Managing Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Managing Information Technology - Essay Example Certainly, chargebacks are not for all time the outcome of somewhat IS service provider did or did not perform sometimes mistakes are made by issuer of card, buyers and credit card holders (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009), (Visa., 2011) and (Conde, 2011). Moreover, a chargeback takes place after a consumer contacts their credit-card provider to challenge a charge that emerges on their credit card testimonial. Additionally, the chargebacks can take place due to several causes for instance an illegal agent has performed an acquisition the consumer’s credit card. In addition, there could be some concerns of chargeback wherein a buyer is not pleased with the strength of the IS services. There is another aspect in which consumer has been indicted numerous times intended for the similar order of purchase. In other scenarios a chargeback can take place when the purchaser is displeased by an acquirement and has not been capable to resolve the issue with the trader. Ot her cases may involve when the purchaser has not obtained the purchased products as they were promised by the IS service provider (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009) and (Google, 2011).

The Color Purple Monologue Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Monologue Essay Youre nothing but a piece oh shit on the bottom of my shoe, thats whats wrong. Im leaving with Shug and getting away from you. Youre a dirty rat and your dead body is just the welcome I need to leave you. You might have been a half way decent man if your father raised you right. You know that Nettie was all I had and the only one that loved me and you took her away from me. Youre nothing but trash for doing that to me. Youre cruel but it dont matter no more. My sister is taking care of my children in Africa. My children Olivia and Adam are learning different languages and are coming back home soon. And when they get here we are all gona whoop your ass for doing that to me. And we will do it with no regret for the things you done to me. Beating a woman doesnt do shit and Im gona laugh when everything you wish for crumbles down. My children are gona turn out way better then these blockheads you never made the time to raise. If your son Harpo hadnt tried to beat Sofia into submission then the white people would have never gotten to her. She wouldnt have gotten sent to jail either. You had rotten kids. They made my life hell, they did. But of course you aint nothing but some horse shit. You thought beating me would make me submit to your will? Well, boy you sure are wrong. No one ever is gona treat me that way no more. With you I felt that I wanted to go somewhere but I couldnt. I almost got my spirit beaten outa me and I just wanted to rot somewhere. And I never even asked you for a God damn thing!!! I never asked you for nothing at all!!! Not even your hand in marriage. I never asked you for nothing, but your sorry ass asked everything from me. Wash the dishes, clean the house, feed the kids, shave my beard. And I never got nothing in return!! But I never complained bout that cause I know you would just beat the shit outa me!! And until you do me right then everything you touch is gona crumble down on your sorry ass. You may think that I will come back but so help me God I would rather die then to live in this house with you. When you do your business on top of me I would always just pretend I wasnt there. I may not have talent and spunk like Shug but I got me some will now. I aint ever gona back down from anyone no more. I almost killed you when I was shaving you. If Shug wasnt there to save you I would have killed you. I should have done it for all the wrong you did to me. Until you treat me right everything you try to succeed at is just gona fail. Its gona be a rude awakening you realize that you cant live without me. You cant even cook breakfast without burning the damn thing. Everything you done to me I have already done to you. You just dont know it. And even if I havent done all that you have done to me its gona happen to you. Its gona come back and bite you in the ass for what you done to me. You will live in misery and you wont be able to live with yourself. You will probably drive yourself crazy and Ima have my head kept high. I dont need you. You think I need you but, its the other way around. You say Im nothing but an ugly black poor woman but listen here. I am black. I am poor. And I may be ugly but Im away from you and thats all I need.

Indian Persecutions :: essays research papers

The text we have studied relates to the integration problem between teh white and Indian population of United States : Indians are called Native-Americans because they have lived there for centuries. White Europeans arrived in the 17th century on their land during the conquest of the new territories. The confrontation of two cultures led to many problems we will discuss later but, basically, we had the Indian culture related to nature, natural living in direct confrontation with the white industrial and urban culture. By 1950, unemployment was high among native-Americans and the Bureau of Indian Affairs believed the solution was to relocate these populations in urban areas. Indians could see brochures pushing them to leave the country for better conditions in the cities. Many left but half of them came back to their reservation ! Hydroelectric power needs (les besoins en ...) led ( ont conduit) to many conflicts, especially for the building of dams (barrages) as it would flood reserv ations. Using legal protest and open protest, the Indians succeeded in some cases but other projects flooded most of Dakota ‘ s arable land for example. Another sensitive issue is about Fishing rights. Indians have always fished for a living (pour vivre) and thus they have been granted special tribal fishing rights. These rights are now challenged by environmental groups. A movie to illustrate the story of Indians :  « Little Big Man  », starring Dustin Hoffman is a 1971 Hollywood movie which broke all stereotypes people had about Indians : westerns : cow boys, indians.... Indians have often been treated unequally and many protests were held during the 1960s and 1970s.

Buddhism without Beliefs

It is a well-known fact that Buddhism religion is distinguished from all Asian religions due to its three innovative and original sifts: equal position of women; emergence of Buddhism as social transformation; replacement of monastery and building lay community â€Å"as the principal arena of Buddhist practice†. The book â€Å"Buddhism without Beliefs† by Stephen Batchelor describes the significance of three elements and their application to future development of the world. (Batchelor 1997)It is possible to suggest that the book is an intelligent effort to provide better understanding to the Buddhism religion and to make clear the attribute of â€Å"dharma practice†. Apparently, the book contains author’s personal reflections and suggestions how to apply Buddhism studies to contemporary era o skepticism. It is necessary to outline that the book contains three main parts called â€Å"Ground†, â€Å"Path†, â€Å"Fruition† and the last se ction devoted to culture and imagination. The author is rather persuasive, because he uses logical arguments, conclusions, facts and viewpoints to defend his position.Batchelor has managed to affect readers and to make them think about the issue. Therefore the book leads through abundant data presented to persuade readers that Buddhism is worth attention. Therefore, the apparent strength of the book is abundant data and evidence used to support the main idea. (Batchelor 1997) The first part of the book â€Å"Ground† involves theoretical framework of Buddhism religion and explains its core issues. The author begins with explaining differences between two entities – â€Å"dharma practice† and â€Å"religious Buddhism† – intertwined into the history of Buddhism theory.According to Batchelor those entities are closely related and thus are inseparable. Furthermore, they have to be preserved for discovering their contemporary significance. The first and the most significant entity for Batchelor is â€Å"dharma practice†, because it teaches and trains how to awaken and to feel freedom from â€Å"anguish†. The second entity â€Å"religious Buddhism† is a system of belief aims at ensuring social stability as well as providing religious consolation. (p. 16)Nevertheless, the author admits that world view and religious expression has little to do with core Buddha’s teachings, because they â€Å"pertain solely to the Asian cultural soil within which Buddhism took root†. Batchelor agrees that those entities have had significant purpose in ancient time, though they are hardly applicable to contemporary society. The author argues that if the dharma practice offers alternative approach to interpretation of core values and virtues, it has to be deprived of â€Å"its religious apparel and recast in a purely secular mode†.It would result in agnostic style of dharma practicing. (Batchelor 1997) Moreover, Batchelor believes that dharma practice would aim at social and personal freedom and liberation meaning that people have to escape from â€Å"suffering created by egocentric clinging†. According to Batchelor the positive moment of Buddhism is that the religion provides answers to great questions concerning place of humans in the â€Å"grand scheme of things†. The author seems to provide agnostic vision of the thinks stating that â€Å"the dharma is not something to believe in but something to do†.(p. 17) However, Buddha didn’t have answers to metaphysical questions of his day. The only known fact is that Buddha was teaching followers about sufferings and cessation. Thus the author makes a conclusion that Buddha’s teachings are therapeutic, existential and may be referred to liberating agnosticism. For example, Batchelor makes an attempt to escape from metaphysical questions of his day by arguing that Buddha â€Å"was merely adopting the symbols, m etaphors, and imagery of his world†. (p. 17)Nevertheless, Later Batchelor suggests that Buddha â€Å"accepted the ideas of rebirth and kamma†, though he considers them â€Å"odd that a practice concerned with anguish and the ending of anguish should be obliged to adopt ancient Indian metaphysical theories and thus accept as an article of faith that consciousness cannot be explained in terms of brain function†. (p. 37) However, Batchelor seems not to approve Buddha’s metaphysical theories, although he doesn’t completely reject the idea of reincarnation or rebirth.Instead the author thinks that honest approach has to be taken in understanding life after death, because existing knowledge isn’t enough to state anything. Buddha accepts the ideas of reincarnation and kamms indicating a â€Å"failure to summon forth the courage to risk a non-dogmatic and non-evasive stance on such crucial existential matters†. (p. 38) It is apparent that the author tends to use a variety of logical arguments to approve his interpretation of Dhamma. Batchelor’s arguments succeed in gaining cogency due to oversimplification, selective relevant citations and rationalization.For example the author discuses â€Å"four ennobling truths† and finds put that these truths aren’t â€Å"propositions to believe [but] challenges to act†. (p. 7) Nevertheless, such statement is hardly truthful, because the author fails to admit that â€Å"tasks imposed by the truths acquire their meaning from a specific context, namely, the quest for liberation from the vicious round of rebirths†. The dichotomy between â€Å"religious Buddhism† and â€Å"dharma practice† is hardly endorsable. The author calls to â€Å"recognize a spectrum of Buddhist practices, ranging from simple devotional and ethical observances to more advanced contemplative and philosophical ones†.Those observances are involved into faith and understanding, though they disappear when dharma practice is regarded on the basis of different suggestions. The author considers premises underling the traditional Buddhist practice as reincarnation and kamm, though he thinks they are only consolatory elements crept into the religion. (p. 18-19) The second part of the book is titled â€Å"Path† and aims at providing relevant sketches to agnostic conceptions based on the dharma practice. Furthermore, author provides clear and lively explanations of the issues displaying his creativity and literary gift.The part is divided into subsections devoted to awareness, overview of emptiness and development of sympathy and compassion. Apparent strength of the part is simple examples introduced in every subsection. Most original examples involve practicing awareness and mindfulness, showing essence of emptiness, challenging the findings and reflecting on common sufferings of friends, enemies and acquaintances. The second part includes also twelve links of dependent origination interpreted rather originally and illustrated by mistaken perception.(Batchelor 1997) Nevertheless, the conception of the path is absent in Batchelor’s interpretation, though it is considered the traditional foundation of Buddhist religion: â€Å"the Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels†. The author thinks that mentioning the path doesn’t have any sense in the frame pf agnostic conception, though omission of path seems rather significant. Furthermore, the author doesn’t mention either code of moral rules or the Five Precepts. However, Batchelor slightly talks about ethical framework and proposes integrity.Despite the fact he speaks about impressive insights of integrity, the issues is still questionable as it has neither sufficient basis for ethic nor exact guidelines. (p. 48-50) The third part of the book â€Å"Fruition† is an exploration of consequences of dharma practice and explanation why dharma pract ice is called â€Å"passionate agnosticism†, Batchelor starts with accounting meditative path. The author explains the process of meditation stating that it consists of â€Å"radical, relentless questioning of every aspect of experience†.Nevertheless, such beginning makes readers profoundly perplexed, though for author â€Å"this perplexed questioning is the central path itself†. (p. 98) It means that the path aims at finding no goals and answers. Such conception of dharma practice seems bizarre and strange. Further, the author returns to meditation stating that its goal to justify belief system and to approve using the raft of the dharma practice. According to author, Buddha stresses the insight meditation, because it is able to lead to thorough knowledge of true nature. Thus Batchelor shows once more â€Å"the bearing of one's starting point on one's destination†.It is apparent that the author firstly starts from agnostic concept and then turns to exces sive mystery and doubt. However, Batchelor believes that if a person trust dharma practice, he/she has to follow the right View and consequently to find Right Knowledge and Right Liberation. (p. 108) The last section is devoted to the concepts of culture and imagination. The author deals with correlations between contemporary world and Buddhist teachings and religion. In other words, Batchelor tries to find implications of Buddhism in modern world.The author asserts that throughout the Buddhism history, â€Å"Dhamma has rejuvenated itself by continually altering its forms to respond to changing social and cultural conditions†. However, such statement may be considered the act of author’s imagination, his gift of talented thinker and his creative vision of things. (p. 107) Batchelor has given new and fresh approach to Buddhist teachings. Some critics find Batchelor’s vision of Buddhism too simplistic, though it is difficult to agree with them. Batchelor seems to present his original point of view, his understanding and his perception of Buddhism.He succeeded in making viewers interested exactly by simple explanation of core Buddhist issues. Nevertheless, the author has failed to explain sufficiently the role played by orthodoxy in stimulating dharma practice. What is more important to mention is that Batchelor believes that Buddhism applied to contemporary world may rise the need to create meaning that dharma practice is able to stimulate creativity in followers. According to author, dharma practice is a â€Å"new culture of awakening that addresses the specific anguish of the contemporary world†.(p. 109) It is necessary to conclude that Batchelor has created a new vision of Buddhism culture of awakening by stressing the integrity of Buddhist tradition and their responsibility to the present and the future. Despite the critique the book is rally worth reading, because it provides better understanding, advantages and disadvantages of not only of Buddhism religion, but also of agnostic concept. References Batchelor, Stephen. (1997). Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening. New York: Revierhead Books.

Money: Bank and Funds

â€Å"Money† is a fascinating object. The process of creating money and using money has always generated enthusiasm amongst mankind for over thousands of years. The main reasons for such enthusiasm are built around the dynamics of the above process. Even more fascinating is the fact, that this process is perhaps the only subject that is foxing both the pundits and the commoners alike. Such being the importance of money, any narration regarding the process shall always provide enough excitement. Keeping this in view, the role and importance of financial intermediaries is being featured for the benefit of readers. A glimpse of this coverage is provided in the following pages to lead them to a wider canvas. Financial Intermediaries Financial intermediaries play a vital role in building economies. World over, in different economies it is typical to find that the sources of funds and the uses of funds are not one and the same. This process is also so complexly structured that while individual contributions comprise the major source of funds to the market, the utilization of funds is done by different sectors in the economy. Capital formation comprising of Savings and Investment holds the key to this process. In this causal sequence, Savings play the role of the initiator. The ability of an economy to generate savings depends on the combined abilities of the general public and the government. It is here that the financial system comes into play by converting the savings into productive results. Significance of Financial Intermediation The savings process is facilitated by the financial Intermediaries. In simple terms, financial intermediaries perform the function of facilitating supply of funds to the user of funds, by obtaining the same from the depositors or savers of funds. The term ‘financial intermediaries’ includes different institutions like Banks, Insurance companies, Investment companies, Developmental Financial Institutions, Non-banking Finance Companies, Mutual funds, Pension funds etc. While the role of above institutions is singular with respect to financial intermediation, the functions that are performed by each one of them are different. In a nutshell, these types of intermediation revolve around liquidity position of funds, risks in loans, and pooling of risks to take advantage of economies of scale. To sum up, the function of financial intermediation has arisen out of the need on the part of savers to reach the investors and the inability of investors to find savers. Developed economic systems may not require the need of full-fledged financial intermediaries, unlike the developing systems. This is due to the fact that the gap between the saver and the investor is absolutely minimal. This is referred to as â€Å"financial disintermediation†. The process of financial disintermediation is best achieved by reducing the cost of funds thereby facilitating direct capital formation, which spurs economic growth. The greatest advantage in this process is the fact that it reduces the time gap between saving of money and utilization. The process of financial intermediation is always fraught with risks. Risks both for the givers of funds and the takers of funds, besides the risks for financial intermediaries themselves. The risk factor arises in the first place out of the need for the availability of information and in the second place the need for players to be aware of the available information. Consequently, the need for regulations and the role for a regulator are felt. Financial Intermediation in Indian context In India, without exception, a single type of intermediary does not perform the task of financial intermediation. Different types of financial intermediaries exist and their functions are discussed below. Banks: Banks comprise the oldest form of financial intermediaries in India. The Indian financial scene is dotted with a number of banking institutions. All these banks are segregated into various categories. This segregation has been done on the basis of their incorporation and the businesses performed by them. Consequently, we have various kinds of banking institutions. These are: i. Commercial banks, ii. Regional Rural Banks, iii. Local Area Banks, iv. Co-operative banks. The above classification suggests that banks have been divided under various types depending on the need to achieve the different economic objectives. While making the above classification, geographical factors, need for sectoral deployment of funds involving allocation of funds for Agriculture, Industry, and Service sector etc. have been taken into consideration. However, gradually, the needs of industrial sector have become so huge and complex that separate institutions have been set up for farming the industrial sector. Development Financial Institutions (DFIs): Deployment of funds in the Industrial sector is a major challenge. Industry’s requirements vary depending upon their short-term and long-term needs. The activities of short-term lending and long-term lending are separate and specialized functions. After understanding this finer aspect, the Government of India took initiative to set up specialized institutions for this purpose. For this reason, we find that most of the DFIs – such as the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), are statutorily formed. These institutions provide finances for most of the greenfield projects in the Indian economy and have made a significant contribution by way of financing long –term projects. It is significant to note here that DFIs have been influenced by the changes in the Indian banking scenario to such an extent that these institutions are conlemplating to become universal banks. Insurance Companies: The path of reformation in the Banking industry has also caught up with the other intermediaries as well. In this respect, Insurance industry is witnessing path-breaking changes. In fact, in many countries Insurance companies perform a leading role as financial intermediaries. In India, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) continues to play a very vital role in mobilizing savings and delivering Insurance, though the industry is experiencing the competition from players both Indian and Foreign. With the entry of banks into the arena of insurance business it is interesting to find the beneficial impact of convergence of banking and insurance business. Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC): The process of Intermediation virtually begins at home, with the household sector. This sector is the basic source of funds for the intermediaries. Such being the important role of the households, NBFCs as independent institutions, have come into existence to meet their financial requirements. The services offered by the NBFCs cater to the whole gamut of needs of the household sector in particular and savers in general. * Emerging Disintermediation in India** With a rapid growth in the intermediation process, the need for financial disintermediation at some stage cannot be overlooked. Realizing fully well that developed systems find lesser need for financial intermediation, in the Indian context the policy reforms aimed at encouraging free market institutions have been moving the financial markets towards disintermediation. The onset of the process of economic liberalization in 1991 has brought about a sea change in the financial markets. The abolition of the office of Controller of Capital Issues (CCI) and the establishment of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 1992 was done essentially with a view to giving an impetus to the capital markets. The market happenings in 1992-94, did strike a hard blow to this mechanism. During the past three years the process of consolidation has begun. Though a reduction in the number of IPOs does suggest to a slackening of the Capital markets, there is also a brighter side of investors becoming more suave. Sources of Funds A discussion on financial intermediaries has to begin with the ‘raw material’ for this activity, i. e. funds. Financial intermediaries are required to raise funds in order to fulfill the needs of both fund-based and non fund-based activities. Considering the various sources and choices available, the financial intermediary considers the following variables in deciding about the ways and means of raising funds. These are: Maturity, Cost of funds, Tax implications, Regulatory framework and Market conditions. Maturity is vital since the intermediary has to plan for the repayment of debt. Since investors look for returns as against the intermediary looking for good spread and income, Cost of funds turns out to be crucial. Tax treatment on returns on some of the instruments could be different – with certain exemptions Thus, Tax implications are useful for tax planning for both the intermediary and the saver. The instruments have to fulfill a plethora of rules and regulations which require the knowledge of Regulatory framework. For designing a particular type of instrument knowledge of Market conditions is essential. Different Sources of Funds In addition to providing low-cost funds, the shareholder route is a popular and easy way for the common public to become ‘owners’ of companies. As the name suggests, the money belongs to the shareholders. Financial institutions have been innovating different methods for raising money from the prospective shareholders. ‘Reserves’ is another source of funds. Incidentally, it is to be known that some of the Reserves are created statutorily. Borrowing by a company is another source of funds for the company, which are repayable with interest. Unlike equity, the funds raised by way of loans are to be repaid. ** **Sources of Funds unique to a Bank The previous classification of sources of funds does not fully explain the avenues for Banks. By virtue of being one of the earliest financial intermediaries, and possibly the most prudent as well, banks have a privileged access to a few more instruments. Considering the fact that different types of financial intermediaries have accessibility to varied types of funds at different rates of interest, it has become necessary for the RBI to lay down norms in this regard. Financial Intermediaries look towards liquidity in the market for enhancing their scope of operations. However, liquidity is a double-edged knife. Excess liquidity or lack of liquidity affects the financial system resulting in either a reduction or an increase in the rate of interest. The cyclical effect is felt by the economy. For controlling liquidity levels in the economy, RBI exercises control through the mechanisms of CRR and SLR. CRR is the reserve to be maintained by banks with the RBI. SLR is the reserve that is maintained by banks for investment in cash, gold or unencumbered approved securities. Deposits The customers’ confidence level reflects the strength of a bank. There is no better way of reflecting the same by any other indicator than Deposits. In the wake of globalization, the avenues for banks for raising funds in the capital market have increased, both in the national and international markets. In terms of value to the Banking system, banks that have a greater deposit base have more value than the banks with a poor deposit base. Banks accept deposits in different ways. Such acceptance could be different in terms of the period, amount, rate of interest and the type of depositor. All the deposit accounts could be classified under Transaction accounts and Non-transaction accounts. The types of accounts that a customer – individually, jointly or corporate can have, are varied. Having said that Deposits are an important source of funds for the banks, a banker is wary about the types of deposits. A term deposit is a dependable source, but the cost is higher than Demand deposits that are low cost funds for the banks. Consequently, the composition of deposits has a direct impact on the profitability of the bank. Application of Funds The real challenge for the financial intermediaries begins at the very end of the first stage i. e. after mobilization of deposits. The meter virtually starts ticking from that time onwards since the deposits are to be repaid by the bank to the customer after a certain period with interest. In order to honor this commitment, financial intermediaries use their funds in different ways. Broadly, the purposes under which they are used can be classified under: i. loans and advances, ii. investments, iii. fixed assets. Loans â€Å"Loan† is a distinct activity wherein funds are taken from the saver and given to the investor. By nationalizing major banks in 1969 and 1980 Government of India sought to direct the utilization of bank funds for socially disired, objectives reflected in priority sector lending. Priority sector lending includes Agriculture and Small Scale Industry as focus areas that would promote equitable development of regions and promote employment avenues. Loans can be classified as secured loans and unsecured loans based on the availability of security or otherwise. Investments The best way to earn attractive return on money is by following an Investment strategy. Since banks have to service their borrowings and deposits at a reasonably good rate and put the funds into more profitable use, Investments in securities offer an option, though in many instances, this is a statutory requirement. There are three main reasons for the Banks to invest in government securities. These are: (i) in case need arises; government securities meet the liquidity requirements of a bank; (ii) it forms a second line of security, for emergency borrowing from RBI, and (iii) for meeting statutory SLR requirements, aimed at protecting the interests of depositor. Banks are also selectively restricted from investing in equity shares. Investments are made in equity shares either through primary issue or by secondary market. Investment initiatives in equity by banks are expected to boost a sagging capital market. Apart from the primary functions of deposit collection and lending, banks also perform treasury operations. The necessity arises out of liquidity compulsions in operations. Banks invest in bonds and debentures as a part of their regular treasury operations and also on behalf of customers. Fixed assets however, constitute a very small amount of investment by banks. The Management of Financial institutions revolves around two basic functions: i. the ability of the intermediary to raise funds, and ii. to deploy them. These two activities determine the sustenance as well as profitability of the intermediaries. Lending Function Apart from the fact that Lending constitutes the major source of income for the bank, the process of lending also depends on the bankers’ appraisal skills. The banks’ funds can be applied in two major areas i. e. investments in securities and credit accommodation. In the process, banks essentially look to balance the ‘spreads’. Apart from the necessity of complying with the regulatory prescriptions, requirement of profitability virtually forces banks to develop an organized credit deployment mechanism. The credit policy of banks is determined by the demand and supply of loanable funds of banks. Firstly, on the demand side of the economy there are the consumers of goods and services. Secondly, the need for credit comes from the corporate sector in the manufacturing, trading and services sectors. Credit management is a specialized area. This is due to the fact that there are different types of credit, and each type of credit is characterized by certain unique factors. Loan is a broad term used to explain the different types of credit facilities – short/medium term extended in the credit market. The selection of the type of loan by a borrower depends on three factors namely, need for credit, cost factor, and cash flow requirements. Since a loan has a demand side and supply side as well, loans can be classified accordingly. Demand side loans will be individual loans while Supply side loans can be classified as commercial loans. As in the case of a borrower, for the bank, providing the loans depends on three factors, namely the nature of credit, the type of security and the purpose of loan. Based on these parameters, further classification of the banks’ advances is done. Loans are also further classified under secured and unsecured loans. Banks have been providing advances to different sectors of the economy and at the same time providing loans to the needy sectors. The sectoral classification of bank loans is made as under: i. priority sector, ii. public sector, iii. banking sector, and iv. others. Loan Appraisal and Disbursal Preliminary appraisal involves an analysis of the market, technology, financial, and managerial skills of borrowing. Once the bank decides to finance, other critical issues are the decisions relating to the mode of financing. Finance is given for land, site development, building, plant and machinery and also for working capital. Banks arrive at the amount of Maximum Permissible Bank Finance (MPBF) through various appraisal methods. **Non-fund Based Services* Non-fund based Services Non-fund based advances in the form of: Letters of Credit and Guarantees offer a very attractive proposition to the banker. Since funds disbursement arises only on default or the happening or non-happening of an event, bank holds only contingent liability. Payments and clearing operations Clearing and remittences constitute important services under ancillary services. The major role of a bank involves mobilizing savings and channelizing them into investments. Complementing these activities are ancillary services of the banks which facilitate the entire payment and settlement system of financial transactions

Leadership Theory Matrix Essays - Leadership, Social Psychology

Leadership Theory Matrix Essays - Leadership, Social Psychology University of Phoenix Material Leadership Theory Matrix Complete the Leadership Theory Matrix by providing a detailed description and an example or examples. See the Example provided in the first row. Note. Answers shown in red are provided for example purposes only. Theory FocusTheory DescriptionExample(s) Heroic or charismatic leaders. Great man theories. The capacity for leadership is inherent. These theories held the underlying concept that great leaders are born, not made (Northouse, 2014)Based on the study of people who were great leaders in history focused on identifying innate qualities and characteristics possessed by great social, political, and military leaders (Northouse, p 19) and making assumptions about all based on a few. Personality characteristics otherwise known as trait theories Personality Characteristics or trait theories is known as personal tendencies when a manager works with their staff. While everyones personality is different, these tendencies are viewed and tested when the manager is applying for a jobThis is the type of person they have grown to be. A personality characteristic could ne determined by a work place test to show which department they would work best in. A good example would be using many staff with similar personalities will generally show better production rates. Focuses on skills and abilities that can be learned and developed skills approachThe Skills approach is when a manager uses their developed skills to achieve a goalThese are the abilities that were learned over the years from one or multiple jobs. Example for this is a manager works in three different companies performing the same duties. From the first to the third, they will learn the same skills and practice until they perfect their skill style. Emphasis is the behavior of the leader, known as style approachThe Style approach is the behavior (task or relationship) that leaders use to provide action towards its staff.Each manager or leader will have their own style. One manager may use theMy way or the highway approach in managing their staff while another will use the gentle its ok way of managing that allows staff to be more productive. Focuses on leadership in situations or situational leadership theorie. With the Situational leadership roles, managers find themselves changing their managing traits to coinside with the issue or situation at the specific moment.There are times when a manager will need to act fast when a situation arises. Each manager who uses this method will change their style or trait to match the change in evenironment in their work place Leadermatch theories look at how well the leaders style fits the context known as Contingency theoryContingency theory provides the framework for what identifies the situation and what leader would be best for it.The contingency theory is built around the framework of having that specific backup plan for a situation gone wrong. When a staff member causes havoc on the customers file, this brings their business to a screeching hault. The manager will need to go to plan b as an alternative direction to fix the situation. References Northouse, P.G (2013). Leadership Theory & Practice (6th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

This Is The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process

This Is The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Consistently coming up with strong content marketing ideas  is  challenging. You  have deadlines to hit. There are performance goals to meet.  The drive to be creative on-the-spot adds more pressure that you dont need. What you do need, however, is a reliable process for generating genius ideas fast. What if we told you it was possible to come up with 30 content ideas  in just 30 minutes? Not just any 30 topics, either. We mean topics your audience  will actually want to read about. Most things that sound too good to be true are usually garbage. However, this is the actual (garbage-free) process we use here at . We can confirm from first-hand experience that this process works, and the results speak for themselves.Table Of Contents Why It Is Important To Have A Content Brainstorming Process Write Down As Many Potential Content Ideas  As You Can (10 Minutes) How To Rank Your Content Ideas  On A Three-Point Scale (10 Minutes) Narrow Down Your Best Content  Topics (10 Minutes) How To Apply This Brainstorming Process If You’re Working Solo 4 Important Tips For Making This Content Brainstorming Process Work How To Validate Content Ideas  With Keyword Research What If I Can’t Find Keywords With High Search Volume For My TopicThis Is The Best Way To Generate 30 Incredible Content Ideas  In JUST 30 Minutes In this post, we'll teach you how to: Use a free-writing exercise to generate tons of topics fast. Use a 3-point scoring system to  sort out your top blog topics. Identify only the very best topics you'll actually write about. There isn't a secret involved. There is, however, a smart methodology behind our brainstorming process. It just involves a little bit of quick thinking and intuitive judgement to make the best use  of your limited time. Pro Tip: While these techniques work best with a team, you can use the same process if you're working alone too. Why It Is Important To Have A Brainstorming Process Creative ideas don't always appear out of thin air. Sometimes you'll have the most awesome inspiration when you least expect it. Some of us do our best thinking in the shower, or right before we head to bed at night. However,  bloggers and marketers don't always have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. Your boss likely expects brilliance from you all the time (doubly so when deadlines are approaching). You have no excuse not to deliver, either. Consistent creativity keeps you paid and keeps your content  efforts  moving forward. Recommended  Reading:  20 Ways To Be Creative When You Don't Feel Inspired Establishing a formal brainstorming process is the best way (or at least the most reliable way) to never run out of ideas. It achieves the following three things: It forces you to consciously  consider what your audience wants from you. It helps get the creative gears turning in your head, producing ideas you might not otherwise have thought of. It leverages the power of your team to generate more ideas than one person could alone (although it's still a useful process for those going solo too). Back To Top #Creative ideas don't always appear out of thin air. #inspirationWrite Down As Many Potential Ideas As You Can (10 Minutes) The first step is to write down as many ideas as you can think of. This works best with a whiteboard and markers, Post-It Notes, or anything else you can pin up on a wall later. Give all your team members something to write with. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Instruct everyone to free write as many ideas as they can think of before the timer runs out. It's important that no one looks at each other's writing or talks to anyone (yet). Don't worry whether your ideas are any good right away. The goal is to simply get your thoughts out of your head and out into the world. If in doubt, write it down anyway. You'll have time to sort out what's good and what's not later. Pro Tip: Aim for  quantity over quality at first. Overthinking cramps the creative process. Back To Top How To Rank Your Ideas  On A Three-Point Scale (10 Minutes) Now it's time for some constructive criticism. If you wrote your ideas down on note cards or sticky notes, now is the time to paste them up on a wall. They can be posted anywhere as long as everyone can easily read them. Here's what our board looked like after using this process: Position all your ideas on the left side of the wall or white board. Then, to the right, make three columns labeled 1, 2, and 3. How To Score Each Topic There are two ways you can approach this. Let's walk through each one. Method One: Read Your Ideas Out Loud Have one person on your team read each idea (or read them aloud to yourself). Then, have each team member rank each idea a 1 (weak), 2 (average), or 3 (exceptional). Say each response out loud. Place each idea into its respective column on the board. This approach lends itself well to collaboration. It gives the team an opportunity to discuss why they think an idea is good or bad. However, it also has a tendency to encourage group-think. Members might hear another person say "3" and be compelled to follow suit. This makes it important to stress honesty with each answer. Method Two: Score Ideas Silently Have one person read off each topic. Then, each team member submits their score to the reader via chat message.  You can use essentially any messaging system you'd like. We use Hipchat at , but Slack is another popular option to consider. You could even simply use Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts. The reader then looks at each score, and places them into a document (you can use Word, Google Docs, Google Keep, Evernote, or anything else similar). Keep track of every idea that scores a unanimous 3. You can keep track of other ideas too if you'd like, but the unquestionable 3's are what you want to remember. Finally, the reader presents the team with a list of 3s. Your team can then discuss  which of those ideas are worth writing about. The advantage to this technique is that it provides more honest feedback. When people can't hear what other people are saying, they tend to respond the way they truly think, without outside influence. However, it also cuts down on collaboration and discussion. This makes this approach faster, but sometimes, added communication can be beneficial for sorting out the best ideas. Pro Tip: You have to be fast when scoring each topic. Use your gut. Give yourself just a few moments and don't dwell on one idea for too long. Which Content  Brainstorming Method Does Use? We've used both Method One and Method Two. Generally, our content marketing team prefers Method Two. It produces slightly fewer ideas overall, because less ideas get scored highly. However, these ideas tend to be stronger. Both approaches  are effective, however, and Method One might be a better choice if  having a higher quantity of ideas is important. Back To Top Narrow Down Your Best Content Ideas  (10 Minutes) You've now generated a ton of ideas in 30 minutes. Now, the final phase of this process is to sharpen  your best concepts. For our team here at , we usually leave a brainstorming session with around 30 to 50 ideas. From there, you'll narrow down the best ones that you'll actually write about. Review your final list of 3's and identify the following for each idea: What problem would this post solve, or what question would it answer? What angle would this post take? What are some quick, hypothetical headlines that might work with this post? The goal is to make sure you have a clear picture of what each post will look like. 4 Key Indicators For Strong  Content Ideas We need to further clarify what  makes a topic a 3 (versus a 1 or a 2). A 1 does not satisfy the following requirements while a 2 might satisfy one or two (but not all four). Strong ideas that should qualify as a 3, however, meet the following standards: Strong ideas are unique.  In this context, we'll define "unique" as something you haven't already written about. If a given topic is something you've covered previously, you'll need to ensure you're taking a different angle, or are exploring a different facet of that topic. Strong ideas  match your audience's interests. If you're just starting out, you might not know what your audience is interested in. However, if you're getting a lot of questions about something, that's probably a good topic to write about. Strong ideas fit within your expertise.  Your ideas should fit within the topical scope of what your brand or company  is about. For example, a great post about how to change your own motor oil  wouldn't be a good fit for a food blog. Strong topics are well aligned with your expertise and with what readers expect from you. Don't let this deter you from thinking outside the box. Just be sure that the topics you choose are: Relevant to your audience. Things you're an expert on (or something you can make yourself an expert on through research and testing). The strongest  ideas are those you can do better than anyone else.  This ties into the previous point about staying within your topical area of expertise. In order to write a blog post that's going to drive organic search traffic and kick up a storm on social media, it needs to be good. The strongest content  ideas  are those you can do better than anyone else.In fact, it needs to be better than good.  It needs to address its given topic with more and better information than at least 90% of what else is out there. If you're in a competitive niche, this might mean using the skyscraper technique to build off what larger competitors have already done. The main takeaway  is to ask whether you can write a better post on a topic than any other post that already exists. If that answer is no, the next question to ask is "Can you can write a post that's different from any other post out there?" That could mean your post introduces a new perspective on a topic. It could also mean your post adds information or provides findings from your own original research. Pro Tip: Make it a point to monitor social media chatter about your industry or  the areas your content covers. Then, when it comes time to plan content, you'll have more ideas in your head to pull from. Back To Top How To Apply  This Content Marketing  Brainstorming  Process  If You're Working Solo Let's say you're working alone. If you're a one-person blogger or marketing department, then how do you make this process work? The short answer is much the same as you would with a team. The only difference is you write and rate your ideas yourself. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind: You'll need to be your own worst critic. Without outside perspective, it might be tempting to say, "All of my ideas are genius!" However, you only want to publish your very best ideas. Make sure you filter accordingly. Read your ideas out loud, even if only to yourself. Like we said earlier, posts that sound good on paper occasionally sound weak out loud. You will need to be your own worst critic. #writing #bloggingBack To Top 4 Important Tips For Making This Brainstorming Process Work The more you run through this process, the more efficient you'll get. You'll also likely find yourself coming up with better ideas over time, too. In  order to get the most from this approach to brainstorming, there are some things you'll need to keep in mind. Don't think, just act. Go with your gut when judging ideas. The ones that get you the most excited right away are usually the ones you know you should write. Focus on quantity first, then edit for quality. Letting yourself free write ideas loosens up your creative muscles. This can help surface ideas you might not have otherwise. Monitor your success. Once you have written a few posts using this process, pay close attention to which posts do best. If a post underperforms, then ask yourself why it didn't do well. Conversely, note what goes right with posts that really take off. This will help you better identify what a "3" looks like for your blog. Don't take it personally if your ideas get shot down. If an idea gets shot down, try not to take it as a commentary on yourself. The idea behind this process is to generate lots of ideas quickly. A lot of those ideas naturally won't make it. Back To Top How To Validate Blog Post Topics With Keyword Research Once you've invested your half-hour into your blog topic brainstorming  process, the next step is to do some keyword research. If you have a team member who is particularly interested in SEO, this is a good additional task for them to take on. The goal here is to find keywords related to your topics that you can use in your blog posts. This may take a little bit of additional time. However, it's worth it to ensure your blog topics drive traffic. Use these three quick keyword research tactics to gauge which of your proposed topics are best: 1. Use the SERPs.com Keywordini tool: 2. Then, copy the keywords from the CSV export: 3. Next, paste those keywords into the Google Adwords Keyword Planner: Need help with the keyword planner? Watch this video: 4. Try using those keywords in searches on Facebook or Twitter. Then, see what discussions are happening around those keywords. This will give you an idea of what kinds of words and language people use when discussing your topic. 5. Manually search those  keywords in Google as well. Review the top 10 results. Next, ask if the posts that currently exist for that keyword accurately match the same idea behind your topic. Pro Tip: It's important to understand the search intent behind keywords. For example, let's say you want to write about carpet cleaning. That could mean home carpet cleaning or commercial carpet cleaning. If it turns out that most people who are looking for that keyword want their home carpets cleaned, but your business only works with commercial clients, then you might need to find a better keyword. Back To Top What If I Can't Find Keywords With High Search Volume For My Topic? You might have an idea that you know your audience would love, but isn't relevant to any keywords with strong search volume. Does this mean you should abandon that idea? Not necessarily. Writing a blog post without backing it up with strong keyword data is a risk. #Writing a blog post without backing it up with strong keyword data is a risk. #blogYou could spend a lot of time creating something that gets a strong initial push on social media and email  but then fails to drive sustained traffic from search engines. However, it's possible that your idea doesn't get searched a lot because it answers a question people don't know they should be asking. In these cases, it's helpful to find a way to align your idea with something people are searching for. Struggling To Find Good Keywords? Here are three tips you can follow when you're struggling to find good keywords (when you know you've got a strong  topic): Ask your social media audience  for their thoughts on a given topic. If you get a lot of responses or stir up some discussion, that's a good indicator there's interest out there. Try searching for keywords around topics related to your suggested topic. This might help you come up with more ideas that are better matched to your audience's interests. Keyword Studio is an excellent paid tool well suited to this purpose. Use Hubspot's Blog Topic  Generator. Just enter three nouns related to your topic: You'll now have five fresh blog topics related to your main idea.  These hypothetical ideas may include keyword variations or other verbs or adjectives, too. Those additional words, combined with nouns related to your topic, may create keyword phrases you  might not have thought of. Try taking some of the variations this tool produces, and look them up using  Google's Keyword Planner (or another keyword tool). It's possible you could come up with some strong keywords after all. Here's how to never run out of #blog #topics againBack To Top Now Try Brainstorming Some Blog Topics! This process provides us with roughly a month's worth of ideas each time we run through it. Depending on how often you publish, you may need to try going through these steps more often. However, one thing that's for certain is you'll never run out of blog topics. Try putting this process to use with your own team. Then, come back and let us know how it went. If you have additional tips or difficulties, we want to know! This Is The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Consistently coming up with strong content marketing ideas  is  challenging. You  have deadlines to hit. There are performance goals to meet.  The drive to be creative on-the-spot adds more pressure that you dont need. What you do need, however, is a reliable process for generating genius ideas fast. What if we told you it was possible to come up with 30 content ideas  in just 30 minutes? Not just any 30 topics, either. We mean topics your audience  will actually want to read about. Most things that sound too good to be true are usually garbage. However, this is the actual (garbage-free) process we use here at . We can confirm from first-hand experience that this process works, and the results speak for themselves.Table Of Contents Why It Is Important To Have A Content Brainstorming Process Write Down As Many Potential Content Ideas  As You Can (10 Minutes) How To Rank Your Content Ideas  On A Three-Point Scale (10 Minutes) Narrow Down Your Best Content  Topics (10 Minutes) How To Apply This Brainstorming Process If You’re Working Solo 4 Important Tips For Making This Content Brainstorming Process Work How To Validate Content Ideas  With Keyword Research What If I Can’t Find Keywords With High Search Volume For My TopicThis Is The Best Way To Generate 30 Incredible Content Ideas  In JUST 30 Minutes In this post, we'll teach you how to: Use a free-writing exercise to generate tons of topics fast. Use a 3-point scoring system to  sort out your top blog topics. Identify only the very best topics you'll actually write about. There isn't a secret involved. There is, however, a smart methodology behind our brainstorming process. It just involves a little bit of quick thinking and intuitive judgement to make the best use  of your limited time. Pro Tip: While these techniques work best with a team, you can use the same process if you're working alone too. Why It Is Important To Have A Brainstorming Process Creative ideas don't always appear out of thin air. Sometimes you'll have the most awesome inspiration when you least expect it. Some of us do our best thinking in the shower, or right before we head to bed at night. However,  bloggers and marketers don't always have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. Your boss likely expects brilliance from you all the time (doubly so when deadlines are approaching). You have no excuse not to deliver, either. Consistent creativity keeps you paid and keeps your content  efforts  moving forward. Recommended  Reading:  20 Ways To Be Creative When You Don't Feel Inspired Establishing a formal brainstorming process is the best way (or at least the most reliable way) to never run out of ideas. It achieves the following three things: It forces you to consciously  consider what your audience wants from you. It helps get the creative gears turning in your head, producing ideas you might not otherwise have thought of. It leverages the power of your team to generate more ideas than one person could alone (although it's still a useful process for those going solo too). Back To Top #Creative ideas don't always appear out of thin air. #inspirationWrite Down As Many Potential Ideas As You Can (10 Minutes) The first step is to write down as many ideas as you can think of. This works best with a whiteboard and markers, Post-It Notes, or anything else you can pin up on a wall later. Give all your team members something to write with. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Instruct everyone to free write as many ideas as they can think of before the timer runs out. It's important that no one looks at each other's writing or talks to anyone (yet). Don't worry whether your ideas are any good right away. The goal is to simply get your thoughts out of your head and out into the world. If in doubt, write it down anyway. You'll have time to sort out what's good and what's not later. Pro Tip: Aim for  quantity over quality at first. Overthinking cramps the creative process. Back To Top How To Rank Your Ideas  On A Three-Point Scale (10 Minutes) Now it's time for some constructive criticism. If you wrote your ideas down on note cards or sticky notes, now is the time to paste them up on a wall. They can be posted anywhere as long as everyone can easily read them. Here's what our board looked like after using this process: Position all your ideas on the left side of the wall or white board. Then, to the right, make three columns labeled 1, 2, and 3. How To Score Each Topic There are two ways you can approach this. Let's walk through each one. Method One: Read Your Ideas Out Loud Have one person on your team read each idea (or read them aloud to yourself). Then, have each team member rank each idea a 1 (weak), 2 (average), or 3 (exceptional). Say each response out loud. Place each idea into its respective column on the board. This approach lends itself well to collaboration. It gives the team an opportunity to discuss why they think an idea is good or bad. However, it also has a tendency to encourage group-think. Members might hear another person say "3" and be compelled to follow suit. This makes it important to stress honesty with each answer. Method Two: Score Ideas Silently Have one person read off each topic. Then, each team member submits their score to the reader via chat message.  You can use essentially any messaging system you'd like. We use Hipchat at , but Slack is another popular option to consider. You could even simply use Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts. The reader then looks at each score, and places them into a document (you can use Word, Google Docs, Google Keep, Evernote, or anything else similar). Keep track of every idea that scores a unanimous 3. You can keep track of other ideas too if you'd like, but the unquestionable 3's are what you want to remember. Finally, the reader presents the team with a list of 3s. Your team can then discuss  which of those ideas are worth writing about. The advantage to this technique is that it provides more honest feedback. When people can't hear what other people are saying, they tend to respond the way they truly think, without outside influence. However, it also cuts down on collaboration and discussion. This makes this approach faster, but sometimes, added communication can be beneficial for sorting out the best ideas. Pro Tip: You have to be fast when scoring each topic. Use your gut. Give yourself just a few moments and don't dwell on one idea for too long. Which Content  Brainstorming Method Does Use? We've used both Method One and Method Two. Generally, our content marketing team prefers Method Two. It produces slightly fewer ideas overall, because less ideas get scored highly. However, these ideas tend to be stronger. Both approaches  are effective, however, and Method One might be a better choice if  having a higher quantity of ideas is important. Back To Top Narrow Down Your Best Content Ideas  (10 Minutes) You've now generated a ton of ideas in 30 minutes. Now, the final phase of this process is to sharpen  your best concepts. For our team here at , we usually leave a brainstorming session with around 30 to 50 ideas. From there, you'll narrow down the best ones that you'll actually write about. Review your final list of 3's and identify the following for each idea: What problem would this post solve, or what question would it answer? What angle would this post take? What are some quick, hypothetical headlines that might work with this post? The goal is to make sure you have a clear picture of what each post will look like. 4 Key Indicators For Strong  Content Ideas We need to further clarify what  makes a topic a 3 (versus a 1 or a 2). A 1 does not satisfy the following requirements while a 2 might satisfy one or two (but not all four). Strong ideas that should qualify as a 3, however, meet the following standards: Strong ideas are unique.  In this context, we'll define "unique" as something you haven't already written about. If a given topic is something you've covered previously, you'll need to ensure you're taking a different angle, or are exploring a different facet of that topic. Strong ideas  match your audience's interests. If you're just starting out, you might not know what your audience is interested in. However, if you're getting a lot of questions about something, that's probably a good topic to write about. Strong ideas fit within your expertise.  Your ideas should fit within the topical scope of what your brand or company  is about. For example, a great post about how to change your own motor oil  wouldn't be a good fit for a food blog. Strong topics are well aligned with your expertise and with what readers expect from you. Don't let this deter you from thinking outside the box. Just be sure that the topics you choose are: Relevant to your audience. Things you're an expert on (or something you can make yourself an expert on through research and testing). The strongest  ideas are those you can do better than anyone else.  This ties into the previous point about staying within your topical area of expertise. In order to write a blog post that's going to drive organic search traffic and kick up a storm on social media, it needs to be good. The strongest content  ideas  are those you can do better than anyone else.In fact, it needs to be better than good.  It needs to address its given topic with more and better information than at least 90% of what else is out there. If you're in a competitive niche, this might mean using the skyscraper technique to build off what larger competitors have already done. The main takeaway  is to ask whether you can write a better post on a topic than any other post that already exists. If that answer is no, the next question to ask is "Can you can write a post that's different from any other post out there?" That could mean your post introduces a new perspective on a topic. It could also mean your post adds information or provides findings from your own original research. Pro Tip: Make it a point to monitor social media chatter about your industry or  the areas your content covers. Then, when it comes time to plan content, you'll have more ideas in your head to pull from. Back To Top How To Apply  This Content Marketing  Brainstorming  Process  If You're Working Solo Let's say you're working alone. If you're a one-person blogger or marketing department, then how do you make this process work? The short answer is much the same as you would with a team. The only difference is you write and rate your ideas yourself. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind: You'll need to be your own worst critic. Without outside perspective, it might be tempting to say, "All of my ideas are genius!" However, you only want to publish your very best ideas. Make sure you filter accordingly. Read your ideas out loud, even if only to yourself. Like we said earlier, posts that sound good on paper occasionally sound weak out loud. You will need to be your own worst critic. #writing #bloggingBack To Top 4 Important Tips For Making This Brainstorming Process Work The more you run through this process, the more efficient you'll get. You'll also likely find yourself coming up with better ideas over time, too. In  order to get the most from this approach to brainstorming, there are some things you'll need to keep in mind. Don't think, just act. Go with your gut when judging ideas. The ones that get you the most excited right away are usually the ones you know you should write. Focus on quantity first, then edit for quality. Letting yourself free write ideas loosens up your creative muscles. This can help surface ideas you might not have otherwise. Monitor your success. Once you have written a few posts using this process, pay close attention to which posts do best. If a post underperforms, then ask yourself why it didn't do well. Conversely, note what goes right with posts that really take off. This will help you better identify what a "3" looks like for your blog. Don't take it personally if your ideas get shot down. If an idea gets shot down, try not to take it as a commentary on yourself. The idea behind this process is to generate lots of ideas quickly. A lot of those ideas naturally won't make it. Back To Top How To Validate Blog Post Topics With Keyword Research Once you've invested your half-hour into your blog topic brainstorming  process, the next step is to do some keyword research. If you have a team member who is particularly interested in SEO, this is a good additional task for them to take on. The goal here is to find keywords related to your topics that you can use in your blog posts. This may take a little bit of additional time. However, it's worth it to ensure your blog topics drive traffic. Use these three quick keyword research tactics to gauge which of your proposed topics are best: 1. Use the SERPs.com Keywordini tool: 2. Then, copy the keywords from the CSV export: 3. Next, paste those keywords into the Google Adwords Keyword Planner: Need help with the keyword planner? Watch this video: 4. Try using those keywords in searches on Facebook or Twitter. Then, see what discussions are happening around those keywords. This will give you an idea of what kinds of words and language people use when discussing your topic. 5. Manually search those  keywords in Google as well. Review the top 10 results. Next, ask if the posts that currently exist for that keyword accurately match the same idea behind your topic. Pro Tip: It's important to understand the search intent behind keywords. For example, let's say you want to write about carpet cleaning. That could mean home carpet cleaning or commercial carpet cleaning. If it turns out that most people who are looking for that keyword want their home carpets cleaned, but your business only works with commercial clients, then you might need to find a better keyword. Back To Top What If I Can't Find Keywords With High Search Volume For My Topic? You might have an idea that you know your audience would love, but isn't relevant to any keywords with strong search volume. Does this mean you should abandon that idea? Not necessarily. Writing a blog post without backing it up with strong keyword data is a risk. #Writing a blog post without backing it up with strong keyword data is a risk. #blogYou could spend a lot of time creating something that gets a strong initial push on social media and email  but then fails to drive sustained traffic from search engines. However, it's possible that your idea doesn't get searched a lot because it answers a question people don't know they should be asking. In these cases, it's helpful to find a way to align your idea with something people are searching for. Struggling To Find Good Keywords? Here are three tips you can follow when you're struggling to find good keywords (when you know you've got a strong  topic): Ask your social media audience  for their thoughts on a given topic. If you get a lot of responses or stir up some discussion, that's a good indicator there's interest out there. Try searching for keywords around topics related to your suggested topic. This might help you come up with more ideas that are better matched to your audience's interests. Keyword Studio is an excellent paid tool well suited to this purpose. Use Hubspot's Blog Topic  Generator. Just enter three nouns related to your topic: You'll now have five fresh blog topics related to your main idea.  These hypothetical ideas may include keyword variations or other verbs or adjectives, too. Those additional words, combined with nouns related to your topic, may create keyword phrases you  might not have thought of. Try taking some of the variations this tool produces, and look them up using  Google's Keyword Planner (or another keyword tool). It's possible you could come up with some strong keywords after all. Here's how to never run out of #blog #topics againBack To Top Now Try Brainstorming Some Blog Topics! This process provides us with roughly a month's worth of ideas each time we run through it. Depending on how often you publish, you may need to try going through these steps more often. However, one thing that's for certain is you'll never run out of blog topics. Try putting this process to use with your own team. Then, come back and let us know how it went. If you have additional tips or difficulties, we want to know!

Plumber and Related Words

Plumber and Related Words Plumber and Related Words Plumber and Related Words By Maeve Maddox This post was triggered by the misspelling of the word plumber in the following passage: Your plummer can be as creative or more than your favorite rock star or painter†¦ What happens in his head when he needs to find a way to solve your unique sink problem is the same process that takes place in a musicians head†¦ The b in plumber derives from the fact that, until fairly recently, water pipes were manufactured of lead. The symbol for lead in the Periodic Table of Elements is Pb. The symbol derives from the Latin word for lead: plumbum. Around 1100, a plumber was a worker in any sort of lead. In the 19th century the word acquired the meaning workman who installs pipes and fittings. The Nixon administration, concerned about information leaks, created a special investigative unit called the Plumbers. A plumb line (also called a plumb-bob or a plummet) is a piece of lead hung on a string. Builders use plumb lines to gauge a vertical line. As a verb, plumb has various meanings. To plumb the depths is to measure the depth of water by dropping a weighted line of a known length. Figuratively it means to experience something deeply. The writer plumbed the depths of despair. To plumb a chimney or other object under construction means to adjust or test it to be sure its straight. Three other words that derive from the Latin word for lead are plummet, plunge, and aplomb. Besides being a synonym for a plumb line, plummet can be used as a verb. One sense is to fathom, to take soundings. Its more common use is with the meaning to fall rapidly. Plummet is a good word to describe a precipitate and heavy fall. Florida tomato prices plummet, consumers win Daily stress and worry plummet after age 50 A fireman and a policeman held the ends of a horse blanket to try to catch the next falling girl, but the blanket split in half as the body plummeted right through and hit the pavement. The verb plunge comes from Vulgar Latin plumbicare, to heave the lead. Like plummet, the word suggests a heavy weight falling in a straight direction or forceful movement into something or in a downward direction, often into water. The expression to take the plunge means to commit oneself. The fashion term plunging neckline is documented from 1949. So saying, Nigel, with the light, of adventure gleaming in his joyous eyes, drew his sword and plunged swiftly into the forest. In one of the most dizzying half-hours in stock market history, the Dow plunged nearly 1,000 points Dome plunged deep into sea to cap U.S. oil leak The noun aplomb means confidence. The connection to the lead/plumb line idea is that a confident, assured person stands up straight. By September 10, 2001, Rudolph Giuliani seemed to have worn out his welcome as Mayor of New York, but the sorrier aspects of his two terms of office were all but wiped from collective memory by his aplomb amidst the chaos of 9/11. He [Ellis R. Dungan] transcended barriers with aplomb Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Capitalization Rules for the Names of GamesThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Drug testing ( stated int he attachment for more info) Research Paper

Drug testing ( stated int he attachment for more info) - Research Paper Example Mandatory testing has been done especially in industries of public transport and those involving public safety. Many organizations insist on drug testing before recruiting employees. In the contemporary era, it has become a necessary procedure of employment, to the extent that any job candidate that does not wish to donate himself for such test is ‘ab initio’ disqualified for the job. Hence, it becomes questionable if the organization is not using the employees as means to an end. The ethical issue of drug testing in selecting lies in the principle of privacy. The ethical principal of privacy states that the individual have the right to his private life without any interference whether from another individual and the state. Universally, the individual is imbued with the natural right to his privacy. This simply means that no body, whether corporate or individual has the right to probe the privacy of an individual. Some people argue that this right is not absolute; that when the issue in question affects the general public, the right might be re-considered. This might be the caveat in which the principle of drug testing in selection rests. Another ethical principle that sequels the right to privacy is the principle of autonomy. Every individual has autonomy as a person. The autonomy which an individual has is assumed to be above any other issue. The principle of autonomy which the individual has stems from the ethical principle of Human Dignity and right in the community. The conflict is indeed between the organizations goal to make money through business and the employee’s right to his private life. Is it morally right for the organization to invade the privacy of the employee’s to maximize profits? There are many voices in this regard. Hence, the nagging issue is the ethical principle in various workplaces can be

Employment and discrimination law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment and discrimination law - Essay Example Moreover, for indirect discrimination claims in both sex and race discrimination, there are four conditions which must be satisfied: However, in order to rely on the DDA provisions for bringing a discrimination claim, Anthony would have to demonstrate a â€Å"disability† for the purposes of the DDA. Section 1 of the DDA defines this as â€Å"a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.† The case of Goodwin v The Patent Office6 provided detailed guidance section 1 of the DDA. The first consideration is whether â€Å"the application has an impairment which is either mental or physical7†. Anthony has been diagnosed with cancer, which will constitute physical impairment for the purpose of the DDA definition. Accordingly, Anthony’s condition will come within the definition of a disability under the DDA and the next consideration is whether the impairment will affected his ability to carry out normal day to day activities. The case of Greenwood v British Airways9 determined that this necessarily involved a factual investigation10†. With regard to the current scenario, Anthony’s job as analyst is impacted as he will need a week off every month for treatment. Otherwise, he can still undertake his duties. However, on grounds of the impairment to his ability to carry out the job full time, coupled with the poor economic climate, he is being made redundant. The next issue is whether the adverse effect is substantial11. The Goodwin case highlighted that the definition of substantial means â€Å"more than minor or trivial12† and is essentially a question of fact in each case. Relevant considerations include how long it takes to complete tasks and the manner in which tasks are undertaken.13 With regard to Anthony, he appears to have a senior position it is evident that her work has significantly suffered, which further

Victorian internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Victorian internet - Essay Example The telecommunication we have today is an extension of that breakthrough. In his book, Standage goes in to detail about how that early form of communication was similar to the one we have today. Telegraph gave way to what we could call as ‘the first online dating service’. Telegraph operators would use the service for their own personal use and soon to follow were the first ‘online affairs’. The Victorian internet had social, political and economic implications. The telegraph was the first ever network.  Its growth during the time is comparable to the growth the modern day internet saw during the 1990’s.  This growth gave rise to competition.  Patents for proprietary property were as important then as they are today. Also, both the eras saw massive investments followed by explosive growth.   (Book Review: The Victorian Internet, 2007) Security and privacy are 2 of the biggest concerns when it comes to telecommunication. Today we have firewalls, logins, passwords and encryption. These existed back then as well, in fact, that is when it all began. Concerns about lines, routes, wires and operators existed even back then. The telegraph created the first ever online social network, with telegraph operators being a part of an exclusive group of people with their own short-hand jargon compared to the one that exists today in e-mails, instant messaging etc. both the internet and the telegraph of the 19th century can be compared to in terms of defying distance. It served its primary purpose which was the transfer of news and information faster than anything at the time or that had existed in the recent past, like land and sea-routes. It changed the notion that nothing could reach a ship’s destination faster than the ship it self. (Review of "The Victorian Internet", by Tom Standage) Many would say that the telegraph failed at one of its

Principles of Archaeology - journal article review

Principles of Archaeology - journal review - Article Example The findings are suggested to have reduced the likelihood of social variance. However, perhaps more importantly, the evidence suggests that both animals and grain were important to the residents as a production of surplus. Hubbard (2010) suggests that the animals were likely used to provide fuel (from dung) and to provide milk for nutrition, with the animals having a similar role to the grain silos in this scenario. Additionally, the Chacolithic period to which the Tel Tsaf site dates was a transition point from ‘egalitarian villages’ (p1131) to the more stratified world of towns and cities, with mixed architecture such as that at Tel Tsaf representing that change. Hubbard (2010) suggests that further excavations are needed, but Tel Tsaf could be seen as a snapshot from the era and may provide clues as to the evolution of this changing economy. Additionally, the use of two distinct building styles for two distinct purposes challenges the archaeological assumption that th is represents social inequality. In this case, micromorphology suggests that architecture represents function and speciality rather than any differences between social groups in the community. Hubbard (2010) also draws special attention to the fact that micromorphology (a relatively new discipline) has been used to draw conclusions about the site, representing the use of such investigatory techniques in world archaeology. Methods & Data This paper is essentially descriptive, taking data from the Tel Tsaf site in Israel and putting them into an archaeological context. To do this, a lot of data was gleaned from the excavation. Data from excavations at the site from between 2004 and 2007 was used, both large-scale and micromorphological. The large-scale results were used to indicate the underlying architecture of the village, as well as the architecture of the individual structures and their layout. Excavation also found paved grain silos from the village. Micromorphology samples were taken from the buildings identified from the excavation. These samples were analysed using polarising petrographic microscopes at both the University of Reading, UK and the University of Toronto, Canada. Arguments & Conclusions The main argument of the paper is that the micromorphology of the site accounts for the differences in architecture found between the buildings. Instead of assuming that these differences provide evidence of different living styles (for example, between socio-economic classes) the micromorphology provides evidence of ‘dung spherulites and some scattered reed phytoliths’ (p1128), commonly associated with animal usage of an area. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that the differences in size and shape between the major courtyards appears to be linked to differences in function of the rooms, although there is less data given to suggest this difference amongst the human accommodation buildings. The paper also draws upon other findings to hypothesize that the animals kept in these round structures may have been kept for milk and cheese. To gain milk and cheese from the animals, it is necessary to limit the suckling, so the presence of multiple structures may indicate that this indeed was the case. Additionally, the presence of a separate enclosed area may represent a milking facility through which to provide these substances to the community. Micromorphology also identified that the majority of animals kept on the site

Are the American realist & naturalist writers breaking away from Essay - 1

Are the American realist & naturalist writers breaking away from Romantic literary tradition, or are these later writers still infusing the Romantic spirit - Essay Example Both Lowell and Hawthorne came from a rich cultural ancestry. Both wanted to respect their ancestors, yet both writers also felt their ancestors had committed crimes which Hawthorne and Lowell were being held responsible for. Just as Hawthorne’s fiction expresses his dichotomous feelings towards his ancestral legacy, as is seen in the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, so, too, does Robert Lowell’s poetry exemplify his controversial feelings towards his ancestral legacy, as is shown in the poem â€Å"At the Indian Killer’s Grave.† The romantic period in American literature may be said to have started with the independence of United States from the European colonialism. Europe’s literary styles and forms continued to influence many American writers during the early romantic period. During this period most of the American writers magnificently praised the beauty of American countrysides and American literature generally symbolized the optimism of an emerging nation. The puritan traditions and upbringing that had influenced Hawthorne in his early years is clearly visible in his work, which explains and often dictates the ‘appropriate’ behavior of his characters. We often see that his characters wear a make-believe image that can be seldom expected from the real world that the modern world is exposed to. In particular, Hawthorne’s feminine characters are influenced by puritan beliefs that mandate them to behave in a particular fashion that is appropriate in the society. Hawthorne’s female characters are ideally stifled and restrained and Hawthorne is not happy about women asserting themselves in public life. Many critics believe that the efforts of Hawthorne have been to provide America with its own genuine romantic literary traditions. We can see that his obsessions with romanticism and his ardent need to provide a literary culture to America that can be

The Power of The Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Power of The Vote - Essay Example As the discussion explores the people who are elected have a tremendous impact on our daily lives. These are our representatives, and they enact thousands of statutes that affect us. They determine how to spend tax and how the tax burden will be shared, and they define state policy in thousands of problems and issues. This paper declares that leadership refers to an exceptionally wide range of roles that have great influence. A leader needs to have the qualities and the ability to protect the nation at all times and hence it is essential that they have strong ethics and values. The leader has to impress as a role model in ethical values, intellectual caliber, professional expertise and solid achievements if he/she is to stir up the ready and willing cooperation of others. As a leader he is duty bound to fix responsibility and take corrective measures, but this he should do in a constructive and positive spirit, without leaving a trail of bitterness and acrimony. In any case, he should regard genuine and honest errors of judgment as the inevitable price of learning and growth, and not as something to be condemned or punished. Leaders come with various temperaments and traits. They may be all types: Aggressive, gruff, reserved, blustery, bluff, forthcoming, formal and so on. Not all leaders are made for all kinds of situations and enterprises, since their capabilities are not identical. A war leader, like Winston Churchill, may be a misfit in peacetime.

Are the American realist & naturalist writers breaking away from Essay - 1

Are the American realist & naturalist writers breaking away from Romantic literary tradition, or are these later writers still infusing the Romantic spirit - Essay Example Both Lowell and Hawthorne came from a rich cultural ancestry. Both wanted to respect their ancestors, yet both writers also felt their ancestors had committed crimes which Hawthorne and Lowell were being held responsible for. Just as Hawthorne’s fiction expresses his dichotomous feelings towards his ancestral legacy, as is seen in the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, so, too, does Robert Lowell’s poetry exemplify his controversial feelings towards his ancestral legacy, as is shown in the poem â€Å"At the Indian Killer’s Grave.† The romantic period in American literature may be said to have started with the independence of United States from the European colonialism. Europe’s literary styles and forms continued to influence many American writers during the early romantic period. During this period most of the American writers magnificently praised the beauty of American countrysides and American literature generally symbolized the optimism of an emerging nation. The puritan traditions and upbringing that had influenced Hawthorne in his early years is clearly visible in his work, which explains and often dictates the ‘appropriate’ behavior of his characters. We often see that his characters wear a make-believe image that can be seldom expected from the real world that the modern world is exposed to. In particular, Hawthorne’s feminine characters are influenced by puritan beliefs that mandate them to behave in a particular fashion that is appropriate in the society. Hawthorne’s female characters are ideally stifled and restrained and Hawthorne is not happy about women asserting themselves in public life. Many critics believe that the efforts of Hawthorne have been to provide America with its own genuine romantic literary traditions. We can see that his obsessions with romanticism and his ardent need to provide a literary culture to America that can be

Art And Social Protest During The Vietnam War Research Paper

Art And Social Protest During The Vietnam War - Research Paper Example Many participants of these artworks have different ways to demonstrate and pass their message to the targeted people and empower them on different aspects. During war times, people use artwork to demonstrate the suffering of other people which they undergo and this helps in easing of the situation or more help coming to the people in need. Most paintings may reference a certain War event but it serves for any War and artist aim for generic use and information when making these artworks. Pablo Picasso’s artwork, named after a city in Spain that was a target of terror bomb during the Civil War in Spain. This painting demonstrated the kind of suffering it puts individuals and at most, the innocent people the fame of this art reminds of war tragedies with the symbolization of anti-war and peace. The spread of the artwork throughout the world brought the Spanish War to the attention of the whole world. Picasso never wanted the painting to reach Spain until democracy and liberty for med, this saw the painting put under a high security with a bomb and bulletproof screens for security purposes. This shows the importance of the painting in the fight against the war. The meanings of Picasso’s painting vary according to the interpretation provided. Throughout Picasso’s career, he used the bull and a horse to symbolize different roles since the two are important characters in the Spanish culture. Many victims are visible with some alive and others dead which remains as a historical reminder of the times of war.  ... This shows the importance of the painting in the fight against war (Matthew 49). The meanings of Picasso’s painting vary according to the interpretation provided. Throughout Picasso’s career, he used the bull and a horse to symbolize different roles since the two are important characters in the Spanish culture. In the sculpture, many victims are visible with some alive and others dead which remains as a historical reminder of the times of war. Chaos by the European political unpredictability is visible in the composition of the Picasso’s painting. The color in the Guernica is black which mostly symbolizes death. Other artists during the time of Picasso who influenced the artwork of anti-war, or the like of Franisco de Goya not only did the artwork on war but also in a bullfight. The whole scene takes place within a room with one open end and a bull over a woman mourning for a dead child and some other hidden images. A light bulb to represent the sun and a broken sword to represent defeat are visible in the painting by Picasso known as Guernica (Shabi 12). Schneemann held a performance â€Å"snows† to protest the famous Vietnam War with a focus in values on flesh and this brought new fraught in politics. Schneemann participated in the New York City festival during the week of Angry Arts, which involved many performances and events from many artists in protest of the famous war. Her presentation shows the ambivalence of emotionally charged photos, which suggests uncertainty in the information overlaid and passing strategy. She also uses a film that she demonstrates the misuse of people in wars and the results of war. These artworks show that Schneemann was among the protestors

She-Wolf Essay Example for Free

She-Wolf Essay 1.) The short story â€Å"She-Wolf† written by Giovanni Verga, depicts the tragic life of a man named Nanni who unfortunately meets a psychotic and possibly possessed girl named Pina. Pina quickly falls in love with Nanni because he is very handsome and big hearted. In an epic twist Nanni states he does not care for her, but would want her daughter for wedlock instead. In a plot to actually be with Nanni anyway Pina said he may have her daughter; even if it’s against her own will, in the condition that they take her house and allow her to stay there with them. Nanni began to hate and dread the she-wolfs evil visage, but mostly her eyes for they revealed the evils of hell itself. He told her if she returned he would slay her and when he went to take her out her evil gaze once again took control of his body and he is unable to kill her and never will be able too. In the end she got what she wanted, she has Nanni forever under her control. The purpose of this text could be to fore-warn men about women and how evil they can be. 2.) The main prevalent theme would undoubtedly be love, this was very effective in helping the reader comprehend the mood, purpose, and mainly plot. The she-wolf has fallen deeply in love with Nanni, yet he does not share the same feeling for he wants her daughter. This causes Pina to form a passionate jealousy and even hatred towards them. Thus Pina decided she would take his soul, slowly day by day, and with every look into her hollow eyes he lost a piece of himself. This happened until he was completely taken over by her will. 3.) Utilize context clues to infer the significance of the reiteration of the statement-â€Å"her eyes as black as coal† throughout the story. * The author uses this method to signify that she is a supernatural being, perhaps a demon or succubus type of creature. When one looks into the hollow eyes of a demon they will witness evils beyond comprehension and possibly be driven to the point of insanity almost instantaneously if they are not in fact possessed at first glance. The reiteration is used to show the substantial effect of her eyes.

Essay --

1. Lord of the Flies 2. William Golding 3. Drama, disaster, dystopian, etc. 4. The events of the book take place in the 1950’s during a major war most likely taking place around around 1954, the place the book takes place is a deserted island in the tropics where the Boys’ evacuation plane crashes after it was shot down. To understand the significance of the setting you need to know something about the time period it takes place, in the 1950’s long range plane travel was still a new concept, they didn’t have long range tracking systems and the first satellite hadn’t even been launched yet (1957 Sputnik-1), if a crash like that happened nowadays we would be there almost instantly, satellites would be watching and the navy would already have rescue vessels on route. The fact that no one had the technology to determine were the boys were gives them the sense of hopelessness and the feeling of permanence that accompanies their stay on the island that ends up fueling their primal instincts. 5. In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell on the beach, and Piggy realizes it could be used as a horn to summon the other boys. Once assembled, the boys set about electing a leader and devising a way to be rescued. They choose Ralph as their leader, and Ralph appoints another boy, Jack, to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the entire group. Ralph, Jack, and another boy, Simon, set off on an expedition to explore the island. When they return, Ralph declares that they must light a signal fire to attract the attention of passing ships. The boys succeed in igniting some dead wood by focusing ... ...ike an animal. Jack has the other boys ignite the forest in order to smoke Ralph out of his hiding place. Ralph stays in the forest, where he discovers and destroys the sow’s head, but eventually, he is forced out onto the beach, where he knows the other boys will soon arrive to kill him. Ralph collapses in exhaustion, but when he looks up, he sees a British naval officer standing over him. The officer’s ship noticed the fire raging in the jungle. The other boys reach the beach and stop in their tracks at the sight of the officer. Amazed at the spectacle of this group of bloodthirsty, savage children, the officer asks Ralph to explain. Ralph is overwhelmed by the knowledge that he is safe but, thinking about what has happened on the island, he begins to weep. The other boys begin to sob as well. The officer turns his back so that the boys may regain their composure.

Oedipus Trilogy Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Analysis of The Oedipus Trilogy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus Tyrannus as it is in Latin, could be what we call today a Freudian work of literature. The Oedipus Trilogy was originally written by Sophocles and is meant to be told in a story-telling fashion. But this Grecian tragedy was revised and translated into English by Paul Roche and put into a novel form. The Oedipus Trilogy is a novel that deals with destiny and fate. The reader is shown a series of events plotted out from which Oedipus cannot escape. When we begin to read this story, we must remember that Greek society was based around myths and legends. They, much like today’s society, had the need to explain everything. Their myths were a way of explaining such things. They had a series of gods and muses and fates to explain why things happened the way it happened. They believed in a force greater than their own controlling their every move. Sophocles took their beliefs and used the Oedipus Trilogy to explore the irony of how the Fates work more closely. The Oedipus plays are separated into three main plays: Oedipus Rex (The King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The story starts in Oedipus Rex, and the city of Thebes in which he is ruler is in plague. The city calls upon the ruler Oedipus to find a way to stop the plague. At this point in time, it is 15 years after the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi of his father dying and him marrying his mother. When he hears of this he promises never to return so he may outsmart the fates. He eventually ends up in Thebes through his travels and gets into an argument with an old man. He ends up killing the old man in a brawl. Little does he know that this old man is King Laius, his father. He goes to Thebes where a Sphynx is harassing it’s people for an answer to it’s riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle and the Sphynx throws itself from its perch upon a rock outside the city. Its people make Oedipus the new King. Now he is faced with another challenge, to find the killer and banish him from the city to rid them of the plague. We are faced with an interesting plot indeed. When Oedipus pledges to find the murderers, he puts himself in the ironic position of having to hunt himself down. The story shows Oedipus following his own tracks until he finds the shepherd who gave the infant Oedipu... ... this thronging round my feet- this holding out of olive branches wreathed in woe?'; (Roche 23). By this sentence Sophocles is showing that his people are crying at his feet for an answer to their sickness. Little did Oedipus know that he had his own much larger problem on his hands. The plays of Oedipus have long been some of the most enlightening and teaching of stories. This story sparked the study of much psychological debate and theories pertaining to the love of ones mother and ones own sanity. It was used in Ancient Greece to tell of the twisted ways that Fate worked and how you can do something you may not want to out of pure ignorance. This story is a truly remarkable one for those who would read it for pleasure, and yet it is a plague of its own for many a student. And it is still used today so that we may study how an ancient culture thought. Much of Greco-Roman myths are centered on the subject of Fate. Homers epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey are two such examples. We can see that their societies were greatly concerned with Fate, as much of their writing reflects that. Every society has its own needs and concerns, and literature is always the best way to reflect them.