Friday, December 27, 2019

The Implications Of Big Business - 2200 Words

The Implications of Big Business in America Positive and Negative Aspects of Large Corporations for Society Big business has a constructive influence on America. Large corporations contribute much more to a country’s economic well being than smaller ones. Bigger corporations are more productive, pay higher salaries and hourly, generate more jobs, and are more successful in international markets. However, not everyone believes that big business has a positive impact for the US. Some hold to the opinion that big business will never be as effective as small businesses. However, as J. D. Harrison, who covers startups, small business and entrepreneurship for the Washington Post, states that even though people believe that small business is the backbone of our nation, yet â€Å"companies with more than 500 workers employed about 45 percent of the workforce yet contributed 65 percent of the jobs created since 1990† (The Washington Post, 2013). This is not to discredit the influence of small business in the US. In fact, they are an essential part of our society. Small business have created and maintained thousands of jobs in the last half century. But we will focus on big business in this discussion. What is the history of big business in the US, and what were the fruitful results, as well harmful ones? What about the political side of big business, and finally, are there ethical associations when it comes to large corporations? Business has been a part of American history since theShow MoreRelatedThe Implications Of Big Business1304 Words   |  6 PagesThe Implications of Big Business in America: Positive and Negative Aspects of Large Corporations for Society Big business has a constructive and positive influence on America. Corporations contribute much more to a country’s economic well being. Bigger businesses are more productive, pay higher salaries and hourly wages, generate more jobs, and are more successful in international markets. However, not everyone believes big business has a positive impact in the US. These people believe that big businessesRead MoreIn The World Of Trading And Online Shopping Trends.There1443 Words   |  6 Pagesdaily markets are changing. When looking at the charts you can see Amazon’s growth charts from this year, the markets are predicting Amazon to be at all time highs for the company over the next 5 years. During the past four years amazon has become a big trend in online shopping. In 2015 Amazon was trading at 443$ ((Cnbc Amazon quotes, n.d.) Just recently Amazon has been trading at 908$ market price. ( Cnbc). The trend that Amazon is setting is driving the tech market. Amazon s trend in recent yearsRead MoreExplain The Nature Of Economics1216 Words   |  5 PagesExplain the nature of economics The nature of economics is essentially the study of the economy and how to solve the problems it poses. Economics includes the concepts of the economic problem, scarcity, the need for choice, opportunity costs, future implications of current choice by individuals, businesses and governments and economic factors underlying decision making by individuals, businesses and the government. The nature and study of economics is ultimately about trying to solve the economic problemRead MoreThe World s Data Pool1349 Words   |  6 Pages Intro to big data â€Å"We create as much information in two days now as we did from the dawn of man through 2003†- Eric Schmidt, former CEO, Google Inc. Every minute we send 204 million emails, generate 1.8 million Facebook likes, send 278 thousand Tweets, and up-load 200 thousand photos to Facebook (Source: www.scoopintel.com). With every click, search and share, the world’s data pool is expanding. For centuries, companies have been making business decisions based on transactional data stored in theirRead MoreP2/M1 Unit 37 Essay examples1275 Words   |  6 PagesExplain the implications for the business and stakeholders of a business operating ethically. (P2) All businesses have a number of stakeholders each with individual interests in what the business does, the owners (In co-ops case, the members) will want good financial gains from their investments. Businesses such as co-op should be managed with the interests of all stakeholders in mind. Stakeholder is anyone with an interest in a business. Stakeholder can be individuals, groups or even organisationsRead MoreImpact Of Big Data On The Future1364 Words   |  6 Pagesday and age. The impact and influences that have been created through big data will shape our lives not only today, but well into the future. This report examines the benefits of big data and the impact it has currently having in our lives as we speak. It also explores the correlation between the lack of knowledge, security and privacy issues we are facing with big data concepts and principles today, and where we will see big data systems in the future. Introduction The ever-increasing advancementsRead MoreChallenges Faced By Big Data945 Words   |  4 PagesChallenges Although the opportunities for Big Data in auditing are plentiful, there are also challenges that arise. One of the biggest challenges for Big Data is how it may affect the quality of auditors’ judgements. When dealing with large amounts of Big Data, auditors must maintain the standards of independence and professional skepticism. They must not let company’s Big Data findings significantly influence their audit opinion to the point where they succumb to audit risk and issue the wrongRead MoreOccupy Wall Street Movement1039 Words   |  5 PagesOccupy Wall Street Movement Moral and Ethical Implications Occupy Wall Street Movement Moral and Ethical Implications The Occupy Wall Street Movement that started in September 2011 in Liberty Square in the Finical District was movement organized by people to expose corruptions in cooperate America. The Occupy Wall Street Movement was known, as the peaceful protest due to it’s non-violent, non-aggressive nature and spread to over a one hundred and fifty cities crossRead MoreEssay on Chinas Economy675 Words   |  3 PagesChapter 1 question 6 If current trends continue, China may be the world’s largest economy by 2020. Discuss the possible implications of such a development for (a) the world trading system, (b) the world monetary system (c) the business strategy of today’s European and U.S. global corporations, and (d) global commodity prices. A) The implications of such a development for the world trading system is that China will basically will be the root of trading. From my perspective, China’s growth ofRead MoreComparing Project Management and Scenario Planning1011 Words   |  5 PagesRunning Header: Project Management and Scenario Planning Comparing Project Management and Scenario Planning Business Management and Leadership IP2 January 17, 2010 Managers are the driving forces of an organization they have five functions organizing, planning, staffing, directing and controlling. A manager role is to achieve effective utilization of resources in an organization. Managers have a major role in the decision making process, he has to know how to communicate in bring changes

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Medieval Period Of The Middle Ages - 901 Words

The Medieval Bestiary During the middle Ages there was thought to be a spiritual aspect to animals – real and imaginary. The bestiary was an odd compilation, even to today s standards. It combined observations from nature, zoological commentaries, imaginative illustrations and a good dose of moral and religious lessons to bind it all together. In a time where there was no distinct separation between church and science, it seems almost natural that a book like the bestiary evolved from such an unlikely union. Animal stories were very popular throughout the world. The people alive during this period time were dependent on wild and domesticated animals for their survival. This lead to an obvious interest in the animals around them. The first book to write about animals was called the physiologus, which was a popular collection of ‘moralized beast tales’. The Physiologus played a big part in medieval iconography and influenced the medieval bestiary massively. The medieval period was very f ocused on religion time. In Western Europe, the religion was Christianity. Christians practised the Old Testament, which refers to animals and how they’re sacred: ‘In the Christian west, it was commonly believed that the natural world, the so-called book of nature, had been arranged as it was by God to provide a source of instruction to humanity: But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, orShow MoreRelatedThe Medieval Period Of The Middle Ages1183 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Middle ages countless disputes over power occur. From corrupted government officials, to establishing a proper structure for Roman Catholicism. However, one can argue whether it’s good or bad intentions with great powers comes great responsibility. The Medieval period began from the 5th century when the Western Roman Empire collapsed, to 15th century. During the Medieval Period the Roman Church was the dominated church. The church controlled religion, philosophy, morals, politics, artRead MoreMedieval Period : The Middle Ages1964 Words   |  8 PagesThe period of time from approximately 500 AD - 1600 AD is commonly know as the Middle Ages. It is also known synonymously as the Dark Ages; a time devoid of any art, literature, theatre, or innovations. A Medieval scholar will be quick to dispute these claims for when one begins to study this time period it becomes hard to deny the plethora of artistic development over the thousand year period. Theatre scholars and practitioners are not immune to this common misconception. In the long history ofRead MoreThe Early Middle Ages And Early Medieval Period Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pagesfocus on medieval to modern times can help you learn about what historians call the late antiquity, early middle ages, and the early modern period. These periods were all crucial in the formation of modern government, philosophy, culture as well as many other aspects and qualities of society today. The late antiquity, the early middle ages and the early modern period were all named by historians to mark sign ificant changes in politics, culture and spirituality. The late antiquity period is saidRead MoreArt in the Middle Ages and The Renaissance and Its Effect in Society1017 Words   |  5 PagesThe Medieval period also referred to as the Middle Ages was the period of time between the demise of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance era; this was the period from the 5th century to the 17th century in Europe. During this time, society conformed to the feudal system which was based on the hierarchy approach which upper class had control over the lower class. Included in this class structure were kings, lords, neighboring kings, peasants and church leaders. In the Middle Ages, art evolvesRead MoreHow Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans1696 Words   |  7 PagesEric Green Urban British Literature 1st 3 December 2015 How Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans In life majority of people believe telling the truth is the correct way of living. Truth has endured the world throughout time and is seemingly unanswerable to those who do not understand it because this subject appears in every culture. Truth goes along with universal questions such as what is beauty, justice, and power. And love but none have a direct answer because they are all dependent onRead MoreMedieval Period in European History1575 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The medieval period in European history begins after the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 C.E., and continued until the early modern period beginning around 1500. The medieval period is split into the sub-categories of early medieval (500-1000), central middle ages (1000-1300), late medieval (1300-1500), and followed by the early modern period (1500-1800). At each of these periods of time important political, economic, social, cultural, religious and scientific changes were beingRead MoreThose Horrible Middle Ages !1433 Words   |  6 PagesAs indicated by the sarcastic title of her book â€Å"Those Terrible Middle Ages!† French historian Rà ©gine Pernoud addresses this commonly held misconception. She argues this time in history spanning approximately a thousand years as well as the image of the Church, have been irresponsibly represented. Her examination of this time period reveals that it is not the Church, but modernism that generates a return to the classical ideol ogy of antiquity. These ancient pagan beliefs of the distant past are notRead MoreSummary of Medieval and Renaissance Criticism1505 Words   |  7 PagesSummary of Medieval and Renaissance Criticism Submitted by R. Zothanmawia V Semester BA R/no: 1101BA005 MEDIEVAL CRITICISM The period between the Classical Age and the Renaissance is vaguely named the Middle Age or the Medieval Age. In England, this period spans eight centuries and historians place it from the year of composition of Beowulf in 725 AD to 1474 AD when Caxton published the first book ever printed. The only standard work that dealt with Medieval Criticism is English Literary Criticism:Read MoreThe Late Middle Ages And Medieval Times996 Words   |  4 PagesThe Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, lasted from the fifth to fifteenth centuries in European history. Specifically, 1300-1500 brought about the period known as the Late Middle Ages. In this period, a decline of the quality of life became apparent. The Late Middle Ages is viewed largely as the early beginnings of what would become the Renaissance only a couple of centuries later. Even being the late part of the Middle Ages, much of this time was still prevalently medieval much like the earlier centuriesRead MoreWomen As Represented In Society By Anita Kay OPry-Reynolds-Renolds938 Words   |  4 PagesRepresented in Medieval Literature in Society by Anita Kay OPry-Reynolds-Renolds you can find a different way of how women men were supposed to act during the Medieval time period. She finds evidence from different Medieval wor ks of literatures to help support her thesis. OPry-Reynolds uses some details from Beowulf, Lancelot, Knight of the Cart, and Sir Gawain and The Green Knight to show the different gender roles between men and women. The details OPry-Reynolds finds from the different Medieval literatures

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Rhonn James Essay Example For Students

Rhonn James Essay Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allen Poe who was best known for his poems and short fiction, deserves more credit than any other writer for his transformation of the short story from anecdoteto art (1996 Groiler Multimedia). He virtually created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller. Edgar also produced some of the most influential literarycriticism of his time with important theoretical statements on poetry and the shortstory, that has had a world wide influence on literature. In this paper I will try to capture the life of Edgar Allen Poe through his childhoodand the loss of both his biological parents before the age of three ( Edgar Allen Poe, Buranelli 36). Edgar Allen Poe attended school for 5 years in England, but only brieflyin the U.S. at the university of Virginia, due to large gambling debts incurred that his foster farther John Allen refused to pay(Buranelli, 88). His farther also prevented Edgar from returning to the university of Virginia and broke off his engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster( Buranelli, 102). This Paper will reflect the ups and downs of Edgars lifelong dream of becoming a journalist and publisher(Life of Edgar Allen Poe, James Molloy). Edgar worked many jobs that provided no future for him most noticeably as a writer for the Philadelphia Saturday courier which also published two of his stories, both comic and satric. Edgar also took on a related job as an editor of the southern literary messenger in Richmond VA in 1835( Edgar Allen Poe, Joseph Lonely 65). Edgars life has taken him from many places such as Virginia, Philadelphia, Maryland and overseas to England. Edgars life tour came to an abrupt end on a Baltimore street in 1849 where he was found unconscious. In a brief obituary the Baltimore clipper reported Poe had died of congestion of the brain, two years after his wife Virginias death in January 1847 which caused a heavy mental blow to his ability to write and lecture. Sources CitedGroiler MultimediaEncyclopedia1996Edgar Allen PoeBuranelli1977Life of Edgar Allen PoeJames Molloy1987Edgar Allen PoeJoseph Lonely1980

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The End Of Eden Desertification In Africa Essay Example For Students

The End Of Eden Desertification In Africa Essay Africa is a continent laden with diversity. Diversity in climate, vegetation and people. A land of potential beyond imagination, yet ruined by mans wrecking influence. Not all man however is to blame, primarily those who arrived as settlers from Europe to colonise Africa about 200 years ago. These settlers caused radical change in Africa. This change spoilt the delicate natural balance, which had evolved over thousands of years. Today the economies of Africa are the weakest in the world, and the desperation of the rural population has also had adverse effects on the environment. The people of Africa must learn not to ruin the environment, as it is a non-renewable resource, it will disappear. We will write a custom essay on The End Of Eden Desertification In Africa specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now A consequence of mans destruction is the fact that a mere 1% of Africas vast flocks of wildlife remains, a horrific statistic that indicates what Africa once was. All that is left are slight fractions of its former glory and greatness. The greatest of all mans disturbance of the natural balance is desertification. Desertification is the environmental transformation from savannah grassland into arid desert-like land. Many of the factors causing desertification are natural, such as drought and soil erosion, but the effects of man on the environment leading to desertification are plentiful. The population of Africa has boomed over the last century and the food supplies available are dreadfully insufficient and many areas of Africa now rely on foreign food aid. However as the amount of food aid sent to Africa has increased so the production of food in Africa has decreased. This shows that the people are relying on food aid, and have stopped producing food. This just makes the desperate situation even worse. The primary food source for the rural population is their domestic livestock, mainly cattle and goats. In some areas a herdsmans livestock is a symbol of his status and wealth and large herds are kept. These herds destroy the natural vegetation. Cattle originate from Europe and Asia, and are not suited to the climate found in Africa, nor are they resistant to African diseases. Cattle, even in small concentrations, create cattle paths that destroy natural vegetation and create channels for water to flow down. Therefore infiltration of rainwater decreases and the run-off increases, carrying soil with it and robbing the soil of vital nutrients. Agriculture is also very important in feeding the masses, and is practised all over Africa. Agriculture has many detrimental effects on the environment. Vast land is needed to plant the crops, and equally vast amounts of water are required to irrigate and sustain them. Great areas of natural vegetation are cleared to make way for agriculture; this leads to soil erosion, another factor causing desertification. The millions of tons of soil carried away by our rivers not only cause flash floods and reduce the carrying capacity of dams; they also destroy many areas of fertile land by removing the fertile topsoil. Man is not the only animal to blame. Elephants are also extremely destructive; they destroy trees and other vegetation and depend on great amounts of food and water to survive. The over concentration of elephants in an area can lead to complete destruction, such as in certain areas of Kruger National Park and in Chobe National Park in Botswana. One might say that this is a natur al factor, and is not mans fault, but before man arrived and fenced areas, forcing elephants to concentrate in smaller areas, there wasnt a problem. Fences have been erected all over Africa, dividing it into a maze of farms and properties; these fences have wreaked havoc with the migratory routes of many animals, such as wildebeest. The fences cut the animals off from their perennial water supplies, and force them to find new water holes. Foreign elements quickly kill the animals in new territory as they adapt to their new surroundings, thus a drop in their numbers occurs. Another factor hampering the migration of animals is the construction of dams, not only do dams inundate some previously dry areas up stream, they dry up previously wet areas downstream. These areas may have been drinking holes for the animals during migration, but now they have to find alternative supplies. .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .postImageUrl , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:hover , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:visited , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:active { border:0!important; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:active , .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075 .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub495ab323fb4207310078fec3b393075:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Inherit The Wind (931 words) EssayThe tsetse fly

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Nick Carraways Significance in The Great Gatsby essays

Nick Carraway's Significance in The Great Gatsby essays Nick Carraway is a necessary character in the novel for many reasons. We see how his interacting with the other characters brings about a few traits, which make the story a pleasure to read, and I must say, to write about. Nick lends us his talents to bring us a more realistic story, a larger database of which to draw our information about the characters, and thus better characterization in the novel. The first benefit of having Nick narrate the story is giving us a more realistic story. His point of view, that of a relatively objective observer, allows us to see the story through very accurate eyes. Through Fitzgerald's stroke of genius, the novel draws us into itself, and the I that Nick uses to relate to himself becomes the I or 'eyes' that the reader uses to see the story. A part of this, Nick's believability, lets the reader identify or sympathize with his values. Gatsby's wealth or the riches of Tom and Daisy do not easily sway Nick. He is a tolerant person, but not overly so. An example of this is seen as Nick puts up with Tom's racism and bigotry, but in the end he tells Gatsby that he is "worth the whole" dang "bunch put together". He is very honest, but not Puritanical or narrow-minded. The objective viewpoint from which Nick tells us the story adds a sense of realism to The Great Gatsby. Without Nick, the other characters would be loud and flashy, not the eccentric s that they are. Secondly, Nick adds information to the story through quite a few avenues. His position in the story with each of the characters makes him a key player in it. He moves in to the house next door to Gatsby. He is also Daisy's cousin, and coincidentally was in the same senior society as Tom Buchanan at Yale. Nick meets Jordan Baker at the Buchanan's house, and they become friends, although we later see the beginnings of a romance blooming. His compassion makes him the perfect sympathetic ear to hear confessions and scandalous secrets, and...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Manage Your Blog the CoSchedule Way - CoSchedule

How to Manage Your Blog the Way Running a high-traffic blog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of persistence to build and retain a loyal audience. Just getting started can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain. Then, once your blog does start to grow, the day-to-day work of managing content and deadlines only becomes more challenging. So, how do you do it? That’s a question we get asked a lot, and there’s no short and simple answer. However, we can share our own strategies and processes we use to manage our own blog. In this post, we’ll let you in on how we successfully manage a blog that receives over one million page views a month. How to Manage Your Blog the WayStart By Getting Your Ideation Process Together Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s good that they’re so cheap and plentiful though. You’re going to need a lot of them to keep your content calendar full. You don’t want just any ideas though. You want tons of ideas for blog posts you know people will want to read. Now, getting those kinds of ideas  is easier said than done. Sure, everyone has ideas. Ideas are also completely worthless until you put them into practice and see what they can do. But, when you’re under pressure, generating ideas worth acting on can be tough without a solid process in place. Here at , we use what we call our 30-minute brainstorming process. It’s broken down into three phases: Ideation. Get your team together and spend ten minutes writing down every idea you can think of. Scoring. Spend another ten minutes scoring each idea on a three-point scale. Three’s are ideas you just have to publish. Two’s are average. One’s are duds. Winner optimization. This is where you take every post that everyone agreed was a three, and ask yourselves, â€Å"Which of these ideas should we go with?† By the time you’re done, you’ll have around a month’s worth of ideas for your blog. Run this process once a month, and could  spend just six hours a year on brainstorming. That’s what we call efficiency. Once you’ve got your ideas down, put them straight on your content calendar. That way, they won’t get lost. You’ll also quickly have a plan in place for what you’ll write, and when. Recommended Reading: The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Planning Out Themes Sometimes, if we need content on a specific area or topic, we’ll go into our brainstorming meetings with a particular theme in mind. This can help keep the meeting focused and structured while making sure we end up with the content we need. Some examples of themes might include: Posts on how to complete particular tasks Posts that appeal to particular segments of our audience Posts that target readers at certain skill levels Posts around certain seasonal themes A theme just needs to be a batch of content that’s all wrapped around one core topic. These are just some ideas you can borrow, but you can certainly think of more. Adding Additional Content Beyond our core educational blog posts, we also have the following types of posts: Feature announcements Event announcements Company news Webinar and demo recap videos When we know that a feature is launching, we add complementary posts to the calendar right away. The same goes for demos and webinars that we have planned. That way, we’re able to keep everything orderly and organized. Recommended Reading: 5 Minute Tip: Organize Your Calendar With s Content Types Assigning Content to Team Members Once we’ve got all our ideas on the calendar, the next step is to figure out who will write them. We save a lot of time on this process by pre-determining who will write particular types of posts. Here’s how we have things broken down: Posts about our product fall on our Product Marketers Educational how-to posts fall on our Blog Manager (yo, that’s me) or Content Marketers Anything that helps show to use falls on our Customer Success team Posts about our culture and philosophies fall on whoever is best suited to write them (sometimes that’s a marketer, and sometimes that’s our CEO and co-founder, Garrett Moon) As you can see, content isn’t just the responsibility of one single content team. Instead, we assign content to the person most qualified to write a particular type of piece. That helps us maintain a high publishing volume while adding more voices and perspectives to our blog. Content isnt just the responsibility of one single team.Keeping Ideas Organized We have a two-pronged approach to keeping our content calendar organized: Certain types of blog posts always publish on certain days of the week All our blog posts are color-coded by category The keys here are simplicity and consistency. Here’s a quick look at our publishing schedule: Mondays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Tuesdays: Product Promotion Posts, New Podcast Episodes Wednesdays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Thursdays: Product Demo Videos and Culture Posts Fridays: Content and Social Media Category Posts We’ll add other things in from time to time, but this weekly schedule stays mostly consistent week to week. We then color-code posts like this: Gray: Content and Social Media Category Posts Purple: Product Posts Magenta: Culture Posts Teal: Product Demo Videos Blue: Podcast Episodes That’s all there is to it. Keeping these two things straight helps prevent our calendar from descending into chaos (and ensure that I don’t lose my mind). Heres how to prevent your #content #calendar from descending into chaos.Managing Guest Writers That covers how we handle blog content internally. What about managing guest authors, though?  Weve got a process for that, too. Create a Detailed Write For Us Page It’s frustrating for editors and blog managers to get pitches that fail to follow simple directions. One way to get ahead of this problem to write a detailed Write For Us page. For an example, here’s ours. Be sure to include: Your style standards. This includes how you want documents formatted. You might even consider providing readers with a content template to follow. How you want posts delivered to you. Google Docs? Microsoft Word? Whatever your preference is, let people know. Your policy on linking. Can guest authors include links back to their own content? Whether or not you’ll respond to every pitch. In the interest of saving time, we only respond to pitches we accept. If you follow a similar approach, give people a time frame on how quickly you’ll get back to them. Which topics you’re looking for. You might also want to specify topics you won’t cover, too. How long you’d like posts to be. Give people a range. Whether or not you’ll accept pre-written posts. This will save you and your writers a lot of time. Managing guest writers on your blog? Here are some tips to manage your process.Determine How Pitches Should Be Submitted Our Write For Us page includes a link to a simple Google Form for prospective writers to pitch us through. If you receive a high volume of pitches, submission management software like Submittable  might be a better option. It isn’t free, but their prices are reasonable, and their service offers several benefits: It lets writers know when you’re reviewing their pitch (and whether they’ve been accepted or rejected). It keeps all your pitches organized in one place. It has a more professional look and feel. Another option is to set up a specific email address for submissions and include a link on your Write For Us page. Whichever approach you go with, make sure you ask for the following information: Name Email Address Company / Job Title Links to Previous Work Target Keyword (Optional) Blog Post Idea Summary Prospective Blog Post Outline (Optional) Time Required to Write We’ve found that asking guest authors to provide a target keyword and outline up front helps save a ton of time in the long run. It also shows us whether or not a writer really knows what they want to cover before we accept their pitch. In turn, that can cut down on editing time later. Asking how long they’ll spend writing their post also helps us set clear deadlines. You don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs nor hound writers when their posts don’t show up. Hold them accountable for getting stuff done on time. Hold guest writers accountable for getting stuff done on time.Set Your Acceptance Criteria We have certain standards for our blog that determine which content we’ll accept. For us, guest blog posts must be: Actionable. If a post tells readers what to do, it should show them how to do it, too. Comprehensive. No details should be omitted. Readers should be able to read one post and come away with an in-depth understanding of that topic. Keyword-driven. We don’t overly stress keywords, but there should be a thoughtful strategy behind the keywords a post targets. Topical. All posts must focus on a topic our core audience is interested in. If a pitch doesn’t convey the end result will meet all four of these pillars, it goes in the trash and we move on. Ruthless efficiency wins the day and ensures we only publish the best content we can. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Determine what successful content looks like to you and accept nothing less. If you consistently deliver quality content, your audience will reward you with their attention, and more reputable writers will want to work with you. Editing Guest Content Determine upfront how much editing you’ll do on guest content. Some editors and blog managers like to offer writers extensive feedback to help them improve their skills and work. Others prefer to handle edits on their own. Whichever approach you choose, we recommend using collaborative writing tools (like Google Docs or the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word) for easy real-time editing. It makes passing along edits and suggestions much easier than emailing documents back and forth. How Will You Manage Your Blog? That covers our blog management process from start to finish. Do you have any questions or tips you’d like to add? Leave us a comment below and help get the conversation started. How to Manage Your Blog the Way Running a high-traffic blog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of persistence to build and retain a loyal audience. Just getting started can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain. Then, once your blog does start to grow, the day-to-day work of managing content and deadlines only becomes more challenging. So, how do you do it? That’s a question we get asked a lot, and there’s no short and simple answer. However, we can share our own strategies and processes we use to manage our own blog. In this post, we’ll let you in on how we successfully manage a blog that receives over one million page views a month. How to Manage Your Blog the WayStart By Getting Your Ideation Process Together Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s good that they’re so cheap and plentiful though. You’re going to need a lot of them to keep your content calendar full. You don’t want just any ideas though. You want tons of ideas for blog posts you know people will want to read. Now, getting those kinds of ideas  is easier said than done. Sure, everyone has ideas. Ideas are also completely worthless until you put them into practice and see what they can do. But, when you’re under pressure, generating ideas worth acting on can be tough without a solid process in place. Here at , we use what we call our 30-minute brainstorming process. It’s broken down into three phases: Ideation. Get your team together and spend ten minutes writing down every idea you can think of. Scoring. Spend another ten minutes scoring each idea on a three-point scale. Three’s are ideas you just have to publish. Two’s are average. One’s are duds. Winner optimization. This is where you take every post that everyone agreed was a three, and ask yourselves, â€Å"Which of these ideas should we go with?† By the time you’re done, you’ll have around a month’s worth of ideas for your blog. Run this process once a month, and could  spend just six hours a year on brainstorming. That’s what we call efficiency. Once you’ve got your ideas down, put them straight on your content calendar. That way, they won’t get lost. You’ll also quickly have a plan in place for what you’ll write, and when. Recommended Reading: The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Planning Out Themes Sometimes, if we need content on a specific area or topic, we’ll go into our brainstorming meetings with a particular theme in mind. This can help keep the meeting focused and structured while making sure we end up with the content we need. Some examples of themes might include: Posts on how to complete particular tasks Posts that appeal to particular segments of our audience Posts that target readers at certain skill levels Posts around certain seasonal themes A theme just needs to be a batch of content that’s all wrapped around one core topic. These are just some ideas you can borrow, but you can certainly think of more. Adding Additional Content Beyond our core educational blog posts, we also have the following types of posts: Feature announcements Event announcements Company news Webinar and demo recap videos When we know that a feature is launching, we add complementary posts to the calendar right away. The same goes for demos and webinars that we have planned. That way, we’re able to keep everything orderly and organized. Recommended Reading: 5 Minute Tip: Organize Your Calendar With s Content Types Assigning Content to Team Members Once we’ve got all our ideas on the calendar, the next step is to figure out who will write them. We save a lot of time on this process by pre-determining who will write particular types of posts. Here’s how we have things broken down: Posts about our product fall on our Product Marketers Educational how-to posts fall on our Blog Manager (yo, that’s me) or Content Marketers Anything that helps show to use falls on our Customer Success team Posts about our culture and philosophies fall on whoever is best suited to write them (sometimes that’s a marketer, and sometimes that’s our CEO and co-founder, Garrett Moon) As you can see, content isn’t just the responsibility of one single content team. Instead, we assign content to the person most qualified to write a particular type of piece. That helps us maintain a high publishing volume while adding more voices and perspectives to our blog. Content isnt just the responsibility of one single team.Keeping Ideas Organized We have a two-pronged approach to keeping our content calendar organized: Certain types of blog posts always publish on certain days of the week All our blog posts are color-coded by category The keys here are simplicity and consistency. Here’s a quick look at our publishing schedule: Mondays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Tuesdays: Product Promotion Posts, New Podcast Episodes Wednesdays: Content and Social Media Category Posts Thursdays: Product Demo Videos and Culture Posts Fridays: Content and Social Media Category Posts We’ll add other things in from time to time, but this weekly schedule stays mostly consistent week to week. We then color-code posts like this: Gray: Content and Social Media Category Posts Purple: Product Posts Magenta: Culture Posts Teal: Product Demo Videos Blue: Podcast Episodes That’s all there is to it. Keeping these two things straight helps prevent our calendar from descending into chaos (and ensure that I don’t lose my mind). Heres how to prevent your #content #calendar from descending into chaos.Managing Guest Writers That covers how we handle blog content internally. What about managing guest authors, though?  Weve got a process for that, too. Create a Detailed Write For Us Page It’s frustrating for editors and blog managers to get pitches that fail to follow simple directions. One way to get ahead of this problem to write a detailed Write For Us page. For an example, here’s ours. Be sure to include: Your style standards. This includes how you want documents formatted. You might even consider providing readers with a content template to follow. How you want posts delivered to you. Google Docs? Microsoft Word? Whatever your preference is, let people know. Your policy on linking. Can guest authors include links back to their own content? Whether or not you’ll respond to every pitch. In the interest of saving time, we only respond to pitches we accept. If you follow a similar approach, give people a time frame on how quickly you’ll get back to them. Which topics you’re looking for. You might also want to specify topics you won’t cover, too. How long you’d like posts to be. Give people a range. Whether or not you’ll accept pre-written posts. This will save you and your writers a lot of time. Managing guest writers on your blog? Here are some tips to manage your process.Determine How Pitches Should Be Submitted Our Write For Us page includes a link to a simple Google Form for prospective writers to pitch us through. If you receive a high volume of pitches, submission management software like Submittable  might be a better option. It isn’t free, but their prices are reasonable, and their service offers several benefits: It lets writers know when you’re reviewing their pitch (and whether they’ve been accepted or rejected). It keeps all your pitches organized in one place. It has a more professional look and feel. Another option is to set up a specific email address for submissions and include a link on your Write For Us page. Whichever approach you go with, make sure you ask for the following information: Name Email Address Company / Job Title Links to Previous Work Target Keyword (Optional) Blog Post Idea Summary Prospective Blog Post Outline (Optional) Time Required to Write We’ve found that asking guest authors to provide a target keyword and outline up front helps save a ton of time in the long run. It also shows us whether or not a writer really knows what they want to cover before we accept their pitch. In turn, that can cut down on editing time later. Asking how long they’ll spend writing their post also helps us set clear deadlines. You don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs nor hound writers when their posts don’t show up. Hold them accountable for getting stuff done on time. Hold guest writers accountable for getting stuff done on time.Set Your Acceptance Criteria We have certain standards for our blog that determine which content we’ll accept. For us, guest blog posts must be: Actionable. If a post tells readers what to do, it should show them how to do it, too. Comprehensive. No details should be omitted. Readers should be able to read one post and come away with an in-depth understanding of that topic. Keyword-driven. We don’t overly stress keywords, but there should be a thoughtful strategy behind the keywords a post targets. Topical. All posts must focus on a topic our core audience is interested in. If a pitch doesn’t convey the end result will meet all four of these pillars, it goes in the trash and we move on. Ruthless efficiency wins the day and ensures we only publish the best content we can. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Determine what successful content looks like to you and accept nothing less. If you consistently deliver quality content, your audience will reward you with their attention, and more reputable writers will want to work with you. Editing Guest Content Determine upfront how much editing you’ll do on guest content. Some editors and blog managers like to offer writers extensive feedback to help them improve their skills and work. Others prefer to handle edits on their own. Whichever approach you choose, we recommend using collaborative writing tools (like Google Docs or the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word) for easy real-time editing. It makes passing along edits and suggestions much easier than emailing documents back and forth. How Will You Manage Your Blog? That covers our blog management process from start to finish. Do you have any questions or tips you’d like to add? Leave us a comment below and help get the conversation started.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The role of the banks in terms of decreasing unemployment, maintaining Essay

The role of the banks in terms of decreasing unemployment, maintaining price stability and facilitating economic growth - Essay Example Capitalism tends towards the idea that organizations are in good luck when they make significant profits but its tough luck when they make significant losses, getting neither sympathy nor envy. However, the economy today is not a pure free market but, rather, it is a mixed economy, in which the markets are regulated by a government instituted framework. In addition, the government also carries out various functions, instead of leaving the private sector to make decisions (Mitchell, 2014: p61). The banking sector is a prime example because of their importance to the economy, including management of loan and savings facilities. The banking crisis of 2007 initially led to a rush by UK citizens to withdraw their money all at once, meaning that banks would have failed since they would have been unable to pay, portending potentially incalculable damage to the UK economy. It was, therefore, the responsibility of government agencies to stabilize the system by supervising banking activities and propping up banks that threatened to destabilize the system through bailouts (Cordella & Levy-Yeyati, 2013: p34). In essence, it is the people owed money by the banks that the government is bailing out. In addition, some of the biggest investment banks in the world are institutions that are so critical to the market and job creation that they have gradually come under the control of the government. This explains the bailout of AIG by the US government with a $100 billion loan that ensured American businesses would not collapse if they suffered losses, hurting national employment levels. Takeover of big mortgage guarantors in the UK, such as Bradford and Bingley, was also necessary because, in spite of its private shareholding, it was a de facto agency of the government and, in effect, the public (Cordella & Levy-Yeyati, 2013: p35). Failing to nationalize the company would have

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Organ Trafficking Solution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organ Trafficking Solution - Research Paper Example India has been cited as one of the countries with the highest number of organ traffickers among other countries such as Philippines, Pakistan, Egypt and China. According to Shimazono (2007), organ transplantation is a therapy that is practiced on persons with dysfunctional organs and is practiced internationally. He notes that nations are illegalizing organ donations, and yet illegal organ trafficking still exists. Thus, he recommends that vulnerable individuals should be protected by these nations as a form of curbing and controlling this illegal activity. Among the main organ exporters, India contributes much to the illegal trade since many of the organ traffickers sell these organs to foreigners in the country (Shimazono, 2007). Organ transplant according to Shimazono has serious effects and consequences on the lives of the affected individuals. Regrets, discrimination, and depression, are some of the effects of organ trafficking causes on the victims. MOHAN, which is an Indian non-government group, supports the legal donation of organs in India and thus demonizes organ trafficking as an inhuman and illegal business. Many economic and social challenges force Indian young men to engage, in these dubious businesses, to sustain themselves. An urgency to control and curb the illegal business is needed in India and the government, researchers and Indian policy workers are working so hard to erad icate the practice. This essay aims at offering the solution to the problem of organ trafficking. Organ trafficking has become a contentious issue, which many governments and international organizations are trying to solve. The international community has been on the far front line in curtailing the organ trafficking business with a number of countries joining to coming up with policy solutions (Kelly, 2013). Some of the countries aim at reducing the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay Example for Free

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Essay The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative assessment about mathematics and science education that is organized by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The survey has been administered periodically in cycles of 4 years since 1995. Initially TIMSS was an acronym for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, which identified its position as the third study following the First and Second International Mathematics and Science Studies (FIMS SIMS) in 1964 and 1982 respectively. A similar study to the 1995 TIMSS (using the same technical framework) was carried out in 1999, and was referred to as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat (TIMSS-R). The 2003 study was the third cycle of studies based on the 1995 assessment framework, and the acronym TIMSS was redefined to mean Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (http://nces.ed.gov/timss). With funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the TIMSS assessment was to be offered more timely in intervals of 4 years. Table 1 gives an overview on the TIMSS assessment, target populations, and the number of countries that participated in each administration. Table 1. TIMSS assessments and participating countries at the 8th grade level Study Name Acronym Year Number of Countries Target population Grades tested Third International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 1994/5 42 3rd /4th, 7th/8th , 12th Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat. TIMSS-R 1998/9 40 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2002/3 46 4th 8th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2006/7 Over 60 4th, 8th, (12th rescheduled 2008) TIMSS is considered the largest, most comprehensive, rigorous, and extensive international comparative educational study ever conducted (Alejandro, 2000). It touches on almost every facet of the learning of science and mathematics. The 2003 TIMSS project was comprised of over 360 000 students, over 38 000 teachers, and over 12 000 school principals, and as many as 1 500 contextual variables were included in addition to variables on student achievement scores (Nelson, 2002; TIMSS‟ User guide 2003). TIMSS aims at providing policy makers and educational practitioners with information and indicators about their national educational systems from an international perspective. Alejandro argues that TIMSS serves a â€Å"mirror† function to participating countries to reflect comparatively on their education systems. Martin and Kelly (2004) suggest that TIMSS tests go beyond measuring achievement to including a thorough investigation of curriculum and how it is delivered in classrooms around the world. In a nutshell, the assessment is perceived to be valid and reliable as a measure of student achievement. However, the TIMSS assessments are not without critics. Among the critical voices is that of Wolf (2002) who questions the validity issues of the TIMSS studies. His contention is that TIMSS, being an international assessment, may have testing procedures that are not appropriate for some countries‟ usual testing practices. Related to that, Zuzovsky (2000) specifically questions the reliability of these tests. He argues that the heavily elaborated coding systems inherent in the TIMSS scoring procedures yield lower inter-rater consistency and also that translation of achievement tests into different languages brings the reliability of the assessments into question. The downside of cross-sectional assessments such as the TIMSS projects did not escape the attention of de Lange (2007) who questions the assumption behind international studies that a single test can give comparable measures of curriculum effects across countries. In spite of these criticisms, Alejandro, the chairman of IEA, sees the worth in countries participating in the TIMSS surveys. He argues that â€Å"More than just league tables, the TIMSS data place achievement in an international context where it can be considered from multiple perspectives† (Alejandro, 2000, p. 2). A similar statement was expressed more than 35 years ago by Bock (1970). He perceived the world as shrinking through technology. In support of international studies, he argued that through participation in international studies and by sharing educational reports, countries get a glimpse of each other‟s cultural practices. The TIMSS international reports give an overall impression of the impact that different education factors have on students‟ performance in different countries. It is by further engaging in secondary analysis of the TIMSS data and by conducting further studies related to the findings of TIMSS assessments that countries better understand their schooling system. In particular, it is important to identify areas of concern and address those systematically rather than attempt to replicate another country`s curriculum system simply because the schooling system there seems to be effective. Education indicators are numerous and vary in their effect from country to country. It is possible that each of the 1,500 contextual variables administered in the TIMSS surveys were included because of some supporting literature on their influence on students‟ learning. TIMSS as model of Educational Achievement The literature on models of educational indicators and their performance as a system together with research studies that model student learning achievement as a function of the characteristics of their schools and their family background is extensive (Oakes, 2006; Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). However, in spite of the extensive literature on the subject of modeling of educational data, no single model of educational performance has gained widespread acceptance (Oakes, 2006; Nelson, 2002). This lack of a global model was noted by Nelson in relation to the TIMSS projects, that, although rigorously executed, and with all its popularity (with more participants than any other IEA study), TIMSS has not attempted to come up with a prescriptive model that relates educational factors to student achievement that can be applicable across nations. Nelson is adamant that any attempt to provide a universal model would not be wise because countries differ in their educational policies and instructional practices so that a one-size fits- all model would not be realistic. That said, though models of educational performance seem diverse as suggested by the literature, in Haertel, Walberg, and Weinstein‟s (2003) view, they have more commonalities than differences. Haertel et al. conducted a meta-analysis of studies that modeled school performance data and found that the presented models had a common structure. Though the models differed in their specifications, their structures were comprised of three categories of pre-existing conditions (cognitive/affective attributes and resources), instructional processes (opportunity to learn, quality of instruction), and outcome measures (achievement, affective behaviors). These models presented student performance as a function of student, teacher, and/or school background variables. Studies of interest to my research are those that modeled students‟ performance as a function of their background variables; the model of interest that informed my variable selection is the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model by Oakes (2006), or Rand Model (Shavelson, McDonnell, Oakes, 2006). The IPO model has similar structural components as the models that were reviewed by Haertel et al. (2003) and models student achievement as a function of some resources. I selected this model for my conceptual framework because of its scope of coverage of educational indicators. The model presents a holistic conception of student learning in a classroom setting and it appears frequently in literature that analyzes large scale data (e.g. Kaplan and Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001 analyzing TIMSS data). Additionally, it has been used extensively to guide education researchers in the selection, specification, and analysis of educational variables that correlate with student learning outcomes (Kaplan Elliott, 2007; Kaplan Kreisman, 2000; Koller, Baumert, Clausen, Hosenfeld, 2001). It is taken as one of the influential models in shaping public opinion and policy on how to foster school improvement. TIMSS Input-Process-Output Model The input-process-output (IPO) model by TIMSS is one of the improved versions of the traditional input-output (IO) models of school organizational data (Glasman, Biniaminov, 2001). Glasman and Biniaminov reported that the input-output traditional model employed research strategies that measured changes in the systems‟ outputs brought about by changes in the systems‟ inputs. The IO model was criticized for not taking the academic environment into account and for oversimplifying the schooling process by portraying it as linear. According to Glasman and Biniaminov, â€Å"the input-output analyses [did] not deal with characteristics of the dynamic and ongoing interrelationships between students and teachers or those among students themselves† (p. 509). To overcome the problem, Oakes‟ model added a third component (processes) that mediated the input variables into the output variables and that also provided an educational context for the model. The process component focuses on classroom characteristics such as instructional quality issues (explained in the next section under measures for the model). Oakes‟ model is therefore comprised of three components of an educational system: inputs, processes, and outputs (IPO) (Figure1). Figure 1. A comprehensive Model of an Educational System INPUTS PROCESSES OUTPUTS Fiscal and Curriculum Achievement other quality resources School quality Instructional Participation Quality Dropouts Teacher Characteristics Teaching quality Student Attitudes Background Aspirations Note. The arrows indicate the direction of effect Briefly stated, according to Shavelson, McDonnell, and Oakes, (2001) â€Å"the TIMSS model‟s inputs are the human and financial resources available to education† (p. 13): This includes teacher quality (e.g. certification and experience), student background (e.g. parents‟ education and home possessions), and school quality (e.g. school climate). â€Å"Its processes are what is taught and how it is taught† (p. 13): This includes classroom characteristics such as curriculum quality (e.g. pace and coverage of materials), teaching quality (e.g. integration between teacher, pupil, and materials), and instructional quality (e.g. instructional tasks, teaching methods, and classroom climate) and â€Å"its outputs are the consequences of schooling for students from different backgrounds† (p. 13) such as academic achievement, participation (what percentage graduate versus drop out), and attitudes (e.g. any desires to continue studying math or career goals that are math related). The TIMSS model is complex and provides insight into how the various components of the education system relate to one another. As noted earlier, one of the shortcomings of the traditional input output model was its structure in which nested data was treated as though linear, and the TIMSS model addressed that problem. This was noted by Kaplan and Elliott that â€Å"the TIMSS‟ model, is one instantiation of the organizational structure of schooling that captures its hierarchical nature† (Kaplan, Elliott, 2007; p. 221). The two suggested that the model was multilevel in form and was testable through statistical methodologies that take the multilevel nature of educational data into consideration. Kaplan and Elliot used the model for their framework to propose a model-based approach for validating educational indicators that explicitly took into account the organizational features of schooling. The two contended from their model that it was not necessary for every indicator that has ever been suggested for collection to actually appear in the model. To them, it is the research questions and the goals for the investigations that should determine which indicators to include in a statistical model. Nevertheless, Oakes (2006) advised that a single indicator of each component of the educational system was inadequate. What was needed, in his view, was for each component to have indicators of all its most critical dimensions, and, â€Å"without a series of indicators that assesses all important facets of the schooling processes (the 3 components of the model), we can neither understand the system`s overall health nor determine the conditions under which a particular goal is met† (Oakes, 2006, p. 8). Oakes further observed that each of the three components appeared to be necessary but insufficient by itself to convey full information about school effects. That is, although a system of indicators measures distinct components of the education model, it also provides information about how the individual components work together to produce the overall effect. What can be deduced from Oake`s remarks is that studies that model only one component of the educational system may not be doing an adequate job of conveying the necessary information about the school effects. Conclusions What I considered informative from TIMSS and through the deliberations by Kaplan and Elliott (2007) about TIMSS`s model in general, and its use in particular, was how to utilize its structure to reach the different components of an education system holistically. It was of interest that the TIMSS model has flexible attributes in those variables could be rearranged to reflect the hierarchical nature of classroom data as evidenced in the current study in subsequent chapters. In one study, Kaplan and Kreisman (2000) used the TIMSS` model to validate indicators of mathematics education using its data. Rather than group their variables into the three distinct categories of Input-Process-Output as outlined in the model structure, they contended that since TIMSS` model was inherently multilevel, a subset of the inputs and processes occurred at higher levels of the education system. As a result, they grouped their indicators into three organizational levels: student, teacher, and school. That is to say, although TIMMS` model (Figure 1) groups school resources, teacher quality, and student background as one category of input (or prerequisite) variables, these indicators occur at different hierarchical levels of the school organization. Some of the variables included in the Kaplan and Kreisman model were: †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At student level: mathematics achievement, attitude toward mathematics, utility of mathematics, parents’ education, and mother’s expectations. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At teacher level: method of instruction, teacher collaboration with colleagues, teacher’s level of education, and teaching experience. †¢Ã¯â‚¬  At school level: opportunities for continuing professional development, good facilities, school climate, level of discipline, and outstanding teacher recognition. Needless to say, Kaplan and Kreisman`s (2000) variables were representative of the three components of the IPO model even though the variables were grouped differently. Some of the variables they used were composite indicators. These were variables such as attitudes and methods of instruction. The two authors ran factor analyses to help group related items into the composite indicators and they had mathematics achievement as their outcome measure. In summary, TIMMS` model is more of a conceptual framework than a prescriptive one. That is, it does not prescribe what variables one should include in a statistical model for testing educational performance, but offers guidance about the components from which to draw the variables. Directions for Future Research TIMSS data have opened extensive avenues for further research work. In conclusion, this paper has evidenced the complexities involved in TIMSS data. It is hoped that this study and other studies that continue to model TIMSS data and pilot TIMSS instruments will help to illuminate the factors that explain student achievement in the us and in many other countries and to direct policy interventions.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Songs in the Key of Stevie Wonder’s Life Essay -- Biography

At the young age of twenty two, Stevie Wonder sang, â€Å"When you believe in the things you don’t understand / Then you suffer / Superstition ain’t the way†. He started his career in the early 1960s, but in 1972, Superstition established Stevie Wonder as one of the most recognizable musicians of his time in American and African-American culture and music. Although music was Wonder’s main priority, he also dedicated his time to a fight against racism throughout national and international borders. Musically, socially, and politically, Stevie Wonder was able to bring people together with his music and words. From the time of his birth to the present day, Stevie wonder sang his way into our hearts and remains one of the most influential people within African-American history. Steveland Hardaway Judkins was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. As his current musical career was groundbreaking, his family life was not so perfect. The relationship between Calvin and Lula Mae was difficult and abusive; even before Stevie was born, Calvin was drunk, domestically violent with Lula and forced her into prostitution to support the family and Calvin (Ribowsky 10). After Stevie’s birth, Calvin’s mannerism did not change and simply regressed. However, Calvin agreed to move to Detroit with Lula, Stevie, and his two elder siblings to Detroit to work on the relationship and family dynamic (Ribowsky 18). Calvin and Lula’s relationship later terminated with a divorce and a name change for Stevie, as his birth name was changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris. As the third child out of six, he was the only one to be born blind. Wonder was blind shortly after his premature birth from staying in an incubator for... ...r and a legal separation of race does not mean it is acceptable (Jet). Through his actions across the United States and South Africa showed the world how to be open to African-American culture and people. Stevie Wonder also sings â€Å"Broke the lookin’ glass / Seven years of bad luck / Good Things in your past† in his 1972 hit Superstition. However, Stevie Wonder did not come across any bad luck within his musical and political career. Both an inductee for Rock-and-Roll’s Hall of Fame and United Nations’ Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder brought insight to the minds of the public. Sixty years later, on March 1, 2011, Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, and other Motown singers came together once again at the White House to honor Motown music and its beloved singers; this came a celebration of the soulful music that Stevie Wonder and among others once and continue to sing.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Outlook on Bullying- I Have a Dream

â€Å"Outlook on Bullying† â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. † Our unalienable rights must not be broken or destroyed by anyone’s judgments on how we are supposed to live our life. That is why I ask you ladies and gentlemen for you to stand up against bullying with me. This can happen to anyone primarily targeted simply because of their race, body size, sexual orientation, or any type of difference not accepted or judged by a group or a person.Bullying consists of different disturbances; physical, verbal, indirect, and cyber bullying. Physical bullying is considered any physical attack; kicking, punching, shoving, taking or damaging belongings. Verbal bulling consists of name calling, insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic comments, remarks or teasing, just to name a few. I ndirect and cyber bullying go hand in hand when nasty, hurtful, rumors are spread behind a person’s back, now most common through any electronic media. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits.Watch your habits, they become character. A character in which you will be defined as a helping hand, a bully, or the one being bullied. America should be a country where everyone can feel safe in which ever environment from public places, to school, to work. One out of seven students from kindergarten to twelfth grade is either a bully or a victim of bullying, and it is estimated that 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of an attack. Would you want that fear to spread to someone close to you or yourself? In American schools there are about 2. 1 million bullies and 2. 7 million victims, statistics are increasing every day.Parents are the base of our beliefs and that is why everyone should be educ ated about bullying and taught morals to respect one another and be reminded of how difference is also good from a young age. â€Å"The world is a dangerous place because of those who do evil and because of those who look on and do nothing†. Nothing is the worst thing that any friend, teacher, or parent can do to someone in this circumstance. Only God can judge me, ( ) wouldn’t you want to live by this? Bullies have terrorized their victims enough, bullies and victims have had enough of living in their silent pain.Victims have had enough of the abuse and fear brought to them for being themselves. Victims have had enough of stereotyping and all the prejudice. I have a dream that people can wake up every morning without depression or suicidal thoughts hurting them. I have a dream that students have no fear in going to school because of peers. I have dream that no one has to hide in a mask of fakeness because they can’t express themselves. I have dream that people notice and lend a helping hand to a victim or a bully. That’s my dream that I hope one day can become true, and hopefully you will take a stand with me against this atrocious issue. Thank you.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The School Systems on Bilingual Education

Throughout the world, language defines who you are and where you come from. Something unique to the United States of America is that we not only have one language that unites us, we have hundreds that separate us; that is the core of the problem. Instead of forcing people to learn English as soon as they enter the country, the government has been mollycoddling and pampering non-English speakers. Such programs as bilingual education have been at the source of the problem. Bilingual education has said to many foreigners that its ok if you come to America and don†t speak English, it†s only our language, but we†ll cater to you. It all simmers down to one simple point that bilingual education is not necessary and is harmful to the United States as a whole. Voting ballots were just sent out in the mail last week. Something was very noticeable, not only was it in English, but it was in Spanish as well. One very common sign that English education in this country has not improved was just sent to millions of voters all over the country. If things do not improve, the children of those Spanish speaking citizens, in ten twenty years down the road, will be as illiterate in English as they were the day they were born. â€Å"The character of American life 50 years hence will determined†¦ by what happens in elementary school classrooms where immigrants† children are learning – or not learning – English† (Barone). Everything that influences a child†s life happens in their early years, and if English does not influence them then, they may never be. â€Å"†¦for many years Latino kids failed to learn enough English to score well on tests and qualify for good jobs, thanks to ‘bilingual education,† which in most cases was neither bilingual or education†(B! arone) The school system for non-native speakers seems not only inadequate, but in the need of great reform. Immersion seems to be the only answer to that great problem. It is not only theorized that immersing and teaching straight English would be the solution, it was actually tested out. Last June, California was the first state to completely do away with bilingual education with Proposition 227. â€Å"The proposition mandated that these students take English immersion classes, unless their parents specifically requested that they continue traditional bilingual education programs.† (Forbes) The government gave parents the right to allow their children to continue with the slower bilingual programs instead of letting them mainstream into English. Not only were educators against this move, but also President Clinton himself did not condone it. (Samuelson) The results, however, were overwhelming. â€Å"Test scores of children from Spanish-speaking families†¦.rose. In second grade, average reading scores of students with limited English ability have jumped in the past two years from the 19th percentile nationally to the 28th percentile. In math, the same ! students went from the 27th to the 41st percentile..† (Samuelson). With everyone against this new idea of reform for schooling, not only did they succeed, they out-witted 28 and 41 percent of the country. Something must be done right if such numbers jump in such a short amount of time. † ‘The kids have taken to English and are absorbing it like sponges†Ã¢â‚¬  (Wildavsky). Younger students have more of the want and the need to learn, they don†t become lazy or intolerant of school, something that develops during the teenage years. They have gained a language and a new place and outlook on the world. Along with this fast paced English education called immersion, comes along a new identity. Until a person understands and can speak the language of the country, he or she doesn†t really feel like a citizen, or an American. Many immigrants want this education for their sons and daughters, so that they can have a better life in this country knowing English, unlike them. â€Å"A recent national survey conducted by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan organization, reports that 75 percent of the foreign-born parents say that the school†s first priority should be to teach English quickly..† (Pedalino Porter) Immigrant parents are usually very strict on the English education issue, like most parents feel, they want their children to grow up and live American lives, better lives than their parents had back where they came from. Not only do these parents condone the teaching of straight English, they become quite rowdy if it doesn†t happen. â€Å"In Los Angeles, the parents of Mexican-American children! in the Ninth Street School staged a boycott, keeping their children out of school for several days in 1996 to protest the school principal†s unwillingness to increase the amount of English language instruction after appeals by the parents† (Pedalino Porter) The passion that these parents possess is so fierce for their wish for their children to have a better life, they would give up or protest anything, including a couple of days of their child†s education. â€Å"Of course, my parents replied. What would they not do for their children†s well-being?† (Rodriguez 532). With every parent comes that special bond with a child, life seems so trivial when you can give everything you have to better that child†s life and education. With the knowledge of English, American identity is finally found. â€Å"I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an American citizen† (Rodriguez 533). That identity can only be found through the English language, the only official and primary language of our country. The English language is what makes us, it is our identity, and it signifies that we are from America, one of the only countries in the world where a beggar can make it as a middle-class person. The downtrodden and persecuted alike flee to our country in hopes of a better future for not only themselves but also their children. Immersion of the English language is the only way that those people and their children can really identify themselves as being American. Without the language, those people are still what they were before, oppressed in the darkness of ignorance and disillusion. The only way to remedy that is to teach our younger generation, and teach them early enough, the only langu!

Friday, November 8, 2019

Quotes for Thanking a Special Teacher

Quotes for Thanking a Special Teacher Just about everyone remembers some teachers more than others, and maybe one above all, who made an impact on not just what you learned, but who you are. Whether you see your favorite teacher every day or youve been out of school for many years, that teacher would for sure love to hear from you and know she is making or has made a contribution to your life. So go ahead, make a contribution to her life that is the verbal equivalent of an apple for your teacher. These quotes provide some inspiration, and at least one will fit the bill for your teacher and you.   Quotes for a Special Teacher Maya AngelouWhen you learn, teach. When you get, give. William Arthur WardFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Dan RatherThe dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth. Alexander the GreatI am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well. David O. McKayThankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henry AdamsA teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Thornton WilderWe can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. Carl JungOne looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. Charles KuraltGood teachers know how to bring out the best in students. Benjamin DisraeliI feel a very unusual sensation if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. Colleen WilcoxTeaching is the greatest act of optimism. Albert SchweitzerWe should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. Charles DickensNo one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another. Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Victor HugoHe who opens a school door closes a prison. Marva CollinsThe good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. William Arthur WardThe mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. Albert EinsteinIt is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Christa McAuliffe I touch the future. I teach.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Korean War - The Conflict in Korea

Korean War - The Conflict in Korea The Conflict in Korea"Never before has this nation been engaged in mortal combat with a hostile power ...without even formally recognizing a state of war." (MacArthur quoted in West and Phillip, 2001, 195)The Korean War was the civil and military struggle that was fought on the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1953. It originated in the division of Korea after the Second World War. The rivalry between the two Koreas drew third party countries into political and ideological disputes, such as the ongoing dispute between the United States of America and the USSR. There were many conflicts between the communists and capitalists during the Cold War era, commonly known as proxy wars, and the most serious incident occurred in Korea. Why did North Korea cross the 38th parallel and invade South Korea? This essay will argue that the primary reason is that; the Soviet-backed North Korean Communist government led by Kim Il Sung attacked the American-backed South Koreans with the aim of unifying the two Koreas and expanding communism.English: Armistice Agreement, DPR KoreaThe Soviets provided military and economic aid to North Korea in the hope of gaining a valuable buffer zone in Asia.In the months following the conclusion of the Second World War, the then unified Korea, split into two - North and South, both taking different steps in ideology which ultimately led to the Korean War. The Soviet Union controlled the North, while the US controlled the South. The North was transformed into a communist state under the control of the Soviet Union and the dictator Kim Il Sung, who was a dedicated communist who had fought for the Red Army during WW2 (Dictatorofthemonth, 2008). This made a recipe for disaster, considering that South Korea was under command by the Americans who were predominantly capitalist and in the focal point of...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Effective Team and Performance Management Assignment

Effective Team and Performance Management - Assignment Example They must be able to suggest solutions to problems and take control of situations by being initiative. They must have the self-confidence to be willing and able to lead others and to set an example. A team leader should be able to take command of others and to push through ideas and policies to their conclusion will assertiveness and determination. With energy and enthusiasm they must set high standards of effort and involvement so that others are encouraged to act in a similar way (Stimpson, Borrington 2006). Some basic roles of managers include strategic planning like setting aims and targets beforehand for the future as they give a sense of direction and purpose to any team work. This will be common feeling among the team members of having something to work towards. It is a manager’s responsibility to organize people and resources effectively with the process of delegation, because a team leader cannot do everything on his own. Some tasks need to be delegated to subordinate s or team members. Delegation means giving a subordinate the authority to perform particular tasks. However, it is important to remember that it is the authority to perform a task which is being delegated and not the final responsibility. A manager can be very good or planning and organizing but may have failed to coordinate or bring people in the tem together just like what happened in the case study. This can be a real danger with the functional form of organization or structural problems as this leads to haphazard aims and not a shared vision. A good leader must therefore make sure that all team members are working together to achieve the plans originally set by the leader. Managers or team leaders must know the right way to command by guiding, leading and supervising people and not just telling them what to do. They must make sure that instructions and deadlines are being met on time. It is their responsibility that tasks are carried out by all team members effectively. Team lea der must also try to evaluate and measure the work of all individuals to make sure that they are on target. There is little point in planning and organizing when leaders fail to check that the original aims are being met. Disciplining staff is also part of their responsibility (David, R. 2005). So, if the team leader does not possess all these roles, then the teamwork is going to lack a sense of control and direction. There would be no coordination between team members which will lead to wastage of effort. Control of team members and organization of resources is vital for productive output and results otherwise; the team project will drift and eventually fail. Different styles of leadership call for different management styles. A good leader will adopt the style of leadership that suits his situation the best. Leadership styles are the different approaches of dealing with people when in a position of authority; autocratic, laissez-faire and democratic. Autocratic leadership is where the leader is expect to be in charge if the project and have his orders followed. They keep themselves separate from other members of the team; they make virtually all the decisions. They will only tell people what they need to know. Communication is the business is mainly one-way and other people have little or no opportunity to comment on anything.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees Essay

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees - Essay Example As such, Face book has a wide range of uses and effects in the society. The uses entail social, entertainment, business, political, and academic applications. However, these effects are not universally accepted and hence there is always a debate on possible effects of Face book in the modern world. So, does Face book have any effect on college applicants and employees? Ideally, Face book has significant effects on college applicants and employees. This paper addresses the effect of Face book on college applicants and employees citing informed reasons with detailed evidence. Face book Effect on College Applicants Indeed, most Face book users are teens who are would be college students and the actual college students. They use face book to establish online friendships, establish groups of teens with common interests, or from the same college, socialize, share important information relating to their school life, and informing on various college opportunities and required qualifications. Hence, the effects of face book on college applicants are undeniable. Various colleges are now posting the required qualifications to join those colleges online and specifically on Face book. This is relevant in the fact that these colleges are also offering online lessons and hence it is only fair to post these qualifications online. Interested parties via face book subsequently leading to college applications relevantly share this information. Hence, college applicants derive college information from Face book prior to college applications. In addition, there are an increased number of admission officials using Face book to analyze college applicants.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 26

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Being a disease with no certified medication, every state/ nation of the world feared the penetration of the virus into its territories. At the time, the governments placed all possible measures to prevent the spread of the disease into their countries. Despite all these efforts, the fear of Ebola could not be eliminated from not only the ordinary nationals, but also the medical practitioners. Responding to the vigorous spread of the disease, the author decided to write a journal that would explain various measures that can be put in place for preparedness and prevention of Ebola. The main purpose of the paper therefore was to enlighten every the different stakeholder and possible victims of the Ebola disease, on how the disease could be prevented. For instance, the journal was aimed at the health service providers (e.g. nurses), to be careful when handling the suspected of confirmed Ebola patients. The author achieves this goal by advising them to wear protective attires when handling such cases. The journal also enlightened the ordinary people, on the various ways through which the Ebola virus could be contracted. For instance, the author stresses that the main way through which Ebola is contracted is through direct contact with the infected person. The author also had a goal to advise governments on how Ebola virus spread could be prevented. In his article, he points out that, since there is no effective treatment for Ebola disease, the only method that can help in controlling the spread of the disease is by quarantine. This advice to the government would assist in isolating the suspected or confirmed Ebola patients, and specialized attention given to them. This prevents unnecessary spread of the disease. The journal targets any person, who needs to get information about the prevention of Ebola disease. Looking at the time during which the article was written, ideally,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Sugar Trade Essay Example for Free

Sugar Trade Essay â€Å"Give me some sugar!† When most people hear that phrase, it usually means someone wants a kiss. But in the late 1600s and early 1700s, people want to plant sugar. True, it started some 9000 years ago in New Guinea, but it took a while before the rest of the world caught on. During this time, there was a movement called the sugar trade. Although there were many forces driving the sugar trade, what mainly drove it were the ideal land masses for sugar production, the amount of slaves needed, and the demand for it. The first driving force behind the sugar trade was finding the perfect land to grow the plant. Jamaica and Barbados were under British rule in 1750 (Doc. 1), and they were the ones who discovered that the islands were well within the ideal climates for producing sugar because they were in the correct temperature climate, and had the perfect soil; the only off thing was the amount of rainfall they had was less than perfect amount. (Doc. 2) The encyclopedia tells us that the land that the British conquered than its own land and/or even England’s own land. Once a man had found the model land, he would state everything that he needs for his plantation, such as windmills, a boiling-house, the amount of slaves and animals, and all the other houses and shops. (Doc. 6) Belgrove demonstrated that owning a plantation was a big deal and one had to be absolutely sure on everything that was needed in order to have a fully-functioning plantation. Most plantations were owned by wealthy English families, instead of numerous people buying the land together. (Do. 7) It can be interpreted that Mintz said that the better was to get money was to own the whole thing by yourself. Men like Charles Long and John Gladstone owned large amounts of land and therefore became richer because of the amount of land they owned, amount of sugar they produced and the amount of slaves they had. (Doc. 7) Williams shows us that rich Englishmen liked getting richer and they used their plantations to attain this goal. The second driving force behind the sugar trade was the amount of slaves that were needed in order to produce these mass amounts of sugar. Men, and  women, and possibly children, were forced into the field to work or into the boiling-house. (Doc. 8) Clark and Bridgens illustrated that the British didn’t care what age or gender you were, you still went out and made sugar each and every day. Slaves didn’t come cheap though, at least not in British Caribbean. In 1748, slaves cost â‚ ¬32 in the British Caribbean whereas they only cost â‚ ¬14 on the West African coast. (Doc. 9) This indicates that the British Caribbean wanted to give the buyers a run for their money, whereas the African coast didn’t know better, this was all new to them. As the amount of slaves someone owned went up, so did the amount of sugar that was produced, unless you were the French in 1789, where they somehow actually lost tons. (Doc. 10) The British were probably more efficient in producing crops than the French and it resulted in them being the biggest sugar trader in the Caribbean. The need for slaves was so imperative that the British would trade thing that weren’t even theirs in order to make sure they had slaves. (Doc. 11) Campbell displays the variety of thing that the Brits would trade, such as powder, bullets, tobacco-pipes, certain toys, and some East India goods, but in the end, nothing was their own. The third force behind the sugar trade was the demand. Everywhere you looked, there were people using sugar for something. Whether it be tea, or rum, people had to have sugar. They would have a large barrel that weighed between 700 and 1200 pounds filled with sugar and people would go insane trying to get it. (Doc. 3) Parris illustrates this to us and Moseley says that the increasing demand for sugar exceeded all comparison with other articles, meaning sugar was the number one thing that Brits of the 1600s and 1700s wanted more than life itself. The UK, and most of the rest of the world, has used sugar to put in tea, which has made tea the most important nonalcoholic drink ever. (Doc. 4) Sugar was and is still a big deal, not only in England, but also in the US; ask ten people and see how many of them drink tea or coffee with sugar in it. By 1770, the population was well above eight million, and the consumption was up to 16.2 pounds. (Doc. 5) That basically says that all the Brits were drinking two pounds of sugar a year! They even set up a parliament that set up a trading system that said Brits made materials into finished goods, such as pots and pans, and then merchants would go and sell it at high prices in England and other  countries, which meant more money came in than went out. (Doc. 12) This meant that they could use the money that came in to buy more sugar or slaves to make sugar. Although there were many forces driving the sugar trade, what mainly drove it were the ideal land masses for sugar production, the amount of slaves needed, and the demand for it. One beneficial factor to this DBQ would have been more information on the French because it’s know that they were also planting and growing sugar, but we don’t hear their success story, as they did pass Britain in the top sugar producer in 1740.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Rohypnol :: essays research papers

In the 1950s it was commonly know as slipping someone a Mickey Finn. By the mid-1980s it was called H-Bombing: prostitutes slipped the sleeping pill Halcion into a customers drink and robbed them after they would pass out. But the recent introduction of the illicit doping drugs, rohypnol promises to take the dangerous practice of doping unsuspecting victims into new depths. Today I am going to talk about rohypnol or other wise known as the â€Å"date rape drug†. I will tell you what it is, its effects, and the steps people can take to avoid rohypnol.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the May 98 issue of Clinical Pediatrics, rohypnol is a sedative-hypnotic benzadiazepine manufactured by the Hoffman La Roche Company in Europe and Latin America, and is prescribed in those places for treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Although the drug is not manufactured or prescribed in the United States, it is homemade or smuggled into the country and distributed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rohypnol is the trade name for the drug flunitrazepam a benzadiazepine which is a central nervous system depressant like Valium but 10 time more potent. The marketed drug looks like aspirin, but has a single or cross-scored on one side with ROCHE spelled across it with the number 1 or 2 encircled underneath it on the other side. The drug is a 1 or 2 mg pill that is shipped in bubble packaging or blister packs that appear very similar to aspirin also. Street prices one-milligram tablet is $1and $5 for a two-milligram tablet. Street names for rohypnol are roche, la roche, rope, roofies, rib, ruffies, stupefi, and the most common the date rape drug. When dissolved in alcohol, soft drinks, water, or any other liquid the drug is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of this rohypnol can easily be slipped into the drink of an unsuspecting sexual assault victim by an assailant. The result is that the victim remembers nothing of the sexual assault or that they knew something was happening but could not do anything about it. Effects of rohypnol begin within 20 minutes after ingesting then last up to 8 to 24 hours. Rohypnol intoxication is generally associated with impaired judgment and impaired motor skills, and the combination of alcohol and rohypnol is also especially hazardous together because their effects on memory and judgments are greater than effects from either of them taken alone. Other effects include visual impairment, drowsiness, confusion, decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention.