Copywriter QA Suzanne Kearns Talks the Ins and Outs of eBook Publishing - The Writers For Hire

COPYWRITER QA: SUZANNE KEARNS TALKS THE INS AND OUTS OF EBOOK PUBLISHING The Writers For Hire (TWFH) team member Suzanne Kearns is our very own e-publishing guru. She’s written and ghostwritten more than a dozen eBooks and her extensive list of published works includes a variety of genres, from how-to and business books to Christian fiction. In this installment of Copywriter QA, Suzanne answers all of our burning eBook questions and clears up some common misconceptions about self-publishing (spoiler alert: writing and publishing your own eBook is way less complicated than you may think). TWFH: How long have you been writing and publishing eBooks? SK: I’ve been writing eBooks since 2016. I’ve published about 13 since 2016. I released two traditionally published books before that, but you don’t make any money that way. TWFH: Why did you make the switch to eBooks? Was it about the money? SK: It was the whole experience. I published a non-fiction and a fiction book using a traditional publisher, and I had no creative control. Everything was very regimented, and I was operating on their schedule. Finally, I said, â€Å"Okay, there’s got to be a better way.† That’s about when the eBook thing started coming about. I said, â€Å"I can do this on my own.† I’m glad I did. TWFH: What do you like best about self-publishing eBooks vs. traditional publishing? SK: Control. When I published my first fiction book, the publisher changed the cover and title without my input. But probably the biggest eye-opener for me happened when I wrote my second fiction book and sent it to the publisher. That book didn’t have a happy ending. But I loved it! The ending was the best part of the book! My publisher said, â€Å"We have to change the ending. Readers want a happy ending.† I felt like I was a commodity and they were going to wrap me up and package me how they wanted, rather than just letting me be creative. TWFH: One of your non-fiction eBooks was a guide to publishing eBooks. How did that come about? SK: When I decided I wanted to publish my own eBooks, I started researching and I went to every webinar and read everything I could get my hands on. Everything that was published was a half-book that ended with a sales pitch: â€Å"Buy my $1,000 course to learn more about publishing an eBook!† It’s really predatory. TWFH: What about marketing? There are a lot of companies that say they’ll do all of the marketing for your eBook. SK: All they do is write press releases and they usually charge you thousands of dollars to do it. There are two problems with that. A: Press releases don’t work for books, and B: You can market a book yourself if you learn how Amazon’s algorithm works. TWFH: So, a press release isn’t the best way to market an eBook? SK: People don’t buy books that way. I tried doing press releases in the beginning. They don’t work. They just don’t. Really, the thing that works with selling eBook is getting your book seen on Amazon. That’s the only thing you want to do. Amazon has algorithms, and there are very specific ways to get your book up in their algorithm. TWFH: What’s the key to getting a place on Amazon’s algorithm? Can you explain the basics? SK: It’s changed over the years. In the past, what authors would do is start out with a promo so the book would shoot up in rankings. So, let’s say you released an eBook and you sold it for 99 cents for one day. You might get 100 sales on that one day. And that used to be a way to move up quickly in Amazon’s rankings. But they’ve changed their algorithm now. The one-day promo doesn’t work anymore. They want to see a long, steady dribble of sales. Best way is to pre-release your book, and get the word out if you have audience or email list. Have sales dribble in. Run a promo and leave your book at 99 cents for a week. Then you’ll have sales every day. Amazon’s algorithm likes that. Then after two or three weeks, you can move it to regular price. TWFH: What are some other things you can do to make your eBook stand out? SK: It has to be visible and have a good description on the product page. You have to have a really good cover. If people see it and review it and like it, it will sell. TWFH: What makes a cover â€Å"good†? Are there any rules? SK: Yes! Your cover should be in line with genre that you’re selling. So, for example, if you’re writing fiction, you want a cover with bold colors and block print. That’s what readers expect to see. Whatever genre you’re writing, go to the best seller list and look at the covers. You’ll see that they’re all kind of similar. They all have the same kind of font; the same theme. Readers know what their genre’s covers should look like. When they’re scrolling through Amazon, they’re not reading words, they’re looking at covers. And they just see a thumbnail. You have to catch their attention. They’re not going to stop and read what your book is about unless you can grab them with your cover. TWFH: So, in addition to choosing an appropriate cover, what else can you do to market your eBook and make sure readers see it? SK: Email lists are extremely important. There are several good mailing lists out there that showcase what’s on sale on Amazon. You buy a spot on a mailing list. There are three I use that work – and they always make their money back. You can buy a spot on Buck Books for and $29 and on Robin Reads for around $60. They always make their money back. There’s another one called BookBub They’ve got an incredible mailing list, but they’re also more expensive. It costs anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to get on their list. I haven’t tried that one yet, but I’ve heard it’s very good. TWFH: Do you have any advice for a first-time eBook author? SK: First, don’t buy into the idea that it’s complicated. It’s not. If you break it down really simply, it breaks down like this: You write your book, format it, get a cover, upload it, do a promo. It’s five steps. It’s just not that complicated. I’d also recommend that if it’s your first eBook, consider hiring an editor. For my first book, I hired an editor and it was well worth it. And finally, a lot of new authors think they can put out one book and make a bunch of money. That’s not the case. You’ll need at least three books before you really start seeing some sales. Most first-time book most authors only make $100. Sure, some people publish one book and are runaway bestsellers. But for most authors, you need to be constantly publishing. Once you publish a book, you need to get another one published within 90 days or your books start falling in the Amazon rankings. There’s a lot of back end stuff involved. Amanda Hocking was the first person to make a million dollars self-publishing on Amazon. She wrote a vampire story. Everyone thinks that’s going to be them. It’s not. Well, it could be but it’s a long shot! You’ve got to put work in it if you want to get anything out of it.

Cotton Gin essays

Cotton Gin essays In 1793 Eli Whitney invented a very important machine. It was the cotton gin. This very simple machine removes seeds from cotton plants at the least fifty times faster than a worker could by hand. Since several southern states had soil that was ideal for growing cotton and all of the new textile mills in Great Britain and the Northeast had a great demand for cotton it suddenly became a very profitable crop. The cotton gin changed life for the people in the South. Much of their hard times ended and the economy of the South grew rapidly. People who owned plantations in the Old South grew very rich. Other planters however moved westward to start new plantations. This in effect caused the population of Alabama and Mississippi to soar. However along with the greater demand for cotton came an even greater demand for slaves. So southerners continued to bring slaves in to the United States and by 1860 the slave population had reached over four million. As more cotton farms appeared in the western section of the south the slave trade became a very large business there. Also even in 1860 only around one-fourth of southern families owned slaves. ...

The Dramatic Form and Riders to the Sea Assignment

The Dramatic Form and Riders to the Sea - Assignment Example Alternatively, the drowning of Bartley is an indication of the troubling conditions that humanity has set upon himself of cruelty and suffering. Another interesting feature of drama in the play Riders to the Sea involves the controversies that create disharmony and doubts between characters. In play, a young priest attempts to contradict the views held by Maurya concerning the fate of her lost son. The priest, therefore, is a dramatic symbolism of the hypocrisy of religion during periods of doubts and hopelessness. Consequently, his decisions heighten the drama by setting off an anticlimax of searching for Michael’s body in the shores of Donegal. On the other hand, characterization in the play is an element of dramatic forms critical in highlighting the major themes of play. The protagonist, for instance, is cast as bereaved mother who has lost four sons because of the sea. Overall, a conflict is necessary to create for drama to

Strategies for Effective Team Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategies for Effective Team Building - Essay Example It must be noted at the outset that language barriers, cultural differences, and goal-setting strategies vary across the globe. Assembling a viable team, therefore, must proceed on the basis that these teams will be of an intercultural nature. Local hires with business contacts will be better able to assist in our global growth than outsiders with a lack of local or regional business acumen and connections. Staffing should be a cooperative effort between a human resource manager in the office and a local staffing organization. Potential team members will be screened by the local company and then interviewed at the regional office in more depth. Most of the sales force ought to be individuals from the region with a few senior members of the team to establish and implement the subsequent team-building tools and to oversee the larger operation of the regional office. Once this team is in place, it is necessary to establish and implement a regime of team-building tools which will encourage a set of common goals and reduce potential instances of miscommunication. Intercultural communication remains a significant issue for businesses and non-commercial organizations around the world. It remains a significant issue because miscommunication and related misunderstandings can negatively affect an organization’s pursuit of its objectives (Organizational Cultures, 2000).   The notions of diversity and multicultural teams, in the context of team development, are central considerations.   There are both demonstrated advantages and disadvantages associated with multicultural teams (Stahl, 2005).   The goal ought to be to emphasize the advantages while at the same time making organizational adjustments to better understand the disadvantages and thereby convert them into advantages.

Difference in the Health Care Systems of the USA and Germany Research Paper

Difference in the Health Care Systems of the USA and Germany - Research Paper Example The combined health care system is the basis of the US healthcare system where both the private and public sectors play a significant role to present a convenient and superlative health care system. In most of the cases, there can be found an apparent authority of public element over the private element. A report says that in 2010, more than 64% of the US population got the private health insurance which means nearly 195.9 million people were covered by this sector. In the year 2011, the percentage of privately insured people was 63.9%. However, in the USA, there are two health care programmes, Medicare and Medicaid, which are supervised by the US federal Department of Health and Human Services. People over 65 years and above get Medicare service whereas Medicaid is a system that offers financial help to the poor. These systems cover nearly 87 million Americans. On the other hand, the act, Health Care Reform Provisions, which is known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H. R. 3590)   was passed by the House of Representatives and signed by the U.S. President Barack Obama. The bill was passed on Sunday, March 21 and signed by the President on Tuesday, March 23. The bill, which is regarded as a comprehensive health care reform bill, was formally passed by the Senate on December 24, 2009.  Medicare benefits are provided through traditional fee-for-service handled by the federal government. In 2004, the US government spent $297 billion provided to support 42   million  Medicare beneficiaries. This system covers the people of 65 years of age and above. It includes payroll taxes, general revenue,   premium contributions and taxation of social safety benefits. Payroll taxes have been paid by most of the beneficiaries of standard Medicare during their working period to ensure their participation in Medicare  hospitalization programme.  

The Properties And Uses Of Bricks Construction Essay

The Properties And Uses Of Bricks Construction Essay Brick is a core material that is commonly used to build the wall of a building. Clay bricks are the most common brick type. It is made from sand and clay and uniformly burnt at temperatures between 800 °C and 1200 °C. Surface finishes are sometimes applied, e.g. glazed bricks. Glazed bricks are still being produced in large quantity and can be obtained from major English brick manufacturers and suppliers. Calcium Silicate bricks is manufactured from sand-lime (calcium silicate). The bricks are pressed under great pressure and steamed in an autoclave. The bricks are smooth, fine textured and light in colour. The colour of the brick is produced from material source, composition and firing temperature. The size of bricks over time has changed considerably. Some early medieval bricks were 13 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches. By the late 15th century a brick 9.5 inches by 4.5 inches by 2 inches became the norm and a charter in 1571 stipulated bricks by the measurement of 9 inches by 4.5 inches by 2.25 inches. By the 18th century, 8.25 inches by 4 inches by 2.5 inches brick was introduced. Modern bricks are 8.5 inches by 4 inches by 2.5 inches which is following metrication translated to 215mm by 102.5mm by 65mm. Modern bricks are the bricks that are most used in buildings nowadays. 2.1.2 Defect of Size Poor material selection and preparation or underfiring is the main problem of oversized bricks. Undersized bricks are caused mainly by poor material preparation, faulty moulds and overfiring. 2.1.3 Defect of Shape There are many grounds which contribute to defects in shape. These are including poor preparation of moulds or moulding technique, faults in stacking, rough handling and uneven drying. If the bricks are considerably over burnt, incipient fusion takes place and the bricks, called burrs, will come out of the kiln or clamp and get stuck together. Burrs are suitable only for hardcore purposes. 2.1.4 Defects of Body Faults in the raw material can give rise to defects such as cracking, bloating and laminations. Cracking and warping of bricks, causing incipient weakness, may be due to exposure of green bricks to direct sunlight or rapid drying winds. Similar effects will be produced by putting green bricks into the kiln too soon. Large cracks maybe caused by rain getting onto hot bricks. 2.1.5 Defect of Appearance These defects are caused primarily by faulty wires in the case of wire-cut bricks. Dark spots are caused by the presence of unevenly distributed iron sulphide in the clay. 2.2 Types of Brickwork Defects 2.2.1 Introduction Most parts of a building are built using bricks. Nowadays, brickwork defects are commonly found in buildings. This problem is getting more serious as days go by. Brickwork defects may cause a lot of problems to the occupants. The main problem encountered in building with traditional outside bearing wall of brickwork and concrete inside bearing structure is caused by differences in the temperature and moisture-induced movement. Cracks may be discovered in walls and solutions have to be found to alleviate this problem. (Verhoef, 2001) Brickwork defect which occurs in buildings has a variety of reasons. This is perhaps not surprising when one considers the wide range of different bricks and techniques in the construction of building, differences in the construction sites and the varied occupational or owner usage of the completed building. Brickwork will deteriorate and decay if not properly maintained. Such deterioration can be caused by a number of factors and can take various forms. The main signs that the brickwork is afflicted are surface growth and staining, efflorescence, loosed brick becoming dislodged, cracks appear through the bricks or mortar and etc. (Moses Jenkins, 2007) In this sub chapter, the different types of the brickwork defect will be determined. This chapter gives an overview of various types of brickwork defects and understanding the brickwork defects. By identifying the different types of the brickwork defects, it will be easy for the occupants or owners to find out the causes of the defects and subsequently take the suitable remedy methods to address the problem. 2.2.2 Brick Wall Settlement Any movement in a structural  brick wall will risk having the bond courses in the wall broken. Any movement in a  brick veneer wall which has broken or loosened the connections between the veneers to the underlying structure is potentially dangerous and risk collapsing the masonry. 2.2.3 Bulging Brick Wall This is likely to be a bond-brick or bond-course failure. This defect is potentially extremely dangerous and immediate action must be taken. If not, it will cause the building to suddenly collapse. 2.2.4 Cracks and Bulges in Brick Walls Frost and earth loading can push a below-grade brick foundation wall inwards. The wall is often bulged inwards as well as showing horizontal and step cracking and loose bricks will surface over the bulged area. The damage occurs from slightly above ground level to roughly the frost line. 2.2.5 Cracks and Loose Bricks Normally, crack and loose bricks are caused by frost, settlement, expansion, diagonal and stair-stepped. These defects often happen at building corners where the roof spillage is concentrated. 2.2.6 Loose Bricks and Missing or Lost Mortar This is the movement where the mortar is severely washed-out by roof spillage or other water movement against the foundation. Loose and lost bricks may also occur where wood blocks, originally set into a wall to permit nailing of interior components, is damaged by insects or decay. Similarly, if the wood joists are damaged and bent excessively or collapsed (insect damage, rot, fire), the collapsing joist can, as its in-wall end moves, damage the foundation or building wall. Fire cuts on wood joists in brick walls were intended to minimize this damage source by angling the end of the joist where it was set into the wall pocket. 2.2.7 Spalling Bricks Spalling is caused by water and frost, such as water leaking into a brick structure at any entry point: a crack, a brick which has lost its hard surface, or at openings by window and door penetrations. It is best to also beware of caulking bricks. 2.2.8 Exfoliating-Rust Damage to Bricks Masonry wall will have these defects when brick walls have been improperly caulked where caulking should have been omitted. The most common example of this defect is the damage that occurs to a brick wall when a steel lintel over a window or door is caulked tightly between the brick and the steel. Moisture penetrating the brick wall through cracks or mortar joints is trapped around the steel lintel. Rust developing on steel lintels has tremendous lifting power as the rusting exfoliating metal expands, sufficient to crack and damage bricks around the lintel. Improper Repair Mortar  on Brickwork During repair works, tuck pointing or re-pointing bricks can cause surface spalling of bricks if the mason uses a too hard mortar with high portland content or mortar on soft bricks in a climate exposed to freezing weather. The high portland content means that the mortar will be not only harder, but more waterproof than the surrounding bricks. Water trapped around the hard mortar can freeze leading to surface spalling of the bricks. This is particularly likely to be seen when a wall has been tuck pointed using hard high-portland mortar where originally a soft high-lime mortar was used and where the original bricks were soft. Salts on Brickwork Salts are a major cause of deterioration. Salt can enter bricks through contaminated water ingress. In coastal areas, salt can come from the sea and, in winter, the nearby application of road salt is a constant threat. Salt is damaging because it creates a steady expansion of crystals within the bricks. This can eventually force the structure of the brick apart. The source of salt can occur from within the bricks themselves or from the application of contaminated mortars or renders. Brick lined chimney flues are also vulnerable as sulphates can be introduced when flu gasses condense. This is a common defect where a chimney has been sealed without adequate ventilation. 2.2.11 Efflorescence on brickwork Efflorescence appears as a white powdery deposit on the brick. It is a phenomenon that soluble salt dissolved in water are carried, deposited and gradually accumulated on brick surfaces to form an unsightly scum. Without water, efflorescence cannot occur. The soluble salts may be originated from the raw material of bricks. But in most cases, efflorescence is caused by salts from the external sources such as ground water, contaminated atmosphere, mortar ingredients and other materials in contacts with the bricks. To minimize the risk, (it can never be completely avoided in brickwork exposed to weathering) the building detail should be designed, as far as is possible, to avoid saturation. In other words, good overhangs, copings and sills with drips, need to be considered. Efflorescence can be helped on its way by sponging down the wall with clean water (avoiding substantial wetting) or dry brushing with soft brushes. Any other treatment should be avoided as it may disfigure the bricks.    2.2.12 Thermal Movement on Brickwork Every materials expand or contracts as the temperature of the material changes, typically expanding as its temperature increases and contracting as its temperature decreases. Different materials expand and contract at different rates when they undergo similar changes in their temperatures. Brick veneer can expand and contract approximately. When determining the expansion or contraction of a brick veneer, it is important to remember the effects of the sun on materials. The energy from the suns rays raises the temperature of a material well above the air temperature. On a day when the air temperature is 32 ° F, the energy from the sun can raise a walls temperature to above 100 ° F. 2.2.12.1 Thermal expansion failures in Structural or Veneer Brick Walls A separate factor that can cause very large movements and extensive damage to brick structures or brick veneer walls is the thermal expansion which occurs across a long or tall brick wall when that wall is heated by intense sun exposure. The photographs show significant thermal expansion damage in a long brick structure. Significant breaks and gaps  at vertical brick mortar joints due to thermal expansion and perhaps some frost and water damage. Figure1: Significant breaks in mortar Horizontal sliding breaks  in brick mortar joints,  exposing reinforcing wire to rust, exfoliation, and additional damage from those forces as the exfoliating wire produced still more pressure on the mortar joint. Figure2: Horizontal breaks in mortar Step cracking  following mortar joints near the building corners and where the wall movement was resisted by first story intersecting brick walls abutting at right angles the middle section of the long brick wall. Figure3: Step cracking in mortar Cracks and broken bricks at the intersections of brick walls and openings. Figure 4: Cracks and broken bricks (InspectApedia, 2007) 2.2.13 Moisture Movement on Brickwork Moisture affects all porous masonry materials, including bricks, mortars and concrete masonry units but in very different ways. These effects must be considered when a combination of these materials is used, such as when bricks rest on a concrete foundation, brick veneer units are used with block back up, and when brick and architectural concrete products are used in the same Wythe bands of precast concrete or architectural concrete block in a brick veneer. After their initial mixing or casting, mortar, poured-in-place concrete and concrete masonry units shrink as the curing of the Portland cement proceeds. This is an unavoidable consequence of the curing of concrete products and is accommodated in design. 2.2.14 Sulphate Attack on Brickwork Most ordinary clay bricks contain sulphates of sodium, magnesium or calcium. These salts are soluble in water, calcium sulphate being less soluble than the other two. Normally, these sulphates are seen as the harmless efflorescence which affect appearance only and need simply to be brushed away. In theory, most brick walls with mortars based on OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) are liable to sulphate attack. The most vulnerable walls are earth-retaining walls and parapet walls but sulphate attack is a problem also on rendered, and facing brickwork. On rendered brickwork, sulphate attack is manifested by cracking of the rendering, the cracks being mainly horizontal and corresponding to the mortar joints below. The rendering may adhere quite well to the bricks early in the attack but areas are likely to become detached as the expansion of the underlying brickwork causes severance of the bond between the two materials. (Eldridge, 1976) 2.2.15 Lime Staining on Brickwork Lime staining occurs when calcium hydroxide is deposited on the face of brickwork. Lime staining will quickly absorb carbon dioxide from the air and becomes calcium carbonate. It is virtually insoluble and can only be removed by expert which is a costly treatment. The calcium hydroxide can come from three main sources: calcium hydroxide caused by the hydration of Portland cement from hydrated lime added to mortar from brickwork in contact with wet concrete 2.2.16 Porosity on Brick Porosity is an important characteristic of bricks. In contrast to other moulded or pre-cast building materials, the porosity of bricks is attributed to its fine capillaries. By virtue of the capillary effect, the rate of moisture transport in the brick is ten times faster than in other building materials. Moisture is released during day-time and re-absorbed during night-time. The ability to release and re-absorb moisture by capillary effect is one of the most useful properties of brick that helps to regulate the temperature and humidity of atmosphere in a building. This distinctive property makes bricks an admirable building material, particularly suitable for buildings in the tropics. On the other hand, all porous materials are susceptible to chemical attacks and liable to contamination from weathering agents like rain, running water and polluted air. 2.2.17 Crack in Brick Faces / Firecracks The finished appearance of clay brick can vary greatly; this is because it is dependent on clay and the manufacturing process. Some products contain cracks of varying degree (sometimes referred to as firecracks) as an inherent feature. Firecracks are usually visible on the product as delivered. However, firecracks can be masked by the texture and surface sands used in the manufacturing process which becomes visible after the bricks are laid as a result of natural weathering of exposed brickwork. 2.2.18 Dampness of the Brick Wall More or less permanent dampness showing more clearly on the internal wall surface from ground level up to a height of about 750mm, but may be higher in severe cases or if the outer face is covered with a non-porous finish. The decorations may be damp, blistered or discoloured, or, if dry, may have been pushed off the wall by a film or salts which will often be seen as a fluffy crystalline growth. The possible causes of dampness in the brick wall are lack of DPC (damp proof course), by-passing of the DPC, and failure of the DPC material. 2.2.19 Brick Growth and Expansion Gaps in Brickwork Bricks undergo long-term permanent expansion over time. This expansion continues for the life of the brick, but the majority of the growth occurs early in its life. Most general purpose bricks have a coefficient of expansion in the range of 0.5-1.5mm/m (millimeters per meter) over fifteen years. Designers can use the values of the coefficient of expansion to accommodate for the growth of bricks by the size and spacing of the control joints. The provision of control gaps or articulation joints between parts of the structure during construction will accommodate movements within the structure over time. Numerous sources of movement exist and include: The change in size of building materials with temperature, loading conditions and moisture content The differential change in size of building materials (for example, cement products shrink over time, whilst clay bricks expand slowly over time) Foundation and footings movement Frame movement Frame shortening Temperature movement Internal horizontal and vertical movement 2.3 Causes of the brickwork defects 2.3.1 Introduction Brickworks are used primarily in the construction of walls. To construct the brick wall required many skills, design, experience, selection of material, and technique. Lack of all expertise may cause the brickwork defects or failure of the building. The defects that occur in brickwork maybe the result of inherent faults, deficiencies in production, design, materials or workmanship, and attack by environmental agents. After the brickwork has been constructed, it maybe meets of various requirements, climate, loading, and occupational in use. It is not surprising that defects happened or occurs frequently. In this sub chapter, the causes of the brickwork defects will be list out. To find out the actual causes of the brickwork defects will be easily for the occupational to take the right remedies immediately and reduces the brickwork defects happen. 2.3.2 Selection of bricks The choice of bricks is often influenced by the price but the quality required must also be carefully considered in order to avoid defects developing during the service life of the material. Therefore, the selection of suitable bricks for any particular purpose has often to be a trade-off between appearance and durability requirements on the one hand, and cost on the other. This is not always possible to assess the quality of bricks by the colour, variability of colour of bricks of the same source and method of production can often be an indication of strength and durability variations. 2.3.3 Storage of bricks Bricks on site are rarely kept under adequate cover. Defects in the bricks resulting from the lack of adequate protection on the site are rarely apparent before use. However, bad weather conditions can be detrimental to bricks in that saturation by rain can be responsible for both subsequent efflorescence and decoration defects. 2.3.4 Soluble Salts in Bricks Under burnt bricks contain a high salt content. The salts come from the raw clay from which the bricks are made, or are formed in the burning process. Most clay bricks contain some soluble salts, but the types and amounts vary appreciably. The effect of the soluble salts on both efflorescence and the more serious problem of disintegration of bricks themselves are largely governed by the strength and pores structure of the bricks. 2.3.5 Sulphate attack Sulphates are salts which are naturally present in industrial waste, gypsum product, clay bricks, flue condensates and in some ground waters. In persistently damp conditions, sulphate will react slowly with tricalcium aluminate forming a compound called calcium sulphoaluminate. This reaction causes the cement mortar or render of the brickwork to expend and eventually disintegrate. 2.3.6 Solar Radiation While drying out of soil by trees is the most common reason for cracking in brickwork, some clay are also very susceptible to drying out by direct solar radiation. The northern facing wall is the most likely to be affected and stepped diagonal cracking is the most common symptom, usually occurring at the north east and north west corner of the building. (Loveder, 2000) 2.3.7 Migration of moisture The movement of moisture beneath a building can produce the phenomenon known as long term dome and saucer effect. The dome effect is a slow heaving of the soil caused by movement of moisture from the perimeter of the house to its centre, and the saucer effect is moisture moving in the opposite direction, from the centre towards the perimeter. The dome effect causes the walls to tilt outwards and the restraining influence of the roof produces horizontal cracks on the outside wall. These will be wider on the outside surface rather than the inner. 2.3.8 Planting of tree Some of the brickwork defects may cause by big trees roots that plant nearby the building area. When planning to plant trees, the idea to be considering is the strength of the footings under the house. If lack of strength, the roots of the trees maybe grow into the ground under the building and cause the brick wall settlement and cracking. 2.3.9 Uneven settlement of foundations Where a particular heavy load is placed on the foundation such as a large column, movement may occur as moisture is squeezed out of the soil or the soil readjusts itself. This consolidation will stop when the soil has finally compacted enough to support the load. Brick wall or masonry wall may crack which may result from movement during compaction. 2.3.10 Excessive vibration Damage caused by vibration from earth tremors, heavy traffic or pile driving is fairly rare, however if the vibration is great enough to actually cause the foundation to move, brickwork cracking or defect can occur. The crack will show up irregularly if the sources of the vibration cannot be removed. (Loveder, 2000) 2.3.11 Additional building Building an addition building onto a house or add more storey of houses can impose a load intensity on the soil different that which is there already and so cause differential settlement. Even if the loading intensities are similar, the difference in time between when the two settlements occurred can be enough to create the brick wall cracks. 2.3.12 Approach of design Design of brick wall is very important. The designer must have the knowledge about the brick experience in chosen the types of brick to be used. The designer must be fully aware of the clients needs. Defects often occur because of a lack of understanding of the different types of bricks and the method of construct the brick wall. 2.3.13 Lack experience of worker Workers in the masonry construction is not in strict accordance with the construction and standards, masonry mortar is not full, especially in vertical mortar joints are not full, and even produce dense seam, seam permeability. In addition, the dry brick on the wall, mortar in the brick water was absorbed, causing low strength of mortar, brick and mortar separation, so that the overall stiffness of masonry fell, gray mortar joints crack. 2.3.14 Overloading Cracks of brickwork may result from overloading of the ground on which the building rests, or of the building itself or parts of it. Releasing the load does not necessary allow the masonry wall to revert to its original state since the overloading may have been partially accommodated by a permanent compaction of the bricks. The forces responsible for the overloading may be of external origin, such as excessive wind, or may be internal, such as those arising from the installation of excessively heavy equipment for which the masonry wall was not designed. A change of occupational may have same results. 2.3.15 Lack of maintenance Maintenance must be taken for all the building to minimize the cost of repair work for seriously defects happen. Lack of maintenance will make a small cracks or defects on brickwork change to more serious and serious. 2.3.16 Improper soil analysis and preparation When a builder chooses an area of land to build on, it is important to do some sort of soil analysis and preparation. The analysis will provide the developer and/or builder with enough information to choose the adequate soil preparation and construction strategy that should be used to develop the land. Improper soil analysis and preparations can be very damaging to a housing development. For example, a builder can discover that the land soil is made up of expansive soil. If this is the case, houses need to have a foundation that will be able to support the changing pressure and consistency of the soil. This is because expansive soil will swell when wet and then shrink once it dries. If one builds on this type of soil and is not aware of it, there will inevitably be issues to handle. There will be crack in the brick wall or masonry wall. The repair of this is very costly and very intrusive. Unfortunately, the reality is improper soil analysis and preparations happen all the time. 2.3.17 Negligence of construction Negligent construction is an unfortunately common occurrence. A builder has to be very careful when choosing a contractor or subcontractor. A builder will sometimes use one contactor for various projects. A contractor may have skills to install floor tiles but not the know how to build a brick wall. The responsibility can fall on several parties when there is a defect, and thats up to your attorney to determine. 2.3.18 Movement of the ground Mining subsidence, landslips, earthquakes, or moisture changes of shrinkable clay soil may cause the movement of the ground. The brick wall of the building will be crack because the wall of building has become displaced from the rest without any change in actual size of the materials. In theory, this is possible to reconnect the displace parts to bring the building back to its original condition but in practice this seldom can be done. 2.3.19 Acid rain Acid rain is precipitation that is much more acidic than normal rainfall, and the acid rain is usually caused by pollution such as sulfur and nitrogen emissions. Several different mechanisms are operant in the deterioration of brick masonry through the action of acid rain. The bricks are susceptible to acid rain through the selective dissolution of their glassy phase. The mortar is affected mainly by the reaction of the calcareous components. The soluble salts resulting from these reactions, in solution with rain water or condensed moisture, will migrate through the porous matrix of the masonry. In the places where the water evaporates the salts will be deposited. Repeated dissolution and re-crystallization of these salts leads to the mechanical disruption of the masonry structure. Since the salts will concentrate in the more porous material, either the brick or the mortar will be more seriously affected, depending on their relative porosity. 2.3.20 Environment Two aspects of the environment have been considerably which is wind and temperature. This is because they cause loading to be applied to the structure. The strong wind may cause the brick wall or the whole building move, this may cause cracking to the part of the building. The high temperature applied to the brickwork may cause spalling and brick prolong to high temperature can lead to surface vitrification. (Swoden, 1990) Table 1: Causes of the brickwork defect and the preventive method to avoid it happen No. Causes of brickwork defects Preventive method 1. Selection of bricks Use the bricks that are strength and durability 2 Storage of bricks Keep the bricks under dry place 3. Soluble Salts in Bricks Use the bricks that are less contain of soluble salts 4. Sulphate attack Ensuring the wall does not get and stay in unduly wetted. Use cement low in tricalcium aluminate 5. Solar radiation Make sure trees plant far away from the brick wall 6. Migration of moisture Use of damp proof course below the brick wall 7. Planting of tree Make sure there have no big tree nearby the brick wall 8. Uneven settlement of foundations Make sure the foundation is strong enough 9. Excessive vibration Make sure the foundation is strong enough 10. Additional building Do not build additional building of brick wall after a long period finish of brick wall 11. Approach of design Designer must be experienced and knowledgeable 12. Unskilled worker Make sure the brick wall is built by skilled worker 13. Overloading Brick wall must be design according to building use 14. Lack of maintenance Must me maintenance the brickwork annually 15. Improper soil analysis and preparation Check the soil properly and make sure the design of brick wall is strong enough 16. Negligence of construction Careful when choose the contractor 17. Movement of the ground Make sure the foundation is strong enough 18. Acid rain Wash or clean the brickwork before it decay or surface treatment 19. Environment Use the brick that are strength and durability 2.4 Remedies method of the brickwork defects in building 2.4.1 Introduction As known early, brickwork is one of the largest parts of most of the building. The strength, stability, and durability of brickwork are very important. If lack of all those factor, the brick wall or masonry wall maybe fall down or collapse suddenly. If the brickwork occurs any cracking or defects, the right method of remedies must be taken immediately. This is to ensure that the occupational or owner use the building under safety and healthy purposes. Brickwork will deteriorate and decay if not properly maintained. Such deterioration can be caused by a number of factors and can take various forms. The main signs that brickwork is suffering are surface growth and staining, efflorescence, loosed brick becoming dislodged, crack appears throw the bricks or mortar and etc. So, the right remedy must be taken to ensure the brickwork do not decay and deteriorate. (Moses Jenkins, 2007) In this sub chapter, the remedies method for various types of defects will be list out. This is to avoid the brickwork defect getting serious in building in construction industry. The defects of brickwork must be repair immediately, if not the defects will be more serious. For example, cracking can be due to expansion or shrinkage the clay brickwork itself. 2.4.2 Remedies of efflorescence Efflorescence can be minimized by laying dry bricks and by speeding up the drying process after the bricks have been laid by providing good ventilation. The salts that cause efflorescence are soluble in water. Hosing with water will cause the salts to dissolve and be re-absorbed into the brickwork, and then reappear when the brick wall dries out again. Acid or alkaline treatments are not recommended as they increase the salt content of the wall. The best method is simply brush off the deposit with a stiff dry bristle brush after the wall has dried out. Then sponge the surface with a damp synthetic chamois or high suction sponge. Use very little water and rinse sponge frequently in fresh water. 2.4.3 Sand-Blasted Bricks   Which have been cleaned of old paint, algae, or stains using high pressure sand blasting or possibly even v

Feminism Essay -- Rights Equality Gender Essays

Feminism Works Cited Missing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feminism is the theory that men and women should be equal, politically, economically, and socially. There are many different types of feminism and each have a profound impact on someone’s view of society. The first is cultural feminism, which is the theory that there are fundamental personality differences between men and women, and that women’s differences are special. This theory supports the idea that there are biological differences between men and women and sexism can be overcome by embracing the â€Å"women’s way.† The second type is individualist or libertarian feminist. This feminism is based upon libertarian philosophies, with the focus on autonomy, rights, liberty, independence, and diversity. Next, there is the radical feminism; this theory began approximately during the 1967 – 1975. This ideology focuses on social change, and â€Å"attempts to draw lines between biologically – determined behavior and culturall y- determined behavior† in order to free both men and women as much as possible from their previous narrow gender roles. Finally, there is the Liberal Feminism, this theory focuses on the idea that all people are created equal and that education is the primary means to change discrimination. Groups in favor of this theory are the N.A.C. – the National Action Committee on the Status of Woman, an organization representing 500 feminist oriented women’s groups, and the N.O.W. – the National Organization of Women. Both of these organizations and Feminism as a whole are and have been influential on the national government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many political groups or ideologies attack feminist ideas. Zillah R. Einstein’s book, Feminism and Sexual Equality focuses on the importance of feminist theories and its attackers. The primary two political groups that have taken a stand against Feminism are â€Å"The New Right† and â€Å"Neoconservatives.† The New Right feels that the welfare state is undermining the â€Å"traditional patriarchal family.† The state has taken over certain family functions such as the health, welfare and education of its citizens. Jerry Falwell, supporter of the New Right and head of the Moral Majority, argues that â€Å"in order to revitalize the capitalist economy, and create a moral order, and strengthen America at home and abroad, policy makers must aim to reestablish the dominance of the traditional white patriarchal family... ...en. The women’s movement has been an important means to of empowerment to women. It is through organizing and joining women’s groups that many women have become aware of their oppression and have sought ways to gain control of their lives. Not only are women shunned from the workplace, but also many believe that they have no business in politics either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book, The Women’s Movement, issues like women’s political participation and their membership to the workforce are discussed. Women have made critical improvements to their circumstances in life, be it there careers, political position, or even military involvement. Men primarily run the government that has authority over both males and females. Therefore it is necessary for the election of women into office to be the means of achiving the public policies that are consistent with the preferences of women (Gimlin, 1981). It is assumed that women office holders are better at representing women’s interests on a variety of issues, especially ones that directly affect women. Women are concerned with issues such as childcare, welfare, healthcare, and the care for the elderly. This is largely because women bear more of the

Conflicting Principles of Life in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”

William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† presents the conflict between two forms of justice: (1) justice based on kinship and (2) justice based on human dignity. The conflict between these two forms of justice was presented within the text through Sarty’s perspective of Ab’s actions who sought to achieve ‘freedom’ from his previous agreements by defiling the rights of other individuals. Set after the period of the Civil War, the text presents Sarty’s conflicts as he tried to understand his father’s motivations for the actions that have led his family to further hardships in life. It is important to note that Ab, Sarty’s father, has a led a life geared towards self-fulfillment as his actions throughout his life have been motivated by his desire to attain material wealth. Note for example that even if Ab was considered as a ‘soldier’ in the ‘fine, old, European sense,’ of the term, his motivations for choosing to join in the battle was neither to save the South from the Northern invasion nor to protect his region’s views regarding slavery (Faulkner 1743). This is apparent if one considers that as Ab and Sarty reached the De Spain mansion, Ab ironically tells his son, â€Å"Pretty and white, ain’t it†¦. That’s Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain’t white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it† (Faulkner 1737). This statement was neither motivated by Ab’s disgust for slavery nor by his disgust in the African American’s position in life. His statement was motivated by his sense of outrage against the wealth and power symbolized by the plantation. His outrage statement was thereby meant to be a bitter view against the wealth and power that he could not achieve in life. The conflict, within the text, thereby arises as a result of Sarty’s inability to understand his father’s motivations and reasons for his actions. As was mentioned above, his father chose to defile another individual’s rights in order to free himself from his obligations. This is apparent as his father burned the barn of the man who has slighted him. Sarty recognizes the harm that was inflicted upon his father however he does not consider this a sufficient reason to defile the right of another individual. As a result of this, he was placed in a position where he will either amend the harm inflicted on the other individual in order to protect his father and thereby maintain his loyalty to his family or he will refuse knowledge of his father’s actions thereby allowing his father’s misdeed but enabling justice for the other individual. The conflict is thereby defined by the necessity to choose, on Sarty’s part, what he considers to be ‘the right’ decision within the text.

Creating 10x Visual Content With John T. Meyer Of Lemonly

Creating 10x Visual Content With John T. Meyer Of Lemonly Exclusive interviews continue from Garrett Moon’s book, The 10X Marketing Formula, which features top marketing professionals who uncover uncommon marketing mindsets, methods, and growth strategies. In this episode, we’re talking to John T. Meyer, CEO and co-founder of Lemonly, which is a visual marketing firm. John started Lemonly as a way to educate people about how digital media is a way to reach customers, and eventually the business ended up specializing in infographics. Lemonly helped build and pioneer the infographics industry, and it has evolved into visual storytelling the secret sauce. Humans are visual creatures bombarded by messages; infographics make the world less noisy and confusing Infographics transitioned from visualizing data to a storytelling formula, where there is a beginning, middle, and end Core types of stories offer familiarity and ability to predict what will happen Lemonly starts with content by creating an outline that features the goal, 3 main points, and summary/call to action Web of Content: Where will content live to connect and hook pieces on mediums Issues related to driving traffic through visuals on various social media mediums Visuals grab people’s attention, but you need a good story for ROI Other options available, but Lemonly offers person-to-person relationships Examples of 10X ROI results from visual content Infographics fail and don’t live up to full potential when delivery is blurry, squished; don’t do all that work, and then stumble at the end. Links: Lemonly 9 Clouds 10X-Marketing Formula by Garrett Moon Donald Miller’s StoryBrand Canva Infogram Piktochart Pablo by Buffer Write and send a review to receive a care package If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by John T. Meyer: â€Å"We’re going to help really build and pioneer this industry of infographics, and now it’s really evolved to what we call visual storytelling.† â€Å"When we say info, or data, or content, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean quantitative.† â€Å"How do you tell a story in six seconds? I think you can, but it’s a different beast.†

Digestion and Digestive systems essays

Digestion and Digestive systems essays The digestive system is the part of the body responsible for acquiring nutrients and expelling wastes. This semester we dissected seven different animals, observing a different digestive system in each animal. As the dissected animals progressed from more primitive to more complex, the digestive systems also increased in complexity. The first animal dissected was the earthworm, which has a fairly basic digestive system. Food is ingested by the earthworm through the mouth, and then it passes through the small buccal cavity and the pharynx. From there, the food moved to the esophagus and then to the crop, where the food is moistened and stored for a short time. After leaving the crop, the food travels to the gizzard, which grinds the food before it enters the intestine. Nutrient absorption takes place in the intestine, and finally wastes are expelled at the anus. The digestive system of the mussel is slightly more complicated than that of the earthworm, due to the addition of the stomach and digestive glands. Food enters the mussel through the mouth, and then travels along a tube to the stomach. In the stomach, enzymes produced by the digestive gland are released to break down digestible material. In addition, the stomach is where undigesttible material is sorted out so that it passes through the intestine and out of the body through the anus. In the crawfish, you see an even more complex digestive system. Food enters the crawfish through the mouth, then travels down the esophagus to the stomach. The stomach of the crawfish is divided into two sections: the cardiac chamber and the pyloric chamber. Food enters the cardiac chamber from the esophagus, and it is then ground into small particles by the gastric mill. Food then enters the pyloric stomach, which contains bristles that strain out large pieces before they reach the intestine. While traveling through the intestine, the food is broken down by enzymes from the ...

Archibald Prize Art Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Archibald Prize Art Gallery - Essay Example Archibald Prize Art Gallery Australia has an evident record that it treasures its art heritage because of the established national gallery. The Archibald art gallery has existed for some time in Australia and has qualified to become one of the influential events in the art history. Archibald was one of the Australian journalists who found pleasure in art. He exhibited immense interest in journalism, initiating the publication of an influential bulletin. Although the bulletin tackled diverse topics, he reserved space for upcoming artists to use it as an avenue for displaying their inherent talent. Due to his undying interest for young artists, he received the privilege of becoming a trustee of the New South Wales art gallery. As he served in this position, his interest for art became more apparent, a factor that motivated him to designate a certain amount in his will that would afford an annual prize for an artist exhibiting exemplary talent. He intended the prize to motivate artists to use art as an avenue of presenting honor to any Australian exhibiting exemplary contribution to the society either through art, science or politics. The Archibald prize is one of the significant events both to the art world and in the public domain. The prize was the idea of the journalist Archibald who exhibited a lot of interest in art. In his efforts to support artists, and foster the celebration of people of exemplary contribution to the society, he allocated some funds for the Archibald prize.... The prize has also served as a motivation for upcoming artists. After his death, the trustees of the gallery sought to grant him the honor and publicity that he had so often turned down during his life. Through his demonstrated interest in art, he made sure that the great men and women who existed before to receive honor in form of portraits. A portrait made in his honor and the regard of the gallery with his name after death served as evidence of the art culture that he had begun and has progressed until now2. His portrait was a commission from the board of trustees in honor of hi support towards art. The Archibald Prize The New South Wales art gallery has had trustees who have demonstrated ardent interest in fostering the art culture of the Archibald Prize began by Archibald in 1921. The trustees have adhered to a culture of awarding the prize annually to any artist who represents an influential person, with a reputation of contributing positively to the Australian society. Since t he award seeks to honor Australian men and women who exhibit an exemplary contribution to the society through different fields, the competition only includes works from Australian artists3. The competition remains an open affair for any interested artists who exhibit interest in doing portraits of the reputable people in society. The board of trustees of the New South Wales art gallery takes up the responsibility of judging the presented art pieces from artists all over Australia. In the recent years, there are several prize won contrary to the earlier years when only the Archibald prize was up for grabbing for the many artists. Usually, the board of trustees would judge the portraits presented by different artist who make portraits of celebrated men and women. In the

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States Essay - 1

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States - Essay Example The fair tax enhances the fact that there is the same rate of tax without exemptions and exclusion on every taxpayer. There will be a total tax exemption to those who share on the cost of the government. The tax rate is determined and affected by the rate of purchase. To promote reutilization, the used items will not be subject to tax. In goods and services production, the purchase from business to another business will not be taxable. This fair tax will thus act as a replacement on the federal income tax on individuals, tax on capital gains, tax on self employment, and taxation on gifts and the estates. (Kotlikoff and Laurence, 2005). According to congressional report p 20190, the fair tax of 2003 was introduced to promote fairness, freedom, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolish the revenue services that are interest, and enacting a sales tax nationally. In another term, the fair tax can commonly be called national sales tax. It is an essential tax reform item and that was unjust to replace it with a tax system that is simple and fairness. The fair tax Act of 2003 would repeal taxation on individual income, taxation on corporations, taxes on capital gains, payroll taxes, taxation on self employment, gifts and Estate taxes in lieu of 23 percent tax on all goods and services final sales. These taxes eradication will bring about simplicity and equality within the US system of taxation. The bill also provides transactions on business to business tax relief. The transactions are not subject t tax on sales including transactions on products and this helps in abrogating double taxation that may arise. Under the bill of fair tax, Medicare benefits and social security would not be touched. To either one of the vital programs, there would be no financial reduction. The trust fund revenue source