Analysis Of The Story The Night Essay - 1498 Words

Aris Rachne paused, looking in the mirror at her reflection. She brushed her long, silky black hair that cascaded past her shoulders like the night waves of the ocean. Once last time, she reapplied the crimson lipstick, redder than the blood of the Angel of Death. The image of a gun passed through her mind. She heard a woman’s scream. She inhaled, flashing back to reality. Aris stepped out of her bedroom, a room painted teal and decorated with a burgundy bookshelf and a burgundy bed. She looked at the bed frame, handmade and carved from the finest walnut wood by her own father. She remembered when he made it for her. He promised her that it would always keep her comfortable. She sighed and closed the pale white door behind her, adjusting her black dress. The dress fit her perfectly, like a long silk glove on the arm of a delicate woman. The velvet material clung to her waist and flowered out, past her thighs, residing just above her knees. She inhaled sharply as she stood up, just a bit straighter. The corset cinched her waist to look smaller than humanly possible. She walked down the hall, her black velvet heels clicking against the mahogany floor boards. As she left, she grabbed the clutch her fiance gave to her and the chrysanthemums she had picked up earlier that morning for the event. Swiftly climbing into her black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe, she pressed play to continue listening to the CD that her sister gave to her, a copy of Rihanna’s Loud. TheShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Story The Night 1062 Words   |  5 PagesThe story starts with the Narrator, an engineer, who is temporarily staying at the Hale house in Starkfield, Massachusetts due to a project in a nearby town. Dealing with a delay in his work, the Narrator decides to observe the citizens of Starkfield. He notices Ethan Frome at the post office and wonders why a man with immense strength seems so physically and mentally crippled. He decides to investigate and finds out that Ethan was a victim of a â€Å"smash-up†. The Narrator had been using Denis EadyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story The Night By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay773 Words   |  4 PagesAlan Stilman 3.05 A. The story is about being buried alive. Edgar is extremely paranoid and scared of being buried alive. The story describes many times what Edgar thinks is like to be trapped in a coffin. At the end of the story, he says he spontaneously and almost magically lost his phobia. B. Many dogs and children die trapped in a car, from heat, because of human error. He seems to have a very specific kind of fear, but the fear of being trapped (anywhere) haunts many people. I think the biggestRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Night By Landon s Story 1700 Words   |  7 Pages Curing Kids Landon’s Story Kids typically live a carefree life. When you are a kid you don’t have to worry about waking up tomorrow, about surgeries or treatments, fighting against a force more powerful and stubborn than them, but some kids aren’t as lucky when it comes to living the life of a child. Kids all around the world don’t have a chance to live as a child or even make it that far. They get snatched up by the harshness of reality, pain and suffering in the world that is growing uncontrollablyRead More Formal Analysis of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples845 Words   |  4 PagesA Formal Analysis of Young Goodman Brownnbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown is an interesting short story that creatively tells two stories at once.nbsp; One story is of a man leaving his wife one night and venturing into the woods, and the other is of his struggle with his religious faith.nbsp; In reading this story, it is beneficial for one to look at it from a formalistic point of view.nbsp; Formal analysis makes the reader look closely atRead More Psychological and Formal Analysis of Young Goodman Brown Essay957 Words   |  4 PagesPsychological and Formal Analysis of Young Goodman Brown nbsp; Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne provides the reader with a unique insight into the lives of people in an early Puritan community. By the use of psychological and formal analysis, we capture a deeper sense of the story of a young mans struggle between his undeniable desires and his morality. nbsp; Freud speculated that the repression of our sub consciousness and that, which we are unaware of, is manifested into theRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart And The Premature Burial915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Premature Burial are two short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The Tell-Tale Heart is about the narrator killing an old man. The Premature Burial is about a mans fear of being buried alive. The theme of the two works are closely related to fear and guilt. Poe’s stories have terrifying plots, solid themes and literary criticism. The Tell-Tale heart starts as An unknown narrator says he is nervous but not mad. Then he informs the reader that he will be telling a story about how he killed a old man. HeRead MoreThe Knife1115 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish  /  Short Stories- amp;Quot;The Knifeamp;Quot; By Judah Waten Textual AnalysisShort Stories- amp;Quot;The Knifeamp;Quot; By Judah Waten Textual AnalysisThis  essay Short Stories- amp;Quot;The Knifeamp;Quot; By Judah Waten Textual Analysis  is available for you on Essays24.com! Search Term Papers, College Essay Examples and Free Essays on Essays24.com - full papers database. Autor:  Ã‚  anton  Ã‚  24 November 2010Tags:   StoriesWords:  2398  Ã‚  Ã‚  |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pages:  10Views:  1338Save essay in my profilePrintableRead MoreCurrent Conditions And Desired Conditions1443 Words   |  6 PagesOpstad Elementary school in North Bend, Washington have shown a lower academic ability to read a story and retell the story with an accurate sequence of events and main details. When asked to read a story below grade level, the students can read it and retell the main events, but tend to leave out key details. When asked to read a grade level appropriate story, they can read it and retell parts of the story, but usually rearrange the sequence in some way or omit details. Desired Conditions The studentsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Sided Love By Patrick Bennett978 Words   |  4 PagesMy analysis over the romantic short story â€Å"Lop Sided Love†. In this essay, we will look at the story â€Å"Lopsided Love† by Patrick Bennett. The mode of criticism that would work best for this story is the psychoanalytic criticism. This is because of the two main characters in this story. The main characters fell in love, despite each other’s flaws. Love is something that cannot be controlled, and you cannot help who you fall in love with. The main point in this story is internal beauty is what causesRead MoreCultural Differences In Mothers Inheritance By Joanita Male1724 Words   |  7 Pagespiece derives from African literature is titled â€Å"It’s a Night Job† written by Joanita Male. In this piece a daughter explains how her family situation lead her into the profession which she is ashamed of being in. Based on these short stories similarities and differences can be established when their literary elements and figurative elements are compared. To begin, the short stories have opposing tones in the varying connotations. In â€Å"It’s a Night Job† the tone is approached with neutral attitude towards

A Civil Action Review Free Essays

A Civil Action Essay Jay Lee 9-8-09 In the movie â€Å"A Civil Action†, the environmental problem was that trichloroethylene and silicone was placed into the water in the town of Woburn. It happened through a tanning company pouring chemicals on the hides of animals and it seeping out. The company also placed a lot of barrels with the dangerous chemicals into the ground and it seeped out into the wells of the town. We will write a custom essay sample on A Civil Action Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now The damage it caused to the environment and to the people was a huge amount. It poisoned the town and children were killed because of it. The chemicals caused the children to get Leukemia and they died. The people blamed the companies Beatrice Foods and W. R. Grace Co for neglecting proper cleaning habits. This movie showed that humans really need to practice good habits or humans will not be able to survive. One tanning company poisoned an entire town. If everyone was like the tanning company, everyone would be dead by now. People really need to practice good habits because we cannot live in a world that is polluted by dangerous chemicals. The earth cannot become like the town of Woburn. We cannot continue to pollute the earth or we will harm ourselves and each other. People also need to know what they are dumping into the earth. People have to continually study what they are dumping into the earth or they may end up getting sued and hurting people. Jan Schlichtmann found out a lot about what happens to people and the earth after studying the harmful effects of the chemicals that were being dumped into the town of Woburn. People need to study these things because the earth cannot take the harm from the chemicals nor can the people. The earth is all connected and it was shown in the movie. The chemicals from the plant were dumped into a ditch. The chemicals traveled through the soil into the groundwater. The chemicals then reached the wells of the community. From there the people drank the water. One action can affect everybody. The earth is all connected somehow and putting something harmful in it is just hurting everyone and everything. The earth does not take a problem and just magically make it disappear, it stays within the earth and people need to find a way to do something better or everyone suffers. People alter the planet a lot. In the movie, just a tanning company polluted the ground water and killed people because of it. â€Å"A Civil Action† showed a lot of things that dealt with people hurting the planet. People should have to pay because they are responsible for more than just hurting people. The environment is important to people along with animals. It affects everything people do. In the movie people were forced to come together to do something about it. The people were sick of facing trials and watching the deaths of children because of the chemicals in the water. It really makes people do things about them and environmental problems are serious. They have to be dealt with quickly or it may hurt current generations and future generations. People may not be able to fix the problems we make today in the future. Environmental problems are serious and need to be dealt with quickly. How to cite A Civil Action Review, Essay examples

President Jimmy Carter and The Panama Canal Treaties free essay sample

The paper talks about the Panama Canal Treaties, why they are important to the U.S. and how we benefit from them. It further examines how President Carter was able to influence the Senate and the American people to get them to support two treaties. On September 7, 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed two treaties with Panamanian General Omar Torrijos. The first treaty, known as The Panama Canal Treaty, provided for the slow transfer of the canal and Canal Zone to Panama by December 31, 1999. Both nations under this treaty would work together to make sure that the canal operated efficiently and uninterrupted. The second treaty, known as the Neutrality Treaty, dealt with permanent neutrality and operation of the canal. Critics of The Panama Canal treaty argued that the treaty does not mention what military action the United States can take if the canal was threatened. They also argued that the Neutrality Treaty does not contain a cause for U. We will write a custom essay sample on President Jimmy Carter and The Panama Canal Treaties or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page S. and Panamanian joint defense. Before the treaty became law it faced a tough battle for passage in the Senate.

My Personal Credos Paper free essay sample

Carrying these values are important with most you come across now because to function in society in a positive way and these same values being returned they must be given. Starting with respect which is defined as a feeling of admiration for something or someone because of their or its qualities or achievements. From this definition feel the key word is admiration, and its hard to admire something or someone without good qualities. Respect comes from people of all walks of life and in all kind of situations.For example while serving in the Air Force I noticed that a lot of military members seemed to have respect or a lot superiors rank, but not the person. I began to notice this trend as a young airman when an older senior NCO pulled me aside and said to me Hey Sparks, would you rather have respect for your rank or personality? This was a question pondered on for a bit and replied with the answer, Both. We will write a custom essay sample on My Personal Credos Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The reason said both was because no matter what my rank was I wanted people to always respect me as a human being. After my reply the Senior NCO, next asked Well Sparks how do you achieve both? After giving this next question a few minutes of thought stated to the Senior Master Sergeant Take care of people. This conversation always resonated with me in my military career and in later in life because it showed an important aspect of respect and of leadership. As I went through my Air Force career as both military and civilian this was something I always focused in on when dealing with people under me and when viewing leader above me and around me. For example there was once a Master Sergeant that I worked for that was all respect from his rank and no none as a person, which later cost him when it came to promotion.This particular individual never cared much about others only myself, he throw a troop under the bus quick fast and in a hurry if he could not use them to make himself loo k good. He thought these actions went unnoticed, but everyone from the lowest ranking person in the squadron to the Commander could see the type of person he was. His action caused people under him to do the bare minimum when it came to work, only because they had to out of respect for his rank. On the flip side of things one of his peers also a Master Sergeant everyone loved and respected, because he was genuinely a good person and would take care of everyone.This Master Sergeant was the one who ended up getting promoted, because of his board scores because of his strong package he had written. Respect ended up being such a big part of my life as child from watching my father and wanting to be a man like him. Respecting people and gaining peoples respect were values he lived by and instilled in my brother and me. When he passed so many people came out to show their respect because he showed so much respect to others. Now having three children of my own I constantly try to implant in them how important respect is to have and give others. This great liar of respect also has played a major role in shaping history. Great leaders and scholars were built due to the respect they had amongst people and followers. For example the great Greek philosopher Socrates, who established philosophy as a lived experience versus a set of doctrine, was and is respected throughout life because of his teachings (Firer, p. 1 02). Its said that Socrates never wrote any books or letters in his lifetime and whats known of him mainly comes for the writings Of his students (Hero, p. 1 02).I feel these are aspects of Socrates that adds to the great respect for him as a helicopter and as a historical figure. Just that fact that he never had any published writings or documented record of his work, shows the respect the man had. The second of my three credos I believe heavily in is loyalty, because I feel its also a foundation to being a good person. Loyalty throughout time has helped people and leaders succeed in different aspects of life, ruling an empire, in all types of relationships and just in everyday life. In my opinion loyalty also parallels with respect because I feel you cant have one without the other.When it comes to all types of relationship, from friendships, family, boyfriend/girlfriend, and work relationships they all start with loyalty. For me when it comes to friendships there is nothing worse than a disloyal friend. One of my favorite saying in life is Dont tell me about someone talking about me, tell me why they feel so comfortable telling talking about me to you. This statement tells a lot about friendships in regards to loyalty, because there is not a person who can avoid having someone talk about them, but true loyalty in a friendship can protect the reined being talked about.In a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship loyalty has to be a key component for the relationship to survive. That loyalty in this type of relationship comes in many different forms, with the biggest One being faithful. When it comes to ancient history and emperors ruling an empire loyalty had to be a huge part for an emperor to build a successful empire. It took the loyalty of the people in the empire, the loyalty of the king or emperors men and of his family. One example of a great leader who had the loyalty and respect of his people initially was the one time Roman Empire Julius Caesar.Caesar came to power by establishing himself as a great military leader, but later lost the loyalty of his people included his second and command and good friend. It was said that as a superb organizer, Caesar took strong measures to reestablish Rome: he codified the laws, regulated taxation, reduced debt, sent large number of the unemployed proletariat to overseas colonies, and inaugurated public work projects (Hero, p. 141). Due to these acts Caesar established the great amount of loyalty among the Rome people, but his overwhelming popularity caused him to lose support and cause disloyalty in his own circle.Our textbook explains threatened by Caesar populist reforms and his contempt for republican institutions, a group of his senatorial opponents, led by Brutes, assassinated him in 44 B. C. E. (Firer, p. 141). The final strong believe I have is the belief in integrity which also coincides with the other two of respect and loyalty, but take as the most important. Having a sense of integrity is a pillar that is important in all walks of life and also though out history. Integrity is doing some right when no one is looking, its being honest and just doing whats right in general.Also with respect, integrity was a value that was placed in me as child by my father and later reinforced during my military career. In the case Of my father, he would say doing the right thing when no one is looking gives you self-gratification and validation with only you. He explained that a lot people make sure to do things in the public eye to get validation and cheers other people but the intent is not always genuine. When it comes to the litany reinforcing integrity in my life it was because it happened to be one of the core values in the Air Force Integrity first.After being a little apprehensive about joining the military, and not coming from a military family, seeing integrity first entering basic training really confirmed choose the right branch to join. On the leadership side of things where all leaders didnt have integrity during their time of power some did such as Buddha. Buddha is considered a religious leader, but one of his four nobles to the path of enlightenment was right conduct leads to release from pain. This noble to me in a sense is stating that having integrity will free individuals from pain and heartache.

Twin Studies and Adoption Studies essays

Twin Studies and Adoption Studies essays Studies of identical twins, particularly if the twins are separated at birth, are thought to provide some insight into the nature versus nurture debate. Twins have the same genetic material, but may be brought up in different home environments. There have been some controversial, small studies of twins that show a striking tendency for twins to exhibit the same mental disorders. Critiques of these studies have revealed evidence that sometimes a twin exhibits the behavior of the other twin in sympathy, and even with twins separated at birth there may be controversy as to the definition of the disease in question (Joseph 2002:75). What constitutes Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity disorder versus normal behavior is controversial and often highly subjective, depending on who is diagnosing the individual, and this is of course impossible for the same individual to do so in separated at birth comparisons (Joseph 2002: 76). Also, the culture at large may over- or under-diagnose certain diseases at the same points in historical time. Other studies consider that although genes may have an influence upon behavior, there is always an interaction between genes and the environment. For example, the balance of evidence suggests a modest genetic effect on both normal drinking and alcoholism in men, though similar evidence for women is so far lacking, in other words, genes play a role, and twins are more likely to be alcoholic than random pairs of individuals, but the correlation is not absolute (Murray, Clifford One excellent example of a class of diseases that may seem to run in families but is not genetic are nutritional deficiency disorders, such as pellagra, scurvy, or rickets, caused by malnutrition and poverty. Although to a layperson there might seem to be a genetic correlation, if one twins diet i...

A Case Study Of Forced Migration

A Case Study Of Forced Migration The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) defines Forced migration (or displacement of people, another term that will be used in this paper), a global issue estimating one of every thirty-five persons in the world to be a migrant. At the end of 2008, there were some estimates putting 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Only half of those individuals were receiving assistance and protection from the UNHCR. The number of people displaced within their country as a result of armed conflict is estimated at 26 million, and again half of them were protected or assisted by the UNHCR. Some 12 million stateless persons were identified worldwide, children represent 44 per cent of refugees and asylum seekers and women and girls representing 47 per cent.   [ 1 ]   According to Willis, the number of international migrants increased double with 190.6 million, Europe standing for the largest share of international migrants where people in the other European countriesâ€℠¢ movement within the European Union members States between 1970 and 2005   [ 2 ]   . 1.6 million Chinese immigrants in the United States made them the country’s fourth-largest immigrant group in 2008   [ 3 ]   . It says that 2000 Philippines leaves for overseas each day for the lack of employment according to a Philippine organisation   [ 4 ]   . There are also people forced to move as a result of policies and projects to enhance development, example being infrastructure projects such dams, parks, roads   [ 5 ]   . These above figures show the displacement is a direct result of war, conflict, natural disasters, poverty, and economic, political or social issues, compelling these individuals in response to flee for a better protected life somewhere else. To bear in mind, many of these people are not as successful and find themselves trapped in these circumstances for a long time if not ever. Under article 13 and 14 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR ) declare the rights of seeking and enjoying asylum. This is one of the earliest human rights instrument to develop establishing universal standards for the protection of persons. Following the UDHR and among other existing treaties and conventions within the international human rights system   [ 6 ]   , the 1951 Refugee Convention was adopted and together with its 1967 Protocol, the Convention was placed to recognise the entitlement, benefits and rights of refugees and asylum seekers in States. Other treaties and relevant conventions   [ 7 ]   , such the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides in article 2 that â€Å"Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth o r other status†. It is to say that the host countries, which have ratified the Convention, have duty to not only comply with the implementation of the respective provisions but also to take positive measures to ensure the protection of the refugees and asylum seekers. To comprehend what forced migration is, it is significant that one must first identify and understand the concept of migration, then recognise and examine who is a migrant and which group falls under which category of the term. According to the National Geographic, migration (human) is the movement of people from one place to another for the reason of taking up semi or permanent residence usually across a political border. People can either migrate voluntarily or involuntary be forced to migrate because of dissimilar reasons. A well acknowledged type of migration is the rural to urban movement, people on the move from rural area to the metropolis. However migration also takes place within countries, continents an d region. There are many different types of migration including internal and external migration, step and chain migration, return and seasonal migration. But the focus in this paper is dominantly on population transfer or forced migration, namely refugees and migrants. Forced migrants are usually people forced to leave their homes to seek better living standards, such employment and population transfer is another term used to define forced migration where a government drive a massive group of people out of the country based on ethnicity, religion or other political factors and causes   [ 8 ]   .

Competition and competitiveness derive from different theoretical Essay

Competition and competitiveness derive from different theoretical frameworks and UK policy has failed to distinguish adequately between the two. Explain and discuss - Essay Example The competitiveness policy encourages on benchmarking whereby an entrepreneur visits another competitive entrepreneur and finds out on what he/she does in order to attain his/her success (Bristow 2010). In competition, every business is always straining to win the other by getting most of the customers on its side and not by merging and obtaining monopoly to exploit on the market. This is because if an entrepreneur exhibits monopoly power, he or she may exploit the market when there is no government interference. Marxian views competition as the act of competing for land, capital and workers alongside competing with other business and firms for profit making (Tan 2014). This means that a business unit must compete for the workers and it should provide reasonable pay for workers. Through this, they can be able to attract workers from other business units and this makes them have adequate labor. They should give their workers allowances and other benefits to encourage and motivate them. The business unit should not overwork the workers but instead they should give them a reasonable pay. Secondly, the business unit should also effectively compete for land as a factor of production. This simply means that the business unit should have enough money to buy adequate land since often businesses have to expand their premises. For a business to be successful then it should have adequate land to carry out its business activities and land is a competitive factor; hence they should strain to get the best available land according to the land use. Marketing business units should also strain to get land near their market while mineral based business units should strain to get land within their mineral extraction place and the market. Capital is the money needed to start and run a business. The business units should find the best financial institution where they can get access to loans and other financial support to run their businesses. Finally,

Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Technology - Research Paper Example There are various benefits that have been offered by different technological advancements, but these advancements have been severally criticized by the opponents of the debate of technology being beneficial or harmful to the society and its members. The opponents as well as the proponents of the debate use various researches in order to support their claims. The benefits of technological advancements have been well documented but at the same time the negative effects of technological advancements have even been well researched and these negative effects have been as severe as being the cause of death amongst the members of the society. As new technological advancements enter the society the concern of how negatively these advancements are impacting human beings has increased within stakeholders and policy makers. Technological advancements may have several benefits to offer but it is severally damaging the educational, social, physical and psychological life of human beings. The use of technological devices has increased quite steadily and these advancements are being used by people of all ages including teenagers, young adults, older adults as well as seniors. Steinberg in his article has cited various studies that have been conducted in order to provide insight regarding the benefits of video game technology and in these researches the populations that were survey and observed included children ageing 4 to 6 years old, children who were in the middle years of the school life, individuals who were working as adults and various others (Steinberg 1). Similarly, Winteman focuses on the use of technology of internet amongst the population of teenagers while discussing the impact of technology on members of society (Winteman 1). Technological advancements have severally damaged the psychological wellbeing of its users. The proponents of technology argue that technological developments have impacted the psychological development of the members of the

Gestalt Learning Theory Essay Example for Free

Gestalt Learning Theory Essay Doing my research on learning and instruction in complex simulation-based learning environments, I experienced a large difference in how learners reacted to my learning material (Kluge, in press, 2004). Complex technical simulations involve the placement of the learner into a realistic computer simulated situation or technical scenario which puts control back into the learner’s hands. The contextual content of simulations allows the learner to â€Å"learn by doing. † Although my primary purpose was in improving research methods and testing procedures for evaluating learning results of simulation-based learning, the different reaction of our participants were so obvious that we took a closer look. I had two different groups participating in my learning experiments: students from an engineering department at the University, mostly in their 3rd semester, and apprentices from vocational training programs in mechanics and electronics of several companies near the University area in their 3rd year of vocational training. Most of the students worked very intensively and concentrated on solving these complex simulation tasks whereas apprentices became easily frustrated and bored. Although my first research purpose was not in investigating the differences between these groups, colleagues and practitioners showed their interest and encouraged me to look especially at that difference. Practitioners especially hoped to find explanations why apprentices sometimes are less enthusiastic about simulation learning although it is said to be motivating for their perception. Therefore, in this dissertation I address the difference in the effectiveness of using simulation intervention program based on a Gestalt learning theory. Moreover, to find out if the program improves either or both the quality and speed of the learning process of students enrolled in a highly technical training program. This dissertation focuses on using simulation based learning environments in vocational training program. In this chapter, the experimental methodology and instruments are described, results presented and finally discussed. As mentioned above, my primary purpose when I started to investigate learning and simulation based on Gestalt learning theory was focused on improving the research methodology and test material (see Kluge, in press, 2004) for experimenting with simulation-based learning environments. But observing the subjects’ reactions to the learning and testing material the question arose whether there might be a difference in the quality of and speed of the learning process of students involved in my study. Research Design: A 3-factor 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial control-group-design was performed (factor 1: â€Å"Simulation complexity†: ColorSim 5 vs ColorSim 7; factor 2: â€Å"support method†: GES vs. DI-GES; factor 3: target group, see Table 2). Two hundred and fifteen mostly male students (16% female) in eight groups (separated into four experimental and four control groups) participated in the main study. The control group served as a treatment check for the learning phase and to demonstrate whether subjects acquired any knowledge within the learning-phase. While the experimental groups filled in the knowledge test at the end of the experiment (after the learning and the transfer tasks), the control groups filled in the knowledge test directly after the learning phase. I did not want to give the knowledge test to the experimental group after the learning phase because of its sensitivity to testing-effects. I assumed that learners who did not acquire the relevant knowledge in the learning phase could acquire useful knowledge by taking the knowledge test, which could have led to a better transfer performance which is not due to the learning method but caused by learning from taking the knowledge test. The procedure subjects had to follow included a learning phase in which they explored the structure of the simulation aiming at knowledge acquisition. After the learning phase, subjects first had to fill in the four-item questionnaire on self-efficacy before they performed 18 transfer tasks. The transfer tasks were separated into two blocks (consisting of nine control tasks each) by a 30-minute break. In four experimental groups (EG), 117 students and apprentices performed the learning phase (28 female participants), the 18 control tasks and the knowledge test. As said before, the knowledge test was applied at the end because of its sensitivity to additional learning effects caused by filling in the knowledge test. In four control groups (CG), 98 students and apprentices performed the knowledge test directly after the learning phase, without working on the transfer task (four female participants). The EGs took about 2-2. 5 hours and the CG about 1. 5 hours to finish the experiment. Both groups (EGs and CGs) were asked to take notes during the learning phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to the EGs and CGs, nonetheless ensuring that the same number of students and apprentices were in each group. The Simulation-Based Learning Environment The computer-based simulation ColorSim, which we had developed for our experimental research previously, was used in two different variants. The simulation is based on the work by Funke (1993) and simulates a small chemical plant to produce colors for later subsequent processing and treatment such as dyeing fabrics. The task is to produce a given amount of colors in a predefined number of steps (nine steps). To avoid the uncontrolled influence of prior knowledge, the structure of the plant simulation cannot be derived from prior knowledge of a certain domain, but has to be learned by all subjects. ColorSim contains three endogenous variables (termed green, black, and yellow) and three exogenous variables (termed x, y, and z ). Figure 1 illustrates the ColorSim screen. Subjects control the simulation step by step (in contrast to a real time running continuous control). The predefined goal states of each color have to be reached by step nine. Subjects enter values for x, y, and z within the range of 0-100. There is no time limit for the transfer tasks. During the transfer tasks, the subjects have to reach defined system states for green (e. g. , 500), black (e. g. , 990), and yellow (e. g. , 125) and/or try to keep the variable values as close as possible to the values defined as goal states. Subjects are instructed to reach the defined system states at the end of a multi-step process of nine steps. The task for the subjects was first to explore or learn about the simulated system (to find out the causal links between the system variables), and then to control the endogenous variables by means of the exogenous variables with respect to a set of given goal states. With respect to the empirical evidence of Funke (2001) and Strau? (1995), the theoretical concept for the variation in complexity is based on Woods’ (1986) theoretical arguments that complexity depends on an increasing number of relations between a stable number of (in this case six) variables (three input, three output: for details of the construction rational and empirical evidence see Kluge, 2004, and Kluge, in press, see Table 1). To meet reliability requirements, subjects had to complete several trials in the transfer task. For each of the 18 control tasks a predefined correct solution exists, to which the subjects’ solutions could be compared. In addition, knowledge acquisition and knowledge application phases were separated. The procedure for the development of a valid and reliable knowledge test is described in the next section. Different methods have been developed to provide learners with support to effectively learn from using simulations. De Jong and van Joolingen (1998) categorize these into five groups: 1. Direct access to domain knowledge, which means that learners should know something about the field or subject beforehand, if discovery learning is to be fruitful. 2. Support for hypothesis generation, which means learners are offered elements of hypotheses that they have to assemble themselves. 3. Support for the design of experiments, e. g. , by providing hints like â€Å"It is wise to vary only one variable at a time† 4. Support for making predictions, e. g. , by giving learners a graphic tool in which they can draw a curve that gives predictions at three levels of precision: as numerical data, as a drawn graph, and as an area in which the graph would be located. 5. Support for regulative learning processes: e. g. , by introducing model progression, which means that the model is introduced gradually, and by providing planning support, which means freeing learners from the necessity of making decisions and thus helping them to manage the learning process. In addition, regulative processes can be supported by leading the learner through different stages, like â€Å"Before doing the experiment . . . ,† â€Å"Now do the experiment,† â€Å"After doing the experiment. . . .† Altogether, empirical findings and theoretical assumptions have so far led to the conclusion that experiential learning needs additional support to enhance knowledge acquisition and transfer. Target Population and Participant Selection: In the introductory part, I mentioned that there were two sub groups in the sample which I see as different target groups for using simulation-based learning environments. Subjects were for the most part recruited from the technical departments of a Technical University (Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics, Information Technology as well as apprentices from the vocational training programs in mechanics

Lord Of The Flies - Ralph Monologue Essay -- English Literature

Lord Of The Flies - Ralph Monologue Should never have let this happen. Should never have let this happen. ===================================================================== (Ralph shaking his head) Jack’s an idiot, bloody idiot. Divide and rule. What does he think he’s playing at? Does nobody want to go home? I miss my family. Don’t they miss theirs? I just can’t understand (sighs). What’s wrong with him? It’s his fault we’re still here on this stupid island. He should have watched the fire like we said, not disappear off into the jungle. Showing off, â€Å"I cut the pig’s throat.† So what. Who cares! We can all do that if we want to, anyone can be a hunter. It’s so pointless, he did it on purpose we were nearly there. He did it on purpose, I know he did. (Ralph quietens down momentarily appearing thoughtful) If only Jack had done as he was told we would never missed that ship. Stupid face painting, do that at six not at his bloody age. (Kicks the ground in exasperation, throws his hands around his head grabbing his hair) When we worked as a team, cou...

An analysis of eHarmony, including the five forces according to Porter Essay

1.1 The threat of new entrants The biggest threat to eHarmony and other paid dating sites was the free dating sites that were the newest entrants into the market. These sites did not have major restrictions to joining and did not necessarily do the match-making for the members. According to Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith, very many people subscribed to such sites as witnessed by the rise of â€Å"Plenty of Fish† in 2007 to become the most frequently visited in Canada and the U.K, and fourth in the United States(8). 1.2 Bargaining power of suppliers A study by eHarmony showed that couples who met through eHarmony had happier and more successful relationships than those from other online sites (Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith 6). Accordingly, eHarmony charged twice as much prescription fees as other sites but the company revenue continued growing mostly because the customers were satisfied with the product. 1.3 Rivalry among existing competitors eHarmony’s biggest competitor, Match, had also come up with â€Å"Chemistry† a new dating site that had the same match-making idea as eHarmony. However, Match priced its site at 10% less than what eHarmony was charging. However, despite such competition eHarmony was able to distinguish itself by offering more personalized services that allowed for guided communication between would-be partners by use of personality profiles. 1.4 The threat posed by substitute products Apart from Match, according to Piskorski, Halaburda, & Smith other free sites were coming up all over the internet that made it difficult for paid online sites to retain members (1). People were opting for the more personalized yet free online sites instead of having to pay for similar services on paid sites. However, these users were more of the casual daters; but those seeking serious relationships continued their subscription to eHarmony. 1.5 Bargaining power of buyers Being a paid online site means that the company charged premiums for people  to communicate with the people they had been matched with. However, even non-paying members could be matched with potential partners only that the former could not send messages. This caused paying members to complain that sometimes they sent messages to non-paying members and never got any response, meaning it was a loss in investment. This made the company consider showing paying members which messages had been read and which ones had not. 2. eHarmony’s value proposition At eHarmony, the customer gets the chance to communicate with a potential partner after having paid for the communication process. The value provided in eHarmony’s business model concerns giving the paying member guided communication with a potential partner. The company ensures that they consider the preferences of the applicants before starting on the match-making process. According to Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith, the company considers the similarities among applicants in order to start the match-making process (6). In line with this, the company considers a person’s characteristics, interests, and values and looks for a person whose profile is similar. In fact, the company has gone against the traditional idea that opposites attract and opted for the similar traits while match-making. This assures the customer of the value of the investment they make when subscribing for the site as it offers more personalized and workable options than other sites. 3. eHarmony’s business level strategy eHarmony’s success is based on the business level strategy employed by the company through which, the company is able to identify its customer base, the services needed, and how to satisfy those needs. When eHarmony started in 2001, the customer base was, mainly composed of people seeking serious relationships especially among faith-based communities. Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith write that eHarmony received over 100,000 subscriptions within the first few weeks after launching (4). However, with time, the company was able to expand its customer base to cover a broader customer base especially as a result of massive advertising. By 2004, the company had managed 3 million subscriptions. eHarmony understood that the customers were in search of potential lifetime partners, thus making the company’s match-making process very specific. The customer’s personal interests were  analyzed through a matching algorithm that often guarantees personal satisfaction. According to Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith, results from a study conducted in 2005 showed that on average in the United States, members belonging to the eHarmony site married everyday, and by 2007on average, 236 eHarmony members were getting married daily (8). The company continued to strategize in a bid to invent products that would attract more members and retain the current ones. For instance, according to Piskorski, Halaburda & Smith, the company was considering easing some of the restrictions to joining the site, allowing more casual daters, and expanding geographically (13-14).In addition, the company looks to focus more customers’ life events such as weddings, births, parenting, and care for the elderly. Work Cited Piskorski, Mikolaj., Halaburda, Hanna. &Smith, Troy. eHarmony. Harvard: Harvard Business School, 2008. Print.

How to monitor children and young people’s development Essay

Understand how to monitor children and young people’s development and interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern. 3.1 Explain how to monitor children and young people’s development using different methods. There are numerous different methods of monitoring including: observations, body language, behaviour, moods, written records, assessment framework, information from parents/carers, work colleagues and standard measurements. The adult will need to use a few different methods aswell as opportunities to monitor the development of children and young people. It is important that you understand the purpose of the observations that you do as part of your role. You do this because you will need to report any findings to the class teacher who will then report it to the parent/carer. It’s important that teachers and parent/carers share any information about the child or young person’s best interests. The observation can be d one in a formal or informal way. There are advantages to doing both these aswell as disadvantages. The informal observation will be those that you do every day when you are working with the children or young people. These observations will be small but over time they will enable you to build up a picture of the child or young person. The adults may notice that an individual is then able to understand new concepts very easily. It’s likely that the adult will discuss their observations with the teacher as part of the feedback process after working with a child or young person. One of the disadvantages of informal observations is they might not be recorded and things might be forgotten to be passed on. The adult may be asked to do a formal observation. These are done to support the teacher in assessing a child or young person’s levels of development. There are standard measurements that are used to measure a child or young person’s physical development. These are done to determine whether they are growing at the expected rate for their age. The Assessment Framework or Assessment Triangle is a term given to the way that a child or young people are assessed. This is to determine whether they are in need and what those needs may be. Doing this, the child or young person’s best interests can be planned for with regards to the child or young people’s development. These are useful  in deciding whether the child or young person is reaching their expected milestones. 3.2 Explain the reasons why children and young people’s development may not follow the expected pattern. A child or young person’s development may not follow the expected pattern for a number of reasons. The adult will have to take into consideration personal or external factors along with development aspects of learning. The adult should take advice from any other professionals about how to proceed. If the adult has any concerns about a child or young person you should always speak to a colleague or the class teacher. 3.3 Explain how disability may affect development. Having a disability may affect a child or young person’s development in a number of different ways. Depending on the child or young person’s needs, this may cause a delay in a particular area of their development i.e. a physical disability could affect their social skills, they could become more withdrawn or frustrated. Their development may also be affected by the attitudes or expectations of other people. If we were to assume that a disabled child or young person cannot achieve and they are not allowed the opportunity to take part, they are being restricted in their development in all areas. When an adult is working with an SEN child or young person they will find out that many professionals or parents speak about the danger of labelling the child or young person. They do this because it’s important that it’s looked at the needs of the individuals are put first, without focusing on the child or young person’s disability or impairment. In the past the medical model of disability has been used more than the social mode. This kind of language has promoted the attitude that children or young people who have disabilities are individuals who in some way need to be corrected and brought into line in accordance with everyone else. This can sometimes lead to the unhelpful labelling of individuals in terms of their disabilities rather than their potential. An adult should be realistic about the expectations they have of children and young people and then consider their needs. For some of them the curriculum needs to be modified and they may need support. It shouldn’t be assumed that an SEN child or young person will always need extra help. They need to be encouraged to be as independent as possible. 3.4 Explain how different types of  interventions can promote positive outcomes for children and young people where development is not following the expected pattern. A teaching assistant is likely to be involved in doing interventions or other types of group work. Doing this you are supporting the chil dren or young people who are not progressing at the same rate as others their age. This is likely to have been advised by either the SENCO officer or another professional with links to the school. A number of professionals may come into school in order to talk about a child or young person’s progress or to advise staff on the next steps needed. The following professionals often help with interventions for a child or young person. Social Worker; A social worker may be involved in the child or young person’s life if there has been a cause for concern in the home environment or if the parents request support. They will also liaise with school regarding any looked after children. On occasions school may contact social services if they have any concerns regarding a child/young person or their home environment. Speech and Language Therapists; These can sometimes be based in schools. They can give a diagnosis of any communication delays or disorders. They will also advise schools and parents ways they can support the child or young person. Speech and languag e appointments are usually delivered in blocks. This is then followed by activities for the child or young person to work on before they are reviewed. A parent and teacher are closely involved in the monitoring and the reviews of the child or young person. Psychologist; These are also known as Educational Psychologist. They may also become involved following intervention and action from speech and language therapist aswell as teaching staff. This is done if the child or young person is not showing any progress. They will then carry out an assessment and suggest any next steps that may be required. Psychiatrist; A psychiatrist may be asked to assess a child or young person when they are concerns about their emotional development. A child or young person will usually have been referred through a series of assessments. Youth Justice; this form of intervention is a public body that aims to stop children and young people getting into trouble with the law. The youth justice team may be involved in a partnership with schools aswell as the community. It also acts as a preventative way by running a youth inclusion programme. There are targets towards those children and young people at risk of offending.  Physiotherapist; These give advice and give out targets for children and young people to work on around their development of their gross motor skills. They give exercises to members of staff and parents to work each day with the child or young person. This is depending on the need of the child or young person. Nurse/Health Visitor; These medical professionals are involved in the supporting of the development of a child or young people where they have physical or health needs. They will usually come into school and advice and speak to members of staff. This is done generally with parents present.

What to Wear to Baccalaureate and Graduation

What to Wear to Baccalaureate and Graduation Are you looking forward to a graduation,  baccalaureate, a  senior recital  or white coat ceremony? If you are, what to wear to such an important and celebratory event may be something you are wondering about. Should you dress up? Go more casual? Plan for cool or warm weather? Do men need ties? Do women wear heels? Any and all of these milestone events are great photo opportunities for families. With brothers, sisters, grandparents and other extended family members in attendance, getting a good picture is always a good idea at gatherings like these. What you wear could be on display on the fireplace mantel for years to come - but dont just dress for a photo. You want to be comfortable, too. Consider the school that your graduate attends. Some colleges and universities are much more low key when it comes to pomp and circumstance than others. While the day may be a momentous one, the fashion doesnt necessarily reflect the significance of the achievement. If your graduate attends school someplace thats very warm - Arizona, for example - being comfortable in the blazing sun and heat will be more important than looking dressed to the hilt. At more conservative schools, like those that are church-based, your clothing choice should be a little more subdued and refined.    Baccalaureate Baccalaureate ceremonies are usually held in the campus chapel or another indoor venue, so the weather and walking surface shouldnt be an issue. While baccalaureate tends to be a bit dressier than the larger graduation ceremonies, that doesnt mean you have to wear high heels or a suit and tie. Dress as you would to attend a religious service for a special occasion, avoiding sneakers, flip flops, tank tops and other casual attire. Graduation Graduation ceremonies offer significant climate challenges when theyre held outdoors. There may be hours of blazing sun, gusty winds or inclement weather, so its important to dress in layers, pack all those graduation survival essentials and adjust your wardrobe to something realistic. You may have to hike a considerable distance from your parking spot, or traverse the football field to reach a seat, heels sinking into the turf at every step. Sitting in the unrelenting sun or drizzle for hours is tough even in comfortable clothes. So check out the logistics and weather report, and make your fashion decisions accordingly. A summer dress will look just as lovely with flats. A jacket and tie can be donned after the ceremony or skipped altogether. If the ceremony is being held indoors, weather wont be an issue, of course, but the trek from the parking lot is still an issue, and gyms and auditoriums can be drafty. Bring a light jacket or shawl. White Coat Ceremony This formal ceremony marks a major rite of passage as medical or pharmaceutical students receive their first, official white coats. Parents are invited, officials make speeches, and flashbulbs pop and flare. Its a big deal. Youll want to dress accordingly - in conservative suits, dresses or business wear - and bring your camera. Senior Recitals Music majors celebrate the end of their four years of study with a senior recital that showcases their work. Its an important concert and one that typically features ensembles large and small. The concert is attended by fellow students and faculty, as well as extended family, friends and former music teachers.  Musicians may wear a considerably more casual version of their usual concert attire, although the starring senior tends to wear something much more extravagant than their usual attire. Attendees can dress on the more casual side if they like, but within reason and with respect for the performers.   As for parents, baccalaureate-style attire is appropriate, but its also fine to wear something slightly less formal, especially if it has artistic style. You might not wear a fabulous, colorful kimono-style jacket to a church ceremony, for example, but its perfect for a concert. That said, basic black is always chic too. Bear in mind that most parents host a post-concert reception. Unless youre having that catered, youre going to be doing significant pre-concert shlepping - moving tables, lugging crates and laying out trays of finger foods.      Updated by Sharon Greenthal

Marketing case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing case analysis - Essay Example The other decision to be made is on the promotion to be made. Previously, the lodge had a strategy whereby guests were given a free weekend, however, it is been proposed that the guests to be given a discount in one weekend in a month (Ali 13). According to the research carried out in the hotel industry, most of the guests in hotels are business people. The business people go to lodges mainly for seminars that are meant to educate them on some trending issues in business. The other business people are those who are travelling to a place that is far from home and they have to spend a night in a lodge. The research shows that the guests who visit for leisure are not many in number and they do not spend many days. In that case, the marketing dollars should be distributed between the two types of guests; however, most of it should be invested in business travelers. This is because they make the highest income to Astor lodge. The lodge should aim at its strong point before diverging its advertising to other centers. The lodge can go into a deal with many corporate in such a way that they will be given discounts for any time they host a seminar or event at the lodge. That will ensure that the lodge gets frequent visitors especia lly if the service delivery is perfect (Ali 12). In terms of the frontier strategy, the plan is a perfect one. The company aims at increasing the time of stay and increasing first time visits. The time of stay can be increased by the guests if the lodge gives them a discount for an extra stay at the lodge. That means that it will seem cheaper for the guests to spend an extra day at the lodge as opposed to cutting short their stay. The first time visits to the lodge can be increased if the lodge increases its marketing campaign. The marketing campaign should be aimed at ensuring that the customers encourage their friends to visit the lodge and that will lead to first time

Reaction Papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Reaction Papers - Essay Example The reader evaluate if his society impacts positively or negatively on the general health of the existing population. In addition the article draws the attention of its reader to existing social factors that may influence the health of both the individual’s and the whole population. Moreover, this article draws concerns on whether it is individual socialization or the whole society’s integration that actually affects the health. Though the article is founded on strong foundations of the role of social networks in influence on health, it should be noted that individuals deal with stress related issues differently. These social supports are important but personal dealing of the situation is much more important. To conclude, this article has very strong arguments that should be considered in the future in order to deal with general health in any given society. It advocates for special emphasis in natural social interventions rather than depending on social support groups. Secondly, the article calls for various social environment interventions, like; increased social support within the existing social networks and, cutting on negative interactions (Cohen 676-682). This article, by Michael Lowe, is a critique to the existing weight loss programs in developed counties. Michael observes that these programs are founded on the equipotential intervention bases. As such they are short lived and therefore those engaged in such programs regain the weight lost in due course. The article consequently advances the need to utilize self-regulation methods as the appropriate means of achieving a stable degree of weight controls by individuals and the society as a whole. This article has a good base for its argument since it is only through behavioral checks that individuals can maintain a stable weight (Lowe 45s-59s). The study is developed from observations on the trends of obesity over the past decades. Further, this study considers various

Urbanism in archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urbanism in archaeology - Essay Example Urbanism means the way of development, shaping and modification of the built environment found in the towns and cities. It is not the planning of town as is usually understood by some people.It explains the way communities came into being in cities, and how they interacted with one another to give rise to the social systems. The concept of the contemporary world is totally incomplete without cities. According to an estimate, population of people that live in cities exceeds half of the total, and in the upcoming century, it is quite likely to approach two-thirds (Marcus and Sabloff 3). Cities used to be non-existent in the past. This has stirred up a lot of debate regarding the factors that have caused cities to form. Some scholars think that old scattered populations nucleated to create the cities while others believe in the role of several other factors. An in-depth analysis of the literature relevant to ancient cities is a potential means of identification of the factors that gave rise to urbanism. â€Å"These diverse settlements not only have much to tell us about the social, political, religious, and economic conditions of their times but also say something about our own† (Marcus and Sabloff 3). The division of class played an important role in maintaining the balance of social systems in cities and their civilization. Mesopotamian civilization is generally recognized as the first civilization (â€Å"The Birth of Civilization† 8). The modern Baghdad can be divided into two zones of ecology, namely the northern zone and the southern zone. Sumerians founded many of the ancient cities of Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium B.C.E. in Sumer that forms the southern Babylonia. Uruk was the a city in Sumer that was world’s largest city in 3000 B.C.E. However, many cities existed in Sumer before that. In the Early Dynastic Period that mainly ranged from 2800 B.C.E. to 2370 B.C.E., a lot of Sumerian cities were aligned north to south of Mesopotamia aside the watercourses (â€Å"The Birth of Civilization† 8). These cities included but were not limited to Ur, Lagash, Uruk, Shuruppak and Nippur. Many of these city-states had developed leagues of religious and political importance. These city-states quarreled with one another over possession of more resources and land for irrigation and agriculture. With the passage of time, stronger leagues gained hold of the weaker, and gradually increased enough to develop whole kingdoms which would in turn, rule many city-states. Ten major criteria of difference between the earliest and modern villages can be drawn from the archaeological data, which can be summarized as follows: Although most of the first cities are smaller than contemporary villages, they used to be considerably densely populated and voluminous as compared to the settlements that preceded them. The ancient urban population differed in function from a village. Most of the people living in cities were peasants, and wou ld cultivate crops in the lands aside the cities. People who had other professions and lived in cities like merchants, priests and craftsmen used to acquire food from the surplus prepared by the peasants as a support. The peasants did not take any service or goods from them for offering them the fish or grains they collected. The primary producers were obliged to reserve a portion of the surplus for a divine king as tax. This was extremely necessary in order to generate capital. Monumental structures not only signified the concentration of the surplus of the society, but also distinguished cities from villages. A lot of temples were constructed in the Sumerian cities. However, many magazines and workshops were attached to them. Each temple had a big granary. Many examples of this trend can be noticed. The grand tombs of pharaohs dominated the Nile Valley. Likewise, the pyramids and temples of the Maya cities are quite well known. Therefore, it can be said that the social surplus in Sumer was

Credit Markets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Credit Markets - Research Paper Example The next step in the treasury auction process is the bidding process, which entails the prospective buyers of the credit items making the bids, either through a process of competitive or noncompetitive bidding (Treasurydirect.gov, n.p.). The competitive bidding allows the prospective buyers to offer their bids competitively up to the maximum limited amount of securities, while in the noncompetitive bidding; the prospective buyers have to agree with the terms of the sale of the securities as set. The final process in the treasury auction process is the issuance stage, which is the stage where the bidders who successfully bid and were allocated securities in different categories have the securities delivered to them. When treasury delivers the securities to the bidders, it then charges the total amount of the cost of securities on the accounts of the successful bidders (Treasurydirect.gov, n.p.). 2. Discuss the activities of other major new debt-securities issuances (agency, municipal, foreign, and others) from collected articles, including lead underwriter(s), the amount of each issue, and other reported terms. Major new debt-securities issuances have been occurring in the USA credit market. Among the major new issuances in 2015 include the issuance of securities worth $483.615 million by the Washington Municipal (Thomson Reuters, n.p.). The Washington Municipal securities were preliminarily issued on February 10, 2015, with the Foster Pepper being the underwriters and also the bookkeepers (Thomson Reuters, n.p.). Another new security issuance includes that of the Michigan Finance Authority worth 197.535 million, which was issued on February 13 of this year, with the J P Morgan Securities LLC., being the underwriters (Thomson Reuters, n.p.). On the industrial front, OHR Pharmaceutical issued new securities worth $25.0 million on 5th February of this year, with Cowen Group being the underwriters (Thomson

Holiday inn hotel brands in world

Holiday inn hotel brands in world Abstract Holiday inn is one of the best known family of hotel brands in the world. The experience, the quality, the service, the spirit etc, etc its all begins here. With over 2000 hotels on six continents of the world, Holiday Inn has spent the last seventy years welcoming people to a world of comfort, excellence service, quality accommodation and memorable experiences in the best locations on the planet. WHAT EXACTLY IS HOTEL INDUSTRY? Like other industries, the Hotel Industry also needs to explore the opportunities for innovation in order to achieve peripheral service and customer satisfaction. This industry is alone a multi-billion dollar and one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy of recent age. The hotel industry is diverse for people to work in different areas of interest and offer unlimited opportunities. According to the latest statistics of The Time Newspaper, there are approximately 120000 businesses within the commercial sector in Great Britain including hotels, restaurants, cafes, holiday camps, public houses, snack bars, and catering contractors. (Source: www.thetimes100.co.uk) Hotels are service industries. They provide a service to the customer rather than a product. The service consists of looking after people when they are away from home, by providing food, shelter, drink, sleeping accommodation, entertainment and leisure facilities. COMPANY OVERVIEW The Holiday Inn has more than 2,000 hotels in 56 countries worldwide. (Source: http://www.hoteldesigns.net/review/review_412_1.html) The first Holiday Inn Hotel was founded in 1952 by Wilson in USA, for inexpensive family accommodation travelers. The brand name Holiday Inn is now owned by IHG who in turn license it out to franchisees and third parties who operate hotels under management agreements. (Source: http://www.hoteldesigns.net/review/review_412_1.html) STANDARDS Holiday Inn has a history of standards, part of Wilsons original idea. Not meeting these standards may mean a lost franchise. Many of the older Holiday Inn hotels, especially the two-story ones with exterior corridors, have been removed from the Holiday Inn system as franchises expired and rebranded. Some old Holidomes have been rebranded as Best Westerns, Days Inns, and Quality Inns. Holiday Inns boasted air-conditioned rooms, restaurants, meeting rooms, pools, television, direct dial telephone service, piped music and radio, wall to wall carpeting, cocktail lounges, and the Holidex the computerized reservation system that put many Mom and Pop outfits out of business. Millions of road weary business travelers and harried families learned to organize their trips around the ritual of Holidex reservations, knowing that the same room, food, and night-lit pool awaited them down the road. (Source: http://www.hoteldesigns.net/review/review_412_1.html) IN WHAT AREAS THE ORGANISATION HAVE STRATEGIC PLANS AND WHAT ARE THE PLANS? Introduction Businesses are often worried about instantaneous issues and lose sight of their ultimate objectives and goals. Thats why a strategic plan is a virtual necessity for organisations. This may not be a recipe for success, but without it a business is much more likely to fail. A sound plan should: Explain the business to others in order to motivate, inform involve other people. Serve as a framework for decisions. Support performance monitoring and benchmarking. Motivate change, bring innovation and become a vital part for next plan. Strategic planning activities have become a significant source of competitiveness for hotel industry. Decision-makers must be able to integrate strategic initiatives to gain competitive advantage in the face of increasingly volatile technological innovation, customer expectations, and global competition. Strategy maker professionals must learn to integrate strategic and planning as well. While others (Walker, 1992; Schuler, 1990; and Ulrich, 1987) have detailed the models for changing strategies, less work has been done to identify the specific steps of linking strategic practices. Strategic Planning of Holiday Inn Strategic planning determines the major goals of the organization. It provides the foundation for the policies, procedures and strategies for obtaining and using resources to achieve those goals. Policies are broad guides to action and strategies determine the best way to use resources. At the strategic planning stage, the company decides which customers to serve, what products or services to sell and the geographic areas in which the firm will compete. There are more than 220,000 employees in Holiday Inn Corporation worldwide. While every hotelier is branding beds, redecorating and adding amenities, Holiday Inn and Hilton are onto the next hospitality marketing frontier: solicitous employees. Holiday Inn is trying to brand the guest experience by standardizing service with a program called People Notice. As part of the plan, the chain is implementing the new service culture by conducting a three-month hands-on training program that emphasizes going the extra mile for hotel guests. For example, if a housekeeper learns that a guest is missing a wedding anniversary while on the road, that employee can send flowers to the guests room with an anniversary card signed by the staff. If a guest requires medication to be refrigerated, a staffer can follow up by delivering the medicine at the appropriate time with a bottle of water and crackers. Incentives include recognition programs allowing guests and co-workers to laud an employee. Holiday Inn is also participating with internal branding gurus from Northwestern Universitys Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement in a multi-company study seeking to identify employee behaviors that result in customer loyalty. The Forum project intends to put a value on these actions so a company can develop a budget and invest in the behaviors that matter. An external branding campaign is also in the works. â€Å"Anybody can knock off anybody elses bed, do it better, cheaper and easier when it comes to products today,† said Bruce Bolger, the Forums executive director. â€Å"The difficult thing is changing employee behavior, and that is what separates the women from the girls.† Meanwhile, Hilton Hotelslast month took its internal â€Å"Be hospitable† campaign to TV, print and outdoor, via FCB, San Francisco. One objective of the umbrella effort is to communicate to the public that assurances of Hilton quality also apply to sister brands such as Embassy Suites. The efforts random kindness theme was augmented with DVDs, brochures, seminars and other materials provided to employees. Even company orientation packets, health benefit folders and recruiting booths are stamped with the â€Å"Be hospitable† look. â€Å"A lot of hotel advertising today is about the bed but frankly, I dont think people are surprised to find a bed when they check in to their room,† said Jeffrey Diskin, svp-Hilton Brand Performance. â€Å"We want to help you with why you went on a trip, and to do that, we need to focus on what the guest needs. A critical part of that is using our own people.† Kathy Sheehan, travel analyst and svp for Roper Reports, New York, said the idea has merit. â€Å"To differentiate, you have to establish a relationship with the consumer and that means using your people.† That practice, dubbed â€Å"internal branding† or â€Å"leveraging human capital,† is figuring more prominently in marketing plans, said Bolger. Indeed, agencies like Golin/Harris, Chicago; OgilvyOne, New York and human resources consultants like Hewitt and Mercer are establishing disciplines in people performance management for their clients. Draft, Chicago, has also long incorporated internal branding as part of its integrated marketing approach. â€Å"Companies are realizing it not all push-and-tell marketing,† said Tony Weisman, Drafts CMO. â€Å"Co-creation by inviting in the customers and the employees is part of the process.† WHAT DOES THE ORGANISATION DO TO IMPLEMENT THESE PLANS Implementation means more than simply exercising the plan. It means acting on recommendations made during the vulnerability analysis, integrating the plan into company operations, training employees and evaluating the plan. Where Do They Stand Right Now? Review Internal Plans and Policies Documents to look for include: Evacuation plan Fire protection plan Safety and health program Environmental policies Security procedures Insurance programs Finance and purchasing procedures Plant closing policy Employee manuals Hazardous materials plan Process safety assessment Risk management plan Capital improvement program Mutual aid agreements Identify Critical Products, Services and Operations Youll need this information to assess the impact of potential emergencies and to determine the need for backup systems. Areas to review include: Identify Internal Resources and Capabilities Resources and capabilities that could be needed in an emergency include: Personnel fire brigade, hazardous materials response team, emergency medical services, security, emergency management group, evacuation team, public information officer Equipment fire protection and suppression equipment, communications equipment, first aid supplies, emergency supplies, warning systems, emergency power equipment, decontamination equipment Facilities emergency operating center, media briefing area, shelter areas, first-aid stations, sanitation facilities Organizational capabilities training, evacuation plan, employee support system Identify External Resources There are many external resources that could be needed in an emergency. In some cases, formal agreements may be necessary to define the facilitys relationship with the following: Local emergency management office Fire Department Hazardous materials response organization Emergency medical services Hospitals Local and State police Community service organizations Utilities Contractors Suppliers of emergency equipment Insurance carriers WHAT FACTORS DO THEY APPEAR TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DEVELOPING STRATEGY Physical What types of emergencies could result from the design or construction of the facility? Does the physical facility enhance safety? Consider: The physical construction of the facility Hazardous processes or byproducts Facilities for storing combustibles Layout of equipment Lighting Evacuation routes and exits Proximity of shelter areas Human Error What emergencies can be caused by employee error? Are employees trained to work safely? Do they know what to do in an emergency? Human error is the single largest cause of workplace emergencies and can result from: Poor training Poor maintenance Carelessness Misconduct Substance abuse Fatigue Regulatory What emergencies or hazards are you regulated to deal with? Analyze each potential emergency from beginning to end. Consider what could happen as a result of: Prohibited access to the facility Loss of electric power Communication lines down Ruptured gas mains Water damage Smoke damage Structural damage Air or water contamination Explosion Building collapse Trapped persons Chemical release Good salary: The employees expect a good salary from the hotel in return of the work they do. Good salary is the most important need of the internal customer and if this need is fulfilled they are satisfied. Good treatment from the management: Money is not the only need of the internal customer; they also need good treatment from the management. Trust from the management: The management should have faith in their employees; this will increase the confidence level of the employees and will have a positive effect on their work. Promotional opportunities: Most of the employees are ambitious, especially young employees. So they look for promotional opportunities. Promotional opportunities are also one of the essential needs of the internal customer. Various perks: Perks or fringe benefits in other words have an immense effect on the attitude of the staff. By providing special perks to the staff the hotel in a way provokes them to work with their heart, which proves beneficial for the hotel. Job security: Employees need a kind of job security for their future. If the job of the employees is secured then they can work tension free. Good working atmosphere: The working atmosphere of the organisation should be cool. There should be no pressure from anywhere so that the employees feel free to work. EXTERNALCUSTOMERS External customers are those who are the guests of the hotel. The pay the hotel for the services that are provided to them by the hotel. External customers should be provided with good and efficient service so that they become repeat customers of the hotel. NEEDS OF THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS Warm welcome from the hotel: First and foremost what external customer need is a warm welcome from the hotel. They should be greeted properly when they arrive in the hotel. Efficient service: Service is the most influential factor for the customers of the hotel. If the service provided by the hotel is efficient and effective it affects the reputation of the hotel in a positive way. The external customers can also recommend the hotel to other people. Friendly environment: The environment of the hotel should be friendly so that the customers feel like home. Some extra benefits if they are repeat customers: If the customers are repeat customers then they should be given some benefits like discounts or special rates, so they feel happy and remain the customers of the hotel for long time. Good facilities: The hotel should provide all the essential and also luxurious facilities for which they are paid for. Reasonable and affordable rates: The customers always expect affordable rates for their stay or meal in the hotel. This can result in making them repeat customers for the hotel. WHAT COULD BE THE POSSIBLE PROCESS Companies obviously need to improve strategy implementation activities, but the pace of these activities and the implementation itself have many problems. Primary objectives are somehow forgotten as the strategy moves into implementation, and the initial momentum is lost before the company realizes the expected benefits. The cause isnt easy to explain, but it can be attributed to a variety of problems. WAYS OF ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS: Advertising: It is a paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identifiable sponsor. Advertising is a purposive communication to external customers. Pricing: Reasonable pricing of the product and services can attract external customers to a certain extent. Channels of distribution: Like transport, stock holding and storage, local knowledge, promotion, display can attract external customers. Sales Promotions: These are marketing activities that stimulate consumer purchasing, and dealer effectiveness, such as displays, shows and exhibitions, demonstrations and various non-recurrent selling efforts not in the ordinary routine. Branding: A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design intended to identify the product of a seller and to differentiate it from those of competitors. Brand names like Hilton, Marriott can often attract external customers to a wide extent. Personal selling: The sales force is an important part of the communication mix. Personal selling is concerned with an individual selling his own ideas of the typical personal sales. Customer loyalty schemes: Customer loyalty schemes can also attract external customers. Customer loyalty schemes like offering a discount cards, offering extra facilities during parties etc are effective attracting the external customers to the hotel. Public relations: Public relations are important to attract external customers. Public relations are all about getting publicity for the product through skilful manipulation of the media. Direct marketing: It is the planned recording, analysis and tracking of customer behaviour to develop relational marketing strategies. CAN THE ORGANISATION PLAN BE IMPROVED OR DEVELOPED Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how its going to get there and how itll know if it got there or not. The focus of a strategic plan is usually on the entire organization, while the focus of a business plan is usually on a particular product, service or program. There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. For example, there are a variety of strategic planning models, including goals-based, issues-based, organic, scenario (some would assert that scenario planning is more a technique than model), etc. Goals-based planning is probably the most common and starts with focus on the organizations mission (and vision and/or values), goals to work toward the mission, strategies to achieve the goals, and action planning (who will do what and by when). Issues-based strategic planning often starts by examining issues facing the organization, strategies to address those issues, and action plans. Organic strategic planning might start by articulating the organizations vision and values and t hen action plans to achieve the vision while adhering to those values. Some planners prefer a particular approach to planning, eg, appreciative inquiry. Some plans are scoped to one year, many to three years, and some to five to ten years into the future. Some plans include only top-level information and no action plans. Some plans are five to eight pages long, while others can be considerably longer. Quite often, an organizations strategic planners already know much of what will go into a strategic plan (this is true for business planning, too). However, development of the strategic plan greatly helps to clarify the organizations plans and ensure that key leaders are all â€Å"on the same script†. Far more important than the strategic plan document, is the strategic planning process itself. REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY Airey, D. and Johnson, S. (1999), â€Å"The content of tourism degree courses in the UK†, Tourism Management, Vol. 20, pp. 229-35. Higher Education Funding Council for England (2001), Getting Ahead: Graduate Careers in Hospitality Management (HEFCE 01/30 May Report), Council for Hospitality Management Education/HEFCE, Bristol. Impact Skills Network (2002), â€Å"An assessment of skills needs in tourism and cultural industries: Skills dialogues†, July, available at www.impactskillbase.org.uk Jameson, S.M. and Holden, R. (2000), â€Å"‘Graduateness who cares? Graduate identity in small hospitality firms†, Education and Training, Vol. 42 No. 4/5, pp. 264-71. http://www.businessballs.com/freenewbusinessplanstemplates.htm http://www.businessballs.com/freebusinessplansandmarketingtemplates.htm http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingplanandstrategy/Plan_Your_Marketing_Strategy.htm http://www.cambridgestrategy.com/content/business_strategy_audit.php http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/c/2/content/dec/pc/0/en/cs.html?cm_re=pcr-_-hmpg-_-n4a=b http://www.largo.com/egov/docs/1253124205_499786.pdf http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/ http://www.mybusinesstravel.com/strategies/hotel.php#strategys http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/str_plan.htm http://www.hoteldesigns.net/review/review_412_1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/branding-brand-development/4673624-1.html www.thetimes100.co.uk

Emmett Till and The Civil Rights Movement Essay -- Racism, Civil Right

Emmett Till and The Civil Rights Movement The murder of a fourteen year-old Chicago boy named Emmett Till sparked the fire that was the Civil Rights Movement. Prejudice still exists in the world today; but because of his death , many people that have heard about or know of it, have changed the way that they think, the way they live their lives, and what their outlook is on other races. Born in 1941 on the rough streets of Chicago, Illinois, Emmett Till had never experienced the extremes of racism or violence, his mother tried to keep him away from bad things. Mammie Till had told him stories and life experiences of racism. When Emmett decided to travel to Mississippi with his cousin, Wheeler, to visit his uncle Moses Wright in the summer of 1955, he thought that it was just going to be a regular trip, and that he would stay the summer helping out Moses on his farm. While waiting at the train station to leave for Mississippi, Emmett's mother Mammie gave him a stern warning about most people in the South, and that things were very different there then how they were in Chicago. Emmett's father past away years before, but he left behind a gold ring; Mammie gave this ring to Emmett just as he left, she was worried but thought that he would take care of himself while in the southern city of Money. After a sixteen hour train ride Emmett and his cousin arrived in Money. Wheeler about his trip to Money with Emmett: We went to the South, near the beginning of cotton-picking time, late August and we picked cotton for a half a day and we would go swimming, run the snakes out the river. We had a lot of fun. Money was a little town ... ... acquittal, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam sold their story of how they kidnapped and killed Emmett Till to "Look" magazine, and since they were acquitted, they couldn't be tried for the murder again. Exactly 100 days after the murder of Emmett Till, Rosa Parks wouldn't give up her seat, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. This murder has impacted blacks in America greatly and the way that we are treated by others. Works Cited "The Lynching of Emmett Till." nd. Heroism.org. February 4, 2003 <http:// www.heroism.org/class/1950/heros/till.htm> "The Murder of Emmett Till." nd. PBS. February 4, 2003 <http://www.pbs.org/ wgbh/amex/till/fillmore/index.html> 3, Dylan, Bob. "The Death of Emmett Till." nd. Special Rider Music. February 4, 2003 <http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/emmetttill.html>

On Being Sane in Insane Places Essay

Have you ever been in a confrontation with someone where they ended with calling you a lunatic, crazy, or insane? It does not feel too great. But at least you know you are sane, and to everyone else around you, you seem â€Å"normal.† Can you walk down the street and visibly see a difference between a sane and insane person? There are some people however that are permanently labelled as â€Å"abnormal† or â€Å"insane.† These people are diagnosed as â€Å"mentally ill† and are forever stigmatized and in some cases, dehumanized because of such labeling. Is it easy to distinguish the sane from the insane, or is it in fact the environment and contexts in which observers find these people? David L. Rosenhan formulated an experiment to investigate if psychiatrists could identify the difference between people who are mentally ill and those who are not. According to Rosenhan, â€Å"there are a great deal of conflicting data on the reliability, utility, and meani ng of such terms as â€Å"sanity,† â€Å"insanity†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ normality and abnormality are not universal† (Rosenhan, 1973, pg.310). Rosenhan formed a group of 8 people who attempt to gain admission to 12 different hospitals across the United States. The psuedopatients each claimed of having textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. Once admitted, the psuedopatients each described their histories truthfully, and â€Å"they strongly biased the subsequent results favor of detecting sanity† (pg.313). Each psuedopatient â€Å"ceased simulating any symptoms of abnormality† (pg.313). Nursing reports obtained that each pseudopatient â€Å"exhibited no abnormal indications† (pg.313). The average length of hospitalization was 19 days, and upon discharge, each psuedopatient had a case summary written. All of the summaries were â€Å"unintentionally distorted by the staff to achieve consistency with a popular theory of the dynamics of schizophrenic reaction† (pg.316). Each psuedopatient upon discharge was reported as in remission, not cured, which perpetuates the negative label. These ascribed labels are permanent, and puts the diagnosed person at a disadvantage forever. People diagnosed as mentally ill are treated dif ferently, in most cases they are treated as if  their thoughts and opinions cannot be trusted or taken seriously. This is not fair, nor is it accurate. There is an â€Å"enormous overlap in the behaviors of the sane and the insane†(pg.318). The sane are not always sane, similarly, â€Å"the insane are not always insane†(pg.318). While reading this article, I was reminded about the homeless, and that many people assume that just because they are homeless, they are likely to have a mental illness. Now I see why many people assume this; the reason is the environment and contexts that civilians see these homeless people in. It is possible that some of these people are mentally ill, but it is more likely that they are in their position because of other reasons. From a sociological perspective, this experiment highlights the conflict perspective. In class, we have discussed how power is the core of all social relationships, all social systems feature a superordinate group and a subordinate group. In mental institutions, as well as in the public, conflict perspective is conveyed via sane people discriminating the allegedly insane people. Psychiatrists, nurses, and even civilians are above the mentally ill, because they are â€Å"sane† while the â€Å"insane† are incapable of having valid opinions. Pow er is scarce, and everyone wants some of it, and unfortunately this permanent label is debilitating for the person who is marked with it, leaving them with little hope of upward mobility in our society. References Rosenhan, David L, (1973). On Being Sane in Insane Places. 310-321

Crash Movie Reaction Paper

As I entered Wal-Mart, the lights were bright but not gleaming. The employees were pleasant and working for the most part. Everything was easily accessible. I was not approached by anyone but if you needed help with finding something or you had a question about a product, there was staff available to assist. There were signs on the top of each isle which gives you an idea of the kind of things you can find in that particular isle. The store decor is not particularly pleasing to the eye but bearable none the less. You can pretty much find everything you need in your daily life and more at this store.Quality of products is below average and prices reflect the same. You can get a money order, send money to a loved one, or you can cash your check. Your one stop-shop, as they say. I found the shoppers to be average to below average income level. I also saw some who were pretty well off but are still shopping at a discount store to save money. After all, no matter how much money you have, who doesn’t want more? How do you spot a â€Å"well off† person? The clothes they wear, the handbag they carry, jewelry and things of that nature.I would like to point out that, these folks are not buying clothes or jewelry here, they are here for the everyday things such as groceries, diapers, paper products, cleaning supplies, etc. The average to below average income people also but some of the same things but in addition to that, they also bought clothes and shoes and jewelry. Almost all the people bought their things with a credit card or a debit card. Some people had an access card, which is a government funded welfare program for food. I am assuming (and hoping) that the above average income people did not use or have a need for this.