Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Dougy James Moloney Essays

Dougy James Moloney Essays Dougy James Moloney Essay Dougy James Moloney Essay How is the concept of change explored in your prescribed text DOUGY by James Moloney? Change is a process and refers to the act or instance of becoming different. Dougy, the protagonist in James Moloney’s novel Dougy, undergoes a personal transformation of character resulting in growth, maturity and resolution. Moloney employs a range of techniques to chart the natural and positive transition Dougy experiences. Dougy tells the story of an Aboriginal boy and his journey to a positive self-identity. It is set in a small contemporary Queensland town and recounts the racial tensions between the Aboriginal and the Anglo-Australian population. Resentment and ignorant attitudes result in a racial war, developing, rising and receeding within the parallel action of the flood. Within this framework we follow the personal changes Dougy undergoes as he adopts strategies to deal with the escalating violence and ensuing tragedy. Dougy experiences personal problems that leave him feeling worthless, hopeless and socially inadequate. The first person narrative structure means our understanding of Dougy is shaped from his perspective. Dougy does not introduce himself until chapter two and the use of truncated sentences and the language with negative connotations establishes his low self-esteem and the lack of identity, ‘My names Dougy. I’m nobody much. ‘Dougy is critical about his physique, academic ability and social skills, demonstrated through the personal voice and repetition of ‘I’ and the emotive use of ‘still’ – ‘I’m the tallest kid in the whole school but I don’t like that much†¦ I’ve always been skinny, specially my arms and legs’. Dougy exposes his poor academic ability through the repetition of negative connotations towards himself and his identity. – ‘I am not good at reading and righting eh! Not much good at anything. Me I stay here in town for school, Even though I just turned thirteen, I’m still in Grade six, still in primary school. ’’ Furthermore, Dougy adopts the derogatory language of the dominant white culture in relation to his race, reinforcing his lack of positive identity, ‘eh’, ‘Abo’ and ‘boong’. The use of colloquial language makes Dougy’s predicament more realistic while encouraging compassion from the reader. Dougy changes because of the position he is forced into as a result of the ‘war’ that breaks out between the blacks and whites. The natural elements, the heat and the river, serve as motifs for the rising and insidious racial tension simmering under the town’s surface, climaxing when a race war begins, as the river floods and submerges the town. He is forced to make decisions and act as a consequence he learns about himself and his Aboriginality. As the conflict between the whites and blacks escalate, it is entwined with the precarious flood that draws near to the hall where Dougy, Gracey and Raymond are trapped in. Dougy is forced in a position where he put his unknown strategic abilities into needed use as the river is steadily arising threatening to drown them. Dougy’s swift thinking during the catastrophe saves the lives of his siblings, consequently active in developing positive feelings of self-worth and identity. As the devastation unfolds, Dougy’s certainty of the Moodagudda’s presence around Gracie is treated with respect as the recount during the crisis turned out to be the truth. By the novel’s end Dougy has undergone a positive personal change. Moloney uses contrast as a key technique to shape our understanding of his transformation to a positive sense of self, value and identity. Dougy’s positive manner is publicized through decision makings towards his mother and principle, serving as a positive alteration within his sense of self. Dougy is fuelled with confidence and inspiration,’ But I said straight out,’’ Mum, I’m old enough. And I’m big enough. I want to be in high school. ’ Dougy’s self-value has been altered through his social acceptance and belongingness amongst the town’s people. ’’ I told people about seeing the Moodagudda and how it grabbed Gracie†¦and I knew most of them believed me. Some even came back for me to tell the story over and over again and they weren’t making fun of me like they used to do with some of the old blokes who told the story. â €™â€™ The acceptance from his fellow people constructs a stronger connection with his Aboriginal culture and identity, ceasing the negative connotations towards his born identity. ’ So now I’m in high school after all. And at this school, there’s a mob that do the old dreamtime dances†¦ when they heard about Gracey and me and the Moodagudda, they asked me to join. ‘’ Serving as a contrast with his earlier ignorance and suggest he will perpetuate his culture through this tradition. Therefore, change can be a positive process that occurs naturally, leading to a real sense of identity and value as evidenced in the character and novel of the same name, Dougy by James Moloney.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Types of Medical School Admissions Interviews

Types of Medical School Admissions Interviews If you are the recipient of a coveted email inviting you to interview for medical school admission, start preparing now. There’s a great deal of general advice on the process of interviewing for med school, including tips on what to wear, what to ask, what you may be asked, and what to ask. Recognize, however, that there is no one standard interview format. Who Will Interview You? You can expect to be interviewed by any combination of faculty, admissions officers, and, sometimes, advanced medical students. The exact composition of the med school admissions committee will vary by program. Prepare to be interviewed by a range of faculty with differing interests and perspectives. Try to predict the interest of each potential committee member as well as something that you might ask of him or her. For example, you might ask the med student about opportunities for clinical experience. Recognize that there is no standard interview format. Some medical schools conduct one-on-one interviews, others rely on a committee. Sometimes you might be interviewed alone. Other programs interview a group of applicants at once. The interview format also varies. Below are the major interview types that you can expect. Panel Interview This is a meeting with several interviewers (referred to as a panel) at once. The panel usually includes a variety of faculty in different medical areas and in clinical medicine as well as basic research. A medical student is often a member of the interview committee. Try to anticipate the questions each member of the committee might have and be prepared to speak to the concerns of each. Blind Interview In a blind interview, the interviewer is â€Å"blinded† from your application, He or she knows nothing about you. Your job is to introduce yourself to the interviewer, from scratch. The question you are most likely to face in this interview is: â€Å"Tell me about yourself.† Be ready. Be selective, yet detailed in what you present. Remember that the interviewer has not seen your grades, MCAT scores, or admissions essays. You will likely discuss much of the material in your admissions essays as well as explain why you want to be a doctor. Partial Blind Interview Unlike the blind interview in which the interviewer knows nothing about you, in a partial blind interview, the interview has seen only part of your application. For example, the interviewer may read your essays but know nothing about your grades and MCAT score. Or the reverse may be true. Open Interview In an open interview the interviewer reviews applicant material at his or her discretion. The interviewer may choose to be blind to all or part of the application. Therefore an open interview may include the basic question such as â€Å"Describe yourself† or detailed questions designed to follow up on your admissions essays. Stress Interview A stress interview places the med school applicant under a magnifying glass. The intent is to see how you function under pressure. The interviewer or interviewers ask questions to make you uncomfortable to observe how you speak and behave when stressed. The stress interview is intended to find out what a candidate is really like, apart from the interview preparation and etiquette. A stress interview might include questions about sensitive topics or personal questions that are not permitted. Applicants might gently call the interviewer on the question, asking why it is relevant. He or she might diffuse it or choose to answer it. The interviewer is more interested in how the applicant responds than what he or she says. Other questions might be factual, with trivia-like details. The interviewer might respond negatively to everything that you say by making negative remarks or through body language such as crossing the arms or turning away. If you find yourself in a stress interview remem ber that the interviewer is interested in how you function under stress. Take your time in responding. Keep your cool. Remember the Purpose As you plan for your medical school interview, remember that the purpose is to let the interviewers get to know you. Until your interview, you are nothing but a transcript, MCAT score, and essay. Be yourself. Plan ahead by considering topics of discussion and the points you would make, but be natural. During your interview say what you think, ask questions about topics that are important to you, and be authentic.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Protecting the Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Protecting the Environment - Research Paper Example As a result of the industrial revolution and globalization, however, today, we are used to a lifestyle that promotes all these ills. However, they are also promoted by governments that work in collaboration with industries that tend to pollute the environment and exploit natural resources in an unsustainable manner. The initiative and the drive to clean up the mess, therefore, need to come from governments across the world. This has been slow in coming but slowly, across the globe, there has been recognition of the political nature of the problem and the need for a political solution for this problem. This paper shall focus on the initiatives that the Brazil government has taken so as to decrease pollution that occurs as a result of the gases that are emitted by vehicles that run on fossil fuels. An energy crisis that occurred in Brazil during the 1970s made the government of this region sit up and take notice of the problem and made it recognize the need for finding a solution that would be long-lasting, to this problem (Hofstrand). This crisis was the result of the scarcity of fossil fuels during the 70s that led a lot of countries to look for means to reduce their dependence on imports for fuel. While most countries switched back to fossil fuels as soon as the crisis was over, Brazil opted for a more lasting and environment-friendly option. In this move, we see how the political will of the government was important in the setting up of the policy that has today reaped rich rewards. The Brazilian government is far ahead of other governments in the sophistication of its machinery and the availability of ethanol- based fuel. The ethanol fuel industry would not have reached the heights that it has reached today if not for the will of successive Brazilian governments that have maintained the production of this form of fuel as a priority and initially offered heavy subsidies to this industry as a result of which many car- manufacturers started producing automobile s that ran on ethanol. By the middle of the 1980s, most of the cars that were being produced in Brazil were ones that ran on ethanol. The response that the private automobile firms made to the scenario that developed was one that was encouraging but was based on the market forces of supply and demand. This scenario came about because of the commercial viability of ethanol- based fuels for the consumers; a situation that evolved out of the government’s policy of providing subsidies to the ethanol fuel industry (Thompson). This made the option of ethanol a profitable one for the consumer classes which in turn influenced the automobile industry to switch to the production of vehicles that ran partially or completely on ethanol. The government’s policy that subsidized the production of these fuels is what was instrumental in the present situation where private players have stepped into the fray, thereby allowing the government to spend more on welfare projects that further enhance the standard of living of the Brazilians. The policies that were followed by the Brazilian government, thus, have enabled the protection of the environment, without compromising upon the goals of development that are important for a developing country like Brazil. This again goes to prove that the protection of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Principles of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of Marketing - Essay Example The main reason behind market segmentation is to help a company understand the needs of a particular segment (Beane & Ennis, 1997, p. 31). Mass marketing mainly assumes that all customers have the same interests and consumption behaviour. Segmenting the market can also serve in identifying smaller groups of consumers who make their own subsets an aspect that improve the overall efficiency of the company’s marketing efforts (Dibb, Simpkin, Pride & Ferrell, 2001). Market segmentation enables the marketer to compare different marketing opportunities of different marketing segments through studying consumer needs and potential, their level of satisfaction etc. This helps the company in coming up with appropriate strategies to satisfy the needs of these different segments. There are different forms of segmentation. These include geographical segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and behavioural segmentation. Geographical segmentation This is segmenting the market based on the location of the customers. Demand of goods can vary according to geographic location of the customers. Geographical segmentation therefore, focuses on prospective markets’ location and different attributes that are associated with each location. The marketer can therefore, focus on either a single location or many depending on the varying requirements of each region and the cost of serving these locations. Demographic segmentation This is division of the market according to demographic variables such as age, gender, individual occupation, education or even family size. The marketer uses these variables in making decisions and identifying the target market. In an example, a company may decide to segment the market according to age of the people. As a result, it can develop different products that meet different requirements of customers that belong to various age groups (Hunt and Arnett, 2004, p.23). Psychographic and behavioural segmentation Psychograp hic segmentation divides the market into different segments which have similar lifestyles. Lifestyle is an individual mode of living and mainly describes how a person conducts his/her daily activities. On the other hand, behavioural segmentation divides the market according to behavioural characteristics of the customers. Different customers have different behaviours which are used by a marketer to market the produce (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011). Market targeting Marketing targeting is a process of identifying different groups of consumers that exist in a market who are likely to purchase a certain good or service. Target marketing makes it easier to price, promote and distribute the product or service at a cost that is effective. When targeting the market, a marketer should ensure that the firm has adequate resources to meet the requirement of the target market. Targeting plays an important role of reducing market ambiguity as marketers are able to have an in-depth knowledge concerni ng the target consumers. There are different forms of targeting. One of the methods is referred to as broad or undifferentiated targeting. The concept that underlies this method is that a product or service has a broad appeal to all customers irrespective of their age, gender and location. Second method is referred to as selective or differentiated method. With this

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword and Peace Time Essay Example for Free

The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword and Peace Time Essay 1. Peace hath her victories no less renounced than: By the word victory we generally understand the winning of a battle. We know the history of victories of great conquerors like Alexander, Changiz Khan and Napoleon. But like heroes like Buddha, Ashoka and Akbor won greater glory by bringing to mankind the blessing of peace. We have seen the two devastating world wars. They crippled the world economy, maimed and killed millions of people. Civilization is the slow achievement of workers in peace time. Science and art, religion and philosophy or all developments are the creations of peace time. These can be happened amidst in the peaceful atmosphere. Poets glorify war, artist depicts them in their cartoons, and historians record them in the history. But patriots and philanthropists restore peace and tranquility. Therefore peace should be reined on earth for our own survival. 2. â€Å"Pen is mightier than sword† Taken literally, the saying may seen to be contrary to common sense but the words ‘Pen’ and ‘Sword’ stand for ‘writer’ and ‘soldier’ respectively. So it is clearly seen that a pen is stronger then a sword. That is a write is more powerful and efficient than a warrior. Our history speaks a volume regarding Alecgender, Changis Khan, and Napoleon and so on. But the writer likes Shaxphere, Voltaire, Rosseau, Rabindra Nath are much more immortal and inspirational to all to the all ages to comes. Any weapon or any warrior can not maintain peace and mankind. On the other hand an influential writer can restore or sustain integration and harmony among all as Gandhi Ji or Ashoka could. So we have seen that powerful weapons are not constructive means as the Ramayana, The Mahabharata, the Bible or the Korana can do. The massages of these books inspired the epoch making revolution. All these prove that a great writer is more powerful than a grea t soldier. 3. â€Å"Brevity is the soul of wit†. Brevity means shortness of expressions of non-material ideas. The wit appears is short and crisp sentences. Wit is the living soul of any style of writing. A body has no value with out its soul. It indicates the original thought of speakers. Generally a lengthy writing does not indicate the soul of writing. It only wastes papers and time. It looses the aesthetic side of writing. The original essence of writing lies in the wit. Books are available in the bookstall or library. But all are not for permanent existence. Only some of them survive value of knowledge and wisdom. But any connoisseur only fails to understand it. But sincere readers will seek and grasp the inner meaning of it. Thus, soul of wit in brevity with heightens the morality and introspective sides of readers. 4. â€Å"The child is father of the man† This line contains a deeper meaning underlying this apparent contradiction. It suggests that all the aptitudes of a c child develop as he grows-up. As morning shows the day so also childhood shows the man. If the day dawns with the clear sky and bright rays of the sum we can assess that the day on the whole will be fair and sunny. On the contrary if the day breaks with stormy wind and rain we think that the day will not be fair. This is also applicable to the growing child. All the potentialities of the future men lie dormant in the child. With the growth of the child, all the finer sentiments in him and the latent virtues began to manifest like a blooming rose. For example, if a child gives his own bread to a hungry beggar, he is likely to become a humanitarian, social worker in later years. The child who is in the habit of telling lies; stealing other’s goods without any prevention from doing it, likely to grow into a confirmed thief and a liar. Children showing special knack for mathematics of music painting or art will naturally grow into a great mathematician or a renowned musician or a skilled painter of an eminent artist. Tagore began to compose verses at the age of seven only. Wordsworth loved nature since his childhood. All these proof that child is father of the man.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Measuring Customer Service at American Express :: essays research papers

Measuring Customer Satisfaction at American Express   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Express is a world wide travel related service company. American Express works with both consumers and business with their financial planning as well as offers numerous amounts of credit card products and travel assistance. They have many products and services that are used throughout the world by consumers and businesses. As American Express moves towards the future, like most credit card companies, they want to be competitive and responsive to the needs of the consumer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Express sends out customer service surveys to the card members that call in to the telephone service center. The surveys are sent out randomly with a coding on the bottom of the survey so that the results and comments are given back to the correct employee. The employees are aware that any card member that they speak to could receive a survey. With this said, each employee goes through extensive training on the telephone behaviors that must be demonstrated while speaking to card members. The employees also go through extensive training on the policies and procedures that each card product and service has. This training is to ensure that each card member is handled with the most utmost professional behavior and their issues are handled correctly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the surveys are returned to the company, they are returned to the Customer Satisfaction Action Team. This team reviews the surveys, separates them by employee and then by the results.. The results are separated by â€Å"Excellent† and â€Å"Very Good† and then â€Å"Fair† and â€Å"Poor† marks. The card members that score a â€Å"Fair† or â€Å"Poor† mark on the survey is called back by one of the team members and the issue is discussed further to find out why the survey was marked that way. The comments that the card members make on the surveys are returned to the employee’s team leaders. The team leader gives the feedback to the employee and discusses with them their best practices or opportunities that need to be worked on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This tool is an excellent way to get in touch with our card members and to see how they feel the company is doing and what they feel is going right and what needs to be worked on. By doing this the company can take this information and better the customer satisfaction by either up training of employees are reviewing and possibly changing the policies or procedures.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hard Times

Compare the characters of Slackbridge and Blackpool in this chapter. How do they symbolise both the values that Dickens admires and the attributes he dislikes? In this chapter Slackbridge is presented as a loud, hot tempered and shallow man, whereas Blackpool is presented as an honest, calm and straight forward man, also a man of great honesty, compassion, and integrity, Stephen maintains his moral ideals even when he is rejected by his fellow workers and fired by Bounderby. During this chapter Slackbridge gives an impassioned speech about the necessity of unionizing and of showing their sense of fellowship.The only person who remains unconvinced is Stephen Blackpool. Stephen says he does not believe that the union will do any good because it will only aggravate the already tense relationship between employers and workers. You can tell that these two men are opposite characters when they perform their speeches. Slackbridge is portrayed as a talented speaker as Dickens writes â€Å"S lackbridge, the orator, looked about him with a withering smile†. This also shows that he is an arrogant and sarcastic man. He uses long, complex sentences to confuse the audience and making it difficult to follow what he is saying.This implies that Slackbridge wants to show off his power; however Stephen says nothing to suggest power. Blackpool uses simple sentences and no fancy vocabulary whilst speaking, for example â€Å"That’s not for him† and â€Å"That’s not for nobody but me. † The noun â€Å"friends† is repeated and used by both characters, but in two different ways. Slackbridge uses the hyperbole â€Å"Oh my friends† to try and manipulate the workers as he does not care about them. Slackbridge also says â€Å"Oh my fellow-country-men† to try and act as if he is their friend, to try and persuade the workers to go on strike.The industrial revolution was happening at this moment in time. It was a period from 1750 to 1850 where changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times. It began in the United Kingdom, and then subsequently spread throughout Western Europe, North America, Japan, and eventually the rest of the world. He tries to raise the workers up by saying â€Å"One united nation†, he knows what they can achieve. Whereas Blackpool can relate to the workers and can say â€Å"my friends† without having to pretend.The workers would have known Stephen since he was around ten years old. Therefore the workers have far more in common with Blackpool than they would have with Slackbridge. In politics, right-wing describes a political outlook or specific position that involves acceptance or support of social hierarchy and Slackbridge, at the time, was in favor of the right wing as he says â€Å"The orator having refreshed himself, wiped his corrugated forehead from left to righ t several times with his handkerchief folded into a pad†.The adjective ‘corrugated’ suggests that he is an uneven character. Slackbridge does not want anything to do with the workers even though he is the link between them and the manager, Mr Bounderby. The adjectives ‘down-trodden’, â€Å"fellow-countrymen’, ‘iron-handed’ and ‘fellow sufferers’ are hyphenated modifiers illustrates the difference between the workers and the management, he is also empathising them. Stephen Blackpool lives a life of drudgery and poverty.In spite of the hardships of his daily toil, he strives to maintain his honesty, integrity, faith, and compassion. He is only asking for the right to work as he says â€Å"I hope I shall die ere ever such a time cooms, and I shall work solitary among yo unless is cooms†. This implies that Stephen loves to work and that is why he does not want to go on strike. Stephen is the only Hand who refuses t o join a workers’ union: he believes that striking is not the best way to improve relations between factory owners and employees, and he also wants to earn an honest living. I ha’ never had no fratch† demonstrates his innocence due to the fact that he has never had an argument with anyone. He also refuses to spy on his fellow workers for Bounderby, who consequently sends him away. Both groups, rich and poor, respond in the same self-interested, backstabbing way. Slackbridge labels Blackpool as a turncoat as the verbs ‘deserts’ his post, ‘sells’ his flag, ‘turns’ a traitor and a craven and a recreant, suggests that Stephen is a cruel man, he tries to convince the workers that Stephen has let them down.Slackbridge could not make Blackpool sounds less worthy if tried. Dickens favors and admires Stephen Blackpool as he is the perfect balance in ‘fact’ and fancy’. Also Dickens hates trade unions and strikes, t herefore he would hate Slackbridge as he wants the workers to go on strike and he is full of facts. Through Stephen, Dickens suggests that industrialization threatens to compromise both the employee’s and employer’s moral integrity, thereby creating a social muddle to which there is no easy solution.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Nurse Anesthetist

Finnie 1 Kerra Finnie Mrs. Todt English III 2 March 2012 Nurse Anesthetist Since 2010 there has been a high demand for Nurse Anesthetist in the United States. A career with a high salary is appealing. With the challenges and hard work of a nurse anesthetist, one must understand the steps and dedication of a person of this type of medical role. To become a Nurse Anesthetist the general requirements are to have an RN license and a bachelor of science degree, either in nursing or an appropriate science.After getting an RN license, one year of work in critical care conditions has to be completed. When the year is over, an application is sent to a program, the application will then be compared to other applicants. More than one year working as an RN will higher the chance of the application to get in because experience in this field of nursing is important. When an applicant is accepted into a Nurse Anesthetist program they are required to attend an admissions interview.No foods or drinks should be brought to this interview, attendants will want to look formal and successful with their wardrobe. These schools are demanding and life changing. They also cause a ton of stress. Most programs last 24-33 months (Andrus 1a). In order to graduate a program a B grade point average must be maintained. After taking all steps a total of 6 years is the amount of time spent in college. You must be willing to dedicate a huge chunk of your life to your education – the information and data you learn will be Finnie 2 oliminous; the many hands-on skills require practice, practice, and tenacity (Freemark 2a). The extra time in college gives a greater knowledge of the anatomy. As a nurse anesthetist there are many choices in the medical field to choose from. Nurse Anesthetist do not possess complex technical capabilities of the doctors they assist, but they provide a wide range of services to support the doctors (McNutt 1). Interviews, reviewing charts, learning physical history, and doing preoperative teaching and developing a nesthesia plan with the anesthesiologist are all duties of a nurse anesthetist. Nurse Anesthetist administer 65% of the 26 million anesthetics given each year (Marquand 1a). The number one priority of a Nurse Anesthetist is the safety of a patient (Inglis 1a). To make a patient feel comfortable while in surgery the nurse anesthetist stays bedside while monitoring vital signs. The Nurse Anesthetist is also held to the responsibility of knowing anesthesia depth, blood loss, body temperature, and positioning.The proper amount of medicine must be given, if anything goes wrong it is a matter of life or death. A patients status can change at any time. In emergency situations there may be no way to get full information on the patient (Marquand 2). With the demand as high as it is for Nurse Anesthetist, it is the leading cause of the high paid salary. Directly after graduation, a nurse anesthetist can get a job with a starting salary averagi ng about $118,000.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Pigeon River Pollution Essays

Pigeon River Pollution Essays Pigeon River Pollution Paper Pigeon River Pollution Paper The Pigeon River flows through North Carolina and right here into East Tennessee. The Pigeon River got its name from an extinct bird, which migrated through the valley of North Carolina. Although, the Pigeon River looks nice, there is something extremely harmful going on inside the river. The long-polluted Pigeon River in Coke County has not been feasible or assumable for over 1 00 years due to pollution. The rivers water has turned dark brown, and has a terrible odor. The reason behind this beautiful river being polluted is the Blue Ridge paper Company. The Blue Ridge paper Company, once part of Champion International Paper, in Canton, North Carolina, is a primary source of Dioxin and matter pollution that has been discharged into the river. Not only has the Blue Ridge paper Company polluted the water, it gets worse, a couple years ago in 2004, after Hurricane Francis and Hurricane Ivan, several storms and horrible flooding hit the area hard. The flooding, which caused the water level of the river to reach an extreme high level, and also caused part of interstate 40 to collapse into the rivers gorge. Several trees and soil also fell into the water causing much more pollution. No one could have predicted the interstate collapsing into the river due to Mother Nature, but the Blue Ridge Paper Company could certainly do something about the pollution that they are dumping in to the river. The Blue Ridge Paper mill was established in the early 1 gos, and has been operating for 1 00 years. Advocates challenged the North Carolina Division of Water Quality for a wastewater permit that does not require the proper reductions in thermal discharges being discharged by the paper mill. The remit allows the paper mill to discharge waste into the river that raises the temperature of the water way beyond the standards allowed by the state water quality standards. Due to the extremely high water temperature it is very hard for fish to survive. In 2007, due to the water temperature, nearly 8,000 fish died. The wastewater that the paper mill is dumping into the river is entirely too much waste for a small waterway to handle. Thanks to the EPA permit the mill used to dump about 400,000 pounds of color a day into the river, but the permit made it to where they can only dump 45,000 pounds of lour into the river a day. The river is slowly getting better conditions due to all the legal issues against the paper mill; they are finally starting to come to their senses. The Pigeon River flowing beside the Blue Ridge Paper Company. Personally think it is horrible that a paper mill is polluting this river. Have a couple of recommendations I would like to see in the future for some relief for this beautiful river. Would like to see this paper mill shut completely down if they do not continue to limit the waste they are putting into the river. Another alternative that the company could try is to get different equipment that is safe for the environment or find somewhere else to dump their waste, rather than polluting a river for no reason. Although, they are tying to cut back on how much they are polluting the water there is still much more work to be done. If something were done about this river once and for all it would certainly make history. For over 100 years, it has been a constant fight tying to clean up this river, and getting the paper mill to stop polluting it. According o the American White Water Organization, a lot has been done over the past 20 years to clean up this river. The White Water Organization also includes: It appears highly likely that additional cost-effective improvements are possible during the new permit period. The river conservation community however questions whether or not the draft permit does enough to continue restoration of one of the most polluted rivers in the region. Hopefully, one day the issue with the paper company polluting the river will be resolved. The Pigeon River is a beautiful popular river; many people enjoy white water fating fishing, and swimming in the river. People havent been able to do so in many years. Its very sad that the paper company destroys one of Gods beautiful creations, and they are okay with it. Many have forgotten the small beautiful things still left in this world, and believe that if anything else the environment should be protected, because it is not mad made, and it doesnt deserve to be destroyed because of these big careless companies trying to make money. Every river, in my opinion should be assumable and feasible by everyone who wants to do so. It is a part of nature that l, for one certainly love to do. There is much determination in getting this beautiful river cleaned up, with determination of the community, and Government officials help; I believe there is hope for the Pigeon River.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How To Get Insanely Loyal Followers On Social Media - CoSchedule Blog

How To Get Insanely Loyal Followers On Social Media Blog How many social media followers  do you need to make your business succeed? Since everyone cant be Beyoncà ©, how many people do you need in your corner to make things happen for you? While we all wish we could live the life of a major celebrity for a day, the fact of the matter is that you don’t need to have a superstar-level following to turn your social media engagement into something more than a couple of likes and a retweet. Aiming for sustainability and setting your sights on an achievable goal can lead to big rewards. Be interested in other people and they’ll be interested in you. #SocialMediaBuild Your Fanbase With A Social Media Followers Kit Dont miss out on this awesome social media followers kit. Its made up of: A social media engagement checklist to help you  explore new tactics that will work for your business An editable slide deck to present your social media persona to your team A loyal social media followers worksheet that will help you get to know more about your audience and goals You Want To Build A Group Of 1,000 True Fans In Kevin Kelly’s seminal 2008 post, â€Å"1,000 True Fans,† he starts off describing â€Å"the long tail,† which is his name for what the internet did to markets as it grew in popularity. Because it removes barriers and makes things easier to find, it has led to a lengthening of the market. For example, if you like classical trombone concertos, it used to be that you’d have to scour the record store and probably buy an entire album, even though it was just one or two tracks you really wanted to listen to. Thanks to the internet, you can find as many of those as you want on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Spotify, or even YouTube. There are an increasingly infinite array of products available in a particular sector, meaning customers are split up into smaller and smaller groups. Obviously, there will be superstars- a ubiquitous product that blows up, or someone with the right combination of talent and luck that comes along at just the right time and captures a big following. Kevin’s point is that you can’t reasonably aim to replicate superstar success. What you can do, however, is figure out what level of support will work to make your success sustainable. What you want to do is work on building a group of 1,000 True Fans. Or 500. Or 3,000. Recommended Reading:   How To Get More Followers With 21 Unique Ways That Will Boost Your Social Media Traffic How To Get More Followers On Pinterest With 21+ Tactics That Will Grow Your Following How To Schedule Your Social Media Content Curation For Massive Growth Different business models will need different numbers. The key is that it’s hard, but it’s achievable. As Kevin puts it, â€Å"You can count to 1,000.† So what is a True Fan? A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. - Mike Masnick It’s this level of loyalty and passion that we can build with our social media following. Pro Tip:  Figure out how many True Fans you need to be sustainable. A good go-to way to think about this is to assume each will spend $100 on you per year. Start counting. 1. Change The Way You Think About Social Media The social media ground game has evolved. Back in the wild west days of social media, the only numbers that mattered were followers, likes, and shares. It didn’t matter how you got the followers, as long as that number was big. The same how-to was floating around in everyone’s heads: Build followers Get likes Profit The world has become so number-obsessed. You even saw people like Klout trying to develop an algorithm to score influence. What was lost in all the frenzy was a basic understanding of what has made social media a part of our everyday lives. Social media is valuable because it helps you learn, communicate, and engage with other people. You use social media to have conversations. Recommended Reading: How To Get Your Content In Front Of The Right Audience At The Right Time How To Delight Your Marketing Target Audience To Boost Conversions I’m a huge baseball fan, and social media gives me access to up-to-the-minute information in a way that I’d never get in a newspaper. When I think about what I like the most, it’s being able to see a variety of perspectives about a particular play or trade, from players, scouts, superfans, and reporters, and being able to talk to them about it. It’s the insider experience that is valuable to me. Pro Tip: Take the time to think about what you use social media to do, and why you use it the way you do. Does that insight change the way you could communicate with your customers? 2. Engage With Your Followers To Make Them Loyal Fans The biggest mistake most marketers make is thinking of social media as a broadcast channel. They think it’s about sending out your message, about repetition and variation  as if it’s just another form of TV. What they don’t do enough is listen. Instead, use these tips to better engage with your followers: Get smaller.  Instead of trying to broadcast to a large, general audience, narrow your focus to interacting with a small, specific audience. Who do you want to talk to? Focus on your customers social streams. Begin by listening. Have a conversation. Tell stories.  Stories are what get people engaged and emotionally connected. A story is something unique, personal, and engaging. Stories let us see the people, idea, or values that you represent. Social Media Examiner has a great guide to using stories in your social media marketing. Show your face.  Use visual content to get attention. Study after study shows that a post attached to a strong visual is more likely to get shared. More importantly, it lets us see behind the curtain. We will connect better with you as a  person than a brand, so don’t be afraid to show your face. As Kevin put it very clearly: "Understand this isn’t ‘look at me, look how cool I am’ content, this is perhaps just the opposite if it is to connect. This is 'look at me, look how much I care, look how regular I am, look at why I might be the perfect person to guide you to the result you are seeking.'" Have conversations.  Talk to people, ask questions, and find ways to get engaged. Show that you are interested in what others have to say, and not just obsessed with selling something. Shutterstock has a great guide for creatives on how to have more authentic conversations  on social media. Pro Tip: Don’t broadcast, blindly flailing into the social media abyss. Be specific about who you want to talk to, lead with listening, and start having a conversation. Recommended Reading:  8 Social Media Best Practices That Will Save You 25.5 Hours In A 2-Week Sprint 3. A Loyal Following Comes From Being A Real Person In her useful guide to building a loyal following on social media, Mei Pak offers this incredibly wise piece of insight: Building a successful creative business means polarizing the people that find you. They are either your target customer or they’re not. - Mei Pak It’s natural to be cautious about putting yourself out there because it can seem pretty risky. You might come off wrong, or miscommunicate, or make a fool of yourself. But while that’s off-putting to some people, it will make others fall in love with you. As long as you show vulnerability and admit mistakes when you make them, you have nothing to lose. Achieving this successfully requires making sure you’re clear about your values. Decide what’s important early on, and it becomes easier to know what to post about. If an event is happening nearby, you could post a shout-out, or even share a photo or video from it. Shared values are going to attract your most loyal customers. Finally, make sure that you keep upbeat. As Mei says: Present and focus on the positive points so you don’t sound like a whiner. - Mei Pak That doesn’t mean you can’t post about something you’re struggling with, but try to stay constructive and positive to get people to root for you. Pro Tip:  Find ways to make your posts more personal. Talk about what’s going on in your neighborhood, talk about what you love, keep positive, and have a conversation. Recommended Reading:  20 Ways To Be Creative When You Don’t Feel Inspired Get Engaged All of this advice really boils down to a simple revelation:  Social media is about having a conversation, not about who can yell the loudest. The same way that you approach meeting people at a party is the way you should approach your social media game. As Dale Carnegie advises, be interested in other people and they’ll be interested in you.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Discussion on How Much (if any) Americanism is Still the Operational Essay

Discussion on How Much (if any) Americanism is Still the Operational Theology of the Catholic Church in the United States - Essay Example f these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions†. But he adds, â€Å"From the foregoing it is manifest, beloved son, that we are not able to give approval to those views which, in their collective sense, are called by some "Americanism." But if by this name are to be understood certain endowments of mind which belong to the American people, just as other characteristics belong to various other nations, and if, moreover, by it is designated your political condition and the laws and customs by which you are governed, there is no reason to take exception to the name† (Concerning New Opinions). The pope has impressed the importance of keeping close to the faith irrespective of the Americanism in the Catholic Church in the United States. It is typical of someone in the United States to have the church appreciate modernism and seek to modify beliefs and order of service according to modern styles and practices. This is bound to happen because as the pontiff points out, â€Å"The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions† (Concerning New Opinions). The average American has a high sense of purpose. He will work hard enough to even lose his life in the pursuit of goals and achievements. However, he wants privileges and perks. He does all these because the American culture is such. The American is geared to achieving goals and getting things done. He has a questioning mind and will not shy away from questioning the clergy on the interpretation of God’s word. Hence, the spirit and system with which the Catholic Church works in other parts of the