Almost 20

Almost 20 Almost Twenty-four years ago on October 27th, the stork brought a little boy to Pablo and Montse Chacon named Juan Carlos. Juan was born on a Thursday morning in Santa Monica, California. He was a youngster with brown hair and a pair of brown eyeballs. He lived in an apartment there in Santa Monica with his parents and one older brother named Pablo Javier. Juan spent the first three years of his life there, before moving to the San Fernando Valley. His new home at 8851 Valjean Avenue, North Hills, California was where he spent the next twenty-one years. It was a three bedroom, blue white house with an attached garage.Growing up in the neighborhood in the late nineteen -seventies and early eighties, Juan made many friends fairly quickly. First, there were the Carr brothers, Bobby and David who lived across the street and eight houses down the block.English: A hand affected by rheumatoid arthritisThen there was Jim, Scott and Bob Hicks who lived two houses to the right. Next, there wa s Nancy Loo, who lived directly across the street from his house and Shanna Hogan, a little red headed girl who lived next to Nancy. Juan used to go out and wreak havoc on the neighborhood with the kids on his block, eventually breaking for about ten minutes, enough time to rush home to grab a quick bite to eat at lunch time. Then it was back out to the street to play cops and robbers until the porch light came on at dusk. The light was an unspoken signal from his mom that it was time to go home.Juan went to public school with half of the neighborhood kids until he finished the sixth grade. In nineteen-eighty-seven, Juan's parents decided to put him into a private school. During his seventh...

Without Cease

Without Cease Without Cease Without Cease By Maeve Maddox One of my illustrations in a recent post, The wind has blown without cease for three days. struck some readers as odd. This from Brad K. I would have used â€Å"ceasing† for the wind, an action verb that conveys more of a sense of continuing over time. If Id been writing a descriptive passage, I might have gone with ceasing and not cease. As it was, I was simply reaching for a sentence and the idiom without cease is what sprang to mind. According to the OED, cease used as a noun is obsolete, except in the still occasional without cease, without end, incessantly. (Cf. F. sans cesse.) Dictionary.com gives this for cease as a noun: n.  Ã‚  Cessation; pause: We worked without cease to get the project finished on time. From Merriam-Webster: CESSATION usually used with without I kept an eye upon her without cease R.L.Stevenson> Ill have to concede that the expression without cease is a little old-fashioned, but then my diction tends to be so. Here are some fairly current examples of the idiom that I found with a little web browsing: Poverty†, the Pope said, â€Å"is a plague against which humanity must fight without cease†¦ (2005) ï ¿ ¼Most of the early civilisations had similar stories: images from China three millennia ago tell of a land under the wheeling stars, beyond endless untravelled wastes, where gales blew without cease, and furry creatures, half animal and half human devoured one another. p. xix of the Foreword to The Arctic:Environment, People, Policy (2000) Ed. by Terry V. Callaghan Book title: Without Cease The Earth Faintly Trembles By Amanda Marchand (2003) 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Difference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"20 Ways to Cry

Scope for exploiting Big Data and Big Data Analytics in the local Essay

Scope for exploiting Big Data and Big Data Analytics in the local transport industry - Essay Example With great developments in information and communication technology, most of the data produced every day is generated by people all over the world through social networks; however other types of important data are collected using cameras, GPS equipment, satellites and other devices for many uses. Over the last decade, business strategy has become increasingly dependent on information about potential customers and their characteristics. This data is obtained from the huge collection of data referred to as Big Data through processes like data mining and analyzed to help in business strategy. Analytics is the other method of collecting vital consumer information and it involves real time tracking of consumer characteristics. This paper examines how Big data analytics can be used in the transportation industry to improve quality of service, add value to services and develop applications that will enhance service provision in the industry and reduce loss of time and money. The study has d efined Big data and some of the theories that enable its application as well as examined the benefits and challenges provided by big data analytics in the transportation industry locally and globally. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background More data is currently being generated worldwide than at any other point historically. Over the last five years, the volume of data generated globally is estimated to have increased by a factor of six to over 1000 exabytes (Dumbill, 2012). The ‘digital’ universe is expected to reach 8 zettabytes by the year 2015. In general the data explosion is projected to increase with time especially with new data types being developed and increased access to networked devices all over the world including smart phones and geo-positioning devices (Woo et al., 2011). The data being accumulated comes from a wide range of sources. However, the data growth is driven by two main sources working together with decreasing storage costs. The first source for data is the â€Å"internet of things†. A number of sensors collate information on our activities and environment on a daily basis. These connected devices contribute substantially to the amount of information accumulated daily and they are projected to rise from about 4.5 billion devices in 2010 to over 50 billion in 2020 (Dumbill, 2012). The second greatest source of data is the social web of networks where information about human activities is shared on a daily basis. This includes data about human preferences, interests, and locations. On addition to the two major sources of data highlighted above, there are a number of other private sources including hospital records, phone communications, financial transactions, information captured on CCTV and many others. The McKinsey Global Institute has termed big data as the next frontier for competition, innovation, and global productivity (Manyika, 2011). The analysis of masses of unstructured and semi-structured data which some time a go would have been considered prohibitive in terms of time and money is now considered the next step towards business advantage. One of the reasons why this data has turned out to be very important is that great insight can be gained from the data by monitoring the patterns of human interaction. One of the areas in which big data displays great potential is the transportation industry. This is an industry which increasingly showing great requirement for an industrial big data platform. With increasing urbanization and expansion of many cities across the world, traffic management and related challenges are getting bigger by the day. In some of the largest and more congested cities in the

Diversity in AT&T telecommunication company Essay

Diversity in AT&T telecommunication company - Essay Example The mission statement for AT & T is to link people with their globe, all over the place and do it better than any other company. The company is fulfilling the above vision by coming up with new solutions for businesses and consumers, and through driving modernism in the entertainment and communication industry. Reflecting on this perspective, this paper critically examines diversity in AT&T Telecommunication Company in the U.S from a broad point of view. Inclusively, the paper presents a SWOT analysis, recommendations, and appendices for the company. Diversity in AT&T Telecommunication Company in the U.S AT & T is a telecommunication company that has been in the telecom industry for several decades. Being part of the capital intensive business, AT & T’s domestic environment has been impressive in terms of stock and turnover. The victorious legal and regulatory outcome saw the ending of monopoly in American telephony in the year 1968. AT & T submitted various proposals includin g an application for low-cost educational television network (Campbell 28). This application was meant to show AT & T as the flexible company to public interests than any other firm in the industry. The FCC ruling on AT & T request took place on 14 August 1969 where AT & T was licensed to operate. It is imperative to state that the government regulation was not the reason as to why the company faced bankruptcy. Internal management was defective that saw the company faced with many financial scandals and the bankruptcy. The government regulation of 1968 was in favor of AT & T Communications and has been instrumental in shaping the domestic environment the company operates in for several years (Brooks 41). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established supportive laws, which saw AT & T use the opportunity to grow its market share and expand its customer base globally. With the intention of sustaining the growth, AT & T Corporation infused large capitals into its business. AT & T needed significant amounts of capital to finance its plans of increasing and maintaining its domestic market share (Borkowski 64). The company’s growth plan was a figure from $890 million in 1984 to $2.76 billion in 1987. To finance its forecasts, AT & T began by selling $481 million in common stock in 1984 the same way it had done in the past. The share price was $47 per share, and AT & T needed to capitalize on the high value at the time. From 1985 to 1989, AT & T sold convertible debentures. Another expectation of the company at the time was to achieve a market share of 20% by 1990. The company realized that to achieve this it required funding of between $890 million in 1984 to $2.76 billion by 1987. AT & T cash inflows at the time were insufficient to support its domestic environment plans. The company was to raise the finances through other means (Lawrence 15). This is where it opted to sell $481 million in equity in 1984, and afterward issued convertible debentures up until 1989 to match its expansion plans. Issuing those debentures allowed AT & T to convert them into stock giving AT & T a leverage to raise more debt. Reflecting on research, AT & T is experiencing a competitive global environment as new competitors are contending for market share in an investment concentrated business. With the increased

Person-Centred Therapy Essay Example for Free

Person-Centred Therapy Essay The Person Centred approach is based upon the theory and philosophy of Carl Rogers. This approach in its set-up is familiar to the general public as it is depicted in the media and is often expected therefore that a counselling session would take place in this format. At first glance the counselling process which has derived from the theory of Rogers, in a real therapy situation appears simplistic. To fully answer the question whether this blueprint offers a therapist all they need to treat their clients it is important to have a sound knowledge of the theory, and identify the successes and drawbacks connected with this. In the 1950s Carl Rogers gained praise for publishing ‘Client Centred Therapy’ and for his work on the Person Centred approach. Roger’s work is still praised and forms the basis for many theoretical and practical approaches to counselling. Rogers work was classified as a Humanistic Therapy and fits within the three main forms of psychological therapies today, which are listed below; * Behavioural Therapies * Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic Therapies * Humanistic Therapies Person Centred counselling was based around three core conditions, devised by Rogers; 1. Unconditional Positive Regard 2. Genuineness/Congruence 3. Empathy It is considered essential for all counsellors to display these attributes and to consistently provide these to each client irrespective of circumstance. The Person Centred approach views the client as their own best authority on their own experience, and it views the client as being fully capable of fulfilling their own potential for growth. It recognizes, however, that achieving potential requires favourable conditions and that under adverse conditions, individuals may well not grow and develop in the ways that they otherwise could. In particular, when individuals are denied acceptance and positive regard from others, or when that positive regard is made conditional upon the individual behaving in particular ways they may begin to lose touch with what their own experience means for them, and their innate tendency to grow in a direction consistent with that meaning may be stifled. This does offer a unique perspective for both client and therapist to allow an unlocking of the clientà ¢â‚¬â„¢s genuine self. The premise of this theory is that human beings are innately good and given free opportunity they will strive for goodness, further reaffirming the core conditions. If we believe that humans are good, we should always be able to supply unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy. The role that theory plays in the process and outcome of counselling has been a subject of discussion, for almost as long as counselling has been a profession. While schools of therapy have argued that different theories produce differing and nonequivalent outcomes, this position has been challenged on numerous occasions. Fiedler (1951) first observed that therapists of differing orientations were very similar in their views of the ideal therapy. Then Sundland and Barker (1962) reported that more experienced therapists tended to be more similar, regardless of their theoretical orientation. In their extensive review of the subject, Gelso and Carter (1985) stated that most clients will profit about e qually (but in different ways) from the different therapies. They go on to suggest that the effect of process and relationship do differ among therapies and that some clients may do better with one approach than with another, based upon these two factors. Finally, Stiles, Shapiro and Elliott (1986) concluded that (a) common features shared by all psychotherapies underlie or override differences in therapists verbal techniques and (b) these common features are responsible for the general equivalence in effectiveness (of therapies)†. Process and relationship maybe considered as relevant as theoretical conceptualisation of a given problem. One can assume that a counselling process must be structured for each client irrespective of what theory you adhere to. The work of Rogers does do this by using the core conditions, however; arguably less so than other theories due to a lack of distinct ‘techniques’. Hough et al contribute the following for a successful counselling relationship to occur; 1.Establish a safe, trusting environme nt – as outlined by Carl Rogers creating a relationship with the client which is in line with the core conditions. 2. Clarify: Help the person put their concern into words. As the person centred approach maintains this is how a client would be assisted by being predominantly talking and the counsellor mostly listening. 3. Use Active listening: find out the clients agenda, what do they hope to achieve by coming for counselling. a) Paraphrase, summarise, reflect and interpret – To ensure that there is a greater understanding of what the client is trying to say. b) Focus on feelings, not events – counselling is dealing with emotional and mental health, so it is important to unpick the feelings rather than to skim over them, like a layperson would do. 4. Transform problem statements into goal statements – allow the client to depict a plan towards attaining their goal. 5. Explore possible approaches to goal, to narrow and deliberate their choices. 6. Help person choose one way towards their goal which is feasible. 7. Make a contract to fulfil the plan (or to take the next step). 8. Summarise what has occurred, clarify, and get verification from the client that this is still their goal. 9. Get feedback and confirmation that the goal remains as before. Ultimately as with all the Couns elling paradigms it is key to enable the client to gain control of their own life and reach their own conclusions. The main paradigms underpin the processes of counselling usually, however; the lesser known models are also used. If this can be agreed upon, this might suggest that the Person centred approach does fulfil the needs of a therapist when diagnosing a problem and creating a plan where they are guided but the content is filled by the client. The Person Centred approach also gave rise to the concept of ‘The Organismic Self’; a state which is considered to truly be intact for a short space of time, in basic terms this is a descriptor of our pure selves, being exactly as we are without external influence. This theory tracks our human experience and maintains that this soon becomes corrupted by what is called the ‘Self Concept’. Self Concept is the term given to explain outside influences on the Organismic Self. It could be said that the battle between who we authentically are as people and what the world and significant people around us feel we should be is what causes us to feel lost. If we think of the Organismic Self as being at one with ourselves and feeling that who we ar e, what we do and our general feeling of inner harmony as being comfortable, the opposite is true of the Self Concept, this is generally a feeling of awkwardness, feeling lost, unreal and can result in later life as a crisis. Humanistic approaches in general are concerned with topics which are meaningful to human beings which makes it especially good as a theory for counselling. Humanistic approaches are also considerate of subjective experience and unpredictable events which occur in human lives. Does this then suggest that the Person centred approach is flexible and allows the therapist to address all matters which may arise rather than, comparatively using a CBT(Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) approach which focusses solely on the present. As a composite of the Person centred approach and general Humanistic theories, it is important to acknowledge the concept of ‘Self Actualisation’. The phrase was first coined by Kurt Goldstein, but is perhaps better known as associated with Abraham Maslow and his Hierarchy Of Needs and is defined as below; â€Å"†¦.the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the individual] to become actualised in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. In reference to his Hierarchy of Needs theory, Maslow advised that only 1% of all people are self-actualised which would infer the need for counselling assistance to be great. As mentioned above the flexibility of this approach may be deemed to allow therapists to treat a vast number of clients, as the growing need for counselling emerges. The non-intrusive nature of the therapy a the relatively comfortable set-up of the counselling sessions within the Person Centred approach highlights how easy it is to apply this approach practically. We certainly know of the efficacy of the Person Centred approach, in its comtinued use in modern day therapy, however; we must consider the strengths of other currently used approaches to illustrate where the Person Centred approach could improve. I have chosen to use the Psychodynamic approach to explore this. One of the strengths of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it provided a valuable insight into how early experiences or relationships can affect our adult personality. One of the examples of this is that fixations can be caused at the Oral Stage of psychosexual development such as being separated from the primary caregiver too early. These fixations can then lead to psychological problems. Supporting evidence for this strength was carried out by Jacobs at al (1966) using Rorschach inkblots to compare the orality of smokers and non-smokers. It was found that smokers emerged as being significantly more oral. Another strength of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it is the first approach to try and attempt to explain mental illness in psychological terms and has had an enormous influence on the understanding and treatment of mental disorders. An example of this is Psychoanalysis and Dream Therapy which aims to make the unconscious material conscious so it is easier to deal with as Freud believed that dreams showed our hidden desires. Evidence to support this was carried out by Sandell (1999) who studied the symptoms of more than 700 patients before and after three years of psychoanalysis and found that patients had significantly fewer symptoms after the therapy. The Psychodynamic Approach also displays weaknesses, in that most of Freud’s is based on findings of case studies, and anecdotal references where cases are often unique and there are problems with generalisation. Like the Psychodynamic Approach, the Person Centred approach does not dismiss the importance of historical and childhood events. This is highlignhted in their subtheory ‘Conditions of worth’ which are defined as ‘restrictions imposed on self-expression in order to earn positive regard’, which are not in and of themselves a bad thing, however; it is possible for these conditions to be overused that they can begin to be a problem. For example a child will seek to satisfy the condition of worth imposed by their parents; without realising, parents may create more complex conditions for gaining their attention. As children grow they learn a new set of rules for gaining attention, the best predictor of consequence for behavior is past experience. As such a child may learn that to receive praise from their Father is to get good results at school or join the football team. From another perspective, a child may learn that they get more attention when they fail at som ething or are feeling sad, as opposed to when they are successful and happy. They may also find that they are surrounded by more friends, more often when they behave in a particular way or indulge in particular activities that are ‘acceptable’. By the time an individual reaches their teenage years, most people have a complex system of rules to abide by if we want to receive love, praise and positive regard from others. Slowly this system of conditions of worth works its way into a person’s overall way of viewing the world they live in. They adopt these conditions as their own values, blocking out the true organismic values that comprise who they really are. As their real self is blocked out by this adopted system of values, incongruence results. The rules for love and positive regard lead them to live a different life, a life incongruent with who they really are, a life that does not satisfy all their other needs and tragically, often doesn’t even truly satisfy their need for positive regard. Due to this, people can become unhappy, anxious and depressed, but often they only try to revise and change the conditions they are using for positive regard. They may change their veneer, but not the root of the problem. They only shift the contents of their complex system of worth rather than trimming it back and exposing their real, true values. It’s this latter state that Person Centred therapy seeks to create, allowing the counsellor to simply try to remove any conditions of worth from their relationship with the client. They offer only unconditional positive regard. This creates an environment in which a small crack is placed in the person’s overarching system of conditional worth. In such an environment the person can begin to acknowledge and understand what it is they truly want and need. These values are always trying to be heard, but are blocked out by our complex set of constructs we use to try to gain conditional positive regard. Person centred therapy simply creates a place where this system is pushed back, and one’s true values can emerge. A person is then free to consider who he is and what he wants, without the threat of a loss of positive regard. No matter what is said, he can expect unconditional regard. Overall this subtheory shows a consistency throughout the Person Centred approach, tying the main premise of the core conditions to the way in which each client is treated. To conclude my assessment of the usefulness and effectiveness of the Person Centred Therapy, I hope to have demonstrated my current level of understanding regarding this subject and illustrated how it can be used practically. It is clear that the current and continuous widespread use of the Person-Centred approach attests for its effectiveness in practice. It is good and justified to always focus on the client and their journey through whatever problems they are facing and this particular approach maintains the therapist in doing so. I believe that the most effective method of treating patients is that adopted by Chrysalis, a multidiscipline approach, whereby one can amend the tool used based upon the presented problem. References Websites; http://www.bapca.org.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person-centered_therapy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-actualization http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_organismic_self http://www.person-centered-therapy.com/conditions-of-worth/ Texts; Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan (1985) Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behaviour; Springer Publishing.

charhf Changes in Huck Finns Character :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn – The Changes of His Character Throughout the Novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a novel about a young man's search for identity. Huckleberry Finn goes through some changes and learns some life lessons throughout his journey. Huck changes from being just an immature boy at the beginning of the novel to being a more mature man who looks at things in a different perspective now. In the beginning of the novel, Huck tends to have an immature side to him. There are some things in the beginning that show that Huck still has a very childish side to him. "They get down on one thing when they don't know nothing about it." (Twain 2) This is showing the ignorance and stubbornness that all children experience throughout life. He thinks as if everything he does is right and everyone else is wrong. "That all comes of my being such a fool as to not remember that wherever you leave a dead snake its mate always comes there and curls around it." (Twain 40) This goes one step further. This shows Huck's Immaturity and Stupidity gone one step too far when he puts the snake in Jim's bed and he ends up getting bit by it. If Huck was more mature and less childish he wouldn't have been playing this so called joke on Jim. Huck learns that jokes have a limit to them at times and need to be thought out more clearly. When the middle of the novel comes around Huck begins to distinguish what is right and wrong in life and begins to mature and do the right thing. He shows this when he chooses not to partake in the scam that the King and the Duke are playing on the Wilks family. Instead he takes the money back from the King and Duke to hide it because he believes it is only fair to the family. "I'm letting him rob her of her money...I feel so ornery and low...I got to steal that money somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they wont suspicion I done it" (Twain 133) This shows that Huck is starting to see the line between games and real life.

Air Force One

One is a movie about that the president of the United States of America goes to Moscow, and he gives an inspiring speech about the Aqua's new â€Å"Zero- tolerance† policy with terrorism. However, during the flight home, a amount of terrorists pretend they are the news crew of Russia, and they take over the plane successfully with a betrayer's, who is an agent of Secret Service, help. The president does not level his family and the other hostages, and he choose to fight against the terrorists.Overall, he wins the fight, and the majority of the hostages and the first family has been saved. The First Leadership: President James Marshall President James Marshall deserves as leader. To begin with, as a leader, he Is responsible and brave. When the crawls comes, he does not choose to escape, though he has the chance, he stays with his people, and tries his best to save his people and family from the terrorists. Moreover, as a leader, James has full of positive energy, and he also h as the sense of Justice.This can be proved by according to his words during his speech in Moscow, â€Å"Peace Is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice. † Furthermore, as a leader, James Marshall is wise. According to this quote, â€Å"If you give a mouse a cookie, it's goanna want a glass of milk. † From this quote, it shows that James Marshall is so wise that he knows he can not compromise with the terrorists because the terrorists will be more and more greedy. Overall, President James Marshall deserves as leader because he is responsible, brave, wise, and has the sense of Justice.The Second Leadership: Vice President Kathy Bennett Vice President Kathy Bennett deserves as leader. First of all, as a leader, she is unruffled and manful enough. When she has heard that the terrorists have hijacked, ND the president, James Marshall, is still alive, she says that, â€Å"If we're going to act, we have to act now. † From this quote, it shows t hat Bennett is very manful, and she knows that if something has been decided, is must be done without hesitate. More importantly, Kathy Bennett is very intelligent.When she knows that the terrorists are armed, she realizes quickly that there must be a betrayer in Secret Service, and this can be proved by this quote, â€Å"How the hell did they get Air Force One? † Finally, Vice President Kathy Bennett deserves as leader because she is unruffled, manful, ND really intelligent. The Third Leadership: Ivan Surrounds Ivan Surrounds is a little chieftain of the terrorists, he deserves as leader. First of all, he is very aggressive, and he can always over his enemy ahead.For instance, â€Å"Your national security adviser has Just been executed. † Moreover, as a leader of terrorists he is very calm. Ivan Isochronous calmness Is easy to be proved. For Instance, before they hijack the plane, he and his men pretend to be the news crew of Russia, and they are so calm that do not s how any slip before the crestless and Secret Service. In conclusion, Ivan Surrounds deserves as leader because he Is really aggressive and very calm even face to face with the enemies.Air Force One By Lie-Jigsaw does not level his family and the other hostages, and he choose to fight against the President James Marshall deserves as leader. To begin with, as a leader, he is responsible and brave. When the crisis comes, he does not choose to escape, though family from the terrorists. Moreover, as a leader, James has full of positive energy, during his speech in Moscow, â€Å"Peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the reserve of Justice. † Furthermore, as a leader, James Marshall is wise.According to unruffled and manful enough. When she has heard that the terrorists have hijacked, inform national security adviser has Just been executed. † Moreover, as a leader of terrorists he is very calm. Ivan Isochronous calmness is easy to be proved. For instance, before the y hijack the plane, he and his men pretend to be the news crew of Russia, and they are so calm that do not show any slip before the securities and Secret Service. In conclusion, Ivan Surrounds deserves as leader because he is really

Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera: â€Å"Detroit Industry† I was very intrigued by â€Å"Detroit Industry†, a massive mural painted by Mexican Muralist Diego Rivera. The artist depicts a part of history, considering both the working conditions within a major automobile factory of the era and a glimpse of social and political issues on the enormous mural. The â€Å"Detroit Industry† mural consists of twenty-seven panels, and stretches up to twenty-two feet high and seventy-three feet wide; which took eleven months to complete.I sensed life, energy and power as Rivera accomplishes the role as an artist by making brilliant decisions and choices. After analyzing the painting, I was able to depict the real meaning and made a real connection. The mural represents the engine and transmission production for the 1932 Ford V8 at the Ford River Rouge factory in Detroit, MI employing over 100,000 people. Diego Rivera seems to have allowed his fascination with the high production of the power of technology inspire his work. The meaning of the mural challenges society and stirs up controversy and raises issues of class and politics.Many people objected Rivera’s work as he painted workers of different races working side by side Even the commissioning of the artist caused a stir; which was financed by Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford. Plus the country was in the midst of the Great Depression and many questioned why a Mexican artist was chosen over an American artist. Today, a sign above the entrance of the Rivera Court reads â€Å"If we are proud of our city’s achievements, we should be proud of these paintings and not lose our heads over what Rivera is doing in Mexico today. †The inner workings of the Detroit Industry illustrate a story of a precise and organized production factory. He makes a point by pointing out the relation between man and machines. In the two big panels, the North and South Walls, Rivera portrays the Detroit industry. In the other two, the elements that make up our industrial development. The top of the side walls signifies the four races that have helped form the American culture. The North Wall has the Indian holding in her hands the iron and the copper elements forming in the earth underneath her, natural products important to the industry.On the right, the Black woman holds coal. The upper right and left panels represent man's technical knowledge. The right-hand panel shows the development and use of vaccines from cattle, sheep and horses. The left-hand panel shows scientist making poisonous gases for combat. The middle center represents the industry, men working together in the production and assembly of motors. The South Wall has the other two races. On the left, the White race, and on the right side the Indian race. They hold in their hands limestone and sand.At the left end is the demonstration of the production of pharmaceutical products. On the right side, chemicals are being made. In the main midd le panel, the final frame and body assembly. The giant press, which stamp out the cars’ bodies, resembles a robot. The West Wall carries the theme of transportation and mechanical power. The figures of birds and the motors of planes are seen on the top. On the side of the door, two long panels show tanks and turbines; which symbolize the making of steam power. Pictures of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison are painted at the foot of the turbines.At the top corners of the East Wall are two female figures which represent agriculture. In the middle panel, forms of animal and plant life, soil and fossils are shown. The artist accomplishes the role of a great artist through the choices and decisions he made while freely expressing the beauty of art and its components. The artist uses a unique representation of lines, form, space, balance, color and harmony. One of the many ways in which the artist uses lines in this mural is through the curves and angles of the panels.Also, the artist u ses a different variety of lines as the curves and angles turn into straight lines as well. The form of the â€Å"Detroit Industry† is a two-dimensional square structure, illustrated by real-life interpretations. The artist uses four walls to express his interpretations of the automobile force in Detroit. Space is demonstrated in the artist’s work as he divides the mural into four walls, the north wall, south wall, west wall, and east wall. A selection of hues is used in his work, which creatively blends in a harmonizing manner. In the first panel, harmony is revealed through the use of color.The artist uses light and dark to meet at the center with flourish. While the right panel can seem motionless, the right side of the panel indicates movement with the use of harmony. In conclusion, Diego Rivera is one of the greatest mural painters of all time. Rivera depicted the mass production industry, which made Detroit famous all over the world and contributed much to the we lfare of the country. I was truly inspired by the artist’s depiction of the automobile industry that created many opportunities for many races during the Great Depression.The artist uses the formal elements to create his artwork such as lines, form, shape, balance, color and harmony. The enormous mural that flow with intense decisions and choices can inspire many just as well as it inspires me. Different methods of art mean diverse things to different people. To me, Diego Rivera's mural, Detroit Industry, is truly an unusual painting. It helps me understand the struggle and the past of the city I call home, the Motor City. Sources: 1. Aquilar Diego Rivera Diego Rivera: â€Å"Detroit Industry† I was very intrigued by â€Å"Detroit Industry†, a massive mural painted by Mexican Muralist Diego Rivera. The artist depicts a part of history, considering both the working conditions within a major automobile factory of the era and a glimpse of social and political issues on the enormous mural. The â€Å"Detroit Industry† mural consists of twenty-seven panels, and stretches up to twenty-two feet high and seventy-three feet wide; which took eleven months to complete.I sensed life, energy and power as Rivera accomplishes the role as an artist by making brilliant decisions and choices. After analyzing the painting, I was able to depict the real meaning and made a real connection. The mural represents the engine and transmission production for the 1932 Ford V8 at the Ford River Rouge factory in Detroit, MI employing over 100,000 people. Diego Rivera seems to have allowed his fascination with the high production of the power of technology inspire his work. The meaning of the mural challenges society and stirs up controversy and raises issues of class and politics.Many people objected Rivera’s work as he painted workers of different races working side by side Even the commissioning of the artist caused a stir; which was financed by Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford. Plus the country was in the midst of the Great Depression and many questioned why a Mexican artist was chosen over an American artist. Today, a sign above the entrance of the Rivera Court reads â€Å"If we are proud of our city’s achievements, we should be proud of these paintings and not lose our heads over what Rivera is doing in Mexico today. †The inner workings of the Detroit Industry illustrate a story of a precise and organized production factory. He makes a point by pointing out the relation between man and machines. In the two big panels, the North and South Walls, Rivera portrays the Detroit industry. In the other two, the elements that make up our industrial development. The top of the side walls signifies the four races that have helped form the American culture. The North Wall has the Indian holding in her hands the iron and the copper elements forming in the earth underneath her, natural products important to the industry.On the right, the Black woman holds coal. The upper right and left panels represent man's technical knowledge. The right-hand panel shows the development and use of vaccines from cattle, sheep and horses. The left-hand panel shows scientist making poisonous gases for combat. The middle center represents the industry, men working together in the production and assembly of motors. The South Wall has the other two races. On the left, the White race, and on the right side the Indian race. They hold in their hands limestone and sand.At the left end is the demonstration of the production of pharmaceutical products. On the right side, chemicals are being made. In the main midd le panel, the final frame and body assembly. The giant press, which stamp out the cars’ bodies, resembles a robot. The West Wall carries the theme of transportation and mechanical power. The figures of birds and the motors of planes are seen on the top. On the side of the door, two long panels show tanks and turbines; which symbolize the making of steam power. Pictures of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison are painted at the foot of the turbines.At the top corners of the East Wall are two female figures which represent agriculture. In the middle panel, forms of animal and plant life, soil and fossils are shown. The artist accomplishes the role of a great artist through the choices and decisions he made while freely expressing the beauty of art and its components. The artist uses a unique representation of lines, form, space, balance, color and harmony. One of the many ways in which the artist uses lines in this mural is through the curves and angles of the panels.Also, the artist u ses a different variety of lines as the curves and angles turn into straight lines as well. The form of the â€Å"Detroit Industry† is a two-dimensional square structure, illustrated by real-life interpretations. The artist uses four walls to express his interpretations of the automobile force in Detroit. Space is demonstrated in the artist’s work as he divides the mural into four walls, the north wall, south wall, west wall, and east wall. A selection of hues is used in his work, which creatively blends in a harmonizing manner. In the first panel, harmony is revealed through the use of color.The artist uses light and dark to meet at the center with flourish. While the right panel can seem motionless, the right side of the panel indicates movement with the use of harmony. In conclusion, Diego Rivera is one of the greatest mural painters of all time. Rivera depicted the mass production industry, which made Detroit famous all over the world and contributed much to the we lfare of the country. I was truly inspired by the artist’s depiction of the automobile industry that created many opportunities for many races during the Great Depression.The artist uses the formal elements to create his artwork such as lines, form, shape, balance, color and harmony. The enormous mural that flow with intense decisions and choices can inspire many just as well as it inspires me. Different methods of art mean diverse things to different people. To me, Diego Rivera's mural, Detroit Industry, is truly an unusual painting. It helps me understand the struggle and the past of the city I call home, the Motor City. Sources: 1. Aquilar

21 Bucket List Items For Graduating College Students

21 Bucket List Items For Graduating College Students The idea of a bucket list - referring to things someone should do before he or she kicks the bucket - doesnt just have to apply to older folks. Students, too, can make their own bucket list to make sure they get in every last memory and bit of fun before tossing their caps at graduation. Here are some things to consider adding to yours: 1. Confess a Crush   Scary? Sure. But if you think youll regret not telling a certain someone how you feel about them before you both part ways after graduating, its time to go for it. After all, even if it doesnt go well, you wont have to really see them again, right? 2. Take Pictures of People Who Have Made a Difference in Your College Life   When do you think back on your years at school, who mattered most? A certain professor or two? Several friends in particular? Maybe a mentor or administrator? Even if youre convinced that youll stay in touch with these folks for years, take a picture anyway. You can laugh at how young everyone looked when youre old and gray and reminiscing about all the silly things you did in college. 3. Thank Your Favorite Professor Chances are one professor, in particular, stands out for the influence he or she had on you during your time in school. Tell them thanks before you leave. You can thank them in person, write an email or even leave a small thank-you note (or maybe a gift) for them on graduation day. 4. Try Food You Never Did Somewhere on Campus If youve never tried a certain kind of food on campus, gather your pride and dig in before you graduate. Youll get a good experience exposing yourself to something new and - you never know - you just might end up liking it.   5. Buy Yourself a Graduation Gift  From the Bookstore Sure, your funds are probably even tighter than normal around graduation time. But pinch your pennies and reward yourself with a gift, no matter how small, from the bookstore. A simple keychain, license plate holder, bumper sticker, business card holder  or travel bag will remind you for years to come about one of your greatest accomplishments so far. 6. Thank the People Who Helped Pay Your Way If scholarships, your parents and/or others helped pay your way through school, make sure to let them know how much you appreciate their support. One suggestion: Include a picture of you in your cap and gown on graduation day in a simple but heartfelt thank-you note. 7. Write Something for the School Paper You may be shy, you may not think of yourself as a good writer and you may have never written for the paper before. But youll be graduating soon - meaning youve succeeded at college and have important advice to share with your peers. Ask the editor if you can make a submission, and take a few hours to put something together that passes along your wisdom. 8. Take a Picture of Yourself and Your Room It may seem silly now, but how fun will it be to look back at how you looked and what your room/apartment looked like five, 10 or 20 years from now? Dont let something that you see every day now slip away with time. 9. Go to a Part of Campus Youve Never Been Before Even if youre at the smallest of schools, head to a corner of campus youve never been before. You just might get a new perspective of how things look and come to appreciate a side of your school that feels brand new just as every other part of it is feeling old. 10. Go to a Sports Event Youve Never Been To   Football and basketball games may be all the rage on your campus, but try something new. If its a gorgeous day, grab some friends and some snacks and go watch a softball or Ultimate Frisbee game. Its a great way to relax and get a new college memory. 11. Go Swimming in the Campus Pool Many students forget theres a campus pool - or are too self-conscious to use it. But these pools can be huge, gorgeous and a lot of fun. Grab your suit, leave your insecurities behind and go have a ridiculously fun game of  Marco Polo  with some friends. 12. Have Your Favorite/Most Influential Professor Sign a Book They Wrote When you think of which professor has been the most brilliant during your time in school, one or two undoubtedly stand out from the rest of the crowd. Have them sign a copy of their latest book before you graduate for a great keepsake youll cherish for years. 13. Participate in a Campus Tradition Being tossed into a fountain on your  birthday? Going on a midnight excursion with your  fellow sorority or fraternity members? Make sure to participate in at least one campus tradition before you graduate for a lasting, irreplaceable memory. 14. Attend an Event on Something You Know Nothing About You went to college to learn new things, right? So head on over to an event youd normally  never  consider attending. You dont have to do anything other than listening and learn. 15. Treat Yourself to a Nice Meal Off Campus You may be so used to bad muffins in the campus coffee shop and the same dishes in the dining hall that heading off campus for a nice meal seems completely out of the realm of possibility. Chances are, however, that you can ask around and find a super yummy, affordable place that will provide you  with a great meal  and a great memory. 16. Vote in Student Government Elections OK, sure, you may have thought they were boring or unimportant before. But now that youre graduating, you have a pretty serious responsibility to leave behind a strong legacy and support system for the classes that will follow you. Honor them by voting  for student leaders  who you think will maintain the standards other students set for you when you first arrived on campus. 17. Go to a Professional Sports Game Off Campus If you live in a big city and have never been to a professional sports game, now is the time to go! After all, how silly would you feel if you had to confess, for years and years after you graduate, that even though you lived in, say, Boston for 4 years, you never saw a  Red Sox  game? Grab some friends and head out. 18. Go to a Cultural Event in Town Even if you live in what you consider to be the smallest of small towns, theres a culture there that cant be replaced and that youll probably miss once youre gone. Go to a poetry slam, a performance, a county fair or anything else being put on in town and absorb all you can before you move somewhere new. 19. Go to a Museum in Town You never know what history your college town has to offer. Challenge yourself to learn a little more before you graduate by hitting a museum in town. It could be an art museum, a history museum, or even something that speaks to the unique identity of your city. Even better: Use your  student discount  for admission. 20.  Volunteer Off Campus Even if you dont interact with people off campus all that much, the community that surrounds your school has helped make your experience possible. Give back a little by volunteering for a one-day, one-month, one-semester, or one-year commitment to an off-campus organization that supports your own values and priorities, too. 21. Do Something That Scares You If you look back at your college years and realize you played it safe, you might not be pushing yourself  out of your comfort zone  enough. Take a deep breath and challenge yourself to try something new and scary. Even if you regret it, youll learn something about yourself.

34 Important SEO Tips You Need To Know Now - CoSchedule

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

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example There has to be some limits that have to be established that will be used in the determination of the winner. In the slot machine process, the winner is usually determined when the winnings basket fills up. When the basket fills u, the person who dropped the last coin into the slot machine is determined as the winner. That is a form of control because the basket usually gets filled up after the owner of the machine earns quite a good amount of money and that is a good thing for the owner because the owner is usually after making of profits and the profits are useful to him. That form of control ensures that there are no losses on the side of the slot machine owner. The process also ensures that there are many costs that are cut so as to avoid unnecessary costs that usually cut on profitability. Statistical process control can be applied in different processes. Every process usually has an output and input. The outputs that are attributable to a process are usually measurable and that usually necessities the application of SPC. SPC usually tracks variability that arises from causes that are natural. In a case whereby the expected variability exceeds a range that should be expected from a cause that is natural, the causes that are identified have to be assigned. SPC is usually powerful in the optimization of the information that is required in the making of decisions by the management (globalqualityvillage.com). SPC usually comprises of the following, scatter diagram, regression analysis, pare to analysis. Pareto analysis is usually helpful in quality improvement of a process in the early stages of any process. The analysis is usually useful in screening out any instances of a wrong thing in a process. In the slot machine, it can be used to identify the instances that may arise as a result f miscalculation in the declaration of the winner. In most instances, in instances where a process involves so many activates, the probability of a fault or failure are usually increased. That means that the activities that are involved in the slot machine should be used so as to avoid any instances of malfunctions and to ensure that there are accurate functionalities in the process. Pareto analysis is usually effective in the following areas; machine breakdown analysis, analysis of any complaints from the customer, and analysis of any faulty dominants. That is applicable in the slot machine because it can be used in the establishment of any problems that may occur in the working of the machine (Kari, 1999). The scatter diagram analysis is a usually useful in the analysis of the relationship that may exist between output variable s and any inputs in the process. In the slot machine process, there have to be an analysis that will show the relationship between the inputs and the outputs from the process. That will show the relationship that will apply between the input of coins and the determination of the winner. The other controls that can be used are