4 Reasons You Need to Develop Your Social Media Presence

4 Reasons You Need to Develop Your Social Media Presence These days, you are what you show online. With a constant flow of family pictures and  Saturday night shenanigans, your Facebook profile might not be very distinguishable from your offline presence. This may not matter so much in a bubble with your friends and family, but you should think about the rest of your social media universe, as well. You can shape your social media presence to show the best, most professional you to your field.  Here are 4 reasons to curate social media presence  carefully.1.  Your Social Media is an Open BookWhether it’s potential employers, network members, or collaborators, your social media brand will likely be one of the first things that turn up. You want them to see a clear, engaging portrait of you- one who doesn’t use sloppy language, send questionable pictures, or behave inappropriately. We all have stuff we’re not especially proud of, but those things are best kept in a private account completely unlinked to your profe ssional account, or maybe a folder marked â€Å"please burn.†2. It’s an opportunity to clean house.If you do have unprofessional content floating around your social media or want to show that your goals have evolved beyond â€Å"being president someday or something,† going in with a focused eye can help you keep content that shows who you are and where you want to go and get rid of clutter that doesn’t relate to your career goals now. It can also give you a sense of who’s coming and going from your social networks and sharing your content.3. You  Can Find a Relevant AudienceOnce you’ve figured out what you want your social media brand to say about you, that can help you find your community and build your voice in that community. Finding like-minded people and sharing content and opinions are a brand-builder, if you have your base brand settled.4. You’re Able to Take Control of Your DestinyWhen you build your public social media bran d, you get to set the tone and establish a theme across your accounts. Whether that’s coordinating colors or making sure that your own personal logo appears wherever you do or making your visual content (pictures, infographics, etc.) look similar, you want people to associate your content with you.Who are you, and what do you want to do? It’s all in your (virtual) hands.

How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly

How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly Social media is key for  content marketing success.  Once youve put the work into producing a piece of content, you want it to catch fire and get tons of shares. All you have to do is blast the link across your social channels, and watch all the shares and traffic roll in. Right? Well, that isnt quite how it works. And if your social media content isnt performing, it could be because it isnt very social media friendly. Depending on how you look at it, social media can be a blessing or a curse. Sure, it is a great low cost channel for spreading your content, but it can also be a crippling scapegoat if you arent careful. You could but be publishing on social media regularly with little return on your investment, all with the appearance of doing great content marketing. Are your readers actually  sharing your content?  Are your really achieving the social traction that you expected or deserve? Is the good old hub-and-spoke model of content marketing actually working for you? Fortunately, the problem may be entirely your fault. You may just need to make some basic adjustments to make your content more social media friendly. The more friendly you make your content, after all, the more likely your readers will be to share it with their audience. Here are five easy ways that you can do just that. Want more people to share your content? Make it more social media friendly. 1.  Make Sure Your Content Looks Good On Social Media One of the first things that you need to do is to make sure that your content look good when it is shared on social media. This relies on  Ã‚  a small bit of meta-tag code that should included the HEAD of your html page. This code will provide instructions to networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest by telling them which image, title, and description to use when a post goes live. You can preview what your own link previews look like using this  handy debug tool provided by Facebook. There are several ways to ensure that your link previews always look great. The free  JetPack plugin  or  Yoast SEO plugin  for WordPress will make a "best guess" at what these link previews should include using data from the post itself. This is a good starting point, but may not offer enough flexibility for the power user. Tools like our own allow you to completely  customize your link previews, giving you maximum editing control. Recommended Reading: Best Practices Guide For Making Sure Your Posts Look Good On Social Media 2. Write Emotional Headlines Because They Get  Shared More One of the ways to make your content more social media friendly is to write headlines that are more likely to be shared with others. There are some very simple ways to do this. For example, our research has proved that headlines with more emotional value tend to get shared more with others. With millions of headlines in our system, we went through each one and calculated its  Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) – a rating that attempts to measure the emotional value of a headlines. What we learned was that headlines with a higher emotional value were more likely to be shared on line. The  Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer  Ã‚  is a free tool from  the Advanced Marketing Institute that you can use to calculate the EMV of your own headlines. Can this tool predict shares? Maybe. Simply copy and paste your headline into the box and it will give you a calculated score of your headline’s EMV Score. After researching EMV, we thought a great tool would combine that research with other elements of headlines that drive shares, traffic, and search results. That's why we built the headline analyzer. Try this tool to write even better headlines. Write More Shareable  Headlines With Our Free Headline Analyzer The headline analyzer  will help you: Use headline types that get the most traction for social shares, traffic, and search engine ranking. Make sure you have the right word balance to write readable headlines that command attention. See the best  word and character length for search engines like Google and email subject lines, while also seeing  how your readers will scan your headlines. Try The Free Headline Analyzer Now Recommended  Reading: Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media 3.  Make Your Content  Easy To Share By adding simplicity to your page, you can increase the likelihood that someone will share your content, immediately making it more social media friendly. There are few simple things that you can do to make this more likely. Make Sure Your Social Sharing Buttons Are In The Right Spot Not long ago we took at look  at how the placement of social sharing buttons could  best influence social sharing from  our blog layout. What we found was that  the top/left side of the page seemed to perform the  best for most situations.  Because most websites load content on the left side of the page, and based on how people typically look through a site, it is pretty easy to see that the most noticeable place for this type of activity is in the top-left portion of the page.   Recommended Reading: What is the Best Placement for Social Media Buttons? Add Easily Sharable Content To Your Post Here at we made a simple plugin for our own use, and have  recently  made it available to everyone for free. This simple tool allows you to easily add tweetable content to your posts.  Ã‚  These boxes create important triggers that you can use to get your readers sharing content for you. Create beautiful boxes in your blog posts. #ClickToTweet Make Your Images Easy To Share SumoMe makes a great little tool that allows your readers to easily share your blog images via Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. It is the best option out there for sharing your visual content across the web. Recommended Reading: 25 Growth Hacks Your Content Marketing Desperately Needs 4. Publish Your Content At The  Right  Time When is the best time to publish a blog post? KISSmetrics in corporation with  Dan Zarrella  has been able to crack the code on this very idea. Key Takeaways: Most blog content is read in the mornings. However, men tend to be more likely to read content in the evenings. Monday is the best day of the week to publish content. Most blog posts gets the most traffic around 11am. Saturday and early morning visitors (9am) tend to leave more comments. Monday and Tuesday are the highest drivers of inbound traffic. The take away on this data is  pretty easy to see. It is likely in your best interest to publish your content early in the week, and early in the morning to maximize your social media  impact.

Developping and managing sales for Google Essay

Developping and managing sales for Google - Essay Example It is indeed one of the things that happened to the Internet and the information technology world in general. Also, Google has been expanding in business, as word of mouth has played a huge role in its success and the advertising. This goes to show the affection and praise that the people, no matter their age or where they come from, have for the Google Company. Google has its headquarters in Mountain View, California, United States, and the company's Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Eric Schmidt, who is also the Chairman of the Board. Google has devised different platforms, so as to be constantly in touch with its investors, has an 'Investor relations' program that is constantly encouraging investors to invest in the various realms of Google's business and growth. Google builds on its market share and strives to grow in an exponential manner by focusing more than anything else on a 'Build' strategy. It is perceivable that this particular strategy is serving the cause well for Google than a Hold, Divest or Harvest strategy would. The business strategy that is adopted by Google is of a niche nature, since it targets different audiences differently. The company blends its logo and themes according to the situation and people residing within a particular reachout region. Also Google focuses significantly on changes in season and era, utilizing different strategies to target different market areas. This ensures the building of long term relationships, and an understanding of Google's attachment with specific audiences. Google's success Google is famous for 'searching' all over the world. Such is the fame of this company all over the world that it has become a generic word of English and other languages, and is meant to stand for running a search for information about a particular topic on the Internet. This speaks volumes of the rise of Google as a brand and as a service in the lives of the people. Google is here to stay, as the company has been providing valuable services its users. Thus without a shadow of a doubt, Google is indeed a successful business and is renowned for being one of the first and the best in the industry. Google is considered as a success also because it is

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 123

Discussion - Essay Example No ventures should be considered as possible options, if they are expected to result in harm to the society or patients. Beneficence demands that the process of acquiring knowledge be directed towards providing greater benefit than harm to the individuals of the society. The activities of Health Sciences professionals should be carried out with a good intent to ensure benefit to the patients. The principle of justice demands that Health Science professionals follow the established laws of the society. Their efforts should be directed towards upholding the spirit of prevailing laws, which demand even distribution of scarce resources and without regard to racial, religious or other differences. The principle of autonomy demands the Health Sciences professionals to opt for approaches that allow others to exercise their basic right of autonomy. The students of Health Sciences should learn to avoid coercion while ensuring that the autonomy of others is not compromised in any way. Based on the above discussion, it can be concluded that it is essential for Health Sciences students to follow the principles of medical ethics to ensure optimum delivery of services to the

The Importance of Reading Book Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Reading Book Essay There is much more to life than your work and spending time aimlessly with latest technology products. Reading books gives you that much needed break from the chaos in your life. It instills peace inside you, makes you relaxed and also exercises your brain in the process. When you read a book, it feels great to put yourself into a different world that the writer has created for you. Ask any avid reader about this and they too will agree that reading a book is same like watching a movie. When you spend hours and hours reading a book, creating a world with different characters in your mind, your imagination powers are sure to get a boost. Depending upon what you read, you will come out with the same experience as when you watch some really good movie. I have been a voracious reader ever since i learned how to read. Thats why i never get bored even being alone for a long time. I have found that reading books is the best medicine to kill boredom. What starts with reading story books, when you are a kid, turns into reading books for improving yourself as you grow older. From story books - technical management books - self improvement - spirituality and beyond, the journey is fantastic and you learn something with each passing day. You understand your thoughts and emotions more clearly. It makes you realize who you really are and makes your life more meaningful. Reading books will make you a better thinker and a better man. Thanks to technology you can easily find good articles to read on the internet. A great article can inspire and motivate you as much as a great book. Its not how much you read, but what you read which is more important. The only reason i recommend reading books over short articles is because when you spend hours with a thought or an idea then its more likely to stay with you for long time rather than when you spend just few minutes tinkering with it. Its easy to read a quote or an article for few minutes than discard it and continue with what you were doing. But when you invest your time in reading a good book, you end up spending at least a few hours reflecting on its contents as you read. Thus, its likely to stay with you for a longer time and have some positive influence on you. A good reader also varies his reading pace based on the content he is reading and what he wants to get from it. The purpose of reading news articles is different from reading stories, which is different from reading important documents. Over a period of time, you will understand how to vary your reading pace and comprehension based on what you read and what you want from it. Also, just reading good books is not enough. The way you read it is more important. When you come across a new idea or a different opinion, think upon it deeply. Dont accept it or reject it blindly. Try to reason with it and understand the writers point of view. Reflect upon the thoughts that come to your mind whenever you read a great book. You will know whether a book is great or not based on the thoughts it awakens inside you. As you continue this habit of reading and reflecting on what you read, you will start forming your own thoughts and values. It will challenge your mind and the thoughts, customs and traditions that you have grown up with. However, there is one thing which you should always remember when you make this a daily habit, as you are investing a part of your life doing it. Too much reading, without any thinking and action isnt of much use. When you know you are ready to do something its time to move to the next step. Act upon what you think is right and what you have decided to do. Its easy to get so much involved in the reading process, that you forget that the main purpose of reading is to make you a better person which can only happen when you act upon it. Just finishing one book after another without any real action from your side wont help you. What kind of person you want to be and what you would ultimately become depend greatly upon the type of content that you read and how much you act upon them. Reading articles that promote negativity, hatred and give wrong information is dangerous. Its better to not read anything at all than read such articles. Whether you read on some electronic device or prefer reading an actual book. Thats your personal choice. Personally, i prefer to read actual books whenever possible. I find that even after hours of reading my eyes feel fresh and full of energy. Thats something i dont find when i read too much on my computer. Before ending this article, i would like to summarize few important points and also suggest some Dos and Donts of reading: * Always read your content from a safe distance. Neither too close to your eyes neither too far away from your eyes. * Always prefer quality over quantity. Better to read one great book than hundred mediocre ones. * Understand properly what you have read and reflect upon it. * Dont accept anything blindly that you read but think for yourself and try to understand the reason behind whats been written. * Bookmark interesting pages for future reference. You never know when you will need them. * Sometimes it takes more than one reading to fully grasp some thing. Dont be disappointed if you dont understand a book in one reading. Maybe when you come back to it the next time, you will get it. * Focus completely on what you are reading. Dont think about other stuff while reading. * If possible, create a favorite spot in your house for reading books. You will feel more relaxed whenever you are there. * And above all, enjoy your reading experience. The habit of reading good content daily will act like an exercise for your mind and keep you mentally fit and flexible. If you have never given it a try then always remember that its never too late to start a good habit.

Problems Associated With Low-carbohydrate/High-protein Diets Essay

Problems Associated With Low-carbohydrate/High-protein Diets A diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in proteins is not a healthy weight loss method. This type of diet, such as the Atkins Diet, recommends eating foods that are high in fat and protein. However, there are no restrictions on the kinds of fat and protein that may be consumed; and there are no restrictions on caloric intake. This poses a problem because there are health risks associated with high amounts of fat and protein in the diet. There are also health risks associated with carbohydrate deficiency. Our bodies need carbohydrates in order for our brains and central nervous systems to function properly. Carbohydrate deficiency also leads to losses of functional protein tissue in the muscles. Thus, low-carbohydrate/ high-protein diets are not a healthy approach to weight loss. Low-carbohydrate/ high protein diets, such as the Atkins Diet, encourage dieters to consume foods that are proven to cause health problems, especially heart disease. These diets replace carbohydrates with high-fat and high-protein foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, and butter. The problem with this recommendation is that there are no restrictions on the amount or the type of fat contained in these foods; and this flaw in the diet can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. Low-carbohydrate/ high-protein diets neglect some important risk factors for heart disease. One of these factors is total dietary fat intake. The Atkins Diet, for example, does not restrict the amount of calories that comes from fats. Another risk factor is the type of fat, saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats such as butter, lard, margarine, meats, and dairy products should only constitu... ...ts that our bodies need in order to function properly. Our brains need the fuel that carbohydrates provide for us; and the energy that comes from protein is not a sufficient source to replenish the rest of our bodies. Thus, including more protein-rich foods as part of our diet does not compensate for this loss of energy. Eating excessive amounts of protein affects our health in a negative way. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods that are recommended by low-carbohydrate/ high-protein diets actually promote an increased risk of heart disease. A weight loss plan that leads to such adverse effects on the body is definitely not a dieter’s healthiest option. Before adhering to a diet plan, one must weigh the pros and cons of its effects. It is easy to see that in the case of low-carbohydrate/ high-protein diets, the negatives outweigh the positive.

The impact of French imperialism on Indochina to 1945 Essay

Being an imperialist country, France pursed to increase its power, wealth and influence by gaining authority over other parts in the world. South America and Africa were among the countries the French Empire had owned in addition to Indochina who lost its independence after the war against China, which lasted from 1884-1885. Indochina was a main asset to France, especially in the field of economics and social power between other countries such as China and Japan. Despite the advantage Indochina gave to France, the control of the French was not considered beneficial to the Indochinese nation. Politically, France reduced the country’s sense of unity by separating Indochina into three administrative sections called Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina. Political control varied, as it was direct control for the colony of Cochinchina, however indirect control for Annam and Tonkin. The difference between these areas was the fact that the Vietnamese who lived in Cochinchina were able to gain French citizenship and were enabled to hold seats in the National Assembly in Paris. This meant that authority held by the Vietnamese Emperor was strongly weakened, as his mandarins who gave him his authority worked for the French governor. Whereas, in Annam and Tonkin citizens weren’t allowed access to French citizenship and their territory were not counted as part of France. Their emperors continued authorities through the exercise of French govern. This essentially divided the united power of Indochina as power comes in the masses. In terms of social culture, it was French policy to encourage the educated to serve in the army or civil service and to assimilate into French society. Through assimilation of French ideals, the educated Vietnamese people adopted the illusion of French revolutionary concepts of liberty, fraternity and equality. This was contradicting as they were excluded from political, administrative and managerial positions. If an educated Vietnamese were to hold such a position, they’d receive a fraction of the wages earned by their French counterparts. This was due to the theory that Indochinese people were inferior and relied on French culture to overcome their state of disorder. As a result, the French officials who ruled the provinces undermined traditional control of village notables, which led to the conversion of several million Vietnamese people and condemned the traditional practice of ancestral worship. Due to the angered realisation of double standards of liberty and equality, open rebellion and hunger marches in 1930 led to the execution of leaders, the killing by troops of 10000 participants and the deportation of 50000 more. Protests to French authority resulted in serving a jail centre, which was more popular to find than hospital facilities. Indochina gave many opportunities to France to increase wealth and prestige internationally. Due to Indochina’s location a trading relationship with China was made convenient. Having by 1897, gained mineral concession in three provinces there, the French built to railways accessing to China. By 1910 the railway to Yunnan was built by 80000 Vietnamese workers, in which thirty per cent being the subject of mortality. The majority of Indochina’s 25 million people were used as cheap labour workers to work in mines, factories, rice fields and rubber plantations to produce large quantities of corn, rice, rubber, silk, tin and zinc. Exclusive possession of alcohol, opium and salt trade also significantly amplified France’s financial state. Land grants were given to French settlers and wealthy Vietnamese people who possessed eighty per cent of land. Peasants were living in poverty caused by high rent payment, high taxes and debt to moneylenders. The building of canals, roads, railway lines and port facilities as well as the administration of Indochina were funded by heavy labour of the Vietnamese resources and working-class peasants. The response to oppression caused resistance from the Indochinese nation. Guerrillas fought to prevent forceful takeover and loss of heritage. Further violence was the response of French authority. This worsened the involvement of violence due to the fact that it stimulated further resistance. Nationalism arose from the involvement in world war one, which caused further intense resistance. Education provided by the French was beneficial to the Vietnamese, as they provided and encouraged an understanding and commitment to nationalist ideas. This caused two radical revolutionary groups to emerge and challenge French authority. The more powerful group  called the Indochinese communist party (ICP) was founded by Ho Chi Minh who brought prominence in 1930. The French underestimated its motivation, resistance and ability, which resulted in their failure to destroy it. The pacific war ended in august 1945 and by the 20th of August Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh took control of the government buildings. This was due to the fact that there was a French absence in the colony. The ‘August revolution’ spread across Vietnam and Viet Minh groups’ accessed control of all government levels. On the 19th of August the provisional government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) was announced and on the 2nd of September Ho Chi Minh declared independence in front of his nation. His ten goals included overthrowing French imperialism to make Indochina independent, establish a worker-peasant and soldier government, distribute assets of belonging and plantations to the peasants, implement an 8 hour working day, abolish unfair taxes on peasants, bring freedom to the masses and implement equality between both sexes. French imperialism impacted Indochina Economically, Socially and Politically. In the long run, it provided the Vietnamese with advantages such as infrastructure, education and economic wealth. However, in order to achieve this the French imperialists caused destruction to the masses with burdens of unreasonable debt, high rates of death and forced cheap labour. In order to achieve independence, education on concepts of liberty, fraternity and equality ironically provided by the French gave Vietnamese communists the ability to fight French authority. Through the resistance and support of the majority of the Indochinese nation, the Viet Minh were successful to overcome oppression of their people and ultimately gained insight to political, economic and social welfare on an international scale. Despite his efforts to gain support of the United States, Ho Chi Minh’s letters went unanswered and instead the United States agreed to support France’s demand for support of reclamation of Vietnam.

International Institutions and Realism

Becky, Tam Hing Lui Prof. Chan Ding Ding GPEC 5002 Challenges to the Global System: Insecurity of the World 17 November 2012 HOW CAN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FACILITATE COOPERATION? WHAT WOULD A REALIST SAY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS? Nations call for cooperation especially during and after crisis. One example was the Bretton Wood system created in 1944, with the purpose to revive the global economy after the serious damage in WWII. After the 2008 financial crisis, nations again asked for more international regulations and monitoring on the global financial system and suggested the â€Å"Bretton Wood II†.When we step back and think again, does the international regime facilitate cooperation between nations to solve global issues? The school of Liberalism puts more emphasis on the role of international institutions. Robert Keohane defined institutions as â€Å"persistent and connected sets of rules, both formal and informal, that prescribe behavioral roles, constrain a ctivity, and shape expectations† (1). By definition, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO) are formal institution while Bretton Wood Agreement, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are informal.Under the anarchy environment in the international platform, it is possible to facilitate cooperation through the establishment of international organizations by two specific features: Centralization and Independence (2). It is the independence and neutral characteristic of the international organizations that enhance the legitimacy of its actions, causing states willing to gather together and authorize the international organizations to centralize the activities and ultimately achieve cooperation. This reduces transaction costs and increase efficiency.Institutions coordinate activities including setting up forums and conferences, managing substantive operations, norm elaboration, neutral information provider, acting as trustee/arbiter, i ntervention and enforcement (2). We have identified 5 signature international institutions (IMF, World Bank, Bretton Wood System, GATT, WTO) as examples below to illustrate how the conduct of the above mentioned activities through the international organizations facilitate cooperation in the modern history. (I) IMF, World Bank, the Bretton Wood System and GATTBoth IMF and World Bank were established since the Bretton Wood system began. After WWII, countries suffered from poor economy as global production and trade were dampened during the war period. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, countries attempted to shore up their failing economies by sharply raising barriers to foreign trade, devaluing their currencies to compete against each other for export markets, and curtailing their citizens' freedom to hold foreign exchange. These attempts proved to be self-defeating. World trade declined sharply, and employment and living standards plummeted in many countries (3).There was st rong common interest amongst the states to boost up the economy. To facilitate trade and production, a stable monetary system is necessary and this is where the Bretton Wood system began. The US took the lead to stabilize the international monetary system by pegging USD into gold at a fixed rate (USD35 / ounce of gold) while the remaining 44 countries agreed to keep their exchange rates pegged to USD at rates that could be adjusted only to correct a â€Å"fundamental disequilibrium† in the balance of payments, and only with the IMF's agreement.The IMF therefore became the independent clearing house of the balance of payments and to ensure the exchange rate mechanism worked as specified. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), now the World Bank Group underwrite private loans to stimulate economy. Both the organizations obtained the legitimacy from their independence and neutrality hence was able to manage the substantive operations between states efficie ntly and effectively. Members in General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) agreed on reduction in tariffs and trade barriers amongst members.The GATT, unlike the IMF and World Bank, was not an independent organization but rather a forum within which countries met. This provides a platform for elites to negotiate and reach agreement and avoid conflicts and adverse competition. With the GATT rounds held between 1947 and 1967, most barriers have been removed and tariffs have been the lowest. With the Bretton Wood framework in place along with the newly established international institutions which provide free market, long term capital and stable monetary system, global trade and production exploded during the period.Over the first 25 postwar years, the volume of world trade doubled every 10 years (4). This has been proven as a successful international cooperation in the modern history. (II) World Trade Organization (WTO) Established under the Marrakech Agreement in 1995, the Geneva based WTO replaced GATT as the center of world trade system. Its core principles are to promote market liberalization, non-discrimination and provide legal structure for international trade. Same as GATT, it provides forum for trade negotiations and administers trade agreements.In addition, WTO also supplies mechanism through which governments may resolve trade disputes, review and propagate the national trade policies, provide useful data and information, and to ensure the coherence and transparency of trade policies through surveillance in global economic policy-making. The Decision making process is transparent, rules based and members driven. Each member government has one vote. WTO members have agreed that, if they believe fellow-members are violating trade rules, they will use the multilateral system of settling disputes instead of taking action unilaterally.The Dispute Settlement Board consists of the Appellate Body, the WTO Secretariat, arbitrators, independent experts and several specialized institutions (WTO website). According to WTO data, world merchandise exports worth over $5 trillion in 1998. In real terms, that represents an 18-fold increase over 1948. Exports of manufactures were 43 times larger than 50 years earlier. Over the same period, world output grew 8-fold, and world production of manufactures 10-fold. It is the independent and fair decision making process and the neutral dispute settlement mechanism given the legitimacy of WTO to attract members.The monitoring role and dispute settlement mechanism allow states to overcome â€Å"market failures† in international relations. Hence WTO can fully perform its functions to facilitate cooperation in order to promote trade. From the above examples, international institutions while maintaining independence and neutrality, promote states cooperation and achieve objectives by increasing the efficiency of collective activities, reducing conflicts, facilitating communications and negotiatio n and implementation of agreements. Realist a had different interpretation in the role of these international institutions.Traditional realists recognize that institutions are a vital part of the landscape of world politics. Traditional realism assess the effectiveness of institutions in 2 ways (5): [A] Institution as tools of empowerment enable hagemon to rule others and to manage regional and world affairs more effectively and efficiently than would be possible in their absence. [B] Institution as constraint such as balance of power politics and Concert diplomacy guide and direct Great Power behavior in accordance with the established rules of the game. We will continue with the example of 1944 Bretton Wood System to illustrate the above 2 points below.Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes, the architect of the Bretton Wood System, was disappointed by the final evolution of the Bretton Woods institutions, for Keynes believed that the politicians were perverting the original i deas. The final design guaranteed predominance of the US due to various reasons including emphasis on USD by linking all currencies to USD, dominance of US power in the weighted percentage vote in IMF. However, this is inevitable in the realities of power politics as US was the lender while rest of the world were the borrower and US was the only superpower at that time.This explained the point A above that the hagemon (US) dominance to rule others and able to manage the international trade and monetary system more effectively and efficiently by putting the states into the Bretton Wood agreement and establishment of the institutions. The US and other states were constrained within the agreement and monitoring by the institutions as described in the above point B. While US constrained the other states by the guaranteed predominance in the system, US at the same time was constrained by losing its freedom on domestic policy as USD is pegged at a fixed rate to gold.Neorealists tend to do wnplay the role of institutions on cooperation. John Mearsheimer described international institution as â€Å"a set of rules that stipulate the ways in which states should cooperate and compete with one another† and claims that institutions â€Å"matter only on the margins† and â€Å"have minimal influence on state behavior† (6). Structural realists in the Waltzian vein also paid little attention to international institutions. Neorealists argue that institution cause states to behave in ways they otherwise would not behave, for example foregoing short term, self interest in favor of long-term community goals (Jervis 1983).In contrast, neoliberals claim that institutions matter because they enable states to do things they otherwise could not do, that is, achieve mutual gains from cooperation. Neorealists conceptualize institutions as constraints on state behavior; neoliberals see them as enabling states to reach mutually beneficial, cooperative outcomes. Neoreali sts emphasis on relative gains distribution amongst the actors within the institutions, while Neoliberals emphasis on maximizing overall absolute gains obtained in the community.The first point made by neorealists on the role of international institutions is â€Å"the emphasis on relative gains among actors could critically inhibit international cooperation†. Therefore, they may sometimes abstain from cooperation even when it would be beneficial for them in absolute terms. The overall result is that international institutions are more difficult to create and harder to maintain than neoliberals would have to believe. The likelihood for an institution to be put in place and to be stable is the greatest when the expected gains are balanced such that relative losses do not accrue (7).Without a higher power, states must worry about any state gaining a relative advantage through cooperation, because â€Å"today’s friend may be tomorrow’s enemy in war† (8). Just like what we have seen today, most of the institutions were first led by US as a higher power. States not only concern about cheating but also worry over the distribution of relative gains must be overcome for cooperation to blossom. One example would be the refusal of states to join the binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries in the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol at UN climate talk in November 2011.While the biggest emitting countries – US, China and India refused to join, the existing countries in Kyoto Protocol, including Canada, Japan and Russia have already refused to sign on for a second commitment period, objecting to the lack of legal constraints on the world’s biggest carbon polluters. Europe says it can accept a continuation, provided China and the United States show they are serious about major cuts in the coming years. This evidenced when there is relative gains distribution issue and worries on cheating, cooperation is not possible.The second point is that â€Å"institutions are epiphenomenal, that they merely reflect power and interest† (9). They challenge the Independence of the international institutions. Institutions existed but do not mitigate in any way the anarchy of the international system and is the same world of power politics familiar to realists – institutions represented by powerful to serve their interests, and they are dissolved when power and interest shift. To illustrate, we will continue with the example of Bretton Wood system.During the late stage of Bretton Wood system, US power was declining as relied heavily on deficit spending while the other states growing surplus and gaining economic power. The intrinsic value of USD was declining due to deficit spending, over-investment outside US, spending on maintaining the military bases and the two wars US was fighting (Vietnam War and the large increase in social spending known as the War on Poverty) (4). While USD was officially pegged to gold at USD35 per ounce, USD was overvalued and investors and governments rushed to sell USD for gold.From 1961 until 1968, 7 billion dollars was cashed in, which took up more than 40% of US gold reserve. In 1971, US announced stopping the conversion of USD into gold and devaluation of USD. After the second devaluation of USD in 1973, all the states quitted the fixed exchange rate system and hence the Bretton Wood system officially collapsed since then together with the significantly reduced importance of IMF and World Bank. In my opinion, both schools of thoughts are important to explain different matters in different scenario.There is no one single answer towards whether international institutions facilitate cooperation or the opposite. As explained with the example of Bretton Wood system throughout the whole article, both liberal institutionalism and realism explained the setup of the system from different perspective while realism explained the end of th e cooperation. It appears that the effective cooperation induced by institutions is more transient in nature while power politics between the states is driving the backbone of the story.I believe realist view on international institution is more relevant to explain many of the critical outcomes in modern history. However, with globalization becomes the main theme of 21st century, role of state is diminishing as the dominance of multinational corporations does not preclude the characters of state. This creates more common interests between states, which make cooperation easier. The role of international institutions may be gradually enhanced and we may reach another conclusion. Works Cited 1. Keohane, Robert O. International lnstitutions and State Power: Essays in International Theory.Boulder: Westview Press, 1989 2. Abbott Kenneth and Snidal Duncan. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Ch. 11 , â€Å"Why States Act through Formal International Organizations. † Jour nal of Conflict Resolution. , 1998 3. IMF website. Cooperation and reconstruction (1944–71) http://www. imf. org/external/about/histcoop. htm 4. Frieden Jeffrey A. Global Capitalism Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. United States of America: Norton Paperback 2007 5. Schweller Randall and Priess David. A Tale of Two Realisms: Expanding the Institutions Debate.Mershon International Studies Review, Vol. 41, No. 1 (May, 1997), pp. 1-32 6. Mearsheimer, John. The False Promise of International Institutions. International Security. 1994/95 19(3):5-49. 7. Hasenclever Andreas, Mayer Peter and Rittberger Volker. Integrating Theories of International Regimes. Review of International Studies, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Jan. , 2000), pp. 3-33 8. Grieco, Joseph M. , Powell Robert, and Nidal Duncans. The Relative-Gains Problem for International Cooperation. American Political Science Review 1993 87:729-743. 9. Stein Arthur A. Neoliberal Institutionalism Chapter 11 p. 206

Definition and Examples of Syllogisms

Definition and Examples of Syllogisms In logic, a syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. Adjective: syllogistic. Also known as a  categorical argument or a standard categorical syllogism. The term syllogism is from  the Greek, to infer, count, reckon Here is an example of a valid categorical syllogism: Major premise: All mammals are warm-blooded.Minor premise: All black dogs are mammals.Conclusion: Therefore, all black dogs are warm-blooded. In rhetoric, an abridged or informally stated syllogism is called an enthymeme. Pronunciation: sil-uh-JIZ-um Examples and Observations Among this countrys enduring myths is that success is virtuous, while the wealth by which we measure success is incidental. We tell ourselves that money cannot buy happiness, but what is incontrovertible is that money buys stuff, and if stuff makes you happy, well, complete the syllogism.(Rumaan Alam, Malcolm Forbes, More Than I Dreamed. The New York Times, June 8, 2016)Flavius: Have you forgot me, sir?Timon: Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men;Then, if thou grantst thourt a man, I have forgot thee.(William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, Act Four, scene 3 Major Premise, Minor Premise, and Conclusion The process of deduction has traditionally been illustrated with a syllogism, a three-part set of statements or propositions that includes a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. Major premise: All books from that store are new.Minor premise: These books are from that store.Conclusion: Therefore, these books are new. The major premise of a syllogism makes a general statement that the writer believes to be true. The minor premise presents a specific example of the belief that is stated in the major premise. If the reasoning is sound, the conclusion should follow from the two premises. . . .A syllogism is valid (or logical) when its conclusion follows from its premises. A syllogism is true when it makes accurate claims- that is, when the information it contains is consistent with the facts. To be sound, a syllogism must be both valid and true. However, a syllogism may be valid without being true or true without being valid.(Laurie J. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, The Concise Wadsworth Handbook, 2nd ed. Wadsworth, 2008) Rhetorical Syllogisms In building his theory of rhetoric around the syllogism despite the problems involved in deductive inference Aristotle stresses the fact that rhetorical discourse is discourse directed toward knowing, toward truth not trickery. . . . If rhetoric is so clearly related to dialectic, a discipline whereby we are enabled to examine inferentially generally accepted opinions on any problem whatsoever (Topics 100a 18-20), then it is the rhetorical syllogism [i.e., the enthymeme] which moves the rhetorical process into the domain of reasoned activity, or the kind of rhetoric Plato accepted later in the Phaedrus.(William M.A. Grimaldi, Studies in the Philosophy of Aristotles Rhetoric. Landmark Essays on Aristotelian Rhetoric, ed. by Richard Leo Enos and Lois Peters Agnew. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1998 A Presidential Syllogism On  Meet the Press, . . . [Tim] Russert reminded [George W.] Bush, The Boston Globe and the Associated Press have gone through some of their records and said theres no evidence that you reported to duty in Alabama during the summer and fall of 1972. Bush replied, Yeah, theyre just wrong. There may be no evidence, but I did report. Otherwise, I wouldnt have been honorably discharged. Thats the Bush syllogism: The evidence says one thing; the conclusion says another; therefore, the evidence is false. (William Saletan, Slate, Feb. 2004) Syllogisms in Poetry: To His Coy Mistress [Andrew] Marvells To His Coy Mistress . . . involves a tripartite rhetorical experience which is argued like a classical syllogism: (1) if we had world enough and time, your coyness would be tolerable; (2) we do not have sufficient world or time; (3) therefore, we must love at a faster rate than gentility or modesty permit. Although he has written his poem in a continuous sequence of iambic tetrameter couplets, Marvell has separated the three elements of his argument into three indented verse-paragraphs, and, more important, he has proportioned each according to the logical weight of the part of the argument it embodies: the first (the major premise) contains 20 lines, the second (the minor premise) 12, and the third (the conclusion) 14.(Paul Fussell, Poetic Meter and Poetic Form, rev. ed. Random House, 1979) The Lighter Side of Syllogisms Dr. House: Words have set meanings for a reason. If you see an animal like Bill and you try to play fetch, Bills going to eat you, because Bills a bear.Little Girl: Bill has fur, four legs, and a collar. Hes a dog.Dr. House: You see, thats whats called a faulty syllogism; just because you call Bill a dog doesnt mean that he is . . . a dog.(Merry Little Christmas, House, M.D.)LOGIC, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding. The basic of logic is the syllogism, consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusionthus: Major Premise: Sixty men can do a piece of work sixty times as quickly as one man.Minor Premise: One man can dig a posthole in sixty seconds;thereforeConclusion: Sixty men can dig a posthole in one second. This may be called the syllogism arithmetical, in which, by combining logic and mathematics, we obtain a double certainty and are twice blessed. (Ambrose Bierce, The Devils Dictionary) It was at this point that the dim beginnings of a philosophy began to invade her mind. The thing resolved itself almost into an equation. If father had not had indigestion he would not have bullied her. But, if father had not made a fortune, he would not have had indigestion. Therefore, if father had not made a fortune, he would not have bullied her. Practically, in fact, if father did not bully her, he would not be rich. And, if he were not rich . . .. She took in the faded carpet, the stained wall-paper, and the soiled curtains with a comprehensive glance. . . . It certainly cut both ways. She began to be a little ashamed of her misery.(P.G. Wodehouse,  Something Fresh, 1915)

Pros and Cons of Class Field Trips

Pros and Cons of Class Field Trips Are field trips worth all the time and effort required to make them successful? Most teachers have asked themselves this question at one time or another, typically when feeling overwhelmed as they prepare for  a field trip. The truth is that field trips at any grade level can cause quite a few headaches for teachers. At the same time, well-planned field trips can provide students with truly educational experiences they cannot get in the confines of the classroom. Following is a look at the pros and cons of field trips. Benefits of Field Trips Field trips provide students with new opportunities for learning through experience: Information is presented to students in a way that meets different learning modalities.  Field trips provide students with the ability to learn by doing instead of just passively listening to the information being taught in class.  Students are exposed to  new experiences that hopefully broaden their horizons. This can be especially helpful for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who may not have been exposed to these opportunities before.  Concepts that have already been learned in the classroom can be reinforced. Sometimes seeing information being taught in a new way can make all the difference in student comprehension. There is quite a difference between being taught about something like hurricanes and wind speed and experiencing them in an exhibit at a science museum.  Students are provided with shared reference points that teachers can then refer to and use in future classes. There may be an opportunity to have two or more disciplines use a field trip as an enrichment activity. For example, a trip to an art museum (art) coupled with a timeline for social studies (political systems in place when art was created) or a combination math (measurements) with science in a biosystem (river, beach, meadow). That way, multiple teachers can then refer back to things that students saw and experienced for the rest of the school year.   Students and teachers can see each other in a different light, helping to increase communication between them. Some students who might be overlooked in class because they are quiet might really come alive on field trips.  If parents are involved as chaperones, they can feel more connected to the teacher and the lessons being taught. They can get to know the teacher  better and understand what teachers deal with daily.New standards in social studies and science  require students to have experiences  related to concepts in the discipline. In social studies, students are required to take informed action.  In science, students need to be exposed to a series of concepts to help them to better understand the world around them. Field trips help teachers meet these objectives. Problems to Know In Planning a Field Trip There are a number of concerns and challenges that teachers face when designing field trips that must be recognized and addressed before planning a field trip. Field Trips take time if teachers want to make the field trip meaningful. Teachers have to coordinate locations and transportation. They also need to create an effective lesson plan that they will follow when on the field trip.  Students will be out of the school building for a field trip, which means they will miss other classes. If each core subject area (ELA, math science, social studies) offered one field trip during a school year, students would be out of the building for four days. School attendance policies may count these as excused absences, but any field trip that removes students from class reduces the number of classroom hours.  Field trips can be expensive, and some students may not have the funds to attend. Organizers of the field trip may consider asking for parents to add a few dollars to scholarship students. There may need to be a fundraiser for students to raise money for more expensive trips.Teachers have to organize the collection of money and the assigning o f chaperones. Teachers need to spend some time creating student groups that work for all students and ensuring that chaperones are assigned accordingly.   There is often red tape that teachers have to deal with as they plan field trips including permission slips, medical information, and emergency procedures. Schools typically require paperwork from teachers and their students.  Students will be placed in a larger environment than the classroom. New surrounding could possibly lead to additional discipline problems. Because the teacher typically only leads a small group, they cannot keep control over the behavior of every student on the field trip. It is very important that teachers enforce rules strictly and create effective consequences for misbehavior while on field trips.  The field trip destination might not live up to the teachers expectations. The location might not be as interesting as the teacher thought it would be. The time to complete the field trip might be considerably less than was expected. Therefore, it is a good idea to have some contingency plan in mind just in case.There may be students who, for one reason or ano ther, will not attend the field trip. Teachers must leave lessons, usually enrichment lessons, that mirror some of the concepts being experienced on the field trip. Feedback: One of the best ways to measure the success of a field trip (other than returning all students back to the school) is to ask for feedback. Teachers can post a survey for participants and for other chaperones to express how they would evaluate the trip. Students should have the opportunity to reflect on the trip and write a response in a journal or essay. Requiring journal responses after the trip can solidify the information learned as students reflect about their new understandings.  Asking students to write a thank you to the school principal for allowing the trip may even smooth the path to additional field trips.   All in all, most teachers feel that well-chosen field trip destinations are quite worth the hassles associated with  field trips. The key is taking the time to plan each aspect as much as possible.  Teachers must be proactive when thinking about and planning field trips. Students, on the other hand, may remember the experience of the school field trip as a highlight of the school year, and the time they learned more than anything taught in class.

The Capabilities And Intentions Of Al-Qaeda Essay

The Capabilities And Intentions Of Al-Qaeda - Essay Example Al-Qaeda is an Islamic terrorist organization that has misused the Islamic teachings to propagate internal resentment of a few fundamentalists caused by desperation against western forces. These resentments are not totally baseless as the western world has down-casted the eastern world since times immemorial by trying to superimpose themselves on the lesser creed. However the methodology to show this anger is infuriated up to the height of absolute hatred for the western nations. Their stated purpose is to remove the U.S. from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and if possible, from the world arena (DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS, 2001); (Gunaratna, 2002). Al-Qaeda is part of the "The World Islamic Front" (the networks of the networks) which further has many distinguished terrorist organizations from all over the world including, Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaida, Al Jihad, the Islamic Group, Jamaat ul Ulema-e-Pakistan, the Moslem Brotherhood, components of the 'black' (operational) network from the defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce Inc. (BCCI), and elements of Abu Nidal's terrorist organization. However, the most successful organization has been Al-Qaeda, especially after the horrifying September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center (DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS, 2001). The leader as we know is Osama Bin Ladin however since his hiding, Al-Qaeda was been run by a superior strategist, Ayman al-Zawahiri (Hoffman, 2001); (McCarthy, 2004). Ironically for the United States, which is Al-Qaeda's number 1 enemy, the creation of Al-Qaeda was done thorugh secret channels by the US to drive out the Soviet Union (which was at that time US's number 1 enemy) from Afghanistan. At that time, he muslim fundamentalists were recurited to oppose the Soviet invasion to aid in US's mission in destroying the soviet power which ended in the disparging of Soviet Union in Russia and other countries (Jr., 2002). Attacks List From then onwards, these Muslim fundamentalists formed the Al-Qaeda organization and formed their credo to destroy all those nations that were either practicing a tainted Islamic life or were Non-Islamic nations trying to take over the Islamic nations. Till now, Al-Qaeda has committed numerous acts of violence against such countries using conventional bombings, shoot-outs, and now more recently, suicide bombings. Important and high-level acts of violence include the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, a four month bombing campaign in France in 1995 targeting the metro, the Arc de Triomphe and a Jewish school in Lyon, multiple bombings in Pakistan in 2002, bomb attacks against 4 trains in Madrid in 2004 when terrorists blew themselves up when confronted by police, and 4 explosions in UK in 2005 in tube trains and a bus. (Archive, 2005) Intentions Ever since the formation of Al-Qaeda, their sole objective has been to destroy the western influence on Islamic lives even if it means death and destruction. And they have shown that they are ready to take their own lives to convey their messages to the world. The global media has also been very actively covering Al-Qaeda related news and every once in a while, a video tape of Osama Bin Laden appears on our TV screens, with the Al-Qaeda leader congratulating his people for the attacks and continuously warning America against further attacks. Osama's nominal deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, published a treatise in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Alsharq al-Awsat in December 2001 with the title "Knights Under the Prophet's Banner." The article painted a picture of Islam under siege by a predatory, Western-dominated world in which "there is no

Governmental Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Governmental Accounting - Essay Example A decrease in the pension plan funding implies the plan’s liabilities are more than the assets. In the short term the funds may get sufficient contributions and revenues to meet the requirement for paying scheduled benefits but this may only take some years. This may not take long and so In the long run the pension must eventually address the shortfalls. This will mean the pension plans seek more funding in order to cater for the surplus in liabilities and this most probably is in the form of increased contributions by the government. An increase in contributions by government would mean either an increase in taxes or reduction of services by the government to the citizens (Elmendorf, 2011). 2. A city manager was overheard saying, "Since we dont release them to the public, I dont see any value in taking the time to prepare interim reports." Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement. Companies prepare financial reports and issue to the public, creditors and investors in order to give a picture of the firm’s financial position and performance for specific periods. The reports therefore in my opinion give very useful information for persons external to the company; the reports generally show profitability, asset & debt positions, revenues, usage of cash as well as what the owners have invested over the period. Interim reports are prepared for time spans less than a year and can be used temporarily to analyze the firm’s financial standing until that time when consolidated yearly statements are made available. The reports are produced on a quarterly or semi-annual basis though some firms commonly give monthly reports to their creditors for purposes of securing loans. As such therefore the interim reports may not be required for reporting purposes but are important to investors, public, suppliers and more importantly banks for credit scoring reasons. I do not agree with the statement for the reasons stated above and the fact that