Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How To Plan A Blog Post In 10 Minutes

How To Plan A Blog Post In 10 Minutes Every website owner loves the idea of a blog. They love hearing about how adding a blog to your website is one of the fastest and easiest ways to increase traffic, improve search engine rankings, build a big email list, gain expert positioning, and attract new clients. They love the impact it can have on their social media content strategy and they love that blogging for business is free- it doesnt add another monthly bill. But blogging isnt really free- it takes time, energy, focus, and commitment. Blogging is a long-term strategy, so even though time is being taken away from billable work to write blog posts, there more than likely isnt going to be an immediate return on investment. Plus, because were an instant gratification society, this causes frustration and makes site owners want to spend less and less time creating new blog content, because its a lot of work and they dont get an immediate reward. So, while website owners love the idea of blogging for business, they are not using their blogs! Often nothing new has been published since the site originally went live, or it's been three, six, or even twelve months since any new content has been added. Yikes! Can you relate? Do you like the idea of having a blog, but feel overwhelmed by the realities of managing a blog and creating new content regularly- good content, you can be proud of? Is it hard to come up with ideas for new blog posts? Are you struggling to come up with great headlines and find the time to write new posts? Wouldn't it be great if you knew how to quickly generate new blog post ideas or have a stash of post ideas available to you at any time? Do you need help finding inspiration for your blog content and a guide to craft a good post? Yes? Well, you're in luck. I am going to walk you through five different ways on how to plan a blog post in 10 minutes or less so you can write it better and faster- without stress, frustration, or overwhelm.  I am also going to give you a tool I created for myself to help me create great headlines and map out a ton of blog post ideas at one time- and you don't even have to opt-in or give me an email to get it. 5 ways to plan a blog post in under 10 minutes with a nice checklist to get started.I know everyone is not inspired the same way. Some people find inspiration in visuals, others need the headline to be perfect before they can write, some people hate to write, and still others will procrastinate until the last minute. To make blogging for business easier and faster, you don't need a cookie cutter formula. You need the right tactics and strategies at your fingertips to help you find your unique creative groove. Once you find that place, planning  blog content will be easier and writing blog posts will happen faster. 1. Like To Plan Ahead? Keep An Idea File For Posts. An idea for a blog post may strike at any time. An image, a tweet or Facebook post, an experience, another person's actions, a blog post you read, a client question, a business struggle, or even a talk at an event could inspire a new idea. Create a place to write down your blog post ideas so you have them to pull from in the future. You could do this in a multitude of software programs, in a journal, or even on your phone. I keep a plain text file on my desktop and I use the Notes app on my phone. But here's the kicker: You can't just write down the idea or the headline. You need to add context to the idea and create a mini post outline. This often takes far less than 10 minutes, and it takes all the stress out of writing the post later. Here's what to write down when a new blog post idea strikes: The topic or idea. Any possible headlines. How you came up with the idea. Any story that may fit with it (this is a lifesaver, as you think you'll remember it, but you may not). The link to your inspiration source if appropriate. Inspired by a tweet or Facebook post? Snag the embed code so you don't have to hunt for it later. The key message you want to communicate in the post or major bullet points. Any image ideas. Don't overthink it. Write down everything you can about the topic at that moment, and don't worry about writing in complete sentences. Don't edit yourself now; you can do that later when you're writing the final blog post. This exercise is just about getting the meat of the post out of your head. When you write down your blog ideas, you need to capture more than just your headlines.If you do this every time you have a new idea for a blog post, you'll build up a valuable idea file full of blog posts that are already halfway complete! Then when you need to write a post, you can grab one from your file, finish it up, and hit publish! 2. Work Better Under Pressure? Set A Timer. I love timers. I love the feeling of the clocking ticking down, the pressure on, and a task to complete. A challenge was accepted, adrenaline kicks in, and I'm thinking let's do this. I often do my best work under pressure with a deadline. I tune out all distractions, focus, and get things done in a much shorter amount of time than normal. Using a timer is merely a faster, more effective way of time blocking tasks. So, if you're like me, you may benefit from using this same approach when brainstorming blog post ideas. Here's how it works in only 10 minutes: Choose one topic, set a timer for 3 minutes, and brainstorm as many headlines as you can on that single topic. Don't edit as you go. Don't second guess. Don't stop or slow down. Every idea is good. Write it down no matter what. When the timer buzzes, stop. Set the timer for 1 minute and in that time, review each headline, circling the best ones (shoot for at least two or three). Set the timer for 6 minutes and in that time, quickly outline the blog post content for each headline. List what content to include, image ideas, story ideas, key messages to communicate, the problem it solves, and why someone should care. If something doesn't come to you for a headline right away, skip it and move on. At the end of this exercise, you'll have at least a few great posts on your topic that are already halfway done. You just need to finish them up later. Need help? I LOVE this exercise. I created a fill-in-the-blank headline guide with more than 200 Mad Libs style headlines to help me quickly brainstorm great headlines with little effort. I just set my timer, fill in the blanks for as many as I can, and then loop back and set my timer again to fill in the content notes for each one. You can download it free (no opt-in needed). 3. Hate Writing? Speak Your Post. I don't know about you, but many of my great ideas don't come to me when I'm conveniently in front of my computer or at home with a journal nearby. And sometimes I can't write them down- like when I'm driving or in the shower. If you can't write down your ideas, or you simply don't like writing- that's okay! You can still create blog content regularly without writing. All you need to do is speak. Yes, you can speak your content- and often do it much faster than writing it. Everyone can talk out loud. It's easy! When we speak, we don't judge, delete, self edit, or criticize ourselves like we do when writing. Plus it is MUCH easier to edit and refine existing content than it is to write it from scratch. Sometimes you just can't write down your blog ideas. Speak them out loud.When you've got a great blog post idea, simply grab your smartphone, your computer, a digital recorder, or use a service like freeconferencecall.com to record your post ideas. Then have the recording transcribed. It's that easy- and you can do it less than 10 minutes. 4. More Of A Visual Person? Start With The Imagery. If you're a visual person who is inspired more by imagery, it's okay to start there. I get great ideas for new posts when looking through stock photo sites and search for images with my brand keywords or the topic I am interested in writing about. But be careful- this can be a huge time suck. You may start looking at images and find that hours have gone by in what seemed like minutes. Here's how to plan a blog post using visuals in 10 minutes: Set a timer for 4 minutes, visit your favorite stock photo site, and search for images on your topic.  For every image you find that gives you a post idea, note the image number, and either add it to a lightbox or download it. When the timer buzzes, stop. Set the timer again for 6 minutes and write down the headline or post topic and all the notes, thoughts, and ideas you have for each image. (Use the same list I shared with you on #1.) Plan a blog post using visuals as your inspiration.When I find an image that inspires a new blog post, I download the image, crop it, and upload to my site. I then create a new post, assign the image, and make all of my post notes in the draft. This way, I can come back to the post and finish later, and I don't have to worry about finding the image again because it's already done and added to the post. 5. Stumped By Technology? Grab A Pencil. Many people are shocked to hear I brainstorm, make notes, and plan out my blog posts with a good old fashioned pencil and paper. Often I'll write an entire article by hand, then refine and edit it when I type it up. Some people just find that their creativity flows faster and easier on paper instead of in front of a screen. If this is true for you, own it. Get yourself a new sharp pencil or a great pen and some quality paper, or a beautifully designed journal. Then write and write some more- it doesn't have to be full sentences or complete thoughts. Here's what I recommend: Get your pen or pencil and paper and find a comfortable, quiet, cozy spot free from distractions. Set a timer for ten minutes. Write down the topic a blog post topic at the top of your paper. Then write down everything you think of- possible headlines, stories, examples, bullet points, key messages, problems and solutions, resources, and more. Write until the timer runs out. In this scenario, you're focusing on really fleshing out all of your thoughts, ideas, and opinions on one single topic, instead of a few different topics. This approach is often my go-to strategy for mapping out the content for longer, more in-depth blog posts. Challenge: For 3  weeks, 21 days, set aside 10 minutes each day to complete this exercise, writing down a different topic each day. Not only will your writing get better and you'll get faster at generating ideas, but 21 days is the length of time it takes to create a habit. Creating a habit of daily writing and idea generation will benefit both your business and your blog. Create A Repeatable Process And Stick With It If creating new blog content has been tough for you in the past, I highly recommend you give each of the five different ways to plan  blog posts a try to see which one is easiest and most successful for you. Remember, the more detail you provide about your topic up front, the faster and easier it will be to write the full blog post later.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Using the Spanish Verb Salir

Using the Spanish Verb Salir Although salir is a very common verb that means to leave in the sense of to depart or to go out, it also has a variety of other meanings that may not immediately be obvious. Fast Facts Salir is a common verb that most often means to leave or to exit.In some contexts, salir can have other meanings that generally refer to the change in status, appearance, or location of someone or something as the result of an action.Salir is conjugated irregularly. Salir Meaning 'To Leave' Here are some examples of sentences with salirs most common meaning: Los Cubs salieron de Los ngeles con una victoria. (The Cubs left Los Angeles with a victory.) ¿Cundo saliste por primera vez de tu casa con tu bebà ©? (When did you leave home for the first time with your baby?)Mi avià ³n sale a las nueve con destino a Tijuana. (My plane leaves at 9 for Tijuana.)Voy a salir a comprar leche. (Im going out to buy milk.)Propongo que salgamos a la calle a celebrar el campeonato. (I suggest we go out to the street to celebrate the championship.)Saldrà © muy motivado pero sà © que no ser fcil. (I will leave very motivated, but I know it wont be easy.) Salir With Other Meanings Here are some other meanings of salir with sample sentences: to turn out: Me salià ³ bien la prueba. (The quiz turned out well for me.) Salà ­ enoja en la foto. (I turned out looking angry in the photo.)to appear (often said of a bodily condition): Me sale pus de los pendientes. (Im getting pus from my earrings.) Si lo tocas te saldr urticaria. (If you touch it youll break out in hives.)to rise (said of astronomical bodies): El sol sale hoy a las 7:12. (The sun rises today at 7:12.)to be published or disseminated: Estaba viendo el televisor cuando salià ³ las noticias de lo que habà ­a pasado en Nueva York. (I was watching the television when they told the news of what had happened in New York.) El libro salià ³ a la venta en los primeros dà ­as de noviembre. (The book went on sale in the first days of November.) In a negative form with an indirect object, salir can indicate the inability to accomplish something: No le salià ³ como esperaba. (It didnt turn out as he hoped.) No me sale este problemita de distancia entre 2 puntos. (I cant figure out this simple problem about the distance between two points.) In the reflexive form, salirse sometimes refers to some type of overflowing or leak: Pese a que hace seis meses se crearon las nuevas canalizaciones, el agua se salà ­a inundando las calles. (Despite it being six months since the new pipes were installed, the water leaked, flooding the streets.) The phrase salirse con la suya usually means to get ones way: Chvez se salià ³ con la suya y Coca-Cola retirà ³ el producto de la venta. (Chavez got his way and Coca-Cola took the product off the market.) Salir can also be a part of some common phrases: salir con (to go out with) - Teresa sale con Josà ©. (Teresa is going out with Jose.)salir de (to come from) - La leche es un alimento que sale de las vacas. (Milk is a food that comes from cows. Salir de more commonly means to leave or to exit.)salir caro (to be expensive): Sale muy caro deportar indocumentados. (It is very costly to deport undocumented people.) As always with words that have more than one meaning, pay attention to context in order to determine what is meant. Related Words La salida is a common noun with meanings related to those of salir. They include an exit or way out, the solution to a problem, a departure, the rising of the sun (or other astronomical body) and various kinds of output. The adjective salido can refer to something that is bulging or protruding. It can also refer to an animal in heat (or the human equivalent). The adjective saliente can refer to someone or something thats important or prominent, or to a politician who is leaving office. Conjugation of Salir Salir is often regular, but it adds a g to the stem in some forms and also modifies the ending in the indicative future and conditional tenses. Here are the irregular forms: Present indicative: yo salgo Future indicative: yo saldrà ©, tà º saldrs, à ©l/ella/usted saldr, nosotros/nosotras saldrà ­amos, vosotros/nosotras saldrà ©is, ellos/ellas/ustedes saldrn Conditional: yo saldrà ­a, tà º saldrà ­as, à ©l/ella/usted saldrà ­a, nosotros/nosotras saldrà ­amos, vosotros/nosotras saldrà ­ais, ellos/ellas/ustedes saldrà ­n Present subjunctive: yo salga, tà º salgas, à ©l/ella/usted salga, nosotros/nosotras salgamos, vosotros/nosotras salgis, ellos/ellas/ustedes salgan Affirmative imperative: sal tà º, salga usted, salgamos nosotros/nosotras, salgan ustedes Negative imperative: no salgas tà º, no salga usted, no salgamos nosotros/nosotras, no salgis vosotros/vosotras, no salgan ustedes.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Computer Systems Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Computer Systems Fundamentals - Essay Example released their RSA algorithm into the public domain, in advance of the US patent (#4,405,829) expiring on the 20th Sept. of the same year. Following the relaxation of the US government restrictions earlier in the year (Jan. 14) this removed one of the last barriers to the world-wide distribution of much software based on cryptographic systems. It should be noted that the IDEA algorithm is still under patent and also that government restrictions still apply in some places. 11. [Year:2004, Month: Apr 14]nVidia releases GeForce 6800, claiming it is the biggest leap in graphics technology the company ever made. Independent reviews show more than 100% increase in productivity compared with the fastest card on the market. Continuing the tradition, nVidia demonstrates Nalu, a mermaid with extremely realistic hair. A few weeks later nVidia's main rival ATi announces X800 with nearly the same level of performance and feature support. The card is showcased by the Ruby demo, delivering a smooth real-time rendering of what was previously in the exclusive realm of prerendered cinematics. Memory speeds are written in different formats depending on the type of memory technology your computer uses. FPM and EDO speeds are written in nanoseconds (ns). SDRAM, DDR, and DDR2 speeds are written in megahertz (MHz) Here is a rough guide to relative memory speeds: i. Memory Speed Technology Speed Module Bandwidth SDR PC100 0.8 GB/sec SDR PC133 1.0 GB/sec DDR PC1600 1.6 GB/sec DDR PC2100 2.1 GB/sec DDR PC2700 2.7 GB/sec DDR PC3200 3.2 GB/sec DDR PC4000 4.0GB/sec DDR2 PC2-3200 3.2GB/sec DDR2 PC2-4200 4.2GB/sec DDR2 PC2-5300 5.3GB/sec DDR2 PC2-6400 6.4GB/sec Source: See http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtcontent /memorytype.aspmodel=&memtype=CHOOSE The costs of the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Genesis 1-11 is structured in such a way to reflect certain Essay

Genesis 1-11 is structured in such a way to reflect certain distinctive Israelite articles of faith. Discuss - Essay Example and as, it introduces not only the beginnings of the world but specifically, the formation of Israel as God’s chosen people giving them a sense of religious identity (Gooder 2000, p. 2). The book of Genesis, which in Hebrew is ‘Bereshit’, generally translated as ‘In the beginning’ (Zucker 2005, p. 31), can be divided topically into two parts: the Primeval History (1-11) and the Patriarchal History (12-50) or genealogically into 11 parts: general creation (1:1-11: 3), man’s creation (2:4-4:26),Adam-Seth’s generation (5:1-6:18), Noah-Shem’s generation (6:9-9:29), Noah’s sons’ generation (10:1-11:9), Shem’s generation (6:10-11:26), Terah- Abraham, the chosen seed (11:27-25:11), Ishmael’s generation (25:12-25:18), generation of Isaac-Jacob, chosen seed (25:19-35:29, Esau’s generation (36:1-37:1) and generations of Jacob-Joseph, chosen seed (37:2-50:26); or according to general subject analysis: generation (1-2), degeneration (3-11), and regeneration (12-l); or into its 2 major divisions: Human Race History (1-11) and Israel’s – the chosen nation’s history (12-50) (Evan s 2009, pp. 11-14). Generally, seven major themes characterise the Book of Genesis: origins, order/meaning in history, blessing, covenant, punishment, sibling conflict, and test of faith. It is filled with various tensions that essentially centre on individual survival: ‘fertility and barrenness’; antagonistic sibling rivalry; hostile interfamilial struggles; jealousy; wives competing for attention from the same husband; starvation; ‘incest, rape and murder;’ threatened and real total destruction; ‘love and exile’. (Zucker, 2005, p. 32-33) For the Israelites, the Book of Genesis stands out from the rest of Torah, and between its topical parts, its Primeval History (Gen 1-11) provides the very foundation of the Israelites monotheistic religion. Genesis 1-11 sets Judaism apart from all other religions with regards to its belief in one omnipotent, omniscient,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Essay This paper tackles the categorical imperative theory of Immanuel Kant as well as its first and second formulations and how they apply to a particular case of infidelity. Introduction In his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant defines an imperative as any proposition that declares a certain action or inaction to be necessary and practical (Kant, 1993, p. 413). The categorical imperative is a type of imperative which states what one ought to do under certain circumstances and it implies the moral requirement that we should act directly and unconditionally in order to achieve some end or purpose (p. 417). In the Groundwork, Kant distinguishes between the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. The hypothetical imperative states that if one wants to do A, then he should do B, or he may choose not to do B or even A (p. 414). On the other hand, the categorical imperative requires that if one wants to do A, then he really ought to do B. It therefore follows that doing B is of an absolute necessity, is considered a moral duty, and is unconditional (p. 420). An Ethical Situation and the Action Taken The situation that is to be considered for the analysis is that of a young man who has a girlfriend and who once swore to love her and only her and not to cheat on her in whatever way especially by having flings with another girl. For many months he has kept this promise in order to make her happy and make the relationship work. However, one day this young man just happens to get to know one extremely beautiful young girl on Facebook, a girl who is more beautiful than his own girlfriend judging from the same standards. After a few secret exchanges of messages on the same social networking site, the young man meets up with her without telling anyone and they have a date that ended up in a sexual encounter. Evaluation of the Situation Based on the First Formulation For any imperative to be a categorical imperative or a true moral proposition, Kant proposes that this imperative should possess universality. This means that it must not concern itself with the particular physical details and circumstances surrounding the present situation, including the seemingly most pressing instinctual needs of the individual on which the ethical situation is focused. Kant therefore states that there is only one categorical imperative and it is this: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† (p. 421). In the situation, the young man clearly does not obey the categorical imperative when he decides to exchange messages with the girl on Facebook and later on meet up with her. If the young man made a promise of loyalty, then it is his moral duty to do so (p. 422). This means that if the notion of promising to be faithful to one’s lover and breaking it is universalized, then, based on the first formulation of the categorical imperative, there would be no promises at all and no such thing as honest oaths between lovers. The young man is therefore, according to Kant, never justified in the infidelity that he committed. Evaluation of the Situation Based on the Second Formulation Another characteristic of the categorical imperative is that it should not only be a principle but that it should also be an end in itself, unlike a hypothetical imperative on which many human moral decisions are based. Thus, if a hypothetical imperative goes like, â€Å"If you want to do A, you should do B,† the categorical imperative should go like, â€Å"Do B,† for doing B is an end in itself and not a means to any other end like A. Kant therefore states, â€Å"Act in such a way that you treat humanity†¦always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end† (p. 428). In our situation, the young man, based on the second formulation, has clearly violated the categorical imperative and this violation lies in the young man’s making an oath of faithfulness to his girlfriend in order to make her happy and to make the relationship work. According to the second formulation, if you have made a promise in order to make someone happy and to make the relationship work, then you are not acting out of moral duty; because if you are, then you will have made such a promise as an end in itself. The young man should have made the promise of loyalty just out of pure reverence for promise itself in exactly the same way as one decides to love not for the happiness of the other but for the sake of love itself. For Kant and the categorical imperative, true morality is doing one’s moral duty without concerning himself with the results (p. 417). The young man in the situation tried to concern himself with the results. Owing to this, his promise was therefore not purely made and such a fact may have even been the reason behind his subsequent immoral act. Conclusion Kant teaches us that an action is good and moral not because it is based on reason as what the rationalists contend nor because it has good results as what the utilitarians say, but that it is done in obedience to an inner sense of duty – the categorical imperative. According to this principle and based on the scenario presented, one should make a promise of love and keep it because the fulfillment of a promise is universal. One should also keep a promise of love not for any other reason such as the happiness of the other but for the sake of the promise itself, for true moral duty is self-sufficient and does not concern itself with results. References Kant, I. (1993). Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by James W. Elington. 3rd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 413-428.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Aaron’s Last Game :: Personal Narrative Writing

Aaron’s Last Game Play this game like it’s your last. This is a common phrase that athletes hear from their coaches to help inspire them to play hard in a game. In the case of my friend Aaron Halford, a basketball game during his sophomore year of high school was his last. It was a playoff game for the basketball team and there was a great deal of pressure on the players to perform well to move on to the next round. However, this was one game where regardless of the score, our team was going to lose. One of our players dribbled down the court, looked to pass, and took the shot. The ball bounced from rim to rim, back and forth, the crowd waited with anticipation, but no one even registered whether the ball entered the hoop. Aaron laid lifeless on the court. What happened, did I miss something? Was there a foul? No one in the crowd knew what caused Aaron to be lying on the court. A whistle was blown and the coaches ran out onto the court only to find that Aaron wasn’t breathing. Without any hesitation, Aaron’s dad raced down to where his son was laying unresponsively. â€Å"Grab the defibrillator,† yelled out one of the coaches. Another coach immediately began administering mouth to mouth resuscitation on Aaron. The whole gym was completely silent. I sat there in disbelief not knowing what to do. He’s going to be alright, isn’t he? Surely he will. Is there something I should do? I was short of breath and closed my eyes and began to pray, however, my thoughts made no sense. I can remember reciting over and over, â€Å"Please God, don’t let him die. Let him be ok.† Everything happened so quickly. Before I knew it, two minutes had passed and Aaron still wasn’t moving. At this point, the coach performing the CPR pulled out the defibrillator and started shocking Aaron’s chest. Aaron’s body jolted vigorously as his coach stunned him. The only speaking voice in the whole gym was Aaron’s father who was speaking to Aaron saying, â€Å"Come on boy; please wake up. I know you have it in you.† Tears began to swell in my eyes. This can’t be happening. Aaron’s father kneeled down next to his son’s still body and prayed aloud.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How do the characteristics of the villages Navenby and Dorrington differ?

This is the overall question that I have to answer in order to investigate the differences and similarities of the two rural villages: Navenby and Dorrington. To help answer this question I went on a field trip to Lincolnshire to take notes on the site, situation, size, morphology and services of Navenby and Dorrington. There are various elements in which I can investigate to identify these factors for my two chosen villages. These are: *Land use *Amenities or Services *Comparison of settlement patterns *Age of evolution of settlements *Site *Situation There are five questions I have devised to ask to make a basis for my investigation between Navenby and Dorrington: â€Å"How and why do the sites of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† â€Å"How and why do the situations of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† â€Å"How and why does the morphology of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† â€Å"How and why do the population sizes of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† â€Å"How and why do the levels of services of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† These questions are suitable in helping to answer the overall question because all of these things being asked are all characteristics of a village. Enabling to break them down means that we are able to look at the villages in a lot more detail and make notes on things specifically. Also read  Driver’s Ed Module Reflection Journal To answer questions one and two I will sketch and colour code maps of Navenby and Dorrington to show how services, amenities and land use differ between the two. The map will be able to show the situation as it will show access to resources and facilities for example: access to food resources or a building and fuel resources. The map will also show the site of the villages as it will show if the villages are good for defence or for water supply or shelter, for example For question three being able to note how the morphology differs between the two villages will show how the villages have developed through time and how economic, social and historic conditions have affected the villages. Question four will show how population sizes differ due to various elements. These could be things such as accessibility, land ownership pattern, settlement size or planning constraints. This will also show what villages are developing and perhaps which are decreasing and whether people who live there are perhaps commuters for example. Question five will show which village is more developed and which is more rural. Whether the land has been used to suffice for the people who live there and why the land has been used the way it has for example bus routes or industry building to give people work. Or the land has not been changed at all meaning less developments and maybe more commuters. To be able to answer the previous question (how do the characteristics of the villages of Navenby and Dorrington differ?) I had to identify the information that I will need to collect from visiting the villages Navenby and Dorrington. For the first two questions (how and why does the site and situation of Navenby and Dorrington differ?) I will have to collect my information from resources such as information centres; exploring the villages themselves and also noting anything that relates with the site and situations of the villages and then to compare them when I get home and write up the differences. I can also use an OS map for this question because it will show the situation of the villages to resources that are needed. For example water, shelter and defence etc. For my third question (how and why does the morphology of Navenby and Dorrington differ?) I collected my information by walking around the villages again and making notes on how the villages have economically grown or shrunk, how socialisation has developed the villages or not and how historic conditions have affected the villages. This can be done by looking at the types and ages of the buildings within the villages. This information is necessary to my studies as I will be able to find out why the villages have become what they are today and what has influenced. Both villages could have had different economic, social or historic conditions, which would cause them to be very different now due to different village morphology. For my fifth question (how and why do the level of services of Navenby and Dorrington differ?) I collected my information by using a tally chart. Every time I saw a particular service I added to my tally chart. I also looked at the local bus route and made a note of the other villages it went through and how often it ran. I also made note on other services such as mobility services and the number of public houses, educational centres and places of worship. This information is necessary to my study, as it will show which village is more developed and also which village is more economically developed. I think this information will be useful to collect, as it will enable me to collect the same information for each village making it a fair comparison. The methods chosen to collect the data were appropriate because the notes I made jogged my memory of what I fully saw when I got home. Also making a tally chart was a quick and simple way to note down the different services within the villages as I could fully write up the services when I got home. Making notes on the types and ages of buildings on maps provided made it possible to describe the morphology that has taken place over time. I thought using an OS map was a good method for working out the differences between the sites and situations of the villages as it gives a good perspective of whereabouts certain resources are that are needed to be noted to be able to compare the sites and situations. Whilst collecting my data I did encounter a few problems. Although the weather was good (it wasn't raining) it was very windy and cold. The wind kept moving sheets around and at times a bit uncontrollable. Also because it was rather cold it became uncomfortable to work and felt rather tiresome. In the village of Navenby because it was the largest village I found it hard to get around the whole village and collect all the relevant data in the time limit we were given. This wasn't a good thing as it could affect the results of my final work. I also found it difficult to get all the information I wanted. For example I was unable to get the details I wanted on population size as there was a limited availability to this resource and so I had to do my own research on the villages when I got home on the Internet. I also found it a bit difficult to read the map at times as some of the buildings weren't marked and so It was slightly difficult trying to figure out where I was standing and to w here certain buildings were. â€Å"How and why does the morphology of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† Navenby and Dorrington's land use is dominated by residential land use. However Navenby ‘s residential land use is nearly 75% more than Dorrington's. Other forms of land use within these two villages are education centres, places of worship, cemeteries, public houses and open land such as farmland and playing fields. â€Å"How and why do the levels of services of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† Both Navenby and Dorrington vary a lot when it comes to services. Although they both have some of the same services such as a butcher, public house, post office, public telephone, village hall church/chapel, a bed and breakfast and a gifts and crafts centre Navenby differs a lot because it has over 30 services whilst Dorrington only has 17 services. Both villages have mobile services, which include Fish, Library (on Mondays), Bread, Clinic, Milk or dairy sales and a Bank for Navenby and a mobile Bread and Butcher service for Dorrington. Graph One Graph Two â€Å"How and why do the sites and situations of Navenby and Dorrington differ?† See sketch maps. From this investigation I hoped to find how the characteristics of Navenby and Dorrington differ. I have found from my study that both villages are very different and only have very few similarities. Site: Navenby is the largest village and is also the best positioned as it is on top of a scarp slope so it would have been used as a lookout for when the village was under attack. The village is also not too far from a good source of water. Dorrington on the other hand is a very small village in comparison and is also in decline this could be due to the fact that it is on flat land and it not being near a good water source. Situation: From my studies I have learnt that the closer a village is to a large town then the larger the village is likely to be. Therefore, because Navenby is closer to Lincoln than Dorrington it is a larger village. Morphology: I have also learnt that the land use in both Navenby and Dorrington is residential with little farmland and basic services such as public houses, places of worship and education centres. Also from my investigation I have noticed that Navenby is a growing village. Due to it being on the main route between Lincoln and Grantham and that it is a good commuting village. Dorrington is in decline which is possibly due to it not being a very good commuting village has little services compared to Navenby and its nearest large town is Sleaford rather than Lincoln or Grantham. My accuracy of my data collected could have been more reliable if I had a longer amount of time to spend in the villages. If I had longer I could have had more time to find out things such as residential incomes, agriculture, population sizes, growth in services etc as these would all affect the growth or decline between the villages.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Discuss the relationship between literary and film versions of a particular ‘romance’ text

When a reader reads a novel and then watches a movie based on the book, they take in two very different perspectives. The use of camera techniques within the movie creates the story from the director's or script writers perspective, leaving the viewer only with one interpretation of the novel whereas when a reader reads the novel, he or she takes in a personal insight to the book and creates their own version to the narrative process. Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bronte in the mid 19th century is a gothic novel which presents the love of Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff as a very innocent relationship whereby many people will see it as been a ‘teenage crush'. The novel is structured around two key points (purposes): the strong male ‘hero', and the romance between the hero and heroine (Cranny-Francis). Wuthering Heights is in many ways a romance novel (even though many critics choose not to agree). The term ‘romance' according to the Oxford English Dictionary the term is defined as: A prevailing sense of wonder or mystery surrounding the mutual attraction in a love affair. Cathy and Heathcliff's romance for one another is outside social due to economic circumstances therefore they do not marry even though their love for one another remains strong until the end of the novel (Cranny-Francis). The many movie versions made of Wuthering Heights have gotten a grasp on the main shared themes in the story yet however the differences between the two mediums is vital to the narrative structure. Heathcliff's character been vital to the storyline (as he is the novels key point of focus) is very important when making the movie versions of Wuthering Heights as he brings out the audiences response (Haire-Sargeant). Previously, film versions of Wuthering Heights have in fact attempted to explain the character of Heathcliff in a way the audience can connect with this character and achieve their expectations. Directors have been doing this change by altering parts of the story so that Heathcliff's character is not as evil as Bronte's character in the novel is; or by leading the audience or the reader as Bronte does to take in Heathcliff's good and wicked personality within his perspective. When Bronte wrote the novel, of course it had to have been linguistic. Movies however, cannot give the viewer every last detail that is in the novel and therefore have to adapt the book into a screenplay in order all the audience can understand its concept. Therefore changes and problems are created. The question which arises from every book turned into a movie becomes ‘does the movie mirror or replicate the context of the novel' which in so many words is not possible. To get every last detail of a four hundred page novel down in the short space of two/ or three hours will confuse the viewer as movies unlike novels do not ask for an audiences creativity to form the story it is already done and bought to life on screen. The question at hand therefore should be ‘how does the movie engage audiences/ viewers attention? Does it succeed in its own way? (Haire-Sargeant) This analysis of Wuthering Heights will be explored in William Wyler's 1939 version and also in Peter Kosminsky's 1992 version of the book. From the beginning of the novel Heathcliff is bought into the story as diclassi. He is bought home by Mr Earnshaw and is just explained to be ‘from the streets – a gipsy'. His background remains anonymous to the reader throughout the book as well as the movies (Cranny-Francis). In the novel, Nelly Dean tells Lockwood the narrative from her personal insight to the family having been with them for three generations. However, in Wylers movie the story is presented by first generation of Earnshaw and Linton. In the book, Bronte makes Heathcliff's character appear to be tall, dark, passionate, violent and uncivilised. Yet however, in Wyler's version of Wuthering Heights he has cast Lawrence Olivier to play the character of Heathcliff. He is characterised differently in this movie in comparison to the novel. Wyler and Olivier present Heathcliffs emotions and the cruelty he has had to bear from Hindley a great deal. This 1939 version of Wuthering Heights is what Haire-Sargeant describes as been ‘holographic'. The movies framing brings the movie together to form together a masterpiece work. Wyler controls a black and white of delicately shaded tonality; the powerfully expressed emotional and spiritual touch. The story through the use of extreme emphasis on visuals presents open space in comparison to the settings described by Bronte in the novel. (Haire-Sargeant p. p. 170-173). Wyler's movie has bought forth to the audience attention the connection between Heathcliff and Cathy and the emptiness of the world for both of them when not together (Hair-Sargeant). Peter Kosminskys 1992 version titled Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights did not achieve the audience response that the 1939 one received merely due to the fact of poor casting. French actress Juliette Binoche played both the characters of first generation and second generation Catherine. The controversy surrounding this poor casting was simply the fact that Catherine in Bronte's novel was from an English background. To cast a French to play the role of an English girl was part of the reason of why the movie did not seem to do well. Another interesting casting in this movie was the actor who took on the role of Heathcliff: Ralph Fiennes. Although he did not look in the part with his refined features, he quite differently to Olivier's performance of Heathcliff in the 1939 version presented a quiet, smiling torturer at play. This is a major personality characteristic of Bronte's Heathcliff in the novel. The cruel personality of Heathcliff in this movie version cannot be understood to be an act of anger or personality as the Heathcliff played by Olivier presents. Different to the 1939 Wuthering Heights and the book by Bronte, in this version it is not Heathcliff who holds the narrative process together but rather it is Catherine. The story in this version gave the character of Catherine more maturity and power as opposed to in the book where Bronte seemed to present an immature ‘school-girl' type of girl in the first generation Cathy's personality. Yet the most important factor to consider is the fact that Binoche took on the role of both mother and daughter each been delivered differently and fitting in together with the story. Unlike the book where Bronte focuses a great deal of volume one on the first generations childhood, the book just touches on it and skims past them really quickly leaving the audience to fill in the gaps. For example Nelly Dean's character in this movie only has a small role and does not state exactly who she is to the audience whereas in the book more then half of it is her narrative of the events circulating between the Earnshaws, Lintons and Heathcliff. Another example is the character of Hindley who is important to the novel. He fades off the screen as well as his wife, Frances, before the viewers' notice what happened to them. Kosminskys main interest in this movie was to show the viewer the great love story between Cathy and Heathcliff. Yet he gave the audience little time to grasp the storyline as he wanted us to focus primarily on the main ‘stars' without drifting the audiences mind towards other matters. Unlike Wyler's version however, like the book the 1992 version presented both the second generation as well as Lockwood. The end of the movie showed second generation Cathy and Hareton riding together a happy couple getting married soon. This romance developed gradually over a period of time in the novel whereas in the movie it is one of the final shots. This refers back to the point made earlier about Kosminsky's skimming over the lives of the characters in the story not letting the audience take in what is happening. Hareton's character in this movie version did not have an important role nor did he make much appearance whilst he was a central character in the novel. The key strength of the movie however, is the use of only key subject matters in relation to the story to make it fit perfectly into the duration time of two hours (Haire-Sargeant). The use of settings, tone and music all contribute to the construction of the film. When a reader reads the novel they create their own interpretation and felt emotions in regards to what is happening in the texts, but however with movies comes the fact that we are witnessing all one set perspective of the story. Music and scenery are a major aspect of witnessing something before us especially on screen. It reminds the viewer of how they see what is real and what is not real, therefore forming and revealing the storyline. The use of screenplay and Hollywood touches adds more drama to the actual story, making the love story appear to be more realistic for viewers and more ‘romantic' in relation to the novel where it is interpreted according to the readers' imagination. The book allows readers to go beyond the linguistic and explore deeply into the plot, whereas the movie is set images on screen and it is up to the viewers to accept or reject the shared ideas or themes introduced by the screen play writer and the actors acting out the novels characters. Wuthering Heights the novel is a well structured novel, which explores everyone and every event in sufficient detail for the reader to comprehend the story. It gives the reader the impression that they are part of the dramas of the characters lives and the reader has a connection with each storyline. The movie because it is so fast paced and shorter then the novel, the viewer can not make that special connection which keeps them enticed as they are not using their imagination but rather their sight sense. In conclusion, going back to the question bought up earlier in regards to whether the two movie versions made of Wuthering Heights have brought to life the novels' key strengths, the novel and the movie both are unique and interesting in their own set ways. Whilst the novel has been interpreted to be a Gothic novel with a metaphorical aspect of romance in it by many critics over the past centuries, the movie versions of this is novel is far from been described and categorised as been Gothic. It is a highly dramatic piece of work with a totally different presentation of the characters which Bronte firstly introduced in her 1800s novel. The novels plot thickens mainly around Cathy and Heathcliff and for a director to put this into action a lot of things need to be toned down as of the fact the story was written two centuries ago and the audience who view it in today's society will vary in ages therefore it needed to be played down so the viewer can take in more of the story and the characters and walk away with the basic concept of what the book is about. The use of sadism in Heathcliff's character is played down on in the movie versions of the novel, and although both the Heathcliff's played out by Fiennes and Olivier are differently presented they both sum up the main plot of the un-dying love between Catherine and Heathcliff that Bronte sought to present in her book but however, each director displays this theme accordingly to his own personal interpretations of the story.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Book Summary, Notes, and Study Guide for Frankenstein

Book Summary, Notes, and Study Guide for Frankenstein Frankenstein  was originally written by English author,  Mary Shelley (1797- 1851). Its complete title is  Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus. It was first published anonymously in London on January 1, 1818. The second edition, under Shelleys name, was published in 1823.  A third  edition,  which included  a preface by Shelley and tribute to her late husband  who drowned in 1822, was published in 1831.  The book is a  Gothic novel  and  has also been called the first  science fiction  novel.   Author Mary Shelley was born in London August 30, 1797. She  developed the story of Frankenstein while on a summer trip to Switzerland in 1816  when she was twenty years old and  was traveling with her then married lover, Romantic poet  Percy Bysshe Shelley.   The story arose out of a competition between herself, Percy Shelley and their companions, Lord Byron and Byrons physician, John William Polidori, to write a tale about a supernatural occurrence. Mary initially struggled with an idea, but eventually, through listening to conversations between Percy and Lord Byron about attempts to reanimate corpses, current news stories, a dream, her imagination and own life experiences, a story emerged. According to Francine Prose, author of the introduction to a new illustrated   Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, in the New Republic: One night, still puzzling over Byron’s assignment and trying to sleep, Mary had a vision in which she saw â€Å"the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion.† She lay awake, trying to imagine a story that would frighten the reader as much as she had been frightened, then realized that she had found it. â€Å"What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow. On the morrow I announced that I had thought of a story,† and set herself to making â€Å"a transcript of the grim terrors of my waking dream.†    The book,  Frankenstein, was completed almost a year after their trip to Switzerland. Shortly after the  trip to Switzerland, Percy Shelleys pregnant wife committed suicide. Mary and Percy married soon thereafter, in 1818, but Marys life was marked by death and tragedy. Marys half-sister committed suicide soon after the trip to Switzerland, and Mary and Percy had three children who died in infancy before Percy Florence was born in 1819.   Setting The story begins in the icy northern waters where a captain is traveling to the North Pole. Events take place throughout Europe, in Scotland, England, and Switzerland. Characters Victor Frankenstein: The Swiss chemist who creates the monster. Robert Walton: The sea captain who rescues Victor from the ice. The Monster: The ugly creation of Frankenstein, who searches for companionship and love throughout the story. William: Victors brother. The monster murders William to punish Victor and sets the stage for more tragedy and torment for Victor. Justine Moritz: Adopted and loved by the Frankenstein family, Justine was convicted and executed for killing William. Plot Rescued by the sea captain, Frankenstein relays events that begin as he pieces together a man using old body parts. Once he manages to create the horrible being, however, Frankenstein regrets his action immediately and flees his home. When he returns, he finds the monster is gone. Shortly after, Frankenstein hears that his brother has been murdered. A series of tragic events follow as the monster searches for love  and Frankenstein suffers the consequences of his immoral act. Structure The novel is a frame story with a three-part structure. The Creatures story is the core of the novel, which is presented to us framed by Victor Frankensteins story, which in turn is framed by Robert Waltons narrative. Possible Themes This book raises many compelling themes and thought-provoking questions and is as relevant today as it was two-hundred years ago. The search for love reflects a strong theme in Shelleys own life. The monster knows he is horrid and will never be loved, although he attempts to find love several times. He is constantly rejected and disappointed. Frankenstein, himself, searches for happiness through love, but he meets with the tragic loss of several loves. Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, who was an early feminist.  Tragic, weak, women are portrayed in the story Frankenstein actually begins to make a second female monster, to provide companionship for his own first creation, but he then destroys it and dumps the remains in a lake; Frankensteins wife dies tragically, as does the accused Justine- but is this because Shelley actually believes women are weak or does their subjugation and absence send a different message? Perhaps it is because female autonomy and power are perceived as a threat to the male characters. Without the presence and influence of women, everything that is important to Frankenstein is destroyed in the end. The novel also speaks to the  nature of good and evil, what it means  to be human  and to  live morally.  Ã‚  It  confronts us with our  existential fears  and  explores the boundary between life and death. It causes us  to reflect on the limits and  responsibilities of scientists  and scientific inquiry, and to think about what it means  to play God, addressing human emotion and hubris. Resources and Further Reading How Frankensteins Monster Became Human, The New Republic,  https://newrepublic.com/article/134271/frankensteins-monster-became-human Its Alive! The Birth of Frankenstein,  National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2017/07-08/birth_of_Frankenstein_Mary_Shelley/ Monstrosity and Feminism in Frankenstein, Electrastreet, https://electrastreet.net/2014/11/monstrosity-and-feminism-in-frankenstein/

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Modern Chinese Engagements Wed Love and Tradition

Modern Chinese Engagements Wed Love and Tradition In the past, Chinese parents and matchmakers arranged marriage engagements. The engagement consisted of six courtesies: a  marriage proposal, asking for names, praying for good fortune, sending betrothal gifts, sending invitations, and welcoming the bride. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match A family would hire a matchmaker, and the matchmaker would go to another family’s home to seek a proposal. Then both families would consult a fortune teller who analyzed the man and woman’s birth dates, times, names, and other vital information. If they were deemed compatible, a marriage deal would be brokered. Betrothal gifts would be exchanged and a wedding planned. While some families may still opt for an arranged marriage or set their children up with their friends’ children, most modern Chinese find their own soul mates and decide when to get married. The man often presents the woman with a diamond engagement ring. But many Chinese engagement traditions including the exchange of betrothal gifts, a bridal dowry, and consultation with a fortune teller remain important today. Betrothal Gifts as a Tradition Once a couple decides to get married, the groom’s family customarily sends gifts to the bride’s family. These commonly include symbolic foods and cakes. In some provinces, however, tradition  dictates that the groom must give his future in-laws money for the privilege of marrying their daughter, often in excess of $10,000. Once the bride’s family accepts the gifts, the wedding cannot be called off lightly. Bridal Dowry as a Tradition In the old days, the bridal dowry consisted of the gifts a bride brought to her husband’s home after marriage. Once a woman married, she left her parents home and became part of her husband’s family. Her principal responsibility shifted to her husband’s family. The value of her dowry determined a woman’s status in her new household. In modern times, a dowry serves a more practical purpose in helping the couple get set up in their new home, where they usually reside independently of the grooms parents. A brides dowry may include a tea set, bedding, furniture, bathroom accessories, small appliances, and her personal clothing and jewelry. A Fortune Teller Consultation Before confirming an engagement, the families consult a fortune teller to ensure the couples compatibility. The fortune teller analyzes their names, birth dates, birth years, and birth times to determine if they can live in harmony. Once the fortune teller gives the OK, traditionalists seal the engagement with three matchmakers and six proofs: an abacus, a measuring vessel, a ruler, a pair of scissors, a set of scales, and a mirror Finally, the families consult a Chinese almanac to determine an auspicious day for the wedding. Some modern Chinese brides and grooms choose to announce their engagement and deliver their wedding invitations with traditional double happiness cakes, though many others forego this tradition in favor of a standard card sent through the mail.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Lean Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lean Operations - Essay Example This is because if quality was indeed free, it would be offered freely and be presented to customers and consumers at no extra cost. Indeed, there is no doubt that one reason why most companies and businesses have failed in their quest to deliver quality is due to the approaches they use in ensuring and delivering these quality assurance. Because of the use of wrong approaches also, several companies, businesses and institutional operatives have not been able to give the true account of the cost of quality they are supposed to deliver. Due to this, they have continued to live on the good old notion that the more quality manufacturing and service would become, the more costly production and labor could be. The present paper is therefore being written as a critical analysis of the topic of cost of quality by using the phenomenon of lean production or lean manufacturing to proof that quality does not always have to lead to increased cost of production and labor. The analysis shall be un dertaken from the perspective from quality costing in regards to Philip B. Crosby. The essence of cost of quality When Crosby (1979) speaks of the cost of quality, he is referring to something more technical than what could easily come to mind for the literal meaning of ‘cost of quality’. ... This is why these costs are also known as the "hidden factory" (Dahlgaard et al., 1999 as cited in Krishnan, 2006). This view is in direct relation to what is put forth by Crosby as the refusal to adhere to quality would actually take away from the company or business the percentage that quality is expected to add up to the overall turnover. As this cost is deducted from the general turnover, what happens is that the company records lowered rates of income and that difference becomes the actual cost of quality. The essence and cost of quality actually has to do with the cost that business operatives pay for refusing to stick to quality standards. Achieving quality with lean operation Quality could be costly in a number of ways. For example refusing to adhere to quality at the initial stages would demand that work is redone and this will certainly increase cost of quality. All the following instances are known to bring about increases in cost of quality and they include â€Å"the rew orking of a manufactured item, the retesting of an assembly, the rebuilding of a tool, the correction of a bank statement, the reworking of a service, such as the reprocessing of a loan operation or the replacement of a food order in a restaurant† (ASQ, 2012). Invariably, it is always a good idea to reduce the cost of quality. But how should this take place done successfully? The use of lean production has been said to be an effective means of achieving quality and thus reducing the cost of quality (COQ). Plant Services (2013) notes that â€Å"'lean' is defined as the elimination of waste and things that do not add value as defined by the customer.† This means that lean operation â€Å"is based on finding efficiencies and removing