Drugs And Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Drugs And Society - Assignment Example The paper gives an in-depth analysis of the areas stated above. Drug abuse is a complex disorder that is characterized by a compulsive need for drugs and alcohol even if it has negative effects. Antecedents can be defined as the factors that encourage an individual to engage in drug abuse. Some individuals use drugs to escape emotional stress or physical pain (NIDA, 2010). Risk of addiction is affected by many aspects including age or stage of development, sociological and biological factors. These factors increase an individual’s vulnerability to drug abuse. The biological factors are dictated upon by the genetic make up of an individual together with the environmental influences. NIDA (2010) stipulates that these factors account for fifty percent of vulnerability among individuals. Additional factors that fall under this category include ethnicity and gender as they may influence the risk for drug use and addiction. The environment has an impact on an individual since it affects the quality of life and the socioeconomic status (NIDA, 2010). Factors including peer pressure, stress, physical and social abuse and parental involvement affect a persons way of life making them more vulnerable to drug abuse. The environmental and genetic factors interact with developmental stages in a person’s life to affect the level of vulnerability. It is observed that if an individual starts using drugs at an early age, they are likely to advance to higher levels of addiction. Drug abuse in the adolescent years is quite dangerous since important development of the brain takes place at this stage. This affects their self control, decision making and judgment. Drug abuse affects society in multiple ways, the health and social costs associated with illicit use are staggering. The nation spends approximately $69.9 billion annually on health complications caused by

Adrenaline Essay Example for Free

Adrenaline Essay Most of us, at some point, have been excited or thrilled as a form of entertainment. Whether it is a roller coaster at an amusement park or a scary movie, some results from this form of exciting entertainment may include tense muscles, increase in heart rate, increase in blood pressure, or excessive perspiration. Such physical effects are caused by Adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that is released from a person’s adrenal medulla during emergency situations but does not have psychoactive effects. It is released into the person’s body from the adrenal glands located above the kidney. It is commonly referred to as a â€Å"fight-or-flight† hormone, because of its effects in increasing the supply of glucose and oxygen directed at a person’s brain and involuntary muscles. This allows the person to have better physical abilities to utilise during an emergency. Adrenaline is also known as epinephrine. Adrenaline is derived from the Latin roots ad, meaning towards and renes, meaning kidneys. Epinephrine originated from the Greek roots epi, meaning on, and nephros, meaning kidneys. This is in reference to the physical location of the adrenal glands in a person’s body, atop the kidneys. Norepinephrine or noradrenaline is another hormone released from the adrenal glands. It is very closely, chemically related to adrenaline, as well as having similar effects on the human body. However, a significant difference between the two hormones is that adrenaline has no psychoactive effects, while noradrenaline does, affecting the person’s mental processes. The effects of adrenaline released with into the bloodstream include the stimulation of involuntary muscles, rising blood pressure, conversion of glycogen, a form of stored body fuel, inside the liver into glucose, heart rate increase, the dilation of the bronchioles, the fine, thin-walled, tubular extensions of the bronchus, in the lungs, increased breathing rate, increased metabolic rate, and decreased digestive and kidney activity. The release of adrenaline into a person’s blood stream can be seen as the changing of a gear in a manual car. The release of adrenaline allows a person’s body to be able to have better physical performance in the event of an emergency, while the changing of a gear in a manual car allows the car to have better performance and be able to reach higher speeds than at the lower gear. The diagram included shows the cross-sectioned view of adrenal gland. It identifies both the outer layer, known as the cortex, and the inner area, known as the medulla. The adrenaline is secreted from the inner area. Below it, the location of the adrenal gland is shown in relation to the kidney inside a human body. As indicated, it is located above the kidney. In terms of my art practice, my adrenaline is often released while I am working. For example, while completely three-dimensional projects in the workshops, the power tools and other machines make me very nervous while using them. As a result, my adrenal glands release adrenaline, making my heart rate increase exponentially. In other cases, inspiration for art may also cause the release of adrenaline in my both. Similarly, when I use great emotion into my paintings. I am also excited to the point of adrenaline release.

Advantages of Business Strategies

Advantages of Business Strategies Strategy is the direction an scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging business environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. Business strategy: Business strategy is the only driving force behind any successful business since it builds the foundation for the same. The business strategy is not just a statement of intent or a mere speech. Their scope is not just limited to the management. There are different strategies as per the business and the best one among them must be chosen which can fulfil the needs of the organisation and emends of a rapidly changing world for revolutionary business strategies. It must also be able to handle the internal pressure of the organisation when the plan is being executed. How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (Advantage) What external, environmental factors affect the businesses ability to compete? (Environment) Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction?) What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, and facilities) are required in order to be able to compete? (Resources) Which markets should a business compete in and what kind of activities is involved in such markets? (Markets; scope) Strategy at Different Levels of a Business? What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (Stakeholders) Definition of business environment: Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htm Why study the business environment: In each and every organisation there is some relation with business environment, each and every type of business is surrounded with environment directly or indirectly. Business environment is surrounding with its customers and stakeholders and it have of political as well as legal forces this all together makes business environment, in order to achieve profit and also to fulfil the stakeholder expectation a business has to change its environment as per market need. The organisation which understood the business environment and make necessary changes according to the environment succeed in business in terms of profit and needs of stake holders. On the hand the business which does not changes according to the environment leads to failure of the business, so for each and every organisation business environment, Is really important. Different level of business strategy: In each and every organisation strategy is used at different levels of company among them the following is the modern levels strategy is being employed by organisatation. Corporate strategy: This strategy is considered and completely influence by stakeholder needs. At this level fundamental decision about future direction of an organisation with the purpose to fulfil the needs of stakeholders at this level strategy is done by considering the stakeholders because they are the only one who invest in the organisation so the corporate strategy is or related stakeholder expectations Business unit strategy: This levels of strategy is completely focused on how a business competes in a particular targeted market, it concerns strategic decision in relation to product, meeting needs of the customers , taking benefit over competitor and employing strategy related to business operation and creating new opportunities for business. This is the only level which directly influences with the customers in respect to corporate strategy. Operational strategy: This level f organisation is concerned with how every part of the business is organized to fulfil the needs of corporate and business unit level strategy direction. Its major focuses on the issues related to recourses and processes. this level is also employing strategy related to people and surrounding of business. Key elements of marketing strategic decision Main body: In each and every organisation Business environment have existence by knowingly or unknowingly because it cannot exist without an environment. The process of strategy management is basically divided into two major environment and they are Microenvironment and Macro-environment. In the challenging business environment this are two main aspect that influences each and every businesses which are also known as inner environment (micro environment) which have direct effect or relation with the business for example: customer. And outer environments (macro environment) which have indirect effect on the business for example: political factor. There is an very clear indication that influences of environment or speeding up in the market so the organisation have to take it seriously consideration as the company who had taken its seriously had succeeded in the market and the organisation ignored its had failed in the market, both the major type and its factor of influences are briefly described as under. Macro environment (Outer environment): The political environment: Politicians have instrumental in shaping general nature of external environment and being responsible for the legalization of rules and regulation that affects specific type of organisation, at very general level the stability of political system affects the business and strategy so the organisation has to change its strategy according to the legal matters otherwise it can indirectly affects the business and its activities The social and culture environment: The organisation is also being affected by its social and culture environment as the generation are also changing so the business environment has to be change according to the changing social needs, it is crucial for the business to fully appreciate the culture values of the society because if a business is doing its business in another country which is quite different from its own than there the attitude towards the product is different as compare to its own country, so for an organisation it is really important to consider the social and culture environment of the country where its doing business. The demographic environment: As population is growing day by day the size and the age is also going so in respect to this demographic environment changes the organisation has to change its strategy towards the stocks and prediction of the market because most organisation are dealing with the product which they have to keep ready in advance by predicting the future of sales The technology environment: As this is new era of business so the organisation have to overcome with new and latest technology because in this environment as technology is outdated the product is out of the market, so the organisation has update its technology within a time period, because once thrown out of the market and to get again the same position in the market it take a long time so this environments is really important and being speedily changes. Economic: Business and Economy are highly inter related. Businesses cannot be successful in an economy on decline and if businesses are not doing well it is highly unlikely for the economy to boom. For ex Lehman brothers, this was the fast company to get doomed because of economic crisis. Legal: Legality means doing whatever the law permits. Same applies for business also. Business strategies and operations are permissible as long as they are legal. Business needs to function within the legislative limits. Business not only needs to comply with the existing legislations but also the changes in them. (strategy management peter Fitzroy/James Hulbert) Micro environment (Inner environment) Employees: In running each and every organisation employees are must to carry out day to day business activities and they are the one who deals with other parties of the business on behalf of the business as they are having direct effect to the business they falls under microenvironment Customers: Customer are a crucial part of an organisation in microenvironment its really simple no customer means no business. An organisation should be seriously consider about the changing requirement of the customer, because in challenging business environment everybody are targeting the customer so this factor of micro environment is really important for each and every organisation Supplier: The supplier provides an organisation with goods and services than is being transformed by the organisation and by adding value to it than further sold to its customer this factor of microenvironment is also important because if there is not proper supply and there is no product and in challenging business environment the product service should be fast as well as quick Competitor: In challenging business environment there is high rate of competition in the market so its very important to keep updating the strategy of the competitor and try to understand their strategy like their future moves their future product this is also an important microenvironment in such a challenging business environment. Financial organization: This financial environment is consist of both shareholder and the investor which support the organisation and they are timely being reassured about the achievement of goals both short and long term because if they dont trust the company than they might take their investment back from the organisation and which effects the a lot to the business. The government: The demands of government agencies are also consider of microenvironment commercial organisation provides government with taxation and revenue so the organisation has to in touch with the government policy in relation to their tax and regulation and can make their strategy according to the changes of the regulation so the organisation has to take careful consideration of this environment also Internal environment: Internal environment is very important part of any business environment and include finance, marketing, production, personnel and RD. These elements are considered to be within the organisation. The most important job of an internal environment is developing strategies for an organisation management process. Is also focuses on the point that the organisation should always have a well trained staff to do a right job at the right time since they are the biggest asset of any organisation and also they are directly related to most important thing of any business i.e. customers. It also focuses on the point that business strategies should always change with the changing need of the customers. Critical Evaluation SWOT ANAYSIS: How NOKIA uses SWOT analysis to determine internal factors and external factors. Strengths: (INTERNAL) The largest cell phone vendor by far, with almost doubles the market share of nearest competitor. The product being user friendly and have all the accessories one want that is why is in great demand making it No-1 selling mobile phones in the world. One of the top 20 brands in the world The re-sell value of Nokia phones are high compared to other companys product Weakness: (INTERNAL) The price of the mobile phones offered by the company. The service centers in India are very few as compared to the number of users and therefore after sales service are not good. Slow to adopt new ways of thinking . Opportunities: (EXTERNAL) Telecommunication growth in India being at the peak time, Nokia has an opportunity to increase its sales as well as the market share. Make a significant position in the cdma market. New growth markets where cell phone adoption still to come. Threats: (EXTERNAL) The threats like emerging of other big mobile companies such as Motorola, Sony Eriksson, etc in the market. The growing demand of WLL network Late in the entry of 3G market. How Acer uses Porters 5 Forces as an analytical tool to determine strategy and success over its competitors Threat of substitutes: Acer face that from rival dell who can provide the same goods and value and sell at a much lesser price, as there is a threat from consumer to switch to alternatives, this could force Acer to reduce its product price and income to struggle with other markers Bargaining power of suppliers: The exact for suppliers to retailers is that is they pay a helpful price for its supplies, and would not sell to retailers if the price quoted was not paid, then the suppliers would not sell its goods of them. Since Acer having a market share from other company as well as small shop keepers, has an advantage to dictate the price the suppliers will be paid for their goods, thus if supplier do not tend to decrease price, it is clear that they would be left with a smaller market share to sell their product. Power of consumers: Due to a large competition in the electronic market industry, it has forced markets to switch to low product cost in order to attract more buyers, thus more power favoritism the buyers, in order to achieve more customers and trade with struggle is more victorious to customer preservation, and has also led to increase in profits. And customer wants lower price and service, better choices. Threat to new entrants: Due to high market share of company like Acer, Dell, Sony which has to led to barriers for new markets to enter competition, since most of these markets lower prices of their goods in order to win a better client care, pays a much lesser which would buy less goods at a better rate. Thus Acer also has an upper hand on economies of scale How Mc Donalds uses PESTEL as a strategy to overcome challenges and gain advantages over its competitors. Political: All the international operations of Mc Donalds are as per the policies enforced by the individual governments. On the other hand, the company is controlled by the individual policies and regulations of operations. like any business venture, these McDonalds stores have to contend with the issues of employment procedures as well as their tax obligations so as to succeed in the foreign market. Economical: Food chains like Mc Donalds do have their individual concerns involving economic factors. Their Branches and franchises have the tendency to experience hardship in instances where the economy of the respective states is hit by inflation and changes in the exchange rates. Their problem depends on the response of the consumers on these fundamentals and how it could influence their general sales. Exchange rate fluctuations also play a significant role in the operations of the company. The companies also have to consider the economic standing of the state on which they operate on. Socio-Cultural: The organisation improves on establishing a positive mind-set from their core consumers. McDonalds indulge a particular variety of consumers with definite types of personalities. In 2005 McDonalds has launched a sensibly valued set of food that tenders a reliable level of quality for the respective market where it operates. Technical: McDonalds generates a demand for their own products. The companys key tool for marketing is by means of television advertisements. The companys marketing is also done through toys and play spots. The operations of McDonalds have significantly been infused with new technology. Elements like the inventory system and the management of the value chain of the company allows for easy payments for their suppliers. The integration of technology in the operations of McDonalds tend to add value to their products. Legal: The reputation of McDonalds is apparently a huge matter and with the opposition to the fast food industry Mc Donalds apply a more consideration on their corporate social responsibilities. The company has provided their customers the relevant data that they need with reference to the nutritional substances of their products. This is to attend to the arguments of obesity charged against the products of the company. Environment: Mc Donalds employ of non-biodegradable substances for their drinks glasses and Styrofoam coffers for the meals. The social responsibilities of McDonalds on the state are influential to the operations of the company. These entail accusations of environmental damage. (http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/02/pestle-analysis-of-mcdonalds.html) Ethics: Strategic management must also ensure ethical values i.e. personal values and fairness. Many of the organisations around the world are not following this and hence they have to face the problem in the future. A commitment to transparency is necessary with greater communication and sharing of information within the firm. Strategic management is also about meeting the share holders expectation and capturing the full potential of the firm. It also takes into consideration the future perspective of the strategy. It also includes an alternative if in case the plan does not work. In short Strategic management is not an easy task if properly implemented. .(strategy management peter Fitzroy/James Hulbert) STAKEHOLDERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUE: 1. Shareholders: They are one of the important factors in micro-environment because they all the one who had given capital in the company so in order to make their expectation the stakeholders are being received by the short term and long term goal in challenging business environment they are one of the important factors of environment. Conclusion and Recommendation: A sound corporate strategy is the best way to ensure for the organization to create value for stakeholders and to unify the business activities to meet the organizational objective. Successful companies have gone through successive incremental strategic changes that were appropriate at the time. Thus it is imperative that trade-offs are essential to any successful strategic decisions. Most companies owe their success to the unique strategic position derived from strategic management of behavior, operation and critical rationally scanning of the business environment. It enables the company to take assessment of the current position, analyze and prepare for the future. Strategy provides a structure for decision making and enables organizations meet the requirement of the stakeholders by pattern of the available resources. Use of Strategic Analytical tools like few discussed above empower organizations to take picture of their current place and optimize their resources to achieve competitive position. Businesses cannot afford to overlook their environment. All its income, opportunities, perspective, problems are factors of its environment. Strategy cannot be formulated with taking into account environmental influences. positive monitoring of the environment and incorporating the environmental trends provides the frame for optimizing opportunities and configuration of resources to achieve the business objective. References: Richard lunch, corporate strategy4th edition, Pearson education ltd.Page no. 2-5. Peter Fitzry, strategy management, John wiley sons ltd. page no.40-50 http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/02/pestle-analysis-of-mcdonalds.html Adrian palmer Bob Hartley, The Business environment fifth edition, published by Mc-Graw-Hill Education. Johnson. G, Scholes. K, and Whittington. R. (2008).Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th ed. London: Prentice Hall. pg7. Lynch, R. (2009), Strategic Management, 5th ed. London, FT Prentice Hall.

Becoming A Stronger Person :: essays research papers

â€Å" Becoming a Stronger Person†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a story about a Black female growing up in the American South during the 1930’s and 40’s. Maya Angelou, the narrator and author of this book, writes about growing up in a society filled with racism and hatred. From rape to racism, Maya Angelou has experienced an immense amount of hardships and grievances her whole life. Through these experiences, Maya learns the true meaning of courage, independence, and trust; she realizes that the hardships and various experiences in one’s life can only make that person stronger in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a child, Maya was a very quiet and passive girl who rarely spoke her mind. When she was younger, a couple of â€Å"powhitetrash† girls went into her grandmother’s store and harassed her. Maya was so scared that all she could do was curl herself up into a small corner and start crying; unable to stick up to those girls. However, her sudden development of courage is exemplified when she goes to visit her father in California. Maya gets into an argument with her father’s girlfriend, Dolores, and apparently, Dolores ends up calling Maya’s mother a whore. The â€Å"new† Maya, filled with anger, responded by slapping Dolores across the face. The small, reticent child had turned into a courageous, young woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the early years of her life, Maya had always been pretty dependent on her grandmother or brother. However, when she got older, she realized that she needed to do something on her own. As a result, she went out and found herself a job. Being a black girl, finding a job was not simple, but she managed without giving up. Her sedulous work granted her the position as the first black trolley conductor in San Francisco. She had succeeded independently and did not give up without putting up a fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maya’s one month stay in the junkyard taught her how to trust again. After the rape incident, Maya became very insecure and kept to herself most of the time. However, in the junkyard, she built a special camaraderie with her fellow run-away friends and was able to trust again. The open acceptance by her peers wiped away the feeling of insecurity that she had felt for such a long time. They initiated her into â€Å"the brotherhood of man†. They accepted Maya for the person she was inside; completely disregarding the color of her skin. Becoming A Stronger Person :: essays research papers â€Å" Becoming a Stronger Person†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a story about a Black female growing up in the American South during the 1930’s and 40’s. Maya Angelou, the narrator and author of this book, writes about growing up in a society filled with racism and hatred. From rape to racism, Maya Angelou has experienced an immense amount of hardships and grievances her whole life. Through these experiences, Maya learns the true meaning of courage, independence, and trust; she realizes that the hardships and various experiences in one’s life can only make that person stronger in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a child, Maya was a very quiet and passive girl who rarely spoke her mind. When she was younger, a couple of â€Å"powhitetrash† girls went into her grandmother’s store and harassed her. Maya was so scared that all she could do was curl herself up into a small corner and start crying; unable to stick up to those girls. However, her sudden development of courage is exemplified when she goes to visit her father in California. Maya gets into an argument with her father’s girlfriend, Dolores, and apparently, Dolores ends up calling Maya’s mother a whore. The â€Å"new† Maya, filled with anger, responded by slapping Dolores across the face. The small, reticent child had turned into a courageous, young woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the early years of her life, Maya had always been pretty dependent on her grandmother or brother. However, when she got older, she realized that she needed to do something on her own. As a result, she went out and found herself a job. Being a black girl, finding a job was not simple, but she managed without giving up. Her sedulous work granted her the position as the first black trolley conductor in San Francisco. She had succeeded independently and did not give up without putting up a fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maya’s one month stay in the junkyard taught her how to trust again. After the rape incident, Maya became very insecure and kept to herself most of the time. However, in the junkyard, she built a special camaraderie with her fellow run-away friends and was able to trust again. The open acceptance by her peers wiped away the feeling of insecurity that she had felt for such a long time. They initiated her into â€Å"the brotherhood of man†. They accepted Maya for the person she was inside; completely disregarding the color of her skin.

Environmental Geology Essay

In 2006, seismic researchers can predict the location and direction of earthquakes by merely 10 to 20 minutes before it happens. Researchers use ultrasounds to assess earthquakes faster. Precise ultrasound images were recorded from the fault which is ruptured and the direction the rupture goes (American Institute of Physics [AIP], 2006). In 2008, seismic researchers can now predict earthquakes with much more preciseness and earlier than other previous equipments. A researcher from Rice University named Fenglin Nui and some of his colleagues are currently working on some experiments that can detect earthquake in a much earlier time. The method they use is detecting P-waves with the use of some super sensitive instrument called the Seismic Stress Meter. P-waves are the fastest of all the waves associated with earthquakes (Rice University, 2008). 2. (20 pts) What are the lessons learned from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China? What are the lessons learned from the 1985 Mexican earthquake? Discuss. The destructive earthquake that hit Sichuan region in China brought lessons that seismic researchers deem helpful in predicting earthquakes. Sichuan region is located in highly mountainous area that is active and could be attributed to the earthquake hazard that happened. Topographic analysis can now help scientists to assess area that has high risks of having earthquakes (Pennsylvania State University, 2008). The destructive earthquakes in Mexico City made a realization for a civil engineers association. They all realized that their building codes where buildings are designed to be built still are of no level with the earthquake intensities in Mexico. A problem arises when the soft clay layer of the ground was struck by the earthquake. The soft clay layer of ground started to transmit more movements higher than what engineers have expected. The ground shook buildings in Mexico much longer than what is expected (Peterson, 1986). 3. (15 pts) Discuss the 2008/2009 Chaiten volcanic eruptions in Chile. What are the implications of this natural disaster on the local residents? Chaiten volcanic eruption was one that local residents never expected to happen. The Chaiten volcano was said to be dormant for almost 10,000 years now. But surprisingly and unexpectedly, the volcano has shown activity and after a few days it erupted. Many residents were evacuated from near the volcano. About 4000 people within 6 mile radius from southern region of Chile were evacuated. The town near the volcano was almost buried in ashes just like what happened to Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The sudden eruption after a long sleep gave residents fear of the volcano erupting again at any given time (University of Colorado, 2008). 4. (15 pts) Explain two different measures that can be taken to prevent, or at least minimize, the occurrence of landslides. One of the most effective measures that can be taken to prevent occurrences of landslides is through afforestation. Trees can greatly contribute to minimizing numbers of landslides in many ways. Trees can help absorb water from the soil. Water is said to be one of the main cause of landslides. Another is that trees can hold the soil firmly in the ground also minimizing the landslide occurrences. Another measure that can be used to prevent landslides is by creating levees or dykes. In this method, landslides are prevented by building walls usually near rivers which regulates water levels that cause the landslides (People’s Daily Online, 2000). 5. (10 pts) What is the mechanical paradox implied by long runout landslides? Heavy rain is said to have started landslides. So, one might think that landslides move and accelerate together with water. The long runout landslides are really caused by heavy rains but there is really no water associated with the movement and acceleration of landslides. The movement and acceleration of landslides are associated with the pressure vibrations called the acoustic fluidization. As the land slides pressure vibrations were generated making a frictionless effect to the ground which causes the land mass to move like a fluid (Collins and Melosh, 2007). References American Institute of Physics. (2006, April 1) Real-Time Quake Detection:Seismologists Use Ultrasounds to Assess Quakes Faster. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2009 from http://www. sciencedaily. com/videos/2006/0406-realtime_quake_detection. htm Collins, G. and Melosh, H. (2007, July 15). Acoustic Fluidization and the Extraordinary Mobility of Sturzstroms. Retrieved March 27, 2009 from http://amcg. ese. ic. ac. uk/~gareth/publications/abstracts/lpsc03b. pdf Pennsylvania State University. (2008, July 24). Chinese Earthquake Provides Lessons For Future. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬

Aginst Gun Control essays

Aginst Gun Control essays Persuasive Essay against Gun Control All of a sudden your walking down the street and a crook comes up to you with a gun. What would you do if you were in this situation? What would be your after actions Many people in this world today are just confused about firearms. The facts show the best way of fixing a problem. If you were in a situation like this one would you fight for stricter gun control laws, or would you fight for the right to carry. If you were one of those uneducated people that would fight for stricter gun laws, then you are subcontuaslly making a mistake. If you were in the imposed position you would now you didnt have a gun, but the criminal did. The criminal will always have a gun, because they are a criminal and they dont care about anyones laws. The only way to fix that problem would be to arm the public. If you were one of those people that would fight for firearms your defiantly on the side witch has the best effect on crime rate. It is proven in every State witch has adopted a concealed carry law. The crime rate has dropped dramatically. In fact the countries that adopted gun control, like England, the crime rate increased by 90 percent of violent crimes. So if you ever happen to be put in a awkward position, just remember you can make the difference. You can help keep crime rate down, and you can protect yourself better the next time. For a better example the State of Vermont has no restrictions on firearms carry, and in return they have the smallest crime rate. ...

How to Become an Editor

How to Become an Editor If your email inbox is jammed with friends and family sending you little projects like resumes, reports, or other documents to review, you might already be an unofficial editor. If finding grammatical issues in public places makes you cringe, and you want to bust out your red pen every time someone uses â€Å"supposably† on Facebook, it might be time to take your hobby to the next (professional) level. Or, if you’re like me, you have an English-type degree and aren’t sure what you want to do with, but you do know that you love reading and writing, it could be the right path for you. What Does An Editor Do?There are lots of different kinds of editors. At the most basic level, an editor is someone who ensures the quality of writing- either print or digital. They may also:manage projects from start to finish.review topics in specialty areas (like medical, technical, or legal writing) for accuracy.make decisions about what content should be included in a book, public ation, or website.select books for publication.organize writing into a coherent structure.copyedit and proofread material for grammar, style, and proper usage.factcheck content before publication.work with writers to shape, develop, and refine their writing- fiction or nonfiction.rewriting content, or writing supplemental material, like introductions, headlines, notes, etc.hire content writers.consult on layout and design.develop content strategies for publications or publishers.You find editors wherever there are words presented to the public, basically. They’re employed by book publishing companies, newspapers, magazines, companies in all industries for in-house and corporate communications, websites, and other places that need to deal with content. Think of an editor as a content wrangler, in all of its many forms. Let’s look at some of the more common career paths for editors: [via PayScale]What Skills Do Editors Have?Editors are multitaskers. They have to be write rs, judges, fix-it-fast technicians, managers, and shepherds.These are some of the most crucial skill sets that you’d need as an editor:Editors are organizational enforcers. They work on deadlines (often short and unforgiving ones) and with sets of rules (like page limits or layouts) to make sure the writing is as good as it can be for the target format.Strong writing  and verbal skills are a must for editors. Sure, you may be working with other people’s writing instead of your own, but you need to be able to recognize good writing if you’re going to fix writing that needs a little help. That means you need to be able to understand what others are putting out there, and be able to revise/refine that as necessary. It also means you should be able to express your own thoughts clearly as well. Communicating back and forth is an essential part of any editor’s job.Part of being an editor is not only making tough decisions about content or writing, but also c ommunicating to the writer why you think these changes are important. This means being able to navigate sometimes difficult conversations with a broad array of personalities. Some writers are open to constructive feedback. Others†¦are not. True story: I once had an author email me on Christmas Eve, and let me know that I’d ruined her holiday by communicating a change to her book. Part of being a professional editor is being able to manage the writer/editor relationship with diplomacy and patience.Always one of the bedrock freelance careers, freelance editing is one of the best ways to dip your toes into the career if you’re new to the field, or not quite sure this is what you want to do full-time. That means you need to have some hustle in you, networking and always on the lookout for potential new jobs.You’ll need attention to detail. â€Å"Close enough† should not be in your professional vocabulary as an editor. Whether it’s a fact that seem s questionable or a stray comma, a pair of eagle eyes is one of your biggest professional assets as an editor.Being an editor often means being able to roll with new technologies. Knowing the latest design and layout programs, or editing software, will be key in finding and keeping editorial jobs. Basic coding skills are a huge plus for your resume as well. Content is a fast-moving industry, so a red pen alone just won’t cut it anymore.Content expertise is a must. There’s a big world of writing out there, and no one can be an editor for all things. Whichever lane you’re in, make sure you’re as knowledgeable as you can be. For example, if you specialize in editing medical writing for journals, read as much as you can in your field. Know your trends. If you’re an editor for an online food site, know what the latest foodie trends are.What Education Do Editors Need?There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how much education editor should have. You do n’t need any special licensing or certification to be an editor. However, most editorial jobs do require at least a college degree. A degree usually assures a base line of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, but you don’t necessarily have to have a degree in English, Literature, Creative Writing, or similar disciplines (though those do help if you want to go into traditional book editing). The most important part is having strong writing, verbal, and communication skills, and developing experience. And in fact, if you want to specialize in an area like legal editing or medical editing, a degree in one of those subject areas might be just as useful as English or Communications.Editors should always be open to continuing education as well. Many schools, like New York University, Emerson College in Boston, and the University of Denver offer graduate programs in publishing. Many online schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and techni cal schools also offer individual classes in types of editing, proofreading, or other skill-building areas for editors. Editors may also want to take classes in graphic design, publishing software, web design, or project management to develop their supplemental skills as well. Sites like Mediabistro (which will become your new best friend, BTW, if you’re an editor) have great information about classes and training opportunities available to writers and editors.Many editors start with internships at publishing companies or specific publications, to build skills and gain experience in the field.To Freelance or Not to Freelance?While there are traditional full-and part-time jobs out there for editors, many people opt to go the self-employment route, and create a freelance editing career path for themselves. This is also the way to go if you’re adopting editing as your side hustle before you make it your career. If you’re interested in becoming a freelance editor, t wo of the first things you should do are 1) build a great resume packed with strong experience bullet points, and 2) keep growing your network.How Much Do Editors Get Paid?Let’s just say that editing is a career you choose for love, not necessarily money. That’s not to say you can’t earn a living as an editor (you can!), but, well, when was the last time you heard anyone referred to as â€Å"millionaire editor So-and-So†? (If you have heard that recently, definitely let me know. Asking for a friend.) Because there are so many different kinds of editors working on different types of projects, the compensation levels vary too.As a general group, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs the median editorial salary at $56,010 per year, or $26.93 per hour. PayScale puts editor salaries in an even broader range, from $32,810 to $80,595Here are some of the median pay stats for different kinds of editors:Magazine Editor: $48,509Copy Editor: $41,325Associate Book Editor: $42,761Content Manager: $53,575Book Editor: $49,332Web Editor: $48.030Variable factors include level of experience, location (cities like New York and Chicago are often hot spots for editorial jobs), and full-time salary vs. freelance or project-based rates.What is the Outlook for Editors?While the field isn’t expected to grow as much as some industries (particularly tech and healthcare), editors are a perennial need, especially as people push to have quality content available in every conceivable print and digital form.So what do you think? Are you ready to pick up your red pen (or red pen app) and start content-managing for your supper?

101 Time Management Strategies For Marketers - CoSchedule

101 Time Management Strategies For Marketers As content marketers and bloggers, we all feel like we could use some better time management strategies from time to time. In fact, one of the biggest takeaways we learned from our 2016 Better Marketer Survey  is that our readers are short on time. As we dug deeper into the data, it wasn’t hard to see why. Most of our audience is working alone or with a small team, and usually without all the resources required to create all the content they need. The majority of respondents are also fairly new to content marketing and blogging, with 63% reporting they have two years of experience or less. Put that all together, and it sounds like a recipe for burnout. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, however, there are ways you can get in control to tilt the odds for success back into your favor. By optimizing your workflow, leveraging the right tools, and learning to focus on the tasks where you can make the most impact, you can make your life as a content marketer less stressful and more satisfying while increasing your productivity. Here are 101 marketing time management strategies to help you better manage your time, work more efficiently, and get back in control of your content. Table Of Contents Content Strategy Ideation Organization And Project Management Team Communication Content Writing Graphic Design Search Engine Optimization Social Media Email Content Calendar Management Analytics And Reporting General Productivity 3 Content Strategy Time-Saving Tips 1. Think MVP (Minimal Viable Product) When planning your content strategy with limited time, ask â€Å"what is the minimum amount of resources and effort each project will take to be successful?† This isn’t the same as cutting corners, however. Think of this process as a way to mentally cut your content down to what’s most essential, and leave anything that isn’t critical to your success on the cutting room floor. 2. Refresh And Republish Instead of creating completely fresh content every time you sit down to write a post, consider identifying older content you can potentially update and refresh. To do this, use Google Analytics to find your top performing posts. Then, search the primary keyword for each post and see what content is currently ranking on the first page of Google. If those posts have newer or more relevant content than your own post, double down on revising your posts to be even better than theirs. Then, republish it as a new post, or an updated version of the original. This strategy can help you save time by leveraging what you already have, rather than having to come up with something new from scratch. Plus, it can also be a good way to get more mileage out of posts you know already resonate with your audience. Recommended Reading:  How To Breathe New Life Into Old Blog Posts 3. Create A Quick Reference List Of Content Curation Sources Identify influential sources in your niche you can lean on for content curation and put them into a list you can refer back to later. That way, you won’t have to hunt for sources later. Back To Table Of Contents 15 Content Ideation Time Management Strategies 4. Use Google Trends Use Google Trends  to quickly gauge searcher interest in a given topic. It’s a free and easy-to-use tool that shows how frequently a given topic is getting searched, which is extremely helpful for validating the worth of your content ideas. 5. Find Top-Performing Content Fast With BuzzSumo If you’re ready to move up to a paid tool, BuzzSumo  is a handy tool for surfacing the top performing content on a given topic. It can help you not only determine what’s popular, but also show you what kind of competition you’re up against. 6. Don't Forget About Google's Keyword Planner While it’s primarily a PPC tool, Google’s own Keyword Planner  needs to be mentioned here as well. It’s useful for both generating keyword ideas as well as estimating the potential search traffic they could deliver to your post. 7. Leverage Your Competition Manually review the most recent posts from your top competitors blogs and websites. Look at what they’re doing to get an idea of what topics are hot at the moment. Keep your eyes open for new information that you could add to a post, that no one else has (yet). 8. Try Portent's Content Idea Generator Portent’s Content Idea Generator  is good for at least getting the gears in your head turning on ideas you can use quickly. Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator  is similar and worth checking out, too. 9. Use Feedly Use Feedly  to quickly keep tabs on recent news and blog posts. It's similar to what Google Reader used to be, pulling the latest posts from different sources you find in one place for easy reading. 10. Take Notes And Keep Them Organized Save time trying to find where you’ve kept all your inspiration filled notes with a tool like Evernote. Alternately, something like Google Keep  or any note taking app can also work well. 11. Set Time Limits On Brainstorming Sessions Brainstorm (with a time limit). Have your team write down as many ideas as they can think of in five minutes. Put them on notecards and then post them on a board. Go through them all and rank each idea a 1 (so-so) to 3 (brilliant). Discard anything that is not a unanimous 3. This process can easily yield dozens of strong ideas in under an hour. Recommended Reading:  4 Simple Brainstorming Techniques That Will Help You Write Killer Content 12. Use A Voice Recorder Or Mobile App To Take Notes On The Go Inspiration can come anywhere and at any time, so make a habit of recording your ideas whenever they pop into your head. Use a voice recorder or note-taking app on your phone, or consider carrying around a notepad in your work bag. 13. Subscribe To E-newsletters In Your Niche Or Industry Subscribe to quality industry email newsletters. Following thought leaders in your niche is a lot easier when you’re getting their latest information sent directly to your inbox. 14. Use Internal Search Terms To Generate Content Ideas Use internal site search analytics  to see what people are looking for on your site or blog. This can be a fast way to identify gaps in your content (if people are looking to you for something you don’t have content for, then you know it’s time to get to work). 15. Use Downtime To Research On Your Phone Turn wasted time into productive time by using your phone to research while waiting in shopping lines, riding public transit, or anywhere else you find yourself waiting (and when and where it's acceptable to use your phone). Smarter #Marketer Tip: Waiting in line at the store? Use that time to research on your phone....16. Audiobooks Are Your Friend Listen to audiobooks related to your professional development on your commute instead of music or the radio. You'll pick up information you can then put to use when you get to the office. 17. Use Google Analytics To  Identify Past Success Use data from Google Analytics to predict success and avoid wasted time on things that won’t work. For example, if you notice that several posts on a given topic aren’t performing well, consider whether the issue is the quality of your content, or the possibility that the topic simply doesn’t have an audience. If you know certain topics resonate with your readers and you have the data to prove it create more content like that. 18. Create An Ongoing Idea List Maintain a list of content ideas you can pull from in the future. Keep it in a Google Doc, spreadsheet, or Evernote doc that your entire team can access and edit. Then when it comes time to write a post, you can just pull an idea off the list instead of wasting time wondering what to write about. Back To Table Of Contents 6 Organization And Project Management  Strategies 19. Use A Shared Meeting Calendar Use a shared Google Calendar to make sure everyone on your team has visibility on meeting times, events, out-of-office requests, and so forth. 20. Use Consistent File Names Establish a consistent naming convention for saving files. This can make finding things later much easier. Recommended Reading:  How To Rock A Content Development Process That Will Save You Tons Of Time 21. Take On  Projects In Logical Order Group similar projects together and knock them out all in a row as sprints. For example, list all the steps required to write one blog post. Then, run through them starting at the top. 22. Follow  The 80/20 Principle Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 principle  is the idea that 80% of your output will come from 20% of your effort. To leverage this for your work, start by eliminating or delegating menial non-essential tasks that don't directly impact results. The more you focus on things that directly affect productivity, you'll get more done with less effort. 23. Be Realistic About What You Can Do Prioritize projects and only take on the ones that are within the scope of your resources and stand a reasonable shot at success. 24. Set Goals For Every Task Set progress goals for every project and stick to them.  They'll keep you focused on your end result and help you build discipline. Back To Table Of Contents 7 Team Communication  Strategies 25.  Use A Messaging App Instead Of Email For inner-office communication, a tool like HipChat  or Slack  can improve efficiency while keeping your email inbox uncluttered. 26. Use Screenshots For Design Edits A picture is worth a thousand words. If you need to suggest design edits, sometimes sending screenshots is the best way to go. Use a tool like Skitch, SnagIt, iAt Home, or Awesome Screenshot  to take screen captures with notes and arrows. 27. Know When To Delegate If someone else can do a task 80% as well as you can, and you don’t have time to do it yourself, consider handing it off to another team member (so long as they do have time). 28. Know When To Ask For Help Ask for help before you’ve wasted too much time trying to figure something out on your own. There’s something to be said for showing initiative and trying to learn things yourself, but if you know that someone on your team already has that knowledge, just ask. You’ll get more done that way. Strategy #28: Save time by asking for help sooner. #ContentMarketing29. Keep Shared Files Easily Accessible Make sure everyone knows where to access files and documents your team will use. This sounds basic, but if you’re using multiple resources to store files, you’d be surprised how easy it is for things to get out of control if your team doesn’t know what goes where. 30. Establish Team Workflows Establish consistent workflows to save time wondering what each person should be doing at each step of a project. To do this: Get your team together to create a list of every step required from each team member to complete the project (be sure you do this before doing any of the actual work itself). Put those steps in order. Identify who will be responsible for each piece. Have each person notify the next team member when it's ready to hand off. By the time you're done, you'll have an effective workflow template you can follow on similar projects in the future, refining the process as you discover what works and what doesn't. 31. Set Up Regular Times To Check In Schedule regular touch-point meetings and stick to them. This removes excuses for not having time to communicate, or for team members not sharing vital information. Back To Table Of Contents 17 Content Writing Productivity Strategies 32. Use Outlines Create an outline  for every blog post. Knowing the structure of your post will help you write it quicker and create more focused content. 33. If You're Overwhelmed, Do Better At Doing Less Think less is more. If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to create too many posts, try putting more effort into fewer posts. Sometimes having greater focus on fewer things can help rein in some of that stress. Recommended Reading:  How To Blog With As Little As Possible 34.  Avoid Pursuing Perfection Don’t cut corners on quality, but do avoid chasing perfection. There will always be things you want to change, so focus on shipping and know when to call your work finished. 35. Edit Your Own Work First Edit your own work first before passing anything off to a proofreader or copy editor. It’ll help save them time and better endear you to staying on their good side. 36. Write Big Posts One Piece At A Time Break down long-form pieces into smaller chunks and work on one section at a time. This can help you work faster by focusing on smaller portions of the overall post, instead of getting overwhelmed by the full scope of your idea. 37. Set Deadlines Deadlines. Set them  and meet them. Don’t let your work stretch to fill an excessive amount of time. 38. Hire Help Don’t have time to do everything yourself? Consider hiring freelance help if you can. 101 tips to save time with #blogging and #contentmarketing (spoiler alert: use ).39. Turn Coworkers Into Blog Contributors Leverage internal experts within your organization. If you’re working in-house with a business, get buy-in from other team members with unique expertise who may be able to help contribute blog posts. 40. Schedule Writing Work Blocks Block off focused and uninterrupted time to write. Distraction-free word processors like FocusWriter  or WriteBox  can be useful if you really want to get serious about eliminating distractions. This way, you can get more writing done quickly without getting sidetracked. 41. Forget Word Counts Don’t waste time worrying about hitting specified word counts (unless you’re working with an editor or manager who is adamant about a specific word count). The right length for your post is however long it takes to write a full and comprehensive piece of content on your topic. Usually, that’s going to mean a substantial length (1,500+ words), but not always. 42. Consider User-Generated Content Consider accepting unsolicited reader submissions or create a section where readers can write their own blog posts on your blog (this will not necessarily work nor be appropriate for every blog). Moz’s YouMoz Blog  is a great example of how to do this well. 43. Solicit Guest Bloggers Having some extra help from reputable contributors can make it much easier to get authoritative content on your blog with less effort from your own team. 44. Use Hemingway Want to know if your writing sucks? The Hemingway app  will let you know, and help you identify ways you can make your writing clearer. It’s available for both Mac and PC, and is worth its $10 price tag, especially if you don’t have an actual copy editor or proofreader. 45. Use Use a tool like to schedule your blog publishing and associated social media content ahead of time. Is this a shameless plug? Absolutely, but there's a reason why we build our product. (If you haven't tried it yet, get your 14-day free trial here.) 46. Write Headlines With The  Headline Analyzer Use the  Headline Analyzer  to quickly write and score headlines. This makes it easy to write lots of headlines fast and choose the best option. 47. Use The Skyscraper Technique Use the skyscraper technique  to quickly identify top performing competitor content you can improve on. This simply involves looking at the top-ranking content on your given topic or keyword, identifying what those posts are missing, and then making sure your own content fills those gaps. That could mean including information those other posts are missing, or different types of content they lack (for example, embedded videos or infographics). 48. Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose Repurpose content from your blog posts for other content. Borrow blog post copy for your email newsletter. Turn several related blog posts into an ebook. These are just a couple ideas, but if you need more inspiration, here's over 50 ideas for repurposing content. Back To Table Of Contents 5  Graphic Design  Time Management  Strategies 49. No Designer?  No Problem. Don’t have access to Photoshop? Or, does your team lack a dedicated graphic designer? In either case, tools like Canva, Infogr.am, and Piktochart make it easy to create high-quality images and infographics you can use for your content. While the above tools are definitely useful, sometimes you really need dedicated design and image manipulation software to get the job done right. If cost is the only thing stopping you from investing in Photoshop, consider GIMP. It’s a free and open-source alternative to Photoshop that, while lacking certain features, still packs an incredible amount of power. This isn't necessarily a time-saving tool, per se, but if you've been putting off creating graphics because you don't have budget for the right tool, now is the time to stop wasting time with excuses and start getting down to work (the payoffs for having quality graphics are worth it in the long run). 50. Reuse Graphics Don’t forget that one graphic can potentially be used multiple places. For example, try remaking blog header graphics in multiple sizes for email newsletters and social media posts.  If you have certain graphic elements you use frequently, consider storing them all in one place where they can easily be accessed. 51. Use Keyboard Shortcuts Learn Photoshop keyboard shortcuts. The time you spend internalizing them into your workflow will save you tons of time in the long run. 52. Use Image Templates Create your own Photoshop templates for common image sizes and formats you know you’ll be using often, or find downloadable templates online (a quick Google search should yield plenty of options). 53. Give Your Designer Direction  Before They Start Working If you're a writer or blogger working with a graphic designer, give them an idea of what you want for graphics before they get started. This can help avoid confusion and having to redo images when the results don't match expectations. For graphic designers, this same advice applies in reverse. Ask your writer what they want up front. Even if they can't quite communicate exactly what they're looking for, opening up the discussion early in the collaborative process can be an immense time saver later on. Back To Table Of Contents 4 Search Engine Optimization Time Management  Strategies 54. Use Yoast If you’re using WordPress, use the Yoast plugin  to quickly check your on-page SEO and make sure your title tags and meta descriptions are well written. 55. Get An SEO Platform If you have a budget, use a dedicated SEO software platform to manage your search engine optimization efforts. Moz  and Raven Tools  are both affordably priced and fully featured options that will cover most of your bases. Backlink tools like Majestic  and Ahrefs  are well worth a look as well. The benefits to using these services are that they keep your data stored in one place and make performing SEO tasks much quicker, easier, and more effective. 56. Leverage Local SEO Tools To Quickly Clean Up Citations If local SEO  has any relevance to your business (meaning, if you have a brick-and-mortar location and rely on search to drive foot traffic), Whitespark  and Moz Local  are two great tools to help speed up a lot of menial tasks that can otherwise eat up valuable hours of your time. 57. Use Screaming Frog Fixing broken links on your blog or website can be time-consuming. However, it helps to pay attention to them and get them fixed as an ongoing practice, rather than letting them accumulate and having to fix a ton of them all at once. Use Screaming Frog  to quickly crawl your site and identify URLs that return a 404 status code. Back To Table Of Contents 15 Social Media Time Management Strategies 58. Use One Tool To Manage All Your Accounts Manage all your social media accounts with one tool. , Hootsuite, and Buffer  are all valid options for this task. By logging into one dashboard instead of multiple sign-in pages each time you want to schedule social media updates, you can easily save an enormous amount of time. 59. Automate Social Media Publishing Automate (some) of your social media content. You’ll want to continue adding a personal touch to your social media posts, but filling your social queues with pre-scheduled content can help you maintain a consistent presence with less active effort and attention. 60. If Something Isn't Working, Stop Get rid of platforms that aren’t working. Focus more effort on fewer channels. You’ll likely be less stressed and more successful. 61. Use IFTTT To Automate Social Media Tasks Use IFTTT  to automate recurring tasks. It's a cool tool that uses "recipes" to automate processes (and has applications that go way beyond just social media). Here's a good video tutorial on how it works: 62. Use Rapportive To Gather Social Profiles From Emails Get an email from someone and want quick access to their social profiles? Use Rapportive. It's quicker and easier than manually searching for their Twitter handle. 63. Use Tomoson To Find Influencers On Social Media Use Tomoson  to find influencers and brands who might be interested in your product or service. Rather than manually searching for experts on a given topic, it can make finding prospects for this kind of social media outreach quicker and more effective. 64. Avoid Social Media When You're Supposed To Be Doing Something Else Eliminate distractions from your personal social media when you’re working. You’d be surprised how much time you might be wasting checking your Facebook updates or Twitter stream. 65. Respond To Comments, But Keep It Short And Sweet Expedite social media response times. If you don’t have the time or energy to write up a thoughtful response to a social media post, sometimes a simple â€Å"Thanks for reading!† is enough to let someone know you've heard their feedback. 66.  Turn One Idea Into Multiple Posts Try writing a few different versions of a single post. Then, schedule those posts out throughout the week. Now one idea for your post has become three. 67. Use Twitter Lists Use Twitter lists to quickly follow influencers on specific topics. You can either create lists yourself to monitor accounts based on topics or interests, or simply search Twitter for lists on topics you’re interested in and follow them. #TimeSavingTip Use Twitter list to quickly follow influencers and topics without the noise....68. Use Storify Use Storify  to round up tweets and social media posts quickly. 69. Use Social Media Engagement Metrics For Instant Content Feedback Use social media engagement numbers as a rapid-fire real-time indicator of which content is most popular. 70. Use Hashtags Smartly Leverage hashtags to easily increase exposure. Be sure to choose hashtags that directly relate to your brand, blog, or content. This may seem basic, but it's an often overlooked tactic that can help your posts gain more visibility quickly. 71. Write Posts In Bulk Write social media posts in bulk and schedule them out at least a week or two in advance. 72. Use Followerwonk Want to analyze your Twitter performance and find influencers quickly? Try using Followerwonk. It’s free, fast, and easy to use. Back To Table Of Contents 6 Email Marketing Time Management Strategies 73. Use A Real Email Marketing Platform If you don’t have access to a developer who can build you custom email newsletter templates, then use a platform to manage email like MailChimp  or Campaign Monitor  (at , we use Campaign Monitor). They’re easy to use and make email marketing management a lot more efficient than going without them. 74. Resend Past Email Newsletters Instead of writing a whole new email, try taking your last email and sending it to anyone on your list who didn’t open it the first time (be sure to wait about a week first). 75. Use Pop-Up Forms To Build Your Email List Use automated pop-ups on your blog or website to build your email list fast and convert readers into email subscribers. SumoMe's Scroll Box is an  easy to use tool for this task, available in  both free and premium versions. 76. Give Away Free Bonus Content  To Drive Email Signups Use content upgrades to entice more email subscriptions. A content upgrade can be defined as a gated piece of content (like an infographic, ebook, video, course, or something else) that requires readers to exchange their email address in order to access the content upgrade. One piece of content can equal tons of subscribers, making this a highly efficient way to grow your email list. 77. Automate Email Follow-up With Boomerang If you need to automate a lot of messages for one-on-one email outreach, use Boomerang  to follow up on emails. 78. Check Email At Set Times (Instead Of Literally All The Time) When it comes to your own work email, set time aside to check your email rather than checking it every five minutes. If you took our suggestion of using HipChat or Slack for inner-office communication, you’ll probably notice the amount of email hitting your inbox dropping substantially, too. Back To Table Of Contents 3 Content Calendar Time Management  Strategies 79. Use A Content Calendar If you aren’t already, use a content calendar. Any kind of calendar. We’re going to plug ourselves quick here, but using can help save tons of time here. 80. Schedule Content Two Weeks In Advance Keep your calendar full for at least two weeks out into the future. You’ll get more done when you’re not stressed over hitting immediate deadlines. That may mean having to work a little extra hard at first to build up enough content to fill your calendar, but once you've gotten past that initial effort, you'll find yourself freer to strategize and work more efficiently. 81. Consistency Is Key Be consistent when updating your content calendar. Build habits that save time and your calendar  will, in turn, help you save time elsewhere in your workflow. Back To Table Of Contents 3 Analytics And Reporting Time Management Strategies 82. Use Pre-Built Google Analytics Dashboards If you’re not skilled in configuring Google Analytics yourself, get more utility from it faster using pre-built dashboards. That saves you time from having to learn how to configure everything correctly yourself  while making sure your dashboards are designed to be useful. 83. Use SumAll To Gather Social Media Data Use SumAll to automatically generate data-driven social media performance reports (note that as of March 1, 2016, this is a paid-only tool). 84. Set Up Automatic Reporting In Your SEO Platform If you’re using Moz, Raven Tools, or any other content marketing and SEO platform, use it to set up automatic reports delivered to your email. That way, you can provide reports to management quickly without having to build out reports manually. Back To Table Of Contents 17 General Time Management Strategies 85. Track Your Time Time tracking tools like Toggl  work well for this. Or, just use the timer on your phone. Over time, you’ll get a better idea of how much time tasks generally take, and be better able to plan accordingly in the future. 86. Use The Pomodoro Technique Try using the Pomodoro technique  throughout your workday. In short, it’s a productivity method where you work in 25-minute bursts, separated by break periods. 87. Take Timed Breaks Even if you don’t use the Pomodoro technique, taking timed breaks is still highly advisable. Your brain simply can’t fire on all cylinders around the clock. Taking breaks can actually increase your #productivity.88. Use A Password Manager Use a password manager to save time entering passwords or recovering passwords you’ve forgotten. 1Password  and LastPass  are both solid options. 89. Don't Fear Failure Fail fast and move on. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying something new that may work better than what you did yesterday. 90. Don't Waste Time On Things That Aren't Working Likewise, if something isn’t working, either figure out why it’s not working or ditch it and move onto something else. Bias yourself toward action and don’t waste time overanalyzing things. 91. Avoid Multitasking Stop multi-tasking. Studies show you’ll get more done, more quickly if you focus on one task at a time. 92. Use Checklists Create task checklists to keep yourself on track. Wonder what makes checklists such an effective tool for getting things done? Read The Checklist Manifesto. 93. Never Start A Meeting Without A Plan Plan your meetings and set timers. Never go into a meeting without an agenda or a goal that the meeting is intended to help achieve. 94. Only Use Tools That Show Real Benefits Use tools and software services that deliver demonstrable productivity benefits. Ditch any that don’t. That saves time and money all in one fell swoop. 95. Take On Your Toughest Task First Thing In The Morning Do your most dreaded task first thing in the morning, whatever that task may be, to free up mental space to take on the rest of your day. 96. Get Enough Sleep Sleep. You’ll get more done, more quickly if you’re well rested. Working when you’re tired leads to diminishing returns over time. 97. Don't Say Yes To Everything Learn how and when to say no. While it’s often tempting to take on every opportunity and task handed your way, you don’t want to burn yourself out by taking on too much. Be realistic about what you can accomplish with the time you have. Simple but true: Saying yes to everything leads to #burnout. Learn how to #sayno. #productivity98. Leave Enough Time For Small Setbacks Leave a time buffer when estimating time for tasks to account for unforeseen hang-ups. This can help avoid missing deadlines. This is important because missed deadlines have a way of snowballing by pushing out timelines on other projects. 99. Make Time To Plan Set aside time for planning. It takes time, but it also saves time in the long run. 100. Use Friday Afternoons For Routine Maintenance Tasks Plan your least mentally intensive tasks for Friday afternoon when you’re probably drained. That way they won’t distract from more important work but they’ll still get done. Recommended Reading:  What To Do On The Weekend To Increase Your Productivity On Monday 101. Plan Tomorrow, Today Use the end of one day to plan what you’ll do at the start of the next day. You'll likely be feeling drained around the end of your day, which makes it a good time to write up a simple list of priorities for your next morning. You'd be surprised how much time this can save while making optimal use of your energy levels. Back To Table Of Contents That Wraps Up All 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies Developing better habits isn’t always easy, and odds are, it’s going to take a little while before you can start applying the majority of these time management strategies to your content marketing workflows. However, all of these items are things you can start doing today, taking things one small step at a time until you’ve established more efficient and productive ways to work. Are there any tips, tools, or tricks we’ve missed? Sound off in the comments below, and thank you for reading!

Movie review of inherit the Wind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie review of inherit the Wind - Essay Example Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial (one of the most famous trials in American legal history), which happened in 1925, in order to explore the then current controversy – the McCarthy trials. However, although the movie based a large portion of its scenes from the actual trial transcript, it is still a composite depiction of the Scopes trial. Kramer added several elements to the original tale, adding a love interest here, a fiery character there – all for the sake of embellishments and dramatization of the film and the messages it wanted to convey. The movie explored the subject of individual freethinking and how it was put on trial when a high school biology teacher was charged of illegally teaching Darwinism. The film attacked religious fanaticism and sided with Darwinism, including the ideas that it represented during the time. Three of the points in the film that proved pivotal in the progression of the story and the successful delivery of the message the director wanted to convey include: 1) the many scenes added to open out the courtroom-bound drama such as the separate depiction of the arrivals of the lawyers, establishing the characterization immediately; 2) the climactic scene between the two lawyers wherein Brady forced Drummond to admit that the Bible could be interpreted in a nonliteral fashion, allowing the argument that evolution could be consistent with the biblical account of creation; 3) the religious hymns and folk songs used in the film in an apparent effort to counteract negative criticisms of fundamentalists that the film was anti-Christ. The second point in the film mentioned previously, underscored the role of the two lawyers, Darrow and Bryan, in outlining, explaining and resolving the problem posited by the film. One aspect in the movie that I found unappealing was the extreme stereotyping committed by the movie. For example, Bryan was portrayed as an ignorant, a bigot, and religious fundamentalist. The man was indeed a fundamentalist but that

Effects of Slavery on Development of the South Essay

Effects of Slavery on Development of the South - Essay Example By the 18th century, America could not be seen as being a homogenous society. Clearly defined states could be identified that had different outlooks and different values. Which later was seen in the North versus South divide that created the two sides in the war. By April 1861, slavery had become entwined with state rights, the power of the federal government over the states and the South’s ‘way of life’. It made a significant contribution to the causes of the American Civil War.It later is seen in the North versus South divide that created the two sides.The South was an agricultural region where cotton and tobacco were the main backbone of the area’s economic strength which relied on free labor from the slaves. Slavery was seen as part of the southern way of life. Without slavery, the economic clout would have been severely dented. On the other hand, North was industrializing at a very fast rate. North’s economic development was based on entrepreneu rial skills and input of poorly paid workers who were not slaves. Due to this difference, both parts had different views of slavery. The southern side did not advocate for the release of the slaves as they relied on their labor for their economic backbone while northern side advocated for their release. These differences became the essential difference between north and south. Even after the liberation of slaves after the swearing in of Abraham Lincoln, the southern side was not viewed as a safe place for blacks as they were still considered as slaves.

Iphone 5 Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iphone 5 Scenario - Essay Example With respect to the scenario under review, Apple is reportedly the first company to adopt and use relative technology, second generation LTE thin chips from Qualcomm Company. This has given it an upper hand and a competitive edge against its competitors in the telecommunications sector. Using the latest technology, it has been able to explore technological resources and use these in addressing wide ranging and emerging consumer needs. One of the devices that it has manufactured and which it wishes to sell includes the iPhone 5. The main aim for this is to present to the consumer base a smart telecommunication device with ideal features. The purpose of this paper is to undertake research regarding consumer perceptions and expectations of this product. Findings would be instrumental in ensuring that the product is customized to meet consumer needs. This will ensure that its performance in the market is optimal. In addition, the research would provide useful insights regarding consumer trends and changes in tastes and preferences. Based on this, Apple will be able to use its creativity in ensuring that relative needs and preferences and met accordingly. Besides this, market research will provide important information about the innovations of apple’s competitors. ... nship, Breen and Dukta (1998) found out that a significant percentage of the population fancy latest electronic products which meet their tastes and preferences. This can be used to explain why most of the users of iPhone 4S are not happy with the latest development. Ideally, they will be forced to purchase the new product in order to be at par with the market trends and lifestyle expectations. Previous trends regarding the performance of iPhone 4S in the market indicate that the sale of iPhone 5 would be a success. In this respect, a significant percentage of the population that purchased iPhone 4S had never used an iPhone before (Johnson, 2011). Market research ascertains that although iPhone 4 met most of the consumer needs, its low battery and storage capacity limits its effectiveness. Consumers are, thus, still searching for a product that would meet their needs, tastes and preferences in this respect. In their review, Hair, Wolfinbarger, Bush and Ortinau (2009) posit that iPhon e 5 provides the best opportunity for Apple to address these needs. Statistical evidence shows that a significant 35% of the consumer base has promised to buy the product immediately it is introduced in the market (Johnson, 2011). Aggressive marketing can go a long way in increasing this to a greater percentage. Previous trends indicate that consumers tend to gain confidence with a product after it is introduced and tested in the market. Research tools are instrumental in collecting vital data from the respondents. At this point, it is worth appreciating that the data collected is instrumental in credible decision making. It should therefore not only be comprehensive but also representative of the views of the consumer base. This would ensure that decisions made are based on informed

Biology - Plant Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biology - Plant Diversity - Essay Example The most important of all radiations for land plants occurred in the early Devonian period. This was when the first rhyniophytes appeared in the fossil record and made this fossil discovery very important for paleobotany. They had some distinguishing features such as their reproductive structures which contributed to their success. Some important species that dominated their eco-system included anthropods and sporopytes and gametophytes. 2. Describe and discuss the third land flora (the â€Å"Gymnosperm Flora†) that evolved on Earth. Your answer should include the following: †¢ references to geologic time of origin and/or decline, †¢ factors that may have influenced its distribution, success and/or decline, †¢ names and brief descriptions of the most important plants that dominated this flora. Gymnosperm flora Gymnosperms are known as primitive seed plants. Their evolutionary history is long. Gymnosperms appeared in the Paleozoic and then soon became the most do minant plants world over in the Mesozoic and Caenozoic periods. They were also seen in the Tertiary Period, survived the Glacial period and have multiplied till date. While gymnosperms are only 0.36% of angiosperms, they are seen in vast areas in coniferous forests and are widely distributed world over. They are found in great abundance in China in particular. Their leaves are needlelike and evergreen. They can produce cones. A very important feature of gymnosperms is that their female sex germs reside in the ovules as in regular flowers. However the ovules are not enclosed inside the flower’s ovaries as is found in most flowering plants. It should be noted though that gymnosperms don’t produce fruits. In the biological terms, fruits are produced from maturing flower ovaries where the seeds develop in the ovules inside the ovaries. They are found in vast quantities in coniferous forests which have straight tree trunks and high timber yield of gymnosperm plants. Thuja s utchuenensis, an important specie of gymnosperm is extinct. Cycas revoluta, C. taiwaniana and C. szechuanensis, three other species of the plant are now the only cultivated plants. Some other species are as following: Cycas multipinnata, Keteleeria pubescens, K. oblonga, K. hainanensis, Abies beshanzuensis, A. yuanbaoshanensis, Picea likiangensis var. montigena, P. neoveitchii, Larix chinensis, Pseudotsuga brevifolia, Pinus squamata, Cephalotaxus lanceolata, Amentotaxus formosana and A. yunnanensis. (Cummings) Most of the aforementioned species are critically endangered and nowhere to be found today. 3. Describe and discuss the fourth land flora (the â€Å"Angiosperm Flora†) that evolved on Earth. Your answer should include the following: †¢ references to geologic time of origin, †¢ factors that may have influenced its distribution and success, (Hint: pollination and seed dispersal mechanisms, including convolution of the animal groups often involved in these mechan isms, should be a prominent feature of your answer.) †¢ Names and brief descriptions of some of the most important types of plants that dominate this flora. The evolution of angiosperms is a matter of great mystery to date. There are a lot of issues concerning their evolution today. There are speculations regarding their time of origin, the

DC Circuit Basics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DC Circuit Basics - Assignment Example Mathematically, ‘Q’ is directly proportional to ‘C’ keeping ‘V’ constant. The latter proves the same point. In question 3, the diagram has a voltage source and a resistance, in the form of a lamp. In order for the lamp to light a complete circuit in order for the electric current to flow is necessary. The electrons flow from high positive potential to low negative potential (in conventional current) through a low resistance path. In case, the circuit is not complete, the electrons encounter a high resistance path i.e air or vacuum. The latter causes no current to flow leading to the lamp not lighting. Mathematically, the ohms law provides reason. Ohms law is stated as: The current drawn from a battery is linked with the potential difference across the battery. When two batteries were attached the potential difference was twice as much as when a single battery was connected. Applying the latter fact with Ohms law: Since the same toy car is used each time, we can safely assume that ‘R’ is constant. This gives the relation, I is directly proportional with V. When V is halved then I must also be halved. Therefore, option B being correct. Substituting the values for the blender and car vacuum separately we find that the power drawn for the blender is 480W while power drawn by the car vacuum is 60W. And so, we can conclude that the blender draws more

Nixon-Kissinger Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

Nixon-Kissinger Years - Essay Example (Nixon- Mao talks) "Henry Kissinger had been the primary architect of the "opening" to communistChina, while working secretly behind the scenes to oust the Republic of China(Taiwan) from the United Nations, which free China had helped to found. He emergedas spokesman for appeasement of and "rapprochement" with the Soviet Union, andpromoted policies which guaranteed the Soviet Union a strategic superiority over the U. S".(Allen)Cold war and domestic political considerations very likely made Nixon and Kissinger less eager todisclose the specifics of the pledges on Taiwan or the candid discussions of Soviet policy. ThatNixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already beendisclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dtente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation intensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic ArmsLimitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty withLeonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. "The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, andoutmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling,sixteen years later, for second...That Nixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already been disclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dà ©tente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation in tensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic Arms. Limitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty with Leonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. â€Å"The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, and outmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling, sixteen years later, for second place status†. (Allen) Kissinger also sought to place diplomatic pressure on the Soviet union; to accomplish this he made two secret trips to the People’s Republic of China in July and October 1971 to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai, then in charge of Chinese foreign policy. This set the stage for the ground breaking 1972 summit between Nixon and Zhou and communist party chairman Mao Zedong as well as the modernization of relations between the two countries, ending 23 years of diplomatic isolation and mutual hostility and resulting in the formation of a strategic anti-Soviet Sino-American alliance.

Biology - Plant Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biology - Plant Diversity - Essay Example The most important of all radiations for land plants occurred in the early Devonian period. This was when the first rhyniophytes appeared in the fossil record and made this fossil discovery very important for paleobotany. They had some distinguishing features such as their reproductive structures which contributed to their success. Some important species that dominated their eco-system included anthropods and sporopytes and gametophytes. 2. Describe and discuss the third land flora (the â€Å"Gymnosperm Flora†) that evolved on Earth. Your answer should include the following: †¢ references to geologic time of origin and/or decline, †¢ factors that may have influenced its distribution, success and/or decline, †¢ names and brief descriptions of the most important plants that dominated this flora. Gymnosperm flora Gymnosperms are known as primitive seed plants. Their evolutionary history is long. Gymnosperms appeared in the Paleozoic and then soon became the most do minant plants world over in the Mesozoic and Caenozoic periods. They were also seen in the Tertiary Period, survived the Glacial period and have multiplied till date. While gymnosperms are only 0.36% of angiosperms, they are seen in vast areas in coniferous forests and are widely distributed world over. They are found in great abundance in China in particular. Their leaves are needlelike and evergreen. They can produce cones. A very important feature of gymnosperms is that their female sex germs reside in the ovules as in regular flowers. However the ovules are not enclosed inside the flower’s ovaries as is found in most flowering plants. It should be noted though that gymnosperms don’t produce fruits. In the biological terms, fruits are produced from maturing flower ovaries where the seeds develop in the ovules inside the ovaries. They are found in vast quantities in coniferous forests which have straight tree trunks and high timber yield of gymnosperm plants. Thuja s utchuenensis, an important specie of gymnosperm is extinct. Cycas revoluta, C. taiwaniana and C. szechuanensis, three other species of the plant are now the only cultivated plants. Some other species are as following: Cycas multipinnata, Keteleeria pubescens, K. oblonga, K. hainanensis, Abies beshanzuensis, A. yuanbaoshanensis, Picea likiangensis var. montigena, P. neoveitchii, Larix chinensis, Pseudotsuga brevifolia, Pinus squamata, Cephalotaxus lanceolata, Amentotaxus formosana and A. yunnanensis. (Cummings) Most of the aforementioned species are critically endangered and nowhere to be found today. 3. Describe and discuss the fourth land flora (the â€Å"Angiosperm Flora†) that evolved on Earth. Your answer should include the following: †¢ references to geologic time of origin, †¢ factors that may have influenced its distribution and success, (Hint: pollination and seed dispersal mechanisms, including convolution of the animal groups often involved in these mechan isms, should be a prominent feature of your answer.) †¢ Names and brief descriptions of some of the most important types of plants that dominate this flora. The evolution of angiosperms is a matter of great mystery to date. There are a lot of issues concerning their evolution today. There are speculations regarding their time of origin, the

Nixon-Kissinger Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

Nixon-Kissinger Years - Essay Example (Nixon- Mao talks) "Henry Kissinger had been the primary architect of the "opening" to communistChina, while working secretly behind the scenes to oust the Republic of China(Taiwan) from the United Nations, which free China had helped to found. He emergedas spokesman for appeasement of and "rapprochement" with the Soviet Union, andpromoted policies which guaranteed the Soviet Union a strategic superiority over the U. S".(Allen)Cold war and domestic political considerations very likely made Nixon and Kissinger less eager todisclose the specifics of the pledges on Taiwan or the candid discussions of Soviet policy. ThatNixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already beendisclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dtente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation intensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic ArmsLimitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty withLeonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. "The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, andoutmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling,sixteen years later, for second...That Nixon and Kissinger routinely offered the Chinese intelligence briefings has already been disclosed in declassified documents published by the National Security Archive. Kissinger pioneered the policy of dà ©tente with the Soviet Union, seeking a relaxation in tensions between the two superpowers. As a part of this strategy he negotiated the Strategic Arms. Limitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the anti-ballistic missile treaty with Leonard Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. â€Å"The United States is failing as a leader of the free world. It is being outgunned, outflanked, and outmaneuvered by the world communist movement. A nation which had an unquestioned eight- hundred percent strategic military superiority over the Soviet Union in 1960 was settling, sixteen years later, for second place status†. (Allen) Kissinger also sought to place diplomatic pressure on the Soviet union; to accomplish this he made two secret trips to the People’s Republic of China in July and October 1971 to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai, then in charge of Chinese foreign policy. This set the stage for the ground breaking 1972 summit between Nixon and Zhou and communist party chairman Mao Zedong as well as the modernization of relations between the two countries, ending 23 years of diplomatic isolation and mutual hostility and resulting in the formation of a strategic anti-Soviet Sino-American alliance.

Race and the Sociological Imagination Essay Example for Free

Race and the Sociological Imagination Essay For generations African Americans have been disadvantaged in America and effects of these injustices have made a lasting impression. Education is one of the leading problems in the black community. Though there have many reforms in education over the years, racial injustices still exist because no attention in placed on how legislature affects people of color. I was raised in a middle-class family of educators. My entire life I’ve been told to â€Å"stay in school, get an education, and work hard so that you can beat the system. † Recognizing the structural forces in my life has helped me understand my place in society. Being able to â€Å"understand everyday life, not through personal circumstances but through the broader historical forces that structure and direct it† (Desmond and Emirbayer 43) has really had an impact on me. My father was born in 1968, the year we consider then end of the civil rights movement. He went to Luscher Elementary during the 70s and at that time the school was integrated. He had mostly White teachers and schoolmates. He received a quality education because of the resources given to whites were now available to blacks. He chose to attend St. Augustine High school. The Archdiocese of New Orleans constructed St. Augustine High School with funds solicited from Catholics of the Archdiocese through the Youth Progress Program. The Archdiocese of New Orleans placed the school under the patronage of St. Augustine of Hippo, a preeminent Christian and scholar of Africa, and a Father of the Church. This was appropriate since from its inception the school was designated for the education of young men from Black Catholic families of New Orleans. St. Augustine High School led the way in battling segregation in New Orleans. The successful legal challenges mounted by the school resulted in the de-segregation of the high school athletics in the state of Louisiana. The famed Marching 100 was the first African-American high school band to march in the Rex parade on Mardi Gras Day. My grandfather and father attended St. Augustine High School and through the education they received along with athletic scholarships and financial aide they both went on to attend Loyola University. My position in society was shaped by my economic position, which was an effect of my grandfather and father’s educations. My grandfather was able to attend college but this was not true for his parents. Depending upon a persons situation social welfare programs can either enforce progression or plateau disadvantages. I was able to attend Isidore Newman School and I lived in an integrated neighborhood where resources such as schools, hospitals, parks and grocery stores were better than those in other parts of New Orleans. My integrated neighborhood provided me with a good education. Blacks in poor neighborhoods are inhibited from achieving the same education as whites because of zoning legislation, transportation and lack of funds. My family was able to establish themselves financially because of social welfare programs such as war bonds, Pell grants, and the integration of schools. My grandfather was able to own their own home and provide for our family. He had a career as a school administrator they paid well. He provided opportunities for his children to attend college and for his wife. Desmond and Emirbayer argue that , â€Å"If we hope to drive racial domination from the gates of our schools we must continue the work of confronting whiteness in the curriculum† (346). I understand that as finding ways to end institutional racism and raising awareness of ideologies that will end prejudices. Until I attended Loyola I had a naive impression of racial awareness. Personally, I believe education is the key to combating racism. We must education our peers on our cultures. We must explain that â€Å"colorblindness† in society is not what’s best. Only by embracing and recognizing each other differences we will be able to break the social bubbles we live in. I’ve gained a stronger sense of racial awareness through this course. I have the ability to challenge and change other people’s ideologies and understand my own. I know because of my social position have scholarships, financial aide and the values of hard work and education instilled in me by my parents and grandparents. I’m also aware that many people are not able to gain that same access. Because of my racial awareness there is so much more I want to find out about the contributing factors that led to my family’s social position in New Orleans. It is through my racial awareness I plan to beat the system.