5 Tips for Graphic Designers Switching to UX Design

Technology continues to open up exciting career paths for design professionals. One of the hottest jobs right now is user experience (UX) designer, and companies are willing to pay top salaries for people with experience: the median salary for a UX Designer in the U.S. is $70,000/year for entry-level, and $100,00/year for experienced professionals.

With demand at a high and lots of transferable skills between professions, graphic design might see UX design as a move worth making. If you’re a graphic designer looking to become a UX designer, but not sure how to start the transition, this article is for you.

Graphic Design vs. UX Design

Before we dive into details on how to make the transition to UX design, it’s essential to define what UX design is all about and how it’s different from graphic design.

While graphic design and UX design do have some commonalities (they both require creative thinking), there’s a major difference between two — responsibilities and end-goals:

  • Graphic design mostly deals with the visual aspects of design (colors, typefaces). The primary goal of a graphic designer is to create great aesthetics.
In graphic design, information is communicated to users through text and images. Image credit: Ramotion
  • User experience design is about designing the entire experience a user has with a product: not only the visuals, but the information architecture (how information is presented and organized), user interface, interaction design (how users can interact with the product or service), and many others. The primary goal of a UX designer is to create great products.
The role of UX role is complex, challenging, and multifaceted. Unlike graphic designers, who mainly focus on aesthetics and communication, user experience designers are focused on users and how they interact with a product.

Another important difference between graphic design and UX design is design process. While for a graphic designer the design process finishes once the product is launched; for a UX designer the product launch is just a step in design process. A UX design should be continually tested and adjusted based on user feedback. Thus, UX designers should be ready to rework their prototype and correct their hypothesis based on user’s needs.

Product design process. Image credit: Visual

Moving From Graphic Design To UX Design

Many people believe that UX is an exclusive club that only those with the right talent and extensive training can join. It’s not true. In fact, the career shift may come naturally to those who already possess strong design skills. Here are five things to remember when moving from graphic design to UX design:

1. Learn New Skills

One way to make sure that you’re ready to transition into a career in UX design is by investing some time and effort in learning UX skills. While graphic design is a specialized discipline, and there is a certain set of specialized skills (such as typography and color theory) required to produce great visuals, UX design is much more multi-disciplinary. UX design sits at the crossroads of a lot of fields and designers have to constantly learn about human psychology, visual design, interaction design, information architecture and user research techniques in order to create the right solutions to user problems.

Dan Willis’ UX umbrella. Image credit: Slideshare

While it’s impossible to learn all disciplines right away, it’s still possible to provide a few recommendations on how to get started:

  • Start where your strengths are and pick up bits of the surrounding areas where and when you can. If you’re good in visual design, simply start with that.
  • Look at the skills you can transfer to your new role. One of the benefit for graphic designers moving to UX design is that they can make things attractive. Good aesthetics can improve the overall user experience of a product by making users feel better about it. So don’t discard graphic design skills and bring them to the table while working on an UX project.

2. Focus on Building a UX Design Portfolio

What do employers look for when hiring UX designers? Two factors they consider are relevant professional experience and designportfolio. If you don’t have the former, focus on the latter. Career-switchers often face the same dilemma as recent graduates looking for their first jobs: to get hired for a UX design job you need UX experience. But how can you get that experience? It’s recommended to show your potential in any way that you can:

  • Participate in the Daily UI Challenge and include the favorites in your portfolio. DailyUI is especially good for beginners because it both helps you boost your skills and while also creating a social presence. Just make it clear in your portfolio that it’s academic work.
  • Participate as volunteer in nonprofit projects. You can learn from others designers while facing real-world challenges and provide outcomes that you can point to in your portfolio as positive contributions to society.

3. Pursue User-Focused Design Instead of Pixel-Focused

When you have a graphic design background, creating a pixel-perfect design is likely the aspect you enjoy most. Ensuring text has perfect kerning and colors are selected according to brand guidelines often takes up a significant portion of a graphic designer’s time. This isn’t the way things work for UX design.

UX designers are primarily focused on users and strongly concerned with whether they are able to achieve their goal. To create user-focused design you need to keep following things in mind:

  • Usability is a cornerstone of user experience. A common problem is many UX designers seem to focus more on work that looks pretty, and less on functionality and usability of the design. Stand apart from the pack by making sure that you understand and consider usability details in your design.
  • Avoid starting with visual design too early, for exactly the same reason — your attention should be focused on how things work rather than how they look. Remember, people don’t use an app or service for a pretty design. They want to solve their problem or satisfy their need by using your product.

4. Learn How To Conduct User Research and Collect Feedback On Your Work

A UX designer’s job is to create a product that provides the best possible user experience. How does that happen? It starts with a lot of research. Research is an essential part of the UX design process, as it informs the product’s design. You can’t create a valuable product for your users unless you understand the problems they face and how you can solve those problems via design. Graphic designers looking to switch career tracks will need to invest time into learning how to conduct user research.

Different user research methods summarized by NNGroup

Don’t be afraid of showing your work to others and let people test your thinking — you learn a lot from knowing what worked and what didn’t work.

UX designers work closely with users and other team members in order to ensure that the end product match user’s expectations. Image credit: General Assembly

5. Build Network And Learn As Go

Once you’ve got practical UX design skills and created your UX portfolio, you’ll need to focus on networking. Networking is essential for UX designers since the best opportunities are often found when someone already in the field recommends you for a position. One of the best places to start networking are LinkedIn and Medium. Join local UX-related groups, start asking and answering the questions, and you’ll eventually build all important network with your peers. But take it slow — don’t just show up and start asking for a job, you need to build relationships with people first.

One other useful way to start networking is to follow UX experts on Twitter. Here are just a few names: Don Norman, Luke Wroblewski, Steve Krug. Not only will you learn a lot from them, you can also interact with their followers who are mostly designers like you.

Is there a gap between graphic design skills and UX design skills? Yes, but not an insurmountable one. Graphic designers already speak the language of design. The world of user experience design is full of opportunities to expand your creative career. Good luck!

Originally published at blogs.adobe.com.

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self liberation

In all things, your permission comes from the non-acting action and the dettached guidance of the Self.

In other words, permission is granted when your action flows from the guidance the Self gives.

The contents of the mind are like the strands that weave the net used to capture our attention and trap us.

If captured, free yourself, not by struggling,

But by being still, noticing the contents, and learning about the mind-trap.

Knowledge about the mind-trap frees you from it.

You think, feel, dream, act, speak,

It does seem that way, doesn’t it?

Check again.

Who thinks, feels, dreams, acts, speaks?

That will be your most important discovery.

Breaking news:

A major accident happened today for someone, somewhere. It happened when “Who you want to be” refused to give way to “Who the world says that you are.” The two collided at the Liberation Junction at the perfect time.

Luckily, “Who you truly are” walked away from the scene, unscathed.


even maoist spaces crumble and fade…

Only eleven houses remain occupied in Baishizhou’s Tangtou row houses.

Nanshan District tacitly condemned these houses several years ago, but did not become serious about evictions until the Universidade (Summer 2011). As inhabitants were evicted, the District padlocked the doors, so that the buildings could not be reoccupied. However, as the saying goes, “Those on top have policies, those on the bottom have countermeasures (上有政策,下有对策)”. When houses weren’t immediately padlocked, another family or worker or group of friends moved in. The owners continued to collect rent. When enforcers from the Urban Management Bureau (城管) came by either the inhabitants moved, or made friends with them and stayed, waiting for the final eviction.

This wait and see attitude has been much more successful for inhabitants of houses where the landlord is either in Hong Kong or further abroad. As a 4-year resident said, “Property managers don’t care what we do because the absent landlords are legally responsible. All they have to do is collect rents and their paychecks. I’m polite to urban management and they leave me alone. We’re all human, and when it’s time to move, they’ll tell me.”

Nanshan District has decided to close down the area completely because the summer rains further weakened the structures. These buildings from rural collectivism are no longer simply considered an eyesore, but also dangerously unsound. The vanishing of Maoist economic legacies was, of course, one of Shenzhen’s raison d’etre. However, Maoism lingered in the nooks and crannies of previously built spaces, such as Tangtou. Indeed, the Tangtou row houses are one of the few remaining examples of Maoist architecture in Shenzhen’s inner districts and once they have been razed, Maoism will become more of a spectre than it already is.

Thought du jour: in Shenzhen, even crumbling, Maoist dormitories can no longer safely shelter the city’s poorest workers and their families. Wither the left, indeed.

Impressions of Tangtou wet and sunny, and still occupied interior.

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bounded histories

Yesterday, I went to the Bao’an Archives Office (深圳市宝安区档案馆) and met with one of the editors of the Bao’an Gazetteer (宝安史志).

The conversation turned to the paradoxical dependency of historical narratives on a sense of immortal China and actual historical archives. This paradox might be glossed as a contradiction between “emotional” and “documented” history. On the one hand, patriotism, tradition, and the deep history of Han settlement anchors the idea of “Shenzhen history”. The emotional sense that Shenzhen is and has always been part of “China” is created through a narrative that links the history of Xin’an Ancient City, for example, is written with respect to the area’s integration into the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the development of the imperial salt monopoly. Thus, ongoing political restructuring — beginning with contemporary Shenzhen and arriving at the Eastern Jin via Bao’an, Xin’an, and Dongguan — is rewritten as evidence of the city’s ongoing participation in something that might be glossed as “eternal China”.

This map is of the Eastern Jin when Nantou City was the prefectural seat of the Guangdong Eastern Prefecture (东晋东官郡), including present day Dongguan City, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

On the other hand, the actual archives to which a historian has access bureau is an artifact of political restructurings and the concomitant shifting of administrative borders. The question of land titles (地契) that were issued during early land reform (1950-52) is an interesting case in point. Originally, all Bao’an county land titles were held in Huizhou City, which administered the county from 1950-1979. These land titles, of course, became void during collectivization movements (second half of 1950s) and land holdings shifted from individuals to collectives. Consequently, during the 1980s household responsibility system (家庭联产承包责任制), land rights were redistributed via collectives. Nevertheless, in the early 1980s, the land titles were sent to Bao’an, where they are incomplete, but nevertheless have been increasingly used by villagers to make land claims.

The ongoing construction of Shenzhen has further complicated the actual practice of creating viable historical archives. Theoretically, archives have followed administrative hierarchies. In practice, this means that when an administrative unit is promoted and/or redistricted documents have to be moved from one building to another. For example, the transfer of Bao’an land titles from Huizhou to Bao’an. Moreover, the ongoing construction of Shenzhen municipal and district offices means that these archives have not only been packed and sent to another building, where they may or may not have been unpacked, but also during the redistribution boxes of material have been lost.

Our conversation concluded with the recognition that history — as we are writing it in Shenzhen and I suspect elsewhere — turns on context. Are we responding emotionally to patriotic calls? Or are we developing arguments out of extant documents? In either case, here on the ground, the tension between these two extremes serves to buttress both emotional and documentary uncertainties. When we lack a document, we can turn to the hyperbolic understanding that Shenzhen has always been part of China and when we need to assert the truth of our feelings, we can point to these maps, which although now virtual, continue to reassure us that history is not just of our own making.

the party’s assets

So the investigation of the State Assets Administration Committee (国资委) Director, Jiang Jiemin (蒋洁敏) has begun. Just a day after the Bo Xilai trial ended, netizens have described Jiang Jiemin’s corruption as “unbelievable” . How much more off the top can China’s leaders go? Or are we still struggling for a vocabulary to describe the scale and scope of China’s modernization and attendent robber barons?

In point of fact, Jiang Jiemin did have access to money and resources well beyond Bo Xilai. After all, Bo Xilai only oversaw the assests of Chongqing, one city. In contrast, as Director of the State Assets Administration Committee, Jiang Jiemin oversaw , The all of China’s state-owned industries, including the country’s energy and telecommunications companies, as well as all the natural resources development companies. In everyday language, this extensive monopoly is called “the Party’s assests (党产)”.

This is the political-economic context in which Shenzhen residents speak of the city becoming more and more like the interior; as the city apparatus increases its regulatory control (through mechanisms such as the urban plan) opportunities to take advantage of the SEZ’s economic boom are increasingly monopolized by the Party State. In turn, second and third generation reds (红二代、红三代 as the children of Party leaders are called) overwhelmingly control opportunities to head these industries.

as chongqing turns: the trial of bo xilai (abridged)

Day 1
Prosecution: Your wife accepted money.
Defendant grunts.
Defendant: Known but not really close.
Prosecution: Did you give favors to this person?
Defendant: No.
Prosecution: She never mentioned it?
Xu Ming: Yes.
Prosecution: Did he know?
Xu Ming: No.
Prosecution: You mother-fu… Court recess!

Day 2
Defendant: Have you closed your arguments?
Prosecution: Yes.
Defendant: Where’s the evidence?
Prosecution: Mother fucker, this isn’t evidence?!
Defendant: Is it? Enough? (Defendant laughs).

Day 3, morning
Wang: It seems that maybe…yes!
Prosecution: Yes.
Wang: No.
Prosecution: You definitely took bribes!
Judge: Prosecution, please remember your role…

Judge: Please continue.
Judge: (speechless)

Day 3, afternoon
Prosecution: We call General Wang Lijun.
Prosecution: General Wang, what do you have to say?
Prosecution: See! Do you see?
General Wang: I took responsibility for you!
General Wang: You! (10,000 characters deleted).
Judge: Court recessed.

yan’an by way of frankfurt

Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s 1944 essay The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception helps us think through the idea that capitalism in the West functions like socialism in China. The point, of course, is the attempt to control social processes to benefit a few, whether they be investors (as in the States) or cadres (as in China).

In the quote below, for example, I have replaced “consumer” with “the People (人民)” and “producers” with “cadres”. Note that as with the critique of censorship in China, Adorno and Horkheimer’s critique of the Western cultural industry focuses on the enforced passivity of the intended audience. Note also that A&H lament the fact that the cultural industry has coopted enlightment to its own ends. Similarly, the critique of cultural production in contemporary China emphasizes how the progressive ideal of liberating workers, peasents, and soldiers has been subordinated to maintaining Party hegemony:

There is nothing left for the consumer People to classify. Producers Cadres have done it for him. Art for the masses has destroyed the dream but still conforms to the tenets of that dreaming idealism which critical idealism socialism baulked at.

The result of systematically subordinating human creativity to monolithic ends (profit in the West and political power in China) results in boring, predictable literature and art:

Adorno and Horkheimer assumed that the extent to which art and literature liberate or nourish or enhance a human life pivots on the the extent to which an individual actively participates in the realization of a work. They followed Kant in understanding that this participation is rational; the work of appreciation is to classify and organize aesthetic experience, creating a critical consciousness. In the Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art (在延安文藝座談會上的講話), Mao Zedong also posited a beneficial kind of aesthetic engagement, albeit revolutionary rather than critical because he followed Marx. For Mao, socialist art and literature would facilitate the mental work of transforming one’s half-feudal, half-colonial consciousness into revolutionary consciousness.

I’m actually an advocate of both critical and revolutionary consciousnesses, especially when used to hone each other. Today, however, I’m wondering how it is that human societies end up in these painful and painfully similar cultural ruts. In other words: what’s the generalized (or mass) appeal of repeated bouts of boredom? Indeed, maybe what’s at stake isn’t boredom, but rather our anxiety about the fact that true repetition is impossible. In other words, what if we’d rather be bored than confront the irrefutable freshness of every moment? To the extent that we can’t step in the same river twice, it follows that we can’t watch the same movie model opera twice.

Thought du jour: when Mickey Mouse stepped through the looking glass, he found himself among a Red Brigade of Women, who were applying to study in the United States, where they might realize their Chinese dreams.

audience passivity in the yan’an talks

what is the party’s benevolence?

In news broadcasts and interviews, old peasents frequently evoke “the Party’s benevolence (党恩)” to explain their lives. Young and hip urbanites hear these interviews as more evidence that old peasents are the dupes of corrupt officials. However, when I take the time to listen to an old peasent’s life history, it’s clear that more often than not, these peasents did benefit from the establishment of the People’s Republic.

Yesterday afternoon at the Dalang Culture Center, for example, I helped conducted interviews with Uncle Chen and Aunt Zhang for an oral history project. Both Uncle Chen and Aunt Zhang were both born into peasant families in 1930 and 1940, respectively. Auntie’s family owned three single-story houses, while Uncle had left home early because his family did not have room for him. Auntie mentioned that at the turn of the last century, her grandparents went to Singapore to work. Her mother was “brought home” as a child bride for her father. In contrast, Uncle did not mention his family except when asked about how poor his family had been, he remarked that two of his sisters had been sold to strangers, but where they ended up was unclear.

As a poor man, Uncle could not afford to marry. Instead, he went to find work in Hong Kong. In 1951, Uncle became sick and returned to his hometown, where he could recieve care. In 1952, although he had a sporadic education, Uncle was able to secure the documents necessary to join the first test for admission to the Bao’an Normal School. He passed the test and was admitted to an elementary school teachers program, which was located in the Nantou High School building. Teacher Chen emphasized the extent to which his current wellbeing was a result of the Party’s benevolence. He was assigned to teach at Langkou Elementary School, where he met Auntie.

As a young girl, Auntie stayed at home and helped her parents. However, when she was 10 years old, Auntie began attending Langkou elementary school because her father asked the school principal to allow her to bring her brother. 10 year-old Auntie strapped her brother to her back and attended classes. At lunch time she fed her brother a bottle of condensed milk that had been thinned with water. Several years later, she carried her sister to school. Altogether, Auntie carried her siblings for six years. At the end of elementary school, Auntie tested into middle school, where she studied elementary education. Auntie emphasized that her teachers like her because she was a good student. Moreover, her younger siblings were well-behaved and didn’t cry during classtime.

After Auntie graduated from middle school, she married Uncle, who was still teaching at the village school. Auntie’s mother exhorted her to marrie Uncle because he “could do anything”. Uncle could not give Auntie any presents for the marriage. However, he did have housing at the elementary school, where Auntie was also hired to teach first and third grade. The school was located near Auntie’s parents’ house. Auntie did not attribute any of her life history to the Party’s benevolence, but rather emphasized her family background and her mother’s words.

Implicit in Uncle and Auntie’s simple story were the gendered contours of rural poverty in South China, where one of the most important events of a lifetime was to continue family lines through marriage and children. Uncle and Aunt were born into South Chinese villages, where bringing in wives or selling out daughters was a common practice before 1949. However, they married 10 years after the establishment of the People’s Republic, when some policies had already restructured traditional social structures. Auntie married because her family could afford to give her an education, but not to keep her at home. In contrast, Uncle had delayed marriage until he could afford a family, which was a direct result of attending teaching school. He described that opportunity — and all that followed, a job, a house, and eventually a wife and children — as an expression of the Party’s benevolence.


Dimmer and Dumber

Too much time in the dark could impact brain function

March 2018

As diurnal beings, light exposure is important. As well as dictating circadian rhythm, it also impacts other processes, such as wakefulness or mood. But does it also affect brain function during tasks? Research from a team of neuroscientists suggests that insufficient exposure to bright light could impact brain structure and function. The group from Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA, studied how bright and dim light affects hippocampal function in Nile grass rats (which are diurnal, like humans) (1). Following four weeks of exposure to dim light, the rats showed cognitive and behavioral changes, including impairments in spatial memory. Furthermore, hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was reduced, and there was a 30 percent decrease in dendritic connections in the hippocampus (Figure 1). Impairments in functioning and changes in hippocampal structure were reversed after four weeks exposure to bright light.


Welcome to WUJA! We are an organization of Undergraduate Journals the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our mission is to promote undergraduate research and encourage young minds to read their peer’s exemplary published material. If you have an interest in submitting to one of our publications, please select the link to go to their website for publishing information.


Question Paper on Environmental Studies ( EVS ) GK for Small Kids

Environmental Studies is a wonderful subject that provides us information regarding our environment with our relationship with it. This is a question paper containing questions on EVS for small kids. We hope that this paper shall help in gaining some knowledge about EVS.

EVS Question Paper with Answers -

Q. Up to which age does human body grows in terms of height ?

Answer - 18-20

Q. How many centimeters are there in one inch ?

Answer - 2.5 cm

Q. Name the sense organs of human beings ?

Answer - Eyes, Ears, Nose, Skin and Tongue

Q. What do we call the script meant for the blind ?

Answer - Braille

Q. Which of the following scientists suffered from nervous disorder ?

a. Einstein b. Newton c. Stephen Hawking d. None of them

Answer - c. Stephen Hawking

Q. Who's heart beat is faster - a baby's or an adult's ?

Answer - a baby's.

Q. What are weeds ?

Answer - Unwanted plants that grow along with the crop.

Q. How many kinds of teeth are present in the mouth ? Name them .

Answer - Four types. They are Incisors, Canine, Premolars and Molars.

EVS GK for Small Children

Q. Of which deficiency causes marasmus among the children ?

Answer - Deficiency of proteins

Q. What causes night blindness ?

Answer - Deficiency of Vitamin A

Q. Which system does beri-beri disease affect ?

Answer - nervous system

Q. Of which deficiency causes the disease Scurvy ?

Answer - Vitamin C.

Q. What happens due of Scurvy disease ?

Answer - Bleeding Gems

Q. What is the source of Vitamin D ?

Answer - Milk, Cheese, Eggs and sun bathing

Q. Which disease take place due to deficiency of iodine ?

Answer - Goiter

Q. Deficiency of iron causes .....

Answer - Anemia

Q. What is the origin of the word Sport ?

Answer - French word Desport which means leisure.

Q. What do we call Kabaddi in South India ?

Answer - Chedu-gudu

Q. What is the martial art of HP ?

Answer - Thoda

Q. What is the martial art form of Manipur ?

Answer - Cheibi Gad-Ga

Q. Kalaripayattu is a .......

Answer - Form of Martial Art of Kerala.

Q. Which game does M.C. Mary Kom belong ?

Answer - Boxing

Q. Of which country is snake boat race the local game ?

Answer - Kerala

Q. When was Project Tiger launched ?

Answer - In 1973

Q. When was wild tea discovered in India and where ?

Answer - In Assam around 1823

Q. Who had started Chipko movement ?

Answer - Tribal people of Garhwal under the leadership of Chandi Prasad Bhatt

Q. Chipko Movement is linked with ...........

Answer - Protection of trees

For more GK click here.

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Financial experts are frequently asked aboutthe tax impact of damage awards, both paidand received. The complexities of the InternalRevenue Code (IRC) and judicial interpretations thereofmake determining the taxability of receipts or payments difficult.The same is true when dealing with the taxability of economic damages awarded to plaintiffs in civil actions. Nuances in the IRC and the judicial interpretations may make it difficult for a taxpayer to determine the taxability of his or her proceeds from a litigation award of personal economic damages. Whether or not such is taxable often depends on how the award of economic damages is categorized and/or described in the awarding documents.

Physical Injury and Sickness Awards

Under IRC Section 61, all sources of income are taxable, regardless of how they are derived, unless excluded in another section of the Code.1 One such exclusion is IRC Section 104(a) that provides:

  1. amounts received under workmen's compensation acts as compensation for personal injuries or sickness;

The tax status of any award of damages is based on the origin of the claim test. As stated in Threlkeld, "The law is well settled that the tax consequences of an award for damages depend upon the nature of the litigation and on the origin and character

of the claims adjudicated, and not upon the validity of those claims."2 Apparently, the theory excluding damage awards for personal physical injury is the absence of an "origin;" i.e., physical well-being is not a taxable activity.

The exclusion of personal physical injury and sickness awards from gross income under IRC Section 104(a) applies regardless of whether the injury or sickness damages were awarded through a verdict or a settlement, and whether the award is paid out in a lump sum or periodic payments. Any portion of the settlement or verdict attributable to medical expenses that had previously been deducted under IRC Section 213 is not excluded from taxpayer's gross income under IRC Section 104(a).

Sam slipped on some ice on his neighbor's sidewalk and injured his back. He paid $4,000 in medical expenses for the treatment of his injury and deducted $750 of that amount after application of the AGI limitation on the deduction of medical expenses. The following year, he sued his neighbor and was awarded $11,000 in damages, including $4,000 to reimburse him for his medical expenses. Roger may exclude $10,250 of those damages; however, he must include the $750 attributable to the medical expense deduction in his gross income.

Awards for emotional losses may be excluded under IRC 104 if the losses are attributable to personal physical injuries. As stated in Regs. Section 1.104-1(c)(1):

Awards in personal physical injury cases are, more likely than not, paid by an insurance company. The typical process is to pay the plaintiff's attorney the award amount as well as sending a 1099 to the attorney. Normally, the attorney will then reimburse the firm for out of pocket costs and remit the fee to the firm with the balance submitted to the client.3

Non-Physical Damages Awards

Damages awarded for lost profits, breach of contract, employment discrimination, and other types of non-physical damages claims are includible in gross income under the origin of the claim test.

Punitive Damages Awards

Awards of punitive damages are not intended to compensate the plaintiff, but rather to punish the defendant when his/her behavior is found to be especially harmful. Accordingly, awards of punitive damages are not excluded from gross income under IRC Section 104.

There is one narrow exception under which punitive damages may qualify for this exclusion. Punitive damages awarded in a civil wrongful death action can be excluded if the applicable state law in effect on September 13, 1995, provides that only punitive damages may be awarded in such an action [Code Sec. 104(c)].

Awards of Interest

If a civil damages case is affirmed, any interest allowed by law is payable from the date the judgment under review was entered.4 The amount the court assigns as interest is taxable as interest income5 even if the plaintiff's underlying claim is excluded under IRC Section 104(a)(2).

If a case is settled out of court, both parties could agree to exclude interest from the settled amount. However, if no understanding of the apportionment of the award is formally written into the settlement contract, the court may allocate a portion of the proceeds as prejudgment interest.6

Standard and Structured Settlements

If an economic damages claim is settled out of court, the taxability of the awarded damages is not affected by a plaintiff's decision to receive the amount in a lump sum or through a payment plan. The IRS may disagree with the apportionment of the lump sum settlement even if both parties were in agreement.7

In personal physical injury, wrongful death, and/or workers compensation claims, it is possible for a plaintiff to be paid through a structured settlement annuity,8 whereby a defendant may pay an assignment company to take over his/her long term periodic payment obligation to the plaintiff.

Attorney Fees

To what extent is the legal fee deductible? If the award is wholly excludible from income under IRC Section 104(a), then Regs. Section 1.265-1(a)(1) indicates none of the legal fees are deductible. If part of the award is exempt and part not exempt, Regs. Section 1.265-1(c) indicates a reasonable proportion of the legal fee may be allocated to both exempt and non-exempt income in light of all the facts and circumstances in each case. The legal fee for nonexempt income will be included in the taxpayer's gross income along with the award and deducted as a miscellaneous itemized deduction.

In class action lawsuits (such as an employee group seeking lost wages), there is precedent that a successful member of the plaintiff group would not have to include the attorney fees as taxable income.9

The income tax consequences of a plaintiff's receipt of an award of personal economic damages may be difficult to ascertain. Generally, taxability varies based on the nature of the underlying claim (origin of the claim test), how the economic damages are apportioned, and/or whether plaintiff received the amount in a lump sum or structured settlement. This article does not provide legal or professional advice regarding the tax treatment of personal economic damages and it behooves all taxpayers to consult with knowledgeable tax professionals prior to agreeing to a settlement or award of personal economic damages.

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Woods' 75 costs him Australian Open lead

SYDNEY - In the lead for the first time all year, Tiger Woods couldn't break par.

Senden, who won the Australian Open five years ago, birdied his last two holes to finish off a 9-under 63, giving him a one-shot lead over Jason Day.

In other tournaments

Matthew up by 3 shots - Catriona Matthew shot her second straight 4-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Matthew, the 42-year-old Scot who won the last of her three LPGA Tour titles in 2009, had an 11-under 205 total. Suzann Pettersen (71) was second.

Spaniard goes low - Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain shot a 10-under 61 for a three-shot lead at 15-under 127 after the second round of the rain-delayed Singapore Open.


Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
CAPE TOWN - The development of commercially viable smallholder farmers is a key element in securing a sustainable future for agriculture in the Western Cape.

This is according to Angus Bowmaker-Falconer, research associate at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), who provided a summary and main findings of the recently released Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Evaluation Report at an event in Stellenbosch last week.

He said one of these benefits was the potential for smart water technology and intelligent irrigation systems to dramatically reduce agricultural water use in the drought-stricken province, while maintaining and improving production levels.

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture, commissioned the USB to provide a detailed report to obtain a strategic outlook on the future for agriculture in the province in the context of the 4IR, the emerging technologies and innovations that could change farming methods and production and the opportunities that these present for a sustainable future for both large and small farmers.

“Agriculture and agri-processing are strategically important sectors for the Western Cape, for their large absorption of unskilled labour and for their economic contribution, accounting for more than 10 percent of the regional economy, more than half of its exports, and 20 percent of South Africa’s agricultural output,”said Bowmaker Falconer.
He said the “Agri Renaissance” scenario developed by the USB researches saw agriculture embracing technology such as farm management software, precision agriculture and predictive data analytics, enabling producers to use robotics and drones to monitor crop health, soil quality and weather.

“In this best-case scenario, agriculture will benefit from the innovations of the digital economy, such as blockchain technology to provide product traceability, an increasingly important issue for consumers, and concepts such as the sharing economy and crowdfunding to stimulate the development of commercially viable smallholder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.

"By adopting the smart and interconnected technologies of the new industrial era, agriculture in the Western Cape has the opportunity to reposition its brand, engaging consumers through new digital platforms, attracting new career entrants to high-tech employment applications,” said Bowmaker-Falconer.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Wind said it was up to the Western Cape to ensure that the province made the most of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and was not stuck in the first, second, or third revolution because it was important for food security across the region.

Winde said key to ensuring an agricultural renaissance would be collaboration, and “connecting the dots” between various players and sectors to ensure that they were able to develop and grow together.

“We need to join the dots between agriculture, health, education and the private sector. We are home to some amazing fintech development and we should be harnessing those skills and ideas in agriculture. I’m pleased with the research finding that there is room to create new jobs and retain people for future skills. We need to be asking ourselves how we are going to get Generation Z to get their boots muddy,” said Winde.

He said currently, the average age of an artisan in the Western Cape is 60.

“We need to change that so young people have the skills and knowledge that will equip them to be the drone pilots, food technologists, coders and developers that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require,”said Winde.

Bowmaker-Falconer said the scope of the 4IR went beyond smart and connected machines.

“We are pivoting towards a fusion of the physical and the virtual world. Interoperability, advanced artificial intelligence and autonomy are becoming integral parts of a new industrial era. What sets the fourth industrial revolution apart from its predecessors, is that change is not only fast, but is expanding exponentially across multiple areas of a deeply interconnected world, leading to ‘unparalleled paradigm shifts’ in the economy, business and society. Touching every aspect of human life, technology advances are spread widely via the internet, and available at relatively low cost,” said Bowmaker-Falconer.


02 Dec 2014

99 hints and tips for a successful survey

Sending out a survey to all your email contacts is a simple thing to implement in practical terms. And asking questions that will give the answers you want is usually not a problem either. Doesn't it feel good to get confirmation that you have the best product, that you have put on a great event or that you have the tastiest food of all the restaurants in town?

But getting the answers you really need to develop your business is another matter entirely. Such questions require reflection, planning and accuracy. To then analyse and use the results in the best possible way is another important and delicate task. Wrong questions or incorrect conclusions from your answers can permanently ruin the trust you have built up in your environment, while asking the right questions and correctly analysing the responses can take your business to new levels.

So read carefully through the following list of tips before you send out a survey to customers, guests, members, stakeholders, the public, or whoever it may be.

Before you begin your survey

1. Decide why you want to do a survey. Answering the question "why?" is step one. The most common reason is that information is wanted that will help you as a company, organisation, association or person to develop further in the future. If this is the reason, you should always keep this in mind throughout the survey process. Remind yourself from time to time during the process.

2. Decide on the type of survey. Depending on how you want to develop your business, you can choose between a number of different types of surveys. Decide on one of these and stick with it to avoid giving a fragmented and confusing impression.

3. Do a qualitative survey when you want to target a limited sample that gives in-depth and well-reasoned answers.

4. Do a quantitative survey when you want to provide predetermined answer options and you don't need such nuanced answers. In return, you get a much larger amount of data where you can see what a larger population thinks and trends within different populations.

5. Decide on the form. A digital survey sent via email usually gives the highest response. But in certain circumstances, surveys sent by traditional letter post or in-depth interviews might work better. This is very dependent on the target group that will be answering.

6. Don't be tempted by simplicity. It has become easy and cheap to send out digital surveys. But don't let this be at the expense of quality. Don't ruin your chances by doing something rash.

7. Limit the survey. One of the most common mistakes is wanting to have the answers to all the questions at once. Be aware that you are asking your target group to invest time in you. If you take too much of their time, they will not want to answer.  Limit the number of questions to a minimum.

8. Assess feasibility. Think carefully about how workable/difficult your method is. If you see that it will require too many resources, you should back up a few steps.

9. Don't underestimate the time needed. A well-executed survey takes time in all its stages: preparation, implementation, summary of results and analysis. Be sure that you have plenty of time available for every stage.

10. Estimate the cost. A well-executed survey can (but need not) involve costs.  Make an estimate of what costs there might be. These may apply to graphic design, writing assistance, consulting service for data analysis, the purchase of email addresses, gifts to participants, and so on. Don't let the cost come as a surprise.

Identify the target group for the survey

11. Decide on the target group. It is easier to design the questions when you know who you want to question. If you are addressing potential customers, for example, the market survey's questions will be designed differently than for existing customers.

12. Do a random sample if you want to be absolutely certain that totally safe conclusions can be drawn for the entire population you want to examine.

13. Don't be fooled by the sample size. Just because you use a large number of individuals, it doesn't necessarily mean that the survey is representative. Spend time on getting the right sample.

14. Choose sampling method. Random sampling means that everyone in the population has the same probability of being selected. Systematic sampling can involve every 50th person in a register. Stratified sampling can mean that the population is divided into a certain age, or a particular gender. Cluster sampling involves natural groupings, such as a school class or a workplace.

15. Use non-random sampling with care. There may be situations where you can use non-random sampling for reasons of cost or where you have no need of totally accurate answers. In such a case, be aware of the following:

16. For telephone directory sampling, you should be aware that only people with phone subscriptions will respond. In addition, only a certain type of working person has the opportunity to answer the phone at certain times of the day. There may be more variables.

17. For a typical sample, you select a number of individuals who you think are typical of the population. But then you are involving your own values, and that should be done with caution.

18. Convenience sampling is done when you select people who are easy to get hold of. They may be family members, neighbours, colleagues, and so on. It is a method that rarely wins scientific acceptance. Only use it if you know that the answers cannot be affected by your relationship to the respondent.

19. Voluntary sampling means that you ask people if they want to participate. Only those who agree to be surveyed respond. Most surveys fall into this category, and can thus be regarded as "non-random".

20. Don't forget the non-respondents. Be careful with drawing conclusions about conditions that you know nothing about. Analysis can only be done on available observations, not on that for which there is no data. Do what you can to minimise non-response.

21. Find out the target group's frame of reference. Questions may need to be formulated differently, depending on whether the market survey is targeted solely at women or solely at men. Similarly, if for example it is aimed solely at people interested in boats, people interested in leisure time, or people in general.

Test the survey

22. Designate a test group. A test group may be needed to detect if the survey contains some hidden problems in its implementation (which it almost always does). The test group should be representatively selected in relation to the entire final group.

23. Do a pilot test. The pilot test is carried out on the group in accordance with the previous point.

24. Evaluate the pilot test and make adjustments. If the evaluation was shown to contain problems, the questions, the questionnaire or some technical detail in the survey tool has to be adjusted. When that is done, you repeat the pilot test.

25. Treat the pilot test with respect. If the pilot test contains abnormalities, these must be corrected. The abnormalities will be even more evident in the main survey.

26. Repeat the pilot test until it is watertight. The last pilot test should function completely without error before it is time to launch the main survey. This is especially true if you are a beginner in the area of surveys. Errors can occur in the most unusual places.

Prepare the respondents

27. Tell them about the time needed. Make it clear to the respondent how long the survey will take. Then he or she can judge for themselves if it's worth spending time on the survey.

28. Let the respondent remain anonymous if you want honest answers. Don't let yourself be tempted by curiosity to know who thinks what.

29. Let the respondent identify him- or herself if you think that you will want to have more information about them after the survey.

30. Make sure that the right person answers. You can't be completely sure that the respondent is the same person you sent the survey to. A manager can, for example, have asked one of his employees to fill in the survey. Always have a space where the respondent fills in their name, and possibly their position.

31. Mention privacy policy. If the survey covers sensitive subjects, you should point out the privacy policy you have regarding answers.

32. Remind the respondents in advance. You can send out emails in advance to tell them that they are going to be in a survey. The chances are then greater that they will take the time to do the survey when it comes.

33. Ask understandable questions. The questions must be easy to understand. Otherwise the survey will not be completed. A common mistake is to ask questions so complicated that the respondent can't be bothered to complete the survey.

Asking the right questions in your survey

34. Avoid complicated words. This is definitely not the time to show off with difficult words. You then run the risk of putting off the respondents. Use as simple words as possible so that everyone can understand.

35. Ask one thing at a time. A question should only be able to result in one answer. If your question could be interpreted in different ways, choose to ask two questions instead. Otherwise you risk both confusing the respondent and getting a misleading answer.

36. Read the question out loud. Maybe to a friend. You or your friend will then notice if it is strangely worded.

37. Provide adequate response options. If the response options are not sufficient to give a correct answer, you risk antagonising the respondent who might leave the survey half completed. Always make sure that the response options cover the question.

38. Don't ask leading questions. Your questions should be of a "need to know", not "nice to know", nature. You might like to get a response that points in a certain direction. But you should not try to influence the respondent to answer in a certain way. The answers would then be difficult to analyse and misleading.

39. Don't make any groundless assumptions. The question must be based on a neutral assumption. The classic journalist question "Have you stopped beating your wife?", is, for example, unanswerable if you have never beaten your wife.

40. Provide help for difficult questions. If the question is difficult, you should include a "don't know" option or explain that just a quick appraisal is required. Otherwise, the respondent may leave the survey unanswered.

41. Use "don't know" sparingly. Only include the "don't know" option where it is needed. Otherwise, the respondent may choose this option without proper consideration.

42. Avoid value-laden words. Use neutral words in your questions so that there will be as little emotional impact as possible on the respondent.

43. Avoid negation. Questions of the type "Wouldn't it be better..." contain a negation. This can confuse the respondent and also steer the answer in a particular direction.

44. Avoid imagery. When you ask, "Do you feel that you are on your knees because of your work situation?", it can be misinterpreted. Especially if it is directed to a new arrival to Sweden who has not fully mastered the language.

45. Avoid yes/no options in attitude questions. Answers concerning attitudes may need to be qualified.

46. Ask short and concise questions. Once again, remember that you are taking up your respondents' time. Be polite and ask as short questions as possible.

47. Look for precise answers. Try to get the respondent to respond as accurately as possible to your survey questions. It simplifies your analytical work and helps you avoid doubt.

48. Make the questionnaire easy to fill in. The respondent should not have to click back and forth to get to the form. The form should then be as simple and intuitive to complete as possible.

49. Use open-ended questions if you need a balanced and insightful answer. An open-ended question cannot be answered briefly, so be aware that it can be time-consuming to go through the answers.

50. Use closed questions, which give a yes or no answer, if you want to get precise answers from a large target group.

51. Use simple sentences. SVO (subject-verb-object) word order without subordinate clauses or inserted sentences is always preferable.

52. Highlight important words. Write the keywords in the question in bold print. This helps give an understanding of the question.

53. Use questions with response options if you have a large number of respondents and you want to have a high response rate. It's quicker for the respondents to answer these questions.

54. Start your survey with the easy questions. The respondent is then lulled into a sense of security and will be pleased to continue with the following questions. If the first question is too difficult, the respondent may not continue on to the next question.

55. Let the questions follow each other in a natural order. A good question is linked with the previous one. Don't throw the respondent back and forth from one subject to another. Try to gather the questions in thematic groups.

56. Be consistent with rating scales. If the survey is going to contain rating scales, they should be consistent. If the scale is 1-5, stick to this for the entire survey to avoid confusing the respondent.

57. Use an odd number scale if you want to give the respondent an opportunity to select the middle option. On a scale of one to five, three is the middle option. The respondent doesn't then have to choose sides.

58. Use an even number scale if the respondent is to be forced to pick a side. On a scale of 1 to 4, it isn't possible to choose a middle option. The respondent must in that case choose 2, which leans to the left, or 3, which leans to the right.

59. Vary the questions. This may seem contradictory to what has been stated above. But a certain variation makes the survey a little more entertaining. But it must not vary so much so that it appears disjointed.

60. End with personal questions. More in-depth questions about the respondent as a person should be put at the end of the survey. If they are asked too early the respondent may feel the survey is too intrusive.

61. Finish the survey with a comment box. A final comment box can obtain additional information and answers to questions you have not asked in the survey. But remember that processing and evaluating these comments can be time-consuming.

62. Wait for all the answers. Don't begin analytical work until all answers have been received. It can irritate those that have not yet been able to respond and you also risk making a faulty analysis.

63. Use personal contacts. The closer the relationship you have with the respondent, the greater the chance you have of getting the survey answered. Send to the contacts you have, but also keep in mind that the answer can be influenced by your relationship.

64. Use other language versions. If the market survey is sent to the Nordic countries, you should have it translated into the respective languages. If the questionnaire is sent to different European countries, don't use English for all of them. Have them translated into the respective languages.

65. Tempt them with a gift. It can be effective to promise a scratch card or something similar to those participating in the survey. But keep an eye on the laws in the respective countries.

66. Don't forget to say thanks for participating. A survey that doesn't contain a "thank you for your help" when it has been completed is likely to undermine the confidence of the respondents.

67. Send an extra thank you. It doesn't hurt to be extra grateful. After a while, a "thank you" email can be sent saying how important the respondent's answer is for the development of the company or organisation.

68. Don't abuse the target group's patience by sending out too many surveys in a short period of time. Focus on quality rather than quantity, and think carefully through each survey.

Study the results of your survey

69. Remind about the survey. If you don't get as many responses as you want, you can send out a reminder about the survey after a while. You will often get an additional 30 percent of responses.

70. Carry out a non-response analysis if you notice that one of the target groups has a lower response rate than other target groups. Then try to do a separate survey with this target group.

71. Analyse the results. The information you got from the market survey should be examined in an unbiased way. Especially the qualitative parts of it.

72. Let a neutral party examine it. It may be beneficial if an impartial third party compiles the results of the survey so that the analysis is not affected by your wishful thinking.

73. Determine how the results should be used. Go through with your management team how the survey results will be used for your business.

74. Link the analysis to the aim. The aim should always be kept "top of mind" when you start analysing the results.

75. Be careful with percent terms. Percent and percentage points are two concepts that can result in big misinterpretations if you can't distinguish between them. An increase or decrease of 10 percent or 10 percentage points can be a huge difference.

76. Keep track of cause and effect. Just because two variations occur simultaneously, it doesn't necessarily mean that one is dependent on the other.

77. Avoid over-interpretation. Just because a curve is going in a certain direction, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will always continue in this direction.

78. Be open to surprise. Even though the survey should always focus on the aim, you should be receptive to any additional information that it may provide. Sometimes this information can be difficult to spot at first sight.

79. Have respect for the subject of statistics. Interpreting statistics is a scientific discipline along with mathematics. A fully-fledged statistician has gone through many years of university studies. As a layman, it's easy to draw wrong conclusions that have far-reaching consequences. If you are not sure, you should consult a professional.

Presenting the results of the survey

80. Make a report. Don't rest on your laurels because you have been told what you want to know. Everyone in your business must have access to the information in a readily comprehensible form. A well-written report will facilitate this. Save the results in a database of experience.

81. Present the analysis results clearly. The results you report should be clear and intelligible, so that all parties involved understand the information given by the analysis. Remember to adapt your presentation to your audience.

82. Use Excel or a similar programme. Put the data from the survey in an Excel document or something similar. The results can then be experimented with by changing the variables to give a picture of the future.

83. Construct a bell curve if you want to show how the distribution of response options has turned out. The mid-point of the bell curve is the average.

84. Make a line chart if you want to study how different phenomena evolve over a period of time.

85. Make a scatter plot if you want to show the analytical units, such as the people in a survey, as points spread over the graph. In such a graph, a straight trend line can be added that provides a measure of developments.

86. Use percentiles if you want to show how, for example, income is distributed in a population or in a group.

87. Use choropleth maps if you want to show how, for example, election results, average income or unemployment is distributed in different geographical areas. The geographical areas are then marked in different colours.

88. Make a bar graph if you want to show how different categories of respondents differ in their responses.

89. Make a time series chart if you want to show how a characteristic of the observed object develops over time at repeated intervals.

90. Make a histogram if you want to show how a characteristic varies in a population or in a sample.

91. Make a pie chart if you want to show proportions of a whole.

92. Present interesting side-effects last of all. When you make your analysis report you should always begin with the real aim of the survey and the results of this. But, towards the end, you can bring up the other interesting results that came from the survey.

93. Use the principle of simplicity. It should be as easy as possible to keep up with and understand the presentation. Choose the presentation method which will enable your audience to understand the results in the fastest possible way.

94. Beware of pitfalls. A graph can drastically change appearance by changing the scale on the axes. A graph where the points are clustered on the y-axis when the scale values on the x-axis are far apart can give an impression of a weak trend, but we get the opposite impression if we plot the same series on a graph where the scale values on the y-axis are far apart and on the x-axis are close together.

Adding to the survey

95. Supplement with personal interviews. If the analysis shows strange, ambiguous or incomprehensible results, you may need to supplement the survey with a sample of personal interviews.

96. Interviews involving sensitive information. Supplement the survey with face-to-face interviews if the questions are of an emotional nature and where subtleties and attitudes are important to examine.

97. Pay attention to your visual senses. If you use interviews as a supplement, you should take note of the communication that takes place outside language - gestures, facial expressions and other visual clues.

98. Save the survey for the future. A survey is not only of short-term interest. It can often be of great value several years after the survey period.

99. Save the survey in several formats. If you want to be able to read and study the results in thirty or forty years time, it can be useful to save the survey in a variety of formats. Who knows what type of data storage we will have in the future? Print out the survey on permanent paper if you want to be sure.

Try our Kurios tool for surveys free.


Penn Animal Advocacy encourages people to value animals and seeks to help them in the most effective ways.

We are based at the University of Pennsylvania, but work with similarly minded groups in Philadelphia.

By trying to help animals in the most effective ways (i.e. do the most good for animals), we typically focus on animal agriculture, in particular factory farms. Animals are often raised in horrific conditions on factory farms, and over 56 billion farmed animals are killed each year. For people interested in working to improve the lives of animals, there are countless organizations to choose to support, and it can be difficult to know which ones are most effective.

There are many different approaches that animal charities take, such as:

  • Legal action: Many animal charities bring lawsuits to try and change conditions in factory farms or to try and change the status that animals hold under the law.

  • Education: Animal charities often try to affect the cultural attitude towards animals and the meat industry by handing out pamphlets of information or holding events that they hope individuals on the fence about animal causes will attend.

  • Animal Rescue: Some charities work to save as many farm animals (and abandoned domesticated animals) as they can, not only for the sake of the animals, but also so they can sometimes have the public interact with farm animals to realize that they are more than objects.
  • Industry exposé: Organizations infiltrate factory farms (often at legal risk themselves) in order to take videos of conditions in the hope of affecting the public’s opinion of the meat industry.

We hold events at the University of Pennsylvania to assess various ways of helping animals, and to advocate for people to help animals in the most effective ways.

Animal Charity Evaluators is a very helpful organization that researches many animal charities, determines what they are spending their money on, and how effectively they are spending that money.


The 365 Ways Blog

10 January 2007

Share your books with the world

LibraryThing is a social network of book lovers. It was created by Tim Spaulding who lives in Chicago. It is the book lovers analogue to Flickr which is an online community around digital photos and around favorite websites.

People are defined by what they read, and sometimes a book that someone really likes has the potential to influence others or even to change the whole world.

LibraryThing connects people through their book collections. It allows them to list all their books or just the books they love and want to tell others about. You can browse people’s collections, trade recommendations, and even develop relationships with people who share your interests. It isn't called social networking for nothing.

To date, more than 39,000 people have listed books on the site, posting information about more than 2.8 million titles.

If you go to the site, you can search your favorite authors to see how popular they are or read the reviews people have posted about their books. You can find out what books the people who share your passion for a particular author or book are reading. Check out the "Zeitgeist" page, where you'll find the top 25 titles, the top 75 authors, the top 75 categories which have been tagged and more.

It’s easy to catalogue your books. You key give yourself a username and password, and the service is free for the first 200 books, and annual membership costs $10 per annum, lifetime membership $25.

To start cataloguing, you just enter a title or an author, and the site searches and major library sites for matching books. Then, with another click, you can add the book to your list. If you have a rare or unusual book, you just add it manually.

Each time you add a book, LibraryThing automatically posts an image of its front cover, its date of publication, ISBN (International Standard Book Number), other editions, and where you can buy the book online. You can add tags, a star rating, a Dewey decimal number, the date you acquired the book, the day you started reading, and the date you finished, your own comments, or even a review.

The site automatically generates book recommendations based on the titles you own. It gives you a list of other users who own the same books. You can track down someone who shares your tastes and request a recommendation from them or ask them if a book you're thinking of buying is any good.

Sign up at

Another way of sharing your books with the world is BookCrossing:

Get a copy of a favourite book, write some comments about what you like it and others should read it in the inside front cover. Log it on the BookCrossing website when it will be given a Unique Reference Number. Download a label to paste into the book with instructions for what to do when you find it… read it and pass it on. And then leave the book somewhere for someone to pick up… hopefully read… and then pass on to someone else. You can track its progress as your book travels the world on the BookCrossing website.

Books have the power to change people’s thinking, and to change the world. Make the books that have inspired you ambassadors for change.


American Flag around Calera AL 35040

The American Revolutionary War
How the American Flag came to be

The background of the United States is vast and complicated, but can be broken down right into moments as well as time periods that divided, combined, as well as changed the United States into the country it is today. The American flag really did not appear like it does currently. Aside from that, it undertook a lot of modifications and also modifications.

The American Revolutionary War

For more than 10 years prior to the break out of the revolution in 1775, tensions had been building between colonists as well as the British authorities. These tensions arose from growing tensions in between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government (which represented the British crown). Attempts by the British government to raise income by collecting tax from the colonies (notably the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Tariffs of 1767 and also the Tea Act of 1773) met with violent protest amongst many colonists, who resented their lack of representation in Parliament and also demanded the very same rights as other British citizens. Colonial resistance resulted in physical violence in 1770, when British soldiers opened fire on a mob of colonists, eliminating five men in just what was called the Boston Massacre. After December 1773, when a band of Bostonians impersonated Mohawk Indians boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea right into Boston Harbor, a furious Parliament passed a collection of actions (known as the Intolerable, or Coercive Acts) created to reassert imperial authority in Massachusetts.

via Wikimedia Commons

The Continental Congress met in May 1775 and also agreed to make an army. George Washington was made its commander-in-chief. Congress wished they might require the British to discuss but George III chose not to negotiate. Instead, in August 1775 he declared that the American colonies remained in a state of disobedience. Rule by royal governor fell down and the individuals demanded government without imperial intervention. In May 1776 Congress determined that royal government ought to cease as well as government ought to be ‘under the authority of individuals’. Consequently the colonies created state constitutions to replace their charters.

By June 1776, with the Revolutionary War in full swing, an expanding majority of the colonists had come to favor independence from Britain. That same year Richard Henry Lee of the Virginia Assembly offered Congress with resolutions stating the independence of the colonies, requiring a confederation as well as shared the need to find international allies for a battle versus Britain. On July 4th, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, prepared by a five-man committee consisting of Franklin as well as John Adams however written generally by Jefferson. By the fall of 1781, the American army had actually begun to compel the enemy to withdraw to Virginia’s Yorktown peninsula, near where the York River empties right into Chesapeake Bay. Supported by a French military led by General Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau, Washington moved against Yorktown with a total amount of around 14,000 soldiers, while a fleet of 36 French battleships offshore stopped British reinforcement or evacuation. Entrapped as well as subdued, the enemy was required to surrender their whole military. Stating ailments, the British general sent his replacement, Charles O’Hara, to surrender; after O’Hara approached Rochambeau to surrender his sword (the Frenchman deferred to Washington), Washington gave the nod to his own replacement, Benjamin Lincoln, who accepted it. After French support assisted the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, the Americans had actually successfully won their independence, though combatting would certainly not officially finish up until 1783.

The movement for American independence effectively triumphed at Yorktown, modern historians did not see that as the definitive success. British and American mediators in Paris authorized initial peace terms in Paris late that November, and on September 3, 1783, Great Britain formally identified the freedom of the United States in the Treaty of Paris.

How the American Flag happened

In 1818, after a couple of design changes, the United States Congress made a decision to maintain the flag’s initial thirteen stripes and also include new stars to reflect each new state that entered the union.

A publication in Hopkinson’s library at his residence in Bordentown was taken by a Hessian soldier in December 1776, a dark year of the war. The soldier, one I. Ewald, wrote on the within cover that he had actually seen the author near Philadelphia and that he, Ewald, had taken the publication from a great nation seat near Philadelphia. The soldier had created over and also below Hopkinson’s bookplate, which had 3 6 pointed stars and his family slogan, “Semper Paratus”, or “Always Ready”.

Even so, nobody can be so certain who produced the American flag. The American flag is the sacred emblem of the nation. It signifies the residents’ birthright, their heritage of freedom acquired with blood and also sadness. The title deed of freedom, which is the country’s to delight in as well as hold in trust for posterity. Infinite alertness is the rate of freedom. As you see the flag silhouetted in front of the calm skies of the nation, you are reminded that the American flag stands for what you are – no more, no much less.

Top American Flags close to Alabama state

As quoted from the Star Spangled Banner:

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

ZIP codes in Calera we serve: 35040


The Moving Target of Excellence

Why the End of the Maintenance & Reliability Journey Is Never Over

I am often asked, what is the benchmark for a particular KPI.  At first, I would quickly answer the target from the SMRP Best Practices Guide.   Depending on the organization and the maturity, I would either see their faces light up or see them shut down.   If they shut down, what momentum was present, quickly vanished.  If they were meeting the target (and the KPI and supporting data checked out), the momentum would fade a bit, as they were hitting the target.

As I learned more, I decided not to answer with the target.  Instead, I would ask where they were in their maturity with spares, work management, their maintenance strategy, etc.   This would give me a baseline to discuss their specific progress against the KPIs in question.  I did this as I have come to learn, that there is no true target, as it is a moving target, which must be reviewed and revised periodically to drive the right behaviors.

Why Not Have A Defined Target

By now, you must be asking what the point of is not sharing the best in class targets.  It comes down to the purpose of KPIs, which is to drive behaviors and actions.  If you have a target set too high, you lose motivation, and same goes if it is too low (as they have already achieved it).  You need a challenging target, but realistic in achieving based on the current state of the program.

This is not to say, that there should not be a short or medium-term target, these are needed to measure progress, but those targets need to be matched to the current state.  As the organization andit’s processes mature, the KPIs should be reviewed and targets revised.

How to Determine What the Interim Target Should Be

So how do you determine what the target should be?  Well, there are a few different ways to do so.  The first is to benchmark your current state and determine what is realistic to achieve in the next 6-12 months.  This is a great approach, as the business case and benefits can be calculated and focus applied to the right KPIs.

The second way is to have an assessment done (internally or externally) and determine where you fall in maturity against others.  This will allow you to make an informed decision on where your target should be based on similar maturities.  The potential downside to this approach is that once again, the targets may be too high or too low.

After a period of time has passed, such as 6 or 12 months, the performance against the KPIs should be reviewed.  This will allow the organization to decide if the targets need to be revised (higher or lower).  This is critical as it will ensure the targets stay relevant.  It is also ok to change the KPIs if they are no longer relevant to the organization.

Before revising the targets, I have to recommend that a detailed review and audit of the KPIs and data is performed.  This will ensure the KPIs are truly reflecting the actual performance.

KPIs Need to Drive the Right Actions, Not Demotivate

KPIs are designed to drive changes in behavior, hence performance, that will make positive changes to the organization.  I have found in the past, that not only can unrealistic targets demotivate, but it can also cause “creative” ways to calculate the performance, resulting in “meeting” the target.  This results in a lack of improvements.

The importance of selecting the right targets cannot be overlooked, as it can influence the entire program and it is ok to revise the targets as needed.   The right KPIs (including balancing KPIs) need to be selected and the targets based on the current performance of the organization.

The Never-Ending Journey

So as a company matures and the performance improves, the targets should be moving as well.  The increments that they move will be greatly reduced as the maturity improves, as the improvements become harder to achieve.  It is this change in expectations and the continued challenge which will drive continuous improvements in the organization.

If you need any assistance with building a performance management program, please contact for additional information.

I’m James Kovacevic
Principal Instructor at Eruditio
Where Education Meets Application
Follow @EruditioLLC
Follow @ReliableJames
Follow @HPReliability


Copper I) chloride, CuCl. White solid (CuClj plus HCJ plus excess copper or SO2). Gives carbonyl and phosphine complexes.  [c.111]

Absorbing each constituent preferentially by means of a reagent, e.g. CO2 in KOH solution, CO in acid or alkaline CuCl.  [c.186]

A propagation step involving growth around an active center follows RCH2—CHCl -h CH2=CHC1 —> RCH2—CHCl—CH2—CHCl and so on, leading to molecules of the structure  [c.21]

Other chlorinated naphthalenes. The other monochloronaphthalene (2-), the ten theoretically possible dichloronaphthalenes, and the fourteen trichloronaphthalenes have all been prepared, generally from the corresponding amino-derivatives by diazotization and treatment with CuCl. They are of little industrial importance.  [c.95]

Copper(II) chloride, CuClj. Dark brown (Cu plus excess CI2) forms green CuCl2,2H20 and many complexes, e.g. CUCI2, pyridine, generally containing bridging chlorines. Complex species, e.g. [Cu CU) ", (CuCl ) yellow or green, are also Known.  [c.111]

COT is prepared by the polymerization of ethyne at moderate temperature and pressure in the presence of nickel salts. The molecule is non-planar and behaves as a typical cyclic olefin, having no aromatic properties. It may be catalytically hydrogenated to cyclo-octene, but with Zn and dil. sulphuric acid gives 1,3,6-cyclooclairiene. It reacts with maleic anhydride to give an adduct, m.p. 166 C, derived from the isomeric structure bicyclo-4,2,0-octa-2,4,7-triene(I)  [c.122]

The diazonium salts usually decompose when warmed with water to give a phenol and nitrogen. When treated with CuCl, CuBr, KI, the diazo group is replaced by chlorine, bromine or iodine respectively (Sandmeyer reaction). A diazonium sulphate and hydroxyl-amine give an azoimide. The diazonium salt of anthranilic acid (2-aminobenzoic acid) decomposes to give benzyne.  [c.133]

Gattermann-Koch reaction Formylation of an aromatic hydrocarbon to yield the corresponding aldehyde by treatment with CO, HCl and AICI3 at atmospheric pressure CuCl is also required. The reaction resembles a Friedel-Crafts acylation since methanoyl chloride, HCOCl, is probably involved.  [c.187]

PoJy (3,3-bis (chloromethyl) oxelane), chlorinated polyether (R CHiCl) is widely used for injection moulding and coaling.  [c.292]

By oxidation with permanganate it forms pinonic acid, C,oH,<503, a monobasic acid derived from cyclobutane. With strong sulphuric acid it forms a mixture of limonene, dipentene, terpinolene, terpinene, camphene and p-cymene. Hydrogen chloride reacts with turpentine oil to give CioHijCl, bomyl chloride, artificial camphor .  [c.315]

Sandmeyer s reaction The replacement of a diazonium group by a halogen or pseudohalogen atom or group. It allows the conversion of an aromatic primary amine into the corresponding halogen compound. The amine is diazotized, and the diazonium salt solution is treated with CuCl, etc., causing the evolution of nitrogen and isolation of the halobenzene. Chloride, bromide and cyanide react easily potassium iodide is sufficient for preparation of the iodo-compound. Aromatic fluorides are prepared after isolation and thermal decomposition of the diazonium fluoroborate salt. See also Gattermann s reaction.  [c.351]

See pages that mention the term Cochlea : [c.16]    [c.21]    [c.22]    [c.40]    [c.40]    [c.102]    [c.21]    [c.37]    [c.61]    [c.61]    [c.70]    [c.75]    [c.75]    [c.85]    [c.95]    [c.103]    [c.104]    [c.111]    [c.111]    [c.118]    [c.121]    [c.122]    [c.122]    [c.123]    [c.123]    [c.123]    [c.131]    [c.135]    [c.135]    [c.202]    [c.230]    [c.237]    [c.242]    [c.270]    [c.271]    [c.274]    [c.338]    [c.351]    [c.359]
Industrial ventilation design guidebook (2001) -- [ c.1422 ]


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What is the difference between cloth wiring and insulated cloth wiring? Is the attached picture insulated cloth wiring or cloth wiring? I have been asked to specify on my 4-point, if it is insulated or not...Citizens will allow insulated cloth wiring but not plain cloth wiring. If it is two wires wrapped in cloth which enters the sub panel, is it just cloth wiring?Some city regulations don't allow a garbage disposal on a septic tank.Ours is kind of kludged with the switch under the sink because it was an after-inspection add-on to the house when it was built.

Reinforced concrete was also used extensively in bridge building.

A desireable feature of 1920's homes found especially in bungalows was the breakfast nook.

It was a compact space-saving eating area located near the kitchen and in smaller homes it replaced the dining room or saved the dining table from taking up lounge room space.

Putting chopped up food material (especially vegetables) can really clog up your leech field and lead to costly [email protected] Fx: Yeah, we're really careful about what we put down ours.

Pretty much only whatever we can't scrape off into the garbage first.


I once got inspired by a guy who quite often made questions that does not seem to have anything to do with the topic. According to himself, they were so called rhetorical questions, which means there are no reply expected. I'm not sure if they really were such thing because at least I would still expect them to be on topic. Although, one can always build a some sort of a "pons asinorum" between the topic and any comment.

Nevertheless, what especially interests me about these rhetorical questions is what said on "mighty WikiPedia":

It is also common to use a rhetorical question to bring an end to a debate or to finalize a decision.

This means the so called rhetorical question may work as a discussion killer even if it is not on topic. So, if you want to silence the room, then just ask something where no one can answer.

But what all this has to do with art? And that was not a rhetorical question. Well. I see art as a rhetorical question. In a way work of art stop us and challenge us to think what it is about. Or that's what it can do at its best. If it does not stop us to think some specific dilemma that has no solution, like probably Picasso's Guernica, then it may stop us asking: "Isn't this perfect?"

This does not mean a piece of art is really perfect, but an artist who made it may think so. Artist may have put a lot of effort to make a certain statement, to make other peeps stop and look at the piece of art, maybe even in admiring silence.

But is that what art should do, to stop us admire the work of art?

I have started to think art should inspire instead of trying to stop us. Art should make us join and participate into process of art. It should challenge us all to create and continue from the very spot where one work ends. So, for example a kid could take a print of Guernica and start coloring it with bright colors and draw happy faces on gloomy and suffering figures.

That is why I have slowly started to respect a certain graffiti art where new work is painted over the old ones. I know graffiti is usually also meant as final work and no one is really supposed to paint over it. But that is what often happens. At least in some point those who hate graffiti comes and paint the wall blank, and then process may start again.

But in true interactive art project there would be no blank canvas once started. It can continue till forever.

And that is what I once tried in photography, when I challenged people to take pictures that can be joined together. There are also other versions on this like theme photography. A group of people are challenged to shoot on the same theme. But that really is not what I mean. The pictures in true collaborative or co-operative project should form a giant piece of art when put together.

Alternatively works could discuss with each other in some level. Like there are some games where each participant are asked to write a short part of the story, which then may continue forever.

And another option is to take anything as a source of inspiration and make something new out of it, BUT also try to challenge others to do the same. That is how I used those rhetorical questions in my paradox project.


Office of Research Ethics and Integrity

Do I need approval?

Whether a particular activity requires University Animal Ethics Committee (UAEC) approval depends on whether or not the activity meets the following three criteria:

  1. Involves a legally defined 'animal'
  2. Includes 'use' of the animal
  3. The use is specifically 'for a scientific purpose'

Ensure that you understand the definitions of 'scientific purposes', 'animal' and 'use' according to the Animal Code and legislation.

If a project meets all three criteria above, UAEC approval is required.

There can be 'grey areas', particularly in assessing 'use' of an animal. For example, use of an animal can include observational activities, collection of scats, photographic, sound or digital recordings, even if interaction with animals is not the primary purpose of the activity. This is because it may disrupt the habitat and wellbeing of the animals – e.g. undertaking drone work near a bird habitat.

If you think your project does not require UAEC approval, please review our Tissue Use and Outside Scope information or email us to discuss and confirm requirements. It is your obligation to seek the correct approvals.

Planning to work outside Queensland?

There is variation in the statutory requirements of each state and territory in Australia. If you plan to care and use animals for scientific purposes in states and territories other than Queensland, please call 07 3138 2340 or email us as soon as possible; there may be additional accreditations that QUT and the University Animal Ethics Committee (UAEC) may need to obtain, which can take some months.

Licences and permits

You may need to obtain other approvals, authorisations, permits and/or licences before you can commence your project. It is the responsibility of each investigator, and particularly the Project Supervisor, to ensure that all the necessary documentation has been obtained from the relevant authorities, so make sure you find out what you need early when planning your project. See Wildlife licence and permit schemes in Australia for links to relevant goverment authorities.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need UAEC approval:


United Air removes couple traveling to wedding from plane

An engaged couple were removed from a United Airlines flight to Costa Rica on Saturday, as the airline remained under scrutiny following outrage caused by a video last week of a passenger being forcibly removed from a flight.

According to the couple, who said they were en route to get married, a federal marshal had escorted them from the plane before take-off from Houston, Texas, but United denied this on Sunday, saying in a statement that neither a marshal nor other authorities was involved.

The couple "repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats," United said in a statement, adding, "They were asked to leave the plane by our staff and complied."

The statement from a United spokeswoman said the airline offered the couple a discounted hotel rate for the night, and rebooked them on a Sunday morning flight.

But Michael Hohl and his fiancée, Amber Maxwell, told KHOU they tried to pay for upgraded seating and were denied, after finding another passenger sleeping across their seats when they were the last to board.

After moving within the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as "economy plus," and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

The airline suffered a public relations disaster after a video emerged a week ago showing security officers dragging a bloodied passenger off an overbooked United Express flight in Chicago.

Shares in United's owner, United Continental, were hammered, dropping 4 percent last week to close at $69 on Thursday, reducing the company's market cap by $770 million to $21.5 billion. Markets were closed on Friday.

Dr. David Dao, the 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor who was seen in video being dragged off a United flight a week ago, will likely sue the airline, his attorney said on Thursday.

After the incident triggered international outrage, United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologized to Dao, his family and its customers, saying the carrier would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.


The Best Type of Evergreen Privacy Hedge

The best type of evergreen privacy hedge is a dense barrier to sight, sound and wind, fast-growing to the height you want it to reach and low-maintenance. Most evergreens used for hedging meet these criteria, although there are poor choices, too. Avoid holly with prickly leaves if you have pets or children or like to walk barefoot in your yard. Although it is evergreen, it sheds and renews its leaves.

Hedges are living garden walls.

Fast Growers

If you need privacy fast, English laurel, Portuguese laurel and wax-leaf privet grow quickly and thickly. The laurels will need yearly trimming once they reach hedge height. Left unpruned, they grow to 20 feet, at a rate of about 5 feet a year. Wax-leaf privet grows to 12 feet.

Choices for Shade

In the shade, Japanese holly, which has non-spiny leaves and grows to 10 feet, makes a dense hedge that is easily trimmed. Sky pencil holly grows to 10 feet in a columnar shape 2 feet wide. It has dark green boxwood-like leaves. Densa, an inkberry holly variety, also reaches 10 feet. Yew, a dark-needled conifer, also tolerates shade. The Hicks yew grows to 12 feet in 10 years, 20 feet at maturity.

Arborvitaes are the easiest choice for an evergreen hedge. They require little or no pruning, grow to 20 feet and can be purchased economically in large sizes. Green emerald, a common variety for urban gardens, grows to 12 feet. The green giant variety grows to 30 feet at a rate of 5 feet a year once established. Arborvitaes are drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.

For a healthy hedge, don't space the plants too tightly, or they will crowd each other when they mature, causing disease and insect problems because of lack of air circulation and light. Five feet apart is a good rule of thumb. Instead of a straight row, planting in a zigzag pattern can be more interesting and allows sunlight to reach all sides of the plant.


Move Over WIMPs: New Dark Matter Candidate Can Explain Mysteries of the Universe

The mysterious dark matter that makes up around 80 percent of mass in the universe may finally have a name—SIMP, or “strongly interacting massive particles.”

The concept of SIMP was first theorized three years ago by Hitoshi Murayama and Yonit Hochberg, physicists based in Japan and Israel. On Monday, Murayama presented new observations from colliding galaxies at the 29th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics that he believes supports the existence of SIMPs.

According to theoretical physics, everything we can see in the universe is kept in place by invisible, gravity-wielding matter. Without dark matter, galaxies would be ripped apart.

Largely because it is so hard to observe, dark matter is incredibly hard to understand. Some astrophysicists claim that it may not even exist. However, the strange substance remains one of the most important theoretical entities in modern physics.

12_5_Galaxies collide Chandra Space Telescope watches two galaxies collide and merge. SIMPs could explain the strange activity of dark matter around such events. Stuart Rankin/Chandra Space Telescope/Flickr

Before Murayama and Hochberg put forward their theory of SIMPs, two concepts, called MACHOs and WIMPs, competed to explain the elusive particles.

12_4_Atom The nucleus of an atom contains protons and neutrons, pictured here in red and green. Mortdefides/Djuneyt_tr/WikiMedia Commons

MACHOs—or massive astrophysical compact halo objects—are dark objects made from protons and neutrons, such as black holes and burned-out stars.

Physicists used to believe that dark matter might be made up of these invisible celestial bodies. However, in October, scientists who'd made observations using the Subaru Telescope didn’t find enough MACHOs to account for the abundance of dark matter theorized.

“That study pretty much eliminated the possibility of MACHOs; I would say it is pretty much gone,” Murayama said in a press release.

WIMPs—or weakly interacting massive particles—have also faced their share of problems. WIMPs are quite large, with a mass around 100 times the size of a proton. They should interact with normal particles far more often than with other WIMPs.

WIMPs were believed to attract normal particles, like a magnet and iron filings. Matter would build up around WIMPs, eventually becoming stars.

12_5_Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider searches for new elementary particles like SIMPs, pictured October 11, 2014. Thomas Cizauskas/Anthos Media/Flickr

However, small galaxies present a problem for WIMP theory, as Murayama explained: “There has been this longstanding puzzle: If you look at dwarf galaxies, which are very small with rather few stars, they are really dominated by dark matter. And if you go through numerical simulations of how dark matter clumps together, they always predict that there is a huge concentration towards the center. A cusp.

Particles which attract normal matter—but not things like themselves—fail to mathematically predict a core distribution.

SIMPs supported by dwarf galaxies, galaxy collisions

SIMPs, Muramaya believes, offer a better alternative to WIMPs. “If dark matter has a finite size, like a SIMP, the particles can go ‘clink’ and disperse themselves, and that would actually flatten out the mass profile toward the center,” he explained.

The SIMP would be about the size of an atomic nucleus—far smaller than a WIMP. This means there could be more of them floating about the universe, which would compensate for their weaker interactions with normal matter.

Muramaya's SIMP-based explanation for dark matter explained a curious observation at the site of four colliding galaxies. Around the Abell 3827 cluster, dark matter appears to have merged much more slowly than visible matter.

Muramaya explained that dark matter particles must have a finite size. This causes them to scatter against each other and be “pushed back” by the luminous matter.

Particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva will soon be used to investigate whether SIMPs actually exist.

In the meantime, physicists are still searching for WIMPs.