Joy of My Life

Joy of My Life Shirley Evans English 121 Professor Jen Miller January 20, 2013 Joy of My Life I never considered myself blessed in anything, or knew the purpose of my life, until the birth of my grandson. Robert is my first grandchild and greatest blessing God has given me, and the center of my universe for which I give thanks every day. His life started with difficulties, but his unquenchable elan has brought joy to those who meet him. Robert entered my life on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 2:28 in the afternoon; weighing 2lbs. 4 ounces and measuring 16 inches long. He arrived two months premature, and reminded me of a baby doll with wrinkled skin covering his tiny arms and legs. Set below perfectly arched blonde eyebrows were eyes so dark as to appear black, and opened wide to make them look enormous. A conical shaped head covered with platinum blonde hair made his sunken cheeks stand out; giving him the appearance of an alien. I fell in love the instant I saw him and my love grows immeasurably with every passing day. Robert developed at a rapid pace despite being born prematurely.During a stay with us one weekend, I laid him on his back atop a blanket spread on the floor for him to roll on. He rolled onto his stomach raising his head up; arms swinging out at his sides with legs kicking trying to crawl. He reminded me of a turtle poking out of its shell, slowly inching his way off the blanket. To this day my daughter still calls him turtle after witnessing his attempt to crawl. Once he learns to walk, there is no holding him back; he joyfully goes through life with smiles on his face and laughter in his voice.Robert is growing to be a precocious child who quickly turns independent. He stands proud with arms akimbo as he proclaims he can dress himself, and I settle back into my chair to watch him put his arms in the sleeves of his shirt, and tuck his shirt tails into his jeans. I am shocked to realize how quickly he is growing as he struggles with fastening his jeans, but is quite adamant in doing it himself; he asks for help with his belt only after trying to buckle it on his own. One of the things I enjoyed teaching Robert was bedtime prayers.I have shown him how to interlace his fingers and clasp his hands together. Closing our eyes as we bowed our heads together, I recited his prayers as he repeated after me. He no longer allows me to say prayers with him, and he does not know all of the words yet, but ends his prayer blessing everyone he loves in the sweetest tiniest voice. He looks up at me with a smile on his angelic face and says â€Å"now it is your turn grandma. † Pictures of Robert depict how cute he is, but in person he leaves you with a more accurate portrait of how adorable he actually is.Robert brings smiles and happiness to everyone he meets with his robust attitude. Sporting a child sized black Stetson cowboy hat perched atop his blonde head, down to feet encased with green and yellow John Deere boots, he exudes im pish joy. He will nonchalantly say he is not my little man, but everyone’s little man. I do not argue with his statement as it is true. Robert loves everyone in his life and they love him. People say the greatest joy of being a grandparent is spoiling the child then sending them home.I am no exception to this rule, although I never want to send him home. Time speeds by like a blink of an eye when I have him, and it feels like he just arrived when it is time for him to leave. It fills my heart close to bursting when he sees me and comes running with his arms stretched wide to throw his petite frame into my arms to hug my neck screaming â€Å"grandma! † The joy he brings to my life is truly a blessing from God above, and one I treasure more than life itself. I contemplate if having my son, who helped create my joy called Robert, has been the purpose for my life.

Personal Development Plan as A Leader Essay

1.0 IntroductionThis report concerns the general framework of my professional and personal leadership development. The details I will be presenting are what I consider to be in my current or future role for my clients, my team, my organization and my self. It is followed by the narratives of what I look like at my best with the understanding of my previous experiences. Then employ literature to review why those two tasks are important for leadership development. This report will reflect how I perform in current role with others and also the skills and strengths I have developed and discovered. 2.0 An effective organizational leaderThe success of an organization depends on people working together and sharing a common purpose. The leaders need to focus on the workforce to identify their individual human needs. Leaders are affected by the constantly changing environment in which globalization plays a key role. Accordingly, the workforce is in the trend of diversification. Hence, an effective leader is an individual who displays transactional and transformational leadership. To be an effective organizational leader, we must know the dimensions of two leadership styles. In a study by Zhu, Chew and Spangler (2005) and Daft (1999), a transactional leader is an individual who clarifies subordinates role and task requirements, initiates structure, provides rewards, and displays consideration for subordinates. To meet these requirements within the business, the leader must be able to adjust the style of leadership to satisfy the subordinates. When subordinates demonstrate a low readiness level to achieve tasks, leaders need to adopt a directive style of leading that gives employees explicit directions on how tasks should be accomplished. However, when the readiness level increases, leaders should be able to adjust to a more delegating style of leadership that gives subordinates the responsibility for making and implementing decisions. A transformational leadership goes beyond transactional leadership techniques. Tickle, Brownlee and Nailon (2005) state that a transformational leader has the ability to inspire and motivate people to do more than the  call of duty, in addition, innovative by bringing changes within the business such as upsizing the business entity. Daft (1999) claims a transformational leader has the ability to get people to embrace a common purpose and to implement a visionary idea that will excite, stimulate, and drive other people to work hard. This involves the leader being able to listen, in order to learn what moves people. Leaders who motivate are able to communicate in a way that inspires people. There is often an aesthetic element to their visions. They not only communicate information, but also a sense of meaning that inspires people to follow, even if it may lead to sacrifice in terms of hard work, long hours and deferred rewards. Anyone can be a leader, but a successful leader is an individual whose behavior more reflects the transformational leadership style with the use of personal power to influence people to achieve the goals of the business. According to Mastrangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet (2004) the combination of professional and personal leadership will create willing to cooperate environment within the organization which make the leaders succeed. 3.0 How I need to be in my current (or future) role?I need to beI am currently ?/10For my clients:ResponsiveCordialRespectfulTactful8896For my teamAble to adapt my leadership styleAble to effectively manage performance issuesClear about the team’s mission and visionContributing to positive emotionsAble to convey the key lessons of organizational effectiveness through stories of my own workplace experiencesTeam work collaboration356546For my organizationReliableInnovativeContributiveActing in ways that are clearly aligned with the vision, values, and strategyAble to get a lot done65546For my self Cultivating the virtues of:EnergyOptimismCalmnessBuoyancyAssertivenessCouragePassionateTrustworthy75554467Table 1: how I need to beDepending on the profile mentioned above, to be a developing transformational business leader, I need to identify â€Å"how I need to be† in my current and future role. The left column of the table above is the four areas that I will focus on to develop my leadership skills. For each area, there are several criteria to assess my current personal skills. The items listed in the â€Å"I need to be† column are my goals and criteria for monitoring process of my leadership development. In the box of â€Å"for my clients†, I have put higher scores for my current role because from my previous education consultant experiences, clients are very important for business sustain. Therefore, in order to maintain an on-going maturing relationship with clients, I need to treat them with courtesy, respect and responsive, for difficult clients I need to be tactful. In the area of â€Å"for my team†, I assessed myself at a lower medium level for my current role. I don’t have much group work experience from previous job. Therefore, this will be the most important area where I need to develop, because in current business organizations, team works and synergy are vital for completing multiple tasks. It is very important to learn how to convey the key lessons of organizational effectiveness through the stories of my own workplace experiences. And I currently lack of this skill. In a study by Tichy (2002), this is known as the narrative teachable point of view, which is the best communicated through engaging stories about who the company is and about what it can be. In the area of â€Å"for my organization†, I regard â€Å"reliable† as the primary element, because to be an effective leader of organization, I need to be reliable to obtain trusts from the company and team members in order to perform tasks effectively and work with others by sharing the same objectives. Also, creative strategies and innovation skills are very important for company growth and expansion. The area of â€Å"for my self† is designed to develop my personal leadership skills. The listed items are essentials to enhance my effectiveness. According to the evaluation, my assertiveness and courage are poor because of the lack of communication skills. I need to enhance my communication competency to be a confident professional leader. Other aspects such as optimism, calmness and buoyancy are the secondary area where I need to improve because those attributes are important to demonstrate a good personal leadership. All the elements listed in the table are essential for developing a transformational leader and keeping the process on the right track. From the table above I will be clear about my weaknesses and resolve them. 4.0 Gaps between my worst self and the idealI think that lifelong learning is very important and we all have personal worst self and ideal self. Knowing my own strengths and weaknesses can be helpful for me to become an effective transformational leader. Discovering my worst self along with having the yearning to improve is a talent that I maintain. Everybody has exceptional traits which distinguish the individual. Hence, I need to identify my ideal self in order to overcome my worst self. I believe that my ideal self has always made me be successful in projects I have attempted in my life. Therefore, recognizing ideal and worst self is a key point to bring success. For instance, when I come across a limitation in an area of necessity, I am able to improve that weak point. I deem that this characteristic is a strength that I have. I implement my personal strengths in my job. They are problem solving, goal oriented and so on. I feel that these strengths have helped me go ahead in my career. For instance, it is easy for me to analyze a problem and come up with an effective resolution in a short period of time. Focusing on the whole outlook but not the problem itself enabled me to resolve many problems in the past. It seems that if one narrows the situation into smaller workable areas, the problem is solved more quickly. I believe that the work that I produce is an indication of what kind of person I am. I like to make high values for my occupation and myself. I have found that my employer has always been satisfied with my work. For instance, I am able to work with colleagues to obtain the best outcomes in projects and problems solving in the workplace. I consider myself as a goal-oriented person. I enjoy setting goals for myself and I like to work with my colleagues in setting these goals. I feel that  once a goal has been achieved, we can rejoice our accomplishment as a team. For example, we have twenty students’ visas approved from immigration and we had a cocktail party to celebrate. One area of worst self is that it is difficult for me to be an effective leader. Because I feel that it’s very hard to lead a team efficiently and I had some difficulties to work with unfamiliar people. My overall goal is that I can be an effective transformational leader. I know how to learn, along with the understanding of how to learn the best, which is an important part in learning the goals that I have set for myself. As a student of RMIT University, from this course I learned how to improve my effective leadership skills so that I can improve that weakness. This is my second semester at RMIT University and I will overcome the new challenges that I will face. I hope that the experience I will gain while obtaining my degree will continue to strengthen all my personal and professional skills as well as challenging me in the areas of weaknesses. 5.0 My best self narrativeMy best self narrative was when I overcome the nervous and dilemma and encourage myself to finish the tasks. I had a lot of presentations in this MBA course and still remembered the scene of my first presentation. I was standing in front of all colleagues and lecture. My hands started dithering and I could not remember what I prepared for the topic. Luckily, I had my keynotes. I started the PowerPoint slides, reading the topic and facing to all audiences. Suddenly, all the information was back to my mind and I talked to myself that I can do this. Finally the presentation was really good and I gained an upper distinction grade from this assignment. Another best-self narrative is when I gained recognitions from my family and relatives. I have been studying overseas for 6 years and still remembered the first time when I returned to my home country. All my relatives went to my parents’ house and praised my abilities and talent for completing my IT bachelor degree and easily gaining the permanent resident visa. Because they  thought that it was very hard to finish all the tasks by myself while I am very far away from family and without any support. From that moment, I felt that I had done something valuable, gaining recognitions from my family and relatives. I believe that the successes of my best-self experiences were from the supports and encouragements of my family and friends, which constitute me a â€Å"can do† attitude. The recognition obtained from relatives gives me more confidence and ambitious dreams about what I want to do in my future. Also, my personal experiences of failing make me learn how to face frustration. Based on these experiences, I gained courage and fortitude for further problem resolution and kept my self at the best. 6.0 Best reflected self exerciseI have asked about 10 people from my friends and colleagues to conduct a best reflected self exercise and discover my strengths from their point of view. I have formed those views into a feedbacks table described below:Common themeExamplesMy interpretationInitiative to do my best.Made video for group presentation and spent hours on it despite having a lot of other work to do and took the initiative to do more than what was required to make it best.I like to contribute my best work to group by using my personal skillsWillingness to provide a helping hand whenever I can. Made PowerPoint slides for one group and took the time to provide ideas and taught the group how to create new PowerPoint slides.I like to help others especially when they are getting into a hobble and don’t know how to do it. Take care of othersOne of my friends was drunk from a pub, he phoned me and asked me to pick him up and send him home. Another friend had a final exam; I went to his house the day before exam and cooked for him which gives him more time to study. I like to take care of my friends because I believe friendship is very important in my life. Also, good friendship will help me to make a better performance and synergy with others. Creative,Aspiration,Sense of humor, Analytical abilityFind different ways to approach the tasks and provide ideas to give people a different image. Bringing fun and joy to class, my jokes are always funny, bring a closer relationshipI like to find new ways to deal with different tasks and I have a personal belief to make everyone happy around me. Doing that will create a harmonious environment to work together. Table 2: commonality of feedbacks tableThis feedbacks table will give me an idea of how the people around me think about me, which will help me pay more attention to the content mentioned above and keep developing more strength. When I am at my best I tend to be creative. I am enthusiastic about new ideas and new ways of thinking. At the meantime, I ensure that I follow those ideas with appropriate executions. With the aspiration and analytical abilities, I perform tasks much easier. Friends think that I am willing to do the best with empathy, which brings my reliabilities and performing attitude to friends. One of my best strengths is willingness to provide a helping hand whenever I can; I believe that everyone does need help from others including my self. Therefore, helping others will gain help from others. Colleagues think that I am able to take care of others and act as an older brother, which can show that I am a potential leader with a set of leadership skills when I am at my best. And they believe that I am able to identify the goals of tasks and allocate those tasks to group members rationally. So they feel more confident to work with me. Also, they mentioned that my leadership style is towards to transformational leadership that leaders encourage and motivate members by sharing the same goal and achieve the success. I believe that those strengths mentioned above will enhance my understanding of the work situations that can bring out the best from me. Also, by acknowledging those strengths, I will be more confident to do my tasks and  work with other people. 7.0 Leadership narrative This section will discuss what event makes me realized that I want to be a leader and shows the shift to leadership. I remembered when I worked as an education agent for a consultant company. The company has 7 employees including myself. Ken, the manager of the company, normally have a 7-week business trip to China every 8 months. Since I was the oldest employee in this firm and had been working in the company for over 3 years, he talked to me privately and asked me to manage the company and make sure everyone started working on time. The first day after Ken left, some of the employees were very happy, starting coming to work a little bit late and taking a longer morning tea break. Gradually, they were getting even worse, the deadline of tasks delayed and they disappeared one hour early before company closed. I talked to them, and asked them to complete the tasks and come to work on time, but they told me that you were actually not in charge here and we were on the same level. Then I explained what Ken told me to manage the company and monitor the attendance. Also, I displayed my self as an example to work hard on tasks and keep coming to work on time. Eventually, they started turning back to the normal attitude as before, and we had a good time to collaborate with each other. When Ken came back, the performance was increased and he appreciated my excellent job while he was away. The work mission and my manager’s trust are the key elements to drive me to get the opportunity to be a substitute leader and solve problems occurred in the company. According to this experience, I found that I had the potential skills and abilities to lead a group. From that moment, I started thinking about my future role in the company. I wish to be a good business leader. 8.0 Literature Review The two tasks, completing how I need to be in my current (or future) role and re-authoring my understanding of my own key experiences at my best, help me to evaluate myself. And also I could see my self from others’ view. Most importantly, those two tasks inform me where I am right  now, who I want to be and the approaches that I can take to step forward. The literature review has been conducted in this section to explain why undertaking those two tasks increase the likelihood of experiencing the buoyant, positive emotions that support the effective leadership. Tickle, Brownlee and Nailon (2005) believe that underlying and enabling transformational behaviors, is a set of core beliefs about knowing and learning which can be called â€Å"epistemological beliefs† means what knowledge is and how learning and development occurs. Tichy (2002) supports their point of view based on his experience with many outstanding business leaders at GE and states every successful business leader must have a teachable point of view, the ideas they have to improve the business, the values that will make those ideas work and the ability to energize employees. In addition, Tichy (2002) mentioned the leader’s teachable point of view is best communicated through engaging stories of who the company is and of what it can be. Jack Welch is a good example to illustrate this point, he created a story for the future of the GE based on the elements of his own ‘who I am’ story, and employees shared the view from him and execute base on this view. In a study by Morgan et al (2005), they define four steps to take in order to go through RBS exercise. Those steps are identifying respondents and ask for feedback, recognize patterns, compose your self-portrait and redesign your job. To have a better understanding of RBS exercise, Morgan et al (2005) suggest the first step is to collect feedback from a variety of people inside and outside work. The second step is to search for common themes among the feedbacks. The third step is to write a description of individual that summarizes and distills the accumulated information. The final step is to redesign personal job description to build on what is good at. Also, Morgan et al. (2005) state â€Å"the RBS exercise can help you tap into unrecognized and unexplored areas of potential. It armed with a constructive, systematic process for gathering and analyzing data about your best self, you can burnish your performance at work†. Wright (1996) indicates transformational leadership involves a highly positive emotional and optimistic thinking response towards the leader. The values of those two attributes are very important for effective transformational leader. The optimistic thinking requires turning negative thoughts into positive, which will influence other employees, feel more comfortable and confident to work for the organization. Also it helps individuals to have a great level of energy with reduced stress and tension in organization when approach to any tasks. The positive emotions provide the confidence to leaders and reflect on the best self evaluation which is what you are like when you are at your best, similar to an â€Å"ideal self†. It focuses on increasing the advantage instead of concerning to improve the disadvantages. An article written by Botaris (2003) discusses emerging key trends, such as leadership development of effective judgment. Effective judgment in the future will continue to change because people will change. Leadership effective judgment will have to become more strategic, more proactive, and more involved in the overall business (Bates, 2002). Transformational leadership style will be the best suited to those trends. Leadership development of effective judgment is a crucial function of management in order to facilitate the vision required for an organization to be successful. Effective judgment is the process of reducing employees’ resistance to change. Management directs employees’ efforts towards the accomplishment of the organizational goals and objectives. Ibrarra and lineback (2005, p 66) states that â€Å"To know someone well is to know their story†. A successful leader needs ability to go on to point out that at times of change in the professional direction. The leader needs tell the story that makes sense of personal motives, character and the capacity to reach new goals. In other words, this is called narrative abilities, the narrative will make an enormous difference in how well the company will cope with change, how high is the level of motivation of employees, how devoted employees to organization. Having effective narrative style helps leaders become more assertive and influence in convincing other people to do the tasks. It is important to understand that â€Å"creating a story that resonates  also helps up to believe in ourselves† (Ibrarra & Lineback, 2005, p.66). To make a smooth construction of narrative, Gibson (2004) discusses some examples and analysis for understanding who you have been and for identify ing where you might need to go next. He argues that taking a narrative approach to career counseling is both theoretically and practically justified. In a study by Cervone, Shadel, Smith, and Fiori (2006), they propose a model of intra-individual personality architecture called as KAPA: A Knowledge and Appraisal Personality Architecture. This model helps individuals to appraise themselves and situations based upon beliefs that they have come to experience as knowledge. The KAPA model will guide individuals to set goals and improve them. The KAPA model has three conceptual principles, notion of intentionality, distinguishes between two aspects of cognition and differentiates among alternative forms of knowledge and appraisal. I have used the KAPA model to appraise myself to test my personalities, skills and beliefs, please refer to Appendix 1 for my KAPA analysis. In conclusion, I have identified my current (or future) role and evaluated myself at this stage. And my own experiences in the narrative stories show the constitution of my identity and the turning point to be a business leader. Then, the literature review explains the benefit to do those two tasks and importance to support effective leadership. From this paper, I have found out my strengths from others’ point of view and I have identified the gap between my best and worst self. The KAPA model has designed to help me improve my personal and professional leadership. 9.0 Appendix 1 What might be standing in my way Steps I can take to move forward Ways that I can measure and monitor my progress Goals for the next 6 monthsLack of clarity about my organizational story in terms of what constitutes success and what that will look like and what that will look like and why it matterImprove communication skills and attending relevant seminars or courses and business leader forums to gain the knowledge and abilities. Feedbacks from friends, family members and colleagues to see how effectively I influenced them through my ability of story telling Understand the concepts to make my organizational story, and tell the story to my friends and family members. Lack ofAssertivenessOptimismCalmnessBuoyancycourageBy taking relevant exercises or courses to practice and adjust myself. Feedbacks from friends and family members, monitoring diary.Complete at least one course on each of those elements and practice those learnings with people all the time. Lack of collaboration with unfamiliar people.Talk to people I do not know, and try to get them close and familiar with their behavior and personality. After those approaches, I will fell more confident and comfortable to work with them as a team.Self evaluation with feedbacks from friends and colleagues, Team work performance.Understand unfamiliar people in the organization and try to work with them. My personal KAPA analysis10.0 ReferencesBates, S 2002, Facing the future, HR Magazine, Viewed 9 February, 2007, . Botaris, E 2003, Looking back at 2003: key trends in management development, Viewed 9 February, 2007, . Cervone, D, Shadel, W, Smith, R & Fiori, M 2006, â€Å"Self-Regulation: Reminders and Suggestions from Personality Science† Applied Psychology† an International Review, 55 (3), pp.333-385. Daft, RL 1999, Leadership Theory and Practice, Harcourt, Inc., USA. Gibson, P 2004, â€Å"Where to from here? A narrative approach to career counseling†, Career Development International, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 176-189. Ibarra, H and Lineback, K 2005, â€Å"What’s Your Story?†, Harvard Business Review, January, Vol. 83, Issue 1, pp. 65-71. Mastrangelo, A, Eddy, E & Lorenzet S 2004, â€Å"The importance of personal and professional leadership† The Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Vol. 25 No.5, pp.435. Morgan, L, Spreitzer, G, Dutton, J, Quinn, R, Heapy, E & Barker, B 2005, â€Å"How to Play to Your Strengths† Harvard Business Review, January, pp 75-80. Tichy, N 2002, The leadership Engine, Harper Business Essentials, New York. Tickle, E, Brownlee, J & Nailon, D 2005, â€Å"Personal epistemological beliefs and transformational leadership behaviours†, Journal of Management Development, Vol.24 No.8, pp. 706-719. Wright, P 1996, â€Å"What Leaders Read1: Managerial Leadership†, National College for School Leadership, 2003 edition, Prentice Hall, UK. Zhu, W, Chew, I & Spangler, W 2005, â€Å"CEO transformational leadership and organizational outcomes: the mediating role of human-capital-enhancing human resource management†, The Leadership Quarterly, 16, pp. 39-52.

Airplanes Designs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airplanes Designs - Essay Example However, the major concern of the aircrafts that were designed in the early 20th century, starting with the breakthrough that was made by the Wright brothers who developed the first full operational aircraft in 1903, was to develop an aircraft that was lighter than air (Anderson, 12). Therefore, the ancient designs focused on making lighter aircrafts, and therefore entailed the changes in the materials used to make the aircrafts. Further, the aircraft design influences the performance of the aircrafts by further introducing new performance requirements, especially during the first world war, when it became apparent that there was no way the war could have been won without air combat. As a result, the war crafts were designed to consist greater maneuverability, coupled with high speed and ability to fly high altitudes (Stokes, 147). Later, the design influenced the size of aircrafts, towards making large aircrafts to fly, while also allowing heavy loads to be flown in their air, witho ut the impact of the weight of the aircraft brining the air craft down (Wragg, 31). Thus, simply put, the design of the aircraft affect the performance of the airplane through determining the speed, maneuverability, load and weight capacity, usage for example in wars and he safety of the aircraft while taking off, flying and landing. How designs changed over the time The ancient Airplane Designs entailed the use of twin tractor propellers as their engine, and a fitted horizontal tail, while the aircraft was powered by compressed air, with the aircraft being fitted with an air tank that acted as a fuselage (Anderson, 7). This was later advanced to a single flight engine that was developed by the Wright brothers for their aircraft, which was fitted with 2 hp water-cooled four-cylinder, with a fuel injection (Wragg, 56). Further, in 1926, more advancement was made in the engine modification and an air-cooled radial engine, which was lighter, was introduced, marking the beginning of tra nsformation of the Airplanes Designs from engine-focused into size modification, considering that the lighter, air-cooled radial engine made it possible for the aircrafts to fly for longer and carry more weight (Stokes, 153). The Airplanes engine designs advancement was further achieved courtesy of a V-8 engine that was an improvement on the previous four-cylinder engine, which then introduced the aspect of direct fuel injection in aircraft engines, as well as the evaporative water cooling concept that allowed the water cooling the engine to evaporate, thus making the aircrafts even lighter, making it possible for the engine to generate a high power of 50 hp (Anderson, 44). The advancement in the Airplane Design saw the rise of the 3-cylinder semi radial fan-engine, which forthwith introduced the concept of aircraft engine using a fan, as opposed to the previous cooling of the engine using water, in 1909 (Wragg, 51). Consequently, it was now possible to fly an aircraft that was much heavier than the air, and the design aspect of the aircraft changed focus from the engine to the body of the aircrafts, with the transformation of the wings to make them thinner and more efficient, while the safety concerns were further addressed through interior designs that incorporated seat designs that were able to remain in place

The Story of an Hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The Story of an Hour - Essay Example To Mrs. Mallard, this was a bending of her wills that she did not agree with. If one looks closely at the relevance of the aforementioned heart trouble of the main character, it could be seen that the issue in the marriage is the real heart trouble and not the physical condition of the character. After Mrs. Mallard’s emotional period, she went to her room alone and was met by an â€Å"open window and comfortable, roomy armchair where she sank.† The room is a representation of the private thoughts of Mrs. Mallard where no one entered except her, a condition she was forced to be in because if she told other people, she might be dubbed as rebellious or could be seriously misunderstood. The roomy armchair could portray how comfortably Mrs. Mallard could be with herself, looking honestly into her desires without any condemnation so that she freely thought of all the freedom she could enjoy now that her husband is dead. The open window represents what the character considers as her way of escape from the marriage that â€Å"bent her

Testing and evaluation techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Testing and evaluation techniques - Assignment Example The advantages of oral examinations for the teachers include quick assessment of students’ learning, assessment of students’ confidence, and assessment of the verbal and nonverbal communication skills. On the other hand, some disadvantages of oral examinations include more time consumption as compared to written exams, inefficient for in-depth assessment of students’ learning, and labor-intensiveness. Another negative aspect of oral examinations is that the environment can influence the students, which may result in affecting their ability to communicate effectively with their teachers. Project assignments are also a good way to assess students’ learning. Teachers can give assignments to the students, which they need to solve without getting any sort of assistance from the teachers. The advantages of project assignments for the teachers include proper assessment of students’ ability to do work independently, assessment of individual learning, and assessment of students’ writing skills. On the other hand, some disadvantages of project assignments include increased chances of plagiarism and difficulty in standardizing. However, the disadvantages are not able to overshadow the advantages of project assignments because they make students do something independently, which is very good for the students. Practical examinations are another way to assess students’ learning. In practical examinations, teachers give practical assignments to the students, which they need to complete under observation of their teachers. Practical examinations help teachers evaluate the related behaviors of the students during examination. Moreover, they also help teachers evaluate students’ critical thinking skills, psychomotor skills, and evaluations skills. The disadvantages of practical examinations are somewhat similar to oral examinations. Practical examinations are time consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult to standardize. Teaches can

Disability laws of the united states Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Disability laws of the united states - Essay Example To combat this lack of information, it is necessary to illuminate the incidence and prevalence of the disease to help educate the business owners about its impact on their own concerns. By enumerating the effectiveness of policies and programs that are currently in place as well as the laws and regulations requiring such programs, employers may be able to identify gaps and shortfalls in their current procedures. For many business owners, especially small business owners, the idea of adding one more responsibility to an already overflowing plate in terms of caring for employees seems a little daunting. However, studies conducted over the past 25 years regarding the spread of HIV and AIDS has proven that â€Å"where business, government and populations work together, the spread of HIV and AIDS can be slowed and infections reduced† (Roedy quoted in Bloom et al 2006). ... their workplace will be affected nor have those in less concerned countries, such as the United States, worked to establish formal policies within their organizations to address the issue. Even the small companies are required to follow some basic rules and guidelines drafted by the state to protect those with HIV and AIDS as well as to help prevent the spread of these illnesses among the greater population. All businesses are required to comply with state and federal civil rights laws that often apply to those suffering with HIV or the AIDS infections. These include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. â€Å"The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Under the law, persons with HIV infection are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as persons with other communicable diseases† (Disabilities Act, 1992) In addition, employers are expected to make reasonable accommodations so that people with disabilities, including those with HIV/AIDS, are able to remain employed and productive for as long as they can possibly perform the essential functions of their jobs. This could include the assignment or reassignment of job duties, allowing employees to work at home on a temporary basis, allowing both paid and unpaid leaves of absences and accommodating a flexible work schedule. Jane Hodges (2004) indicates the ILO (International Labor Organization) recommendations to member states also include a ban on dismissal based on HIV/AIDS until the individual becomes medically unfit to carry out adapted work, a prohibition of non-consensual pre- and post-employment testing, legislation for the prevention and containment of transmission risks, training

Marketing plan for Cheerios Cereal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing plan for Cheerios Cereal - Essay Example .................................................................................. Environment.................................................................................................................... SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................... Super SWOT Analysis.................................................................................................... Overall Strategic Objectives........................................................................................... Strategic Focus................................................................................................................ Objectives....................................................................................................................... Corporate Objectives...................................................................................................... Marketing Objectives..................... ................................................................................. The Marketing Mix †¦.................................................................................................... Product............................................................................................................................ Place................................................................................................................................ ... ................................................................................................ Physical Evidence........................................................................................................... Processes......................................................................................................................... Segmentation................................................................................................................... Targeting......................................................................................................................... Positioning †¦................................................................................................................. Tactics............................................................................................................................. Communication Tools..................................................................................................... Resource Requirements †¦.............................................................................................. Proposed Pricing Model.................................................................................................. Monitoring...................................................................................................................... Bibliography.................................................................................................................... Appendix 1: External Audit............................................................................................ Appendix 2: Market Environment †¦.............................................................................. Appendix 3: Industry

Does Globalisation Americanisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Does Globalisation Americanisation - Essay Example Another feature of globalisation is grobalisation by which â€Å"the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organisations† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41) promote the imposition of themselves in various geographic areas for increased power, influence and profits. Two subprocesses of grobalisation are Americanisation and McDonaldisation. Americanisation can be defined as the further spread and establishment of American ideas, customs, social patterns, language, industry, and capital around the world. The concept of Americanisation â€Å"envisions a growth in American influence in all realms throughout the world† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 47). McDonaldization is the spread of the fast-food restaurant concept not only within the United States, but in increasing numbers of other societies throughout the world (Ritzer 2010). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether globalisation is synonymous with Americanisation. The Emergence and Evolution of Amer icanisation and Globalisation Americanisation is the larger conceptual framework that includes various interconnected phenomena, among which globalisation is one of the most important. The cultural impact of globalisation on Americanisation as a key 20th century transformation has great consequences. Mennell (2009) believes that globalisation and Americanisation should be examined together in long term perspective. The United States drove globalisation from 1945 to 2000; during this time globalisation was synonymous with Americanisation and Westernization, although terms such as â€Å"hybridity† and â€Å"flexible acculturation† which pertain to immigrants in the United States, prevailed only after 2001 (Nederveen Pieterse 2009). Globalisation is radically transforming all nations and the lives of billions of people all over the world. Globalisation theory characteristically accorded a great deal of significance to developments in the west, and its western bias also me ant that â€Å"the rest of the world had little choice but to become like it† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41). After the Second World War, American companies with a highly efficient industrial management system expanded to locations across the globe. This globalisation of American companies had an effect on the internationalisation of German firms between 1945 to the early 1970s, and the resultant outcomes on German corporate management and competitive strategies throws light on how global corporate players evolved. The Americans tried to recapture the markets that they lost during the war, and attempted to enter new geographic markets. To withstand the American challenge, German companies resorted to new management strategies such as the adoption of American know-how, leading to a process of catching up and globalised corporate growth in German companies (Hilger 2008). Conversi (2010) argues that the consequences of cultural Americanisation is one of the least studied areas of the phenomenon of globalisation, although it is the most critical feature. The global expansion of Americanisation can be denoted accurately through distinctive stages of expansion, followed by periods of comparative and momentary recession; this in turn is followed by increased expansion. Hence, Americanisation is the broader conceptual framework that consists of various interconnected phenomena, out of which the most important is globalisation. This has established

Circadian Rhythms and Their Importance to Humanise and other Animals Essay

Circadian Rhythms and Their Importance to Humanise and other Animals - Essay Example 649). It was significant to note that in this study 25% of the subjects presented arrhythmic Circadian Rhythm patterns and had a shorter life span by 50% compared to the animal subjects with normal circadian cycles. Kumar, Mohan and Kumar-Sharma (2005) in their study further found that the arrhythmic patterns found in the test group also had a correlation to the reproductive success of the mature species with 40% less than their rhythmic counterparts successfully producing viable offspring. The authors noted that although the study did not investigate the causal effects of this it does indicate that further study is necessary. It does, however, demonstrate that the circadian rhythm plays an integral, if not fully understood, role in the viability of the species - not only on an individual basis but also species wide. Doljansky, Kannety and Dagan (2005) note that circadian rhythm typically produced by period s of day and night are manifested in mammals in many of the physiological functions including "appetite, core body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and various endocrine and metabolic variables" (p. 598). Much of the cycle is based upon the natural timing of daylight and night. As our study encompassed a full day, examples of the circadian cycle will be demonstrated readily thought each phase of the study with visible, predictable cyclic patterns emerging. Results of the study conducted confirm the findings of researchers that the blood pressure and pulse rate follow a Circadian Cycle. As seen in Appendix A which is the class study findings there is a distinct circadian cycle demonstrated for the pulse rate of the subjects with the peak pulse rate period falling in the 1800 reading systematically reducing to the low pulse rate period at 0600 before again gradually rising. These findings are supported by a study conducted by Moroni, et al (1998) which evaluated both severe cardiac impaired subjects and healthy control subjects. Results of their study found no significant difference in the blood pressure or pulse rate of either group. Rather, both groups exhibited a normal circadian cycle of both pulse rate and blood pressure which was contrary to their hypothesis. The second portion of the class study measured the cognitive functioning at two hour intervals during the day. As surmised in the hypothesis there should have been a distinct circadian cycle manifested. However, this was not the case with distinct functional differences noted by individuals across distinct time periods. What the findings did demonstrate are supported by Pardee, et al (2005) which examined the cognitive functioning to determine whether a universal circadian cycle was noted. Their findings showed that cognitive functioning ability is not solely evidenced by a universal circadian rhythm. Rather cognitive functioning ability is based on a combination of the circadian rhythm, personal preference (simply put day or night people) and the ability to compensate for 'down-time' periods in the circadian cycle through cognitive reserve. The motor skill portion of the study consisted of an eye hand coordination test. As hypothesized there were be a general pattern emerge indicative of a circadian cycle. Mean results showed that with only minimal variation the

The Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Middle Ages Essay The Middle Ages was an era that could be described several different ways. Like all spans of time they had their downfalls, victories, different views of faith, and different forms of government. The Middle Ages span from 500 to 1500 in Europe. This is a very extensive period of time, and it is difficult to label it with one name. So many different events and themes took place. Nevertheless, the labels that best describe this era would have to be The Dark Ages, The Age of Feudalism, and The Age of Faith. The Middle Ages could be referred to as the Dark Ages for several reasons. In this time period there were a lot of wars and raids taking place, especially Viking raids. â€Å"846 According to their custom the Northmen plundered†¦ and burned the town of Dordrecht†¦ the Northmen, with their boats filled with immense booty, including both men and goods, returned to their own country†¦.† (Doc.3). Often times there was nothing that people could do to prevent these raids because they happened so quickly. The Vikings were not at all like the people they were used to fighting for the object of land. The Vikings only wanted money and prisoners, and that made them harder to stop. There were also barbarians like The Moors, and The Hungarians who brought terror with them wherever they wandered. â€Å"They burned down the churches and then departed with a crowd of captives†¦ there is no longer any trade, only unceasing terror†¦.† (Doc. 1). Some people would say that you should focus on the accomplishments of the era, and not on the negative. There is just so much negative that it tends to outshine the positive. This document tries to show you the side of the Middle Ages, â€Å"It flourished in the midst of rude surroundings, fierce passions, and material ambitions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc. 7). The era did continue amidst these things, but that does not make it a good age to live in. It makes it a dark age just because of its rude surroundings, and fierce passions. Feudalism was the social system in Europe in the Middle Ages. Nobility would hold land from the Crown and in return offer military service. â€Å"I will aid the count of Champagne in my own person, and I will send to the countess of Champagne the knights whose service I owe to them  for the fief which I hold of them†¦.† (Doc. 2). This age could be named The Age of Feudalism because it was the dominant social structure of the time period. This is also the only age when we really see Feudalism play a strong role in society. To understand the structure of it more completely take a look at the next document. â€Å"Vassal to Lord -Loyalty –Military Service –Ransom, if needed; Lord to Vassal -Protection –Land (fief)† (Doc. 4). The vassal was the name that was given to the person who was granted the land. Feudalism was a major part of everyday life for people who lived in Europe during The Middle Ages. The Catholic Church had a lot of power in all aspects of life in this era. The Pope even had the power to ask people to fight for God, and they would do just that. In this document Pope Urban 11 is calling for a crusade or holy war to recapture the Holy Land. â€Å"Your brethren who live in the [Middle] East are in urgent need of your help†¦.† â€Å"All who die by the way, whether by land or sea, or in the battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins† (Doc. 9). Many people heard this and obeyed risking their lives for the church. The power the church had was even visible as you can tell from Document 10 which is a picture of a Gothic cathedral. It’s standing high above the people, and even above the buildings surrounding it. More examples of what people would do for the church come from documents 5 and 8. Document 5 is a Church council calling for the observance of the Truce of God. â€Å"†¦so that no one may commit murder, arson, robbery, or assault, no one may injure another with a sword, club, or any other kind of weapon†¦.† (Doc. 5). This showed the Church’s power to even make laws that people would obey. Document 8 is adapted from the fourteenth-century monastic vows of Brother Gerard. The document show what some people would give up to be a monk in the Church. â€Å"I hereby renounce my parents, my brothers and relatives, my friends, my possessions†¦and the vain and empty glory and pleasure of this world. I also renounce my own will, for the will of God† (Doc. 8). This is why the title The Age of Faith belongs to The Middle Ages. An additional document would be helpful to make this essay better. If I had been given a document on the serfs lives I could’ve used it for The Dark Ages, and the Age of Feudalism. The Middle Ages are a very interesting time period to write about due to the many different aspects of the period that come to play. Even though it was such a dark time there are always some bright things in the dark. For this  time period it was the Church, and the inventions and knowledge that were gained. The labels The Dark Ages, the Age of Feudalism, and the Age of Faith are truly the best ways to describe The Middle Ages.

The Definition Of Risk Health And Social Care Essay

The Definition Of Risk Health And Social Care Essay Risk Analysis, what for? (RA) can be defined like a process or technique used to measure the effect of the unknown, identifying the possible threats, analyse them and find measures to apply to eliminate or reduced this possible threat. This technique is used by a broad diversity of organisations, private and governmental ones (NATO, FAO, WHO, EFSA, OIE, ECDC), in the food safety sector in Spain by AESA/AESAN. . There are four stages to define in the RA system: hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. For a Risk to exist there has to be a hazard, which needs to be identified in the first instance. A hazard can be defined as a situation, or a condition that can make damage or make some kind of losses, to humans being, animals or environment (ISDR) . Hazard identification is a process or steps to take to permit us identify the possible threat in a situation. It is possible to link a particular hazard to a potential risk, but its not possible to identify all the hazards Risk assessment can be defined as the estimation, qualitative or quantitative, of the risk resulting from the hazard. There is two main processes qualitative and quantitative that must be specific depending on the situation. Risk management is the application of the necessary measures to evaluated, monitoring and take effective control of the risks, to minimize the possible negative impact of the development of this risk.(5,6) Risk communication tries to give a clear picture about the risk. This process requires a clear and exposed communication between all the parties involved, (stakeholders). This only can be achieved if some requisite take place: exchange of information, recognition of the grade and appreciation of risk, understanding the effects of options and create support for decisions. This can be achieved through meetings, discussions, interviews, web-blogs, Radio, TV. The following diagram shows the relationship between the three components of RA. (7). In Spain RA has become strategically important in veterinary and animal health (9).It is now a common tool in veterinary public health and used by governmental bodies that play a role in imposing regulations designed to protect animals or human health (AESA, MARM, RASVE, SIR, etc.). In the veterinarian field the RA can be conducted by two main systems.They are based on two models, one adopted by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and the one used by the Codex Alimentarius. Under the umbrella of the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, in 1963 was elaborated the Codex Alimentarius Commission with the mission of created procedures and codes of practice to regulated the food standards. (8). The RA system of the Codex has these main points: Risk Assessment Risk Management Risk Communication These definitions can be found in the Procedural Manual (13th Edition) of the Codex (REF). The Procedural Manual (13th Edition) of the Codex provides these definitions: Risk Assessment: A scientifically based process consisting of the following steps: hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Risk Management: The process of evaluate alternatives policy, in consultation with all interested parties, considering risk assessment and other factors relevant for the health protection, the promotion of fair trade practices, prevention and control options. Risk Communication: The interactive exchange of information throughout the RA process concerning risk, related factors and risk perceptions, among assessors, managers, consumers, industry, and other interested parties, including the risk assessment findings and risk management initials decisions. The system used by the OIE, the CM model, comprises of the following components: (Apx 1) Hazard Identification Risk Assessment Risk Management Risk Communication. These definitions can be found in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..of the OIE (REF). (10) The OIE defines Hazard identification as the process of identifying the pathogenic agents which could potentially be introduced to the commodity considered for importation. Hazard identification is an added component in this system. It is a process used to identify hazards in a given situation that may pose a change in risk to animal or human health. (10) Risk assessment is described as the evaluation of the likelihood and the biological and economic consequences of entry, establishment, or spread of a pathogenic agent within the territory of an importing country. Risk management is the process of identifying, selecting and implementing measures that can be applied to reduce the level of risk. Risk communication is the interactive exchange of information on risk among risk assessors, risk managers and other interested parties. The main difference between the two systems is that the OIE has the hazard identification as a stage of the RA. The Codex system has the hazard identification as a part of the risk assessment (Apx 2). The Codex risk assessment stages: The OIE risk assessment stages: Hazard identification Release assessment Hazard characterisation Exposure assessment Exposure assessment Consequence assessment Risk characterization Risk estimate The perception about hazard differs between the Codex and the OIE. The Codex is determined in the relation cause/effect and the severity of the possible consequences. The main pointing the codex is the identification of the hazard, which is measure by descriptive categories; high, medium, lowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The objective of the OIE is the possible pathogens which represent a possible hazard in animals and animals product, and the management of this risk. The main point for the OIE is the assessment of the Risk release. In the OIE the RA is definitive linked with the cost /benefit of the measure to control this risk. The Codex highlights the relationship dose/response with the exposure assessment and defined as hazard characterisation. The OIE take into account all harmful effect. The Codex considers the effect of the consequence of the modification in the dose of the risk, (pathogen, toxin, or antibiotics residues ). In Spain the OIE system is used by the authorities to develop qualitative RA of the risks at the introduction of infect contagious diseases into Spain and the rest of Europe from Morocco, Africa. In this kind of analysis different parameters are used: Prevalence of infection, volume of trade, capacity of the virus to survive, the seasons and climatic conditions and potential for infection. The magnitude of the consequences goes in hand with the probability of transmission and spread. This is normally linked with costs and benefits of the decisions taken and the possible economic lost consequences of no action. Usually RA take place during an Outbreak of animal disease in counties closed to the own borders. The quicker approach is a qualitative RA. The Codex is concerned about food safety. The Programme are designed for protecting the public health and ensuring reasonable manage process in the food trade, promoting harmonization in food standards in the work undertaken by international governmental and private organizations. This Analysis is normally quantitative. It uses different tools and methods, such as the Monte Carlo methodology. The data comes from different sources that usually are collated into a model to predict prevalence and quantity. This Analysis takes into account the predictable exposures and other factors such consumer types, genders, health status etc. They included the effect of the uncertainty and variability. For all this is necessary to use mathematical and probabilistic models developed by computers programmes. One example is the QRA of the impact on human health on resistance of Salmonella Enteriditis and S. Tiphimurium in poultry products and eggs. Here they investigate how the use of antibiotic favours the emerging resistance in pathogens that could be transmitted to humans and animals through the food supply .This quantitative study gives a numeric value to the risk, because sufficient data is available (11,12,13,15 ) There are different types of RA: From Qualitative (descriptive), semi- quantitative to quantitative RA (deterministic/ stochastic). Qualitative RA is used in areas of the food security, human and animal health services. For every hazard established, an estimated risk is made on the severity of the likelihood of the hazard occurring. However, the classifications used are often inadequate as the likelihood of a hazard to occur is never precise.. Also a probability database is not required, but there needs to be sufficient information that let us establish the likelihood and the effect of the risk problem. This method can be subjective, which reduces its significance. The envisaged goal is important to carry out the appropriate activities that will lead to the expected outcomes. The Quantitative RA system, used the Covello Merkhofe, works with simulation modelling. The Monte Carlo simulation is a reliable tool, flexible, is simple to test and to describe and less influence to human mistake in the progression of the model. it is desirable to check it to observe if the model do come with something totally unrealistic. This method is also subjective due to the chance to select the distribution during the description of the data. The semi QRA is a clear approach for the effective control of a range of risk issues. It is commonly used in commercial projects. The SQRA produces a arithmetical risk estimation establish on a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The problem is that due to a lack of obtainable data, only excessive risk will be avoided with this method. It is therefore not fully acknowledged worldwide. All this models need to be reviewed after the first stage of the assessment has been carried out. In Spain, as in the rest of EU, RA is utilised in a variety of areas such as education, engineering, science, environment, private and public governmental agencies (health service, military, banking, trade, etc.). Spain has to follow a specific EU legislation in activities related to food production. The use of the ARICPC, Spanish version of the HACCP, became compulsory by the Real Decreto 2207 in 1995,on 28 December. The Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and Council of 29 April 2004 are now actually in force. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is globally recognised as the most excellent system of assuring product preserve by controlling food borne cover hazards. This legislation specifies the compulsory nature of the application of the risk analysis of these kinds of processes bearing in mind the protection of the population; The (EC) 178/2002, Article 6 (Risk Analysis), Paragraph 1 states: In order to achieve the general objective of a high level of protection of human health and life, food law shall be based on risk analysis except where it is not appropriate to the circumstances or the nature of the measure. In Spain the HACCP system is used by the regional governments to regulate the food industry in a broad spectrum of activities: Bakers, ice cream, fishery products, dairy products, meat and meat products, pre-cooked meals, water, preserved food, beer, sugar, wine, oil, juice, vegetables, eggs, catering, spirit, sweets and pastries, abattoirs, cutting plants, butcher shops, restaurants, coffee shops, barsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. In all this activities there is a Risk to identify, the risk in food or agro food risks. There are nutritional risks, chemical risks (arsenic, nitrates, nitrites, cadmium) physical risks (temperatures, ionising radiations), biological risks (Salmonellas, Campylobacter, E. Coli, C. Burnetii, TSE) ,pesticides, veterinarian drugs residues. . The residues from pharmaceutical production, from hospitals, illegal drugs, Veterinary medicine use, like antibiotics and steroids, and farming activities.(pict1) Other areas, where RA is applied, are those derived from animal diseases outbreaks. In March 2009 there was a higher risk that the Serotype 4 or the Bluetongue (which had been eradicated from Spain) could come back from the North of Africa because of the wind carrying the infected vector over. This was outlined in the last RA by Sanidad Animal so they could take the necessary measures. By the Order ARM/575/2010, in all the south of Spain, all livestock had to be vaccinated against the serotype 4 of Bluetongue, to stop the spread of the disease. Possible animal health or animal related human health hazards, that require RA, may include new or unusual infections in animals such as Bluetongue in the north European cattle, West Nile virus infection in Europe, or increases in endemic zoonotic diseases like Leishmaniasis, an infection caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania (14). The amount of hazards both related to animal diseases and food safety, represents really a long list .It is important for the body control, first to identify which of the hazards are most likely to represent and immediate threat. The following stage will be to formulate the right question, which could be very simple and straightforward. For instance: which risks are you or your organisation interested in? Is there a case to do a Risk Assessment? What outcome is expected? Zero risk or acceptable risk? The right questions will lead to relevant information already made available. However, if the questions lack in timing and dont deliver the correct definition of the hazard/s involved, and this is not sorted at an early stage, the following part of the assessment could be biased or completely compromised. The whole information and data accessible will define the pathway to taken. If the hazard is a disease, it is important to obtain a wide range of information from different sources, to gain an overall picture of the hazard presented and the possible risks estimated from the result of the evaluation of data collated. This process is time consuming, demands expertise, resources and financial backing. Financial and human resources are fundamental to avoid unreported health status. Developing countries dont necessarily have the support and resources available to apply the necessary systems effectively and rely strongly on outside support. Generally a lack of finances stops the development of specialist colleges and institutions. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Adagiorum Collectanea 1536, Erasmo de Rotterdam (Rà ³terdam, 1466/69)

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning :: Genetic Engineering Essays

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning The concept of cloning is not new. Organisms ranging from microbes (for example bacteria) and animals (such as aphids and even certain species of shrimp and snails) have practiced asexual reproduction for millions of years, where the offspring are exact duplicates of the parents. It is also not uncommon to encounter identical twins among the more complex life forms like mammals. Twins are in essence clones as they share the same genetic blueprint. What then is so significant about Dolly? In the research paper published by I. Wilmut, W.A. Ritchie, J. McWhir and K.H.S. Campbell (1), Dolly was described as the first known mammal to be cloned by nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line. This technique is revolutionary as it dispelled a dogma in biology that upholds the notion of differentiated cells, being highly specialized, are irreversibly altered to an extent that would render them unable to inter-convert between cell forms (i.e a lymphocyte is not able to produce a nerve cell and vice versa). Dolly is living proof that a differentiated cell, such as one in the udder of sheep, has not only the potential of creating other tissue forms, but the entire living being. The evidence gathered from Dolly also went one step further to establish that organisms produced in such a way were not disadvantaged in their general physiological or reproductive function. Thus the new age of cloning was born with Dolly as its flagship. The success of Dr Ian Wilmut and his team in creating Dolly sparked global interest. This has greatly benefitted science as it has accelerated the rate at which knowledge is assimilated in the field of cloning. Many attempts have been to clone other mammals (for example cows or pigs). However they do not always yield fruitful results. Dolly can be considered to be a success among 277 failures. Indeed of the 277 oocytes used in the experiment, only one yielded a success. The techniques used in cloning would have to be refined before it can be universally applied. We have now uncovered other interesting facts about Dolly and cloning. For example, Dolly is considered to be "older" than her natural counterparts by a measure of the length of her telomeres that was found to be relatively shorter. However Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, using different techniques than Dr Ian Wilmut and his team, pro duced calves that were found to have longer telomeres (2).

Importance of The Beast in Lord of The Flies by William Golding Essay

Importance of The Beast in Lord of The Flies by William Golding All the way throughout the book, of ‘Lord of the Flies’ there is one main, big theme; the beast. It was first introduced by a small boy who was described as ‘a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and on one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry-coloured birthmark.’ The boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark said that it was ‘a snake-thing, ever so big.’ By describing the beast as a ‘snake-thing’ makes it sound like as if it is something quite abnormal, because he’s not so sure about it being a snake. This keeps the beast more of a mystery, and starts making the beast as the unknown. The beast being a snake is quite significant because it’s not a huge animal that you can keep a look out for, it’s small and you won’t even know when it’s near you, and can do you as much harm as a lion or tiger would. Ralph when he first hears about the beast laughs it off, and doesn’t think about it seriously. He also convinces the other big boys that it was the small boy’s imagination. ‘Laughing, Ralph looked for confirmation round the ring of faces. The older boys agreed;’ page 35. Every single time someone tries to show Ralph that the people were starting to get scared, and that as the days went on, more and more people became aware of the ‘beast’, he always throws the idea away to show that if he isn’t scared then why should anyone else be; and covers it up by saying that they need to get rescued. ‘ â€Å"The best thing we can do is get our selves rescued.† ’ page 54. So even if Ralph is scared of the beast, his speech leads the readers and the characters of the book to think that he is brave, and doesn’t want to think about the beast becaus... ...ther boys. ‘Simon was crying out something about a dead man†¦The beast struggled†¦There were no words and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.’ page 168 – 169. This is quite important because the only person who knew about the beast had now just been killed by the beast within the other boys. One of the main themes throughout the book is shown as part of the boys. Although at the beginning the beast had no importance in the novel, near the end it was the only theme to concentrate on as everyone could only think about torture, hunt and kill. Before Simon had died, there was some kind civilisation around, and people weren’t that much afraid of the beast, as they knew they had someone saying that there was no beast. But after the beast inside themselves kill Simon, everything becomes wild and savage, and there is more of the fear of the unknown. Importance of The Beast in Lord of The Flies by William Golding Essay Importance of The Beast in Lord of The Flies by William Golding All the way throughout the book, of ‘Lord of the Flies’ there is one main, big theme; the beast. It was first introduced by a small boy who was described as ‘a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and on one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry-coloured birthmark.’ The boy with the mulberry-coloured birthmark said that it was ‘a snake-thing, ever so big.’ By describing the beast as a ‘snake-thing’ makes it sound like as if it is something quite abnormal, because he’s not so sure about it being a snake. This keeps the beast more of a mystery, and starts making the beast as the unknown. The beast being a snake is quite significant because it’s not a huge animal that you can keep a look out for, it’s small and you won’t even know when it’s near you, and can do you as much harm as a lion or tiger would. Ralph when he first hears about the beast laughs it off, and doesn’t think about it seriously. He also convinces the other big boys that it was the small boy’s imagination. ‘Laughing, Ralph looked for confirmation round the ring of faces. The older boys agreed;’ page 35. Every single time someone tries to show Ralph that the people were starting to get scared, and that as the days went on, more and more people became aware of the ‘beast’, he always throws the idea away to show that if he isn’t scared then why should anyone else be; and covers it up by saying that they need to get rescued. ‘ â€Å"The best thing we can do is get our selves rescued.† ’ page 54. So even if Ralph is scared of the beast, his speech leads the readers and the characters of the book to think that he is brave, and doesn’t want to think about the beast becaus... ...ther boys. ‘Simon was crying out something about a dead man†¦The beast struggled†¦There were no words and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.’ page 168 – 169. This is quite important because the only person who knew about the beast had now just been killed by the beast within the other boys. One of the main themes throughout the book is shown as part of the boys. Although at the beginning the beast had no importance in the novel, near the end it was the only theme to concentrate on as everyone could only think about torture, hunt and kill. Before Simon had died, there was some kind civilisation around, and people weren’t that much afraid of the beast, as they knew they had someone saying that there was no beast. But after the beast inside themselves kill Simon, everything becomes wild and savage, and there is more of the fear of the unknown.

Free Oedipus Rex Essays: The Role of Characters :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Role of Characters in Oedipus the King Characters play a very important role in the play "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles. Without characters, the play would lack a certain dimension and be very difficult to read. The presence of characters in the play make it more easily understood. If characters did not appear in the play it would be close to impossible to understand it since everything that takes place is through the words of the characters. Also if there were no characters the outcome of the play would be different. The significance of characters in the play is very obvious. Without them the play would be much shorter and much more boring. The role of characters is very important to the play. Characters make the play possible just by the virtue of existing. If they did not exist the play would not either. If the play did not exist then the characters would not either. The characters and the play are codependent and need to have a symbiotic relationship to ensure their mutual survival. A lack of characters in the play would make very difficult reading and perhaps more difficult viewing. A lack of characters would necessitate some other device to be used and a substitute has not been found that replaces the role characters play in a play. An example from the play is when Oedipus was speaking to Teiresias: "I did not know then you would talk like a fool ­or it would have been long before I called you". If there had not been any characters in this play, this could not have happened. If the play did not have characters the outcome would be much different. All the actions and conversations could not have taken place without the use of characters. Characters made the play and its tragedy possible. Without characters nothing could have taken place. They made it possible for Oedipus to kill his father and have sex with his mother and for everything that was bad to happen. If Jocasta or better Oedipus did not exist within the context of the play everyone would have been much happier and the tragedy could have been avoided. Even if the herdsman who saved Oedipus as a child did not exist or the messenger from Cithaeron the tragedy of the play would have been avoided and made for a much happier ending.

Just Business Report Essay

Reading the book â€Å"Just Business† by Alexander Hill, it was very interesting to go through the topic of Christian ethics for business. Looking at different scenarios that managers have to confront and it shows how nerve-wracking, heart wrenching and also guilt producing that it could be. The definition of ethics is the study of â€Å"should† and of doing the â€Å"right thing.† The three main characteristics that were presented and emphasized in the Bible: God is holy. God is just. God is love. Hill also talked about integrity, fairness and compassion that mirror holiness, justice and love. I loved how Hill supports his points by having Bible verses. For example he writes the â€Å"salt and light† of the world (Matthew 5:13-16) is the third force for good. I agree with many of the points Hill says such as â€Å"we cannot serve two masters at the same time† (Matthew 6:24) and it specifies that we cannot serve both God and money. They were also ta lking about justice procedural rights that focus on fair processes in decision-making. Substantive rights are what procedural rights seek to protect. Merit links the concepts of cause and effect. Contractual justice is limited to three duties; we must not violate a negative injunction by causing harm to others, we must respect procedural justice and we must fulfill our contractual promises (Hill 46). Love is a universal word and many would consider it to be â€Å"the centerpiece of Christian ethics† (Hill 53). Love includes empathy, mercy and self-sacrifice. Empathizing with others would include by celebrating with their triumphs and shouldering their pain. Mercy is quite hard to do because it takes action on their behalf and takes initiative in forgiving. In my experience, there are times when I do have trouble forgiving people, yet God gave me the strength to forgive the person. This will probably come up more often while taking care of business. He also shows visuals such as the tables and drawings that make it easier to get the gist of what he was talking about. Part Two – False Exits This addresses â€Å"Dual Morality†, â€Å"Law†, and â€Å"Agency† which they are known as false exits â€Å"because they deposit ultimate ethical authority in human instrumentalities – business culture, government and corporate government – rather than in God’s character† (Hill 67). Dual morality â€Å"rejects the notion that universal principles of right and wrong exist† (Hill 69). It also helps me have a visual when he shows examples of CEOs and what kind of decisions they have to make and what would be the ethical thing to do. Law is another false exits, when one presumes that if an action is legal, it is still morally acceptable as well. There are times when there are many people just follow the law and assume that the law is right and the ethical way. There are flaws in the system and Hill shows a diagram in page 98, figure 6.1 illustrates the tension. Acts that are both ethical and legal Ethics —————————————————- Acts that are unethical but legal Law —————————————————- Acts that are both illegal and unethical Agency is the third false exit that talks about the problems that arises when the values of the employee diverge from those of the employer. It was intriguing to learn about the legalistic purist, the accommodating purist. These few chapters opened my eyes to see what kind of false exits that people use in the business world. Now I am aware of what people could use as false exits. Part Three – Topics Honesty and Deception is more common in the business environment but it is quite difficult concepts to apply. Honesty â€Å"builds trust, establishes community and protects the dignity of the audience† (Hill 125), which allows partners to rely on each other and fosters community and respects each one’s dignity. He also talks about deception and how justice condemns deception and it could lead to disaster and consequences. No right to hear the truth, exaggeration, and ambiguity are more deceptions that people use in the business environment. The other topics that were discussed were: Concealment and disclosure; Employer-Employee Relations; Employee Rights; Discrimination and Affirmative Action; the Environment and Property. The topic that stood out to me was the Environment because I have learned about different ethical views such as the anthropocentric view and the biocentric view 1 and 2. Hill also explains what the Role of Business is that even â€Å"scripture makes it clear that our task is to responsibly steward God’s creation in the hear and now† (228) and there are times that one would have to make difficult decisions. These topics have given me a new perspective towards business. Overall, â€Å"Just Business,† by Alexander Hill, was an outstanding book to read especially when one is planning to go into the field of business. It was interesting to see how business runs with the combination of Christian ethics. I would highly recommend for other students to read this especially if they are looking into business. It was a great opportunity to read what it is like to be ethical in the business world, in comparison, to what it is like to be not ethical in the business world. References Hill, Alexander (2008). Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

“Here” by Philip Larkin Essay

Write a close critical analysis of ‘Here’ showing how far this is characteristic of the style and concerns of Larkin’s collection ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ ‘Here’ is a poem exploring Larkin’s flight of imagination as he travels from London to Hull on the train. It is the first poem in The Whitsun Weddings collection and seems to be an appropriate introduction because, much like his other poetry, it looks at humanity’s place in the world and the effect of consumerism. Following the pattern of many other poems in this collection, ‘Here’ begins with physical ideas of ‘rich industrial images’, before becoming more abstract in the final stanza. By beginning the poem with the participle, ‘swerving’, Larkin immediately gives the reader a sense of the moment being suspended in the present, before an unpredictable, fast movement, which is not usually associated with travelling on a train. The word itself is sudden, describing an immediate action and repetition of this throughout the first stanza emphasises this sensation, creating a feeling of Larkin’s thoughts being free and unrestrained. The beauty of this movement is then contrasted by the sharp sounds of the ‘thin and thistled’ fields, bringing attention to the change in surroundings, from the town to the countryside. By listing what he sees from the window of the train – ‘scarecrows, haystacks, hares and pheasants’ – Larkin constructs a series of moving rural images that contrast to the earlier industrial descriptions of ‘workmen at dawn’. The sibilance on ‘haystacks, hares’ increases the rhythm of the poem and represents the movement of the journey of the train. As well as this, the constant and repetitive use of ‘and’ in this stanza creates a feeling of the images continuing forever, without stopping. This is further emphasised by the fact that the poem is all one sentence that is not end-stopped until the final stanza, resulting in the feeling of building tension and pressure. In the last two lines, Larkin further explores the beauty of the countryside. He creates a sense of the fields opening up with ‘the widening river’ and its ‘slow presence’ along with the ‘piled gold clouds’, gives a feeling of dignity and a suggestion of heaven, while the lengthened assonance slows the  pace of the meter, further adding to this peaceful atmosphere. Larkin’s transition from the rural area shown in stanza one, to images of urban activity in stanza two come as a shock. The ‘domes and statues, spires and cranes’ creates a sense of bustle and closeness in the town, which contrasts to the beauty of the ‘shining gull-marked mud’ previously described. The word ‘cluster’ is welcoming, giving the sense of intimacy and an impression of everything being pulled together in a rich concentration. This idea is taken further with the introduction of ‘grain-scattered streets’ where there is a feeling of abundance. However, Larkin quickly explodes this sensation with the introduction of more contemporary buildings with ‘plate-glass swing doors’, creating the feeling that the town is modernising and on the axis of change. At this point we start to see parallels with other poems in The Whitsun Weddings. In both ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ and in ‘Sunny Prestatynâ €™, for example, he condemns the nature of commercialisation. â€Å"Parodies of fashion† and â€Å"nylon gloves and jewellery substitutes†, from ‘The Whitsun Weddings’, criticises the nature of consumerism and parallels Larkin’s words in ‘Here’. We get the impression that Larkin does not like the advancement and change occurring in the town. The phrase ‘flat faced trolleys’ seems blunt and unappealing, while ‘raw estates’ suggests something unfinished, without polish and out of place. By listing products, Larkin implies that consumerism is addictive; ‘cheap suits, red kitchen-ware, sharp shoes, iced lollies, electric mixers, toasters, washers, driers-‘, creates a sense of the products building up. By using commas, instead of ‘and’, Larkin enhances the meter of the poem to give a staccato effect and a build in tension. He does this to emphasise the consumer’s obsession with material goods and enhances this affect by shortening the length of s yllables in each word as the list progresses. Reflecting his ideas in ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ – where he describes the reverse journey to ‘Here’, travelling fro London to Hull – Larkin further denounces consumerism with the callous words in stanza three, ‘a cut-price crowd, urban yet simple’. This relatively dismissive tone relates back to the earlier images of ‘raw estates’ giving the impression that the people living in these urban areas are not sophisticated. The phrase ‘cut-price  crowd’ is made up of hard, harsh sounds, but this is contrasted by the following words, ‘yet simple’, which has an affectionate tone for the uncomplicated people. Following this, the word ‘dwelling’ appears comfy and suggests affection for the inhabitants, which reminds us of the warmth Larkin shows towards the earl and countess, in ‘Arundel Tomb’. We get a sense of the town spreading out and growing with the ‘mortgaged half-build edges’ and the ‘isolate villages’, showing that consumerism is engulfing the entire area. This is taken further with the words ‘where removed lives/loneliness clarifies’ which is split across the two stanzas and finally end-stops the 27 line sentence. Through this separation, Larkin uses enjambment to draw our attention to each word, therefore, showing the shift of perspective and pace. The word ‘clarifies’ strips away any confusion or doubts, demonstrating how unblemished the rural areas are. By containing the first three stanzas within one sentence, Larkin creates a sensation of the reader travelling with him on the train. This long sentence juxtaposes the sudden short, monosyllabic sentence in the final stanza – ‘here silence stands like heat’. The long vowel sounds in this sentence create a sense of peace and freedom. This contrast in sentence length is symbolic of the journey, which is enhanced by the use of iambic pentameter throughout the poem. For the first three stanzas, the pentameter is flawless, adding to the sense of constant and rhythmic movement. However, in the last stanza, it is more erratic, lines like â€Å"luminously peopled air ascends† fall a few syllables short of the constant rhythm throughout the rest of the poem, showing that Larkin is a little unsettled. The final stanza gives the reader a shift in tone, from fast paced, to slow and reflective, through twists of syntax. This reminds us of the final sentences in â€Å"Mr Bleaney† – ‘should make him pretty sure he warranted no better’ where the tone is also changed suddenly. In this stanza, the poem becomes more abstract and repetition of ‘here’ slows the rhythm down, giving significance to the moment. ‘Luminously-peopled air’ is mysterious and suggestive, taking us away from the brilliantly captured images earlier in the poem towards a vague and suggestive tone. Alongside this, use of words such as ‘unnoticed’, ‘hidden’ and ‘neglected’ stresses the absence of people  and creates a sense of nature being unwatched. ‘Hidden weeds’ gives the impression that they are private, which contrasts to the earlier images of busy consumerism. The final line is particularly poignant, ‘here is unfenced existence’, stating Larkin’s main message that even when we die, nature will still be there. Similar to in ‘Dockery and Son’, Larkin suggests his terror of death and feeling of dread at descending into oblivion when life ends. ‘Here’, reflects Larkin’s main message throughout The Whitsun Weddings of disenchantment with industrial advancement and the age of consumerism. By using long sentences and enjambment throughout the poem, Larkin creates a sense of building tension and alongside this, much like his other poems in this collection, ‘Here’ moves from physical ideas to the abstract. This results in an overall message echoing his views towards life and society.

Mcdonald’s Green Marketing Strategy

How McDonald’s Change Their Customer Perspective and Increase Their Sales with Green Marketing The green issue has became a global issue since year 1990s, peak in year 2000s. In business, it can drive people perspective to choose which brand was good or bad. McDonald’s probably is one of the company that realize this issue is very important for their business in this century. McDonald’s is the biggest fast food chain in the world with more than 32,000 outlets in 117 countries. The company has employed more than 1. 7 million people. Last year, they’ve made 1. 2 bn out from 6. 1 bn.For years, many critics came up against McDonald’s about how bad they treat world environment and questioning how far they care about people healths, especially on obesity. The most famous â€Å"attack† to this fast food company probably was a documentary film that tells a people who eat Mcdonald’s meals for a month would hasten his death. McDonald’s al so considered to have responbility of 28% waste package (littering) in UK. Public suggested the company to more persuade their customers not to do littering. And also, public critics McDonald’s happy meal which caused early obesity to child.Those critics had succeed to change people perspective, in year 2000, their income declined with some outlets shut as their new record. Started in 2000s, McDonald’s is fighting back, massively and quietly counter the critics with green marketing. It is not only to increase the company sales, but more important to change the way customers think about McDonald’s, their perspective. But how they do it? McDonald’s is not sustainable company from the beginning, they has core DNA to create delicious food, fatty foods, and sugary foods.They must be careful to take an action, the green strategy not only have to change customers willing to buy, but also it could reduce cost and generate more valuable profit. McDonald’s i s aiming to blow up their green with five criteria, there are nutrition and well-being, sustainable supply chain, environmental responbility, employee experience, and community. They started to create a new logo –switching their traditional red background with the deep green one- to promote a eco-friendlier image.McDonald’s has done a lot of things in order to prove their environmental responbility to their customers, especially by reduce the energy they used. In Germany, at less 100 McDonald’s restaurant would use the green logo by the end of year 2009. And also, some restaurant in Great Britain and France would too. They started to use eco-friendly package – 80 percent of their package was made of renewable resources-. They change white napkins with plain brown, which saves 1. 3 million dollars annualy, while reducing energy, woods and water use.In France, some restaurants has made an innovation to use eco-friendly sofware that can reduce electricity us age by 11%. In Sweden, they use CO2 detector in their restaurants to adjust ventilation, which is reduce the usage of electricity by 15% anually. Various anti-littering campaign is spread to many countries, such as Portugal, UK, France, Switzerland, Australia, and others countries. From their menu, they change a bit in the name of their customer health, they reduce French fries size, adding fruits to its food, bring more healthier salad, less sugar drinks and foods, even low fat foods.Moreover, in Germany, there are some restaurants that provide no burgers and sells salad at just 7 euros, they can choose 5 traditional salads and mix it. Another weapons is sells coffee –sustainbly grown coffee and organic milk- with brand McCafe, while they offering low-calorie foods in the other sides. This strategy was made a significant growth, in Germany there are currently 1386 reaturants with 737 integrated McCafe inside, encouraged by a worlwide revenues of 23. 5 billions dollars.They a lso made a contribution to the local communities, all supply of each restaurants is provided by the local farmers in that city, except their global sponsor drinks, Coca-Cola. They also prove that they care about woman livings, 28. 1% of worldwide top management (VP and Ups) are women, while 50% Company Owned Restaurant Managers are women too. The last but not least, more than 30 countries recognises McDonald’s as great place to work. All of green things above was successfully delivered to customers by various medias, it proved by the increasing growth 13% sales in year 2011 from year 2008.And also, the legendary Big Mac sales rose 10 percent last year, helping keep the company stock price to nearly $100 a share. In the other hand, the advertising budget has been estimated to exceed $2 billion. It shows that McDonald’s has successfully came back to winning by counter critics with the right strategic green marketing. They do the strategy without change the â€Å"fastfoo d† image, but they do with showing their will and contribution to the environment. Finally, it can change human perspective and willing to buy with the increasing sales as the success parameter.Sources Birkner, Christine. 2012. McDonald’s Scores Itself on Sustainability: Will Consumers Be ‘Lovin’ It’?. http://www. marketingpower. com/ResourceLibrary/Documents/newsletters/mne/2012/1/mne_mcdonalds_sustainability. pdf. September 3rd 2012. O Brien, Keith. 2012. How McDonald’s Came Back Bigger Than Ever. http://www. nytimes. com/2012/05/06/magazine/how-mcdonalds-came-back-bigger-than-ever. html? _r=1pagewanted=all&&pagewanted=all. September 3rd 2012 Environmental Leader. 2012.McDonald’s Counters Criticism With Green Marketing Effort. http://www. environmentalleader. com/2009/05/19/mcdonalds-serves-up-green-practices/. September 3rd 2012. Salisbury, Peter. 2011. Behind the Brand: McDonald’s. http://www. theecologist. org/green_green_li ving/behind_the_label/941743/behind_the_brand_mcdonalds. html. September 3rd 2012 Laura, Nerdy. 2011. McDonald’s going green – I’m lovin’ it. †¦?. http://businessnerds. wordpress. com/2011/05/29/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-going-green-%E2%80%93-i%E2%80%99m-lovin%E2%80%99-it/. September 3rd 2012.