Mack and Mark

Here are some warning signs that a person you have met or are starting a relationship with may be a Narcissist.

He may blame every error of his, every failure or mishap on other people, or on the world at large.

He may be hypersensitive to ribbing and insults. He may treat children or animals with little care and respect.

He may be too keen to get more time together and create a fast and furious relationship.

He can immediately cast you in the role of the love of his life and press for exclusivity and instant intimacy. He may text or phone you incessantly, or need to know where you are at all times.

He may not respect your boundaries and privacy, or may ignore your wishes, or want to be included in everything you do.

He may tend to want to control the situation and you compulsively, eg insist you ride in his car, hold on to the car keys, the money, or the theatre tickets. He may disapprove if you are away for too long, and interrogate you when you return. He may insist on a certain way of dressing.

He may act in a patronizing and condescending manner and criticise you often. He may emphasise your smallest faults (devalues you) even as he exaggerates your talents, traits, and skills (idealises you).

He may be wildly unrealistic in his expectations from you, from himself, from the budding relationship, and from life in general.

He may tell you that you make him feel good. Next thing, he may tell you that you make him feel bad, or that you make him feel violent, or that you provoke him.

He adopts a physical posture which implies and exudes an air of superiority, seniority, hidden powers, mysteriousness or amused indifference.

He takes part in social interactions and banter condescendingly, from a position of superiority.

He may ask for special treatment of some kind. Not to wait his turn, to have a longer or a shorter therapeutic session, to talk directly to authority figures (and not to their assistants or secretaries), to be granted special payment terms, to enjoy custom tailored arrangements, and can
frequently and embarrassingly dress down service providers such as waiters or taxi drivers.

He flatters, adores, admires and applauds you in an embarrassingly exaggerated and profuse manner.

In general, he prefers show-off to substance and is shallow. He will not admit to ignorance or to errors in any field.

He may brag incessantly. His speech is peppered with I, my, myself, and mine. He describes himself as intelligent, or rich, or modest, or intuitive, or creative, but always excessively, implausibly, and extraordinarily so.

His past life may sound unusually rich and complex. His achievements often seem beyond his age and education. Yet, his actual condition is in reality incompatible with his claims. He name-drops and appropriates other people’s experiences and accomplishments as his own.

He likes to talk about himself and only about himself. He is not interested in others or what they have to say. He is never reciprocal. He acts disdainful, even angry, if he feels an intrusion on his precious time.

In general, he is very impatient, easily bored, with strong attention deficits, unless and until he is the topic of discussion.

If you ask him about his emotions, he will intellectualise, rationalise, or talk about himself in the third person and in a detached scientific tone.

He may become enraged when required to examine his motives, fears, hopes, wishes, and needs.

He is usually very serious about himself. He may possess a fabulous sense of humour, scathing and cynical, but rarely does he make jokes at his own expense.

If you have found that you are already in a relationship with a Narcissist, and would like relationship counselling, or help in leaving a Narcissist, contact us at the Hart Centre Australia. We have over 50 Psychologists around Australia who have been educated in Narcissism and can knowledgably help you in dealing with your situation. We also offer Skype sessions for overseas clients or those you can’t attend one of our centres. Phone Australia 1300 830 553, or +617 55190004

The furniture you use in your office will make a huge impact on your clients, a successful office turning your dreams into a reality. It is therefore important that you take many factors into consideration when purchasing your office furniture Sydney.

There are indeed a variety of ways that you can kit out your office these days and these include buying locally, taking advantage of office clearances and sales, and of course buying online. It is essential you know your budget and that you stick to it, but at the same time you need to make sure that your work space is inviting both to staff as well as clients and guests.

The correct furniture, fixture and fittings can make the difference between a successful and smoothly running business and a failure, and when you will spend many gruelling hours in your office setting up shop, you will need to be comfortable in your surroundings. Your employees also need to have all the correct accessories and furniture to ensure that they work to their optimum; there really is no room here for scrimping and saving.

When shopping for your office furniture Sydney, firstly you will need to be clear in your mind as to what you will require; computer tables, filing cabinets and welcoming sofas and executive furniture are really a must these days. An office that does not provide an attractive and comfortable environment for its workers simply is not allowed these days; your employees have rights and they will not be afraid to make them known.

One feature of your office that you cannot compromise on within the office is your chairs. Whereas you may be able to disguise cheap shelves or tables, chairs need to be in good condition, of good quality, and provide the workers with a comfortable work station. Being correctly seated will allow the workers to be a lot more productive in their tasks even if they are not aware of this themselves.

It is therefore best to buy new chairs for your office furniture Sydney, and you can look for discount stores or even online when running to a strict budget. Desks on the other hand are a feature of your office that you can cut costs with; a practical desk that is solid with good storage space is advisable and for this you do not have to spend a fortune. Second hand desks and cubicles are often offered at a great price, and these are items that will last for years and will not really show wear and tear.

Storage and filing cabinets are also an essential part of any office; an untidy office with paperwork strewn everywhere will not only look uninviting to the client, but it will also slow down production time. All your essential office furniture Sydney needs can be dealt with by shopping in store or online; what is very important to realize in the outset though is budget furniture really is false economy as well as giving the wrong impression to important clients visiting.

Home Solar Power is now cheaper than Coal By installing Solar Power on your home you now have the capability to generate your own clean electricity for less cost than polluting coal based electricity whilst also doing your bit towards saving the planet.

How Solar Power works:
Solar Panels or photovoltaic panels convert light energy from the sun into DC electricity. This direct current electricity is then distributed to a device called an inverter that converts this electricity into AC power that can be used within your home or be exported to the electricity grid for other houses in the area to purchase.

The Price you are currently paying for electricity:
Depending on the state and town you are in and depending on the time of day you use power will depend on how much you are charged for it. On average, households can pay between $0.30 and $0.40 per Kilo Watt Hour for electricity during peak hours which are usually between 2pm and 8pm. Costs for shoulder period electricity may be around $0.15 to $0.20 per KwH. .

The Price of Solar Electricity:
As most homeowners buy or lease a Solar Power System rather than actually buy the electricity, the standard mechanism for determining the actual cost of this electricity is done using the LCOE (Levelised Cost of Electricity). This is calculated by taking the upfront cost of the system and dividing it by the amount of KwH’s it will produce over its lifetime. .

Currently a 1.5kW Solar Installation costs around $2,500 fully installed (after available rebates). Over the expected 20 year life of the system, it should produce around 36,000 KwH’s. When dividing the upfront system cost by this number, it equates to an average electricity price of under $0.07 per KwH - a lot less than current electricity charges. As electricity prices significantly increase over time this difference becomes even greater, as the electricity costs from the Solar Power installation remain the same.

To understand your options for getting your home powered with Solar Panels, or to understand more about Commercial Solar Power contact Todae Solar on 1300 GO SOLAR for high quality Solar Power Installations across Australia.

Have you ever got the sense that your partner thinks he or she is generally superior to you, or more entitled to things than you are? Does he or she find a multitude of ways to devalue you or ignore you? Does he or he try to control you? If so, you may be living with a Narcissist.

Narcissism is considered a spectrum Disorder, which means that there are degrees of manifestation of the characteristics, so a person could have a couple of Narcissistic traits, right through to many or all, which means they would be closer to a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as defined in the DSMIV.

Generally speaking, Narcissism is a condition of an Inflated False Self, which gives him or her a strong sense of self importance and a grandiose image of himself. He enters into relationships entirely for the purpose of keeping his grandiosity reinforced, as a source of Narcissistic supply for himself. He will idealise those who mirror this for him and devalue anyone as soon as they don’t. There is a real lack of genuine empathy for, or real interest in others, and a massive denial of his own problems, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities.
How did you become a willing victim? Why you?

If you find yourself in a relationship with a Narcissist, at some stage you might wonder why you? What does this say about you, your tolerance for pain and your sanity?
It is true that there is a particular kind of person that finds themself with a Narcissist, at least often well beyond the first indication that there is an underlying nastiness in him.

The kind of person who seems to unwittingly attract a Narcissist is someone who has Borderline characteristics, (which has also been referred to as Co-dependent or compliant) and has a deflated false self.

In Transactional Analysis terms, a Narcissist’s underlying Life position is I’m Ok, You’re Not OK, whereas a Borderline’s underlying Life Position is I’m Not OK, You’re OK.

Interestingly, a Borderline’s profile is less defended that the Narcissist, and less destructive to others, and therefore closer to achieving a healthy relationship, if you can gain true insight into what is happening and what is going wrong in your relationships and be able to develop a stronger identity and boundaries.
Can our relationship be helped?

If both you and your partner are committed to make your relationship a healthy and happy one, then I believe this is worth working on.

Finding a Psychologist who is familiar and experienced with these conditions is important as Narcissism can be notoriously difficult to pick up in a few sessions if the Psychologist is not trained in this. (Education on Narcissism is taught in Psychology courses but does not fully explain the widespread occurrence of this condition, and also the full ramifications of this, particularly to the partner. We at the Hart Centre are committed to ongoing training in these areas and in supporting you in managing yourself and your relationships.)

The success of relationship counselling and marriage counselling depends on many factors, but is largely due to the commitment of both partners to see their patterns and contributions, and be willing to change.

You will often not know how willing you and your partner are to do this until you attempt to do so. You will be able to see for yourselves over 3 to 6 sessions what real effort each of you are putting in to see the problems, own your contributions and make changes.

We can also support you if you have decided to leave your Narcissistic partner, and want help and assistance in rebuilding your life.

The Hart Centre has 54 centres for relationship and marriage counselling around Australia, so you will most probably find one close to you. You will find our Sydney relationship counselling centres in 15 different locations in Sydney, both in the CBD and suburbs. In Adelaide we have relationship and marriage counselling centres in 5 locations across Adelaide. Phone 1300830552 to speak to our friendly receptionists.

For relationship counselling Sydney and marriage counselling Sydney contact the Hart Center. The Hart Center can also help with marriage counselling Adelaide.

Located next to the impressive Murrumbidgee River in idyllic South Western NSW, the Riverina town of Hay has expanded from its modest origins in the Gold Rush era to a significant agricultural and transportation nexus and popular tourist attraction. Combining natural beauty, historical significance and landmark Australian industry, the Hay Shire includes both the town of Hay as well as the surrounding villages of Booligal, Maude and One Tree. The flat saltbrush plains of Hay are home to some of Australia’s foremost wool growing and sheep meat producing areas, as well as cattle ranches and many agricultural outputs such as garlic and corn.

Also around Hay are the Riverine Forest, Grey Box Woodlands and Native Grasslands, home to a multitude of diverse native fauna, such as Kangaroos and Golden Bell Frogs. The plains of Hay have provided ideal living conditions for human settlement going back to the Nari Nari Aboriginal community who inhabited the area. White settlement began with the founding of four squatter properties, growing into a community funded by commerce with the stockmen and riverboats who traversed Langs Crossing.

Along with the foundation of a hotel, post office and courthouse, Hay grew with the famous Cobb and Co making it their base of operations for Victoria and the Riverina, including the largest stagecoach factory outside of Sydney. Growing tenfold in population, Hay was later decimated due to virtually every adult male enlisting for service in World War I, of which 1/6 were did not return home. Hay’s population would later be doubled after the thousands of war prisoners and refugees held in the area during World War II were released and later resettled in Hay. Still a rural agricultural town, Hay recognizes and celebrates its heritage and natural beauty with a number of locations and establishments that cater to tourists and locals alike.

For short term accommodation hay, accommodation hay or holiday home hay, make sure you investigate Murrumbidgee Cottages. Both of our cottages are situated just a short distance from the picturesque Murrumbidgee river and are perfect for families. If you are looking for a holiday home for a couple of days, short term accommodation or even something longer either would be a great fit.

Does relationship counselling work? How about individual therapy for anxiety and depression. Associated Counsellors & Psychologists Sydney, a leading service provider, answers your questions about counselling therapy.

A question that is often asked by clients is: ’Does counselling really work?’ Like our clients, you may be looking for help for your relationship, with anxiety or stress, or maybe low mood or depression. Whatever the cause of your concern, there’s good news: clinical counselling has proven to clearly help people with complaints such as anxiety and depression. And importantly also, counselling for marriage or couple issues is a validated therapy for helping couples improve their relationship.

Counselling: How does it work?
There are a number of different modalities which counsellors can employ to help you. The chosen mode will depend on a counsellors training and their assessment of your problems. Treatment for anxiety and depression can include cognitive behavioural therapy. This therapy works by looking into behaviours and thoughts that currently increase your level of anxiety or depression, and help you to overcome this habitual or patterned reaction. For example, those who suffer anxiety may tell themselves things such as: 'I won’t be able to make it’, or ’I'll be terribly embarrassed if people see how nervous I am’. Such thoughts are identified together with your therapist, and new, more accurate self-representations are now employed to challenge these beliefs. With continued practice and perhaps some skills training such as relaxation, very good results are experienced by most people.

Can relationship counselling help my marriage?
Relationships go through phases, from the initial honeymoon stage to a maturing of the relationships. For many couples, as a relationship matures, so do personal demands and responsibility, be it in the form of increased work pressure or children coming along, etc. As these common pressures increase, the partners in a relationship are no longer able to accommodate each other’s emotional needs, and conflict may develop - usually into frequent and recurring arguments. Relationship counselling helps each person to learn to soothe their own distress, and at the same time learn to identify and bring out into the open the underlying needs that are going unmet. Partners are able to begin to negotiate what they can do for each other and which demands may need to go unmet. A new, more realistic life plan is identified.

What issues can our psychologists help with?
Therapists and psychologists are familiar with assisting with a broad range of issues including anxiety or stress, depression or sadness, marriage and couple issues, grief and bereavement, addictions, anger management, eating disorders and many other complaints of modern living.

How can I choose a counsellor or psychologist?
Contact a registered counsellor or psychologist for a start to a better life. Licenced mental health professionals can work with you to overcome emotional challenges. Depending on the country you are in you can seek assistance from the professional body that registers psychologists or counsellors in your state. In Australia, Associated Counsellors & Psychologists Sydney are able to offer details of a registered therapist near you.

Associated Counsellors & Psychologists Sydney - Sydney counselling services including, cognitive behaviour therapy, general counselling, psychology and marriage counselling. Call (02)8205 0566 or visit 418/185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney 2000.

At the scene of a violent crime, the examining officer is likely to see blood and traces of other bodily fluids. These are able to tell a great deal about what happened, not only regarding how the crime was committed, but also about the persons involved.

Nearly everyone knows their basic blood type, and whether it is A, B, AB, or 0, and Rhesus negative or positive. This categorising of blood into types was first made by Austrian physiologist Karl Landsteiner at the end of the 19th century. In his experiments, he took small amounts of blood and separated the red cells from the liquid, called serum. He did this by spinning the blood at high speed in a centrifuge. Then he took the serum and added red cells from different people. They acted in two different ways: either the cells mixed with the serum, or they clumped together (clotted), (”agglutinated”).

Many attempts at blood transfusion had been made in the past, but this observation explained for the first time why a great proportion had failed. When the blood was not of precisely the same type as that in the body, it produced clotting, and the patient died. Tests of blood samples to discover whether agglutination will occur is now made before a transfusion is performed.

DIVIDING BLOOD INTO GROUPS
Red blood cells contain substances called antigens. These help create antibodies that fight infection and disease. Landsteiner believed that his experiment showed the presence of two specific antigens, which he labeled A and B. The discovery of these antigens allowed him to divide human blood into four basic groups:

Group A: antigen A present; antigen B absent
Group B: antigen A absent; antigen B present
Group AB: both antigens A and B present
Group 0: both antigens absent

The specific blood group of a person depends on the genetic inheritance from both parents. Known as ABO typing, it has been used, for example, to identify the biological father in paternity cases. How common each group is can vary from one national population to another. In the United States, for example, the relative proportions of ABO groups are roughly 39 percent A, 13 percent B, 43 percent 0, and 5 percent AB.

In 1927, Landsteiner found two other antigen types, labeling their occurrence as M, N, and MN. In 1940, working in the United States, he and A.S. Wiener discovered the Rhesus factor, named after the Rhesus monkeys they investigated. Since then, other researchers have introduced more than a dozen additional group systems. Different proteins and enzymes associated with specific blood groups have also been identified.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR FORENSICS
The ability to identify blood type is an excellent means for uncovering important evidence in a forensic investigation. If, for example, a victim’s ABO type is O, and bloodstains of this type are discovered on clothing of a suspect whose type is A, there is a possibility that they have come from the victim.

Making use of the many other blood typing systems now available, this probability is increased greatly. If blood of type O occurs in 43% of the population, the substance haptoglobin-2 in 36% of these, and the enzyme PGM-2 in five percent, then the probability of an individual having these three blood types together is 43 x 36 x 5 = 7,740 in one million. In other words, around eight people in every thousand will have this specific type of blood. It is still not enough to obtain a conviction on this evidence alone, but it can help to narrow the group of suspects.

In 1925, another valuable discovery was made. Around 80% of humans are ’secretors’. This means their saliva, urine, perspiration, and semen contain the same substances as their blood, and can be used for typing in a similar way. In 1940, two British researchers discovered it was possible to distinguish between female and male body cells, in particular the white blood cells and those of the lining of the mouth. Blood typing is now so precise that recently one scientist showed that he could distinguish between the blood of his twin daughters, who were genetically identical, because one had had chicken pox and the other had not.

SPLASHES OF BLOOD
At the scene of a violent homicidal attack, blood may be present in considerable quantities. Not only will it be found on the victim, but also on the weapon and the surroundings. Indoors, the floors, walls, and even the ceilings may be splashed. Careful observation of these bloodstains can provide valuable clues about what took place. Bloodstains and splashes are classified into six basic types.

Round drops are seen on horizontal surfaces; depending on the height from which they fell, they can spray out into a starlike shape. Splashes of blood are shaped like an exclamation mark; they show that blood has flown through the air and hit a surface at an angle. While a victim is still alive, spurts of blood come from the pumping action of the heart. A major artery can spray blood a considerable distance.

Pools form around the body of the bleeding victim. If there is more than one pool, he either dragged himself, or was moved, from one area to another before dying. Smears are likely also found if this happens. Trails are left when a bloody body is moved. There will be drops if the body was carried, and smears if it was dragged.

If you are looking for a Sydney Criminal Lawyer, contact Go to Court. Our Sydney Criminal Lawyer is here to help. BS14082011SCL

Everyone has their special memory of family barbecues when they were younger, with dad at the helm turning the meat. A spit roast can be described as the ultimate barbecue for an evening of socializing be it with friends or family. This is because the rotisserie serves as a centerpiece for the evening as well as a handy conversation starter. One of the greatest benefits of a spit roast is the ease of use compared to that of a traditional barbecue. No more slaving over a hot grill hoping that the meat is just right. The rotisserie takes care of even heat distribution as well as leaving the “cooks” hands free to actually enjoy the party.The only thing that a chef needs to concentrate on is the basting of the meat and veggies on the spit, one might favour a smokey hickory baste, or maybe a special family recipe. The options are boundless and only limited to ones imagination. Spit roast hire Sydney can help you get your spit roast organised with supplies and advice.

Another great benefit of the Spit roast is the ability to serve any number of people that may be present at the occasion. Did ten extra guests suddenly crash the party? No problem! just slap on another hunk of meat to the rotisserie and you’re sorted! This does not necessarily mean that one needs to cook huge amounts of meat at a time in order have a spit roast. Any number of portions can be catered for, be it two or fifty people.

It’s quite easy to assume that vegetarians would be left out of the equation when talking about a spit roast, this could not be further from the truth. There are various options available for vegetarians which involve placing different vegetables such as aubergines or squashes on the rotisserie. These can be placed right next to the meat so that everyone at the party is catered for with nobody feeling excluded. The presence of a spit roast can truly give a party a greater chance of success.

Whether the marketing strategy for your law firm is based on online marketing, niche marketing to particular industries, traditional advertising, or just retaining and growing a share of a solid growth of clients, you will need to generate content.

Content is an essential part of legal marketing, without it you might just as well not have a law firm marketing plan. However, producing content requires hard work, and you should make the most of the material that you can produce. Following are several ideas for making sure you use the two most popularly produced types of legal marketing content as best you can.

Law Firm Marketing - Written material (blogs, email alerts, brochures, guides, information sheets)
If you have created some quality, interesting material of any of the formats mentioned, you don’t need to only send it off once or print it and let it stagnate in your office. Distribute that content as broadly as possible. For each item of writing you produce, consider:

- Have I sent it to as many, relevant, clients as I can?
- Has it been loaded to my website?
- Have I sent it directly to people who have referred me, associates and other professionals?
- Have I linked to it with a post on Facebook and a tweet on Twitter?
- Has it been sent to media contacts?
- Are others in the company aware of it and could they explain it in detail if a client questions them about it?
- Can I turn it into another type of content and distribute in a different form?

Law Firm Marketing - Presentations
Presentations are usually written with a particular audience in mind, or because of a particular request. As a result they are often presented once then left to become stale. All of the effort and time required to prepare them results in just one presentation. To get more out of your presentation consider:

- What other companies could I present it to?
- How can I let the greatest number of people know about it?
- Have I mentioned it on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and suggested that I present it to others?
- Is it relevant to send the presentation in hard copy to people who were unable to attend the seminar?
- Can I record an audio or video of the presentation and distribute it via email or directly?
- Is it viable to write an article or blog discussing topics that arose from the presentation?
- Have I followed up with additional content to all the people who attended the presentation?

Although some of these ideas may feel like additional work just when you’ve probably damaged your monthly billings with the amount of time you spent preparing the first lot of material, it is crucial to consider that it’s much easier to add a small amount of time at the end to really impact on what you’ve already produced than to produce a completely new piece of legal marketing material.

Improve the benefits of all the time you put into law firm marketing and you’ll discover that the next time you need to create some content you will feel more confident about how effective that content will be.

John Gray is a practising lawyer and the Senior Marketer at John Gray Marketing, an Australian specialist law firm and legal marketing consultancy. If you are interested in law marketing, legal marketing and marketing for lawyers, contact John Gray today.