Banish bad writing to Room 101 - Emphasis

Banish bad writing to Room 101 Banish bad writing to Room 101 Good writing is powerful. Bad writing belongs in Room 101. George Orwell, creator of that fictional torture chamber where peoples worst nightmares reside, determined to rid the world of the terrible writing habits he believed threatened our mother tongue. The six rules he laid out have been guiding writers in all fields since he wrote them in 1946. Because, after all these years, Orwells advice is as relevant today as it was 65 years ago. 1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print Metaphors and similes have the potential to evoke powerful mental images. But overused phrases such as axe to grind, selling like hot cakes or strike while the irons hot no longer have the power to conjure up anything other than a slight glazing over of the eyes. A fresh, unfamiliar juxtaposition of ideas can be just the late-afternoon espresso your reader needs to awaken your ideas in their head. Having said that, imagery is difficult to get right. And beware of overdoing it. If youre writing a business report, coming up with 12 never-before-seen metaphors per page may not be the best use of your time. Save them for your creative writing class. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do On the grounds of rule one, Orwell probably wouldnt approve of the phrase less is more. However, its often true. Short words are powerful, direct and punchy. They are more likely to be instantly understood, which means your writing will have an immediate impact on your reader. Note that this rule doesnt put a complete ban on the use of long words it discourages using them for their own sake, as this can lead to opaque, pompous writing. But, for variety, the occasional Scrabble high-scorer is acceptable. 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out Remove all padding from your writing. This means cutting every word that doesnt add to your meaning: this isnt school and youre no longer graded by the word. And get rid of waffle-magnets such as nominalisations. This hefty word means a noun thats created from a verb for example consideration (from the verb consider) or implementation (from implement, or even just do). Not only are these noun versions heavier than their lithe verb counterparts, they need extra words (eg, of and the) to make the sentence work. Little surprise that Nike didnt go with the slogan, Just complete the implementation of it. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active The active voice is where you put the who of the sentence before their action just as you would if you were speaking. For example: The novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was written in 1949 by George Orwell is passive, but George Orwell wrote the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1949 is active. The active voice is more direct, interesting and logical and it forces you to be specific about who does what (whereas with the passive, the who can be removed from the sentence). But do keep the passive in reserve for moments of necessary tact (ie, to a customer, The form was filled in incorrectly rather than You filled in the form incorrectly); and perhaps the odd shady cover-up (Yes, boss, the coffee machine has been broken). 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent Not so straightforward, this one, as it really depends on context. For corporate teams or expert readers, jargon is not only acceptable, it can also act like shorthand, helping to clarify your meaning. But knowing your audience is key. When you need to get technical information over to a more general readership, consider how youd explain your subject matter to a friend in a different industry, and youll find the right words to use. 6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous A lazier writer than I am might say theres an exception to every rule. A straight-talker may just say, use your brain. Even Orwell admitted he was probably guilty of violating these rules again and again in the very essay he declared them. Still, the more you write with these sensible ground rules in mind, the better youll become at spotting the odd moments when you might do well to break one.

3 Uncommon Ways To Get Team Buy In Every Time

3 Uncommon Ways To Get Team Buy In Every Time You probably already know a few of the tips and tricks to getting team buy in to new ideas, processes, or change. When it comes to influencing your peers, though, it can be a delicate dance. Because you lack positional authority, you cant pull the, Well, thats the way were going to do it, card. (Not that you ever would 😉) But these three off-beat tactics Im sharing will work for you. Today. Well lay some groundwork first. But if you wanna jump ahead, be my guest. Each strategy will work for peer or team buy in. Table of Contents: The Problem: Why We Resist Change? The Solution: What Does Leading Change Look Like? Step 1: Take the Marketing Cholesterol Test Step 2: Start With the Problem Step 3: Script the Critical Actions Required3 Uncommon Ways To Get Team Buy In Every Time via @ Did Isaac Newton Already Figure Out Why We Resist Change? Neurologically, were hard wired to maintain things as they are via our ingrained habits. Were comfortable in the rut of status quo. And any threat to it is perceived as discomfort - which humans avoid tooth and nail. Said psychologist Ralph Ryback: Inertia, or a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged, is at the headwinds of any change that we make in our lives. Wildly enough, Isaac Newtons principle of inertia applies to our psychology as well as the world around us. One of the best places to validate this is in the world of software - in both simple and complex ways. Remember when Spotify changed its hue of green a few years ago? Millions of us were used to their funky green. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was normal. Then, they warmed up the color in favor of the vibrant lime green. Thousands of users whined at the ugly new color scheme. I’ll admit, I didn’t like it at first either. Oh yeah†¦ then there’s the Snapchat UI updates that just about broke the internet. People hated the updates so much, there were riots in the streets! Okay, not quite that bad. But, the backlash was so intense, 1,257,640 users signed a petition on Change.org to get the old UI back. On a societal scale, people are change averse. We often have negative initial reactions to both functional and visual changes. This means â€Å"different† is often perceived as â€Å"bad.† The perception that different = bad often blocks positive organizational change. Learn how toThis isn’t simply a mob-mentality issue, either. It’s a human phenomenon at scales both large and small. As Mark Twain famously quipped: Im in favor of progress; its change I dont like. What Does Leading Change Look Like For Marketers? In user experience design, this is known as change aversion: Change aversion is the negative short-term reaction to changes in a product or service. This happens in the non-digital world, as well. And is a force we marketers have to battle when leading change (especially within our own companies). Now, lets learn how to go out with the old and in with the new. One of the most important changes marketers should make is killing makeshift marketing. Makeshift marketing has become the normal way marketers do things today. Its the pain of using one tool for social media scheduling Another tool for analytics A spreadsheet for tracking Endless email threads for collaboration and communication A task management tool (or multiple ones if everyone on your team uses something different) We get caught in a mess of using tons of different productivity tools that end up strangling our output rather than boosting it. Another force at work is that complicated tool stacks are actually celebrated with awards. To bring it a little closer to home, lets ask a question. You’re executing marketing today How’s that going? Staying organized is really hard. You’re missing deadlines, your team is disgruntled, your boss is wondering what’s happening, and stakeholders like your sales reps are constantly asking where their projects they requested three months ago are at. You can’t blame them. If you worked with another team, you’d expect things to roll forward smoothly, too, right? The thing is†¦ if you don’t change anything, you’ll keep experiencing these same side effects of â€Å"good enough-ism.† And that means†¦ You’ll continue to be frustrated†¦ You’ll continue making your peer managers frustrated†¦ You’ll burn yourself out with the trivial minutia of consistently missing deadlines Overcoming Change Aversion In Your Team However, everyone is used to the way things are. So, if youre going to overcome the forces allied against you as a leader, youve gotta be armed with the right strategies. So lets tackle three off-beat ways to overcome change aversion. Obliterate the status quo. And become a more influential leader while youre at it. #1. Take The Marketing Cholesterol Test To Get Team Buy In To start, you might need to prove that change is actually required right now. When you create urgency, at least people can agree that, We need to do something. One ingenious assessment for your organizations need to change appeared in the Harvard Business Review, and is called the Corporate Cholesterol Test. You can check out the original test in the article Change For Changes Sake. But heres an adaptation for us marketers to use. The tests purpose is to assess how well your teams (or team members) are working together. Thus Measuring how high your collaborative cholesterol is 😠· How high is your marketing cholesterol? Find out what that means and learn the answer viaTo do this, you can use Google Forms  to create a survey. Each of your peer managers should get the questionnaire to fill out. The test starts the buy-in process by helping your peer managers see for themselves if change is needed. Youll create three sections. Each with three yes or no answers. How well do we communicate? How well do we work together? How are our collective results? Pro Tip: To get honest answers, you can nix requiring first and last name. And simply make answers anonymous! Section One: How well do we communicate? In section one, youll ask these three yes or no questions: Do our teams interact only with people in their own group? This questions identifies the presence of silos.A silo mentality occurs when several departments or groups within an organization do not want to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the same organization.Basically its a problem of key info staying stuck in one group rather than shared with others it could help. Are there breakdowns in communication caused by silos? If there are silos, this will be a big fat yes 😕This is a great opportunity to understand it as a source of frustration. And you can position your change as a cure. Has fluid collaboration between our teams decreased over the past 6 months? This is an easy way to gauge how well your teams have worked together. If this is a Yes, its another sign that the winds of change should be blowing! How can marketers know theyre influencing positive organizational change? Find out via @Section Two: How well do we work together? In section two, youll ask these three yes or no questions: Are any people on your team uncomfortable with change? Now, admittedly, this question is a double-edged sword âš”ï ¸ After all, change is uncomfortable for pretty much everyone. But, as Sujan Patel writes, this is crucial to success.The crux of this question is to bring to mind the proverbial roadblocks to changeThe people on their team whose automatic answer is, No. Do we have processes, workflows, and tools that align with one another? I know this is buried in the middle of the survey But its my favorite question.This digs into the heart of a central problem for marketers today. We call it makeshift marketingand think of it as the temporary, sub-optimal solution for getting your marketing sh*t together. This is not #fakenews.I cant tell you how many marketers Ive met whose solution for â€Å"keeping their sanity† involves spreadsheets organizing spreadsheets.Who’ve decided endless meetings to â€Å"get on the same page† is par for the course.Who’ve succumbed to â€Å"on the fly† project management because that’s just the nature of the job?!And who’ve settled for a cobbled mess of one-trick tools becausewell†¦?Thats just how marketing works 😠¢In fact, this is one of the biggest problems solves (you can snag a free 1-on-1 demo to learn how it can help you do this!).Teams pay a HUGE productivity tax for misaligned processes, workflows, and tools.If this is a yes, its a red flag 🚠© Do your teams resist collaborative projects with other teams? Heres a newsflashIf people on your peer managers team resist collaboration, its prolly not because theyre bad people. Or employees.Did you know that 85% of most workers time is spent in email, meetings, and being on the phone?So maybe they resist working with other teams because they have so freaking much to do and not enough time!^^^ Sound familiar to you?If this is the case, its time to get efficient and make better use of peoples time.After all, who would resist: Here, would you like less stress while getting your time back and feeling more valued?If youre leading the right change, this can be exactly what youre giving them.What if collaboration could be a source of excitement and growth rather than a drain? Section Three: How are our collective results? In section three, youll ask these three yes or no questions: Has your team hit 80% or more of its KPI goals in the past 3 months? Simply put, if teams arent hitting their goals for more than 3 months in a row - somethings gotta change.This is a chance to highlight how your suggested change can help everyones tide rise. Have your teams collaborative projects proven positive ROI? This is an interesting one. Because some of your peer managers might say, What collaborative projects?Again, this could stem from silo issues Or signal a breakdown in teams working together.For instance, nearly every modern marketing teams should be working with developers (who are often outside their team) regularly.Next, if they have worked with other teamsWell, has it worked?Are there more dollars, email signups, or whatever else they were looking for because of the joint venture? Does anyone on your team (including you!) experience significant stress or anxiety when executing a new project? I absolutely love this question.While there is always *some* amount of stress kicking off a new project - it shouldnt be consistently significant.Scientifically, we know significant stress reduces productivity. It also promotes negative behaviors like procrastination. So if new projects give your team a panic attack, something major is broken.Now is the time to fix it. How To Score Your Marketing Cholesterol Test (In GIFs) Alright, heres the final reveal Score your test responses as follows: 0–2 yes answers Youre good and probably rock at getting your peers to buy in. 3–7 yes answers Right now is the perfect time for change! Saddle up and get it done. 8–9 yes answers Panic. It was time to change yesterday but today is good too. You got this  Ã°Å¸ ¤Ëœ #2. Start With The Problem To Get Team Buy In Next,  to overcome change aversion with your peer managers, start with the problem you’re trying to solve and the benefits your solution offers to them. Yes I’m encouraging you to market change to marketers. #inception Software has more to teach us, here. Intercom recently revamped the design of their products inbox - a place their customers spend a lot of time in. The new interface looks like Evernote and Intercom had a baby And its one cute baby. They got ahead of change aversion by focusing on problem their change was geared at solving. Often, change is resisted with statements like this: We dont need to change for changes sake! If you begin with the problem, though, you sidestep this as an issue altogether. When theres a genuine problem to be solved, you arent changing for changes sake. Your changing for growths sake. Huge difference. Trying to influence positive change within your marketing department? Start with the problem first. Start With The Problem First, specifically outline the problem you want to solve and the harm its causing. Outline the problem as specifically as you can: Right now, were using six different tools to manage our marketing. Because of the constant shuffle, details are getting lost, were dropping balls, and not hitting deadlines. Outline Your Solution Propose your solution, address the cost of switching, and focus on the benefits: If we consolidate our tools, these problems will evaporate. We each lead talented, competent teams. So its a simple thing to give them a better way to do their jobs. Yes, this will mean adapting our workflows to a fresh way of doing things. And it will mean a new way of collaboration among our teams. But the gain in productivity and organization will pay dividends in results, reduce stress, and improve communication. When you focus on the problem, your proposed change isnt the focal point. Admittedly, Im assuming the change you want to lead is truly an issue. If it is, you can position any resistance to be against the benefits your solution offers. This keeps the conversation focused on, How do we solve this  real problem. #3. Script The New Actions The Change Requires To Get Team Buy In A third way to  get your peer managers to buy in comes from Chip and Dan Heaths fantastic book,  Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard. Its a way to get ultra-specific about what needs to happen next. The catchphrase analysis paralysis turns out to be a real thing. It even happens to LeBron James. When people are presented with too many options, we get stuck. When people are presented with too many options, we get stuck.Analysis Paralysis Is A Real Thing In the book  Switch, the authors share how this same phenomenon happens to doctors. A medical doctor and a psychologist devised a test to see how well the average doc make choices. The test involved two similar groups asked to make a decision on the same case. The only difference was that Group A made a choice between two options. While Group B had three. Check out the scenario The patient in the test was an older gentleman with hip trouble. Group A had to decide between a hip-replacement surgery and a simple medication that hadnt yet been tried. Almost 50% of the doctors from Group A chose the non-surgical path. Group B had a similar choice. Only instead of one non-surgical option, there were two. Thats it. That was the only variable. These doctors had to decide on surgery, medication 1, or medication 2 Logically, two non-surgical options seem even better than one, right? Well, only 28% of Group B docs opted for the non-surgical option. ^^^ This is analysis paralysis at work.

Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Economics - Assignment Example Through this, it would have saved some money that would be used for purchasing land and equipments, acquiring licenses and constructing the new premises. If a new branch is formed from scratch, the business would have forgone the costs that would be associated with the formation of a merger. If the business decided to collaborate with an already existing one, it will not need to incur costs such as construction, buying of new equipments and recruiting of new staff. All these would be forgone if a new branch is opened in another location. On the other hand, the business can opt for employing part-time employees instead of recruiting full time workers. As the best alternative, having part-time workers will be cheaper than full time employees. First, since they will be on a part-time basis, they will need to be paid less wages and salaries. At the same time, they will not be entitled to lots of benefits such as pension and insurance schemes. All these will be forgone if the business decides to recruit additional full-time workers to enable it deal with the increased demand of its products. As a matter of fact, the costs of engaging additional full-time workers would be higher because, unlike their part-time counterparts, they would have to be paid higher salaries, attractive allowances and entitled to lots of benefits such as pension schemes and medical covers. However, all these would change if the increased demand was a temporary occurrence. In this situation, the management would need to come up with short term measures. Of all the alternatives, I would like to suggest that the business should set up retail outlets and chain stores in different parts of the country. It can be the best alternatives to adopt in case short-term measures are required. It qualifies as the best alternative since it would enable the business to minimize its expenses. It is not recommended to establish a new branch if the increase in demand is only expected to last for a short period of

Financial information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial information management - Essay Example For instance due to financial crisis many western countries invested a significant portion of their funds in the equities of growing Asian countries like China and India. This is known as international diversification and enables an investor in tackling the country specific risk. The integration of the global financial markets has facilitated the creation of international portfolio which besides mitigating the risk factor helps in taking advantage of the markets of the developing economies. A share portfolio generally comprises of securities of various sectors. For effective diversification the sectors should be non-related such as oil refining companies and automobile. A rise in the price of oil is beneficial for the oil refining company but this can adversely impact the sales of the automobile company. This will push up the share price of the oil refining companies but will batter the share price of the automobile companies. Thus the value of the portfolio will remain protected as the fall in its value due to a fall in the share price of automobile company like Rolls Royce will be compensated by the rise in the price of the oil refining company. This highlights the advantage of investing in a portfolio. The share portfolio that has been constructed comprises of securities belonging to varied sectors like pharmaceutical, healthcare, food & drug retailers, financial services, software etc. By including the stocks of different sectors, the risk of a fall in the portfolio value has been minimized. Any adverse, ‘sector specific’ news will only affect the shares of that particular sector, without influencing the share price of the other sectors. This will keep the portfolio value intact which is the ultimate aim of investing in a portfolio. In the IT industry the stock chosen is Autonomy Corporation. The company features among the top Software 500 companies published by Software Magazine (Financial Express, 2009). This ranking is based in terms of

Describe and explain the value of industrial location models Essay Example for Free

Describe and explain the value of industrial location models Essay What is an industrial location model? [5] 1) A model is a mathematical representation that is used to show why patterns have occurred, or to predict how things will occur in the future. A location model shows why certain things have located in certain spaces and aims to show where they will locate in the future. An industrial location model therefore aims to show why industry has located in the area it has, and where it will locate in the future. The term industry includes primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors. All sides of industry can be incorporated in these models, this includes tertiary and primary as well as secondary employment, although most models are designed with manufacturing specifically in mind. There are many types of industrial location model. Weber designed a model that showed where secondary manufacturing industry would locate based on the weight of raw materials used and the weight of the final product. Smith (1971) built an alternative to Webers model, which is more updated and takes into account new types of transport and industries other than secondary. There are also models such as the behavioural matrix which attempt to show what type of companies are more likely to choose the optimum location for their business. Describe and explain the value of industrial location models [20] 2) A model of industrial location put forward by Alfred Weber in 1909 assumes that industrialists choose a least-cost location for the development of new industry. The theory is based on a number of assumptions. Weber assumes that there is a flat relief, uniform transport, culture, climate, labour costs, political and economic system, and that markets are of fixed size and location. It is also assumed that transport costs are proportional to the weight of the goods and the distance covered by the goods, and that perfect competition exists. One of the main assumptions is that raw materials are either ubiquitous or localised. Ubiquitous raw materials are found everywhere and are evenly distributed, and therefore would affect industrial location e.g. water and clay. Localised raw materials are not evenly distributed. Weber suggested that raw materials and markets would attract the location of an industry due to transport costs. Industries with a high material index would be pulled towards the raw material. Industries with a low material index would be pulled towards the market. The material index is calculated by dividing the total weight of raw materials by the total weight of the finished product. A material index of much greater than 1 indicates that there is a loss of weight during the manufacturing process; for example butter making. The factory should therefore locate near to the raw material. A material index of less than 1, where weight is gained during manufacturing, would locate near to the market. An index of less than 1 could be achieved by an industry using largely ubiquitous materials, like water, as in the brewing industry. Once a least-cost location has been established through the material index, Weber considers the effect of labour costs in deflecting industry away from the least cost location. Isodapanes are constructed to determine the area within which an industry can locate without losing money. The critical isodapane is the greatest distance an industry can locate from the least-cost location without losing money. If a source of cheap labour lies within an isodapane below the critical isodapane, it would be more profitable to choose the site with low labour costs rather than the least transport costs location. Weber also takes into account agglomeration of industries, the model suggests that some factories locate within critical isodapanes of other factories, to share resources labour and transport costs. Webers model doesnt relate well to modern conditions. This is because it doesnt take into account many recent developments such as reduced costs of transport and government intervention. Weber assumes a lot of things that in reality wouldnt be found e.g. perfect knowledge of the market, and physical geography is ignored. Weber also ignores changes in costs and sources of raw materials over time. Overall Webers model is largely applicable to heavy industries only. In 1971 David Smith provided an alternative to Webers model of industrial location. Smith suggested that as profits could be made anywhere where the total income is greater than total costs, then although there is a point of maximum profit, there would be a larger area where production is possible and profit is still made. Smith suggested that industries rarely located at the least-cost location, but more often at a sub optimum and practical location. He suggested that this was due to imperfect knowledge about production and market demand, imperfect decision makers, who can be influenced by other factors, or may not act rationally, or a government policy, which may tempt industry to locate in areas of high unemployment or development areas. Smiths model takes into account all types of transport although a circular margin of profitability is rarely produced in real life. Where Webers model can only be used for secondary manufacturing Smiths model can easily be modified to include all types of industry. However Smiths model is based entirely on money and other factors such as employees needs are not taken into account. The UK iron and steel production is a good example of industrial location compared to Weber and Smiths models. Before the 1600s, iron making was found near to outcrops of ore, where there were plenty of trees, e.g. Forest of Dean, because transport was poor and they were unable to move raw materials large distances. This fits Webers model because iron making would have a material index of greater than one, due to iron ore being much greater in weight than the iron produced as the finished product. However Webers model says that a resource such as trees will be ubiquitous, which is not the case here. After 1700 coke began to be used to smelt iron more efficiently. The new furnaces were located near coalmines, where coal would have been the heaviest raw material to transport e.g. Sheffield and South Wales. This fits Webers model. Today the coalmines have run out, but the industry hasnt relocated because good transport systems mean that ores and coal can be transported in from abroad. This complies with Smiths model because profit has been made in a sub optimum location. Other reasons for the iron and steel industry remaining in the same areas are large amounts of labour and agglomeration, which are covered in Webers model.

Psychoanalysis in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime and

Analyzing the mind of a sociopath has been one of the most important tasks that psychoanalysts face today. The more they know and understand the complexities of the disturbed, the more they hope to find treatments and eventually a cure for the illness that they believe can cause the ultimate violent criminal. Perhaps Dostoevsky himself wanted to weigh in on the mind of the sociopath and the journey toward their violent lives. Due to his vivid description of Raskolnikov, Dostoevsky shows his readers first hand what a sociopath is like. First one must understand that there is no such affliction as sociopath. The technical name is antisocial personality disorder and there are certain criteria a person must meet in order to receive this diagnosis. It is reserved for the most violent criminal minds and therefore is taken very seriously by the psychiatric community. In order to be diagnosed, one must have been previously diagnosed as having a conduct disorder by the age of fifteen. This is what many refer to as the child version of antisocial personality disorder. â€Å"Along with depression and anxiety, the individual also exhibits an increase in antisocial behavior, aggression, destruction of property, and deceitfulness or theft† (Strickland). They may also act out against small er things that they can control, such as smaller siblings and/or animals. Once a person with conduct disorder turns eighteen and is considered to be a legal adult, they are re-evaluated and then diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2nd Edition lists the criteria that psychologists use to base their diagnosis. They must meet three of the following. 1. fails to conform to social norms, as indicated... ...order, examining Raskolnikov’s actions and personality, and taking a closer look at arrogance, we can assert that Raskolnikov is simply an arrogant man; viewing himself as superior to society. Raskolnikov’s actions were done through purely selfish motives and the mentality that he should not be punished, because the paramount of his actions benefited society. This is the profile of a man that is arrogant and selfish, not the profile of an individual suffering from a mental illness. Works Cited Dostoevsky, Feodor. â€Å"Crime and Punishment†. A Norton Critical Edition 3rd Ed. Levinson, David. Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment Vol. III. Sage Publications. London, 2002. Merriam-Webster. â€Å"Merriam-Webster Online†. http://www.m-w.com. December 18, 2005. Strickland, Bonnie. The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology 2nd Ed. Gale Group. Detroit, 2001.

Eco 372 Week 2 Individual Paper

Week 2 Fundamental Macroeconomics October 22, 2012 ECO/372 There are several factors that affect our economy, gross domestic product (GDP), real GDP, nominal GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, and interest rates. All of these factors have influences over how we purchase groceries, weather there will be massive layoffs of employees, and decrease in taxes. Gross domestic product is the market value of final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. Which this is commonly considered an indicator of the standard of living within a country.Real GDP on the other hand is measure of the value of economic output that adjust for price changes. Nominal GDP is a gross domestic product figure that has not been adjusted for inflation. Unemployment rate is the measure of the prevalence of unemployment and is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed people by the individuals that are currently in the labor force. Inflation rate is the percentage rate of change in price levels over time, usually one year. An interest rate is the rate which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender.All of these factors are related to our everyday lives and how we manager our money, what we spend our money on, and when we spend our money. Buying groceries sounds like a simple task but when you are on a budget it can be pretty stressful. The cost of groceries affects the government because this is a good that is produced and sold within our country; which affects GDP, real GDP, and nominal GDP. This is directly related to consumer spending and in times of a recession consumers pull back on their spending and go into savings mode.When consumers go into savings mode this affect every type of business because production is down and this could cause layoffs. Buying groceries affects households because thousands of people struggle everyday to provide for their families and when the cost of goods constantly goes u p but wages don't this makes it really difficult to live. Massive layoffs affect people's standard of living and that is what the GDP is centered around; as it measures the standard of living in that country.Massive layoffs will definitely affect the unemployment rate and a higher unemployment affects the economy because this means more people are on unemployment so there salaries are down so what they are spending is down. Massive layoffs has a vicious cycle and globally in 2012, 200 million people are without employment and this shows the slowdown in employment growth, which means companies aren't hiring and people aren't spending like the where. Massive layoffs affect the economy dramatically because it has a huge impact on consumer spending which in my opinion makes the world go around.If no one is buying then production is down and that's how layoffs happen, and this affects households, businesses, and the government. Tax decreases can stimulate economic growth because if peopl e are paying less in taxes, they have more money to spend. It has been proven over the years that tax decreases generate economic growth and federal revenue will always rise. From a personal standpoint I always spend more during tax season because I usually get a good return; since I am a single parent and full-time student, therefore, I qualify for various tax breaks.These obviously affect my household because I am more disposable income. Tax decreases can help a business if their taxes are decreased the organization will payout less and have more income. As we compare GDP, nominal GDP, real GDP, unemployment rates, inflation, and interest rates, it is obvious that all of these factors affect us everyday. They show how we spend our money and these factors give indications of recession. Buying groceries, layoffs, and tax decreases are all a reflection of these factors.Daily acts, such as, buying groceries has huge impact on our economy because it is directly related to consumer spen ding, which is a driving force. Massive layoffs affect our households, business, and government because this causes consumer spending to go down. Tax decreases on the other hand has a positive influence on all six factors. Plus it will benefit your household, business, and the government. References Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin http://www. forbes. com

Creative Photography Essay

What are three examples of forms of music? One example of forms of music Describe each form. What is form in music? Critical Thinking Questions Music has sometimes been referred to as a â€Å"universal language. † Why has this description been applied to music? Emotions are a common feeling shared among human beings. Music communicates so many things that everyone can understand without having to speak a word . It communicates love, frustration, hatred, war, friendship, commerce, marriage, separation, unity, confusion. Music is referred to as a Universal language Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Yes I agree Why? Music is universal it provokes the same feelings no matter what kind or style it is music cultivates everyone’s inner feelings. and thoughts Why is musical notation important? Musical nation is important What benefits do musicians and others receive from being able to write down and note aspects of a musical piece? In the first part of the module, we discussed how music is everywhere in society. What are some of the ways that we use music? How do you use music in your own life? Music can help influence the mood or feeling in a place by the way in which it is played. What is a specific example of this that you have experienced? Discuss the experience (what was the song? how was it played? how did the mood/feeling change? ). For example, you might discuss an experience at a concert, religious service, or another place where music played a part in creating the mood.

The Glass Castle Essays

The Glass Castle Essays The Glass Castle Paper The Glass Castle Paper Essay Topic: The Glass Castle Through the Glass Reading has not always been my favorite hobby but this book really intrigued me and gave me further knowledge of the developmental of psychology. In the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls we experience examples of social class differences, social influence, cultural influence, and individual influence. Jeanette uses her own life experiences for our understanding and it explains each family member and their lifestyle. In the book, Jeannette starts with a scene of her on her way to an event, worried about being over-dressed and sees her mother going through a dumpster. She feels guilty but shamed and gloom as well and realized she was socially privileged and skipped the party to embrace her comfortable home that showed individual influence. Due to this incident, she suddenly starts reminiscing her childhood and how her parents choices affected her. After seeing her mother, Jeannette called her mothers friend due to being homeless to leave a message that led to a lunch meeting later that week. Early in conversation, social class is differentiated as soon as Jeanette expresses she is ashamed of her parents and their homeless lifestyle. Because Jeanette is fortunate, she asks her mother if there is anything she can do to help her. I believe this shows social influence because in Jeanettes perspective she was being considerate but Jeanettes mother took offense and responded with What makes you think I need your help? (Wells 4). As well as culture, I believe social is expressed due to differences in classes as Jeanette is middle to upper-class and her mother is poorly under class. This scene in the book allowed me to connect to our curriculum because t showed connections between all individual influence, cultural influence, social influence, and differences in social class. Jeanettes mom responded to her daughters confession of shame right there. Thats exactly what Im saying. Youre way too easily embarrassed. Your father and I are who we are. Accept it (Wells 5). Her moms response gave me an example of social and cultural influence as well differences in class. Appearance has always been a social factor and I believe her mom really expressed social influence by explaining to her daughter If a woman looks good, she eels good (Wells 5). Jeanettes mom understands the different lifestyles her and her daughter have and believes they should accept one another. Jeanette and her mom differ in social ways such as Jeanette noticing the Joy her mother finds in digging in the trash because that is out of Jeanettes social norm. Jeanette was forced to mature quicker than a typical toddler even by cooking for herself. While in the process, the fabric of her clothing catches on fire and the burns were terrible enough to send her to the hospital for a few days. Her father comes to he hospital, takes Jeanette out of bed and did the skedaddle which according to the book is when you leave without paying the bill. Jeanette was introduced to illegal situations at age three. This one time skedaddle wasnt the last one and moving to towns for short-term settlement was what Jeanette experienced through her childhood. The family would move so much it was hard to be accepted into certain societies and cultures which I believe is why Jeanettes mother is so independent and care-Tree. I ne Tatner Is tne same way wltn an alconol proDlem ana doesnt Delleve In rganized societies which makes it hard for him to keep a Job and forces his family to relocate often. Jeanettes mother had inherited a house which led them to move once again. The new house offers stability and comfort with the opportunity to have the children enrolled in school and the father has a steady Job streak until another alcohol problem. This problem influenced Jeanette to the point she had to ask her father to stop drinking at the age of ten. Jeanette was exposed to improper parenting and possible danger. Also, she was exposed to failure and betrayal from her own ather. As he was sober for a few weeks, the embarrassment of failure due to car troubles led him to drinking again. Jeanette is also introduced to dependency which may not always be a bad thing but when her mother thinks her fathers family will help them but her father is resistant to the idea and decides to move once again in an unstable car. Jeanette was raised in a poor manor which pushed her to want to succeed. Social influences helped build her sociality now because she didnt want to live through the miserable life of a leaking roof, no plumbing, or heat. Soon the children go hungry which could have affected the children and made them feel neglected. As Jeanette grows into adolescence and her fathers drinking gets worse, she starts to realize how irresponsible her parents are and their poor choices they have made. After living this life, Jeanette wanted change and she wasnt the only one. Jeanette and her sister Lori plan to move to the city of New York after each one of them graduates. These determined sisters didnt allow some setbacks stop them from reaching their goals. When Jeanette makes it to New York City, she was used to her parents Jumping Job to Job or being unemployed that she was shocked at how quickly she found a Job, not to mention her dream Job as a reporter. Jeanette and Lori soon are stable with a roof over their head, food in their mouths, warm water, and heat. As living happy and comfortably, they ask Maureen and Brian to move in with them and they all enjoy their lives together. Although their parents felt neglected and moved to New York City, the parents had neglected their children their whole hildhood and didnt fulfill proper parenting. When Jeanettes parents moved to New York City they were once again, unable to keep Jobs and became homeless at an abandoned building. Maureen turned out to be unstable and ended up stabbing her mother. In comparison to Jeanette, I believe Maureen took anger out on her mother for poor parenting and blamed her for instability whereas Jeanette was stable and sane. The family that never acted much as a family soon drifted after Maureen ended up in a mental institution. The father lowly starts to dye due to his life-long chain-smoking and alcoholism. When Jeanettes father died, it was a forced eye opener for her to see the freedom they allowed her to obtain. Jeanette develops in this book a lot by individual and social influences which are opposite to her mother. Jeanette is wealthy, owns a comfortable home, and takes part of the middle to upper class whereas her mother is a trash-diving, homeless, independent individual who finds Joys in simplistic things and speaks her mind rather than material type objects and Judgments such as her daughter. Her mother developed to accept her circumstances even if it meant being homeless and Jeanette 010 not develop tne same. Jeanette was nurtured Into Tln01ng peace sucn as ner mother after she divorced her husband, moved, and thrives on the reckless freedom that they influenced on her. Jeanette and Maureen really differed in development although coming from the same parents and same developmental techniques, if any. This book displayed developmental psychology and was organized in a true life story manner. Work Cited Walls, Jeanette. The Glass Castle. 2006. New York, NY.

Xenon Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Xenon Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Xenon is a noble gas. The element has atomic number 54 and element symbol Xe. Like all the noble gases, xenon is not very reactive, yet it has been known to form chemical compounds. Here is a collection of xenon facts, including the elements atomic data and properties. Xenon  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 54 Symbol: Xe Atomic Weight: 131.29 Discovery: Sir William Ramsay; M. W. Travers, 1898 (England) Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p6 Word Origin: Greek xenon, stranger; xenos, strange Isotopes: Natural xenon consists of a mixture of nine stable isotopes. An additional 20 unstable isotopes have been identified. Properties: Xenon is a noble or inert gas. However, xenon and other zero valance elements do form compounds. Although xenon is not toxic, its compounds are highly toxic due to their strong oxidizing characteristics. Some xenon compounds are colored. Metallic xenon has been produced. Excited xenon in a vacuum tube glows blue. Xenon is one of the heaviest gases; one liter of xenon weighs 5.842 grams. Uses: Xenon gas is used in electron tubes, bactericidal lamps, strobe lamps, and lamps used to excite ruby lasers. Xenon is used in applications where a high molecular weight gas is needed. The perxenates are used in analytical chemistry as oxidizing agents. Xenon-133 is useful as a radioisotope. Sources: Xenon is found in the atmosphere at levels of approximately one part in twenty million. It is commercially obtained by extraction from liquid air. Xenon-133 and xenon-135 are produced by neutron irradiation in air cooled nuclear reactors. Xenon Physical Data Element Classification: Inert Gas Density (g/cc): 3.52 ( -109 °C) Melting Point (K): 161.3 Boiling Point (K): 166.1 Appearance: heavy, colorless, odorless noble gas Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 42.9 Covalent Radius (pm): 131 Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.158 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 12.65 Pauling Negativity Number: 0.0 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 1170.0 Oxidation States: 7 Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 6.200 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Return to the Periodic Table

Social economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social economy - Essay Example There are several advantages associated with focusing on women as agents of development. There is of greater significance in a woman’s education than the man’s education. The fact that most women are uneducated, as compared men, this has had a hindrance to women having exposure and understand their worth and potential. Actually, most women who are not learned do not understand their rights to have a voice to speak on their won. Women make the highest population of people in the world and using them as agents of change is a great way of improving both economic and social life. Therefore, educating women is one of the ways of developing the world and this is possible if women have access to education and health and the issue has a significant intrinsic value. Treating both genders equally is a way of reducing gender imbalances existing in most communities. With equal education, women have enhanced capacity to contribute to the economic progress. Human capital gained throu gh education improves the levels of productivity of individuals. From many researches, women have been deprived the right to learn and this issue is quite problematic because it showers the social efficiency. The economic benefits of educating boys are equal to those of educating males. However, the social benefits gained from suing women as the agents for development is higher than those of investing to educate males are. Women education has great and powerful effects on the social efficiency. The social outcomes of focusing women as development agents’ are very high as compared to those of applying men. Kudumbasree means prosperity of the family where women orient themselves in community based poverty alleviation programme by use of micro credit and self help groups implemented in Kerala by the State Government. Grameen Bank is a bank that offers services and credit meant to develop the social economic status of Bangladesh communities. The bank