What Google Hummingbird Does to Your Current SEO Efforts

by Constant Content Nothing makes SEO professionals and webmasters cringe faster than the phrase â€Å"Google launches new algorithm changes.† These individuals spend the majority of their time creating content and designing websites that will attract the most attention by search engine algorithms, hopefully landing them higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). Landing at the top, or at the very least on the first results page, is the name of the game in SEO. If your website isn’t visible, it isn’t getting views and the value of any content contained within dwindles. So when Google announced late last week that it had released its biggest algorithm change in almost 12 years, dubbed Google Hummingbird, the SEO community held its breath yet again. SEOs and webmasters have faced numerous challenges in recent years as Google’s Panda and Penguin updates to search engine technology have gone live. Further updates and upgrades to these programs have left some websites out in the cold and forced a change in strategy from SEOs. The question now becomes, what impact will Google Hummingbird have on SEO strategies? Hummingbird Details As is typical of a change from Google, there are few in-depth details available regarding Hummingbird. However, that doesn’t mean no details are known at this time. It has been noted on several websites (JavaWorld and TechCrunch) that the changes with Hummingbird are less about SEO and more about how queries are processed by Google’s algorithms. In the past, when a user entered a search query on Google the algorithms would process each individual word in a query in order to find the best results possible for the term or phrase. Hummingbird will now allow the Google engine to consider all the words in a phrase or question as a complex grouping and provide the best results based upon the entire grouping of words. Hummingbird and SEO Despite the now ingrained reaction of all SEOs to any Google updates, webmasters can rest assured that Hummingbird isn’t expected to have a huge impact on SEO strategies. For starters, Google announced Hummingbird last week, but the new algorithm has actually been in place for at least a month. This means that if it was going to impact any webpage standings in SERPs, it would have been noticed by now. Google announced that the algorithm change effects around 90% of searches, but officials at the company were quick to emphasize that SEO tactics shouldn’t really need to change. That is, of course, assuming that most SEOs have adjusted to the Penguin and Panda updates of the past few years. As long as SEOs and webmasters continue to focus on unique, high-quality content on their pages along with reliable, relevant backlinks from dependable sources then there won’t be a negative impact from Hummingbird. In fact, it’s been pointed out that those using these tactics will likely experience a boost from Hummingbird as it will process results faster and more accurately, as well as better identifying the value that your content provides to more targeted search queries.

Scrooge essays

Scrooge essays Ignorance In the famous story A Christmas Carol, the Ghost said to Scrooge ""These are your children Ignorance and Want." as he opened his robe to reveal two small unfortunate poverty stricken children. By this, the ghost meant that because of the cruelty of the world and irresponsibility, these innocent children must suffer. These children suffered because of careless people like Scrooge. The ghost meant unfortunate children like these are the responsibility of everyone. Their names were ignorance and want because they were a result of ignorant people and people who only wanted for themselves. In today's world many children also live in poverty. However there are many more organizations to help them and their families and to prevent them having to live on the streets. Such an example of an organization would be welfare. Welfare helps people by giving supplying food stamps and money to the less fortunate. Another caring organization would be the Salvation Army who gives food and clothing to people who need it. It is our responsibility to care for the needy by sponsoring a child for Christmas and donating money and clothing to the Salvation Army. Even though there are many "Scrooges" in our world we can still take on the responsibility of caring for those who need it. We may not need help now but the future is never certain. If you are kind to others, they will remember and be kind to you when you really need it. ...

Biotechnology

Biotechnology Essay The welfare and development of todays student-athlete is central to the administration of Big Ten Conference intercollegiate athletics. Providing opportunity for young men and women to mature in a wholesome and healthy way is critically important to our universities. A commitment exists at all levels of our universities to providing the resources to support the welfare of Big Ten student-athletes. At the 1996 NCAA Convention, the Division I membership debated a number of issues related to financial assistance for student-athletes. Limitations on Pell Grants, stipends awarded by the federal government for educational purposes, were removed. Discussions took place, and continue to occur, on ways to liberalize rules on how student-athletes can earn money from work done during the off-season. Around the same time, the NCAA Executive Committee increased the annual funding of the special assistance fund from $3 million to $10 million. Big Ten institutions provide more than 6,400 young men and women opportunities to play on 250 intercollegiate teams. These young people receive more than $42 million annually from Big Ten institutions in grants-in-aid (tuition, room and board, books). While receiving the opportunity for a world-class education, they compete with and against some of the finest amateur athletes in the country. Needy student-athletes in the Big Ten may receive up to $2,000 annually above the value of their grant-in-aid via federal aid and are eligible for cash payments from the special assistance fund for items like clothing, emergency trips home and other special needs. Big Ten universities also assist student-athletes in identifying summer employment opportunities, career placement and catastrophic-injury insurance plans. They also assist with a $1 million insurance plan that financially protects student-athletes with professional sports aspirations in the event they suffer a disabling injury. Today, the system that served so many so well and for so long is being called into question by the media, the public and even by some coaches and student-athletes. They assert that some student-athletes in football and basketball should be paid for their participation. They believe that the market forces that drive professional sports, or any other private-sector activity, should provide the controlling principle for the relationship between the student-athlete and the university. This issue of financial assistance for student-athletes is critical to defining and examining the relationship between intercollegiate athletics and higher education as we approach the 21st century. While we must be open to novel approaches and new ideas, paying student-athletes to play is not supportable within the context of Big Ten intercollegiate athletics now or in the future. In my view, revenues derived from intercollegiate athletics are the sole property of the institution and should be expended in support of the broadest array of mens and womens educational and athletics opportunities. Thus, revenues are earned in private-sector activity and spent within the confines of the university for appropriate educational purposes. Some critics of college athletics cite the economic and educational exploitation of the student-athletes who participate in our major revenue sports as a major flaw in the system. We believe the educational and the lifetime economic benefits associated with a university education are the appropriate quid pro quo for any Big Ten student-athlete, regardless of the sport. For many decades, Big Ten intercollegiate athletics has been funded largely by revenues from mens basketball and football programs. This situation is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. Our institutions have sponsored sports programs that enabled outstanding athletes such as Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Red Grange, Archie Griffin, John Havlicek and Dick Butkus (the list is endless) to obtain an education and play their sport, in turn providing resources for educational and athletics opportunities for such people as Suzy Favor, Jesse Owens, Mark Spitz and Jack Nicklaus. Under this system, people like John Wooden and Gerald Ford played alongside student-athletes much less famous, but equally deserving of an intercollegiate athletics experience. Intercollegiate athletics has provided, and will continue to provide, opportunities for social mobility through education for future generations of young men and women. We must ensure that all young people admitted to our universities are prepared to compete academically so that the overall student-athlete academic outcomes are compatible with their peers within the general student population. Recent efforts to raise NCAA initial-eligibility standards are attempts to counter the argument that unprepared student-athletes are being admitted and then exploited for their athletics contributions. Ten mens basketball and football events and more than 300 million Americans watch these sports on television. Ticket and television revenues derived from those sources are shared among our members so that each university can sponsor the .

Island project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Island project - Essay Example Local government: First of all, the local government in the island nation shall be based on certain elements related to governance, like county system (type), municipal charter (form), mayor council (management), and election (leadership). Chandler (2001) states that, â€Å"A local authority, however, not only must demonstrate it uses resources efficiently but also it must have as its mission the concern to care for the economic, social and environmental well-being of their community† (p.154). To be specific, the public administration within the scenario of the island nation will be based on local form of governance. I would like to introduce county type local government because it is one of the examples for decentralized governance. The island nation will be divided into different counties, based on population. Besides, municipal charter will be the form of governance because the same will be within the jurisdiction of the proposed type of local/ decentralized government. Thi s will help the inhabitants to gain certain rights and to enjoy certain privileges within the local government. ... dership positions will be established through general elections because this is important to incorporate democratic ideas to the context of the proposed island nation. To be specific, the people will cast their votes to the candidates, strictly based on their political values. Eligible candidates will be invited to form the government, strictly based on democratic ideas. Judicial system: The judicial system in the proposed island nation will be based on judicial hierarchy. To be specific, there will be a supreme authority that controls the judicial system. But this supreme authority can be arraigned by the members, representing the lower courts. Besides, there will be a law making body elected by the citizens, apart from the government. This will keep judiciary safe from political manipulation or influence. Malleson (2007) states that, â€Å"Governments are now expected to introduce policy changes which affect the legal system on an ongoing basis† (p.2). The elected judges can not act beyond their limits because people elected them and they are answerable for their decisions. There will be lower courts in the counties and these courts will be independent within the counties. So, this decentralized model of judicial system will help the people to approach the court with ease. Besides, the judges cannot go beyond their limits because they can be kept aside by the people. On the other side, law making will not be vested upon the judicial system because it will be vested upon a different body elected by the people. Any citizen can seek help from the court because there main aim of this innovative judicial system is to solve more problems with less time. To be specific, less serious crimes will be dealt by the lower courts. This will help the people to save their valuable

Language analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Language analysis - Article Example Yves employs the emotive language all through the article, which arouses the readers’ emotions in every featured experience or event (Sanctuary Australia Foundation, 2011). For illustration, presently Yves contends of suffering from trauma and cries when he remembers the death of his family and refugees who still are in the Kakuma camp. This is also evident in his elaboration regarding how he managed to escape, and arrive in Kenya where on his way he used to pass over dead bodies. He claims that, he was seeing himself dead if it were not for God who helped him. The article does not have a particular format of narration, but utilizes the old mode of story telling design where each paragraph bears a certain experience (Sanctuary Australia Foundation, 2011). Besides, it does not have a primary source but is a personal narration featuring diverse experiences; though from the beginning to the end still maintains its thesis coupled with utilizing pictures in emphasizing the message. This article’s focus entails conveying to the readers dehumanizing experiences, which the refugees normally encounter while in their camps besides having lost their relatives and property. This is regardless of the hosting state claiming to have implemented the necessary security measures meant to ensure their safety, which is contrary (Sanctuary Australia Foundation, 2011). This is because the only people who attack them are the state’s police charged with the responsibility of guaranteeing them with safety. Therefore, compared to their war torn states, the condition do not have much difference except that the refugees are safe during the day. Emotive language in this narration coupled with pictures; mainly emphasize the severe experiences, which the narrator encountered while as a refugee. In each paragraph regarding a certain incidence, the narrator conveys the message in a manner to arouse emotions of the readers. This is via

Pros and Cons on Money Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons on Money Essay This is a very sad image that has been painted of the human race. Not all people are money grabbing bankers. in fact the majority of people are good-hearted, who are prepared to give away increasingly small small amounts of spare cash to help charities. They are willing to help. You cant blame corporations and bankers for doing what they are supposed to and that is make money and turn a profit. In all exchanges someone is selling a service and someone is buying a service. There is no rule that says you cannot make money from the transaction. What we can do though is to change the environment in which banks operate. For example laws stipulating how much profit can be made, how much of profit needs to go back to society. We can take responibility for our own destinies instead of money leading us by the nose. As we develop technologically, research and development which leads to breakthroughs in all spheres of society cost money. The companies spending that money should surely be entitled to a return on their investment. Without an incentive, there may be fall off in development. So, instead of only a few bastards getting away with doing nothing for money, now we will have everyone doing nothing for money. Sounds great, until you realize that the resources to run that scheme will soon run out and people will be forced to create value by the motivation of fear and coercion, rather than by the desire to better their condition. This is exactly what derailed all socialist states. What would such alternatives be? In the field of Economics, they have tried to measure Gross National Happiness as opposed to GDP and it created even more problems. Only one country in the world has this as an index, due to problems of comparison between individuals happiness levels, measuring happiness and the fact that happiness levels are so easily influenced by personal situations. The lack of any other sensible, comparable and ordinal alternative has meant that money is the only current measuring unit. What does greed got to do with money? Even without money, greed still exists.,wom an,man,love. Well, I doubt that its true though. First let us consider the point that money is of no real value. What about Gold? Gold itself is considered money. Money itself is divided into Fiat money and Commodity money. Even without fiat money(paper money), people will still be able to use commodity money. Something similar to barter trade. Does crime still exist? i bet it will. Much more than it is now if fiat money is not used. What causes poverty itself is not the lack of money. It is the mentality of the people thats saying that i am poor, i wont become rich, i dont need money, money is the root of all evil. These are the mentality that causes poverty. And besides, i think u should clearly understand what all mean,it means nearly everything or everything.So,first of all,theres no doubt that you can not count how many evils are there in this world,that means your 90% is impossible to prove your point;and if you are right,is that also mean you agree withtheres no evil during the time when the money havent been invented?KIDDING! Money can be donated to a good cause. Like it or loathe it, civilized society cannot function without money, therefore it has to stay. Money can also be used to do alot of good also. For example, millions of Britains donate money to various charities each year to help those that are less fortunate. Comic Reilef raises tens of millions of pounds for its causes, therefore money is not all about pursuing it for the individual, many people activley share thier wealth, redistributing it to those that really need it. If money does not exist, barter trade does exist which will also leads to donation if one have an excess of goods and services. Therefore i dont think that the word donate will not occur No, because some evil clearly nothing to do with money There are many roots to acts that would be considered evil I will assume this means actions that harm others or denigrate the self, but the concept of evil itself is by no means straightforward that are nothing to do with money. For instance, a murder might be motivated by anger, a rape by uncontrollable lust, bullying and discrimination by ignorance. You dont need money to commit a crime. You need a big rock or stick to murder someone. You need the other person not to notice to steal something from someone. Crime has been happening before a monetary system. Religion has also led to a lot of destruction since a long time. Not only this even the greatest of problems dont have their root cause as money.The biggest example being Taliban.Why are they attacking people, they are not getting money from it but it is because they want blood, killing of Indians and Americans. This is called racism. So money is not the root cause of all evil. No, because Money is not the root of all evil. The lack of money is the root of all evil. I respect both sides and I understand why many people believe that money is the root of all evil. But I have to disagree. The lack of money is the root of all evil. Back in the history of mankind, before money was invented, we bartered. Money was the result of hardworking process. Bear in mind that criminals are all born in poverty and some of them live in poverty. The fear of lacking money haunts them constantly. It is the fear of not being able to feed themselves and their families that make them commit unthinkable crimes. If money is evil, could you live in a world without money? If greed or desire is evil, have you ever wanted something that is not yours? Any of you ever want an Iphone? Any of you can live without computer, electricity and all of modern comfort? If you think money is the root of all evil, Id like to recommend the Communist Manifesto for you. Marx talked about an utopia society in which people work based on their ability and get rewarded base on their needs. Money would not be necessary. I like to ask those who think money is not necessary to point out a successful communist example. Im from a communist, aka socialist, country. And we are moving toward a capitalistic market. I strongly believe that if you dont work for yourself, nobody will. Money motivates people to work harder, smarter. Would there be light bub if Edison work for just bread and milk only? You might say those riches keep getting richer without giving away their money to the poor. Id like to ask you Why the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer? If you find the question somewhat interesting please spend sometimes read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It changed a poor college students way of thinking, I hope it will be helpful too. Money is not the root of all evil. The lack of money is the root of all evil. Money represents positive value It is a great American contribution to world culture, that they have coined the phrase to make money. Money is made, by effort of muscle, willpower, and intelect. There can be no society composed entirely of thieves, as there will be no value to steal. Money represents the confidence of parties that the value of their efforts can be traded for the value of others efforts. It is a recognition of the importance of society based on trade, rather than the only real alternative: violence. To be clear, money contributed to charity is also traded, for the value of achieving a social goal this in contrast to taxes, which are forcefully taken. No, because Money is the end product of what you did Money is the end product of something that you did that you think its enjoyable to you. For example, if someone started invest into a company or firms, it is because of the excitement not because of money. It is the excitement that make people invest and this excitement will leads to the end product, money. Therefore there is no reason to say that money is the root of all evil. Money is just the end product of what you did that excite you No, because Originally, Money was the solution to the problems(/inefficiencies in transactions) arising out of barter exchange system. Read on the history of money. Originally, Money was the solution to the problems(/inefficiencies in transactions) arising out of barter exchange system. Ex: In barter exchange there had to be a double co-incidence of wants. A man selling milk who wanted to buy rice had to find someone selling rice wanting milk. GOOD LORD! Just imagine how time-consuming frustrating. Also, there was a need for a standard to objectively measure the value of all types of goods like cows, milk, foodgrains, clothes, ornaments, etc. Imagine feelings of doubt being cheated arising out of selling 1 kg rice in exchange of 3 litres milk (when later you met someone offering you 4 litres in exchange for the same value)! Moreover, money is the best most liquid store of value has legal tender so you sue someone legally if cheated. Money solved the problem also avoided all the confusion. Money is an indispensable part of our lives. Money has to be earned! The root of evil is people who want the unearned money. Saying MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL is like blaming your tools; its very embarrassing. A similar statement: Computers (or tech) is a curse. Ex: You condemn the car for it lead to a terrible accident you landed up in hospital. So is car the cause of the accident? Or are there other things to consider- like did you repair maintain it regularly? Why did you buy it? Were you drunk? Were you daydreaming while driving? Did another car hit yours? Id say that anyone with minimal level of intelligence should get the gist of it should be in a position to discern the fact that car per se didnt create the problem. In the accident scene, car was the passive factor while the man driving it was an active factor another car hitting it was the causal factor. Money too is a passive factor. How you approach it makes all the difference! Just as how you use Internet Computer decides whether it be a curse or a boon. My smartass opponent may say car was purchased with money- so again money is the root of all evil. Alright then, could you dispense with your car? Could you dispense with anything else having money value? But this is different issue altogether. No, because Money cant be dispensed with see the essence of of what I mean by money anything that is or acts as money i.e. anything that performs the recognized functions of money or serves the recognized purpose of money. Id quote a definition Money is a good that acts as a medium of exchange in transactions. Classically it is said that money acts as a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange. Most authors find that the first two are nonessential properties that follow from the third. In fact, other goods are often better than money at being intertemporal stores of value, since most monies degrade in value over time through inflation or the overthrow of governments. Now think can you do without money? Do you wanna go back to the days for barter system? Imagine no banks, no recognized/ standard medium to transact. No, because Theres no such thing as the root of evil! Evil can take different forms types and also has different causes most of them-psychological.

Managing A Personal Computer :: essays research papers

Managing A Personal Computer 1.1 The AUTOEXEC.BAT file is one of files which loads every time the computer is booted. It contains command lines and procedures to run programs and load settings for the system’s hardware and software configuration. It also may contain command lines procedures to run programs which may clean your system’s hard drive of temporary files and viruses. An example of this file is shown below: @ECHO OFF PROMPT $P$G SET PATH=C:DOS LH C:SBCDDRVMSCDEX.EXE /S /D:MSCD001 /M:8 /V SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4 SET SOUND=C:SBPRO C:MOUSEMMOUSE.COM The first line of this batch file, @ECHO OFF, is programming command which hides all the command lines procedures from the user. The second line is also a programming command that configures the CUI command prompt. The parameters after PROMPT tell the CUI what to show. The $P stands for current drive and path and $G stands for the greater than sign (>). Apart from those two parameters, a user can add any characters after PROMPT and it’ll be shown as the command prompt. The next command configures the CUI to search for files in that directory first before looking in its current location. The SET and PATH command procedures, even though different commands, are used in conjunction to configure CUI environment variables and the parameters displayed after that are what the CUI will search in first. The next command is loading DOS’s CD-Rom drive letter allocater (The CD-Rom driver must be loaded first in the CONFIG.SYS). The parameters after the executable file inform the CUI to allocate a particular drive letter for the CD-Rom and also may inform the CUI to allocate extended memory or how to read the CD-Rom in terms of speed and sectors. The LH configures the CUI to load this command procedure in high or extended memory. The next command procedure allocates the Interrupt and Drive Memory allocation for the system’s sound card as well as informing the CUI of the sound card’s input/output range. The next command procedure informs the CUI to look for all the drivers for the sound card in its parameters which will be a directory on the hard disk. The last command loads the driver for the mouse. This command procedure doesn’t need any parameters and is just a single command procedure telling the CUI to load that executable file. 1.2 A Batch File Which Asks For User Input: @echo off cls IF "%1"=="C" GOTO DRIVE IF "%1"=="D" GOTO DRIVE if "%1"=="c" goto drive if "%1"=="d" goto drive

Mines by Susan Straight Author Report Essay

1. Summary and Response. A. Born in Riverside, California, Susan Straight became an award winning regional author. Straight came from a simple beginning, a diverse family and no friends who were writers. Straight wrote her first story at the age of sixteen and wrote sports articles in junior high. As a junior in high school, she began writing short stories again. Straight does like to travel, but enjoys returning home as well. Straight makes no error in advocating the use of writing workshops, so that writers have the opportunity to expand their talent. Straight has been published in various national publications, covered novels for young readers as well and even a children’s book. Straight has received several literary awards for her work and is now a Professor at the University of California. Her short story â€Å"Mines† was included in Best American Short Stories, 2003. The Golden Gopher, another of Straights short stories, received the 2008 Edgar Allan Poe Award. Straights last three novels are Highwire Moon (2001), A Million Nightingales (2006) and Take One Candle Light a Room (2010). Straight has many essays: â€Å"Reckless† (2007), â€Å"El Ojo de Agua† (2007) and â€Å"The Funk Festival at Los Angles Coliseum, Los Angles, May 26, 1979† to name a few. For her younger readers Susan authored Bear E. Bear (1995) and The Friskative Dog (2007). B. â€Å"Mines† is a story about a mother who’s also a corrections officer, trying to keep her children from becoming part of the uneducated youth prison culture. Clarette is a strong, self-sacrificing woman. She has no personal life, due to her distant husband; in essence, she is a single mother. Clarette has conflict with her husband, who seems to be fine with their children growing up to be what society expects. Clarette is trying as best she can to expand their options in their lives. Her job at the Youth Authority takes a physical and emotional toll on her. Because of the job’s nature, Clarette sees the delinquency of the youth, grasping why she should keep going and giving her children an alternative future. She sees the â€Å"wards,† as â€Å"fools.† Just as that they are misguided and immature. Her determination is proven after the fight at the Youth Authority, where she gets up and spits on the spot she was assaulted, returning to work. Nothing is easy for her, but she just won’t give up. C. I sincerely enjoyed reading â€Å"Mines.† At first I just thought it was going to be   about her job, this was just fine with me. Even though her job does play into the story, it is not just about that. Straights descriptions of the scenery, characters, emotions and social influences were beautifully done. Even upon the first reading I indentified with Clarette, since I am also a single mother and did work for a while as a corrections officer myself. It made me recall all the wasted lives I encountered on a daily basis and that some of them acted like it was no big deal. Although these were grown men, it seems like it is now just something that is socially accepted. The short story was a very easy read for me and one that I read several times with no effort. I felt that she was a decent human being, caring, loving and rational. She, like most mothers, put her children before herself, giving up some of her life and that made her more human to me. I felt sorrow when she is injured in the fight at her job and pride when she spat on the cement before she goes back inside. I also felt satisfaction, when she opened the classifieds to look for the upright. 2. Research. A. There are three main points that I would like to cover, in the interview that I   chose on Susan Straight. The title is simply, â€Å"Birnbaum v. Susan Straight.† * All of her fiction has been about how people from places like Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Canada and Switzerland have come to a place like Riverside, California. Since her fiction is regional, it helps us  understand better just one part of our country, instead of trying to be so broad that we lose some things in detail. Susan travels to the places in her writings, to get the back-story, making sure that all is accurate and it appears that she enjoys it a lot. When Susan committed to writing A Million Nightingales, she states, â€Å"I spent five years and I read about a hundred books and historical documents and went to Louisiana twice with my neighbor, who is from east Texas† (5). She uses things that are in court documents to help with historical information as well. For example, slaves were never taught to read or write, also they were never taught to read or write, also they were considered property. So for her, court documents are the way to go. â€Å"I read a lot of court documents and I have to tell you I read things like estate sale documents from 1797†¦On the right   side of the document is listed the human property that’s being sold and on the left the physical property and it goes on for several pages. On the right hand side you have all the slaves and the slaves only had first names. They couldn’t have last names† (6). Susan also states, â€Å"The way I know about my family by marriage-slave ancestry-is only through all the stories everyone tells† (6). It is amazing how she researches so much and incorporates that to make sure the story is correct. That does give the reader a more true understanding on what is goin g on in the setting, time period and characters minds. It does appear that she does also keep up with the social and political aspects of the time. Speaking about expectations set by society of her daughters and government mistreatment in response after a natural disaster, due to ethnicity. Susan speaks of the hurricane that destroyed New Orleans, â€Å"New Orleans was 70 percent African-American and it becomes much easier for the federal government-in my community, in the black community, this is common knowledge, people say, ‘Of course they don’t want to rebuild New Orleans.’ I think what people in Louisiana feel, not just in New Orleans but outside the city as well, especially south and in St. Bernard Parish, is  that rejection you feel when the federal government says, ‘Well I don’t know if it’s really worth it.’ Of course, if it’s your birthplace, you want to feel as if you are worth it† (10). Leading me to realize that there is still racial discrimination, even now, in politics as well as society. Susan’s daughters are described as readers of literature, diverse in the music that they enjoy and just like any other fine young lady. Susan is quoted speaking of her daughters as â€Å"really smart besides being beautiful, and that’s frightening. It’s frightening because a lot of times people still expect them to be dumb or want them to be dumb. Because they are beautiful light-skinned black women† (4). â€Å"There are no pure races,† states Susan, which does make you think (4). Susan does give supporting information to prove her quote, simply by reminding the reader of Louisiana in the late 1700s. â€Å"You had Swiss mercenary soldiers who had their own laws and rules. French settlers, French-Canadian trappers who didn’t even speak the same French as the French settlers. African slaves from seven, eight, nine different nations who spoke Congo, Bambara. And then you had German settlers. And then Native Americans who had their own distinct languages†¦And the truth is, if there is English and if there is French, if there is African it all melds to become this Creole language-what is it then, and what are we then?† (7). While a student at the University of Massachusetts, Susan did study with James Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin is known for his activism, in the civil rights movement, as well as his writing on African American life in the United States. When Susan got to the University of Massachusetts, she had been â€Å"a sportswriter and editor, and I’d only been writing fiction for a year.† Mr. Baldwin would assist Susan with her stories, helping develop characters that she thought were minor and had her think on a larger scale. Susan says that Mr. Baldwin â€Å"was immensely helpful the way he taught me to think about these larger questions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan was unsure that Mr. Baldwin knew what he was talking about, but came to realize â€Å"he was right.† Susan also credits Jay Neugeboren, a professor â€Å"for years† at the University of Massachusetts, as the person â€Å"who really taught me to line-edit. He taught me to go through my work and make it as perfect as it c ould be† (15, 16). References: Straight, Susan. â€Å"Birnbaum v. Susan Straight.† The Morning News. The Morning News, 02 Aug.2006. Web. 21 Jun. 2011. Straight, Susan. Interview by Dominique McCafferty. Riverside Public Library. Riverside Public Library [Riverside, CA]. Spring 2005. Web. 06 Jun. 2011 Straight, Susan. www.Susan Straight.com. www.Jwelches.com. n.d. Web. 30 Jun. 2011

Martin Luther King – I Have a Dream Analysis

Topic Choice: The topic choice ‘I have a dream’ was chosen after a lot of soul searching. It reveals the speaker’s previous experiences growing up and living in a segregated society. He only dreamt of being treated as an equal citizen, not based on the colour of his skin and ethnic background. This topic was directed at millions of African Americans suffering from extreme poverty as a result of being denied opportunities in their own country. The topic resonated with everyone in the crowd on that day and would be repeated several times in the speech.The majority of the people taking part in the march for freedom on that day only dreamt of being accorded the same opportunities and rights that their fellow white citizens enjoyed. ‘I have a dream’ was an excellent topic choice for the event and still remains synonymous with the struggle for freedom up to this day Word Order: In [1], the speaker acknowledges and thanks the audience for attending the histo ric march for freedom and equality, and he reminds them that that particular day would go down in history as the greatest for freedom in the United States of America.He takes them back five years ago and reminds them that despite all the joy and hope they felt when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Act, freedom was still far away. Nothing had changed among blacks, Hispanics and other visible ethnic minorities living in the United States: [1] â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity†.Martin Luther King’s demeanor was calm and collected and waited for the words to sink in the audience’s mind before proceeding with the next part of the speech. The order of his words was well org anized right from the start: [1] and [2] talks about the Emancipation Proclamation and its mirage sense of equality. [3], [4] and [5 is a reminder for the United States Government to apply the Emancipation Proclamation to all men black and white. [6] and [7] is a declaration that unless the situation was corrected by the government, revolutions and disturbances will continue. 8], [9] and [10] is a reminder to the audience of the importance of avoiding violence and to restore to peaceful and dignified protests. [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18] and [19] are all an inspirational talk that is the essence of the speech ‘I have a dream'. Stress, Intonation and Coherence: The speaker stresses the importance of his message through his tone. This was not considered an ordinary message. This was supposed to be an extraordinary message from an extraordinary man at a crucial point in the history of African Americans in the United States of America.This was the only non viole nt weapon available to millions of disadvantaged people and the speaker knew the importance of this historic occasion. The speech had been written and revised several times until the Reverend Martin Luther King felt it was now ready to be delivered. Despite all the care, thought and effort put into drafting this speech, its message would be useless if it was not delivered in a coherent and logical manner. In [2] people are still reminded that the Negro is still not free. By invoking the word Negro, he really wanted to bring the message home to thousands of African Americans across America.The tone of his voice was authoritative, commanding as well as captivating the audience. He constantly reminded black people in America how they were living in dire poverty when in fact they were living in the richest country on earth. He was aware that his message would be broadcast in millions of homes across America and the world at large. There were applauses and cheering coming from the thousa nds of people standing in the crowd urging him to go on with the speech. His message was being well received: [2] â€Å"One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition†. In [2], Martin Luther King was not only reminding black people that they were languishing in poverty and being denied all the available opportunities in the land of plenty, but he was speaking directly to the United States government and the majority of white people in America. He was merely telling them they should not forget how wealthy they were at the expense of the suffering poor black people and it was time to change the status quo.Therefore, his audience was not just the thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, but the millions of white people who would be watching and listening to his speech in their luxurious homes. Local Semantic Moves: The s peaker does not use just ordinary language to convey his message. He makes use of a number of semantics to enrich and make his message bold. In [3] he speaks of having come to the nation’s capital to cash a cheque and refers to the Declaration of Independence as a promissory note signed by the government.Once a promissory note is signed one cannot go back on that promise and by this he was reminding as well as warning the government that they had to act on their promises and failure to do so would continue to be met with demonstrations across the country. In [4] the speaker, reminds the authorities of having defaulted on their promissory note and the black people’s refusal to believe that there are â€Å"insufficient funds in the bank of justice† and that there are insufficient funds in the† great vaults of opportunity â€Å"of this nation.He invokes colorful language of banking to add meaning to his speech. He maximizes the use of his great oratory skill s. By using semantics, he keeps his audience attentive and wanting to hear more. Martin Luther King chooses his words carefully to inspire in his audience the attitude he wants them to adopt in their quest for freedom, a non violent pursuit o freedom: [8]†We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.Again and again [slightly rising intonation] we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. † Words such as â€Å"dignity, discipline, creative protest, majestic heights, and soul force† inspire a sense of self worthiness and mature dignity in the audience. In [10] King chooses his words brilliantly to reinforce the notion of a peaceful protest. He tells his audience that he is not â€Å"unmindful† of their situation. He totally understands and shares their plight and hardship. The speaker uses adjectives such as †Å"storms nd winds† in describing the audience's fight for freedom. It is like a typhoon that twirls them around and rips them apart but they have to endure it with â€Å"creative and redemptive suffering† and go back to their towns, to their demeaning jobs and to their ghettos to continue their dignified struggle for freedom. King used stimulating words to inspire his audience to seek their lost freedom but at the same time he chose his words carefully to control the probable physical effect of his inspiring words.He was protecting his hearers from any form of violence and brutality that might erupt after the speech. Speech Acts and Schematic Organisation: Throughout his speech, the speaker shows an impeccable sense of organisation and shows how gifted he is in the art of speaking. In [5] and [6] he invokes a sense of urgency of attaining freedom. He reminds the authorities of the seriousness of the matter despite the fact that he might be put in jail after the speech. Here is a man who knew anything could happen to him immediately after addressing this crowd and the nation.He displays his charisma and fearlessness: [5] † NOW [rising intonation] is the time to make real the promises of democracy. † â€Å"NOW [rising intonation] is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. † â€Å"NOW [rising intonation] is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. † â€Å"NOW [high intonation] is the time [pause] to make justice a reality for all of God's children. He emphasizes the word ‘now’ in [5] indicating that they were tired of waiting and something had to be done immediately to address these social injustices. In [6] the speaker warns the authorities of the repercussions of ignoring their requests: â€Å"There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizen ship rights. † This was no joking matter. Although the speaker was addressing the audience gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, this particular message was directed at the United States government and the whole world was listening and watching.In [7] his tone changes as he reminds the authorities once again of what awaits them if they don’t address their concerns: â€Å"The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. † Despite these seemingly harsh and inciting words, the speaker quickly turns his speech around and addresses the black people warning them never to use violence or revenge as a means of attaining freedom. He displays his rhetorical and organizing skills in the process.In [8], [9] and [10] he skillfully urges all black people in America to continue fighting for freedom none violently. Propositional Structures turn Takings, Repairs and Hesitation: In [11] the speaker shows that he is a great man of faith and strength. Despite all the injustices and persecution, he is prepared to continue leading his people in the fight for freedom. He strongly believes that all human were created equal and should be entitled to the same opportunities.In [12], [13], [14] and [15] he starts each of the next paragraphs with a very strong and authoritative voice making the same utterance ‘I have a dream’. This is met by thunderous applauses and delight from the audience. At times he seems to hesitate to start the next sentence. He is simply making sure that his message is sinking deeper into his audience’s hearts and minds: [12] â€Å"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. [13] â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. † [14] â€Å"I have a dream that one day [pause] down [long vowel] in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day down RIGHT THERE [high voice] in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. [15] â€Å"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. † The power of the speech’s title is clearly visible in all these words and they get the crowd jumping up and down, clapping their hands and nodding their heads all in agreement with the speaker. Hope and Freedom In [16], [17], [18] and [19] in the closing stages of his speech, Reverend Martin Luther King changes his speech act in order to drive the final message home.While he has been addressing the United States government and other stakeholders, his attention now turns to the African American gathered here and listening across the United States. He reminds them that despite all the suffering there is still hope and freedom is coming. People just need to persevere. In [18] he reminds the whole nation that freedom is coming to all corners of their country: [18] â€Å"So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. (a) Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. (b) Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! c) Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! (d) Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! (e) But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! (f) Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! (g) Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. (h) From EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE [high intonation] let freedom ring. † The tone in his voice changes considerably when he makes these utterances. His voice displays the seriousness, urgency and boldness associated with the quest for freedom.His concluding remarks show a man who has devoted his life fighting for equality and social justice. He reminds the American people of the beauty of allowing every human being to be free. In his mind, despite all the challenges and struggles of life, the black people will definitely be free one of these days: [19] â€Å"FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALIMIGHTY, WE ARE FREE AT LAST! â€Å"[high intonations][applause and cheering]. The Results of the Analysis: The analysis of this speech illustrates how the Critical Discourse Analysis can explain hidden meaning in language.It does not dwell on one particular theory of discourse analysis but embraces a number of theories available. Using a number of different ling uistic markers has revealed a number of linguistic traits displayed by Martin Luther King. A critical analysis of the topic choice reveals that it was chosen after a thorough and thoughtful process. ‘I have a dream’ becomes engrained in most parts of the speech as a way of emphasising the central theme of the message. The speaker’s style of presentation and rhetorical skills are unique.The speech invokes historical injustices that are still visible in American society and need to be urgently addressed. Just like the urgency with which poverty, injustice and lack of freedom has to be addressed, the speaker delivers his speech with so much punch and vigour. He uses very colourful language in trying to add more meaning to his speech. The audience are mesmerised by the strong and powerful message conveyed by the speech itself. The speaker switches his attention between the people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Authorities as he subconsciously addresses them every now and then.Overall, this was a brilliant speech on a historic occasion which managed to achieve its main objectives. The message was heard by African Americans and the United States government loud and clear. This speech has gone down in history books as one of the best speeches ever to be delivered and still remains an inspiration to millions of people around the world up to this day. The Conclusion: Critical Discourse Analysis is a powerful tool for analysing speeches. Often, some speeches especially media texts, may not be comprehensible to the audience.Critical Discourse Analysis aims to demystify anything not apparent from the speeches and it tends to be more associated with power, struggle and politics, hence it has been appropriate to analyse Martin Luther King’s speech using Critical Discourse Analysis. Additionally, Reverend Martin Luther King’s speech owes its background to years of struggling, poverty and denial of opportunities for th e majority of black Americans. He delivers the speech in a perfect setting after a long March for freedom when everyone was quiet anxious and expectant by the end of the day.The authorities were carefully watching him and scrutinising every word that came out of his mouth. Despite all the attention, he delivered the speech flawlessly and without any fear. His style and rhetoric was just unique and his speech was very well received by those gathered and everyone else watching at home. He continually repeated the title of the speech, ‘I have a dream’ as he attempted top drive his message home. In using the critical analysis approach, the writer attempted to unravel some of the hidden meaning engrained in this speech.

4 Interview Tips for Recent Grads

4 Interview Tips for Recent Grads You’ve spent countless hours updating and refining your resume. You’ve written the perfect, keyword-optimized cover letter. Now you sit back and wait for the calls to start coming in, right? Not so fast. One more thing stands in the way of you and the perfect job? The interview. But do you even know where to begin when it comes to preparing for an interview? Let’s break down a few four tips designed to help recent grads gain an inside edge. 1. Practice Makes PerfectGoing into an interview â€Å"blind† is a recipe for disaster. Even if you skate through without any major catastrophes, it’s still a missed opportunity. Rather than winging it, take time in advance to research frequently asked questions in your area, and to prepare a rough outline of your response.Avoid writing down answers word for word - this can result in a â€Å"canned† delivery. Instead, jot down key ideas and concepts. Then, enlist a family member or friend to practice with you.If possible, record your practice sessions. Understanding how you look and sound during the interview can help you take corrective action, if necessary.2. Do Your ResearchIn an era in which data is literally at your fingertips, the rules have changed when it comes to understanding an organization. It’s no longer considered merely advantageous to demonstrate knowledge of a company and its mission, products and services. It’s a necessity. In short, there’s no quicker way to tell employers that you simply don’t care than by walking into an interview without this easily obtainable information.Working this knowledge into the conversation can take some skill - after all, the goal is not the simple regurgitation of facts - but the results can have significant payoffs in demonstrating your capacity to make a contribution.3. Be Prepared to Be SpecificCompetency-based questions are increasingly popular with hiring managers. Why? Because any candidate can lay claim to desirable skills, talent and experience on a resume. Of more importance to today’s employers? The demonstrated ability to use these attributes in meaningful ways.Expect to be asked to share examples of times when you’ve exemplified time management, problem solving, and other sought-after â€Å"soft† skills. Be prepared to respond with detailed examples which serve as concrete evidence of these competencies.4. Have Questions of Your OwnToo many interviewees respond to the interviewer’s question of, â€Å"Do you have any questions for me?† with the unsatisfying response of, â€Å"No, I think I’m good.†Interviews work both ways: not only is the interview an opportunity for the employer to get a better sense of a potential candidate, but it’s also an opportunity for you to get a better sense of potential employers. Don’t waste it. Instead, go into the interview with a list of questions which can help you further un derstand what it’s like to work for the company and/or if the job is a good fit. Asking smart, tailored questions also helps you stand out to hiring managers.With countless candidates looking to land the best jobs, it’s essential for new grads to position themselves for success. Rather than thinking of the interview process as an afterthought, leverage it into an opportunity to show employers why you’re the right one for the position.

Are Leaders Born Or Made How Do We Identify Leaders Do We Need Leaders Essay

Are Leaders Born Or Made How Do We Identify Leaders Do We Need Leaders In This Current Economic Climate - Essay Example This point has been explained in the present discourse by comparing two different organisations based on personal work experience. In the process, various aspects of leader and team behaviour, organisational systems, structure and management concepts have been used to explain leadership effectiveness and use of management concepts. This discourse presents an argument on leadership effectiveness in relation with leadership theories, management concepts and organisational culture. Leadership has been defined from different perspectives. Leadership at workplace has been the focus of many contemporary organisations. Contrary to the conventional management concepts and philosophy, the present-day organisations believe that leadership is essential for organisational sustenance. Daft defines leadership as the influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real change and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes (2007; p.4). In an organisational context, the essential eleme nts in leadership include the leader, influence, intention, personal responsibility and integrity, change, shared purpose, followers. These elements, although essential in any leadership concept, are specifically significant in an organisational context because this context brings together leaders by virtue of their position and people with a purpose. Such leadership is assigned leadership (Northouse, 2009). Another form of leadership is emergent leadership, which refers to leadership acquired by one’s actions, and ability to earn followers; this leadership is more commonly found in political groups, and lesser in organisational setups. Leadership has been defined in numerous ways by different people, and from different perspectives. One of the broad definitions proposed by Yuki is that leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accom plish shared objectives (, p.26). According to Bryman, â€Å"leadership is the creation of a vision about a desired future state which seeks to enmesh all members of an organisation in its net† (1986, p.6). Jackson and Parry (2007) highlight three aspects of leadership, which provide sufficient reasons to explore leadership. These aspects include the contemplative notion whether leaders were born or made; secondly, what are the characteristics of an effective leader; thirdly, what is the difference between leadership and management. These three aspects provide significant insight into the concept of leadership and management. Theoretical construct on the concept of leadership is vast and delves deep into aspects such as individuals’ personality, style, background etc (Contingency theories) along with situations (Situational leadership), culture, perceived values, vision (Visionary and transformational leadership) and even characteristics of followers. Various leadershi p characteristics have been proposed by many researchers, which gave rise to the trait theories of leadership. Some of the traits explained in these theories include intelligence, insight, responsibility, confidence, cognition, self-motivated, emotional intelligence etc (Northouse, 2007). Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership emphasizes that leader’s effectiveness or the group’s performance is determined by leadership style and situational need. Leadership

Men and Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Men and Women - Essay Example Moreover, they also have similarities and differences in terms of emotional and psychological needs which will be dealt with in detail. Firstly, men and women have similar physical needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Both genders need food and water in order to live. They also need clothing not only to beautify themselves but especially to keep them away from the dangers of the environment such as the dangerous effects of the heat of the sun or from the cold during winter. Shelter is also necessary for both men and women to keep them secure. Secondly, they have similar emotional needs such as the need to be loved. Since love is said to be the universal language, it is evident that people around the world regardless of race, age and gender need this emotional value that seems to be naturally a part of every individual. In addition, men and women experience pain, discouragements and other negative emotional stressors that affect the way they live. Thus, they also need emotions that soothe the pains such as joy, assurance and encouragements to lift their spirits and enable them to overcome the difficulties life b rings. Thirdly, men and women also have similar psychological needs. Since they have similar fears and concerns, men and women need similar psychological interferences. For instance both men and women worry about how they look so they both need to be assured that they look good. When they have achieved something, both men and women need to be praised for their success or they will feel like they are failures. On the other hand, there are also differences between men and women that make them distinctly different from each other. First among these differences would be their physical needs. For instance, women are known to be more concerned about how they look therefore, they spend more time and money on their clothing, accessories and make up. They spend a lot of time thinking about how they would appear so that women often end up spending