Friday, November 29, 2019

Mummies Essays - Egyptian Gods, Egyptian Mythology,

Mummies According to British anthropologist, Edward Tylor, culture is that complex whole which included knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (Ferraro, 18) Many cultures around the world have fascinating ceremonies and rites held for their dead but perhaps the most amazing is that of the ancient Egyptians. They are famous for their skillful embalming and their elaborate burial customs. The Egyptians believed that every person had a spirit that would live on after the human body died. The spirit would be able to move, eat, drink, and enjoy pleasures just like then the body was alive. But, in order to do this; the spirit had to have a recognizable body to dwell in. After the person died, the Egyptians believed that the spirit took two different forms: the ka and the ba. The ka was the persons double, created by a god named Khnum. The ka lived in the body until death. It would continue to live after death if and only if it was provided with the exact same image of the dead person. Sometimes a statue would be used to house the ka, but a mummy was ideal. The ka also needed food and drink to survive. Therefore, the Egyptians left jars of grain and water in the graves. The ba was the other form of a persons spirit. It was different than the ka in that it was able to leave the tomb. It could do this in any shape it pleased. However, the most common was a small bird with a human head that resembled that of the dead person. Without a mummy, there would be no ka and no ba. Death would be final, with no afterlife and this was something the ancient Egyptians could not accept. There were many gods that were important to the Egyptians but the most important was Osiris. The god Osiris was said to have triumphed over death, and every ancient Egyptian wanted to follow his example. Legend told that Osiris was a good pharaoh who was murdered by his evil brother, Seth. Seth cut Osiris into fourteen pieces and scattered them all over Egypt. His wife, Isis, eventually found all of them and magically Osiris body become whole. This story of the dead kings miraculous resurrection gave Egyptians hope in everlasting life. So to be reborn, a dead person tried to be identified with Osiris in every possible way. Mummies were prepared in exactly the same way as the body of Osiris had been hundreds of years before. If all went well, the mummy would become an Osiris and live forever. The key to making long lasting mummies was drying out the bodies of the dead before burial. The first part in doing this was to remove the organs that were most likely to cause decay. So the Egyptians decided that the stomach, the intestines, the liver, and the lungs would have to be removed. However, they believed that the body parts that were removed shouldnt be thrown away. Each organ was placed in a separate container of wood, pottery, or stone, to be preserved in the tomb forever along with the mummy. As long as the mummy and its insides were protected against, decay, the Egyptians believed that all the body parts would be magically reunited in the afterlife, just like in the story of Osiris. The next step in mummification was the drying out of the body itself. This was done by thickly coating it inside and out with a powdery white salt called naton. This salt had the ability to draw water from the skin and other tissues. This process took anywhere from thirty-five to forty days. During that time, the body lay on a slanted board known as the bed of mummification. This moisture dripped through a channel at the lower end into a pan or bucket. The final step was to wrap and bandage the mummy. A combination of large pieces of cloth and narrower strips of linen were used. The wrappings were applied in many layers. These wrappings covered whatever jewelry had been placed on the mummy. Precious objects were also placed on the mummy. As the layers

Monday, November 25, 2019

34 Important SEO Tips You Need To Know Now - CoSchedule

34 Important SEO Tips You Need To Know Now Search engine optimization often seems  like magic  to newcomers. The elements of a strong SEO strategy often arent obvious  to an untrained eye. However, once you understand how  the basics work, you can: Dramatically increase your organic search traffic Increase your conversion rate Generate more leads and revenue Despite rumors to the contrary, SEO isnt dead. Furthermore, even the best content needs some help getting found. Thats where these 34 SEO tips will come in handy. Whether youre a beginner just getting started, or an expert looking for a quick refresher, this post provides a basic understanding of the most essential elements necessary for SEO success. Plus, weve also included an on-page SEO checklist to help you  nail every blog post you write. Table of Contents: 6  Tips On How To Do Keyword Research 2 SEO Meta Tag Formatting Tips For Optimal Search Snippets 7 SEO Writing Tips To Create Better Content 4 Image SEO Tips 3  Internal Linking Tips To Avoid Over-Optimization 5 Simple Link Building Tips 4 Additional WordPress SEO Tips 3 Tips For Measuring SEO Success Resources For Further Learning Why Is SEO Important? You may have heard rumblings that SEO is an outdated practice. You might have even heard that basic search engine optimization is completely unnecessary in 2016. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact,  SEO is as important as ever. Furthermore, if you're not paying attention, you might  not be getting all the traffic you could be.  While search engine algorithms and SEO best practices are constantly evolving, it's still important to know the basics and not rely on luck to get your content to rank. That's where the following tips come in hand. 6 Tips On How To Do Keyword Research Keywords are essential to  any sound SEO campaign. Search engines need them to understand what your post is about. Users need them to help find answers to their questions. Your goal is to create great resources  that answers common search queries. Tip 1: Learn How To Use The Google Adwords Keyword Planner The Google Adwords Keyword Planner is every marketer's trusted warhorse for keyword research. It's useful for uncovering  keyword search volumes and generating additional keyword ideas.  Check out this video below to see how it works: Tip 2: Use SERPs.com's Free Keyword Research Database We love this free keyword tool from SERPs.com. It's fast, effective, and incredibly easy to use. Here's how it works: Go to the Keyword Research Database. Enter a keyword and click "search": It's as simple as that. Tip 3: Use  SEMRush To Gauge Keyword Difficulty If you have a paid Moz subscription, then you know how useful their Keyword Difficulty tool can be. However, what if you can't afford a premium SEO software suite? Enter SEMRush. While they do offer paid plans, you can easily use their Keyword Difficulty tool with a free subscription: 1.   Sign up for a free SEMRush account. 2. Find Keyword Difficulty in the left-hand navigation. 3.  Enter  keywords you'd like to check (up to 10 at a time) BONUS TIP: Choosing effective keywords requires strategy. If your blog is new, it may be better to target keywords with low competition (under 50%), even if they don't have high  search volume. However, if your blog is well established, consider ignoring keywords with less than 500 - 1000 monthly searches. Tip 4: Use The Keyword Planner For Competitive Research We've covered how Google's Keyword Planner is useful for gauging keyword search volumes. However, you can also use it to generate keyword ideas based on your competition. 1. Start with a fresh search for keywords based on a website: 2.  Enter a competitor's domain or landing page URL to use as a basis for keyword ideas: 3. You have now generated tons of keyword ideas based on what your competitor could potentially target. Consider going after these keywords before they do, or check to see if they're already ranking on these terms. Tip 5: Use SEMRush To Find Your Competitor's Top Keywords SEMRush is another useful tool for uncovering  competitor's keywords. 1.  Log into your account and click on Organic Research: 2.  Enter a domain and see which keywords it's ranking for: Using this process, you might be able to find keywords you wouldn't have thought to  target. Are you doing #keyword #research the right way? Tip 6: Find And Incorporate LSI Keywords Sometimes, people use different terms to search for the same thing. Google and other search engines know this. In order to deliver the best user experience, their technology needs to serve up results that match not only keywords, but the intent behind those keywords. Latent semantic indexing (LSI) refers to the algorithmic technology that helps search engines understand the relationships between different but similar keywords. LSI keywords, then, are search terms that may mean the same thing, or are closely related to one another. The LSI Keyword Generator makes it easy to find these keywords fast. Enter a keyword, and it'll return a list of related terms to weave into your content. Feeling lost? That's okay. We've written an entire post on LSI keyword research that should help. Plus, we'll talk more about how to implement these keywords in a few moments. Back To Table Of Contents 2  SEO Meta Tag  Formatting  Tips For Optimal  Search Snippets Meta tags are snippets of text that exist in your website or blog's code. According to Search Engine Watch: HTML meta tags are officially page data tags that lie between the open and closing head tags in the HTML code of a document.  The text in these tags is not displayed, but parsable and tells the browsers (or other web services) specific information about the page. Simply, it â€Å"explains† the page so a browser can understand it. There are two meta tags  you need to customize for every post on your blog. They are the title tag and the meta description tag. The title tag tells users and search engines what your web page is about.  Meanwhile, the meta description tag provides readers with more information about your page. Both are displayed in search engine result pages (SERPs). The title tag tells users and search engines what your web page is about. #SEOHere is what they look like in the search results: Tip 7: Know How To Write Strong Title Tags There are three essential elements (plus one that's optional) to writing a quality title tag: They should be no more than 70 characters long (as of May 2016). Google will cut off anything longer than this length. They should include your post's primary keyword as far to the left as possible. We'll touch on keywords a bit more in a few moments. They should include some type of value proposition (if appropriate) to entice users to click. Additionally, you may want to include your blog or company name  at the end. This can help reinforce your brand in SERPs, but it also takes up space. Tip 8: Know How To Write Strong Meta Descriptions Meta tags should give readers a reason to click your search result. Think of them as ad copy for your blog post. Here are a few important technical items to remember when writing meta descriptions: They should be no more than 156 characters long. Once again, Google will truncate anything over this length. However, they should be long enough to provide a useful description of your post. They should include your primary keyword. Even though meta descriptions don't impact rankings, including your keyword helps reinforce what your page is about to readers. BONUS TIP: Want to see what your title tag and meta description will look like before publishing? Use a free online SERP preview tool. Here are three different options: Portent's SERP Preview Tool Moz Title Tag Preview Tool Content Forest SERP Preview Tool A SERP preview tool can be useful for seeing how your search snippets will appear before publishing your blog post. New to #SEO? Don't overlook your title tags and meta descriptions:Back To Table Of Contents 7  SEO Writing Tips To Create Better Content You've probably heard the cliche "content is king." We've heard this line repeated more times than we'd like to count. However, the sentiment behind this phrase rings true. You can't have an SEO strategy without  quality content. Follow these tips to write copy that's well-optimized for search engines without sounding spammy or mechanical. Tip 9: Include Your Primary Keyword In The Right Places It's important to make sure your primary keyword is included in several different places in your post. This is one of the most basic elements of on-page SEO. BONUS TIP: Remember, each blog post you publish should only target one primary keyword. The same goes for static website pages as well. Tip 10: Use Longtail Keywords Throughout Your Post Copy Longtail keywords are longer variations of your primary keyword. For example, if your primary keyword was "content marketing," some long  tail variations might include: content marketing ideas for solo bloggers content  marketing tips for small businesses software solutions for content marketing success These are just a few hypothetical examples. Tip 11: Understand  Latent Semantic Indexing Latent Semantic Indexing  refers to the way search engines look for relevant themes on web pages, rather than just keyword densities. According to long-time SEO expert Bruce Clay: In latent semantic indexing, Google sorts sites on the frequency of a variety of terms and key phrases linked together instead of on the frequency of a single term. Though your text content should include your main keyword or phrase, the content should never focus solely on that keyword or phrase. There is a possibility that Google may see the page as being over-optimized and penalties or a dip in rankings may result. In other words, use synonyms and phrasing variations of your primary keyword. Don't just repeat your primary keyword ad nauseam. This will look redundant and spammy both to readers and search engines alike. Use synonyms and phrasing variations of your primary #keyword. #SEO #BloggingMoz CEO Rand Fishkin  does a great job of explaining how to use semantically connected keywords: Tip 12: Write For People First, And For Search Engines Second Always write content with your audience in mind. If something sounds overly mechanical and over-optimized for search engines, readers will notice. This means you need to avoid keyword stuffing. Don't stick keywords everywhere possible in your post. Instead, spread them out naturally throughout your post. Odds are, you'll include long tail keywords naturally as you write anyway. Here's an example of a well-written sentence including the keyword "burrito recipe": "Learn how to make this excellent burrito recipe at home." Here's an example of what keyword stuffing might look like in this instance: "This best burrito recipe will help you make better burritos using black beans than any other recipe." One of these sentences reads clearly and includes the primary keyword in a useful way. The other sounds unnatural and over-optimized. BONUS TIP: If you have to make a trade-off between creative copy and SEO, lean toward creativity. Yes, your content needs to be properly optimized to get found. However, no one wants to read boring content. Make it a priority to ensure that what people read when they find your post is interesting. Tip 13: Make Sure Your Content Is Comprehensive Comprehensive blog posts should be as long as needed to thoroughly cover a topic. Studies show that blog posts with  at least 1,500 words rank best. Another study from Neil Patel ups that claim to 3,000 words.  These studies tell us two things: 1.  Search engines want their users to have a great experience. That means that you'll need to help them find the right information fast. For this reason, search engines  prefer to rank content that thoroughly answers a user's question about a topic. Ideally, they want your content to tell them everything they need to know without having to check another search result listing (which slows down the user and creates a weaker user experience). 2. It takes a fair amount  of words to really cover most topics thoroughly  (somewhere in the 1,500 t0 3,000 word range, or more). This doesn't mean you need to  pad your content with filler to hit a high word count. That won't help you create useful content or rank highly in search engines.  Do the following instead: Recommended Reading: This Is The Ultimate Blog Writing Process To Create Killer Posts Tip 14: Understand The Importance Of  Unique Content For SEO SEO experts have been telling people to create unique content for years. However, they don't always follow up with what "unique content" really means. When it comes to content marketing and SEO, unique content: Includes original verbiage that isn't duplicated elsewhere on the Web. Duplicate content is classified as content that is exactly the same or extremely similar. Includes material or types of content that other blog posts  on the same topic are missing. Includes knowledge or expertise other sources cannot easily duplicate. Here are some ways to ensure your content is unique: Use CopyScape to ensure your copy does not match any other web page word-for-word. Manually review the top ten posts and pages currently ranking for your prospective keyword. Identify information that's missing from these posts. Make sure that info is present in your own content. Add types of content to your post that others are missing. This could include videos, infographics, image galleries, PDF downloads, or other types of content that add unique value to your post. If you have original research or data,  include it in your posts. Readers and search engines both love original research because it provides unique value others can't deliver. That makes your content more valuable,  attracting back links and establishing your blog as a topical authority. BONUS TIP: This in-depth post about unique content from Distilled (a respected London-based SEO and content marketing agency) is a must-read. While it was published back in 2013, its insights are as true today as they were then. It's also a great example of what  a comprehensive and authoritative blog post looks like. Tip 15: Use Correct H1 - H6 Tags Using correct heading tags makes your posts easier to read. It also makes it easier for search engines to accurately interpret and index your content. You can find your heading controls in WordPress here: IMPORTANT NOTE: Each post and page on your site should include only one H1 tag. However, you can use multiple H2 - H6 headings as appropriate. Generally, it's considered a best practice to have four or fewer font sizes on a page as well. Consider using H2's for sub-headings, H3's for points beneath those subheadings, and use H4 tags sparingly. This will help you create well-structured posts that readers and search engines can easily interpret. Back To Table Of Contents 4 Image SEO Tips Search engines can't "look" at your images to determine their content. Instead, they use a handful of other data points to understand what your images are. Tip 16: Include  Keywords In Image File Names File names are important element that search engines need to accurately interpret image content. Follow these guidelines: Separate words in image file names with - (dashes) and not _ (underscores). Include your primary keyword phrase in one image on your post (ideally, a post header image). Here's what a well-formatted image file name might look like: super-awesome-keyword.jpg even-better-keyword.png the-best-keyword-yet.jpg You get the point. This is something that's often overlooked, but it can help you rank in image searches. It can also help support the overall SEO performance of your blog posts. BONUS TIP: Stick to using .jpg and .png files for your blog images. Tip 17: Avoid Using Image Title Tags You might notice that WordPress fills in image titles by default. However, there is some debate around how useful they are for SEO. After all, if you've given your image a descriptive file name and alt text, users and search engines alike should have all the information they need to understand your image. Including title tags isn't likely to hurt your SEO. It won't help much either, and it could cause your images to appear over-optimized (by trying to stuff too many keywords in your image data). Tip 18: Learn  How To Write Image Alt Text Alt text essentially provides alternative information to describe an image's content. You can easily edit image alt tags in WordPress here: Alt text is important for two reasons: It's used by Google to help it understand images (since it can't actually "see" images like a person can). If a browser can't load an image for some reason, alt text helps users understand what the image should be. Tip 19: Upload Images At The Exact Size You'd Like Them To Appear Bloggers often upload large images into WordPress, and then adjust the display size within the CMS. However, this slows down page load speed because it forces WordPress to resize the image as it's trying to load the page. Since page load speed is an important SEO factor, that can cause a problem. The solution is to upload images with the exact dimensions you want them to appear with. That way, your CMS won't have to work as hard to load your images. For example, the column width of the blog is 770 pixels. Therefore, we upload our images at 770 pixels wide (or less). If you want to find the exact  column width of your own blog, try using this Page Ruler extension for Chrome. It makes it easy to measure pixels: BONUS TIP: If you have a high volume of oversized images on your blog, it's probably not worth your time to retroactively re-size them. Simply keep this in mind moving forward. We've made this mistake before in the past too. Back To Table Of Contents 3 Internal  Linking Tips  To Avoid Over-Optimization Search engines use links to determine relationships between different pages and web sites. That's why it's important to earn backlinks from high-quality sites to improve your SEO. It's also important to make sure relevant pages and posts on your own site are linked as well. However, going overboard with optimizing internal links can get you in trouble with search engines. Follow these two tips to make sure you don't overdo it with internal linking. Tip 20: Make Author Bio Box Links No-Follow This tip requires some explanation about what follow and no follow links are. Follow links pass link equity in search engines. This means they tell search engines, "Hey, this page we're linking to is important." This directly impacts search engine rankings. No-follow links do not pass link equity. Search engines do not count no-follow links when calculating search engine rankings. Google doesn't want to see you creating garbage content just to get links. Readers don't either. Google doesn’t want to see you creating garbage content just to get links.To combat this, Google issued a warning to bloggers to make author box links no-follow. Even if your guest posts are legitimate and high-quality, making bio box links no-follow avoids creating the appearance of spamming (because search bots sometimes have difficulty telling the difference between what's legitimate and what's not). BONUS TIP: Consider using Gravatar to implement bio boxes on your blog. Not only is it super convenient and well-integrated with WordPress, it automatically applies a no-follow tag to all links. This is the solution we use for author bio boxes here on the blog. Tip 21: Avoid Over-Optimized Anchor Text On Internal Links Anchor text refers to the highlighted words used to link to another page. Search engines use anchor text to help them understand relationships between  linked pages. For example, if your anchor text is "burrito recipes," search engines can infer that the page you're linking to is probably related to making burritos. It can also understand that making burritos is relevant to the page where the linked text exists. It's important to make sure your anchor text is not over-optimized. This is especially when linking internally to your own posts. Here's why: Search engines use links to determine how important a web page is. More links from high quality pages  gives a post more authority to search engines. Links with anchor text related to a post's targeted keyword reinforce that post's authority for that keyword. Therefore, building lots of links with related  anchor text to a post will improve its rankings in organic search. However, you need to be careful not to use anchor text that is an exact match for the keyword the linked page  is optimized for. For example, let's say you have one page targeting the keyword  "burrito recipes" and another page targeting "burrito catering services" (please bear with me and my burrito obsession here). If you were to place a link (or worse, multiple links) from your burrito recipes page to your catering page, using the exact-match anchor text "burrito catering services," this would be considered SPAM. There's a good reason search engines consider over-optimized anchors to be spammy, too. The tactic has been over-abused over the years because it's an overly easy way to tell search engines, "Hey, I'm trying really hard to get this page to rank for this keyword." Instead, follow these guidelines when selecting anchor text: 1. Use a sentence fragment incorporating text that is relevant to the page being linked to, but is not an exact keyword match. 2. It's okay to use brand names or proper nouns as text anchors. Keep these two points in mind, and you'll  have smooth sailing ahead for your internal linking efforts. Tip 22: Do Link Between Related Pages On Your Site Internal links are extremely powerful for SEO. They help search engines understand which pages and posts on your site are related to each other. This helps Google and others better understand the meaning and context of your content, potentially leading to higher rankings. There are two key items to keep in mind here: Make sure the pages you link to are topically relevant to one another. Ensure your anchor text matches the context of the linked page. Here's an example of what we mean. In the screenshot below, we've selected the anchor text "create awesome evergreen content." And here's the linked page. Notice that the anchor text and the destination page are tightly topically related: This achieves two goals: It helps readers find more content they might be interested in (increasing your page views). It also helps the search engine understand that the destination page is a valuable resource for information about its topic (in this case, creating evergreen content). Make strong internal linking practices a habit, and soon enough, you'll have a site that's easier for both search engines and readers to navigate. Back To Table Of Contents 5 Simple Link Building Tips Backlinks from other websites are powerful for influencing search engine rankings. They tell search engines, "Hey, lots of people are directing traffic to this website. That must mean it's an important topical authority." Tip 23: Claim Unlinked Mentions Unlinked mentions are references to your brand or blog on other sites that don't include links. These can easily be discovered in three ways: Using a software platform like Moz or Ahrefs that detects unlinked mentions. Setting up Google Alerts for your brand name, and manually checking for links. Using advanced search operators to find unlinked brand mentions. The first option is the easiest. However, if you don't have budget, the second and third options are free. This guide on uncovering unlinked mentions  is a great place to start learning how to put them into practice. Once you've discovered an unlinked mention, the next step is to find an appropriate contact person. This could be the author of a blog post, the owner of a site, or a technical help contact. Send them a quick message thanking them for the mention, and ask if they can add a link. You'll likely find your success rate is fairly high. If someone is already talking about you, they'll probably be willing to add a link. Not only does this help your SEO, but it also makes it easier for their readers to find you. Tip 24: Leverage Public Relations For Links The first goal of PR is often to raise brand awareness. However, getting authoritative news sources to write about you can be a great way to build quality links, too. The trick is to offer editors an interesting angle that makes them want to write about you. In most cases, that means they'll link back to your site too. If you've never written a press release, start with this guide from The Guardian. Tip 25: Share Content On Social Media Social media links don't significantly impact SEO on their own. However, social promotion is important for getting your content in front of people. Some of those people might even link back to your content as a source for their own content. Tip 26: Avoid Link Spam Penalties Search engines are smart. They're able to understand  when people are trying to game the system with unnatural links. Once upon a time, SEOs and web masters would find ways to create high numbers of back links. Some still do, although their effectiveness has been almost entirely wiped out. Some of these black hat tactics included: Creating tons of low quality sites and linking back to themselves. Buying links. Hacking other sites, adding new secret pages, and linking back to other sites. In the darkest corners of the web, some people still try to pull these kinds of scams. However, their effectiveness has been almost entirely wiped out, thanks to search engine algorithm updates that prevent cheaters from winning. If you get caught creating manipulative back links, you can expect to hit with a manual penalty notice from Google. Next, you'll notice your search engine rankings dropping. You might even get removed from search engine indexes altogether. Before you panic, remember this is unlikely to happen if you follow these best practices: Avoid writing low quality guest blog posts strictly for link building purposes. It used to be common for content writers to blast out templated 300-word "guest posts" that they'd syndicate across dozens of blogs at once, just to build up links back to their site. This is a quick way to get slapped with a penalty. Instead, write high-quality and in-depth guest posts that help establish you as a topical authority (and maybe add one or two links back to your site for usability purposes). Never pay for links. If you're buying links, Google will know.  Places that sell links often live in "bad neighborhoods" that you don't want to be associated with. Don't spam comment sections with back links.  Before the majority of blogs used no-follow attributes on comment section links, underhanded SEOs would leave junk comments with links back to their sites. This was a quick and easy way to build up links. It's also a good way to annoy readers and make search engines angry. Tip 27: Create Great Content People Want To Link To This tip is a borderline cliche. Of course everyone knows they should "create great content." Nobody tries to create content that sucks and telling people to just "do better work" isn't helpful. It's lazy and vague advice that frankly insults people's intelligence. However, there are some concrete ways you can create content that's more likely to draw links. Try some of these: Present original information that doesn't exist on any other site. This might include running a survey, and then publishing a blog post with your findings. Make sure your content is comprehensive. That means covering your topic completely and in detail. If your page is the best resource available for a given topic, it's more likely to be cited as a source. Be timely. If your blog or site breaks some major news, you can expect to get a lot of backlinks as the original source. Create useful resource pages. For example, you could create a page that hosts a collection of downloadable templates or resources of some sort. If it's legitimately helpful, people will likely link to it. Run a contest with a quality sign-up landing page. If you promote the contest well, it might get some coverage (and that means backlinks). Build a useful web-based tool. Build something cool, and people will want to tell others about it. Portent's Content Idea Generator is a great example: People naturally want to tell other people about cool, useful stuff. Portent's Idea Generator is a great example of a tool that's fun, useful, and highly linkable. 4 Additional  Wordpress SEO Tips WordPress has a number of unique SEO considerations. Follow these tips to make sure  your WordPress blog plays nice with search engines. Tip 28: Use the Yoast SEO Plugin If there's only one WordPress plugin you use (aside from ), make it Yoast. It's packed full of powerful functionality for improving your SEO. Here are some things it can do: Make it easy to customize title tags and meta descriptions. Track how many times you've mentioned your primary keyword in your post. Rate the readability of your post according to the Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula. Once installed, you can find the Yoast control panel at the bottom of your post within your WordPress CMS. Download Yoast here. Then, watch the video below to learn how to use it in under 30 minutes: Tip 29: Use A Mobile-Optimized WordPress Theme Mobile web traffic is gaining ground over desktop usage. That's why Google gives preference to mobile-optimized sites when calculating mobile search results. That means it's more important than ever to make sure your blog looks great on mobile devices. The easiest way to do this is to use a mobile-optimized WordPress theme. A quick Google search for mobile optimized WordPress themes should generate tons of different options to choose from. WARNING: Follow WordPress's guidelines when changing themes. Be warned that some functions and content might not appear the same in one theme as they do in another. Proceed with caution. Tip 30: Use SEO-Friendly Permalinks Search engines use keywords in URLs to help them determine what your pages are about. However, WordPress uses weird, non-optimal URLs by default which usually look something like this: www.RandomBlog.com/blog/?8973834 What you want are URLs that look more like this: www.RandomBlog.com/blog/awesome-keyword That keyword is going to make 100% more sense to search engines than a question mark followed by a random string of numbers. Watch this video to learn how to implement SEO-friendly permalinks: Tip 31: Fix Broken Links Broken links won't necessarily lead to problems for your SEO. However, they do create a poor user experience (even if you have a really funny 404 page). That can hurt your overall SEO efforts indirectly by causing visitors to leave. They can also create missed opportunities to link valuable pages, weakening your overall search performance. Fortunately, broken links are easy to fix. The Broken Link Checker plugin  makes it easy to identify and resolve 404 errors. You can also use another useful tool called Screaming Frog  to tackle this task. Download it here, then follow their detailed step-by-step instructions on fixing broken links. Back To Table Of Contents 3 Tips For Measuring SEO Success It's important to know whether your SEO initiatives are making a difference. By tracking the right metrics, the right way, you can make sure you know if you're on the right track. You can also more easily identify areas for opportunity. Tip 32: Make Sure You Have Google Analytics Properly Set Up Google Analytics is one of the best tools for measuring the success of your SEO. If you're just getting started, consider importing the New Google Analytics User Starter Bundle from Google. It's packed full of dashboards that are set up to monitor SEO performance (and a lot more) with minimal effort. Follow these steps to get started: 1.  Find the bundle in the  Google Analytics Solutions Gallery. 2. Click Import. In two easy steps, you now have all the dashboards you need to measure your success. BONUS TIP: For further assistance using Google Analytics, visit Google's support site. There, you'll find all the information you need to get started and sharpen your analytical skills. Tip 33: Track The Right Metrics When it comes to SEO, marketers tend to focus on rankings. However, rankings are not a strong key performance indicator (KPI) on their own. This is partly because personalized search makes it difficult to accurately track rankings across all users. It's also because rankings are a means to an end (driving traffic to your blog), rather than an end by themselves. When it comes to #SEO, are you tracking the right metrics?Instead, focus on traffic, conversion rates, and revenue (or leads generated, depending on which is more applicable to your situation). These metrics will tell you much more about your SEO success than rankings alone. BONUS TIP: Want to know the best way to sell the value of SEO to a business owner? Show them how much  revenue your efforts are earning. Tip 34: Use an SEO Software Platform SEO software subscriptions cost money. However, they're worth it if you can afford them. These services allow you to do the following (and more): Track keyword ranking changes over time Do detailed competitive research Monitor incoming backlinks Analyze your content Here are some popular options to consider: Moz  (suitable for all skill levels) Raven Tools  (suitable for all skill levels) SERPS.com (suitable for all skill levels) Positionly (suitable for all skill levels) Conductor (advanced enterprise solution) BrightEdge (advanced enterprise solution) SearchMetrics (advanced enterprise solution) Tools like Moz Pro feature tons of functionality to help manage your SEO efforts. BONUS TIP: If you can't afford an SEO platform, SEO Book,  SERPs.com, and Moz  all offer free tools that are worth exploring. That's A Lot Of SEO Tips To Learn (And We're Just Getting Started) SEO is a deep discipline. It covers a broad range of tactics, strategies, and best practices. For this reason, it's impossible  to cover all there is to know in one post. In fact, if you're just starting out, it may take a while to digest everything this post alone. While we've touched on the most basic elements most content marketers need to know, here are some other great resources to check out when you're ready. Back To Table Of Contents Resources For Further Learning Moz's Beginner's Guide To SEO: This comprehensive guide is broken up into ten chapters. It covers nearly everything you'd ever need to know. Best of all, it's easy to follow and understand. The Art Of SEO: This book is intimidatingly thick, but fortunately, it's well worth your time. As  the most authoritative tome on SEO available in print, it walks readers through everything from the basics, up to more advanced techniques. If you're ready to really take your SEO knowledge to the next level, start here. 58 Resources To Help You Learn and Master SEO: This list from Kissmetrics includes articles breaking down nearly every aspect of SEO. If there's something specific you want to know more about, you can probably find it here. Inbound.org: One of the best things about the content marketing and SEO communities is how open they are to sharing knowledge and welcoming newcomers. Inbound.org is an awesome place to ask questions and find answers to anything you'd like to know. Do you have a favorite tip you want to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The likely implications of a large country engaging in loose monetary Essay

The likely implications of a large country engaging in loose monetary policy for exchange rates - Essay Example The central banks of the economies play a pivotal role in the economic systems for prescribing the monetary policies in the respective nations. The fiscal authorities are in turn checked by the governments of different nations (Gerlach and Wensheng, 2004). In order to efficiently trade in the global economies, the countries in the modern economies use the purchasing power parity conditions to analyze the relative worth of different currencies in an economy. Exchange rate is the modern jargon used by the contemporary economies to judge the terms of trade conditions of nation. This essay will show how the monetary authorities of large economies in the modern world have liberalized or loosened their economies in order to adjust their exchange rates according to the market and sustain a favourable value of their terms of trade in the long run (Keohane, 2013). Situation Analysis Exchange Rate Issues Exchange rates are the rate that defines the value of the currency of a country in terms o f the value of the currency of another country. Exchange rates are either measured in nominal or are measured in real terms. In real terms, it is the ratio of the aggregate price level in the foreign economy to the value of the aggregate price level in the home currency. ... On the other hand, the goods and services available in the foreign markets tend to become expensive to the country. In such situations, the exports of the country become cheaper in terms of value than the imports. The country would demand for less foreign exchange (lesser imports) and possesses an excess supply of the foreign exchange (higher exports). This would thus induce the price of the value of the exchange rate (supply > demand) in the market to fall. A fall in the exchange rate would actually imply the fall in the value of currency of a nation in terms of the currency of another country. Thus in the modern world, monetary authorities constantly try to manipulate and keep the exchange rates suitable to the economic environment of the respective nations (GBM, 2013). Macroeconomic Imbalances The countries in the contemporary world are found to have macroeconomic imbalance conditions. The causes behind the imbalances have been associated with both the internal and external affair s of economies. In some nations like Netherlands, the economy is facing high surplus in the current account but the household debt of the country is increasing at a rapid rate. Moreover, the property bubble (rise in the real estate prices) in the economies of Spain, U.S., Ireland etc have resulted in the heightening of the level of government debt and crisis in the economy. Since 2009, the global financial crisis in the economies of the western world has created a trickledown effect in the less developed economies in the world like India, Brazil etc. As after the emergence of globalization and liberalization, economies in the contemporary world have become entangled with each other. Thus, the macroeconomic imbalances in the form of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The current business environment is characterised by the importance of Essay

The current business environment is characterised by the importance of the investor and the drive for shareholder value - Essay Example When we talk about 'The current business environment is characterised by the importance of the investor and the drive for shareholder value' we will be talking in the perspective of Business and accounting managers. Henry Mitzberg, the Cleghorn professor of Management Studies, Mcgill University, started the debate by putting the blame on the students of Business Schools. He states that the 'Shareholder value is an antisocial dogma that has no place in a democratic societyIt breeds a society of exploitationsit is bad for business (Mitzberg, 2004, p 154). He alleges that the students of business schools get the impression that the organisations' share price is the only performance measure worth worrying about. Dr. Nick Tiratsoo of Nottingham University Business School has published a paper 'Mitzberg, shareholder value, and the business school: who has a case to answer' where he, tries to explore Mitzberg's argument about shareholder value and the business schools. He states, 'The conclusion offered that Mitzberg has substantially overstated his case, and thus clouded rather clarified a necessary debate about how business schools are to evolve in the future'. A corporation is essentially defined in terms of its legal status and the ownership of assets. Corporations are typically regarded as artificial persons in the eyes of the law. Corporations are notionally owned by shareholders. Managers and Directors have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the interests of the shareholders. It was Milton Freedman, who in his classic article 'The Social responsibility of business is to increase its profit vigorously' argued against the notion of social responsibilities of corporations. He professed that only the human beings have the moral responsibility for their actions. Its managers' responsibility to act solely in the interest of the shareholders. Social issues and problems are the proper province of the state rather than corporate managers. Freedman defines, 'A stakeholder in an organization is . Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievements of the organizations' objectives.' Shareholder Value as defined by Value Based Management.net 'the definition of shareholder value is the value of the company minus the Future claims (debts). The value of the company can be calculated as the Net Present Value of all Future cash flows plus the value of the non operating assets of the company'. There is a great debate on the importance of Stakeholders Value over Shareholders Value. The Shareholder Value perspective emphasizes on Profitability over Responsibility. It relates the success of an organization by its share price, dividends and economic profit. The Stakeholders perspective on the other hand emphasizes on Responsibility over Profitability. It suggests that an organizations success should be measured by the satisfaction of its stakeholders i.e. customers, employees, society in general and also its shareholders. Sir Brian Pitman, senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley on his speech

Monday, November 18, 2019

Critical Review of Mothers and Children in Medieval Jewish History Essay

Critical Review of Mothers and Children in Medieval Jewish History - Essay Example One interesting aspect of the book was the fact that she gathered information from a very wide variety of sources and all of the texts were "written by and for men" (19). Baumgarten used the following sources for her research: "Halakhic response (questions asked of rabbis), exempla, information recorded in ritual books, comprehensive books of commandments, biblical and Talmic commentary, liturgical poetry, medical tractates, polemical compositions, lists of the dead and gravestones. He also used canon law, municipal records, medical texts, commentaries on the Bible (both the old and new testaments), legenda that gives information about the Jewish community and contacts between the Jews and Christians (p. 17). Her work also was heavily influenced by a book called the "Sefer Hasidim", which provided the information about parent and child relationships and attitudes towards children and family life" (19). The book is divided into five chapters and they are categorized by the issues that women dealt with: Birth, Circumcision and Baptism, Additional Birth Rituals, Maternal nursing and wet nursing: Feeding and caring of infants and Parents and Children: Conflicting values ("Contents"). These categories provided a way for the reader to compartmentalize the information so that it would not be so overwhelming. In the first chapter on birth, I found it appalling that women were left out of birth. They were supposed to have children (particularly male children) but the fathers were more important in the process as seen by several quotes from the firt quote opened chapter one and spoke about how it is a mans responsibility to pray for the child at every part of its birth. They leave out the womans part in the process (21). The second quote is attached to the "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it" (Gen. 1:28) (28). This suggests, according to the author, that men are in the position

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Ethics Of Photojournalism

The Ethics Of Photojournalism Is a photograph worth more than words? Do the visuals of a photograph have more impact than language? Can one photograph put over the same point across to all its onlookers? Does one single person have a right photograph something that may question moral standards? All these issues arise when considering the field of photojournalism, but do photographs that are published in the media have more impact on the public and because it is a photograph, should we assume that what is being shown is the real truth, opposed to it being a very life like painting? Photojournalists have to comply with a set of ethical rules, the same as writers and editors in the world of media. Each photograph published has to conform to regulations, whether written or unwritten. These sets of rules have precedence in deciding if that photograph is a true and authentic image of what is being shown to the public. In some cases this may rely on the personal principles of the photojournalist and what they perceive to be what is morally right to publish or not. Many topics are raised when considering these rules such as, the behavior of the photographer when taking pictures, what images can be altered by the photographer and the most important one, what can and canà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t be photographed. Technological competence and the ever-changing values of society have influenced this structure of ethics to evolve; and it is still constantly progressing today. Ethics, in any case, is inevitably going to be an area that provokes debate. Kenneth Kobre, a professor in photojournalism and author, writes in his book, Photojournalism, the Proffesionals Approach, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Photojournalism has no Bible, no rabbinical college, no Pope to define correct choices.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ What Kobre means by this is, there is no single referee that determines what is or isnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t ethical. However, if there were, it still isnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t a field where a right or wrong label can be administered. In many books that consider the ethics of photojournalism, one main focal point is often talked about and that is how truthful a photograph can be. It is a question of whether a certain image shows the subject in an accurate light or if it is deceptive to the onlooker. The National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics states that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ So does this mean that a photographer can alter a photo, or set one up? Would these photographs be deemed as à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½faithful and comprehensive depictions?à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Many texts have been written on the ethics of photojournalism and have tried to answer those questions. However, other debates reach much further when considering these questions, like the debate between ethics and preference. This is particularly true when contemplating photographs of a sexual or violent nature. Some may feel that sexual and violent imagery are in the field of personal preference, whereas the counter argument could be that ethical values must be considered when images such as these are taken. Another angle that could be looked at when thinking about the ethics of photojournalism is what the journalist does when taking their photographs. Perhaps, if a person requested not to be photographed, should the photographer go ahead with it anyway? Or another instance could be, if a photojournalist was covering a major natural disaster, should he stop taking pictures to help someone in desperate need? Then, of course, the argument between being a professional and the ethics of journalism comes into play. If, like stated in the NPPA Code of ethics that all depictions should be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½faithful and comprehensiveà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, does that also cover a situation where the journalist may deliberately not using a photograph to its full potential? There is one book in particular that tries to solve these questions. Written by Paul Lester, Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach, spells out six different ethical philosophies in order to sort out the baffling queries in this ethical field. The first being the Categorical Imperative. Lester states, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Categorical here means unconditional, without any question of extenuating circumstances, without any exceptions.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ What is meant by this is that if it ok for one, it is ok for all. If, for example, an editor was thinking about publishing a photograph of a white policeman using physical force against a black female citizen. That editor should then reflect on whether they would publish it if it was under a different situation; say if the policeman was a black male and the citizen a white female, or if they were both of the same race or gender. The second of the six philosophies is Utilitarianism. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Utilitarianism is the belief that tries to maximize the greatest good for the greatest number of peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. So, for example, a photograph of a child with severe burns may offend some people, especially those who have children. However, if this image will raise awareness for fire safety within the area, then going by the philosophy of Utilitarianism, the capturing and publication of this image is seen as morally right. The third that Lester talks about is Hedonism. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Phrases such as, Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die, Live for today, and Dont worry-Be happy, are present examples of the Hedonism philosophyà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. It is to justify publishing photos for their aesthetic nature (to sell newspapers) rather because of their importance. An example of this is perhaps where a young lady is pictured on the front page rather than a boring old politician. The forth of the six is The Golden Mean, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½a compromise between two extreme points of view or actionsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Here, Lester explains that if there is a photograph that is less offensive or invasive, but still gets the same point across then that photo is the best one to publish. So, for example, if there was a photo of the funeral of a dead solider or a photo of a memorial with the inscription of the names of lost soldiers, then the memorial image should be the one chosen as it still shows the impact of war. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The following two philosophies, Veil of Ignorance and Golden Rule, are usually used to argue against the taking and printing a controversial image by photographers, editors, subjects, and readers.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The Veil of Ignorance is where à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½in practical terms, a photographer tries to imagine what it would be like to be the subject of the photographsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. What is meant by this is, if the photographers themselves wouldnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t feel comfortable in the place of the subject, then it would be best to find another image. For example, if a riot was being photographed and someone was pictured with their clothes torn off, then this could be a situation which the photographer may not feel comfortable in, because of the unforeseen nudity. Finally, the last of the six is The Golden Rule. Lester explains The Golden Rule as being the philosophy that teaches persons to love your neighbors as yourself.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In other words, they should treat the subjects in their photographs the way they would want to be treated. This philosophy is one that relies on the photographers or editors own morals. Although there is no definite system that the ethics of photojournalism can be regulated by, there are other conducts that can establish its present shape to a degree. By investigating certain circumstances that have encouraged debate on the ethics of photojournalism, one can unearth any potentially unethical photograph or photographer, as people donà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t usually question anything that is evidently all well and good. So, by doing this helps highlight the unclear guidelines to what may be or not be ethical; with unambiguous cases of unethical and ethical journalistic works, the understanding of the ethics in photojournalism can be broadened. Case Study As I have stated previously, the ethical quandaries that photojournalists and editors have to face is an area of grey. It could be argued that manipulation of a photograph can be as simple as changing it from colour to black and white. On the other hand, manipulation can also include a photograph that has been taken from a series of snaps, and published in a certain way that changes the whole concept entirely. That subsequently brings me to the photograph of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The Falling Manà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in the September,11th attacks in New York. The photograph was taken by Richard Drew at 9.41 am. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½In the United States, people have taken pains to banish it from the record of September 11, 2001. The story behind it, though, and the search for the man pictured in it, are our most intimate connection to the horror of that day.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ It has been documented throughout the world that this photograph is just one that was selected from a series of photographs taken of this man plummeting to his death. Some may feel that this particular image is one that depicts elegance and peacefulness, whereas the others are said to be of a disturbing nature. This evidently shows that the alteration of an image and the editing process are one of the same, which leads one to question the ethics behind this photograph. One could argue, on ethical grounds, that the victim falling to his death in this photograph did not attend work that day to become a tragic figure. The victim falling to his death on 911 did not go to work to become an icon of a tragic day. It could be said that it is regrettable that this man, through the acts of terrorism, became a reluctant hero in his last living moments, yet it brings a recognition to the photojournalist who captured these terrible happenings. Is this ethically right? Afterward, the photograph was then used in a search to identify à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½the falling manà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which later provoked strongly opinionated debates about the shame and anger the families of people pictures were feeling. The well known phrase à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½jumpersà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ came in use not long after this photograph was printed, which implied they had committed suicide. This created controversy throughout many communities in America, as suicide was a shameful act. Again, did Richard Drew consider any ethical reasoning before selling on this picture? This photograph doesnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t reflect any of the rules stated in the NPPC Code of ethics, but still the American newspapers felt it was right to publish. Photojournalists, and journalists alike, have a responsibility to provide the public with the news. Yet, on ethical terms, they also have to strive to achieve equilibrium between their professionalism as well as respecting the privacy and dignity of their subject. However, could it be said that photo was in the public interest? It could be suggested that, while this photograph may be a controversial one throughout America (and even the world) , ethics has nothing to do with it. A photograph can also be seen as a work of art; this one being no exception. The aim of a work of art is to trigger an emotional reaction to the person who is looking at it. Even when considering the horrific circumstances it was taken under, this photograph is still deeply moving. Therefore, it may be argued that this photograph cannot be controlled by ethics; somewhat our perceptions of ethics are fixed and then are subsequently challenged by art. My personal view of this photograph is undecided. Considering each argument that could hypothetically be put across I still have no solid opinion on it. However, I feel what Peter Howe wrote on Richard Drew does show a flicker of truth. This photograph has impacted on American society, even reaching out the other nations. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Drew hasnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t seen one image that he considers to be the iconic summation of the disaster, but he feels that the photographic coverage of it has influenced the American public: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½I think it has rallied the Americans. At least what I can see. Ità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s seemed to have rallied everyone. Everyone is carrying flags, they have flags on their cars, and they have flags on their lapels, flags on their hats at the NY stock exchange. They have flags everywhere. People on the street corners are all selling flags. There is a sense of patriotism that probably wasnt that strong as it was when this thing started, you know. You cant screw with us. We are going to go after you. Were not going to sit back here and take it.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In my conclusion, I feel that while the roots of print journalism can be traced almost to the origins of the written word. However, photojournalism is a pretty new thing when put in comparison with language. In 150 years a whole framework of ethics has evolved. When photojournalism first came about, technology ruled what was acceptable, because if it was possible then it must be ok. However, after the industry began to mull over what the essence of news really was that is when it all began to change. By introducing notions such as trust and fairness, that is when an ethical system had to be applied; as a result, the concept of photojournalistic ethics. . After looking into much detail about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½the falling manà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ photograph, it is clear how much of an impact photojournalism, and other journalistic works for that matter, have on our society as a whole. By sparking a debate from one single photo, creates thought processes which one may never have considered in any other instances. That leads on to the way society thinks and acts. Lastly, the vital aim is to put forward accurate and trustworthy photographic journalism to the public. Although, as I have stated previously, it may be published at a cost, the negative effect of a photograph must be put against the possible benefits it may have to the viewing public. However, we cannot assume that todayà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s ethics, will be the same as tomorrows.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

the russian americans :: essays research papers fc

The Russian-Americans As of the last released comprehensive United States Census listing all nationalities, in 1990, there were over two million people claiming Russian ancestry living in America. Not included in this number was over one million people who were born in Russia. Sixty-six thousand entered the U.S. between 1980 and 1990 over 120,000 entered before 1980, slightly over 123,000 were naturalized citizens, and over 71,000 were not considered citizens of the United States. When it comes to income and occupation the Russian-American ranks higher on the socio-economic ladder then many minorities. When it comes to occupations over half of the Russian population is in the managerial or professional field, while another third of the population works in sales. The rest of the population works in the service or labor field with the smallest bit of the population being farmers, .6 percent. In correlation the median income of a Russian-American is over 45,000 dollars, only 3.6 percent of the population lives in poverty. This can be a direct correlation to the educational attainment of the Russian-Americans 90 percent graduate high school, 49 percent have a bachelors degree, and 24 percent have a graduate degree. This is one of the highest percentages of any group that has come to the United States, except some of the Asian countries. The Russians started to look for the American dream in the seventeenth century when Semen Dezhnev set out to find a route through the Bering Straight, although he never made it anywhere close to the United States, he did find the Northern-most point of Siberia, which is named after him. The next expedition was launched by Vitus Bering, and although he died while searching for America some of his crewmates did find the Aleutian islands and started the fur rush of 1973. In two years many fur industries were set up and people started to establish small communities in Alaska. In 1794 eight monks arrived to one of those small towns, Kodiak and started a Russian Orthodox mission. In seventy years when Alaska was sold to the U.S. the Orthodox religion was so ingrained into the people that it was, and still is the predominant religion in the area. After the sale of Alaska, the immigration of Russians slowed until the beginning of the twentieth century and the beginning of Communism is Russia. In the beginning it was mostly laborers and farmers and then came the former Russian army and naval officers, highly qualified engineers and scientists, actors and composers, musicians and painters, and a number of world-famous singers and ballet dancers.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Feminism in Pakistan

Out of the fifteen people asked, 53% of the survey population responded negatively to the question inquiring whether men were equal to women. Zahra Mania, a secretary for a business organization claimed that in our society, there is a substantial gap in the rights of men and women. The interviewee claimed that despite both sexes being intellectually equal, preference is given to men in acquiring important jobs such as being CEO, CFO, etc. Another respondent, who opted to remain anonymous backed this point by stating that women are far more likely to attain low-paying jobs such as being secretaries or receptionists.A journalist refuted these points by saying that in her profession, men were given equal rights to women and that in order to be promoted, a person’s work was taken into consideration, not his or her gender. Similarly, another journalist agreed with this point, adding further that equality between men and women is mostly dependant on the customs of a society, and the career one wishes to pursue. When asked about what would have to change before men and women achieved true equality, 18% responded negatively stating that in a patriarchal society, it would be nearly impossible for men and women to achieve equal rights.The rest 82% had optimistic views, claiming that while it would indeed be difficult to change the mindset of people who firmly believe in male dominance, a good start would be with the family. Many respondents believed that children need to be socialized in such a way where they believe that male and females are equal. If a boy is brought up to believe that he is no different from his sister, he will have a more positive outlook on life claimed Sana Memon. Another respondent stated that the oppression of women had to come to an end and in doing so, education would play a big part.According to her, education would eradicate ignorance within a persons character, and would lead to a deeper understanding of the other sex. When asked the question of what change does one wish to see regarding women’s rights, male respondents generally claimed that they did not want the workings of society changed. Ahmed Shehzab, an accountant, stated that women’s rightful place is at home, looking after the family whereas men have a duty to generate income and provide for their family.Similarly, another businessman claimed that women are inferior to men in both intelligence and physical exertion, and are therefore unable to handle the strain of leading a company. However, many respondents refuted these points by saying that women should be given more freedom. Nausheen Afzal claimed that in western countries, women are more liberated and are allowed to participate in almost anything. Being a pro-feminist, she believes that the same rights should be implemented in Pakistan. 72% of the survey population believe that the family plays an important part in gender role socialization.Fahaama Khalid, a housewife, believes that c hildren are heavily influenced by the perceptions and thoughts of their family, with whom they spend a lot of time. She believes that (specifically in Pakistan), girls are socialized in such a way that they are lead to believe that they are physically weaker than men and lack male dominant qualities. Girls are primarily raised to be mothers and care-takers of the household and are expected to obey their husbands rules. Similarly, Farhana Farooq who is a shopkeeper, believes that the family plays a crucial role in a child’s life.It is the family, she says, who influences the child using both direct and indirect methods. Direct methods, she explains, includes sending children to segregated schools and stopping girls from participating in athletic activities whereas indirect methods are when a child looks at his family, sees his father as the head and his mother as a nurturing woman, and automatically assumes that that is what is normal. Faareha Ansar, a waitress, refutes these points by saying that education is what has a more important role in a child’s life, for it is through knowledge and its application that children realize how society works. 1% of the survey population is of the belief that gender plays an important role in a person’s life chances. Anushe Zafar, a salesclerk says that in a patriarchal and close-minded society as the one in Pakistan, high-paying jobs are generally offered to men. She states that despite the fact that a female may have the same qualifications as a male, males are more likely to be favoured for jobs. Hassan Javed backs this point, saying that women are far more likely to attain positions such as receptionists or PA’s in lieu of occupations such as CEO’s or CFO’s. There are mixed views when considering feminism to be defensive or offensive. 3% of the survey population believes that feminism is offensive and ridiculous. Waleed Khan, a shopkeeper, says that feminism is a waste of time an d an excuse for women. However, many others refuted this point by claiming that women have a right to be heard, to have their sufferings acknowledged and appreciated and also to maintain equal status with men at all levels. The hypothesis of this report is that Pakistan has a patriarchal society and does not give much freedom to women. Many respondents have proved for this theory to be true, giving their honest opinions and using examples from their work life.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Essay Example Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Summary Paper Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Analysis What is the purpose of Body Ritual Among the Nacirema? The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the â€Å"Nacirema† as an example of how extreme human behavior can become, but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture, they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and â€Å"rituals† performed by this unknown tribe, Miner allowed others to see that the way studies were representing distinctive cultures was narrowminded and defective. Without the proper comprehension of the basis of any society, huge cultural misunderstandings could occur. Of course, in Miner’s article, the â€Å"Nacirema† refers to the American people, but in discussing ‘them’ as an exotic or unfamiliar people you are forced to forgo any ethnocentric notions of American society and try to understand their customs and rituals from an etic perspective. It’s an interesting and intriguing way to show a cultural analysis of a â€Å"primitive† people and provide a biased outlook on a different culture. The author’s thesis is that the â€Å"Nacirema† are a people based around their perception of physical appearances and peculiar rituals. Although the concept of the human body as an â€Å"ugly† and decaying vessel is paramount to the rationalization of such rituals, much of their daily routines are meant to avoid or dissuade this conviction. These curious rituals occur in the privacy of â€Å"shrines† and, for the most part, the human body and its natural functions are veiled and only spoken of to â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"witch-doctors†. Also, they seem to be a â€Å"masochistic† society constructed around willingly subjecting themselves to pain and â€Å"tortures†. The â€Å"Nacirema† deliberately permit â€Å"medicine men† and â€Å"holy-mouth-men† to perform excruciating procedures to prevent the inevitable decay of their bodies and mouths. And while the ideal human form is unrealistic and unattainable for most, much of their wealth is allocated for â€Å"rites† used to painfully correct their unsatisfactory genetic traits. Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the â€Å"Nacirema’s† social customs and â€Å"rituals†, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The psychology of the â€Å"Nacirema† people is one of malcontent. There seems to be a general dissatisfaction with one’s body and this inescapable attitude reaches into almost every aspect of their lives. The â€Å"Nacirema† seem to necessitate unhappiness and even pain. They voluntarily allow â€Å"holy-moth-men† to subject them to torturous practices meant to postpone the inevitable decay of their mouths, pay â€Å"herbalists† to provide them with â€Å"potions† and â€Å"charms† expected to improve their health and consent to â€Å"medicine men† poking them with needles and performing life-threatening procedures all in the name of beauty and driven by the fundamental mentality that the body is ugly. Miner uses cultural materialism to explore and explain different aspects of the â€Å"Nacirema† culture. By emphasizing bathrooms as a â€Å"shrine† and sinks as â€Å"fonts†, Miner is better able to explain the obsession with body image and â€Å"rituals† used to clean and beautify our bodies. Through the â€Å"chests built into walls† or cabinets full of medicine, most of which are used once and stowed away, Miner can describe the underlying need of the â€Å"Nacirema† people to be consumed by their health. Most people hoard these medicines, creams and tonics out of the fear that they may once again be necessary and, at the same time, hope they won’t. Holism is not a concept lost on Horice Miner. What he was trying to convey in his article was that you cannot just take a glimpse of another culture and expect to understand it. In order to appreciate other cultures you need to submerge yourself in that culture and be conscious of every aspect of the culture to fully grasp an understanding of it. Miner’s satirical interpretation of the American cultures was meant to prove that without the in depth knowledge of a cultures beliefs and structure, there’s no way to make sense of even basic customs. The first two chapters of Miller’s Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World are meant to define and explain what cultural anthropology is and how to properly conduct research. Horace Miner’s article attempts to do the same thing with an entirely different approach. Nacirema culture summary Instead of saying outright that the way previous research had been carried out was misrepresenting entire populations of people, he decided to take an anthropological look at a well known culture from an outside perspective and show how easily its ideas and principles could be misunderstood when taken out of it own social context. This reading was meaningful and thought provoking to me because instead of a monotonous essay preaching about the importance of cultural relativism when analyzing different cultures, Miner was able to make his point with a slight mocking and sarcastic undertone. I found it provocative and compelling that he was able to interpret and criticize the absurdities of his own culture and provide insight on the importance of perspective in studying any culture. He pokes fun at the â€Å"Nacirema’s† conflicting ideology of obsessing over displays of beauty and opulence while becoming engulfed in indulgent, self-destructive behavior and engrossing the need to continually make more wealth. Miner, Horace 1956 Body Ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58:3. Miller, Barbara 2010 Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World 2nd edition Boston: Pearson.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Black Sabath essays

Black Sabath essays Jenny dont know what love is. But really Jenny is the one that doesnt know what love is. Then Jenny starts to try to get a ride She is running away from Forrest. Then Forrest tells her he is going to Vietnam. Jenny stops and looks at him then tells him not to be brave if youre in trouble or danger run. Forrest writes her letters everyday and then he signs every letter with Love Forrest. But Jenny sends them all back. Well he is there Jenny gets into more bad relationships and drugs. Forrest and Jenny meat again when he is saying something with Abby. They run to each other she yells Forrest and then he shouts Jenny. That night Jenny Shows Forrest around Washington DC. Then they go to the Black Panther place Jennys boy friend hits her Forrest kicks his ass and gets them thrown out they walk all night and talk like old times. Jenny says you look handsome in that uniform. Jenny is a hippie and starts to use LSD and other drugs. The next day she goes to leave her old boyfriend. Forrest says come to home to Alabama and Jenny says we live two very different live then Forrest gives her his medal. Jenny says this is yours but then Forrest says I just did what you told me to do Jenny thats how I got it. Jenny says you r to good to me Forrest. Forrest looks at Jenny in a loving way as she gets on the bus and gives Wesley the evil eye. She goes through many bad relationships get a black eye from one of her boyfriends. Starts doing heroin and cocaine. Almost kills herself then she finally realizes she cant do this anymore. So she goes to live with Forrest in Green Bow. They go for a walk one day and come to Jennys old house Jenny stops it gets windy and then she starts throwing rocks and then she throws her shoes at it. Falls to the ground and starts to cry. They go back home it is New Years now. Forrest tells Jenny I love you and she says you dont k...

Monday, November 4, 2019

A preliminary market analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A preliminary market analysis - Essay Example The Middle East is the other promising market. However, success depends on detailed market analysis and entry strategy formulation. Thus, it is desirable that the Strategic Officers Steering Committee of Walden International should kindly permit a thorough study of a business plan for the global market entry of Able Corporation. Abel Corporation has succeeded in proving itself in the domestic market and domestic consumers have a high regard for this organization as a manufacturer of power tools, lawn products and appliances. However, despite a global financial crisis that is apparent from the data released by the International Monitory Fund, opportunities are available for the future in global markets (International Monitory Fund, 2008, â€Å"World Economic Outlook Update†), (Deneen, 2006, Pp. 1) and (Bharat Book Bureau, 2004, Section 1,1). Business researchers predicted that the global electric household appliances market would cross 498 million units by the year 2010 (Electronics.ca, 2008, â€Å"Global Market for Major Electric Household Appliances to Cross 498 Million Units by 2010†). In addition, business research had suggested that the global demand for lawnmowers would show a substantial increase by the year 2011 and the global demand for power tools would increase to a value of US$ 29.2 billion in 2009. Thus, it is possible that a global expansion will provide benefits for Abel Corporation. However, it is important to know which markets are worthy of attempts at entry, what timing of entry is likely to prove to be of the greatest benefit and what entry strategy is likely to work best for specific markets. In addition, it is also important to know if the current financial crisis warrants a revision of the previously mentioned forecasts and what is the likely state of the markets now. Thus, it is important to conduct a comprehensive market analysis leading to a well thought strategy for

Saturday, November 2, 2019

BEA System and CSR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

BEA System and CSR - Essay Example A more current understanding of the managerial concept implies the achieving of core organisational objectives through the activities of other people. In this definition, it is clearly reflected that the manager in an organisation is not required to conduct business activities by oneself. Rather such a person can manage business activities through supervising the acts of other people working under him. The above discussion henceforth holds management as a special skill or art which is practised by the managers to fulfil organisational objectives through the acts of others (Peel, 1994, p.1-4; Liebler and McConnell, 2004, p.51-53). Having discussed the emergence and development of the management concept the focus is now rendered on one of the approaches to the management science known as the model for Competing Values Framework. It is found by different management experts like Quinn that the different approaches to management that had emerged with the development of scientific management had some common traits which helped the concepts to merge with each other. This merging of the concepts gave birth to a composite model known as the Competing Values Framework which is considered the appropriate model for future managerial uses. This model is considered best for future managerial applications owing to the prevalence of different types of mindsets which are closely integrated to help business managers to compete effectively with the competing and dynamic current business environment.