Five Tips for Writing a Travel Series

Five Tips for Writing a Travel Series Travel writing is considered one of the more glamorous writing gigs. After all, what could be better than getting paid to travel? While the reality is a bit more mundane (generally low pay, tight deadlines, viciously competitive markets) it’s still a load of fun. With the advent of travel blogs, more and more writers are expanding their experiences from single features to longer series. This allows you to focus on various aspects of a destination in different posts and tell a longer story arc. Here are five tips to writing an online travel series. These also work well for print features. 1. You don’t have to start at the beginning: While your journey has a beginning, middle, and end, you aren’t writing a novel. You don’t have to open your series with your arrival. This is usually your worst part of the trip anyway, so why inflict it on your reader? Instead, draw them in with a scene that brings the destination to life, such as when Rolf Potts started his series about going on a Star Trek cruise with the moment everyone discovered he wasn’t a fan of the show. Very rarely are the beginnings of a journey exciting, although my ten-hour drive across the desert to Somaliland made for a good opener. That time, and that time only, the start had excitement, color, vivid experiences, and a bit of danger. The rest of my trips have opened with me jetlagged and grumpy at some foreign airport. 2. Don’t forget that what’s normal to you is new to your reader: As we get accustomed to a new place, we begin to forget the little details that make for a great story. The best photo I never took in Iraq was of my driver eating hummus at a roadside restaurant as a sheep watched him from just outside the window. When I saw this I smiled and thought, â€Å"Appetizer and main course!† What I should have done was take a picture. That juxtaposition wasn’t unusual for me anymore, but I bet my readers would have gotten a good laugh out of it. Well, maybe not the vegetarians. 3. You don’t have to be a good photographer: I’m a mediocre photographer, and yet I’ve sold hundreds of photographs to print and online publications. How? I go to interesting places and take lots of pictures. It’s that simple. 4. Mix short and long pieces: Short, punchy pieces accompanied 5. The story is rarely about you: There are two types of traveler- those who describe the places they’ve been, and those who talk about how they went to a bunch of places. The first person is informative and interesting; the other is a boring braggart. While it’s your journey, you aren’t the most interesting thing about it. The people you meet and the things you see are. Leave yourself out of the picture unless it’s really, truly part of the story. There is very little about me in my series on  living in Harar, Ethiopia. When I visited the little-known Argobba tribe, or interviewed a traditional healer, I let them speak for themselves. In my post about meeting a nine-year-old refugee from Syria, however, my reactions were an important part of the story. A monk examines a medieval illustrated manuscript at his monastery on Lake Tana, Ethiopia. (copyright Sean McLachlan) Marsh Arab children in southern Iraq. (copyright Sean McLachlan)

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS - Essay Example More to the point, Arthur Andersen partnership was also dissolved at the time. Arthur Andersen was one of the five biggest audit and accountancy firms globally during the scandal (Li 37). Enron executives, particularly Jeff skilling as well as Andy Fastow, were key to Enron plunging into bankruptcy as well as ultimately dissolution. The acts include: market to market accounting as well as special purpose entities (SPE’s). None of these acts was illegal; however they were employed in illegal business plans (Mackey and Kristine 349). Enron Corporation was an American company based in Houston, Texas. What's more, Enron being one of the most prominent companies in the globe, it was also one of the companies that collapsed very quickly. Over and above, being the biggest liquidation reform at one time, Enron scandal was undeniably the largest audit letdown in American history (Li 37). This paper examines why the Enron scandal occurred? Whether the investigations into the scandal wer e fair? How the scandal was discovered? What went wrong? And what internal controls failed? Enron Corporation was established in 1985. Enron was as one of the globe's leading company dealing with natural gas, electricity, pulp and communications ahead of being declared bankrupt in October 2001. Enron was nearly universally regarded as one of the country's most innovative companies in the late 1990’s; a new-economy nonconformist that abandoned stuffy, aged industries with their bulky hard assets for the lax world of e-commerce. Enron persistently operated gas lines as well as built power plants, however it gained prominence for its distinctive trading businesses. In addition buying and selling gas plus electricity futures, it established whole new markets for such nonconformist merchandise as weather futures, Internet bandwidth as well as broadcast time for advertisers (Li 37).Very few people were acquainted with precisely what Enron's business was. Bethany McLean, a reporter for Fortune, inquired, â€Å"How exactly Enron made its money?† The question is hard to answer; the "particulars are difficult to get hold of as Enron keeps many of its details secret for what it terms 'competitive reasons.'" a different analyst remarked, "Enron is a big black box." Hence, even Wall Street had very little information about Enron's actual business practices. However, Enron is not unique in this regard. Enron akin to the majority corporations, operated relatively independently by opposing transparency and stakeholder participation (Brenan 35). Jeffrey Skilling proposed market to market accounting is a scheme to increase stock prices, hide Enron’s losses as well as attract new investment. The market to market scheme entailed that once a long-term contract was signed, the amount of which the asset supposedly would trade on the future market is reported as profit in the present financial statement. So as to soothe the investors to maintain a steady profitin g condition at Enron, traders at Enron were forced to predict low discount rate on the long-term contract with Enron as well as high future cash flows. The variation amid the computed net current value and the initially paid value was viewed as the profit of Enron. However it is unfeasible to gain in a long-term operation manner, and so it is evidently illegal furthermore immoral. Additionally, it was reported that the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the time permitted Enron to employ mark to market account

Russian revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russian revolution - Essay Example 'What Is Happening in Russia' was one of many documents written and published by Vladimir Lenin while he lived outside of Russia; these were distributed throughout his home country and eagerly awaited by the activists and Communist thinkers he had left behind. It was with this chapter that Lenin first publicly commented on the events that had occurred prior to publishing; specifically the worker protests that had occurred in Russia between the self-declared proletariat and the Czarist forces. The military forces triumphed, but Lenin and the rest of the world looked on the Russian activists as the instigators to a revolution that was only just beginning. Students of the Russian Revolution have always read reflective essays and texts concerning the events that led up to the Russian Revolution, but rarely do they have a glimpse of first-hand doctrine and commentary from that era, specifically in the years before the major conflicts. Not only do primary sources heighten the learning experience and give first-hand context to historical events, but to read the words and thoughts of someone as integral to the Russian Revolution as Vladimir Lenin gives an entirely new slant to basic course studies. Through this piece of writing, one can get a feel not only for the attitude of Russians at the time, but of foreign countrymen as well. At the time Lenin wrote this piece, he had been a victim of prejudice for his political views for so long and to such an extreme extent that he didn't feel safe living in Russia anymore. His writing was a way for him to stay connected with the Communists at home in Russia and to continue inspiring them to want change. Lenin believed that the masses in Russia were largely unaware of their poor position in the strict class society, but that with persuasion they were slowly coming to terms with it and looking for a way out. The worker protests that occurred in the early 20th century clearly gave Lenin hope and a small sense of pride in his countrymen for their efforts. He did believe, however, that the failure of these protests called for pause and reflection so that future revolts might be more successful. When 'What Is Happening in Russia' was published, it was before the major events of the Russian Revolution had yet occurred; because of the timing of this piece of writing, students will be able to cultivate an excellent knowledge of the atmosphere of the times. Lenin references the growing unrest among Russian workers towards their classist, Czarist system, as well as their growing willingness to become proactive in changing their own lives and the lives of millions of disenfranchised Russians across the entire country. He refers to the Communist activists as "taking their first tentative steps" towards change and equality, "defining their objectives" in protest. Because of his position outside the country at the time, Lenin makes several references to international misunderstandings of the Russian state of mind, explaining that although foreign newspapers were mixing up their terms in reference to Russia and its protests, the basic opinion of the international community was that these outbursts of the public were the beginning of something bigger. He

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Essay Example for Free

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Essay Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut combines the themes of loss and determinism to create a story of the power of tragedy. The characters and events experience the inevitability of tragedy and begin to accept the fate granted, affecting their view of their own lives. Billy Pilgrim is a numb and senseless character after his experiences in WWII; witnessing the bombing of Dresden triggered the concept that the he cannot change circumstances which therefore causes him to no longer participate in his life. Everything becomes insignificant, his view of death best showcases this stating carelessly, â€Å"so it goes† over 100 times through the novel, whether talking about the death of microbes in his jacket or the incomparable Martin Luther King Jr.; because to Billy, it is all the same. He accepts tragedies and views life as a helpless place therefore becoming discouraged from proactively seeking change and happiness. Similarly, the Tralfamadorian’s believe all events are out of their control and inevitable. They live without guilt because in their world, everything is meant to be, â€Å"There isn’t anything we can do about them (wars). So we simply don’t look at them. We ignore them.† (Vonnegut 101) The Tralfamadorians live in ignorance, not feeling the need or ability to influence events and view life as predetermined and unalterable. It can be argued that this outlook leaves it’s beholders oppressed and feeling powerless, in the way many readers view Billy, after the Tralfamadorian’s share this philosophy with him. This negative view of life is fueled by their accepting attitude and waves them of the responsibility such as preventing accidents like the end of the world from occurring. The lack of decision making and ignorance becomes deeply rooted in their fatalistic thoughts and damages positive feelings towards life. Billy and the Tralfamadorian’s mirror Vonnegut’s experiences and emotions, acting as an anchor to reality. Due to this Vonnegut serves as an ideal real world example of the effects of acceptance. Slaughterhouse-Five is a work entirely based on how Vonnegut understands life now, accepting the horrors of war and their impacts as his reality along with their side effects such as alcoholism and sadness. Vonnegut chooses to begin his novel with a bird singing, â€Å"Poo-tee-weet?†(Vonnegut 19) and ends Billy’s story  with the bird once again repeating itself. The bird is a meaningless limerick formed in Vonnegut mind to show how life just continues to pointlessly repeat. The entire novel is Vonnegut’s way of accepting and retelling tragedy and through each character and his own prologue it can be inferred Vonnegut views his life as a place which is no longer joyful and significant. Slaughterhouse-Five is a key literary example surrounding the negativity of how accepting events without inquiry allows people to forfeit both guilt and responsibility. In this book it is apparent the acceptance of tragedy effects the views of one’s life to become pointless and unhappy, consequently resulting in lack of motivation and then ignorance; discouraging a culture of growth and happiness.

e-mail and electronic mail :: essays research papers

The Hacker It was a lonely Saturday night. The wind was howling through the branches of the old oak tree outside my window. The branches swayed back and forth, creating faint tapping and screeching sounds on the glass. And so, I sat†¦ It was a night like any other; my music playing in the background and the room was illuminated only by the changing shades of green from my lava lamp. I waited. Suddenly, a came from the system unit of my computer, signalling that it was ready. I sat in my big leather chair, leant forward, and logged on. Immediately, the computer went through a series of programmes, checking the system was operating correctly, and so on. The status bar reached 100% and the computer was now ready for action. I sat with the bright glare in my eyes. The once room, once light by a perpetually changing shade of green, was now light up with a brilliant sky blue. â€Å"Good evening, Dave. Would you like me to log on to the Internet?† It was a synthesised voice coming from the computer. It was a voice interface I had made by piecing together things my girl friend had said. I had it on the computer to remind me of her, and to give me hope that one day I would see her again. â€Å"Hmm†¦yeah, log me on.† I said. My voice was grotty and weak. Although I had a voice interface, I rarely spoke, even though I used my computer 24/7, I’d normally use the keyboard and mouse. Still, having a voice interface was pretty nifty, but I couldn’t help but think that one day, it may not recognise my voice†¦.it was getting worse by the day. The modem clicked. â€Å"Log on complete. Have a nice day.† It said. I almost broke down. I hadn’t heard this voice for some time†¦.it brought back memories. I had forgotten what she sounded like†¦She? My god! I’d started to think that this machine was my girl friend. ‘The late nights must be getting to me.’ I thought â€Å"Thanks.† I said. I could hardly stand it†¦it felt like there was a rock in my throat; you know the one I mean? When you’re upset and you feel like your going cry? Well, anyway, I cracked my knuckles, for no reason what so ever, knowing full well it could give me premature arthritis.

Building, Tasking, and Empowering Teams

While building a cross functional team, I am interested in analyzing a candidate’s skill level, background, expertise, and previous success dealing with product development. In order to handle a self-managed work team, I would provide relative details for the product’s deadline, dates of launch, and other important facts so the team can work together to develop the proper course of action. As the manager, I would practice the art of self-managing the team from a distance unless there is a conflict of interest.The interest of R&D and marketing may be different from that of the manufacturing and R&D departments. The recent build in SMWT breaks the barriers of the diversity pool, but their findings are still valid to a degree. The increase in intragroup task conflict arises once a diverse group capitalizes their initial tasks of granting credentials or age, tenure, and expertise into the work environment (Jassawalla & Sashittal, 1999, p. 53). For example, Team A and B allo ws open forums for discussion of the project’s progress whereas Teams X and Y have intragroup conflicts (Jassawalla & Sashittal, 1999, 55).A cross functional group can develop the overall tasks to be done because a plan must be assembled before action is taken. The dynamics of a cross functional group depends on their capabilities to complete tasks through a detailed outline associated with the desired outcomes. It is very important to utilize research data to formulate the appropriate answers for potential problems they may experience throughout the project (Metlay & Kaplan, 1995, p. 54).These milestones can help the planning committee in making preventive methods to counter each issue one by one. Many cross functional groups use practical procedures and policies to utilize all of the resources for a good reason. One must recognize the significance of a complete, factual plan because the basis of each project must have data or statistics to back up the departments’ de sired outcomes (Metlay & Kaplan, 1995, p. 56). If a manager restricts employee discussion, there is a possibility that the workers are unsatisfied with the functions of the group.Further reviews analyze the different communications styles available: assertiveness, ingratiation, rationality, exchange, upward appeals, and coalition. The five communication distinctions employ various employee empowerment styles that enable the manager’s workers to voice opinions in subtle ways. The firm’s ability to allow the team to help in the decision-making process evolved the motives of each worker. Some employees prefer the upward appeal method because it deals with flattery of skills and unique talents.Others are interested in the assertiveness of their employees because it shows their ability to adapt or acquire more information regarding their work. Continued efforts should be implemented in the cross functional group’s structure to produce high-quality responses from the team (Jassawalla & Sashittal, 1999, 60). The self-managed work teams allow managers more time to focus on the manager’s vision than on how to instruct team of their role (Metlay & Kaplan, 1995, p. 55).Employees gain a different perspective on the role in which they must play in the cross functional group. On each account, both parties capitalize on their new communication models to push the cross functional group in a more, profound direction. References Cited Jassawalla, A. R. & Sashittal, H. C. (1999, Aug. ). Building collaborative cross-functional new product teams. The Academy of Management Executive, 13(3), p. 50. Metlay, E. F, & Kaplan, etc. , (Metlay & Kaplan, 1995). Self-managing work teams: Do they really work? HR. Human Resource Planning, 18(2), p. 53.

Public Policies Of The Canadian Government - 1890 Words

Throughout Canadian history, a responsible government depended on the act of the nation working together to apply appropriate public policy. William Lyon Mackenzie King, the prime minister of Canada in the 1920s (and again in the 1930s) once said, â€Å"Where there is little or no public opinion, there is likely to be bad government, which sooner or later becomes autocratic government.† This is true even almost 100 years later. A democratic society operates in relation to the voices of the nation. The Canadian government consists of many sectors to enforce this particular style of policy making, including the House of Commons, the Senate, the Cabinet, and of course, the prime minister. Many citizens may argue that these important sectors of government are aspects reflecting true democracy. On the other hand, some citizens might argue that the prime minister has significant control over Parliament alone, sometimes without the need for other voices. Government responsibility lie s in the heart of the prime minister and can have significant control over different policy areas if he or she feels the need to do so. This often flies in the face of a democratic society. This paper will argue that the Prime Minister of Canada has too much power over Canadian public policy because he or she maintains party discipline, controls Cabinet ministers, and has power over what bills are passed in Parliament. These factors determine that the Prime Minister indeed continues to control governmentShow MoreRelatedPublic Policy Of Globalization On Canada Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesPublic Policy of Globalization in Canada The government is what makes executive decision for the public policy. Society is influenced by our living and working conditions which shape health. The social determinants of heath shape material, psychosocial, and behavioral routes. 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