Mythology- Romulus And Remus Essays - Roman Mythology,

Mythology- Romulus and Remus Mythology- Romulus and Remus A myth is a complex cultural phenomenon that can be approached from a number of viewpoints ("Mythology"). Mythological creatures are usually developed to explain something or to give a reason why something exists. Most Gods have a supernatural power or force, which makes them a God. Some mythological heroes are known as divinities, for the great things they have done. Romulus and Remus are two of the most well known mythological divinities, they were born of a vestal virgin, and they were the mythological founders of Rome. Of all mythological creatures Romulus is one of the better known. They were seen as the mythological creators of Rome. The citizens of Rome worshipped Romulus and Remus because they were believed to have created the city. They were made up to explain the mysterious appearance of Rome. Overall they are two of the most famous mythological creations. Romulus and Remus were born into an unforeseen set of circumstances. They were born of the Vestal Virgin, Rhea and the God of war, Mars. King Amulius sent them down the Tiber River so he would be able to deny their death, but they did not die. They were found by a she-wolf and a bird that fed and nurtured them to health. They were later found by a shepard, Faustulas, who brought them home to his wife Acca. Faustulas and Acca then raised them until they were strong adults. Romulus and Remus were made up to explain the creation of Rome. Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome on the place where they were to be drowned (Rosenburg 113). To name the town, since neither one was older they decided to split up and see who saw the first sign. "Six vultures, the bird of Mars, flew over Remus's head, moments later twelve vultures flew over Romulus's head. Romulus was the true victor"("Mythology: Romulus"). The city Rome was named after Romulus (Jay 60). A few years later while arguing over plans for the city, Romulus killed Remus. Romulus was the roman leader for forty more years until the Gods killed him. Moreover, they were greatly known and appreciated for what they developed and stood for. These Gods and Goddesses were born, fell in love, fought with one another, and generally behaved like their human worshipers (Littleton 813). The people of Rome made up these creatures to give them answers but at the same time they gave the world one more great story. Romulus and Remus were strong heroes who built a great divinity out of nothing. In conclusion, Romulus and Remus were great names in mythology, were abandoned at birth and were the creators of the great city of Rome.

Analysis of Guy Montag Essay Example

Analysis of Guy Montag Essay Example Analysis of Guy Montag Paper Analysis of Guy Montag Paper Essay Topic: Fahrenheit 451 This shows the mindset Montage has. It Demonstrates how he gets Joy out of his Job. In the society he lives In books are Illegal and firemen start the fires rather than put them out. Montage Is such a man and enjoys It greatly. He Is completely happy with demolishing pieces of history and written pieces of art. As he says, it never went away, that smile. It never went away, as long as he remembered. (Bradbury, 2) On a merry walk home from his beloved Job, Montage is nearly UN over on the side walk by a life altering girl. In meeting Claries, the girl, Montages mind starts working in ways it never had before. With Just one question, Are you happy? (Bradbury, 4) she sets way for future events that otherwise would have never happened. Montage starts to doubt whether the way he lives his life is really Joyful. He starts to realize that he laughs when not really amused and answers without thinking about the question or his answer. He doesnt really think much at all. And Montage realizes He is not really happy in the least. This makes him notice the truth about his marriage, as well. Montage and Mildred Montages marriage is very much empty. When he tries to confront her about how she eels about him she avoids or brushes it aside. He comes to the realization that all she really loves is her television, or parlor. Their marriage eventually deteriorates completely as she comes to believe he is crazy because he made her read with him. She runs away but not before calling his own department on him first. Montage comes to the realization that he hates what he Is and the society he lives In. HIS fascination with books continues to grow, but at first he blames the Hand for It. When he would sneak books Into the house he would curse his hand for the action, hulking It had a mind of Its own. He was a confused Individual because all he knew was books were bad and yet all he grew to want was books. He went to see Professor Faber, a man he talked to years before about books, he found out that It was really he who grabbed the books not his hand. He grew to hate his job and society so much that on a call to his own home he ended up killing his boss. And facing his fear of the Mechanical Hound Ana the very people a day before he thought he liked. The change Montage goes through is grand and amazing. Ignorance was bliss and e fought past it and became an intellectual. People tend to destroy things that they deem a threat to them and that is exactly what the government in Fahrenheit 451 did by televising his death and capture. The entirety of this novel is a story about change, from the first page to the last chapter. With change in italics the novel begins with, It was a special pleasure to seething eaten, To see things blackened and changed. (Bradbury, 1) Montage goes from changing things by destroying them to changing society by preserving know Edge which, in turn, changes him.

Superb electric cars you should know about

Superb electric cars you should know about 5 coolest electric cars in the world No doubt, electric cars can be called the automobiles of the future. Though a lot of people only start to accept these vehicles, trying to make a step forward from petrol consuming cars. The industry develops greatly and there are a lot of descent representatives among the electric cars range, which will astonish you and will not leave you indifferent. Our nature friendly future welcomes such cars and we suggest you to reveal all design and functionality options of these progressive cars. Tesla Model X A lot of specialists consider this car the coolest for now. Tesla Model X has outstanding design; its Falcon Wing doors give it special elegancy and refinement. The interior attracts its buyers with the windshield, which is panoramic, and touch screen for functions controlling. There are three models of this car available: Model 75D, Model 90D and Model P90D. All of them have two engines and differ in battery capacity and engine power. The car can have five, six or seven seats and its price range is from 132 to 142 thousand dollars. However, Tesla Inc. already plans issue of new breakthrough model in 2019. So, let’s arm ourselves with patience and see what the company has designed for customers and whether it can surprise us. Audi R8 e-tron Cool design of this car can hardly leave someone without interest. Two electric engines, which total capacity reach more than 450 horsepower, make it possible to move with 280 kilometers per hour. Huge lithium-ion battery is located in the bottom of the car and makes it possible to have rides with the 450 kilometers without additional charging, in comparison to 215 kilometers, which could drive its predecessor. The car’s charging station requires only two hours for charging the battery. The functional capabilities and outstanding design make this car a superb model for those, who want to own an electric car. Renovo Motors Coupe Designers of the Renovo Coupe developed design of this car similar to sport car exterior of the 60-70th. The retro style, combined with the classical interior, makes this car unique and not alike others. The classical interior is distinguished by the liquid-crystal control panel and astonishes with its luxury style. Electric engine of the Renovo Coupe has the 500 horsepower capacity and enables to pick-up the speed from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3-4 seconds. The maximal speed of the car equals 194 kilometers per hour, which is quite impressive, taking into account the heavy weight of the car. The approximate price of the car is about 529,000 dollars and for sure it will be available to a limited number of people, but driving this car will be a great experience for any of us. Morgan EV3 The car is made by the British constructors and represents by itself an untypical automobile. You can drive almost 240 kilometers without charging and pick up to 145 kilometers per hour. If you want to be an owner of such unusual car, be ready to spend from 40,000 to 50,000 dollars. The only thing you should bear in mind is that this automobile has no top. So there can be two options, drive this car only when the weather is fine or get adjusted to any weather conditions. Honda CR-Z prototype This electric car is distinguished from the above mentioned cars by its four engines, which together make 450 horsepower.   The car is extremely fast and is designed for sport racings. Thus, in 2015 the car won the 11th place in overall and first in the Exhibition Class at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. However, the idea with four engines is great; it still requires some improvements and modifications. Presumably, Honda will deal with this question in the nearest future. Apparently, these are the coolest electric automobiles nowadays. Unfortunately, they are unavailable for ordinary people, who ride bikes to work or students, who have a lot of concerns with their academic papers and limited budget. Anyhow, follow the latest researches and constructions and you never know, maybe tomorrow you will be driving one of those cuties.

How to Become an Author The Ultimate Guide from a Bestseller

How to Become an Author The Ultimate Guide from a Bestseller How to Become an Author: Your Complete Guide So you want to become an author Well, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news. The bad news first: Writing your book wont be easy. If you’re in the middle of that process, you’re nodding right now. But here’s the good news: All that work isa small price for the amazing possibilities it can open to you: Getting published Enjoying a career you love Impacting people with your writing Media attention Royalty income In this extensive guide, my goal is to give you an honest look at how to become a writer- using lessons I’ve learned from 40+ years working with some of the top publishers in the world. Having written 21 New York Times bestsellers myself, I’m confident these lessons will help you in your writing journey. Ready? Let’s do it. What You Will Learn Here’s the short version of everything I cover in this complete, step-by-step post: DON’T Try toBecome an Author Until Youve Studied the Craft and Polished Your Skills Written Things Shorter Than a Book Plugged Yourself into a Community of Writers Writing Your Book Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick to Research and Plan Keep Your Day Job Become a Ferocious Self-Editor Trying to Land a Publishing Contract How to Get an Agent Selling a Publisher Editing Your Book Like Crazy (Again) with an Editor Should You Self-Publish? An Overview of Self-Publishing How to Set Your Book Apart Choosing the Right Self-Publishing Company The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. 1. DON’T Try toBecome a Writer Until You’ve I get it. You’re antsy. You’re ready to pen your bestseller right now. You’ve read or heard of writers who had never written a thing before and yet scored with a million-seller on their first try. Throttle back. Those stories become big news because they’re so rare. Don’t bank on winning the lottery. If you want your book (and your message) to go anywhere, make sure you’ve: Studied the Craft There’s no need to write a compelling story by trial and error anymore. Others have already done it for you- and written books about it. So your best bet is to follow proven methods. Great writers are great readers. Sohere’s a list of my favorite 12 books on writing to get you started. The competition has gotten so fierce, you’ll do yourself a favor if you learn how successful authors write before you try to get a second look from a publisher. Take the time to learn what you’re doing. You’ll thank yourself later. Written Things Shorter Than a Book A book shouldn’t be where you start any more than you should enroll in grad school when you’re a kindergartner. A book is where you arrive. Start small, learn the craft, hone your skills. Do some journaling. Write a newsletter. Start a blog. Get articles published in a couple of magazines, a newspaper, an ezine. Take a night school or online course in journalism or creative writing. Publishers are looking for authors with platforms (in short: audiences, tribes, followers, fans). So start building yours now. Any of the pieces above will start building steam behind your writing, and boost name recognition for you as a writer. If you’re planning to start blogging, check out this post on creating an author website. Bottom line:Work a quarter-million clicheÃŒ s out of your system, learn what it means to be edited, become an expert in something, build your platform, and then start thinking about that book or novel. Plugged Yourself into a Community of Writers Think you can do it alone? Then you’re a better writer than I. Almost every traditionally published author I know is surrounded by a helpful community. How else would they deal with things like: Frustration Discouragement Procrastination Wanting to quit I’ve written over 185 books, yet I often wonder whether I can finish the next one. At this stage for me, community means knowing I can be encouraged by colleagues whenever I need it. When you’re starting out, another pair of eyes on your work can prove to be invaluable. Ten pairs of eyes are even better. Join a writers’ group. Find a mentor. Stay open to criticism. One caveat with writers’ groups: make sure at least one person, preferably the leader, is widely published and understands the publishing landscape. Otherwise you risk the blind leading the blind. 2. Writing Your Book Surprisingly, most people never get this far. Whether it’s fear or procrastination or something else, few writers ever make it to the first page. To avoid becoming part of this sad group, you need a plan. So regardless your personal writing method, be sure to cover these bases: Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick To When you’re an author, writing becomes your job. So treat it that way. Show up and do the work whether you feel like it or not. Writer’s block is no excuse. In no other profession could you get away with getting out of work by claiming you have worker’s block. Try that and see what it gets you- likely a pink slip. Find at least six hours a week to write. Well, find is the wrong word, of course. You won’t find it, you’ll have to carve out the time. Lock these hours into your calendar and keep them sacred. If you can’t think of what to write, then edit. If you can’t edit, plan. You’ll be astonished at your ability to get stuff done when you finally plant yourself in your chair. Challenge: Don’t move until you have scheduled at least six hours. Research and Plan To give your manuscript the best chance to succeed, skip this step at your peril. Excellent preparation will make or break your book. Two main ways you should be preparing: 1. Outline. Regardless how you feel about outlining, you need an idea of where you’re going before you start. If you’re writing a novel, you’re either an outliner or a pantser- those who write by the seat of their pants. (If you’re writing a nonfiction book, an outline is a given.) On the fiction side, the definition of an outliner is obvious. You plan everything beforehand. But pantsers write by process of discovery- or as Stephen King puts it, they â€Å"put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.† Neither is better or worse. But most writers are one or the other (a few are hybrids, largely one over the other but doing a little of both). But, depending on which you are, you’ll approach the planning phase completely differently. If you’re a hardcore outliner (and a novelist), you’ll enjoy my friend and colleague Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. But if you’re a pantser, check out this post for non-outliners. Itll teach you how to work within a structure while staying free enough to writeon the fly. 2. Do the research. All great stories are rooted in solid research. If your research stinks, your story sinks. If your character drives 10 miles east out of the Chicago Loop, he’d better be in an amphibious vehicle, because he’ll be in Lake Michigan. (And you thought I was joking about sinking.) To avoid such embarrassing errors, do your research. Immerse yourself in the details of your setting. Make sure no characters are wearing ski jackets when it’s 95 degrees outside. Two online research tools that will help you avoid mistakes: The World Atlas A directory of some of the world’s top almanacs Don’t Quit Your Day Job I didn’t become a full-time freelance author until I had written and published nearly 90 books. I had been advised by a veteran author that my freelance income ought to be around three times what I made at my job before I considered going solo. I was stunned. Why so much more? He started listing everything I would have to pay for on my own. Insurance, retirement, all my benefits. I had always been careful to separate my writing and my office work, but during my off hours on business trips I might do some research. No more. Any travel would be on me. Your day job doesn’t have to keep you from writing your book. You might not like this, but I recommend you keep it and spend your after-hours time writing your book. Why? Two reasons: You’ll have steady income- one less thing to worry about- while trying to build your writing career. The structure will force you to be more productive with fewer hours. So, yes, you can have your cake and eat it too- without sacrificing time with family. You lose three hours per night for what, TV? How big a sacrifice is that for your writing dream? How badly do you want to become an author? Become a Writer Ferocious About Self-Editing This section is so important that it has the power to determine whether your book makes a huge splash with readers and publishers- or slides into the editor’s reject pile after the first page or two. Get serious about self-editing. Editors know from the first page whether your manuscript is publishable. I know that doesn’t sound fair or even logical. You’re thinking, It took me months, maybe years, to write hundreds of pages and you didn’t even get to the good stuff! How could they do that to you? Why did they? First, the good stuff ought to be in the first two paragraphs. And if they see 15 adjustments they need to make on the first two pages, they know the cost of editing three or four hundred pages of the same would eat whatever profits they could hope for before even printing the book. To avoid the dreaded â€Å"Thank you, but this doesn’t meet a current need† letter, your manuscript must be lean and mean, besides being a great story and a great read. Here are my 21 rules of ferocious self-editing: Develop a thick skin. Avoid throat-clearing. Choose the normal word over the obtuse. Omit needless words. Avoid subtle redundancies, like: â€Å"She nodded her head in agreement.† Those last four words could be deleted. Avoid the words up and down- unless they’re really needed. Usually delete the word that. Use it only for clarity. Give the reader credit. Once you’ve established something, you don’t need to repeat it. Avoid telling what’s not happening. Avoid being an adjectival maniac. Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc. Avoid the term literally- when you mean figuratively. Avoid too much stage direction. Maintain a single point of view (POV) for every scene. Avoid clichà ©s, and not just words and phrases, but situations. Resist the urge to explain (RUE). Show, don’t tell. People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, or retort them. Specifics add the ring of truth, even to fiction. Avoid similar character names. In fact, avoid even the same first initials. Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes. 3. Trying to Land a Publishing Contract Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. I’m not going to sugarcoat it- this isn’t easy. But if you have a solid plan (and if you’ve followed the guide), you’ve got as good a chance as any. This section will show you how to become an author by revealing the options available. These best practices can vastly increase your likelihood of getting published. How to Get an Agent Your first step in trying to land a traditional publishing deal should be to land an agent- which can be just as difficult, as it should be. There will seem a dichotomy here, because you are likely writing for altruistic reasons- you have a mission, a passion, a message, something burning inside that you must share with the world. Yet agents or publishers will appear to base their decisions solely on the bottom line. If they see sales potential, they will accept it; if they don’t they won’t. But don’t despair. That doesn’t mean they don’t share your passion. It simply means they must make a profit to stay in business- even faith-based publishers who are all about ministry. Though it’s hard to find an agent, it is possible to get traditionally published without one. Most will not consider unsolicited manuscripts, though some will. Check The Writer’s Market Guide and The Christian Writer’s MarketGuide for publishers that don’t require agent-represented manuscript submissions. Some will allow you to submit at writers conferences or through other clients of theirs. Be aware that it’s not unheard of to submit an unsolicited manuscript to dozens of publishers without success. An agent can make your life a lot easier. A plethora of new doors open because of your agent’s connections. Besides the instant credibility of an agent’s approval and the knowledge that your writing has survived a vetting process, you also get valuable input and coaching on how to fashion your query and proposal from someone who understands the publishing industry, knows the players and who’s looking for what, and has experience successfully pitching publishers. Obviously, there are good agents and bad agents. How do you know whom you can trust? The credible agent welcomes scrutiny. So find reviews. Check with other clients. Ask: How did their book turn out? Did they feel taken care of? Were they pleased with the results? Feel free to ask agents: What kinds of books have they succeeded with? Have they succeeded in your genre? Once you compile a list of agents who seem to be a good fit, follow their submission guidelines. They’ll likely ask for a query letter, synopsis, proposal, and perhaps a few chapters. If any ask for any sort of reading fee or other payment up front, eliminate them as candidates and do not respond. Before you do anything else, check out these submission guidelines from two agents I’m familiar with. I’m not necessarily evaluating or endorsing them, except to say that I know them to be ethical and trustworthy and find their guidelines helpful and sound. Their pages will give you a good idea of what typical agents are looking for. Steve Laube’s guidelines Hartline Literary’s guidelines Two things you may be asked for- and which some writers struggle with: 1. A query letter This is an easy way to reach out to an agent, but many prefer more- like a full proposal, which we’ll get to. Most agents prefer submissions of any kind to be electronically submitted as an attachment, not as part of the body of your message. Avoid snail mail. Make your query letter crisp and short. The shorter (while saying what you need to say) the better. A query letter is just what its name implies- it queries the interest of the agent in your book idea. So make it stimulating and intriguing. Remember, you’re selling your book to the agent. Four essential parts of an effective query letter: a. Your elevator pitch This is a summary of your book’s premise, told in the time it would take for the editor to reach his floor if you happened to find yourself in the same elevator car. So it has to be fast and convincing. Here’s the elevator pitch for my very first novel: â€Å"A judge tries a man for a murder the judge committed.† It worked. b. Your synopsis In a paragraph, tell what your nonfiction book is about and what you hope to accomplish with it. Or tell the basic premise of the plot of your novel. The synopsis would naturally go beyond the elevator pitch and tell what happens and how things turn out. (Note: Almost any plot, when reduced to a one- or two-paragraph synopsis, sounds ridiculous.) c. Your target audience and why they’ll enjoy your book Agents need to believe they can sell it before they’ll ask you for more. Help them envision how to pitch it to publishers, but be careful not to oversell. They know the business better than you do and will not be swayed by your assurance that â€Å"everyone will find this amazing.† You can say that your audiences have been enthusiastic or that beta readers have expressed excitement. d. Your personal information Sell the agent on yourself. What qualifies you to write this book? What else have you published? What kind of tribe have you built? Where can they read your blog? Of course you’re including all your contact information. Other query letter tips: Keep it to one page, single-spaced, and 12 pt. sans serif type. Don’t sell too hard- let your premise speak for itself. Follow the agent’s submission guidelines to a T. Proof your letter before sending. Any typo on such a short document makes you look like an amateur. Here’s a great example of a query letter, with a breakdown of why it works, by Brian Klems of Writer’s Digest. 2. A book proposal You’ll find that for most agents, this is the most important document they want to see. Some want only this. Succinctly and completely describe the details of your idea and make them want to read your manuscript in its entirety as soon as it’s ready. Leave nothing out. For nonfiction, include every major issue you’ll cover and the basics of what you’ll say about it. For fiction, rough out the entire plot in a few pages. With a proposal, your query letter becomes a cover letter. Resist the urge to write a long cover letter. Allow your proposal to do the heavy lifting. Three trusted colleagues have produced masterful works on how to write book proposals, so check out what they have to offer: Michael Hyatt: Writing a Winning Book Proposal Jane Friedman: How to Write a Book Proposal (Jane also has some great material on query letters, so search her site for that, too.) Terry Whalin: Book Proposals That Sell Proposals can contain any number of possible components, such as: Premise Elevator pitch Overview Target audience Chapter synopses Marketing ideas Endorsements Your analysis of competing books, and where yours fits Up to three sample chapters More book proposal tips: Tell why you think your book can succeed. Every page in your proposal should make them want to flip to the next page. Despite that a proposal is longer, keep it tight and terse, as short as you can without cutting crucial information. Every word should be designed to pique an agent’s interest, your goal being to be asked to send your entire manuscript. Which should I choose, query or proposal? The competition is so fierce these days, I would lean toward a full proposal almost every time. The only instances when I might fire off a query would be if an incredible opportunity fell in my lap and I thought an agent could help me jump on it before I had time to craft a proposal. For instance, if a major celebrity wanted help with a book and chose you to write it, a fast letter to an agent might get a quick response. Otherwise, take the time to put together a professional proposal that shows an agent you know how to work and can be thorough. But know this: If you spark an agent’s interest, they will immediately ask for more information. So you’ll need a proposal at some point. Keep that in mind and be ready to get busy. Connecting with the Right Publisher Regardless whether you secure an agent, there are five guidelines for submitting your proposal and/or manuscript to publishers: Follow their submission guidelines to a T. Customize your cover letter to each. Know what the publisher wants, and tell them why you believe your book is right for them in light of that. Let it show in your attitude and tone that you realize how few manuscripts are chosen for publication each year, and by the fact that you have done your homework and covered all the bases to ensure you’re giving the publisher everything they need to make a decision on your manuscript. Avoid gushing and flattery, like adding the obvious sentiments, â€Å"I’ll do anything you say, make any changes you want, meet any deadline†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Just present your complete proposal and professionally express that you look forward to hearing from them. A rule of thumb for first-time authors: If you’re writing fiction, while some publishers may ask you to send your completed manuscript after reading your proposal, synopsis, and sample chapters, it’s highly unlikely they will actually offer a contract before they see that completed manuscript. That’s because many people can come up with great ideas, and some can produce promising starts to novels. But few can see their way through to the end. So you’ll have to prove you can do it. If you’re writing nonfiction, you might be able to secure a publishing contract before you have finished your entire manuscript, though that is also rare. Should it happen, the publisher is likely to offer a lot of guidance and input for shaping the rest of the writing- and you’ll have a much better chance of success if you work nicely with your editor. Regardless your genre, publishers won’t take a second look at your manuscript unless it’s presented professionally. Use these submission guidelines: Use Times New Roman font (or at the very least avoid sans serif fonts). Use 12-point type. Left-justify your page. (This means your text should be aligned at the left margin, but not the right. This is also called â€Å"flush left, ragged right.†) Double-space your page with no extra space between paragraphs. Each paragraph should be indented one-half inch. One space between sentences. Microsoft Word .doc or .docx file format. 1† top, bottom, and side margins (or whatever is standard in your Word program). Editing Your Book Like Crazy (Again) with an Editor By the time you get to this point, you’ve already spent hours editing your own work. You’ve rearranged, improved, and cut things that hurt to cut. Be ready to do more. Once a publisher agrees to take your manuscript, you’ll be assigned an editor to make your manuscript the best it can be. This editor will suggest changes, maybe major ones- especially if it’s your first book. Don’t get touchy. Writing is not a solo. It’s a duet between the writer and an editor. Sometimes you’ll have to kill sentences that took hours to write. It’ll feel like disowning your children. Remember, the editor is on your side. Throw a private temper tantrum if you must, but then cool down and listen. Let them to do their job. You can push back respectfully if you feel strongly that they’ve missed your point on something, but do this only when the sting of criticism has worn off and you’re thinking rationally. Keep an open mind and beeasy to work with. They’ll remember. 4. Should You Self-Publish? Want to save this 5000-word guide to read later? Click here to get a free PDF version you can read anytime. If you can score with a traditional publisher, do it. Exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish before resorting to self-publishing. Even honest self-publishing executives will give you this advice. Why? Because with traditional publishing, the publisher takes all the risks, and you’re paid an advance against royalties and royalties based on sales. So nothing comes out of your pocket. With self-publishing, however, you pay for everything from design to editing. Packages can cost upwards of $10,000. Back when self-publishing was referred to as â€Å"vanity publishing,† you could always tell a self-published book from a traditionally published book due to the lack of quality. Schlocky covers, boring titles, the word by before the author’s name on the cover. Too much copy on the front and back covers. Poor typeface and interior design. Lousy writing, editing, and proofreading- sometimes clearly nonexistent. But the game has changed. Publishing your own book is vastly different than it used to be. Your end product can now look much more professional, and your price per book is much more reasonable. Print-on-demand technology now allows for low-cost printing, so you can order as few as two or three books at a time for the same cost per book as you would pay if you were buying hundreds. So, you no longer need to store countless copies in your garage or basement. And self-published books look nicer these days too, because writers have demanded it. How to Set Your Self-Published Book Apart If you resort to this route, realize that you are the publisher now. You have to advertise, promote, and market your own book. But because you’re earning the profits after expenses, not just a royalty, a successful book will net you more money per copy than a traditionally published one. Admittedly, selling enough self-published copies to actually net you more money than you would make selling more traditionally at a lower royalty rate is rare, but it happens. It’s also rare that a self-published book finds its way to bookstore shelves outside the author’s own town. (The hard truth is that it’s not easy for even traditionally published books to place their books in bookstores. Experts say as few as one percent of all published books can be accommodated by bookstores and that the rest must be sold through other channels like the Internet, direct mail, and by hand.) To give your self-published title the best chance to succeed, you need to invest in: A great cover, which will involve purchasing a photo or artwork, type design, and layout Inside layout, type design, and typesetting Editing (resist the urge to use a relative who majored in English or even teaches English; book editing is a specific art) Proofreading (same caveat as above; friends and loved ones who are meticulous spellers are not enough; there are myriad style matters to deal with) Each of these elements will dramatically increase the professional look of your final product and, thus, your hope of selling more books. Do NOT skimp on them. If you’ve ever built a house without a contractor, you have an idea of how complex this will be if you do it right. So despite the fact that many self-published authors swear by it and believe it’s fairer to the author than traditional publishing, I maintain that traditional remains the ideal for authors- except for those unique titles that are targeted to deserving but very limited audiences. Choosing the Right Company to Self-Publish Your Book More than 400,000 books are self-published every year in the United States alone. So there are many companies to choose from. But sadly, many are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They’ll let you create a poor product and tell you it’s great. They’ll â€Å"award† you a contract, telling you their publication board has â€Å"evaluated† your manuscript and â€Å"found it worthy† to be published. They’ll tell you that they’re â€Å"not a subsidy publisher† or â€Å"not a self-publisher† or â€Å"not an independent publisher.† But they’ll use another euphemism to justify the fact that you’re paying â€Å"only for promotion† or â€Å"only for [this many] copies,† or â€Å"only for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  something else, when the fact is that the fee will cover all their costs and will include their profit. They’ll imply they can get your title before the eyes of every bookstore owner and manager in the country. They might even give examples of a few titles of theirs that have sold into some stores or even made some bestseller list. But they can’t guarantee your title will be sold into any store. Because that list your title is on that is â€Å"available† to every store owner and manager is merely a master list of all the books on some distributor’s Internet site of every title in their catalogue. That means your book will get no personal attention from a salesperson and no more emphasis than any of the tens of thousands of other titles on the list. Such companies are using you as little more than a content generator, pretending to have â€Å"chosen† your book from among the many they have to choose from, when the fact is they would publish anything you send them in any form, provided your accompanying check clears the bank. Be wary of any company that: Doesn’t take seriously the editing and proofreading of your book Lets you commit embarrassing typos such as spelling foreword as forward, foreward, or forword Allows the word by before your name on the cover Over-promises what you should expect in the way of personal sales representation, public relations, marketing, distribution, and advertising That said, when you do need to self-publish, legitimate companies with proven track records are ready to assist you. Do your homework and go beyond an Internet search, which will likely turn up beautiful websites for countless companies putting their best foot forward. So find previous customers and ask about their experience. You want a company who will answer every question straightforwardly and without hesitation. If you feel hard-sold, run. A litmus test question for the publisher: Ask if they would advise you to exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish first. I asked this of the head of WestBow Pressâ„ ¢, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, and he said he always advises customers that this is the ideal route. That kind of refreshing honesty bodes well for a company. The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books When writers run out of money to invest in their book, too often the first place that suffers is the content itself. Writers may understand that they are not experts in cover design, layout and typesetting, marketing and promotion, warehousing, distribution, and sales. But they overrate their writing and editing and proofreading abilities. So, they invest in those other services and cut corners on editing and proofreading. What they wind up with is a handsome product that looks like a real book but reads like the manuscript that made the rounds of the traditional houses and was rejected. You must determine what will set you apart in a noisy marketplace. That certain something that will set you apart is what it has always been: Writing quality. Having been in the writing game for 50 years and the book business for 40, that is something I am able to tell you. To use an ancient adage, cream rises. That may sound like something scratched on a cave wall. But it simply means that readers recognize quality. You or your agent may be looking for a deal from a traditional publisher. Or you may have chosen to self-publish online, in print, or both. Regardless, you want your manuscript to be of the highest editorial quality you can make it. What does that mean? It means you must: Learn the craft and hone your skills. Rigorously study writing, do exercises, write stories. It can all pay off. Just as with physical exercise, the more the better, but anything is better than nothing. Recognize that writing well is much harder and more involved than you ever dreamed. If you thought writing was merely a hobby, this realization could crush you. So, to push through, remember why you wanted to become a writer in the first place: You have a message, and people need to hear it. Dont trust friends’ and relatives’ flattery. Sure, they’re great for keeping you from quitting. But when you need solid input on your writing, their enthusiasm won’t translate to sales. Accept criticism and input from people who know what they’re talking about. Find an experienced writer or editor who’ll offer honest feedback on your work. Join a writers group. Attend writers conferences. Get a mentor. Free Download: Want your own copy of this guide? You can grabthe full PDF version by clicking here or on the image below: If you really want to become an author, it can be done. You’ll know you’re ready when you’re willing to carve the time from your schedule to write. So how badly do you want it? Tell me in the Comments below.

International Accounting Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

International Accounting Standards - Essay Example When comparing its financial position and results of operations for the last year or years, competitors located in the same country like the United Kingdom can be easily compared and contrasted. A little difficulty arises when the financial statements of competing companies are compared and one company is located in the United Kingdom and the other stiff competitors are located in other countries like the United States, Japan, Canada, Brazil, China, India etc. They say that accounting is the language of business. Just as misinterpretation could be eliminated if people from Germany and Spain understand each other, misunderstandings and variances in the interpretation of the balance sheet and income statement are due to the different financial statement standards and methods of reporting which includes costing, billing and cost distributions. One major problem is that each country has researched and approved own generally accepted accounting principles individually. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are the widely accepted set of rules, conventions, standards, and procedures that are used for reporting financial information which are researched and established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board of each country. (Sanella, 1991) One example of a generally accepted accounting principle is the United Kingdom's generally accepted accounting principle as to when to record a transaction as cash or receivable or another accounting data.Another problem is that the individual financial data ( Belkaoui, 1999) reported in the financial statements are cash inflows and cash outflows that are inherent and unique to each country. For example, average daily salary paid for the factory worker in competing companies will have a big disparity because salaries of production personnel in third world countries like India are estimated to be ten times lower than the average daily wage of a production worker in the Great Britain or Germany.Another problem is that the modes of transporting the goods in India or Brazil is not as advanced or fast as the mode of transportation in the United Kingdom or the United States.As of this time, there is no one size fit all when it comes to global accounting standards. In relation to this topi c, The European Union which is a conglomeration of individual independent states in Europe, including the United Kingdom, has come up with the European Court of Justice that gives decisions on cases within the European Union community even though each country has its own courts of law.The Tax consultants, accountants and financial statement analysts are at odds when comparing electricity, salary, rent, asset amortization and depreciation, assignment of values to assets between countries. We know that the standard of living in London is very much higher than the standard of living in China.Each accountant, financial stateme

Week 6 Discussion Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 6 Discussion - Personal Statement Example Jobs was of the view that the greater the effort and the longer the time you put out into developing something, the greater will the productivity be. In a 1996 PBS Documentary, Triumph of the Nerds, Jobs said, â€Å"We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas† (Isaac, para.7). Hence, through his utilization of great ideas, he brought a revolution in the world of technology. â€Å"Start it and stick with it; change the world,† was Steve Job’s message to the world (Isaac, para.1). His most important trait was commitment to his work. He stuck with his ambition; and, due to his great efforts, now every single person has a mini-computer in his pocket in the shape of smart phone. Hence, it can be said that Steve Jobs was the most successful leader in the tech world, who invented a myriad of great devices and gadgetry through commitment and determination. He revolutionized the concept of leadership, and introduced such exquisite devices that the world will thank him for

Wi-Fi Appealing Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wi-Fi Appealing Technology - Assignment Example Some of these technologies are â€Å"the wireless protocols 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The Wi-Fi Alliance is the body responsible for promoting the term and its association with various wireless technology standards† (wi-fihotspotlist.com, 2011). The following figure shows how the Wi-Fi technology works. There is a wireless router at the access point that is generating signals within a range that are being identified by the Wi-Fis installed in the laptops, so they can use the Internet service without connecting any cable. The Wi-Fi Technology (David, 2009). 2) Why did you choose this technology I chose the Wi-Fi technology because it has made my life easier and has improved my social networking tendency. Wi-Fi provides me with access to the Internet. I consider Internet as my most fundamental necessity, and Wi-Fi happens to be the most convenient source of Internet so far. I try to remain online for most of my day in which I am awake because it helps me promote social netw orking. In the present age, social networking is the key to success and Internet helps me strengthen that through such social media websites as Facebook, Twitter and Skype. I am able to connect with my friends anywhere anytime as long as I have my Wi-Fi with me. Owing to its importance in my life, I have chosen the Wi-Fi. 3) If you choose a technology that you like, describe what you like about it Internet was important to me even in the days in which I had cable Internet, but that proved quite inconvenient in that I had to remain at the same place in order to use the Internet. I could not move beyond the length of my cable. Plugging in and detaching the cable was no less heck. Besides, I had to adjust the cable every time I sat so as to ensure it does come in anybody’s way. I could not operate Internet on my mobile with the cable connection. I like Wi-Fi because purchasing it has made my life way easier. I could roam about the place anywhere to use the Internet as long as I remained within the range of the Wi-Fi signals, which fortunately is sufficiently wide. Now I can avail the opportunity of using the Internet both on my laptop as well as my mobile. There is no cable that needs to be adjusted, attached or detached. All I need to do to connect the Internet is push a button on the keypad of my laptop or mobile. Although apparently it seems little change since the quality of service has remained unaltered, yet it has improved my productivity manifolds as I am able to connect with my friends more often than ever before. 4) Also describe what you do not like about this technology. What would you aim to improve? Bring ideas! What I don’t like about Wi-Fi is the fact that its charger needs a constant supply of electricity. This puts me in trouble when I have to use it in places where there is no electricity. Carrying the Wi-Fi around is also inconvenient since it is a large device. I would greatly appreciate if the developers could come up with a Wi -Fi device that is as small as a USB flash drive so that I may carry it around in my pocket. Another feature that can enhance its usability manifolds is giving the Wi-Fi device a battery backup with cells. I want to break free of the need to have an electric connection in order to turn my Wi-Fi device on. I don’t know if that is possible, but I would love to have a laptop that has in-built Wi-Fi Internet as a feature. In an ideal world, I would be sitting in the midst of a forest with a laptop on my lap and use the Internet without attaching anything to my laptop. I would not mind if such an Internet service costs me few dollars more! 5) Describe the history of this technology: its development process, inventor(s), people and companies involved in its development and

Social Media Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Media Marketing - Research Paper Example Social media marketing refers to the concept of gaining traffic and attention through launching and running promotional campaigns, through identifying and engaging with influencers and interested parties through social media. Social media marketing is most especially effective and vital for businesses, institutions and organizations that rely heavily on referral and the word-of-mouth as their marketing and communication strategies, considering that there is no easier ways to make referrals or pass word of mouth, than through the social media, owing to its extensive coverage and accessibility. Social media marketing is thus a category of internet marketing, which applies the social media networks as the platforms for communicating and achieving the branding goals of an institution. Fundamentally, this form of marketing entails sharing of written content, audio, images and videos through the social networks, to make such contents accessible by other parties within the social media netw orks, for marketing and branding the institution. Posing for a moment to dissect the assertions that Social Media Marketing is effective for referrals and word of mouth communication, it is apparent that there is no better way to market an educational institution, than through referrals and the word of mouth. Social media is the most effective channel of discovering and combining news with promotional content, while also serving as the most effective tool for building links to different other networks. Thus, finding and responding to online conversation can be the most effective way of marketing, since social media enables even small business which has no established systems and channels of advertisement, as well as those facing resource shortages to reach more customers. (Deis & Kyle, 2010). Therefore, social media does not only offer an opportunity to advertise and promote a brand, but also an opportunity to combine and reinforce the branding content with more informative news, and in a more entertaining and interactive way, that is rarely offered by other communication and promotional channels. Thus, despite the concept of Social Media Marketing being a comparatively recent phenomenon, its role in the current business world has shifted from that of a trendy presence, into a necessary marketing and advertising platform for any business that seeks to remain relevant both in the traditional and the digital marketing (DeMers, 2013). According to a report published by the Forbes Magazine, the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry indicated that 94% of all businesses that had a marketing department utilized the social media as one of their major

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Research Paper

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Research Paper Example Hiroshima underwent the massacre due to the weapon titled ‘Little Boy’ on the 6th of August whereas the ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. In order to let peace prevail after, Japan sent an instrument of surrender after almost a week of the bombings which marked the end of the Second World War. Prior to the surrender of the Nazi army in Germany, the Allies of World War II had already made plans to go ahead with Operation Downfall which was supposed to be the invasion of Japan. In 1945 when Germany was defeated, the Allies turned their attention towards Japan. Under the guidance of Major General Leslie Groves, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the first atomic bombs were finally designed. Even though preparations were going on since 1939, fearing the Nazi army to build worse nuclear weapons kept the Allies in check and made them not reveal their weaponry. Both the Little Boy and the Fat Man were implosion weapons designed as gun type fission weapo ns; Little Boy was made of a rare isotope of uranium-235 and the Fat Man formed its base in plutonium-239. On receiving the Potsdam Declaration, the Japanese government decided to ignore it or kill it by silence and despite being given an ultimatum to surrender and told by the Allies that the consequences of non compliance with the same would result in the complete destruction of the Japanese Armed Forces as well as proper devastation of Japan on the whole, a clear rejection of the Declaration was provided by the then Prime Minister, Kantaro Suzuki. Hiroshima was of prime importance to the Japanese because its strategic location made the city a backbone for developing industry, trade and commerce. The city also had attached towards itself a great amount of military significance. The Allies had decided that in case the bombing of Hiroshima did not go as planned, they would target the cities of Kokura and Nagasaki alternately. The point which was aimed from the craft, Enola Gay, (whic h was the craft used to drop the bomb on Hiroshima), was the Aioi Bridge however, it missed and landed on the Shima Surgical Clinic, blasting at least 12km2 of the city and spreading fire everywhere. 30% of the population of the city at the time was killed immediately, with the effects ranging on another million or so that were riddled with the gases and fumes and burns due to the fire of the blast. Many people were affected by cancer and leukaemia due to the after effects of the blasts, which led to their death eventually as well. The Hiroshima Genbaku Dome is one of the few known surviving ruins post the attacks and in 1996; it was termed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO which followed repeal from countries like US and China. Nagasaki was one of the largest ports that Japan had and thus it was vital to the country’s growth and development because of its connection with overseas routes which were especially of use during the time of the war in order to import and export ma terials, keep an eye on invading foreigners, as well as produce and distribute military equipment

Martin Luther King Jr. Headed Research Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr. Headed Research Essay Martin Luther King Jr was a well known civil rights leader in the 1960’s. He inspired many African Americans with his speeches and his non-violent movement. He had vision, courage and concern three out of the six characteristics mention by Campbell (2002) that create a leader. Even though he was well know for stopping segregation it is important to study his effective leadership. Many High School students have studied about Martin Luther King Jr. However, there is much more to King. We need to study his courage to step up and create sit-ins and protest, concern for others right and vision to tie all these in and make them possible. In addition, we need to look into these characteristics that made him a strong catalyst for change. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the findings about the leadership and characteristics of Martin Luther King Jr. Also adding to how this leader improved the reading and writing skills to this papers author. The questions posed for the research described here are the following: 1. What important findings were made during this research? a. Why was he concerned about the rights they had? b. How did sit-ins and boycotts help King? c. What did it take to accomplish his goal? 2. Which of the leaders personal characteristics seem to be most important for his success as a catalyst for change? 3. What did the author of this paper learn about him/herself as the research, reading and writing for this assignment progress? 4. What conclusion can be drawn from this research? Findings about the Leader Martin Luther King Jr most important accomplishment was concerned about the civil rights that black people had King tried to protect the freedom of discrimination based on â€Å"gender, religion, race, national origin, age or sexual orientation.† (History Alive ch. 46) King wanted to give African Americans their rights to freedom of speech. he saw to gain equality through the world. also King wanted to stop the discrimination that was mostly based on race. this would stop the segregation that was going on and open the doors of opportunity and a better community. Much of Kings work was controversial during the time in which he lived. People opposed King because he encouraged sit-ins and boycotts. In one of the many sit-ins four college students sat in white people spots and refused to move because they were not getting served. The students dressed like they were going to church and the sit-in lasted for almost two weeks. Many white people fought the black people and the black people were arrested. They were able to get bailed for fifty dollars or do the thirty-three days in jail. Then the marches started and one girl marched up to the mayor and she said that it was unfair. Three weeks later black people got served.(History Alive.p 69) In the Montgomery Bus Boycotts was organized because of the segregated buses. The boycott lasted 328 days with no one riding the bus. Martin Luther King Jr lead the black people in this boycott. In 1955 black people had to sit in the back of the bus and white people sat in the front, sometimes black people had to give up their seats. Black boycott leaders got attacked by white people. Some of which got their homes bombed. Even though they were attacked they stuck to their non-violent system. eleven months later the segregation was considered unconstitutional. King said that, â€Å"it wasn’t a victory for them or whites, but justice and good will.† (History Alive. p 69) Kings ideas were important for the time in which he lived. People opposed King because they knew he would accomplish his goals. It took a lot of Kings time to accomplish desegregation and equality, but he was able to accomplish all the sit-ins, boycotts and marches with the help and support from his family, church and his followers who wanted the justice that King wanted to achieve. The Leader’s Personal Characteristics The three personal characteristics that, according to Campbell are necessary to become a strong exceptional leader are vision, concern and courage. These three characteristics best describe Martin Luther King Jr. King’s vision was shown through his speeches, sit-ins and boycotts. King wanted the future of his people and the future generation of young African Americans to be better and equal. He wanted to put a stop to the segregation and the discrimination that was going on through this time period. King knew that his vision would come true when these problems would come to an end. King wasn’t concern for himself only. He was concern for the entire African American community. King tried to prevent the hate that was being shown by the white people towards the black people to stop. Once this stopped King knew that the children growing up in this time period wouldn’t grow up with the same hatred shown by their parents. He wanted to put a stop to all of it so it wouldn’t spread to the young minds of the children as well as in the parents. This was all accomplished by King through his courage. He went through many risks. King not only put his life in danger, but the life of his family and his followers. The sit-ins, boycotts and marches brought hate and violence to King and his followers as well. There were times that they experienced mob attacks and bombings on their own home. All of which put King in danger for following and making justice happen. Fighting for every ones rights using non-violent movement was difficult, but courageous. King using this type of movement was significant and brave because he didn’t fight back when they would get attack and going out with this movement in mind against all those people that apposed King showed his true leadership skills. Learning about Myself as a Reader and Writer This experience has made me a better reader because it helped me improve my note taking and helped me focus on a certain topic. My note taking has become more in depth and I’m able to pull out the important part or parts of the articles were are reading. Having focused notes also helped me stay focus on this topic. I learned how to focus on a specific topic for each paragraph in my essay. Writing was a difficult part for me because I didn’t know exactly what I had to write about sometimes, or I wouldn’t have a clear sense of direction, or explanation to what I was, or had to do. This caused me a lot of confusion, so that leads into why I didn’t do so well in my papers. It was the little assignments we got that confused me the most because I didn’t find a connection from the little assignments to the bigger one. Also because we mixed how to write the paper along with finding facts and integrating sources. It would have been more helpful if we had spilt that into two different sections and having one section to do with MLK, finding the facts and integrating sources as one section and how to write the paper as another. The things I need to work on the most are writing and making connections with the assignments provided. Due to the fact that, that was my point of confusion during the assignment. Also it was writing that I scored the lowest in and this shows that I didn’t become a better writer throughout the course of this assignment Conclusion Where are we in racial equality today? what would Martin Luther King Jr think or do? Today were are not as bad in racial equality as in the time of Martin Luther King Jr, but we do experience racial hate and judgement today, mostly against Hispanics. If King was alive today, his reaction would probably be the same as when he experienced the discrimination against African Americans. He probably wouldn’t like the way people are being treated and would feel the same type of tension he did when he was a catalyst for change in the 1900’s. King would try to find away to help and also make this stop by using the same method, such as non-violent movement. King would have to change his way of solving this to get the same success he had if he tried to be a catalyst for change during this era because of the different time periods Citations Campbell, Scott. Great Leaders Grow Deep Roots The Six Characteristics of Expectional Leaders. . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2012. . King, M.. Letter from Birmingham Jail. letter from a birmingham jail. University of Pennsylvania, 1963. Web. 8 Dec 2011. Carson, Clayborne, et. al. of the Martin Luther King Research and Education Institute. The Martin Luther King, Jr. encyclopedia. Greenwood Press: Westport, Connecticut. 2008. Goff, Brent. History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals. Teachers Curriculum Inst, 2008. Web. .

Study: Negative Effects of Energy Drinks

Study: Negative Effects of Energy Drinks The World of Energy Drinks Introduction: Energy drinks are defined as â€Å"soft drink[s] containing a high percentage of sugar, caffeine, or†¦ [other] stimulant[s]† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). The popularity and consumption of energy drinks in today’s world is immensely widespread, especially among athletes and athletic institutions. Albeit this new category of beverages is somewhat novel, it has become a central and imperative weapon for those in need of a boost in their performance (Aufiero, 2014). Energy drinks –for the first time in history –have almost become the fuel of choice when engaging in physically demanding tasks; this is most likely due to its high-sugar content (Breda et al., 2014). Additionally, the deliciously empowering world of energy drinks has managed to influence a staggering 68% of adolescents –i.e. age ten to eighteen –in the European Union alone (Breda et al., 2014). History: The first energy drink was crafted in the year 1962 by Taisho Pharmaceuticals –a Japanese pharmaceutical company established in Tokyo (Engber, 2014). According to Engber (2014), this particular energy drink was called Lipovitan D. At its inception, Lipovitan D was sold as an energizing tonic, and, it was labelled as especially caffeinated and vitamin fortified (Engber, 2014). Lipovitan D was initially targeted to and consumed by executives in Japan that fought to appropriate success (Engber, 2014). By the 1980’s, the energy drink market had already attained global notoriety. Although Lipovitan D did not dominate the international markets, it was the first beverage to be solely and specifically classified as an energy drink (Engber, 2014). The next major brand of energy drinks to dominate the market was known as Red Bull (Preceden, 2014). Created in 1987 by Dietrich Mateschitz –an Austrian Businessman, Red Bull was introduced to the United States of America in 199 7 (Engber, 2014; Green and Keegan, 2013:175). Red Bull would be the catalyst to immensely expand the energy drink market. According to â€Å"Gary Hemphill, director of research for the Beverage Marketing Corporation,† ‘the energy drink market attained â€Å"$11 billion in retail sales’† alone (Engber, 2014). Current Viewpoints: Energy drinks today are the epitome of popularity. They can be found at any major shopping outlet with varying flavours and sizes. In contemporary media, celebrities, advertisements and television personalities are enlisted to help boost the notoriety and sales of energy drinks. Furthermore, energy beverages are frequently associated with maximum performance in numerous sports today. As of 2012, the energy drink market was worth an astounding $37 billion (Zenith International, 2012). In today’s market, the energy drink is still predicted to â€Å"grow at a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 13.38 percent over the period 2013-2018† (Infiniti Research Limited, 2014). The bravado and intense ferocity of the energy drink market shows no sign of declining in the near future. According to (Transparency Market Research, 2014), the unimpeded and fertile growth of energy beverage in the global market is due to the increasing growth and consumption of energy drinks by numerous age groups. This immense growth has also been supported by the notion that they are better than other carbonated, sugary drinks that are almost full to busting with sugar (Transparency Market Research, 2014). The lucrative nature of the energy drink market has proved seductive to countless manufactures; they employ sales tactics –e.g. elaborate packaging, imaginative advertising, etc. –to take advantage this cash crop (Transparency Market Research, 2014). It is also predicted that the energy drink market will soon target untouched segments of the market in order to further improve sales (Transparency Market Research, 2014). With major brands such as Red Bull dominatin g 30% of the market, energy beverages still remain a popular choice among the masses who are in need of a significant increase of energy (Transparency Market Research, 2014). The astounding benefits of energy drinks are somewhat marred by the development of research that criticizes and flags this beverage industry giant as being potentially lethal. New studies show that energy drink consumption can alter the rhythms of the heart (Lambert, 2014). A recent study at the University of Bonn in western Germany discovered that the left ventricle within the heart contracted harder after the consumption of an energy drink. Other critics and researchers have also attributed increases in â€Å"heart rate, blood pressure†¦body temperature,† and, â€Å"psychological effects such as anxiety and sleep disturbances† to energy beverages. (Lambert, 2014). With a modicum amount of research to belie the sanctity of the energy drink, it could prove to be severely detrimental to the human body over time. Hypothesis: The numerous disadvantages and detriments that exist within the energy drink will surpass the advantages that it provides. Research Questions: In what ways can energy drinks positively and negatively affect the health of 18-25 year old athletes? What are the implications for athletic institutions? Proposed Methodology Primary research will be enlisted to establish the usage and popularity of energy beverages amongst athletes that are between the ages of 18 and 25. Secondary research will also be employed to further assess pre-existing data on the advantages, detriments and implications for athletic institutions. Qualitative and quantitative research will also be utilised. Qualitative research will be gathered through questionnaires and surveys that procure and evaluate the usage and results of energy drinks. These findings will aim to provide figures and statistics that aid in cataloguing of the adverse and excellent influences that energy drinks have on the human body. Both types of research can then be used to triangulate final findings that are generalizable, and, stand in the fortitude of their validity. Supplementary data will also be collected from a group sample that will consist of fifteen to twenty athletes that reside in Preston, United Kingdom –this would ensure a decent amount of access to the participants. The sample of twenty athletes would include numerous countries –e.g. Sri Lanka, China, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, etc., –in order to ensure that data is collected from a diversified group of individuals. The sample size will remain relatively small due to the thorough nature of interviews and questionnaires that will be administered. The small amount of participants will also increase the feasibility and overall achievability of this experiment. References Aufiero, B. (2014).Why Do People Buy Energy Drinks? | LIVESTRONG.COM. [online] LIVESTRONG.COM. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/423042-why-do-people-buy-energy-drinks/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014]. Breda, J., Whiting, S., Encarnaà §Ãƒ £o, R., Norberg, S., Jones, R., Reinap, M. and Jewell, J. (2014). Energy Drink Consumption in Europe: A Review of the Risks, Adverse Health Effects, and Policy Options to Respond.Frontiers in Public Health, [online] 2. Available at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00134/full#B20 [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014]. Engber, D. (2014).Who Made That Energy Drink?. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/magazine/who-made-that-energy-drink.html?_r=0 [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014]. Green, M. and Keegan, W. (2013).Global Marketing. 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Infiniti Research Limited, (2014).Global Energy Drink Market 2014-2018 13266 Sandler Research. [online] Sandlerresearch.org. Available at: http://www.sandlerresearch.org/global-energy-drink-market-2014-2018.html [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014]. Lambert, C. (2014).The energy drink craze thats putting young lives in danger. [online] Mail Online. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2552613/The-energy-drink-craze-thats-putting-young-lives-danger.html [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014]. Oxford Dictionaries, (2014).energy drink: definition of energy drink in Oxford dictionary (British World English). [online] Oxforddictionaries.com. Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/energy-drink [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014]. Preceden, (2014).The History Of Energy Drinks Timeline | Preceden. [online] Preceden.com. Available at: http://www.preceden.com/timelines/66113-the-history-of-energy-drinks [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014]. Transparency Market Research, (2014).Energy Drinks Market Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Analysis And Forecasts 2012 2018. [online] Transparencymarketresearch.com. Available at: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/energy-drinks-market.html [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014]. Zenith International, (2012).Global energy drinks market spurts ahead to $37 billion. [online] Zenithinternational.com. Available at: http://www.zenithinternational.com/articles/1012 [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014].

The Ghost of Cloudcroft New Mexico Essay -- Ghost Stories Urban Legend

The Cloudcroft Ghost Cloudcroft, New Mexico, meaning a "clearing in the clouds", is a small mountain town located to the east of Alamogordo, NM ("Cloudcroft"). The town's history is intimately tied to the building of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway that allowed the town to be permanently settled in the late 1800s, and to the logging business that made the town and railroad successful for half a century ("Investigation†¦ Lodge"). As with many frontier towns, Cloudcroft has a number of legends that document the unique and violent events in its history, and also a fair number of ghosts that haunt its historic sites. I was told a story about one of Cloudcroft's more famous ghosts when casually lounging in the undergraduate student physics lounge at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a group of students during a lunch break before class. This occurred during early April, 2005. I inquired whether anyone knew any ghost stories or folklore. A friend of mine volunteered that she knew several ghost stories from her travels. The storyteller was a 23-year-old Caucasian female from an upper-middle class family in Baltimore. She currently lives in Crofton, MD, and is a physics and astronomy major. For a prior internship a few summers earlier, the storyteller had worked at the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, NM, studying various solar phenomena. Sunspot is located 17 miles from Cloudcroft. She originally heard her legend from a coworker at the observatory, who took her to visit the place of the haunting. After finishing a story about the ghost of the astronomer Maria Mitchell (who allegedly haunts Nantucket, Massachusetts), the storyteller began the tale of the ghost of The Lodge at Cloudcroft. .. ... Cited "Cloudcroft New Mexico, A Brief History." Cloudcroft Online. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.cloudcroft.com/history.htm. "Investigation of the La Fonda Hotel" Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. 31 Oct 1998. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.sgha.net/lafonda.html. "Investigation of the Lodge." Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. 07 Aug 2001. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.sgha.net/lodge.html. "New Mexico: Ghost Stories and Haunted Places." Haunted New Mexico. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://hauntednewmexico.tripod.com/id1.html. "The Haunted St. James Hotel, Cimarron, NM." Legends of America. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.legendsofamerica.com/HC-Cimarron5.html. "The Lodge" Lost Destinations. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.lostdestinations.com/thelodge.htm. Wood, Ted. Ghosts of the Southwest. New York, Walker & Company:1997.

Essay on Setting in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour -- Story Hour E

Elements of Setting in Kate Chopin's Short Story, "The Story of an Hour" Setting exists in every form of fiction, representing elements of time, place, and social context throughout the work. These elements can create particular moods, character qualities, or features of theme. Throughout Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," differing amounts and types of the setting are revealed as the plot develops. This story deals with a young woman's emotional state as she discovers her own independence in her husband's death, then her "tragic" discovery that he is actually alive. The constituents of setting reveal certain characteristics about the main character, Louise Mallard, and are functionally important to the story structure. The entire action takes place in the springtime of a year in the 1890s, in the timeframe of about an hour, in a house belonging to the Mallards. All of these aspects of setting become extremely relevant and significant as the meaning of the story unfolds. When Louise Mallard first hears that her husband was killed in a railroad accident, "she wept at once," and "went away to her room alone" (12). As she mourns, looking out of her window on the second floor of her home, a sudden change of heart begins to come over her. She notices "the delicious breath of rain," " a peddler . . . crying his wares," "notes of a distant song," "countless sparrows . . . twittering," and "patches of blue sky," "all aquiver with the new spring life" (13). As she stares at the sky, she begins to think about her newfound independence from her husband, uttering the words "free, free, free!" (13). What makes her develop such a sudden change in attitude? Could it be that she sees rebirth in the world through her wind... ...giving it boundaries and distinctive characteristics about the situation. Setting preys upon reader stereotypes and preconceptions about the certain time frame or location in which the story takes place in order to bring out more meaning. In this work, Chopin develops the story based on the reader's knowledge and understanding of a woman's place in late nineteenth-century America. But the specific setting--the time of year and the structure of the Mallard house--also gives clues to help readers understand Louise and attempt to determine the cause of her death. Louise may die of heart disease, as the doctors say at the end of the story, but setting indicates that the disease was not "joy that kills" (14). Work Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martins, 1997. 12-15.

Mrs. Dalloway

Virginia Woolf in â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† derides the superficiality of social conventions in society, forcing its members to constantly pretend, mask their individuality and abandon their own needs.The text depicts how individuals are shaped by their social environments, how historical forces impinge on people's lives, how class, wealth, and gender help to determine people's fates. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† was published at a time when British society was still recovering from World War One.The difficult post-war times affected Woolf privately and eventually affected her writing Woolf focuses on the internal description of the characters while bringing to light the social conditions of the postwar Britain. â€Å"Mrs Dalloway is set in a very volatile time period in Britain, portraying the idea that war is more than just a conflict on a battlefield .The war lead to the destruction of not only the physical infrastructure in Britain, but the social/political infrastructure that is vital in character relationships and analysis. Woolf showcases London populated by people of differing disabilities, socioeconomic statuses, and sexualities wherein each character occupies a unique position within the narrative's classist, patriarchal, and heteronormative society.Woolf eliminates any sense of an omniscient narrative voice by the constant bounce from the narrator?s commentary to the thoughts of a central character. â€Å"Mrs Dalloway† portrays a critique of Empire and the war, taking the state as the embodiment of patriarchal power, who even Richard Dalloway refers to as â€Å"our detestable social system†. Dalloway's words reverberate Virginia Woolf's intention; ‘In this book I have almost too many ideas. I want to give life and death, sanity and insanity; I want to criticise the social system and to show it at work, in its most intense.'† â€Å"Mrs.Dalloway† offers a scathing indictment of the British class system.Woolf, through her novel and her characters such as Clarissa Dalloway, Septimus Warren Smith, Dr. William Bradshaw and Dr. Holmes, shows how complex structures of power can seize the people's real identity and fabricate it in order to be appropriate with the values and norms of power. In â€Å"Mrs Dalloway†, the British upper-class ignores the actuality of the aftermath of war and social events become a form of normalization for them to neutralize the existence of reality, giving them an illusion of fulfilment and connectedness.†Mrs Dalloway† becomes an extended social critique where the audacity and stateliness of the most prominent guests is mocked through the description of the epicurean Hugh Whitbread, the sophisticated Lady Burton. Clarissa by inviting high members of English society who are the symbols of power,provides an appropriate background for madness to reveal itself, where the upper-class cannot help but find relief and peace in the deaths of working class people who have become free of all societal pressures resulting in Septimus' suicide becoming a casual conversation at their party. Woolf mocks the inability of upper class English society to recognize the changing social and political landscape .Lady Bruton,a once powerful upper class individual faces challenges due to her old ways of aristocratic networking,representing the degeneration of old english society. Richard's committees, Lady Bruton's emigration project, Hugh Whitbread's letters to the Times , are all the exhibition of the authority of ruling-class.Hugh, an advocator of ruling class,functions as a symbol of all those who have inherited their social standing and who are protective of their privileged social standing. Woolf gives us Kilman as a symbol for all the despicable things people sometimes claim to do in the name of religion. Society includes a group of people who are in common geographical region and under the same political and cultural authority. Individuals have to conform to the norms defined by the society and violating these unwritten rules, is seen as abnormal. In Mrs Dalloway,Holmes and Bradshaw try to suppress this abnormality. Bradshaw views himself as one who helps his country by making his patients conform to his idea of sanity and secluding them from society. The characters of the doctors, Hugh Whitbread, and Lady Bruton as compared to the tragically mishandled plight of Septimus, allows Woolf to depict how exposed and ill-treated those suffering from mental illness really are by the doctors. Septimus Smith is portrayed as a war veteran suffering from shell-shock, who finds frustration in his doctor's prognosis and decides to commit suicide. Septimus felt that his lack of emotion was a sign of strength and courage. Woolf, through portraying Septimus' life, indicates the prevalent insanity in London and the disillusionment in English people.His suicide becomes an act of resistance to the power of London's social system. Septimus, through his madness, his death and life, unveils the truths hidden under the surface of society. Woolf utilizes madness to criticize the structures of English society with a sharp attack to the social system at â€Å"its most intense.† Placing the doctor and patient together, Woolf emphasizes the fatal impact of society's social structures upon people.The world of the sane and the insane side by side: Woolf portrays the sane grasping for significant and substantial connections to life. Woolf in â€Å"Mrs Dalloway† showcases the breakdown of stable social categories and how the escalation of social roles to be performed results in an anxiety about the ability of the characters to â€Å"sanely† exist within a hostile social system, performing roles that do not adequately correspond to their identity. Woolf shares a ruthless observation of the social system, through Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith, who have both been have been psychologically damaged by their position in society. These two psychologically distinct and disparate characters, both try to establish a stable identity while struggling with patriarchal arrangement of the society and misunderstanding of mental illness. Clarissa's fertility is the sole dynamic providing her with a function in this patriarchal society, leading her to face a psychological crisis as to her future role. Septimus suffers a similar crisis of identity as a victim of the society; fighting a war sparked by bureaucratic tensions out of his control. Unable to reconcile his feelings for the England he left to fight for and the England to which he returns leads to rapid changes in his status and identity eventually claiming his sanity. Both Clarissa and Septimus suffer from the society's oppression; Septimus eases his internal struggle through death while Clarissa is unable to find a way out for herself due to the ideology of class propriety to which she must adhere to. Woolf portrays the conventional society of the beginning of the 20th century, where women's lives were shaped by the patriarchal society, sexual suppression and ideologies of gender. The society brings to light masculine normativity, which governs what is more convenient to their genre, where most of tht men belong to the public sphere, possessing an active role within their society and majority of women belong to the private sphere,dealing with household or some domestic issues. Woolf through the text offers a critique of the patriarchal and imperialistic society, where women have no individual identity, and are impelled to suppress their needs. Woolf utilizes Clarissa as a vehicle for critiquing patriarchy and all it involves including class-based social ranking, gender bias, and heteronormativity. Clarissa's decision to marry, in general, is because she is a member of a society that enforces heterosexuality upon an individual.Clarissa's love for Salley Saton,contradicts all norms of patriarchy and they ignore their desires because the only accepted female identity was the one that was accepted by patriarchy. Clarissa, in rejecting the potentially fulfilling relationship with Sally and marrying Richard , not only conforms to the expected ideologies of her society, but represses her homosexual desires for women. Because of her ‘place' in society, Clarissa explores her sexuality and love for Sally only in her memories, while her marriage to Richard Dalloway represents superficiality and conventionality of the upper-class in the early twentieth century Britain. Septimus' class and his mental instability differentiates him from Clarissa; however, they both struggle with the same oppressive structure-patriarchy that defines and categorizes men as much as they do women. Septimus idealizes war for it offered him the apparently straightforward and masculine role of defending idealized womanhood.His society's expectations of masculinity destroy his ability to express his emotions. He sees phantoms, has visions, and is unable to convey his reality. Peter Walsh exemplifies the oppressive effects of male privilege and heteronormative systems, by using Daisy Simmons to fulfil his preconceived idea of marriage. Woolf emphasizes the misconception of marriage as a social chain, criticizing how marriage imposed boundaries on people that psychologically oppressed them, leading them to even commit suicide. Clarissa, conforms to the ideals present in her society;Septimus, too, marries; but shell-shock prevents him from reintegrating into London's social spaces. Septimus's suicide highlights the fact that there is no way out of the patriarchal structure; there are only ways of coping with it. The terrible effects of patriarchy is portrayed also through Lucrezia's life who becomes a victim to the cruelty of the social and political doctrine of the English society.She silently struggles through Septimus's insanity,enduring even the indifference of Septimus,for whom she left her relatives and country. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† acts a critique on female subjugation in the domestic sphere of hostessship where Woolf presents characters that are lost in their own being,they have to put up to the obstacles of the system that gives them an apparently viable reality. Woolf rejects the literary and linguistic conventions of novel-writing to dismantle the ordered nature of early 20th century society.Through this aversion to established literary practices, Woolf subtly proposes the need to alter the traditional rituals and structures of society ,if its inherent problems are to be rectified. However, Woolf is never brazenly or overtly radical in her condemnation, refusing to adhere to one particular viewpoint. Many critics argue that the novels depicted by the technique of stream-of-consciousness struggle reflect the serious social problems and that â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† is an apolitical and asocial novel about individual internal life as opposed to social life. Critics who do believe that the novel is concerned with social and political events and developments of the time, consider it a novel of suggestion, not argumentation. Woolfs social critique and political radicalism are more subtly formed and is expressed in the language of observation rather than in direct commentary since she believes it is the reader's work to put the observations together and understand the coherent point of view behind them. As Julia Briggs indicates in Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life, Woolf invites readers to explore the literary tensions within her novels: â€Å"Woolf intended her [experiments in writing] to bring the reader closer to everyday life, in all its confusion, mystery and uncertainty, rejecting the artificial structures and categories of Victorian fiction†.

Experience hyperthermia Essay

Marian suffered from a heat stroke causing her body to experience hyperthermia. Marian body went through the process of homeostasis from experiencing hyperthermia. â€Å"Homeostasis is a state of body equilibrium or stable internal environment of the body.†(Marieb 8) Homeostasis protects the body by allowing it to adapt to the environment. Marian homeostasis tried to cool the body but failed. Though Marian was lucky her daughter found her in time. When a heat stroke occurs the body’s homeostasis shuts down where the temperature can reach high enough to cause brain damage to where you die. Heat strokes can cause damage internally well as externally. Hyperthermia causes a positive feedback mechanism within the body. â€Å"A positive feedback mechanism is a feedback that tends to cause the level of variable to change in the same direction as an initial change.†( Marieb 9) When the body stimulus rises the hypothalamus’s thermoreceptors start to work as the bod y’s thermostat. The thermoreceptors send messages allowing the hypothalamus to make temperature changes in the core. When the core starts to raise the heat loss mechanism starts one or two things: â€Å"dilation of cutaneous blood vessels or enhanced sweating.†(Marieb 833) â€Å"Dilation of cutaneous blood vessels is where the vessels swell with warm blood, heat is lost from the radiation, conduction, and convection† (Marieb 833) Some symptoms for a heat stroke are â€Å"throbbing headache, dizziness and light-headedness, lack of sweating despite the heat, red hot skin, muscle weakness or cramps, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, which may either strong or weak, rapid shallow breathing, behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation or staggering, seizures, and unconsciousness.†( http://firstaid.webmd.com/heat-stroke-symptoms-and-treatment) The treatments of methodologies for hyperthermia that were used in this case study was to apply cold wash cloth to forehead and face, position in front of a fan while using a spray bottle with water on her skin. Applying a cold wash cloth to face and forehead allows the body to drop in temperature. Positioning the body in front of a fan allows cooling. Spraying water allows hydration to the dehydrated skin. Hyperthermia is, also, used for cancer patients. â€Å"Hyperthermia treatment heats body tissues to 113 degrees Fahrenheit to damage and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.†( http://www.ehow.com/about_6470647_new-hyperthermia-cancer-treatment.html)Hyperthermia can happen very easily. People need to wear sun screen, lose fitting of clothing to cover the skin. Eat small portions; drink plenty of fluids but not alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates the body. Watch the weather to see if a heat advisory is in effect. Make sure not to do hard exercise work out during hot days. Talk to your primary doctor to see if your medications or your disease(s) can be effected by the sun. In this case though, Marian suffered from a heat stroke due to being in a house with no windows open. Hyperthermia is more harmful to infants or small children, elderly, overweight, people who are ill or medications. Small children or infants depend on others to protect them. They are defenseless in the sense when it comes to staying out of the sun, sunscreen, and hydration. The elderly may not feel heat stress. Elderly for the most part don’t response or sense to the change in climate. People who have diabetes tend to have poor circulation. Poor circulation is dangerous during heat waves because the blood needs to flow throughout the body to cool itself. So having poor circulation already would mean the body would trouble pumping blood faster to cool the body, thus, causing a heat stroke. People who are overweight retain more body heat than skinny people. When having more body heat it causes heat stress. Heat stress leads to a heat stroke. People who work out can over do it and experience dehydration. Dehydration can cause heat stress. People who have heart disease or high blood pressure are at risk because when the body is trying to the cool its self the heart has to pump in a faster pace causing the heart rate and blood pressure to go up. This is not good because it causes these people more stress on the heart. People on other medications have to be careful because the sun can cause increase or decreases in the function of the body which the medications are already trying to control without the factor of the sun. How a medical personal treat hyperthermia is very carefully. The body can be damage either by the tissue, brain, and /or body organs or maybe all three are damaged. The first thing is to check the people’s vitals to see if they are stable. Second, a physical assessment can be done to look over the skin.

Language development in children

All the other ways of knowing are controlled by language. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. The manner in which children learn to understand and successfully communicate through language is among the most important questions studied by psychologists. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. Traditionally, psychological accounts of language development  Ã‚   have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (e.g. Miller and Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner for example, believes that language is learned in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping  Ã‚   (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, some psycholinguists (e.g. Chomsky, 1959; Fodor, 1966) have  Ã‚   cogently argued that operant learning theory cannot adequately account for complex verbal behavior. Chomsky (1959) offers the following pregnant critique of a â€Å"conditioning† viewpoint: †¦it seems quite beyond questions that children acquire a good deal of their verbal and non-verbal behavior by casual observation and imitation of adults and other children. It is simply not true that children can learn language only through â€Å"meticulous care† on the part of adults who shape their verbal repertoire through careful differential reinforcement, though it may be that such care is often the custom in academic families. It is a common observation that a young child of immigrant parents may learn a second language in the streets, from other children, with amazing rapidity, and that his speech  Ã‚   may be completely fluent and correct to the last allophone†¦ A child may pick up a large part of his vocabulary and â€Å"feel† for sentence structure from television, from reading, from listening to adults, etc. Even a very young child who has not yet acquired a minimal repertoire from which to form new utterances may imitate a word quite well on an early try, with no attempt on the part of his parents to teach it to him (p. 42). Numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (for example, Bandura & McDonald, 1963; Bandura & Mischel, 1965). If principles of language usage, rather than mere words can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. The classic experiment in this area was conducted by Bandura and Harris (1966). They were interested whether second-grade children could make up sentences that included prepositional phrases and the passive voice. The children were tested first during a base rate period and then again after some form of intervening training. The results demonstrated that the children showed a greater increment in the production of the relevant construction in their sentences (than did the control group) if they were exposed to a combination of (1) an adult model’s production of sentence3s with and without the relevant construction (2) reward to both the model and the observer for sentences containing the relevant construction and (3) attention-focusing instructions. This study clearly suggested that children’s language productions might be modified through modeling in conjunction with other procedures. It is likely, however, that the children in Bandura and Harris experiment had been exposed to prepositional phrases and the passive voice many times in their lives prior to entering the experimental situation. Therefore, the question still remained as to whether children could actually acquire new or novel language rules as a function of observation. Indeed, language is important and in fact, traditionally, psychological accounts of language development have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner, for example, believes that language is learned, in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity. This is a fair representation of the interrelationship between perception, emotion, reason and language, for numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (Bandura & McDonald, 1963) If principles of language usage, rather than mere words, can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. In the area of linguistic diversity, researches reveal that in spite of enormous impact that language has on children’s schooling, lack of English skills alone cannot explain the poor academic achievement of students. It is tempting to fall back on this explanation and thus count on simple solutions to solve the problem. Cuban students, for example, have the highest educational level of all Latinos, yet they are the most likely to speak Spanish at home. (Valdivieso & Davis, 1988). However, the fact that students speak Spanish is treated by many teachers as a problem. There is also evidence that teachers interact more negatively with students who do not speak English than with those who do. (U.S. General Accounting Office, Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, March 1987). Thus, this is where the emotion and perception side come in the picture. Because if this is the case, then the language dominance of students is not the real issue; rather, the way in which teachers and schools view their language may be even more crucial to student achievement in acquiring knowledge. How language and language use are perceived by the schools and whether modifications in the curriculum and imparting of knowledge are made as a result are important factors to keep in mind. The fact that English speakers rarely have the opportunity to enter bilingual education programs reinforces status of these programs. This is where the methodology of knowledge is more important than the knowledge itself. According to Jean Piaget, what differentiates humans from animals is human’s ability to do â€Å"symbolic abstract reasoning† [Piaget’s Theory] and this forms the basis for the constructivist theory in learning and instruction [Ibid.]. During his experiments, he observed that children think differently from adult and answer questions differently, but it does not mean that children are dumb [Ibid.]. Piaget’s theory had two major aspects: the process and stages of cognitive development [Ibid.]. The process of learning and acquiring intelligence of children is influenced by ‘schemas,’ which is actually the child’s representation to the world. The processes used by children to attain equilibrium between their schemas and the real environment are â€Å"accommodation† and â€Å"assimilation† [Ibid.]. It is assimilation when a child tries to fit cubes into square holes during playtime. It is accommodation when a child tries to push harder a heavier play cart with classmate- passengers than a cart with no one riding. As a child grows, schemas become more complex [Ibid.]. The stages in cognitive development of a child are divided into three: sensorimotor [infancy], pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood), and concrete operational stage (elementary and early adolescence). During infancy, a child only recognizes an object when he or she sees it [Giants]. During toddler hood and early child hood, a child knows the direction of the right and left of an object, but the child cannot correctly think relative to that object [Ibid.]. At the concrete operational stage, a child becomes more logical in their understanding of the world. It is important that teachers of pre-school and primary schools learn to challenge abilities of children [Piaget’s Theory]. â€Å"Discovery learning and supporting the developing interest of the child are two primary instructional techniques† [Ibid.] to help children understand the world more. â€Å"Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development† are the main themes of Vygotsky’s developmental theory [Giants]. Children construct knowledge in a way that Piaget had described it [Bodrova 2005]. A child’s learning can be measured in a level of independent performance and level of assisted performance [Ibid]. The area between these measures will result to the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which increases as learning occurs [Ibid]. Both content and processes of thought is determined by the culture [Ibid.]. Higher functions in man such as focused attention, deliberate memory and symbolic thought are passed down thru teaching [Ibid.]. â€Å"Learning always involves external experience being transformed into internal processes through the means of language† [Ibid.]. Vygotsky’s principle taught that teachers should know the specific learning needs of a child and determine what most appropriate intervention could be done. The ZPD would eventually be filled-up if the learning needs were met thru proper teaching practice. One good practice was to devise an assessment questionnaire that would equally gauge independent performance and assisted performance, and from there, the ZPD can be quantitatively determined. By identifying the gap qualitatively, the learning needs of a child would be revealed.  Ã‚   Moreover, teachers should also know how to develop a child’s attention to focus, improve child’s memory, to teach children think symbolically, and use a language game that children understand. Meanwhile, one’s cultural and social upbringing affects the way a person views this. There are no assumptions or deducing involved here. One can verify the information by just looking again at the dizzying array of program alternatives in bilingual education, each claiming to be more successful than the others. In general, most research has found that bilingual programs of all kinds are effective not only in teaching students content area knowledge in their native language but also in teaching them English. This has been proven time and again to be the case in research analyses and specific program reviews (Hakuta, 1990). According to Hakuta, the most significant effect of bilingual education may not be that it promotes bilingualism in general, which he claims it does not, but rather that it â€Å"gives some measure of official public status to the political struggle of language minorities, primarily Hispanics.† He suggests that raising the status of these children’s native languages contributes to their opportunities for friendships with English-speaking children. Similarly, Erik Erikson as psychoanalyst taught that any person, child or adult faces specific life crisis that they have to resolve in order to perform their tasks (Atkinson 1993). During early childhood or preschool, a child develops an ability to initiate activities (Ibid. 118); teachers have to learn how to encourage or discourage them in order that the child would not feel inadequate. During middle child hood or elementary, children learns various skills such as reading and writing, but they have to interact socially with others in order to feel successful or competent, otherwise they would feel inferior. During this time, a teacher should constantly but reasonably praise a child for a job well done. The LOGO programming used with young children was believed to be supported by Erikson’s theory on the psychosocial stages (Gillespie and Beisser, 2001, p. 230). LOGO is a computer programming language developed by Dr. Seymour Papert in 1980s that is loaded with MicroWorlds software. With the MicroWorlds, a child creates his own animated graphics thru self-directed activity and independently explores cause and effect. Giving children ample time to spend with LOGO programming,   building and constructing encourages children to work without making them feel guilty which makes smooth the transition of a child in his guilty-prone period   (Ibid. p. 234). The same activities enable a child also to acquire mastery of the game in order to feel competent. REFERENCES Atkinson, R.L., Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E. Smith and Daryl J. Bem (1993). Introduction to Psychology 11th ed.. United States: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Bandura, A. & McDonald F.J. (1963). The influence of social reinforcement and the behavior of models in shaping children’s moral judgments. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology.   67, 274-281. Bodrova, Elena (2005). Vygotsky’s Developmental Theory: An Introduction. In Davidson Films Homepage. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, from http://www.davidsonfilms.com/develope.htm Chomsky, N. Review of B.F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (1959).Language, 35, 26-58. Gillespie, C., Beisser, W. (2001). Developmentally Appropriate LOGO Computer Programming with Young Children. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, http://www.aace.org/dl/files/ITCE/ITCE2001-229.pdf Hakuta, K. (1990). Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: A Research Perspective, no. 1 Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Spring. Miller, N.E. & Dollard, J. Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. In Educational Psychology Interactive Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html. Skinner, B. F. Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957. U.S. General Accounting Office (1987).   Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Valdivieso, R. and Davis, C. (1988). U.S. Hispanics: Challenging Issues for the 1990s Washington D.D.: Population Trends and Public Policy.                            Language development in children All the other ways of knowing are controlled by language. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. The manner in which children learn to understand and successfully communicate through language is among the most important questions studied by psychologists. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. Traditionally, psychological accounts of language development  Ã‚   have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (e.g. Miller and Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner for example, believes that language is learned in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping  Ã‚   (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, some psycholinguists (e.g. Chomsky, 1959; Fodor, 1966) have  Ã‚   cogently argued that operant learning theory cannot adequately account for complex verbal behavior. Chomsky (1959) offers the following pregnant critique of a â€Å"conditioning† viewpoint: †¦it seems quite beyond questions that children acquire a good deal of their verbal and non-verbal behavior by casual observation and imitation of adults and other children. It is simply not true that children can learn language only through â€Å"meticulous care† on the part of adults who shape their verbal repertoire through careful differential reinforcement, though it may be that such care is often the custom in academic families. It is a common observation that a young child of immigrant parents may learn a second language in the streets, from other children, with amazing rapidity, and that his speech  Ã‚   may be completely fluent and correct to the last allophone†¦ A child may pick up a large part of his vocabulary and â€Å"feel† for sentence structure from television, from reading, from listening to adults, etc. Even a very young child who has not yet acquired a minimal repertoire from which to form new utterances may imitate a word quite well on an early try, with no attempt on the part of his parents to teach it to him (p. 42). Numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (for example, Bandura & McDonald, 1963; Bandura & Mischel, 1965). If principles of language usage, rather than mere words can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. The classic experiment in this area was conducted by Bandura and Harris (1966). They were interested whether second-grade children could make up sentences that included prepositional phrases and the passive voice. The children were tested first during a base rate period and then again after some form of intervening training. The results demonstrated that the children showed a greater increment in the production of the relevant construction in their sentences (than did the control group) if they were exposed to a combination of (1) an adult model’s production of sentence3s with and without the relevant construction (2) reward to both the model and the observer for sentences containing the relevant construction and (3) attention-focusing instructions. This study clearly suggested that children’s language productions might be modified through modeling in conjunction with other procedures. It is likely, however, that the children in Bandura and Harris experiment had been exposed to prepositional phrases and the passive voice many times in their lives prior to entering the experimental situation. Therefore, the question still remained as to whether children could actually acquire new or novel language rules as a function of observation. Indeed, language is important and in fact, traditionally, psychological accounts of language development have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner, for example, believes that language is learned, in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity. This is a fair representation of the interrelationship between perception, emotion, reason and language, for numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (Bandura & McDonald, 1963) If principles of language usage, rather than mere words, can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. In the area of linguistic diversity, researches reveal that in spite of enormous impact that language has on children’s schooling, lack of English skills alone cannot explain the poor academic achievement of students. It is tempting to fall back on this explanation and thus count on simple solutions to solve the problem. Cuban students, for example, have the highest educational level of all Latinos, yet they are the most likely to speak Spanish at home. (Valdivieso & Davis, 1988). However, the fact that students speak Spanish is treated by many teachers as a problem. There is also evidence that teachers interact more negatively with students who do not speak English than with those who do. (U.S. General Accounting Office, Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, March 1987). Thus, this is where the emotion and perception side come in the picture. Because if this is the case, then the language dominance of students is not the real issue; rather, the way in which teachers and schools view their language may be even more crucial to student achievement in acquiring knowledge. How language and language use are perceived by the schools and whether modifications in the curriculum and imparting of knowledge are made as a result are important factors to keep in mind. The fact that English speakers rarely have the opportunity to enter bilingual education programs reinforces status of these programs. This is where the methodology of knowledge is more important than the knowledge itself. According to Jean Piaget, what differentiates humans from animals is human’s ability to do â€Å"symbolic abstract reasoning† [Piaget’s Theory] and this forms the basis for the constructivist theory in learning and instruction [Ibid.]. During his experiments, he observed that children think differently from adult and answer questions differently, but it does not mean that children are dumb [Ibid.]. Piaget’s theory had two major aspects: the process and stages of cognitive development [Ibid.]. The process of learning and acquiring intelligence of children is influenced by ‘schemas,’ which is actually the child’s representation to the world. The processes used by children to attain equilibrium between their schemas and the real environment are â€Å"accommodation† and â€Å"assimilation† [Ibid.]. It is assimilation when a child tries to fit cubes into square holes during playtime. It is accommodation when a child tries to push harder a heavier play cart with classmate- passengers than a cart with no one riding. As a child grows, schemas become more complex [Ibid.]. The stages in cognitive development of a child are divided into three: sensorimotor [infancy], pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood), and concrete operational stage (elementary and early adolescence). During infancy, a child only recognizes an object when he or she sees it [Giants]. During toddler hood and early child hood, a child knows the direction of the right and left of an object, but the child cannot correctly think relative to that object [Ibid.]. At the concrete operational stage, a child becomes more logical in their understanding of the world. It is important that teachers of pre-school and primary schools learn to challenge abilities of children [Piaget’s Theory]. â€Å"Discovery learning and supporting the developing interest of the child are two primary instructional techniques† [Ibid.] to help children understand the world more. â€Å"Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development† are the main themes of Vygotsky’s developmental theory [Giants]. Children construct knowledge in a way that Piaget had described it [Bodrova 2005]. A child’s learning can be measured in a level of independent performance and level of assisted performance [Ibid]. The area between these measures will result to the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which increases as learning occurs [Ibid]. Both content and processes of thought is determined by the culture [Ibid.]. Higher functions in man such as focused attention, deliberate memory and symbolic thought are passed down thru teaching [Ibid.]. â€Å"Learning always involves external experience being transformed into internal processes through the means of language† [Ibid.]. Vygotsky’s principle taught that teachers should know the specific learning needs of a child and determine what most appropriate intervention could be done. The ZPD would eventually be filled-up if the learning needs were met thru proper teaching practice. One good practice was to devise an assessment questionnaire that would equally gauge independent performance and assisted performance, and from there, the ZPD can be quantitatively determined. By identifying the gap qualitatively, the learning needs of a child would be revealed.  Ã‚   Moreover, teachers should also know how to develop a child’s attention to focus, improve child’s memory, to teach children think symbolically, and use a language game that children understand. Meanwhile, one’s cultural and social upbringing affects the way a person views this. There are no assumptions or deducing involved here. One can verify the information by just looking again at the dizzying array of program alternatives in bilingual education, each claiming to be more successful than the others. In general, most research has found that bilingual programs of all kinds are effective not only in teaching students content area knowledge in their native language but also in teaching them English. This has been proven time and again to be the case in research analyses and specific program reviews (Hakuta, 1990). According to Hakuta, the most significant effect of bilingual education may not be that it promotes bilingualism in general, which he claims it does not, but rather that it â€Å"gives some measure of official public status to the political struggle of language minorities, primarily Hispanics.† He suggests that raising the status of these children’s native languages contributes to their opportunities for friendships with English-speaking children. Similarly, Erik Erikson as psychoanalyst taught that any person, child or adult faces specific life crisis that they have to resolve in order to perform their tasks (Atkinson 1993). During early childhood or preschool, a child develops an ability to initiate activities (Ibid. 118); teachers have to learn how to encourage or discourage them in order that the child would not feel inadequate. During middle child hood or elementary, children learns various skills such as reading and writing, but they have to interact socially with others in order to feel successful or competent, otherwise they would feel inferior. During this time, a teacher should constantly but reasonably praise a child for a job well done. The LOGO programming used with young children was believed to be supported by Erikson’s theory on the psychosocial stages (Gillespie and Beisser, 2001, p. 230). LOGO is a computer programming language developed by Dr. Seymour Papert in 1980s that is loaded with MicroWorlds software. With the MicroWorlds, a child creates his own animated graphics thru self-directed activity and independently explores cause and effect. Giving children ample time to spend with LOGO programming,   building and constructing encourages children to work without making them feel guilty which makes smooth the transition of a child in his guilty-prone period   (Ibid. p. 234). The same activities enable a child also to acquire mastery of the game in order to feel competent. REFERENCES Atkinson, R.L., Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E. Smith and Daryl J. Bem (1993). Introduction to Psychology 11th ed.. United States: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Bandura, A. & McDonald F.J. (1963). The influence of social reinforcement and the behavior of models in shaping children’s moral judgments. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology.   67, 274-281. Bodrova, Elena (2005). Vygotsky’s Developmental Theory: An Introduction. In Davidson Films Homepage. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, from http://www.davidsonfilms.com/develope.htm Chomsky, N. Review of B.F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (1959).Language, 35, 26-58. Gillespie, C., Beisser, W. (2001). Developmentally Appropriate LOGO Computer Programming with Young Children. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, http://www.aace.org/dl/files/ITCE/ITCE2001-229.pdf Hakuta, K. (1990). Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: A Research Perspective, no. 1 Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Spring. Miller, N.E. & Dollard, J. Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. In Educational Psychology Interactive Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html. Skinner, B. F. Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957. U.S. General Accounting Office (1987).   Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Valdivieso, R. and Davis, C. (1988). U.S. Hispanics: Challenging Issues for the 1990s Washington D.D.: Population Trends and Public Policy.