What happens if a competitor steals proprietary information about your business, and in the subsequent lawsuit, the judge orders the jury to make an adverse inference that the thief did not properly maintain electronic data, such as emails, not emails. produced? , or even destroyed them. But what if the roles were reversed and the judge made your company pay the thief’s costs to get those emails because they didn’t have a plan to keep them? This scenario is happening in cases across the country and will soon be a reality in civil lawsuits in Florida.

So what can businesses operating in Florida do? They can implement plans now to safeguard electronic information to protect against being penalized or sanctioned in civil lawsuits later.

This article is not intended to provide legal advice or to form an attorney-client relationship; is intended only to provide general information on this important topic.

“DISCOVERY” IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Discovery is the process in a civil lawsuit by which the parties obtain and exchange information, including documents. In the future, the parties will routinely exchange electronic documents or “ESI” (electronically stored information). To keep up with this reality, the Rules governing discovery in Florida will change on September 1, 2012.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THESE NEW RULES?

The impact of these new Electronic Discovery Rules on all businesses operating in Florida is largely economic. Discovery in civil lawsuits is often where a substantial amount of expense occurs. Therefore, it is important for companies to efficiently manage these discovery expenses to avoid costly discovery expenses.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? – IMPLEMENT PRESERVATION PROTOCOLS AND ESI RETENTION LITIGATION PLANS

Florida businesses can implement the ESI Preservation Protocols and Litigation Retention Plans now, before disputes arise. This ounce of prevention is not worth a pound of cure in electronic discovery dollars, it will be worth ten.

A generic document created or downloaded internally is not likely to comply with these new Rules and Florida law, is fit for the unique circumstances of the company, and is not defensible in court. The best approach is to hire a competent business attorney who knows the technology and law of electronic discovery. That advisor can ask you the right questions and, more importantly, who can you ask questions and raise concerns with in order to understand eDiscovery and the new legal obligations imposed on your business.

So who can you turn to?

When looking for a Florida attorney for your firm to help you prepare the ESI Preservation Protocols and Litigation Retention Plans, look for those at the Bar with experience in these areas, such as certified commercial litigation attorneys. the Board and e-discovery experts. Also, keep in mind that in the digital world we live in now, your lawyer does not have to be on the street because you can communicate with him through video, email and screen sharing programs.

DO NOT WAIT TO PUT THESE PLANS IN PLACE

Be proactive. Florida courts consider entrepreneurs to be sophisticated and expect them to have these plans. The discussions that led to the enactment of these new Electronic Discovery Rules made it clear that judges will not consider the ignorance of a party or their attorneys in this new area of ​​the law. So now is the time for your company to prepare ESI Preservation Protocols and Litigation Retention Plans with an attorney, prior to any disputes and before you are asked to fund potentially expensive electronic discovery.

Twitter took off as gang members in 2008. At the end of 2008, the numbers told us that 70% of all Twitter users had joined in 2008. Some people prefer to have a few close friends to follow them. Those people can do whatever they want. But if you’re interested in building a brand and using Twitter to promote it, here are some observations and best practices. Just keep in mind that old saying from elementary school: “What if everyone did that?”

Rules for tweeting:

• Don’t Tweet more than 4-5 times a day.
• Tweet cool stuff.
• Share images and links with services like twitpic
• Don’t talk about what you are eating unless you intend to share the recipe.
• Don’t put private communications on the public twitterstream
• DO NOT publicly welcome all of your new followers. Imagine reading pages of it.
• It’s okay to tweet your blog posts, but turn people off if that’s all you do.
• Don’t join a “tweet monetization” service like Magpie, as it will cause people to abandon you.
• Don’t brag about the number of followers you have. Everyone can already see that.
• Don’t ask for more followers. Bored!
• Retweet other people frequently when they have Tweeted something good.
• Respond to people in public if you think others would be interested.
• Don’t tweet things like “Gaaaaaaah”. We need context.
• Tweet at least every other day.
• Be happy and positive.
• Be human.

How to treat people who follow you

• Don’t send a self-address message thanking each new follower and sending them your pitch. Direct messages are individual and personal.
• Thank new followers by following them if you haven’t already.
• Do not send direct messages to followers you are not following because they cannot reply to you directly.
• Recheck the profiles of the people you are not following from time to time. Some idiots just need a little getting used to.

How to treat the people you follow

• Don’t follow people just to get them to follow you and then stop following them.
• Don’t do massive follow-ups, or you’ll be considered a spammer even if you never tweet.
• Follow the followers of the people you really like.
• Don’t exclusively follow “rock stars.” Follow some interesting newbies. They will love you for it.
• Use a third-party Twitter client, such as the tweet deck, to manage the tweets you follow in groups.
• Don’t just read their direct messages and responses. Take a dip in the creek every now and then.
• Give them a little time to follow you.
• Try to follow as many people as they follow you.

Introduction:

A person can earn money in two ways; one is agriculture and the other is business. If business is not done according to ethics, there will always be inflation and a shortage of goods. As can be seen in the case of many basic products such as wheat, sugar, etc. It is due to stockpiling, speculation and the selfishness of some businessmen. The government has also become a trader, while sharia has prevented the Islamic government from trading.

As it can be seen that business is an important part of life, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “People get 9/10 of their daily bread through trade.” Islam explains the concept of fair trade by counting business ethics. If trade or anything else is done against morals and creed, this will lead to the bad end on the day of resurrection. Also, according to the law, the person guilty of an illegal business would end up nowhere. Islam greatly emphasizes the importance of business ethics. Allah says in the Qur’an, “They say that buying is also like an interest, but Allah has declared that buying is allowed and that interest is forbidden.” And “When you buy or sell, have someone witness it.” The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If trade had not existed, then you would have become a burden to others.” He also said that “a merchant is the guardian of the means of daily bread and a guardian of the dignity of himself and of others.” The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged trustworthy merchants with these words: “A trustworthy and truthful merchant will stand with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous.” “God has mercy on those who are kind when they sell, when they buy and when they make a claim” The prophet emphasized much about the veracity and rectitude of entrepreneurs. He said that “Truly, merchants will be raised sinners on the day of resurrection, except he who fears God, and is good, and speaks the truth.”

Business and ethics

As Muslims, we have to adhere to ethical standards, not only in business but also in all aspects of life. Both business and ethics are interrelated. There is a reference to this point in the Qur’an, “For you the Messenger of Allah is a good example to follow.” Allah Almighty says: “To the people of Midian (we sent) Shu’aib, one of his own brothers: he said: ‘My people! Worship Allah. You have no other god but Him. And do not give him little measure or weight. I see you in prosperity, but I fear for you the punishment of a day that will surround you every turn. And my people, give just measure and weight, do not deny the people what they are owed: do not commit evil on earth with the intention to do harm. What Allah has left you is the best for you, if (but) you believe. But I am not in charge of watching! “

Prophet Muhammad was chosen by God to be His last prophet and messenger at the age of 40. Before that, he was very involved in business. Both he and his wife Khadija were merchants. It is reported that he traveled to Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and many other places in Arabia to trade. Some historians have also suggested that he probably traveled to Iraq and Ethiopia. From an early age he dedicated himself to commerce. He had a good reputation as a hardworking, honest, truthful, and highly successful businessman.

Fair deals in business

The Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have made it clear that a Muslim must be honest and upright in his business and monetary transactions. Furthermore, the true Muslim must keep his word and promise, avoid fraud and avoid deception and perfidy, not invade the rights of others or engage in unlawful litigation. Furthermore, a good Muslim does not bear false witness and refrains from making illegal money such as usury and bribery. According to Islam, whoever is not free from these vices is not a true believer, but a renegade and a worthless transgressor.

And the Qur’an is rich in verses that confirm all this. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Do not eat the property of others by unjust and dishonest means.”

Allah forbids all impure and corrupt means of making money, such as dishonest trading, gambling and bribery. And the Holy Quran has explained and described such practices in many of its verses. He says: “Woe to those who traffic with fraud, to those who, when they have to receive by measure of men, demand full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, they give less than they should! they will be asked on a Strong Day when (all) humanity will appear before the Lord of lords. “

Another example is given in the next verse, where Allah urges Muslims to be very particular about their trusts and about the rights of other people. “Allah commands you to return your trust to those to whom it is owed.”

Fundamental principles of fair business transactions

According to Islam, the following things should be avoided to start a fair business.

1. Without fraud or deception, the Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said, “When a sale is made, say: No cheating.”

2. Sellers should avoid taking too many oaths when selling merchandise. The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said: “Beware of excessive oaths in a sale. Although you find markets, you reduce abundance.”

3. Mutual consent is necessary. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is reported to have said: “The sale is complete when the two involved leave with mutual consent.”

4. Be strict about weights and measures. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When people cheat in weight and measure, their supply is cut off.” He told the owners of measures and weights: “You have been entrusted with matters for which some nations before you were destroyed.”

5. The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited monopolies. “Whoever monopolizes is a sinner.”

6. Free enterprise, the price of goods should not be fixed unless there is a situation of crisis or extreme need.

7. The hoarding of merchandise to increase prices is prohibited.

8. The transaction of prohibited articles (Haram), such as intoxicants, is prohibited.

Fraud and dishonesty in business

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has stressed the importance of honesty in most of his sermons, saying: “Remember, there is no faith in the untrustworthy; there is no place for he in religion who does not care about his promised word or promise … He (PBUH) also said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three, when he speaks, he is false, when he promises, he fails; and when he is trusted, he plays false. “

Condemning those who cheat in business, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said: “The deceiver is not of us. Deception and fraud are things that lead to hell.”

Once, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came across a pile of corn in the market in Medina and laid his hand on it. My fingers felt wet. When asked, the merchant replied that it had rained on him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observed: “Why then did you not keep it (the wet part) on the dry corn, so that men could see it? of us”.

Therefore, merchants who cheat by showing customers a fake sample or hiding the defects of the product they sell are not true Muslims in the judgment of Allah the Prophet (peace be upon him) and they will end up in hell.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The seller should explain to the buyer the defects, if any, in the quality of the item offered for sale. If this is not done, the seller will be left permanently caught in the wrath of Allah. “

In short, all kinds of deception and dishonesty in business are forbidden in Islam. The Holy Prophet has expressed his strong dislike for those who do.

Bribery in commercial transactions

Bribery and usury, although they can be practiced by mutual agreement and consent, are totally prohibited and prohibited. Those who are guilty of them have been condemned by Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The curse of Allaah falls on the one who offers loans on usurious terms, and on the recipient, and on those who are witnesses to the transaction, and on the writer who writes the writing “.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person made a recommendation for someone in a fair way and the gratified party gave him something as a gift (in exchange for it) and he accepted it, then he made a serious mistake (that is, it is also a form of bribery). “

Usurpation of someone else’s property by force or fraud or dishonest litigation is even worse. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made this clear, as he says: “Whoever occupies the land that belongs to another unjustly will be sunk into the earth along with the parcel of land on the Day of Judgment. End until you reach the lowest layer of the earth. ” And “He who unjustly acquires the property of a Muslim by taking a false oath (before an official) is forbidden by Allah from entering Paradise and Hellfire becomes unavoidable for him.” It is said that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) again warned a person who was very fond of litigation with others with these strong words: “Remember, the one who will obtain the property of another by taking a false oath will appear like a leper. ” before Allah (on the Day of Judgment) “.

And, again he (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever claimed something that was not his, is not ours.”

Reaching the age when life is supposed to begin should increase your desire to look better and feel healthier than ever. Whining about her seemingly irreconcilable wouldn’t do any good. Instead, get ready and start working on your mind, body, and soul to enjoy your best. You may think that your age is a major obstacle to maintaining energy or that fitness is something you have long forgotten. Don’t you think you have more reasons to regain your energy and feel like the same person who got up and walked about 20 years ago?

The task is neither difficult nor impossible, especially if you have Jon Benson’s Fit Over 40 Fitness program. Some say it’s a punch to the moon, while others keep their hopes up. Coincidentally, determination is the focal point of the program. Benson notes that believing that you can achieve your goal is the proper motivation to continue with it. Also on this show, Benson’s partner Tom Venuto delivers true stories of people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, who struggled to stay in shape and ultimately won. These motivational stories accompany the ‘Five Pillars’ fitness strategy that compiles weight training, flexibility and aerobic, balanced nutrition, recovery and renewal. Notice how the program places an emphasis not only on physical fitness but also mental fitness.

Many people attest that Benson and Venuto’s best-selling e-book helped them produce great fitness results. The program really works on the different areas of your body externally and internally. Not only do you manage to achieve physical strength like that of a young man in his 20s or 30s, but you also eventually restore your bone density, your immune system, and your keen memory.

Women aged 40 and over actually got what they signed up for: better perception, better sexual performance, and feeling younger, among others. Impressively, the e-book has improved lives and succeeded where the other failed. If you are in your 40s who are eager to relive your younger years without taking a lot of pills or visiting a doctor frequently, you can also check out the Fit Over 40 e-book and avoid spending on useless strategies. Don’t deprive yourself of the privilege of enjoying life to the fullest. You too may have that feeling that you are now beginning to envy. Live long and enjoy the things that are always available.

The most common notion of the day is “Obedience is a virtue and disobedience is a vice.” However, looking at history, we see a clear trend that it was through disobedience that we were able to achieve what we have achieved thus far. However, through obedience, we as humans only manage to create chaos and discomfort for all other humans.

The lifestyle of the Kalahari pygmies is the most primitive lifestyle source that we can find in modern society today. These people resemble the lives of the primitive man who walked the earth before Christopher Columbus landed in the American hemisphere. Despite all the war and changes in the world, these people seem to be the happiest people living in what we call hell, the unforgiving Kalahari Desert. They do not know of obedience to any system or man, they live in a symbiotic relationship with nature and over time, they have learned to enrich this relationship to the point where they can find water in the desert and live a very peaceful life in isolation.

Now looking at the other side of the dice, we, at our convenience, have trouble being truly independent. Because society has created us as a wheel of this self-destructive society directed by embedding “Obedience” in all aspects of our life, than to become operators of this machine called society, allowing us to be independent and disobedient. The problem is that the social operator turns the machine in a direction in which all the wheels will follow one after another in obedience and no one stops, which leads to the end of the days.

The common notion is: “Obedience is a virtue and disobedience is a vice.” However, when we look at our history to understand how we as humans came to be what we are, we see that the common notion about obedience is a false virtue. As the famous psychologist and author Erich Fromm says, “Human history began with an act of disobedience” (Fromm 246). Through the ages, from a Paleolithic man to a Neolithic man, due to various acts of disobedience such as challenging the knowledge that Paleolithic man possessed as a hunter and cave dweller, we managed to achieve our mental and spiritual growth to reach the peaks of the space age.

Also, looking at this from the religious aspect, we see that throughout the Bible it was due to disobedience that man began to free himself. King David’s disobedience regarding the association with Bathsheba started the lineage of Jesus, who is the ultimate symbol of freedom and all that is good. Furthermore, throughout the Bible we see Jesus constantly defying the law of Israel to free the people of Israel from the Pharisaical law (Garrett Luke 23: 1, 23: 24).

In addition to religion, when looking at the world socio-political scene we see that due to various acts of disobedience on the part of a handful, many people were able to enjoy freedom. George Washington and John Adams, branded traitors by the British for disobeying their law, created what we know as the United States; Abraham Lincoln, against the majority agrees to almost divide the country and create a civil war abolished slavery. Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr., by disobeying the common notion of segregation, set our fellow African-American citizens free, allowing us to have an African-American president in 2009, ushering in a new era in American history.

However, we remain attached to the theory of obedience as a virtue. Looking back in history, we see that our slavery of obeying at all costs or the “Go with the wave” mentality resulted in the end of civilizations. The destruction of Troy VII (Thompson), beyond the myth, we see as a decision made by the minor city-states of the Greek Empire to seize the best trading post and have the monopoly of trade in the Aegean Sea that ended the age of gold of Athens. (Thompson). In addition, during Roman times the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar by Brutus, despite what Shakespeare says, was an act of obedience to the Senate, which led to the death of a great leader and 16 years of bloodbath that concluded the Roman era. the pages of history (Richard 175).

Volumes of books can be written based on the theme of how much obedience at the end of days has contributed to many strong civilizations and systems. So what makes man more likely to obey than to disobey? The human being is a social creature, during childhood man learns by copying what others do in his environment. When the mother points to the father and says “papa”, the baby with time points is the male figure that is always around the mother and says “papa” without knowing if this male figure is really his father or not.

In the same way, it is during childhood that we learn the art of pleasing people and giving up our independent thinking. By doing something that makes Mom and Dad happy, you get a reward, and when you please your teachers, you finish school easily. This relationship between a student and the school is a perfect example of how we mold ourselves to be obedient and not disobedient; a sticky thorn in the heel of people that keeps us locked in foreign paradises. As the child grows, he has become so dependent on other people that his entire life has become a mirror of another person. The fact that the type of hair cream, the car we drive, our partners we choose, even the toilet paper we flush down the toilet reflects the needs of our friends, and keeps us chained to a false sense of security and obedience. . For one to be truly free and independent, one must “have the courage to say no to powers (and) disobey.” (Since 249).

Subsequently, we cannot say No to the powers that we have in our hands, be it religious, governmental, educational or any other, because of the sense of power that we feel when obeying it and the sense of security that we feel. Furthermore, the three-line experiment discussed by Solomon E Asch in is the article “Opinions and Social Pressure” where an individual subject, when put under pressure by a majority on an opinion of good or bad. The subject tends to be wrong in his opinions when trying to satisfy the opinion of the majority despite being right in his individual opinion (Asch 207). This clearly shows us that social pressure also plays an important role in why we cannot say no.

The importance of being independent in our opinions and decisions is beneficial not only for us as individuals but also for the entire world. By studying systems like the Third Reich designed to reach all aspects of all social levels, we see that when man obeys authority without hesitation, its effects can be devastating not only for the individual but for the entire world. The end of World War II on November 25, 1945, initiated the final chapter of Hitler’s Germany, which was the ultimate obedience structure and the first chapter of humanity. The Nuremberg trials where all war criminals faced charges for their reversals with the Holocaust, gave us a good overview of the extreme capacity for obedience that human beings possess even to kill 5 million people because the hierarchy authorized it.

During the trial, not all of the defendants pleaded guilty, but except for a few, all of the defendants were guilty of counts three and four (Crimes against humanity) (Taylor and Kent 14), after which the prosecution provided witnesses and evidence, including the shrunken one. heads from the Buchenwald concentration camp. When asked why the defense committed these monstrosities, the common summarized answer was “I was obeying orders.” Taking the testimony of Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoess to Dr. Kauffmann on the trails of Nuremberg (Monday, April 15, 1946), it is more than obvious to say that despite one’s own disturbing conscience, killing so many men, women and children was justified by obedience to the law. orders given by the state (Stackelberg and Winkle 374). Furthermore, when Adolf Eichmann faced trial on April 11, 1961 for participating in the final solution we know as the Holocaust, his answers to the questions of why he did these monstrosities were simple: “I was a soldier and I followed orders. “,” I never did anything, big or small, without first obtaining express instructions from Adolf Hitler or any of my superiors. ” (Eichman)

However, one can be obedient to a system or a person if he is “all good, all wise: (the system) must become omniscient” (Fromm 249). This is where Jesus and his ministry come in as a great example. “Jesus not only violated the law, but defined what the law should be” (Crawford 35), he was obedient to God, who is omniscient and perfect. However, the world we live in and the leaders we decide to follow from church to government are not perfect like God, even though many leaders preach freedom, a free system cannot exist without disobedience, taking away the freedom to disobey. taking away freedom itself.

Finally, just like the times when the industrial revolution ignited the boiling pot that led to WWI and WWII, modern space and nuclear technology is lighting the next boiling pot. Since many countries, including world powers, are constantly at war with each other, all that is needed is an obedient soldier and a stubborn and obedient commander and there is bound to be a nuclear holocaust. Therefore, it will not be through an act of disobedience, but through an act of obedience that will bring about the end of days.

Cited works

Asch, Solomon E. “Opinions and social pressure”. Behrens, Laurence, and Leonard J Rosen. Writing and reading throughout the curriculum. 3rd. New York: Pearson, 2009. 206-212.

Crawford, Curtis. Civil disobedience A case book. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1973.

Fromm, Erich. “Disobedience as a psychological and moral problem”. Behrens, Laurence, and Leonard J Rosen. Writing and reading throughout the curriculum. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. 245-250.

Garrett, Dr. Duane A. New International Version of the Archaeological Bible. Michigan: Zondervan, 2005.

Richard, Carl J. Twelve Greeks and Romand who changed the world. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003.

Stackelberg, Roderick, and Anne Sally Winkle. The Nazi Germany Reference Book: An Anthology of Texts. London and New York: Routledge, 2002.

Taylor, Richard Norton and Nicolas Kent. Nuremberg. London: Nick Hern Books, 1997.

Thompson, Diane. The Trojan War: Literature and Legend from the Bronze Age to the Present Day. North Carolina: Mc Farland, 2004.

Trial of Adolf Eichmann [VHS]. Perf. Adolph Eichman. 1961.

Autism is a somewhat complex disruption to the neurological system that lasts a lifetime and affects a person’s ability to interact and communicate. More than 1 in 100 people are affected by autism. Autism is classified as a chronic disease. There are different types of autism possible due to differences in environmental and genetic combinations.

The study and understanding of brain networks has immense potential to shed light on how autism develops over time. This will also help you find the right treatment for autism.

Dr. Dickie, lead author of this study and a CAMH scientist, has suggested a different autism in children showing different disabilities. He explained that there are differences in the functioning of brain networks, despite a common or similar diagnosis. There is a growing awareness among researchers that different subtypes of autism possibly exist due to differences in brain biology, as cited by autism expert and clinician-scientist Dr. Ameis, who works at the Institute of Mental Health and CAMH research. CAMH developed a new approach that has been published in biological psychiatry, which provides a better and more efficient way to examine the whereabouts of individuals’ brain networks with greater precision.

The different regions of the brain are connected by brain networks, which send signals through the pathways for some specific functions such as attention or vision. These networks are located in roughly the same regions of everyone’s brain. In comparison, the brains of two individuals with autism are different from each other. The difference is less pronounced when the brains of two individuals who do not have autism are compared. The greatest variation in network location was found to be found in the brain’s attentional networks. In other words, people with autism have a more pronounced spatial pattern of brain networks than people without autism.

Findings of Dr. Dickie

Dr. Dickie claimed that they have developed new ways to visualize the organization of the brain. The team used a new approach called PINT. Using this approach, the position of 6 individual brain networks was mapped to accurately ensure the location of these networks rather than relying on approximate position. The new PINT approach has also been applied to obtain a functional MRI to study the brain of an individual in a ‘resting state’, that is, doing nothing on the MRI scanner. Scientists previously suspected that there is disconnection or very weak long connections between certain areas of the brain in people with autism. After the application of the personalized brain mapping, the evidence of disconnection fell.

Rather, the study suggested that brain networks, which are associated with attention, may not only be disconnected, but may be completely displaced among people with autism. High-profile clinical trials for people with an autism spectrum disorder that have been conducted recently did not show any therapeutic effect as stated by Dr. Ameis. This new study has recently been made available to the public and can now be applied in studies of brain function in autism to account for displacement in the brain network.

As a beginning writer, learning to critique the work of your peers in a writing group can seem like a daunting task. Save the chills and stomach cramps for editors and publishers in the future. Criticizing is fairly straightforward and will also help you edit your own work.

Someone once coined the term “Oreo Cookie” in criticism. You intersperse a friendly and critical comment between two positive comments; It tastes better than having to swallow the negative comment alone. Both positive and negative comments improve a writer’s content, build their confidence, and reinforce their motivation to continue in their craft.

When starting your criticism skills, simply focus on three areas: fluency, spelling / grammar, and punctuation. Find a favorite element from each of these areas and learn how to apply it. Always be honest.

FLOW

The story should move easily and logically.

You need to get involved quickly and stay there until the end.

The facts should be easily connected from paragraph to paragraph.

The dialogue should be realistic, not forced or overly formal.

Spelling / grammar

Always use your spell checker.

Singular nouns need an apostrophe plus an ‘s’ to form a possessive.

Conjunctions need an apostrophe to replace the deleted letter.

Double check your homonyms; Is it ‘bucket’ or ‘pale’? Giving your character a ‘bucket face’ can be embarrassing.

PUNCTUATION

Capitalize the first word of a sentence and only “proper” nouns.

Periods end most sentences.

Always enclose quotation marks in quotation marks.

Keep hyphens, exclamation points, and italics to a minimum.

Pick a favorite motif from each of the three areas above and place it in your critique toolbox. Don’t overload yourself with rules and regulations, but instead focus your energy on honing a few simple critical skills.

Choose from the simple skills above to build stepping stones on your writing path, not obstacles. Learn to accept a certain number of imperfections as part of humanity; even Hemingway and Asimov broke some rules and made mistakes.

Keep writing; practice makes ‘more’ perfect.

I was called in to consult a major insurance company that was faced with a conundrum.

The sales team was losing one important customer after another due to complaints about poor handling of conversations by the customer service team.

The customer service team believed it was top notch, having just won a “best service” award from a survey company.

Who was right

I audited calls and interviewed reps and managers and found that the service team was significantly lacking in several vital areas. Perhaps most surprising was the size of the gap between how well you THOUGHT you were doing and how well you REALLY were doing.

I had witnessed this disconnect before in customer service call centers.

For example, it is common for reps to exaggerate the frequency of angry customers and conflicting calls they handle on an average day.

When asked what percentage of calls involve conflict, the answers are usually “50%” and even higher. When the underlying calls are examined, conflicts make up only 5% or less of overall conversational content.

There are many reasons for this important distortion, notably the fact that negative experiences are often more memorable than positive ones. They leave us with a more emotional “charge” that we need to dispel because they seem to linger in our psyche longer than pleasant exchanges.

Also, the “war stories” that the representatives tell each other in the breaks are more likely to contain references to clients from hell than from heaven. Conflict is juicier gossip stuff, and every rep has at least one favorite horror story to tell, allowing everyone to engage in cathartic coffee break chats.

Retelling these tales has the effect of making them seem more numerous and more significant than they actually had been, just as the “escaped fish” always seems to grow with each recital of that story.

Customer service representatives, however, are not the only ones who experience what are called “perception deficits,” gaps between their perceived and self-reported experiences and objectively verifiable actual experiences.

Doctors distort, too, as a recent study on “handwashing” revealed.

Many clinicians fail to clear an acceptable rate between patient encounters, although they believe they do.

A recent New York Times article explains why:

“There also appear to be psychological reasons for non-compliance. The first is what might be called a perception deficit. In an Australian medical study, physicians self-reported their handwashing rate at 73 percent, whereas when these same physicians were observed, his actual rate was a paltry 9 percent. The second psychological reason, according to a Cedars-Sinai physician, is arrogance. “The ego can kick in after you’ve been in the practice for a while,” explains Paul. Silka, an emergency department doctor who is also the hospital’s chief of staff. ”You say,“ Hey, I couldn’t be carrying the bad bugs. It’s the rest of the hospital staff. ”Furthermore, most of Cedars-Sinai doctors are free agents working for themselves, not the hospital, and many of them saw the impending Joint Commission review as a nuisance. His incentives, in other words, weren’t quite aligned with those of the hospital. ” (Source: “Freakonomics:” Selling Soap “, New York Times, September 25, 2006.)

Customer service dispensers also develop a considerable ego after being in their roles for a significant period of time, as they reminded me when I tried to cash a check at a Houston bank where I had a savings account.

Sensing that the cashier was being overly fussy about the transaction, I muttered, “This is not my idea of ​​good customer service,” to which she replied, “I’ll let you know that I give GREAT customer service!”

In practice, it becomes a great challenge to confront service personnel with the gap between their perceived performances and the underlying realities about them.

To do this constructively, appropriate service quality thresholds to be met must be objectively defined and communicated to service personnel. Frontline staff need classroom training and individualized guidance and implementation guidance to ensure they have the experience to raise the bar of performance and rise to the occasion by surpassing it, time after time.

Once this is done, these levels must be maintained through monitoring, measurement, management, and reward.

Perception deficits can be common, but where possible, they should be identified and eliminated.

Closing these gaps in the world of medicine means that doctors will save lives by facing the facts and reforming their habits.

By providing better service, we will save customers.

In both cases, it is worth the effort!

While most of us are happy to sit back and watch Star Wars, the respective partners are not so willing. I know they ask me all the time why I like it so much. My friend doesn’t seem to understand why Star Wars movies are so good. So I decided to sit down with her and show her why she should like Star Wars as much as I do.

1. Harrison Ford. Most girls still think he’s hot. Yes, he sure is getting old today, but in the original trilogy he is still handsome. Also, if you tell her she takes her shirt off in The Empire Strike Back, she’ll just sit there and wait. Now we all know that he doesn’t actually take his shirt off, it just rips a little bit, but sometimes it is allowed to go overboard.

2. Ewoks. All girls like cute and cuddly things, and there is nothing cuter and cuter than an Ewok. I know you may not like those who want to be half Wookiee, but remember this is not about you. Tell the love of your life that if he likes them, you will get him an Ewok doll. I don’t know if you can, but you can tell him that you will try.

3. C3PO. Girls like gays. They see them as a male friend with female advice, and who fits that role better than C3PO. Once they know he’s gay, they’ll watch the whole movie laughing at his antics and hoping he finds another gay robot so they can live happily ever after.

4. Princess Leia. Girls love a great strong and tough female lead. They also love a soft, feminine character that they can relate to. Leia Organa has everything. She is tough but gentle, brave but scared. Tell your partner that you are a role model and someone you respect. That will earn you chocolate points every time. Show an intellectual side. Hey, lie if you have to, but remember we were trying to sit down and watch our favorite movie here.

5. Cry when Darth Vader dies. When Luke Skywalker removes his helmet, he sheds a tear. Show your girlfriend that you have a soft side. Girls like that. They may not feel the same way, but if it excites you, you will be able to see it more often.

Now that you’ve convinced her to like Star Wars, you don’t want to spoil it all by doing something stupid. Unfortunately, as men, we are almost pre-programmed to do stupid things, and what is the biggest mistake we can make when we watch Star Wars?

“Wow, Leia looks sexy in that slave outfit!”

And in an instant you’ve messed it up.

Of course, by saying all this, I have tried everything and still have not been able to convince her. Of course, it is better to try than simply fail.

Terry shadwell

PS: I know where you can get a Princess Leia slave outfit!

After a long wait, the long-awaited sixth book in the Harry Potter series is finally coming into the movie. The Half Blood Prince will make its screen debut in July 2009.

It seems like a long time ago that the second book in the series hit theaters. Actually, it was released in 2002. How much do you remember from the second movie / book? Can you remember who the house elf was? Or what was the name of Hogwart’s history teacher? Try these questions and see exactly how much you remember.

Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor House, is terribly upset that he has been denied entry to a certain ghost club. What club is it?

A: The headless hunt. According to the club rules, he cannot join because he is not completely beheaded. He couldn’t play polo or juggle his head.

What does Lucius Malfoy accidentally give Dobby that sets him free?

A: Harry’s sock. A house elf is freed if a master gives him clothes. Harry tricks Lucuis into throwing one of his socks at him and Dobby catches him.

When Harry is fighting the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, Fawkes brings him the school sorting hat. What does Harry get out of the sorting hat?

A: a sword. It was Godric Gryffindor’s sword.

For years, people have been trying to find the entrance to the secret chamber that is hidden somewhere in Hogwarts school. Where is the entrance to the chamber of secrets?

A: It is in the bathroom that he is obsessed with moaning Myrtle.

What kind of animal does Albus Dumbledor have as a pet?

A: A phoenix. It is a magical bird named Fawkes.

What kind of monster was in the chamber of secrets? Are they born from a chicken egg, are they born under a toad?

A: In basilisk. They are feared by spiders and have a deadly gaze.

On Christmas morning, Hedwig flies into Harry’s room with a gift from the Dursleys. What is it?

A: a toothpick. They also include a note asking if Harry can stay at the school for the summer break.

Who is the only teacher at Hogwarts who is a ghost?

A: Professor Binns. Teach history.

In the wizarding world, owls deliver the mail. Harry’s owl is a snowy owl named Hedwig. What is the name of the owl of the Weasley family?

A: Errol. He is very old and has trouble with his landings.

Nearly Headless Nick invites Hermione, Ron and Harry to attend the celebration of the 500th day of his death. This is a celebration of the day he died. What day of the year does it take place?

A: October 31. Instead of going to the Halloween party, the three of them go to the dungeons to celebrate with Nick and his ghost friends.

Hagrid has several different pets throughout the Harry Potter series. Probably the most normal of all your animals is your big cowardly dog. What is your dog’s name?

A fang. Hagrid asks Harry and Ron to take care of his duff while he is in Azkaban.

What is the name of Ron Weasley’s favorite Quidditch team?

A: The Chudley Cannons. Its colors are orange and black.

Harry Potter plays the seeker for the Gryffindor house team. Who is the Slytherin team seeker?

A: Draco Malfoy. He gets the job because his father buys new brooms for the whole team.

Ron, Harry, and Professor Lockhart enter the Chamber of Secrets together. While they are in the pipes, Lockhart tries to erase the memories of Ron and Harry. What is the magic word you use?

To forget. Unfortunately for the professor, he uses Ron’s wand which is broken and the spell fails.

Hermione, Ron and Harry drink polyjuice potions. Harry and Ron transform into Crabbe and Goyle. Who is Hermione supposed to become?

A: Millicent Bulstrode. The plan was for Hermione to switch to Millicent, but by mistake, Hermione uses a cat hair in the potion.

Harry and Ron are arrested for arriving at Hogwarts in the flying car. Harry has to spend detention with Professor Lockhart helping him with his fan mail. What does Ron have to do?

A: Ron has to help Filch polish the trophies in the trophy case without using magic.

None of the students are killed by the monster in the chamber of secrets, instead they are petrified. Hermione is protected by the mirror, Mrs. Norris was protected by the water. What kept Colin Creevey safe?

A: He saw the monster through his camera. The monster’s gaze melted the inside of the camera and the film.