The Intelligence Community Oversight

The Intelligence Community Oversight What do you consider to be the biggest challenge facing Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community? Research has shown that for a long time, the congress lacked adequate information on the components of intelligence. Puyvelde (2013, 140) confirms that for over 25 years, little effort has been put in place by the congress in enhancing intelligence. After critical review of history, Moran (2011, 676) elucidates that there are myriads of intelligence failures across the world.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Intelligence Community Oversight specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, a number of regimes have been overthrown from power. Assassinations and incessant uprisings are also rife in various parts of the globe. According to Puyvelde (2013, 140), the congress failed to institute measures to curb both local and international threats until the late 19th century when aggressive intelligen ce programs began to take shape. After the end of major world wars, the congress made a deliberate attempt to protect intelligence programs. Instead of facilitating intelligence operations, it ended up establishing restrictive measures. It is worth to mention that the latter has been a major challenge for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The greatest challenge facing congressional oversight is lack of incentives and time to oversee the management of Intelligence affairs. Puyvelde (2013, 141) observes that â€Å"senior policymakers and intelligence officers have at crucial times, demonstrated a reluctance to submit intelligence agencies to external oversight.† It is evident that there have been sharp divisions between the judiciary and executive arms of government on issues related to national intelligence. Moreover, the congress has not provided ample political support to the intelligence community. Actually, the issue of intelligence in the United States has widely been ca ptured in the media through newspapers and blogs (Puyvelde 2013, 142). The media is apparently compelling the government to demonstrate more interest in the management and overall improvement of intelligence matters by providing necessary incentives to the CIA. Are the authorities and requirements enough to ensure that the Intelligence community operates within their established lanes? Puyvelde (2013, 145) points out that the Intelligence Community faces numerous challenges due to limited authority and lack of support from the Congress. Moran (2011, 677) is emphatic that if the CIA can be accorded relevant support in terms of resources, it will be in a position to operate within the established boundaries. Puyvelde (2013, 143) underscores that the congress uses watchdogs as overseers to restrain activities of the CIA. This has compelled the agency to operate without the input of the public. Members of public are crucial since they have reliable information that can be used to enhanc e intelligence.Advertising Looking for critical writing on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Puyvelde (2013, 144) observes that the congress should give the Intelligence Community necessary requirements such as finances and freedom to access crucial sources of information from government archives and records. Puyvelde (2013, 144) argues that â€Å"most studies of intelligence accountability in the United States have focused on the institutional system of checks and balances.† Therefore, it is obvious that checks and balances by the congress usually hinder the CIA from operating within the established regulations. If the congress can be lenient enough and grant authority to the agency, then it will be possible for different interest groups to cooperate with the CIA (Puyvelde 2013, 144). This will not merely improve accountability. It will also assist interest groups to participate in national security and intelligence maters. Relevant supports such as incentives, political goodwill and adequate funding should be given to the Intelligence Community in order to improve the overall standard of intelligence. The Intelligence Community can only function well if a conducive working environment is put in place. References Moran, Christopher, 2011. â€Å"Intelligence and the Media: The press, government secrecy and the ‘Buster’ Crabb Affair.† Intelligence and National Security 26, no. 5 (October): 676-700. Puyvelde, Damien. 2013. â€Å"Intelligence Accountability and the role of public interest groups in the United States.† Intelligence and National Security 28, no. 2 (May): 139-158.

Ogdens Basic English - Definitions and Discussion

Ogdens Basic English - Definitions and Discussion Definition Basic English is a version of the English language made simple by limiting the number of its words to 850, and by cutting down the rules for using them to the smallest number necessary for the clear statement of ideas (I.A. Richards, Basic English and Its Uses, 1943).Basic English was developed by British linguist Charles Kay Ogden (Basic English, 1930) and was intended as a medium of international communication. For this reason it has also been called Ogdens Basic English.BASIC is a backronym for British American Scientific International Commercial (English). Although interest in Basic English declined after the 1930s and early 1940s, it relates in some ways to the work carried out by contemporary researchers in the field of English as a lingua franca. For examples of texts that have been translated into Basic English, visit the website of Ogdens Basic English.   See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Controlled EnglishEnglish as a Lingua FrancaGlobal EnglishGlobishNew RhetoricPlain English Examples and Observations Basic English, though it has only 850 words, is still normal English. It is limited in its words and its rules, but it keeps to the regular forms of English. And though it is designed to give the learner as little trouble as possible, it is no more strange to the eyes of my readers than these lines, which are in fact in Basic English. . . .The second point to make clear is that even with so small a word list and so simple a structure it is possible to say in Basic English anything needed for the general purpose of everyday existence . . ..The third most important point about Basic is that it is not merely a list of words, governed by a minimum apparatus of essential English grammar, but a highly organized system designed throughout to be as easy as possible for a learner who is totally ignorant of English or of any related language. . . .(I.A. Richards, Basic English and Its Uses, Kegan Paul, 1943) The Grammar of Basic English[C.K. Ogden argued that] there are very few basic operatio ns hiding behind the very large number of verbs in the normal standard language. Not only can most of the so-called verbs in the language be circumlocuted by phrases such as have a desire for  and put a question, but such circumlocutions represent a truer meaning than the fictions (want, ask) that they replace. This insight prompted Ogden into devising a kind of notional grammar of English in which everything could be expressed by translating it into terms of relationships between Things (with or without modifying Qualities) and Operations. The principal practical benefit was to reduce the number of lexical verbs to a small handful of operational items. In the end he decided on only fourteen (come, get, give, go, keep, let, make, put, seem, take, do, say, see, and send) plus two auxiliaries (be and have) and two modals (will and may). The propositional content of any statement can be expressed in a sentence containing only these operators.(A.P.R. Howatt and H.G. Widdowson,  A Hi story of English Language Teaching, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2004) Weaknesses of Basic EnglishBasic has three weaknesses: (1) It cannot be a world auxiliary language, an avenue into standard English, and a reminder of the virtues of plain usage at one and the same time. (2) Its dependence on operators and combinations produces circumlocutions at times unacceptable in standard English . . .. (3) The Basic words, mainly common, short words like get, make, do, have some of the widest ranges of meaning in the language and may be among the most difficult to learn adequately.(Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Oxford University Press, 1992) Also Known As: BASIC, Ogdens Basic English

Mexican Film From 1936 to Present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Mexican Film From 1936 to Present - Essay Example The history of Mexican Films dates back to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the films were made to mark the historical news and events, such as the ‘Mexican Revolution’. In 1936, Mexico had its first color film, by the name of ‘Novillero’. However, the Golden Age of the Mexican Film Industry began in the 1940’s. In this era the Mexican Film Industry directed 70 films, out of which some even received awards in the year’s Cannes Film Festival. 1990’s is said to be the Era of the Nueva Cinema Mexicano, or New Mexican Cinema. With the success of a number of award winning movies internationally, a ‘new wave’ or ‘renaissance’ is said to make waves in the Mexican Film Industry this era. By the 20th century Mexican directors had made absolutely implausible movies, such that they have actually started getting nominations for their movies in the Oscars (most prominent Award Ceremony of the world). In 2007, films of three Mexican directors received 16 Oscar nominations. The Mexican Industry is getting immense exposure, but the directors and actors are leaving, to represent their talent internationally and for greener pastures in Europe and America. Mexico’s current position of leadership can be seen as an achievement due to the Mexican cinema. Mexican cinema has experienced ‘Cultural Imperialism’, which is the practice of promoting a more powerful culture over a least know or desirable culture. In the early 1930’s decades after the ‘Mexican Revolution’, Mexico started emerging as a normal city. This was when the working class was working and bureaucracy was giving rise to a new sort of middleclass. This was what the movies in this era were based on. Directors showed the upheavals and the emergence of the Mexican society through their works. A movie is supposed to reflect the culture of a society and serve as a gauge to

Discussion 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 5 - Essay Example The writer also identifies these mistakes such as male chauvinism and egotistic minds. From these mistakes, Rogers ends his piece of writing by insisting on critical thinking on issues and opinions before making informative decisions. From the start and conclusion of the article, a reader is convinced on critical analysis of the article. (Rogers 333) Rogers employs simple and direct language so as to make it easier for understanding the views passed across. The article inspires change in decision making on daily notions and sometimes uninformed decisions about people and issues. From the writing, words such as communication, differences, and decisions play a significant role in enabling readers understand the article. The article bears repetition of words such as understanding and communication. These words form the foundation of the existence of the article and also the delivery of the message. From this, communication comes out as the main point of discussion. The article comes out enlightening in such a way that my personal judgments are put on test and the urge of making informative decisions comes also in. Communication enables individuals understand each another. On the other hand, through communication, people tend disagreeing on issues and matters without informative decisions. The argument bears similar views and opinions from related texts in that both delve into analysis of how people think and handle ideas and

Victor Meldrew Essay Example for Free

Victor Meldrew Essay How realistic do you find the character of Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave, base your answer on an analysis of In Luton Airport No-One Can Hear You Scream Victor Meldrew is the main character in a TV programme named One Foot in the Grave which is a BBC made sitcom. The word sitcom is short for situation comedy. Sitcoms were founded in America, with the first one I Love Lucy being a great success all over the world. It was shown on I. T. V, with almost every one enthralled week in and week out. This meant the BBC needed to create a sitcom of their own to try and justify the television licence, and One Foot in the Grave was one of those sitcoms. Sitcoms are a very popular genre of TV because they contain many subliminal messages. Sitcom productions such as One Foot in the Grave have many conventions which are there are few main characters, the episodes are episodic (each episode is separate) so you dont have to follow the story lines, most sitcoms have inexpensive sets, props and costumes or anything that can easily be carried on or off stage. Most sitcoms last for about 30 minutes and are based on everyday experiences so the audience can relate to them. All of these conventions are there to attract attention to Meldrew. For example having few main characters focuss all our attention on Meldrew and what he is doing. Having inexpensive props (properties), sets and costumes again draws our attention to Meldrew because our attention isnt focused on props or the surroundings and so that the audience can relate to it because stereotypical old men dont tend to wear brand names so Meldrew is merely following trend. The majority of the time main characters in sitcoms are stereotypes for example Kevin and Perry are stereotypical teenagers and Victor Meldrew is a great example of a stereotypical old man. Stereo types are used in sitcoms because there is not enough time to develop complex characters so when using a stereo type they are instantly recognised. With Meldrew being stereotyped as an old man we recognise him as being grumpy and stubborn constantly. This is always amusing to watch because we can all relate to it. At the start of the programme we hear the theme tune to One Foot in the Grave which shows a tortoise walking painfully slow which indicates a old person because people think of tortoises as old and slow. There are many quotes in the theme tune which are meant to explain old men, such as Wrinkly, Crinkly and Past my sell by date One Foot in the Grave is made up of many different types of humour as are many sitcoms. Meldrews humour tends to be visual, sarcastic and slapstick. In sitcoms the contrast between normal everyday experiences and ridiculous situations can differ in sitcoms. For example during the episode In Luton Airport No-One Can Hear You Scream Meldrew came home to find his house to be nothing more than rubble. This is not really an everyday experience which the audience can relate to its more of a ridiculous situation which makes the audience laugh. During sitcoms the audience may wonder whether the programme they are watching is realistic in any way. They may think this when for example when Meldrew is in his back garden sun bathing with his buttocks showing. This is not normal behaviour for an elderly man to do in his back garden. Another example of unrealistic behaviour is when Meldrew turns up at Luton Airport dressed like the Cisco kid. This is not realistic because this is not an outfit you would wear on your way back to Britain. The Still images show us how much effort has been put into making the episode because it shows us a great deal about the body language, the lighting and the types of camera angles used. The first still shot is when Meldrew is in the airport cafi and he has just been told about his house being burnt down, the still for this scene shows us there are lots of cheap props such as plastic plants, sombrero and a orange and pink shirt. The lighting is very bright and the camera angle is a medium shot. The body language of Melldrew after throwing the beer in his face shows him with a semi-open mouth to symbolise disbelief. Still 2 is the still from outside Meldrews house where he is arguing with a neighbour who is leaning out of his window from across the street. The props are again inexpensive because they are only stones and bricks. The camera angle is a high shot facing down on Melldrew to show us the power which his neighbour has over him because he is in a warm house and is above Meldrew. Still 3 is of Meldrew unpacking in a forensic suit, holding only a sock which was the only item found from his suitcase which was lost on his way back to Britain. The props used are packing cases and boxes. The lighting is very bright to show us that Meldrew is agitated. The camera shot is a medium shot, and his body language tells us that he is disgusted. Still 4 is of Meldrew sunbathing in his back garden in his trunks with his buttocks showing. The props used are a towel and some sunglasses. The sun provides all the sun for this shot, the camera angle used is a low shot to show us that Melldrew is helpless. His body language used shows us that he is shocked as his neighbour stumbles across him sun bathing. The conclusion to this is that Meldrew is not a realistic character he is merely a stereotype designed to make us laugh. If Meldrew was realistic most people would not find it funny and therefore not watch the programme. The idea of a sitcom is to make us laugh so if they had masses of characters or a complex setting it would take all the fun out of the programme and defy the whole point of a sitcom.

chemistry (ocean) :: essays research papers

What is an iceberg? Why are they blue or green? An iceberg is a large floating block of freshwater ice that has broken off the edge of a glacier and been carried out to sea; about 90% of its mass lies under the water. The bluish streaks of clear, bubble free ice often seen in icebergs results from the refreezing of melt water which fills crevasses formed in the glacier as it creeps over land. The ice is blue because of the natural light scattering characteristics of pure ice. Occasionally airborne dust or dirt eroded from land ends up on the glacier surface eventually forming a noticeably darkened brown or black layer (in any orientation) within the ice of a floating iceberg. What type of information can scientists obtain from polar ice? Polar Regions and some alpine areas are sufficiently cold that snowfall accumulates from year to year, building up as glaciers. As snow at the surface gets buried with time it gets compressed to form solid ice and this ice carries with it information about the climate when the snow originally fell. By drilling down into a glacier and recovering this old ice, the information can be used to help understand past climate. The information obtained from ice cores can be divided into three types. The first of these types of information comes from the solid and dissolved impurities in the snow. Usually snow that falls in those places is almost pure water, but it still contains traces of dust, and pollutants from human activities. This information can be used to detect major environmental changes in the circulation of the atmosphere. The second type of information obtained from ice cores comes from bubbles in the glacier ice. These bubbles are formed as snow becomes compressed and the air between the flakes gets trapped. The third type of information obtained from ice cores comes from the frozen water itself. In the oceans, one in about every 500 oxygen atoms is the heavy isotope, while one in about 70 hydrogen atoms is heavy. However as the water evaporates and is transported to polar regions, the mix of the heavy isotopes changes. These changes are mostly influenced by temperature and it turns out that by measuring water isotopes in ice cores researchers can infer temperatures when the snow originally fell. In the past 30 years, many ice cores have been drilled to study past climate.

A radical democrat: King’s Last Campaign

The task of this paper is two-fold; first, this paper will trace and explain the evolution of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s belief that war, racism and economic injustice are all intertwined and can be dealt with the restructuring of society’s priorities and addressed the necessity of a revolution of values; second, this paper will also explain how he carried out his beliefs in the Memphis Strike and the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968 [what the author and University of Washington professor, Michael K. Honey called â€Å"Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign†]. At the onset of this paper, it is important to note that King’s ‘background’ [which includes his race, habituation, education and religion among many others] is crucial in his struggle against racial discrimination, violence and economic injustice as experienced by blacks in the United States of America. The son of a minister, he was habituated in the teachings of Christianity and was able to attend and complete his formal education with degrees in sociology, theology and divinity. King was a pastor himself at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in the year 1953 prior to finishing his doctoral degree in systematic theology from Boston University on 1955. What prompted the Memphis Strike? Memphis in 1968 was ruled by a paternalistic â€Å"plantation mentality† embodied in its good-old-boy mayor, Henry Loeb. Wretched conditions, abusive white supervisors, poor education, and low wages locked most black workers into poverty (Honey, 2007). This characterization of the political, economic and social conditions of the blacks in Memphis in 1968 by Honey may be cited as cases of â€Å"manufactured and institutionalized oppression†. By manufactured and institutionalized oppression, I mean oppression which involves the mechanisms of law and power relations the basis of which is against the ‘natural law’. Natural law theorists, following the thoughts of St. Augustine that â€Å"an unjust law is not a law at all† and Aquinas’ notion of â€Å"law as an ordinance of reason†, view morality as essentially tied up with the very essence of law. How does King figure in all of this? How can we explain the evolution of King’s ideological perspective? The point is clear: Oppression and unfair treatment of individuals is not morally valid nor is it morally permissible most especially if the basis of such is the individual’s ethnicity or race. As the Kantians believed, each person has a capacity for rational deliberation and choice and as such, an autonomous being with dignity and therefore, ought to be respected by virtue of being human persons. The evolution of King’s ideological perspective may therefore be construed in such way that it is a product, both of his experiences as a black living in a white-dominated society and his philosophical and political development and this may be inferred from Fairclough’s book, â€Å"Martin Luther King, Jr.†, 1995. King’s speeches very clearly communicate his views: â€Å"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality†¦.I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits[†¦] (as cited by Carson, 1998). Three important points about King and his political thrusts, philosophical orientation and as to why he may be called a â€Å"radical democrat† may be inferred from the aforementioned quotation. First, as a leading figure in â€Å"civil rights movement† King believed in the tenets of democracy and liberalism in the sense that he believed that both white and black Americans must have fair treatment in the realm of the law, for the purpose of law itself is the administration of social justice. Second, he believed in the â€Å"non-necessity of violence†. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s â€Å"civil disobedience†, he believed that there are peaceful ways in and through which the problem of political and economic injustice may be resolved. It may further be inferred that for him, political, economic and social change can best be achieved not through violence [and that the government should not keep itself busy from going to war, as in the case of the Vietnam War] nor by transforming a portion or a sector of society but what is needed is a restructuring of the society as a whole. King believed that a â€Å"revolution of values† is a matter of strict necessity. King’s views may be identified as â€Å"radical† in this sense. He emphasized the need to restructure even how we think about black Americans or African Americans. It may be inferred that racism, the feeling of being superior over another race or ethnic group or nationality is grounded on the wrong premises; wrong modes of thinking and reasoning. It is by transforming our psyche and by appealing through reason and conscience that society as a whole may chart its rightful path towards genuine social change. Third, he believed and fought not only for civil rights but also for economic changes especially labor rights and lobbied for law reforms to be enacted to protect Negroes from exploitation and oppressive schemes adopted by employers. These include fair treatment and equal work opportunity, just compensation, etc. This is how he carried out his beliefs in the Memphis Strike and the Poor People’s Campaign. King served as a voice crying for the emancipation not only of black Americans but also of other human beings from the chains of oppression. Based on the above discussion, we can see why King believed that the problems and conflicts brought about by war, racism and economic injustice are all intertwined. What we can infer from his views is the interweaving and interconnecting patterns brought about by racism itself. But racism is not in itself the root of the problem; it is merely an effect of a traceable cause. This cause, this root of racism, is none other than a distorted value system, a wrong frame of mind resulting to feelings of superiority and even contempt and hate which further results to taking an unfair advantage of other human beings, plus a very materialistic market essentially driven by capital. The fault is, at bottom, deeply embedded with the minds of persons and a wrong value system, a wrong sense of pride and nationality, for it fails, in the Kantian sense, to respect persons for the sake of being human persons, not as mere means and tools that another person or race may use but as ends-in-themselves, possessing the capacity for rational thought, capable of making rational choices and thereby, beings that are autonomous and dignified and for the aforementioned reasons, deserve to be respected. References: Carson, C. A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Warner Books; Reprint edition (January 1, 2002). Fairclough, A. Martin Luther King, Jr.: University of Georgia Press, c. 1995. Honey, M. Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign: W. W. Norton (January 15, 2007).   

Did Women Have a Renaissance?

The Renaissance was the time period between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries that led to the beginning of many new ideas and developments. It was a time period of prosperity for many European countries especially Italy. Economic and intellectual changes occurred and it also gave the opportunity for many new doors to open to new directions in art, social, scientific, and political beliefs. Although during this time of great reform women had minimal amounts of influence. It is argued, that because of this lack of power, the term Renaissance does not necessarily apply to omen, and it was a title that was given to them afterwards.Women were excluded from the opportunity to take part in the rebirth of classical ideas due to lack of education, stereotypical beliefs about women, and because many women married young making it very challenging to pursue further education. Women were denied opportunities to participate in the Renaissance due to the lack of education the majority of wom en during this time received. However, as in many cases there is an exception to this statement. An example of this very rare exception during this time erred is a letter from Angelo Boliviano to an upper class maiden Cassandra Fiddle.Angelo observes that she is one of the few educated women of her age. (DOC 1 One should approach this document with caution because the source is a humanist letter to a wealthy upper class woman. On the other hand John Knox once observed that it would be awful if women ever reigned supreme over men. (DOC . ) John Knox in some ways was correct and in some ways was incorrect. John Knox was correct if he was commenting on the overall intellectual ability of most women at the time. However, urine this time there were a few women who were well educated and some who even reigned over men.Women during the Renaissance carried around a large amount of stereotypes. Many of which were very critical about the way women should act, the way they should be nothing mo re than a house keeper, and how women were not able to become well educated enough to do anything worthwhile in their life's. Francesco Barbara observed that women should never speak in public unless spoken to. (Doc. ) However, one should take count of the point of view of the source because Francesco was Presbyterian. Presbyterian at this time listened very closely to anything that the founder of their religion said.In which case Presbyterian did anything John Knox said or did. John Knox highly disliked the Queen of Scotland Mary because she was not a Presbyterian. John Nook's teachings brought along many stereotypes women would have to burden during this time. The most major reason women of this time weren't able to pursue further education is because of the age at which they would become married. When these women would become married many of them would not even be considered a legal adult by today's standards. According to (Doc. The majority of women would get married at the age of 17 or 18.However, one should be able to see that this source doesn't account for women that were forced to marry at a younger age then they would've preferred. This source does show that this would more than likely not allow women to pursue a higher education unless the family could afford a private tutor. Which were only possible if the woman was from a very wealthy upper class family. It is argued that many women during this time period wished not to be women. (Doc. ) Shows that Siesta Angola once wrote that she wondered why she was born a women when here were already some many in the world.Women were excluded from the chance to take part in the rebirth of classical ideas due to lack of education, stereotypical beliefs about women, and because many women married young making it very difficult to pursue further schooling. Women did not experience a renaissance because the view on women were very critical and primarily demanded women were only made to reproduce and house keep. Du ring this time period many women around the world experienced this kind of treatment from men. With the exceptions off few places like Japan.

13 Cool and Creative Ways to Say I Love You

13 Cool and Creative Ways to Say I Love You That awkward moment when you feel you love someone but do not know how to express it. Sounds familiar? It all gets even worse as the Valentine’s Day comes and it is expected to be a time to declare love. Obviously, you want to make the moment special. You want to put real meaning into the usual phrase I love you. Or you want to follow the principle an action is worth one thousand words. Anyway, here are some of the most unique ways to show your special someone how important they are to you. And not only on the Valentine’s Day. 1. Love Soundwave No, we’re not talking about sending a singing telegram. Instead, consider getting a ring, medallion, or painting of the soundwave of a special phrase. Some companies can take your loved one’s name (or even a romantic inside â€Å"code word†) and turn it into a beautiful emblem of your devotion. 2. iPhone Style Love Message In our iPhone age it’s likely that your loved one spends more time on their phone than flipping through photo albums. So, why not give him or her a constant reminder of you, every time they go to check their Facebook? There are many companies like Casetify or Spreadshirt that allow you to turn your Instagram photos into a memento case for iPhone, so your loved one always has an in-hand reminder of how much you care. 3. Magic Beans If you have a partner that doesn’t mind the anticipation of waiting for your Valentine’s message, look no further than the Talking Beans. After just a few days of tender care, this real bean plant shoots from its gift-wrapped packaging with a personal message carved into the bean itself. It’s not only cute, but it’s way healthier than candy! 4. A Toast to Remember Breakfast has never been the most romantic meal of a day. Time to break stereotypes. The inexpensive silicone toast-topper allows you to print your love message directly onto the breakfast treat. Nothing can beat this for a start to the perfect day. 5. The Art of Love Why not turn love massage into piece of love? It may seem a little cheesy but it was long ago when the poems were written and portraits were painted in the name of love. Be original and revive the tradition. You may use more modern art forms. There are ready made Love Is Art kits with white canvas, red and black paint, and body scrubber. Old fashioned pencil and paper will also do as long as you use those to express your feelings. 6. Love Puzzle Who can pass up an opportunity to attempt to complete a puzzle? Now, you can show your love how much you care by giving them the gift of puzzlement in addition to the sweet love message. The options are numerous – create a puzzle out of your favourite photo or buy a ready made puzzle, like a Sweet Talk Valentine’s Rubik’s Cube. 7. Digital Style If you want to make a big impact on a small budget, this is one of the best experiences you can give your partner. All you need is to but helium-filled balloons and pack them into your paramour’s apartment. Then, turn your messages of love into unique QR codes and tape them to each dangling string. It’s a fun way to share the personal memos you’ve been longing to tell them. 8. Binary Language of Love Why settle for telling him or her how you feel in English? Take a step into the future by sharing your feelings in binary code. Although you can buy a necklace or ring with â€Å"I Love You† written in the language of computers, you can also save some money and create something all your own. QBit can help you translate your message so that you can turn it into art, food, or a tattoo to impress your loved one. 9. For Those Who Are Daring Enough Show that your love is eternal and you are not afraid to capture it foreveron your skin. Design a tattoo for you and your loved one and suggest to go to the tattoo salon together. If your darling is not much into tattoos, you can do it on your own. Just make sure you spell her(his) name right or better choose some original symbol of your relationships. 10. Level Up Your Love If you have a gamer sweetheart, they will go Donkey Kong all over you when they realize what this gift can do. The 8-Bit Dynamic Light Shirt is meant to be purchased in pairs, with each shirt showing six hearts at half-life. When the shirts get into proximity of each other, full health is restored. How’s that for a game-changing Valentine’s gift? 11. The Way to His Heart†¦ It just wouldn’t be a declaration of love without a bouquet. But, this year, spice it up by creating a Bacon Bouquet. All you need is a handful of plastic flower stems, a vase (or beer stein), and a package of bacon. Wrap each piece like a flower bud and fry for 8-10 minutes. This is a creative alternative to boring old roses, and far more delicious! 12. Go Old Fashioned There was an old good tradition to make mixed tapes for the dates. Romantic as hell. If you are into vintage and youll find the way to make a mixed tape or a vinyl with good music – be sure to do it. It will be appreciated for sure. However, there is an easier and more modern way to do it – CDs, mp3 players or any other ways to create a play list you may think of. 13. Just Say It Nothing is more romantic an sincere and nothing is able to express your feelings better than saying the words I love you. Make sure the moment is special. Probably itll be a bad idea to say it in the overcrowded public transport, though its your decision when the moment is write. Remember – your intonation and eye contact are important. If you get nervous about the idea – try practising it in front of the mirror. But no matter how you say it and where you say it – if you are with the right person youll never regret saying it out loud. We are waiting for your feedback! Which idea did you like the best? What is your own way to creatively express your feelings?

Author Interview #1 †Jane Davis

Author Interview #1 - Jane Davis Author Interview #1 - Jane Davis We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some great freelancers from inside the industry. And while we’ve learned a great deal about the practicalities of writing, we were left wanting to hear from the other side of the creative process - the writer themselves.Well, good news everyone! We’re now going to be featuring interviews with some of the indie author scene’s established darlings and rising stars. We’ll be talking about how it feels to be at the vanguard of the movement, what they’ve learned getting here, and how they make it work.Our first interview is with Jane Davis, author of, among other things, ‘Half-truths and White Lies’ and  'An Unchoreographed Life.’REEDSY: I was just enjoying the extract you have on your site from An Unchoreographed LifeJANE DAVIS: Thank you. While I shy away from the label ‘Women’s Fiction’ I think of that novel as the most ‘Women’s Fiction’ thing I ’ve written. Although, having said that, one of the last reviews I had was from a single father saying much how he related to it, and that was very interesting.REEDSY: I’ve never really ‘got’ the whole idea of there being a label ‘Women’s Fiction’ - it seems to not say much about the work it describes.JD: Sometimes fiction gets pigeonholed with inappropriate labels. That was my problem with ‘Half-truths and White Lies’. I was pigeonholed as an author of Women’s Fiction, and I’ve massively shyed away from that since. But maybe I’ve come full-circle. Prostitution was an issue I wanted to address at the time when changes in the law were proposed, but since it’s such a sensitive issue, I chose to address it from the point of view of a mother/daughter relationship.REEDSY: So how do you describe your writing?JD: Well, it’s been called literary, but I’m slightly embarrassed by that. I thi nk it has this connotation of being highbrow and inaccessible. For me, my fiction is all about the characters. I put them in these terrible scenarios and feed them to the lions. I try to write sympathetic characters but then I make terrible things happen to them!So I suppose I write contemporary-stroke-literary. I put the label, ‘historical’ on ‘I Stopped Time,’ my homage to the pioneers of photography and it’s consistently been my best-seller. I think that’s because historical fiction is a label people relate to more than ‘literary’ or ‘contemporary’. They know where ‘historical’ sits. ‘I Stopped Time’ is actually a time-lapse novel, which goes between the present day and the lifetime of a woman who lived to the age of 108. But with the ‘historical’ label, people have an expectation of what they’re going to get - whereas ‘literary’ can be quite off-putting. S ome people I interview describe their work as ‘general fiction’ - I don’t have a feel for what that means either.REEDSY: It’s a sort of negative definition - telling you basically nothing†¦JD: I think the fact that my fiction is cross-genre - that I think of myself as a brand - is a large part of why being an indie author suits me. Random House didn’t take my follow-up to ‘Half-Truths and White Lies,’ because it wasn’t ‘Women’s Fiction’ and they had published me under their Black Swan imprint, which is exclusively for Women’s Fiction. I simply wasn’t aware of the implications. But at that point I wasn’t thinking long term. I had won a competition and was happy to be published, however that came about.I saw Adele Parks speak at the London Author Fair. She told us that when she was first published, she was given the choice of marketing her fiction as commercial or literary, and when she asked what the difference was, she was told, â€Å"Well, literary sells 7,000 copies and commercial sells 70,000 copies.† I’d not heard it in terms as blunt as that before, but I don’t think those figures were unusual in those days. Of course, post-2008, book sales have taken a nose-dive.REEDSY: Can literary fiction work without the support of a publisher? One argument against self-publishing goes that it can only sustain work that meets certain standards of viability in terms of sales. How do you find it?JD: I’ve only been doing this for two years, but my sales figures have only really pushed upwards with cross-selling. When people buy one of my books they do seem to come back and buy all of them. I’m not selling in big numbers by any means. I’m willing to give books away in order to hook readers†¦As for traditionally published authors, I’ve spoken to a few who are thinking of going indie when their deals come up for renewal. M ost are under two book contracts and they hear rumours that those contracts won’t be renewed under the same terms, and there’s also a great deal of dissatisfaction from the authors themselves about the lack of marketing support offered by publishers. Advances are also considerably lower. When I was at the London Book Fair this year, I was hearing about figures of  £5000 for one book or  £8000 for two books. Take from that the cost of marketing and there’s not a lot left in the pot.However, the authors I have met on the speaking circuit still firmly believe that bookshops are their realm. Are you familiar with the ALLi’s ‘Open up to Indies’ campaign?’ I’ve been going out and talking in bookshops and libraries, sometimes pairing up with traditionally published authors, because bringing a crowd puller obviously helps to opens doors. The estimates are that 70% of books will be self-published by 2020. It’s very difficult t o think that bookshops will only want to offer 30% of what’s available. And it’s quite clear that the 70% is going to include books by some of the authors bookshops and libraries currently stock. A stance against stocking self-published fiction is plainly unrealistic, but authors need to put themselves in the places of booksellers and librarians. Quality control is an issue that concerns them.REEDSY: I feel like the myth of the uniformly low quality of indie books is starting to die out†¦ slowly, but it’s fading.JD: I hope so. I use accreditation services that give a clear indication that my books have passed rigorous assessment. And the rise of small presses of course is continuing . Their publications are performing very well in competitions, very well. I went to a book launch this week for an author who has just been snapped up by a small publisher, Burning Eye Books. They publish mainly poetry. In fact, this is their first fiction title. Alice Furse sel f-published in January and they approached her. I think she’ll do very well out of it because they only have one fiction author to promote right now, and having that concentration of force behind you is fantastic. It’s the kind of support you might expect from an agent but wouldn’t normally get from a publisher.Author collectives are also enjoying a great deal of success. Having a name and collective power helps. I didn’t have enough forethought to do any of those things! I went ahead and published under my own name - I think I’d do things slightly differently now.REEDSY: What would you do differently?JD: More preparation. It’s too easy to publish. Don’t push the button unless you’re absolutely certain that the work is as good as it can possibly be. The problem is you’re too close to the book to judge that yourself - even though I used a copy editor and several proofreaders, my first self-published book went out with 13 typos in it. It’s easy to update it if you’ve got the control of the manuscript, but actually I was quite embarrassed that there was a first edition out there†¦ The money I spent on printing books that I then ditched would have been better spent on a further proofread. Because of course you can’t just hire one copy editor and one proofreader. The process needs multiple pairs of eyes.I think that rather than use the free ISBNs offered by self-publishing services, having ISBNs registered under your own name - so that you are shown as the publisher of your own work - helps. When you go to a bookshop there isn’t the ‘Amazon prejudice.’ I don’t put an awful lot of energy into getting my books onto shelves, because it’s very hard for me to break even on the percentages I’m offered, and the sale or return model doesn’t work for most indie authors. Then there’s the question of staying stocked. Even when I was t raditionally published, bookstores didn’t stock my title automatically. I had to go into branches week after week saying â€Å"Right, you’ve sold the copies you had on the shelves, can you order more?† It’s very time-consuming. A couple of indie shops stock my book, and they are amazingly supportive. When I’ve done talks at Waterstones they’ve been happy to stock my books on the night, but they wouldn’t ordinarily because I publish via Createspace. As a result of being in the Smashwords Premium Catalogue, my paperbacks are now available online with WH Smiths and Blackwells now, which was a surprise, so maybe the tide is turning. In the future I’ll think about buying my own ISBN and register it under my own name.Since joining ALLi I’ve become a lot more aware of these issues - all the little things which might hold you back.REEDSY: How much of your time now do you spend on writing vs managing the self-publishing element?J D: I’m quite active on social media. I had a lot of talks over the summer, which took time to set up. It’s not a case of going into a library and they’ll ask you to come along in the next month. Sometimes the impact of the ground work you’re doing comes one or two years down the line. I think, in all honesty, I spend more than 50% of my time on things like social media, sharing content, interviewing authors for my website†¦ Of all of those activities, interviewing authors has been the most helpful. Initially I approached everyone who appeared on the Guardian’s list of the top 30 indie books of 2013. There’s a very supportive community of indie authors out there. Interviews take up quite a lot of time, but I think they’re incredibly worthwhile. You don’t get immediate rewards, but an author you have interviewed might perhaps read and review your books, or offer a return interview†¦My third indie release was in November 2013. I had no publicity, so it was a very soft launch. April 2014 I released ‘An Unchoreographed Life’, and I was inundated with offers from people offering me guest blog posts, interviews, etc. The difference was that I had offered that facility to other authors. It’s very much a reciprocal thing. So marketing is not always direct marketing. It’s the soft-sell and building brand awareness. I’d say more than 50% of my time is spent on it - I wouldn’t want to say how much more than 50%!REEDSY: Would you think about outsourcing the marketing at some point?JD: Well, I have no budget. I recently relaunched my website and paid The Curved House to design it. I think it was money well-spent, even though it will knock out any profit I might have made next year. My original website had been built for one book, and I had tweaked it over time, but the look wasn’t cohesive. Now, it will be easier to add to, and I’m glad I’ve invest ed the money. But my budget is generally minimal. I often barter with people, offering to help out in exchange for return services.REEDSY: How about production?JD: I try to stick to a budget of  £1000 -  £1500. I think that’s a sensible level because only 5% of books sell more than 1000 copies. Interestingly, most authors I know aren’t making money from their sales, they make it from other services they offer.In terms of where I spend the money, my cover designs are really important to me. They are my brand. None of them have cost very much. I use a graphic designer. I come up with the design myself, and he executes it.  I also use a team of beta readers who have more or less replaced the need for a structural edit (something I used to pay for), and a copy editor and a proofreader. The typesetting and e-book conversion I do myself. In addition to writing my own stuff, I also do work for other authors as part of bartering process.REEDSY: Are there services you see authors being tempted to neglect?JD: It’s not always a question of ‘neglecting’ services. You have to look at the reasons behind choices. I know some authors who are very against using a copyeditor, not because they’re ‘unprofessional,’ but because they’re very anti-censorship and see using a copyeditor as a form of that. However, if your reason for not using a copy editor or a proofreader is lack of funds - I would say think again. Save the money and invest or decide what skills you have that you can offer someone else.When you’re starting out it’s tremendously hard but I’ve had massive support, even before I was a member of ALLi. Not necessarily from my writer’s group. You’re not a novelty there, everyone’s got a book they want readers for - but the Keep Fit group I’ve been going to for 25 years. I’ve found some fantastic beta readers and proofreaders there. The thing is not to be afraid to ask for help. There’s a great TED lecture by Amanda Palmer about the power of asking, and people want to be involved in a project, especially one where they can use skills that they don’t get the chance to use at work. My beta readers work for no more than a mention in the back of the book, maybe a coffee and a cake to talk about how the book made them feel. It’s not all about spending money. It’s about investing your budget in the right places and collaborating with a team you respect. It’s a mistake to think ‘expensive’ means ‘quality.’ Some of the services I have been happiest with have cost me nothing at all.REEDSY: Thank you for your time Jane

Ethics and Law in Business and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Ethics and Law in Business and Society - Essay Example So cities also have mechanisms for the sustenance of social order and social structures. Such mechanisms include rules, laws, regulations, ethics and values. Question one Kohlberg Moral Development Stages Kohlberg developed an interest with the subject of moral development after the works of Jean Peagent. As a result, there are significant similarities between the works of the two, Kohlberg and Jean. To device a model explaining moral development, Kohlberg chose a research sample of boys aged 10, 13 and 16 years from middle and low class families in Chicago. He later added older boys and girls to his sample from other parts of the United States of America and other countries. This move diversified his sample to represent a majority of different societies in the world. After his study, Kohlberg developed a moral development model from one stage to the other. The model has six stages categorized into three levels. Each level has two stages. Pre conventional moral level is the first lev el. The stages in this level are obedience and punishment stage and the individualism and exchange stage respectively. In the first stage, the person assumes that morals and values are external. Individuals in this stage do not feel as members of the society. Children in this stage assume that the rules and morals belong to adults. At this stage, failure to adhere to set rules result to punishments. Individuals thus do what is right so as to escape punishment. An example for this stage is when a student can be punished for getting to school in time the students to develop hatred against the teacher. Stage two is a bit different from stage one in that the individual realizes that all sources of authority have different stands on a subject. It may be right to do a thing in regard to one whereas, it may be wrong in regard to another. In this stage, failure to align with set rules can attract punishment and reprimands. Different from stage one, individuals here do good because they do n ot want to be repaid with bad. This stage thrives on the philosophy of scratch my back as I scratch yours (Sandel 17). Conventional morality is the second level. The stages in this level are good interpersonal relationships stage and maintenance of social order stage respectively. In the third stage, the individuals are majorly boys and girls entering their teens and People in this stage uphold morality as more than simple deals. They believe that they should act in line with the expectations of family members and friends. It is also in this stage that one develops good behavior, acting in good intentions and having interpersonal feelings such as care, kindness and love. A good example is buying of presents to family members and friends. Stage four entails the individual acting as per the expectation of the society and not as per family members and friends. For instance, people volunteer for social works, for example, high school students who volunteer for a city cleanup. People in this stage want to maintain the functioning of society. Post conventional morality is the third level. The stages in this level are the social contract and individual rights stage and the universal principles stage. While stage four people want to see the society function, in stage five people want to see a better functioning society. In this regard, people believe that all people work towards a better society even though different social groups have different believes. Whatever people do in this stage is for the