Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Diaz Surname Meaning and Origin
Diaz Surname Meaning and Origin The surname Diaz comes from the Latin dies which means days. Although it is a common Hispanic surname, Diaz is believed to have Jewish origins, predating the Hispanic world. It is related to the Spanish surname DIEGO; numerous historical examples point to the use of Diaz as a patronymic of Diego (son of Diego). DIAZ is the 14th most popular Hispanic surname and the 73rd most popular surname in the United States. Surname Origin:à Spanish, Portuguese Alternate Surname Spellings:à Dias Famous People with the Surname DIAZ El Cid (bornà Rodrigo Dà az) - medieval military leader and hero of SpainPorfirio Diaz - Mexican general; president from 1876 to 1911Nate Diaz - American MMA fighterNick Diaz - American MMA fighter; brother of Nate DiazJunot Diaz - Dominican-American author and Pulitzer Prize winner Where Do People With the DIAZ Surname Live? According to surname distribution data fromà Forebears, Diaz is the 128th most commonà surname in the world, ranking as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest density based on population in Puerto Rico. Diaz is the 4th most common last name found in Chile; 7th most common in Peru, Cuba and the Dominican Republic; 8th in Panama; 9th in Venezuela and Argentina; and 10th in Colombia and Puerto Rico. Within Europe, Diaz is most frequently found in Spain, where it ranks as the 14th most common surname. It is most frequently found in the northern region of Asturias, as well as the Canary Islands. Genealogy Resources for the Surname DIA 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researchingà your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Diaz Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Diaz family crest or coat of arms for the Diaz surname.à Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.à GeneaNet - Diaz RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Diaz surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries.
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Budgeting for Your Indie Novel
Budgeting for Your Indie Novel Budgeting for Your Indie Novel Michael Doane is the author of à "The Crossing"à and book strategist at Writing Inbound. When heââ¬â¢s not writing novels, heââ¬â¢s working with other authors to promote, launch, and sell their books. In this article, he talks about the budget he set for self-publishing his debut novel, "The Crossing" and how he was able to stick to it.à A couple of months ago, Reedsy put together a comprehensive infographic on what it costs to self-publish a book. The infographic breaks down costs associated with the various stages of editing as well as cover design and typesetting. According to the data, a 60,000 word book will cost you an average of $5,260 if you purchase each service individually. Thatââ¬â¢s a fair amount of money if youââ¬â¢re going into self-publishing for the first time and arenââ¬â¢t generating any revenue from your books yet.While Reedsy has the data on average costs, Iââ¬â¢d like to share what authors really care about: a story. My debut novel, The C rossing is just under 60,000 words, so Iââ¬â¢m going to judge my own progress up against Reedsyââ¬â¢s $5,260 average.My budgetWhen I got serious about publishing, I set a budget of $3,500 on editing and design services. This was money I had in my PayPal account from helping other authors market their books. That meant I had to find shortcuts and alternatives to cut costs and save myself money. One thing I wasnââ¬â¢t willing to compromise on, however, was quality.This was going to be quite the challenge: save about 50% on professional publishing services and STILL come to market with a quality, professionally designed product thatââ¬â¢s been vetted by top-notch editors. I also didnââ¬â¢t want to haggle with professionals by negotiating unnecessary discounts.Spoiler alert: I was able to stay within budget.The steps I took to get my book ready to self-publish1. I started with myselfâ⬠¦The first thing I did was read my own book. I read it critically and made lots and lots of notes. Then I edited the thing. I cut about 15,000 words from the first draft and added an additional 7,000 words to the manuscript.Then I did it again. I re-read, cut, and re-wrote. Itââ¬â¢s not easy. Some may even call it soul-shattering. The thing isâ⬠¦ itââ¬â¢s necessary.I made "The Crossing" the best possible product I could make on my own before sharing it with anyone.2. I shared with friends and familyâ⬠¦I have a funny story about the ending of "The Crossing"â⬠¦It is late, about 1am on a Tuesday night, and I have to get up for work at 5am the next morning. My wife, Emily, is always my first-reader and she is just finishing the first draft of the manuscript. She is so disappointed with the ending that she wakes me up, shaking me. ââ¬Å"Mike, Mike. What theâ⬠¦!? This book is SO GOOD, but the endingâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ It was so bad, she said, she couldnââ¬â¢t sleep. I love my wife, so I got up and wrote her an acceptable ending. I was up until about 2 am making it work. I brought it back to her and watched her read it. ââ¬Å"This is better,â⬠she said, ââ¬Å"but still not the best it can be.â⬠It took three more tries and two editors to get to the best possible ending - the one that made her cry!All this to say, itââ¬â¢s important to share with family and friends. Most of them will tell you they like it (giving you a slight boost in confidence). The best ones will be totally honest with you and encourage you to make art thatââ¬â¢s beautiful and worthwhile. Share your writing with friends. It'll encourage you to make something worthwhile.â⬠@medoane 3. I enlisted a small but dedicated group of beta readersâ⬠¦My beta readers are my most important asset. Seriously.I put it out there - on my blog and social media - that I was looking for people to read my book and provide feedback. About 50 people signed up and out of those 50, about 15 gave me good, valuable feedback.I sent my manuscript for "The Crossing" to them no strings attached and, over a few months, scheduled calls and exchanged emails with them to solicit direct feedback. I had a very diverse group, who gave me amazing perspective on my work.Once I was finished with all my calls and emails with my beta readers, I made yet another round of personal edits based on the feedback.4. I hiredà an editor for an assessmentâ⬠¦At this point, I knew there was little more I could do on my own and with the honesty and encouragement of my friends, family, and beta readers. I turned to Reedsy and put out proposals for an editorial assessment.I ended up hiring Rebecca Heyman, who was not the least expensive nor the most expensive of the five editors Iââ¬â¢d reached out to.While I donââ¬â¢t want to share exactly what I paid for her services, Iââ¬â¢ll say that it was (what I thought at the time) a big chunk of change. Iââ¬â¢ll also say that the big chunk of change was totally worth it.Becca delivered an 8-page document detailing the parts of the narrative that worked and - more importantly - the parts of the narrative that didnââ¬â¢t work. We then had a pretty heated conversation via Skype about details and alternatives.The best part of working with Becca is that she brought me back to earth, tore down the hard work Iââ¬â¢d already done, and pointed me back to the drawing board.What an editorial assessment does for an author is provide perspective. It gives you insights on your work from an experienced professional. Becca was able to create a comprehensive overview of my manuscript for "The Crossing" and help me refine it to a publishab le work. "What an editorial assessment really gives an author is perspective.â⬠@medoane 5. I went back to the drawing boardâ⬠¦I didnââ¬â¢t make all the edits Becca suggested (thereââ¬â¢s that freedom of self-publishing coming into play), but what I did do was re-read the book with fresh eyes and tended to the problem areas that Becca pointed out. I ended up cutting and adding a lot more. Re-read, re-consider, re-write. Thatââ¬â¢s what itââ¬â¢s all about.Then I recruited more beta readers and had a few from the original group have another go at it and give me feedback. This time they were giving me pointers on not only the narrative, but also grammar and spelling.6. I hired aà cover designerâ⬠¦While my beta readers were busy reading, I went back to Reedsy and put out quotes for a cover designer. I ended up going with Matthew Cobb, who just so happens to be a Reedsy co-founder as well.We spent time going back and forth on different iterations and I was able to have complete control over the final product.7. I hired copyeditor/proofreaderâ⬠¦Since I used so many other resources, like my beta readers, for copyediting and content development, I put out a final round of proposals on Reedsy for a mix of copyediting and proofreading services. I ended up hiring Rachel Small.Rachelââ¬â¢s profile mentioned that she dealt with YA, coming of age, and travel stories, so I knew I wanted to work with her before I even heard any responses back. I also read Reedsy authorà Stacey Dyerââ¬â¢s article about working with Rachel, which seemed like a wonderful, collaborative process. Luckily, Rachel came back with a quote on point with what I expected to pay.At this point "The Crossing" was a pretty solid, final, and publishable narrative. I read through one more time, made most of the edits Rachel suggested, and made some tweaks to the narrative that the beta readers had suggested (such moving around chapters, and adding some overlooked elements).8. Ià did my own typesettingWith the average cost of typesetting being $840 (according to R eedsyââ¬â¢s infographic),à this couldââ¬â¢ve easily been the expense that took me over budget. However, I used the free Reedsy Book Editorà to do the typesetting for me.à You simply copy and paste your chapters into the tool (or use it to write your book), then hit export and you get a nice print-ready PDF and ebook reader-friendly ePub file.So, what does self-publishing a book really cost?Time! Writing, editing, learning how to publish, working with various editors and beta readers, sharing with friends and family and waiting for a response. Having your work torn down by editors so you can build it back up. Patience and effort. This is the true cost of self-publishing. "Time is the true cost of self-publishing."@medoane From the time my first draft was complete until the time the book was published, everything took about two years. I approached it like a second job and spent hundreds of hours, during nights and weekends, learning how to publish a book. But if youââ¬â¢re up to learning new processes, putting out the upfront investments, and working with a team of skilled professionals, the costs certainly are worth it.Thankfully, I was able to stick to the budget I set for myself. According to my $3500 budget, I spent an average of $145 per month in expenses, and if I did extend past my budget to the average cost based on Reedsyââ¬â¢s infographic, it still would have only been about $219 per month. With my current sales numbers, Iââ¬â¢m set to make back these costs within the next few months.Whatââ¬â¢s next?Here is someà last minute advice for those who are ready to take the same path:Set a budget before anything else.Find an audience early.Promote to friends and family.Engage your beta readers.Hire a professional editor (or two).Get a well-designed cover.Learn as much as you can about the industry.Network with other authors.If youââ¬â¢re a detail-oriented and you want to bypass the publishing industryââ¬â¢s red-tape, then self-publishing is definitely worth the cost. Just know that itââ¬â¢s a long road if youââ¬â¢re going to do it right - and come into it with an entrepreneurââ¬â¢s perspective, because youà need to invest money if you want to create a beautiful product that will earn you money in return.à Good luck!"The Crossing" is available on Amazon in paperback and on Amazon Kindle.à Mention this article to get a 25% discount on your next book marketing plan through Michael Doane on Reedsy.Michael set himself the task to not cut corners, to create a book he would be proud of, but also to stay within his allocated self-publishing budget. And he did! What have been your experiences with taking on the cost of publishing yourself?à Leave y our thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Michaelà in the comments below.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino Research Paper
Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino - Research Paper Example Valdez was raised in a family of farmworkers who were migrants in the lands of caucasian Americans. He grew up in Delano, California and was exposed to farm work at a young age. He was well educated, despite the fact that his parents were in frequent travels. He finished college and went on to see labor unions and their struggles in a stranger country (Elam Jr. 3). In 1965, he started to participate in a strike organized by a union of farmers called the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (Elam Jr. 3). He was an apprentice then at the San Francisco Mime Troupe when he convinced leaders of the labor union to create a theater company of their own (Elam Jr. 3). He was successful in convincing UFWOC leaders and staged various plays that expressed the sentiments of the union as well as a cultural expression of Chicanos as a minority group. Themes of the play involved struggles of Mexican farmers, meager income in farm work, among others (Elam Jr. 3). In 1965, Valdez founded El Teatro Campesino, which was worldly-renowned (Huerta 69). Actors who were part of his newly-organized theater group were farmers, who were eager to expose the injustices they suffered in the fields while actively urging other farmers to join their cause, too (Huerta 69). Two years later, Valdezââ¬â¢s theater group abandoned the common portrayal of agricultural issues and began to explore other issues concerning the Chicanos or the Mexicans (Huerta 70). Valdez separated from the union because of the need to improve his craft in terms of standards in an effective theater play. El Teatro Campesino still graced farmersââ¬â¢ invitations to perform during union strikes, but also did portrayals of other worthy issues such as the American educational system and the status of the Chicanos in the particular sector (Huerta 70). The Education System. Valdez created plays that depict his criticisms against the American educational system. No Saco Nada de la Escuel a or He Didnââ¬â¢t Get Anything from School depicts how the education system forced the Americansââ¬â¢ dominant culture into the minds of cultural minorities such as the Chicanos (Valdez 66). Through that play, Valdez was able to convey his message of his opposition against the imposition of the English language as a medium of instruction in class, while discrimination against non-English speakers continued (Valdez 70-71). Murillo, Jr. et al. described language as a symbol of oneââ¬â¢s identity; it is the ââ¬Å"blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they growâ⬠(19). Thus, Valdez believed that it is not an easy transition for students who were born and raised with the Spanish language as the mother tongue (66). Moreover, No Saco Nada de la Escuela portrayed how Valdez sees the American education system as a venue for bullying, and the toleration of it among Latino students. English was portrayed as the key to communication, the eradication of discr imination, and the perfect way to pass. Latinos in the Education System: 1950s to 1970s During the 1950s up until the 1960s, only few Mexican students successfully finished high school (I. Lopez 16-17), especially in schools located in Los Angeles. According to Lopez, the quality of education can be considered as the ââ¬Å"
Saturday, February 1, 2020
East and Central European countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
East and Central European countries - Essay Example uted leaders of technological change are the countries of Western Europe, the United States and Japan, with a high technological culture and monopolize major breakthrough technology of recent decades, in fact already entered the phase of post-industrial development, successfully addressing the socio-economic objectives. In pursuit of the leaders the countries of South-East Asia and China stepped up on the way to build the innovation economy. (Lavigne, 1992) In recent years, many countries of Central East Europe and CIS are actively moving towards the socio-economic modernization and striving for adapting to the rapidly growing processes of globalization, also announced an innovative course as a priority in their development. However, none of the post-socialist countries has been able to integrate in terms of technologically advanced countries, being mainly on the periphery of the global economy. The basis of the structural change and technological upgrading of Central/East European countries is the policy of their governments, aimed at creating a favorable investment climate, ensuring a serious income of foreign investment. In general foreign companies by the end of 2003, invested in the economies of Central/East Europe 162 billion dollars. About the number of foreign investment in national economy of these countries shows the percentage of volume of accumulated investments in GDP, which amounted for Czech Republic 52%, Hungary - 44, Slovakia - 40%. (Inglot, 2008) Among the major foreign investment companies operating in the market in these countries, there are such well-known multinationals as Opel, Volkswagen, PSA, Audi, Toyota, Daewoo, General Motors, Nokia, Philips, Bosh, IBM, Hewlett Packard, General Electric, Electronics, Ford, Suzuki, Sony, Sanyo, Electrolux and others in the field of view of their interests are mainly in the automobile industry, electronics, manufacturing of computer and telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals and chemical
Friday, January 24, 2020
Media Violence and the Captive Audience :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers
The media, including television programming, cartoons, film, the news, as well as literature and magazines, is a very powerful and pervasive medium for expression. It can reach a large number of people and convey ideas, cultural norms, stereotypic roles, power relationships, ethics, and values. Through these messages, the mass media may have a strong influence on individual behavior, views, and values, as well as in shaping national character and culture. Although there is a great potential for the media to have a positive and affirming effect on the public and society at large, there may be important negative consequences when the messages conveyed are harmful, destructive, or violent. Many psychologists have studied the effect of the media on an individualââ¬â¢s behavior and beliefs about the world. There have been over 1000 studies which confirm the link that violence portrayed through the media can influence the level of aggression in the behavioral patterns of children and adults (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001). The observed effects include, increased aggressiveness and anti-social behavior towards others, an increased fear of becoming a victim or target of aggressive behavior, becoming less sensitive to violence and victims of violent acts, and concurrently desiring to watch more violence on television and in real-life (A.A.P. 2001). According to John Murray of Kansas State University, there are three main avenues of effects: direct effects, desensitization, and the Mean World Syndrome (Murray, 1995, p. 10). The direct effects of observing violence on television include an increase in an individualââ¬â¢s level of aggressive behavior, and a tendenc y to develop favorable attitudes and values about using violence to solve conflicts and to get oneââ¬â¢s way. As a result of exposure to violence in the media, the audience may become desensitized to violence, pain, and suffering both on television and in the world. The individual may also come to tolerate higher levels of aggression in society, in personal behavior, or in interpersonal interactions. The third effect is known as the Mean World Syndrome, which theorizes that as a result of the amount of violence seen on television and also the context and social perspective portrayed through the media, certain individuals develop a belief that the world is a bad and dangerous place, and begin to fear violence and victimization in real life (A.A.P. 2001). The effect of the media on young children is especially salient. Young children often learn how to act and behave from what they observe at home, from the adults and older peers they come in contact with, and from what they see on television.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Plastic and Specific Technical Needs
Answer: Plastic was thought to be a boon but it turned out to be a curse. Plastic can be very harmful as it produces harmful gases when it is burned. As it is non bio degradable, it is harmful to the soil and takes hundreds of years to degrade or decompose. Plastic is a boon for man but it is a curse for the master. It makes life comfortable for man but life tiring for the environment. Once animals have eaten it and due to choking they die Plastic is very harmful to living things. We should decrease the use of plastic. In India use of plastic has been banned.Packaging represents the largest single sector of plastics use in the world today. Benefits of plastics-Boon The considerable growth in plastic use is due to the beneficial properties of plastics. These include: Extreme versatility and ability to be tailored to meet very specific technical needs. Lighter weight than competing materials, reducing fuel consumption during transportation. Extreme durability. Resistance to chemicals, water and impact. Good safety and hygiene properties for food packaging. Excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties. Relatively inexpensive to produce.Plastics makes up around 7% of the average household dustbin. Effects of plastic-Curse. Plastics production also involves the use of potentially harmful chemicals, which are added as stabilisers or colorants. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk assessment and their impact on human health and the environment is currently uncertain. An example of this is phthalates, which are used in the manufacture of PVC. PVC has in the past been used in toys for young children and there has been concern that phthalates may be released when these toys are sucked (come into contact with saliva).Risk assessments of the effects of phthalates on the environment are currently being carried out. The disposal of plastics products also contributes significantly to their environmental impact. Because most plastics are non-degradable , they take a long time to break down, possibly up to hundreds of years ââ¬â although no-one knows for certain as plastics haven't existed for long enough ââ¬â when they are landfilled. With more and more plastics products, particularly plastics packaging, being disposed of soon after their purchase, the landfill space required by plastics waste is a growing concern.Plastic waste, such as plastic bags, often becomes litter. For example, nearly 57% of litter found on beaches in 2003 was plastic. Recycling plastic -Advantages. Conservation of non-renewable fossil fuels ââ¬â Plastic production uses 8% of the world's oil production, 4% as feedstock and 4% during manufacture. Reduced consumption of energy. Reduced amounts of solid waste going to landfill. Reduced emissions of carbon-dioxide (CO2), nitrogen-oxide (NO) and sulphur-dioxide (SO2)
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
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