Friday, November 15, 2019

A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim and I Hear America Singing :: Hear America Singing Essays

A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim and I Hear America Singing America the great, land of freedom, home of the brave--each of these phrases has been used to describe the United States of America. Walt Whitman was a man who lived through many tough times in this country, but who would prosper as a poet. He was personally affected by all of the death and destruction that he witnessed during the Civil War. "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" and "I Hear America Singing" have some fascinating similarities but include many differences. Although both poems were written by the same man, he seemed to see America in a different light when writing each poem. Each piece uses different tones and images, but they are tied together by the style of writing and use of America as a main subject. In "I Hear America Singing" and "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim," Whitman uses differing tones, images, styles of writing, and even different themes to show the splendors and downfalls that America can bring. "I Hear America Singing" and "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" have two very different tones about the same subject. "I Hear America Singing," this poem has a very cheerful, happy, and robust tone which is evident even in the title. Whitman describes many different types of people singing "their strong melodious songs." The different trade each person has represents different ethnic backgrounds in the people of America. Whitman writes this poem to show how wonderful America is and how much he loves living here. "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" has a much different tone. During the civil war, Whitman's brother was wounded while fighting. His experiences while working in hospitals full of wounded and dying people inspired him to write such a dreary poem. Whitman's tone throughout the whole poem is solemn and dreadful. Describing three dead soldiers, Whitman seems to write how cruel and unjust people have been in killing the young, old, and even wh at he sees as "the face of the Christ himself." In each poem, Whitman uses opposite tones to describe America at different times and in different ways.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

1984 And Lord of the Flies Essay

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and 1984, By George Orwell, both portray the power of the government and the revolts that develop, while expressing a different nature of fear. Both books have a strong government possessing power and control over all the citizens. The novels compare in expressing fear but, contrast in showing completely divergent types of fear. Each piece of literature displays jealousy and hatred towards the government which leads to revolts. Furthermore, in the book, Lord of the Flies, one boy, Ralph, rules over several boys while they are stranded on an island. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 both have communities with an overruling government using extreme power. Lord of the Flies is about twenty boys who are stranded with no adult authority on a deserted island after their plane crashes. One of the oldest boys at the age of twelve, Ralph, becomes chief because he holds the conch shell and the boys all agree to follow his orders. The book 1984 takes place in the totalitarian country of Oceania after World War II. This powerful country is under full control of their government known as The Party and all the citizens are watched throughout the day by telescreens placed all over their communities. In the Lord of the Flies, Ralph quickly declares himself chief and exerts his power on his fellow tribesmen in attempt of running an organized community. As chief, Ralph orders each of the boys a job to fulfill to make the community run smoothly. One of the boys, Jack, is in charge of keeping the fire lit and under control. Ralph’s powerfulness is expressed when Jack leaves the fire unattended as a ship passes the island. â€Å"Ralph pushes piggy to one side. â€Å"I was chief, and you are going to do what I said† (Golding 70). Once Ralph sees the ship at a distant from the island and realizes the fire is at a low ember he becomes outraged. He pushes piggy and demands Jack to obey his orders. Ralph knew it was crucial to keep the fire going to get the attention of the sailors on the ship. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay This was a missed opportunity by the boys and Ralph uses his power to make sure everyone executes their job. Ralph does not yell because he is arrogant, he uses his power to make sure the boys get home safely. Similarly, in 1984, the government is referred to as the Party and it has power over all the citizens. The telescreens are video cameras placed around the cities including inside everyone’s home. Also, the Party hangs propaganda around the cities to remind the citizens to obey all rules of The Party. In the beginning of the book the propaganda is explained as â€Å"The black-mustachio’d face gazed down from every commanding corner. There was one on the house front immediately opposite. Big Brother Is Watching You, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into his own† (Orwell 2). Big Brother is the head of The Party and complete dictator of Oceania. These posters are used to remind the citizens they are being watched at all times. The propaganda used in the communities portrays the power of Big Brother and The Party. The posters are hung everywhere so the citizens are constantly faced with looking their dictator in the face. The books Lord of the Flies and1984 both portray a strong central government with a powerful dictator ruling over both communities. Virgina Tiger, professor and chair of English at Rutgers University in New Brunswick and an author of four books, is a critic on Lord of the Flies. Tiger said â€Å"Middle-class Ralph, with his boy scout skills, fair complexion, and sense of fair play, is the son of a naval officer, thus is he closely linked to Britain’s past magisterial powers on the seas† (Tiger). In this quote she is characterizing Ralph. His father is a naval officer so he is closely linked to the powerful force of the Briti sh Navy. Tiger believes Ralph was declared leader because of the skills he possesses as well as his father’s strong leadership qualities displayed in the Navy. Similarly, critics of the book 1984 acknowledge the power of the government and its rule over the people. Victoria Gaydosik, an associate professor at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a published editor of young adult books, is a critic of 1984. She said â€Å"The ruling political system, Ingsoc, venerates the leader (possibly mythical) Big Brother; members of the Inner Party exercise the real power behind the ubiquitous face of Big Brother. Winston, a lowly member of the outer party, has no power to wield, and the state is interested only in his obedience to the will of the Party† (Gaydosik). Gaydosik says The Party only cares of the citizens’ obedience to the will of The Party meaning The Party has complete control and power over all the citizens. Both the critics of Lord of the Flies and 1984 recognize the power of the governments in both communities. In both of the books, Lord of the Flies and 1984, an expression of fear is present towards contrary ideas. In Lord of the Flies, the young boys are stranded on a deserted island and become scared of what else could be on the island. Also, they fear dead man connected to a parachute that landed on top of a mountain on the island. They boys believe it is some sort of beast and set up to kill it. In 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, faces the fear of being caught by the Party for his rebellious acts throughout the book. Conversely, in Lord of the Flies, the boys are afraid of a mysterious object attached to a parachute that floats on top of a mountain on the island. In Lord of the Flies, two boys are taking care of the fire when they spot what they believe is a beast on the mountain. They are extremely frightened and run to Ralph for help. â€Å"They became motionless, gripped in each other’s arms, four unwinking eyes aimed two mouths open† (Golding 98). The boys are still at young ages of around six to twelve years old. The surprise of seeing an unrecognizable body with eyes immediately brought the boys to the conclusion the body was a beast. This puts a fear in all the boys of the unknown on the island. The boys are scared of what else could be on the island and what was the â€Å"beast† the two boys saw. The boys have no adult protection from the beast and fear what could happen to them. On the contrary, the citizens in 1984 fear their government and the cruel punishments resulting from not abiding the laws. The Party is extremely controlling and has strict laws for all the citizens to obey. Winston meets a girl, Julia, and they have to plan to meet secretly to see each other because their sexual relationship is not allowed in Oceania. Julia says, â€Å"We can come here once again, it’s generally safe to use any hide-out twice. But not for another month or two of course† (Orwell 112). This occurs when Julia and Winston first start seeing each other and Julia is explaining to him they could come back to their hide-out but not for a couple months because it would be suspicious. They have to be cautious with their secret relationship because it can result in cruel punishment from The Party. Throughout the book they must face the fear of being caught by The Party and be sentenced to death. In both books, Lord of the Flies and 1984, a portrayal of fear is present but of contrasting ideas. A critic Paul Crawford is currently an assistant professor of history at California University of Pennsylvania and also published a book and many online articles including literary criticism on Lord of the Flies. In his criticism he says â€Å"They face beasts and phantoms in a succession of apparently supernatural events. Uncertain and fearful, the boys are subjected to unexplained phenomena. Suspense and hesitation as to the nature of the â€Å"beast† follow, and their fear increases accordingly† (Crawford). Crawford is saying that the boys were faced with beasts and unknown objects under strange circumstances. Suspense rises when the boys see the beast and th eir fear increases in result of the unknown on the island. The boys fear the unknown and the beast because they don’t have protection and don’t know what the mysterious beast will do. In contrast to this the main character of 1984, Winston Smith, faces the fear of being seized by the government for is unacceptable relationship with Julia. Critic of 1984, Jane Graves, is an award-winning author of romance novels. She states in an online article, â€Å"After many difficult encounters where they attempt to hide from the telescreens, they agree to meet in a clearing in the woods. Here they are able to be free with one another and have sex for the first time† (Graves). Graves explains the troubles in which Winston and Julia face to have sexual intercourse with one another. They have to avoid being seen on the video cameras around the cities and meet each other in the woods. Betrayal of The Party and Big Brother leads to severe consequences so Julia and Winston must always face the fear of being caught. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 both express fear but of different concepts and situations. Lord of the Flies and 1984 compare in possessing rebellious groups with revolutionary beliefs against the government. In Lord of the Flies, one of the boys, Jack, is upset with the decision of making Ralph chief. Jack believes he is a more qualified chief and begins leading his own group of kids. In 1984 Winston Smith believes the government is corrupt and controls the future and the citizens by erasing the past. Winston starts having rebellious thoughts and believes in a revolutionary group named the Brotherhood against The Party. In comparison to the Brotherhood, Jack, from the Lord of the Flies, goes against Ralph and leads his own group of kids in a hunt for the beast. In Lord of the Flies when two boys spot a mysterious beast, they all start climbing the mountain where it landed in search of it. Ralph decides to head back to their camp because the boys were getting tired but Jack ref uses. Jack says â€Å"I’m going up the mountain to look for the beast now† (Golding 119). Jack demands to search for the beast going against Ralph’s decision of taking a rest from searching. A couple other boys agree with Jack and head up the mountain while Ralph and the rest of the boys go back to their camp. After disagreeing with making Ralph the chief, Jack finally makes a stand and refuses to take orders from Ralph. Likewise, in 1984, Winston Smith disagrees with the government and makes a stand against The Party. He begins by writing rebellious thoughts in his diary and wants to break the laws of Oceania by performing a sexual act. Winston believes having sex is rebelling against the government. Orwell says, â€Å"And what he wanted, more even than to be loved, was to break down that wall of virtue, even if it were only once in his whole life. The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion† (Orwell 60). Winston’s dream comes true when he met Julia and finds himself in a sexual relationship with her. Winston’s main goal throughout the story is to rebel against The Party and to make his own decisions. Winston breaks the virtues of The Party and successfully rebels against Big Brother with his sexual involvement with Julia. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 compare in possessing characters that clash with their respective governments’ ideals and partake in rebellious acts. Berthold Schoene-Harwood is a critic of Lord of the Flies as well as a teacher in Liverpool at John Moores University and a successful author and editor. Berthold says, â€Å"The boys engage in a relentless, ultimately self-annihilating battle against their own nature. In their attempt to assert themselves as men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Schoene-Harwood). He is saying the boys find themselves fighting against each other to prove who is more of a man. These battles lead to the death of some of the children because they have become savages from their extended amount of time on the island. Jack acts out agai nst Ralph because he does not want to be controlled by him. Jack deems he is his own man and can make his decisions which results in his revolt against Ralph. Similarly, in1984, Winston acts out against the government through performing rebellious acts. Gorman Beauchamp, a critic of 1984, graduated from the University of Michigan and is currently an associate professor emeritus at the University of Michigan as well as a published author. Beauchamp states, â€Å"But because the whole duty of citizens is to love Big Brother, their love for one another is perforce politically subversive† (Beauchamp). In this quotation he is explains the duty of the citizens is to love their leader and Winston and Julia’s sexual relationship is an act of betrayal towards Big Brother. Because of Winston’s disagreement with the party and hatred towards Big Brother, he is revolting against the government. The critics Schoene-Harwood and Beauchamp confirm the exertion which defiant acts are displayed in the books Lord of the Flies and 1984. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 display powerful governments as well as insubordinate acts against the government with divergent fears expressed in both. Lord of the Flies has a chief, Ralph, who has complete rule over all the boys on the island compared to Big Brother in1984 who powerfully rules over the citizens of Oceania. Both books present fear, but in Lord of the Flies the boys dread the unknown on the island compared to the despair of being arrested by the government in 1984. The revolting groups formed in Lord of the Flies and 1984 relate in both opposing the ideas of their government. Both books are similar in possessing powerful governments with opposing groups as well as expressing fear but the perspective in each is altered through the age of the characters. In Lord of the Flies the characters are very young and fear a far less serious matter of a mysterious beast verse being caught by the police and executed in 1984.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Peculiar Institution Essay

On September 23, 1861 Mrs. E. A. Spaulding of Central Village Windham County wrote Abraham Lincoln about the Peculiar Institution or Slavery. She believed that until it â€Å"is abolished, civilization is impeded, humanity languishes and our boasted land of freedom is a practical lie. † Two prominent persons of the era, John C. Calhoun and James Henry Hammond, thought the contrary. Calhoun and Hammond were strong defenders of Slavery. In his Mudsill Speech of 1858, Hammond justified the use of slaves through the Mudsill theory. He said that in order for the upper class to be able to push the country forward, there had to be a lower class to support it. The lower class was needed to do the dirty job and the easy tasks. They were the ones with less intelligence and talent but had the energy, subservience and loyalty demanded by the job, referring to the Africans. In the North, the laborers were not paid enough. They had to work long hours and some ended up as beggars. There were many beggars in the North, but there were none in the South. The slaves in the South enjoyed lifetime employment and because they were well paid, they did not have to beg, did not go hungry, were never out of jobs and neither did they have to work more than what they can do in a day. The slaves in the South were Blacks. They were from a different and inferior race. In working for slave owners in the South, their life had greatly improved. They had simple desires, little ambitions and they wanted no more than those. Both owners and slaves had no conflicts to disturb the peace of their days. In the case of the North, their slaves were their own race. Hammond believed that such a situation can be humiliating for the slaves, though they are the majority. As this majority had voting rights, they were actually more powerful. With such power they can create the most trouble for their employers. In his Disquisition on Government, Calhoun disagreed with the Founding Father’s idea of the rights of individuals. He believed that it was not true that people were born free and equal. The condition of life of the Blacks, being the inferior, had been improved by Slavery. They had become civilized, and their moral, physical and intellectual circumstances had changed for the better. Historically, there was never a society where part of it did not depend on the efforts of the other. The living and working conditions of the South were much better than those in the North. The Southern slave owners took care of his slaves and their families and were not subjected to the constant and unsettling labor problems in the North. Calhoun’s strongest argument against the Abolitionists was that protection of domestic institutions was granted exclusively to the states. Since Slavery was a peculiar institution to the South, attempts by other states to abolish it was defiance of the Constitution. Pro Slavery advocates cited Biblical references to argue that slavery was allowed by the Lord and intended for it to continue. Exodus 21:5-6, the slave says â€Å"I love my wife, my master and my children, I will not go free. † †¦. nd that â€Å"he (slave) shall serve him (master) for life. In Ephesians 6:5, God instructs â€Å"Servants, obey your masters of this world with fear and respect, with simplicity of heart, as if obeying Christ. † In Genesis 9:26, Noah prayed to the Lord, â€Å"Blessed be Yahweh, God of Shem, let Canaan be his slave. † Titus 2:9 says â€Å"Teach slaves to be subject to their masters †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Colossians 3:22 instructs â€Å"Servants obey your masters in everything not only while they are present, to gain favor with them, but because you fear the Lord. In all these, the advocates believe that slavery did not go against the spiritual teachings. There were also economic considerations in the use of slaves to work in Southern plantations. They were the most cost-efficient, available laborers. Their owners realized big returns of investments that they were able to give their slaves decent and comfortable lives, by way of homes, clothing, medical care and assurance of a stable future. The slave and their owners had a paternalistic relationship where the latter took care of the slaves like family.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers - CoSchedule Blog

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers Blog This year, sent teams to two of the largest marketing conferences in the world:  INBOUND and Content Marketing World. Together, they attracted nearly 30,000 marketers.  To make the most of it for our teams, and our lovely readers (you!), we asked some of the smarterst marketers in attendance: What is your single biggest marketing takeaway from this year’s conferences? They did not disappoint! In this post, I’m going to share some top takeaways you can put into action by the time you’re done with your next cup of java ☕ï ¸  The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top InfluencersTop Influencer Takeaways From 2018 INBOUND and Content Marketing World Table of Contents: Kathleen Booth of Impact Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Ian Cleary of Razor Social John Hall of Influence and Co. Ann Handley of MarketingProfs Anna Hrach of Convince and Convert Julia McCoy of Express Writers Alex Schofield of Wistia Byron White of WriterAccess What Are These Conferences? Before we dive in, it may be helpful to know what these conferences actually are! If youre unsure, no prob. Created and hosted by Hubspot, INBOUND is the largest marketing conference in the world, with nearly 25,000 registrants. And Content Marketing World, created and hosted by Content Marketing Institute, is the gold-standard of content marketing conferences. Loving Boston and #inbound18 👠Ã°Å¸â€˜ Ã°Å¸â€˜  If youre here, swing by for some goodies and say hi 👋 @pic.twitter.com/KHfn5XAs8J Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 5, 2018 INBOUND features big-name keynotes like Alex Rodriguez and Scott Harrison. But the nitty-gritty marketing talks are found in hundreds of breakout sessions scattered around a giant convention center (that looks like a spaceship). I have a Ph.D. in failure, but a Masters in getting back up. I choose to focus on the latter. – @AROD #INBOUND18 pic.twitter.com/g6AENF4jRA Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 6, 2018 Content Marketing World is similar, with keynotes from the likes of Tina Fey. However, its razor focused on content marketing - as the name implies. Cleveland Rocks! Stop by and say to these handsome devils at #cmworld. You might even get a signed #10xMarketingFormula book! @njellering @EricPiela @garrett_moon @k_n_elson pic.twitter.com/tvFFTMMhqH (@) September 5, 2018 Each conference has value in its own right. Now, here are nine takeaways from top marketers and brands on the heels of these notable conferences. How To Use Medium For Brand Lift And Reach First up, I spoke with  Kathleen Booth, VP of Marketing at  Impact, at INBOUND. She talked about the nature of Medium as another channel in your marketing. Heres what she said: When Hubspot looks at their audience and reach on Medium, 87 percent of the people they reach are not in their contact base. Thats total brand awareness! Add to that, Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral. Medium has a specific use case: brand lift and reach. But to be successful on Medium you have to work the algorithm. For example, right now, you have to get 50 people to clap within the first 24 hours to simply get on bat. If you’re writing stuff people don’t want to share, you’re not going to get any traction. Medium is a discovery platform. To me, this was a fascinating take on the content platform. Really, it almost turns Medium into another social network. So, if you have a Medium blog, like our 10x Marketing channel, consider digging into what makes great content spread there. And think of it as a brand lift and reach platform. Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral@WorkMommyWork Write Down Big Goals, Focus On Helping Others, And Remove Distractions From Your Life Next, we caught up with  Andy Crestodina, CEO of Orbit Media, after Content Marketing World. Now, we talk to Andy as much as we can, as hes one of the smartest marketers we know. The one thing that stuck out for me (and Ive found myself talking about) was from Joe Pulizzis big-picture keynote about goals. I didnt know this, but Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee, wrote down his goals in a letter to himself. He committed to becoming an international martial arts superstar, making $10,000,000 and giving the most exciting performances to his fans. Joe suggests we all do the same by writing down our goals, focusing on helping others, and removing distractions for our lives. Great advice for marketers. Great advice for everyone. Thanks, Joe. There you have it. Write down big goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions from your life. Its interesting that often, doing the job of marketing well means pairing your ambition for growth with a desire to be truly helpful to your audience. Write down goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions @crestodina Content Optimization Is As Important As Content Creation Ian Cleary from Razor Social  reflected on just how hard it is to stand out. Tactics like SEO arent innovations, theyre necessities. And 84 percent of people  expect brands to do content marketing. To stand out, Ian suggests focusing on optimization as well as attraction. He says: The number of companies investing in content marketing is increasing every year, so its becoming increasingly challenging to get onto page one of Google. Were not even in the race unless we produce high quality content, but we also need to focus more on the optimization of this content and promotion. Optimization includes optimization for SEO, but also includes areas such as optimization for readability, as well as attracting people you need to keep people on your site reading your content. In addition, we also need to invest more time in promoting content organically and through paid advertisement. No matter how good the content is if youre not investing the time in the promotion you wont get the value from it. Ian hints at a simple content marketing framework that works incredibly well: create, promote, optimize. Create content people love and search engines understand. Then aggressively promote that content through paid and organic channels. And finally, dont neglect] optimizing it for the long haul. No matter how good content is, without promotion, you wont get the value from it @IanCleary Dont Be A Copy-Cat Marketer John Hall, co-founder of Calendar and advisor to  Influence Co., knows a thing (or twelve) about content marketing. Influence Co. uses smartly-placed content marketing to help clients become influencers in their fields. Heres what John said on the heels of CMW: I think the biggest focus at Content Marketing World this year was what companies can do as a differentiating factor so that your customer sees you differently than others in the industry. Whether it be my talk on increasing distribution, or Jay Baers talk on Talk Triggers,  or another speaker, there were clear hints of being unique with marketing tactics and not just copy others. I think that stood out to me as something for brands to focus on moving forward. Around , we call unoriginal tactics copycat marketing. While you can certainly get inspired by other brands doing things right, copy-paste marketing jobs will give diminishing returns. Why? Because if everyones doing it, your brand looks like everyone elses. What can companies do as a differentiating factor, so your customer sees you differently? @johnhall Great Content Marketing Imagines The Extraordinary In The Ordinary Ann Handley is one of our favorite marketers, and is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs. She reflected on one of her favorite talks, and how its impacting her brand: Dewitt Jones talked about imagining the extraordinary in the ordinary. To me, great content marketing does that, too: It takes sometimes pedestrian tactics and elevates them. I spoke about in my efforts to retool Total Annarchy, my own newsletter (AnnHandley.com/newsletter) and called out what I see others doing really well with email newsletters. (Most companies are missing the boat completely on them.) (And I say this with love in my heart.) It takes everyday customer questions and sincerely tries to deliver the best answer it can to them, to become that trusted resource. Mitch Joel, Dorie Clark, and I talked about that in our panel on Longform Content (the Long Tales, as Mitch cleverly titled it!). Robert Rose talked about this too. It takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that resonate. On the heels of John Halls advice that we take unique paths as content creators, Anns advice is interesting. Instead of trying to go 180-degrees from the norm, she suggests elevating even the pedestrian tactics like newsletters. And how does a marketer do this? By developing trust and answering real customer questions with insight and value. Great content marketing takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that Get One Big Idea In Motion Next, we caught up with Anna Hrach, a strategist at Convince Convert. She touched on something every marketer should note in this age of endless channels, strategies, and opportunities: It is so easy to fall in love with every amazing idea presented at Content Marketing World. But, as many of us know all too well, its also just as easy to feel completely overwhelmed and get a bit of analysis paralysis with those same ideas when you get back to the office. Instead of trying to tackle it all at once, sit down and figure out whats going to be the easiest AND most impactful to implement. Get those ideas in motion first, then go down the wishlist. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there. Its so easy to catch shiny-object-syndrome. But prioritizing one big idea at a time is such sound advice. When you try to do everything, you often end up doing nothing. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there @annabananahrach Trustworthy Marketers Will Cut Through The Noise Julia McCoy, course educator and CEO at Express Writers, attended CMW this year (and actually wrote a fantastic takeaway piece on it). My favorite takeaways from CMWorld 2018 (theme: Game On) would be these two points. The first - what Robert Rose said when he took the stage before the first keynote: There is a new player coming into the market: Trust. He said that trust is Player 2 in todays marketing, and hes 100% right! More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the noise. My second favorite takeaway would have to be what Joe Pulizzi, my all-time favorite content marketer, shared in his keynote: Marketing success only takes three things. Record, Repeat, Remove. Marketing fails when our recorded goals arent big enough; when there is not enough repetition; and when we do not clear the garbage that stops us from achieving our goals. Joe shared that the minimum time was 9 months, average 18 months or longer, of implementing content to see success. These were some major takeaways that Ive been sharing on Twitter, LinkedIn, and internally with my staff post-CMWorld 2018. Julia gave us two tips for the price of one! Trust and process. Focus on building deep rapport with your audience, and remember that content marketing is a very long-term game. More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the Get Started With Personalized Video Next, I chatted with Alex Schofield, an Account Executive at Wistia, at INBOUND in Boston, MA. The Wistia team obviously eats, sleeps, and breathes all things video marketing. So its no surprise their team had advice on doing it well. Coming out of INBOUND, our biggest recommendation for video marketing in 2019 and beyond is to start (or continue) creating personalized videos! 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions, and given how easy it is to record a video on your phone or with a tool like  Soapbox, there’s no reason not to add personalized videos to your tool kit. Using video to answer FAQs, offer a promotion, or just simply say thanks, will help you nurture leads through the funnel. This advice around using video in the sales process is not only a fantastic idea, but its also a great way to breakdown the classic sales-marketing silo. Given how easy it is to record a video on your phone, theres no reason not to add personalized Know Thine Audience, And To Your Own Persona Be True Finally, Byron White, CEO of Writers Access, deepened the theme of building trust by knowing your audience inside and out. Byron said: Good content marketing is all about building a relationship with your audience, so get to know the whole of their parts! What kinds of media do they inhale in their free time? Are they Mac or PC people? Caregivers with crazy schedules or data nerds with a penchant for baseball?  A holistic approach can often help you layer in unique details and interesting angles to your content strategy that makes your approach feel that much more personal to your target audience. Who is your audience? What do they care about? How can you uniquely help them? These are fantastic questions to answer about your personas. And when you do, youll find your strategy can nearly write itself!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Colossus at Rhodes

The Colossus at Rhodes Located on the island of Rhodes (off the coast of modern Turkey), the Colossus at Rhodes was a giant statue, about 110 feet tall, of the Greek sun-god Helios. Although finished in 282 BCE, this Wonder of the Ancient World only stood for 56 years, when it was toppled by an earthquake. Huge chunks of the former statue stayed on the beaches of Rhodes for 900 years, drawing people around the world to marvel at how man could create something so enormous. Why Was the Colossus of Rhodes Built? The city of Rhodes, located on the island of Rhodes, had been under siege for a year. Caught up in the heated and bloody battle between the three successors of Alexander the Great (Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus), Rhodes was attacked by Antigonus’ son, Demetrius, for supporting Ptolemy. Demetrius tried everything to get inside the high-walled city of Rhodes. He brought 40,000 troops (more than the entire population of Rhodes), catapults, and pirates. He also brought a special corps of engineers that could make siege weapons specially geared to break into this particular city. The most spectacular thing these engineers built was a 150-foot tower, mounted on iron wheels, that hosted a powerful catapult. To protect its gunners, leather shutters were installed. To protect it from fireballs hurled from the city, each of its nine stories had its own water tank. It took 3,400 of Demetrius’ soldiers to push this mighty weapon into place. The citizens of Rhodes, however, flooded the area around their city, causing the mighty tower to wallow in mud. The people of Rhodes had fought back valiantly. When reinforcements came from Ptolemy in Egypt, Demetrius left the area in a hurry. In such a hurry, that Demetrius left nearly all of this weapons behind. To celebrate their victory, the people of Rhodes decided to build a giant statue in honor of their patron god, Helios. How Did They Build Such a Colossal Statue? Funding is usually a problem for such a large project as the people of Rhodes had in mind; however, that was easily solved by using the weapons that Demetrius had left behind. The people of Rhodes melted down many of the leftover weapons to get bronze, sold other siege weapons for money, and then used the super siege weapon as the scaffolding for the project. Rhodian sculptor Chares of Lindos, the pupil of Alexander the Great’s sculptor Lysippus, was chosen to create this huge statue. Unfortunately, Chares of Lindos died before the sculpture could be completed. Some say he committed suicide, but that is probably a fable. Exactly how Chares of Lindos constructed such a gigantic statue is still up for debate. Some have said that he built a huge, earthen ramp that got bigger as the statue got taller. Modern architects, however, have dismissed this idea as unpractical. We do know that it took 12 years to build the Colossus of Rhodes, likely from 294 to 282 BCE, and cost 300 talents (at least $5 million in modern money). We also know that the statue had an exterior that consisted of an iron framework covered with bronze plates. Inside were two or three columns of stone that were the main supports for the structure. Iron rods connected the stone columns with the exterior iron framework. What Did the Colossus of Rhodes Look Like? The statue was to stand about 110 feet high, on top of a 50-foot stone pedestal (the modern Statue of Liberty is 111 feet high from heel to head). Exactly where the Colossus of Rhodes was built is still not certain, although many believe it was near the Mandraki Harbor. No one knows exactly what the statue looked like. We know that it was a man and that one of his arms was held aloft. He was likely naked, perhaps holding or wearing a cloth, and wearing a crown of rays (as Helios is often portrayed). Some have guessed that Helios’ arm was holding a torch. For four centuries, people have believed that the Colossus of Rhodes was posed with his legs spread apart, one on each side of the harbor. This image stems from a 16th century engraving by Maerten van Heemskerck, which depicts the Colossus in this pose, with ships passing under him. For many reasons, this is very likely not how the Colossus was posed. For one, legs open wide is not a very dignified stance for a god. And another is that to create that pose, the very important harbor would have had to have been closed for years. Thus, it is much more likely that the Colossus was posed with legs together. The Collapse For 56 years, the Colossus of Rhodes was a wonder to see. But then, in 226 BCE, an earthquake struck Rhodes and toppled the statue. It is said that the Egyptian King Ptolemy III offered to pay for the Colossus to be rebuilt. However, the people of Rhodes, after consulting an oracle, decided to not rebuild. They believed that somehow the statue had offended the real Helios. For 900 years, huge pieces of the broken statue lay along the beaches of Rhodes. Interestingly, even these broken pieces were huge and worth seeing. People traveled far and wide to see the ruins of the Colossus. As one ancient writer, Pliny, described after seeing it in the 1st century CE, Even as it lies, it excites our wonder and admiration. Few people can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues. Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior. Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it.* In 654 CE, Rhodes was conquered, this time by Arabs. As spoils of war, the Arabs cut apart the remains of the Colossus and shipped the bronze to Syria to sell. It is said that it took 900 camels to carry all that bronze. * Robert Silverberg, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970) 99.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Alexander the great Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alexander the great - Assignment Example Within his lifetime as king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great was the one person who was able to build and reign over among the greatest empires and kingdoms in the history of mankind. He was only a young man of when he inherited his father’s kingdom, yet he became greater than many of the kings and emperors combined. â€Å"Thus, at the age of twenty Alexander inherited the kingdom of Macedonia, beset as it was by great jealousy, bitter hatred, and dangers on every side. (Freeman 39) Although immediately faced with troubles from every aspect, he was able to, at a young age, rule his kingdom wisely, powerfully and effectively. The size of his empire is evidence enough to prove that Alexander indeed was a force of greatness and good, yet his character also provides proof of his genius, intelligence and powerful command over his subjects. He had the great capacity and skill to gather power and overthrow a much stronger force. This strength and intelligence was greatly influenced by the teachings of Aristotle that prepared him to become the great king that he was. â€Å"To those who lived to see Alexander in Asia, this event foreshadowed many occasions on which his independence, intelligence and courage brought triumph after triumph.† (Hammond 146) Aside from the massive empire that Alexander ruled before he even reached the age of 33, he was also the catalyst of the conglomeration of the Greek culture and the other cultures in other nations such as Persian, Indian, and Egyptian cultures. This conglomeration of different cultures is known as the Hellenistic culture. During the Hellenistic Period, there was an outpouring of developments in the arts including literature, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and stage play. It also encompassed advancements in science, astrology, cosmology and mathematics. This era also underwent a time of heterogeneity. In place of considering and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Toledo - The City of Three Faiths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toledo - The City of Three Faiths - Essay Example E. Already, united Christian conquerors had launched the Reconquista in a bid to recapture Spain from Islamic rule. The twin threats of united Christian armies and rivalries between the smaller kingdoms eventually led to the demise of Islamic rule in Spain. The fall of the kingdom of Granada in the reign of Isabella and Ferdinand marked the official end of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula. Between the Islamic conquest and expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula, a significant body of developments occurred throughout Spain in myriad fields. As commercial centers and centers of learning opened up their doors to all and sundry, the level of commercial advancement and research took on a new shape altogether. The developments in medieval Spain opened up the doors of Europe’s enlightenment and growth centuries later. The kingdom of Al-Andulas and the various kingdoms in its legacy gave rise to a number of cosmopolitans such as Seville, Cordoba, Toledo and Granada. All of these cit ies became centers of excellence in terms of economics, culture, science and religious tolerance. However, amongst these cities perhaps Toledo remained the most significant in terms of political and cultural development. Toledo first became a center of excellence under the Islamic regime of Al-Andulas after which King Alfonso VI conquered it in 1085 in his Reconquista bid. Unlike other regions where Christian takeovers incited bloodshed, violence and persecution, the takeover of Toledo was markedly different. Alonso placed no compulsion on the local Muslims and Jews to convert or immigrate to other lands. The real motives behind Alfonso’s actions have been questioned with some labeling them as altruism while others label them as commercial interests attached with the Muslims. Whatever the case, Alfonso allowed the Muslims to use the great mosque of Toledo and appointed a Christian governor (who spoke Arabic) to â€Å"oversee civil authority†. Muslim chronicles from the time indicate that Alfonso proclaimed himself as the King of two religions (Islam and Christianity as Jewish populations were too small). This declaration even by a king was revolutionary for the time as the Church considered all other religions as paganism alone. Alfonso’s recognition of Islam meant that he was ready for tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It must also be mentioned that Toledo served as an important commercial center on the important Spanish crossroads for trade and other commercial pursuits. Over the centuries Toledo’s centralized location as well as its commercially savvy population were able to transform the city into a massive commercial hub. The onset of commercial activities meant that Toledo had money to spare and that there were various cultural streams interacting with each other. Consequently, Toledo transformed into a vibrant commercial and cultural center. In contrast, the new rulers of cities such as Barbastro subjected their populations to inhumane and barbaric treatment that reduced these cities to dark ages. An-Andulas had managed to remove these cosmopolitan centers from abject poverty and backwardness, but the Reconquista managed to throw them back into poverty. This remained true for nearly all of the Iberian Peninsula except for Toledo. Toledo’s ruler Alfonso had captured the city in order to enhance his standing based on the city’s vibrant commercial and cultural activities. The Muslim population in the city was the very reason for its