So many of my clients always ask me — “What is the best way to build a rock hard muscular chest using exercise resistance bands?”

Well to answer their question and perhaps yours… here are the best three bodylastics chest exercises.

One of the great things about the Bodylastics workout system is the door attachment. This simple– yet effective device allows you to attach these resistance bands to either the top the middle or the bottom of any door. Why is this so important? Simply because it allows you to utilize the exercise bands in a way that is similar to an expensive cable system.

For example here is my favorite 3 chest exercises that attack and build the upper– the middle– and the lower pectoral muscle:is

1. Attach the bands to the door attachment — then place the door attachment carefully to the door making sure it will not slip.

2. Grab the handles of the resistance exercise bands while facing away from the door. (In other words your back is to the door)

3. Press the handles away from your chest to approximately eye level in this incline chest movement. This exercise works the upper chest giving you that high and volatile look that most men desire.

You can easily turn this exercise to develop your middle and lower chest just like directing your hands towards the middle or the lower part of your chest as you press the handles. You can superset these three exercises by doing one set of 8 to 12 repetitions for your upper chest then with no rest — perform another 8 to 12 repetitions for your middle chest and then finally perform 8 to 12 repetitions pushing downwards for your lower chest. At this point rest for approximately 60 seconds to 90 seconds and then begin another giant set.

Structuring your workout program in this manner will give you a lean muscular chest that you’ll be proud to show off anytime you’re at the beach.

Social stratification in American Society is not clearly defined or determined; nevertheless social scientist has developed a socio -economic stratification of the American society. Americans believe in a three class society: rich, poor and middle class and most Americans consider themselves as middle class. In reality the American society is more diverse and incongruent and there is an extensive difference among people. The basic determinants that make social class are wealth, education, income and occupation. Some sociologists have divided the American society in six distinct categories including: rich or the upper class, upper middle class, lower middle class, lower class and poor and under class.

It is believed that the people who belong to the same social class share the similar social positions, similar ways of thinking and life styles; others oppose this idea and believe that we cannot generalize characteristic of the people to one another. Social class creates a hierarchy and identity for the people of each class.

One of the indications of the social class in America is income in terms of either individual or household and is one of the most important indicators of social class. Those families who have two income earners are in a better position. Per capita income which means the amount of money allocated to each individual member is also anther important determinant in social stratification. It can be said the families who have fewer members are in a better position.

Another indication in social stratification is education which has a relation with the occupation and income. Higher education itself needs money and paying tuition, so it is clear that most of the time the families who are better off can afford a better education for their children: they can pay for better schools and private schools, colleges and universities. As the result there is an interrelation between money and education.

One of the most prominent features of social class is culture: people of the same social class tend to have similar ways of behavior; though this behavior and culture is not some thing fix and changes with social mobility: people who move upward or downward in their social stratification will acquire the behavior of that social group. But there is diversity inside the same social group as well. One of the important terms in American culture and literature is the concept of “Class Ascendancy”: based on this concept each successive generation will have a higher standard of living than its predecessors. Another important characteristic of American social class is achieved status rather than described statues; it means that regardless of his or her original statues, one can become rich and successful and climb the social ladder. But in reality this idealistic view can not be completely true: many people of color are still suffering the racial prejudices and as a result they can not have the proper education and a good occupation which is perhaps the most important class component. These people have lower income and the cycle will continue to the later generations. Despite the existing injustice and inequalities, America is considered land of opportunity, the land which its streets are paved with gold. Thought this belief is exaggerated, Americans have improved their economic situation with their hard working and persistence.

Theophilus Brouwer was one of the most innovative figures in the late 19th and early 20th century. Brouwer was a noted eccentric who lived and worked in a castle on Long Island, and he is nearly as famous for his castle grounds as he is for his pottery in the modern era. However, among pottery enthusiasts, Brouwer pottery, which is also known as Middle Lane Pottery, is considered a rare collectable that is typically valued between $1,000 and $5,000.

The only way to really be certain that you have a Brouwer piece is to have your pottery professionally appraised, but you can also look for certain markers that can offer you more confidence in labeling a piece as coming from the Middle Lane pottery studios. These markers include Brouwer’s signature firing technique and his unusual impressed marking.

Wild Firing Technique

One of the truest “marks” of a Brouwer Middle Lane pottery piece isn’t a mark at all-it’s the open firing glaze technique that made Theophilus Brouwer famous in the Arts and Crafts pottery world. He pioneered the open firing technique, which directly exposed a glazed piece of pottery to the kiln’s flames. The flames interact with the glaze and create stunning colorations and patterns. This glazing technique is truly Brouwer’s best signature; however, he also marked much of his pottery with unique impressions.

Whale Jaws and the Letter M

The most common Brouwer pottery marking is the name “Brouwer” impressed in cursive above the letter M, which is surrounded by a rudimentary figure. As a part of his eccentric decorating, Theophilus Brouwer erected a whale’s jawbones as an arched entrance to the grounds of his castle home. These jawbones came from the body of a whale that washed ashore on his grounds, and Brouwer was more than happy to put them to use. The figure surrounding the “Middle Lane Pottery” M is purported to be a simplified version of the whale’s jawbones.

Variations

Occasionally, pieces can be found with variations on the standard impressed Brouwer marking. These are typically either Brouwer’s name or the whale jawbones surrounding the letter M. Brouwer’s signature is typically present on pieces produced at his West Hampton workshop, which operated under the name Brouwer Pottery for a time. Pieces produced at his East Hampton workshop were created under the Middle Lane Pottery label, so they are more likely to feature the M and jawbones.

The word HUNA means secret in Hawaiian. It refers to a body of knowledge that has its origins in antiquity. In many ways it is a mystery school. The body of information we call HUNA was not openly discussed and it was apparently never written down. The techniques were passed from initiate to initiate for thousands of generations. The initiates were called KAHUNA [keeper of secrets]. KAHUNA possess the divine power to perform miracles but they also possessed an incredible esoteric knowledge

HUNA is a system of mind, body, spirit integration and healing. In HUNA psychology there are three selves in one man. The three selves of HUNA are the lower self, the middle self, the higher self. They are so called because of their psychical locations. The lower-self is located in that area of body known as “SOLAR PLEXUS”. The middle-self is located in the head and the higher-self is situated at about five feet above the head.

The Lower-self is equated to subconscious mind, middle self is commonly referred to conscious mind, whereas Higher-self is used for super conscious minds. The Middle-self is our awakened conscious mind that is part of us which we are mostly aware and by which we reason, think and make decisions. The Lower-self is the sea of feeling and emotions. The Lower-self can be commanded and instructed to do things by middle self.

The Higher-self is the spiritual part of man being the most enlighten part of his nature. It is located five feet above the body and connected to right side of head by means of a silver cord. The Higher-self is so close to us actually longs to help us through our difficulties. It has power to solve them in a very definite manner, if only we would seek its help. It is a curious fact that high self never intervene in one’s affair unless its help is specifically asked for.

You have to learn to communicate with your Higher-self and a new life of unlimited happiness, love and accomplishment can be yours. The three selves are connected by means of an invisible cord which KAHUNA called AKA-CORD.

Nothing alive exits without life force energy when someone died he stopped breathing. Hence breath or “Mana” becomes the symbol of life force energy.

KAHUNA reorganizes the vital importance of PRANIC energy in performing miracles. The PRANA is the substance with which we want to accomplish some objectives for us. The PRANA is breathed in by the conscious Middle-self and is sent up to Higher-self. The Middle-self takes the PRANA then the Lower-self converts it and Higher-self uses it.

HUNA RITUAL OUTLINED:

• Stand with your feet spread about twelve to eighteen inches apart.
• Now take eight to ten very slow deep breaths. Be completely conscious of the vital PRANA that you are now holding.
• Now sit and visualize a tremendous flow of white silver electrical light surging up out of your solar -plexus through your body and out through right side of your head.
• As this light shoots out of your head see it widen into a ball of about four or five feet diameter.
• You are now making contact with Higher-self.
• Now without hesitation see within this circle of light that you seek as being already accomplished. Believe that it is already yours.
• Now feel totally and completely that your goal is already accomplished. Believe that it is already on its way to you.
• Now thank your Higher-self for accomplishing your will.
• You should aim to perform the ritual every day until your goal is completely achieved.
• Do not despair if nothing happened after a few weeks. Your higher self will never let you down. Trust in it completely. It will answer your dreams.

In general social class refers to the distinctions between groups and individuals which are different from one society to another society or even within a particular society.

Every group of people believes in particular ideas such as age, gender, education, religion, income, family origin that put an individual in a higher or a lower position in a society.

Social groups in higher classes always possess great deal of power that gives them opportunity to subordinate lower classes.

The concept of class in the United States:

Class in the United States refers more to personal income, educational attainment and occupational prestige for those of 25-year-old or older. although there are many people in the United States who believe that American society has been divided into three groups of poor, middle class and rich, this society is more diverse culturally and economically. While some theorists believe that because of such diversity it is impossible to draw a distinctive lines between social classes in the United States, but there are some who think it will be helpful if we consider major classes to discus about class matter and to understand it better.

The American society categorized into five major class systems:

The first one is upper class which defines as those with great deal of power who are prestigious and influential especially on the nation’s institutions.

The second class system is upper middle class that refers to those who enjoy high job with comfortable personal income. Most of them have received post-secondary degrees and they belong to the white collar professions.

Lower middle class is the third system that refers to those with college education who usually suffer from the lack of job security. They don’t receive proper income also.

The fourth system labeled as working class includes those individuals who belong to blue as well as white collar workers; most of them have not received collage degrees (even there are many who have never attended colleges) and suffer from low personal income.

Those who are in lower class are marginalized and poor although they work day and night.

Since the majority of people in the United States know themselves as middle class, it would be helpful if we concentrate more on this particular system to understand the United States’ social conditions.

Culture, educational attainment and income are three factors so influential on an individual to identify himself/herself as a member of middle class.

Different social groups in the United States’ society feature their own sub-cultures including common beliefs and manners accepted by all the members. Sub- cultures can influence the way members look at the world and even the way they raise their children.

If an individual ascends or descends from one social class to the other one class members will change their class culture. As class culture changes individuals’ attitude toward the world, it can be influential directly to the necessity of education in the eyes of the social classes’ members and indirectly to the members’ income.

In America to the extent people become more educated they can earn more money and they can be able to occupy more prestigious locations. Prestigious location is the other factor that besides higher education and comfortable income influences an individual to identify himself or herself as an upper middle class or upper class member.

The Skye Boat Song is a traditional Scottish song. It tells the story of the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He traveled in disguise with the help of Flora McDonald.

The song begins with the chorus. Each verse is then sung with the chorus between. Here are the lyrics:

Chorus

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that’s born to be King

Over the sea to Skye.

Verse

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,

Thunderclaps rend the air;

Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,

Follow they will not dare.

Repeat Chorus

To play the song on the piano you are going to use the range of one octave (8 notes). The lowest note is G and the highest note is G. Place both thumbs on Middle C. The right hand will cover the notes Middle C, D, E, F and G. The left hand will cover the notes directly below Middle C. They will be B, A and G. To help distinguish the right and left notes, the left hand notes will be written in lower case. So the B, A and G will be written as b, a and g.

The song begins in the left hand. Here are the notes of the Skye Boat Song:

Chorus

g a g C, C C D E D G

E D E a a g

g a g C, C D E D G

E D E a a g

Verse

E C E E, D b D D,

C a C C C a

E C E E, D b D D,

C a C C C a g

Repeat Chorus

A well-run quick set in volleyball can do great things for a team’s morale and enthusiasm. Getting the play right, though, takes a few key elements.

A good pass

Put simply, you can’t run a quick set if you don’t have a good pass. What exactly constitutes a good pass depends on the players involved. For younger and/or less experienced teams good means just about perfect. The ball needs to be close to the net and very near the middle. As you move toward higher levels of play and more athletic players, the precision of the passes becomes less important as the players are better able to adjust and execute. That allows for passes somewhat off the net and away from the middle.

Timing

If the hitter isn’t up on time, no matter how good the pass is, the quick set won’t work. The most frequent cause of errors on the quick attack is the hitter not being up on time. The exact timing depends on factors such as the type of quick attack being used and the tempo of the offense (more advanced teams will tend to run faster quicks than lower level ones). This is something that can only really be developed through repetition – preferably in game-like situations.

A relaxed setter

Proper execution of a quick attack requires a setter who is will stand in and deliver the ball. This is something which takes time to develop as setters new to the quick attack are quite often scared – primarily of getting run over by the middle hitter it seems. Setting a quick attack, particularly the middle quick, is something hard to train with just the ball. This can actually be a good thing, though, because it forces the setter to get used to the proximity of the hitter and teaches them to trust that their teammate won’t run them over (probably). The confidence which develops from there will also help them relax with ball contact because aside from wanting to run away, new quick setters are very often seen to jab at the ball.

Situational and block awareness

The inclination of setters, particularly inexperienced ones, is to try to set the quick whenever they get a good pass. At lower levels of play this may work out just fine. As players advance, though, the blocking becomes better and more able to shut down the middle quick. Thus, the setter needs to be aware of the situation to know whether setting the quick is really the best thing to do, or whether to just use the quick attack option as a decoy. Experience will play a part in this, but it is also something the coach needs to help the setter learn.

If your team can put these four things together, they will be able to run effective quick attacks. It’s going to take a fair bit of practice to get it right, and perhaps even more encouragement to get them to take the risk in actual game situations. A little bit of success, though, will go a long way in making them eager to do what’s needed to pull it off regularly.

Fantasy role-playing game money systems and currencies are typically based on real-world historical values and statistics, usually from the “Medieval” era, also known as the Middle Ages, as opposed to the earlier classical civilization of the “Age of Antiquity” (the height of the Greeks and Romans) and the latter “Modern Age”, though some games borrow from pre- and post-Medieval periods for their fantasy currency systems.

MEDIEVAL AGES

The Middle Ages span from about 476 to 1500 AD, and are broken down as follows:

Before 476 AD Classic Antiquity (Pre-Medieval) 476 – 1000 AD Early Middle Ages / Dark Ages / Late Antiquity 1000 – 1300 AD High Middle Ages 1300 – 1500 AD Late Middle Ages After 1500 AD Renaissance / Early Modern (Post-Medieval)

Casually, the Middle Ages are said to have begun with the Fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century, and ended with the rise of nation-states, European overseas expansion and the division and Reformation of Christianity in the early 16th Century.This work will use the Late Middle Ages, about 1450-1550, as a general baseline for all values and measurements.

LIVING WAGES

One day’s work tended to be the average measure of “basic payment” for most “common” roles in any ancient time, be it civilian or military, but since there were far more serfs and peasants than anything else, we’ll use the common peasant and all of his related values as our baseline for wages and money. It should be noted this is an urban peasant or one who survives mainly on general labor and day-work, rather than a farmer, freeman or otherwise.

PEASANTS: FREEMEN AND SERFS

About 90% of the people of the Middle Ages would be considered peasants:

Freemen – fully independent individuals who worked only for themselves and owned or rented land from a Lord. Some Freeman even rose from humble beginnings and became gentry/nobles in their own rights.

Serfs – essentially indentured servants (but not slaves).Usually because of a large debt, they agreed to this indentured servitude until they could get themselves out of debt (few ever succeeded). Serfs were given a plot of land and some basic supplies by a Lord and they would work and maintain the Lord’s property (land, animals, fences, etc) and pay taxes, in exchange for security and minimal wages.

Slaves – Technically a sub-class of peasant that was treated more like property; although some slavery existed in the Early Middle Ages, the practice was slowly dying out even then and was rare or unknown by the Late Middle Ages.

PEASANT WORKDAY

Most medieval peasants, Freeman and Serf alike, worked approximately the same number of hours as a modern day hourly minimum-wage employee in 2009, about 2,000 hours a year, out of the 4,370 hours available, assuming a total availability of 12 hours a day, 365 days a year. This could be averaged out to 40 hours per week, at more or less 6 hours per day, 7 days per week. Exceptions to this average are certain, and 10 and 12 hour days were not unheard of, though part of the reason the workday was so long was because there was usually plenty of breaks for meals and naps.

Because most work was season-dependent, most peasants did not always work day-in and day-out year-round, but rather their schedule depended on the type of work they did. Peasants usually made all of their annual wage off of one or two major harvests or other seasonal yields, leaving them with more “free time” than one might think – this accounts for their seemingly “lax” work schedules.

WAGES AND PAYMENT

Since peasants generally self-governed their own work schedules, their wages were figured per day (though they were rarely paid daily), week or month, and almost never by the hour, and a minimum amount of work, or quota, was usually required for a peasant to earn his complete wage. To a great extent, the same was true for Freemen who worked for themselves, as there was no point in dragging their feet, as it was THEIR fences that needed mending, animals that needed herding, crops that needed harvesting, etc.

In general, unskilled laborers, peasants without some sort of professional or artistic ability, who simply worked the land, made about 3d per day, and 1s per week, about 4s per month – 5s or 1 crown (1/4L) if they were really industrious. Those who served in the military in basic service in peacetime usually made 4p to 1s per day (this also applies to ship’s crews etc.), and usually didn’t even see battle, though the more likely the combat and the closer to the action and the more seasoned the soldier, the more he would earn.

REQUIREMENTS OF A SERF

The serf, who was not permitted to leave his Lord’s land, typically was required to work his Lord’s land 1-2 days a week, fixing fences, harvesting crops and anything else that needed done, before tending to his own farming and livelihood. The Serf typically also owed 1/3 of his crops to the Lord.

Related: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/peasant.html

TYPES OF PAYMENT / CURRENCY

The “coin of the realm” was, for peasants, rarely a coin, at least not much of one, with trade and barter being much more common – trading work for animals or food, etc. But for those occasions when there was a trading of ka-ching!…

Pound – based on the now-very-nonstandard Tower Pound (350 grams) of sterling silver (in most ancient times and cultures, including the Middle Ages, silver, not gold, was the standard currency base). There was originally, no coin or other physical item (other than an actual Tower pound of silver) called a “Pound” – it was simply a convenient hypothetical unit of bulk currency, useful for accounting and record-keeping. Coins that were worth a Pound, however, such as Angels or Sovereigns, existed, but were fairly uncommon.

Crown – Common only among nobles and royalty, Crowns, some of which were silver but may also have been composed of gold, represented about five silver shillings, or one-quarter of a pound.

Shilling – when the above Pound of silver was carved up to create individual coins (silver shillings, one of which is thought to have represented the value of one cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere), you got about 20s to the Pound, so the division was more one of weight and substance than intentional assignation. Although some medieval weights were figured differently, we can generally say that a silver shilling weighed just a little less than 19 grams – fairly large, probably unwieldly coins.

Groat – Representing and likely physically composed of about four pence worth or silver

Pence – Following the Age of Antiquity’s Greek and Roman and other currency systems’ divisions for smaller units of currency, each shilling could be broken down, literally, into 12 silver pence (pennies), which were much smaller and thinner than the shillings – a shilling was worth 12 pence because you would get 12 pence if you carved up one silver shilling – again, this is more a measurement of weight than of intentional monetary value, with each penny weighing just slightly under 1.6 grams.

Ha’Penny – Valued at 1/2 of one pence, the Ha’Penny, like the Farthing below, was never common but did see use from time to time.

Farthing – Infrequently used, the Farthing was the further subdivision of the penny, with four Farthings equaling one penny. Rather than an official coin, the Farthing was usually an actual silver penny, cut into four equal pieces – not very practical to carry around but it let you work in increments smaller than one penny. This is about the most miniscule subdivision of currency ever needed and a lot of people tend to forego using such a small unit of currency.

So we see that 1 pound = 4 crowns = 20 shillings = 240 pence

According to a good number of articles and resources on the internet, it would seem to me that a typical peasant who made about three silver pennies per day would be like a modern professional – with people who made 1 penny being like a “wage slave”, burger-flipper/store clerk, etc. Since it is the lowest common denominator, I will focus on this 1p/day menial labor rule.

This would make that single penny his day’s wages, and for us in modern times, typical day wages are about $48.00 USD if you go with approximately $6.00/hour minimum wage, which may or may not be adjusted for taxes, etc.

$48.00 per day is probably about as low as you go without getting into part-time and waiters/waitresses whose wages are non-standard, and most minimum wage actually now being closer to $7.00+ per hour.

So as you can see, if you base your criteria solely on daily wage, 1 pence = $48.00 if you want to keep it really simple. I have seen other more professional and thorough research which indicates most peasants were lucky to make half a silver a day (about 5 pence) but for the sake of argument and a nice even number, I think the poorest of most of the *free* peasants probably made about a penny a day, some more.

Going on the above assumption that an entry-level unskilled laborer made a penny a day, we have a fantasy/medieval penny basically being worth a modern (2009) USD total of about $48.00, even say $50.00 to even it off.

It takes 12 pence to make a shilling, so ($50 x 12 = $524.00) one shilling would be worth $524.00 USD. This means an unskilled laborer peasant would likely earn still less than a shilling for two weeks of work.

A farthing, being simply a penny cut into fourths, would have been worth about $12.50. This seems a bit much, so let us stop here with this amount, and return to our basic assumption and change the average daily wage from one penny to one shilling.

Let us, in this 1s/day rule, include not just the coin itself for the work, but potentially room and board (food, clothing, amenities), which could obviously not have been the case for the once penny wage, as a full belly and a roof overhead would be worth far more than one shiny penny. So let’s take the full combination of the “liquid” payment as well as the abstracts and call it 1 silver shilling per day payment for an unskilled laborer.

Let us now instead make the silver shilling worth $48.00 USD.

A penny (a 12th of a silver shilling) would have been worth about ($48 / 12 = 4) $4.00 USD, which would also nicely emulate the farthing, making each farthing worth $1.00 USD.

Going up to the pound or crown, the 20 silver shillings that make up a pound would equate to (20×48=960) $960.00 USD, which you could, without too much trouble, round down to $950 or up to an even $1,000.00 USD.

Obviously, farthings would be your dollar bill, and nearly everything of significance in any historical or roleplaying game economy, especially lesser items, costs at least that much, while pence are next up as more or less the $4.00/$5.00 bill, and are pretty common too.

Lastly, suppose in between these extremes is the person who made 3 pence per day? We would divide our initial figurings by 3 ($48/3=16) to get a modern-day equivalent worth of $16.00 per penny.

This would make Farthings worth ($16/4=4) $4.00 USD each, shillings worth ($16×20=320) $320.00, crowns worth $1,600 and one tower pound sterling $6,400 each.

So which is correct for your purposes? Really, it will depend on what you determine as the baseline for your own situation, whether you use a low, medium or high average wage and pay scale, and whether or not you figure in intangibles – as in most other things in life, essentially, your mileage may vary.

The authoritative Swiss graphologist Max Pulver (1889-1952) composed the chart below, showing many of the points discussed in the previous chapter. But in addition to demonstrating slant, it also demonstrates the zones.

If we were to superimpose a written word with a t in it on the spot marked I (Ego) Present, and the t coincided with the straight up-and-down line, we would be talking about a vertical writer. If the t veered to the right, we see from the chart that it would point toward the future. Were it to veer to the left, it would point toward the past. But this same word-say, the word “height”-also reaches into an upper and lower dimension. Upper, middle, and lower areas are called dimension zones, and they make up the zonal area.

Think of a child’s drawing-a boy standing on a piece of land, the sun shining and some clouds above. Zones are something like that picture. The upper zone represents sky, clouds, the sun-by extension what is high, spiritual, religious, lofty. Conversely, the lower zone represents earth, solidness, what is underfoot-things that are basic, common, earthy, materialistic, sexual. The middle zone is the person, the ego, the me.

When handwriting is predominantly in one zone, we see a powerful key to personality. Handwriting confined to the middle zone demonstrates the social person, the today person, the one concerned with Number One and lacking spiritual as well as physical drive.

Picture the word “height” laid out on a zonal chart; each zone is 3 millimeters in height, which is the norm.

If the rest of the writing is consistently in the same zones, we say there is balance in this writer. Where the zones fluctuate, the graphologist looks to see what the changes are and analyzes them. If the writer constantly changes the angle of his writing, we see a moody individual, unreliable in his reactions. Where the zones vary, it indicates a shift in motivation.

Take, for instance, the case of a man whose upper-zone writing ordinarily averages three millimeters in height-the norm. Suddenly, the upper zone dwindles to an average of one millimeter. This represents a shifting away from aspirations, spirituality as motivating factors. Usually such a change is accompanied by increased size in one of the other two zones, as if the energy normally expended in the spiritual zone has been shifted to the ego or sexual zones.

In addition to writing that consistently covers all zones and writing where there is no consistency whatsoever, we have six other combinations of zonal areas:

The upper zone as the largest. This reveals a person with high aspirations but too little interest in social life, because he has a relatively small lower zone. Although he strives toward high goals, it is doubtful if he will achieve them, because he lacks stamina.

High aspiration coupled with physical stamina is evidenced by both the upper and lower zones being large. However, since his middle zone is quite shrunk, his handling of everyday affairs may be off, and consequently the two positive aspects of his character may not take their proper effect.

A small upper zone shows that the writer probably has little spirituality and few aspirations. His middle zone is average, which reveals a normal social life, but because the accent in this writer’s script is on the lower zone, we see someone who is preoccupied with physical pleasures. If the lower zone loop is long and straight down, it is the sign of sexual pleasure; if the lower zone loop is inflated, it shows money, materialism.

One of the greatest of all heavyweight boxers, the “champion among champions,” Jack Dempsey shows by his signature great physical pleasure and much physical interest. His long, heavy, lower-zone structures-this kind of writing is usually found among super athletes.

The saddest picture is perhaps that of a writer whose script seems to have everything but an upper zone, and who therefore has neither imagination nor ideals, neither intellectual interests nor ambitions, no real pride, no ethics and, I dare to say, no brains.

There seems to be no such thing as a well-developed single zone. If one zone is clearly more strongly developed than the other two, it is usually overdeveloped. Overdevelopment of one zone always occurs at the expense of one or both of the other.

Then we have a large middle zone, a large lower zone, and a small upper zone. This person is a social butterfly. He has strong physical desires, but whether these are material or sexual depends on the shape of the lower zone loop. The small upper zone implies that he has little aspiration.

At first glance, a praiseworthy sort of person will write the upper zone large (strong aspiration), middle zone large (doing well socially) but the problem is if hardly any lower zone exists. This is not healthy: the individual needs a proper sexual outlet, and this writer does not seem to have a normal one. Where there is strong sexual repression, sadism, masochism, or other unlovely outlets for desire tend to appear.

Picture the middle zone that predominates. The upper and lower zones are small, showing little spirituality and little desire for material pleasure. The large middle zone hints that social life preoccupies the writer. This is found more often among women than among men, who usually have a small middle zone. In general, women are more interested in social affairs than men are.

A small middle zone, on the other hand, represents strong powers of concentration. People who have small middle-zone letters (a, c, e, and any letter that does not have an upper or lower loop) show great ability at doing work requiring attention to detail. Many scientists, Einstein among them, have very small or even microscopic middle zone letters. Notice the writing in Polish of Marie Curie:

In addition to the tiny middle zone, note the curly Greek d’s, showing culture. Some g’s and y’s are made without return strokes showing good judgment and mathematical ability. And to top it off, the t-bars are bowed, showing well-controlled basic instincts, a personality less emotional and more objective than most. Thus, the fine qualities that made this woman a great scientist are plain to read in her handwriting.

Now that we have covered both the slants and the zones, you will frequently notice that zones have different slants.

Let us take an example. Sometimes handwriting will be dominantly right-slanted or upright, but the astute observer can detect a regularly occurring pattern of left tending strokes, particularly with the end strokes.

These must generally be interpreted as left-slanted writing with the additional understanding that the father-protest is more deeply repressed in these cases.

Similar left-tending strokes in generally right-tending or upright hands may appear in the upper zone as t-strokes or in the middle zone, for instance, as left-slanted r’s. Their very inharmonious suddenness is ominous: an unrepressed, clearly conscious and guiding protest amid what looks like, peace and acceptance, characteristic of very difficult and unpredictable personalities (Hitler).

Not only do the various slants and zones interrelate, the inflation and deflation of the letters within play a prime role.

For example, this is Palmer’s copybook a:

but this writer has deflated it to:

without adding anything: a conventional, unimaginative businessman;

while I believe the writer of this initial o:

suffers from social timidity. Deflation may progress to the point where the two strokes meet each other. We then speak of concealing strokes:

Inflation, on the other hand, is an opportunity the hand of the imaginative (or sometimes merely fanciful) writer never will miss: widening his circles, “grasping and accepting” a new era, so to speak, comparable to the pretensions of his intellectual horizon and the broadness of his imagination.

The handwritten P covers much more territory than Palmer’s, and the same holds true of the b. (both letters are from the hand of a professional journalist and author; the inflation is therefore in the upper zone.)

Most inflated letters may be interpreted according to the zone in which they stand. In the upper zone, the inflated letter indicates intellectual imagination, in the middle zone, it bespeaks the writer’s self-confidence.

The height of the two t’s being approximately the same, the writer (female) has inflated and widened her o; she also has widened the connecting link between the t and the o; and she has split the t. She is receptive and aware of her values, with a pet idea hidden within the purposely split t.

In the lower zone are the circular gestures that betray our unconscious drives and urges. As is always the case with pressure, they speak for our instinctual, sexual anxieties and hopes; without pressure, for our (unconscious) preoccupation with a person’s deep, instinctual, yet somewhat socialized, needs for security, financial and otherwise. The former is exemplified by the signature; the latter by the f.

Pulver described these highly inflated lower loops as “money bags,” originating in a “money complex.” The crass disproportion between this hand’s upper (intellectual) zone and the inflated lower zone loop seems to confirm Pulver’s view.

Sometimes, inflated letters give a hint as to their meaning because they are “deformed” and the deformation “points” in certain directions.

The most frequent case in the lower zone is the unconscious mother fixation.

It is, of course, no accident that three out of the four samples of mother fixation are taken from left-slanted handwritings; left slant and mother fixation goes together.

Returning to the complete circular stroke, it may be recalled that one meaning of the circle is that of defense. Neurotic writers sometimes use the circle to “protect” themselves against the “outside forces” that cause their neurotic f ears and anxieties, and in such cases they draw a circle or circles around their name. Experience shows that these “magic circles” not only protect their deep neurotic fearfulness, but may also contain anti-social impulses, which lurk within the hidden recesses. Increasing Right Slant at the end of words: Writer’s interest in a thing grows the more he studies it; inability to hide his true intentions; optimism overpowers his original reserve; hot¬ headedness; when excited, writer loses self-control; quick temper.

Diminishing Right Slant at the end of words:

Writer’s interest in a thing diminishes the more he studies it; pessimism overcomes his original enthusiasm; skepticism is stronger than confidence; he backs out or asks for additional security just when everything seems settled; incurable pessimism.

Middle Zone Left-slanted

(upper zone and lower zone upright or right slanted):

Intellectually and emotionally drawn to fellow men, but has difficulty in bringing himself to be one of them; sacrifices himself for a family claim (his mother or sister)

Lower Zone Left-slanted (upper zone and middle zone upright or right¬ slanted):

Sexual inadequacy or resignation to an incomplete sexual life.

Increasing Left Slant (at the end of words in upright handwriting):

Pessimism overpowers initial interest in a thing.

Sporadic Left traits

(in upright or right slanted handwriting):

Skepticism; distrust; victim of inner conflicts; (together with split letters) schizophrenic disposition.

Left-Slanted End Strokes (m upright or right slanted handwriting, with pressure):

Unresolved father-protest, obstinacy, stubbornness.

Examination for Lesson 3

1. What are the names of the three zones?

2. Handwriting confined exclusively to the middle zone reflects what traits?

3. When writing shows the upper zone to be the largest, the lower zone relatively small, what character traits are indicated?

4. Which zone is emphasized in Jack Dempsey’s script?

5. Describe Marie Curie’s middle zone and its meaning

6. Which zone is dominant in the following script… what is indicated?

7. A handwriting can be dominantly right-slanted or upright, when there is a regular occurring pattern of left tending (end) strokes, (as in the sample below) these (left tending end strokes) are to be interpreted as left slanted strokes.

True?___ False?___

8. Which type of writing slant is called not ‘natural’?

9. When one deflates his writing, is he more apt to exhibit social timidity or imagination?

A. Social timidity___ B. Imagination___

10. An inflated letter in which zone indicates intellectual imagination? Which zone ‘betrays’ unconscious drives and urges?

11. How is the unconscious mother fixation detected from one’s writing?

12. “Magic circles” enclosing one’s name contain exemplary or anti-social impulses?

A Exemplary___ B. Antisocial impulses___

Answers for Lesson 3

1. The upper, middle and lower zones

2. Handwriting confined to the middle zone demonstrates the social person, the today person, the one concerned with Number One and lacking spiritual as well as physical drive.

3. Strong aspiration; where there is strong sexual repression, as is the case here, sadism, masochism, or other unlovely outlets for desire tend to appear.

4. The lower zone.

5. Small middle zone; strong powers of concentration.

6. The middle zone; the social person, the today person, the one concerned with Number One and lacking spiritual as well as physical drive.

7. True

8. Left (reclined)

9. Social timidity

10. The upper zone

11. The lower zone

12. Writing that has inflated lower loops ‘pointing’ leftward

13. Antisocial impulses

“A full 70 percent of U.S. middle and high school students require differentiated instruction which is instruction targeted at their individual strengths and weaknesses.”–Reading Next, page 8. This quote, from a study completed in 2004 by Catherine Snow and Gina Biancarosa, both researchers at Harvard University, illustrates the need to address the diversity of literacy skills among adolescent learners. The divide that we teachers observe in the middle grades and middle school becomes apparent when school districts require all students to learn from grade level content textbooks and literature anthologies that most students can’t read. Statistics from a study by the U.S. Department of Education pointed out that more than eight million American students are struggling readers who read two or more years below grade level (2003). Data also shows that high school students in the lowest 25 percent of their class are 20 times more likely to drop out of school than excellent and proficient readers.

Right now, too many middle and high schools across our nation place students in a curriculum where everyone reads the same text and completes the same assignments. It’s not working, and here are some reasons. Little to no progress in reading scores from the National Assessment of Education Progress (the NAEP) which is the nation’s report card has been made since 1992. At this rate, the number of adults who don’t have the education and literacy skills to work in twenty-first century technological jobs will continue to increase. Add to the NAEP results and the studies completed by Snow and Biancarosa and the U.S. State Department, the daily frustrations you and I experience trying to reach classes of diverse learners with one set of textbooks, then the need to explore other methods of instruction becomes obvious.

In any middle grade or middle school class there will be groups of students who read below, on or near, and above grade level, and you and I need to differentiate reading instruction to meet each student’s unique needs. This is the heart of differentiating reading instruction. This is the reason that teachers and researchers have begun to look closely at ways to help adolescents read and write for many different purposes. This is the reason why we need to abandon one-text-for-all-learners and bring multiple texts into our classrooms. Using multiple texts enables each student to learn at his or her instructional level. This way, each student can continue to improve and develop the reading skill and stamina to prepare for the dramatic changes in the job market in this and the next century.

At this point, you might be wondering exactly what differentiated reading instruction is?

Differentiation is a way of teaching and not a prepackaged program or the same workbook for every students. When you differentiate reading instruction, you need to know your students so well that you can plan learning experiences that will improve students’ reading, thinking, recall, and writing. What follows are some key principles that form the foundation of differentiating reading instruction.

First: Ongoing, formative assessment invites you to continually pinpoint students’ strengths as well as areas of need in order to match instruction and learning experiences to each student.

Second: Diverse learners in your class have varied levels of reading, writing, thinking, speaking, and problem solving skills and expertise, requiring that you develop instruction that reaches every learner.

Third: Partner and small group work whose membership changes as students show you they need reteaching or are ready to move forward.

Problem solving places the focus in differentiated classes on issues, themes, and concepts which allows teachers to focus on big ideas using multiple or different texts instead of everyone reading one novel or textbook.

Finally, choice is at the heart of differentiation. In addition to mandated and required tasks, teachers offer their students choices in reading and writing tasks that relate to a unit.

So to differentiate reading instruction teachers need to think of the purpose of assessments–they are a way to gain in sights into their students’ learning. When teachers know their students and respond to their strengths and needs, they can support and maximize learning and reach every reader.