schedule for the day. Follow-up with buyers and sellers to learn their preferred next moves — everything from showing listings to buyers, to setting up open houses for sellers.
If you don't have any clientele at the moment, then lead follow-up becomes the most important priority. Comb over your customer relationship management database (CRM) to determine who is next in line to be contacted. Look for qualified leads, particularly ones who filled out a form on your website to receive content or signed up for your email newsletter. Five in six companies have some form of lead scoring set up, so if you aren't able to separate the bad leads from the good ones, begin using a lead-scoring system.
Luckily, there are also plenty of inbound methods you can use to bolster your lead generation, including pay per click (PPC), webinars, and even blogging — the latter of which secures quite a bit of traffic and leads for brands of all sizes.
1:30 p.m.: Write or curate a blog post after lunch.
After lunch and taking care of other daily tasks, it's time to get a little creative and produce and plan some blog posts. Publishing regularly to your blog is very advantageous for agents. If writer's block hits, like it can for many agents, not to worry: Find another article you enjoyed reading online and curate it for your blog. Reference the focus of the post in question and add your own personal commentary to make your post unique. This is an excellent way to still fill your content with SEO-rich content without having to expend too much energy or time.
There are several other types of blog posts you can produce that can bring targeted visitors in, assuming you perform comprehensive keyword research for your posts and optimize them accordingly:
- Newsjacks: Find an interesting topic related to real estate, general business, marketing — whatever subject strikes a chord with you and that your audience would find interesting. Then, write your thoughts on the matter in question.
- "How-to" posts: Buyers and sellers tend to have a lot of questions about securing mortgages, maintaining homes, and paying insurance, among other matters. Find out what your clients and leads want to know and help them out with articles that can guide them.
- List posts: If you're a fan of BuzzFeed, then you already know how well this type of post performs online. Think of any real estate-related topics, like the most beautiful homes in your market, or something your audience would enjoy, such as the best places to grab a burger or go for a night out on the town.
In any content you have, answer a question your audience has or inform them of something that interests them. A great example of a real estate agent excelling with their blog is Alex Clark of TheFrontSteps.com real estate firm in San Francisco.
Here's a snippet of a few posts atop Alex's homepage: one detailing an intriguing real estate transaction, another about a recent industry shake-up, and one about the national housing market — each of interest to many buyers and sellers and, undoubtedly, fellow industry insiders:
In addition to focusing on the core content of your posts, add calls to action (CTAs) to each one. These are essentially short text or images with text that tell readers what actions they can take to learn more about the subject matter in the post or some aspect of your business that relates to it.
For example, if you write a post called "The Top-10 Most Famous Homes in [Your Market Here]," put a CTA at the end of the article that leads readers to a landing page featuring notable listings in your market. This is how you'll gradually grow your lead database over time.
"Infuse your marketing with your passion for real estate and life."
— Nicole Nicolay
2:30 p.m.: Brainstorm some ideas for long-form content.
When you're done publishing your content, brainstorm blog topics for the week(s) ahead. Even consider long-form pieces of content you can develop.
Reports, ebooks, infographics, and whitepapers may sound too boring for your audience, but there are plenty of ways to jazz them up and make them appealing to buyers and sellers. For instance, whitepapers these days aren't white at all: Many sites, apps, and software programs offer tools to uniquely style and structure your content, like Infogr.am and Visual.ly.
Don't think you have to spend too much time researching content to include in your long-form content. Examine popular real estate blogs, websites, organizations, and companies that regularly produce data to determine what you can incorporate in your content and prioritize your content creation for the upcoming weeks. You can even find inspiration for your content from your short-form pieces, like blog posts and interviews. Just know that creating this kind of extensive content reaps benefits regarding search results:
4:30 p.m.: Organize your email marketing campaign over coffee.
After your coffee meetings with clients and showing off some listings, look over your email marketing campaign to ensure everything is in order. There are generally a handful of email types agents should send leads, so analyze how each of those has performed.
In short, take stock of what you've sent recently and what you should send soon, based on your email analytics. Use software like InfusionSoft, MailChimp, or Constant Contact to keep tabs on how each email performs, including which have the highest clickthrough rates and lead to the most traffic back to your site.
5:15 p.m.: Update your IDX listings and webpages to end the day.
The final task of the day involves the core component of your real estate marketing: Your real estate website. Update your IDX listings accordingly, including modifying copy for any existing listings that require updates and adding new listings with photos. Once your IDX is adjusted, head to your other webpages, which have a big impact your inbound ranking. Update any copy as needed.
If your traffic numbers were low compared to previous weeks and months, use Google's Keyword Planner tool to figure out which keywords are popular and low competitive, and incorporate new terms across your site. Also, if you have a new offer for your audience, set up a dedicated landing page for it. Just make sure it's structured well, meaning it will help convert site visitors into leads.
Ensure all of your inbound marketing efforts are in order by using our Inbound Marketing for Real Estate Checklist.
How do you use inbound tactics in your real estate marketing? Share what works well for you in the comments below.
Published on August 8, 2014
Written by Matthew Bushery
I'm the Sr. Content Creator for Placester, where I educate real estate professionals about modern marketing and, in turn, help agents and brokers make the most of their online presence, earn more traffic, and generate more leads and business.


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30/10/2017 1 Comment
how to: plan a multi-country trip
I think travel planning is an acquired taste… one that is usually acquired after lots of practice. I used to feel totally overwhelmed when planning trips, but these days, it's one of my favourite forms of stress-relief. Still, there's so much to think about… where to go, when, what to do, and not least of all, how to get there. Over the years I've realized that there is an art to travel planning; especially if you, like I often do, want to visit multiple destinations on a single journey.
I'm currently planning a trip to the Nordic countries for summer 2018, so I thought I'd use it as an example as I talk (type?) you through my step-by-step process for planning a multi-country extravaganza. First things first: organization is absolutely necessary when compiling the info you need to make a smart travel plan. I like to keep it old school with paper and pens so I can jot down notes without needing to switch between even more web browser windows than I usually have when planning a trip. So, grab a notebook, and let's get started.
4/10/2017 0 Comments
Staying healthy While traveling
When it comes to staying healthy while traveling, I've definitely taken things to the extreme… in both directions. I've gone on trips where I abandon any sort of fitness regime, fully committing to the "f&$k it I'm on vacation" mentality… and then returning home feeling sluggish, uncomfortable in my body, and unhappy as a result. I've also been so dogmatic in my quest for fitness that I miss out making the most of my trip because I'm spending all my time working out, and skipping delicious local foods (case in point: the first time I went to Paris I did not eat a single dessert… more on this sad story later).
Fortunately, I've now come to a place where I've found a balance between maintaining healthy habits while on the road, and giving myself the freedom to enjoy myself. Here are some of my top tips:
All Africa Asia Australia Canada Destinations Ethiopia Health + Fitness Hiking Horseback Trips Layovers Long-term Travel Middle East Montreal Morocco Packing Lists Philippines Planning Quebec Road Trips Rwanda Technology Thoughts + Opinions Tips + Tricks Uganda United Arab Emirates
April 2018


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Your little one is blossoming into a beautiful young woman right in front of your eyes and it sure is an emotional transformation for the both of you. As we all know, a daughter's first bra is a stepping stone. So, let's make sure we give it the importance it deserves.
The Buttercups Little Women Teen Range emphasises the importance of material used as well as the fit to make sure the girls are starting off just right 🙂 From posture to all day comfort, these training bras and bottoms are just what the little darlings need. Made with a perfect blend of cotton and spandex, double layered to be worn under all types of clothing and strong yet comfortable elastic for great support, the Little Women Teen Range is an absolute must have for tweens and teens. A pop of colour and fun designs are sure to add to the excitement of bra shopping too 🙂
And, to make this a learning experience for both mums and daughters we've even got a dedicated page to answer all those awkward questions the girls may not want to ask right away 🙂


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Rolling Strong and Juan's Claws
September 23, 2017 @ 2:00 PM
Against the odds! Cinema and Disabilities
We are starting our first season of films with two F- Rated* productions that have not been screened in the English Southwest. Two talented Latin American directors: Mariana Vega Oroza from Perú and Alejandra Jiménez from Colombia -based in London for over 20 years- present their latest productions. They bravely followed the stories of people who despite their motor disabilities have succeeded… achieving their goals against all odds!
Juan's Claws (Las garras de Juan)
Director: Alejandra Jiménez, UK/Colombia, 2016, 22 mins, U, F-Rated
(in Spanish with English subtitles) Documentary, Drama, Animation
With: Juan Botero Bernal, Jorge Botero Bernal
Juan's Claws is a short documentary about the determination of a man, a friend, and his battle with an inherited disease -Friedreich's Ataxia - that debilitates all muscles in the body.
Working in between the genre of observational documentary and personal cinema, it follows Juan's journey to the middle of the jungle along the Don Diego River in the Sierra Nevada, Santa Marta – Colombia, his dream for his fortieth birthday celebration. He wanted to revisit his brother small hut hidden in an isolated area of the region and ride unaided along the small trails in his all-terrain wheelchair. Were his expectations fulfilled?
Official selection of Auckland Film Festival, Docs Without Border Festival / Human Spirit Short; Exceptional Merit for Viewer Impact: Content/Message Delivery. Award of Recognition: Disability Issues, Best Short Competition.
Alejandra Jiménez is a Colombian director, whose work moves between fiction and documentary with a mix media approach that merges film, photography and animation. Alejandra is also an animation lecturer at several institutions in London. Her short films have won several awards, and her work as animator/image manipulator can be seen in several shorts films and commercials.
Rolling Strong (Rodar contra todo)
Director: Marianela Vega Oroza, Perú, 2016, 74 mins U, F-Rated
(in Spanish with English subtitles) Documentary, Sports
With: Erik García, Bladimir Bolívar, Graciela Lanata, Alfredo Poemape, Manuel Benavides, César Tremolada
Rolling Strong is a feature-length documentary film that tells the story of the first wheelchair rugby team in Perú. They are a group of men and women from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds who got together in 2012 to play a new sport of which they knew little about. The film follows them for two years, showing their process of coming together as a team, the excitement of their first international tournaments and the goals, dreams and motivations that guide their everyday struggle on and off the court.
Rolling Strong was screened in 2016 Together Film Festival (London), DocFeed (Netherlands), World Film Festival (Tartu, Estonia), San Diego Latino Film Festival (California, USA, Cine Las Americas Film Festival (Austin, Texas, USA).
Marianela Vega Oroza is a Peruvian director, MFA in Film Production at the University of Texas at Austin, where she received honours for her artistic and academic achievements. She has directed several short films which have been screened at numerous international film festivals. Rolling Strong (Rodar contra todo) is her first feature length film. Marianela is also a teacher at University level in Lima. "Combining different formats, genres and visual elements, she approaches filmmaking from an intimate point of view. Her films are a personal journey through themes such as identity, family and memory".
Alejandra Jiménez will be answering questions after the screening in Trowbridge and Marianela Vega via Skype from Perú.
With thanks to 'Blue Producciones' and Alejandra Jiménez
*The F-Rating is a classification for any film which is directed by a woman &/or is written by a woman &/or features significant women on screen in their own right. The rating is designed to support and promote women and redress the imbalance in the film industry.
ROLLING STRONG (trailer) from marianela on Vimeo.


text: Ever since I was very young I've been accused of staring at people's faces. There are times when I physically cannot pull my eyes away, the draw is so intense. It might be a feeling of broken-ness or humility, courage or strength, or the relationship between someone with their work or environment, animal or family that draws me to them. Often, it is discovering those that are not seen, hidden in the shadows, that call to me the most.


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I am an outpatient provider of non-emergency psychotherapy services. Therefore, in the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, or an emergency involving a threat to your safety or the safety of others, please call 911, or you may contact the following crisis phone numbers for additional assistance:
Suicide and Crisis Service: 1-855-278-4204 (Toll-free)
Additional Resources:
I highly recommend reading as part of an overall health and wellness plan. Awareness is the first stop of the healing journey and I found the below books to be very helpful in developing new insights, awareness and tools.
I 'd be happy to discuss and work through any of the material in the below books.
Healing Trauma
"Complex PTSD, from Surviving to Thriving" – Pete Walker
"Bouncing Back" – Linda Graham
"The Body Keeps the Score" - Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
"The Body Remembers" – Babette Rotcschild
"Trauma & the Body" – Ogden, Minten & Pain
"Healing Trauma" – Solomon & Siegel
"The Deepest Well" – Nadine Burke Harris, MD
"In an Unspoken Voice" – Peter Levine
"Waking the Tiger" – Peter Levine
"The Heart of Trauma" – Bonnie Badenoch
"Getting in Touch" – Christine Caldwell, PhD
"The Mindful Path to Self Compassion" – Christopher Germer
"Healing Development Trauma" – Heller & La Pierre
"The Empaths Survival Guide" – Judith Orloff, MD
"Emotional Freedom" – Judith Orloff, MD
"In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" – Gabor Mate, MD
"It didn't start with you" – Mark Wolynn
"Drama of the Gifted Child – Alice Miller
"The Betrayal Bond" – Patrick J Carnes, PhD
Spirituality and Awaking
"Care of the Soul" - Thomas Moore
"In Touch, Tune in to the Inner Guidance of your Body and Trust Yourself"- John J Prederast, PhD
"The Sacred Mirror, Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy" - John Predergast
"A Mind at Home with Itself" – Byron Katie
"Loving What is" – Byron Katie
"The Alchemist" – Paulo Coelho
"The New Earth" – Eckhart Tolle
"The Power of Now" – Eckhart Tolle
"A Path with Heart" – Jack Kornfield
"Anatomy of Spirit" – Caroline Myss, PhD
"Essential Spirituality" – Roger Walsh
"Conversations with God" – Neale Donald Walsh
"Awakening the Heart" – John Welwood
"Fingerprints of God" – Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Co-Dependency and Addictions
"In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" – Gabor Mate, MD
"Conquering Shame and Codependency – Darlene Lancer, MFT
"Codependent No More" – Melody Beaty
"The Betrayal Bond" – Patrick J Carnes, PhD
"Adult Children of Alcoholics"- JC Wolitz
"Woman Sex and Addiction" – Charlotte Davis Kasl, PhD
"Escape from Intimacy" – Anne Wilson Schaef
"Changing Course" – Claudia Black, PhD
"Love Hunger" – Dr. Frank Minirth & Dr. Paul Meier
"Facing Love Addiction" – Pia Mellody
"Healing your Aloneness" – Erike J. Choich & Margaret Paul
"Aching for Love" – Mary Ann Klausner & Bobbie Hasselbring
"Ready to Heal" – Kelly McDaniel
"Addiction to Love" – Susan Peabody
Dealing with Manipulative/Challenging People
"Emotional Blackmail" – Susan Forward, PhD
"Wolfe in Sheeps Clothing" – George Simon Jr. PhD
"The Secret to Overcoming Verbal Abuse – Albert Ellish, PhD
"Surviving a Borderline Parent" – Rogth & Friedman
"Toxic Parents" – Susan Forward, PhD
"Character Distrubance" – George Simon Jr. PhD
"The Buddha and the Borderline" – Van Gelder
"Narcissism" – Alexander Lowen, MD
"Rethinking Narcissism" – Dr. Craig Malkin
"Narcissistic Lovers" – Cynthia Zayn & Kevin Dibble, MS
"The object of my Affection is in my Reflection" – Rockelle Lerner
"Becoming the Narcissists Nightmare" – Shahida Arabi
Neuroscience & Neuroplasticity
"Hardwired for Happiness" – Rick Hanson, PhD
"Buddha's Brain" – Rick Hanson, PhD
"The Developing Mind" – Dan Siegel
"Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology" – Dan Siegel
"Mindsight" – Dan Siegel
"Full Catastrophe Living" – John Kabat Zinn, PhD
"Don't Bite the Hook" – Pema Chodron
"When Things Fall Apart" – Pema Chodron
"The Places that Scare You" – Pema Chodron
"Start Where you are" – Pema Chodron
"Getting Unstuck, Breaking your Habitual Patterns & Encountering Naked Reality" - Pema Chodrom
"The Miracle of Mindfullness" - Thich Nhat Hanh
" Peace is Every Step" – Thich Nhat Hanh
" The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" - Thich Nhat Hanh
"Going on Being" – Mark Epstein
"Going to Pieces without Falling Apart" - Mark Epstein
Relationships and Parenting
"Parenting from the Inside Out" – Dan Siegel
"Attached" – Levine & Heller
"Hold me Tight" – Doctor Sue Johnson
"Love Sense" - Doctor Sue Johnson
"Passionate Marriage" – David Schnarsch, PhD
"Men, Woman & Relationships" – John Gray, PhD
"The Intimacy Factor" – Mellody
"How to be an Adult in Relationship" – David Richo
"The Human Magnet Syndrome" – Ross Rosenberg
"Grown Up Marriage" – Judith Viorst
"Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships" – John Welwood
"Love & Awakening" – John Welwood
"Embracing Each Other" – Stone & Winkelman
"Getting the Love You Want" – Harville Hendrix, PhD
"The Seven Principles to Making Marriages Work" – John M Gottman PhD
"Intimacy & Solitude" – Stephanie Dowrick
"The Five Love Languages" – Gary Chapman
"On Love and Loneliness" – Krisnamurti
"The Enlightened Relationship" – Steve Smith, LMFT
"The Sacred Fire, Love as a Spiritual Path" – Henry James Borys
"The Art of Loving" – Eric Fromm
" A Path for Couples" – George Taylor, MFT
Overall Health/Happiness and Well Being
"How do we choose to be Happy" – Rick Foster
"Stumbling on Happiness" – Daniel Gilbert
"Taming your Gremlin" – Richard D Carson
"Notes on how to live in the world and still be happy" – Hugh Prather
"Learned Optimism" – Martin Siegelman, PhD
"Handbook to Higher Consciousness" – Keys
"Embracing Ourselves" – Hal Stone PhD, & Sidra Winkleman PhD
"The Anatomy of Change" – Richard Heckler
"The Book of Hope" – DeRosis & Pellegrino
"Wishes Fulfilled" – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
"The Six Pillars to Self Esteem" – Nathaniel Braden
"Self Esteem" – McKay & Fanning
"Feeling Good" – David D Burns, MD
"SuperSurvivors" – David B. Feldman, PhD & Lee Daniel Kravetz
"The 100 Secrets of Happy People" – David Niven, PhD
"Emotional Intelligence 2.0" – Travis Bradberry & Jean Graeves
Woman's Studies
"A Woman's Worth" – Joan Borynsenko, PhD
"A Woman's Worth" – Marrianne Williamson
"Woman and the Blues" – Jennifer James
"Woman, Food and God" – Geneen Roth
"To be a Woman" – Connie Zweig
"Woman's Mysteries" – M. Esther Harding
"The Tao of Womanhood" – Diane Dreher
Sexual Abuse/ Incest Healing
"The Right to Innocence" – Beverly Engel, MFCC
"Secret Survivors" – E. Sue Blume
"The Survivors Guide to Sex" – Staci Haines


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"Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called 'All the Things that Could Go Wrong.'" – Marianna Williamson
We wish all children were able to live this carefree in their childhood, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Child abuse haunts many children and families. Most feel it can't happen to us or people we know, but we are wrong! Child abuse is happening everywhere and to those we know whether they speak about it or not. While we may not be aware of what is happening, The Children's Safety Center is there to help these children and their families.
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Dream Big Charity Gala. In the last 10 years the Children's Safety Center has helped over 6,000 child abuse victims and their families. Let us repeat that, over 6,000 children! The CSC is able to provide FREE programs for these children through the support of you and this gala. Unlike many events in the area, every dollar we raise stays local to support children in our community. Last year's gala alone helped 137 children. The CSC is already seeing an increase in the number of cases this year and they need our help now more than ever. The CSC provides forensic interviews, medical examinations, advocacy, and therapy for these children, but more importantly, they remind them to continue to DREAM BIG.
As Co-Chairmen of the Dream Big Charity Gala, we would like to thank all the committee members, volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly to put on this amazing event. Without them none of this would be possible, to see these amazing people in action is awe-inspiring and thank you doesn't seem quite enough.
On behalf of the Children's Safety Center, we would like to thank you for your attendance and support of the 10th annual Dream Big Charity Gala! The only way the CSC is able to provide support to their children and families is with YOUR help and donations.
Have an amazing time, give generously, and remember that every child, whether big or small, deserves to DREAM BIG!
Kara Dearien - Walmart & Sarah White – Saatchi & Saatchi X
2017 Dream Big Gala Co-Chairs


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How to buy the best barbecue
What to look for before cooking in the great outdoors
All about outdoor cooking
As we all know, things taste a little better on a barbecue and we're here to help you work out which is the best kind of BBQ for your needs, based on size, style and cost.
- What size BBQ do I need?
- What BBQ fuel type should I get?
- Safety considerations if you're barbecuing on a balcony
- What features do I need to look for when buying a BBQ?
- How much should I pay?
Want to know how we get our review results? Check out how we test barbecues.
For tips on maintaining your barbecue barbecue and gas cylinders check how to keep your BBQ safe.
For tips on keeping your barbecue clean read our article on how to clean your BBQ.
Video: Handy tips for buying a home barbecue
What size BBQ do I need?
When it comes time to buy a new barbecue, you have three important factors to consider:
- How much money do I want to spend?
- How big is my entertaining area?
- How many people will I be barbecuing for (most of the time)?
- What fuel type do I need?
Portable BBQs
These small models are perfect to for travel or smaller balconies.
- Lightweight, easy to lift and mobile.
- Ideal for impromptu get-togethers on the verandah or weekend outings.
- Can come with detachable shelves or as a table top option.
- Available in all fuel types: charcoal (not suitable for balconies), LPG, electricity or propane.
Small BBQ
Larger than a travel barbecue, but small enough to suit balconies.
- Ideal if you're after something more permanent in your backyard; some models can accommodate cooking for around 4 to 6 people.
- Often mostly pre-assembled. Just unpack and place on a trolley or a bench.
- You may have to cook in batches when you have guests over.
- Some offer all the features of the larger style BBQs, such as a hood, char-grill plate, solid hotplate and foldable side tables.
- Easy to move around.
- Available in all fuel types: charcoal (not suitable for balconies), LPG, electricity or propane.
Large BBQ
Suitable for backyards and if you entertain often.
- Takes up more space in the backyard, is more costly and requires extra cleaning effort.
- May require significant construction and have many heavy parts.
- Some retailers provide delivery of the BBQ fully assembled for a fee; if it's around $100 it'd be wise to take up the offer.
- Most come with a storage cupboard and side tables.
- Can have a side burner.
- Ensure you have a designated area for your gas bottle.
What BBQ fuel type should I get: gas, electric or charcoal?
Most common fuel in Australia, its instant heat source and adjustable temperatures make barbecuing simple.
- Natural gas: If you have this plumbed in and are building an outdoor kitchen, this would be the best option as you aren't moving it around. All you need are the natural gas fittings and to direct a pipe to the area and connect it to the barbecue. Most can be converted to natural gas which is much cheaper than LPG.
- LPG (liquid propane gas): These bottles simply connect to the supplied hose and there's usually an area to store the bottle in your BBQ. Bottles come in various sizes. While easy to move, knowing how much gas is left in the bottle is tricky. A gas regulator gauge will indicate when it's getting low so you won't run out halfway during a cook, this is also designed to shut the gas supply during a leak or regulator fail. Refilling the gas bottle or using Swap and Go can be done at local hardware stores and service stations. An 8.5kg gas bottle can cost around $25 to swap.
All BBQs we test have a gas consumption reading and running costs over 5 years.
- Electric BBQs need a power outlet close by.
- Compact and easy to move, most come with a stand or mobile trolley.
- Suitable for balconies and patios and can be taken to powered camping and caravan sites.
- Constant power, so you never run out of fuel.
- Some have non-stick hotplaces which are easy to clean buy you may not get the result you're after. Look for an electric BBQ that has a solid chargrill plate and can get to a temperature of around 300C.
Require patience and practise to get right, but end results are more flavourful.
- A chimney starter will help light the lump charcoal or briquettes evenly and more quickly.
- Can take up to 40 minutes to get the charcoal to temperature.
- Need good ventilation as they produce a lot of smoke and cinders.
- Only have a chargrill plate, so food juices and fat can drip onto the charcoal to produce the smoke and infuse the food.
- Can be costly, around $5 per 2kg of charcoal.
Safety considerations if you're barbecuing on a balcony
Barbecuing accidents are more likely to occur if you live an apartment block. Before buying a new gas barbecue for your balcony:
- Check the by-laws for your complex and/or the owner's corporation (previously called the body corporate) to see if there are any restrictions on using a gas barbecue on your balcony. It could be obscurely listed in the storing of hazardous material, i.e. an LPG gas cylinder.
- Check for restrictions in your contract if you're leasing.
If you're permitted to have a gas babrbecue on your balcony:
- Never store more than one gas cylinder and never place these indoors.
- Make sure it's used in a very well-ventilated space. Barbecuing in an enclosed balcony is not advisable – even those with louvres, café blinds, or a significant amount of privacy screening could be a very risky venture.
What features do I need to look for when buying a BBQ?
Getting the grill/hotplate mix right in a BBQ
Most cooks suggest you look for a half-grill, half-hotplate cooking surface, although a larger barbecue provides more flexibility, allowing you to use more of the surface you need and leave part of the barbecue unused. Cast iron hotplates are more susceptible to rust; if you live in a coastal area, enamel or stainless steel hotplates are recommended.
What's a good BBQ finish? Steel? Enamel?
Exterior finishes include painted surfaces, vitreous enamel and stainless steel.
- Paint is the cheapest finish and can scratch or flake off over time.
- Vitreous enamel is tougher and more durable.
- Stainless steel is also very durable but can discolour when heated, and shows smudges and fingerprints more readily than other surfaces.
Stainless steel has varying degrees of quality. To check the quality, place a magnet on all stainless steel areas. If it sticks, the stainless steel is more likely to rust; if it doesn't, it's better quality.
What should I look for in a BBQ hood?
A good hood will open enough so it doesn't blow smoke in your face with reasonable resistance against accidental closing from gusts of wind etc. Double-skin hoods will reduce the external temperature. Make sure it's easy to access all of the cooking area as some hoods can restrict access with the warming plates.
What should I focus on when looking at BBQ controls?
Look for clearly labeled controls with positive stops at both the high and low position. Check to see that they are easy to grip and turn. Knobs that slant out from the fascia are easier to see, ensuring you don't have to bend over.
What types of ignition are there for BBQs?
Ignition types are usually piezo or electronic. Piezo is where you press a button or one of the gas knobs and it generates a spark to ignite the gas. Some piezo systems direct a jet of flame into the burners to light them more reliably. Electronic ignition uses a battery to create a spark.
What's a sensible design in a BBQ?
Large side trays are useful for placing food and utensils on but be careful not to place plastic items too close to the barbecue as they may melt. Hood handles should have enough space so you don't burn your hands on the hot panel behind them.
The fat tray should be easy to access and replace. It should also be self-centering so it catches all the fat.
Look inside the barbecue for minimal cracks and crevices where dirt and grime can accumulate. A curved interior allows fat to drip down into the drip tray and is easier to clean.
Should I get a side/wok burner?
Often included in larger barbecues, this additional burner is very handy for stir fries; look for a model with double or triple ring burner which delivers a higher heat setting, making it more versatile and a better performer. A cover over the side burner is also handy for extra useable space. Look for a recessed burner so it's protected on windy days.
How useful is a BBQ with a rotisserie?
Most of the large barbecue models currently available can accommodate a rotisserie and some also have am infrared back burner, which is perfect for roasting a chook. An electric rotisserie turner can be a handy feature as it allows you to deal with another cooking task while turning the meat at a consistent rate.
What are the benefits of a BBQ with a trolley?
There are many different trolleys available so look out for the features that will suit your specific needs, such as cupboards or a side burner.
- If you need to move the trolley, even only occasionally, it will be a lot easier if it has four castors.
- If the trolley only has two wheels, check that it is not too heavy to lift the other end for moving and that there are no sharp edges where you grip it.
- Stainless steel trolleys require extra attention when cleaning due to smudges and finger prints. Some may also rust in certain environments.
- A gas bottle hook or area for the bottle to sit in the cupboard.
How much should I pay?
Portable/Small BBQs: Usually have one or two burners and range from just under $200 to around $800. For the higher prices, you should expect to get extra features such as electronic gas ignition, fold-out side tables and a more solid construction.
Large backyard/entertaining BBQs: with three or more burners, come in a range of prices from under $300 to over $2500.
There's a range of different features that can account for a hefty price tag, and you may find the bargain barbecue won't last as long as a pricier model. Look for a barbecue with a solid construction that uses quality materials, as they'll be out in the elements so they need protection.


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Ricky Zililo
Highlanders have paid striking players their two months' salaries, ending a three-week wage protest.
Payment of the January and February salaries is expected to bring normalcy to the club, whose pre-season programme went up in jeopardy.
Bosso sponsors, NetOne, reportedly came to the rescue of the club depositing salaries into the players' accounts on Tuesday evening, with the final batch of February wages paid up by lunchtime yesterday.
The players boycotted the club's meeting aimed at informing them about the revised training schedule yesterday morning. Only midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku turned up for the 9.30AM meeting and went on to do some physical training.
According to sources, the players returning from strike had to be cleared by the club's management before attending training.
"The guys agreed not to attend the meeting because we wanted to first confirm if indeed our January and February salaries had gone through. What the guys feared was that some got their January and February salaries once on Tuesday, while some got paid for one month on Tuesday and the fear was that maybe those who had not received salaries for two months were going to have some money deducted. Now that we've been paid in full, we are going to training tomorrow and we will hear from the management on the way forward," said a player.
Another player questioned why management wanted them cleared at the office before going for training.
"We were told by our teammates that they made them write a letter stating why one was absent from work, yet they know that we were on strike waiting to be paid. We think once we write those letters they will come back to haunt us," said the player.
Efforts to get a comment from Highlanders' chairman Kenneth Mhlophe, chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube or communications officer Ronald Moyo were fruitless.
With three weeks of pre-season training wasted and only two weeks left before the 2019 season kicks off, Highlanders are likely to complete their programme when the season is already underway.
However, Bosso players who were on strike claim to be fit saying they had been working out at the gym.
Highlanders have a demanding schedule at the beginning of the season, starting their campaign with an away trip to Black Rhinos in Harare.
Bosso will play a blockbuster against Caps United at Barbourfields Stadium in the second week before travelling to the capital to face Harare City in their third game.
Highlanders will then play host to Triangle United on Matchday Four before travelling to Bindura for a date against new boys Mushowani Stars. The Chronicle


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Chest GainZ Phase 1
Chest GainZ Phase 1
The GainZ series are programs developed by IFBB Pro Autumn Cleveland. The Arm GainZ Phase 1 is designed to help you shape the chest you have always wanted, with a focus on hitting this muscle group at least once a week.
Included is one workout, Lifting Tips, and absolutely no guesswork as the sets, reps, and rest time are already laid out for you.
Simple and Effective Training.


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South Korea import sales fall 16% in November due to VW-Audi fall-out
Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea continued to decline in November, by 15.8% to 19,361 units from 22,991 units a year earlier, according to data released by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
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Whether you need to book a private dining room, cater a business meeting or special event, we have the expertise to craft your perfect private event and the flawless service to make it a success.
- Private Dining
- Catering
From memorable meals to life's milestone celebrations, happy hours with friends to distinctive corporate events, Ruth's Chris Steak House at the River Spirit Casino Resort offers a refreshingly modern take on the traditional steakhouse experience.
World-class dining with a home town welcome: When a town can trace its roots back to the cattle industry, you can bet we take our steaks seriously. But not without first creating a welcoming place for our guests to enjoy them.
Inside our signature red doors, dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the Arkansas River, while elegant stonework and a custom carpet inspired by the Indian Blanket flower create a rustic elegance. A curved mural wall near coveted banquettes celebrates our city's heritage and that of our legendary steakhouse's founder, Ruth Fertel.
An inviting bar plus private event spaces: Whether you gather around our communal table lit by artfully repurposed glass bottles or relax into one of our cozy tufted booths, you'll find a bar area that invites guests to linger longer and enjoy this stylish space. A glassed-in wine room showcases popular pours to award-winning vintages.
Three separate event spaces expand as needed, each equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual, ideal for business or social gatherings.
All with Ruth's signature sizzle. While our world-famous USDA Prime steaks, distinct bone-in cuts and their signature sizzle already have Tulsa talking, you'll also find fresh seafood, scratch-made sides and desserts, hand-crafted cocktails and award-winning wines, all served up with the sort of warm hospitality that would make our namesake proud.
Take a tour of Ruth's Chris Tulsa before you dine.
Whether you need to book a private dining room, cater a business meeting or special event, we have the expertise to craft your perfect private event and the flawless service to make it a success.
Reserve your seat for our Veuve Clicquot TasteMaker Dinner featuring 5 courses inspired by the winery's deep French heritage.View Menu & Book
Enjoy 3 seasonal courses starting at $45.95*
This varietal's fuller body, higher tannins and dark fruit flavors make it the perfect complement to a well-seared steak.Explore our wines
Whet your appetite with sizzling shrimp. Sautéed New Orleans style with reduced white wine, butter, garlic and spices.Explore appetizers
Your New Favorite Summertime Pairing Is Here
We offer valet service & complimentary self-parking near the restaurant at the River Spirit Hotel & Spa.
Dress Code
Kindly remove your hat when entering the restaurant.
Thank you for not wearing: Gym wear or sweat pants, tank tops, clothing with offensive graphics or language, midriff-baring outfits, or exposed undergarments.


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We talked a lot about Gigi Hadid's style here at Shoe Embassy, and can you blame us?
If you've a been feeling like we're due for a new sneaker trend, you're not alone. It's not a secret that Gigi's footwear style choice is usually trainers.
Whether she's running between fashion shows or hanging with her friends off-duty, you can almost always spot her in a sweet pair of sneakers.
This week, Gigi gave us a lesson in how to wear one of the Pantone's top ten SS17 – ORANGE/FLAME.
The model opted for multiple orange accessories, wearing sunglasses with tangerine-coloured lenses and lace-up plimsolls in bright orange. Her look was classically Californian, as paired her sunset orange accessories with light blue cropped jeans, a white T-shirt and an orange and baby blue fur jacket.
Here at Shoe Embassy we re-created the look with our Happy Sneakers in BLUE/NIAGARA colour from the SS17 Spring Palette.
Shop the edit:
Sneakers: Shoe Embassy – Happy, Faux Fur Jacket: John Lewis, Top: & Other Stories, Jeans: Topshop, Sunglasses: Asos, Bag: Mango.
Stay Connected! New colours are coming!
Discover all our AW16 collection on ShoeEmbassy.com.
Follow us on Instagram @ShoeEmbassy_official and Be our #ShoeAmbassador.
Do you need more inspiration for you daily outfit? Check our Pinterest.


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Despite the winter season in Europe, Ludo is back on the streets of Paris in France with a brand new piece which is entitled "Love After All".
As usual with the French street artist, he brought to life an oversized artwork featuring some of his signature elements. Great start of the year for Ludo!
Take a look at an extra image below and keep checking back with us for more street art updates from the streets of Europe and beyond.


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English Paper Piecing: Beyond the Basics
English Paper Piecing: Beyond the Basics
Helen Stubbings
Go beyond the hexagon and see how fussy cutting takes your piecing to the next level.
Curiously Similar
Take a tour through time-saving English paper-piecing techniques, and learn why this portable process has become a quilting craze!
Discover paperless paper piecing, the must-have technique that eliminates the hassle of traditional methods to deliver incredible results!
Master essential wedge techniques to create Dresden plate blocks, gorgeous borders and your most dynamic quilts yet!
Join the discussion! While your instructor may choose to chime in, this space is intended as a maker-to-maker forum.
Related Reading
Look around your workspace — do you tend to collect and use specific colors of fabric, yarn, thread or other materials? That's totally normal: Designers, artists and makers often gravitate to the same shades over and over again. But, as you start thinking about your fall projects, consider breaking out of your color comfort zone! Working with less familiar hues is a good challenge and can even help bring your work in new directions.
Let's be honest, with so many amazing fabric artists all over Instagram, it's impossible to pick favorites. But that doesn't mean you can't try! Here are five very different artists we're loving seeing in our feeds.


text: I was trying out something that didn't work, but at least tried to get to an end. So that's why this is an exercise for me. Playing it might be a nice exercise too. The score is at my site. I have a feeling I have used some Bach theme, but don't know for sure or, if I did, which one.


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Welcome to saveyourpavement.com, and thank you for taking the time to visit our site! Did you know that having a professionally maintained parking lot can Help Increase your curb appeal helping you increase sales and expose you to many new customers? So now ask yourself this question, "Can I afford NOT to have a my asphalt surface sealcoated by experts?
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I have to say that I am completely enchanted with the FabFitFun subscription box. You get full size, premium products delivered four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) and shipping is free! A $200 value for only $50. That's impressive enough in itself. This spring box was all about growth, rebirth, and inspiration. The products included are:
- Herb Garden by MakersKit
- Countour Kit by Ish
- Bath Bomb Trinity by Jus D' Amour
- Keratin Gloves and Socks
- Tag (Inspiration) Necklace by Jook and Nona
- Shaving emulsion Lotion by HelloLegs
- Argan and Hemp Oil Therapy by Marrakesh
- Yoga Mat Strap by Merrithew
- $25 Gift Card by 31 Bits
- $30 Gift Cards by Sterling Forever
I've tried all of these items and I am obsessed with them! The Argan and Hemp Oil, Contour Kit, and Herb Garden have to be my favorite things. The oil smells incredibly good and leaves my hair so soft. You only need the smallest amount to work through your hair for smooth results. I've always wanted to have my own little herb garden and this could not be any cuter. Everything is included for the DIY making it a cinch to grow some tasty herbs all within the comfort of your home. Lastly, the contour kit takes the scary out of the contouring process, making it simple and fun filled with a boost of confidence when you see the finished product!
Use the code ENCHANTING to get $10 off of your subscription at FabFitFun
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We've just returned from Eurobike, the world's most significant cycle trade show, where we were on a mission to find the best tech coming to a road or trail near you.
Use the comments section below to let us know what you think about all the new bikes, components and more.
CeramicSpeed Driven
One of the most photographed bikes at this year's Eurobike trade show, Driven is CeramicSpeed's concept drivetrain that has been designed in partnership with the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Colorado, to set a new standard in efficiency, removing the chain and derailleur for maximum power transfer.
According to CeramicSpeed, Driven creates 49% less friction when compared to the market leading drivetrain. "A traditional chain and derailleur drivetrain contains eight points of sliding friction, which is generated from the articulation of the chain at these points. Driven impressively eliminates all eight points of sliding friction."
Driven uses CeramicSpeed bearings in a pinion style drive shaft system – there's a total of 21 bearings which transfer torque from the front ring through the drive shaft, then onto the 13-speed rear cog.
The best of the rest…


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Red Deer County councillors approved capital and operating budgets for 2014 during their regular meeting Tuesday.
A sole amendment was made to the budget drafted earlier this month, with $500,000 added for snow plowing.
That funding is the result of "the larger amount of snow at this point in the winter", according to a county release. Final operating budget was approved at $42,200,981, and capital at $21,828,169.
The latter dropped by more than $4 million, due to a decrease in the number of large-scale projects.
In the release, Mayor Jim Wood said council was "very happy" with the budget.
"We feel this will allow us to carry on the high levels of service to our ratepayers without a significant impact on taxes."
Director of Corporate Services Heather Gray also voiced her approval.
"The budget is both sensible and aggressive in terms of balancing services with costs," she said. "Ratepayers will be pleased to know the county remains in a healthy financial position."
More information, including a list of budget highlights, is available on the county's website at www.rdcounty.ca.


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Penguins' Tristan Jarry, Pirates' Pablo Reyes compete for catch of the night
Let's play a little game of "who wore it better?"
Both candidates are from Pittsburgh. Both stylishly flashed a glove on their left hand.
Our first contestant is Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. Killing a penalty, up 1-0 on the road against the Red Wings during Wednesday's preseason game, Jarry made this stellar save on Anthony Mantha.
Not only was Jarry sound on that save, he was excellent between the pipes all night. Jarry stopped 41 of 44 shots before losing 3-2 in overtime.
His opponent today is Pirates rookie Pablo Reyes. Leading off the third inning against Chris Archer, Kansas City's Whit Merrifield ripped a line drive into right field. It was sinking fast. And Reyes, playing yet another position, made a tremendous diving catch.
Check out how he manages to read the angle instantly and position his glove under the quickly sinking ball to make the catch.
Reyes has been nothing but good. He doesn't look lost at any of the numerous positions which he has played. He's hitting well, too, with an average of .423.
So who wore it better? I say it's Reyes by an eyelash. Jarry's glove was true, but Mantha helped by picking his spot right in the center of it. Reyes completely stole that hit. And if the ball gets by him there, it may go for a triple.
So which catch was better?
Who wore it better? You pick. Whose glove hand flashed better last night? https://t.co/bpLUiVTmkW Was it Pablo Reyes? Or Tristan Jarry? Who had the better catch with the glove? I went with Reyes. @TribSports @TribLIVE #BreakfastWithBenz
— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) September 20, 2018


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Lawsuit by Hobby Lobby is assertion of First Amendment rights
Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby is the first non-Catholic business to file a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' contraception and abortifacient mandate, alleging it violates the freedoms of religion, speech and association.
The Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby, are Christians who conduct business operations according to biblical principles. Among other examples, they employ full-time chaplains and close their more than 500 stores every Sunday. To provide employees with insurance that covers abortifacients, as the mandate requires, would not be consistent with these principles. Yet if the Greens fail to comply, they'll face fines of up to $1.3 million a day.
The discussion of whether the mandate abridges religious liberty has so far focused on the administration's definition of what constitutes a "religious institution" for the purposes of an exemption from the mandate. Historically, all sectarian institutions with a ministerial mission have qualified as religious institutions. Under the HHS mandate, only churches qualify. That is too narrow a definition.
The Hobby Lobby case, though, underscores that First Amendment rights apply first and foremost to individuals. Whether Hobby Lobby as a business exists to fulfill a religious mission or simply to make a profit is immaterial. Either individuals have a right to freely exercise religion — to allow religion to inform not just their private beliefs, but also their public actions, including the way they engage in business and commerce — or they don't. The Obama administration claims they don't; the Constitution says they do.
- Related to this story
- Article: Kathleen Parker: Mechanical Romney on display again
While the federal government has at times outlawed particular religious practices, so far it hasn't compelled individuals to positively act against their religious beliefs — except, arguably, by paying taxes. (Pacifists still have to pay taxes that fund wars, for example.) Taxes are the price we pay to live in a governed society.
That's precisely why the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision classifying the Obamacare noncompliance penalty as a tax is so devastating; it makes the argument that Obamacare compels people to act against their consciences harder to make. Essentially, Chief Justice John Roberts said employers do have a choice under Obamacare: Provide employees with health insurance that meets the administration's requirements or pay a tax.
To be sure, a judge could say otherwise — and has, even since Roberts' ruling. In a case brought in Colorado by the Catholic-owned-and-operated Hercules Indus-tries, District Judge John Kane issued a temporary injunction against enforcement of the mandate. The public interest in free exercise of religion, Kane said, outweighs the government lawyers' argument that people of faith forfeit their religion when they engage in business.
Indeed it does. I hope the judge who hears the Hobby Lobby case agrees. Still, if we learned anything from the Supreme Court ruling this summer, it's that we can't count on the courts to deliver us from Obamacare. Nothing but a full repeal will restore to individuals the right to refrain from engaging in commerce, conscience-violating or otherwise.
Korbe is policy impact director at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.