What is the National Stock Number (NSN)? The National Stock Number (NSN) is defined as an official label applied to an item of supply which is being repeatedly bought, stocked, stored, issued, and used throughout the federal supply system. This label can be applied to almost every item imaginable. When an item from different manufacturers is of the same size and characteristics, and performs the same function, a single NSN can be used to label it.

Who uses National Stock Numbers? The NSN is used by the United States Government, as well as many other governments worldwide and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense (DOD), use National Stock Numbers to buy and manage their supplies.

All National Stock Numbers are cataloged in the Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS). There are about fourteen million active and inactive US NSNs, plus about eight million active NSNs assigned to the items produced in the non-US NATO member countries, which are shared within defense inventories.

How to read the National Stock Number (NSN)? The NSN is a thirteen-digit number. This thirteen-digit number consists of the four-digit Federal Supply Class (FSC) and the nine-digit National Item Identification Number (NIIN).

The Federal Supply Class (FSC) is the code used to group products into logical families for management purposes. Each FSC code is derived from the Federal Supply Groups (FSG). The FSG is the first two digits of the FSC code, and the next two digits make up the Country of Origin code. The Country of Origin code signifies the country that originally requested the NSN assignment, not necessarily where it is produced. Codes 00 and 01 are used to identify the United States.

The National Item Identification Number (NIIN) is the code that identifies each item of supply. The first two numbers of the NIIN represent the National Codification Bureau Code, which identifies the central cataloging office of the NATO or some other friendly country that entered the item into the supply system, with the remaining seven digits sequentially assigned in order to individually identify each item in the Federal Catalog System (FCS).

Therefore, the National Stock Number contains subgroups that identify the Federal Supply Group (FSG) on positions 1-2, the Federal Supply Class (FSC) on positions 1-4, the NATO Country Code on positions 5-6, the National Item Identification Number (NIIN) on positions 5-13, and finally, the serial number of the product on positions 7-13.

What best to read than a romantic comedy book that has hints of humour. We all enjoy reading funny romance stories that always have a happy ending. Nobody wants to shed a tear over the sad fate of love and everyone likes to see his or her favourite pair of lovers unite in the end. The list below has few titles that have kept their funny side up while telling a romantic story.

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

It focuses on a grad student who is a nerd girl. Surprisingly, she falls for a complete opposite guy who is a classic playboy. Hanna Bergstrom has a crush on Will Summers since childhood. What happens when the two opposite poles are attracted towards each other? Is it just a meeting of childhood friends or something more.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

The book tells the story of an interior designer Caroline who has been single for a while after her date turned dreadful. But what catches her attention is her handsome neighbour Simon Parker, a photographer. His idea of fun is different partners with interesting tastes. Find out what happens when he meets Caroline having a dry humour.

Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec

A single mother in her twenties, Claire runs into Carter, the guy from the past who changed her life. The funny part is that he does not remember anything about her except her chocolate scent, nor does he have an idea about his four-year-old son. Read on to figure out if they meet in the end to make a happy family together.

Tangled by Emma Chase

Everything is turned upside down for the eligible bachelor, Drew Evans when his paths cross with the beautiful Katherine Brooks. Just when he thought he knew everything about women, he realises that a lot is yet to be known. Kate not only keeps him distracted but is also a tough competition to him. Just when he is about to get everything he desires, his overconfidence puts a stop to his winning streak. Buy the writing to know how he faces the challenge life has thrown at him.

The Law of Attraction by N. M. Silber

The Law of Attraction is about two lawyers very much in love. Gabrielle and Braden love each other only to be kept apart by their many suitors. Could love prevail over the jealous rivals and insanity of the justice system for criminals? Read to find out the same as a classic womaniser falls for a girl who despises such habits.

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

This edition is based on Emma who aspires to be a marketing executive. It is when she shares her darkest secrets with a stranger sitting next to her on a flight back home that calls for a turning point in her life. The stranger happens to be her boss who wants to use her confessions for the latest ad campaign for their company. A twist in the tale holds when they begin dating and romance blossoms after a tumultuous beginning.

Grab your favourite copy and sit down for a reading session of romantic comedy novels.

Social media marketing and content marketing go hand-in-hand. In fact, a lot of your social media efforts will likely boil down to creating blog posts and articles and then sharing those with your audience.

However, in order for your content to get read and shared, you need to ensure that you are approaching it in the right way and that you have the right idea about what works on Facebook and Twitter and what doesn't.

And by 'working', what we really mean is that you're creating content that will get shared and that will get read.

Let's take a look at how you go about doing this:

The Importance of Uniqueness

Companies that have no clue bout social media will create content that is derivative and dull.

How many times have you seen articles on 'How to Get Abs'? Or on 'How to Pick Up Women'?

These are things that everyone wants to achieve but the articles are written in a way that is highly generic and that doesn't seem to offer anything new.

On the other hand, you have those 'clickbait' articles that go the other way. They are either incredibly hyperbolic, or they create some kind of mystery so that people will be tempted to click.

They might be 'The One Amazing Trick That Will Give You INCREDIBLE Abs Overnight' or 'You'll NEVER Believe the One Herb That Men Are Using to Get Women Into Bed!'.

These titles work because they grab attention and offer something completely new … but rarely does the actual content deliver on its promise.

Instead then, try to use the same strategy while actually offering something good.

How about: 'How Cardio Acceleration Burns 73% More Fat' or 'How Expert Pick Up Artists Apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Amazing Effect'.

These articles include technical sounding terms that people haven't heard of and that suggests something new – thus making them likely to click. At the same time though, these are actual meaty subjects that you can write about and deliver on your promise.

Your Reader 'Persona'

At the same time, always have in mind your 'reader persona'.

This is a fictional profile of the type of person your content is aimed at. If you get this right, then there should be a certain section of your audience for whom the content is perfect. This makes them far more likely to share as a way to express themselves – because your content reflect their personality – and it means that their friends are more likely to share it with them, knowing that they're like it.

Remember that at its core, social media is a communication tool. If your content facilitates communication and expression, then it will succeed!

Every year teachers all over the country encounter a student that will say something like this. "When I grow up I'm never going to read a book. I hate books. I hate to read. When I graduate I will never read again so why do I need to learn to read?"

Here is a letter you may want to give to those students.

Dear Student,

Okay, that is your decision to never pick up a book and read again, but I would like to remind you of these things that you may want to do.

Legally driving a car requires some reading.To be legally able to drive a car you must read and pass a written test that is based on a driving book that you will need to read to learn the rules. When you get out on the road you will need to be able to read the signs in a split second because you are driving 75 miles an hour as you pass them. And how about those exciting bumper stickers that everyone likes to read because they give you a chuckle on the road. Those also have to be read.

If you go on a trip-you will need to read a map an atlas or maybe even a language dictionary. And if you decide to fly or ride some other transportation you will need to read schedules, tickets, and safety instructions. Visit a travel agency and you will need to be able to read a brochure about the many exciting places you wish to go.

Even going to get food at a restaurant you will need to be able to read. If you ever want to eat out at a restaurant you will need to be able to read the menu that is even at a drive through.

Buy something on time and you will need to be able to read a contract. To buy a car, a house or any large item you will need to be able to read about the contract before you sign it so you don't end up with 24% interest or some weird clause that hurts your chances of owning something.

Getting a job will require you reading the advertisement in the newspaper and then the application that you will fill out when you go ask for the job.

Newspaper, magazines, Oh you say you only look at the comic section. Those have to be read, also. Magazines do have pictures but they also have descriptions of what is going on in the picture.

Going to the doctor requires reading. To start with you will need to read the directory of doctors as you enter the building to find the doctor. How about the prescription that he gives you and tells you to follow the instructions on the bottle. These will also need to be read. Go to the emergency room and they make you sign papers that you better read and as you leave they give out written instructions on what you need to do to take care of yourself.

I haven't even begun to cover what you will need to read when you graduate after high school. The list goes one with emails, billboards, bulletins, catalogs, charts, circulars, clues, epitaph, fliers, formulas, graffiti, greeting cars, handbooks, horoscopes, instructions, invitations, journals, labels, letters, lists, manuals, maps, marquees, memos, notes, obituaries, pamphlets, portfolios, postcards, posters, programs, questionnaires, receipts, recipes, scripts, signs, skywriting, statements, and telegrams.

If that list is not good enough these last two ought to be the icing on the cake. You will need to be able to read if you happen to find your sisters or brothers diary and when a rich relative dies you certainly will want to be able to read his will.

So students realize you may never read another book, but that is not the only thing that we read while we live on this earth. So get with it learn to read while you are young and it will make your life a lot easier.

Sincerely,

From Someone Who Knows

I believe passionately that parents can teach their children to read. And frankly, that they should teach their children to read. I’ve shared the resources I have to teach children to read for years, but very few people take me up on it, despite the fact that I’ve been giving those resources away. The primary reason I believe most parents don’t teach their children how to read is that they don’t truly believe they can do it. I disagree wholeheartedly and have seen the parents who took me up on the offer do a great job without the advantages I’ve had. And I’ve seen one father and child do it despite huge disadvantages.

In this article I’m going to tell you about that father and child. While this father didn’t directly teach his child, he did everything I requested despite great obstacles. I share this because if this can happen, most parents can teach their children to read.

I will tell you about how this boy came to my class, the work that was done by both the boy and his father and then where the boy was at the end of his first-grade year.

On the first day of class, this boy set a record. A record that will stand for all time. Within 15 minutes of the morning bell on the first day of school, I was sitting outside the classroom explaining to him that his behavior was unacceptable. I can’t even tell you how bad his behavior had to be for me to leave the classroom that early on the first day of school before I’d really even had a chance to let the other students know what is expected. It was a serious deal.

Here are some further observations of how much of a challenge was to come. He could not sit still for more than a few seconds. Based on the fact that he had no idea how to write letters or even where to start writing on a piece of paper, it was apparent that he had never had someone read to him. I learned later that he was from a very low socio-economic home and the he was living with his father after a very bitter divorce. All this leads me to say he and his father had great challenges when it came to academics, and especially reading.

The program I used to teach reading was very demanding. My students had to learn 70 phonograms and this was done through learning handwriting and taking spelling tests. The handwriting directions were very explicit and the spelling tests consisted of 30 words per day with six new ones forcing out the six oldest ones. This might sound bad already for first-graders, but every word had to be coded based on the type of phonogram and related spelling rules. If it wasn’t coded correctly, they missed the word.

And they had to read every day, more and more challenging books as they learned more phonograms.

Most parents have at least experienced an episode of homework where their child just couldn’t get a concept and remember the frustration level mounting, both theirs and the child’s. I shudder to think of what this father went through as he attempted to help his child with all that was expected. I’ve talked about all the child’s challenges, but the father had his own. Bitter divorce, lousy menial labor job and then the frustrations of helping his son. This was almost the perfect storm of challenges.

But one thing stands out in this situation. The father did everything I asked of him because he believed that I had the knowledge and experience to teach his child to read. If he had not done what he did, what I did would have mattered very little. This is when I came to believe very strongly that parents can teach their children to read. Let me repeat, his son would not have learned to read without his work.

I told you I would give you a report of where this boy was at the end of his first-grade year. He had learned to follow directions very well, he was doing great in all content areas, including reading above grade level, his behavior was exceptional considering how he came into the year. He was a model student.

I began this article off with the contention that parents can and should teach their children how to read. I further contended that parents believe they can’t do it. The final piece of this story I’ll share with you is that on the last day of that school year, the father told me that he thought we were trying to do too much with his son. I stated in the beginning I passionately believe parents can teach their children to read. A big part of that passion comes from witnessing what this father and son accomplished together.

If a father and son with all those challenges can do it, I believe any parent can do it!

Apart from a few percentages, most men would rather watch or play a game than read a book. Starting from "It is too long" to "I don't want to", the reason for lack of interest in reading could be anything. Although it is such a pleasurable pastime, you cannot force reading on someone who does not want to read. Perhaps, this is why, books are the last things, which come to mind when thinking of ideal manly gifts.

It is not easy to buy books for someone who hardly reads. Not only you have to find a suitable genre for them, you also have to find a book they will actually enjoy reading. Here are few book titles, suggested for those non-reading males who reject books for the mere reason that they do not have the patience:

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

About: It is about teenage angst and alienation of Holden Caulfield, who shares with the readers, his account of 24-Hours he spent in New York City. Here he comes to realize that adulthood is nothing but a sham and hopes preserve the childhood innocence when he grows up.

For whom: First published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is as one of the most outstanding work of fiction of the 20th Century. Originally intended for adult readers, the novel eventually made its niche amongst a more suitable audience, the young adults. It was they, and many adults too, who felt they could relate the agonies of adolescence the protagonists went through. Brilliantly crafted by Mr. Brilliantly Salinger, the realistic themes and characters make it a believable story for all.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

About: As taken from Amazon.com, "Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. However, his real problem is not the enemy-it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian attempts to excuse himself from the perilous missions assigned to him, he will be in violation of Catch-22 "
For whom: Men, who are diehard fans of action, war stories, logic and black humor, they would definitely treasure this book.

Short Stories from Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore

About: Written sometime between 1891 and 1917 by Tagore, this book compiles sixteen short stories of his, which portray the variegated human emotions, as men and women deal with the boundaries of contemporary Hindu society.
For whom: Tagore, one of India's greatest writers, poet, painter and musician, captures the life of India in all his stories, and this is no different. He does not judge in his stories and the readers have to draw their own conclusions. This book is certainly for those who are touched by simple beauty, depths of understanding and compassion.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

About: "At the stroke of midnight …" on August 15, 1947, an independent India was born and so was Saleem Sinai, the protagonist. Soon he realizes that his time of birth has a direct connection to the event happening in post independent India. He also realizes that he has telepathic powers, which connect him to thousand other children born at midnight on August 15, 1947, and their special powers.

For whom: Full of magic realism, this book will instantly find takers in those who have developed a liking for historical fictions. Salman Rushdie's vivid storytelling method captivates the reader from the starting until the end.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

About: As taken from Wikipedia, "Newspaper sports columnist Mitch Albom recounts the time spent with his 78-year-old sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, at Brandeis University, who was dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) … The resulting book describes these fourteen Tuesdays they meet, supplemented with Schwartz's lectures and life experiences and interspersed with flashbacks and allusions to contemporary events.

For whom: It is for men of all ages who have forgotten the real meaning of life and how to live it.

If you are an avid reader yourself, depriving the non-reading loved ones from the immeasurable satisfaction, derived from losing oneself in the stories, does not quite make you feel content, does it? Hence, next time you consider books too, as gifts for men , which will keep him glued to them until the very end. The market is full of 'page-turners', a term used for books, which are fast paced, easy to understand and are active.

Proofreaders often get confused by the term ‘reading against copy’, so in this article I will try to explain what the term means.

There are two ways in which a proofreader may be asked to work: either by reading against copy, or performing a straight (blind) reading.

When she is asked to read against copy, the proofreader will be provided with the author’s original typescript (or a copy of this) with the editor’s corrections marked on it, and a set of proofs produced by the typesetter. The proofreader then compares the proofs with the edited typescript, going through both, word by word, line by line, to ensure that the author’s text (together with any editorial amendments) has been faithfully rendered, with no errors introduced at the typesetting stage.

When performing a straight or blind reading, the proofreader will be supplied with proofs only and not the original typescript. In this case, the proofreader cannot know whether the original typescript has been correctly reproduced along with the editor’s corrections. Her role is simply to check the proofs for content, marking up any clear errors in spelling, punctuation, and so on, that she may find.

When reading against copy, most proofreaders operate by scanning a few words of the original typescript, then checking to see that these appear correctly on the proofs, with any editorial corrections properly implemented. Where there is a difference (if, for example, an apostrophe has been omitted), the proofreader indicates this with the appropriate mark.

For each correction, one mark must be made in the text itself and another in the margin. This is done in order to ensure that, when the typesetter comes to incorporate the proofreader’s corrections, he does not inadvertently skip over any of them.

Errors made by the typesetter must be highlighted with one color pen, mistakes by the author/copy editor with another. This is not in order to apportion blame, but to decide who should pay for the amendments. The standard system of color coding is shown below:

Red: This is used to show mistakes which have been introduced into the text by the typesetter.

Blue: This is used to show errors made by the author and missed by the copy editor, and errors made by the copy editor herself.

(NOTE: some publishers prefer black ink to blue — you will be advised of this when you start working for them).

Green: This color is reserved for the typesetter’s own queries or corrections.

The cost of ‘red’ corrections will be borne by the typesetter, while that of ‘blue’ corrections will be met by the publisher (or, in severe cases, the author). With a straight reading, of course, you will not know whose responsibility any errors might be. In this case, you will mark up all corrections in a single color (usually red).

As a freelance proofreader you are likely to be offered more straight readings than readings against copy. This is because the amended typescript is normally returned to the copy editor for her to check against the proofs. The proofreader’s role is regarded more as providing back-up: a fresh pair of eyes which may spot obvious mistakes overlooked by an editor jaded by over-familiarity. Although the amended typescript could be copied and sent to the proofreader as well, in practice this is often felt by publishers to be too much trouble. This may not be ideal, but it explains why proofreaders are more likely to be asked to perform a straight reading rather than reading against copy.

The dawn of Internet brought new kind of lifestyle to news readers and subscribers, however, it wasn’t enough to change what others have been used to. More people still subscribe to magazines and daily newspapers for their own reasons. To sum it up, here are the six main reasons why people read newspaper.

#1. To Get Latest Updates and News – majority of newspaper readers want to know the latest happenings around them and newspaper is the easiest medium to get updated. Newspaper offers stories which cannot be found in the Internet and so many online news readers get one for themselves everyday. Although, Internet has news forums or news communities which also cater the latest news all over the world, newspapers offer something different.

#2. To Find Satisfaction in Reading Good-Writing Skills – others read newspaper to proofread what columnists have written. They can find satisfaction listing down misspelled words and grammatically-wrong sentences. But they find greater satisfaction when reading well-written articles and news.

#3. To Find Information on Daily Living and Job Opening – it is better to check the newspaper for local job postings; Internet seldom offers this feature. Also, people expect to read daily living tips or articles which they can use for their own livelihood.

#4. To Simply Pass Time – nowadays, the most efficient way to pass time is to browse through the Internet or play video games. However, others simply get a newspaper and look at the pictures or interesting stories but without even reading the details; this will be their way of killing time or let it pass smoothly.

#5. To Avoid Conversation – one way to avoid annoying conversations is to read or pretend to read a newspaper in front of others. Those who can see you reading would also think you are busy, unavailable or does not want to be disturbed. If you think you need time for yourself in the morning or in the park, then bring a newspaper with you.

#6. To Keep the Habit – a lot of people have been reading newspapers for years and it has become a habit for them to hold the paper in the morning with their coffee. While it became habitual for them, others cannot just start their morning without reading some news.

Today, Internet is a great replacement for newspaper because of its updated news community or news forums in which everyone wanted to be a part of. However, there are still a lot of good things that everybody can get from the newspapers.

Reading helps in every sphere of our lives as it enriches our mind as well as develops our personality. In the growing world of internet, still there are vast majority of people who still consider reading books essential. My personal opinion goes on the same direction. Reading is a means of language acquisition of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Reading to young children is a recommended way to instill language and expression, and to promote comprehension of text. It is an important skill and it is very important for us to develop this skill in children since childhood, for an excellent brain and personality development.

Books are a great source of ideas, big and small. We all read something or the other but for different purposes. It varies from person to person just as the reading choices vary from one another. Some people read to develop more knowledge, to be entertained and laugh, to engage and interact. Reading is typically an individual activity and a very personal. It helps in personal development of an individual. We read very often to escape from the tensions and stress of life, to address boredom and the inexorable progress of time. It is an excellent way to learn, know other’s opinions, to be informed, to understand others (individually and culturally), to get inspired and communicate better and to see things from a different perspective. It helps us to research and keep up-to-date with society, and even connect with like-minded people. It gives us an opportunity to travel to different landscapes and, sometimes through different periods in time. It’s an escape certainly, but more than that, it’s a voyage as seen through another’s eyes. It often help us enjoy and love the different situations, people and places and cultures. It is amazing to read books written by authors from years and years ago.

People who love reading have a fixed time for reading in their busy routine. It helps them to relax and escape from the stress of our day-to-day lives. It can transport us to another time or place and it is a great feeling of seeing or doing or experiencing something different. People have special reading corner for themselves and some people give importance to reading in silence and have separate reading room and some people love to read with light music and even some people read before sleeping. Many people love reading in bathroom because they feel it is one of the few rooms in the home where privacy is routinely respected. A child may burst into a parent’s bedroom unannounced, or a spouse may share time in a den or living room, but the bathroom is generally considered the home’s Fortress of Solitude.

Reading Books has always had advantages to other things in life whether using internet or watching television. It also is the most common interest of the people who rise in life and the most important reason of success in the life of people.

Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. I'm sure you've heard the statistic before. It's nothing new. While it might sound frightening or frustrating, it's a fact of copywriting life. So what do you do next? Give up? What difference does it make if only about 20% will be read anyway?

It makes a world of difference. Especially if you understand that there are some sections of your copy that are practically guaranteed to get read. If you know what these are and work to reinforce them, you'll see your conversions increase dramatically whether your copy is geared toward online or offline promotions.

HEADLINES

Headlines have always been and will always be the most important section in any copy. They are the first thing to get read and have the greatest impact on whether any of the other copy gets read. Those stories you've seen floating around the Internet about marketers who have made minute changes to a headline and tripled their conversion rates are true. It happens all the time. In fact, it's happened to me.

Headlines and sub-headlines can guide your visitors to read deeper into your copy. If you set up a structure of progressive headlines ( http://www.marketingwords.com/articles/articles_progressheadlines.html ), you'll have a better shot getting your point across. Pay a lot of attention to your headline. It's the powerhouse of your copy.

CAPTIONS

Captions started with newspaper journalists. When they would run a picture with a story, they would add a few words underneath to explain what or who the picture was of. People got into the habit of looking for the captions in order to relate the importance of the image with the information they were receiving. This still holds true. Captions in advertising pieces are highly read. Don't waste the space!

FIRST SENTENCES

When you scan something – an article, a book, a newspaper, a magazine, a website – what do you read? Almost everyone reads the first sentence of each paragraph. These sentences are vitally important in order to get your potential customers interested enough to keep reading. If you create exceptional first sentences, one of two things will happen. One: The prospect will be more likely to continue reading the copy. Two: The first sentences in each paragraph will be enough to convince him / her to buy.

FIRST IN BULLETED LIST

Just as with the first sentence in each paragraph, people also almost always read the first entry in a bulleted list. If it hits home, they might keep reading. But, knowing that you have their attention for at least one second, always make sure your first bullet point is extremely powerful and enticing.

PS's

Writing a direct mail or Web sales letter? The PS is another hot spot. Take advantage of this real estate. Repeat offers, remind readers of bonuses, reinforce guarantees or recap limited-time offers. This section is the final pitch before your reader either acts or trashes your copy so make it count.

Have you noticed something about these five sections? Why do you think they are virtually guaranteed to get read in any piece of copy? They are unusual. They are limited. They stand out. They are eye-catching.

You only have a limited number of headlines and sub-heads in copy. They are almost always offset by bolding or underlining so they easily catch the eye of the reader. Captions only appear when there are images. They do not appear all throughout the copy. First sentences are also rare. Only one sentence in each paragraph can be the first one. This tells the reader to keep going or jump to another section that might be of more interest. First entries in bulleted lists are unusually formatted and catch the eye of the reader. PS's? There's only one, and since it's the last thing on the page, most often, it stands out too.

These rare elements give you five guaranteed shots at building curiosity, promoting benefits, generating interest and closing sales. If you haven't done it before, now is the time to review your copy to be sure you're making the most out of these opportunities.

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