No Room for Snark

No Room for Snark Unless you are JA Konrath and your brand is snark, dont try to weave it into your writing persona. It will backfire. Someone will label you crass. Many will quit buying your work readers as well as editors. As an editor, pitches come to me in the guise of Sunday clothes and good manners, which is good. We should present our best self. However, the true person arises when I reject a pitch. Well, if this doesnt work, then what does? Just give me a subject and Ill write it if you dont like this. Why doesnt this work? Im most certain it fits your guidelines. Whatever. Screw you or Forget you or Fill-in-the-blank you. Do you discriminate against fill-in-the-blank? You are an elitist b-. While these writers may not have been memorable before, they become memorable after these remarks. It works the reverse as well. I listen at conferences, workshops, and events where names bigger than mine put on shows, shake hands, meet and greet the room and represent themselves to authors as well as each other. There are a few agents I would never pitch because Ive heard them make fun of their clients, the writers around them, even the speakers at the podium. Theres a big name in the publishing industry I heard making fun of someone on a panel for pretending to be an author. Many people forget that shy writers listen harder. You are a professional. Keep it professional. Yes, I know as well as anyone that some days you want to snap back and speak your mind. This newsletter is my outlet, and luckily I have a teeny bit of snark woven into my brand to give me room for release. But on someone elses blog? In an email? In front of people who buy my books, ask me to speak, or want to advertise with me? Never. Why slit my own throat? The publishing world is teeming with authors, writers and others climbing the ladder. Everyone is watching everyone else. What is she doing that works? What is he saying that you can take advantage of? How is she slipping up, and how is he making mistakes? Everyone is trying so hard. When the public is your client, you are on display. There are no soundproof rooms. So paint on that smile. Pull out your best behavior. Make anyone you meet happy to have met you. Why on earth would you ever be snarky to anyone in this business as you are fighting your way to publication?

Security Issue s In Ecommerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Security Issue s In Ecommerce - Essay Example acy of result, frankness and convenience of payment processes, loss of collateral information, globalisation, and rise of new commerce models (Laudon & Traver, 2008). Small firms seek to venture into ecommerce with the main aim of increasing revenue through reaching new markets and winning more clients. Ecommerce will enable the small business shorten procurement cycles through the use of on-line cataloguing, checking and payment, gain access to global markets at a smaller portion of traditionalcosts, ensure product, marketing information and prices are always up to date, allow them to compete with large businesses over a common platform, and increase sales opportunities. In addition, ecommerce will enable these small firms ease the audits they conduct on their systems because electronic data is easier to audit. It will also enable them reach out to clients in remote areas, and ensure the goods are available 24/7 for anyone to purchase. This will surely lead to increased generation of revenues. As we all know, fraudsters would aim on the big firms in the ecommerce business. Their enormousconsumer base is like mouth-watering bait for fraudsters. That may safe to think, however, it has been a big misconception.While the aim of fraudsters is to access money, they are not aiming at big ecommerce stores. They go for the small companies for the key reason that smaller e-commerce sites appear to have disregarded one important element – strict security measures. The easy access to critical information and the susceptibility of security systems trap these fraudsters to these smaller stores that are engaging into ecommerce. Campbell et al (2010, p.37) estimates that 90 per cent of credit card safety compromises in the ecommerce industry originate from Level 4 Merchants (ecommerce websites that process fewer than 1 million total card payment dealings and less than 20,000 ecommerce dealings in a year. As a small business, it is important to understand the reasons that

Site Visit Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Site Visit Report - Coursework Example The mosaics and marbles used in the building are representative of the different religions that ruled it. The changes that took place by different religions are reflective of the changing political situation of Turkey. Mosaics from different religions have been uncovered in the building. Many mosaics were covered by plaster since Muslims disliked representational form of architecture. There is a lot of Islamic calligraphy all over the dome. The Christian mosaics that have been uncovered show Christian scenes. The mosaics leave an impact on the visitor due to their details and fine workmanship. The building has a diameter of over 30 meters. It has a square format and a huge dome with spaces through which light streams in. Minarets and buttresses are present as well. Muslims prefer non-representational forms of architecture and so a lot of mosaics were destroyed (Mosaic Art Source Blog). The remaining ones are depictive of religious and royal pictures such as the one where Virgin Mary is being accompanied by Justinian and Constantine. Looking at the museum was a breath-taking experience for me. I was captivated by the mosaics. The thing that had the most impact on me was how both Christianity and Islam have come together under one roof in a world where religious extremism is rampant. It was built by Justinian in 532. It is named Basilica Cisterns because of it is located on an ancient Basilica, and is also known as Yerebatan Sarayi. The main purpose of constructing the building was to supply water for the Byzantine Palace. It has 336 columns, most of which are Corinthian or Doric style (Atlas Obscura). The building is located near the Byzantine Palace. It was built to overcome any water shortages for the people living in the Palace. To some degree, this tells us of how the rulers ensured that they lived a comfortable and luxurious life. There are two heads of medusa placed on

Don't Blame the Eater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Don't Blame the Eater - Essay Example 154). He gives an example of how one is likely to find a McDonald’s restaurant on a drive down a street. He also faults the fast food restaurants for not providing calorie information on their information charts (Zinczencko, p. 154). He also argues that in fast food packaging, there is no calorie information like on grocery items and this prevents the consumer from making an informed decision. He illustrates how having chicken salad, almond and noodle, dressing and a coke comes to more than half of what the government recommends for daily calorie intake (Zinczencko, p. 155). He says that fast food companies do not bear any warning on their ads showing the harm they can do. He argues that companies should put this information so that consumers can make informed decisions on their diet. He concludes by saying that the government will soon realize that these companies are a threat to the health care

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs - Essay Example This study hence is an analyzing assessment for whether this model would be, to any extent, applicable to the Lebanese context. It reveals the results of the first phase of an ongoing research aiming at investigating the extent to which the Anglo-Saxon System of Corporate Governance be adopted by companies in Middle-Eastern countries, specifically the case of SMEs in Lebanon?Identifying whether it contributes in improving or hindering their performance? Using a purposeful sampling approach, semi-structured interviews and focus groups technique is applied to 90 owners/shareholders, managers and employees from the trading, hotel and restaurant sectors that dominate Lebanese SMEs (table 1) and comprise 50.40% of the total population.This technique provides the advantage of comparing all participants’ responses to the main question and provides more in-depth information that cannot be obtained through questionnaires. This discussion answers the above mentioned research questions t hrough adopting the interpretive approach and a thematic analysis. Data will be collected and interpreted deeply in order to identify the extent to which socio-cultural factors affect a firm’s corporate governance structure and hence its performance. 1.1 Purpose of the Study According to the literature, there are much more forms of corporate governance, based on different structures of ownership and affected by large variations of cultural background, legal framework, political environment and economic climate (J. Solomon & A. Solomon, 2004). The â€Å"fit† between cultural values and organizational structures resulted from a fusion of human culture with the models of organization; therefore, it is recommended that organizations enter into arrangements that match with our basic cultural perspective (Hofstede (1991). In other terms, the organizational structural elements are shaped by values that are compatible with and suitable to cultural values as a component of the organization’s implicit models (Hambrick & Brandon, 1988). Swidler (1986) argues that organizations can be viewed as social entities integrated into the institutional and value structures constituting the culture of a society; in this view, organizations and societies tend to reflect each other structurally. In particular, national cultural differences influence the shape and functioning of organizations (Hickson & Pugh, 1995; Hofstede, 1991). Besides, literature found that good governance has a positive impact on organizational performance. Gemmill and Thomas (2004) note that good corporate governance and firm value are positively correlated. Corporate governance mechanisms can guarantee for shareholders an adequate return on their investments (Shleifer & Vishny, 1997). Given the culture-structure link and the correlation between good governance and performance, the purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which corporate governance model in Lebanon fits with the A nglo-American model. If it fits, the objective of the study will be how to maintain it? If not, the study will analyze the benefits of proposing a new model of corporate governance or adapting the existing one. 1.2 Nature of the Study The empirical analysis contained herein is of qualitative nature. Qualitative research seeks to understand the social world from the perspectives of research participants and the detailed descriptions of their experiences (Myers, 2000).The richness and depth of explorations and descriptions represent one of the

Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis - Research Paper Example Further, the VPD may fall short of establishing an effective interagency agreement – which is supposed to play the role of directing the guidelines of the investigations. VPD may also fall short of the needs for computerized information tracking and intelligence systems – which may address the investigative needs of the investigations to be administered at the at the different areas of crime, which reach beyond its jurisdiction. Other areas that may limit the success of the VPD in administering the investigations in an effective manner include, effective communication among the task forces involved across the different areas of crime, experienced leadership, the coordination of efforts and realizing effective forfeiture activities and effective asset seizure. Other areas of limitation include the obligation of long-term funding, formulating clear performance measures, goals and the objectives of for the different locations of crime. The collection of data, evaluation an d monitoring as well as offering technical backing and training programs towards realizing the best results from the crime scene investigations may form another area of difficulty for VPD. Following these areas of investigation or investigation preparation, which may challenge the ability of the VPD, there is need to present the investigation exercise to a multijurisdictional task force, which holds more potential to meet the needs of the current investigation (Cardenas, 2002). 2 In the case the investigations are started by the VPD, the investigation by this agent may be limited to the three crimes that took place within its jurisdiction. Further, even during the course of the investigations by the VPD, certain areas may require the input of an investigative task force. These areas include the formulation of interagency agreements – which offer guidelines to the investigation process; and in the area of running intelligence systems and computerized information models, as the se may require the input of highly experienced investigative technicians, who may only be available from the wider investigative task force. Other tasks that may require the input of an investigative task force include overseeing the communication across the different areas of crime, where there is need for higher level coordination of efforts and where there is need for investigative inquiries beyond the power of VPD. Further, at the time when the investigation extends beyond the areas of crime, under the jurisdiction of VPD will require the establishment of an investigative task force, as such a team will oversee the formulation of clear goals, performance evaluation and objectives for the different regions, as well as offer technical support and assistance across the multi-boundary areas of crime (Cardenas, 2002). 3 One advantage of an investigative task force is that, despite their origins on the roles of the military and the jurisdiction of the areas in question, the role of th e task force reaches beyond the boundaries of the military, thus offer information which is not affected by the prejudices likely to affect a one player team of investigation. For example, their mandate extends to areas of law enforcement and the business world. The task force also enjoys a sense of autonomy when executing their investigative roles, as the decision making process is commanded by highly ranking authorities who do not need the supervision of superiors, like the case may be for an agent like the VPD. As a result,

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs - Essay Example This study hence is an analyzing assessment for whether this model would be, to any extent, applicable to the Lebanese context. It reveals the results of the first phase of an ongoing research aiming at investigating the extent to which the Anglo-Saxon System of Corporate Governance be adopted by companies in Middle-Eastern countries, specifically the case of SMEs in Lebanon?Identifying whether it contributes in improving or hindering their performance? Using a purposeful sampling approach, semi-structured interviews and focus groups technique is applied to 90 owners/shareholders, managers and employees from the trading, hotel and restaurant sectors that dominate Lebanese SMEs (table 1) and comprise 50.40% of the total population.This technique provides the advantage of comparing all participants’ responses to the main question and provides more in-depth information that cannot be obtained through questionnaires. This discussion answers the above mentioned research questions t hrough adopting the interpretive approach and a thematic analysis. Data will be collected and interpreted deeply in order to identify the extent to which socio-cultural factors affect a firm’s corporate governance structure and hence its performance. 1.1 Purpose of the Study According to the literature, there are much more forms of corporate governance, based on different structures of ownership and affected by large variations of cultural background, legal framework, political environment and economic climate (J. Solomon & A. Solomon, 2004). The â€Å"fit† between cultural values and organizational structures resulted from a fusion of human culture with the models of organization; therefore, it is recommended that organizations enter into arrangements that match with our basic cultural perspective (Hofstede (1991). In other terms, the organizational structural elements are shaped by values that are compatible with and suitable to cultural values as a component of the organization’s implicit models (Hambrick & Brandon, 1988). Swidler (1986) argues that organizations can be viewed as social entities integrated into the institutional and value structures constituting the culture of a society; in this view, organizations and societies tend to reflect each other structurally. In particular, national cultural differences influence the shape and functioning of organizations (Hickson & Pugh, 1995; Hofstede, 1991). Besides, literature found that good governance has a positive impact on organizational performance. Gemmill and Thomas (2004) note that good corporate governance and firm value are positively correlated. Corporate governance mechanisms can guarantee for shareholders an adequate return on their investments (Shleifer & Vishny, 1997). Given the culture-structure link and the correlation between good governance and performance, the purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which corporate governance model in Lebanon fits with the A nglo-American model. If it fits, the objective of the study will be how to maintain it? If not, the study will analyze the benefits of proposing a new model of corporate governance or adapting the existing one. 1.2 Nature of the Study The empirical analysis contained herein is of qualitative nature. Qualitative research seeks to understand the social world from the perspectives of research participants and the detailed descriptions of their experiences (Myers, 2000).The richness and depth of explorations and descriptions represent one of the