Grammar and Style Tips in Microsoft Word

Grammar and Style Tips in Microsoft Word Grammar and Style Tips in Microsoft Word As well as checking your spelling, Microsoft Word has a grammar and style tool. And while this is no replacement for proofreading, it can offer helpful advice while you’re writing. But to make proper use of the grammar and style tips in Word, you need to know how they work first. Grammar and Style Tips in Microsoft Word If you’ve used Microsoft Word before, you may have seen squiggly lines under words or phrases. This is how Word highlights errors. For example: Here, for instance, we have two â€Å"errors† highlighted. The red line indicates a spelling mistake. The blue line, however, indicates a stylistic issue. If we then right click and select Grammar from the menu, Word suggests using the active voice instead. This is helpful because, while the passive voice is not technically incorrect, the active voice would be more concise. But you should take care when following Microsoft Word’s stylistic advice, as it does get things wrong. And if you are going to use this feature, we therefore suggest customizing the advice it provides. Customizing Proofing Options To customize the grammar and style checker in Word for Windows: Go to File Options Proofing Scroll down to the When correcting grammar and spelling in Word section Click Settings to open the list of grammar and style options Accessing the proofing options. Here, you will find options related to the following: Grammar and punctuation (e.g., subject–verb agreement, comma splices) Clarity and concision (e.g., use of passive voice, wordiness) Formal language (e.g., use of slang or contractions) Other stylistic issues (e.g., gendered or clichà ©d language) Grammar and style settings. Once you have selected (or deselected) the options required, click OK to apply them. You can then click Recheck Document to look for grammar and style issues that may have been missed while you were writing. In Word for Mac, meanwhile, the proofing options are accessed via Preferences Spelling Grammar. Make sure to check these if you want more control over the grammar and style tips.

Social Media Policy How to Make Yours Thorough to Avoid Emergencies

Social Media Policy How to Make Yours Thorough to Avoid Emergencies When it comes to social media, how companies set internal policies can be a gray area. For example, questions like, â€Å"Am I allowed to be on Facebook at work?†Ã‚  are becoming as common as â€Å"how much time do I get off a year?† Being able to easily answer those questions is where having a clear and easy-to-follow social media policy comes into play. By clearing up ambiguity and defining in black and white what is acceptable social media behavior for your organization, you can answer those questions before they come up, and avoid costly social media mistakes. In this post, we’ll help clear up those murky waters by showing you: How to create social media guidelines for your business. Having guidelines will help your employees understand what is acceptable social behavior. Knowing what’s appropriate and not appropriate will help avoid those blunders that could not only create a scandal for the company but cost an employee their job. How to create a living social media policy document.  Having a living social media policy document is the key to keeping your company’s social media image healthy and stable. Not only that but having a document that is constantly updated with the most recent social media guidelines will give your employees something to rely on when it comes to answering those ever-changing social media questions. How to approach the conversation about social media policy with your employees.  Having a conversation about social media and its reach inside and outside company time is hard. However, establishing those guidelines and having those conversations are what will help your employees and your company avoid disasters later down the road. How To Build a Thorough Social Media Policy to Prevent EmergenciesBefore We Start: Grab Your Free Social Media Policy Template Before you continue reading, download our Social Media Policy Template, which will walk you through how to create your own social media policy. By the time you’re done,   you’ll have your own policy to hand off to your employees. Start By Explaining Why You Need a Social Media Policy The first thing that you are going to see when you open your social media policy template is a section dedicated to answering the following question: Why does this social media policy exist and why should your employees care about it? Outlining why you have your policy will help your employees understand what they can do to help promote the company, help them avoid creating social media disasters, and make sure that you don’t lose a potentially great employee based on one instance of poor judgment. In your social media template, we’ve outlined a basic answer to the â€Å"why does this policy exist?† question. However, feel free to adjust your answer based on your company guidelines and expectations. Who Are We On Social Media? Your company probably has a set of core values or guiding principles that you operate by. These values are at the heart of everything you do. Those values don’t have to stop once your employees leave the office, either. They can be a part of their personal social media posts as well. At we live by: Being passionate about our product Never settling for good enough Getting sh*t done Thinking big Great design Personalized customer service Those core values can translate into social media guiding principles. How can you do that? By asking yourself, â€Å"How are your core principles going to drive your interactions on social media?† For example, at we are passionate about our product. How does that drive our employee’s social media interactions? We talk about our product. We’re proud of what we created and therefore we share information about it. It could be a new update, a new feature or a significant use case. To create these guidelines each one of your core principles should have an actionable item attached. How To Set Expectations For Your Employees The best way for your employees to understand what they can and cannot post on social is to be as clear as possible with your expectations. For the next part of your social media policy template, we’re going to focus on how to clearly define those expectations. Determining What Your Employees Should Post Determining what your employees should post is crucial to the success of your social media presence. When you’re thinking of what your employees should post, be as clear and specific as you can. The more you explain, the fewer questions you’ll have down the road. So for an example, let’s pretend a hypothetical theater company was working on a list of appropriate topics their employees could post. It might look something like this: Upcoming auditions Upcoming shows Company news (once approved by board for release to public) Job or artistic openings Industry news Rehearsal photos Company outings Local events Local theater productions Behind the scenes/ backstage photos Each one of these examples is something an employee can post about the company and not have to worry about checking in with the social media team to make sure it’s okay. In fact, we would encourage our employees to post about these topics! Recommended Reading: How to Curate Content For Social Media to Help Boost Your Reach Determining Post Topics Your Employees Should Avoid Most of the items that you would encourage your employees to be cautious posting about are pretty self-explanatory and should be common sense areas to avoid. However, clear instructions will help guide your employees and create fewer questions down the road. So let’s go back to our social media policy template and see what an example looks like: Politics Religion Sensitive audition information Company finances Costumes or set photos (unless permission has been given by the designer) Speculations about upcoming season shows Negative reviews of actors, directors or other artists Negative reviews of local theaters Gossip or other inflammatory language Derogatory language about someone’s gender, religion, heritage, sexual orientation or disability Most of these are pretty obvious but there is one point that you need to clearly define within  your social media policy document. The definition of derogatory language. That line is so easy to cross, and what your company defines as derogatory language may be different from another. For this example our theatre company would define derogatory language as *It is important to note that derogatory language is defined at Change Theatre Company as anything that degrades, insults, or implies that an individual that belongs to one of those groups is anything less than a human being with their own unique experiences and perspectives. At Change Theatre Company we strive to accept and respect all perspectives and people, no matter who they are. The more you can draw that line in the sand, the better. Freedom Of Speech Versus Company Policy: Which One Wins? Trying to tell employees what they can post on their social accounts is the definition of a gray area. It is their personal account, after all, they are entitled to their own opinions. Well, while you are entitled to your own opinions, that doesn’t mean that you or your employees are free from the backlash of a poorly worded tweet. Yes, freedom of speech is important, but just like in the real world where you represent your company at all times, you also represent your company on social media at all times. You represent your company on social media at all times.So how do you navigate this particular gray area? Sharing opinions on touchy topics will vary by company, industry and more. For example, our theoretical theatre company encouraged our employees to tread carefully when it comes to posting about hot button topics like religion and politics. However, both of those topics may come up as themes around different shows, therefore it would be completely reasonable for employees to engage in discussion about them.   Another conflict example could be if you work for a news organization. These traditionally taboo topics come up daily for reports, they can’t just ignore them and continue on with their day. So what’s the fix? It’s vital that when you create your company’s social media policy, you take its public position into account. If your organization is centered around politics, it would probably be okay for your employees to post about them, but again it all depends. While you can encourage employees to stay away from discussing certain topics on social media, it is important to note that you cannot, according to the National Labor Relations Board, restrict people from discussing things like wages or working conditions among other things. If you’re in doubt about something, consult your legal team. You never want to feel like you’re squashing your employees with your social media policy, but you also want to protect yourself, and them! Now there’s a trend that says if you put a disclaimer in your bio like â€Å"opinions are my own† or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"retweets do not equal endorsements† then your content is safe from employer backlash and your company is safe from public backlash. Those tiny bits of legal jargon do absolutely nothing to protect you or your company. They are nice to have, but don’t rely on them to save you or your company if a situation arises. All of this information is not meant to scare you or to encourage you to create a policy that is locked down so tight it discourages your employees from posting online. Rather, the policy is there to help guide your employees and help them avoid mistakes, not shut down their social media posting. A #social #media #policy should help employees avoid mistakes.Social Media At Work The next part of your social media policy template is a section dedicated to identifying appropriate social media usage at the office and during work hours.   Some companies will have a very strict, no social media browsing while at the office, while some companies will be more relaxed and allow employees to browse social media as long as it doesn’t distract from their work. The policy that is in this example is strict but how your company determines your policy will be up to you. The Enforcement Of Your Social Media Policy The rules of your social media policy need to be enforced. What that enforcement process looks like needs to be set up in your social media policy. It is better for your employees to know what is coming if rules are broken, then to sit and wonder what will happen. For this example, I broke down enforcement into three categories. One involves breaking the policy for social media office use, the second involves posting content that breaks the rules for acceptable content, and the third involves sending company information or other language that would be grounds for an immediate dismissal. Each enforcement structure may differ depending on the types of rules you put into your policy. Work with HR and upper management to determine the course of action your company should take each time the policy is broken. Recommended Reading: How to Improve Your Social Media Management in Just 30 Days Where Should Staff Direct Questions About the Social Media Policy? Your employees are going to have questions, whether it’s a simple â€Å"can I post this meme?† or more serious questions like â€Å"I posted a tweet and now people are upset, what do I do?† Having someone to turn to whether it’s a simple matter or a time of crisis can help make sure that your social media program is flowing smoothly. In your social media policy template, you’ll see a whole section dedicated to laying out what your chain of contact looks like. For this example we would have information all the way up to our CMO listed however, your’s may be different based on company and personal preferences. What Happens In A Crisis Situation? Everyone is human and therefore mistakes happen. What do you do when those mistakes arise? More importantly, what do you do when those mistakes create a social media crisis situation for an employee? In your social media policy template, you’re going to layout the exact instructions that your employee will need to follow. The following is what I would have an employee do at Change Theatre Company. 1. Delete the tweet and issue a sincere apology.  If something gets posted by one of your employees and it starts to cause a backlash, have your employee delete that message right away. It’s important to note that while the message may be gone, it very well could have been saved by someone else. Be prepared for it to resurface. The second thing your employee needs to do is issue a sincere apology. Not a regurgitated, robotic one either. You need to sincerely apologize for the offending message. People can tell in an instant if you’re just apologizing to save your skin. 2. Contact your social team.  The next thing you need your employee to do is to contact your social media team and let them know what has happened. Once they have all the information they can prepare the company for any backlash they might face, and they’ll be able to advise said employee on what steps to take next in order to remedy the situation. Speaking of next steps†¦ 3. Don't ignore angry messages.  The worst thing you can do in terms of a social media crisis is to ignore angry messages. This adds gasoline to an already growing flame. Be sincere in your responses and remember the more genuine you can be with your responses the better. This is where I would end my instructions for my employees. However, based on your company and procedures your list may be longer.   Work with your social media team to figure out the best process for you and There is a second section of your crisis management involves contacts of people who need to be informed immediately if a crisis situation arises. These are the people who can put your crisis plan into action and try to control any damage that the company may suffer before it gets out of control. Managing Your Online Presence Having resources at the end of your social media policy to help your employees manage their social presence will not only give them peace of mind about what to post but if they’re done right if will actually encourage them to post more. In your social media policy template is the last section for you to fill out. Here is an example of what I would want my management section to look like. Creating A Checklist Or Step List To Great Online Etiquette Forbes has an amazing 12 step checklist to having great social media etiquette. Things have changed since the days of 12-course dinners and formal introductions. So I would put a short online etiquette list for your employees. For this example, I stuck to five major ideas. Your list could be longer like the Forbes list or shorter than my example. This list is mainly here to serve as a reminder to double-check that you’re sending the right things out into the mindset. How To Deal With Online Complaints Or Questions Never ever let your employees take complaints or questions into their own hands unless it’s part of their job to do so. For this example, I include a simple three-step process for my employees to follow if they see a question or complaint about the company. Be Up Front About Who You Work For You never want to be deceptive in your social media use so it’s important that your employees are upfront about who they work for. Intel has a great social media policy that highlights how employees can identify that they work for Intel.  Usually, they have a disclaimer in their bio that they work for Intel and if they post about something work related they should use the hashtag #IAmIntel I used this same theory in creating our example social media policy. There is a section explaining what they should have in their social media bios and the hashtag they should use. Four Real-World Social Media Policy and Business Guidelines for Inspiration Now you’ve got your initial social media policy built. There may be more things you want to cover in your policy and that’s ok. But in case you need even more inspiration to create your policy check out some of these examples.

Final Exam Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Final Exam - Speech or Presentation Example the three-week training program, and then were tested again.  The dataset also includes (1) a measure of participant confidence in knowledge and (2) a certification exam score. The data are discipline-neutral. Therefore, part of your final project is to create a context for the research that is associated with your discipline or area of interest (e.g., training to assess mental health status; training to work with special education children; training to become a technician or consultant).   This work is an investigation into the impact of a training program on the knowledge base of three categories of employees. The employees are classified as professionals, paraprofessionals and non-professionals. The objective is to evaluate the impact of the training on the knowledge base of the employees in the various categories and establish whether the training had significant impact on the performance of each category. There is high consistency among all variables with the assumptions of normality. For example, the absolute skewness values are all within the range 0

How has the adoption of new approaches to risk management changed Essay

How has the adoption of new approaches to risk management changed organisations and the way that managers enact international business strategy - Essay Example This includes the management of both the internal and external risks that are or that may be faced by the organization. Risk management is an important part of strategic management because the process involves the management of existing and potential adverse impacts as well as the realization of opportunities present in the broad business environment. This report deals with an analysis of how the adoption of the new age risk management processes have led to changes in the organizations and the ways the managers of these organizations formulate business and corporate strategies by focusing on the management of risk as a significant part of their strategic management initiatives. Risk management is a process used in domestic and international businesses for the purpose of the identification and assessment of the risks that are currently being faced by the respective businesses and that may be faced in the future by the same followed by developing suitable strategic plans to protect the businesses against the existing and potential risks. Risk in business is generally a term which is used to define the possibilities that in future different internal and external occurrences may lead to losses and harm for the company while at the same time also identifying the fact that the emergence and mitigation of risks may pave the way for new opportunities for these business organizations. Risks are important components to be considered by the managers and planners because, by taking risks, businesses are likely to achieve necessary gains and benefits and also at the same time, the identification and subsequent mitigation of the risks are necessary to ensure sustainabil ity and competiveness of the business in a highly dynamic, competitive and complex global corporate environment. There are many benefits of risk management that have been identified over time. The benefits of integrating risk management processes at all

A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay Example for Free

A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay In Flannery O’Connor’s story A Good Man is Hard to Find the title illustrates the changing times and how progressively from the grandmother’s perspective, the future is quite different from the past; in which the grandmother believes that the past presented people with a much simpler way of life and the future is not as decadent and is too complex. The title also refers to the interchange between the grandmother and the Misfit at the end of the story. The Misfit is a man who was has recently escaped from prison. When the grandmother and the Misfit meet up on a country road after the grandmother’s family has been in a car wreck the Misfit and his gang take care of the family, with the Misfit killing the grandmother last. The title of the book bears relevance to this in a foreshadowing manner in that the ideals that the grandmother tries to uphold and apply to the Misfit bear no relevance in reality; for her, the title connotes that the past is unattainable; a good man is hard to find means that the world is changing rapidly and her reference towards life is outdated. For the Misfit the reader can foreshadow how the title connotes his childhood and how he simply was borne bad and that the object of a good man being hard to find entails the psycho-socio-balance that cannot exist rightly in any man seemingly. Furthermore, the title foreshadows in a way how the world has lapsed in faith; both the grandmother and the Misfit have a lack of faith in anything, and as O’Connor has written the story she adds in her touch of personality, If you would pray, the old lady said, Jesus would help you. Thats right, The Misfit said. Well then, why dont you pray? she asked trembling with delight suddenly. I dont want no hep, he said. Im doing all right by myself. (O’Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find 11). Thus, when the Misfit admits that he likes who is, or at least does not want to go around changing who he is, it is O’Connor’s omission that there is no such thing as a saint, as a good man and thus the impetus for the title is found, and all of the foreshadowing can be found in this title for the reader. The theme of the book is progression; progress from a former state of being to a later state of being which is shown succinctly with the car trip, the drive down the country road to a house which does not exist in that state and finally with the family facing their death at the pistol end of the Misfit and his gang. It is through this theme of progression that the reader may also connote foreshadowing because with this progress, the family cannot expect to stay the same, and since the grandmother is a character so set in her ways, the only way for her to change in the story is through death. This theme of progress goes into detail with the characterization of the Misfit. The Misfit, like the grandmother denies the theme of progression, which is also a foreshadowing in the story as the reader knows the Misfit’s character will not change and thus, will kill the family, because if he doesn’t kill the family it’s a sign of progression and change. While the grandmother clings wholeheartedly to the past, the Misfit does this as well. The grandmother changes by dying and the Misfit stays the same by killing the grandmother and the family. I call myself The Misfit, he said, because I cant make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment. (O’Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find 11). Thus, the Misfit is stating that his future does not match his expectations, and his progression as a person has stalled and his stuck being the Misfit which incidentally is a name he designed and applied to himself to further exemplify that he is without development and surely, as represented in O’Connor’s story a man without hope of change. O’Connor’s story subsequently allows the reader to find out that what the grandmother and Misfit’s true crime is that they fear change and thus that is their sin. O’Connor’s story is a tale told about redemption; or rather the lack of redemption. Neither the grandmother nor the Misfit feel morally remiss about their actions or their attitude towards things, such as crime and killing for the Misfit and racism and prejudices for the grandmother. By allowing these characters to be recalcitrant toward the theme of progression she is making the characters human which is not often done in novels or short stories. O’Connor’s approach to characterization makes for the story to have a lot of gumption in its writing style and subject matter. By including the ‘dirtier’ side of life, such as biases and murdering O’Connor is allowing the story to shape within a paradigm of humanity which must by its nature be inclusive of both good and bad, and O’Connor is an expert in the writing of the yin and yang as it were. Work Cited O’Conner, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. Harvest Books, New York. 1977.

Heavy Weather At American Airlines :: essays research papers

Heavy Weather at American Airlines Business Week Heavy Weather at American Jan.27 1997 pg 32 There is a big shake up at American Airlines. The pilots want more money but management has already spent it. Another strike you say. Yip, looks like it. The chief executive of American Airlines was stunned when on January 8, by an overwhelming vote, pilots rejected a tentative contract. Pilots then got a message from the company president saying "For the first time in many years, we fear for the future of our company." The reason that this strike could spell disaster for one of the leading airlines in the world is the rather large order of new aircraft American ordered from Boeing. American says that having to pay higher pilot salaries and buy new aircraft makes it an uneconomical investment, in other words they can not do both and still stay in business. A strike could even threaten a purposed alliance with British Airways. American in not alone though. With industry profits on the constant rise, employees of other airlines are pushing for higher pay also, but undeniably American is in the worst position right now. It looks to me like the pilots were not very happy with the decision to purchase new aircraft from Boeing back in November when it was first voted on. It seems as though instead of purchasing new aircraft the pilots wanted a pay increase. What the pilots want is a pay increase of 11% over the next four years. What the have been offered is a 5% increase. The argument that the pilots have put forward is the fact that their offer does not even keep up with inflation. It looks as though a strike would be very unlikely because of the amount of money involved, somewhere around fifty million a day would be lost by American. That big of a loss could be very detrimental to any company. What can management do with a dilemma like this? It seem that they departed without knowing where they were going to land. They should have made sure there would not have been an uprising in any part of the company before the took measures as drastic as ordering six-billion dollars in new aircraft. It looks to me like there needs to be better communication between all facets of management in this company. The only way out of this mess that I can see is to reduce the order from Boeing so that they can afford to give the pilots there precious pay increases. This could cause more problems depending on how lenient the contract between

Views of stereotypes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

During the early 1800's, racism was still rampant among citizens in America, especially those in the south. Minorities were generalized as a member of a certain racial group and stereotyped with degrading qualities that implied that they were less than human. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain creates a character with all of the African-American stereotypes, and throughout the novel, develops him into a character that everyone can relate to, showing that he is human. At that time, African-Americans were seen as animals that did not care for anyone, but Twain shows that Jim has feelings, despite what society thinks. Another aspect of the African-American stereotype was that all African-Americans were stupid, but Jim, although uneducated, is not portrayed as stupid. A common belief among racists at the time was that African-Americans were less than human, but throughout the novel, Jim shows feelings of despair, regret and compassion, all of which are humanlike. In contrast to the typical stereotype that African-Americans care for no one but theirselves, Jim is depicted as an extremely caring person. When describing his daughter to Huck, Jim says, â€Å"En wid dat I fetch' her a slap side de head dat sont her a-spawlin'†¦Oh, Huck, I bust out a-cryin' en grab her up in my arms, en say, ‘Oh, de po' little thing! De Lord God Amighty fogive po' Jim, kaze he never gwyne to forgive hisself as lon's he live!†(156). In this quotation, Jim expresses extreme regrete and sorrow for his daughter whom he has realized is deaf and couldn't hear anything he was saying to her. When Huck and Jim have been separated and Huck is staying at the Grangerfords, Jim shows another instance of caring. When Huck saw Jim for the first time again he wrote, † I waked him up, and I reckoned it was going to be a grand surprise to him to see me again, but it warn't. He nearly cried he was so glad, but he warn't surprised†(114). In this quotation, Twain illustrates Jim's concern for not only his own family, but for his Huck, whom he has formed a unique friendship with. Twain successfully develops Jim into a character that cares not only for his family, but for his friends. African-Americans and slaves especially, were stereotyped as ignorant in the early 1800's. Jim, like most other slaves, has no formal education and talks in a dialect that makes him appear to be less educated. However Jim has a unique kind of intelligence. When Huck was trying to trick Jim into thinking that he had dreamt up their separation in the fog, Jim notices the debris on Huck, â€Å"Jim looked at the trash, and then looked at me, and back at the trash again. He had got the dream fixed so strong in his head that he couldn't seem to shake it loose and get the facts back into its place again right away. But when he did get the thing straightened around he looked at me steady without ever smiling† (54). Jim shows his common sense smarts by figuring out when Huck is lying to him. The fact that Huck, an educated white boy, couldn't fool Jim, an uneducated slave, with his scheme shows that although Jim is uneducated, he is intelligent in his own way. When the Duke and the King come on board the raft, Jim knows that since the King claims he is from France, that he should be able to speak French. â€Å"I found Jim had been trying to get him to talk French, so he could hear what it was like; but he said he had been in this country so long, and had so much trouble, he'd forgot it†(179). This shows the reasoning ability that Jim has. He knows that since the King is from France he should be able to speak French. Huck interprets this as Jim wanting to hear French, but what Jim is actually trying to do is to verify the King's story and keep themselves safe. Perhaps the worst stereotype about African-Americans at that time was that they were less than human, unable to feel humanlike emotions or act like normal humans do. Jim is portrayed as exactly the opposite, routinely risking his own life and freedom for the welfare of others. When Tom has been shot and Huck is consulting with Jim on what they should do, Jim says, â€Å"Well, den, is Jim gwyne to say it? No, sah-I doan'budge a step out'n this place ‘dout a doctor; not if it's forty year! (266)†. Jim has decided to risk being caught again to make sure that Tom Sawyer sees a doctor. He knows very well that he could easily be caught doing this and set back into slavery, but he does it anyway. This shows that Jim is a very humanlike character who experiences humanlike emotions, compassion in this instance, and acts in selfless ways. Twain again demonstrates Jim's equality and humanlike characteristics when Huck and Jim and eating on the raft. Huck writes, â€Å"so Jim he go t out some corn-dodgers and buttermilk, and pork and cabbage and greens†¦ and whilst I eat my supper we talked and had a good time† (126). This quotation illustrates Jim as an equal to Huck who can experience the same easy-going and fun emotions that Huck can. No where in the book is Jim unable to understand an emotion Huck or any other person is feeling, showing his humanity. Jim is a representation of how all people can feel emotions for others, be intelligent no matter how uneducated they are, and experience emotions of the human race. Mark Twain has succeeded in creating a character who although is a minority, embodies characteristics that people can relate to. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was an important statement against racism and the values taught can still be applies to the American culture today.

Thought and Owl

Snowy Owl After Midnight The connection between humans and animals is truly a special one as demonstrated in Tim Bowling's â€Å"Snowy Owl After Midnight. † The speaker in the short story feels closely connected to the owl as he walks in the forest at night. The speaker believes that the owl â€Å"waits for [him]† and that the owl's â€Å"blood stirs/ at [his] presence. † Also, the owl seems to understand the â€Å"heightened smell of joy and fear/ [the speaker's] bones give off.Since the night is â€Å"so quiet,† the speaker feels that he and the owl are the only two â€Å"awake,† Strengthening their bond even more. Both the owl and the hunter are on a search for food hence they feel a sense of connection with each other during the long dark night. As they travel together, the speaker remembers the â€Å"months† they've spent circling in â€Å"each other's silence. † The speaker has a sudden urge to break the silence and talk to the owl as a friend. He longs to express to the beautiful winged creature about his â€Å"boyish dream† that consisted of the â€Å"beating heart of a snowman. Furthermore, the speaker wishes to hear the thoughts of the owl about the â€Å"blood† that is on the earth and what the owl would think if he knew the deaths that could be caused by the â€Å"clipped, pale hands† of the hunter. In some ways, the hunter desires to be like the owl. As quoted anonymously, â€Å"A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird? â€Å"As the â€Å"dark and silent† night goes on, the hunter and the owl loyally remain by each others side.

Writing to Parents Around the World

Writing to Parents Around the World Families around the world, whether they are in New York City, London, or Mumbai, look to parenting magazines for tips on everything from discipline to fun events. As a freelancer, these publications offer numerous opportunities to earn extra income and expand your audience. Writing for parenting magazines outside the United States is similar to writing for American publications, but with a few caveats. This article shows you what to keep in mind. First of all, where can you find these markets? Start with a Google search. Type keywords such as parenting magazines, as well as whatever country youre interested in working in. Stick to publications that publish in a language youre proficient in. Im a monolingual English speaker, so I prefer to deal with publications in that language. One problem with dealing with publications that dont speak your language is that the barrier can lead to miscommunication. When youre negotiating a contract, you dont want a publication that doesnt understand English-language terms such as kill fee and pays on acceptance. Once you find a publication you want to work for, study the website, paying special attention to the list of editors. Many magazine websites have the email addresses of editors. Whenever possible, approach the managing or associate editor with your pitch. The larger magazines list editors on their websites, but some smaller publications only have a general email address or contact form. In this case, contact the publication at the general address and inquire about which editor accepts article queries. Be willing to wait a couple of days for a response. In some cases, you might have to make an international call to verify editor information. Find the phone number on the publication website. Use timeanddate.com to find the local time. Always call your publication during its business hours, even if its a seven or eight-hour difference from your location. After you find the appropriate editor for your pitch, start writing your article proposal. Remember one thing though – youre writing not to fellow Americans, but to cultures with different biases and expectations. Being culturally insensitive is the fastest way to kill your potential assignment before its born. Some countries are very conservative when it comes to gender roles, while other countries frown on articles that glorify violence. In other words, your article on sex education may fly in Western Europe but not in the Middle East. Your nostalgic piece on cap guns may not be acceptable in a country with strict gun-control laws. One good site to get an overview on cultural etiquette is ediplomat.com. This website was originally meant for American diplomats in foreign countries, but its also good for tourists in general and writers. It takes some special skills to crack international parenting markets. But in the end, the extra work brings in a higher income and a larger audience for your work. Here are five international parenting publications for American freelance writers: ParentsCanada.com Country: Canada Website: www.parentscanada.com Editor: Janice Biehn Email: janiceb@parentscanada.com The Green Parent Country: United Kingdom Website: www.thegreenparent.co.uk Editor: Melissa Corkhill Email: features@thegreenparent.co.uk Absolutely Mama Country: United Kingdom Website: www.absolutely-mama.co.uk Editor: Helen Baron Email: helen.baron@zest-media.com Mother, Ba Country: United Arab Emirates Website: www.motherba Print edition editor: Dina Maaty Email: dina.maaty@cpimediagroup.com Online editor: Emma Hodgson Email: emma.hodgson@cpimediagroup.com Essential Ba Country: Australia Website: www.essentialba Editor: Melanie Mahoney Email: mmahoney@fairfaxmedia.com.au

About That Mysterious Astronomical Clock in Prague

About That Mysterious Astronomical Clock in Prague Tick tock, whats the oldest clock? The idea of decorating buildings with a timepiece goes back a long way, says Dr. Jià ¸Ãƒ ­ (Jiri) Podolskà ½, from Charles University in Prague. The square, lion-flanked tower in Padua, Italy was built in 1344. The original Strasbourg clock, with angels, hour glasses, and crowing roosters, was built in 1354. But, if youre looking for a highly ornamental, astronomical clock with its original workings intact, Dr. Podolskà ½ says this: Go to Prague. Prague: Home to the Astronomical Clock Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, is a crazy quilt of architectural styles. Gothic cathedrals soar over Romanesque churches. Art Nouveau facades nestle alongside Cubist buildings. And, in every part of the city are clock towers. The oldest and most celebrated clock is on the side wall of the Old Town Hall in Old Town Square. With glittering hands and a complex series of filigreed wheels, this ornamental timepiece doesnt merely mark the hours of a 24-hour day. Symbols of the zodiac tell the course of the heavens. When the bell tolls, windows fly open and mechanical apostles, skeletons, and sinners begin a ritualistic dance of destiny. The irony of the Prague Astronomical Clock is that for all its mastery at keeping time, it is nearly impossible to place in time. Chronology of the Prague Clock Dr. Podolskà ½ believes the original clock tower in Prague was built in about 1410. The original tower was no doubt modeled after  ecclesiastical bell towers that were sweeping the continents architecture. The complexity of gears would have been very high-technology back in the early 15th century.   It was a simple, unadorned structure back then, and the clock showed only astronomical data. Later, in 1490, the tower facade was decorated with flamboyant Gothic sculptures and a golden astronomical dial. Then, in the 1600s, came the mechanical figure of Death, leering and tolling the great bell. The mid-1800s brought still more additions- wooden carvings of the twelve apostles and a calendar disk with astrological signs. Todays clock is thought to be the only one on earth to keep sidereal time in addition to our regular time- thats the difference between a sidereal and lunar month. Stories About Pragues Clock Everything in Prague has a story, and so it is with the Old Town clock. Natives claim that when the mechanical figures were created, town officials had the clockmaker blinded so that he would never duplicate his masterpiece. In vengeance, the blind man climbed the tower and stopped his creation. The clock remained silent for more than fifty years. Centuries later, during dreary decades of communist domination, the legend of the blinded clockmaker became a metaphor for thwarted creativity. At least thats the way the story goes. When Clocks Become Architecture Why do we turn timepieces into architectural monuments? Perhaps, as Dr. Podolskà ½ suggests, builders of early clock towers wanted to show their respect for the heavenly order. Or, perhaps the idea runs even deeper. Was there ever an era when humans didnt build great structures to mark the passage of time? Just look at the ancient Stonehenge in Great Britain. Now thats an old clock! Source: Prague Astronomical Clock  © J.Podolsky, 30 Dec 1997, at http://utf.mff.cuni.cz/mac/Relativity/orloj.htm [accessed November 23, 2003]

Information Systems Security Assurance Management Article

Information Systems Security Assurance Management - Article Example The disaster that occurred was a major fire that completely destroyed the company’s servers including the entire software code of the programs made for their clients. Moreover, MSS also hosted a few of the programs of their smaller clients on their own servers. The news of the fire was relayed to Brian Elkin, who was in charge of research and development. Teitelbaum was out of town at the moment, so Elkin rushed to Andrew Katula (senior software engineer). It was the practice of the company to take backups of the software regularly. Katula was in the practice of doing so every evening after business, and Elkin was revealed that he did so the previous evening also. The author's state that had this not been done, the company’s business would have come to a stop and might even result in enclosure. When Teitelbaum returned he provided a free reign to his employees to purchase new hardware immediately. MSS’s telephone company, Verizon was asked to forward all calls to a new number. He contacted a friend for temporary office space and within four days had a functioning office with all the required hardware and infrastructure. Only the small clients who had servers with MSS were affected to a certain extent. The hardware vendors went out of their way to get the equipment for MSS. Most of the other clients did not even know about the fire at the company premises. Servers and other equipment are now protected by sensors that switch on cooling fans if the temperature exceeds a certain limit. Backup is being done every day as before. It can be seen that the best disaster management practice was taking daily backups. Otherwise, the company would have suffered irreversible damage.