Interpersonal Communications (Individual Work #2) Essay

Interpersonal Communications (Individual Work #2) - Essay Example interpersonal communication interfere with one’s diversity competency because it makes the person unable to reach out to other individuals or groups. For example, cultural barriers may interfere with an American employee’s performance in dealing with Asian colleagues or clients. Another example is when an individual’s shy personality may interfere with their ability to express themselves and be effective and efficient employees. 5.Based on your diagnosis feedback practices you experienced in a current or previous job through the completion of the instrument in Table 9.1 which practices are least effective? How might they be improved – the Table 9.1 is not available on the Google books copy of your textbook. Also, I don’t have your answers to the table so I wasn’t able to answer this number. I have answered the rest of the numbers, the total word count of which is 500 (two pages) 6. Media richness is important in interpersonal communication because messages have different purposes. This necessitates different forms of delivery and different kinds of channels. For example, a performance feedback needs a personal approach, like a meeting with one’s supervisor. Meanwhile, a call for a brainstorming on a project would only require an email or a written notice. In the organization I’ve worked for, our leaders were very careful about getting messages across. There is no need for changes as my colleagues and I are very satisfied with how our leaders communicate with us. 7. There are times when the nonverbal cues used by my colleagues are inconsistent with their verbal expressions. For example, a supervisor may say that he is listening to my concerns. However, his arms are crossed over his chest. His face is passive. At times, he may keep on checking his watch or the clock on the wall. There are also times when co-workers are consistent with their words, especially when we are discussing about projects or coming up with solutions to issues. 8. My

Turture Case Essay Example for Free

Turture Case Essay This world is full of crimes and war. There isn’t one country out there that doesn’t have some sort of confliction with other countries. Is it normal? Is it ok to be committing all these war crimes? Honestly there isn’t any reasonable answer for that. Several people argue differently about the situation on war crimes. The author of â€Å"Thinking about Torture†, also film critic for National Review, and author of many other books; Ross Douthat talks about what he thinks about war crimes, which he believes they are not correct but the war crimes could be justified. In the other hand the author of â€Å"Committing War Crimes for the ‘Right Reasons’†, Glenn Greenwald who was also a constitutional law and civil rights lawyer has his own opinion. He believes war crimes are not acceptable for any reason. Sometimes it’s difficult to decide what side is correct. The question here is, is torture ok? In â€Å"Thinking about Torture†, Douthat writes â€Å"It doesn’t excuse what was done by our government, and in our name, in prisons, in detentions, cells around the world. But anyone who felt the way I felt after 9/11 has to reckon with the fact that what was done in our name was, in some sense, done for us.† This illustrates that Douthat has somewhat mixed feelings about torture. He feels that there is no excuse for the use of torture and what the government has done. But the way he felt after the attack of 9/11 what the government did was done for us to feel some form of justice. In â€Å"Committing War Crimes for the ‘Right Reasons†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Greenwald makes it clear when he states â€Å"but we don’t accept that justifying reasoning when offered by other. In fact those who seek merely to explain – let alone justified the – the tyranny, extremism and/or violence of Castro, or Chavez, or Ha mas, or Slobodan Milosevic or Islamic extremists are immediately condemned for seeking to defend the indefensible, or invoking â€Å"root causes† to justify the unjustifiable, or offering mitigating rationale for pure evil.† With this he is saying that many people will always find some kind of defense to justify the use of torture, but in reality there is no justification for an act of malevolence. Douthat finds justifications to the tortures that could reasonable to some while Greenwald finds no justification and believes the excuses are poor. Even though Douthat and Greenwald may have different views they also have some similarities. They both agree in some way that it is not correct. Douthat states in paragraph 9, â€Å"here I am more comfortable saying straightforwardly that this should never have been allowed – that it should be considered impermissible as well as immoral, and that it should involve disgrace for those responsible, the Cheneys and Rumsfelds as well as the people who actually implemented the techniques that the Vice President’s office promoted and the Secretary of Defense signed off on.† Douthat is stating that the torture should have not taken place at all to beg in with and is unforgiveable. The people behind all of this should be ashamed of their actions. Greenwald states in paragraph 12, â€Å"What determines whether a political leader is good or evil isn’t their nationality. It’s their conduct. And leaders, who violate the laws of war and commit war crimes, by definition, aren’t good, even if they are American.† Greenwald is simply and clearly is stating that it doesn’t matter what nationality a leader is from to determine whether they are good or bad leaders, but what determines if they are good or bad leaders are by their actions. They both agree that a leader should be responsible with what actions they choose. And if a leader chooses an unpleasant action they should be ashamed and considered terrible leaders. As people may have their own views and opinions like Douthat and Greenwald one finding a justification for torture and the other finding no excuse for it. Everyone will always have their own view, opinion, and answer, but at the end the real answer will never be known. For example Douthat could convince with the justifications he finds but Greenwald will also convince some on how there is no justification. The correct decision should always be chosen to avoid all this conflicts some people will argue. But how does somebody actually what the â€Å"correct† choice is? With people like Douthat and Greenwald arguing their sides it’s difficult to choose the correct one.

Faithing :: Essays Papers

Faithing Faith is an odd sort of virtue. In these days of televangelism, tracts, and the "Christian right," one would be tempted to identify faith with a set of beliefs, a conglomerate of successive religious propositions that one has accepted; a branch of one’s "mental furniture," so to speak. However, to limit one’s definition of faith to this narrow band is to do faith itself a disservice. In the history of literature and philosophy alike, there are those who have conceived of faith rather differently. Among these are Myles Connolly and Sà ¸ ren Kierkegaard in their respective works Mr. Blue and Judge for Yourself! What these men seek to effect is not so much a redefinition of faith as a refinement and expansion it. Principles, yes, they say; but furthermore, actions flowing out of those principles. This type of faith is thus characterized not only by beliefs, but also the natural actions that come from those beliefs. In this way, faith becomes something that envelopes a per son’s whole being; it is transmuted into a complete orientation for one’s life. This type of faith, extolled by Kierkegaard, is embodied in the character of J. Blue in Myles Connolly’s book Mr. Blue. Blue was a rather singular person to say the least. At the very beginning of the book, the narrator says the following of Blue: I have not the slightest doubt he would have been †¦ immensely happy in a poorhouse. He had no money. When by accident he happened upon some he gave it away. He worked here and there for his meals and a place to sleep. He roamed eastern United States and really did get abroad. The while he lived gloriously, and, withal, religiously. He impressed one as a sort of gay, young, and gallant monk without an Order. Or perhaps his Order was life, and the world his monastery. (15) Such a person was Blue. He had little interest in possessions, he was much more entranced by a bright splash of color, a marching band, or a sunset viewed off the top of a skyscraper. But above all, his profession, if he could be said to have one, was people. Blue was in love with people, his eyes sparkled for them, his mind was on fire for them, his heart bled for them. Blue’s idea of the ultimate life project was to establish what he called the "Spies of God," an unorganized group of people that simply went around loving other people, people in need, poor people.

Hazel vs Oedipus Essay

Tragedies often feature happiness developing into miseries through errors which ultimately reveal the cold hard truth. The hero suffers from human frailty (hamartia) which directs to his/her downfall. The hero suffers from catastrophic events, experiences peripeteia and is confronted with the magnitude of his/her actions. Two such heroes are Hazel Grace Lancaster from â€Å"The Faults in Our Stars† by John Green, and Oedipus in the play â€Å"Oedipus Rex† written by Sophocles. Both modern and classic articles of literature have a wide-reaching influence on people and inspire many through the centuries. Modern tragic hero Hazel is a teenage thyroid cancer patient who experiences twisting series of bitter losses. As an only child who has been diagnosed since the age of thirteen, she fears and worries what will happen to the loved ones after she dies and wants to minimize the pain her death will cause others. Classic hero Oedipus is destined to fulfill a prophecy that says he will kill his father and marry his mother, and thereby brings disaster on his city and family. He is blinded by the truth and hubris, powerlessly enduring the course of fate despite harsh and fearful confrontations. While both characters fulfill the role of a tragic figure, the modern hero Hazel evidently provides more hope for the audience than the classic hero Oedipus. This is shown when their character traits of determination, courage and ignorance are compared. Determination is a quality a hero cannot be considered one without, and both Hazel and Oedipus show this quality along their ways. Hazel shows determination as she combats cancer despite harsh reality. Augustus asks, â€Å"With the trope of the stoic and determined cancer victim who heroically fights her cancer with inhuman strength and never complains or stops smiling even at the very end, etcetera? † (Green 128). Gus and Hazel refuse to be tropes. Instead they create a new kind of cancer rhetoric, one that looks straight on at the unbearable fact that they are unbelievably unfortunate and stand a good chance of dying young. They are two doomed children who have not really had the chance to experience life, and who are determined to do so one way or another. Hazel demonstrates her strong determination once again as she sets out to Amsterdam with Augustus to find out the ending of her favourite book, â€Å"An Imperial Affliction†. She wants to know those answers and what happens to Anna’s mother after she dies. By using the lens of the novel, she wishes to reassure the fact that her own mother and family will be okay after her death, since directly thinking about it is too terrifying and upsetting. Hazel is told she â€Å"†¦can’t go to Amsterdam† because her doctor â€Å"†¦thinks it’s a bad idea† for she might encounter â€Å"†¦ a probably fatal episode of deoxygenation† (Green 157). Knowing her death is near, Hazel does not pull back from flying out with her oxygen tank. Hazel shouts, â€Å"bullshit  ! That’s bullshit. Just tell me! Make something up! you promised! † (Green 192). Although she does not receive any good information from the author, she tries to pound out what she hopes to hear out of Peter Van Houten’s mouth when he refuses â€Å"†¦to pity [her] in the manner to which†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she is â€Å"†¦well accustomed’’(Green 192). On the other hand, Oedipus displays determination to seek, to know, and to pursue principle as he unwaveringly discovers the truth behind his birth. The evidence first shows when Oedipus is so determined to solve former King Laius’s murder. The citizens of Thebes gather to discuss solution to the plague while Creon returns from the oracle and tells that the murderer of Laius is in Thebes and must be driven out in order for the plague to end. He furiously curses Laius’s murderer who is himself; he states, â€Å"Nor do I exempt myself from imprecation: /Lie all the curses I have laid on others† (Sophocles 32). Oedipus proclaims that should he discover the murderer to be a member of his own family, that person should be struck by the same exile and harsh treatment that he has just wished on the murderer. Oedipus’s sense of justice and powerful determination to uncover the mystery of Laius’s murder ironically leads him to unintentionally curse himself. He acts eagerly and rashly, refusing to shield himself from the truth, as if he brings catastrophe upon himself willingly. Therefore, it is clear that in terms of determination, Hazel’s will to combat tough fate is far more positive than Oedipus’s cursing to resolve matters, delivering more hope to audience. In addition to determination, courage is an important trait for a hero to signify firmness and face difficulty, danger and pain. Both Hazel and Oedipus show their great courage, but Hazel’s courage appears to be more encouraging rather than Oedipus as it is more relatable to the audience. Living with cancer alone takes great bravery. While Hazel has to deal with hospitals, doctors, and imminent death every day, she recognizes how tough she needs to be and how courageous she has been. She says, â€Å"People talk about the courage of cancer patients, and I do not deny that courage. I have been poked and stabbed and poisoned for years, and still I trod on† (Green 74). She is all about not hurting others even if it hurts her and wants to be as passive as possible. Courage is especially evident when she overcomes her pain to prevent others’ suffering. She says, â€Å"I’m a grenade and at some point I’m going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, †¦ And I can’t be a regular teenager, because I’m a grenade† (Green 99). Since Hazel feels that she will soon die, she is motivated to be as insignificant as possible and desires to take the risks of others. She is much like a soldier rushing into battle knowing well that death awaits her. She chases her dreams from the hospital bed all the way to the plane to Amsterdam. Not the doctor nor her family’s disapproval and instructions could stop her from going after her dream. She provides faith to teenagers who are commonly trapped under parents’ umbrella to pursuit their own dreams for themselves. She even ignores the glances, whispering, and finger-pointing along her way. In spite of criticism, she acts in accordance to her own beliefs displaying admirable courage and selflessness of her. Young people can be benefit and inspired by her daring courageousness and overcome their obstacles with Hazel’s fearlessness in her battle in mind. Oedipus is also certainly a figure of remarkable courage. Upon arriving in Thebes, Oedipus displays his courage and lack of fear by facing the deadly Sphinx and solving its riddle: He sacrifices himself entirely in an effort to save Thebes which shows great bravery. He is courageous in his refusal to hide from the truth about himself, even when he realizes how horrible it will be. Facing the horror of personal guilt, especially guilt so enormous, takes extreme courage. In the end, Oedipus has to face his own failure to outrun his fate,

The Dover Castle

In fact, the central tower of the castle (also called â€Å"the keep†), which still stands today, was built by King Henry II. The keep served as a last point of refuge in case of an attack. This keep was unique because it was probably the most elegant one in the entire kingdom â€Å"with an elaborate fore-building, two residential floors above a basement, two chapels and many mural chambers, and even plumbing. † (Every Castle 2014 )He also built rectangular walls surrounding the castle. These walls were thick and tall and were most likely built to fortify the castle to protect the nobles. Every Castle 2014 ) After Henry II passed, his work was carried on by King John and was immediately tested by the French in 1 ,215 when the bloody civil war began. This war was called the Barons' War and it lasted about a year. In 1216, Prince Louis of France invaded England. Many of the citizens of England were unhappy with King John at the time so it was fairly easy for Prince Louis of France to carry out his invasion. At a certain point, he had conquered about half of England. He failed to fully invade and claim the Dover Castle and soon after King John's death, he lost a lot of his support.Therefore, he was never able to add England to his kingdom. In the thirteenth century, Henry Ill repaired many of the walls and added to his ancestors fortress by building what is now known as the Norfolk Tower. (Goodly 2012) Remarkable Features The Dover castle contains various tunnels that were actually built in 1 , 216 during the Barons' War. These tunnels are truly fascinating because they were used during World War l. Another reason why they are so intriguing is cause tunnels are not easy things to make these days despite all the technological advances, so it must have taken a really long time to build them back then.It makes you wonder what they needed these tunnels for. The location of the castle is by far the most fascinating thing because it has proven to be so pop ular throughout history. Why would they choose to build the castle on the coast? Would that not make the castle more vulnerable to invasion? Its location is definitely a big reason why this castle was so popular throughout history. Prior to the Norman invasion, its previous inhabitants mainly used the location as a fort.However, the kings of England really regarded this castle as a sign of power since it was the first thing that many people saw when heading over to England from mainland Europe. Conclusion In conclusion, the Dover Castle changed a whole lot in history as different kings ruled England. Despite all the changes, the castle is very well preserved and holds a lot of history even after the medieval times. In fact, the castle was again remodeled in nineteenth century. It was redesigned into a more contemporary fort that finally contained artillery. It was also used in World War I.This again goes to show how great the location for this castle was and how valuable it is to hi story. These days, the site is used as a tourist attraction and hundreds of people visit the site everyday to discover the deep history that this structure holds within it. (Every Castle 2014 ) 3 Questions 1) Who actually resided in the Dover Castle? Did the kings live in the Dover Castle? 2) How close did Prince Louis of France get to overtaking the Castle? What exactly happened? 3) What was the main purpose of the castle? Why did William I choose to build the castle in that location? 4) What were the tunnels used for?

Fire in a Bottle Chemistry Demonstration

Fire in a Bottle Chemistry Demonstration This fire bottle is a quick and easy alternative to the Barking Dog chemistry demonstration. The bottle displays a bright blue (or other colors) light, plus it emits a woof or bark. Several websites call this project a bottle fire vortex or bottle fire  tornado, but the flame propagates as a wave down the bottle, without spinning. Of course, you could spin the bottle on a carousel or turntable. Fire Bottle Materials Glass bottleAlcohol, at least 70 percentLong-handled lighter Procedure Pour a small amount of fuel into the bottle. You want 1/2 cm to 1 cm of liquid in the bottom of the bottle.Cap the bottle or cover the top with your hand, whichever works.Shake the bottle.If you have fuel on the lip of the bottle, wipe it off or blow on the bottle to evaporate the fuel. Otherwise, there is a good chance the flame will be restricted to this small area of the bottle. It is not a concern; just reduces the quality of the display.Carefully light the vapor just inside the mouth of the bottle.The flame should go out on its own, but if it does not, simply cover the mouth of the bottle and suffocate the flame.Each run uses up the oxygen in the bottle, which the fire needs in order to burn. You will need to blow fresh air into the bottle. You can blow into the bottle or else use a straw or tube. You probably will not need to add more fuel. Just add air, cover and shake the bottle, uncap it, and ignite the vapor.If you like, add a flame colorant to the fuel (e.g., boric acid fo r a green flame). Simply sprinkle some of the colorants into the bottle. Most colorants are not consumed by the flame, so even if you get to a point where you wish to add more fuel, you will not need to add more colorant chemical. Notes on Materials Glass Bottle:  You can use just about any bottle you want, but do be sure it is glass. Plastic  will melt. Also, the shape of the bottle, especially its neck, affects the sound that will be produced. You may wish to experiment with different types of bottles. We have had good success with a glass cola bottle and a large cylindrical glass water bottle. If by some miracle you have a giant graduated cylinder, go for it.Alcohol:  You can use other liquid fuels, too. You want some water in the fuel so that it will stick to the sides of the glass. You can add  chemicals to color the flame, too. Some of these will dissolve better in pure alcohol, which you can dilute with water or mix with rubbing alcohol.Long Handled Lighter:  You could drop a match in the bottle, but then you will need to fish it out to repeat the project. A flame  will shoot out the top of the bottle, so dont use a short lighter. A candle is another good option. Safety Info This is fire. It can burn you. Perform this project under competent adult supervision. Do not set the fuel next to your glass container. Do not perform this project on a flammable surface or near flammable objects (e.g., do not lean into the bottle with long hair, do not light the bottle next to drapes, etc.). Do be prepared to put the fire out in case of an accident. Having said all that, this project works well indoors. Actually, we recommend you try it indoors because you will get the best effect in still air, with no wind. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

“Master Harold”…and the boys Essay Essays

â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the boys Essay Essays â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the boys Essay Essay â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the boys Essay Essay Essay Topic: Black Boy Essay on â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the male childs Introduction Master Harold†¦and the male child is a drama written Athol Fugard in early 1982 picturing apartheid in South Africa. Fugard wrote a figure of novels. short narrative. and plays having political turbulences and particularly apartheid in South Africa. In the book. he introduced friendly relationship between Whites and inkinesss where Sam. Willie. the inkinesss and Harry. a white interacts together in close friendly relationship. He contradicted it with how racism could botch friendly relationship among friends. a factor that contributed to extension of apartheid. Racism is the major subject of the drama where Harry’s parent shows favoritism against inkinesss. Her female parent discriminated her retainers. Sam and Willie stating Harry non to pass most clip with them. His male parent has been found most of the clip imbibing in Whites place. Although. Harry. Willie. and Sam were in good relationship. his racism that has been instilled by his parents is apparent and largely rup ture them apart. Harry being raised by a racialist household and in environment full of racism. he developed racial favoritism character that was evidenced when interacting with his monsters Sam and Willie. Harry developed prejudiced personality from the fact that he was raised by racialist installation. Harry’s female parent was depicted as a racialist in the drama where she employed inkinesss as retainers. They were ill paid since she believed that they did non merit good wages and good occupation. She was found forbearing her boy. Harry from interacting with them because they were black. These actions resulted to development of racism character in Harry. He sometimes addresses them as the foreman despite Sam and Willie being older than him. Willie calls him â€Å"Master Harold† and in some cases demand Sam who was like his male parent to name him the same name. He did this from what he experienced from his parents. Harry grew up in topographic points where people were segregated in races with designated topographic points for Whites and inkinesss. In the book. the writer wrote about different topographic points that were marked for Whites and inkinesss. Blacks were non allowed to interact with Whites at certain areassince they were regarded as â€Å"whites only’† ( Fugard 56 ) . For illustration. when Sam made a kite for Harry. the writer pointed out that he tied it to a place labeled Whites and since inkinesss non permitted to play at that place. they left Harry entirely. In add-on. when Harry’s father got rummies and was stack in white people pub. Harry had to seek permission in order for Sam to come in and pick his male parent. This was grounds that Harry grew up in a racism environment and therefore ended up as a racism. The effects of turning in a racism environments and with racialists household was apparent Harry broke an statement with same and spat on him. Harry lived with a rummy male parent who was a racialist. Since he grew up in this environment. he had developed a negative attitude about black. When Sam informed him about his father’s discharge from the infirmary. â€Å"Harry tongue on him† to let go of his choler of that fact that he did non desire his male parent place ( Fugard 56 ) . He demanded to be called â€Å"Master Harold† by Sam because of his self-importance as white adult male. Although Sam had reacted on it. he was kept on toes by Willie who reminded him that Sam was merely kid who did non cognize what he was making. This evidenced that racial favoritism played a great function in making hostility and force during the apartheid epoch in South Africa. Decision Master Harold†¦and the male child was a drama written by Fugard picturing how racism could be developed by down the household and interaction with the environments. Harry was brought up in a racialist household and environments that advocated for racism. His female parent refrained him interaction with Sam and Willie for their colour backgrounds. Although Sam. Harry. and Willie grew up as friends for a long clip despite their age differences. racial favoritism resulted in force that was evidenced when Harry spat to Sam to alleviate his choler of life with his male parent. This was a mark that Harry had developed racism from the environment he grew in. Hence. Fugard used literary work to turn to immoralities in the society. which can be explained by passage of a figure of statute law on apartheid after the drama was published. Mentions Fugard. Athol. â€Å"master Harold† and the Boys. New York: Vintage Books. 2009. Print. Beginning papers

Something to Remember You By

Something to Remember You A lock of hair might be fitting (albeit obsolete, overly sentimental, and just plain weird.) A wallet photo maybe? Awkward. So what could you possibly give an editor or agent at a conference to help them remember you or your project once they shuffle back into their office the following Monday? I’ll tell you: The author one sheet. I recently attended a writer’s conference in which I was scheduled to pitch my new novel. To better my odds, I researched book pitches, and discovered the one sheet – a single-paged marketing document, aka author one sheet or pitch sheet, which describes a person, project, or concept. Brilliant! When one considers how many book pitches an editor or agent has endured, or how many queries and manuscripts they have likely slogged through in their career, the odds of an author or book standing out – being remembered – are not great. Anything you can get into an agent’s hands to take back with them from a conference will help, other than handing them your complete manuscript, of course. You’d never bring a manuscript to a conference, right? Everything you’ve ever read and heard has stated unequivocally not to. (Admit it – you brought it anyway.) Some one sheets are more elaborate, including word count, genre, endorsements, and agent name and contact info – designed more for promoting already-published works. Or you could opt for one more basic, including only information that one would find on a back cover of a novel. I chose the latter, since I was seeking publication. At the very least, your one sheet should include: Book title Logline/hook – One sentence that describes the concept of your book, and gets their attention. (My entire novel was easier to write.) Blurb – Short 3-4 sentence paragraph that describes your book and defines genre/audience. Who is the protagonist, what do they want, what’s in their way, and most of all, what makes your story unique? Think â€Å"back cover.† Author

Community Partners Identification Assignment Research Proposal

Community Partners Identification Assignment - Research Proposal Example The VFW would be a great place to start soliciting these letters because all of the men and women that are members of this society are veterans and have experienced the difficulties related to adjusting to life after service and combat. There is also a need on the behalf of the VFW to engage these new returning veterans. Many posts recognize the need to recruit young veterans to sustain the organization into the future. Supporting the program could be good public relations for local VFW chapters near the university. Another veteran’s organization is the AMVETS. This is an advocacy group for American veterans. They already sponsor several scholarship funds, so their commitment to education for returning veterans is already demonstrated. The AMVETS have an outstanding communications network, so a letter of support offering help by making the university program known to returning veterans would be especially helpful. Other groups outside the university could include major educational and social foundations that are not directly linked to veterans or the military. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to improving education in America. While their focus is on K-12 education, the organization also deals with some higher education concerns. Within the university community, the first group to be contacted with for a letter would be the office of the Dean of Continuing Education or the department that oversees non-traditional students. These returning veterans are mostly the age of many undergraduates, but their service in the military places them in a different category than a student coming to college straight from high school or prep school. Some of their needs will be different, especially if they have served in very stressful situations. The mental health services at the university should be contacted so a letter of arranged services is described for these returning veterans. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a barrier to success

Industrial Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Industrial Engineering - Essay Example ess and present its advantages and disadvantages d) make a comparison between the casting and powder metallurgy processes 2- Manufacturing Steps 2-1 Raw Materials 2-1-1 Raw materials definition Raw materials are used in industries as a starting material or reactant to establish products. According to Oxford dictionary, a raw material is â€Å"the basic material from which a product is made†. These materials are often natural resources such as oil, iron and wood but some time it may also be synthetic resources well. 2-1-2 Types of raw materials There are various types of raw material among them five different main types of raw material are following A. Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, gasoline, etc) B. Precious metals (gold, silver, etc) C. Industrial metals (copper, iron, etc) D. Agricultural products (wheat, coffee, cotton, etc) E. Animal husbandry (pork bellies, cattle, etc) 2-1-3 How it can be used The properties of raw materials can vary greatly and it depend upon the avail ability (season and storage) of raw material. Todd et al (1994, Pp. 36-42) claims that various raw materials can be similar to each other in their correlation, and differ in the inflation rate depend upon the demand and availability. The investors probably oil and gold are among the most sought after raw materials. To bring a little light into the darkness, we want to give below an overview of the various types of raw materials. We know that to make a company more profitable is to increase the sales price, but to manage cost efficiently, which ultimately depend the final value of the product. In addition, Degarmo et al (2003: Pp. 123-132) argue that the cost and quality of the final product depends largely on raw material. Raw material are a part of the most important aspects of a company and the... The properties of raw materials can vary greatly and it depend upon the availability (season and storage) of raw material. Todd et al claims that various raw materials can be similar to each other in their correlation, and differ in the inflation rate depend upon the demand and availability. The investors probably oil and gold are among the most sought after raw materials. To bring a little light into the darkness, we want to give below an overview of the various types of raw materials. We know that to make a company more profitable is to increase the sales price, but to manage cost efficiently, which ultimately depend the final value of the product. In addition, Degarmo et al argue that the cost and quality of the final product depends largely on raw material. Raw material are a part of the most important aspects of a company and the their cost. So the way forward is to be more efficient in managing costs.

Contemporary Developments in Business and Management in Tesco Essay

Contemporary Developments in Business and Management in Tesco - Essay Example TESCO is one of the leading international retailers in the world. It was started in the mid of 1920s with the trading name TESCO. Since then the company has slowly expanded and marked its presence in different markets and sectors (TESCO) . The growth strategy of the company is a long-term strategy based on four key parts: growth in the Core UK business to expand by growing internationally to be as strong in non-food as in food and to follow customers into new retailing services. Knowing this little information about the company, the environmental analysis of the company is done and presented in the forthcoming paragraphs. PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for understanding the "big picture" of the environment, in which you are operating, and the opportunities and threats that lie within it. By understanding the environment in which you operate (external to your company or department), you can take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. (RAPIDBI) Specifically the PEST or PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for understanding risks associated with market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business or organization. Political Environment: Political forces influence the legislations and government rules and regulations under which the firm operates. Every company faces political constraints in the form of antitrust laws, fair trade decisions, and tax programs, minimum usage legislations, pollution and pricing policies, administrative activities and many other actions, aimed at protecting the consumers and the local environment. In 2001, The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) introduced a Supermarkets' Code of Practice to regulate trading relationships between the four largest UK supermarkets and their suppliers. Tesco is a signatory to the Code and has met its obligations for implementing the Code. The company is committed to maintaining strong mutually advantageous relationships with its suppliers. Economic Environment: Economic factors clearly indicate the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm operates. Every market is unique and consumption patterns change along with the wealth of the consumers in various market segments. For strategic planning all the economic trends at national and international levels have to be considered. Tesco makes a significant contribution to economic activity in all the places in which it operates. Every week over 400,000 staff serves over 30 million customers in 13 countries. The company has to its credit a track record of providing value for customers, creating jobs and training, providing opportunities for suppliers and regenerating deprived areas. The business relationship of Tesco is with nearly 2,000 own-brand primary suppliers in 98 countries. Social Environment: The social environment is an important factor as changes in the values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and lifestyles in society create potential opportunities for an organization. For

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 1

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example In acquisition, one company purchases another and establishes itself as a new owner. Normally, the dissolving company has to get the approval to merge with another through a majority vote of the share holders or as stipulated in the company’s constitution. The driving principle in mergers and acquisition is to make investor value. This means that after the merger the value of the two companies must exceed the value of the individual companies before the merger. It is important to note that the reasons behind mergers are far reaching, especially during the hard economic times. During such periods, big companies take the advantage of receding companies through share purchases with a view of creating a competitive advantage while achieving cost reduction. Any meaningful merger should be able to gain greater market share and efficiency. Once an agreement has been reached, then it should be made legal and its implementation done within the period stipulated in the agreement. The cu lture and working environment of the target company’s workforce must be considered at the time of merger acquisition strategy. When this is done, the workforce will not feel left out in the agreement and this boosts morale. The process of merging and acquisition is vital deal whose signing determines the gains and profits of the merging corporations. The process should therefore, be conducted in defined steps. The decision to have merging between two companies is complex in nature. This is because if it is not done carefully, it can affect the gains intended for in the merger or acquisition. In addition, merger and acquisition process should be conducted in steps as earlier stated. The initial step is the business valuation step in which the value of stock is assessed. In the assessment, the current financial performance as well as the estimated future performance is examined. Such steps should be geared towards profitability (Rosenbaum, 2008). 2. Identify one (1) company tha t would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merge with and explain why this company would be a profitable target. Alcoa is a leading aluminum company in the United States of America. This public corporation was formed in 1907. The acronym Alcoa was coined in 1910 because of a merger with another company, which later in 1999 adopted it as an official name in 2001; Alcoa went into an acquisition agreement with Aluminum Corporation of china (Chalco) buying from them 9% of their shares. Alcoa has had a number of challenges since its inception, for instance in 1938, the department of justice-sued Alcoa for trying to monopolize. It also faced a financial crisis in 2004 leading to the sale of one of its divisions to Rhone Group, which has adopted the name Almatis Inc (Kazmi, & Kazmi, 2008). in the present day. In 2005, Alcoa acquired Russia and Belaya Kaliva production facilities that were major industry players to boost its performance and gain international recogn ition. It was during this time that Alcoa began improving on its performance when it started the construction in Iceland. This was the company’s first Greenfield smelting centre. This centre has been in existence for the last 20 years amid criticisms of corruption. In 2006, Alcoa shifted

Comparative Public Sector Administration Assignment

Comparative Public Sector Administration - Assignment Example Based on Northouse's (2007) definition, of leadership — Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal – we gather that a leader’s style of functioning can have significant implications for the employees as well as the goals. In examining the case of Albert Dunlap, we can identify how this seems to occur. Albert Dunlap served as the Chief Executive officer at Sunbeam Corporation using a managerial style that was both ruthless and rigorous. The emphasis seems to have been on profit-making; to the extent that ethical behavior was deeply compromised to that end. There is supposed evidence of tampering with the revenue books; which if true, would be evidence of a selfish motivation to the ruthless attempt at making profits. Such behavior shows a marked lack of consideration for the staff’s needs or their due. According to Blake and Mouton’s (1957) model, these are signs of low concern for people and a high concern for tasks. Such a pattern of leadership is described as the ‘Authoritarian Leadership. The Authoritarian leader is focused on the task to exclusion of the people involved in completing the task. In the case of Albert Dunlap, this ‘task’ was creating as much profit as possible, and siphoning much of it into personal desires. This kind of leader views people as means to an end, and communicates only what s/he believes is essential to the task.

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 1

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example In acquisition, one company purchases another and establishes itself as a new owner. Normally, the dissolving company has to get the approval to merge with another through a majority vote of the share holders or as stipulated in the company’s constitution. The driving principle in mergers and acquisition is to make investor value. This means that after the merger the value of the two companies must exceed the value of the individual companies before the merger. It is important to note that the reasons behind mergers are far reaching, especially during the hard economic times. During such periods, big companies take the advantage of receding companies through share purchases with a view of creating a competitive advantage while achieving cost reduction. Any meaningful merger should be able to gain greater market share and efficiency. Once an agreement has been reached, then it should be made legal and its implementation done within the period stipulated in the agreement. The cu lture and working environment of the target company’s workforce must be considered at the time of merger acquisition strategy. When this is done, the workforce will not feel left out in the agreement and this boosts morale. The process of merging and acquisition is vital deal whose signing determines the gains and profits of the merging corporations. The process should therefore, be conducted in defined steps. The decision to have merging between two companies is complex in nature. This is because if it is not done carefully, it can affect the gains intended for in the merger or acquisition. In addition, merger and acquisition process should be conducted in steps as earlier stated. The initial step is the business valuation step in which the value of stock is assessed. In the assessment, the current financial performance as well as the estimated future performance is examined. Such steps should be geared towards profitability (Rosenbaum, 2008). 2. Identify one (1) company tha t would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merge with and explain why this company would be a profitable target. Alcoa is a leading aluminum company in the United States of America. This public corporation was formed in 1907. The acronym Alcoa was coined in 1910 because of a merger with another company, which later in 1999 adopted it as an official name in 2001; Alcoa went into an acquisition agreement with Aluminum Corporation of china (Chalco) buying from them 9% of their shares. Alcoa has had a number of challenges since its inception, for instance in 1938, the department of justice-sued Alcoa for trying to monopolize. It also faced a financial crisis in 2004 leading to the sale of one of its divisions to Rhone Group, which has adopted the name Almatis Inc (Kazmi, & Kazmi, 2008). in the present day. In 2005, Alcoa acquired Russia and Belaya Kaliva production facilities that were major industry players to boost its performance and gain international recogn ition. It was during this time that Alcoa began improving on its performance when it started the construction in Iceland. This was the company’s first Greenfield smelting centre. This centre has been in existence for the last 20 years amid criticisms of corruption. In 2006, Alcoa shifted

Competitors Analysis Critical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Competitors Analysis Critical Review - Essay Example A way in which this can be done is through competitor analysis. This review attempts to find the common ground or differences in approach between the authors and checks them against the background of the strategic needs of organisations for sustaining competitive advantage. maintaining and improving profitability targets. In the face of fierce competition, the market place is merciless in changing the fortunes of companies. If firms ignore or neglect strategic moves by competitors, they can find their market share and profitability disappear in quick time. Competition can be in many forms such as new entrants, new products / services, more economical processes that offer cheaper alternatives to customers, new marketing or distribution channels, newer strategic associations or markets, etc. While the challenge of keeping track of so many variables may be daunting, it is comforting to remember that generally each business has its own limited set of rivals. Largely, this depends upon its own profile of size & operations. It is this universe of potential rivals that is important to a firm’s competitive position. According to Porter, â€Å"Strategy is an internally consistent configuration of activities that distinguishes a firm from its rivals† (Porter, M E. 2004, p.vi). Porter’s theory identifies a firm as one based on activities and points out that it is these activities that create opportunities for a firm to offer value to a customer (Porter, M E. 2004). To this extent, analysis of a firm’s own or its rival’s activities can be considered as essential as strategic to a firm’s competitive advantage. The question then is ‘when or how often should one conduct such an analysis?’ and the answer should be that it must be an on-going process in view of the constantly emerging competitors’ challenges. Competitor analysis is the management

Labour education crisis Essay Example for Free

Labour education crisis Essay The man who promised us, Education, education, education, as the main priority of his government has failed again. Blair along with forever changing line up of education secretaries has again been branded a hazard to our children. The new crisis in hand for our Labour government evolves our youngsters within Primary education. The recent report has revealed that the number of children who can read and write properly has fallen in the last three years, as almost 250,000 seven year olds are not hitting required standards, for the second year running. In English only 75% have reached the required standards, leaving government hopes of 85% English pass rate for 11 year olds by 2002 in tatters. The report has shown three tenths of Primary school children are behind in reading from as young as seven. Four tenths our poor at writing, leading to one quarter of eleven year olds being classed as semi-literate! Chief school inspector Mr David bell has described the situation as disastrous and has said, I dont think we could possibly be happy with what primary schools are achieving. These chilling figures reported by Ofsted are causing concern amongst parents throughout the country. Although Mr Bell is claiming the route of this problem is due to the teachers and Heads of the schools. As it has been suggested that one in ten of our head teachers are weak, thats a figure just over 2,000 that are simply not up to the job. If the leaders of the schools are weak what hope does it hold for our teachers? Although Heads are saying they are being used a scapegoats Mr Bell insists that they are to blame, They lack knowledge and skill. This standard is simply not adequate as the government has admitted. This has left other parties, including the Liberals suggesting an education reform and the Tories claming the situation has reached crisis level. Although PM Tony Blair has barely mentioned the report, and went ahead with a speech on education standards. This new crisis has fallen into the hands of Estelle Morris successor Charles Clarke. The Education Secretary has been told by Ofsted the targets set for 2004 will not be achievable. This will make his job even harder as situations are just being passed on with each new education secretary. Along with Primary education being seen as a shambles Ms Morris has left the problems of AS and A level system with Mr Clarke. After last years mark fixing fiasco new guide lines need to be set to stop this embarrassing situation recurring. That saw up to 4,194 candidates having their A-level grades increased in 2002. As well as the A-level marking situation causing problems it now seems that AS and A-level lecturers are unhappy with the system. They are calling for a return to a system such as the old one qualification of the A-level over two years. Suggesting that its simply too much for students. These measures come just two years after curriculum 2000 was introduced, bringing in the AS and A2 exams. Although now former chief inspector of England schools, Mr Tomlinson, has been asked to make a report suggesting ways of maintaining the A-levels standards and credibility. Universities are unhappy with a possible move to re-secure the A-level as they feel by keeping the name it will cause confusion. The A-level was first introduced in 1951 and has changed dramatically. This in turn effects what people feel constitutes as an A-level in standards they require, which worries the Universities. Who have also been affected by Labours education crisis due to the clearance procedure after the mess-up with A-level marking. The last thing on the agenda for Labour in terms of education is the staffing shortage in Primary and Senior schools. At the start of the academic year many school remained closed due to staffing shortages. And it appears this situation to is getting worse. As a survey for the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teacher suggested that nearly 63% of teachers have considered leaving their jobs within the past 5 years. And in another survey for the National Opinion Poll of 1,007 NASUWT members discovered that 30% felt that no political party had the right education policies. In conclusion it seams that all areas of or education system our in danger and have been effected, all that is left to say is good luck Charles Clarke, who now has the mammoth task of getting things on track. A job that both David Blunkett and Estelle Morris have failed to achieve.

Conservation of historic buildings and monuments

Conservation of historic buildings and monuments Introduction Throughout the renaissance period, preservation and restoration remained an experimental process in which many of the tools, instruments and methods were selected at random. The process was pursued with very little critical or historical understanding. This led to many architects such as Viollet-le-Duc, Sir George Gilbert Scott, John Ruskin and William Morris voicing their perceptions of how preservation and restoration should restore buildings to how they would have appeared in their prime. Most of our modern principles of conservation arose from the ideas of John Ruskin and William Morris from the mid 19th century. They stated how we are merely custodians of the buildings left form our predecessors for our future generations. They also state how our intervention in historic buildings must be kept to a minimum and how continued repair and maintenance of these historic buildings must be valued. These ideas form the basis of modern perception of preservation and restoration of our valued historic buildings and monuments. What is Conservation? Conservation is a way of planning designed to conserve historic buildings, areas and monuments in an effort to connect a places historical background to its population and primarily its culture. Conservation is means of green building, that is, reusing the existing building as oppose to new construction for a modern purpose and use. The four main styles of conservation of historic buildings are preservation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and restoration. Preservation Preservation is the means of keeping an historic building a close as possible to its original state by means of continued repair and maintenance. This focuses on the stabilization and repair of the existing materials in the building and the retention of a buildings state as it has evolved over time. Restoration Restoration of historic buildings involves reconstructing parts of the building that have fallen into decay as imitations of the highest possible quality of the original building. This form depicts a building at one stage in time and often removes any evidence of any other period in which the building existed. Rehabilitation Rehabilitation sees the need to alter or extent to an historic building to meet modern demands while still keeping the historical character of the building. Reconstruction Reconstruction re-creates vanished buildings or parts of buildings by interpretive means. Criticisms of Conservation Like many developments in urban design and planning, conservation has had its share of negative perceptions. Such aspects if this criticism include; Cost Style Mistakes made Cost implications of Conservation There are many costs associated with the preservation or restoration of an historic building. Often they need specialist workmanship which can be both time and money consuming on a construction project. Delicate elements of the building often require propping or some sort of support which can take up valuable space on site. Many of the systems in an old building need upgrading which can be difficult to install. Requirements such as energy rating and fire certificates can be hard to upgrade as often the original design of the building did not consider such modern ideas. Elements such as cavity walls or wood cladding are expensive and difficult to bring up to modern standards regarding these requirements. Structural elements of an historic building are the most endeavouring aspects of the conservation process to get right. Foundations are a recurring issue with many of the buildings as newer structures with deeper and heavier foundations can often cause uplift of the older building. Th e cost of repairing the foundations of these buildings are astronomical so diligent design of new foundations and monitoring of existing buildings is paramount during construction. All this adds up on a construction project which has undesired implicated cost for both contractor and engineer. Modern style construction Due to property price rises and limitation of space in city centres our society has constructed its buildings higher and higher to meet its purposes. This popular style of higher buildings can often cause the older, smaller historic buildings to become dwarfed and ultimately undesirable for its occupants. As the push towards increased numbers of taller sky-scrapers in urban areas is inevitable, this leaves many of the smaller older buildings redundant. Critics also say that the older historic buildings cannot accommodate as many people or businesses as newer developments can. This increases the rent on these buildings and causes low income retailers and residents to relocate. This has a negative impact on a city centre regarding retailing. Mistakes in conservation Another criticism of conservation is that it is very susceptible to mistakes being made which are ultimately to the determent of the building. Inappropriate renovations can cause damage to buildings and put it worse off than it was before. According to the Tipperary county council website some of the most common mistakes made in small scale conservation in the area are; Removal of old 18th or 19th century windows to be replaced with new PVC, plastic or aluminium windows The removal of original slate and the replacement with imitation slate or tiles The removal of the render. The website says how these changes can affect the ventilation systems in the building and can exacerbate any decaying or rotting that is taking place in the building. Removal of render and replacing it with modern Portland cement which is a lot harder can cause cracking, admit moisture and trap it within the wall. This is just an example of a few of the mistakes that can be made during the renovation process. It is clear that a great responsibility is undertaken in conducting a conservation of a building. It is the utmost importance that the right techniques and products are investigated as to preserve the building and not to amplify or created any problems with the building or monument. Sustainability of conservation Historic buildings are inherently sustainable. The correct preservation can maximise the use of the existing materials and infrastructure and in return reduces waste caused by demolition and energy put into the production of new materials and construction. Many of the old buildings were designed with sustainability in mind. Many features of historic buildings were built with aspects like climate and site situation in mind to give a sustainable build. If correctly conserved, many old buildings can serve future generations for many years to come. Conservation versus New Construction Preserving a building is often referred to as the ultimate recycling project. Although, as I have already outlined it has its many sceptics who say that historic buildings are beyond their use and require significant corrective measure to make them viable as a functioning structure. However, Green and sustainable design has become ever more popular in todays new construction and preservation industries. A major aspect to this is the reduction in carbon that conservation brings when compared with new construction. Concrete products, steel, transportation, heating and electricity are the main factors contributing to a projects overall carbon emissions. Conservation of old buildings drastically cuts down on new concrete products and their inherent transportation costs as well as the use of electricity to operate plant that is associated with new construction. Conservation versus Demolition The conservation of old buildings is a much more sensible option than demolition in relation to sustainability. There are many times when a building is deemed structurally unsound and the need for demolition is unrivalled in the interest of public safety but this should not prevent our society from conserving many of our old buildings for continued use. Conserving greatly reduces the amount of construction material being dumped in landfill. Demolition creates vast amount of crushed concrete and stone that is often unusable for construction again. Ethics and conservation I have decided to divide ethics and conservation into two sub-headings that I will discuss, they are Ethics of conservation Ethics within conservation. Ethics of conservation Preservation of historic buildings and monuments plays a vital role in the growth of our civilization. It is oftentimes easy to disregard the accomplishments of past generations as we strive to change our societies and environments to be more suited to our present needs. John Ruskin (1819-1900) was one the first to develop the conservation movement whose ideals were that a historic building, painting or sculpture is a unique creation by an artisan or artist in a specific historic context. He believed that such genuine works of art resulted from personal sacrifice and it was based on mans perception of beauty on nature, where in itself existed as a reflection of god. (Jukka Jokilehto, A History of Architectural Conservation, 1999, page175) Such ideals led to him becoming a pioneer in help organise preservation of historic buildings and monuments writing many works on the subject. His principles form the basis on conservation in todays world where we see historic buildings and monuments as a link to our past and our culture. With ongoing development of our city centres and transportation networks it would be very easy to demolish the outdated and often useless buildings and monuments that get in our way. Therefore, the question arises why dont we? Conservation is an ethical subject with the decision to neglect our revered buildings and monuments a conscientious one. As John Ruskin said many of our monasteries and churches alike are works of art in the reflection of god. It is often said that age in itself contributes to beauty. Age is a thing that is associated with wisdom and many of our historic buildings add a feeling of intellect and enlightenment to an area. Often, historic conservation of city centre can help them become more competitive with regard to retailing and business as historic, unique buildings give areas more prominence in comparison to the homogeneous skyscrapers that dominate the skylines of many of our large cities. Ethics within conservation There are many ethical values within conservation itself that regulates the nature of the industry. As one would expect it is a delicate subject whether or whether not to intervene with the natural state of a revered building or monument. Therefore, many charters and polices have been developed and implemented over the years. The first time that an international agreement was made on the principles of conservation was the Athens charter of 1931. The charter was later review and update with the Venice Charter in 1964 which relates to historic buildings, the Burra charter which deals with places of historic significance and the Washington Charter which is relates to historic towns and districts. These charters were drafted by The International Committee for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Conservation is regarded as the work done to prevent further decay of a building and to extend its life. Conservation can often be undertaken with the greatest of enthusiasm and best intentions. However, the conservation process should be carried out so that no damage is done to the building and no falsifying or destruction of historical evidence occurs. Lack of information or the use of incorrect in inappropriate techniques can often unintentionally cause both, aesthetic and structural damage. According to (http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Heritage), the main principles in these charters to help prevent unintentional damage from occurring are; Retention or restoration of historical significance Conservation process based on research Minimum physical intervention Maintenance of visual setting These are the basic principles outlined in the charters which help instil ethical practice of conservation works. Case Studies In this section I will report on two case studies which I researched which will highlight mistakes made in the past, ethics in conservation and the sustainability of conservation. The leaning Tower of Pisa The leaning tower of Pisa is one of Italys most infamous land marks. It attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Construction of the tower began in 1173 after a period of prosperity in Pisa. The tower began to sway soon after the beginning of construction due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower was built in three stages over 177 years. The tower began to sink after construction was completed on the third floor. In 1272 construction was resumed with architect Giovanni di Simone deciding to build one side taller than the other to compensate for the tilt. This caused the tower to lean the other way resulting in the tower having a curved shape. The curve and 3.97o angle to the vertical at which the tower leans caused inherent damage to structural elements of the tower as well as aesthetic damage. This led to the Italian government to seek international aid to prevent the tower from collapsing on February of 1964. They did, however, declare that they desired to retain a certain degree of the towers tilt because of it tourism viability. Many attempts were made to rectify the foundations. Deformations were made in the soil through vertical anchorages and forces were applied using weights. This was one of the most simplistic solutions but also the most ineffective as it only resulted in inducing further compression on the soil. This caused extensive damage to the tower where cracking and splitting of many of the mall columns occurred. In 1993 900 tonnes of lead weights were applied to oppose the tilt of the structure. Additional provisional strengthening of the structure was applied with a series of circumferential steel cables. The final measure in the stabilization of the structure is to be a new technique called under-excavation. This technique consists in pulling out, about 5 m under the upstream border of the foundation, small amounts of soils, through a series of casings drilled into the soil. (www.sciencedirect.com). This it is hoped will gently cause the tower to tilt towards its desired inclination without disturbing the fragile columns in the structure. The leaning tower of Pisa is an example of restoration attempts where experimental methods were used with almost dire consequences for the building. However, an ethical approached was undertaken which was based on research and an effort to minimize distortion of the appearance of the building. The Parthenon Besides the pyramids at Giza, the Parthenon is one of most revered monument in the world. It was built between 447 432 BC by Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates. The structure underwent extensive damage over an extended period time. In 296 BC gold from the statues in the building was removed by the general Lachares to pay his army. In the 5th century AD the temple was converted into a Christian church. In 1460 it housed a Turkish mosque and in 1687 gun-powder stored by the Turks inside the temple exploded and destroyed the central area. (www.archive.com). A recent major influence in the increased deterioration of the monument has been the expansion and development of nearby Athens. Urbanization has caused increased amount of carbon dioxide in the air which has contributed to more intense acid rain. This has seriously affected the monument more so in the last 30 years than in the previous eighteen centuries. In 1975 the Greek government made a special effort to try and restore the Parthenon to some of its former glory. After some delay, a committee was set up in 1983 which later received funding from the European Union to carry out its works. It was investigated that some of the earlier works were incorrect and therefore carefully dismantled and a restoration process commenced. The preservation firstly involved rectifying mistakes made by conservationists in the past. Steel beams were places within the stone structure to help support it but these were not coated in lead and inevitably rusted. The rusted beams expanded and cause the stone to crack more than it was so previously. It is impossible to restore the building to exactly how it was built first day but the aesthetics of the building were preserved by replacing any missing columns and lintels with precisely cut marble from the original quarry. The overall idea behind the conservation attempt is to replace all missing pieces of marble in the structure where they would have been preserving the structural integrity of the building by supporting these with modern materials. The preservation of the Parthenon shows a standard of ethics that Ruskin and Morris adhered to. Although there were mistakes made in the past, a willingness to restore the monument to its former glory while still keeping the style of the original building intact is the way it should be done. Preserving this monument is paramount as it has a clear link to the nation of Greece and its culture and past. Future Ideas From researching this project it is clear to see that conservation of old buildings could prove extremely beneficial to society with regard to sustainable living. With a recent push towards eco-living, conservation of some of our older building as oppose to demolishing them and erecting a new structure would be a way forward. In my opinion, future policies could incorporate full structural analysis to look for potential conservation processes before any building is demolished. This could be especially beneficial in city centres where construction of new multi-storey buildings is quite challenging. Also, regular maintenance checks of all buildings, historic or recently built, should take place on a regular basis as to provide any preservation techniques that may need be applied. This would greatly help sustain the buildings we have and reduce the need for any new construction which would have a positive impact for the environment. References Websites http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main http://www.wbdg.org/resources/sustainable http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Heritage/ArchitecturalHeritage/ Conservation of historic buildings by Bernard m feilden, 1982 http://www.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=912 Ioanna Venieri, archaeologist www.preservationnation.org

The Second Republic and Its Fall Essays -- Nigeria Federal Government

The Second Republic and Its Fall One of many hurdles that Nigeria had to overcome in the attempt to return to civilian rule, and then to have such a new system entrenched, was the fact that competitive politics encouraged recourse to sectional identification. On the one hand, there is need for a understanding of the nature of the dynamics of Nigerian society, especially with regard to the phenomenon of ethnicity. On the other hand, the theoretical formulations which already exist concerning the nature of politics in segmented societies must be confronted so that a closer approximation between such themes and the sociopolitical realities of Nigeria can be achieved (Joseph, 1987:43). The American-style constitution of the second Republic (1979-1983) was designed for Nigerians type of democracy where natural affairs rather than state are promoted to avoid the pattern of British parliamentary system where the winner-takes-all pattern. The parties in America conform to the Constitution due to their disciplinary disposition. In Nigeria, political parties were following the British style of politics, where â€Å"distribution of revenues among the politician and their clients at national, state and local levels†, are the order of the day (Shehu, et al; 1999:34). Bitter conflicts abounded within the political parties in both states and the federal level over the distribution of the spoils; hence, the inability of the politicals to manage the conflicts led to the demise of the democratic government in the Second Republic and the return of the military government. In the program of transition to the Second Republic, the military leaders’ primary concern was to prevent the recurrence of the mistakes of the First Republic. They believed that if the structures and processed of government and politics that had proved inappropriate in the First Republic could be changed, a stable and effective civilian government was therefore designed to address those fundamental issues, which were historically divisive, and to establish new political institutions, processes, and orientations. The second aspect of the transition involved the making of a new constitution and appropriate institutions. Decree number 25 of 1978 enacted the 1977 Constitution. It differed from the First Republic in 1963, in that, it introduced a United States type presidential system (Nwoked, 199:73). Previo... ...so was the decline in GDP by and estimated 10 percent. The repressive strategy of Buhari’s military further engendered deep resentment and bitterness among the people who feel that they had been denied of their personal freedom. In addition, according to Othman, â€Å"the military government was increasingly driven by dissension over strategies of economic management, the detention and trials of political detainees and the rising power of Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, the Chief of staff, supreme headquarters, and the driving force behind the regime’s authoritarian policies, and of the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO)† (Othman, 1999:40). Two factors were instrumental to the final demise of the military regime; one was the risking of what Diamond called â€Å"political convulsion†, an attempt to impose a monolithic order on Nigeria’s vigorously polaristic society (Diamond, 1999:443). The second factor was the regime’s declaration in July, 1985, of their intention or plan to return Nigeria to C ivilian rule. These actions further isolated Buhari and Idiagbon from their military colleagues , including their arrogance in ignoring critical opinion even among its senior military ranks.

Comparison of the poems Half-caste and Not My Business Essay

John Agard and Niyi Osundare have both written poems that protest about events or attitudes of people. Agard is From the Caribbean where the population is made up of people from lots of different races. Therefore he is used to being around people of mixed race and will know from first hand experience how horrible it can be to be called only half a person. Osundare has got a good point to make here which is that if people see something going on that is wrong but does not directly involve them, they should do what they can to stop the wrong doing rather than leave it as it may well be them someday and there could be no one to save them. You never know. The first poem is about the term ‘Half-Caste’ which the poet: John Agard, objects to as he thinks that it makes us think of people of mixed race as only half a person instead of a whole person or individual. The next poem ‘Not My Business’ is about the violence used by the state authorities against the people of Nigeria. The poet: Niyi Osundare believes that you should stand up for what is right, regardless of whether it bothers you at that specific time. ‘Not My Business’ is said to echo this statement: â€Å"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. † The statement is by ‘Pastor Martin Niemoller’ it is very much like the poem ‘Not My Business’ not only because of what is said, but also because of how it is structured. In the first three stanzas what is happening is happening to someone else, not the narrator. However in the last stanza what is happening is happening to the person in the story, either ‘I’ or the Narrator. In ‘Half-Caste’ The poet want us to realize that the term is such a stupid one and he wants the people who use it to realize this and change their attitudes towards people of mixed race. Also the structure of the poem is good as he uses humour at the beginning to catch the reader’s attention and then explains the stupidity of the term. Osundare believes that it is people’s indifference and detachment from what is going on around them that is allowing the terror to go on. The repeated phrase about what business of his is it is indented which shows a distance from what is going on or a detachment. Agard writes phonetically as to the way he would speak the poem, it is one of those poems that needs to be spoken to get the full meaning. He speaks in a patois and uses calypso rhythm and rhyme, which is an example of how English and African dialects have combined and are now a key feature of the poet’s Caribbean culture. ‘Not My Business’ uses a repeated phrase which is just saying ‘What business of mine is it’ etc. This is also indented and therefore shows distance from what is going on in the paragraph. This use of language is a good way to show this distance. This poem says a lot about people’s cultures, not only Nigeria, but people are like this all over the world, and it says a lot that people won’t stick up for what is right just so long as it does not bother them. Both of these poems had a lot to say and they have said it in a strong and down to earth kind of way. The first used humour to get people’s attention and then had a go about the term ‘Half-caste’. However the second just used three examples and then showed that a problem will get much worse if it is left and oppressive regimes are not nice things and people need to stick up and fight against them!

Ethical Codes Essay

The increasing dependences on computers for critical infrastructure essentials for the functioning of a society and its economy has given rise to host of ethical, social, and legal issues. As software engineers, it is a bounden duty to design and build software intended for use by a set of individuals for a specified set of purpose, which initiate many issues about consumer’s privacy. Following is the exploration from three constituents. First, websites collect consumer’s private information. Social networks play a vital role in the life of Internet users, and more than a half billion people post vast amounts of information about themselves to share with online friends and colleagues. As more and more people join social networking sites, questions are beginning to surface about the safety of user’s information. A new study has found that the practices of many popular social networking sites typically make that personal information available to companies that track Web users’ browsing habits and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to specific people. Like most commercial websites, online social networks use third-party tracking sites to learn about the browsing habits of their visitors. Cookies are maintained by a Web browser and contain information that enable tracking sites to build profiles of the websites visited by a user. Each time the user visits a new website, the tracking site can review those cookies and serve up advertisements that might appeal to the user. For example, if the user frequently visits food sites, user might see an advertisement for a new cookbook. With the leakage of this type personal information, there is a significant risk of having one’s identity linked to an inaccurate or misleading browsing profile. Browsing profiles record the websites has been accessed by a particular computer, neither who was using the computer at the time nor why particular sites were chosen. This will lead to a serious problem inaccurate profiling by tracking sites. For example, a site about cancer was visited for curiosity rather than intent, inaccurate profiling would potentially lead to issues with health care coverage, or other areas of our personal lives. The second issue is when a consumer uses a product created by a computer professional. The main concept in engineering ethics is â€Å"professional responsibility†, such as political philosopher Langdon Winner, are critical of the traditional preoccupation of engineering ethics with specific moral dilemmas confronting individuals(Winner, 1990): â€Å"Ethical responsibility†¦ nvolves more than leading a decent, honest, truthful life†¦ And it involves something much more than making wise choice when such choices suddenly, unexpectedly present themselves. Our moral obligations must†¦ include a willingness to engage others in the difficult work of defining the crucial choice that confront technological society†¦ † But unfortunately, with the development of tec hnology and the awakening consciousness of human protection, user privacy is becoming a sensitive issue , after the two giants Google and Apple have stumbled in this regard. Recently, the recognition of the recent HTC phones to collect the user’s data. A user in a system upgrade and found a new CIQ application, the application can access statistics, including the application frequency, GPS location, even after the use of information related to home video cameras, and back to the respective companies. HTC aspects of this incident came to light on the phone today to confirm pre-installed software to collect user information, but all processes are encrypted safe manner. HTC also said in a statement, the company will protect user privacy, commitment to the future equipment and then collect information, the user will be prompted to make a clear choice. Although the company will give customers the utmost assurance of their privacy, why HTC phones collected the user’s data from the beginning? Finally, the employer or company who offers a services. With the rocketing development of Internet, most companies see web services as a platform to become a very profitable business in the near future. In other words, thousands of customers’ private information will be stored in the Internet, which could have serious consequences if a firm lacks the security to protect sensitive information. For example, the most infamous Internet attack occurred this year was the one suffered by Sony. Everything started with the theft of data from PlayStation Network, affecting 77 million users worldwide. Not only was this the biggest data theft ever but the situation was poorly handled by Sony. To make things worse, the stolen data was specially sensitive, including user’s names, billing addresses, email addresses, PlayStation Network IDs, passwords, birthdates, purchase history, credit card numbers, etc. If this was not sufficient enough, Sony Online Entertainment was subject to another attack a few days later, a data theft that affected another 24 million users. In short, the chief man-made cause is deficiency in professional responsibility. If the company built information securi ty system and strengthened individual information protection from the start, which would avert the tragedy from getting worse. In conclusion, the actions involved in carrying out the right and ethical solution to any engineering problem may not be easy, especially in today’s world. But the path that must be taken should be obvious. This type of decision-making comes with experience, but the basic principles can be learned. The work that an engineer does often impacts the lives of countless people. With such a responsibility it is up to them to act in the most ethical, honest and trustworthy manner possible.

Gulliver Travel Theme Essay

Might vs. Right In Jonathon Swift’s Gulliver’s Travel there are many characters who have power over others, some of these characters abuse it other characters do not. Swift gives many details and examples of how the character uses or abuses his or her power. Swift relates many of his characters to real life people of his time The first occurrence of this theme happens when Gulliver washes up on the island of the Lulliputains after his boat was capsized by a huge storm. Gulliver awakens to his arm, legs, and body tied down and is unable to move. He is surrounded by a abundance of miniature like people. Though Gulliver showed no sign of aggression the Lulliputains, despite their small size, still took full advantage over Gulliver and attack him with arrows. The emperor who rules Luptin thinks he can control Gulliver and has him chained and guarded by soldiers. â€Å"The emperor is both a satire of the autocratic ruler and a strangely serious portrait of political power. †(Sparknotes. com). Swift uses The Emperor to represent King George I. Just like King George, The Emperor abuses his power and hires his ministers on how well he likes them rather then their suitability, wisdom, or virtue. The Emperor of Luptin also loves war and wants to use Gulliver’s size to enslave the neighboring island Blefuscu. Although Gulliver refuses to do so, this can be compared to King George I war on Spanish Succession. The Brobdingnagians could dominate with their superior size if they wished but for the must part they do not. Gulliver is taken by a farmer when he lands on the island of Brobdingnag who Gulliver estimates is around seventeen foot tall. The farmer at doesn’t take advantage of his great size but he eventually uses Gulliver as a display around Brobdingnag for money. In General the Brobdingnagians do not abuse their power. The King of Brobdingnag is offered the secret of gunpowder but he refuses to take this, even though gunpowder could vastly increase the power of his nation. The Queen of Brobdingnag finds Gulliver and buys him off the farmer for a thousand pieces of gold. The Queen finds Gulliver quite interesting and thinks of him not as a pet but as fellow Brobdingnagian. Throughout the story Swift likes to draw questions through his characters on why people hold power over others. A key example of this is how The Laputan King thinks he has the right to hold power over the Balnirbarbians simply because he is more devoted to abstract and theoretical knowledge then they are. A more ambiguous example of this power is how the Houyhnhnms control the Yahoos. The Houyhnhnms are intelligent, moral and virtuous people but it is still questionable on whether they should rule the Yahoos. â€Å"The Yahoos are greedy, beastlike humans who will fight over anything valuable and will eat enough food for ten. †(shmoop. com). Even though the Houyhmhnms are great creatures it is still inhuman that they should take control of the Yahoos who are less fortunate than them. Might vs. ight or, abuse or use of power, is a reoccurring theme in Gulliver’s Travels. Swift uses this theme to draw a deeper meaning into the story. The question of why people hold power over others is one that is asked throughout the novel. Swift puts you into each of leaders shoes and gets the reader to think of what they would do if they were in this situation. Would people use to power that was given to them to do great things or would people abuse their power to control and strip freed om from others.

The Road to Hell Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Road to Hell Case Study - Essay Example The stiffness could have been because of the seriousness with which Baker spoke that day. He gave it the meaning that Rennalls was struggling with racist attitudes and using the assumption that his (Baker’s) age and experience gave him advantage, concluded that Rennalls needed help. When Renalls did not admit to allegations of racism, Baker concluded that he was either afraid to face the truth or not willing to confess. This caused him to resort to the belief that Europeans would continue holding senior positions in the company and Barracanians remaining at the base if the latter did not learn to get along well with expatriates. After having climbed all these rungs, he climbed the last one of trying to make Renalls admit to charges of racism. His last attempt at trying to show Rennalls the need to face the challenge of racism only served to depict him (Baker) as one who looked down on Barracanians. The differences he drew between Europeans and Barracanians came across as boasting about his

Literature review about ( dose the follow up with one single physician Essay

Literature review about ( dose the follow up with one single physician at diabetic clinic improve the complaiance ) - Essay Example The compliance of diabetic patients is estimated to range from 11% to 93%. It is also estimated that around a third of the total diabetics patients fail to complete their medications. Poor compliance places the patients a t risk of continued disease and also complicates the relationship between the patient and the physician. This article looks at how compliance can depend on the way that a patient relates with the physician. It also looks at the relationship between a patient who only sees one physician and that patient with many physicians and compares their level of compliance based on these facts. It is noted that a one on one relationship is needed for patients to increase their level of compliance. This is because this will enhance better communication between the physician and the patient. Our main question is, can the level of compliance be increased if a patient only has one physician and can the level of compliance be reduced in the event where a patient has many physicians. The article tries to look at 20 articles that deal with health records and try to read and understand the relationship between having one physician and compliance. 20 articles have been looked and out of them 4 have been selected and given a critical appraisal. Introduction Diabetes is a disease that is affecting most people in the world today. Once someone has been diagnosed with diabetes it is always normal for them to come after some to the hospital or health care centers for medication and advice on how to live healthy and what to do and what not to do. When these patients come to the health facilities some hospitals will keep changing their physicians while some will just maintain one physician for every patient, meaning that a patient will only be able to see the physician that he saw on the first date and not keep changing the physician. In this research paper, 20 articles are taken and used to compare the relationship between seeing one physician and seeing different physic ians. The search strategy used in this paper is known as Framing the research question, in this type of search analysis, the question is framed and then put on the search engine for and used to search for the 20 articles. The search terminology used includes â€Å"compliance†, and â€Å"a patient with one physician†. I came up with questions such as â€Å"what is the relationship between having one diabetes patient and compliance in medicine†. Out of this I found thousands of articles and selected 20 articles which I have used for the paper. Later on I selected 4 of the articles and did a thorough analysis of them and came up with the information that will be discussed below. The four articles were selected mainly based on their content and the data that they contain. 20 articles were selected from the internet and used for analysis. There were two searches that were used, the first search was limited to the records of the past 2 years about the patient dropout while the second search was limited to the records of patients who dropped out of their medications or refused medication. The 20 articles that were used for this paper were valid to clinical relevance. It is however important to note that the reliability of the data is not guaranteed since some of the patients don’t report cases of incompliance. This is to say that compliance is lower than reported. According to Elliot (2000, p.120), a research using diabetes patients in England showed that there was 60% compliance. However