Are Book Signings Too Old-Fashioned

Are Book Signings Too Old-Fashioned This past week, a new author with a newly-released book asked how I approached libraries about holding a book signing. The question took me aback a second, because from my experiences over these last few years, theres almost no such thing as just a signing anymore. Out of my response to her, I molded this weeks essay. First, I dont ask libraries for a book signing. I suggest a presentation for their customers. While books are set up in the back of the room for sale, thats not the point of the event. Libraries are educational, and writers have to think beyond just autographs. Signings When I appear at libraries, Im teaching writing, editing, publishing, marketing, and mysteries, not appearing to talk about s elling my books. Thats not to say that my books arent woven into the presentation. But your chances improve for acceptance if you approach libraries with more opportunity for them than for you. The author responded that she didnt want to promote herself, only wanted readers to buy the book. So I replied: If readers only wanted the book, they wouldnt want the signatures or the appearances and would just order the thing from Amazon. Readers want more of authors these days. They want to know the details behind the book, behind the author. Promotion is a big deal  with so many people writing a book. Consider these appearances as events, more than book selling. Otherwise, you will continue selling five books here and five books there forever. There have been events where I sold not a single bookhowever, I found ways to have my appearance paid for. Yes, Im am paid to appear at most library functions. My library events alone were about $8,000 of my income this year, because I was willing to speak about writing, publishing, editing, and the magic behind mysteries, making the books secondary. Its a balance, and you learn as you go. Become more than the author of a book. Assure librarians you are there for them. Become a professional author with the book being a tool. Thats how you begin accruing  a writing income.

Fluorine Facts - Atomic Number 9 or F

Fluorine Facts - Atomic Number 9 or F Fluorine is a halogen that exists under ordinary conditions as a pale yellow diatomic gas. The element is found in fluoridated water, toothpaste, and refrigerants. Here are facts about this interesting element. Fluorine Atomic Data Atomic Number: 9 Symbol: F Atomic Weight: 18.998403 Discovery: Henri Moissan 1886 (France) Electron Configuration: [He]2s22p5 Word Origin:  The name fluorine comes from the Latin and French fluere: flow or flux. Sir Humphry Davy proposed the element name, based on its presence in fluoric acid. The -ine suffix is consistent with the naming of other halogens. However, the element is named fluor in Greek and Russian. In early papers, it is referred to as fluorum. Properties: Fluorine has a melting point of -219.62 °C (1 atm), boiling point of -188.14 °C (1 atm), density of 1.696 g/l (0 °C, 1 atm), specific gravity of liquid of 1.108 at its boiling point, and valence of 1. Fluorine is a corrosive pale yellow gas. It is highly reactive, participating in reactions with virtually all organic and inorganic substances. Fluorine is the most electronegative element. Metals, glass, ceramics, carbon, and water will burn with a bright flame in fluorine. It is possible that fluorine can substitute for hydrogen in organic reactions. Fluorine has been known to form compounds with rare gases, including xenon, radon, and krypton. Free fluorine has a characteristic pungent odor, detectable at concentrations as low as 20 ppb. Toxicity: Both elemental fluorine and the fluoride ion are highly toxic. The recommended maximum allowable concentration for a daily 8-hour time-weighted exposure is 0.1 ppm. Neither fluorine nor its ion, fluoride, are considered trace nutrients for human nutrition. However, fluoride does impact bone strength. Uses: Fluorine and its compounds are used in producing uranium. Fluorine, in the form of fluorite, is added during smelting to help reduce the melting points of metals. Fluorochlorohydrocarbons are used in refrigeration applications. Fluorine is used to produce many chemicals, including several high-temperature plastics. The presence of sodium fluoride in drinking water at the level of 2 ppm may cause mottled enamel in teeth, skeletal fluorosis, and may be associated with cancer and other diseases. However, topically applied fluoride (toothpaste, dental rinses) may help reduce the incidence of dental caries. Sources: Fluorine occurs in fluorspar (CaF) and cryolite (Na2AF6) and is widely distributed in other minerals. It is obtained by electrolyzing a solution of potassium hydrogen fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in container of transparent fluorspar or metal. Element Classification: Halogen Isotopes: Fluorine has 17 known isotopes ranging from F-15 to F-31. F-19 is the only stable and most common isotope of fluorine.Density (g/cc): 1.108 ( -189 °C) Appearance:  At room temperature and pressure, pure fluorine is a very pale, greenish-yellow, pungent, corrosive gas. Liquid fluorine, like chlorine, is bright yellow. Solid fluorine is found in alpha and beta allotropes. The alpha form is opaque, while the beta form is transparent. Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 17.1 Covalent Radius (pm): 72 Ionic Radius: 133 (-1e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.824 (F-F) Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 0.51 (F-F) Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 6.54 (F-F) Pauling Negativity Number: 3.98 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 1680.0 Oxidation States: -1 Lattice Structure: Monoclinic CAS Registry Number: 7782-41-4 Fluorine Trivia Fluorine in the form of the mineral fluorite was used in the 1500s to aid in ore smelting.Fluorine was suspected to be an element as early as 1810 but wasnt successfully isolated until 1886. Many chemists trying to isolate the element would be blinded or even killed by the violent reactions that generally accompany fluorine gas.Henri Moissan earned the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for being the chemist who finally successfully isolated fluorine (and also invented the electric arc furnace).Fluorine is the 13th most common element in the Earths crust.Fluorine is the 24th most abundant in the universe. Fluorine Fast Facts Element Name: FluorineElement Symbol: FAtomic Number: 9Appearance: Pale yellow gas.Group: Group 17 (Halogen)Period: Period 2Discovery: Henri Moissan (June 26, 1886) Sources Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A–Z Guide to the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1998). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.Moissan, Henri (1886). Action dun courant à ©lectrique sur lacide fluorhydrique anhydre. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des sà ©ances de lAcadà ©mie des sciences (in French). 102: 1543–1544.Nielsen, Forrest H. (2009). Micronutrients in Parenteral Nutrition: Boron, Silicon, and Fluoride. Gastroenterology. 137 (5): S55–60. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.07.072Patnaik, Pradyot (2007). A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances (3rd ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-71458-3.

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 14

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example Venturing into the American market requires a workable strategy that goes in line with the current needs of the customers. This means that the organisation has to conduct a thorough market research that would enable it come up with strategies of conquering the market. Lymbersky (29) noted that marketing strategy is all about defining objectives of the way an organisation intends to join a new market and satisfy the customers. Since Chery Cars China is not the first organisation to enter into the American market, it is apparent that there are different things that the organisation needs to look at to decide on the kind of products the American market needs. It would also be critical to understand what other organisations are offering so that the organisation can come up with unique products that would meet the expectations of the customers (Adekola, Abel and Serg). Besides, the customers must be convinced that Chery Cars China has high quality cars that are different from what they are used in the local market. With the American market being flooded with strong automobile companies like general motors and ford, Chery Cars China has to first carryout a market research on the quality of cars manufactured by these companies. This is indispensable in that the organisation will understand the taste of the customers before venturing into the market (Fernandez and Shengjun 2). This would call for a thorough assessment of the weaknesses of the existing companies so that the organisation can take advantage of that ad develops models that would please the customers. For instance, one of the leading strategies employed by the ford company in the US market is provision of quality cars that make its customers loyal. With the increased debate on the need to have eco-friendly cars in the contemporary world, Chery Cars China can take advantage and decide to design

Sales Performance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales Performance - Case Study Example Keeping the quality maintained it was necessary to take a step which leads to make the standardize space in market for the brand and though I lowered the retail selling price of this product to 5.25. It isn't a big loss but a nice way to attract consumers to use this product. It wasn't a bad decision, as per my decision to lower down the price for attracting more customers becomes true to the fact that sale price raised from 102.1 to 119.7, net income raised from 67.2 to 99.6 and stock price move up from 38.35 to 51.89. It was a nice and successful decision as at the end of year the brand was known among customers and made its fix place in the market. But, as nobody is perfect, I missed the advantage of consumers i.e., I forgot to fix the budget in a manner that consumers may get good allowance as well. It was the time to satisfy the consumers as well before they stop requesting for the brand. As alternatives for every product is available in the market and the vital source to keep the brand name in market is to keep the consumers in hand. Though, I made the decision to satisfy consumers this year sustaining the brand name. However, things were not stabling but still the brand name was flourishing in the market with upraise of 2.9%. But unfortunately, from market efficiency to consumer satisfaction everything was lowering. I was still satisfied that my aim to make place in the market till new product introduces was on its advancing stage. But yet to manage the budget and keep other resources satisfied. There I noticed that in deed of gaining name I lost the direct sales force from 94 to 75. Part 3: The summary of year 3 performance; To stabilize sales force before the product launch, a strong step has to be taken in order the brand name enhancement strategy don't get disturbed. For this, numbers of sales people were hired, and different branches with the company name are opened. This step enhances the direct sales force from 75 to 114. A good margin was increased to sale of the product in many new locations publicizing the brand name. Opening of 5 drug stores, 22 chain drug stores, and introducing the brand product Allround in grocery and convenience stores involves a large amount of money. I had overlooked the expenditure on hiring and showing off brand name all over which made me loss of 4.7 Million. Moreover, for the good sale I might have given too much discount which made a big affect on stock price which lowers 7.29% and net income that lowers at the difference of 18.4%. I would have a nice budget plan. Part 4: The summary of year 4 performance; Loss of 4.7 million was not less, still when a new product has to be launched this year. Despite the fact that, loss is there, I decided to launch the new product Allround+ with minimum price, to all stores and sacrifice with the budget loss. Moreover, I planned to lessen the sales force a bit. This was the start of new product and though launched at minimal rate 4.85. It attracts the customers and due to the same discounts from the company consumption went fine this year. Net Income and stock price

Business Payment Methods Essay Example for Free

Business Payment Methods Essay At this time of building my business I need to consider the ways in which I will permit my customers to pay for the books that they buy from my book store. Today there are a wide array of payment solutions available for any buyer of goods and services and to buy books, almost all modes of payment available can be used by the customer whether it is electronically or by direct use of card at the shop or by paying in cash. If the customer is   regular and can be trusted or is a regular bulk customer, check payments can also be accepted. In view of the competitions in the sale of books I have to take some element of risk in this regard in keeping with the business practices. For direct sales at the store a wide choice of payments are available to the customer. He can pay directly in cash or by credit or debit card. I believe cash payment has the least hassles applicable as the money has already come in the moment a sale is done. In the ase of debit and credit cards a wide margin has to be provided for without any applicable discounts since a percentage of the sale amount has to be given to the financial institutions as part of the applicable commission for use of their services. The business of electronic payments is growing rapidly in view of the convenience involved and a wide array of payment options are available which are acceptable in the case of my book store. In addition to the tradition card payments other options are also cceptable to me such as mail order, online payments, acquiring bank payments and through payment bureaus. I understand that as long as a sale is taking place I can accept 2 any of these payment modes provided the financial institution is reputed to make fast payments and is reliable for its transparency in fair dealings. In such cases I may have to reduce my margins a little, but that is ok since most businesses work on volumes and hence I can make up on the low margins.

Afghanistan- A Country in Distress Essay -- essays research papers

Afghanistan- A Country in Distress Afghanistan, a country located in South Asia just east of Iran whose population is 28,513,677, is one of the countries that I chose to address. Their government is under Transitional Authority which is in a state of unrest as national elections would formally dissolve this system and adapt or establish the Government of Afghanistan under a new constitution. The country like others in the Middle East suffers from enormous poverty and a few other problems to include the lack of skilled and educated workers, which also has such a grave effect on most other countries. The lack of is more than likely what lies beneath the country’s poverty. If people aren’t educated or don’t have the knowledge to perform certain tasks then this definitely causes a problem with employment issues. Not only does the country have problems as these but they are also plagued by the crumbling infrastructure and land mines which hinder the expansion or opening of more companies, so there are definite geographical issues as well. One of the main economic concerns that I would like to make mention of is the poverty rate and problem with employment. Although the rate of unemployment is zero the lack of skilled and educated people could lead to possible unemployment as the job market calls for education and skill. With these factors in mind we think of the reasoning behind the poverty; if most of the labor force are uneducated and unskilled then the rate of pay isn’t very... Afghanistan- A Country in Distress Essay -- essays research papers Afghanistan- A Country in Distress Afghanistan, a country located in South Asia just east of Iran whose population is 28,513,677, is one of the countries that I chose to address. Their government is under Transitional Authority which is in a state of unrest as national elections would formally dissolve this system and adapt or establish the Government of Afghanistan under a new constitution. The country like others in the Middle East suffers from enormous poverty and a few other problems to include the lack of skilled and educated workers, which also has such a grave effect on most other countries. The lack of is more than likely what lies beneath the country’s poverty. If people aren’t educated or don’t have the knowledge to perform certain tasks then this definitely causes a problem with employment issues. Not only does the country have problems as these but they are also plagued by the crumbling infrastructure and land mines which hinder the expansion or opening of more companies, so there are definite geographical issues as well. One of the main economic concerns that I would like to make mention of is the poverty rate and problem with employment. Although the rate of unemployment is zero the lack of skilled and educated people could lead to possible unemployment as the job market calls for education and skill. With these factors in mind we think of the reasoning behind the poverty; if most of the labor force are uneducated and unskilled then the rate of pay isn’t very...

Child Abuse And Abandonment

Unfortunately, it is occurring more and more in today’s society that these defenseless children are being robbed of their childhood innocence and happiness and are being forced to face the cruel reality of our world at far too young an age. These Children are victims of neglect and abuse, primarily caused by family members or people they are close to. Child neglect is the most common form of abuse, and is therefore the main subject that will be covered in this essay.This disturbing and extremely common, yet rarely talked about topic effects at least one out of every 10 children under the age of 14 in Canada alone. Child abuse and neglect are one of the largest problems occurring in society, and in order for the situation to improve, we need to stop ignoring the fact that it is a daily reality, and become better educated on the topic and how to prevent it. After all, the children of today are the future of tomorrow, and they deserve to start their lives surrounded by love, and free from fear and pain.Many children these days take the love, support, and presence of their parents for granted, often starting arguments over unimportant things and getting upset when things do not go their way. Sadly, what they do not realize is that a large number of children do not get to know what a parent’s presence feels like, let alone having their constant love and support. Millions of children around the world suffer from abuse and neglect, and wake up every morning fearful of what the day will hold.There is no exact definition that holds enough value to be able to describe the fear and pain that these young children go through each day, but by law, child abuse has been defined as â€Å"an act, or failure to act, on the part of the parent or caretaker that results in the death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child, or which places the child in an imminent risk of serious harm. † There are four kinds of child abuse; p hysical, sexual, emotional and neglect. All kinds of abuse are illegal in Canada and the United States.Although each type f child abuse is of great importance, neglect is the most common form of child mistreatment in Canada (accounting for 62% of all reported abuse cases), and can cause damage even more severe than that of any other form of abuse. Neglect is when the caregiver does not provide necessary attention to the child’s safety, physical, emotional or psychological needs. In severe cases, neglect can lead to abandonment, which is when a parent relinquishes permanent rights and claims to a child outside legal adoption.Child abandonment is a severe problem, accounting for almost half (43.3%) of all fatal child abuse cases. In Canada, there are over 15, 980 neglected children, and that number is only a rough estimate, because the majority of neglect cases are left unreported. The children that are more at risk of becoming victims are disabled children, who are twice as li kely, and aboriginal children, who make up the majority of child abuse and neglect victims in Canada. Many parents or caregivers who neglect and abandon their children do so because they suffer from depression, lack of initiative, futility, a low level of education, a poor socioeconomic status, unemployment, substance abuse or social isolation.Other factors that could lead to neglect and abandonment can include that the child was the outcome of sexual assault or incest, or is perceived by the caregiver as an obstacle to personal achievements. If a child suffers from neglect, signs of the abuse may include severe need of medical or dental care, frequent school absences, stealing food, begging for money, dressing inappropriately for the weather, not answering questions directly about his parents or caregivers, and drastic changes in personality and appearance. If a child is reported as being neglected or abused, Children’s Aid Society (CAS) goes to inspect the home.If the accus ations prove true, the child is then taken from the parent or caregiver (either temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the abuse), and is places either in the custody of another relative, or in foster care. The sentence of the caregiver depends on how severe the abuse or neglect is, and can vary from having to pay a fine, to losing custody of the child, to being imprisoned. As Canadian citizens and members of our community, it is our duty to protect the children by reporting any signs of abuse or neglect to the authorities.Unfortunately, not many people do so, and by consequence, the young children have no voice, and are forced to continue suffering in silence. One may not think that child abuse and neglect has much of an impact for the population, but in reality, it largely affects many aspects of today’s –and tomorrow’s- society. Economically, child abuse is very costly. Once a child had been taken out of the custody of his or her parents, th ey are often taken to hospitals where their medical needs are taken care of, and then placed into foster homes.The treatment  and trips to the hospital quickly become very costly, and the foster care alone costs the country over $6 billion a year. Also, each abandoned child could cost the government over $3,000 a day. Although the money is going towards the great cause of providing abused and abandoned children with a better life, it is a completely avoidable matter that is costing extreme amounts of money. Also, there has been a dramatic increase in child abuse and neglect since 1991, and the numbers are still growing. If this trend continues, there will be more children who are abused than those who are not.What this will mean for society is higher taxes, and adults who have more issues and lower skill levels. The effects of abuse and neglect on children are that they have poor social skills and lower education levels, a higher rate of mental and physical disabilities, delinquen cy, violence, drug abuse and depression. In addition, abused or neglected children have a higher tendency to abuse and neglect their own children later in life. This means that a large portion of our world will be governed by physically and emotionally damaged adults, who may do the same to their own children.This will result in many socioeconomic problems for our future. As was said before, the children today are the future of tomorrow, and if we want a good future for our world, we need to treat the children properly and give them the knowledge and love they deserve to become well-rounded adults. Countless organizations around the world work to improve the issue of child abuse, neglect and abandonment, as it is an increasingly important problem in our society. However, I have only selected one organization to write about- The Door of Hope.The Door of Hope is an organization located in Johannesburg, South Africa that has a mission to rescue and receive any abandoned, abused or orph aned babies and children in and around their city. They work to provide a temporary Christian home for all the children while seeking a forever family, suitable long term care or other permanent care for each one. The Door of Hope organization began in 1999, when the pastor of a small church in Johannesburg, named Cheryl Allen, learned that a high number of newly born infants were being abandoned.Cheryl realized that many of the young women abandoning their babies may have acted differently had there been an alternative. The church then made a â€Å"baby bin† in the side of the wall, where mothers could place their infants who would then be brought into the church and taken care of by the volunteers. When news spread, babies began being brought in by police, community members, hospitals and clinics. By having complete faith and reliance in God, the ministry has grown, and saves over 100 children’s lives each year.Because this organization is still relatively small, the y only have a few fundraisers, but are working hard to get more activities and more people to raise awareness and support their cause. Their annual fundraisers are; the Barnyard Fundraiser, a production that lets you experience the music and famous icons of the 80’s. It is a fun-filled all night event of music, comedy and dancing that includes dinner. They also sell Door of Hope memorabilia at the entrance.Another one of their fundraisers is the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which is a bicycle race held in South Africa for any level of cyclist. They ask that participants do their best to raise as much money as possible for the cause, and that they purchase a door of hope shirt to wear on the day of the race. The Door of Hope is a strictly Christian organization that fully believes and trusts in God’s plan. Therefore, there are many possible parables and Beatitudes that could be connected to Door of Hope, but it is the fifth Beatitude that I think represents them the b est; â€Å"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.†Mercy is having love towards those that are miserable and those that need some type of help or assistance. The merciful are those who are compassionate towards those who need mercy, and go out of their way to make the effort to help. Cheryl Allen and the volunteers at Door of Hope truly show that they are merciful by taking abandoned, abused and orphaned infants and children, many of whom are extremely ill or problematic. They spend their days tending to these young children to make sure they get the love and attention they need for no pay whatsoever, and are extremely humble about it.I believe that this is what makes them so merciful. They give all they have to help these infants, yet ask for nothing in return. The only reward they need is to see a child’s smile, knowing that their life has been saved, and that they will now be able to live to their fullest potential. If someone wanted to support the Do or of Hope Organization, they could either send a donation in the form of a cheque through the mail or by credit card over the internet. They could also â€Å"adopt a cot†, which is sending a monthly donation to provide a child with a bed and necessary supplies.A third option, which would be for the most dedicated of supporters, is to go volunteer at the organization. They accept international volunteers and will help pay for your travel and stay, but you must fundraise as well. The international volunteers have to be 18-60 years of age, will stay from 1-12 months and will help with the babies daily, along with other responsibilities. I think that the Door of Hope is a truly spectacular organization, and I hope that when I graduate from Highschool, I will be able to help as an international volunteer.In conclusion, child abuse and neglect is an extreme problem plaguing our society, and we need to help bring a stop to it. If not, the effects of this abuse will impact many aspe cts of our future, as well as damaging the lives of countless children and denying them of their full potential. Become an active member of your community, and when you suspect a child is being abused, do not hesitate to report it. You could be saving their life.

Denis McDonough

â€Å"What Barack has said is that we can begin withdrawing our troops immediately, and he believes that we can do it at pace of about one to two combat brigades per month. And at that pace, we could get the remaining troops out in about 16 months. This is not an ironclad absolute commitment that at the end of 16 months all of our troops will be out. But he does believe that is the kind of pace that we can do responsibly and safely. † (Interview with NPR, June 2008. ) McDonough has argued for a common-good approach to foreign policy, saying that the U. S. must address problems like global warming and poverty by taking approaches that will benefit other countries as well as the United States. He has spoken in support of a cap-and-trade system and called on the U. S. to make a serious commitment to reducing greenhouse gases. (6) Iraq McDonough opposed the Iraq war from the start and backs Obama’s efforts to withdraw troops slowly from the country, aiming to have all of th em out in about 16 months. He argues that Congress and the president failed to plan for the long-term impact of the Iraq war. He would like Obama’s administration to craft a thorough proposal that lays out what the U. S. ’s specific role will be in Iraq over the next ten years. (7) Intelligence Oversight While at the Center for American Progress, McDonough lobbied for reform of Congressional oversight of intelligence. He argued that Congress must pursue vigorous oversight of the 17 agencies because they operate in such secrecy, ensuring that the intelligence community is behaving constitutionally and lawfully while pursuing their aims effectively. (8) Samantha Power. Q: Though some analysts see U. S. foreign policy woes as a recent phenomenon, you argue that recent foreign policy missteps by current U. S. leaders have exposed and exacerbated long-standing structural and conceptual problems in U. S. foreign policy. Please explain. Power: It is tempting to see Iraq as the source of all our woes now, whereas I see Iraq as the symptom, in some measure, of a number of longstanding trends and defects in American foreign policy. March,6,2008 One example is the US historic predisposition to go it alone. Because we have long undervalued what international institutions have to offer, we believed that we could go into Iraq, and as soon as we declared the mission accomplished, we expected to be able to turn the problem over to others, regardless of how they had been treated in the run up to the invasion. This thinking is very flawed, but not all that new. In a uni-polar world, the Clinton Administration was able to get away with an instrumental relationship with international institutions, but that is harder with the rise of new powers who are willing to challenge the United States in international bodies. It is also harder now that the Iraq war itself has exposed so many US weaknesses. In addition, we long saw international authorization as a luxury, something good for global public opinion, but not very relevant to US national security. But what we have seen, by revealing our indifference to international legitimacy both in the Iraq war and in the practices carried out in our counter-terrorism efforts – the disavowal of the Geneva conventions, prisoner abuse, extraordinary rendition, etc. is that being seen to thumb our nose at international law actually has profound security ramifications, as more and more people seek to take up arms against U. S. citizens and interests. Another longstanding foreign policy flaw is the degree to which special interests dictate the way in which the ‘national interest' as a whole is defined and pursued. Look at the degree to which Halliburton and several of the private security and contracting firms invested in the 2004 political campaigns and received very lucrative contracts in the aftermath of the U. S. takeover of Iraq. Also, America's important historic relationship with Israel has often led foreign policy decision-makers to defer reflexively to Israeli security assessments, and to replicate Israeli tactics, which, as the war in Lebanon last summer demonstrated, can turn out to be counter-productive. So greater regard for international institutions along with less automatic deference to special interests – especially when it comes to matters of life and death and war and peace – seem to be two take-aways from the war in Iraq. Q: Elaborate on your differentiation between ‘power' and ‘influence' as accurate metrics for conceptualizing effective foreign policy. Power: I think that most of us, in a knee-jerk way, tend to conflate power with ‘hard power' – with economic and military power. At the Kennedy School, Joe Nye gave us the concept of ‘soft power' as another component of power. Building on Nye's concept, we would be wise in the 21st century to measure our power by our influence. Influence is best measured not only by military hardware and GDP, but also by other people's perceptions that we, the United States, are using our power legitimately. That belief – that we are acting in the interests of the global commons and in accordance with the rule of law – is what the military would call a ‘force multiplier. ‘ It enhances the U. S. ability to get what it wants from other countries and other players. The third component of influence – along with traditional hard power and legitimacy – is people's perception that we know what we are doing, that we are competent. Here, one cannot overstate the devastating one-two punch of Iraq and Katrina in undermining the global public's and the American people's faith that the U. S. is a competent prosecutor of its own objectives. Even if you disagreed with the Bush administration's decision to go to war, and thought it would do more harm than good, many people assumed that this administration, in pursuing this war, would at least know what it was doing. Whatever its objectives were – again, objectives many of us found suspect or insufficient to warrant the use of military force – we expected this group of experienced professionals to pursue those aims competently, to prepare properly, and to bring adequate resources to bear. We all know now that experience does not translate into competence. The war in Iraq has thus undermined our hard power by overstretching our military and sending us into deficit. It has undermined our perceived legitimacy because we've ignored the will of the international community and committed grave acts of torture, crimes against humanity, and other terrible sins in the conduct of the war itself. But, crucially, as my colleague Steve Walt has put it, we also no longer look like the country that put the man on the moon. Nor does the rest of the world see us, currently, as the country that liberated Europe from two world wars, that devised the Marshall Plan, that helped bring down the Wall. As a result, our ability to get what we want – whether we're talking about ending Iran‘s nuclear enrichment program, halting genocide in Darfur, reforming the UN, or even securing international buy-in for the effort to stabilize Iraq – our influence has eroded such that we are unable to actually achieve our policy objectives Q: You see the U. S. as being more isolated today than it has ever been. Though there have always been ‘America-firsters' among policy makers, why do you think this is especially dangerous now? Power: Traditionally, American isolationism comes about in spurts as the result of very vocal domestic constituencies who believe that engagement with the rest of the world is bad for U. S. interests. Although today there are some in this country who would like to see the United States ‘come home' after its bungled misadventures abroad, most Americans understand that the nature of the global marketplace, as well as the global threats, make this impossible. Yet we are in a period of relative isolation – one that stems less from ascendant Copperhead isolationism at home and more from the way other countries calculate their interests as they relate to the United States. So, in a sense, those countries are retreating from the United States, rather than the United States retreating from them. It's the reverse of what we have seen in the past. What you have are a number of countries -even those with which the United States has long been aligned – who believe that a very close association between themselves and the Bush administration undermines their internal domestic standing. So we see longstanding allies of the United States pushing back against Washington, asserting independent views on everything from global warming and international justice to troubled war zones like Afghanistan, where the U. S. desperately needs the support of its western partners in attempting to stabilize that country. So we are the recipients of isolationism now, you might say, rather than the crafters of it. Q: The focus in discussions of U. S. foreign policy is often on the executive branch, but you place great responsibility on Congress and journalists, and even the public, in relation to U. S. foreign policy. Why? Power: The longstanding habit of governments is to pursue their national interests – to pursue their economic and security interests. That is what governments are for. That is what states are for. The only occasions in which regard for human rights and human consequences are injected into foreign policymaking historically are occasions when the Congress has in sisted upon it or when the press has either shamed the Congress or shamed the Executive Branch into entertaining a broader set of interests which include regard for human consequences abroad. The reason this becomes especially important in the 21st century – in an era of asymmetric threats- is because our systematic neglect of human rights in the formulation of our foreign policy over the years has engendered great resentment. Our abuses in the conduct of the so-called ‘war on terror,' too, have enhanced terrorist recruitment, fueled vitriolic anti-Americanism and, arguably, made it more difficult for us to summon resources from other countries to deal with threats. Human rights abuses have supplied oxygen to the minority of those who hold the United States in such contempt that they want to take matters into their own hands and kill Americans. It's very important, for our national security in the long term, and of course on principle, that human consequences be integrated into our foreign policy, but it's very unlikely historically that this will be done in a top-down fashion. So if the American people or particular constituencies care about particular issues – say Afghanistan, Guantanamo, or Darfur – unless they actually give voice to that concern, whether for its own sake or because they believe that those crises will come back and haunt the United States if they are not dealt with, the only way that the public is going to see their interests in those issues internalized by senior policy makers is if they make it vocally and painfully clear to policy makers that there is a strong domestic political constituency for a change in course. Q: You posit that both the self-image and global image of the U. S. have eroded. How can the U. S. again be seen as a force for good in the world? Power: It's probably going to be a long and windy road to rehabilitation. A crucial step for the United States is to really begin to think in terms of ‘do no harm' and actually ending some of the more egregious aspects of its approach to counter-terrorism. First, in the ‘do no harm' camp: end the practice of extraordinary rendition, where US agents willfully ship terrorist suspects in our custody to countries that we know torture, for the explicit purpose of evading domestic checks on US abuse. Second in the ‘do no harm' camp: close Guantanamo and actually channel its prisoners through internationally respected legal processes. And third, restore habeus corpus to those detainees who are in US custody. To strip a group of individuals – no matter what blood some number of them have on their hands – of the most fundamental constitutional rights sends a signal to the rest of the world that there are two sets of human rights that we believe in: one robust set that Americans get to enjoy, and another much diminished set that those perceived as hostile to us get to enjoy. There are also two sets of individuals – ‘tortureables' and ‘untorturables. ‘ So a first step in our rehabilitation is to rid our conduct of these colossal blemishes on the American character. The second is embedding U. S. antipoverty, anti-disease and democratization policy initiatives within international institutions as part of a grand vision of what the United States actually does stand for – which is trying to ensure that people enjoy the kind of freedom from fear and freedom from want that Franklin Roosevelt promised Americans many years ago. The burden of actually making people secure in their homes is far too steep a burden for one country to handle. We must articulate a vision for human security and then channel US resources through international institutions, which themselves must become more rigorous and accountable. This will over time enhance US standing, but more importantly, it will force other countries – who have delighted in Bush's misfortunes but put little on the line themselves to patrol the global commons – to pick up the slack. Introduction Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) foreign policy agenda has emphasized multilateralism and reinvigorated diplomacy to advance U. S. interests. He has pledged to take steps to end the war in Iraq soon after taking office, to negotiate with the leadership of U. S. adversaries like Iran and Cuba, and to revamp the U. S. approach to free trade to bolster labor and environmental protections. Obama has attracted as advisers a number of top foreign policy experts who served under President Bill Clinton. Those advisers tend to be more independent from party orthodoxy on foreign policy issues, analysts say. Obama's top advisers were opposed to the U. S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, although a number of prominent Democrats, including rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), supported the action at the time. Obama's advisers generally appear to agree with his belief that it is â€Å"important for the United States not just to talk to its friends but also to talk to its enemies. A New Foreign Policy Vision Obama was elected to the Senate in 2005 and serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. Prior to that, his professional experience was primarily confined to Illinois, where he served as a state legislator representing a Chicago district, and before that, a community activist. He has cited his personal background-his Kenyan-born father and a youth spent in Indonesia-as crucial to the development of his world view. Like other presidential campaigns, Obama's draws on a long list of advisers on foreign policy matters. The most senior include several ranking Clinton administration officials, the Brookings Institution's Susan E. Rice, former National Security Adviser Anthony Lake, and former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig. This is a team that's very reflective of Obama, who has made it pretty clear in his speeches and statements during the campaign that he believes that diplomacy has been undervalued over the past few years and that the United States shouldn't fear to negotiate,† says Derek Chollet, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security who advised Jo hn Edwards' presidential campaign. If Obama wins the general election in November, his foreign policy and economic agendas will surely break with the legacies of the Bush administration, experts say. Whether it's our approach to torture, or climate change, or how we're dealing with Iran, to Iraq, to the Middle East peace process you're going to see significant changes,† says Chollet, who is not connected to the Obama campaign. Obama advocates a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions, and has said the United States should invest $150 billion over ten years to advance clean-energy technology. Obama has also been an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, which he opposed from its outset in 2002. He has said he will withdraw troops from Iraq and refocus U. S. military efforts against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. National Security Advisers Obama has stressed his commitment to winning the battle against Taliban forces in Afghanistan. He has also vowed that he would pursue al-Qaeda elements into Pakistan, with or without government permission, if he had strong intelligence the group was planning an attack on the United States. Obama's leading national security advisers include: Denis McDonough , senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, is the national security coordinator for Obama's campaign. McDonough was foreign policy adviser to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. McDonough has been outspoken on energy and environmental policy. In June 2007, McDonough urged the Group of Eight (G8) to take action to combat climate change, and warned that current levels of development assistance are â€Å"woefully insufficient† to help underdeveloped nations deal with climate change. McDonough has also said that the United States should do more to â€Å"promote the development of our domestic clean energy sector industry. † McDonough said on a Brookings Institution panel in May 2007 that it is â€Å"far past time† for the United States to institute a cap-and-trade system mandating â€Å"very aggressive reductions† in greenhouse gases, with the goal of an 80 percent reduction over 1990 levels by 2050

Stylistic Features in A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay Example

Stylistic Features in A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay Example Stylistic Features in A Prayer for Owen Meany Paper Stylistic Features in A Prayer for Owen Meany Paper John Irving was born on March 2, 1942, in Exeter, New Hampshire, United States and is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. Irving had achieved his fame after the international success of The World According To Garp in 1978. Irving often brings his own life stories to his books making them more connectable and lively like with his seventh book A Prayer For Owen Meany. Published in 1989, it tells the story of a unique friendship between John Wheelwright and Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. It makes me ashamed to remember that I was angry with him for taking my armadillos claws. God knows, Owen gave me more than he ever took from me-even when you consider that he took my mother. (Irving. 101). A Prayer For Owen Meany uses many stylistic features to enhance the development of the boys friendship like the amazing narrative point of view, the highly personal mood and tone, and well developed characters. The narrative perspective of A Prayer For Owen Meany can connect or entranced a reader by the friendship told through the first person of John. John Irvings A Prayer For Owen Meany is an amazing tale about two friends, John Wheelwright and Owen Meany. It documents their adventures through their childhood to their present life as adults. A Prayer For Owen Meany is told through the first person narrative of John Wheelwright. what makes this book successful and not another story of someones childhood is the way John Irving uses the inside view of John and Owens weird friendship to hook the reader. Dan understood that I loved Owen, and that I wanted to talk with him most- most of all- but that it was a conversation, for both Owens sake and mine, that was best to delay. But before we finished loading the baseball cards in the car, Dan Needham asked me what are you giving him? What? I said. To show him that you love him. Dan Needham said. Thats wha

Cluster Sample in Sociology Research

Cluster Sample in Sociology Research Cluster sampling may be used when it is either impossible or impractical to compile an exhaustive list of the elements that make up the target population. Usually, however, the population elements are already grouped into subpopulations and lists of those subpopulations already exist or can be created. For example, let’s say the target population in a study was church members in the United States. There is no list of all church members in the country. The researcher could, however, create a list of churches in the United States, choose a sample of churches, and then obtain lists of members from those churches. To conduct a cluster sample, the researcher first selects groups or clusters and then from each cluster, selects the individual subjects either by simple random sampling or systematic random sampling. Or, if the cluster is small enough, the researcher may choose to include the entire cluster in the final sample rather than a subset of it. One-Stage Cluster Sample When a researcher includes all of the subjects from the chosen clusters into the final sample, this is called a one-stage cluster sample. For example, if a researcher is studying the attitudes of Catholic Church members surrounding the recent exposure of sex scandals in the Catholic Church, he or she might first sample a list of Catholic churches across the country. Let’s say that the researcher selected 50 Catholic Churches across the United States. He or she would then survey all church members from those 50 churches. This would be a one-stage cluster sample. Two-Stage Cluster Sample A two-stage cluster sample is obtained when the researcher only selects a number of subjects from each cluster – either through simple random sampling or systematic random sampling. Using the same example as above in which the researcher selected 50 Catholic Churches across the United States, he or she would not include all members of those 50 churches in the final sample. Instead, the researcher would use simple or systematic random sampling to select church members from each cluster. This is called two-stage cluster sampling. The first stage is to sample the clusters and the second stage is to sample the respondents from each cluster. Advantages of Cluster Sampling One advantage of cluster sampling is that it is cheap, quick, and easy. Instead of sampling the entire country when using simple random sampling, the research can instead allocate resources to the few randomly selected clusters when using cluster sampling. The second advantage to cluster sampling is that the researcher can have a larger sample size than if he or she was using simple random sampling. Because the researcher will only have to take the sample from a number of clusters, he or she can select more subjects since they are more accessible. Disadvantages of Cluster Sampling One main disadvantage of cluster sampling is that is the least representative of the population out of all the types of probability samples. It is common for individuals within a cluster to have similar characteristics, so when a researcher uses cluster sampling, there is a chance that he or she could have an overrepresented or underrepresented cluster in terms of certain characteristics. This can skew the results of the study. A second disadvantage of cluster sampling is that it can have a high sampling error. This is caused by the limited clusters included in the sample, which leaves a significant proportion of the population unsampled. Example Let’s say that a researcher is studying the academic performance of high school students in the United States and wanted to choose a cluster sample based on geography. First, the researcher would divide the entire population of the United States into clusters, or states. Then, the researcher would select either a simple random sample or a systematic random sample of those clusters/states. Let’s say he or she chose a random sample of 15 states and he or she wanted a final sample of 5,000 students. The researcher would then select those 5,000 high school students from those 15 states either through simple or systematic random sampling. This would be an example of a two-stage cluster sample. Sources and Further Reading Babbie, E. (2001). The Practice of Social Research: 9th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson.Castillo, J.J. (2009). Cluster Sampling. Retrieved March 2012 from experiment-resources.com/cluster-sampling.html

Selection Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selection Decision Making - Case Study Example A selection plan gives an overview of how the job looks like thus making it easy for the recruitment panel to pick the most desirable applicant. It contains key job responsibilities, makes it clear of what must be performed and acts as a guide in selection procedures. The format is as given below. The table above illustrates scores of all the ten applicants. The analysis was based on multiple predictor methods; clinical prediction and rational weighing. However, since clinical prediction and unit weighing produce similar results, it was considered wise to include the unit weighing column. The unit weighing figures were derived from averaging each applicant’s scores in individual assessment methods. Basing on the unit weighing results, tangle wood will consider the highest scores. Therefore, Heckman; 76, Reznor; 73 and Scores; 70 will be the most preferred applicants. The rational weighing results were obtained by assigning a weight to every assessment method and summing up the scores. The assigned weights were biodata; 30%, Applicant exam; 10%, Retail knowledge; 30%, Conscientiousness; 15%, Extraversion; 15%. Biodata and retail knowledge were allocated the largest weights because the job position demands experience from applicants. Applicant exam was assigned the lowest weight mainly because it measures the least important KSAOs required in the managerial position. From the data, Tangle wood will consider Heckman; 76, Reznor; 69, Renoir; 67.5. If tangle wood decides to use multiple hurdle selection as its first stage in identifying the best five applicants, and further apply interviews and resumes to get the top three finalists, the five suitable candidates would be Reznor, Yorn, Greer, Renior and Durvall. This is quite interesting since Heckman who tops in both rational and unit weighing does not appear in the top five when using test scores. Since conscientiousness and extraversion prove the ability and suitability of an applicant to perform and

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary - Essay Example Pediatric trauma causes enormous psychological tolls on patients, parents and families alike. This also is true for the nurses who handle such cases. In cases of posttraumatic and acute stress disorder, nurses need more education. Most hospitals do not have a formal screening process, any consensus guidelines, a lack of advanced information, lack of processes to investigate and distribute pediatric best practices and develop research with nurses and their colleagues. Whether from reading about a teen involved in a motor vehicle accident, trying to calculate an infant drug dose, wondering if we are trained well enough and moving forward and paving the way for the doctors and nurses that are upcoming, we advocate for those who cannot do it themselves. Regardless of whether in a pediatric level 1 or a rural hospital, it is imperative that we strive to find new information and drive changes in the hospital society. We will move forward and create new infrastructures, develop and discover new and better practices, and create outreach with professional colleagues. We have made headway in the impact of pediatric outcomes, but there is still an extensive body of work left to do. There are confounding issues facing the pediatric trauma patient population. The Society of Trauma Nurses prides itself on being one of the strongest, most successful special interest groups that is committed to the pediatric trauma issue.