Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The eNotes Blog e-Readers Celebration orSacrilege

e-Readers Celebration orSacrilege Some of the hottest gifts this past Christmas were e-readers: Kindles, Nooks, iPhones, and iPads. The industry expected sales of e-texts to soar and they were not disappointed. In fact, the Association of American Publishers reports that sales took a mighty jump, up an estimated 115.8% in the month of January, and generated some $69.9 million in revenue. No other segment of the publishing industry (paperback, trade paper, hardbacks or audiobooks) saw an increase in sales. In fact, sales took a hit in all other sectors. Mass market paperback sales fell by 30.9%, trade paper dropped by 19.7%, and hardbacks by 11.3%. So are traditional books doomed to go the way of quill and parchment? Perhaps. One day. But there is still a lot of love out there for the real book. A very unscientific poll I recently conducted included comments from defenders of traditional texts, some grudging acknowledgment of the plus sides of e-readers, and a few out-and-out converts to new media. Here is a sampling of some of those comments. From My Cold, Dead Hands! Pffft to the e-Readers: Maybe I dont want to read the new version of Alice in Wonderland. I would prefer to read a second edition in old type, weathered pagesa book that took decades to get into my hands. I got a big Shakespeare book from 1864 and it feels great to read. Who cares what the file date is on an electronic file? Give me a real book. After all candles, incense, hot bath, and an e-reader? No. I like my books still. I want to feel the paper. I want to hold the book. Its a sensory experience. If the book makes me cry, I want my teardrop to darken the page and smear the ink. If someone had the book before me, I want to see   notes in the margins, the messages from mothers who gifted the books (before the giftee sold it to Half-Price Books). I, For One, Have Decided to Extend a Hand to Our Electronic Overlords: I have a KindleI use it for my junk food pleasure reads. Theres nothing like a book and I still have, buy, and read tons of them, but theres only so much space and so many bookshelves. The nice thing about the Kindle is the highlighting and notes featuresthe dictionary too, but its fun to reread a book and see what you said on a previous read (you can also save/print, etc., the notes). The free classics are a plus, but the versions are so so. Its also nice when you want instant gratificationlike junk foodyou want it NOW. :) I have a Kindle and I love it for the most part, but I still do read real books. Its really difficult to flip back and forth in the Kindle, which is my only complaint. For instance, Im reading The Joy Luck Club and I keep getting confused about the characters. Since Im reading a real book version, I can easily bookmark the page that lists the characters and also scan through the previous chapters to recall their individual stories. But since we are all book junkies here, the Kindle keeps the clutter down a bit. Ive Seen the Light! And Its the Soft, Sweet Glow of My e-Reader: I like being able to read a lot for very little dough. The savings √+. (The local news) did a story on my sons school and their e-books and the fact that all students are required to have laptops. The story was due to the fact that they had all classes from home during the icy weather. As for the e-books, the big advantage is that they come to life. They have links, animation, easy to navigate, easy to click on a word and it will take you to the glossary definition if it is a vocabulary word to be learned for the section and many other things e-books are quite a worthwhile technological advancement. I bought it to combat clutter crisis. Good to read long novels while standing on public transit. I read most of Wolf Hall on Toronto subways. Where do you stand? We would love to hear your own thoughts about e-readers. If youve bought one, do you like it? Why or why not? If you havent, do you plan to do so?

Saturday, November 23, 2019

I Quit How to Resign from Your Job With Professionalism

I Quit How to Resign from Your Job With Professionalism â€Å"I quit.† Seems easy, right? Like everything else in this world, not so much. You could send that very-on-the-nose note to announce your departure, but it’s really poor form. If you’re ready to move on to a new position, or you just can’t deal with your job any longer, there’s a process to sending a good and proper resignation letter. No matter how POed you are on your way out the door, you’ll be thankful later that you took the time to send a well-crafted, anger-neutral letter or email to your (soon to be former) boss.1. Why Send a Letter  2. When to Send the Letter  3. How to Send the Letter  4. What to Write  5. What Not to Write  6. The Sample Letter  Why Send a Letter?  Different  offices have many different ways to reach someone: interoffice chat, phone, email, meetings, coffee machine ambush, etc. So why go the official resignation letter route? It leaves a paper trail, in case there’s any question later abo ut timing, or your intent to leave. You can tell people you’re leaving through any channel, but you should always tell your boss first, and make sure that you follow up with an official letter. That way, he or she can forward it as necessary, and HR will have an official document and be able to start any necessary exit processes.When to Send the Letter  The timing on the letter varies according to a few different factors. First, always check your company’s HR policies. When you started, you may have signed something agreeing to give a particular amount of notice. Two weeks (10 business days) is an informal standard, but definitely double-check to make sure that this is a courtesy and not a legal requirement. If your start date at your new place is in two weeks and your current company requires three weeks’ notice, then things could get sticky. If you kept your onboarding documents at your current job, you can check those. Otherwise, a discreet email to HR shou ld be able to resolve the question for you, without advertising to everyone that you’re on your way out the door.When It’s Okay to LeakIf you have a good relationship with your boss, you should also plan to give him or her an unofficial heads-up before you send the official resignation note. Getting a formal announcement out of nowhere can feel like blindsiding, especially if you have a good working relationship.  Employees in the United States change their job once every three years on averageSo you might want to precede the whole process with a quick face-to-face meeting (as private as you can get it), and let your manager know that you’re leaving for a new job, or just leaving. You’re not obligated to go into great detail, about what your next steps are after you leave, but given that this person will likely be responsible for handling your duties in the interim and for initiating a search for You 2.0, a heads-up will likely be appreciated. Itâ€℠¢s a professional, respectful way to set the tone for your leaving.If you are genuinely worried about your manager having a bad reaction to the news, you can skip this step and go straight to the letter, or go through your HR department. Otherwise, most professional people accept this as a fact of life in the workplace, and will accept your resignation with the same level of graciousness that you put into it. Once you’ve sorted out the amount of notice you’ll be giving and have given your manager the courtesy heads-up, it’s time to hand over the letter.How to Send the Letter  If your company is one that handles everything via email, you can probably get away with emailing your resignation to your boss (after the face-to-face meeting). As a rule, though, it’s best to go the analog route and have a printed, signed version. If possible, have it printed, signed, and ready to go for your meeting with your boss. There’s no need to send it through the m ail, or recruit a singing telegram-ist to deliver the letter. If you don’t have it ready for your face-to-face meeting, make sure to hand it to your boss shortly afterward- you don’t want there to be any conflict over the amount of official notice you’re giving.What to Write  The content of a resignation letter is pretty straightforward. There’s no need to write a novel, with plotlines or long, tear-stained devotional passages about how you haven’t slept since you decided it was time to part ways with the company. The letter should have just the most straightforward information, with a little of your own voice thrown in:Greeting (addressed to your boss)I resign.My last day in the office will be†¦I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had in this role†¦I will be available to help with any transition duties, or training a replacement staff member.Thanks!RELATED:  5 Points to Hit in Your Resignation Letter Pretty simple. It’s not the place to weigh in on your replacement, or ask if you’ll get paid for unused vacation days. The purpose of the resignation letter is just to get it in writing that you are leaving in X amount of time.For a quick overview on how to handle the resignation process, Howdini has a great video:What NOT to Write (Or, Don’t Burn Bridges)  The resignation letter is also definitely not the time for axe-grinding. (That’s more of a venting-to-friends activity, not to be committed to paper.) If your boss is a jerk, or you can’t work for the company for X, Y, Z reasons, it doesn’t matter here. If you can’t quite manage a friendly tone, go for a civil one. And if you can’t find anything good to say about your time there, dig deep and†¦fib a little, if you need to.You may be about to blow this popsicle stand, but keep in mind that you’re probably not quitting to go live in a wifi-less cabin somewhere. You’ll be moving on t o other jobs, possibly even in the same industry. And people talk, especially when there’s good gossip. You want to be known as a consummate professional, especially as you’re gearing up to start somewhere new. The last thing you want is for your new boss to catch wind of a tantrum thrown on your way out of your last job. So even if the circumstances of your leaving are less than ideal, shake off the anger/annoyance/temptation and be gracious in your parting letter. If you really need to get some residual anger out of your system, funnel it all into an â€Å"I quit† movie marathon. Never forget that this letter will be part of the official record in your company. It will be seen by your boss, yes, but also HR and goodness knows who else. Please apply the same policy you should apply to all workplace communications: don’t write anything you wouldn’t want to be posted for the entire company to see.The Sample Letter  Hey Michael,I quit. I have a bet ter job offer, and honestly can’t stand the idiots in this office any longer.Bye,DwightUmm, no. Not only is this the wrong tone and unnecessarily antagonistic, it leaves out important information like an end date, and basic niceties like a â€Å"thank you.† Let’s try that again.Yo Michael, The time has come to say goodbye†¦Ã‚  So yeah, this is an official note to say I quit†¦Ã‚  It is with a heavy heart and a veil of tears that I announce I will be resigning†¦Ã‚  Dear Michael,  Please accept this note as a formal notification that I am resigning my position as Assistant (to the) Regional Manager to pursue other opportunities. My last day will be March 18, 2024.  I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here these past 12 years, and hope you know how much I’ve learned and grown in my role. I’ve learned an incredible amount about how to market and sell paper, both from our colleagues here and our clients. Over the next two weeks, I’d like to work with you on any necessary training or transition duties as I wrap up my time here.  I know the company will continue to have great success, and am so thankful to have been a part of it for so long. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s anything you’d like to discuss about my departure.Best wishes,DwightMuch better! Resignation letters are hard because you’re writing an official document, so it may sound a little stiff or formal by default. Definitely err on the side of formality, because again- you never know who will be seeing this once you release it at work. It’s okay to make it sound like your regular voice, but just make sure you’re not going too informal, and that you’re hitting all the necessary elements (gracious tone, end date, availability to help with the transition up until that date).So while it might be tempting to create a stir on your way out (possibly involving Kanye West), you will never go wrong with a thoughtful, clear, and definitive resignation letter. It may be tempting to dismiss your current job as old news, or use this as a chance to burn someone or the company on the way out, but if you resist that urge, you’ll be the better for it later on. Viral social media stardom is fleeting, but your reputation is forever.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ginevra de Benci by Leonardo da Vinci Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ginevra de Benci by Leonardo da Vinci - Essay Example The medium used for painting the piece is oil on wood measuring 42.7 by 37 cm (National Gallery of Art, 2015). The female portrait is Ginevra de’ Benci, a 17 years old who during her era is an intellectual. The background of the painting depicts the ‘leonardesque’ style of trees, mountains, and hazy sky with a dreamlike atmosphere. The artist did the effect of hazy sky through an overlay of oil glazes, hence creating a thin curtain of mist. On the portrait’s reverse side, is a design of a chaplet palm and laurel, which encircles a juniper spring with an inscription of Beauty Adorns Virtue in English but it is in Latin, Virtutem Forma Decorat (National Gallery of Art (2015). The juniper could have meant chastity while the palm represented moral virtue of Ginevra. The portrait depicts a female figure with a marble-like skin while the hair is styled in ringlets putting a face that portrays a sulky and proud facial expression. This could be illustrating that Gi nevra might not have been happy with the upcoming marriage. The portrait has been argued by historians to have been commissioned as an engagement portrait for celebrating her marriage. According to National Gallery of Art, it was commissioned by Bembo, a friend of Ginevra, for celebrating the occasion of her marriage as well as a substitute for the object of his admiration and esteem (2015). Human values are depicted in the painting in the approaching marriage of Ginevra to Niccolini. Human values are standards, principles.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Human Resource Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Assignment - Essay Example In addition to that, employees are not enough trained on Business Etiquettes, Courtesy, and Business Communication. Hospitality is all about handling people. So an employee must have right attitude, tolerance, and listening skills in order to move up the hierarchy. There is still a long way to go to inculcate good public relation, interpersonal skills. With the increase in competition due to the coming up of major players, the need to train employees has increased more than ever before. The major players are now strategizing to increase the turnover of the customers by training their employees on Communication, Dining and Business etiquettes, etc. Some of the essentials required by this sector are: While resources are most important assets of an organization particularly in hospitality sector, they should be trained enough for handling any kind of situations. Most of today's organization doesn't provide the training to their staffs because of the cost and time constrain as they are unable to keep the pace with the growing competition in shorter term hence they do work with the untrained workers. In longer term this cost as image of the organization and hence on their business. To deal with the above situation, organization needs to develop workplace training sessions for adults. There are some pre requisites before conducting the training namely identifying what exactly is needed, why this is needed and what will be the benefits for the same. Following are the method for identifying the training need. 1. questionnaires/surveys 2. Interview 3. Observation 4. Brainstorming 5. Performance appraisal etc. Once this is done, there need to identify how the training should be conducted. This will depend on various factors such as 1. Budget 2. Convenience 3. Training need 4. Resource availability Training can be conducted as 1. On the job Training 2. On site Training 3. Off the Job Training 4. Off site Training. Once all these factors are analyzed, training can be initiated at the work place. Effectiveness of workplace training: Training is an investment for long term benefit of an organization so it's become important to track how your investment is doing, whether it's producing the desired results or not etc. Once an organization has implemented a training program it will hopefully strive to improve it. The first important tool to consider is the training feedback or evaluation survey. These tools should have enough information so as to be relevant and should be filled out anonymously by the training attendees. If there is criticism, turn that criticism into a positive and put forth the effort to eliminate the cause of the criticism. Once all these things are done, training can be evaluated statically to see whether it met the desired results or not. Approaches to the evaluation of workplace training: While organization spend significant amount of money on training it's become important to define metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of the training. There could be various ways for the same. Some being as 1. Reactions Level: This can be identified

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Impact of the Public Sector Reform on Employee Relations Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Public Sector Reform on Employee Relations Essay In the 1950s to the 1960s, the Conservative government of Britain had a strong compulsion to adopt a neoliberal stance on economic policies. Certain industries which were nationalized by the Labour Party after the Second World War were privatized. State spending on health, education, and welfare were cut; this was so since too much spending would necessarily result in low economic performance of the whole country (although variation was possible). Military spending were doubled to contribute to the overall economic output of the country. This was continued during the leadership of Lady Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) and her successors. Nevertheless, although allowing a significant reduction of government spending in the welfare sector, the Conservative government instituted some reforms to upgrade government programs on health and the bureaucracy itself. The Local Government Act of 1993, Health Care Complaints Act of 1993, the Parliamentary Commissioner Act of 1994, the Local Government Act of 1974, were some of the examples of the readiness of the Conservative government to put efficiency and cost effectiveness the emblem of a government in service (to the people). These acts passed by the Conservative government were meant to streamline the bureaucracy, increase the powers of the local governments (establishment of new boroughs and counties), extend the powers of the parliamentary Commissioner in investigating cases involving local authorities, improve the health care service by allowing the private sector to invest in government health programs, and put a mechanism to effectively negotiate grievances in the government and its related entities (like government owned corporations). These programs and policies were meant to create a bureaucracy with the intense participation of the private sector. They were programs economic in character. Programs were directed to the service of the public but with the capital from foreign and private individuals playing as the motor of development. The image of these programs seemed to be a positive one; intense partnership between the government and the private sector in the service of the public. With the coming of the Labour party in power, some changes were presented in the halls of the parliament. There was a step to extend the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner in matters allowed by parliament (the three Ombudsmen – the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Local Government Ombudsmen, and the Health Service Ombudsman). An act was established also established to increase public sector employment; a move almost totally ignored by the Conservative government in the 1960s. It is expected that due to the changes hitherto described above public sector employment would increase by 360, 000 in the next three years, and almost a million in the following decade. The number of teachers, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and policemen increase by more than 100, 000. An increase would be expected in other professions (which is around 200, 000). Although a general cut was implemented by the Labour government in the civil service programs, they were compensated by an additional increase of public sector employees. In sum, the reduction was implemented to increase public sector employment since public sector employment is one of the most effective ways of boosting economic performance (due to its manageability). Needless to say, however, these changes proposed or implemented by both the Conservative and Labour governments of Britain have had certain effects or impacts on employee relations. The Health Service Act implemented by the Conservative government proposed a two-valorem system of negotiation between complaints presented by the two parties involved. This action proved to be not very effective as a conflict resolution mechanism for employees. The present Labour government established a so-called conciliator with the aim of: a) to bring the parties involved together for the general purpose of negotiation and settlement of complaint, b) to create activities deemed possible for the attainment of a settlement, and c) to assist the parties involved to reach for a fair agreement. This three-party system of negotiation (which were imitated by other countries) became an effective force in resolving conflicts in the public sector (the employees). The number of resolved cases or agreements had increased since the coming of the Labour Party in power, a huge debacle for the opposition. The creation of metropolitan boroughs and counties made by the Conservative government (acts enumerated above) had also some impact on employee. It fairly promoted intense economic activity in these new districts. Public sector employment had a slight increase. Herein, therefore, it became the duty of the government to institute a law which will protect the interests of the public sector employees. The creation of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act of 1967 and an amended bill in 1974 defined the limits of the Ombudsmen in reviewing cases or complaints presented to them by government employees (against local authorities or other employees). The effect was good for the public sector employees since the number of complaints and perceived problems in the government bureaucracy was reduced. This was not really a good measurement of performance since the number of public sector employees at that time was small; the civil service jobs share in the total number of jobs was about 62 %. Due to the increasing number of public sector employees, the Labour government refined the laws mentioned above. The Ombudsmen were granted right by the parliament to investigated cases independently, with more flexibility and rigour. A general program of action was also presented by the Home Secretary to reform the Parliamentary Commissioner, giving the latter some air of independence when reviewing not only cases involving possible crime committed by members of parliament) to the general public but also to the increasingly significant public sector employees. It was recognized that delays would be averted if this plan of action was implemented, and therefore a possible amiable relationship between employees result. Nevertheless, a revised attached code of ethics was also created to define the limits, behavior, and general attitude of government and public sector employees to lessen if not avoid conflict or mismanagement of delegated or defined duties. The Labour Party in the present can boast of its success both in streamlining the bureaucracy (same policy of the Conservative Party in the 1950s to the 1960s) and providing a ground base of cordial public sector employment system (employment and conflict resolution). One public sector employee noted that the propensity or possibility of having conflict with her peers appears to be zero. This is one indication of the success that the Labour Party can present to the general public. However, such conclusion is not totally accurate. The Conservative Party was able to create brilliant programs that were responsible for the increase in the public sector employment. The program of devolution gave the local governments the right to shape the economic policy of the districts involved. The air of supra liberalism during the Conservative years promoted intense migration from Third world countries. The public sector itself became a hotspot for foreign nationals, of which the British public can depend for their special services. It seemed from the start that conflicts will generally increase because of the heterogeneous character of the public sector employees, but the speculators proved wrong. The code of ethics prepared by the British MP’s became a great piece of political scourge to the Labour Party. Not only that conflicts decreased in the government and the public sector decreased, the ruling government experienced a high trust rating from the two sectors, and of course a high applause from the business sector. The consecutive electoral victories of the Conservative Party (during the leadership of Margaret Thatcher) proved the case. Nevertheless, certain variables have to be considered when reviewing electoral victories for it is itself a locus of different circumstances of advantages. There is one great difference, however, when we talk of the Conservative and Labour policies on public sector employees. It is generally accepted that impersonality should be the hallmark of a bureaucracy and of course the whole economic activity of the country. In the Conservative years, impersonality was always implemented in the government, with strict penalties for noncompliance. However, government officials were not aware that the policies they implemented (as enumerated above) had certain effect on the public sector employees. Employees became resonant of public policy. They became more politically involved in public discussions. And as such, became more impersonal in their dealings with the government and their clients. Economic activity, according to one economist, may well be possible under the environment of impersonality and laxity of economic requirements. This became a starting step for Britain to increase its migration rate. The increasing number of public sector employees heralded a change or revision in the policies of the Labour Party in terms of public sector employment. As mentioned above, the proposed and implemented policies on negotiation and extension of powers of the types of Ombudsmen were generally meant to increase the efficiency of the government to solve disputes arising between employee and employee, employee and employer, and between employee and government officials. Remember that the public sector had increased because of migration. The current composition of the public sector employees deserve a more efficient and complex system of work arrangements. This was generally only an adaptation made by the ruling government, since the composition of the public sector employees during the 1950s to the 1970s is generally different from today. Nonetheless, only two factors in the public sector employees that became the point of reference of a government in power: its size and composition. Although this may be a narrow generalization, the circumstances that followed afterwards prove such assertion.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Complaints Against the Northwestern University Students :: Northwestern University Students

Rowdy Drunken College Students I read an article about Northwestern University students in Evanston, Illinois, and the community’s complaints against them. The article, written by Bob Seidenberg, discusses the need for city council to call a meeting to address the problems of rowdy drunken college students disturbing the peace and quiet of the evenings, by wandering around and through Evanston homes late at night. The underling issue is, is this Northwestern’s problem, or simply a lack of respect from youths today? The drunken rowdy college students have always, and will always be around. However, the Evanston community has progressively seen the situation get worse. The college students are beginning to buy houses next door to families with young children, which, potentially causes a problem. While there are no laws forbidding NU students living off campus, people in these areas are becoming upset with the result of the students living in next door. When you have students whose primary focus, beginning on a Thursday night, is to become completely â€Å"plastered†; living next door to the middle school child trying to sleep, problems arise. The parents of these children are sick of the students behavior, and are voicing their complaints. Jane Evans was quoted saying, â€Å"These students are supposed to be the cream of the crop, but we would assert, and many of our neighbors would agree, that these students feel grossly entitled to run wild in our streets without any respect for the community in which they live.† (pg. 18) This quote is more than true. I have spent many nights at my friend’s house, and the next morning there will be empty beer cups all over the yard, and most of the night we were kept up by yelling and laughing college students running up and down the streets; she lives in the thick of the college student off campus housing. The only problem is, whose fault is it? Northwestern University has on campus housing; however, the University is completely engulfed within the community. Living off campus is one of the benefits of going to NU, because the community and environment around the campus is extremely college oriented. When you have an environment that is so conducive to the typical college student, obviously they are going to treat the surrounding territory as their territory. So then the issue really becomes, whose fault is it? Who is to blame for the noise complaints and the rude, rowdy behavior?

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Shattered Glass

Bobby Taggart December 10, 2012 Tracy Crow Journalism Shattered Glass Response The movie â€Å"Shattered Glass† is about a journalist who writes for the New Republic Newspaper, who later gets caught for fabricating 27 of his stories. The journalists name is Stephen Glass. Glass was 24 when started working writing and reporting for the New Republic. The New Republic is a well-known newspaper located in Washington D. C. Glass has had a reputation for having the most vivid stories. Glass’s first suspicion of fabrication was noticed when he wrote a story about the ACU (American Conservative Union).The Chairman of the ACU David Keene, first questions his story. His story contains a description of drunken tricks by young Republicans and mini-bars. Stephen’s boss confronts him about the situation. Turns out that his story was true, except for one small detail about how there were no mini-bars but just fridges available to rent with alcohol in it. The young journalists, newest story comes about in a staff meeting, which is about Ian Restil, who is a teenage hacker. Restil hacked into Jukt Micronics security systems. Jukt Micronics proceeds by hiring the teenage hacker.After the issue is printed, the editor at Forbes Digital Tool questions his reporter Adam Penenberg how he didn’t get the story on this teenage hacker who is hire by Jukt Micronics as a security consultant. Penenberg begins to investigate the article, as it already appears to be fishy. After more and more research, Penenberg takes his research to his boss showing him that nothing in the article exists. He then begins by making a phone call to Stephen for contact information on his sources mentioned in the article. The phone numbers given from Glass to Penenberg were made up as well.Stephen’s editor along with Forbes Digital Tool’s editor in the end found out that none of his sources existed. Stephen’s editor figures out that his brother lives in southern Ca lifornia, who has been setting up voicemails on his number to back up the fact checking process for him. This movie showed me how important it was to have all of your sources available and credible. Fabricating quotes is a serious manner in the journalism world. Fabricating anything can ruin an individual’s reputation as a writer and can even take down an entire newspaper just like the New Republic Newspaper.Journalism is a load of work. Taking shortcuts in journalism will catch up to you and haunt you throughout the rest of your career. Writing for a newspaper takes many countless hours of hard work without doubt. Therefore, fabricating anything in journalism can lead up to you being sued. Overall, this movie showed me a lesson personally and I’m living up to the consequences right now. If you put the time and effort into getting important information, the results will show the rewards.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Infrastructure and Housing in Malaysia

The original purpose of holding architecture is due to the demand of human existences. During ancient clip, worlds were brooding in caves. However, people need nutrient to last. Peoples need to travel out to run therefore a impermanent shelter for runing and assemblage is needed to against Sun or rain. This is the starting of something coming architecture. Along with the betterments and alterations of demands of homo for life, the development of architectures began. Alternatively of hunting, people started to settle down to the concern of agribusiness. Here come to the emerged of lasting colonies. Slowly, the maps of architectures increase together with the addition of demands of human existences ( Gascoigne, 2001 ) . However, human existences are largely ocular animals ( Mary Rottman, 2013 ) . They like to fancify all the things that they can. Hence, different period clip of manners appear bit by bit. This influences the visual aspect of architecture every bit good as the houses at the same clip. There is no exclusion for the development of architectures of Malaysia. Harmonizing to The Encyclopedia of Malaysia by Chen Voon Fee, the mundane homes of the local people can be referred by slang houses which ‘vernacular’ means ‘domestic’ or ‘indigenous’ . Therefore, the local houses’ manners, how the houses are built and the type of stuffs that were used are chiefly focused by this type of architecture. The places of the Orang Asli—the foremost autochthonal people of Peninsula every bit good as Sabah and Sarawak’s autochthonal group and the Malayans who are classified as the Austronesian group of people are included in Malaysia. Post-and-beam constructions which are raised on piles, with gabled roofs are the basic of Malaysia’s common houses. The Encyclopedia of Malaysia farther elaborates the undermentioned traditions: A extremely delicate architecture was developed by the Malays for their houses in 1511 which was the period that Melaka being conquered by the Portuguese which reflecting contemporary rules of standardisation, prefabrication, site assembly and enlargement. Timber and other jungle green goodss are the edifice stuff and pitched roofs, post-and-beam building are its characteristic. The houses were highly suited to the tropical region’s climes which are hot and wet. The residents were all afforded with cosy airing and filtered visible radiation though the different lines on the E and west seashores of the Peninsula influenced the development of the roof signifiers. Palaces and mosque, longhouses and homes were applied with the same building techniques and stuffs in order by the Malays, the autochthonal peoples of Sabah and Sarawak and the immigrant people at the minute. The Portuguese and the Dutch introduced unknown edifice types such as garrisons and churches, and accomplishments every bit good as altered in the graduated table of edifices and the stuffs that were used. Furthermore, to set up streets and allocate quarters of the town to different communities, town planning was used. However, their different architectural manners had no digesting influence although they had occupied Melaka for over 300 old ages. The Straits Settlements of Penang, Melaka and Singapore were set up via the British which led by the understanding between the Dutch and the British in 1826. Malaysia had a great transmutation hundred old ages subsequently. The manner for modern and urban substructure was paved by the creative activity of colonial business and commercial involvements in the town such as Melaka, Georgetown in Penang and Kuching in Sarawak. Tin excavation so changed in graduated table and moved upstream and inland which ab initio a bungalow industry along the bayou of the West seashore. Peninsular west coast’s was efficaciously opened up followed by the large-scale planning of gum elastic which to the initiation of tin-mining Centres, Chinese and Indian colonists, to work the mines and plantations was brought in which makes their typical edifices enrich their new fatherland in the early 1900s. The substructure of roads, railroads and ports was financed from the net incomes of the creative activity of universe markets for Malaysia’s Sn and rubber along with the rise of Western industrialisation. The hard-on of enforcing administrative and commercial edifices were enabled by prosperity and assurance chiefly in the Western Neoclassical manner and of other edifices which in a mixture of European manners. From 1896, the imported Mogul manner which was retroflex all over the state particularly mosque was enjoyed a short but permanent period by Kuala Lumpur which is the capital of the Federated Malay States from 1896. The chilly avenues of Penang, Ipoh, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur were lined by Sn and rubber wealth with broad Villas. The colonial influence in the northern and eastern parts of the Malays Peninsula was minimum. Therefore, the royal capitals of Alor Setar, Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu and Arau were the development of Malay urban Centres from bunchs of campongs gr ouped around the ruler’s castles and the chief mosques. Malaysia’s architecture embodied the taking tendencies from the West in the period between the two universe wars. The passage from the traditional slang was marked by Art Deco while early Modernism and the International Style were transited from Western Neoclassical manners. A batch of professionally qualified designers, largely expatriate, designed most of the edifices at the minute. Building programs within town bounds were so required to breast by the debut of constructing by-laws to ‘qualified persons’ . Along with the Merdeka, or Independence, in 1957, Malaysia has the greatest architectural transmutation. The new nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, was so transformed from a colonial town. New and make bolding signifiers expressed the chesty symbol of nationhood which largely the work of abroad trained Malaysians. The first arose skyscraper was enabled with the changed of the graduated table of commercial edifices by advanced building accomplishments and industrialised constituents. The appeared of shopping arcades and mega promenades replaced the store houses and emerged of multifunction composites was made manner by townhouses. Then, suburban Centres and townships were created by the replacing of cottages and flats to condominiums with centralised installations and large-scale lodging estates of insistent single- and double-storey nexus houses. The consequences which are non ever compatible shows that vie with the International Style was formed by autochthonal cultural which showed a Malayan architectural individuality in the on-going hunt. Owing to the penchant of anon. , the Sun shadowing installations of the early skyscrapers had replaced by all-enveloping tinted and heat-resisting glass. Tropical elements such as elevated planting and new showing devices are introduced merely one time in a piece. The consciousness of the demand to continue prewar edifices was being enhanced which coincided with the lag in the belongings market which because of the inordinate edifice of the 1980s and so, the country’s foremost non-governmental organisation for heritage saving was born. On the contrary, the gait of edifice was boosted with the ageless economic growing in the 1990s for about a decennary and a figure of mega undertakings was develop finally. The mega undertakings include: one of the world’s tallest office towers, the Petronas Twin Towers ; a state-of-the-art airdrome, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport which was located in a semisynthetic wood ; a design which placed Malaysia at the front line of bit and fibre optics engineering, the Multimedia Super Corridor ; and last but non least, the country’s 21stcentury place of authorities, the Putrajaya. Enormous challenges were faced by Malayan architecture in a technological universe at the get downing point of the new millenary. To hold a better quality of life in the 21stcentury, it is pressing to continue Malaysia’s early edifices and depict from them valuable lessons on graduated table to better the Malayan live and work which more environmentally antiphonal solutions will be demanded by greater urbanisation.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Mmmm, You Dirty Rat!

Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! By Maeve Maddox Its the rare media mention of Wall Street con man Bernie Madoff that doesn’t contain the word rat in some context. Bernard Madoff is an evil crook but apparently not a rat. The Big Rats off to the Big House for Life, What About the Little Rats? Madoff may rat out co-conspirators They [Mr. and Mrs. Madoff] seemed to stay apart from the herd,† the club member said. â€Å"They chose not to get into that social rat race.† U.S. District Judge Denny Chin who presumably will sentence Madoff said that he’d sharply limit the number of Madoff victims who get to shake their fist in the swindler’s face and tell him what a rat he is†¦ It is almost inconceivable that Madoff could have spent 20 years squirreling away clients money in a Chase Manhattan bank account, conducting virtually no legitimate transactions, without anybody at Madoff Investment Securities smelling a rat – The etymological origin of the word rat is lost in the mists of the long history shared by this repugnant animal and human beings. (I know, white rats make nice pets. Im talking about nasty rats au naturel.) The OED offers several possible origins, but concludes: It is uncertain whether the Latin and Romance words are cognate with the Germanic words, or whether they were borrowed from Germanic, or vice versa; in any case the ultimate origin is uncertain; perhaps imitative of the sound of gnawing. The OED also offers seven entries for rat as a noun and three for rat as a verb. The literal meaning of rat is, of course, a rodent resembling a large mouse, often with a naked or sparsely haired tail. Then there are the figurative uses that derive from the fact that rats are associated with filth and that they are said to be quick to leave a sinking ship or a falling house. The sense of rat as one who abandons his associates was in use in 1629. rat as a noun rat a despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates. rat scab laborer NOTE: a scab is either an employee who works while his colleagues are on strike, or an outsider hired to replace a striking worker. rat a pad of material, typically hair, worn as part of a womans coiffure to puff out her own hair. rat as a verb rat intransitive verb to desert a party, cause, or princple; to go over as a deserter; to abandon, desert, or betray any person or thing. rat transitive verb to backcomb or tease hair rat intransitive to act as an informer; to betray to the police or other authorities rat on to inform on a person rat out to inform on a person; to betray a person to the police or other authorities Other rat words and expressions rat-fink teenage slang from the 60s. A pleonasm since either rat or fink alone can mean an informant or, as verbs to inform. rat-race A fiercely competitive race or contest; spec. urban working life regarded as an unremitting struggle for wealth ., status, etc. ratsbane arsenic rathole messy, nasty place rat-pack juvenile gang; celebrities surrounding Frank Sinatra to smell a rat to suspect that something is wrong Rat has even become a suffix to create words that mean person who frequents such and such a place: dock-rat, bar-rat, rug-rat, etc. My brother, like many Cagney impersonators, thought he was quoting Cagney when he said, with appropriate grimaces and inflections, Mmmmm, you dirty rat! According to the Wikipedia Cagney bio, what Cagney really said in the movie Taxi! was Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or Ill give it to you through the door! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesThe Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English AlphabetThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Improve Email ROI With Matthew Montoya From Constant Contact

How to Improve Email ROI With Matthew Montoya From Constant Contact Email marketing is that trusted friend that’s been around forever and will never let you down. You can always turn to it when you need some help. Plus, it gives you a whopping average ROI of 3,800%. That’s $38 for every $1 invested. Today, we’re talking to Matthew Montoya, the partner enablement and training manager at Constant Contact. He has helped consult more than 13,000 businesses on email marketing best practices. Email has been around a long time, but Matthew describes current trends and what works today. People who give you their email address are expressing interest in your business Quantify the value of your email list by multiplying the size of your list by the price point of the average they sell to get a dollar figure Biggest change in email marketing over the last seven years is mobile readership; 51% of business/non-profit emails will be opened on a mobile device People used to spend 35-40 seconds reading an email; now it’s 5 seconds Emails need to be succinct, make an impression, and include a call to action Think of an email not as a message, but an advertisement where people see the information, act on it, and go to your website or elsewhere to learn more Every contact matters and can produce money for your company The more targeting and testing you do, the better your responses HTML vs. Plain Text: Depends on your audience, but concise HTML emails usually generate higher, better responses Preview email messages to see how they display on different devices Know your audience to know what content they will find valuable and relevant Constant Contact’s Marketing Pillars: Segmentation, personalization, automation People look first at who sent an email, rather than the subject line; email should come â€Å"from† the brand Test subject lines to avoid repetition and make sure they grab readers’ attention Explore all marketing options across platforms all work together to share a story Links: Constant Contact Constant Contact for Free Email Subject Line Tester Integrations Write and send a review to receive a care package If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Matthew Montoya: â€Å"Email marketinghas changed dramatically over the last seven years. What used to be a best practice has evolved.† â€Å"Email marketing may haveless sex appeal than social media and other kinds of marketing.† â€Å"The one app that most people don’t even think of as an app is email. And yet, that’s probably the most used app on your phone because that’s where we’re doing business.† â€Å"Think of an email not as a message. It’s not a form of communication. It’s an advertisement.† It’s really important for everybody, if there’s one huge takeaway today beyond just building a mobile-responsive and mobile-friendly email, it’s making sure your content within that email is relevant.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Renchong.Li's Personal Statement for Postgraduate Application

Renchong.Li's for Postgraduate Application - Personal Statement Example always been one of my ambitions, which has driven me to apply for a chance of pursuing a postgraduate degree in Money, Banking and Finance in your institution. My request for a chance to pursue a master’s programme in Money, Banking and Finance is not based on a desire for a title of a master programme graduate, but rather on my zeal to delve into Finance thus actualizing my career objectives. In effect, this programme would equip me with profession-related skills that would aid me in various systems-level decisions on issues pertaining to Finance. It would also benefit me in the development and creative utilization of computational and analytical techniques for solving financial-related problems, over and above gaining the broader skills, knowledge and background essential in becoming efficient in my profession, particularly in the modern-day rapidly changing global economy. My academic background has immensely equipped me with invaluable fundamental knowledge, which will be of great assistance on my enrolment for this programme. I possess a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance, which is perhaps the primary strongest facet of my application. I have a good studying ability – my Grade Point Average is above 3.0. This is a clear indication that I have a sharp mind that is able to organize reason as well as other complex facts in a precise order for good results in Finance. I am also a resourceful and dynamic person with interpersonal and negotiation skills, an approachable and sociable person, one who is open minded and excellent in networking in addition to being an excellent team player. I believe that over and above increasing my knowledge in Finance, pursuing a postgraduate degree in Money, Banking and Finance would give me the chance of sharpening these skills further. Moreover, my attribute of keeping myself updated by reading magazines, par ticularly business-related ones, enables me to explore diverse business ventures, boost my interest in Finance