Thursday, December 26, 2019

Global Movements Of Western Culture - 1810 Words

Make an argument that show how Scheld s case and the two other cases you select are examples of the ways in which global movements of commodities, capital and Western culture are modified by local cultural systems. Since the advent of modernisation and the rise of globalisation around the world, issues regarding the cultural homogenisation of the world have arisen. Anthropologists have raised concern about the spread of capitalism as the dominant form of market exchange, the commodification process and the prominence of Western media in contributing the erasure of cultural difference in many areas around the world (Inda and Rosaldo 2002, 14). Many first world leaders during the Cold War believed that emerging nations would become prosperous only if they became capitalist nation-states (Schultz and Lavenda 2005, 360). A neo-colonialist form of political intervention emerged, as more developed countries believed that it was their duty to teach developing nation-states about capitalism, so they can achieve economic success and independence (Schultz and Lavenda 2005, 360). As thus, there is a threat of cultural homogenisation, whereby the dominant cultures of the core, such as America, impose their beliefs, values and cultural products to developing nations, thereby replacing cultural differences with that of the dominant culture (Inda and Rosaldo 2002, 14). Despite the seemingly homogenising process of commodification and capitalism, social transmutations of the capitalistShow MoreRelatedThe World Wide Leading Political Ideology1170 Words   |  5 Pagesrace to become the world-wide leading political ideology, thus with it has brought about the idea of ‘western liberalism. â€Å"In the contemporary world the combination of the triumph of liberalism and globalisation has meant that cultural exchanges are occurring at extremely rapid rates and at very deep levels.†(Smith, El-Anis, Farrands 182). There was a clear split in Europe post-Cold-War, Western Europe was modernised with new technology and industries, while the East under Communism was less economicallyRead MoreDoes The Global Sisterhood Exist?1327 Words   |  6 PagesDoes the Global Sisterhood Exist? According to the United Nations, a full 2/3rd of the world’s illiterate population are female. A person’s level of education is a great determining factor for his or her success in life both socially and economically. This startling number is just one example that demonstrates basic gender inequalities exist and are still very relevant in today’s society. So with this and other examples in mind, it would be easy to believe that those who identify themselves asRead MoreTelevision, Television And The Internet1399 Words   |  6 Pagesfamiliar given technological advances and global interconnectedness Through visual mediums such as the television and the Internet, we are able to assess the livelihoods of those around the globe and absorb information with the rise of 24-hour news outlets. Throughout the years, media outlets have gone above and beyond relaying international political coverage—media conglomerates have begun covering humanitarian crisis, soci al movements, and popular culture through the â€Å"infotainment† channels. WithRead MoreWestern Culture And Indian Culture1604 Words   |  7 Pages Our global world is full of dominant cultures that infiltrate their ascendancy into many of the world’s countries in a conscious and subconscious manner. An example of this cultural dominance can be seen in the bidirectional influence that Western Culture and the Indian culture portray onto one another. The cultures of the Western world and India in particular are alike one another on the basis that they are both economically established and are full of vibrant social societies. There is an idealizedRead MoreEnglish as a Global Language614 Words   |  3 PagesEnglish as a Global Language English is fast becoming the dominant means by which the world is able to communicate. It is being referred to as the global language as it is seen as a common means for interaction between different countries. This new phenomena can be seen in a positive light because the use of English as a common language brings efficiency and greater understanding. Growth and development are not tolerant of differences and English becomes a means for international expansion. NonethelessRead MoreNegatives Of Globalization1423 Words   |  6 Pagesany rewards earned through the process. The entrance of Western corporations into Eastern countries may seem to benefit both the host country and the corporation itself, however this is an unbalanced partnership, with the host country bearing most of the downsides. A prime example of this is the hiring of ‘cheap and unskilled’ labour to fill positions in factories. Many countries with little to no labour regulations are chosen by large Western corporations for manufacturing, quite simply because itRead MoreWestern Civilization Roger Scruton Summary1410 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion â€Å"What is exactly Western civilization, and what holds it together?†. He uses his answer to help explain the cultural, political, and social struggle between the internal worlds of Western civilization and Islamic civilization. Scruton’s The West and the Rest: Globalization and the Terrorist Threat gives context, proof, and commentary on the continuities and discontinuities between Western and Islamic principles t o emphasize the need for renewal of the distinct Western culture. Scruton begins hisRead MoreNew Age Spirituality in the Context of Western Esotericism Essay1251 Words   |  6 Pagesspirituality and Western esotericism. As is the case with so many things in life, this issue is more complex than simple black and white comparisons. While the main purpose of this paper is to argue in favour of the ways in which these two systems are connected, I will be making certain concessions. One of the main problems presented by the study of these systems is how broadly defined they tend to be. The strict comparison would denote a clear understanding of what precisely defines these movements. HoweverRead MoreThe Importance Of Globalization850 Words   |  4 PagesBefore taking this course, I was curious about the movement of cultural aspects throughout the world. Globalization is more complex than just the spreading of culture but is the idea of global evolution and growth in a positive direction while highlighting and addressing global issues. Globalizatio n is often defined as the expansion of interactions of people through the flow of ideas, culture, and wealth. Globalization influences global, regional, and national policy as well as democracy, educationRead MoreThe New Model For Art1743 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual nation became the new model for art in the contemporary world and this movement was known as globalism. With the increases in digital technology, global integration of art and culture became significantly easier and more prominent. Although, globalism brought a new knowledge of culture from other nations and allowed certain countries to emerge as super powers not everything was beneficial. Terrorism rocked western civilizations such as Britain and the Unites States with attacks from the extremist

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Knowledge Based Exit Interview - 1581 Words

The Knowledge-Based Exit Interview Abstract Purpose – Exits have become common, employee exit surveys capture the reason why employees quit. It helps an ongoing relationship with the company alumni. In this paper exit surveys have been used in combination with knowledge management,. The employees while leaving the organization take away precious knowledge, so to decrease this brain drain, exit surveys can be extended to obtain knowledge along with a reason for leaving the organization. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling has been used. The findings provide ways to build a future employment recruitment relationship with the departing employee. The combination of exit surveys and knowledge management results in actions like succession planning for key roles as well as other levels also. INTRODUCTION: Exit Survey is an important tool that finds out the employees opinion on the organization while getting relieved. An exit interview is a final meeting between management representatives and someone who quits an organization, If carried out properly exit interviews will bring out the perception of the employees right from basic needs to specialized needs. The reason for employee leaving the organization is due to 3 areas: money, technology and opportunity.( Get more value from the exit interview AnonymousComputerworld; Apr 7, 1997; 31, 14; ProQuest pg. 90). Generally the exit survey is carried out by the HR department of organization.Depending on the size of theShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of A Developing Hr Professional1491 Words   |  6 Pagesmonths. In addition to 40% of the current employees who were surveyed did not meet the required expectations of the business targets. The corporate goal is to have less than 10% of employees with did not meet in 12 months. Now having ga ined the HR knowledge in relation to the challenges that CIBC was facing, I can assist with developing a strategic framework that will help focus on lowering their turnover and increasing their employees performance to match the organizations and stakeholder expectationsRead More Human Resources Development Strategies Essay examples1469 Words   |  6 Pagesmaintain an on-line database for summer student hires. They can contact students through online portals and ask the interested students to fill their details about qualifications, experience etc as per the areas of need. Placement for engineers will be based on the Graduate Placement/Mentorship Program. The action would be conducted by the Mentorship Program Development Coordinator from Human Resources. In order to increase recruitment, promotion can be done through career fairs. The materials usedRead MoreEuthanasi The Controversial Issue Of Euthanasia1650 Words   |  7 Pagesprovided. Over the past decades, many people have argued their opinions about the acceptability and the circumstances of euthanasia whether it should allow or not. World widely, this topic triggers debates. Many of these controversial debates are based on personal, social and ethical viewpoints. Literature Review The word â€Å"euthanasia† has its origin in Ancient Greek language, meaning â€Å"good death†. (BBC, n.d.) Generally, the beneficiary of euthanasia is a terminally ill patient who suffers from unbearableRead MoreExit Interviews On Employees And Employees Essay1978 Words   |  8 PagesINTRODUCTION Exit interviews are the interviews conducted with departing employees within a few days of the acceptance of their resignation and the final departure. From the perspective of the employer, the primary aim of the exit interview is to know the reasons for employee’s departure. Exit interviews are an opportunity for organization to enable transfer of knowledge and experience from the departing employee to a successor or replacement, or even to brief a team on current projects, issuesRead MoreResearch Questions On Street Level Prostitution1409 Words   |  6 Pageswith a social worker. The unit of analysis will be the women involved, the independent variables will be completion of treatment, and use of both formal and informal support, and the dependent variable will be the exit attempt -- whether they successfully exited, did not successfully exit, or returned/yo-yoed as discussed in Sanders (2007) study. Methods Women will be recruited through this study using nonprobability sampling methods, specifically a mix of availability sampling and respondent-drivenRead MoreHuman Resource Management1439 Words   |  6 Pageshis/her friends and family. 2. The Company Exit Procedure for the Above Situation Exit interview is very important for the both parties to communicate with each other and discuss about the issues he/she have and about the policies. First of all HR Managers left the job without giving any notice to the management of the company and for that company can take legal actions against the former HR Manager. Before that company should conduct an exit and release interview to former HR Manager to know the reasonsRead MoreHow Do You Plan For Attract New Applicants?962 Words   |  4 Pagesbe an advantage, as the job seeker’s will know about the company based off what current employees have told them, and will be more attracted to the organization. Farelle industries could also attract workers through E-Recruiting, using the Internet and social networks. This method would be inexpensive, make it easier to detect unsuitable job candidates, and allow job seekers to see whether or not they are unsuitable for the job, based on the information provided (Dessler, 2015). Indicate the selectionRead MoreImproving Organization Retention Paper1446 Words   |  6 Pagesthe casino. Motivation Theories Interview Analysis As reported by the human resources department (HR) and the director of housekeeping the main issues that are plaguing this organization is directly related to employee satisfaction. The poor satisfaction rate among dealers and housekeepers has decreased the quantity and quality within the workforce and has created a gap between employee and management. To narrow the domain, an analysis of the exit interviews were in order, this proved to be informativeRead MoreThe Violation Of Verbal Reprimand Essay1730 Words   |  7 Pagessigned and dated by the employee and will be retained in the employee s personnel file. Suspension Suspension of the employee s employment may, at the sole discretion of the Practice, be used as a third step. The length of the suspension will vary based upon such factors as the severity of the offense, the employee s performance, and the employee s disciplinary record. An employee may be suspended for repeated instances of minor misconduct, failure to conform his conduct or performance to the standardsRead MoreEssay On Learning Transfer1325 Words   |  6 Pagestrade program and provide feedback through surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. Ensure that the protocol for the retention program will have all the necessary participant’s schedules and job expectations discussed to set in place the implementation of the program. After Negotiate and change the information to be distributed to participants from data collected received from surveys, questionnaires or exit interviews. Facilitate the process to incorporate writing skills in lessons. Initiate

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

H.P. Lovecraft and Gothic Literature free essay sample

H. P. Lovecraft Gothic fiction has never been lacking in prolificacy. From Edgar Allen Poe to Stephen King, this haunting literary class has yielded innumerable works of timeless creativity and imagination. Just as works from all genres exploit some emotion of the reader, Gothic fiction utilizes horror and shock. Many writings of the genre play on substantial, concrete fears, like murder; however, the works of one agent of this dark literary philosophy go beyond specific, rationalizable phobias. This writer was Howard Philips Lovecraft, and the focus of his stories rarely consisted of the mundane and terrestrial. He employed a different kind of fear in his works; a fear of what the reader can’t, or possibly shouldn’t, understand. As he stated in his study of the Gothic Horror genre, Supernatural Horror in Literature, â€Å"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. We will write a custom essay sample on H.P. Lovecraft and Gothic Literature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lovecraft is known for weaving stories with otherworldly elements, be it an immortal alien god (The Call of Cthulhu) or a reptilian precursor civilization (The Nameless City). He had a knack for reminding us that we are insignificant in the grand scheme of things; usually through the implication of unfathomable forces that wouldn’t think twice about eradicating mankind. These horrifying evils that act as hopelessly powerful antagonists are a common theme across Lovecraft’s tales, as are their obscurity to the general populace of his stories. Lovecraft’s portrayal of a society that is blissfully unaware of its own fragility is often paired with a single protagonist that is drawn into events that are incomprehensibly epic in scope. If this poor witness to Lovecraft’s horrors survives with some of their sanity intact, their attempts to warn civilization of those perils are met with ignorance and disbelief. In these stories, humanity has no hope for survival against the eldritch abominations that lie beneath the depths of the ocean and beyond the expanses of space. This is horror on a civilizational scale – rather than simply fear for the protagonist, the reader fears for mankind. Lovecraft’s message, in the end, always seems to imply that humanity is better off oblivious to its condemned fate. The fates of characters that learn of the horrific forces at work beyond the veil of human perception often reflect this concept. In The Rats in the Walls, a man is driven to insanity and cannibalism when he learns of his ancestors’ dark past and in The Call of Cthulhu a sailor goes insane and dies after looking directly at the submarine, monstrous, demigod Cthulhu. A character’s curiosity is often their downfall, and very rarely does it not cost them their lives or their minds. One exception might be the protagonists of The Dunwich Horror, in which three professors defeat an abomination summoned by local townspeople, literally sending it crying back to its celestial father. Triumphs like this are rare in Lovecraft’s works, and usually come at a great cost. H. P. Lovecraft employed fascinating lore and mystery in his short stories and novellas, using fantasies of ancient secrets and forgotten history. His writing has remained relevant for almost a century, largely due to his unique use of the epic and the occult. Lovecraft’s writing style was unprecedented even by his idol, Edgar Allen Poe, and it has influenced countless modern writers including Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. He is said to have pioneered – or even created – the genres of cosmic horror and weird fiction, and elements of his literature can be found throughout modern culture. From a Black Sabbath song based on a Lovecraft story (Beyond the Wall of Sleep) to a popular video game bearing the name of a Lovecraftian city (Batman: Arkham City), his influence can be seen in all walks of life. It’s no surprise; Lovecraft’s writing is epic in scope, and captivating to read. It is exceptional in that Lovecraft created a saga like no other author has; a universe in which mankind inhabits an anthill on a cosmic driveway.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Song Of Songs Essays - Solomon, Books Of Kings, Erotic Poetry

The Song of Songs CONTENTS INTRODUCTION1 Canonicity1 Authorship and Dating2 INTERPRETATION4 Allegorical4 Literal5 Wedding Cycle5 Pastoral Drama6 CONCLUSION6 INTRODUCTION The Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon, is a unique book in the Old Testament canon. The book contains exquisitely beautiful lyric poetry, full of sensuous symbolism. Because of the sexual nature of Song of Songs, the message of this book has been debated for the past eighteen-hundred years. The erotic content of this book has lead it into canonicity problems and authorship problems. These issues have become central to the interpretation of the Song of Songs. Canonicity The issue of the canonicity of Song of Songs was a major subject of debate at the 90 A.D. Council of Jamnia. Jewish Rabbis from across the spectrum of Judaism assembled in order to close in Jewish Canon. At that time, many rabbis who opposed the Song of Songs and other works toke the opportunity to argue against their inclusion in Jewish Canon. It was the Palestinian rabbinical school of Shammai that stood in the fore of the opposition for canonization of Song of Songs. They argued that nothing could be considered scripture that was being employed in lewd, barroom songs. Fortunately the cause of Song of Songs was championed by the less stringent Babylonian rabbinical school of Hillel. "The entire universe is not as worthy as the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs are the Holy of Hollies." Lead by the defense of Rabbi Aqiba, the Hillal school succeeded in maintaining the canonicity of Song of Songs! . Authorship and Dating While the different schools represented at the Council of Jamnia may have held opposing views of the canonicity and interpretation, both held to the belief that King Solomon was the author of the work. It was not until the advent of modern textual criticism that questions began to arise over the authorship of Song of Solomon. The view now held by the majority of biblical scholars is that Song of Solomon, in reality, may have nothing more to do with Solomon than use of his name. Instead, scholars believe that Song of Songs represents a conglomeration of smaller love poems or songs. These poems, 20 to 30 in all, were collected by an unknown editor(s) for their consistent themes, and placed in the anthology which is found today. Unfortunately, the nature of Song of Songs as an anthological work precludes precise dating of the material. However, there are several textual clues within the work which allow for citing a general range of years. The naming of the city of Tirzah in 6:4 is evidence that the compilation must have occurred sometime before 876 B.C. This is because Tirzah, compared to Jerusalem in the verse, ceased to be the capital of Israel in 876 B.C. when Omri moved the Northern capital to Samaria. Further evidence used to limit the possible span of years is found in the presence of Aramaic, Persian, and Greek words in the text. The presence of these words means that the work antedates the sixth century B.C. All internal evidence considered, the best dating available places the compilation of Song of Songs between 400 and 300 B.C. INTERPRETATION Allegorical First among the four primary, modern approaches to the interpretation of Song of Songs is the Allegorical approach. This view of Song of Songs is one of the two oldest interpretations, and was forwarded by the Midrash, Targum, and Medieval Jewish commentators. This interpretation states that the intended message of Song of Songs is an allegory of God and Israel. The succession of events flows from the Sinai Covenant through subsequent events. Later, the early church fathers adapted this view to Christianity by changing the role of Israel to that of the Church. Literal The second of the two oldest interpretations of Song of Songs is the literal approach. At one time held by a few Jewish rabbis, this view fell out of acceptance in leu of the allegorical interpretation. Among the Christian fathers who accepted this approach were Theodore of Mopsuestia and Sebastian Castellio, both of whom were criticized for their opinion. The literal view saw Song of Songs as nothing more than a collection of

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

buy custom Online Identity essay

buy custom Online Identity essay Online identity is a social identity of the person, the user establishes on the networking sites. My online identity is represented on the website Linked in, where I have an account. Linked In is both a professional and a social networking site. At the website I have posted all the personal information, which may be useful for my prospective employers. I have tried to highlight all necessary details about myself, including my professional qualifications, skills and even political views. I have also indicated my prospective employers and why I can be a suitable candidate for positions they offer. I believe, that based on information from my account, employers areable to get some impression about me. Discussion By viewing my profile on Linked in, it is likely that the employer will get a positive impression of my character. My character is clearly described on the webpage, as well as my career goals and reasons to be employed by particular organizations. Because all information about me is clearly stated at my profile, it makes it easier for the prospective employer to get some clue about me. Being a member of Linked in is enough for my online identity purposes as this website fulfil both professional and social demands. Extending online identiity may be in a way detrimental to my privacy. With the rising number of cases of cyber crimes in the society, enhancing the amount of information at your social networking profiles increases the chances that your private information may be reached by hackers, what may cause harm for you. Conclusion It is essential to monitor your name in the social site always. To achieve this, register for alerts to enable you to do regular checks of your name. Through all means, protect your personal information, as it can be a source of theft. Assume that all the information posted is seen by everyone and hence, trade with care. Buy custom Online Identity essay

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Stagefright essays

Stagefright essays For nearly every performer, stage fright is a very common state of mind. A sudden anxiety for either hurrying the performance, or not performing at all are rather mild symptoms of the dreaded stage fright. Many people in the theatrical field have to deal with stage fright at some part of their careers, though only a handful know how to Stage fright is mainly the fear of Acting, singing, or any other performance infront of an audience. All people are creative performers. The degree to which they are able to realize their creative potential is primarily dependent on the nature of their own "internal audience". Many psychologists state that stage fright is just a state of mind, even though There are many different types of symptoms for stage fright. The most common symptom of stage fright is the nervous sweat. The performers adrenaline rushes and his/her heart begins to beat faster as the performance time nears. The performers body begins to sweat suddenly because of these sudden changes to try to keep calm. The palms, underarms, feet, forehead, and back are most effected areas of the nervous sweat. After the nervous sweat, is Nausea and uncontrollable shaking. The Nausea is caused from the over rush of adrenaline, and makes the stomach irritated. Slight spasms of regurgitation may occur from the Nausea, as well as oversalivation. Fainting and Blacking out is a symptom for those who have severe stage fright. Once again, the rush of adrenaline causes the performer to black out or faint. Overcoming stage fright is a very hard process for performers, since stage fright can come very harsh to some. Actors and musicians should first breathe deeply and run through the parts, since this is a good way to stay calm and keep the mind off of the upcoming performance. Smiling and thinking of the best possible outcome is another good way of keeping the mind off of the p ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

MI and Promoting Higher-Order Thinking Research Paper

MI and Promoting Higher-Order Thinking - Research Paper Example The specific intelligences function in the context of the environment. Hence, it is important to have a proper understanding of the capacities that are central to the various types of intelligence. Continuing research by several scholars in the field has been unraveling the implications of the theory for education generally, and higher-order thinking in particular. Higher-order thinking (HOT) essentially is a manipulation of knowledge and ideas involving synthesis, generalisation, explanation, hypothesis, conclusion or interpretation that will result in solving problems or achieving new discovery and understanding. As opposed to lower-order thinking which is promoted when pre-specified knowledge is imparted, and procedural routines are adhered to and followed. Even complex activities are performed by reproducing knowledge in a rote fashion. The key to higher-order thinking is thinking beyond memorizing and restating facts. According to Armstrong    (2000), â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦..for whatever you wish to teach, link your instructional objective to words, numbers or logic, pictures, music, the body, social interaction, and/or personal experience.† The students should be introduced to the notion of concepts to be able to distinguish the different types including concrete, abstract, verbal, nonverbal or process concept. For example, students with a poorly developed logical and mathematical intelligence need to be provided with verbal explanations of the math problems and procedures rather than merely working the problems repeatedly. Connecting the concepts leads to HOT. For example, the concept of â€Å"presents† could be linked to... MI and Promoting Higher-Order Thinking Culturally, too, it is the highly eloquent and coherent people that command much respect. The theory of multiple intelligences emphasizes the need to transform the classrooms that currently tend towards being heavily linguistic or logical-mathematical into those that are more inclusive, catering to all the types of intelligence. Teachers need to be trained to incorporate a wide variety of techniques including using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, multimedia, field trips, inner reflection, and so on, while presenting their lessons (Armstrong, 2000). The various intelligences are clearly delineated from emotions, personality, or sensory accruity (Gardner, 2006). Instead, Gardner sees them as a â€Å"computational capacity, that is, the ability to process certain kinds of information in the process of solving problems or fashioning products.† (2006). Under the multiple intelligences (MI) theory, a core set of operations has been identified for each type of intelligence. Connecting the concepts leads to HOT. For example, the concept of â€Å"presents† could be linked to â€Å"Christmas†, and further on to ‘winter†, â€Å"snow†, â€Å"seasons†, â€Å"spring†, â€Å"summer†, â€Å"holidays† and so on. The various types of intelligences under MI can be indulged in the above.For instance, while the verbal intelligence is used to describe the various topics forming the concept, visual and spatial intelligence could be involved in drawing and painting different pictures to depict each of the topics.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

CASE ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE ANALYSIS - Essay Example Competitors were now offering better services that included pool services and karaoke services. The company was not providing such services. Regulation encompasses the three levels of government, which includes the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Regulation can influence the business environment through the increase or decrease of the tax rate that affects the cost of doing business. The economy conditions were perfect at the inception of the business but later in the business life, the economy was in recess but still the company managed to make more profits in spite of the prevailing conditions. The survival was because of the market niche the company had cut for itself in addition to the competitive advantage they enjoyed. At the beginning of the business, social interactions were limited to offline. Internet was not well accessible by individuals at the commencement of the business. However, as years went on internet was accessible by a majority and the advent of social networks resulted in the diversification of interactions from offline to online. Fork and dagger had not included social network advertisement as a form of marketing, something that the competitors embraced. Businesses affect natural factors through pollution, which can be through noise, water, or air. In effect, companies’ day-to-day operations can present an ongoing risk to the natural environment. To diminish the likelihood of harm to the environment, businesses need to reconsider certain natural environmental features in their overall plans. Fork and dagger long time existence in the market even after other competitors had closed shop was due to the strengths they had. The quality of service offered was exemplary as there were outstanding services provided by the staff over the years. Cable television at the inception was unavailable in the bars around Struan. Therefore, this

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Race in America Essay Example for Free

Race in America Essay The racial issues have become less significant in todays society than in earlier days among the American people. In todays society, many improved racial equality measures have been taken in order to ensure that the people of the United States are treated as if in one social group. Although many actions have been done to improve the equality of the people of America, racial issues still exists. Race in my opinion is the perception that an individual have towards any social group and can see differences from a visual aspect. Even though racial profiling, in the earlier days were a top issue in America, it is dying out and is replaced with the equal standards of todays society. When people come in to contact with one another they tend notice differences they see in one another. These differences can be attributed to the genotype and phenotype variation between people. It tends to not be biologically significant to divide humans in to racial groups it is more of a social concept. The various characteristics such as skin color, shape of face, hair and eye color, nose shape and hair form are used in categorizing people in to specific races. Race is a powerful social concept that affects many aspects of our culture now and in our history. In the past you would see much more endogamy due to breeding isolates. But now with more social acceptance and modern transportation we are seeing much more exogamy. This in turn has widened the gene pool and allowed much more genetic variation. With these changes come less of a chance and or preference for inbreeding like we have seen in our history. Inbreeding tends to increase the chances for the offspring to have genetic disorders there for is harmful to the population. The problem with this social categorization system it tends to lead to certain races believing their traits are more favorable. Once it is believed that one race is better than other that type of thinking leads some to believe in biological determinism. Many wars have been found over the years because a group of people thought they were superior to another. Completely stupid concept but some simply cannot see beyond it. A prime example of this is the eugenics that was being practiced by Hitler. He convinced and or scared an entire nation in to persecuting the Jewish people of Germany. He believed that he was improving the Aryan race by his horrific actions. Which to be honest has always confused me. A man wanting to rid the world of dark haired non Aryan looking people, yet he himself did not fit in to his own category. It seems to me that concentrating on our differences only opens the door to dividing us. We must learn from the past and look toward bettering the future, for all of our sakes.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Comparing Gothic Elements in Fall of the House of Usher, Uncle Toms Ca

Comparing Gothic Elements in Fall of the House of Usher, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ligeia, and American Slave Gothic literature has a number of conventions, including evils of horror, present of light and dark, suggestions of the supernatural, and dark and exotic localities such as castles and crumbling mansions (American). Violence in gothic literature never occurs just for the sake of violence; there is always a moral dilemma (Clarke 209). By going the extremes, a gothic author is able to accentuate a contrast allowing the author's point to be made more easily. American fiction was based on fantasy works of writers like Edgar Allan Poe. Although Edgar Allan Poe, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Frederick Douglass, all used gothic devices in their work, the question arises whether Poe's gothic techniques represented his fantasy, or did they represent his reality like they do with Stowe and Douglass. Poe's use of gothic device leads the readers into a downward fall of an insane world representing fantasy. Stowe and Douglass, on the other hand, used gothic details to reflect the reality of th e lives of slaves as they struggle to climb upwards out of the descending fall of their lives. Edgar Allan Poe is primarily known for his mastery of the gothic genre. He constantly explored subjects such as self-destruction, madness, imagination, and earned a reputation for his fascination with death, especially the death of women (Scharf). Poe uses the interplay dark and light and colors such as black, gray, white and red in order to present the downward fall of his characters rather then an upward gain in their lives. Unlike the stories of Stowe and Douglass, these colors are present to represent the upward struggle of the characters ... ...r cause (Scharf ). All three writers depend on the gothic devices to make their narratives attention getting, but Stowe and Douglass went beyond this. They wanted their readers to know their narratives were not fantasy, but could be almost dreamlike. Poe leaves his readers questioning the sanity and desires of his fictional characters while Stowe and Douglass leave their readers astonished by the insanity of a cruel and truly indescribable world. Works Cited Clarke, Doug. Themes and Issues of the Gothic Genre. http://members.aol. com/franzpoet/intro.html An American Cottage -- American Edition of Smith's Dictionary of the Bible http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.author/a.81.html Scharf, Douglas. Edgar Allan Poe: Biographical Contexts For "The Fall of the House of Usher". http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/ PoeFall. htm#First.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Health Care Utilization Paper Essay

The health reform debate is in full swing. Millions more people will gain health insurance, coverage will be more affordable, and people will have access to the health services they need. Health Care Reform and Access The reason for Health Care reform is to make it easier on the citizens to be able to afford health insurance in the case they were to get sick or prevent them from getting sick. The law makes it more affordable instead of the rising cost, it is lowered so people can have insurance. The Health Care Reform act made it to be were the insurance companies will be held accountable on how much they raise their rates and how their money is spent. Plus, the new law will help lower costs through new tax credits and new marketplaces where insurers will have to compete for your business. At one time insurance companies were taking advantage of the people but now they have to make sure that everything is affordable. It was amazing how they could deny children that needed medical attention because they had prior health problems. Children that were born with asthma or born with other defects were being denied health coverage. Insurance companies were putting an amount on the coverage that would giv e the patient and if that failed they would find any little mistake in the paperwork to drop their health care coverage. The Affordable Care Act creates a new Patient’s Bill of Rights that protects you from these and other abusive practices. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s 80/20 rule, if insurance companies don’t spend at least 80 percent of your premium dollar on medical care and quality improvements rather than advertising, overhead and bonuses for executives, they will have to provide you a rebate. Things are much better now that the insurance companies have to cover many preventive services without it being any deductibles or copays required unlike before when you had to have certain screenings and were charged deductibles and co pays. Before many Americans with pre-existing conditions were locked or priced out of the  health insurance market due to their pre-existing conditions which is not fair because many people have pre-existing conditions. Alread y, 54 million Americans with private health coverage have gotten better preventive services coverage as a result. It is good that they have made insurance companies accountable against discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. In 2014, insurance discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition will be illegal. Access and Utilization Several factors such as proximity to health care providers, perceived quality of care, fees charged and perceived severity of illness have been shown to affect access and utilization of health services. The wellness models is focusing on the health of a person’s mind, body and spirit. If more people took time to prevent themselves from diseases this would slow the growth of health care expenditures. What people who fell to realize is that it is cheaper to go to a class and or treatment group, instead of having to use insurance to provide medications, procedures and treatments. Getting involve with a wellness consultant can also help with obesity. According to The U.S. Health System,† The increase in obesity in adults as well as children also increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart failure† (Barsukiewicz,Raffel &Raffel, 2010, p.12). If people start now with their children by teaching them healthy ways of eating there will be a decrease in t he risk of chronic disease. The choice is in the parents hands because a child eats what a parent gives. Also as a person 65 and older gets up there in age there are more chronic diseases that they are at risk of getting and more prone to get them again or worse, which than leads to more health resources such as hospitalizations or put into a nursing facility. No, we cannot from aging but we can take care of ourselves now to avoid the risk of chronic diseases. Focusing on a wellness model can reduce healthcare costs because if a patient is given the proper information needed to recognize the signs of certain diseases and the proper information to prevent certain diseases, the patient will not always have to go to their doctor every time they sense something is wrong. Another way to reduce healthcare costs would be to educate people on how to live a healthier lifestyle. Adapting a healthier lifestyle reduces healthcare costs because if an individual is eating right and exercising dai ly; they can ultimately reduce their chances  of become obese. Living a healthier lifestyle also reduces the cost of treatments and medications of some of the diseases that are associated with obesity, such as heart disease or diabetes. Universal Care: Compare and Contrast Universal health care is the belief that all citizens should have access to affordable, high-quality medical care. Universal health care is a broad concept that can be structured and funded in various ways. The common factor for all universal health care programs is that they require some form of government involvement, whether it is through legislation, mandates, or regulation. One of the key functions in a managed care is gate keeping (The Payment Process, Insurance and Third-Party Payers: A Austin PhD. Welte R.N. 20-12) which basically is a way of controlling how much health care a person can receive over a period of time. Unfortunately this means that some patients who require intense treatments mat have to get authorization prior to getting the treatment which may cause a delay in treatment that can lead to more issues for the patient. The advantages of managed cares are only for the company. Managed care plans allow doctors to be paid for each member enrolled each month which m eans that regardless of how many patients he treats he will only receive a certain amount of money this limits the access a patient to specialist or rehabilitation services. Since the doctor is only getting paid a certain amount he must see a certain amount of patients which cuts down the amount of time spent with each patient. This is the where disadvantage of Managed care comes in. The patient cannot receive the proper care because his/her HMO only pays a set amount. References Comparisons. (2013). Universal Health Care. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu Healthcare.gov. (2013). Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from http://www.healthcare.gov The White House. (2013). Get the Facts Straight on Health Reform. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Networking in professional life Essay

Networking in professional life Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In computing terms, a network is a system of interconnected computers that share a characteristic of being autonomous and have the ability to share information through the interconnection peripherals. Moreover, it is a system of connected computer hardware that are linked by communication channels and protocols that provide a rapid method of sharing information (Tanenbaum, 2011). On the other hand, Network Interface controller (NIC) is a computer system that creates computer connections to a particular network. It is also known as Network Interface Card or network adapter. On the same perspective, a bandwidth refers to the ability of a computer network to send and receive information (data) and is expressed in bits per second (bps). Network Media Types   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In broad spectrum, network media refer to the actual path through which an electronic signal in a system of a computer or computers travels as it moves from one component in the system to another. There are several types of Network media such as; twisted pair cables, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable as well as wireless media (Ciccarelli, & Faulkner, 2006). A situation of network connection problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I mostly use network connection in most of my computerization endeavors, it comes a time when network connection becomes a major problem. For instance, this problems include; difficulties in connection to home networks, problems in accessing information from other interconnected networks as well as slow network connectivity among many other problems (Chen-guang, 2008). However, through the application of my computer skills, I normally manage to deal with such problems through the employment of troubleshooting mechanisms. However the most common problem that had severe impacts on my working is the issue of slow network connection but at the end, I was able to solve it by following several steps as follows; I first identified the active applications, the available users as well as the available conversations to determine where the congestion came from. This was followed by the generation of a purpose built report to determine the applicat ions in use, in order to determine the amount of bandwidth they were consuming. Finally, I was able to set a limit for the applications that were not significant in my place of operation. This eliminated the problem of slow network connection and after all my operations worked to perfection. How will networking Influence my professional life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my future career, networking will be of great importance, as I will use all the learned skills to ensure that information flow is efficient by ensuring the use of the best network type considering speed, reliability, efficiency and cost too. It will be my area of strength. References Tanenbaum, A. S. (2011). Computer networks. Boston: Pearson Education. Ciccarelli, P., & Faulkner, C. (2006). Networking Foundations: Technology Fundamentals for IT Success. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Chen-guang, L. I. (2008). Implementation of netwok management model based on Linux System J]. Railway Computer Application, 6, 012. Source document

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Teenage Girl essays

A Teenage Girl essays In a beautiful Sunday morning many different people were walking in and out of the large department stores at the Acadia Mall. However, the vast majority of people walking among the mall were groups of young teenage girls. The mall had become the teenagers ¡Ã‚ ¯ major hangout where both males and females roamed to show themselves off to the opposite sex. I noticed an attractive teenage girl that was waiting in line to buy ice cream at the food court. The girl was approximately fifteen years old, about 5 ¡Ã‚ ¯7 ¡ tall, wearing a white cotton tank top and a pair of denim shorts. Her long, golden brown hair was tied in a tight ponytail that cascaded down the middle of her back. A pair of blue-framed sunglasses with highly reflective lenses rested delicately on the top of her head. Her blue eyes shined brightly as she looked around the mall, looking for anyone she might recognize. Her chest thrust itself out of her tank top, wanting to burst out of the thin fabric. Her skin was soft and delicate, obviously pampered by lotions, most likely bought at  ¡Ã‚ °Victoria Secret. ¡ The lower edge of her denim shorts stopped barely below her buttocks, which also seemed to burst out of the constricting garment. A pair of shapely legs, sun tanned, extended from her denim shorts, seeming to stretch forever before meeting the ground. Her feet were encased in socks and a pair of white sneakers. This girl was extremely attractive, and her attire suggested she was ready to show her attractiveness to the teenage males roaming the mall. After receiving her ice cream, she walked past the table I sat at. She passed fairly close, enabling me to smell the lotion she had on. The aroma left behind was a combination of peach and another type of fruit. As she walked out of the food court, countless eyes watched her as she walked like a model on the runway. Poindexter-like guys with acne problems stared at her and thou ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Facts About PZEVs, Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles

5 Facts About PZEVs, Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles, or PZEVs, are vehicles with engines that have been equipped with advanced emissions controls. This results in zero evaporative emissions. You may have heard about vehicles with the PZEV designation. For example, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, also known as the 2012 Honda Civic PZEV, has a natural gas engine with almost zero pollution-forming emissions. Its been identified as one of the cleanest internal-combustion vehicles to receive certification through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state of California has recognized this special Honda Civic model with Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, or AT-PZEV, designation because it meets that states stringent emissions control standards. It also has a warranty to maintain its emissions for at least 150,000 miles or 15 years. PZEVs Are Rooted in California PZEV is an administrative category for low emission vehicles in the state of California and other states that have adopted Californias more stringent pollution control standards. The PZEV category began in California as a bargain with the California Air Resources Board to allow automakers the ability to postpone mandated zero emission vehicles, due to the cost and time necessary for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production. Vehicles that have been manufactured to meet PZEV requirements outside the state of California are usually referred to as super ultra-low emission vehicles, sometimes abbreviated as SULEVs. They Must Meet Specific Standards Certified vehicles must meet tight emission test requirements for volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen, as well as carbon monoxide. Emissions-related components must be warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles, including electrical components of hybrid and electric cars. Evaporative emissions must be zero. When the California standards were being formulated, it was anticipated that battery-powered cars would be much more readily available soon after the new standards were adopted. Because cost and other factors kept the number of electric cars dotting the highway to a lower number than expected, a modification of the original mandate gave birth to the PZEV. This allowed car manufacturers to meet requirements through partial zero credits. The Name Refers to Emissions, Not Fuel Efficiency Dont confuse PZEVs with vehicles that rate above-average for fuel efficiency. PZEV refers to vehicles with advanced emission controls, but that does not equate with improved fuel efficiency. Most PZEVs come in at about average for their class in fuel efficiency. Hybrid or electric vehicles that meet PZEV standards are sometimes classified as AT-PZEV for Advanced Technology PZEV because emissions are just as clean, but they get much better fuel efficiency. The Standards Demand Compliance Under the Clean Air Act, California was able to set more stringent vehicle emissions standards, including tailpipe emissions. In 2009, car makers were charged with reducing greenhouse gas emissions for new passenger cars and light trucks. Automakers were given eight years to bring new vehicle manufacturing in line to cut pollutants by approximately 30 percent once fully phased in by the end of 2016. Expect to See More While PZEVs and the low emissions movement got its start in California, other states have since followed in the Golden States footsteps. The stricter standards aimed at cutting emissions by approximately 30 percent by 2016 were adopted by multiple states, as well as the District of Columbia. Similar standards are also part of an agreement Canada signed with automakers.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Alcohol Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcohol Drinking - Essay Example It makes one feel better after a hard day at office, in the playgrounds, at theatres, in shopping malls and even when standing before the teetotaler. There is nothing specifically that can happen in a neighborhood. Well, if this is the way you have been thinking on consuming liquor and avoiding academic statements, it is fine to the extent that you have been consuming liquor moderately and not more than 3-4 times a week (Who should not drink alcohol). Obviously irrespective of what scientists and doctors say, alcohol is a pleasant drink. Scientists have now veered to the view that drinking is all right as long as it is done within limits and the frequency maintained. There is no point in binge drinking during weekends and staying sober the rest of the week. This does more harm than good according to research conducted on drinking (Alcohol: Our Favourite Drug). However, moderate drinking which consists of consuming two to three drinks has health benefits. It stops heart attacks and improves blood circulation. It does the work of an appetizer inside the human body and it boosts digestion. On the other hand, people say that the benefits of alcohol are highly one sided. There may be some benefits to the heart. But it still leaves the kidneys and liver vulnerable to attacks by alcohol. So in spite of all the benefits discovered to be present in alcohol there is still the nagging doubt if the drink or two you consume every evening could be irreversibly problematic to your precious liver. There is nothing clear about the benefits or disadvantages of alcohol. Nowadays, scientists are quite clear that alcohol is beneficial to the heart. But it is silent when it comes to the kidneys and liver. Hence, we are back to square one where consuming alcohol is concerned. Therefore, the teetotaler is better off as he quietly battles the possibility of heart attacks by means other than alcohol. Thus, the debate rages on. On the one hand the teetotaler is happy that nothing is clear about the benefits of alcohol. On the other hand, those who consume alcohol moderately merrily point to the scientifically proved benefits of alcohol and agree that the teetotaler does not know the enjoyment that he is missing. Between the lines, those who are teetotalers are caught napping when they are told by the doctors their cholesterol level is high and they need to put in place dietary controls. And also those who consume alcohol are told by doctors that their cholesterol levels are high and they need to control their diets which include their beverages intake. In the circumstances, neither the teetotaler is at an advantage nor is the drinker in position to proclaim safety in his vaunted status. Why we should drink In the ultimate analysis, the drink is a substitute for medicine. We come across many medicines containing alcohol. There is some alcohol in cold syrups. There is alcohol in alternative medicines such as the ayurveda. Cutting across all the din and commotion about having or not having drinks, the alcohol has proved to be a booster for the heart. The liver and kidneys can be handled with enough diet and water consumption. There are people who have lived to over ninety years of age and continue merrily

Friday, November 1, 2019

Genetically Modified Crops are a threat to bio-diversity and cannot Research Paper

Genetically Modified Crops are a threat to bio-diversity and cannot sustain the world's increasing human population - Research Paper Example Genetically modified organisms were first authorised for sale as food in 1994, amid different views from the international community over the benefits and costs of genetic modification, its associated applications and the cultural, ethnical, social and political issues arising from its use (Orton). Some consider it unnatural proposing its rejection while others, concerned about the pollution, nutritional issues and food supply, are more open to technological innovation. Some still want more information prior to deciding whether to support the full release of GMOs to the environment. Numerous environmental threats from the use of genetically modified crops have been identified and they include the loss of agricultural species and their wild relatives through the process of gene flow, despite it still occurring in non-GM crops (Orton). Throughout the 20th century, conventional breeding has created a huge number of hybrids and as a result, varieties which have contributed immensely more yields, stable harvests and reliable farm income. Despite this, the battle against world hunger is still far from over. The rapidly increasing human population, insufficient poverty eradication programs and the changing demographics have greatly battered the successes of the Green Revolution (Orton). For genetic modification of food to continually meet the need of the ever increasing world’s population, both bio-technology and conventional technologies are necessary. Depending on the context, genetic modification still remains a controversial issue both as potential threat and as an opportunity for biodiversity conversation. Biodiversity is defined as the variability among living organisms from different sources that comprise of the marine, terrestrial, aquatic ecosystems and other ecological complexes that they are part of, including the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. The pressure on biodiversity is continually increasing. The main predominant threats on biodiversity include loss of habitats, degradation from agriculture and development of infrastructure, pollution overexploitation and invasive alien species. Several responses have been made concerning the loss and degradation of biodiversity and although these have failed to reduce the decline, more effort is needed (Roller). Some responses include those of adopting policies that manage the invasive alien species and genetically modified organisms (including crops). GM crops pose a risk in reducing the agricultural and crop diversity which are the basis of poor farmer livelihoods and the food sovereignty of developing nations. Three quarters of the original varieties of agricultural crops have been lost since 1900 as export led agriculture has encouraged monoculture for a more uniform global market. GM crops threaten to eat away at biodiversity more (Roller). GM proponents argue that genetic engineering is indispensable so as to supply tomorrow’s world with food a nd natural resources. However there has been a drastic decrease in the diversity of the flora and fauna field. Due to the spread of commercial seeds and high performance cultivars, well adapted local varieties have been eliminated. Farmers become continually unable to cultivate their own seeds. GM â€Å"super-plants† usually accelerates the reduction in diversity as they are designed for implementation of mono cultures and economic sovereignty (IUCN). This demonstrates the amounts of variants that have been and

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Self Adaptive Information System - a Myth or a Possibility Term Paper

Self Adaptive Information System - a Myth or a Possibility - Term Paper Example It just needs to observe certain shared principles. But can such software then become foolproof' 3. A fundamental premise is that much, perhaps still all, software is rooted in how the human brain operates. Software is in this sense the externalization of the brain's own behavior. Software capability, and complexity, has evolved as designers understand more and better about their own thought processes. 5. Suppose software could in some sense "step outside" the human framework. Can such a "mind of its own" be simultaneously CAS and foolproof' G'del's theories suggest that this would not be universally possible: in ever increasing complexity required to produce CAS, insoluble problems will always arise, at some point a CAS will be required to "guess" as it will not be able to rationally compute an answer. The solution may be to make every CAS to an order of complexity greater than the task for which it is destined. G'del allows for the extension of the system to solve problems. Simply, new insoluble problems will arise, but these may be made to lie outside the domain concerned, so that the CAS becomes foolproof within a defined domain. 6. As an extension of these notions, empirical evidence suggests that very complex systems are still inherently "buggy" and that software bugs will always appear no matter what the design methodology. Designers and perhaps the CAS itself can repair bugs in the CAS. It then becomes an iterative process as in 5. to get to a stage where a CAS is foolproof within a defined domain, although no guarantee is given for the universal case. 7. Given that software is a manifestation of the human mind, it is likely to evolve with the same possibilities and constraints. Therefore it will never be 100% foolproof, just foolproof in a defined domain, and the time to realize such a system will be a function of the complexity and the breadth of the domain. 8. As a final remark, a CAS may not be foolproof per se, but may well be able to fool a human being. See Turing's remark about the situation when a human being can no longer tell whether the interaction with an entity behind a computer screen is in fact with another human being or a machine. In this restricted sense, the foolproof software CAS is already

Monday, October 28, 2019

Policy Recommendation Essay Example for Free

Policy Recommendation Essay The difficulty with any definition of poverty involves the meaning of minimum needs and the amount of money required to satisfy these needs. (Ansel M. Sharp, 2010) Those in poverty sometimes face an additional obstacle to earning an adequate income. Discrimination as we use it means that equals are treated unequally or that the ‘unequal’s are treated equally. Discrimination exists in the labor market when people with equal productivity are paid different wages or people with differences in productivity are paid equal wages. Discrimination can also exist in the product market when consumers pay different prices for the same product. (Ansel M. Sharp, Evidence of Discrimination in Our Economy, 2010) Discuss the major impact to society of the problem. In 2001, some six-point-eight million families, or nine-point-two percent of all families, lived in poverty. This translates into more than thirty-two-point-nine million individuals, a staggering number to many Americans who have never been personally touched by poverty. Indeed, some have characterized those who live in poverty as the hidden poor. Studies have shown that there is a significant turnover in the poverty population: Families and single individuals move into and out of poverty several times throughout the years in response to significant life events. Although no reliable estimate exists for the number of hardcore poverty cases, the incidence of poverty can be easily seen to vary dramatically across a number of demographic characteristics. (Ansel M. Sharp, What is Poverty? , 2010) Just imagine searching through heaping piles of refuse at landfills, looking for anything that could seem partly edible, to satisfy an unending hunger. Many people around the world face this situation every day of their lives. What could have caused a situation like this to occur? The education and skill level, health or handicap status, and discrimination play a vital role in poverty. A major factor determining whether someone will end up living in poverty, education or skill level can make or break an income. Education plays a vital role in acquiring jobs, learning new skills, and bringing home necessities and comforts of life. A person who doesn’t receive an education has a very small chance of making much money and acquiring skills that would bring home a desirable income. Many who do not have an education bring their family into a cycle of poverty, where their posterity doesn’t necessarily have the income to go to college or even don’t have a desire to acquire a high school diploma. Poverty rates are higher among families with only one parent or head of household present. Poverty is also related to age, those very young and those very old have higher rates of poverty than those in their prime and middle-age years. The economic cause of poverty is family incomes depend on the quantities of resources that families can place in employment and the prices received for those resources. To understand poverty, then, it is important to understand what determines the prices paid for human and capital resources and what determines the quantities that can be employed. Under competitive market conditions, the basic principle of wage rate determination is that units of any kind of labor tend to be paid a price equal to any one worker’s contribution to an employer’s total receipts. In other words, workers are paid about what they are worth to employers. What a worker is worth to an employer is referred to by economists as the marginal revenue product of labor. (Ansel M. Sharp, The Economic Causes of Poverty, 2010) Market discrimination may be traced to two primary sources. These are the power to discriminate in the market and the desire to discriminate. In our complex market economy, the wages of workers vary widely. Even workers hired by the same employer to perform similar jobs are often paid different wage rates. The meaning of wage discrimination is clear enough: unequal pay for equal contributions. But proving discrimination depends on being able to distinguish among individuals on the basis of individual efforts and productivity. Generally, humans are paid pproximately what they are worth in a competitive economy. (Ansel M. Sharp, Evidence of Discrimination in Our Economy, 2010) Employment discrimination means that some people are not hired because of non-economic characteristics such as race or gender. Two individuals with the same training, education, and experience apply for a job, however one is black and one is white. If both do not have the same chance of getting the job, discrimination has entered into the decision-making process. There is a growing belief that discriminatory differences in pay, especially gender differences in pay, occur largely because of occupational segregation. In general, men work in occupations that employ very few women, and women work in occupations that employ very few men. The economic results of occupational segregation for women are low wages. Women are often relegated to occupations where productivity and experience have little to do with their status and where opportunities for overtime and premium pay are limited. Price discrimination occurs when people of different races or genders are forced to pay different prices for the same good or service, provided the differences are not due to differences in cost of serving the consumer. (Ansel M.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Trascedental Challenge :: Essays Papers

For my transcendental challenge, I chose to spend twenty minutes a day outside in a park. I did nothing but observe me surroundings. I observed the children playing, and the pedestrians going about their businesses and the nature. My original thoughts on this challenge were that it was great waste of time especially due to the freezing weather. I thought I had much better things to do and greater priorities. I even believed it would be boring so I doubted whether I should have done it or not. The thought of a great reward in the end or a possible lesson or discovery about life made me choose to start my challenge. I first wondered whether walking to the park was part of the challenge. On one hand the park was about five minutes away and the round trip in itself would cover half the time of my daily challenge. The trees and people I passed could have also been a part of observing nature and I believed I could have made some observations on my walk. On the other hand I was not still in one place because I was moving and the passing cars distracted me so I was not away from technology. I decided that it would not be fair to make a decision, being so biased, and I would decide after the results of my first ten minutes. I arrived at the park on this first day and sat on the first bench available. I sat with a frowned face. My first observation twenty seconds later was how the cold wind blasting on my face reminded me of how much I already hated this challenge yet liked the class responsible for it. My first thought was to count the number of trees. I counted sixteen trees and decided to examine the biggest of them all. I worked my way up from the giant trunk, to the long branches, to the highest leaf. I saw this tree as a home to animals such as squirrels and birds. Although they were not present at the time, I could imagine them climbing and flying in. I went home twenty minutes later smiling with an internal picture of squirrels and birds living in harmony. So I had decided that the round trip should not have been included in the challenge. On day two, after reviewing my notes, I realized I was imagining animals when I should have been observing them.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Huksley Maquiladora Essay

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT Huxley Manufacturing Co. is an engineering company and possesses cutting-edge technology in raw material processing and part assembling. The main customer for Huxley is the US defense department. In recent years many factors were changing. Increase in the costs involved for R&D, higher â€Å"knowledge intensity† of defense products and reduced allocation by the federal government as funds towards the defense budget. These changes had made the US defense department move away from the use of sole vendors to more competitive bidding. Price became the most important selection criteria. US firms like Huxley were still the major suppliers; even then purchase from foreign supplier had started. The situation had kindled the idea in Huxley’s management to proceed in search of viable strategic operations to cope with the pricing and at the same time maintain the standards which Huxley had established. Robert Chan, the CEO of Huxley had initiated a plan to assess the advantages in moving the operations of the San Diego plant to Mexico. The team led by Philips has to give a report with detailed analysis. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1. â€Å"IMPROVE† UNDER THE EXISTING APPROACH: This recommendation insists on retaining the labor intensive operations to the existing plant at San Diego. Though this is not the most effective of the recommendations, with the budgets allocated for defense falling sharply, Huxley can still plan to improve training so that the trained employees are able to cope up with the activities performed. The actual turnover does not happen because the employees are not satisfied with the salaries but the employees feel that they could not master the required job skills. Huxley can increase the duration of the training provided to the employees. The quality of training can also be monitored and it effectiveness increased by intermediate assessment of the quality of work of the employees. This is a viable option for improving in the existing setup. 3.2. â€Å"OUT SOURCE† THE LABOR INTENSIVE ACTIVITIES: As stated, the labor intensive operations are the main focus for Huxley. As a measure to reduce the cost in such activities, the company can as well look into other option like out sourcing such activities to partners within US. This recommendation will remove the overhead of training and employee turnover from Huxley. Under such an operation Huxley can still command the same quality and standards from the out sourced company. Frequent visits from the mangers will also serve the purpose. In case the federal government further reduces the funding for defense activities and the profits for the business become too low Huxley can as well tell the out sourced company to stop the production and still be out of the overhead of reassigning the employees those would have been in the operation. 3.3. ACQUIRE THE COMPANY IN DENVER, COLORADO Purchasing the company in Denver Colorado which is capable of performing the operations similar to the San Diego plant can be another recommendation. It gives Huxley a leverage of being located in the same country. Since the head office of Huxley is in United States, they will be well aware of the laws and regulations of the state. It would be easier to operate another plant in the same country of sale and where the existing company already operates. Huxley can then plan strategic training to lure employees to the plant in Denver and follow employee retention policies to reduce any turnover if it occurs. 3.4. MOVING THE SCC OPERATIONS TO MEXICO Well, the most expected solution which the CEO is interested in would be moving the operations of the San Diego plant to Mexico. Operating in a foreign land is a riskier endeavor. The inter country trade rule can vary and completely change from the most favorable to the least favorable within a short span of time. The operation also needs to be determined based on the availability of projects to keep such an activity going on. The time taken to start and costs associated with the different types of Maquiladora vary widely. Since we anticipate a long term venture, the startup time can be removed from the consideration, but the costs and other several factors such as Labor availability, Transportation cost, Housing for the employees, the quality of the employee employed and the Labor cost involved should be taken as important criterion. Since any kind of operation requires an US manager to be in the Mexican plant, the quality of life of the manager should also be considered. 3.5.1. â€Å"OPTIONS† FOR OPERATING: For Huxley to be operating in Mexico, there are three main modes of operations that can be followed. These include the sub contracting operation, sheltering operation and the wholly owned subsidiary. A detailed comparison can be found in Exhibit 1. Keeping most of the constraints constant for further analysis, the â€Å"Shelter† operation has the most suitable offering for Huxley to start. It gives Huxley control over the quality of the products developed. Also providing the option for converting it into a â€Å"full blown† in Mexico as the company grew, or control could be turned over to the shelter partner to form a contract operation. The major consideration in operating a Maquiladora is the labor cost that is involved. Cheap labor does not mean consistent labor. The availability of quality labor and the turnover rate determine the location of the Maquiladora within the Mexican country. 3.5.2.1. IN A LOCATION NEAR THE BORDER For the location of a Maquiladora, two major factors contribute to the decision. The availability of labor is high in the borders, as is the turnover rate due to inadequate housing options available to the employees and their families. Which means that the cost spent on training is going to high. The high availability of labor reduces the cost of labor involved in the production. The bright side is that the transportation cost would be greatly reduced and the quality of life of the US manager would be better off than being located in the interior. If Huxley wanted to retain the employees, then it has to further invest on the housing options for the employee to bring the turnover rate down. Investing on housing will further increase the production cost of the goods produced as the cost expensed has to be recovered from the products developed. 3.5.2.2. IN AN INTERIOR LOCATION: A location in the interior provides cheap Mexican materials and also cheap labor. While this is an advantage to the operation, the quality of life for the American manager will be much worse than in the border. The roads, facilities and communications might not be as good as they are in the border. On the one hand it reduces the cost of goods sold and the cost of labor, but on the other hand it increase the transportation cost. We anticipate that a load will be shipped every day, five day a week, except for the 8 holidays. The recommendations are good in each having its own merits. The data on the availability of project and the forecasted future are uncertain. These might as well be the deciding factor when in comes to the final decision.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Jamaica National Heroes

Manley| Jamaica's National Heroes Published Nov 20, 1995 | Jamaica’s National Heroes dared to challenge the institution of colonialism and in so doing changed the course of Jamaica’s history giving social and political freedom to its people. Today, the statues of Jamaica’s seven National Heroes stand in proud acknowledgment, in the National Heroes Park in Kingston where they are viewed with inspiring pride, unforgettable symbols of Jamaica’s enduring strength. PAUL BOGLE birth date uncertain-died 1865. Paul Bogle, a Baptist Deacon was generally regarded as a peaceful man who shunned violence.He believed in the teachings of the Bible, endorsing the principles of charity and endurance. Yet he was also a leader and organizer who knew well the terrains of the land and had spent time in educating and training his followers. He lived in St. Thomas and led the Morant Bay Rebellion in 1865. GEORGE WILLIAM GORDON 1820-1865. George William Gordon was a free colored land owner and an associate of Bogle. As a member of the House of Parliament, he used his position to highlight the sufferings of the people and to make a plea for changes.The Morant Bay Rebellion and the resultant deaths of Bogle and Gordon precipitated the beginning of a new era in Jamaica’s development. The British government became compelled to make changes including outstanding reforms in education, health, local government, banking and infrastructure. NANNY lived and died in Nanny Town. Nanny of the Maroons stands out in history as the only female among Jamaica’s national heroes. She possessed that fierce fighting spirit generally associated with the courage of men.In fact, Nanny is described as a fearless Asante warrior who used militarist techniques to foul and beguile the English. Like the heroes of the pre Independence era, Nanny too met her untimely death at the instigation of the English sometime around 1750's. Yet, the spirit of Nanny of the Maroons remain s today as a symbol of that indomitable desire that will never yield to captivity. SAMUEL SHARPE 1801-1832 ‘Daddy’ Sam Sharpe, as he was affectionately called was to carry on the Resistance against slavery effecting at the young age of 31, the most outstanding Slave Rebellion in Jamaica’s history.Sharpe, an educated town slave, was a preacher and spokesman. Intelligent and sharp, he followed the developments of the abolition movement by reading discarded local and foreign papers and was able to advise his followers. Sharpe was tired of slavery, spent months in strategic planning, educating the slaves and traveling from estate to estate in secret meetings at nights, igniting the slaves with inspiring messages of hope of freedom. The 1831 Christmas Rebellion started in St. James and spread throughout the entire island.The Rebellion started on December 28 and lasted 8 days. Sam Sharpe was eventually captured and hung at the Parade in Montego Bay (now renamed Sam Sha rpe Square). On August 28, 1833 slavery was abolished and the System of Apprenticeship instituted, allowing for the total freedom of slaves in the next 4-6 years. On August 1, 1938 the Apprenticeship System ended granting full freedom to the slaves. SIR ALEXANDER BUSTAMANTE 1884-1977 Alexander Bustamante was an aggressive, outspoken young man who understood the dynamics of labor relations.A charismatic and impressive speaker, he used the media to criticize the prevailing political system and its attendant social problems. He started the Industrial Trade Union in 1938 and was jailed for 17 moths following labor riots. He became Jamaica’s first Chief Minister, a position he held until 1954, being knighted that same year by the queen. On August 6, 1962 Jamaica was granted full independence. At the first session of Parliament, Bustamante received the Instruments of Independence from the queen’s representative, Princess Margaret.This time in Jamaica’s history drastic changes were heralded, not by bloodshed but by peaceful negotiations. NORMAN WASHINGTON MANLEY 1893-1969. Norman Washington Manley founded the People’s National Party which later was tied to the Trade Union Congress and the N. W. U. Together with Bustamante, their efforts resulted in the New Constitution of 1944 granting full Adult Suffrage. In 1955 Manley was elected Chief Minister. The 400 year British Rule, invoking slavery, deculturisation, uprising and bloodshed was now at an end.MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY 1887-1940. Marcus Mosiah Garvey stands out in history as one who was greatly committed to the concept of the Emancipation of minds. Garvey who was born in St. Ann became famous worldwide as a leader who was courageous and eloquent in his call for improvement for Blacks. He sought the unification of all Blacks through the establishment of the United Negro Improvement Association and spoke out against economic exploitation and cultural denigration. He spent many years in the United | |

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Recent Biology Related News Article Summary Example

Recent Biology Related News Article Summary Example Recent Biology Related News Article Summary – Article Example Summary American Society for Microbiology. . Salmonella infection mitigates asthma. Science Daily. 23rd January 2014. Web. 24Th January 2014. Recent studies so far conducted contended Salmonella infections present a heightened level of efficiency in reducing asthma incidence. This is evident in the way asthma is unlikely to be high among children who at one time in their lives have experienced Salmonella related disease (â€Å"American Society for Microbiology†). Based on this article, the premise backing its core argument emanates from Modern Western fascination with cleanliness whose original intention is to ensure immune systems are both inexperienced and underdeveloped (â€Å"American Society for Microbiology†). According to Venkateswaran Ganesh, salmonella infection once in the body yields to later reduced airway inflammation, which is the main cause of discomfort among numerous asthma patients (â€Å"American Society for Microbiology†). In his research, Ga nesh claims increase of â€Å"myeloid† in the body enhances the regulation of T helper-2 cells, which in turn yields to less interleukin-4 quantities (â€Å"American Society for Microbiology†). Through this premise, research on mice as subjects prove that, in the future this invention may be helpful in making effective treatments aimed at curbing asthma incidence. This is by using commensal bacteria, which is similar to Salmonella to reduce the incidence’s raising population. For instance, according to CDC statistics in a population of 26 million US citizens 8.2% of them are asthma victims whereby 9.5% are children (â€Å"American Society for Microbiology†). This is an alarming rate given the most critical population encompasses that of little children. However, this emergent invention though not in print already will be helpful in curbing the menace of asthma among children. Work Cited American Society for Microbiology. (2014). Salmonella infection mitig ates asthma. Science Daily. 23rd January 2014. Web. 24Th January 2014.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Twelfth Night

In "Twelfth Night" William Shakespeare has many relationships that grow all through the play. The most important relationship of these is that of Viola and Orsino. The interaction these characters have is the reason for the complicated conflicts of the play. As the conflict unfolds throughout the play the two characters become friends and lovers rather than the strangers they started as. In the first Act Viola and Orsino's are two complete strangers. In order to get close to Orsino, Viola isn’t honest with him from the beginning and disguises herself as a male page known as Cesario. Because of this, Orsino trust Viola and ends up sending â€Å"Cesario† to announce his love for Olivia. â€Å"O, then unfold the passion of my love. / Surprise her with discourse of my faith.† (Act I, 5, 36-27) The fact that Orsino was able to trust Cesario so quickly is the first example of their relationship growing. This growth is proof of their relationship going from stranger to friend. â€Å"He hath known u but three days, and already you are no stranger.† (Act I, 5, 2-4) In the second act, their relationship begins a new phase. Olivia falls in love with Cesario, which leaves Viola in a predicament between Orsino and Olivia. â€Å"As I am a man, my state is desperate for my master’s love. As I am a woman, (now alas the day!), What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!† (Act 2, 3, 36-39) Viola is now entangled in a love triangle, yet is able to hide it from Orsino. This triangle becomes part of Viola and Orsino’s relationship in the play. In the fourth scene of act 2, there is an important element in the relationship of Viola and Orsino. Viola is able to blind Orsino’s attention on Olivia by telling him a story of love from Cesario’s sister. With her own interest in mind, Viola asks Orsino if he could love another woman if she loved him as much as he loves Olivia. . "Sooth, but you must. Say that some lady as perhaps there is, hath fo... Free Essays on Twelfth Night Free Essays on Twelfth Night In "Twelfth Night" William Shakespeare has many relationships that grow all through the play. The most important relationship of these is that of Viola and Orsino. The interaction these characters have is the reason for the complicated conflicts of the play. As the conflict unfolds throughout the play the two characters become friends and lovers rather than the strangers they started as. In the first Act Viola and Orsino's are two complete strangers. In order to get close to Orsino, Viola isn’t honest with him from the beginning and disguises herself as a male page known as Cesario. Because of this, Orsino trust Viola and ends up sending â€Å"Cesario† to announce his love for Olivia. â€Å"O, then unfold the passion of my love. / Surprise her with discourse of my faith.† (Act I, 5, 36-27) The fact that Orsino was able to trust Cesario so quickly is the first example of their relationship growing. This growth is proof of their relationship going from stranger to friend. â€Å"He hath known u but three days, and already you are no stranger.† (Act I, 5, 2-4) In the second act, their relationship begins a new phase. Olivia falls in love with Cesario, which leaves Viola in a predicament between Orsino and Olivia. â€Å"As I am a man, my state is desperate for my master’s love. As I am a woman, (now alas the day!), What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!† (Act 2, 3, 36-39) Viola is now entangled in a love triangle, yet is able to hide it from Orsino. This triangle becomes part of Viola and Orsino’s relationship in the play. In the fourth scene of act 2, there is an important element in the relationship of Viola and Orsino. Viola is able to blind Orsino’s attention on Olivia by telling him a story of love from Cesario’s sister. With her own interest in mind, Viola asks Orsino if he could love another woman if she loved him as much as he loves Olivia. . "Sooth, but you must. Say that some lady as perhaps there is, hath fo... Free Essays on Twelfth Night Twelfth Night - Character study: Malvolio Character study: Malvolio: Did he deserve the punishment that he received? The character Malvolio (meaning literally â€Å"I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidence of Malvolio’s undesirable disposition comes with his own first appearance in the play during which he makes a point of insulting the wit and intelligence of Feste â€Å"I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal†. Through doing this he shows himself to be man who condescends to those that he believes to be lower than him in any way, by acting on his own personal belief of superiority, and this later becomes a major player in his downfall. Initial impressions are supported by further vices in Malvolio’s general character and these lead to further aversion to him. He shows himself to be a strict puritan and this is also suggested by the opinion of Maria â€Å"The devil a puritan that he is†. He denies himself indulgences and pleasure whilst at the same time begrudging these things of others. He makes a point of taking the moral high ground over Maria, Feste and more importantly, his social superior Sir Toby, when he scorns them for their revelries and â€Å"disorders†. This in turn adds to their desire to avenge him and bring him from his level of false authority, back to his true social class of a mere steward at which he is unable to give out orders, but only to receive them. Although he is a man of supposed purity and self-denial in practice, his aspirations are such that he becomes hypocritical. In turn he makes his character one of further malevolence. He secretly longs for t... Free Essays on Twelfth Night Critical Analysis of Twelfth Night William Shakespeare Prà ©cis Characters: Orsino, Duke of Illyria. Is madly in love with Lady Olivia. He is a kind and gentle man. Viola/Cesario, Young girl who has found herself in Illyria after being shipwrecked. She is disguised as a boy to insure her safety in a strange land. Lady Olivia, a young and wealthy aristocrat who falls for the young Cesario. Sebastian, Sebastian is at first believed to perhaps drowned in the shipwreck. He is the fraternal twin to Viola and is mistaken for Cesario. Olivia falls instead for Sebastian , since the siblings resemble each other so much. Sebastian is much more impetuous and emotional than his twin, Viola appears to be. Sir Toby Belch, â€Å"uncle† to Olivia and a chronic drunk. He lives with his niece and amuses himself at Olivia’s house by playing tricks on others. He is basically a con artist. Sir Andrew Aguecheek, A foolish and dense knight who is encouraged by Olivia’s uncle to woo her. Malvolio, Malvolio is an assistant to Olivia and secretly is in love with her. He cannot stand the excessive partying of Sir Toby. Sir Toby uses Malvolio as the butt of one of his pranks. Maria, She is the chambermaid, so to speak, to Lady Olivia. Maria (muh-RYE-uh) is cunning and quite intelligent, as she herself decides to play a trick on Malvolio. Feste, Olivia’s clown/jester who in reality is no fool. He is very intelligent himself. Valentine, attendant to Duke Orsino. Curio, another attendant to Orsino. The roles of chambermaid and attendant were not low stations in life back then. They were of the â€Å"gentleman/woman† stature in society. A sea captain, He is a man who helps Viola with her disguise as a boy and promises not to tell anyone. Antonio, this sea captain aids Sebastian. Viola doesn’t help Antonio in his time of need. This is confu... Free Essays on Twelfth Night Twelfth Night Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. In this play, Shakespeare shows how much pain love can cause. Characters such as Viola, Olivia, Orsino and Malvolio as well as others are all in love with each other forming a bizarre love connection. In the play, most of the lovers obtain the love they desire except for Malvolio. Malvolio is a steward of Olivia, and is one of the most complex and fascinating characters in Twelfth Night. Malvolio is a very competent servant, but has many shortcomings to his character. He is over protective of Olivia; he is shrewd and enjoys spoiling the fun of others like Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. His imprudence sets him up for torture and ridicule later on in the play. Malvolio has tremendous ambitions to rise out of his social class, and Maria plays on these ambitions to teach Malvolio a lesson about being shrewd. Maria forges a letter from Olivia that leads Malvolio to believe that Olivia i s in love with him. At the close of the play Malvolio is finally made aware of this prank, and he is angered by the fact that he receives no apologies. He utters, â€Å"I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you† (V, 1374). Malvolio, however, never returns to the play to carry out his threat of revenge. I think this is a major shortcoming to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Maria, Feste and Sir Toby torture Malvolio by incarcerating him in a dark room and trying to convince him that he is insane. Malvolio seems more like a victim than a victimizer. Malvolio is the only one in the story, in my opinion, to suffer, and I would like to see him seek revenge on the other characters for his suffering. My version of the play would include a sharp twist of the plot from a comic love story to a dark brutal tragedy of revenge. If I were directing the play I would have Malvolio say, â€Å"I will stab my tormentors to death and play in their blood.† Then,... Free Essays on Twelfth Night Plays are one of the most subtle forms of literature: while a novel reveals almost everything in its text and description, much of a play depends on the matter between the lines, or the behavior and interpretation of the actors who play the roles. And these influences are invisible, unless we examine the context of the play: its sources, the circumstances of its composition and performance. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is one such play: in examining the works Shakespeare drew on to write the play and evidence about his audience, we can reconstruct many of his intentions in this variegated comedy. Shakespeare's main source, and certainly his most accessible, is the prose tale of "Apolonius and Silla" in Barnabe Riche's Riche his Farewell to Militarie Profession (1581). Yet "Apolonius and Silla" itself has sources which Shakespeare may have been able to peruse. The earliest (apart from the Plautine Menaechmi, the origin of many a mistaken-identity plot, including Shakespeare's own Comedy of Errors) is the Italian Gl'Ingannati ("The Deceived Ones"), written and performed at Siena by the Academy of the Intronati in 1531. Shakespeare may well have read that plot (he knew some Latin, after all, so Italian would not have been too much of a stretch), or at least its French incarnation, in the author Pierre de Belleforest's Histoires Tragiques (part IV, no. 59) (1570). (Henry V III.iv certainly proves a passing acquaintance with French.) But Shakespeare's reading list is far less important than what he did with his discoveries. Gl'Ingannati is quite a different work from Twelfth Night: more Plautine farce than romantic comedy. But the similarities and differences between the two do much to reveal the aims of Shakespeare's play. The siblings Fabrizio and Lelia are separated during the sack of Rome in 1527, when Lelia is thirteen years old (a likely source for Viola's father, who died "that day that made my sister thirteen years" (T‚N...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Which Promotions Work and Which Dont

Which Promotions Work and Which Dont Im of the mind, these days, that ninety percent of promotional efforts are wasted. The world is choked with books, writers, people fighting to make a living with their words. Anyone can write a book, and anyone can post one for sale. After years of promoting novels, even from a platform such as FundsforWriters, Ive learned a hard lesson: Most promotional efforts do not work. We read blogs and ask for advice, trying to figure out which marketing tools work best. Well, guess KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA what? Any tool being touted as the best, any trick being shouted as effective, or any method being taught as the way to sell the most books . . . does not work. Why? Because everybody wants to do what works, and if everybody is doing it, then it becomes white noise and it quits working. Those people telling you the best way to sell are making more money telling you how to sell than selling their own books, unless they are selling how-to-sell books. Who wants to be a party to feeding that monster? Twitter is clogged with people shouting to buy their book. Sit back and watch your Twitter feed. Its been proven that saying buy my book never works, yet thousands continue to spew it. Facebook has groups that do nothing but post books for sale, and a zillion people keep posting their books on those groups like they are going to sell those books to all those other authors trying to sell their books. Goodreads is noisy with readers and authors trying to figure out what to do with Goodreads. Nobody has been able to say theyve made tons of sales via Goodreads. Do the Google search if you dont believe me. The bottom line is there is no one way to promote yourself, but you better be sure of the following no matter how you go about marketing: 1) Whatever you do has to be original, or originally implemented. 2) You better write a lot of books, because for someone to like you, they have to know they can binge on you if they find you interesting (a la Netflix Syndrome). Having one book only pisses them off. 3) You best be genuine in whatever you do. Its just so sad to see writers travel from event to event, sitting at lines of tables, in a room of several dozen authors, thinking they will stand out. They might as well be hiding. Quit asking others what they did, because its already been done. Quit following the crowds. Write your books. Promote in a manner that makes you feel good about yourself. And finally, be yourself. Readers are hungry for fresh and real. Thats hard to find because everyone is struggling so hard to be like everyone else. Get real.