Seven Lessons Reluctantly Learned from Publishing My First Book

Seven Lessons Reluctantly Learned from Publishing My First Book When your first book is finally accepted and (miracle!) published, you may think all your writing problems are solved. But I found that publication, like finally losing those stubborn ten pounds, isn’t the Nirvana we imagine it to be. In the process of publishing my first book, I’ve learned some important lessons, shared here. I hope these seven (and I’m sure they’re only a fraction) help you cushion your own publication shock and plan your counterattacks.   Ã‚      1. Tell everyone. Perfect your elevator pitch- a one-sentence explanation to rivet the person who’s getting off the floor ahead of you. Here’s mine: In Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams, I apply practical spirituality to help you let go of regrets, relabel your past, and reach your lifelong yearnings. Then I mumble something about AmazonBNBooksAMillionKindleNook and whip out my bookmark, which coincidentally displays purchase and website information. For nonfiction pitches, see Ann Brandt, â€Å"Marketing Your First Nonfiction Book,† Writing World, 10:22, Nov. 18, 2010. For fiction pitches, see AuthorBuzz, authorbuzz.com/dearreader/firth.shtml. 2. Once you broadcast the good news, accept congratulations graciously. Don’t deflect: â€Å"Awww, it’s only my first. Miss Successful-Author-Five-Years-Younger has twelve.† Instead, reply like a seasoned author: â€Å"Thank you so much for your kind words.† 3. Climb on your platform. When you’ve finally finished the last revision, or, as experts counsel, much before, concentrate on your platform. This is everything you can think of to promote your book: book launch, ads, press releases, blogs, websites, social media, articles, interviews, book tours . . . . Post your book notice on Facebook, tweet about it, Pinterest it. See, for example, Clary Lopez, â€Å"The Ultimate Book Launch Party,† http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Ultimate-Book-Launch-Partyid=857042. 4. Watch out for promotion envy. Someone always does it bigger and better. Larger launches, finer wine, catered monogrammed mini-cakes, more blogs posted, excerpts published, ads placed, reviews acquired, book clubs toured, interviews given, TV shows graced, emails blasted, friends liked, tweets twitted. Do what you can- sanely. For inspiration, good judgment, and gentle stretching of your comfort boundaries, see Christina Katz’s excellent article on platform-publicity-building, â€Å"50 in Five Minutes a Day,† writersdigest.com/whats-new/50-simple-ways-to-build-your-platform-in-5-minutes-a-day. 5. Guard against Overwhelm. Staring at an endless list of bloggers inviting guests, radio shows inviting interviews, or excellent ezines for excerpts from your book, you can feel like you’ve been handed a shopping list for double septuplets. Regain your bearings 6. Write about what you’re experiencing. If you have the urge to write about the entire process, do it! Spilling can help frustration, worries, and engulfment. For the first ten days after acceptance, I kept a â€Å"Book Journal† that channeled much of my anxiety. A journal may seem like it’s taking you away from revisions or yet more promotion. But you’ll feel better, and you’ll have the makings of a blog. 7. There is writing life after publication. When your book finally appears, in print and multi-e-forms, and you’ve got the publicity on a decent schedule, go back to your writing routine. Get to the next writing project you left hanging or pine for. You’ll feel more balanced and, paradoxically, despite your first-book publication, more like a writer again. My new project (admittedly publicity-related) is excerpting passages from Trust Your Life into articles and editing them for appropriate markets, judiciously cutting and reworking snappy endings that don’t segue to the following chapters. These lessons should help arm you in advance to better ease the publication shock, handle the disenchantment, and regain your writing routine. And keep you glowing with the wonder of publishing your first book.

MONROE Surname Meaning and Family History

MONROE Surname Meaning and Family History Monroe is a Scots Gaelic surname meaning from the mouth of the river. From bun, meaning mouth of and roe, meaning a river. In Gaelic the b often becomes an m - hence the surname MONROE. Surname Origin: Scottish, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings:  MUNROE, MUNROSE, MONRO, MUNRO, MUNREE Famous People with the MONROESurname James Monroe  - 5th president of the United StatesMarilyn Monroe -  American actress (born  Norma Jeane Mortenson)Vaughn Monroe  - American singer, trumpeter and big band leaderBill Monroe - American musicianAlan H. Monroe  - professor; creator of Monroes motivated sequence Where is the MONROESurname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Monroe surname is most common in the United States, where it is popular throughout the nation. It is found in greatest numbers in some of the largest states by population, including Texas, California and New York, as well as North Carolina and Florida. WorldNames PublicProfiler  also identifies Monroe as most common in the United States, including the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Indiana, Alaska, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Idaho, Michigan and Mississippi. Genealogy Resources for the Surname MONROE Meanings of Common Scottish  SurnamesUncover the meaning of your Scottish last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common surnames from Scotland. Monroe  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Monroe  family crest or coat of arms for the Monroe surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Munro DNA Surname ProjectIndividuals with the Munro surname and variations such as Monroe  are invited to participate in this group DNA project in an attempt to learn more about Monroe family origins. The website includes information on the project, the research done to date, and instructions on how to participate. MONROE  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Monroe  ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - MONROE  GenealogyExplore over 1.3  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Monroe  surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. MONROE  Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Monroe  surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - MONROE  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Monroe. GeneaNet - Monroe  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Monroe  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Monroe  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Monroe  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 41

History - Essay Example the said countries, thereby proving how free trade can surely lead to an increase in wealth and competitiveness; with families, farmers, workers, manufacturers reaping real benefits accrued from this free trade. NAFTA developed to eliminate the trade tariffs in the three countries and was anticipated to increase the United States imports to Mexico dramatically being that lower tariffs had been introduced. It has helped boost inter-regional trade between the three countries though has not succeeded in generating of jobs and the deeper regional economic development as earlier planned. Clintons on the other hand underwent various scandals when in office including the whitewater scandal, cattle futures gate, travel gate, Gennifer flowers gate, file gate, Vince foster gate, among others. In this discussion we shall focus on these scandals and their effect to America together with NAFTA and its effects to America as well. We find Clinton having a hand in both scandals and NAFTA. The variou s similarities and differences in the two will also be examined and thereby come out clearly as we read on. NAFTA has been able to broaden trade relations with the United States manufacturers creating supply chains across North America thereby making companies more globally competitive. Experts however disagree with the idea that the economic growth experienced in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the higher wages and increased trade with each other is entirely attributed to NAFTA, given the economic forces present. They believe that liberalization of trade would still have been made possible without NAFIA in the picture. It was supplemented by the North American Agreement on environmental co-operation and the North American agreement on labor co operation in order to prevent businesses from relocating to take advantage of lower wages, more lenient laws about the health and safety of workers, together with the less strict laws on the environment. The NAFTA agreement contained

Pentateuch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pentateuch - Essay Example This text is predominantly for a first-time-reader. The narrative has many surprises, authentic innovations and ironies. Take for example Turner’s comments about the first verse of Genesis. To quote the first verse, â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.†(Genesis 1:1, 2, NIV) Turner responds to this revelation thus: â€Å"The first verse of Genesis not only reveals a lot about God, but also attacks the common ancient view about religion. In doing this, it sets the trend of the creation account as a whole, which takes every opportunity available to confound the conventional wisdom of its time.†(p.19) The thinking of the people impacted by the materialistic civilization, scientific advancement, industrial and internet revolution have put many of the original contents of the Genesis in dock. Voluminous literatures, a number of books have been published on Genesis, and many attempts have been made to probe its depths. The intellectuals, the mind-level scholars interact with biblical texts in novel ways, and this stand was unthinkable a generation ago. Many have the audacity to comment that Genesis reflects the viewpoints of the time to which it belonged. Turner is quick to counter such mind-level architects of the scriptures vehemently. He writes, â€Å"This is not the case. Genesis has always been out of step, not only with the prevailing views of its own time, but also with ours today. It was radical then. It is radical now.†(p.19) To put God in the weighing scale of intellectualism and treat His revelations like the oscillating pendulum, is the worst mistake committed by the present day scholars who make attempts to interpret Genesis. But it is possible for a discerning reader or critic,

Hamlet & the melancholy character Essay Example for Free

Hamlet the melancholy character Essay Hamlet, as the melancholy character has a lot to blame his sadness on. He is constantly occupied by the thoughts of revenge and death but these forces are counterbalanced by his need to be doubly sure of his uncle’s guilt. This drives him to behave irrationally, prompting suggestion of madness and act impulsively which leads to the death of Polonius. He is manipulated by several things throughout the play and is constantly feeling the burden of being driven in one direction or the other by forces which were alien to him only a couple of days back when he was a scholar and the apparent heir to the throne. The ghost of his father leaves him with a task to be completed along with the grief of mourning a father and watching his mother become the wife of the murderer, with what he considers indecent haste. Hamlet is motivated and driven by the uttering of his father’s ghost, his own filial obligation, and the brashness of the murderer in marrying his own mother to usurp his throne. He is driven to sometimes behave and sometimes pretend to be mad to ensure that his thoughts are not revealed to his uncle Claudius. He is driven to misogyny by his apparent loss of belief in women after his mother’s behavior. He is driven to collect the evidence to his father’s death at the hands of his uncle because his thoughtful temperament and erudition do not allow him to find arguments ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ to form a basis for vengeful actions. All these instances when he is driven in directions much against his own volition lead him to believe that he is being manipulated at all levels by situations and people. He is also, perhaps, suspicious of the fact that his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are used to spy on him and manipulate him into certain actions or words. He implores his friend Guildenstern to play the pipe to divert the attention from his own discomfiture. But when he refuses to play claiming that he does not have any knowledge of playing a pipe, he accuses Guildenstern of being incapable of playing the pipe but manipulating him (Hamlet) like a pipe by blowing thoughts into his mind and subtly handling his emotions in a way as to hit the notes desired by people around him. Hamlet is preoccupied with two things throughout the play. They are the basis for action and inaction and his dismay at being manipulated by several things and persons. Arguably, if Hamlet were not the prey to his own inaction, so many of the lives lost in the play would have been saved. Even the final revenge he exacts is not his own doing but the foul play of Claudius that goes awry. He readily gives up all other purpose in his life and begins the journey of revenge (which he eventually discovers that he is singularly incapable of) when his father’s ghost reveals the secret of his death. â€Å"Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat In this distracted globe. Remember thee! Yea, from the table of my memory Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there; And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain, Unmixd with baser matter: yes, by heaven! † (1. 5. 103-110) Even one of the most famous soliloquies from hamlet are of the effect that Hamlet is being troubled by the cruel hand dealt to him by fate. â€Å"To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? —To die,—to sleep,— No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die,—to sleep;—â€Å"(3. 1. 58-66) Even his attempts to contemplate suicide are his thoughts that are bound and led by influences foreign to himself. There is also evidence of such distraught thinking on the part of Hamlet in other instances. When he enquires his friends why they have come to meet him, whether they had come of their own volition r they had been summoned, he describes the state of mankind as an inanimate thing that is given too much value. â€Å"What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me: no, nor woman neither,†(2. 2. 291-297) Hamlet feels manipulated by his varied feelings and motivations. He sometimes feels he is just an instrument of revenge. In some instances he feels he is the sum of all contrasting wisdom which prevents him from taking any decisive action. All these contradictions and the preponderance of thoughts about self and the motivations behind actions and the multilayered questioning of wisdom in taking or delaying a particular action – make Hamlet the most complicated and accomplished characterization of Shakespearean tragedies and offers different meanings upon different readings.

The Half-Brothers by Elizabeth Gaskell Essay -- Papers

The Half-Brothers by Elizabeth Gaskell This story, The Half-Brothers, written by Elizabeth Gaskell is set in 19th century Cumberland. This story is based on some of things that happened in Mrs Gaskell's life such as her losing her children. The half brothers are Gregory and his younger brother whose name we never find out. Their mother loses her first husband and she re-marries William Preston. Their mother, Helen, dies in childbirth leaving Gregory to be brought up by his stepfather. Even though he had been badly treated by him, Gregory shows throughout that he is a true Christian. Mrs Gaskell in this story makes Helen into a very sympathetic character. The very first sentence 'My mother was twice married' is made to make us feel sympathy for her because we know that something bad must have happened in her first marriage but we don't know what it is until later on in the paragraph. Helen is also made a sympathetic character by Mrs Gaskell listing a series of dreadful events that happened to Helen. Saying how young she is 'She was barely seventeen' makes us feel sympathetic for Helen knowing that she is young and helpless. We also begin to think from this that she is too young to be married. The grief occurs when she loses her husband and she is left to look after a young child on her own. She was only just able to walk. We begin to think things are getting better for her when her sister comes to help her. They had a plan. 'They plotted how to make every penny they could'. Everything goes wrong. 'The farm on her hands for four years or more by the lease'. We feel sympathy for her knowing that she has too much to cope with on h... ...to cope with in such a short space of time. Another sentimental point is all the things that happened to Helen, such as her losing most of her family and becoming helpless. Sentimentality is formed from William Preston's last request. We know that he really is deeply sorry for the way he treated Gregory. The description of Gregory's body when he dies is very easy to make a picture in your head because it is described so detailed. I don't think the story is over-emotional or exaggerated. It is written very well and the sentimental parts of the story are brought out and expressed well. Sentimental means that something is dear to you and that it means something to you. The things that happen to Helen in the story are very closely related to things that happened in Mrs Gaskell's life and therefore are sentimental to her.

Emotional Ability or Emotional Intelligence Essay

Emotional ability or emotional intelligence is the ability to assess, identify and control the emotions of oneself. It is also the ability to recognize the impact of your own emotions upon your behavior and be aware of the emotions of others around you (Rosete, & Ciracohhi, 2001). This is not always an easy task. It is a skill you have to work at constantly. Combine these sentences to make a direct comment. Since the brain tends to go into fight or flight mode quickly and easily, we have to figure out a strategy on how to think before we react. Reacting is instinctual and a way to combat an instinctual reaction is to hone your awareness of your own emotional state (Rosete, & Ciracohhi, 2001). Knowing what events may trigger an emotional response will help you to be able to manage a reaction, manage your responses and move from being reactive to proactive. Several years ago I worked at a social service agency and had trouble with my supervisor. She was a chronic and consistent micromanager and always interrupted my tasks to assign another task that was menial and mundane. She would give me a project to work on and then check in on me constantly to see how it was going and how far along I had come. It drove me insane! I became so unnerved and agitated at her behavior that she provoked me to shut down and I became completely defiant. One task she gave me was so completely unnecessary that I flatly refused. I was stressed and highly emotional. I told her that task was a time waster and I’m not going to do that task or anything else until she treated me with respect and stop micro managing me. I was angry, shaking and crying. She immediately went to HR and told them I was defiant, angry and verbally abusive. I knew that wasn’t the case: I had just had enough. I agree to mediation with someone from the HR department whom I trusted to provide me with a fair mediation. If members of the team respect the lead negotiator, the process is manageable (lecture 8). Before the mediation, I tried to pull myself together so that I wouldn’t be so emotional during the meeting. I knew I wouldn’t have as much credibility if I was visibly too emotional. I tried to practice some self-management for the meeting. I wanted to focus on strategies for control of my motion and my emotional impulses (Mason, 2010). This was to no avail. I was so infuriated by the behavior of my supervisor that I completely broke down in mediation. I tried to suppress anger but it came out in my tears. I was an emotional wreck and knew that my emotions were too far gone to try and control at this point. In spite of everything, the mediation went well and we worked on some strategies that would have allowed me more freedom while giving my supervisor the assurance that the task would be done. Unbeknownst to them, I packed up and walked out at lunchtime and never returned. I knew that I would never be able to forge ahead after that day with any amount of dignity or respect after such an emotional breakdown and didn’t even want to try. We all have emotions that influence our response to the world around but when employees have a high competence of emotional intelligence they have the ability to manage emotions and not let them influence their responses to their environment (Mason, 2010). People don’t follow those who can’t control their emotions and those kind of workers generally make for poor employees and poor leaders. References Mason, K. (2010, December 5). Why is emotional intelligence important in the business workplace? .The Thriving Small Business, 2-4. Rosete, D., & Ciracohhi, J. (2001). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness .Leadership & Organization Development Journal ,26(5), 288-296.

Theories And Development Of Public Administration

Like any other field of social sciences, the development of Public Administration as a study and also, as a practice is a response to evolving social contexts. As it is an eclectic field of study, it has adapted its key concepts and theories predominant in that period of time from the other fields of study. Thus, one can look at its development by identifying key concepts of economic, sociological and other studies that have contributed to how it is today.According to Brillantes and Fernandez (2008), the development of Public Administration can be classified as traditional/classical Public Administration and modern Public Administration (2). The traditional/classical Public Administration mainly leans on the models of Organization theory. These models are classified into three, namely, the classical, the neoclassical or human relations and the integration theory or modern theory (Cabo 36). The classical theory became the conceptual foundations of the traditional public administration (Cabo 37). There are 3 schools of thoughts under this theory.One is the Scientific Management which searches for the â€Å"one best way† for an organization to work efficiently, that is, increased productivity with minimal waste and costs (Cabo 37). In doing so, the model suggests that there is a scientific way to achieve production goals. It then postulates that to increase workers’ productivity, â€Å"the best way† is that there should be a competitive management, a clear division of duties between management and labor, and a scientific method and technique in selecting, training, and motivating employees (Cabo 37).With this, time and motion studies became a prevalent method in looking for the â€Å"one best way† (Cabo 37). However, although these studies have indeed improved productivity, it was heavily criticised later on because it failed to account the individuals’ common sense and judgement in the organization (Laegaard and Bindslev 15). Ne vertheless, the model is still useful in evaluating technical processes both in the private and public sector to this day (Laegaard and Bindslev 15). Meanwhile, asScientific Management focuses on increasing productivity, the second school of thought, the Administrative Management, focuses more on the efficiency of management of organization (Cabo 44). It contends that a general theory of administration which can be both applied in the private and public sector is highly possible and that studies must seek to discover and understand the underlying principles that govern it (Fayol cited in Cabo 40, Brillantes Jr. and Fernandez 3). According to Henry Fayol, there are 14 principles of administration.These are: division of labor, authority, discipline, unity of command, unity of direction, subordination of individual interest to general interest, remuneration of employee, centralization, scalar chain of hierarchy, order, equity, stability of tenure of personnel, initiative, and esprit de corps (Fayol cited in Cabo 40-41). Meanwhile, Gulick and Urlick (1937) further enhanced Fayol’s ideas into a comprehensive theory of administration (Brillantes Jr. and Fernandez 3) and contended that there are 7 administrative functions the management should perform (1937 cited in Cabo 42).These are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting or POSDCORB (Gulick and Urlick 1937 cited in Cabo 42). In general, Administrative Management offered practical ways to organization and management (Cabo 43). They are, however, criticised because of the lack of systematic methods (Cabo 43) and over-simplification of administrative conditions (Simon cited in Laegaard and Binslev 16) which resulted to contradicting principles (Simon cited in Cabo 43).Lastly, the third school of thought, the bureaucratic model, is different from the other two as it includes social and historical perspective in its approach to organization (Laegaard and Binslev 16). Its main contention is that for an organization to function smoothly, bureaucracy must consist of neutral professional public employees and that public employees must act as if the superior’s interests are his own (Weber cited in Laegaard and Binslev 16). It identifies 5 characteristics of an ideal bureaucracy, namely, hierarchy, division of labor, formally written rules and procedures, impersonality, and neutrality (Weber cited in Cabo 44).The classical theories, in general, defined many of the key concepts of the Organization theory which greatly enriched the traditional Public Administration. However, they are criticised as having very little regard to the worker or employee within the organization as persons (Cabo 44). The worker is seen as economically-driven (Cabo 44) and therefore the social-psychological aspects, which may also contribute to his productivity, is not taken into account. Thus, in response, the neoclassical model of Organization theory was proposed.Rather t han focusing on the mechanical aspect, the theory focuses more on human relations and sees organizations as social systems composed of interpersonal relationships (Cabo 47). It looks into the how people interact with one another in the organization, how they behave, their feelings, motivations, and aspirations (Cabo 47). One of the key ideas of the theory is the result of the Hawthorne experiments wherein it was found out that informal work groups, rather than management demands, have greater influence on employee productivity (Cabo 48).Chester Bernard (1938) then explained that the informal groups are significant in an organization because it fosters social integration by providing for the social-psychological needs of workers such as pride, prestige, and loyalty (Cabo 49). In general, the theory enriched the study of Public Administration as it makes human perspective an equally important organizational concern (Cabo 49). There are, however, criticisms that arise on the concepts o f the theory. Although it has offered explanations on organization performance, it has failed to explain adequately other aspects of organization behaviour and performance (Cabo 49).More so, the human relations approach is prone to management manipulation of informal groups just to get workers do what management dictates (Cabo 49). Thus, in order to deal with the weaknesses of both the classical and neo-classical theories, the integrative or modern organization theory was proposed. The theory tries to understand and explain the organization in a more holistic method, integrating the classical approach with the social-psychological perspective of human relations (Cabo 50).With this, the theory then proceeds to look into aspects of organization where management and workers meet their goals. Four streams of thought fall into the modern organization theory, namely, the decision-making theory, industrial humanism, open-systems theory, and the contingency approach. With decision-making th eory, bounded rationality is being established contrary to the complete rationality of the classical model (Cabo 51). This is because, in every organization, decisions made are bounded with organizational and human limitations (Simon cited in Cabo 50-51).Rather than getting everything they want, people tend meet half-way and make satisficing decisions to achieve their goals (Simon cited in Cabo 51). Meanwhile, with Industrial Humanism, it is contended that the formal organization structure itself facilitates adverse effects on the workers’ performance (Cabo 52). Thus, social and psychological concepts like human needs and motivations should be considered in the formulation of key aspects of organization such as in job designs, organization structure, and management functions, among others (Cabo 51).The Open systems theory, for its part, sees the organization as an open system that is continuously interacting with the environment and is affected by it (Cabo 53). Thus, for orga nizations to survive and grow, it must be dynamic and adaptable to the changes in the environment. Therefore, inputs such as human and material resources are seen as essential in its operations and success (Cabo 51). Lastly, the contingency approach in the modern theory basically suggests that there is no single technique or method that is applicable to all situations (Cabo 55).Managers or administrators must be able to determine the need at hand and make use of the existing management and administrative ideas. Public Administration as a study, did not however, stop at looking institutions and its processes at organizational level. It went beyond so as take more of the social responsibility expected of Public Administration, that is, for the welfare of the public it serves. The events that followed after Word War II marks the beginning of this new development stage called the modern Public Administration.As post-war effects, coupled with internal political-economic factions, were fe lt, many of the third world countries had been struggling to jump start economic development (Cabo 64). Thus, the study and practice of Public Administration, particularly the traditional Public Administration was introduced to third world by Western powers. As the field was seen as an agent of social change (Brillantes Jr. and Fernandez, 5) and served as a guide for development, it took a new identity and is now called Development Administration.Development Administration is a sub-phase of modern Public Administration wherein traditional Public Administration is used to describe the societal problems and craft solutions in the third world context (Cabo 64). The goal was to â€Å"steer countries along the path of economic and social progress† by strengthening the bureaucracy to ensure efficient and effective implementation of policies and programs (Cabo 64). According to Gant (1979), Development Administration characteristics can be best explained by purpose, loyalties, and a ttitude (Cabo 64).By purpose, DA seeks to stimulate and facilitate national development, implement policies and programs determined by the people and introduce change and innovative structures and processes that will help achieve development goals (Cabo 64). By loyalty, the bureaucracy establishes pledges to the people through their elected representatives and by attitude, DA is positive, persuasive, innovative, and outward looking (Cabo 64). Although the theory seeks to help third world countries gear towards development, it has somehow failed to achieve its goals as the model yielded varied results (Cabo 64).Few of the main reasons that have caused the mixed results are the culture factor and the existing social, economic, and political contexts in a particular society (Cabo 64). Development Administration leanings towards Scientific and Administrative Management (Cabo 63) failed to capture the external factors brought about by differences in social contexts. Meanwhile, the New Pu blic Administration, another sub-phase of modern Public Administration, first emerged in the United States as a response to the observed widening of gap between prosperity and status of well-being among the people (Cabo 66).The main goal of the New Public Administration was to achieve social equity (Cabo 66). In order to do so, the government must not take a value-free stance as being promoted by the traditional Public Administration (Cabo 66). Rather, it must protect and promote the welfare of the disadvantaged groups (Cabo 64). It is from this theory that the concept of Reinventing Government, a newer sub-phase, is built upon.With the rapid changes in many of the societies nowadays, the advent of modernization and the expanding field of technology, the previous theories of Public Administration are seen as anachronistic (Cabo 73). Unlike the New Public Administration that sees the government as the driver of social change, Reinventing Government sees the government as a facilitato r to bring about change through collective efforts (Cabo 74). Coined by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler (1993), the theory seeks to improve government performance by changing the ways and means of the government in achieving its goals (Cabo 75).It contends that the government must act in entrepreneurial ways (Cabo 74), that is, to maximize productivity and effectiveness at lower costs. The theory builds up on the assumption that government is a crucial factor in collective undertakings to solve social problems and that civilized society cannot function effectively without it (Cabo 74). It is also the task of the government to uphold equity or equal opportunity as it is critical to the nation’s success (Cabo 74). Reinventing government has 10 principles laid down by Osborne and Gaebler.These are: catalytic government: steering rather than rowing, community-owned government: empowering rather than serving, competitive government: injecting competition to service delivery, mission -driven government: transforming rule-driven organization, results-oriented government: funding outcomes not inputs, customer-driven government: meeting the needs of the customers, not the bureaucracy, enterprising government: earning rather than spending, anticipatory government: prevention rather than cure, decentralized government: from hierarchy to participation and teamwork, and market-oriented government: leveraging change through the market (Osborne and Gaebler 1993, cited in Cabo 74-79). Currently, one of the new streams of Reinventing government is the E-government, wherein access to public information and processing of documents have been made available through the internet thereby making the government more reachable to the people and transactions which involves them faster and more convenient (Fang 1).Also, there is a proposition from Barzelay (2001) that the New Public Management which is into reinventing government, must turn towards policy approach for it to be able t o enhance both study and practice of the field. With the policy approach, analysis may then be undertaken weighing consequences of combinations of government rules and routines in a particular context (Barzelay 158) to determine what works and what does not. Reinventing government, however, takes high risks if implemented. It entails radical change and doing so may then entail costs and risks which are too much to take by political leaders and public managers alike (Halachimi 1995 cited in Cabo 80).In addition, getting the consensus of stakeholders who will be affected by the changes may be difficult (Cabo 80). The theory is also being criticized for looking at the people as customers or end users of policies rather than as citizens or participants in the policy-making process (Brillantes Jr. and Fernandez 7). Nevertheless, the field has evidences of success in Australia, the United Kingdom, and in New Zealand (Barzelay 162). Thus, it only signifies that reinventing government is po ssible. As being discussed above, the development of Public Administration has generally been a response to the context from which they are crafted upon. They are born out of the need to be able to solve pressing issues and concerns in a particular period.However, even though society has evolved to something very different from where the concepts and theories were formulated, the thoughts and ideas are still evident in the practice of Public Administration today. A good example is evident in the State of the Nation Address of the President of the Philippines, Benigno Simeon Aquino III. In his SONA, concepts of Organizational classical theory, such as efficient and effective implementation of programs and projects based on scientific studies and the principles of administration such as discipline, order, and initiative, among others are evident. Application of the Neo-classical theory is evident in the program implementations of Community-Driven Development (CDD) and Bottom-top Budge t Approach (BUB).With CDD and BUB, it is the people and the local government that identify projects for their community. Meanwhile, New Public Administration concepts are reflected through the delivery of social services in health and education such as Philhealth coverage and more classrooms for school children. But in general, the government’s overall goal is to reinvent itself under the slogan tungo sa matuwid na daan. Although there has been much debate on the road the government has taken to change, it still is an effort to reinvent to gain back the trust of the people and to make its services more efficient and effective. In all these processes, it can be said that government plays a significant role in Public Administration.As more and more models or theories are made available, the government, in coordination with stakeholders, must carefully determine what model/s to use to achieve desired change in the society. It is important that stakeholders should be knowledgeabl e of the strengths and weaknesses of each model and carefully evaluate the context and processes from which it will be applied so as not to over target or fall less to avoid erroneous operationalization of solutions. Nevertheless, as society continuous to evolve, academics and practitioners of Public Administration alike must continue to develop models that are timely and relevant in order to keep the discipline alive for the welfare of the people.

An Example of a Narrative Essay Example

An Example of a Narrative Essay Example An Example of a Narrative Essay An Example of a Narrative Essay D. Dozier Narrative Essay November 13, 2007 Word count: 809 My Little Blessings Children have a tendency to bring out the very best in people. I can say I have been fortunate to have four little blessings of my own. I consider each of them as a blessing and each day I am reminded of how much they mean to me. My children have brought out the best in meparts that I never knew existed. As children grow, so do parents. I have evolved into a better person with the courage to overcome all obstacles because of the love that I have for my children. At the age of twenty, my life was full of constant turmoil and instability. I had a plan, and children were not a part of it. I never imagined that I would ever have children. Motherhood was not for me and, if you had known me, you would have agreed. When I got pregnant for the first time, I was in complete denial. I ignored the fact that I was pregnant because I was unable to accept reality. Reality did not set in until I gave birth to my daughter. On December 17, 2000, something more than giving birth changed my perception of life. My life completely changed that day and not because I had a baby. My transformation was more spiritually focused. As my daughter, Israel grew so did I, internally. Because of the love of my little girl, I became a more centered individual. Once I had found my center, I thought that I was on track. However, I was reminded of my past when I gave birth to my son Isaiah. My son was born with a disease known as atopic dermatitis. I was very familiar with this disease because I suffered with it for many years. I was hurt when I discovered that he would have to go through what I did. I blamed myself for what was happening to him. I beat myself up for a while, until my son helped me to realize a very important fact. The nervousness, allergies and irritated skin are all things that I had went through. He made me realize that instead of feeling sorry for myself, I should be glad that I could help him. I understood his pain and could relate to the severity of the situation. Due to past obstacles, I was able to make a potentially bad situation better. Through the love for my son, I developed the ability to remain positive even during the most difficult times in life. Although I gained the knowledge to be a more stable and positive individual, something was still missing in my life. The missing piece soon fell into place upon the birth of my twin boys, Irijah and Isaac. A multiple birth was a miracle within itself. It seemed unreal because no one in my family was ever blessed with two babies. Although it took a lot of adjustment, we made it through the baby period. The hard part did not come until they became toddlers. (During this time), I noticed complications (in the development) (of the twins). I soon learned that although they were perfect on the outside my boys were suffering with autism. Irijah is severely autistic while Isaac’s is mild. I knew that in order to conquer this obstacle, changes would have to be made. In the beginning I was unaware of what needed to be done, but I never gave up. I continue to fight for my boys and struggle to keep my sanity. This has been the toughest fight of my life because it involves a series of changes. These changes dealt with acceptance, transition, and adaptation. These were necessary steps because it gives the boys a chance to lead a somewhat normal life. Through the love of my sons, I have learned to adapt to change and have gained strength and perseverance that is necessary in life. In life you must choose a path. I used to believe that setting goals and making decisions would lead me to the right chosen path. However, because of my children, I learned that I was not choosing. I was just dreaming. My dreams were nothing more than a thought because I did not have proper structure. My children are not aware of how much of an impact they have been in my life. When I look back on my life, I have no regrets because my life could have taken a path a lot less fulfilling. For the first time in my life, I am complete and that feeling could have only come from them. I am truly blessed to have my children in my life. The unconditional love that I share with my children has undoubtedly transformed me into a more focused, confident, and stronger woman.

Cortez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy

Cortez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy Commonly considered a variation of Cortà ©s, Cortà ©z is a Spanish or Portuguese (Cortà ªs) surname derived from the Old French corteis or curteis, meaning courteous or polite. The descriptive surname was often bestowed as a nickname to a man of good education, or one who was considered refined or accomplished. The Cortez surname is the Spanish/Portuguese equivalent of the English surname Curtis. Cortes may also be a geographical, or habitational name from any of the many places in Spain and Portugal called Cortes, the plural of corte, meaning a court of a king or sovereign. Cortez is the 64th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Portuguese Alternate Surname Spellings:  CORTES, COURTOIS, COURTES, CURTIS   Famous People with the Surname CORTEZ Hernn Cortà ©s / Hernando Cortà ©s - Spanish conquistador of the Aztec empire, and Governor of New Spain (later to become Mexico) from 1521 to 1528.Alfonso Cortà ©s - Well-known Nicaraguan poet.Gregorio Cortez – A Mexican American folk hero to Mexicans in the American Old West. Where Do People With the Cortez Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Cortà ©z  as the 984th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in the Philippines and with the highest density in El Salvador. The Cortes spelling is more popular worldwide, ranking 697th. Cortes is found most prevalently in Mexico, and by the greatest percentage of population in Chile. Cortes is also the spelling now more commonly found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler,  especially in the Extremadura region along the border with Portugal.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname CORTEZ 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Cortez Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Cortez family crest or coat of arms for the Cortez surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   The Cortez DNA ProjectThis ancestral y-DNA testing project is open to any male with any spelling of the Cortez surname. The Genealogy of Hernando CortesA basic outline genealogy of some descendants of famous Spanish conquistador Don Hernando Cortes. GeneaNet - Cortez RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Cortez surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. CORTEZ Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Cortez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Cortez query. FamilySearch - CORTEZ GenealogyAccess over 1.8 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Cortez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DistantCousin.com - CORTEZ Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Cortez. The Cortez Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Cortez from the website of Genealogy Today.Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Barcly Bank Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barcly Bank - Assignment Example Perhaps one would say that it is because the bank has already established its name considering the quantity of time that it has penetrated the UK banking arena; it has marked its name among its consumers considering the amount of time that it renders among its consumers. Basically, the thinking that due to the fact that it has been in the market for quite a long time, then it has the skill and expertise needed in banking industry. Secondly, the thought that it won't stay that long of the company didn't earn the trust of the consumers. Considering the present state of bank market nowadays, is it enough to rely on the aforementioned premises to attribute the success of the said bank In this case, the answer would be obvious, it is a big NO. Due to tougher, competition among several bankers, relying on the name alone plus the quantity if stay in the market is not enough to consider the case because of changing times, customers have different needs . In dealing with the present competition, laying down the master and contingency plan to address the further success of the company is the most important thing to do. Before, plunging into a more delicate issue concerning competitions and plans, looking back to where the company has started is an important thing to do in order to draft plans in relation to the next step that the bank must do to be on top despite the threat of hundreds of competitors encircling the competitive arena. In dealing with the bank's history, the company website barclays.co.uk (2007) revealed that "Barclays origins can be traced back to a modest business founded more than 300 years ago in the heart of London's financial district. In the late 17th Century, the streets of the City of London may not have been paved with gold, but they were filled with goldsmith-bankers. They provided monarchs and merchants with the money they needed to fund their ventures around the world. One such business was founded by John Freame and his partner Thomas Gould in Lombard Street in 1690. The name Barclay became associated with the company in 1736, when James Barclay - who had married John Freame's daughter - became a partner. Private banking businesses were commonplace in the 18th Century, keeping their clients' gold deposits secure and lending to credit-worthy merchants. In 1896, 20 of them formed a new joint-stock bank. The leading partners of the new bank, which was named Barclay and Company, were already connected by a web of family, business and religious relationships. The company became known as the Quaker Bank, because this was the family tradition of the founding families" Understanding the company's history is an important thing to do to formulate draft since a saying goes that it is impossible for you to reach your destination without looking back to where you have started. The same thing in formulation of plans regarding the success of the business lies within the formula from where the company has started. Basically, it started from different ventures and from different businesses delivered and catered different types of