Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Puffin Facts Types, Behavior, Habitat

Puffins are cute, stocky birds, known for their black and white plumage and orange feet and bills. Their appearance has earned them numerous nicknames, including sea parrots and clowns of the sea. Puffins are often compared to penguins because of their plumage, waddling walk, and diving ability, but the two birds are not actually related. Fast Facts: Puffin Scientific Name: Fratercula sp.Common Name: PuffinBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: 13-15 inchesWeight: 13 ounces to 1.72 poundsLifespan: 20 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: North Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic puffin); North Pacific Ocean (tufted puffin, horned puffin)Population: MillionsConservation Status: Atlantic puffin (vulnerable); other species (least concern) Types of Puffins Depending on which expert you ask, there are three or four puffin species. All puffin species are types of auks or alcids. The Atlantic or common puffin (Fratercula arctica) is the only species native to the North Atlantic. The tufted or crested puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) live in the North Pacific. The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) is definitely an auk and only sometimes considered to be a type of puffin. Like the tufted and horned puffin, it ranges across the North Pacific. Tufted puffin. Created by MaryAnne Nelson / Getty Images Description Puffin plumage depends on the species, but the birds are generally brownish-black or else black and white, with black caps and white faces. Puffins are stocky, with short tails and wings, orange webbed feet, and large beaks. During the breeding season, the outer portions of the beak are bright reddish orange. After breeding, the birds shed the outer part of their bills, leaving smaller and less-colorful beaks. The Atlantic puffin is about 32 cm (13 in) long, while the the horned puffin and tufted puffin average 38 cm (15 in) long. Male and female birds are visually indistinguishable, except that the male in a pair tends to be slightly larger than his mate. Habitat and Distribution The open sea of the North Atlantic and North Pacific is home to puffins. Most of the time, the birds live out at sea, far from any coast. During the breeding season, they seek islands and coastlines to form breeding colonies. The Atlantic puffin ranges from Iceland, Greenland, and Norway as far south as New York and Morocco. The horned puffin may be found from the coasts of Alaska, British Columbia, and Siberia, wintering along the California and Baja California coast. The tufted puffin and rhinoceros auklet range largely overlaps that of the horned puffin, but these birds also overwinter off the coast of Japan. Diet Puffins are carnivores that feed on fish and zooplankton, preying primarily on herring, sandeel, and capelin. Puffin beaks feature a hinge mechanism that allows them to hold several small fish at a time, making it easier to transport small prey to feed a chick. Puffin (Fratercula arctica) carrying hunted sandeels (Ammodytes), Wales, UK. Mike Turtle / Getty Images Behavior Unlike penguins, puffins can fly. By rapidly beating their short wings (400 beats per minute), a puffin can fly between 77 and 88 km/hr (48 to 55 mph). Like other auks, puffins also fly underwater. Despite their mobility in the air and sea, puffins appear clumsy when walking on land. Puffins are highly vocal at their breeding colonies, but silent when they are out at sea. Reproduction and Offspring In captivity, puffins reach sexual maturity at three years of age. In the wild, breeding usually occurs when the birds are around five years old. Like other auks, puffins are monogamous and tend to form lifelong pairs. Each year, the birds return to the same colonies. They build nests among rocks or burrows in the soil, depending on the colony geography and puffin species. The female lays a single white or lilac-colored egg. Both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick, which is commonly called a puffling. Pufflings lack the well-defined plumage markings and colorful bills of their parents. Chicks fledge at night and head out to sea, where they will remain until they are ready to breed. The average lifespan of a puffin is about 20 years. Young immature puffin outside burrow with adult parent. tirc83 / Getty Images Conservation Status The horned puffin and tufted puffin are classified as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN lists the Atlantic puffin as vulnerable because populations are rapidly declining across the species European range. Researchers believe the decline is due to multiple factors, including food shortage caused by overfishing, predation, pollution, and mortality in fishing nets. Gulls are the principle natural predator of puffins, although they are also preyed upon by eagles, hawks, foxes, and (increasingly) domestic cats. Atlantic puffins are hunted for eggs, food, and feathers in the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Sources Barrows, Walter Bradford. Family Alcidae.  Proceedings of the Boston Society for Natural History.  19: 154, 1877.Harrison, Peter (1988). Seabirds. Bromley: Helm, 1988. ISBN 0-7470-1410-8.Lowther, Peter E.; Diamond, A. W; Kress, Stephen W.; Robertson, Gregory J.; Russell, Keith. Poole, A., ed. Atlantic Puffin (. The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2002.Fratercula arctica)Sibley, David. The North American Bird Guide. Pica Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-873403-98-3.

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana - 2985 Words

Introduction In recent years across the United States and in many other nations as well, drug policy and the rationale behind these policies have started to undergo a tremendous shift. This change in public policy is visible to most through the ongoing legislation across America regarding the legalization of medical marijuana in 23 states, and recreational cannabis use becoming legal in 4 states as well (Hanson, 2015). This shift in public policy marks a significant turning point in the view of drugs and drug culture in the United States and reflects increased public knowledge of the less than desirable affects of the â€Å"drug war† mentality. Government spending on drug control in the United States totals $35 billion per year, and almost half a million dealers and users are currently in prisons and jails on drug charges and yet despite this massive investment of tax dollars and government authority, the United States still has the worst drug problem among Western nations (Bo yum Reuter, 2005). The implications of the current failings of U.S. policy with regards to drug related offenses as well as the changes in ideology in recent years with regards to drugs and drug users will likely lead to a shift in how North America as a culture chooses to handle the problems and woes of drug culture. The number of drug offenders under incarceration in America grew tenfold from 1980 to 2005 (Boyum Reuter, 2005). In the face of this fact there is strikingly little evidence thatShow MoreRelatedLegalization Of Medical Marijuana And Marijuana1486 Words   |  6 Pages Legalization of Medical Marijuana Name: Institution: Abstract In 1996, California set a pace that would lead to today’s debate on medical marijuana and marijuana as a whole by passing the Compassionate Use Act that allowed the use of medical marijuana. Other states have since followed the trend and school of thought, case in point; Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont andRead MoreThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana1314 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana is the most frequently abused illegal substance worldwide. 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Things like its history, correlation with crime, effects on economy, effectsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana866 Words   |  4 PagesJimmy Fulcher Mrs. Gallos English 3 31 October 2014 Legalization of medical marijuana in North Carolina Legalizing medical marijuana for North Carolina would be extremely beneficial. Marijuana does not only relieve stress but it can cure symptoms of cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, and Crohns’s disease. Twenty-three states have already legalized it and it has helped thousands of people. If something that is grown naturally in the earth can be beneficial to society and do the same job as all these drugsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana1957 Words   |  8 PagesMicki Mooberry Mr. Sullivan English III 15 September 2014 Legalization of Medical Cannabis Alzheimer disease, Glaucoma, AIDS, cancer, and over a hundred illnesses, all are adequately helped with this one drug that has been kept under lock and key by the law. 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Background The oldest recorded date for the plant wasRead MoreLegalization Of Marijuana For Medical Use1537 Words   |  7 PagesLegalizing Medical Marijuana Elizabeth Vogt ENC 1101 Professor Ruppert Keiser University October 23, 2014 Abstract Many people have different opinions on the delicate topic of the legalization of marijuana for medical use. Although it could help those who suffer from chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), cachexia, spasticity, pain and rheumatoid arthritis, it also has a lot of negative side effects that many doctors and physicians are trying to inform the public. Some of these negative

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Distillation Lab Report Free Essays

Data and Conclusions: The purpose of this experiment was to learn how to use distillation and gas chromatography to separate and identify different compounds from a given mixture. There are several kinds of distillation methods. However, the method that we used in this experiment was fractional distillation. We will write a custom essay sample on Distillation Lab Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now This method is used when trying to separate two different volatile compounds whose boiling points differ by 40-50Â °C or more. If the boiling points are too close, this method will not work because the two compounds will begin evaporating at close temperatures and will condense down to the receiving flasks at relatively the same times. This will not create an ideal separation. The apparatus used for this type of distillation is longer than that of a simple distillation experiment because this kind of apparatus creates more efficient separation. This happens because the fractional distillation apparatus is longer, and allows for several simple distillations to occur within the column itself to more accurately separate liquids. The inside of the column is said to have theoretical plates, or equilibrium stages that are created by the vapor and liquid stages of a compound that create this accuracy. The column must also be insulated with cotton and aluminum to prevent any heat loss that may lead to inaccurate temperature readings or even effect the evaporation of the different compounds. When heating the stillpot, flameless heating should be used along with a magnetic stirbar. This is important to control the temperature of the mixture and keep the heat smooth and constant. Heating the mixture too fast could result in no fractionation in the column and lead to no separation. Likewise, if the mixture is heated too slowly, the vapors might now make it all the way to the condenser, and the liquid will fall back into the stillpot. If the mixture is heated correctly and constantly, the vapors should condense through a condenser and into a receiving flask. This condenser should have water running through it at all times to keep it cool and keep the condensed vapor flowing down into the receiving flask. As a whole, the entire apparatus works perfectly for two different volatile liquids with 40-50Â °C boiling point differences because as the liquid with the lower boiling point is distilled out, the higher boiling point liquid will remain in the stillpot as the other is evaporating and distilled. Then, it will be able to evaporate later as the temperature rises, after the other has more than completely distilled out. As I conducted this portion of the experiment, I noticed that while taking the three fractions, fraction A filled up the full 15 mL and continued distilling through fraction B, and eventually stopped. Because of this, I hypothesized that all of fraction A and most of fraction B consisted of the low boiling point compound. As I raised the temperature of the hotplate, I was able to collect fraction C, and I predicted that it was composed of mostly the high boiling point liquid. To test this, the experiment called for the use of gas chromatography. The chromatography would not only show the relative concentrations of each compound in the fraction, but could also help confirm the identification of the compounds we thought were in the fractions based on the temperatures that each liquid boiled. Before trying to guess the correct compounds of the mixture, one must run each individual fraction through the machine to clearly see the composition of each. Gas chromatography works because as the liquid runs through the machine, its different components run through and exit at different times due to changes of temperatures that measure high and low boiling points. The machine records these using peaks of retention time that identify these different components. After obtaining this data, there was enough information to choose a reasonable match for each of the components. Once both the fractions and the guessed compound were mixed, the retention recordings should not differ in the number of peaks because ideally the compound mixed should have the same retention time as one of the other previous peaks. If the compounds were to differ in the number of peaks, then it shows that another compound must be present with different properties. As I conducted this portion of the experiment, I guessed cyclohexane for my low boiling point liquid and toluene or heptane for my high boiling point liquid based on the fractional distillation observations. For cyclohexane I mixed it with fraction A, since it predominantly consisted of my low boiling point liquid, and observed two peaks in my results. Therefore I concluded that cyclohexane was the low boiling point liquid. However, for the second liquid I guessed heptane first, and my results showed three peaks. Knowing that I had guessed wrong, I tested toluene mixed with my fraction C and only got two peaks. The high boiling point liquid proved to be toluene. In conclusion, my results all matched the main ideas and theories presented in the experiment. From my results I was able to figure out the composition of each of the compounds in the initial mixture and compare them to those of the rest of the class. My results only varied by 3. 18%. When using the two different methods of calculating the composition, the second method using the chromatography peaks was more accurate, and compared to the first method of assuming the ideal compositions, the results differed from the class average by over 10%. Based on the consistency of our class results using the second method, the two compounds proved to have been distilled using the proper method, and is reinforced by the use of gas chromatography. How to cite Distillation Lab Report, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Social Networks in Business for

Question: Write about theAdvantages and Disadvantages of Using Social Networks in Business for Consumers. Answer: Introduction After the digital revolution the world has experienced great change in every sector of business. Todays business world is highly technology driven. The retailers are utilizing the social networking sites as an effective platform for marketing campaign to reach maximum number of consumers. The organizations social media integration has hugely impact the consumer behavior. This report explores various literatures that dealt with the effect of special media has on business and tries to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy. Project objective The project objective is to identify and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of social networks in business. Project scope The analysis of social media marketings benefits will identify the various techniques that the organizations use to achieve these benefits. The investigation of disadvantages will help to identify the problem areas and encourage finding out possible solutions. The future of social media marketing as part of the global marketing will be explored as well. Literature Review According to Asaad and Anas (2014) the organizations follow five dimensions of social media marketing like building up the online communities, interaction between the organizations and consumers, the sharing of necessary contents, consumers accessibility of the products and earning the credibility. Social networks have significant contribution in reaching the consumer fast which influences their decision making. Through the social networks the organization establishes a community which is their product, service and business oriented. The organizations that have successfully created a vibrant online customer base loyal communities that are engaged in discussions which help the organizational business to improve and develop (Taprial and Kanwar 2012). Popular social networking sites like Facebook or twitter notifies its followers whenever some activities are happening from the organizations side. If the organizations daily and frequently update their activities related to product advert isements or promotions, the customers get immediately updated (Berselli, Burger, and Close 2012). According to Fisher and Reuber (2011) the consumer community interacts with the company directly and simultaneously which results in greater communication. Through the interaction the company shares its service related information and keeps their broadcasting up to date. In the social network setting the company shares their product information and other services to its consumers (Babac 2011). Social networks have specially proved to be beneficial for the companies as the social media is easily accessible for the consumers and for the company as well and it is extremely cheap. The company does not need any experts for maintaining the social media interaction with their customers as this does not require any specific knowledge or special skills (Taprial and Kanwar 2012). The company earns the the customer loyalty thrugh socal networks in a more easy and effective way. The organizations share their messages with the customers easily and by directly communicating them it successfully es tablishes an emotional connection with the customers and motivate them for purchasing their products more. Taprial and Kahwar (2012) claims that social media has become a great platform for expanding their business and increasing the profit by establishing the trust of their target customer base. According Shabnam et al. (2013) the emergence of social networking emphasized the organizations chances to build personal and intimate relationship with their target audience. They conducted a research among young consumers to their reaction towards the business service of various companies. The applied Klout score to determine the result. They measured brand association, loyalty, brand image, consciousness as independent variables and effectiveness of social media as dependent variable. The detail interview they conducted highlighted the organizations view on using social media and how they assert various techniques for their brand building on the social media platform. The research by Jati and Mohanty (2012) reflected in the research by Bhagwat and Gautam (2013). Both of their studies highlighted the need of social media for effective business by the organizations. They also demonstrated how the social media platforms are being used by various companies to connect to their consumers. Jati and Mohanty concluded that social network is extremely needed by the companies for doing a successful business in the digital era. They investigated the origin and growth of social network in the business sector. The social networking proves to be extremely successful in building the rand for the company. They recommended few strategies for the companies to compete in the global market. Bhagwat and Gautams detail market analysis highlighted that Facebook is the most used social network platform. Their empirical study and found data showed the use of social network platforms are growing every day and the opportunities offered by the networks are being utilized by both the organizations and the consumers. A platform like Facebook is also being used by various companies for business purposes. The exploratory research by Ramnarain and Govender explored the consumer behavior in connection with the social network. They conducted a survey among 150 young students of an African University with a well designed survey questionnaire. The survey result demonstrated that the young consumers purchasing behavior changes depending upon their gender, web browsing and life style. The improved product, important communication channel, and brand choice are the main factors in relationship with the social media networks that influenced the purchasing behavior of the youth. However in the context of South Africa, the organizations need to evaluate their communication and marketing strategies to guide the young consumers; purchasing behavior towards them. The relationship between customer relationship and brand equity has been explored by the research by Kumar and Singh (2013). They have focused on certain strategies that few companies apply in a specific time to attract a particular segment of consumer. The paper supported the previous proposals of other researchers, that social network strengthens the relationship between the customer and the company and frequently the use social network as brand building tool. The companys successful campaign among the customers also extended to its stakeholders. Kumar and Singh (2013) particularly examined the Live the moment social media campaign for the Ritz car by Maruti Suzuki. Valeecha and Reza (2013) investigated how telecom industries in Pakistan are using social networking to let the consumers identify the factors which need to be improved by the telecom companies in order to generate more profit. They engaged 5 telecom companies, 8 media agencies, specialized in social networking and 108 social media users for collecting empirical data for evaluating the case. The survey result explored all of the three perspectives which reflected in a similar result. The consumers expect the companies to be actively present on social media. The telecom organizations also apply social media integration by interacting with their customers directly and whenever they need. Bajpey et al. (2012) explored the social media networks viral strategy that helps the small enterprises to grow rapidly. Various social media marketing are also powerful in deciding the consumers effective purchasing. The compared the traditional marketing strategies with the social media marketing by various companies and concluded how the social media possesses more potential to change consumer purchase behavior. Pandey and Bajpai (2012) in another research examine viral marketing adaptability by various organizations as an effective business tool. They also focused on the most powerful social network Facebook. They examined how various marketers are using Facebook strategically and achieving success. They have also highlighted the offers by Facebook for the marketers to increase their profit. However they concluded that the marketers have to go a long as their utilizing of the social network is still at its primary stage. According to Castronovo and Huang (2012) social network is an effective alternative marketing model for business communication. They mainly focused on the relationship between word of mouth publicity and social network as part of their market communication integration. After analyzing Castronovo and Huang suggested a different conceptual model based on alternative marketing strategies particularly for the industrial practitioners to increase their product sales, enhance customer awareness and finally customer efficiency. The empirical study conducted by Bashar et al. (2012) highlights the social media marketings effectiveness as a marketing tool. The non probability sampling method and the online survey in Indias capital city involving many social networkers help them to come up with an accurate result. The result suggests that if the social network successfully offers timely and precise information to its customers, then only it be effective. Basically the gap between the expectation and satisfaction of the customers should be bridged. The authors suggested that the company should implement a business based on social relationship rather than transactional relationship. In their study Ranjhita and Sinnor (2012) explored the relationship between social network usage pattern and peoples preference. They selected 360 samples focusing on profession and 120 samples based on age to determine the customers usage of Facebook for social communication. They have designed and applied a research method named communication tracking. Their result highlighted that Facebook is the easiest and cheapest platform for the companies to promote their brand and products. The companies can increase their market share through their potential platform by offering the customers in depth description of their products and directly interfering with the customers. Through the eay communication via Facebook the company gets to know about the customers needs and desires and they can apply strategies accordingly. Barefoot Szabo (2010) describes that the transparency of the social network marketing makes the company information to everyone (Ismail 2017). The company has to be really careful and consistent before implementing the social media marketing. The social network between the consumers and the companies takes commitment. Most companies focus on building long term relationship through social network marketing. Therefore the management team of the company has to monitor the activities carefully, respond to the customer queries responsibly and post the information without any mistakes. If the company fails to manage social network marketing such a way it will lose its competitive advantages. The company cannot merely be present on various social media platforms and expect that it will bring huge profit, is just fanciful. In a way mishandling and ill handling of the social media networking may cause harm for the companys reputation and profitability. Steinman and Hawkins (2010) have highlighted another significant disadvantage of the social network marketing for the companies. When dealing with social networking the companies have to protect their copyrights and trademarks. The intellectual properties of the company are equally valuable for them as the products. The communication over social network is easy and transparent. It often becomes informal and real time service. There is always a chance that some third party of hackers might attack the system and abuse the companys intellectual properties. Their copyrights or trademarks should be regularly monitored by the management to ensure that no one else is misusing their properties. They can use such systems like screening services or internet tracking in the monitoring process. If the company fails to check the IPR breaching can damage the reputation and brand severely. The company must design and implement own regulations in various social network outlets. The effective policie s will protect the company from disclosing their data or information. Failing to collect, store and use data responsibly will affect the company privacy of service and data security. The trust is also related to the service security. The brand trust should be built as the consumers can not have tactile experience what they get in traditional practices. Conclusion Internet has a great effect on peoples lives, the consumers behavior has transformed because of the social networks. Social media marketing is an effective tool that should be used for marketing, advertise and promoting their products and services by every company. Today an active consumers does not just purchase a product passively he contribute actively by contributing in the brand and reputation building and eventually companys decision making. Apart from the advantages there some advantages which the companies must consider so that those do not affect their productivity, profitability and customer efficiency. Reference As' ad, H.A.R. and Alhadid, A.Y., 2014. The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Equity: An Empirical Study on Mobile Service Providers in Jordan.Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research,3(1), p.315. Babac, R., 2011. Impact of Social-Media Use on Brand Equity of Magazine Brands: A Qualitative Study of Vogue Turkey. Bajpai, V. and Pandey, S., 2012. Viral Marketing Through Social Networking Sites With Special Reference Of Facebook.International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services Management Research,1(7), pp.194-207. Bajpai, V., Pandey, S. and Shriwas, S., 2012. Social media marketing: Strategies its impact.International Journal of Social Science Interdisciplinary Research,1(7), pp.214-223. Bashar, A., Ahmad, I. and Wasiq, M., 2012. Effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool: An empirical study.International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services Management Research,1(11), pp.88-99. Berselli, S., Burger, S. and Close, J., 2012. Crisis mapping community social media information during and after large-scale disasters in Victoria.Unpublished bachelor thesis, Worchester Polytechnic Institute, Worchester, USA. Bhagwat, S. and Goutam, A., 2013. Development of social networking sites and their role in business with special reference to Facebook.Journal of Business and Management,6(5), pp.15-28. Castronovo, C. and Huang, L., 2012. Social media in an alternative marketing communication model.Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness,6(1), p.117. Fischer, E. and Reuber, A.R., 2011. Social interaction via new social media:(How) can interactions on Twitter affect effectual thinking and behavior?.Journal of business venturing,26(1), pp.1-18. Ismail, A.R., 2017. The influence of perceived social media marketing activities on brand loyalty: The mediation effect of brand and value consciousness.Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics,29(1), pp.129-144. Kumar, R.S. and Singh, A.S., 2013. Social media as an effective tool of marketing communication: A case study of Maruti Suzuki.Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing Management Review, ISSN, pp.2319-2836. Nityananda, J. and Mohanty, A.N., Strategic Entrepreneurship: Key to Success For Competitiveness Globalization. Ramnarain, Y. and Govender, K.K., 2013. The relationship among certain youths' demographic variables and their social media browsing behaviour.African Journal of Business Management,7(25), p.2495. Ranjitha, G. P. and Sinnor, Ganapati B. 2012. Influence of Social Media Websites on Shabnam, S., Choudhury, A. and Alam, M.I., 2013. An Emerging Method of Communication: Social Media Marketing and Its Social and Managerial Implications.World Review of Business Research,3(1), pp.1-25. Steinman, M.L. and Hawkins, M., 2010. When marketing through social media, legal risks can go viral.Intellectual Property Technology Law Journal,22(8), p.1. Taprial, V. and Kanwar, P., 2012.Understanding social media. Bookboon. Valeecha, S. and Reza, A., 2013. Critical Success Factors for Incorporating Social Media Marketing in IMCReference to Telecom Companies.World Review of Business Research,3(3), pp.115-129.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Essay Examples on Chernobyl Essay Example

Essay Examples on Chernobyl Paper 1st Essay Sample on Chernobyl The Chernobyl Accident negatively affected not only the people of the Ukraine and surrounding countries; it also affected the economy, health and the environment. On April 26th, 1986, something horribly went wrong with reactor four at the power plant in Chernobyl.This accident has so far been the worst one in the worlds history of power plants.This accident was caused partly by the operator and partly by faults in the reactor construction.There was an experiment that was being done in order to investigate the possibility of making electricity from the residual energy in the turbo-generators, after the supply of steam was shut off.The experiment was poorly planned, and was led by an electrical engineer who wasnt familiar with the reactor facility.The operators broke six very important safety rules, and all shutdown systems were off-line.The emergency core cooling systems for the reactor had also been off-line.The experiment could only be completed while the reactor was low in power, something that led the operators to believe mistakenly that they were carrying out a safe operation.Just after 1:00am on April 26th, the reactor was operating at a low power level and all control rods were withdrawn from the reactor core.The power output had been so low, the operators thought that they could control it manually.They overrode the automatic control system so that the reactor wouldnt come to a halt.The power increase was slow atfirst, quickly increasing to a power doubling itself in less than one second.The water in the core exploded into steam. The fuel elements were destroyed by the blast, which also caused the roof of the reactor to blow away.That gave fresh air access to the reactor which fed the explosion.The fire lasted for several days releasing dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. 2nd Essay Sample on Chernobyl Good evening comrades. All of you know that there has been an incredible misfortune – that accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. It has painfully affected the soviet people, and shocked the international community. For thefirst time, we confront the real force of nuclear energy, out of control (LaMotte 1). These very words were delivered by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev following the Chernobyl catastrophe. Chernobyl was a nuclear power plant located in the former Soviet Union. Eighty miles north of Kiev, the reactor four exploded on April 26, 1986. The disaster started on April 25, 1986, as a test was put underway. The test was to determine how long the reactors turbines would spin and supply power following a loss of main electric power supply. Operational error caused the test to go bad. The power fell way below safe levels. To regain power, control rods were removed. The flow of feed water was reduced as well to maintain steam pressure. Despite efforts, the pumps p owered by slowing turbines provided less and less cooling to the reactor. A dramatic power surge followed. The quick increase in temperature caused the fuel elements to rupture. The fuel particles reacted with the water to create an explosion of steam. A fireball blew off the reactors steel and concrete lid. A second explosion came not long after thefirst sending fragments of burning feul and graphite into the atmosphere. The graphite moderator had burst into flames. It burnt for nine days causing the release of most of the radioactivity. In fact 5% of the reactor core was thrown into the atmosphere. Following the disaster a total of over 600,000 people were involved in the recovery and cleanup which lasted through 1987. Thirty-one people were killed while 45,000 residents living within a 10km radius of the plant were evacuated. Later another 116,000 others were moved. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Chernobyl specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Chernobyl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Chernobyl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Monday, November 25, 2019

How to get noticed on LinkedIn

How to get noticed on LinkedIn So, you’ve got a LinkedIn profile, now what? How should we be using LinkedIn as a tool to further our careers, exactly? Like any social media platform, the ability to connect us to mass amounts of people across the globe is what makes it so powerful. As of 2017, there are 500 million active users on LinkedIn, and at least 10 million job postings at any given time. Imagine where your career could go if you unlocked just some of those opportunities. First, it’s important to understand that how you’ve setup your profile is how you present yourself to the world, and to potential colleagues and employers. Building an effective LinkedIn profile is similar to building a resume. It may take some effort to do correctly, but the benefits will greatly outweigh the time taken to do it.What are headhunters looking for on LinkedIn? Headhunters are seasoned pros as navigating the platform, so it’s crucial that you have a profile that looks professional and cuts through t he clutter.We’ve compiled a list of items that you need to perfect in order to put your best foot forward.Take a great profile picture. This is often the first thing that potential employers will notice about you. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. A great rule of thumb is to steer clear of selfies, party and/or vacation pictures, or anything blurry. Your profile picture does not need to be super corporate; so long as it’s good quality, shows your face clearly, and professional. Put your best face forward here. You can have a friend take a picture of you in a well-lit area and iPhone picture quality would be sufficient.Not a great choice!That’s more like it!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Get a custom URL. As previously mentioned, there are 500 million users on LinkedIn. It’s important that you make yourself easy to find. There are many ways to do this, but a great first step is to customize your URL as closely to your name as possible. T his will also make it easier for you to link back to your LinkedIn profile in resumes and emails. The more eyes on your profile, the better, after all!Craft a great headline.   This is one of the first things people will see when they come across your profile, along with your picture. This headline appears within search results, invitations to connect, company pages, etc. It is most important to use â€Å"searchable words†. Avoid cheesy quotes, overused buzzwords, and generally being unclear about what you do. A headhunter won’t see something like â€Å"social media ninja† on your profile and then take the time to figure out what that might mean to you. For example, if you are in the graphic design industry, you are better off listing yourself as a graphic designer rather than a digital artist.Write yourself a punchy summary. Again, using keywords specific to your industry is best here. However avoid rambling on too long. Sadly, no one has time to read through paragraphs upon paragraphs about your professional life. Of course, in this area it helps to be as creative and pithy as possible, all while avoiding being cheesy and overly using buzzwords. This is your chance to set yourself apart from the rest!Add media where you can. You can add pictures, videos, and links on many sections on your LinkedIn profile. It goes without saying that this makes cruising your profile much more interesting. In addition to this, visual aids, no matter the industry, are helpful in conveying your experience in a dynamic way. It also shows that you execute on deliverables, which is attractive to employers. If a headhunter lands on your profile and is interested, it would be helpful to give them some preliminary materials to sift through before contact you!Write recommendations, get recommendations. Recommendations should not be the centerpiece of your profile, but it’s a nice cherry on top. It tells the user reading your profile that you have had good , positive work experiences in the past. Whether or not they read the content of the recommendations is on them, but as you can imagine, keeping it brief is best. A pro tip here is that people sometimes forget that giving a recommendation is an available feature, so write recommendations for your favorite coworkers to remind them- and pay it forward while doing it!Keep things consistent. Take the profile of Danielle Morrill, founder and CEO at Mattermark, data and marketing company, as an example. All of her experiences are listed in a clean manner, and the job descriptions all keep the relatively same format. The profile is easy to read and pleasant on the eyes. It’s simple for the user to land on this profile and understand Mrs. Morrill’s work experiences. This applies to other sections on your profile as well. Make sure to use similar language and formatting as you build the profile out– and make sure that, above all else, it represents you!Make connections. Making connections on LinkedIn is the name of the game, after all! These connections make you look, for lack of a better word, well-connected within your industry. On top of this, you get the added benefit of growing your circle and further networking by being connected to the right people. It is also helpful to connect with headhunters and recruiters. They often post updates on positions they’re looking to fill, and you’ll have an easier time getting in contact with them overall. Conversely, if you do not have any connections at all on LinkedIn, it makes you look unengaged and unconnected, so connect away!Complete your profile. An incomplete profile is an ineffective profile. It simply defeats the purpose of having a presence on the platform, as you make yourself look uninvolved, and uninterested. LinkedIn knows that you completing your profile is an important step for you to get value out of using it, so it guides you as you build out your profile. As you follow the ir instructions, your profile strength will receive a ranking.LinkedIn is a fantastic tool that enables us to connect with industry professionals all over the world and there is value in taking the time to flesh out your profile in a way that represents you. In using the platform to its fullest potential, you are setting yourself up to make the most of what it has to offer. It just so happens that what LinkedIn has to offer is making key connections, and great strides in your career.Author  Miriam Groom is VP of Sales and Marketing at Groom and Associates, a Canadian recruitment agency specialized in headhunting and executive search. Miriam brings a new perspective and skill set to Groom and Associates as a second generation of senior management in the Groom organization. Miriam has experience with a wide range of clients, from small high growth organizations to some of the largest global organizations. Miriam has a degree in Commerce with a concentration in Finance from the John Molson School of Business.

Friday, November 22, 2019

If You Cant Stand the Fat, Stay out of the Restaurant Term Paper

If You Cant Stand the Fat, Stay out of the Restaurant - Term Paper Example Bloomberg has created a nanny state in an attempt to eradicate his city of what he calls â€Å"beasts,† (overweight people). This is by no means the first measure taken by the state to control consumption, but many believe it is justified since two-thirds of American adults and 25 percent of children are obese, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that obesity is the number one health problem in the United States. Is there research confirming that the government regulation of consumption results curbs obesity ─ and even if it did, should it have the right to enforce taxes, bans, and penalties in an attempt to bring about a healthier society? It all comes down to personal responsibility and accountability ─ values that have been traded in for victimization and reliance on government. Individuals ─ not restaurants ─ make the decisions to purchase and consume food, so the ones ultimately responsibility for obesity are the consume rs, not the purveyors of food. Those ascribing to a smaller government and less intervention in citizens’ daily lives argue that personal freedoms are taken away when responsibility for one’s health is projected onto others. Regulations such as the one recently enforced in New York City, that do not allow restaurants and other businesses to serve fountain drinks over 16 ounces, raise major objections from citizens, who contend that the â€Å"government cannot legislate eating less or exercising more,†. To stop this tide of over-regulation that mandates restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus and requires stores to charge increased taxes on junk food, legislation such as â€Å"The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Bill† and â€Å"The Commonsense Consumption Act†.... sed taxes on junk food, legislation such as â€Å"The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Bill† and â€Å"The Commonsense Consumption Act† have been presented to statehouses so that lawsuits - waged against restaurants for â€Å"making† their patrons fat - will be prohibited by law. Those advocating personal accountability point to the failing premises behind socialized healthcare to prove their point, noting that such big government programs make Americans â€Å"troublingly tolerant of government trespasses on our freedom,† (Balko, Brownell, and Nestle 2004). Punishing restaurants for consumers’ obesity does not motivate customers to make healthy dietary choices, just as citizens are less likely to stay physically fit when others are forced to pay for their healthcare. Whether it is President Barack Obama pouring what will become trillions of dollars into Obamacare or former President George W. Bush designating $125 million of his budget in 2004 to encourage healthy lifestyles, using taxpayer money to bring about a fit America is by no stretch a panacea for an overweight America. On the same note, blaming and punishing restaurant owners for fattening their customers will not lean-down their clientele. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence supporting that exorbitant government programs and intrusive regulations result in a slimmer America, advocates of such measures maintain that they are necessary. They believe that restaurants and other purveyors of food are the problem that must be put under government control in order to bring citizens’ weight down. This was the exact reasoning behind the San Francisco City Council voting to ban fast food restaurants from giving kids’ toys with their meals - if they did not measure up to a certain health criteria.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Lab Report Example These occipital condyles are projections from the bottom of the skull that attach the skull to the atlas and axis of the cervical vertebrae. This gives an indication of how upright the organism stood. The more centered that the occipital condyles are along the Frankfurt plane, the higher the probability the hominid was upright. 4) Nasal cavity shape – the nasal cavity shape helps establish ancestry and racial origin. A wider nasal chamber indicates a sub Saharan origin as compared to a narrower flared/heartshaped one in the European skull. The Mystery skull 1 belongs to anatomically modern Homo sapiens. The reason I assigned this taxon is due to the high uv/tv ratio. This implies that the hominid had a lower brow and thus the frontal lobes were higher than eye level. The tw/tv ratio is also large meaning that the foramen magnum is high. This implies an upright posture. The index of condylar position is also large implying that the foramen magnum is nearly centrally placed under the skull. This also implies a near upright gait. The facial features such as zygomatic bones are not as prominent, thus showing that the hominid did not have need for large mastication muscles. The maxillary jaw is also less protruded. This is characteristic of the more evolved hominids. The saggital sutures also close to form a well rounded calvaria characteristic of higher hominids. Mystery skull 2 belongs to the Neanderthal. The reason I assigned this taxon is due to the fact that the uv/tv ratio is relatively large. This implies that the brow ridge is not as high, and thus the brain is slightly higher placed than the eyes. The tw/tv ratio shows that the foramen magnum is located lower on the skull and thus the hominid may not have been entirely upright. The xy/xz ratio is quite large. This implies that the foramen magnum was almost centred, meaning that although the hominid was not entirely upright, it may have employed bipedal gait. The

Monday, November 18, 2019

Reproduction Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reproduction Issue - Essay Example This essay focuses on the ethical implication of third trimester abortion with reference to its medical effect on the fetus and the mother. In particular, this essay argues against third trimester abortion. Numerous claims against abortion argue that both the mother and the fetus have particular rights. It was emphasized by Annas (1998 as cited in Orshan, 2008, 310) that the fetus is not an individual within the context of the Constitution and declares that states cannot criminalize abortion prior to the determination of the viability of the fetus. States can prohibit abortion after determination of the viability of the fetus only if there is an anomaly that allows abortion to defend the health or life of the mother. States can enforce limits on abortion prior to the determination of viability only if such limits do not generate major barriers to a woman’s acquiring an abortion (Wikipedia, 2013b). Roe v. Wade made sure that women have the legal privacy right, and that such right is basic and general to cover her choice to obtain an abortion. Third term abortion is the most disputed topic of reproductive rights. There is no involuntary right to obtain abortion after the first trimester. In later trimester, the fetus is already viable. A six-month fetus can possibly stay alive with a delivery even though it would have higher susceptibility to complications. The Supreme Court has always considered exceptions for the likelihood of third trimester abortion if the woman’s life is in danger (Hall, Bobinski, & Orentlicher, 2007). It is not possible to ethically abort a possibly viable fetus except if there is a major justifying condition like danger to the life of the fetus or the mother. With regard to court directive, the court cannot oblige a doctor to carry out an operation that is professionally or ethically unjustifiable (Wikipedia, 2013a). For instance, if legislation ratified today making it legally permissible to carry out ‘mercy killing’, or

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Balancing Test in UK Law

Balancing Test in UK Law The Ultimate Balancing Test This chapter will consider how the UK courts must find a balance between the competing Convention rights of Article 8 and Article 10. In the context of their relationship between the privacy of such individuals and the press, as these two essential and fundamental rights frequently come into conflict and must be analysed and balanced against each other. Whilst referring to the ultimate balance as recognised in Strasbourg courts and how it has aided in developing the ultimate balance in UK courts. As such, both rights start off as equal, this can be reflected, for example, in Resolution 1165 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 1998, where paragraph 11 specifically mentions that, The Assembly reaffirms the importance of every persons right to privacy, and the right to freedom of expression, as fundamental to a democratic society. These rights are neither absolute nor in any hierarchical order, since they are of equal value in a democratic society.[1] The conflicting rights As can be seen by the evidence presented in the previous chapters, the balance between the right to privacy and freedom of expression is one which has influenced much debate, in Strasbourg and in the UK, and as such, they are often found competing against one another, even though they are of equal value. Incorporated within the debate is the view that both rights are completely contradicting, as privacy is strongly founded upon secrecy whilst expression most always involves exposure, thus this is when friction will almost always be formed between the two Convention rights. Consequently, the friction created by these rights are central to the conflict the courts have been facing, following the incorporation of the HRA and ECHR, much of this friction was formed with the conflicting rights of Article 8 and 10 at the very core. These rights at first glance appear to stand independent, although the expectation of these rights can however become apparent, thus creating the issue of why the right to privacy and freedom of expression are often in conflict. Furthermore, these two rights have arguably been fought most by two parties, the first party, uses Article 8 which gives a person right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.[2] Phillipson identifies that any individual has a right as a human being to have control over what information a person chooses to disclose to another, and that when the government or the media acquire information without your consent, and publish the information, it violates a persons fundamental right to control such information about themselves.[3] Therefore, it makes sense that the second party whom fights for their rights conveyed in Article 10 are most commonly the media, this right states that Everyone has the right to freedom of expression.[ 4] This right includes the freedom to receive and communicate information, thus it would make sense that the second party that fights for their rights are the media as the media focus highly on communicating information to the public, as such, they are quite commonly known as being the public watch dog. [5] Hence, it could be said that the media are therefore obligated to publish what they believe the public want to know, and it is there that the conflict between the right to privacy and freedom of expression arise; when the media publish information that a person or persons wanted to keep private. [6] Harris has expressed the opinion that the balance between the two rights is a grey area in law, and that there will always be tension between the two, however, it needs to remain that way to differentiate between definitively private information and information that some may see as private, but instead may be important to be covered by freedom of expression.[7] It has been stated by Lord Goff that freedom of expression has existed in this country perhaps as long, if not longer, than it has existed in any other country in the world as such, this statement was maintained by Lord Hoffman when he mentioned that A right of privacy may be a legitimate exception to freedom of speech (but) there is no question of balancing freedom of speech against other interests. It is a trump card which always wins.[8] These statements highlight that there once was a strong preference in the courts in favour of freedom of expression. While there is no contrary public interest recognised and protected by the law, the press are free to publish anything they like. Although, when freedom of expression comes into conflict with another interest protected by law, the question of whether there is a sufficient public interest in the publication to justify limitation of the conflicting right comes into play. However, there is, and will always be a strong desire to know the truth, with many agreeing that freedom of expression is fundamental towards a healthy democracy. Although, this freedom can be essential, it can however, come with responsibilities that the media will often disregard. Thus, the right to freedom of expression stops when it infringes on the privacy of those involved unless, by keeping such things private, would cause a concern for society, as such public interest. Yet, the issues of which stories are of public interest is a rather grey area in the UK, partly because the divergence between what the public has a right to know and what the public desires to know. In theory, it can be said that everyone is entitled to both right; right to privacy and right to freedom of expression, as far as they do not infringe on anyone elses rights. Though, this is quite frankly impossible, and as such can only be done by balancing the two rights. The balancing of the two competing rights English courts have been influenced by the balance recognised in the Strasbourg courts, and have attempted to reconcile the fundamental underlying values advanced by the right to privacy and freedom of expression through such legal frameworks, as such the balancing of these two competing rights are clearly demonstrated in countless cases. In executing the ultimate balancing test, the courts consider the claimants right to privacy as expressed in Article 8 of the ECHR, which provides that everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.[9] Equally, the content of the publishers freedom of expressions rights is established from Article 10 of the ECHR, which safeguards the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.[10] With both rights being qualified, they may be restricted under paragraph two, provided that the interference is prescribe d by the law, and pursues a legitimate aim and what should be well known by now, is that it is necessary in a democratic society and is proportionate response to the aim pursued. The balance as recognised in Strasbourg Privacy actions involve the conflict of two rights, most commonly, freedom of expression. The Article 10 jurisprudence discloses that, even though freedom of expression constitutes once of the essential foundations of a democratic society, a hierarchy of various types of expression have been developed by the ECtHR, which can be recognised in the previous chapter. These can be political speech, artistic expression and commercial expression,[11] as such this is where the conflict begins. The conflict could begin with Article 8, in regards that the State has failed to appropriately protect the applicants right to privacy or it could begin with Article 10, in regards to whether the State has infringed the applicants right to freedom of expression by imposing sanctions aimed at protecting a persons right to privacy.[12] Thus, courts must consider the conflicting rights on the presumption that both Articles are of equal value, rather than considering that the conflicting right is an excep tion to the principal right, as such the Convention ensures that any restriction that is places on either right is closely scrutinised and a balance is achieved between them. The cases before Von Hannover did not endorse the methods of balancing Article 8 and 10, however, following on from this caseit can be recognised that neither Article takes precedence over one another. In the first Von Hannover case, as stated in the previous chapter the court had held that Princess Carolines Article 8 rights had been infringed by the publication of photographs showing her with her children and with her husband. She brought several actions in Germany for an injunction to prevent further publications of the various photographs that were taken, the court however stated that the matter was an event in contemporary society and of general interest to the public. Princess Caroline argued that none of the photographs, regardless of the articles that followed with them debated to such public interest in a democratic society, but were there only to satisfy the curiosity of such a reader. As such, this is important as an individual will be more easily able to establish a reasonable expectation of privacy than say an individual in the public eye. Although, in Von Hannover (No.2)[13]this case involved the publication of a photograph of Princess Caroline and her husband during a skiing holiday, to illustrate the ill health of her father, Monacos Head of State. The Court maintained the position that whilst a private individual unknown to the public may claim particular protection of his or her right to private life, the same is not true of public figures[14] Although, they did modify it definition of public figures to also include persons whom could just be simply well known to the public. Consequently, in line with the courts findings, the press could legitimately report on how the Princes children prepared to accept family duties during the time of the Princes illness, such as going on skiing holiday. In the view of the court, the photos in question, considered in the light of the accompanying articles, did contribute, at least to some degree, to a debate of general interest.[15] Additionally, the photographs themselves were n ot offensive to the extent that their prohibition was justified.[16] The court in this case, emphasised that both Articles are of equal value and the margin of appreciation should be the same in both cases, and as such, they saw fit to develop criteria which other states should follow when considering how to develop a balance between the two rights, these being: Whether the information contributes to a debate of general interest How well known the person concerned is and the subject matter of the report The prior conduct of the individual concerned Content, form and consequences of the publication; and The circumstances in which the photos were taken When applying, the criteria set out above, in the second case, the Court had found that Germany has changed its approach to privacy considering the first Von Hannover judgement, in regards to mentioning that a public interest in being entertained generally was less important than an individuals right to privacy. As such, the courts attempted to narrow the focus when attempting to balance the two equal but competing rights of privacy and freedom of expression. The balancing test as recognised by UK courts Decisions are necessarily fact or case sensitive, given that the Court is required to balance the fundamental rights (right to privacy and freedom of expression) which are often in conflict, the general approach which should be adopted and the principles which apply to these competing rights are now well-established. This main reason for this is that the law is Strasbourg-led. Although the rights do have conflicting aims, their aim was not to confuse the courts in making their rulings but to create a difference between everyones right to privacy whilst allowing them certain freedoms. The approach towards balancing these competing rights will be clearly demonstrated in countless cases. Firstly, it should be mentioned that, Section 12(4) of the HRA enjoins domestic courts to have particular regard to the importance of the Convention right to freedom of expression when they are considering whether to grant relief. Which may indicate that Article 10 is given priority when balancing it against others rights, such as privacy, however, the courts understand that such an interpretation would result in a conflict between Article 8 and 10, thus lacking with the consistency with the Convention rights. Consequently, the case of Douglas v Hello! Ltd,[17] Lord Justice Sedley, recognised that in order to achieve such compatibility with the Convention, when balance the two rights, courts would have to treat the two rights as having equal value, The European Court of Human Rights has always recognised the high importance of free media of communication in a democracy, but its jurisprudence does not and could not consistently with the Convention itself give Article 10(1) the presumptive priority which is given. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Everything will ultimately depend on the proper balance between privacy and publicity in the situation facing the court.[18] The Campbell case refined this balancing test, as the House of Lords were face with conflict between privacy and freedom of expression when a tabloid took and published photographs of a supermodel as she exited a Narcotics Anonymous meeting the house was divided in the result with a narrow 3 -2 majority deciding that her privacy rights ought to prevail over freedom of expression in the circumstances of this case. The House of Lords considered what type of information was regarded as confidential and stated that there must be some interest of a private nature that a claimant wished to protect and that the test is whether a person place in similar circumstances would find the disclosure offensive. [19] Fenwick and Phillipson have termed this approach to proportionality, the parallel analysis as it requires the court to consider whether the justifications in favour of protecting speech support the limit on privacy and then to consider, whether the justification in favour of privacy sup port the limit proposed on freedom of expression.[20] Without this parallel analysis, there is a danger that one right would prevail. However, the courts have been conducting various tests to determine the privacy of such certain information, long before Campbell founded the balancing exercise which the UK courts now use. Formerly, a limited right of privacy was established in the case of Coco v AN Clark Engineers Ltd[21] which came under the already established right of breach of confidence. The above approach in Campbell has subsequently been endorsed, and as such, it has been established in the UK that not one Article is supposed to take superiority over the other, as Lord Steyn summarised in the case of Re S (A Child),[22] First, neither article has precedence as such over the other. Secondly the values under the two articles are in conflict, an intense focus on the comparative importance of the specific rights being claimed in the individual case is necessary. Thirdly, the justification for interfering with each right must be taken into account. Finally, the proportionality test must be applied to each. For convenience I will call this the ultimate balancing test.[23] The approach towards balancing these competing rights can be clearly demonstrated in countless cases in the UK courts and through Strasbourg, which become more apparent when the extent of which public interest exists for the disclosure of private information. The case law produced after the introduction of the HRA is ever expanding, with recent concerns coming to light over the issue that the courts have developed a law of privacy and made the necessary balance between the two rights in each case, rather than the Parliament. [24] Thus, these following cases explore the progressively divergent approaches the courts have taken in interpreting and applying the legal tests that have been established. How the courts use the balancing test The decisions made in the cases of Campbell, Douglas and Von Hannover are considered landmark with the considerations that have occurred in the area of privacy over the years. As these cases strengthened the recognition of privacy and re-defined the notion of public interest to exclude mere curiosity and unhealthy interest in individuals lives.[25] It is however, what was decided in these cases that have influenced the way court approach cases that concern balancing the right to privacy with freedom of expression. Consequently, the courts must now balance the two conflicting interests by applying the principles mentioned above to the facts of the case, whilst considering the legitimacy of the expectation of privacy, the level of intrusion and the importance of any public interest in publication. Which allows for the UK courts to mirror the principles that have been laid down by the ECHR and ensure that any interference with privacy and freedom of expression are necessary and proporti onate.[26] Prior to the introduction of the HRA, the right to privacy was relatively underdeveloped, however, much has changed as it can be said that the protection of private lives and private information is one of the fastest-developing areas of the law as judges use the Human Rights Act [27] An early case of the balancing act after the introduction of the HRA was in A v B[28], where the Court held that a claimants public profile generates legitimate public interest in his or her personal life, which strengthens the medias freedom of expression claims. As such, A v B defined public figures as all those who play a role in public life, surrounding all persons in the political, social, economic and artistic world.[29] The Court held that the media have elevated freedom of expression claims when reporting on public figures, the court further mentioned that; A public figure is entitled to a private life. The individual, however, should recognise that because of his public position he must expect and accept that his actions will be more closely scrutinised by the media. Even trivial facts relating to a public figure can be of great interest to readers and other observers of the media.[30] This case suggested that the public interest in such publications extends to private information about various public figures to which can be of curiosity to the public interest. Though, the courts can have very different views on the approach to the balancing of competing rights. For example, in the case of Mosley v News Group Newspapers[31], where the court determined that the right of the claimant was protected by Article 8. In this case, the defendant published a story with the title F1 BOSS HAS SICK NAZI ORGY WITH 5 HOOKERS which was accompanied with pictures, and had been made available on their website with an added video, which concerned Mosley and five other women engaged in sadomasochistic sexual activities and role play.[32] The article involved suggested that these sessions had a Nazi theme and that the role playing had mocked the way that Holocaust victims had been treated whilst in concentration camps. The footage of the session was recorded by one of the women by a hid den camera that was supplied by NGN. As mentioned earlier, when these two rights are in conflict, the court will not give an automatic trump statute on one right over the other. Therefore, the court had the difficult task of balancing the interests of Mosleys right to privacy with the interests of NGNs right to freedom of expression. The court decided that since they could not find evidence to suggest that he mocked victims of the holocaust, there was no interest to the public. However, the court stated that if they had published the story without the photographs and video, they would have allowed for freedom of expression to prevail over right to privacy. Thus, this case confirms that the courts are willing to protect an individuals right to privacy when freedom of expression is not justifiable. The court of Appeal in the case of Murray v Express Newspapers[33]followed in the steps of Von Hannover in holding that routine activities carried out in public could arguably attract a reasonable expectation of privacy. Whilst holding that leisure activities, such as a cafà © expedition could be characterised as part a persons private recreation time.[34] Although the Court failed to define what types of activities would qualify as recreation time and instead stated that the enquiry is highly contextual. As such, the Court further stated given that the publicity of such activities would adversely affect family recreation time in the future, the Court held that the claimant had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The way this case was approached by the Courts signals that a potential separation from the decision that was laid out in Campbell, where it was held that privacy law did not protect innocuous public activities.[35] In the case of Weller, Judge Dingemans did not expressly address the strain between the Von Hannover and A v B plc, which offered little to clarification if the UK courts approach to public figures under the misuse of private information. However, in approaching the balancing test, Judge Dingemans adopted the Von Hannover conception of a debate of general interest,[36] he considered that the photographs did not contribute to a debate of public interest, despite the considerable public profile of the childrens parents. As such, given that the photographs would have satisfied the public interest definition in A v B, given that there is a strong curiosity in Wellers family life, and as such Weller employed a more confined definition of general interest in line with the ECtHR. Although, Dingemans concern for the consequences of prohibiting the publication on the newspaper industry, suggests that the Court doesnt fully adopt the approach set out in Von Hannover. However, Dingemans stated that the photographs in question should be given freedom of expression weight as the is a public interest in having a thriving and vigorous newspaper industry [37] and the ability to publish such things due to public interest was considered important to the commercial wellbeing of the media, as previously stated the medias role is to act as a public watchdog. However, despite acknowledging the distinction in this argument, Dingemans considered that the medias interest did not outweigh the childrens right to privacy in the Wellers case.[38] The recent case and much anticipated case of PJS[39]where a famous figure won the right not to be publicly named in England and Wales over an alleged marital threesome, also known as a super injunction, despite his identity being known elsewhere.At first, the interim injunction was refused, however, the Court of Appeal allowed an appeal and restrained publication of the relevant names and such details.[40] Despite steps taken by PJSs solicitors to remove the story from the internet, despite their best endeavours, the court concluded that there remains a significant body of internet material identifying those involved by name.[41] Thus, NGN applied to Court of Appeal to then set aside the injunction as the information was already in the public domain and the injunction was no longer fulfilling its purpose, and interfered unjustly with their Article 10 rights of freedom of expression.[42] However, the Supreme Court reinstated the injunction saying that without a proven public interest in the content, there is no free-standing public interest in publication. The court cant sanction for one media outlet what it believes, on balance, will be deemed unlawful at trial, even if others have published the material already. As such, Mance mentioned; For present purposes, any public interest in publishing such criticism [of PJS] must, in the absence of any other, legally recognised, public interest, be effectively disregarded in any balancing exercise and is incapable by itself of outweighing such article 8 privacy rights as the appellant [PJS] enjoys. (Emphasis added)[43] Rea argues that this case points out the dilemma courts face daily, especially in the digital age, as such media on the interest cannot be controlled as largely as print or television media.As such these cases illustrate the balancing test in action, and how to courts use that to prevent one right from prevailing the other. References Thompson K, Balancing Privacy and Free Speech: A Critique Of English Privacy Law Under The Human Rights Act (MJur, Durham Law School 2013) http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9398/> Horsey K and Rackley E, Kidners Casebook Of Torts (12th edn, Oxford University Press 2015) British Broadcasting Corporation, The Public Interest, The Media And Privacy (BBC 2002) accessed 16 February 2017 Harris C, Charlotte Harris: Freedom Of Speech And Privacy Are Naturally At Odds With Each Other. Can You Balance Freedom Of Speech And Privacy? (Mishcon Graduates, 2017) accessed 23 February 2017 Tibbetts G, Max Mosley Admits Passion For Sadomasochistic Sex (Telegraph.co.uk, 2008) accessed 26 February 2017 Phillipson G, Why Should We Have A Right To Privacy? (BBC Religion Ethics, 2013) accessed 21 February 2017 Dyer C, Celebrities To Clarify Privacy Law (the Guardian, 2006) accessed 24 February 2017 [1] Kirsty Horsey and Ericka Rackley, Kidners Casebook Of Torts (12th edn, Oxford University Press 2015) at para 138. [2] The Human Rights Act 1998, art. 8 (1). [3] Gavin Phillipson, Why Should We Have A Right To Privacy? (BBC Religion Ethics, 2013) accessed 21 February 2017. [4] The Human Rights Act 1998, art. 10 (1). [5] Thorgeirson v Iceland [1992]14 EHRR 843 at para 63. [6] British Broadcasting Corporation, The Public Interest, The Media And Privacy (BBC 2002) 19-20 accessed 16 February 2017. [7] Charlotte Harris, Charlotte Harris: Freedom Of Speech And Privacy Are Naturally At Odds With Each Other. Can You Balance Freedom Of Speech And Privacy? (Mishcon Graduates, 2017) accessed 23 February 2017. [8] R v Central Independent Television plc [1994] Fam 192 at 203. [9] The Human Rights Act 1998, art. 8 (1). [10] The Human Rights Act 1998, art. 10 (1).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Machismo and Latin American Men Essay -- Expository Essays

Machismo and Latin American Men Normally when machismo comes up in a conversation, people are probably criticizing the behavior of a person or glorifying it. Machismo is generally referred to when men behave in an arrogant and aggressive manner often glorifying virility. Men who usually behave in this manner repute all feminine virtues in order to feel secure with their manhood, often going to extremes to protect their manly image. Even though this form of behavior is common among men everywhere, it is wrongly associated with an entire continent of Latin American men. Men that carry out the â€Å"machismo way of life† feel that they have to constantly prove their manhood to the world. This is generally achieved by behaving in an aggressive manner among other men, also females are looked upon as objects and the more women you seduce, the manlier you are. This type of behavior is given praise by other men and by society in general, thus encouraging men to keep on behaving in this macho manner. Another way in which men carry out this macho life style is by a...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Optical Illusion on Oedipus Rex and Othello

The theme of appearance and reality is such a dominant one in Oedipus Rex and Othello, and the obsession with appearance plays such an important part in bringing them closer to Oedipus’ and Othello’s tragedy, that the plays can be termed a tragedies of appearance in human life, in which the opposite of appearance is truth or reality. But this theme of uncertain vision is presented through different thematic expression in bith tragedies. Sophocles takes an internal element of character into consideration whereas Shakespeare hold a mixture of internal and external elements responseble fior the optical illusions of Othello and other characters in the play. At first it is on behalf of appearance that we see a battle waged in Oedipus red. As this battle progresses we see appearance losing more and more ground. The first stage in it is the institution of the divinely-instructed enquiry into the death of Laius, which means that the appearance of it that it was the work of outland robbers-is not trusted. Quite early in the enquiry, Oedipus is led astray by an appearance-that the robbers who were alleged to have attacked Laius must have been associated with Thebes, and the suspicion that Creon must have at their back. `the question points to Creon. Creon gives the appearance of evading it. The suspicion, he says, that unavoidably arose could not be pursued after the deed. Why not? The sphinx came†¦ for some time after this, to be sure, the suspicion seems to lie dormant. But the focus of attention is no longer on the scene of the crime, or the way it happened, but rather on those who were ultimately responsible, and Thebes. Then suddenly, after the quarrel with the hostile and apparently malevolent prophet, the suspicion is confirmed, the connection between Creon and Teiresias is established, and the existence of a whole web of enmity stands corroborated as fact. ’ Oedipus suspects that the robbers were bribed to play their part, and ultimately he thinks that both Creon and Teiresias were behind them. Thus the supposed existence of a plot to murder Laius is another appearance which leads Oedipus astray. So Oedipus is to become concerned with appearances which it becomes his life’s mission to investigate, so that he may get at the underlying truth or reality. Appearance and truth come into picture also in the discussion of faulty vision of Oedipus. Another manifestation of Oedipus’ obsession with appearance is his intellectual myopia. He has a limited vision and is unable to assess the situations in a right perspective. Robert L. Kane (1975) puts this preposition in this way; â€Å"He[Oedipus] was the victim of an optical illusion†. (p. 196) The juxtaposition between â€Å"outward magnificence and inward blindness of Oedipus and the outward blindness and inward sight of the prophet† (Kirkwood, p. 30) depicts two types of blindness i. e. physical and intellectual. One is related to physical sight whereas the other, the most pernicious type of blindness, pertains to insight. Teiresias is physically blind but whereas Oedipus is blind intellectually. This intellectual blindness of Oedipus also contributes greatly to his believe in appearance rather than truth and ultimately leads him to his tragic destination. Oedipus pos sesses faultless physical vision throughout play except in the end but he remains blind to the reality regarding himself. At one point in the play, he has the ability to see but he is not willing to do so. Additionally it is his faulty intellectual insight make him believe in the apearence of some unknown enemy and he pronounces on him the sentence of outlawry and also uttes a curse on him. The reality of it that it is on himself that he is passing both the sentences, is umknown to him. However, we may notice that the gradual and increasing loss of Oedipus’ detachment and the growing references to himself raise the suspicion that unconciously Oedipus know what reality lies hidden behind the appearance. Unlike Oedipus Rex, in Othello it is the machination of Iago that blurs the visiioon of Othello and deprives â€Å"noble Moor† to distinguish between reality and apprearence. Othello, together with several other characters largely depend on their visual faculties that is distorted and warped by the skillfull trickery of Iago. These character along with Othello base their conclusion about realities what apears to them and do not delve deep into the reality of the things. But unlike Oedipus their optical allusion is not result of something inherent in their charcter. Othello is intelligent enough that he knows that looks can be decieving but Iago trciker blinds him. For example, Othello notices that Cassio walks off swiftly after having a conversation with Desdemona. Although Othello does not see incongruity in their meeting but Iago presents this meeting differently and sneakily. Iago murmurs to Othello, â€Å"†¦I cannot think it, that he would steal away so guilty like. † (lll,iii,42) Here the machination makes the vision of Othello illusory and he concludes erreaneously as he says, â€Å"†¦I do believe ‘twas he. (lll,iii,44) But as a matter of fact, Cassio and Desdemona converse about getting Cassio’s job back as Desdemona says to Cassio: I know’t. I thank you. You do love my lord; /You have known him long; and be you well assured He shall in strangeness stand no farther off Than in politic distance. (lll,iii,11) But Othello believes what he observed and percieved through the lenses of suspicion that iago sowed in his mind. This lead to a dilemma that becomes unfixanle later and ultimately leads to the tragedy of Othello. This is interesting to note that all characters in the play, except for Roderigo (to whom Iago sometimes shows his real face) have a high opinion of Iago and refer to him as â€Å"honest Iago†. The Mutual relationship between Iago and Othello is of trust and reliance on the part of Othello but it is conniving and devious on the part of Iago. Iago has same relationship with Cassio. Cassio is also deceived by the seeming virtue of Iago and actually believes that ensign is a kind-hearted man. But at the same time is a rival to Iago in the royal court. Unlike pride in Oedipus over his abilities, it is element of trust that deprives Othello of his vision and makes him believe in appeareance as ultimate reality. Although when Iago starts working on Othello, he suspects him and asks for evidence, yet from the beginning of the play, he seems to have put entire confidence in the honesty of Iago, who had not been his companions in arms. This confidence is misplaced but it is no sign of stupidity in Othello. He does not have a distinctive fear of him. We find this even before Iago has set a trap for him. Othello fears the monster â€Å"too hideous to be shown† that he discerns about Iago’s thoughts. This manifests a strange relationship based on paradoxical feelings. It is of confidence, trust and fear. But latter events show that Othello’s trust in Iago overpowers the instinctive fear. This happens due to Othello’s non-meditative nature. He does not contemplate over issues and does not weigh their motive and consequences. A. C. Bradley rightly says in this regard; The sources of danger in this character are revealed but too clearly by the story. In the first place, Othello's mind, for all its poetry, is very simple. He is not observant. His nature tends outward. He is quite free from introspection, and is not given to reflection. Emotion excites his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect. (p. 217) Above-mentioned arguments and supporting textual and extra-textual evidence clearly suggest that in Oedipus Rex, it is something habitual and internal in the chracter of Oedipus himself who is unable to distinguish between what seems to be and what actually is whereas it is an external element (Iago) as well as an internal element (his thorough trust on Iago) in Othello that leads to the optical illusion.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Vanity Press How to Dodge Scams Self-Publishing Companies to Avoid

Vanity Press How to Dodge Scams Self-Publishing Companies to Avoid Vanity Press Scams and Self Publishing Companies to Avoid The awful news for authors out there today is that there are plenty vanity press scams and self-publishing companies to avoidunless you want your money stolen, that isIf you are a self-published author, publishing your book today has never been easier. With a quick Google search, you’ll come across dozens of self-publishing companies offering publishing services for authors.But, how do you know if the company isn’t just another vanity press scam?Before making any decisions, you want to check out all your options carefully. If not, you could find yourself the victim of a self-publishing scam, forking thousands of bucks over to a shady publishing company with nothing to show for it.In this post, you’ll learn how to recognize the self-publishing scams when they cold call youand the companies you can really trust to get your book published!Here’s what we’ll cover in this post on self-publishing scams:Why authors fall for vanity press scamsEarly warning signs of self-publishing scamsYour self-publishing optionsTaking down the scammersRed flag list: Self-publishing companies to avoidWriters beware and watchdog groupsEducate yourself in self-publishingAre you ready to self-publish your book?NOTE: If youre ready for a system and method to actually succeed in the self-publishing industry (not to mention keep ALL the money you earn), check out our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereAs with any lucrative industry, there are a wide range of self-publishing scams in business for one reason: To take your money.A Vanity press publisher charges sky-high prices for author services that includes editing, formatting, cover design, and marketing.But, all of this is outsourced to the lowest bidder and in the end, the author is left with a poor quality book and no way to market it.â€Å"You get what you pay for† doesn’t equate when it comes to vanity press and the publishing scams they represent. You do pay top dolla r, often tens of thousands, and what you get back for your investment lacks anything of value.So, how can you avoid these self-publishing scams?Let’s take a look.Why Authors Fall for Vanity Press ScamsThere could be many reasons why someone would sign up with a scammy publishing company that wants you to pay big money up front.There is no shortage of scams out there when it comes to self-publishing. The biggest reason authors fall into these scams is becausewell, they dont know what they should know to avoid being scammed in the first place.The fact that you have to pay a publisher to get your book published is warning sign enough: The lies are on the wall. Most authors who fall into this trap are not published authors yet.You are either thinking of writing a book, youve started writing it, or you’re done and can’t wait to get it out there.So, when a publisher comes along offering to get their â€Å"just finished† manuscript into the hands of thousands of readers and sell millions of books worldwide, I would grab at it, too. Who wouldn’t want that?As a first time author, you are most likely not going to write a book that sells thousands of copies. And if you do, it will not be through a company that you just paid $5,000-$10 to for this to happen.Most soon-to-be-published self-publishers fall into the lap of predatory publishers because they need help.For someone who wants to become a successful author, your passion to publish is so strong that it overrides the sudden impulse to take the first offer on the table.Here are several reasons why you might fall for the vanity press trap:You are desperate for the know-how of book publishing.The publishing process is too complex.You are scared of â€Å"not publishing† and want it done right now.You are not tech-savvy and would rather pay someone to overcome the hurdles.Your friends keep asking you â€Å"When is your book coming out?†You know nothing about book marketing and need to hire the experts. Guess what: Vanity publishers don’t know much about it either and youll have to market no matter the avenue of publishing you choose.You watched a video of a self-published author who just signed a 6-figure deal with a large publisherand you think that is what usually happens.Before you make any hasty decisions, stop and breathe. If you need help with publishing your book [and everyone does] there is a right way and†¦The other way that steals all your hard-earned dollars.My hope is that you read this post before signing anything. If you can know the danger signs to watch for, you’ll pull yourself back from making a decision that costs you thousands of dollars, not to mention the heavy burden of regret later.Early Warning Signs: The Lies of Vanity PressVanity presses are generally a bad idea all around, but well cover some specific ways they can scam you and why theyre often on the list of self-publishing companies to avoid.How Vanity Press Publishers Scam YouIt is actually easy to spot a predatory publisher. I only hope you get to this post before they get to you. Here are the 5 big signs you are at risk of being scammed.#1 - The company asks for publishing fees. This should be enough right here. Although Hybrid Publishers require authors to pay for all the publishing services upfront, they usually split the fees later.A vanity press publisher will charge thousands for a publishing package. You are told that the book sales will be recouped later through book saleswhich almost never happen. Don’t listen to the so-called â€Å"reviews and testimonials† on the websites. These are rigged, of course.#2 - â€Å"We will publish your book for you on Amazon.† Let me be clear about this: Publishing on Amazon is super easy, even if you have limited tech skills. Not to mention Amazon has an excellent support system in place. The response time to inquiries is less than 24 hours and they are very detail ed when it comes to responses.A vanity publisher will make this sound more complicated than it really is. They will â€Å"take care of everything† and upload the book for you. What this also means is you lose control over making any future changes to the book. The only person that should be uploading the book to Amazon is YOU under your own account.#3 - Charges for A Reading Fee. Never. This just isn’t done. A traditional publishing house never asks for this. If you are told by the sales rep they will read your book for a certain fee, red flag this. The â€Å"reading fee† scam is less common today, but just in case you do run up against a company that tries this old scam.With a real publisher, nobody makes money until the book is selling. Actually, this practice has fallen the wayside these days and it would be rare to come across. But there is always someone willing to try†¦#4 - The publisher will buy you an ISBN [because they are so hard to get]. You ca n buy an ISBN through Bowker.com if you reside within the USA. The cost is $125.00. In the U.K. you go through Nielson. In Canada ISBNs are free through ISBN Canada. If you buy this through IngramSpark they offer a slight discount. Again, this is just another ploy to make you think it is a difficult process that is better off left to the â€Å"professionals.†#5 - â€Å"We will take care of all the marketing, because we know how difficult it is.† Yes, marketing is difficult, especially for authors. But a vanity press company won’t market the book to sell, they will do the bare minimum required so it appears as if the book is being placed in the proper channels.My advice: Grab a book on marketing for authors or enroll in a course. Learn it. You can even outsource it out so that you do Sell More Books. But in the end nobody is better at marketing their own book than the author.#6 - Excessive use of flattery. The first time I spoke to a vanity press sales rep I re member the praise she gave me for my book. I felt as if I had written a book that was going to sell thousands of copies in the first week.The rep was quoting passages from the book and referencing everything from the first page. Mind you, I later realized, everything she was quoting was from the first few pages. So did she read it? Of course not.#7- A sales rep calls you several hours after you sign up to their newsletter with a sales pitch. I tested one of these sites by enquiring about their services, and I downloaded a freebie. The next day I received a call from my â€Å"Publishing consultant† ready to help me fulfill my dreams as an author. Wow. The sales pitch was impressive, but if you already knew the situation, it was a total scam. You can smell it.But, for a new author excited to be part of the publishing journey, listening to someone else tell you how excited they are to publish your boom is a very tempting catch. In the end, they don’t care about your book or you. Whether it is Author Solutions or another of the dozens of publishing scammers out there, they get your money and keep milking it with constant upsells.#8 - Make â€Å"over the mountain promises† to get you endorsed by Hollywood. It is not unusual for these companies to tell you that your book has a shot of being featured in Oprah’s book club, or that they will send your manuscript to one of their agents in Hollywood for review.I can promise you one thing- Your book will never see the inside of a movie studio. Not unless you are a well-established author who has already proven themselves, and even then, it will not be through a vanity press company that you get there.#9 - Promises to get your book into barnes and noble and other bookstores. In this case what happens is, they put your book into a large catalogue where bookstores and libraries can order it. But realistically, you’ll be hard pressed to sell a single book in any bookstore if you publish t hrough a vanity press company. Libraries and bookstores won’t even consider it in most cases.#10 - Insists you sign a contract handing over exclusivity. If this final dose doesn’t make you run the other way, I don’t know what will. By any and all means, as a self-published author, you do not sign over your material rights to anyone. This gives the vanity publisher the right to further exploit your work and profit from all sales. The author, in this case, gets a lower end percentage.Now that you’ve seen the red flags, you are well-informed to make a decision if you come across what appears to be a shady publisher. You don’t need to sign anything or pay huge amounts of money for the publisher to â€Å"publish you to Amazon† or set you up with a movie deal.Now, let’s take a look atYour Self-Publishing OptionsWe are not living in the 1990s anymore. Back then, choices to self-publish were limited. You either paid a company- like a vanity press- a lot of money. Or, you went on your own and hired a printing company to run off tons of copies that were not cheap.Today, you will see that you have many good choices these days that make it easier for you to get your book published.#1 - Self-Publishing CoursesThere are quite a few reputable self-publishing courses out there. You buy the course, and work through the modules to write and ultimately publish your own book.There are costs to publish your book, including creating it, cover design, editing, and launching your book. You still have to pay for these services, but at least you get to choose who is working on your book.It is up to each individual author to outsource his or her own book. Publishing courses provide the content you need to get it all done, but you do all the work and take on additional costs outside the cost of the course.You have to pay for the basics that any author pays for: A good cover design, hiring an editor and formatting, and maybe a budget for marketing services such as book promo sites or a media package.But many new authors are weary about self-publishing and think uploading to Amazon- or other publishing companies- is a complex ordeal. It isn’t. I have been coaching authors for years and, nowadays, the system is built in that all you have to do is plug your book info into the Kindle Direct Publishing Bookshelf and away you go. The cost for actually self-publishing your book is O.The production cost for the average book is about $1500. If you pay $1000-3000 for a course + $1500 for the book production, you are still under $5,000. If you continue to write more books, you’ve already paid for the course that usually gives you access for a lifetime.Taking a self-publishing course is the best option we think. You learn how to do so much of the process yourself, and can rinse and repeat for future books. You still pay for everything but, who you decide to hire is up to you and the creative decisions are all you rs.#2 - KDP [Kindle Direct Publishing]The KDP platform is Amazons book publishing platform. Publishing a book is so much easier now than it ever used to be, especially with Amazon self-publishing.You no longer need to go through painstaking efforts to land a book deal which locks you into unrealistic deadlines and cuts you out of most of the earnings. You don’T have to sign up and fork over thousands to a vanity press company.You can now have complete control of your book – and its revenues – by publishing directly through Amazon self-publishing.Setting up your KDP account is easy, and should be the first step you complete.Here’s how to set up your Kindle Direct Publishing account:Go to https://kdp.amazon.com and register with either your Amazon account or with your email address.Next, click â€Å"Update† in your account information and fill in your tax information. It’s important to note that you need to complete your tax information BEFOR E you can publish your first book. So don’t skip this step!Once your tax information is complete, click â€Å"Finished† and return to the main page.Your profile is complete!#3 - Print On DemandIf you are a new author reading this, with the print on demand services offered by Kindle Direct Publishing and Ingramspark, you can order your own author copies and pay print costs plus shipping to your location. Buy your own ISBN, copyright your book, and own what you create.To start printing your own books with IngramSpark, visit their website and set up an account. Do the same with Amazons’ Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Do it yourself. It’s not the difficult process many would have you believe, and there is lots of support on these sites ready to help you right away.How much is the cost to print a book?It depends on the book size but, for a book that is 30k in length with little to no photos or graphs and text only, expect to pay less than $4 per copy. The average scammy publisher will charge new authors $15-20 dollars per copy.But for them, they print the books at the same cost as an author who sets this up through KDP or IngramSpark.In fact, many vanity press publishers use IngramSpark for the print-on-demand service only just to sell the books back to the author at 5x the print cost.#4 - Vanity Press PublisherVanity press publishing, also called subsidy publishing, differs from selfpublishing in that the author assumes all the risk and pays the publisher for everything.The editing, formatting, cover design, and even marketing the book are paid for by the author through the various packages offered when an author signs up.But, there is a trap here: The costs are more than you initially pay for, and they don’t tell you this until later when you’re mired deeper into the project. Once invested, most authors are compelled to publish the book no matter the costs.The emotional investment is what these companies prey on. Kn owing how you feel about your book, they are ready to help you do anything to get it to marketand that means offering more expensive services.By the time you are done and the book is published, potentially you have just spent $10k. With close to 0 book sales.Vanity publishers make money, not from selling books for you, but from the author buying their own books back from the publisher. It is a scam where the author always loses.#5 - Traditional PublishersThis is not a self-publishing route but, if you want to take the traditional path, you can begin by querying your manuscript with agents. Keep in mind, you may not see your book in print for a couple of year due to the lengthy process of first finding an agent, and then having them submit it to publishers to buy.What is a traditional publisher?â€Å"A traditional book publishing company buys the rights to an authors manuscript. Buying rights from the author is how book publishers have traditionally acquired books. The advance is d educted by the book publisher from any royalties the author receives from the sale of the book.†That’s right, they pay you an advance for the book. You don’t pay them anything. It depends on the publisher’s contract but they will pay for [some] marketing.The editing, cover design and formatting is taken care of by the publisher [in most cases].There are a lot of nightmare stories of authors signing on with traditional publishers, but that usually equates to the publisher not trying hard enough to sell any books. In this case the author may end the contract and, after that, many authors take up with self-publishing and find better success. After all, why not be in charge of building your own book business?#6 - Hybrid PublishersA hybrid publisher is what you will find between a traditional publisher [pay nothing upfront but get paid an advance] or a vanity press publisher [pay for everything upfront and keep all royalties.The hybrid publishers model is simp le: An author pays for everything upfront but gets a bigger cut of the royalties after book sales, upwards of 50%. The initial cost means that the author assumes all the financial risk in order to get the book to market.One other difference between traditional and hybrid publishing is, the hybrid has to pay the author a higher percentage of royalties than a traditional publishing house.In order for a company to be called a hybrid publisher, there are 9 criteria set out by the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) that must be adhered to:In order to not be classified as a vanity press, ALL book submissions must be reviewed. This means if your book does not meet the criteria, it should be rejected. A vanity press doesn’t care. Anything and anybody will do.Hybrid publishers must clearly define a vision to follow for their company.Must report reputable sales on all titles they publish.Authors who sign with hybrid publishers must be paid a higher royalty than that of stan dard traditional publisher rates.The quality of the production- cover design, editing and formatting- must meet industry standards.The publisher must publish as its own defined imprint and request its own ISBNs.Manage all distribution services for the works.Hybrid publisher must manage the rights of the works they publish as well as any subsequent rights acquired.Hybrid publishers must meet the standards and best practices set out by the publishing industry.Butthe vanity press publishers are bad seeds. Lately they are disguising their services as â€Å"hybrid publishers† but still operate with the same scammy tactics.Take caution here that, while a hybrid publisher might look legit on the surface, there is a possibility you could get ripped off if you are not 100% sure.Taking Down the ScammersAs a coach and self-publishing authority, I have worked with at least a dozen authors who’ve come away from a vanity press publisher broke, not just financially, but emotionally a s well.Like most authors, they just wanted to fulfill a dream and publish a book. But as soon as you sign up with a self-publishing scam company, your dreams are ripped apart and so is your bank account. By the time the not-yet-published author realizes it, they are invested by thousands of dollars and bound by a contract.Over the years several class-action suits have been launched against scammy publishers for bad business practice. The worst of these publishers is Author Solutions, a company with a bad rap and a long history of complaints targeted against it by authors who have been exploited.This company boasts on its website â€Å"300,000 authors published.† I would be hard-pressed to believe this and to go a step further, the percentage of those authors who would use Author Solution service again?Chances are if you have been down this road, you realized before you were half way there that you’d taken a bad path.Author Solutions is at the top of the chain of seedy publishing houses promising to get your book to market because the world needs to hear your story. And for a publishing package upwards of $5999 it could all be done for you. Well, initially you are led to believe.Author Solutions is the parent company of several subsidiaries that operate, not only in the US but now have an International reach as they have set up in countries worldwide.How do they make their money?It isn’t from helping authors to sell books.The authors usually end up selling nothing. Instead, they are made to buy the books they want from the publishers at a high cost just so they can have their own copies to sell or giveaway.Recently, several companies have been shut down in class action lawsuits, and this is still continuing today, with authors taking a stand and fighting back against the book publishing thieves.Fortunately, authors are better educated these days on the publishing options available. Vanity publishers are disappearing. But do return â€Å"we aring different clothing†, disguised as the next best company to get you that bestselling book.Red Flag List: Self-Publishing Companies to AvoidI have compiled a list of publishing companies you should avoid at all costs. This is not a complete list but includes names of the major companies flagged by Writer Beware and Alliance of Independent Authors.For a very thorough listing, I would recommend you check with the Alliance of Independent Authors. ALLi stays up-to-date on the scammy reports, warnings and lawsuits taken against bad publishers.Here are some self-publishing companies that have made the list of those to watch out for:Author SolutionsAuthorHouse UKArchway Publishing [Simon and Schuster]LifeRich Publishing [Reader’s Digest]iUniversePalibrio [for the Spanish-speaking community]Dorrance publishingChristian faith publishingWestbow pressBalboa press [a Division of Hay House]Newman Springs PublishingPartridge PublishingTate PublishingTrafford PublishingXlibris [UK , AU, and NZ]Outskirts PressDog ear publishingWriters Beware and Watchdog GroupsRemember: Always do your homework. To make sure if you are buying into a legit business you should check in with these sites listed below.Writer Bewareâ€Å"Shining a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls. Also providing advice for writers, industry news, and commentary. Writer Beware is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.†Preditors and EditorsProviding up-to-date action against possible publishing scammers.ALLi [Alliance of Independent Authors] / Watchdog Postsâ€Å"Each month on the ALLi blog, the excellent Watchdog John Doppler explores key issues regarding the provision of self-publishing services around the world.†The Independent Publishing Magazine / Publishing Service IndexA detailed breakdown of self-publishing companies and their ranking based on service and reliability.Educate Yourself in S elf-PublishingPublishing scams will always be around as long as authors are paying for their services.How do you, as an author, avoid falling into this trap?The self-publishing arena is like a vast oasis of information and a never-ending learning process. Vanity press publishers are banking on you having no idea what to do, which is why you might consider turning to a publishing company in the first place.Our advice at Self Publishing School is this: Educate yourself on how to publish a book. You’d be surprised the things you actually don’t have to pay for.Take control of your self-publishing career today.Are you ready to self-publish your book?Enroll in an online self-publishing courseYou can check out this list of best self-publishing courses. I highly recommend joining an online self-publishing course for achieving all your publishing goals.You will learn how to write and market your book your way and all of it within your control. You won’t have to give up a nything or sign your book rights over to a publisher that will exploit your creativity.