Print Book Self-Publishing 101

Print Book Self-Publishing 101 In this day and age of Kindle and e-books, more and more novels and tomes are being read using an electronic device. However, many readers still relish the feel of the pages of a book, the independence from the limits of battery life, and the joy of browsing a bookstore for hidden treasures.Authors themselves feel the draw of holding a physical book in their hands as a tangible reminder of their creation! Furthermore, publishing a print book is a great idea from a business standpoint. With only electronic copies, how would book signings go? When you encounter a fan at an event, its easier to hand off a copy of your book than to do it electronically. Although many venues for electronic giveaways exist, an in-person exchange creates a unique impression on the reader.Print books still have a market, particularly for nonfiction works. And even today, print books still play a role in the electronic world, since many people order print books online to be shipped to them. Plus, having a pri nt book purchasing option provides a handy sales tool; when a print book is listed at $12.95 next to the e-book version for only $4.95, the customer feels he is getting a great deal on the electronic version!A wide range of book mediums is available, which can all benefit you in different ways in your book sales. But before you get to that point, you must consider the required steps for self-publishing your print book.Edit your workAuthors who publish under a publishing house have certain resources at hand, like in-house editors. As someone who is self-publishing, youll have to make sure your own text is polished and perfect.Even though great care and planning went into your text, its still a compilation of fragments composed under different thoughts and moods over the course of hundreds of writing sessions. And dont forget that even the most meticulous grammar nerds make typos.Tighten up your languageTake out words or even passages that dont add much to the book. Wordy language has put me off many books in my reading experience; its distracting, and it prevents me from getting lost in the story. And who has the time to read a book that doesnt draw you in? Take a look at the example below, and see which one gives you the point without wasting your valuable time:If Gabriel hadnt glanced out the window, he would have passed the evening in quiet solitude and ignorance in front of the fire, dog on his lap, drink in hand. He would have drifted away to sleep with nary a care in the world, not knowing that the rain was sweeping away his lawn furniture. Without looking outside that night, in the morning he would have discovered his front porch bare where previously there had been a table and chairs.orGabriel glanced up to see the rainwater gush through his yard, carrying away his patio table and chairs.Of course, there is a time and place for lengthy description, but the key to good writing is conciseness. Some experts suggest that your book should be half its length after a good round of editing.Use synonyms to vary your expressionsIn Dead Poets Society, we learn the following wisdom: Avoid using the word very because its lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Dont use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys- to woo women- and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also wont do in your essays.Ask for editing and proofreading helpWhen youve been staring at your text for so long, you can miss some glaring errors. You know what you want your text to read like, but what will your readers see? Ask a friend to take a look at your book. You can also hire a professional editor from an online service like ServiceScape. The investment will bring you peace of mind as well as a polished text.Copyrighting your bookYouve created your masterpiece after months- maybe years- of dedicated hard work. You certainly want to protect it by copyrighting your creation. Copyrighting secures your rights to distribute your book, adve rtise it, and reproduce it.Make sure to register your copyright with the Library of Congress at copyright.gov in case anyone should dispute your rights to your book. The process can take months, so dont wait for your copyright to go through before you submit your book for print or e-book. Once you obtain your copyright, youll include a copyright page inside your book indicating All rights reserved.The launchIf youre publishing in print and electronic versions, be aware that the two mediums offer production on different time tables. E-books offer a quicker production process with fewer steps. So, if youre going with both forms of your book, plan to launch according to the time needed to process your print book, since it will take longer than your electronic version.Some authors hold a soft launch for their e-books to gauge the critical reaction to their work before printing a hard copy, while other people like to produce both simultaneously to cater to both customers who prefer e-books and those who want a print copy.Holding an official book launch offers you as the author the chance to celeb rate your accomplishments with friends, colleagues, and other guests. This event also enables you to market your book and sell copies to adoring fans who will also ask you to sign them.Try to plan your book launch in conjunction with another event, such as a reunion, community celebration, or festival, since the crowds will already be there. Plan ahead, leaving plenty of time for possible delivery delays of your print copies.Think of the venue where your event will be held. Are you providing catering? Do you have a table for signing and selling your books? How many people are you expecting to attend? Will there be another form of entertainment offered in conjunction with your book launch? Perhaps you might employ a prominent figure to help promote your book to add increased interest in your event and even encourage the presence of media coverage.Offer stacks of sales flyers in case your guests are on the fence about buying your book. Include in your flyer a photo of the books cover, passages from the book, information about the author, and maybe a purchasing coupon. These can be simple to put together yourself, or you can hire a service to produce them, either in color or in black and white. Some services also offer an electronic version of the flyer so you can send them via email.If the books author is present at a book launch to sign copies, guests feel compelled to purchase a copy while they have the chance to secure the authors signature. Consider also offering a discount during the event to encourage additional sales.A book launch provides excellent exposure for your book. However, some authors wish to not be the center of attention or cant reach their intended audience in person. In that case, there are several other options for marketing and promoting your book.Marketing your bookWhen youre self-publishing, marketing can prove to be a difficult task, so you should start the process as soon as possible. When you have the delivery date for your print book , start your efforts to spread the word about your book. If you feel youre not up to the task, you can hire a publicist to do the heavy lifting for you.Create a web site. This is essential for any Internet marketing endeavor. Always add your URL to your e-mail signature; every email you send will serve as a piece of marketing material.If youre self-marketing, compose a list of potential buyers and their contact information. If you are marketing to a specific group, especially if youve written a nonfiction book, search online for relevant groups and stores that would be interested in selling your book.Local outletsMany bookstores sell books only from publishing houses, so youll need to get creative when coming up with places to market and sell your self-published book. Try the following marketing destinations:Hotel lobbies and transport centersMuseums and art galleriesWriters festivals and reading groupsLocally owned stores and gift shopsOther places might let you display sales flyer s or brochures about your book, such as libraries, newsstands, and community centers.Press releaseCompose a press release and send it to your local newspaper, journals, and other related publications. This costs you very little money and can provide excellent advertisement for your book. You might get a published book review out of the process, which is a free and effective way to generate sales.Media coverageContact your community radio station to read your press release, and provide the staff a copy of the book. You might even target a station that typically broadcasts art programs.Get your book reviewed. Many people base their book-buying decisions on recommendations from colleagues. Determine which reviewers will give you a favorable review in a short amount of time, and send them a copy. Remember that reviewers are not obliged to review every book they receive.Cost of printing: Is it a deal-breaker?Now lets talk about printing cost. In the past, authors had to shell out a massi ve upfront fee to print out hundreds (or even thousands) of copies of their books with the hope that they would all sell. Unfortunately, many of those books ended up in the landfill. Today, although print books do cost more to produce than electronic versions, there are services that can prevent you from having to spend a huge sum to print stacks of copies youre not sure will sell right away.One such service is called print on demand (POD). With this service, you send your text and cover art to a company that offers this service (Ingram Spark and CreateSpace are a couple of options). Then, when a potential reader buys a book from Barnes Noble, Amazon, or other online book retailer, the POD service prints one copy and sends it to the customer.Not only is this a cool service, but it also offers several benefits:You pay nothing upfront for printing.You dont have to store stacks of books.You wont have to ship your book every time someone orders a copy.There is much less waste of unsold books.No cumbersome reminder of the copies you have yet to sell.These POD companies offer this service for free (while just charging a small portion of each sale), so that makes your self-publishing load quite a bit lighter! Most significantly, it eases the pain many authors face when they shell out a high upfront printing cost for a huge print run.The task of self-publishing can be intimidating, but its not impossible at all. Remember that youre not alone when planning your book editing, printing, launch, and promotion; help can be found around every corner!

Egyptian architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Egyptian architecture - Research Paper Example A deep delineation and an in-depth analysis of the structural study of the great pyramids, monuments, temples and tombs remaining along with little domestic structure shall focus considerable light on the pertinent characteristics inherent in the Egyptian architecture. The most potent characteristics of the Egyptian architecture were its consistent nature. With very little scope of variation or alteration, the set designs and forms were repeated in the designs of almost all the periods. As regards to the building materials of the structure, one can notice the use of sun-baked mud bricks and use of plenty of stones specially sandstone, granites and limestone in all the architectures. This was because of scanty availability of wood. The architecture comprises symmetry; walls are generally thick and are generally not broken due to fenestration. The use of rectangular shapes is very prominent in the form of architecture and the walls are highlighted with colorful decorations upholding walls and columns. The visual metaphors are very strong displaying hierarchy and power game prevalent in the society. Motifs of the Egyptian architectural detail comprise Egyptian ornaments of spiral, papyrus and circles. Tomb structures are very common in the Egyptian architecture and the cut temples where various religious ceremonies and rituals were held is their traditional form of building structures commonly found (Arnold 2-203). Egyptians had generally constructed three types of tombs. Among them, Mastabas or the funerary mounds and the Pyramids constructed during the initial period of the 4th dynasty are the iconic symbol of Egypt captivating within them the mummies of the great kings symbolizing eternal power and divinity (Harwood, May and Sherman 1-210). There is no end to the study of the architecture of Egypt, like the mummy of the Tutankhamen or the pyramids, their motif, structure and most importantly use of science and comprehension of geometry at that

Mises vs weber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mises vs weber - Essay Example Mises’ economic analyses of bureaucracy also identified the key differences between bureaucracy, profitable organisations, and unprofitable organisations. He demonstrated that â€Å"government bureaucracy will be unable to engage in an economic calculation and thus will suffer from significant inefficiencies† (Francu and Hociung 159). Consequently, Mises clearly distinguished between bureaucratic management and profit management. On the other hand, Weber, considered as the ‘father’ of bureaucracy, proposed the fundamentals of an explicit theory of bureaucracy (Francu and Hociung 159). He not only pioneered the most â€Å"comprehensive, classic formulations about the characteristics of bureaucracy†, but his ideas also ranged across a whole spectrum of historical, political, economic, and political thought† (Weber (2) 50). According to Francu and Hociung (159), he built on the premise that increasing efficiency of the bureaucratic organisations in carrying out complex activities resulted in the growth of the bureaucratic organisation. Thus, the ideal bureaucratic system was an organisational scheme where competence and not force or tradition formed the basis for the allocation of power (Weber (1) 25-30). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the opposing perspectives of Ludwig von Mises and Max Weber on bureaucracy and its consequences on society. It will be argued that Mises had a better understanding and a more realistic approach emphasizing bureaucracy’s adverse effects on society and the economy, as compared to Weber’s views on the need for institutional structure. Mises’ Austrian sociology is similar in some respects to the Weberian school; however they are two different methodologies. They usually address different topics. With the discipline of sociology becoming institutionalized around the Durkheimian or Weberian schools, Anderson (3)

Reforming the U.S. tax code to eliminate tax credits Essay

Reforming the U.S. tax code to eliminate tax credits - Essay Example The goals of the reforms on the taxes is to realize the objectives of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reforms, whose major goal is to give the people responsibilities related to the growth of the economy in accordance with the level of affluence (Becerra 45). My Position on Flat Tax Rate Flat tax rates imply that the people pay the same amount of tax regardless of their level of income. When the tax rate is constant, all the taxpayers are to be subjected to the same amount of tax without deductions or exemptions. According to the Americans Bill on the reforms of the tax code, flat tax would broaden the tax base while enforcing that every individual pays the tax without any deductions. The flat tax rate payment would benefit the people in various dynamic ways such as it would spread the burden of paying the tax on every citizen in the country. In essence, the flat tax rate if adopted would increase the burden on the middle class incomers while relieving the riches t. As a result of that it would not be considered as a fair way of building the economy as the rich who use most of the economic resources are not taxed according to their level of affluence (Diamond & George 140). ... One of the advantages for lowering the tax rate is that it increases the revenue to the state: the disposable income of citizens increases thereby presenting more money into the government’s account to be used in enhancing economic growth. The provisions contained in the act of lowering the tax on the low incomers is that, the government posed into a situation where it cannot waste its expenditures as the procedures of the government strictly looked into (Jones, John & Teresa 13). On the other hand, the service delivery to the people may be poor; for example, the prison and other welfare activities in the social systems. The government may fail to offer some of the fundamental services to the people as they may not collect the required minimal revenues that can efficiently meet the social needs of all in the country. As the tax rolls decrease, the ability to accomplish such projects lessens. Consequently, the rich may seek for ways to evade the tax as the state may seem biased towards them. The notion is that, it is only the middle class earners who are the favored in the context of tax collection, and the amount of tax levied upon them. Basically it may seem unfair but, in a rational point of view the rich should pay as much as they consume in the economy (Lymer & Lynne 75). The impacts of lowering tax on the low incomers and increasing the same on the rich Economic development based on the level of affluence of the people should be rationally distributed with regards to the people’s levels of affluence. The rich should heavily pay taxes in that they utilize most of the economic resources while the poor hardly get the platform to do the same. Fairness in the tax distribution and levies in a rational point of view imply that, those who leave a huge economic

Making Dreams Come True Essay Example for Free

Making Dreams Come True Essay As a child, did you ever wish upon a star? Did you ever dream of being a prince or princess in a magnificent castle? Or dream of being able to fly high above the tallest buildings? I know I did, I had many dreams. Many children dream of magical places they want to go, people they want to be, and things they want to feel. The Walt Disney Company has strived to make these dreams of children a reality. Whether it is getting to meet a princess, or getting a new pair of shoes, The Walt Disney Company wants to make every child feel special. The founders, Walt and Roy Disney, originally strived to create animations of fantasy worlds filled with scenes that would make anyone feel warmth. They continued their works by creating physical worlds of excitement; ones that children and their parents could enjoy together. Past and present, Disney also has helped out the community in numerous ways. Today The Walt Disney Company is still making dreams come true. On December 5, 1901, the creator and backbone of Disney, for many years, was born. Walter Elias Disney was most famous for his contribution to the entertainment world in the twentieth century. He went on to become very well known for his motion pictures. Walt Disney created many short films and full length animations; he also was the mind behind the world famous Disney theme parks. Throughout his career, he won 26 Oscars, 37 other awards, and 41 nominations. Walt still holds the record for the most awards ever (Walt). Although Walt Disney is most famously associated with Disney, he was not the only one in on the business. Roy Oliver Disney was Walter Disney’s older brother. Roy was born on June 24, 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. He co-founded Disney along with his brother and served as the chief executive officer of Disney for most of his life. He contributed to all the work that was done with Disney up until his death in 1971. Unlike Walt, Roy was alive to see the opening of Walt Disney World three months before he passed away (Roy). The Walt Disney Company started in a small Los Angeles office in 1923 by the Disney brothers. Their first real production was The Alice Comedies. The Alice Comedies grew popularity quick, and The Disney Company began to flourish. Five years later, the most famous Mickey Mouse was born; Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck and other Disney characters soon followed. Then in 1937 Disney’s first animated movie was produced; Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was pure success worldwide. Over the next few years, Disney decided to expand his ever-growing company, so he moved to Burbank to build a new studio. There, during the 1940s and 1950s, he along with his team created some of the classic Disney animations including Bambi, Fantasia, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan (History). Mickey Mouse has a long history; he celebrated his 80th birthday in 2008. Oswald the lucky rabbit was the original character. He starred in a black and white short film cartoon, where he had long black ears, a round pudgy belly, big goofy feet, and a huge but thin smile. He wore high white shorts, with white shoes and white gloves. Walters’s idea of Oswald came after The Alice Comedies series, but was influenced by them. The design came from Alice’s husband Charles Mintz. Walt later decided he wanted to give Oswald a makeover, so he decided to turn him into a mouse. At first he named this mouse Mortimer, but the name did not last. To this day, no one really knows the reason the mouse’s name was changed, but the most popular story is that Walter’s wife did not really care for the name. I am sure Disney was happy that he changed the name, seeing what success would come from the new revised character. After much debate, the character was created and named Mickey Mouse (Suddath). Mickey’s first couple appearances were not a success. All doubts were put to rest when Steamboat Willie hit the big screen, starring Mickey Mouse. The film was the first animation with synchronized sound effects and music. Mickey Mouse’s career had begun, and it was just the beginning. A little over ten years later, animator Fred Moore had an idea to make over Mickey once again; this was another brilliant idea in my eyes. Mickey was originally designed out of circles, therefore limiting his movements. The new Mickey was hoped to move more freely across the screen. Moore also proposed the idea of making a cuter Mickey. As a result, he gave him a pear-shaped body, eyes with pupils and a cute shortened noise. The new Mickey first appeared in one of the earliest and well-known classics, Fantasia; and for the first time, he appeared in color. Mickey continued to appear in short films throughout the years (Suddath). Today Mickey is not as popular in animated films, but I would not hesitate to say he is still alive in the Disney atmosphere. Mickey and Minnie are still recognized worldwide today. After the initial years of getting the Disney Company started, a lot of progress happened very quickly. In 1937 Disney made history by making the first full length animated motion picture; it was titled Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The famous film was written based on the tale Snow White by Brothers Grimm (Snow). To follow were many Disney classics that children still enjoy watching today. Some of my favorites include Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and The Beauty and the Beast. Disney has created 96 animations and is still created them today. Of those 96 movies, 45 of them are considered classics (The Walt Disney Company). Many of these Disney characters are the focus of two main theme parks that Disney created for everyone to enjoy first hand. To many children and even adults, the Disney parks are magical places. Nothing says it better than their slogan, â€Å"Where all dreams come true. † This is exactly what Walt Disney wanted; he wanted to create a place of magic for both children and their parents. Disneyland is located in Anaheim, California and Disneyworld is located in Orlando, Florida; they are the two amusement parks in the United States. There are also four other parks around the world, along with a Disney cruise line (Walt Disney). Disneyland was the first of the two to be created; it was the only park that Walt Disney himself actually got to witness being built and finished. Construction of the park was started on July 17, 1954, and was opened exactly one year later. Disneyland was a hit from the beginning, opening day was said to be a disaster because it was so overcrowded. The original park cost a massive 17 million dollars to complete. In the 1990s The Disney Company decided to expand the park. It was transformed into a park along with a resort. Along with the Disney Resort, Disneys California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney, and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel were created. Inside of Disneyland, there are a handful of mini lands, or at least this is how I see them. I would describe these as brief, but nonetheless powerful and exciting places that are seen around the world or in Disney productions, all composed inside one theme park. One that I particularly remember is the Haunted Mansion which is found in the New Orleans section of the park. The Haunted Mansion was constructed to look like an old southern plantation; inside it, it was created into a haunted adventure. These marvelous attractions draw many guests from around the world every year. As of 2007, Disneyland had been visited by over 14,800,000 people (Disneyland). In 1959 Walt Disney thought about creating another theme park. His main concern was the location because most of the people who came to Disneyland were from the west; which was a downfall because at the time most people lived in the east. Therefore, he wanted to open the Disney experience up to the whole nation by creating a new park closer to those on the east coast. The process of just getting approved for a large piece of land took many years. He had been denied numerous times. Finally, Orlando, Florida was chosen as a site for the new park. Sadly, Walt died in 1966, five years before the park was ever opened. Along with Walt Disney World, Epcot was created in 1982. Epcot is known today as the community of tomorrow. Like Disneyland, Walt Disney World also contains a resort and other parks within. Walt Disney World has not only become the most popular Disney Park, but the most popular entertainment attraction in the United States. On average, 40 million people visit each year. (Walt Disney World). Disney does not only vision to give children an experience of a lifetime through movies and theme parks, but through more heartfelt ways such as giving to charities. In 2008, Disney donated 209 million dollars to charities around the world, hoping to make wishes come true among families. They also have a program for volunteers called VoluntEARS. The company has been serving the community for over 26 years. In those years, the members have helped in 42 countries and contributed 5,000,000 hours of volunteer work. Most recently, in honor of Disney’s 55th anniversary, they are running a deal to promote community service. Disney is offering a free ticket to their park if anyone donates a day to a participating Disney organization (The Walt Disney Company – Corporate). Disney has a long history and it is still striving to create magic every day. Children still enjoy watching the same Disney classics that children watched over 50 years ago. Although Disney’s first few movies are still popular today, new animations are still being made, and are still becoming great hits. Disneyland and Walt Disney World are still magical places that will surely bring a smile to a child’s face. But most importantly, Disney is continuing to fulfill dreams through their community service; these dream come trues are truly magical.

The Great Depression Essay -- American History

The causes and far-reaching effects of The Great Depression are examined. Discussion includes its impact on both American cultures and nations around the world. The role of World War II and the New Deal in overcoming the Depression are explored. The Great Depression began in October 1929, when the stock market in the United States dropped rapidly. Thousands of investors lost all of their of money and were forced to live on the streets often going without food. This crash led into the Great Depression. The ensuing period of 10 years ranked as the worst period of high unemployment and low business activity in modern times. Banks, stores, and factories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homeless, and without food. Many people came to depend on the government or charity to provide them with food. The Depression became a worldwide business slump of the 1930's that affected almost all nations. It led to a sharp decline in world trade as each country tried to protect their own industries. The Depression led to political turmoil in many countries such as Germany where poor economic conditions helped lead to the rise of Hitler. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President in 1932 and his 'new deal' reforms gave the go vernment more power and helped slow the depression. The Great Depression ended as nations increased their production of war materials at the start of World War II. This increased production provided jobs and put large amounts of money back into circulation. Several factors led to the great depression. One being the lack of diversification in the American economy. The prosperity of America had been basically dependent on a few industries like construction and the automobile and in the late 20's these industr... ...l deficit and Bennett cut back on government spending. A great burden on the country was Canadian National Railway, the government had to take over many railways and from that took in a debt of over two billion dollars. After seeing president Roosevelt's New Deal policy having good results in the U.S. Bennett introduced policies based on the New Deal. Bennett started up minimum wage and unemployment insurance. However Bennetts attempts to revive the economy were not nearly as successful as Roosevelt's. as a result the depression was worse in Canada than in the U.S., and this led to the defeat of Bennett in the 1935 election to liberal Mackenzie King. Like in the U.S. the Great Depression did not end until the outbreak of the second world war. A boost in the economy was created by a strong demand of Canadian goods in Europe and an increase of government spending.(ibid)

Enduring Pak-China Relations Essay

During Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s visit to China, there have been speculations that he undertook this ‘emergency’ trip in the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s killing in Abbottabad by US forces. Nothing could be further from the truth. During the visit, the Chinese leadership assured Pakistan of their full support in its hour of need. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao informed Pakistan that China had urged the US to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty. In addition to agreements on banking, technical and economic cooperation, China agreed to expedite the delivery of 50 J-17F Thunder fighter jets to Pakistan. This has provoked some American Congressmen to interpret it as Pakistan’s leaning on China to countervail pressure from Washington. Contrary to speculations, this visit was not prompted by the Abbottabad incident. It was planned much before and was part of the ongoing Pak-China strategic relations. Also, 2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the Pak-China relationship and has been designated as the year of friendship between the two countries, which was reflected in the celebrations and extraordinarily warm welcome extended to Pakistan’s prime minister in China. Therefore, to suggest that the visit was organised on the spur of the moment is misleading. Pakistan and China have a longstanding relationship, especially since 1962, when China and India went to war over a disputed border. The Chinese have been steadfast friends and have supported Pakistan through thick and thin. China’s interest lies in a stable and prosperous Pakistan. They have been very generous in sharing their development and progress in the economic and technical fields and have aided Pakistan in every possible manner. Therefore, the visit of Prime Minister Gilani should not be considered as reactive. Pakistan is a sovereign country (despite challenges) and has the right to choose its friends and explore options for positive relationships other than the US. Pakistan is not bound to have a one-track relationship with the world through the US. The US raid in Abbottabad created a perception that Pakistan’s air force is weak and compromised, prompting India to remark that it could carry out similar attacks on jihadi outfits in Pakistan. Like a true friend, the Chinese have agreed to speed up the production and delivery of 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft for Pakistan. This has not only sent a clear signal to the world that China stands by Pakistan but will actually strengthen our air defense against any such misadventure. Gwadar port: China has a keen interest that Pakistan’s vision to become a trade and energy corridor, which links Central Asia, Russia and China with the warm waters of the Arabian Sea should become a reality. If the Gwadar Port develops and is linked with rail and road infrastructure, China’s interests will also be served. Compared to shipping from the eastern seaports, trade through Pakistan will tremendously ease trade for China. China wants to develop its relatively undeveloped interior western regions. The best way to achieve this is to provide an outlet for the region through Gwadar. The Chinese have agreed to take over the operation of Gwadar Port after the contract with the Singapore Port Authority expires in anticipation of this dream becoming a reality. China has stakes in a developed and prosperous Pakistan and is ready to help it grow. Is Pakistan ready to avail this opportunity and develop the capacity to take advantage of Chinese generosity? SECOND EDITORIAL: Attack on US Consulate staff Another day, another attack. An improvised explosive device (IED) struck two bulletproof Land Cruisers of the US Consulate staff in Peshawar on Friday, injuring 11 people and killing one passerby. Two consulate personnel suffered minor injuries in this first attack on US diplomats after the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. This comes in a sequence of similar attacks that have been taking place throughout the country since al Qaeda’s leader was killed, including against Saudi personnel in their Karachi consulate. It is feared that this is just the beginning as the extremists might be getting warmed up to fulfil their pledge of revenge against Pakistan, the US and other countries that had a part to play in bin Laden’s death. Other NATO countries too are on the terrorists’ hit list. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the Peshawar attack and have declared it retribution for bin Laden’s death at the hands of US Navy SEALs. When such a red alert situation exists in the country, it is shameful that adequate security measures are still lacking to prevent such attacks from taking place. Just as Osama was a high value target for the US, likewise, US, European, Saudi and even Pakistani citizens are high-value targets for the militants. To have foreign and our own citizens under threat on our shores and to be woefully unequipped to protect them is pathetic, to say the least. It is almost as if the security forces in Pakistan are too de-motivated in the face of a murky, bloodthirsty enemy. The area where this latest attack took place, University Town, is considered to be one of the more posh residential locations in Peshawar. It is a community where foreigners usually live. For a militant onslaught to take place there shows that even the most well-off of places is unsafe, what to say of the rest of the country. The security and law enforcement agencies have to get their act together. Our intelligence establishment cannot afford to fall asleep (again?) in the wake of the bin Laden episode and our police and security forces need better methods of detection and prevention. Arrangements must be made to better police the streets and allow citizens, whether international or local, to move about without incurring the risk of being blown to bits. * Home | Editorial