Disinformation Definition

Disinformation is the deliberate and purposeful distribution of false information. The term is generally used to describe an organized campaign to deceptively distribute untrue material intended to influence public opinion. In recent years, the term has become especially associated with the spread of fake news on social media as a strategy of negative political campaigning. Key Takeaways: Disinformation The terms disinformation and misinformation are often used interchangeably, but they are not synonymous. Disinformation requires that the message be false, distributed purposefully, and with the goal of altering public opinion.The strategic use of disinformation can be traced back to the Soviet Union in the 1920s, where it was known as dezinformatsiya.In English, the term was first used in the 1950s, referring to Cold War disinformation campaigns.Social media has exacerbated the impact of disinformation campaigns. Definition of Disinformation A key component of the definition of disinformation is the intention of the person or entity creating the message. Disinformation is distributed with the specific purpose of misleading the public. The false information is meant to impact society by swaying the opinions of the members of the audience. The term disinformation is said to be derived from a Russian word, dezinformatsiya, with some accounts holding that Joseph Stalin coined it. It is generally accepted that the Soviet Union pioneered the deliberate use of false information as a weapon of influence in the 1920s. The word remained relatively obscure for decades and was used mainly by military or intelligence professionals, not the general public, until the 1950s. Disinformation vs. Misinformation An important distinction to make is that disinformation does not mean misinformation. Someone can spread misinformation innocently by saying or writing things that are untrue while believing them to be true. For example, a person sharing a news report on social media may commit an act of misinformation if the source turns out to unreliable and the information incorrect. The specific person who shared it acts as a result of misinformation if he or she believes it to be true. On the other hand, deliberately distributing false material with the purpose of generating outrage or chaos in society, essentially as a political dirty trick, would rightfully be referred to as spreading disinformation. Following the same example, the agent who created the false information in the unreliable source is guilty of creating and spreading disinformation. The intention is to cause a reaction in the public opinion based on the false information that he or she created. What Is a Disinformation Campaign? Disinformation is often part of a larger effort, such as a campaign, plan, or agenda. It may take advantage of well-established facts while tweaking details, omitting context, blending falsehoods, or distorting circumstances. The goal is to make the disinformation believable in order to reach the target audience. Multiple acts of disinformation may be carried out simultaneously in different outlets to achieve a goal. For example, different articles intended to discredit a political candidate may circulate at the same time, with each version tailored to the readership. A younger reader may see an article about the candidate treating a young person poorly, while an elderly reader may see the same article but the victim may be an elderly person. Targeting of this sort is especially prominent in social media sites. In the modern era, the 2016 efforts waged by Russians targeting the U.S. elections is perhaps the best-known example of a disinformation campaign. In this case, the perpetrators used Facebook and Twitter to disseminate fake news, as was revealed by the hearings on Capitol Hill which examined and exposed the scheme. In May 2018, members of Congress ultimately revealed more than 3,000 Facebook ads which had been purchased by Russian agents during the 2016 election. The ads were full of deliberate falsehoods designed to stir outrage. The placement of the ads had been fairly sophisticated, targeting and reaching millions of Americans at very little cost. On February 16, 2018, the Office of the Special Counsel, led by Robert Mueller, indicted the Russian government troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, along with 13 individuals and three companies. The highly detailed 37-page indictment described a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to create discord and influence the 2016 election. Russian Disinformation Disinformation campaigns had been a standard tool during the Cold War and mentions of Russian disinformation would occasionally appear in the American press. In 1982, TV Guide, one of the most popular magazines in America at the time, even published a cover story warning about Russian disinformation. Recent research has indicated that the Soviet Union spread disinformation about America and the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. A conspiracy theory that AIDS had been created in an American germ warfare lab was spread by the Soviet KGB, according to a 2018 NPR report. The use of information as a potential weapon in the modern era was documented in a deeply reported article in the New York Times Magazine in June 2015. Writer Adrian Chen recounted remarkable stories of how Russian trolls, operating from an office building in St. Petersburg, Russia, had posted untrue information to wreak havoc in America. The Russian troll farm described in the article, the Internet Research Agency, was the same organization that would be indicted by Robert Muellers office in February 2018. Sources: Manning, Martin J. Disinformation.  Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security, edited by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, vol. 1, Gale, 2004, pp. 331-335.  Gale Virtual Reference Library.Chen, Adrian. The Agency. New York Times Sunday Magazine, 7 June 2015. p. 57.Barnes, Julian E. Cyber Command Operation Took Down Russian Troll Farm for Midterm Elections. New York Times, 26 February 2019. p. A9.disinformation. Oxford Dictionary of English. Ed. Stevenson, Angus. Oxford University Press, January 01, 2010. Oxford Reference.

Lorca’s play on tragic love Free Essays

Lorca’s play on tragic love, The House of Bernarda Alba, is his last complete play. It is interpreted as a metaphor of repression with its theme focused on frustration, honour and death. The play contains both the passion and the torment in the intense struggle of a group of women held in check even from the thought of love by a tyrannical mother, Bernarda. We will write a custom essay sample on Lorca’s play on tragic love or any similar topic only for you Order Now The play investigates and provides a response, but not a solution, to the problems of oppression, transgression, sexuality and being a victim. Bernarda’s strict rule is as powerful as the wilful nature of the youngest woman who betrays the family. Her ability to satisfy her sexual desire symbolically shatters the order of extreme repression and absolute control. Her rebellion and death mark the reasons and effects of the repressed atmosphere. Ultimate protest, despair, and madness emphasize the even more extreme control, unhealthy fear, mindlessness, and especially silence that befall the women who remain in the house. However more scrutinizing approach to the issue of victim in the play reveals that not only Bernarda’s daughters appear as victims but Bernarda herself being a victimizer is a victim. Bernarda Alba is the mother, a dramatic personality, whose words carry the authority of the supreme ruler and whose life shows little emotion. In this austerity she rules her household, never sparing from her wrath anyone who attempts to revoke the stifling atmosphere she has superimposed on herself and her daughters. As a result, all – Bernarda, the daughters, the servants – exist in darkness and depression ultimately leading to sterility of emotions and finally to suicide. Bernarda is a selfish and tyrannical matron who eventually forces her daughters into the despair. They lose every vestige of hope; this loss leads directly to the moral death of each daughter and to the physical death of the youngest. Slowly, but unequivocally, Bernarda drains the minds and hearts of her daughters until they become as white and barren as the walls of their physical prison the metaphor of which is conveyed by the visual nature of the house with its thick walls and a few windows and doors leading to the outside world. However, this significant visual image exceeds its literal meaning and, above all, represents a sociocultural institution keeping all the main characters of the play in subordination to social dogmas and rules. Within the confines of its walls Bernarda and her family repeat the old traditions, like many generations of women that preceded them. This repetitive and collective act obliterates the uniqueness of the individual for the sake of preserving patriarchal hegemony. When reading The House of Bernarda Alba it becomes obvious that the play’s most powerful strength is in its dialogues, while the characters are limited in their movement and space within a closed location. By dint of auditory means, Lorca reaches the explication of the contrast between girls and their mother. This contrast is emphasized by the other devices like contras of black and white, and these two colours are highlighted throughout the play: the black dresses of the women in mourning, in contrast to the very white walls of the house. Moreover, Bernarda’s authoritarian voice stands out as she commands, â€Å"Silence! † [p. 161] at the opening, throughout, and end of the play, closely related in each case to the death of one member of the family and the spiritual death of those living. Despite Bernarda’s call for silence, other sounds succeed in penetrating the thick walls and contribute to define the nature of their society and the dichotomy between life inside and outside the house. Bernarda’s house is a household without men. This is by fate as well as by author’s intention to establish controversial circumstances. Upon the death of her husband, she must assume the patriarchal role of protecting her daughters’ honour and forbids the presence of men within the confines of the house, thus limiting the world her daughters are allowed to know. Her house is clearly governed by patriarchal forces. Pepe el Romano, the male character we do not see but hear about, is the strongest motivating force in the play. Bernarda’s authoritarian discourse stubbornly reproduces what she learned from her father and her grandfather. This concept associates property with social class, as Bernarda is well aware. When one of her daughters has the opportunity of marrying, she does not allow it: â€Å"BERNARDA, loudly. – I’d do it a thousand times over! My blood won’t mingle with the Humanas’ while I live! His father was a shepherd. † (p. 191). The situation within the walls of her house would have been quite different had Bernarda found enough men of her social condition to marry her daughters. Lorca indicts society, and the reader might be inclined to condemn Bernarda as well. Although she is not aware of it, Bernarda is a victim turned victimizer. In the same way that her daughter, Adela, is symbolically suffocated by her mother’s oppression, as she commits suicide by hanging, Bernarda’s maternal feelings have been suffocated by society. As a widow, she uses her newly found powers to perpetuate those values that benefit men. She becomes their accomplice. Her husband was a womanizer, and she claims that men should enjoy the freedom of the streets. Women should be confined in the house, against their natural instincts. Bernarda is, at best, an imperfect man, as exemplified in her failed attempt to use the gun —a phallic symbol. BERNARDA: The gun! Where’s the gun? She rushes out. La Poncia runs ahead of her. Amelia enters and looks on frightened, leaning her head against the wall. Behind her comes Martirio. ADELA: No one can hold me back! She tries to go out. [†¦] A shot is heard. BERNARDA, entering: Just try looking for him now! MARTIRIO, entering: That does away with Pepe el Romano. ADELA: Pepe! My God! Pepe! She runs out. PONCIA: Did you kill him? MARTIRIO: No. He raced away on his mare! BERNARDA: It was my fault. A woman can’t aim (p. 210) Within the play another mother figure, Maria Josefa, vehemently distances herself from Bernarda and approaches Adela, thus leaving Bernarda without support and helpless. She sings a lullaby while holding a â€Å"baby† (a lamb) in her arms, an act that Bernarda – devoid of maternal instincts – seems incapable of performing. Bernarda as a mother figure becomes dehumanized and therefore closer to the dimensions of a grotesque caricature. At the beginning of the play the maid La Poncia threatens Bernarda’s public image with her gossip. At the end of the play, and despite Bernarda’s call for silence, we know that the neighbours have awakened. The thick walls have been rendered useless and the tyrannical figure of Bernarda fall a prey to societal judgement. Bibliography LORCA, Federico Garcia Three Tragedies: Blood Wedding, Yerma, Bernarda Alba. Translated by J. G. Lujan and R. L. O’Connell. New York, New Directions Publishing, 1955. How to cite Lorca’s play on tragic love, Papers

Talent Mismatch free essay sample

This paper talks about the talent mismatch caused by skills shortages around the world. The paper reports on the difficulty experienced by employers all around the world in recruiting highly skilled workers who meet their strategic or long term goals. It cites the jobs noted by Manpower Group’s 2011 Talent Shortage Survey for which positions were hardest to fill by the employers all around the world. This paper also highlightsmajor business trends that are converging into a workplace. This paper also suggests employers to develop long-term recruitment strategies, sound job training strategies and appropriate retaining strategies. While it also suggests workers to have long term career planning that includes assessment of major skills required in the marketplace, strengths and areas of interest to ensure employability in ever changing work environment. Keywords: Talent Mismatch, Talent Shortage, Difficulty filling jobs, Labor shortfall, Talent Gap The demand for skilled labors in the global marketplace over the past decade and a half has been growing rapidly. We will write a custom essay sample on Talent Mismatch or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Despite global economic meltdown, recession and colossal rate of unemployment in many countries the demand for talented individuals in the marketplace has not declined, instead the demand for highly skilled labor has been rising. However, on the supply side, due to talent scarcity, many jobs are left unfilled. According to the recent survey conducted by human resource solutions firm Manpower (2011), 52% of UScompanies reported difficulty in filling out the jobs. Remarkably, the data from the previous year, 2010 stated just 14% companies had difficulty in filling out the jobs. Similarly, a report by World Economic Forum in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group titled â€Å"Global Talent Risk: Seven Responses† stated that the employability will become a huge problem worldwide in coming 20 years; it stated that currently, only 25% of Indian and 20% of Russians are deemed employable by multinationals. Furthermore, a talent shortage survey conducted by Manpower group in 2011 showed that employers in countries like Japan, India, Brazil, Australia, Taiwan, Romania, US and Argentina has some of thehighest rate of difficulty filling ut the jobs with Japan leading by 80%, followed by India 67%. Similarly, 54% of employers in Brazil and Australia also reported difficulty in filling out the jobs while Taiwan, Romania, US and Argentina reported 53%, 52% and 51% respectively. What is important to notice is that all the employers in these countries cited â€Å"lack of available talent† as a main reason in difficulty to fill out the available positions . The research conducted by the Manpower group revealed that, globally one out of three employers experienced difficulties in filling positions due to lack of available talent. These data show certain trends in the job market. First, the data implies that employers are finding it very difficult to fill in the jobs. Secondly, it suggests that talent crisis is creating problems for human resource management professionals to find so called â€Å"theright candidate for the right job†. Clearly, what we are seeing is a talent mismatch(Tammy Johns Harvard Business Review 2011). It simply means that employers are not able to find the right candidate for the job or the job seekers aren’t well suited for the available job in the marketplace. To sum up people available do not have the talent needed. There is a mismatch between the talent offered and the talent required. So what makes it difficult for employers to find the perfect employees who would exactly fit for the job? Who is to blame? Is it the poor human resource management within an organization who is unable to devise a sound job description and thorough job analysis or is it the lack of skilled and talented work force in the job market whose talents and skills completely mismatches with the requirements of a prospective employer? This paper aims to find answers to all these questions. This paper will focus on explaining the current trends in the job marketplace. The paper is written to highlight the causes of talent mismatch and enumerate other, environmental factors (political, demographical, technological etc. that are converging into a workplace and further elaborate on why talent mismatch exists in the marketplace and propose solutions for human resource management professionals and the workers to deal with this issue to better prepare for long –term growth and success in this ever changing business world. The paper has been written after a through literature review, of various website articles, jou rnals, periodicals and other published material related with talent mismatch in order to gain more insights, ideas, to find answers to why talent mismatch exists and to analyze what kind solutions are there to deal with the issue. Academic databases such as Academic Search Complete, Business Search Complete, Science Direct and Google Scholars were used with keywords-talent mismatch, global talent crisis and talent shortage while reviewing the literature. However the paper does not emphasize the issue of talent mismatch on one particular organization or a country. It takes into account the overall situation of talent scarcity around the world. The paper also doesn’t delve into the role of government in handling talent crisis. 1. 2 Global Trends: â€Å"The world of work is changing† The world of work is changing and these changes are taking place due to changes in various environmental factors mainly four, technological, demographical, rise of customer sophistication and individual choice† says Melanie Homes, vice president of Manpower Group. As demographics of certain economy changessuch change are directly influencing or are converging into a workplace. For instance, work force in countries like Japan and Korea are ageing. In such countries there are not as many workers coming into work force as there are retiring, creating huge pools of talent shortage. According to World Economic Forum, in developed countries retirement of Baby Boomers will have significant impact on managing workforce quantity, quality and costs. United States for example, will need to add more than 25 million workers to its talent base by the year 2030 to sustain economic growth (World Economic Forum, 2011). Similarly, emergence of new economies such as Brazil, Russia, India and China also known as BRIC will further drive demand for well-educated professionals, technicians and managers. Moreover,rapid proliferation of new and advance technology will highly influence the way people work, when they work, how they work and even who can work (Melanie Homes Talent Mismatch-The gap widens 2011). In addition, employers today will be looking for highly specialized skills that will enable their company to do more with less and meet the ever rising expectation of shrewd and smart customers, stacking up the demand for highly skilled and professional workers. According to Manpower Group’s Talent Shortage Survey 2011 some of the most difficult jobs to fill are technicians, sales representative, skilled trades work (such as electrician, carpenters, machinist, mechanics, welders and plumbers), engineers, laborers, managers/executives, accounting and finance staff, production operators and finally secretaries, personal assistants, administrative assistants and office support staff. Figure 1. The World’s Toughest Job to Fill Source: Manpower Talent Shortage Survey May 2011 DISCUSSION 2. 0 Reasons of Talent Mismatch The drivers of these skill shortages (Figure 1) are well known; ageing population, education- to- employment systems that are not producing enough graduates and employees with the skills necessary to fill important jobs, underinvestment in organizational training, and the shift to knowledge economy fueled by skilled, well trained knowledge workers (Eric Krell Human Resource Magazine 2011). Similarly Manpower Group in their annual global talent mismatch survey (2011) reports that employers have difficulty filling out the jobs because prospective employee lacks technical or hard job skills, they lack business knowledge, some candidates simply seek more pay than that is offered while many lack experience. Furthermore, the same survey also states that prospective employee don’t possess the right personality and attitude to fit the job, they are not willing to work on contingent basis and some do not accept the job due to geographic location. Moreover, (ASTD 2006)has identified four major factors behind today’s skills gap: (1) Jobs are changing (2) Workforce growth is slowing (3) Educational attainment is lagging the need for skills (4) Businesses are not leveraging their learning investments effectively. â€Å"Changes in the nature of business are leading to changes in the skills required of employees. Global competition, technology, and other forces place a premium on speed, innovation, and the ability to adapt rapidly to change†(ASTD 2006) Figure: 2 Reasons for Difficulty Filling Jobs Globally Source: Manpower Talent Shortage Survey May 2011 However some authors argue that there is no such thing as talent mismatch; it is just the mindset of hirers, employers and human resource professional who are creating the talent gap. Kevin Wheeler of the recruiting site ere. net writes â€Å"We (hiring managers, executives, HR folks, and recruiters) set up expectations and define jobs based on what is traditional. We work from habit and past experience. Some of us say that we cannot find qualified C# programmers, for example, when we all know that there are very few people with good skills in this area. Something different might be to rethink the job entirely so that it more closely matches someone we already know is available. † Tammy Johns, a senior vice president of Manpower Group also reiterates the same concern that employers should construct work in such a way that they can hire available talents in the market rather than narrowly defining their job description. 3. 0 Impact of Talent Mismatch Every economy needs skilled labor for their economic development. Strong labor force influences productivity and competitiveness of an economy. They are the source of growth and innovation. However, lack of up to date skills of a labor force in an economy can have an adverse effect on the economy. As a talent gap widens, organization can no longer grow or remain competitive because it cannot fill critical jobs with employees who have the right knowledge, skills, and abilities (Pat Galagan 2010). It is not just individual organizations or sectors that are feeling the consequences of the skills gap. Communities, states, regions, and entire nations pay a heavy price when they can neither find nor equip workers with the right skills for critical jobs. (Pat Galagan, Bridging the Skills Gap 2010). In their book The Chief Learning Officer: Driving Value within a changing organization, authors Tamar Elkeles and Jack Phillips wrote that â€Å"Nothing is more devastating to an organization than not having a fully prepared workforce. An unprepared workforce can reduce profits, impede market share, create inefficiencies, lower morale, and/ or increase attrition. More importantly, it can affect the quality of service provided to customers†. 4. 0 Strategies to bridge the talent gap The ongoing talent crisis will put many employers under pressure to change their current recruiting strategies. Employers who are finding it difficult to fill out the positions need to understand that drastic changes in recruitment policies must be pursued if they are to recruit employees for the unfilled positions. According to American Society for Training and Development(ASTD 2006) â€Å"Business leaders obtain the talent they need by ecruiting experienced workers to fill specific skills gaps. But more and more, faced with the reality of rapidly changing skills needs, the efficiency of technology-enabled learning, and an increasing shortage of skilled labor across many industries, these leaders understand that they also must train and develop their employees or risk business success†. To be effective, employers need to understand what skill sets they need at the present and what skill set they would need in the future in each level of the organization. In Harvard Business Review article titled Money Ball and the Talent Mismatch Facing Business,Tammy Jones, a senior vice president at Manpower Group writes that by constructing work differently to take advantage of the specialized talent that is currently available can create a huge competitive advantage. â€Å"In many organizations challenged by a very competitive business environment, it’s not enough to â€Å"hire for attitude† and â€Å"train for skills. † Employees must come to work with skills that allow them to be effective immediately. Starting with the selection process, savvy organizations identify critical skills and competencies that new hires must have, and they recruit for those† (ASTD 2006). Similarly Manpower Group states that hiring from a restricted pool of available workers, who may not possess the necessary skills and capabilities can bridge the talent gap. Kevin Wheeler of the recruiting site ere. net adds â€Å"Many available people are older or retired and have skills that have become obsolete or are not needed right now. However, these people could be retrained for some of the open positions if we took a different attitude. Unfortunately most of us or most of our employers anyway, would rather spend money on search fees, agency fees, administrative overhead, and  advertising  rather than on intensively training people with decent basic skills. Granted, we cannot train people for every job because many of them do require experience, or time in the saddle, as they say, in order to be successful. However, I think we could significantly lessen the labor shortage if we were willing to be a bit wider in our job expectations and definitions† In addition, a report by World Economic Forum in collaboration with Boston Consulting group titled â€Å"Global Talent Risk – Seven Responses† states that employers should extend the applicant pool by tapping women and older professionals, the disadvantaged and immigrants. Besides, creating pool of many applicants, employers can also bridge the ongoing talent mismatch by training their existing employees. Employees should treat training as an investment and should consider developing their existing staff. Employers should be willing to provide training and development for the jobs they have a need to get done says Kevin wheeler, a writer at recruiting site ere. net. Employers should invest in employee development and focus on retaining their existing employees says Bram Lowsky, a senior vice president and manager at Right Management Canada. Many organization and employers does not take retention into account, they feel that lost talent can be replaced easily while they forget that those who leave take valuable experience and institution knowledge with them. New recruits no matter how talented they are cannot replace or bring such knowledge into workplace therefore retaining and retraining existing employees can make lot more difference, consequently bridging the talent gap. In aweb seminar titled Talent Mismatch –The Gap Widens (2011) addressed by Melanie Holmes, vice president of Manpower Group she reiterated that by pursuing various strategies such as focusing more on staff retention in jobs where recruitment is difficult can help employers ease their burden caused by talent crisis. She also adds that with advent of new technologies it is possible for employers to broaden their search for talent outside their local region and have them work without asking them to relocate. It has been noticed that colleges and universities are not producing talented graduates. Many employers complain that the fresh graduates from university lack hard skills or soft skills. World Economic Forum in their recent report stated that â€Å"What is needed is an adaptable but efficient education system that includes practical and theoretical skills, lifelong learning and up skilling†. Therefore by partnering or collaborating with educational institutes and by developing curriculum that are aligned to employer’s future needs, can significantly, reduce the skills gap. Similarly by offering internship and vocational training opportunities employers can significantly improve their chances of finding employable candidate. From workers or employees point of view, they should be very proactive in acquiring skills in furthering their education and committing to lifelong learning. They should understand that advancement in technology are shaping the world of workplace thus, they must learn to be flexible and must keep pace with new set of skills to stay competitive in the job marketplace. Moreover, employees should take necessary steps to increase their knowledge and skills whenorganization requires it. To sum up they should take responsibility for their skills and aptitude development in order to stay competitive in the job market. 5. 0 Conclusion: The issue of talent mismatch has gained much prominence and importance in today’s business world. A result of the survey conducted by Manpower Group and recent report from the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting group presents compelling evidence that talent mismatch gap in the workplace is widening. The changes in global business environment has triggered demand for talented individual however many jobs are still left unfilled due to lack of available talents in the marketplace. Many employers all around the world are finding it very difficult to fill out the available positions. Therefore, strong action is needed to address the issue of talent mismatch.

State Unit Study of California

State Unit Study of California These state unit studies are designed to help children learn the geography of the United States and learn factual information about every state. These studies are great for children in the public and private education system as well as homeschooled children. Print the United States Map and color each state as you study it. Keep map at the front of your notebook for use with each state. Print the State Information Sheet and fill in the information as you find it. Print the California State Map and fill in the state capital, large cities and state attractions that you find. Answer the following questions on lined paper in complete sentences. State Capital What is the capital?State Flag Who designed the flag?State Flower Where did the scientific name come from?State Bird How is this bird easily recognized?State Tree What is the average trunk diameter?State Song Who wrote the state song?State Seal What river is the miner working by? Heres a great picture of the state seal.State Animal How tall do these animals grow?State Marine Mammal How big do these whales grow?State Reptile What are the eating habits of this reptile?State Fish When did this fish become the official fish?State InsectWhat is the wingspan of this insect?State MineralWhat is the foundation of the economic history of California?State RockWhat is the coloring of this rock?State Motto What does this Greek word mean? California Printable Pages - Learn more about California with these printable worksheets and coloring pages. California Word Search - Find the California state symbols and other related words. Did You Know... List two interesting facts. California Landmarks - The state of California has designated nearly 1100 sites as California State Historical Landmarks. This site has pictures of many of them. Your Idea Becomes a Law - Learn how a bill becomes law in the State of California. San Diego Natural History Museum - Explore the activities at the Kids Habitat. Energy Quest - Energy education from the California Energy Commission. Big Orange Online - Learn about the California orange industry and create your own label. The California Gold Rush - Learn all about the California Gold Rush with this online student booklet. Odd California Law: It used to be illegal to peel an orange in a hotel room.

Tips for Telephoning Native English Speakers

Tips for Telephoning Native English Speakers Have you ever had problems understanding native English speakers on the telephone? If so, you are not alone. All English learners have difficulties understanding people on the telephone. This is for a number of reasons: People speak too quicklyPeople dont pronounce the words wellThere are technical problems with the telephonesYou cant see the person you are speaking withIts difficult for people to repeat information This article focuses on the first and last problems listed above. Follow these tips to help you get native speakers of English to slow down! Immediately ask the person to speak slowly.When taking note of a name or important information, repeat each piece of information as the person speaks.  This is an especially effective tool. By repeating each important piece of information or each number or letter as the spell or give you a telephone number you automatically slow the speaker down.Do not say you have understood if you have not. Ask the person to repeat until you have understood.  Remember that the other person needs to make himself/herself understood and it is in his/her interest to make sure that you have understood. If you ask a person to explain more than twice, he will usually slow down.If the person does not slow down, begin speaking your own language!  A sentence or two of another language spoken quickly will remind the person that he is fortunate because he doesnt need to speak a different language to communicate. Used carefully, this exercise in humbling the other speaker can be very effective. Just be su re to use it with colleagues and not with a boss! More Telephone English Telephone English: Dialogue and Appropriate VocabularyTelephone English: Leaving a Message on an Answering MachinePractical Exercises: Exercises to Improve Your Telephoning SkillsRole Plays: Role Play Dialogue Cues to Practice Telephoning with FriendsBusiness Telephone ConversationsTeaching Telephone English: Lesson Plan

Hewllet-packard co Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hewllet-packard co - Research Paper Example Hewlett-Packard was created in 1939 by two Stanford University students, Bill Hewlett and David Packard (Beer 2). The company came to be recognized for both its management practices and its innovative and reliable electronic goods (Beer 2). Its corporate culture and management techniques came to be known as the â€Å"HP way† (Beer 2). The HP way was progressive and focused on profits more than on growth in revenues, team-work, open-door management practices, high levels of employment, egalitarian pay structures, and flexible working schedules (Beer 2). These practices were a reflection of the values of the founders who placed importance on both profits and people (Beer 2). During its first four decades, Hewlett-Packard mainly sold test and measurement equipment, and it was during this time that the HP way developed (Beer 2). These test and measurement equipment products were based on cutting-edge technology which HP had developed, and could be sold at high profit margins (Beer 2). Hewlett-Packards clients were mainly engineers or other people from the technology industry who purchased these products for business applications (Beer 2). The first major transformation in Hewlett-Packards business came during the 1970s when the company launched computer and printer products, initially for business applications, and later for home use (Beer 2). The company struggled initially in the computer business, as the building of microcomputers and the development of UNIX machines demanded different skills to those required in the instruments business (Beer 2). The computer business needed large initial research and development investments, and required different co mpany divisions such as chips, software and peripherals, to work in tandem, which was a change from the decentralized model which had succeeded in the instruments business (Beer 2). For this

Book analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Book analysis - Essay Example tuation unraveled in the wake of the Great Depression in the USA (with domino effects on economies of Europe) and all the erstwhile enemies of republicanism and democracy joined ranks. This then, is how the glorious Weimar years came to an end. The ensuing political vacuum and the attendant opportunism saw the assumption of Adolf Hitler as the Fuhrer. But sadly, Nazi Germany saw the greatest degree of intolerance toward intellectual or political dissent. Weimar Germany represented the cradle of modernity for Western Civilization in more than one way. There are many high points during the early decades of twentieth century Germany. This is especially true with respect to art and literature, which are identified with the birth of Expressionism, Bauhaus architecture, discoveries in the Physics of Relativity, the naissance of Quantum Physics, Atonality in music (as pioneered by Arnold Schoenberg), Sigmund Freud and the Psychoanalysis movement, Sociology of Knowledge, etc. Before the rise of Hitler Germany boasted some of the leading luminaries in the fields of science and art, including de Broglie, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Carl Gustav Jung and Alfred Adler. Where these intellectuals differed from earlier generations of scientists and philosophers is in making their esoteric intellectual pursuits accessible to the lay readership. 3. Amid widespread censorship and crushing of dissent during the Hitler years, were there yet notable countercurrents? How exactly did artists and intellectuals cope with mounting political suppression? Although German culture under the Nazis suffered radical decline, one cannot yet doubt the unique merits of poets such as Rilke, George and Benn. Likewise, amid the looming political darkness were the bright spots offered by the novels of Mann, Hermann Hesse and Doblin. In theatre too, Expressionism made its mark as a new genre. Likewise, Arnold Schoenberg took modernity in music to new heights. In the realm of philosophy we have had the