Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Manets A Bar at the Folies Bergere essays

Manets A Bar at the Folies Bergere essays Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergre Manet's painting, A Bar at the Folies-Bergre, was an integral factor in the rise of a new era in art; through the emergence of a contemporary Parisian city, Modern art began to flourish during the late 1800's. Being a painting of extreme complexity and ambiguity, many art critics have commented on the formal aspects of the painting, as well as the social reactions to this specific, and novel form of art. The purpose and meaning of the mirror behind the lady and the disparity of reality versus reflections, pose immense controversy and are discussed in Robert Herbert's essay, Impressionism: Art, Leisure, re", and T.J. Clark's, The Painting of Modern Life. Moreover, these authors's united their interpretations of this painting with the idea of a new Parisian lifestyle and conduct. Presented in this painting is the scene of a young, engaging barmaid at the Folies-Bergre music hall. She is standing behind a marble counter, which is covered with wine bottles, fruits, and flowers. Behind her are the essential element of the painting; the mirror that reflects the setting in which she is serving, as well as a peculiar man with a moustache. The barmaid, is confined to the narrow space behind the bar, however in the reflection, Manet introduces the new recreational activities of the elite, and sophisticated Parisians. Despite her lack of expression, Herbert clearly states that Manet has given the barmaid facing the audience a feeling of dignity and self-worth, contrary to the Parisian customs. It was thought that women were hired to increase the sales of drinks, and were made as vehicles for sexual favors, and other kinds of business. Herbert also says that barmaids at the time were known for "loose morals." He s...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Clauses that need companionship

Clauses that need companionship Clauses that need companionship Clauses that need companionship By Michael Independent clauses can stand on their own, even if they are joined together in one sentence. Subordinate clauses, on the other hand, arent supposed to stand on their own. Because they depend on another clause in the sentence, an independent clause. That last sentence, beginning with because, was a subordinate clause that I forced to stand on its own. It would have fallen flat on its face if you hadnt automatically connected it to the sentence before it. The word because is an example of the kind of word that often introduces subordinate clauses. The word because answers a question and your reader has to know what the question is, or it wont make sense. In informal writing, in conversational writing, you can often get away with putting a period after a subordinate clause, even though it isnt technically a sentence by itself. In fact, its often a good thing to do simply because it makes it sound conversational, as long as our reader understands what the subordinate clause is referring to. In formal writing, however, dont put a period after anything but a sentence. 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should KnowPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Child Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Child Abuse - Research Paper Example very reality that all these kinds of violence not only leave indelible destructive imprints upon their innocent minds, but also such kind of obnoxious behavior may put their future in grave jeopardy. The researches reveal the very fact that domestic violence and child abuse not only adversely tell upon the process of cognitive development among children, but also they wide open the avenues towards juvenile delinquent behavior and perversion for the future years to come. Exposure to violence can result in ‘regressive’ symptoms such as increased bedwetting, delayed language development and more anxiety over separation from parents (cited in Margolin & Gordis, 2000). Researches also show that sexual exploitation of the innocent children, at the hands of the adult members of society, destroys their mental capabilities, and remain as the terrifying part of the bitterest memories of their life, which haunt their minds and cause their psychological collapse even during their adulthood and later part of their life. Researches also prove the bitter reality that the individuals, who had become the victim of physical or sexual abuse in their childhood, lead mentally retarded and highly disturbed life in their grown years. They remain prey to some invisible danger hanging like a sword on their head, which takes long time for recovery. Hence, the convalescence procedure of the victims of child abuse is technically very difficult and time-taking one. The psychologists suggest counseling, medicines consumption, therapeutic measures and consoling from family members, teachers and friends for the complete recovery of the victims of child abuse. Hence, child abuse serves as an infamous mar as well as a shameful curse on the very face of society, which may produce perverts, offenders and criminals to challenge the very peace and stability of the social establishment at large. In the nutshell, children become victim of abuse at the hands of family members, teachers, peers,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Human Services using technology to overcome barriers Essay

Human Services using technology to overcome barriers - Essay Example Impediments may arise on the planning, funding, empowerment and in the execution of the service and these obstacles differ from a certain kind of human service to another. Obstacles may have different faces on each and every type of human service clientele but the barrier that gives the one of the most substantial effects is the adjustment to the trend in a certain demographic. Say for example, people who were born during the baby boomer period which is between 1946 and 1964 have contributed to a significant increase in the United States population during that time. And ever since the start of the baby boomer period, most companies and businesses have been using the age bracket as a trend to which product or service will benefit the big lot of the population and would also bring to them considerable profits. It goes the same way with human services, the rising number of a particular age group compels human service providers the need to expand and improve their services to be able to accommodate this demographic. If you count the years, the people born during the baby boomer period are now retired professionals or those who are already bidding for retirement. More and more people in the United States are getting older by the minute, meaning that these people are now prone to a rapid loss of cognition and physical handicap. Let’s take a look at the case of sidewalks and transit. In a recent news report, the aging boomers have been causing considerable traffic along sidewalks and local transit that were built for the younger ones. This has been a challenge for most cities in America because their communities are designed for a youth-oriented society. There have been local initiatives for some cities like New York who is now recognized by World Health Organization as a leader in promoting age-friendly communities. Other cities have also followed the footsteps of New York. Philadelphia aims to create a walk-able community which can help older adults to be hea lthier. In Portland, Oregon, there has been planning for new zoning policies to fit senior citizen’s concerns. In this situation we might be asking, how is the US going to cope up in this situation better than relying on mere local initiatives? The answer is sustaining and empowerment. This may be the second barrier identified in this particular type human service. By the year 2050, 20% of the American population will be seniors. And across the globe, roughly 2 billion people will be 60 years old or older and 400 million of them are over the age of 80. The United States should prepare for this situation and should promote an environment that would allow the older people to participate. Another barrier that human services might be facing for a long time is the financial structure of these types of organizations. The eagerness of human service organizations to improve the services they offer may not be equivalent to the actual financial resources they have. To be able to increa se their efficiency and

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Cold War Essay Example for Free

The Cold War Essay The foundations for the Cold War were laid in the closing days of World War II, as Western and Soviet armies met in the ruins of Germany. America’s wariness of the Soviet Union resulted in part from Stalin’s attempt to capture as much territory as possible with total disregard for the lives of his soldiers. Many Americans perceived Stalin’s actions to be land grabs rather than liberations. The Cold War in Europe was focused mainly on the frontline of Berlin. Here the superpowers stood face to face, and the Berlin Wall came to be the physical representation of the Iron Curtain that cut off Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe from the West. Throughout the Cold War, American leaders adopted the premise that a massive deterrent military force must remain in Europe to prevent the Soviet Union from invading and dominating Western Europe. This doctrine, first articulated by Truman with his adoption of NSC-68, was known as containment. In Asia, the Cold War centered on China after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in 1949. For decades, American leaders mistakenly assumed that the CCP was subservient to the Kremlin. The CCP, while technically allied with Moscow early on, had its own interests. The CCP was the dominant force in mainland Asia, and when American armies intervened in Korea and Vietnam, the CCP aimed to drive Americans from the border regions of China. In general the Cold War in Asia was bloodier than the Cold War in Europe. Korea and Vietnam were two large scale Cold War conflicts in which over 100,000 Americans and millions of Asians died. There was no comparable bloodshed in Europe during this period. The Cold War’s effect on the world was far-reaching. After World War II and the Chinese Civil War, the lines were essentially drawn in Europe and mainland Asia. The rest of the world, however, was emerging from European and Japanese colonialism. These newly independent nations were where much of the Cold War would be played out, as both superpowers aimed to add new nations to their respective spheres of influence. Some scholars argue that the Cold War has not ended yet, since China, Indochina, North Korea, and Cuba are still nominally communist countries. The Cold War in Europe, however, ended with the demise of the Soviet Union from 1989 through 1991. When a new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, made it clear that he would not use force to keep the Soviet empire together, it dissolved in a matter of months. The speed and peaceful nature of the collapse shocked many. The most common explanation for the collapse of the Soviet Union is the inefficiency of the communist system, which could neither provide for its people nor keep pace with Western military buildups. The Cold War had immeasurable effects on America both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the American republic was changed beyond recognition. The National Security Act of 1947 created the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and the CIA. America had never had a standing peacetime army before. It had never had a permanent intelligence service, which was necessarily very secretive. It had never had such a powerful executive, and it had never entered into foreign alliances, which it did with NATO in 1949. In terms of international relations, the Cold War put the United States on the world stage in a way it had never been before. During the Cold War, the United States was far more popular than it is today. Partly this is because during the Cold War many people felt that the American system was far preferable to the Soviet system, and they believed that the United States valued freedom. After the Cold War, the United States found itself the lone superpower. Without the Soviet enemy to contain, many former allies of America came to see it as a domineering and arrogant nation.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating -- Expository Pr

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating Recent studies have shown that a steadily growing number of students cheat or plagiarize in college -- and the data from high schools suggest that this number will continue to rise. A study by Don McCabe of Rutgers University showed that 74 percent of high school students admitted to one or more instances of serious cheating on tests. Even more disturbing is the way that many students define cheating and plagiarism. For example, they believe that cutting and pasting a few sentences from various Web sources without attribution is not plagiarism. Before the Web, students certainly plagiarized -- but they had to plan ahead to do so. Fraternities and sororities often had files of term papers, and some high-tech term-paper firms could fax papers to students. Overall, however, plagiarism required forethought. Online term-paper sites changed all that. Overnight, students could order a term paper, print it out and have it ready for class in the morning -- and still get a good night's sleep. All they needed was a charge card and an Internet connection. One response to the increase in cheating has been to fight technology with more technology. Plagiarism-checking sites provide a service to screen student papers. They offer a color-coded report on papers and the original sources from which the students might have copied. Colleges qualify for volume discounts, which encourages professors to submit whole classes' worth of papers -- the academic equivalent of mandatory urine testing for athletes. The technological battle between term-paper mills and anti-plagiarism services will undoubtedly continue to escalate, with each side constructing more elaborate countermeasures... ...tter grades and more advantages with less effort. Honest students lose grades, scholarships, recommendations and admission to advanced programs. Honest students must create enough peer pressure to dissuade potential cheaters. Ultimately, students must be willing to step forward and confront those who engage in academic dishonesty. Addressing these issues is not a luxury that can be postponed until a more convenient time. It is a short step from dishonesty in schools and colleges to dishonesty in business. It is doubtful that students who fail to develop habits of integrity and honesty while still in an academic setting are likely to do so once they are out in the "real" world. Nor is it likely that adults will stand up against the dishonesty of others, particularly fellow workers and superiors, if they do not develop the habit of doing so while still in school.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Effects of War Presented in Journey’s End Compared with Impact of War Shown in Strange Meeting Essay

Explore the ways in which the effects of war on the individual are presented in ‘Journey’s End’. Then compare the ways in which Sherriff presents the effects of war on the individual with the ways in which Hill shows the impact of war on characters in ‘Strange Meeting’. The character most obviously affected by the war in ‘Journey’s End’ is Stanhope. We learn early on in the play that Stanhope drinks very heavily when Osborne and Hardy have a conversation about him. â€Å"I never did see a youngster put away the whisky he does. This is the first we see of the effects that the war has had on an individual and although there are other characters that are also affected, Stanhope appears to be the most prominent. It becomes apparent that Stanhope made a conscious decision to drink as a coping mechanism to deal with the war. â€Å"It was after I came back here- in that awful affair on Vimy Ridge. I knew I’d go mad if I didn’t break the strain. I couldn’t bear being fully conscious all the time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here we learn that it wasn’t until a particular attack within the war that Stanhope began to feel the strain and the pressure, and alcohol becomes an escape for him. He says â€Å"There are only two ways of breaking the strain. One was pretending I was ill- and going home; the other was this. [He holds up his glass]†. Sherriff could have shown us a minor character so deeply affected by alcohol that he had given up, whereas Stanhope appears quite the opposite, whereas in ‘Strange Meeting’ Hill gives us a minor character affected by alcohol. It is also worth noting Raleigh’s reaction to his alcoholism is completely different to how Stanhope fears he will react, and in a way, our reaction too. Rather than look to Stanhope as a weak man who has taken the easy route by drinking excessive amounts, we seem to view him as courageous and strong willed. We later learn when he is talking to Hibbert, that Stanhope isn’t as strong and resistant as we were originally led to believe. â€Å"Sometimes I feel I could just lie down on this bed and pretend I was paralysed or something- and couldn’t move- and just lie there till I died- or was dragged away†. The effects of war on Stanhope are presented both subtly and obviously. His drinking habits are continually referred to throughout and although we learn early on that it is something that the war has forced him into, his hatred for the war or his weak moments aren’t made clear to the reader until now when he admits his loathing to Hibbert. Hill’s character, Colonel Garrett in ‘Strange Meeting’ is similar to Stanhope in the sense that both characters are driven to excessive drinking by the effects of the war. Colonel Garrett has changed and also turned to drink, we know this as the prose reads that â€Å"Hilliard was appalled; he had not dreamed that this could happen and so quickly to a man like Garrett†. Despite this scene being the first time we are introduced to Colonel Garrett; Hill manages to present the impact the war has had on him through Hilliard’s reaction to Garrett’s new state of character. In contrast to Hill, Sheriff is less subtle in his presentation of Stanhope and the character himself admits his change. It is interesting to note that Garrett is minor within the novel whereas Stanhope is a major character in the play which shows the different ways in which each author chose to present the effect of alcohol within their text. At the beginning of the play, Raleigh appears to be optimistic and enthusiastic. Even when he is ordered to go on a raid he seems proud to have been chosen and eager to get out there; â€Å"I say- it’s most frightfully exciting! † however, this raid then triggers a change in Raleigh. After Osborne’s death, Raleigh becomes distant and resentful towards the other officers. â€Å"Good god! Don’t you understand? How can I sit down and eat that- when- when Osborne’s- lying- out there†. Not only is he struggling to cope and raising his voice; which he hadn’t done before, but he is also shouting at Stanhope. Prior to this, Raleigh had always treated Stanhope with the utmost respect. Similar to Sheriff’s character of Raleigh is Hill’s character of Barton in ‘Strange Meeting’ who also changes after the impact of experiencing a death. â€Å"That his face had changed, in the space of a day and a night that his eyes have taken on the common look of shock and misery and exhaustion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As with Raleigh in ‘Journey’s End’, Barton also began the novel full of optimism and energy. However, Sheriff presents the effects of the war on Raleigh by having his character lashing out and blaming others. This contrasts with Hill’s presentation of Barton, who takes on a more morose, downhearted way of coping. â€Å"You cannot and must not spend any more time blaming yourself, saying if only this and if only that. It’s useless†. However, the parallel is that both characters change due to another soldier’s death which affects the impact on the reader. The effect of the war on Hibbert (Journey’s end), another officer in the company, is firstly presented subtly, in the way that he speaks of his neuralgia preventing him from carrying on in the war. We soon learn that he wants to go home and is willing to make up any excuse in order to do so. This shows how the war has taken away his pride and dignity as he admits that he would rather die. â€Å"Go on, then, shoot! You won’t let me go to hospital. I swear I’ll never go into those trenches again. Shoot! – and thank god-â€Å". The war has affected Hibbert so deeply that he is prepared to die rather than continue fighting. The character, Harris in ‘Strange Meeting’ is very similar to Hibbert. Harris has a breakdown when their battalion arrives at ‘Feuvry’; â€Å"Then Harris lurched up, and forwards, his head touched his knees and he began to cry, not lifting his hands to wipe his face†. However, where Sheriff presents us with a man so desperate to depart that he is willing to lie about an illness and is prepared to die rather than continue in the war, Hill presents us with an ironic situation. The irony of the situation is that when Harris eventually comes out of the basement; he is killed. Both writers choose to present us with individuals so affected by the war that they actually suffer from a breakdown in one way or another. Coulter from ‘Strange Meeting’ and Trotter from ‘Journey’s End’ can also be compared. These two characters are similar in the way that they don’t seem to have been affected by the war as they show no signs of degeneration. These two characters are an important contrast to the likes of Barton and Stanhope, whose changes are quite obvious. I feel that not to have changed notably is their response to the war. Coulter and Trotter both appear to be staying as close to their normal, original selves as possible as a coping mechanism for the war. It is interesting to note the genre difference between the two texts. Strange Meeting’ being a novel means that there is far more supportive background and descriptive text for each character whereas ‘Journey’s End’ which is a play, must rely on dramatic encounter in order to demonstrate the development of a character. A lot of things which Hill would tell us in her prose must be relayed to the reader through dialogue or actions in the play. Hill could tell us that Barton came to the war excited and enthusiastic, whereas Sherriff would either have his character say how he felt or the stage directions would have to navigate the actor into getting this feeling across through actions. This makes each author’s presentation of the effects of the war on the individual different automatically. Hill and Sherriff both present the effects that the war has on individuals through similar characters. They present to the reader how the death and destruction within the war can affect even the most strong and positive of men. In both the novel and the play, the authors portray how some men cannot cope with the imminence of what is to come and therefore would rather do anything but deal with it. Both writers examine how war can push men into drinking excessively in order to escape the desperate reality of their situation and use similar characters to highlight the ways in which war affects individuals, however the difference is in the way that the changes are presented. Hill is often more subtle in her presentation of her characters whereas Sherriff more blunt. Despite these differences, the negative effects of war on the individual characters are consistent in both works.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

50/50 Movie Review Essay

When we first saw the trailer for the film 50/50 starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogan, we knew this was a must-see. The film’s rough story of a 20-something year old battling with â€Å"stage five back cancer† taught us that life is too short to sweat the small stuff. People go through tragic battles like disease and the possibility of dying when all we do is find ourselves complaining about small, narrow problems in life. Adam demonstrated true optimism and showed the audience that accepting an issue is one of the biggest hurdles, but once it is accepted, anything can be taken on head-first. 0/50 is the story of how life can be taken on as â€Å"glass half empty† or â€Å"glass half full. † Throughout the film, Adam had many disappointments like his long-term girlfriend cheating on him. His mother’s overbearing attitudes were to drive anyone crazy. His father was even battling Alzheimer’s disease. Yet he pushed past all those downfalls and began therapy with talented actress Anna Kendrick (Katherine). At first he thought the idea of therapy wouldn’t help him. As he started opening up, he realized that Katherine was there for him, acting as a good friend and therapist. Even though he was at first reluctant, he realized that there were good people out there in the world that truly care for him and his well being. The night before his major surgery, Adam had a mental breakdown in his car. He realized that he didn’t want to die this young. With the help of Katherine and his best friend Kyle, he got the support that he was looking for. In the scene where he was about to go in to surgery, I was terrified for him. Seeing him cry like that made me realize that I should never take anyone or the simple pleasures of life for granted. Some people do not get the choice to live a full life, and I find myself constantly worrying about small, trivial, and unimportant things. This film was an emotional roller coaster. Although we all could not stop laughing at Kyle (played by Seth Rogan) and Adam’s witty humor, some of us have also never cried that hard in a movie theater. This film taught us that we need to appreciate all the people that are in our lives and appreciate all the sacrifices that they make for us. We need to laugh more. We need to let people know that we appreciate all the things they go out of their way to do for us. We need to realize that life really is beautiful and not all people are selfish as they seem to be. We also need to stop worrying so much. We need to appreciate life’s beauty and all the wonderful things people can offer us. This film was top-notch and would recommend anyone to go see this flick, male or female.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Global Capitalism -- Critiques from Sociologists

Global Capitalism Critiques from Sociologists Global capitalism, the current epoch in the centuries-long history of the capitalist economy, is heralded by many as a free and open economic system that brings people from around the world together to foster innovations in production, for facilitating exchange of culture and knowledge, for bringing jobs to struggling economies worldwide, and for providing consumers with an ample supply of affordable goods. But while many may enjoy benefits of global capitalism, others around the world in fact, most do not. The research and theories of sociologists and intellectuals who focus on globalization, including William I. Robinson, Saskia Sassen, Mike Davis, and Vandana Shiva shed light on the ways this system harms many. Global Capitalism is Anti-Democratic Global capitalism is, to quote Robinson, â€Å"profoundly anti-democratic.† A tiny group of global elite decide the rules of the game  and control the vast majority of the world’s resources. In 2011, Swiss researchers found that just 147 of the world’s corporations and investment groups controlled 40 percent of corporate wealth, and just over 700 control nearly all of it (80 percent). This puts the vast majority of the world’s resources under the control of a tiny fraction of the world’s population. Because political power follows economic power, democracy in the context of global capitalism can be nothing but a dream. Using Global Capitalism as a Development Tool Does More Harm than Good Approaches to development that sync with the ideals and goals of global capitalism do far more harm than good. Many countries that were impoverished by colonization and imperialism are now impoverished by IMF and World Bank development schemes that force  them to adopt free trade policies in order to receive development loans. Rather than bolstering local and national economies, these policies pour money into the coffers of global corporations that operate in these nations under free trade agreements. And, by focusing development on urban sectors, hundreds of millions of people around the world have been pulled out of rural communities by the promise of jobs, only to find themselves un- or under-employed  and living in densely crowded and dangerous slums. In 2011, the United Nations Habitat Report estimated that 889 million people- or more than 10 percent of the world’ population- would live in slums by 2020. The Ideology of Global Capitalism Undermines the Public Good The neoliberal ideology that supports and justifies global capitalism undermines public welfare. Freed from regulations and most  tax obligations, corporations made wealthy in the era of global capitalism have effectively stolen social welfare, support systems, and public services and industries from people all over the world. The neoliberal ideology that goes hand in hand with this economic system places the burden of survival solely on an individual’s ability to earn money and consume. The concept of the common good is a thing of the past. The Privatization of Everything Only Helps the Wealthy Global capitalism has marched steadily across the planet, gobbling up all land and resources in its path. Thanks to the neoliberal ideology of privatization, and the global capitalist imperative for growth, it is increasingly difficult for people all over the world to access the resources necessary for a just and sustainable livelihood, like communal space, water, seed, and workable agricultural land. The Mass Consumerism Required by Global Capitalism is Unsustainable Global capitalism spreads consumerism as a way of life, which is fundamentally unsustainable. Because consumer goods mark progress and success under global capitalism, and because neoliberal ideology encourages us to survive and thrive as individuals rather than as communities, consumerism is our contemporary way of life. The  desire for consumer goods and the ​cosmopolitan way of life they signal is one of the key pull factors that draws hundreds of millions of rural peasants to urban centers in search of work. Already, the planet and its resources have been pushed beyond limits due to the treadmill of consumerism in Northern and Western nations. As consumerism spreads to more newly developed nations via global capitalism, the depletion of the earth’s resources, waste, environmental pollution, and the warming of the planet are increasing to catastrophic ends. Human and Environmental Abuses Characterize Global Supply Chains The globalized supply chains that bring all of this stuff to us are largely unregulated  and systemically rife with human and environmental abuses. Because global corporations act as large buyers rather than producers of goods, they do not directly hire most of the people who make their products. This arrangement frees them from any liability for the inhumane and dangerous work conditions where goods are made, and from responsibility for environmental pollution, disasters, and public health crises. While capital has been globalized, the  regulation of production  has  not. Much of what stands for regulation today is a sham, with private industries auditing and certifying themselves. Global Capitalism Fosters Precarious and Low-Wage Work The flexible nature of labor under  global capitalism  has put the vast majority of working people in very precarious positions. Part-time work, contract work, and insecure work are the norm, none of which bestow benefits or long-term job security upon people. This problem crosses all industries, from manufacturing of garments and consumer electronics, and even for  professors at U.S. colleges and universities, most of whom are hired on a short-term basis for low pay. Further, the globalization of the labor supply has created a race to the bottom in wages, as corporations search for the cheapest labor from country to country and workers are forced to accept unjustly low wages, or risk having no work at all. These conditions lead to poverty, food insecurity, unstable housing and homelessness, and troubling mental and physical health outcomes. Global Capitalism Fosters Extreme Wealth Inequality The hyper-accumulation of wealth experienced by corporations and a selection of elite individuals has caused a sharp rise in wealth inequality within nations and on the global scale. Poverty amidst plenty is now the norm. According to a  report released by Oxfam  in January 2014, half of the world’s wealth is owned by  just one percent  of the world’s population. At 110 trillion dollars, this wealth is 65 times as much as that owned by the bottom half of the world’s population. The fact that 7 out of 10 people now live in countries where economic inequality has increased over the last 30 years is proof that the system of global capitalism works for the few at the expense of the many. Even in the U.S., where politicians would have us believe that we have â€Å"recovered† from the economic recession, the wealthiest one percent captured 95 percent of economic growth during the recovery, while  90 percent of us are now poorer. Global Capitalism Fosters Social Conflict Global capitalism  fosters social conflict, which will only persist and grow as the system expands. Because capitalism enriches the few at the expense of the many, it generates conflict over access to resources like food, water, land, jobs and others resources. It also generates political conflict over the conditions and relations of production that define the system, like worker strikes and protests, popular protests and upheavals, and protests against environmental destruction. Conflict generated by global capitalism can be sporadic, short-term, or prolonged, but regardless of duration, it is often dangerous and costly to human life. A recent and ongoing example of this surrounds the  mining of coltan in Africa for smartphones and tablets  and many other minerals used in consumer electronics. Global Capitalism Does the Most Harm to the Most Vulnerable Global capitalism hurts people of color, ethnic minorities, women, and children the most. The history of  racism  and gender discrimination within Western nations, coupled with the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, effectively  bars women  and  people of color from accessing  the wealth generated by global capitalism. Around the world, ethnic, racial, and gender hierarchies influence or prohibit access to stable employment. Where capitalist based development occurs in former colonies, it often targets those regions because the labor of those who live there is â€Å"cheap† by virtue of a long history of racism, subordination of women, and political domination. These forces have led to what scholars term the â€Å"feminization of poverty,† which has disastrous outcomes for the world’s children, half of whom live in poverty.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

11 Top Wordpress Plugins To Inspire Visitors To Take Action

11 Top Wordpress Plugins To Inspire Visitors To Take Action I hope inspiring visitors to take action ranks atop the reasons you chose to host a WordPress blog. Of course, your primary focus should be to publish educational content  to help your readers tackle the tasks thatll contribute to their success. Let’s assume you’ve got that down. And now, let’s look at a list of killer WordPress plugins to help you master some of the tricks of the trade, aimed at magnifying reader engagement. 11 WordPress Plugins to Inspire Visitors to Take ActionThere’s no shortage of WordPress plugins. A thread on Quora suggested there are at least 20,000 freebies. In fact, access to free plugins is one of the reasons WordPress is the dominant content management system (CMS) in play today. There’s also no shortage of posts, e-books, and sites that list and recommend WordPress; however, I’ve found many of them overkill. I don’t mean to suggest this article is your end-all, be-all rundown of effective WordPress plugins, but my aim was- based on my experience and research- to create a short and super useful list of plugins thatll help you inspire visitors to take action. You’ll find some plugins here that you haven’t yet experimented with, and should. Enjoy. Keep Your WordPress Plugins Safe (And Amplify Your Content) Download the guide to keeping your WordPress plugins and blog safe. Youll discover the best practices to keeping your blog secure. Youll also get the  e-book I made with ,  Amplify Content The Complete Insiders Guide To Promote Your Content And Reach A Larger Audience. You dont  want to miss out! Plugin #1. MaxButtons:  Create Something That Begs To Be Clicked Taking action online calls for clicking. In your content, you need to call attention to where you want readers to point their mouse or finger. An attention-getting call-to-action button will increase conversion rates on your landing pages, sales pages, or any pages. You can quickly create attractive buttons on your WordPress website with MaxButtons from Max Foundry. The plugin puts you in the graphic designer’s seat with an editor offering options to choose fonts and colors, apply shadows to the text or box, gradients, and borders of your button. With the Pro version, over 5,000 buttons are ready made, and you can add all kinds of icons to make your buttons stand out. Various integrations are offered as is Google Analytics event tracking. MaxButtons offers pre-made buttons for all popular social media platforms and every other action you can think of. Get MaxButtons or the pro version here. Plugin #2. Leadin:  Subscription Forms With Marketing Automation Features I’ve been experimenting with free and paid opt-in forms for years and am blown away with the capabilities of Leadin, a feature-rich freebie from HubSpot. Leadin not only helps you capture leads by creating and placing opt-in and contact forms, but it also delivers insights for everyone who fills out any  form on your website. â€Å"All Contacts† is a free CRM system that shows you the pages your contacts have visited and the social networks they use. You can setup  Leadin to sync to your email tool (and it need not be HubSpot), and there’s no need to replace existing forms. The plugin even features an analytics tool to show you what sources of traffic and content are driving your contacts. The service can also send you an email with a link to the new contact record with all of their visit history. Checkout Leadin here. Recommended Reading: 5 Plugins Guaranteed To Help You Collect More Leads Plugin #3. Bontact:  The Ultimate Conversation Starter Can you think of a better way to qualify prospects and win business than conversing with them? Bontact is both a free and affordable subscription-based plugin that enables your sales and service employees  to talk to customers on any device at any time. Visitors choose their preferred channel: chat, voice, text, email, Facebook Messenger, Skype, video call, or screen share. Bontact offers a mobile app so you can serve site visitors from anywhere. See how the Bontact plugin and app works. Plugin #4. Share From SumoMe:  Make It Stupid-Easy For Visitors To Share Ever found a blog post or piece of content you absolutely had to share with your followers, but couldn’t find the button you needed to do so? It makes you crazy, right? What do you do? Nothing. Some publishers place their share buttons or bars atop the page in hopes you’ll (1) share it before you read it or (2) scroll after reading. Not smart. Recommended Reading:  What Is The Best Placement For Successful Social Media Buttons? Some place their share buttons at the bottom of the page hoping you’ll read every word, make your way to the bottom and then share it. Another mistake, or at least, a risk. Many still stash their sharing app in a sidebar on their blog post pages. Bad call. On mobile, they get bumped down and appear beneath the article. The smart thing to do is to install a plugin to create a share bar that remains on-screen at all times. Share from SumoMe does just that. On a desktop, the vertical share bar is onscreen as you scroll. And for mobile, it’s always onscreen at the bottom- whether the reader holds the smartphone vertically or horizontally. SumoMe’s Share is: Free Connected to 16 social services Ultra-easy to setup Smart How can a share bar be smart? Turn on the SumoMe share smart mode and your share bar shows shares in â€Å"most to least† order, either vertically or horizontally. Share is just one of more than 10+ tools designed to grow your website traffic offered by SumoMe in free and paid versions. SumoMe tools are available here. Plugin #5. Image Widget:  Make Your Sidebar More Magnetic Images attract eyeballs. Images pull. Images inspire clicks. Don’t make me repeat research findings you’ve read 100 times. So†¦ What are WordPress users to do when they want to display an image in their sidebars? Most WordPress developers would say, â€Å"Write code.† Most WordPress users would respond, â€Å"Blech.† But because you read this post, you’ll have a better answer: Image Widget. This plugin, by Modern Tribe, makes it easy to add image widgets using the WordPress media manager you know (and may or may not love). Once installed, the widget guides you through the process of selecting an image to display and linking it to your destination page. Image Widget also makes it easy to include alt text (for SEO), add a caption, resize and/or align your image. Recommended Reading:  How To Boost Traffic With 27 Important SEO Tips You Need To Know (+ Free Checklist) Here’s an example from the ClickWP blog on how to use Image Widget to create an affiliate link in your sidebar. I’m not sure why the image is cropped incorrectly, but the widget makes resizing an easy task. Get Image Widget here. Plugin #6. Contextly:  Inspire Longer Visits Contextly is an affordably priced plugin created by publishers, for publishers. It’s tempting to label it a â€Å"related content† widget because it does indeed serve readers recommended content at the end of posts and in sidebars. However, unlike recommendation engines you commonly find on news sites, Contextly links are entirely internal. So visitors aren’t inspired to go away; they’re invited to stay onsite and consume even more content. The idea is to turn new readers into regulars. Shortly after its launch in 2014, Contextly added functionality to point visitors to videos and products as well. Here’s a look at the Contextly recommendation module, which can highlight articles or any content on your website. You can program the plugin to rely on its own algorithm or curate recommended content manually. Learn more about Contextly here. Plugin #7. Social Locker:  Trade Content For Shares Social Locker’s concept is simple. It asks visitors looking for access to your content to share it first. On the WordPress plugin directory page, the authors suggest you ask people to â€Å"pay† with a like, tweet, or +1, to: Access content Get a discount Watch a video View a funny picture Social Locker is free, however a paid version collects leads and unlocks extra themes and additional social buttons. Here’s the plugin page for Social Locker. Plugin #8. :  Make Tweeting Ultra-Easy Want to make it easy for your visitors to tweet about your content? Do the work for them. With , a free  plugin from , you can create tweetable content while creating your post or page on WordPress. A little bird shows the reader a ready-made tweet is just a quick click from appearing in their Twitter stream. Wow... a great list of plugins to inspire your readers to take action.Get this popular plugin here. Recommended Reading: How To Use Hashtags Effectively Without Being Annoying Plugin #9. Inbound Now:  Hello Marketing Automation Marketing automation is an explosive area. While it’s proven its merits, many of the companies offering marketing automation platforms (MAPs) have proven it takes time and resources to implement it effectively. Inbound Now is a panacea. While it operates as a plugin, it’s really a suite of plugins that will help you  take advantage of essential marketing automation functions: Calls to action Landing pages Lead tracking A/B testing Email Recommended Reading:  How To Write A Call To Action In A Template With 6 Examples Inbound now makes it simple to increase conversion on your WordPress site with a series of plugins for creating landing pages and CTAs. Inbound now offers a basic package for free and access to a library of templates and more features with its paid packages starting at $99/year. Check out the suite, its options, and library templates here. Plugin #10. Disqus:  Your Blog Commentary Creator You have quite a few plugin options for adding comment features to your WordPress blog. In my opinion, Disqus is the cream of this crop. With Disqus, readers can join the discussion thread on your blog simply by granting access to one of their social media profiles. Users are given a variety of options including subscribing to receive updates when the stream has new content via email. The plugin’s social media integration makes it less of a hassle to leave comments and also displays the commenter’s avatar, which I believe helps inspire readers to chime in. Disqus has additional features to inspire interactivity such as threaded replies, a voting system, and the ability to add images and video. The plugin is set to automatically adapt to your site’s design and color scheme. And my favorite feature: Disqus instantly gives your blog a â€Å"Recommended Content† feature. Recommended Reading: 10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments Notice how Disqus adds a suggested content section to my blog? That'll help inspire readers to click around and stick around. It even previews the commentary stream from the suggested posts. Here’s where you get started with Disqus. Plugin #11. Fanciest Author Box:  Sign-Off With Style Your posts should have author boxes to encourage interaction with readers. While you can easily tackle the task with your basic WordPress functionality, the Fancier Author Box plugin enables you to step it up and become something more compelling. Fancier Author Box presents your photo, title, and bio beneath your post as well as a tabbed system of social profiles and links you select. Here’s a Fancier Author Box demonstrated by the creator of the plugin. Here’s mine. Note that in addition to social profiles, I’ve also  included a tab that showcases my latest posts. And here’s where you get the Fancier Author Box plugin. Now You're Ready To Inspire People To Take Action With these plugins in your toolbox, you've got what it takes to have a super great website and an awesome audience who will take action for you.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant Essay - 1

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant - Essay Example After completing the thirty two questions on line, I received feedback indicating that I should seek further assistance with time-management, concentration, note-taking skills, test preparation and test taking skills and writing skills. Thinking about this I wrote up a personal SWOT analysis with the aim of trying to find out exactly where I was falling short and where I needed to improve. I found a downloadable example from Bristol Business School, belonging to the University of Western England, which helped me with the questions I should ask myself. I found it very difficult to determine my strengths except that I think I am imaginative and very personable at a social level. My weaknesses however, were easier to determine. I know I have trouble with writing, especially long assignments or reports - this PDP assignment is not too difficult because it is broken into different parts. I am very disorganized and never seem to have enough time to finish my assignments on time or have enough time to review the day's or week's lessons. My performance in seminars is not good enough because I am not properly prepared nor positively alert or motivated. I also worry a lot about whether or not I can finish everything and whet her or not I will pass. The main opportunities I could think of were gaining a good job in a good company after graduation and making my family happy by studying hard and graduating. Threats were easier to think about. The biggest threat, gaining a qualification, is obviously dependent solely on me and relates to my weaknesses. Only I can fix things but I believe I have the strength to overcome my weaknesses and prevent them from stopping me taking advantages of my opportunities. At least now I have thought about my strengths and weaknesses and understand that I need to develop in the following areas: time-management, applying myself to study by acquiring appropriate study habits and learning strategies and determining clear goals and objectives. Next I completed a simplified version of a learning approaches questionnaire (based on Approaches to Study Inventory (Tait & Entwistle 1996) and provided by Bristol Business School.Results indicated that I had a surface/passive approach to learning and that I tended to reproduce information and tried to memorize subject matter rather than delving further or seeking to extend that information; that I kept closely to the syllabus provided by the lecturers and did not follow up interest of my own, and that although I really tried and wanted to pass in order to gain a qualification, sometimes I did not do so well.At this point I wanted to know more, so because learning styles is one component of this PDP assignment, I decided to spend time researching learning styles and strategies. I wanted to take the first step in the challenge of changing from a surface learner (not questioning) to a deep learner, and find out more about what learning styles and strategies were, before determining w hich best suited me. (Refer to essay below on Learning Styles.) My second step was to find out more about time-management, not only because it was a component of this PDP assignment but also because I obviously needed to improve this skill. Again, I began with research in the area to acquire as much information as possible, from which I could then develop the most appropriate

Friday, November 1, 2019

The importance of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The importance of history - Essay Example Sports teams often analyze the previous performance history of the opponents before preparing themselves for the coming matches. History can also help politicians in deciding about the relationship of a country with other countries. â€Å"When you understand history, you understand basic concepts and ideas. You will learn about cause and effect, relationships and human nature† (Chin, n. d). At present we have enough knowledge about what is electricity or what is energy. We are indebted to the efforts of ancient scientists for our current knowledge about these things. Same way histories give us important lessons about the past which will help us to make conclusions while facing similar situations at present. History gives us the idea about the hierarchy of all the natural events happening in this world. For example, history helps us to understand at what time the monsoon comes or at what times the weather or season changes. In short, history plays an important role in shaping e very aspect of present and future human life on earth. During the initial half of twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in getting freedom to his country India from the colonial rules of Britain through peaceful means. The core philosophy of his freedom struggles was the theory of non violence which motivated other leaders like Nelson Mandela later in the history.