How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book

How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book The basic idea of marketing a book is pretty straightforward: find out who likes your book, discover where they ‘live,’ then sell your book there and make them buy it. And when you’re publishing a children’s book, the principle is the same - with one exception.In the children’s book market, the target audience isn’t made up of children but the bigs who purchase the books for them. That might be parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, teachers - whomever. Once you’re able to tap into what they want in a kid’s book, you’ll quickly realize that you couldn’t ask for a better target consumer:They have simple core desires: to get a book the child will love,Children go through a LOT of titles, so they always need new books,Once they find an author they like, they will read EVERYTHING they’ve written, andIt’s easy to find out where parents, teachers, and such ‘live’ online.With that in mind - weà ¢â‚¬â„¢re going to look at some ways that children’s authors have effectively targeted the people who buy children’s books. What's the REAL target market for children's books? Find out in this post Hit up social mediaBlogs, Instagram, Facebook Groups, Twitter, Reddit. These days, parents of young kids are almost always millennials - and, as a result, will rely on the internet for almost any kind of recommendation. And meeting your readers isn’t just limited to libraries...Plan school visitsâ€Å"Many children’s book authors don’t realize that many schools set aside an annual budget for paid author visits,† Jones says. And indeed, there’s a chance you could be eventually paid for your school appearances.The trick here is to be organized. Make sure you have a plan in place before you contact any schools. Tell them what age range the book is for, send over links, a cover image, a synopsis and anything else they might want to know about your book. "How to plan a school visit for your children's book" and more #selfpubtips Then as soon as the school agrees, send over a summary of your planned visit. At this point, Jones would also be sure to secure sales with their parents, if appropriate. (Remember who your target audience really is.)Jones finishes up her advice with this: â€Å"Follow up the email with a phone call to let them know that you visit local schools for free, in return for the school sending slips home, offering the chance to buy signed copies of the book.†And there are plenty of other tricks you can try to reach the children’s gatekeepers. You can try creating a trailer, you can guest post for parenting blogs. So long as you stay focused and direct your efforts to find where the buyers of children’s book live - you won’t go far astray.Have you tried any of these tips before? What's been your experience like marketing your children's book? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and we'll get back to you right away.

Writers Block 13 Strategies That Work - Freewrite Store

Writers Block 13 Strategies That Work - Freewrite Store With that in mind - here are 14 of our favorite tips for curing writer's block. We’ve all been there. The right words won’t come out, if any at all, and you don’t have a creative cell left in your brain - you’re ready to call it a day. Of course, I’m talking about the dreaded  writer’s block. Writer’s block can be stressful when you have writing tasks that need to get done. Writer’s block is a myth Gasp! It cannot be true. If writer’s block is a myth, then explain what I’m feeling right now? When you attack it from the root cause, you realize writer’s block stems from four underlying causes. These four underlying causes were detailed by  Jerry Jenkins, famed author of the  Left Behind  series.   The Four Root Causes Of Writer's Block Fear - Fear can be paralyzing. The thought that  you’re  not good enough and that your work won’t be accepted. Procrastination - Nobody’s better at putting of deadlines than writers.  Set  your deadlines in stone and keep your daily workload manageable. Perfectionism - Perfectionism  can  be a good trait during the editing process; however, it is not as valuable while  writing. Distractions - In today's day and age, it’s nearly impossible to avoid distractions. So what can you do about writer’s block? Now that you know the four root causes of writer’s block, you can take some  actionable  steps to eliminate it from your writing for good. If you’re anything like me, you could probably relate to all four of the root causes. As you read along, you’ll find that more than a few of these actionable tips apply to you. With that in mind - here are 14 of our favorite tips for curing writer's block. 1. Writing Prompts If you aren’t familiar with writing prompts, they are simply guided writing assignments designed to stimulate your imagination and get the creative juices flowing. Put simply, writing prompts get you writing.   It may not be the topic you originally set out to write about, but it may help you find your muse. If you’re stuck finding a topic to write about, or lost finding a fresh idea to attack the blank page, writing prompts may be a good habit to implement into your writing routine.   The right prompt can open up new ideas.  They can illuminate new  ways of looking at things you aren’t able to see on your own. You can find writing prompts a variety of ways. Many are  free online, you can  buy a book of them, or come up with them yourself. Write them down to use at a later time.  You can even have writing prompts sent to your inbox, with Writing Time Fridays! Join here to receive a great writing prompt emailed or texted to you on Friday at 12pm EST. This is a great way to carve out time for writing and get inspired. You can dedicate time for writing on Friday, like we do at Astrohaus, or you can wait and use the prompt over the weekend. Related:  Writing Habits to Jumpstart Your Creativity and Keep You Focused    2. Don’t Be a Perfectionist   Does this sound like you? You want everything to be perfect before you ever begin writing. Every pen stroke must be streaked with gold. You try to formulate the perfect passage in your head, but you never do, so you revert to underlying cause #2, procrastination.   Perfectionism will only hinder your good writing. I’ve written a number of blog posts over the years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, nobody ever sees my first drafts. It sounds obvious, but nothing bad will come from writing words down. If you don’t like what you wrote, delete it. Leave the self-criticism for editing. 3. Stop Writing Sometimes,  It’s just not the right time to write. Your ideas may need a few more moments to formulate in your mind.   Surely, writing isn’t the only thing you ever do. You also need to eat, sleep, read, exercise, and interact with other people.   Even if writing is at the top of your to-do-list. Doing anything else, would be more beneficial than beating yourself up while staring at a blank page.   In a infamous  New Yorker  article, Ferris Jabr references overwhelming evidence that taking a walk can help you think through problems and be creative. Source: Elements of Walking Helps Us Think It’s ok to not always be writing, or thinking about your writing. 4. Change Your Writing  Medium Stuck in the mud? Try using Google Docs or Evernote instead of Word.  Put down the computer all together and try out your grandfather’s typewriter. What’s been most beneficial to me is freewriting in a journal or a piece of scrap paper. Any idea that comes to mind goes down on the paper. Often times, it doesn’t make any sense. 5. Eliminate Distractions This is one of the four core causes of writer’s block. In a world where we are faced with distractions left and  right, we no longer get to sit  in our log cabin in the woods and write in a quiet room. You have to take extra steps to create a distraction free environment in your mind.   5 Easy ways to eliminate distractions -  Turn off your cell phone- Unplug from the internet- Clean your desk- Let everyone know to leave you alone- Dim the light I’ve been using  Sprinter  by Astrohaus to focus on my writing. I even used it while writing this article.   6. Create A Schedule Every morning, I do two things. I wash my face, then I sit down at my desk and open my daily planner. I don’t check my phone, I don’t look at any emails, and I don’t talk to ANYONE. The second thing I do each morning is plan out my day. To paraphrase Jim Rohn, â€Å"If you don’t build a plan for your life, someone else will.†Ã‚   I plan my day down to the second, then I execute. It’s easy to say you†ll just get around to it, but taking the extra steps to plan out exactly when and for how long you’ll be writing, you’re that much more likely to do it.   Sometimes, you just have to put your head to the grindstone and write. If you’ve already done this before, then first address the root causes of writer’s block found above. If a pilot called his boss and said, â€Å"I have flyers block.† He would be laughed off the phone and probably told to hang up his wings. So, why do writers get to have writer’s block? 7. Find Some Inspiration Jack London once said, â€Å"You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.†Ã‚   Put bluntly, refusing to write until you feel inspired it futile - at best. As a professional writer, you can’t afford to wait several days to find your muse. The world isn’t waiting for you. Related: 25 writing tips from authors 8. Keep A Journal Journaling aids in fostering your creativity and helps develop ideas. Similar to freewriting or writing prompts, journaling literally opens a book of ideas. Turn your thoughts and feelings into words. What do you journal about? I like to journal about my goals and the things/people I’m thankful for  each day. As a part of my morning routine, I write down my goals  Ã‚  and three people I’m thankful for. It’s not uncommon for writer’s to keep journals with them at all times. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most unlikely and inconvenient times. Bottle that muse, and save it for later. â€Å"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever.† -  Will Self 9. Go Outside I don’t just mean writing outside, but turning off your writing brain completely..   Nature offers an immediate boost to your mental and physical well-being. Sometimes, you have to slow down to speed up. A few benefits of going outside are: - Relieve stress- Improve short-term memory- Eliminate fatigue- Improve focus- Decrease blood pressure Combined, all of these things can help get the creative juices flowing. Maybe while you’re outside, you’ll find your inspiration.   10. Change Your Writing Space If venturing outside isn’t enough, maybe you need to change your work setting. Rotating your workspaces can increase your productivity and open yourself up to new ideas. Try a coffee shop, a library, bookstore, a park, or just a different room. Cultivate multiple spaces around you that foster your creativity and productivity . 11. Use Freewrite Every element of the Freewrite is designed to help you find your flow state and stay there. It works perfectly indoors or out, online or offline. Double your hourly word count, meet deadlines on time, and write better content. The Freewrite allows writers like you to create drafts without being distracted by notifications or the infinite possibilities on the internet. When it’s time to write, you can just write. If you're interested, you can head over to  the Freewrite store to learn more. 12. Create A Routine Ok, so you’ve burned through the previous eleven suggestions. You found one that worked, but it didn’t work the second time. What now?   You have to create a routine. As I mentioned in tip #6, I follow a strict morning schedule to get myself aligned with the tasks of the day. After journaling and planning my day, I spend 30 minutes on personal development. Today, I learned about copywriting from the legend Gary Bencivenga. I improved my craft and found some inspiration to apply to my writing. Lastly, that brings us to the granddaddy of them all... 13. Start Writing   You’ve exhausted every option on this list and have nothing left. Here’s the foolproof way to cure your writer’s block.   It’s this simple. Just start writing. You already know this, but evidently, the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do. It starts with one word, then another.   Solution   Personally, how did I cure my writer’s block? The root cause of my writer’s block was perfectionism. I expected myself to churn at a Pulitzer worthy 2,000 word article in less than an hour. Only once I embraced my full inner creativity was I able to write to free myself from the never-ending stuckness of writer’s block. My only hope is that after reading this tips, you are able to address your underlying cause of why you’re stuck so you can ditch writer’s block forever! Carlton Clark loves to write about business, baseball, and popular culture. A writer, marketer, and entrepreneur. At the age of 14, he founded the media company  ballplayerplus.com. Currently, Carlton helps businesses share their stories through social media and blogging. When he’s not writing or creating content, Carlton coaches youth baseball at his local high school and plays guitar. You can find him online on Instagram @itscarltonclark, and on Twitter @carlton_mukasa

GENETICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

GENETICS - Essay Example Almost all genetic engineering processes aim to make life easier, for those who suffer from genetic disorders. Some processes like genetic screening, even aim to recognize or diagnose disorders at an early stage, and even before the problems actually start showing their symptoms. Such early diagnoses would definitely help to prevent the disorder from reaching serious and debilitating conditions, thus saving lives. Gene therapy promises to replace the defective genes by normal and functional genes, thus bringing in a new hope for patients with no treatments available as such. However there is a dark side to all these bright envisions. Genes or chromosomes form the basic components of life, and scientists who work on genetic engineering are working with ‘life’ itself. Cloning which can create new organisms from a single DNA fragment makes a scientist equivalent to almost ‘God’, where the former is also creating new lives. It is here where one needs to have sup reme control and not cross certain limits, or else what we saw in the science thriller movie’ â€Å"Boys from Brazil’, where the Nazis procreate 94 clones of Hitler to bring back the ‘Third Reich’, would not remain a science fiction anymore, and may become a distinct reality, if we are not careful. The reproduction of humans and animals using artificial methods IVF, AI and embryo transplantation - Artificial insemination (AI), as defined by Nabor-Neri â€Å"artificial insemination is an impregnation not by means of natural intercourse, but by means of mechanical, artificial aids such as injecting the semen or sperm directly in to the female sex organ by the use of a tuberculin syringe† (Nabor-Nery, 81). This process is used as assisted reproductive techniques to impregnate the female partner where there is a case of fertility problems of the male partner, and also in

The Madness of King George 1994 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Madness of King George 1994 - Movie Review Example Consequently, Hytner’s movie sets for an epic encounter with the movie thrilling the viewer from start to the end. The story in the film begins about three decades in the reign of King George. It is during this period that the Great Britain had lost all its possessions in America and the king, played by Nigel Hawthorne, started showing symptoms that are illustrative of increasing dementia. In addition, the king exhibited bouts of forgetfulness and showed violent fits and language that was uncouth and uncharacteristic of the throne and royalty. In effect, the stage for overthrowing the king is set once he starts exhibiting these characteristics with his opponents using it as a weakness and the perfect opportunity to install the Prince of Wales, Rupert Everett, to the throne. It should not be forgotten that most of the people and King George’s opponents blamed the king for the loss of Great Britain’s possessions in America. The movie identifies two people who were steadfast in their support for the king. In this case, the character played by Julian Wadham, King George’s prime minister and Helen Mirren who was the queen show their determination throughout the movie to support and protect the throne from the king’s opponents. In order to protect the throne from its opponents, they bring doctors to rescue the king from his demented condition. However, these doctors used archaic methods of treatment, which proved to be of little value given the king’s condition. In effect, the inconsequential treatment provided by these doctors make the protectors of the throne become desperate and turn to Ian Holm, a character who plays the role of Dr. Willis. This doctor used approaches that bordered unconvention  practice with the approaches  reminiscent of modern day psychiatry. Besides, Dr. Willis was harsh on King George as he

Robert Frost’s “choices” in ‘A Road Not Taken’ Essay Example for Free

Robert Frost’s â€Å"choices† in ‘A Road Not Taken’ Essay Making a right choice is not always simple and easy. Though it is a task that everyone comes across many times every day, sometimes this â€Å"everyday† task becomes very meaningful, and affects a person’s entire life. This is the theme of Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. In the poem, Frost uses a variety of literary devices to bring out this theme, such as metaphor, images, diction, tone, repetition, rhyme scheme and structure.   The most striking use of literary device in this poem is Frost’s use of the extended metaphor. The entire poem is a metaphor comparing life and its choices to a journey through the woods, and about having to decide what choice to make. It is an apt analogy, because in life, one does move forward, like on a road. Similarly, sometimes life is easy-going without any major difficulties, but sometimes life has big problems—and this is appropriate in the road comparison because roads, too, are sometimes smooth and easy to ride on, while at others, they have potholes and ruts which make it a rough ride. Also, when the poem begins with â€Å"Two roads diverged†¦Ã¢â‚¬  it gives the impression that this is the first fork in the road the speaker has come to. This points to the fact that in every person’s life a time comes when s/he has to make a major choice. The comparison continues throughout the poem where one of the roads is described as â€Å"grassy and want[ing] wear†, and â€Å"less traveled by† representing an option which people had not often taken up. Similarly, when the speaker says, â€Å"Knowing how way leads on to way†, it is appropriate to a real-life setting, where, after making a choice in a certain direction, it is hard to think of â€Å"com[ing] back†, just as the poem suggests. Frost also makes important use of images, especially visual ones, which add to the poem’s influence on its readers. He describes the diverging roads in the â€Å"yellow† wood, the â€Å"grassy† road which â€Å"wanted wear† and the leaves which â€Å"no step had trodden black†. With such images as these, the reader is able to visualize with clarity what is being described, and this makes the poem more effective. It further places the poem in a true-to-life setting and makes it easier for the reader to understand and identify with the speaker. Another literary device which Frost uses in this poem to give it a real-life touch, and emphasize the importance of choices in our life, is his use of diction. The common everyday words that he uses, give the poem a realistic quality, and while this relates it to peoples’ everyday experience, also gives it a serious feel. For example, his choice of words such as â€Å"sorry†, â€Å"perhaps† and â€Å"really about the same† are important in conveying the simple, yet serious matter he is talking about, because he is speaking in a simple, yet serious way. Along with the diction, tone also plays an important role in the poem. A conversational tone is adopted throughout, and this lends great credibility to the words that are spoken. The conversational tone is a positive one, because though the speaker is talking about the past, he is not nostalgic. The tone serves to reinforce the theme, of making choices and their effects on later life, in a very positive way. The speaker is happy, and realizes that his decision earlier in life is what has influenced his later life. He conveys his satisfaction through his tone, especially in the second stanza and when he says â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh† (a sigh, most probably, of contentment). Such a tone is often achieved by repetition—not of a kind in which entire lines are repeated, but in which certain words recur. For example, the word ‘traveler’ occurs in line 3, right after ‘travel’ in line 2. Other examples include ‘way leads on to way’, ‘ages and ages’, and the recurring ‘I’ in the last stanza. Such repetition gives validity to speech, because it seems normal, with a word being spoken again just to emphasize, or starting a sentence, then breaking off, then beginning again. This happens in everyday speech, and thus this technique helps in developing the conversational tone. The repetition is, however, not only found in the recurrence of words. It is also felt in the steady a, b, a, a, b rhyme scheme, which, though different in each stanza, retains its similar quality throughout. Such deliberate rhyming does not, as it would seem, give artificiality. To the contrary, it serves to re-enhance the smooth, steady pace of the poem and helps bring out the theme even more—the theme of understanding and accepting that our choices greatly affect us. Frost’s ‘choice’ of a definite structure, as felt through the rhyme scheme is also an important literary device he makes use of. The poem is divided into four distinct stanzas, but there is also another sort of division. The first three stanzas are fused together as one part, with the second and third stanzas joined to the preceding one with the words â€Å"Then† and â€Å"And† respectively. Stanza 4, however, constitutes the second part of the poem itself. The last stanza is very obviously set apart from the rest of the poem, and this is to emphasize its importance. It is in this stanza that Frost tells about his choice and how â€Å"it has made all the difference†, and thus gives us his (implicit) statement about the choices one makes and the effects they have on a person’s life. The realization that his choice has influenced his life to such an extent, is also apparent in the title Frost has chosen for his poem. â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, as the name itself suggests, is about the option which he did not take up, when making a decision. This is evident in the poem too, when he contemplates upon the road that he did not take, â€Å"look[ing] down† it as â€Å"far as [he] could†, and then suddenly (he abruptly uses the word â€Å"Then†) takes the other. On the whole, the poem conveys the theme of choices bearing a strong effect on a person’s later life, very effectively. Though each line or each stanza might not lead to an immediate understanding of this theme, all the devices Robert Frost uses in his poem contribute to the readers’ appreciation of it. Appreciation is, after all, the first step to understanding, and this appreciation was, after all, brought on by Frost’s â€Å"choices†.

How to Speech :: essays research papers

How to Assemble an Easter Basket Video Title page: How to Assemble an Easter Basket 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, WS: Instructor gives an introduction. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, CU: Basket in shot by itself. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, MS: Instructor holds up basket and speaks. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Side, MS: Instructor speaks about first step. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Side, CU: Instructor’s hands put pink Easter grass into Easter basket. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, CU: Easter basket is shown with pink Easter grass inside it. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, MS: Instructor speaks about the main ingredients of the Easter basket, candy and Easter eggs that sit on table. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, CU: Instructor points to the candy and Easter eggs, with one open and shows how to stuff the egg with candy. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, CU: Instructor places candy and eggs into basket. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, CU: Easter basket is shown with candy and eggs inside it. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diagonal, MS: Instructor holds up the last item to go into the Easter basket, the little bunny. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diagonal, CU: Instructor places little bunny inside basket. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top, CU: Shot of pink grass. 14.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top, CU: Shot of candy and Easter eggs. 15.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top, CU: Shot of little bunny. 16.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front, WS: Instructor closes while holding the Easter basket towards the camera. Fade to Black Audio Theme music up full and out. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hi, my name is --------, and today I’m going to show you how to assemble a basic Easter basket. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, you must pick just the right basket. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This one looks good to me. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first step in assembling the Easter basket is pink Easter grass. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place the pink grass into the basket, and make sure to fluff it. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Here’s what your basket should look like after the pink grass. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, the Easter basket needs candy and Easter eggs. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You can find plastic Easter eggs at your local Wal-Mart, and you want to open the egg, place the candy inside, and close it back together. These two eggs already have candy. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Put the candy and Easter eggs into the basket. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make sure and spread out the candy and eggs so it looks even and nice.

Project Management Essay

1. Discuss why many information technology professionals may overlook project cost management and how this might affect completing projects within budget. Information technology professionals do not understand basic accounting and finance principles to be able to do a net present value analysis return on investment and payback analysis. It should also be considered that new technologies or software development expenses are very inaccurate as it is hard to put a figure on something has not been developed. The problems they face may be they estimate too quickly, do not have the estimating experience, may be biased towards underestimating and management may require more accuracy. The book states that IT professionals understand the value of a balanced portfolio aligned with business objectives but lack a well-defined and consistent process for managing the origination, evaluation and execution of IT investments. As far as contemplating projects with budgets it would not be an accurate estimate of cost unless all the stakeholders are involved to make these determinations. 4. Explain what happens during the process to determine the project budget. A project budget involves allocating cost estimates to individual work over the time of the project and is based on the WBS. The budget is determined using the cost estimates, basis of estimates, scope baseline, schedule, resource calendar, contracts and organizational process assets. The main goal is cost budgeting which creates a cost baseline for measuring performance and funding requirement and taking into consideration document updates. It is also important to understand how the company operates so the budget is created appropriately. 6. What is project portfolio management? Can project managers use it with earned value management? Project portfolio management allows organizations to collect and control an entire suite of projects or investments as on set of interrelated activities. Project managers can use it with earned value management as it is a performance measurement technique that let them know how well the project is meeting scope, time and cost goals by entering actual information and then comparing it to a baseline. 7. Describe several types of software that project managers can use to support project cost management. Spreadsheets are a common tool used for cost estimating, budgeting and control. Microsoft Project is a project management software that allows for the following to be created such as: cash flow, budgets, over budget tasks, over budget resources and earned value reports. Some project managers simply use the company’s accounting software and spreadsheets to receive more flexibility. They have also learnt to connect their accounting software to the project management software for more accurate information.

Ethics, Fraud, and Internal Audit at Ut Southwestern

There are many taxpayer supported medical schools in this country, most receiving their fees for services through Medicare and Medicaid. The Department of Health and Human Services requires that medical students who have graduated to the resident status have a teaching physician physically present when performing key portions of patient service to be able to bill those services to Medicare. In fact, the patient chart must be legibly signed by the attending physician that they were present and supervising the specific service in order to bill Medicare (â€Å"Guidenlines for teaching,† 2011).According to an article in the Dallas News, a former employee by the name of Jack Mooney was hired in 1991 by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as a reimbursement manager to make sure that all medical billings submitted to Medicare and Medicaid were properly documented and billed (Dunklin & Moffeit, 2010). For example, that the teaching physicians were physically present wh en residents were performing services to meeting the required mandates for Medicare billing. He discovered that was not the case and took the information to his supervisors.Stricter policies were put into place for the departments to follow to make sure that all employees were following the necessary guidelines. In 1997, when Mr. Mooney was the director of UT Southwestern’s billing compliance office, he was still seeing and documenting the same problems. Mooney left the college in 1998 shortly after filing a federal whistle-blower lawsuit. The earliest documentation that can be found of UT Southwestern’s Internal Audit departments involvement comes in a 2003 when they approve of some of the college’s compliance policies, but noted that they do not have a policy in place to review reimbursement claim documents.Dallas News notes that six faculty meetings were held during 2007 and 2008 in which billing concerns were discussed. The Internal Audit Annual Reports for those years do not report any ongoing audits, but do report that they provide the billing compliance committee â€Å"independent consultation and guidance to help billing compliance activities address institution risks† (Rubel, 2008). In 2010 we finally see an internal audit performed of UT Southwestern’s billing compliance programs. The report stated that â€Å"the audit identified a significant finding in the Hospital Billing Compliance program†.As of 2010, the program had not yet implemented the 2005 Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Supplemental Compliance Program Guidance for Hospitals. Although this guidance is voluntary, it is highly recommended by the OIG to help hospitals in â€Å"preventing the submission of erroneous claims and in combating fraud and abuse in the Federal health care programs (â€Å"OIG supplemental compliance†). The guidance specifically states that â€Å"hospitals should have in p lace procedures regarding resident rotation and monitoring†.The audit report recommends that the compliance program implement the OIG guidance, consolidation of the billing compliance groups (there are currently four), development of a single risk assessment plan with a corresponding audit plan, a monitoring system for both the risk assessment audit plan and the billing compliance audit report. Also of note in the audit report are repeated failures by the same department to meet billing practices. It is noted that these â€Å"recurring systematic failures increase the risk of exposure to potential civil damages and penalties, criminal sanctions, and administrative remedies, such as program exclusion†.The audit recommends that the failures be addressed at the department level and to develop a formal training plan to improve billing compliance. According to the report, all significant findings are tracked by the University of Texas System Audit Office to make sure that al l agreed upon recommendations have been implemented. These reports are unavailable for review and there has been no further comment on the billing compliance audit in the 2011 Internal Audit Annual Report. This issue was first brought to light 20 years ago by someone that was hired to review billing compliance.We know that 7 years ago the internal audit department was aware of the issue, but as far as we can tell, no significant audit of the hospitals billing department, in relation to Medicare billing requirements, was completed until 2010. Was the hospital fraudulently obtaining money from the government? Not in so far as anyone has determined. Was the audit department aware of the issue? Yes, as far as we can tell. Did the internal auditors follow the IIA’s mandatory guidance? Yes in the completion of the audit in 2010 but it is my personal opinion, given the facts provided, that the audit should have been ompleted years earlier. ?References Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2011). Guidenlines for teaching physicians, interns, and residents. Retrieved from website: http://www. cms. gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/gdelinesteachgresfctsht. pdf Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. (n. d. ). OIG supplemental compliance program guidance for hospitals (Vol. 70, No. 19). Retrieved from website: http://oig. hhs. gov/fraud/docs/complianceguidance/012705HospSupplementalGuidance. df Dunklin, R. , & Moffeit, M. (2010, May 30). Feds probe alleged fraud at ut southwestern, parkland. Dallas News. Retrieved from http://www. dallasnews. com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20100530-feds-probe-alleged-fraud-at-ut-southwestern-parkland-. ece Rubel, R. (2008, November 03). Internal audit annual report fiscal year 2008. Retrieved from http://www. utsouthwestern. edu/media/footer_required_documents/audit-2008. pdf Rubel, R. (2010, February 24). Billing compliance audit report. Retrieved from http://res. dallasnews. com/localnews/responsivedocs_audit_2010. pdf

Quotes on Dance and Life from Isadore Duncan

Quotes on Dance and Life from Isadore Duncan Isadora Duncan was an American dancer who rejected classical ballet forms for more natural movements of interpretive dance, which later evolved into modern dance. Isadora Duncan first found fame in Europe which received her more readily. Isadora Duncans personal life was also unconventional and scandalous, including a dramatic death. Selected Isadora Duncan Quotations Adieu, mes amis. Je vais la gloire. reported as her last words.My motto - sans limites.Dance is the movement of the universe concentrated in an individual.I have discovered the dance. I have discovered the art which has been lost for two thousand years.If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.The dancers body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul.What I am interested in doing is finding and expressing a new form of life.People do not live nowadays. They get about ten percent out of life.The whole world is absolutely brought up on lies. We are fed nothing but lies. It begins with lies and half our lives we live with lies.I do not teach children, I give them joy.The finest inheritance you can give to a child is to allow it to make its own way, completely on its own feet.So long as little children are allowed to suffer, there is no true love in this world.The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace and toe walking. It seems to me monstrous that anyone should believe that the jazz rhythm expresses America. Jazz rhythm expresses the primitive savage.I had learned to have a perfect nausea for the theatre: the continual repetition of the same words and the same gestures, night after night, and the caprices, the way of looking at life, and the entire rigmarole disgusted me.Virtuous people are simply those who have not been tempted sufficiently, because they live in a vegetative state, or because their purposes are so concentrated in one direction that they have not had the leisure to glance around them.We may not all break the Ten Commandments, but we are certainly all capable of it. Within us lurks the breaker of all laws, ready to spring out at the first real opportunity.Any intelligent woman who reads the marriage contract, and then goes into it, deserves all the consequences.So that ends my first experience with matrimony, which I always thought a highly overrated performance.It has taken me yea rs of struggle, hard work and research to learn to make one simple gesture, and I know enough about the art of writing to realize that it would take as many years of concentrated effort to write one simple, beautiful sentence. Good-bye, America, I shall never see you again! to reporters on leaving for Europe for the last timeArt is not necessary at all. All that is necessary to make this world a better place to live in is to love to love as Christ loved, as Buddha loved.You were once wild here. Dont let them tame you.

Making Sodium Silicate or Water Glass

Making Sodium Silicate or Water Glass You can prepare sodium silicate or water glass from gel beads (silica) and drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide). Sodium silicate can be used to make chemical gardens, like those that result from Magic Rocks, which you can make yourself. Sodium Silicate Materials All you need to make a sodium silicate solution are water, silica, and sodium hydroxide. Silica comes in those little packets labeled Do not eat that you find with electronics, shoes, and other products. Sodium hydroxide is readily available in its pure form or can be found as drain cleaner. 6 g silica gel beads (crushed)4-8 g sodium hydroxide (4 g for water glass, used in the Magic Rock project, or 8 g for the stoichiometric ratio for sodium silicate)10 mL water Prepare Sodium Silicate Wear proper safety gear, which includes gloves.Heat 4 to 8 grams of sodium hydroxide in 10 milliliters of water.Once the sodium hydroxide is dissolved, slowly add 6 grams of crushed silica gel beads. Heat the solution between additions. If the crushed beads wont dissolve, add a little more water to the solution.You now have sodium silicate or water glass. NurdRage has a YouTube video of this procedure if youre interested in seeing how its done.

Add SWOT , introduction , conclusion and executive summery Essay

Add SWOT , introduction , conclusion and executive summery - Essay Example With the current levels of globalization, the level of competition in the service industry has seen a tremendous increase. This has resulted from the ability of multinational industry to venture in different markets in the world. In addition, liberalization of the markers has also enabled these companies to diversify their operation. Also, flow of information and removal of tariffs by different countries can also be associated with increased levels of competition. This trend has necessitated the formation of a strong marketing department in every service industry which will be able to research on the changing consumption behaviors of customers and come up with better services in order to create customer loyalty. Service industries or the providers need to increase the competitive differentiation, productivity and the service quality. It is necessary to maintain a link between the desired service and the profit. Organization delivering services needs to make a profit for the growth of the organization in the future and to maintain a stable market share (Kumar, 2010). In the service industry, the perception of quality is much more important and dependent on the expectation of the customer rather than in the marketing strategies of goods. Lower expectation can however, make for the greatest satisfaction, and with it word of mouth is an important and vital in the journey towards the purchase of service. It is important to determine the target market and set an objective which would help the firm to determine the area which is of interest to the marketer (Greechie, 2008). The marketing objectives for a brand in the hospitality industry often includes customer satisfaction and gaining the trust of the customer which would increase the customer loyalty towards the brand and make the customers come back to the same brand again and again. The service sector chosen is the hotel industry, hospitality