A Reaction and Analysis of “Saving Grace” by Lee Smith

Lee Smith’s Saving Grace is a novel that features the story of Florida Grace Shepherd, a young Appalachian girl who is brought up in an environment that oppresses the rights and freedom of young women based on the expectations of its very religious nature. Grace, who is also the narrator of the story, tells her own tale about her quest for identity and freedom as well as her ultimate religious awakening. She shares her story as she goes through her childhood despising her father Virgil and the reality that unlike other children, she is growing with insufficient love and care from the people she expects to receive it. Grace’s childhood is bound by religious rules and codes since her father is their community's popular charismatic preacher and serpent handler. She is not free to do what other kids can do, and she is not even free to read anything except for the Bible. Grace and her siblings are not even allowed to read the newspaper as their father stresses that the only news they need to know about is the good news from the Holy Scripture (Smith, 2008). Grace also knows that she is an abused child. Aside from the insufficient affection she gets from home, she also suffers painful maltreatments from her father, whom she wants to respect and adore, but he treats her with coldness instead (Smith, 2008). Because of the absurd religious limitations that prevent her from doing what she wanted as a kid, and due to the agony that she suffered from the hands of her father acting as an honorable man, Grace grows up carrying a bitter resentment toward the home she grew up in. She also becomes pessimistic about the good possibilities in life, and she grows up envying everything that made other girls of her age happy (Smith, 2008). Smith's ability to capture the Appalachian way of life and the reality of growing up in an environment full of bizarre religious traditions has been highly regarded by her critics. Moreover, her ability to mold characters based on the known stereotypes in the society has also made her earn the admiration of critics and readers (Town, 2004). Saving Grace is seen by many as a work filled with symbolisms reflected in the names of the characters. Florida Grace Shepherd is in itself a name full of meanings. Florida is based on the place where Grace was born, while Grace stands for the Grace of God. Her last name, Shepherd, can be interpreted as a reminder of her family’s role as shepherds of their community since they represent the people's shepherd, Jesus, in the eyes of their neighbors (Town, 2004) However, while this is the popular impression about their family, Smith (2008) adds an inner conflict in Virgil’s character. Although considered as a sacred and honorable man, Virgil is inclined to bed a lot of women aside from his wife. He also seems to be incapable of controlling his emotions, particularly his bad temper and rage, which he often takes out on Grace. This sinner-saint conflict in Virgil’s character is the greatest confusion for Grace as well. Yet, despite this conflict on Virgil's personality and attitude, he is still able to win the respect of the people in their church because of his devotion and loyalty to what he preaches. Although he can be seen as a man with normal lustful desires, his ability to strengthen other people’s faith in the Lord remains unquestionable, making him respected despite his worldly sins. In the end, the readers would realize that the title of this novel completely explains Grace’s story. Aside from the fact that the story is indeed about saving the main protagonist from losing her faith and her strength to carry on with life, the title may also say that in all the obstacles and trials Grace faced, there is one saving grace which lifted her spirits up and made her hold on to her faith—her strong desire to repent, to change, and to believe that there is really a Supreme Being who governs and looks after her. The ending appears to be open-ended for the author does not clearly state how Grace chose to carry on with her life. However, as she wanted to start anew, it can be inferred that Grace has met her saving grace which made her realize that being doomed and oppressed for a long time can never be good reasons to give up; rather, they are valuable lessons she can carry with her on her journey to rebuild her new life.

Sap with Body Shop

SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software solutions. SAP ® solutions are designed to meet the demands of companies of all sizes. mySAPâ„ ¢ Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. The Body Shop is unifying its worldwide operations on SAP ® enterprise software, deploying the SAP for Retail industry solution across its headquarters, regional offices, warehouses and more than 2,000 wholly-owned and franchise outlets worldwide.The Body Shop, an SAP customer since 1999, chose SAP’s integrated retail enterprise applications to harmonize business processes across its global network, creating a strong yet adaptive foundation for business growth with the SAP NetWeaverâ„ ¢ technology platform. The worldwide rollout, being implemented with support from IT service provider Diagonal Consulting, is part of the retailer’s three-year strategic plan to achieve enterprisewide consistency in forecasting, ordering, allocation and distribution processes.Replacing a number of legacy systems, SAP’s suite of core enterprise applications and specialized software for retailers will cover end-to-end business processes from headquarters down to the store level, powering the company’s financial processes, warehouse and supply chain management, new product development and point-of-sale (POS) operations. Jon Granville, the global head of IT of The Body Shop said, â€Å"We chose SAP for its retail expertise, global reach and solution scope.Our global SAP rollout is not an IT initiative, but a business initiative that will help us improve our key processes that drive competitive advantage at each local outlet. SAP for Retail will help us provide targeted support throughout our sales and distribution network and, ultimately, deliver better service to our customers. † H P with body shop The Body Shop has named HP as its preferred global infrastructure partner to migrate its existing disparate legacy systems to a complete, standards-based HP infrastructure solution.With operations in 52 countries and more than 2,000 stores, The Body Shop has experienced rapid and extensive global growth in recent years. It is estimated that The Body Shop sells a product every 0. 4 seconds, coming to more than 77 million customer transactions annually throughout stores worldwide. HP is delivering a standardised information technology architecture across the firm's global operations, reducing the overall total cost of ownership of IT and providing higher system performance and room for future growth.The consolidated infrastructure will cut management time and cost, ease load balancing, improve system and space utilisation, and optimise the return on investment of The Body Shop's new global enterprise resource planning implementation. The Body Shop's IT vision takes a ‘One World, One Way' approach to its global infrastructure. HP embraced this vision and is helping the company design, build, integrate, manage and evolve into an Adaptive Enterprise ‘ one that will be able to easily adapt to change to meet the needs of its growing business, while ensuring operational readiness and protecting its critical business processes. HP is proving to be a perfect partner,' said Jon Granville, global head of IT, The Body Shop. ‘HP understands the retail sector and our requirements and this allows us to work together on a total global infrastructure solution to achieve our IT vision and so meet the needs of the business.This is a significantly different approach to the other competitive offerings we evaluated, and will ultimately provide us with the means to ensure better visibility of consumer data, streamlined operation of our supply chains and better integration of our processes right across our global businesses. About body shop’s web Body shop has an amazing website. You almost can find everything you want to know on the website such as what ingredients in each product. They separate the categories in a clearly way, for example: they have best seller; make-up; bath and body; hair; fragrance ect. When you click into some products you are interest, you can find out how it works and what the other customer’s view and some suggestion. There are 29 languages on body shop’s web, so Japanese don’t need to worry if they can’t understand English.Also they publish a lot of promotions on the web, such as what is on sale and that gift box they are selling at moment. The web nearly record everything happened in body shop. For example, Body shop sent their employees to the suppliers and report what they find on the internet. The Last report online is about a man called peter, he went to Africa to know how they make Shea butter, he even try to make it by himself and he write about how it feel af ter he used the Shea butter. His report and photos; videos just make us trust body shop more.It’s a special way to make customers to believe how good body shop’s products are. One more amazing thing to me on the web. They have a ‘The Body Shop skin care regime guide’, it’s a questionnaire to help you to know what type skin you are, and after your finish the test, they will give you suggestion about the skin care product and eye care product, they even divide the products into morning and night. It’s really easy and convenient for the first body shop user; it’s also a good tool to help you save the money, because you only need to buy the right products for yourself.

Air Resistance, Tyres And Friction Essays - Classical Mechanics

Air Resistance, Tyres and Friction Blake Smith Dragsters use a combination of large wide tyres or the rear and small narrow tyres on the front this combination is used for the following reasons: The front wheels: The front wheels are very narrow. This is so a minimum of air resistance or drag affects the dragster with lower drag better acceleration an in turn a better top speed can be achieved all leading to a better pass (race time). Now lets try to understand the concept of air resistance and drag. A basic example is placing your hand out the window with your palm facing forwards as you are driving your car along at about sixty kilometres per hour. You will feel a strong force of the wind (air resistance) pushing back at your hand. Now turn your hand side or so that your little finger is facing the front and your thumb is facing the rear at the same speed. The force of air resistance exerted on your hand is greatly reduced. This force is similar as to that exerted on the front wheels of the dragster. Now dragsters reach speeds of up to five hundred kilometres per hour, imagine the force needed to hold your hand against the wind if your palm was facing the front. It would be much easier to hold your hand side on. The same as it would be much easier for the dragsters engine to push the narrow front wheels compared to large ones. Air resistance is a form of friction (namely fluid friction) a friction from the air, as we know friction is defined as a force that opposes movement. The formula used to determine aerodynamic drag is as follows: Drag = 0.5 * rho * Cd * v2 * S Aerodynamic drag is a function of the following: - rho is the air density, which we cannot change. - v2 is velocity squared which is endeavoured to be maximized for the best time and/or pass. - S is the frontal or cross sectional area which we want to minimize. I.e. less frontal area means that a less significant amount of air resistance impedes the top speed and acceleration. - Cd is the coefficient of drag, which we want to minimize. So the two things with which can be worked with or changed, the frontal area and coefficient of drag, both of which need to be to minimized for the best results. Having very narrow front wheels minimizes the frontal area. This is the main reason why narrow front wheels are used. If the smaller the wheel the lower the drag, why not have the wheels narrow and very short as well? You ask. Well the reason is that if the wheels were very small they would drop into all the bumps and cause a loss of speed not to mention control. As the wheels would bounce into the depression and then launch up into the air as they come out of the bump. This is extremely dangerous in that the driver can no longer steer the vehicle that is travelling at near five hundred kilometres per hour, the car can also get air flowing underneath the car, with the effect of air resistance the car will lift up of the ground and flip through the air. Also the rotational force is much harder on the bearings causing more wear and friction meaning slower times. Large wheels are used because they will skim over the bumps and keep the car moving along a flat plane. They also exert less force on the bearings meaning less friction and better times. Now if drag cars use narrow front wheels so they can get less air resistance and a better top speed why don?t all racing vehicles run narrow front wheels? The answer is friction. The front wheels of drag cars do not have high cornering or driving force travelling trough them. I.e. they are only there to hold the front of the car up and allow it to roll along the road. In conventional racecars high forces are exerted on the tyre in the horizontal plane meaning that they need to have a good tread area so that they grip the road well and hold the car on the track so it does not slide off

Prompt 4 - Gentiva Health Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Prompt 4 - Gentiva Health Services - Essay Example This would ensure that the activities of the company remain profitable in both short-term and long-term basis. The company recorded a noticeable decrease in revenue in 2012. Previously, the company has made several acquisitions and dispositions. This is likely to have been one of the main attribute that led to this loss amidst other factors. This paper explores the financial trend in Gentiva for 2011 and 2012. Financial Performance In the past two years, Gentiva has experienced significance changes in its financial performance. This is largely dependent on the strategic changes that the organization has decided to implement. Considering the financial results of the 2011 and 2012 periods, the following analysis can be reached. The company registered a 6% decrease in revenue for the third quarter of 2012 compared to the same period 2011(from $449.7million to $424.4 million). The loss from continuing operations decreased tremendously from $15.82 per diluted share in 2011 to $0.02 in 201 2 third quarter. The company recorded $19.1 million non-cash write-off in connection with a rebranding of its operations into one name. For the same period in 2011, the company registered a $643.3 million for a non-cash impairment of a failed test of its goodwill. The company sold 9 health branches and closed 25 home health branches as well as 9 hospice branches, all in different locations. This move was reached after a comprehensive structure analysis aimed at responding to challenging Medicare reimbursement rate environment. Moreover, the company closed four more home health branches in 2012. In response to these closures and sales, the financial results of the second quarter and the first six months decreased by approximately $22 million and $41million respectively in 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Though, the first quarter of 2012 represented 182 (29 days in February 2012) working days compared to 181 working days in 2011, the company revenues went down significantly in 2012 (Gentiva Health Services Reports Third Quarter 2012 Results). The company has maintained a good cash balance for the year 2011 and 2012. Its total assets reduced due to the sale of the 34 branches in 2011 and 10 branches in 2012. It is evident from the revenues accrued in first six months of 2011 and 2012, that the company has instituted measures to manage its costs. The sale and closure of the various branches has enabled the company to significantly cut-down its expenditures. With the reduced expenditures, the company has moved ahead to make more acquisitions to counter the reduction in revenue arising from the closure of the hospice and health care branches that took place in 2011 and early 2012. Its ability to record capital gains and huge profits is also an indication that the business has been able to control its costs. Nevertheless, the health care reform is a forceful measure that may affect many health service providers, Gentiva included. Thus, it is not satisfactor y to say that the company is able to totally manage its costs before the health care reform comes into force in 2014. Emerging Changes in 2011 And 2012 The Company received earnings amounting to approximately $5.9 million in the second quarter and recognized a receivable of about $0.5 million in 2012. In the second quarter of 2012, 8 home health branc

The advantages of and precautions needed when using waste water for Essay - 1

The advantages of and precautions needed when using waste water for agricultural uses in developing countries - Essay Example This review seeks to show how waste water holds the key to solving the water deficiencies that exist the world over plus the advantages of using this method. It will also highlight the challenges that come along with the usage of this type of water source and the methods of dealing with these challenges. It is common knowledge that the world is faced with the challenge of an ever increasing population. This means that there has to be an increased level of agricultural activity in order to cater for the increased demand. However the main challenge of this is that there are dwindling sources of water to cater for the agricultural activity. This is especially true when one considers that the majority of the world’s agricultural activity, that is dependent on rainfall, has been disrupted due to many factors such as climate change and increased pollution levels of water bodies the world over (UNEP). This has also been coupled by the increasing non-agricultural demand for water such as for industrial usage has put additional pressure on the scarce water resources that exist. The challenges of an increasing water scarcity for agricultural purposes have led to nations the world over turning to the use of wastewater to support their agricultural activities. Wastewater can be defined s imply as water that has been contaminated by any material that does not occur naturally in water itself (UNEP). Waste water can be used to irrigate in two main forms; one as water that has been reclaimed from wastewater otherwise known as treated water and in the second form it is used as non-treated water, in its raw form. When it is used as non-treated water in most cases the water is most cases applied directly to the plants and is used as a means to prevent the pollution of water bodies such as rivers and lakes. In most cases especially in the industrialised nations the water is used after

Social Justice and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Social Justice and Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example The European Commission defines CSR as "a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis." (A Business Contribution to Sustainable Development. n.d.) In an article by John Richardson (2008) pointed out that a company is said to be socially responsible if "it conducts itself reasonably with respect to: the workers it employs around the world; its investors as manifested in its corporate governance practices; local communities in which it operates; how it conducts itself ethically ion its domicile country and in other countries around the world; the environment" (section 2). The CSR is also advocated by authorities mainly because of the fact that CSR principles are in conformity with social justice. The essence CSR lies in the fulfillment of social justice to the various stakeholders. The companies, therefore, are socially obliged to deal with the societal, ecological and economical issues so that all the stakeholders including shareholders are satisfied and eventually results in economic sustainability. A firm which has obligations only towards its shareholders is socially irresponsible and will no longer survive in the modern corporate environment. This approach is not advisable as indicated by 'stakeholder theory' propounded by R. Edward Freeman. In one of his papers, he writes that "corporations shall be managed in the interests of its stakeholders, defined as employers, financiers, customers, employees, and communities." (Carson L. Thomas. 2003, page. No.1). The recent years have experienced many such cases which shocked the entire corporate world, which, later on, became the lessons for the rest in future. Enron Collapse The failure of Enron, the world Energy Giant, is an unforgettable incident in the history of corporate world. The company which became the seventh largest one in the United States of America in just 15 years has become the by-word for corporate irresponsibility. The issues raised were misrepresentation of accounting information, which resulted in unfair accounting, lobbying with politicians and misappropriation of employee savings. The profit figure shown by the company was not true and fair and company's massive debts were concealed from the financial statement. The company had political lobbying with many legislators and the highly paid executives pocketed the life savings of thousands of its employees. What made Enron to socially irresponsible even though it had taken some steps to adhere to CSR The self-interest. The company had not tried to strictly adhere to the guidelines of CSR. Rather, it tried to window dress its financial statements so as to achieve huge market support and high prestige and thereby protecting the interest of shareholders and a few executives. The Enron collapse taught the corporate community a lesson about which Sims responds (2003) "How a Failure of Leadership, Culture, and Unethical Behavior Brought a Giant to Its Knees" (p. 147) Apart from Enron collapse, corporates like Arthur Andersen, Philip Morris and Union Carbide also fell in the category of socially irresponsible companies. Arthur Andersen case is closely associated with Enron for which the former was the auditor. In the accounting scam

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY Essay - 1

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY - Essay Example The role of PSI was to demarcate the areas that required improvement or modifications. The issues identified by PSI were not specific to CVS; rather, it included the complaints from customers regarding cancellation of orders, and wastage of time at the pick-up spot. Analyzing the situation and its complication, the first question that comes in the mind is what could be the solution, or what steps must be taken in order to make the difference? Since the problems are common with other pharmacy stores, it demands something innovative, and in this regard, one has to answer the question, could disruptive innovation and quality management help in overcoming the difficulties of this company? Companies can innovate three ways. Firstly, New and Improved products should be introduced to target the high-margin customers to whom old products are not satisfying enough. Secondly, to the customers who can’t afford much, cheap alternatives should be launched of the existing expensive products which can fulfil their requirements without being a burden to their pockets, and lastly, new products should be introduced in order to create new markets and bring fresh consumers. (Christensen et al., 2004) Disruptive innovation refers to mode of expanding and establishing new customer base, by adding services or introducing newer products and technology that may disrupt the existing market linkages. In contrast to disruptive innovation there is sustainable innovation that does not affect the existing market linkages; rather it aims at adding value to the products or services. However, defeating incumbents with sustainable innovation is very hard. The problems with CVS are common in almost all the companies that deal in pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the margin for innovation remains very narrow, because the stakes are too high, and the safety of the customer is top priority. The problems

Assessment Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment Theory - Essay Example Including the assessment strategies that will be used to measure the progress of the student is very necessary to make sure that this has been achieved in a way that will help the students to not only gain from the learning materials but also retain these materials in the long term (Kyriacou, 2009). Diagnostic assessment is geared towards creating a way forward for the class (Wiliam, 2009). The teacher uses this assessment strategy in an attempt to try and map the knowledge the class already has about a certain topic are. In this regard, it can be used at the beginning of the lesson, at the beginning of a new topic, or even at the beginning of a new class (grade level). New teachers who are about to take a new class may also want to use a diagnostic assessment to know where his or her students have reached with regard to certain knowledge. Once this is used, the teacher is able to know what will be necessary to emphasize on and what may not require more emphasis. Formative assessment is also another important strategy that teachers can use to help and aid in the class. As Gadsby (2012) argues, formative assessments are usually in class assessments that a teacher will use in a way to help the students to learn better. Formative assessment is never geared towards giving the student a grade to indicate his level of knowledge, but is geared towards identifying any learning gaps in the classroom and therefore provide for a way to deal with them (Black & William, 1998). For instance, after introducing and completing a topic, the teacher may want to give a formative assessment as a way to identify what the students were able to learn and retain and what they were not able to retain. This way, the instructor is able to close the gaps that are identified through a formative assessment (Marshalla & Drummond, 2006). For instance, if the class is on Information and communication technology

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting - Assignment Example I also learned that I possess a number of transferable skills such as the ability to put my personal feelings aside whenever there was conflict in the team. In these circumstances, I was able to brush my personal feelings aside and to focus on the assigned task. I also demonstrated self-discipline in that I was able to manage my time and resources in a productive and effective manner. I also discovered that I had other transferable skills such as effective communication skills. I found that I was always able to listen to others and to respond in ways that were relevant and commanded the attention of other members of the team. I also found that I had another very important transferable skill and that was the power of persuasion. I found that with commitment and effort I was able to persuade other members of the group to take a position that was akin to my own. This particular skill will be important to my chosen career when I am advising and helping those who rely on my advice and skills. As I learned from my social networking exercises, I am sure that these skills are the kinds of soft skills that employers will be looking for. I also learned that I can be a bit over anxious and too eager to achieve my end goals. In this regard, the team setting taught me that every task has a purpose and connects to the end goal. Only after several steps are taken can we finally see the results? In this regard, I have to learn to be more patient and pace my time, always aware that I cannot get to the end without starting from the beginning. I will practice this by taking on a number of projects such as reading a book and doing jigsaw puzzles. When I began the course I did so with an open mind, merely hoping that I would come out more prepared to take steps toward my career goal and expecting to at least be in a better position for taking those steps that I was before taking the course.  

Needs Assessment Essay Example for Free

Needs Assessment Essay Students desire more than paper and pencil lessons. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), â€Å"Technology is driving change in the content of mathematics programs, in methods for mathematics instruction, and in the ways that mathematics is learned and assessed† (as cited in Van de Walle, 2004, p. 103). In this study, I want to investigate whether any differences occur in the overall effectiveness of student learning of fraction lessons when the information is presented using different types of visual media, in this case, computer versus overhead. The purpose of this study is to describe the impact of presenting fraction math lessons using computer based instruction versus overhead projection presentations. Eighth-grade math students will feel more engaged while receiving computer-based instruction versus eighth-grade students who receive overhead projection instruction. The participants are 12 math students at a Middle School. All of the students have basic computer skills. The twelve students are all eighth graders but their scores vary on the math section of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) standardized test. However, the test scores in class show that students struggle with fraction problems. Twelve students will be randomly divided into groups; one group of six students will have computer-based instructions on solving problems involving fractions and percentages, compounded percentages and multiple discounts and the other group of six students will have lecture based instruction using the overhead and paper worksheets. â€Å"The logic of needs assessment can be summarized as a simple equation: desired status – actual status = need† (Dick, Carey, Carey, 2005). Currently, the desired status is for the math students to score 80% on in-class fraction test. The actual status is that students are scoring between 69 – 70 %. The need is to improve the scores about ten points. Students become bored taking notes and looking at the overhead information. Students using the computer are forced to be actively engaged. Using student’s interest in present day technology gives both sides an advantage in obtaining educational success. The question that still remains is does it give students an edge over paper and pencil taught lessons? A high school in Texas, San Marcos High, put the questions to the test. Teachers were initially impressed with on-line lessons. However, during the assessment phase, it was hard to determine if students were guessing the answers to the multiple choice questions or answering the questions correctly. When questioned why the school chose to use the on-line based lessons, Mr. Darnall, the math department head, states â€Å"Both of us really thought it was a way to capture the students’ attention† (Trotter, 2007). According to Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction, â€Å"in order for any learning to take place, you must first capture the attention of the student† (Kruse, n. d. ). Computer based lessons will satisfy this event. The students will be studied in their own groups. Data collection method included pre-test and posttest, interviewing, and observing students. Data will be collected in the form of daily worksheets and graded test. Also, students will completed a questionnaire about how involved they felt in each lesson. Answers from the questionnaire provided insight into the level of comfort student’s felt in using visual media to learn fractions. Students were observed during each presentation to look for a degree of understanding or misunderstanding. Triangulation is essential to cross-check information and presents an accurate view of the results. Three types of data to allow for triangulation are observing, interviewing, and examining records. These instruments were appropriate because these factors support the action of ensuring that the students have the prerequisite knowledge to begin instruction and supports informing the students what they will learn ( Dick, et al, 2005). Data will be analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics for measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and variability (standard deviation) (Gay, Mills, Airasian, 2006). Interviews will be analyzed by grouping similar responses into clusters that address the same issue and develop total scores across an item cluster (Gay et al, 2006). References Dick, W. , Carey, L. , Carey, J. O. (2005). The systematic design of instruction (6th ed). Allyn Bacon. Gay, L. R. , Mills, G. E. , Airasian, P.(2006). Educational research: Competencies for Analysis and applications (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kruse, K. (n. d. ). Gagne’s nine events of instruction: An introduction. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://www. e-learningguru. com/articles/art3_3. htm Trotter, A. (May 9, 2007). School subtracts math text to add e-lessons, test. Education Week. 26(36), 10-11. Van De Walle, J. A. (2004). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching Developmentally. MA: Allyn and Bacon.

The Hotel And Tourism Tourism Law Tourism Essay

The Hotel And Tourism Tourism Law Tourism Essay In problems with the Environmental Issues or Laws, with the cooperation of our tourism they develop awareness, concern and knowledge of the environment and its different importance and other things. Those are different laws that have rule in Philippine tourism, including or even the different government office is involved too. It will also provide current situation that have in the tourism, travel and making hospitality which may be analyzed, interpreted and doing what can do on laws that have. The Environment laws protect our natural resources by controlling businesses that have the possible cause to them. Due to the matter of these laws, the Environmental Protection was formed whose main duty that must have done is to control and decrease pollution in finding out some materials that could cause harm, to see that companies that may cause environmental injury, they sets right of practice to lessen environmental effect and to carried punishments for those who did not follow environmen tal rules. Therefore, for any industry or in the hotel and tourism, it is helpful to be well known with the matter that given by our environmental laws, and responsible for law that government given, and the kinds of different way and some business through which those environmental laws are need to implement. Tourism or the Hotel Management can have different effects on a given area such as economical, social, environmental etc.The most important  economic  effect that tourism has is that it provides more  employment  for the people in that area and hence in a way increases their  standard  of living. In fact certain economies primarily run on tourism.As a result it also helps the region as a whole to develop and as a result the governing bodies can utilize the funds to promote the  destination  and make it more attractive for tourists. Tourism is now one of the worlds largest industries and one of its fastest that is develop in our country. For many countries tourism is seen as a main used for wide development, as it alert to the new different economic performance or activities that have in the government. Tourism may have a positive economic effect on the balance of payments, on employment, on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. Unexpected things in developing tourism can result in such a worse of the environment that tourist growth can be demanded. Being the major source of tourist product of the government, therefore it should be protected in order to have something development of tourism and doing good for the country in following years. In additional of business activities worldwide and as a result of more high knowedge , there has been increasing learn to everyone and concern with the injury to human health and environmental damage that cause by the different business activities .These problems is need for business and industry to be controls at all levels, and for the main that could be hardly sustain development to be established in international and national environmental laws to make sure that foreign investment and other business activities lead to development that is sustainable in environment . In this way, the Hotel and Tourism Management play an important role in development . If the government takes the recommended actions for development and promotion it will establish market targets that specify the number and types of tourists that the country will be able to attract. To make sure that national and local tourism development agreements stress a policy of sustainable tourism development. Incentives that given by the government can encourage many corporations involved in the tourism business to do more their activities to have more recently having a large countries. Thinking of environmental problems it will assist the manager in helping such individual responsibility for and liability to environmental damage, in integrating environmental affairs with operations, and in developing policies and professionals to manage environmental issues. Tour operators have a great deal of influence on the destinations, activities and overall experience of tourists. Therefore its hard that they have understand the idea of ecotourism and the conservation requirements of protected areas that have rules to follow. They need to be fully aware that the ecotourism product they are trying to promote is easily broken and must be carefully preserved. The tourism industry is also an important partner since it is a vital source of information about need trends, promotion and marketing. It would bring attention to the present and future environmental issues facing the health of our planet and the people it supports. And our responsibility to protect the health and well-being of that ecosystem start to beginning of a day on the number of aware that surrounds in the world. Philippine laws rule the rights and obligations of which support in the hospitality and tourism industry. It provides for their rights, liabilities and even benefits as order by law. It affects the globalization of the tourism industry, also in opportunity to begun addition or widely into the international market or in target grow internationally. Realize the level of technology and technological capabilities within the host country in order to assess the advantages or disadvantages the hotel may face. Human activities are sources of environmental impacts. Since a sustainable environment must be achieved, individuals should make efforts towards developing and protecting the environment in learning of good methods, techniques, and policies. Human activities are sources of environmental impacts. Since a sustainable environment must be achieved, every person should make efforts towards developing and protecting the environment by learning or doing of good methods, techniques, and policies. Support different developing countries efforts to implement different things that could have in development the practices and protect the global environment. To make sure that the goal is in full support of environmental laws. Overall, consideration of the environment and stick to environmental laws and regulations have become important in the day-to-day behavior of business or in the Hotel and Tourism Management all in the Philippines or throughout the world. Working together by the businesses, workers, environmentalists, and government officials is to find economically into our environment. In helping of our government rules as well our tourism department, we can do better for the everyones life. Inspite of rising the demands of needs of everyone, of everyone come to show full support to the strong campaign for the different environmental laws or regulations, with the biggest role of our tourism in advocating and promote or not violating any rules to anyone who is responsible, we should have all the confident to win this one..    With the skills or knowledge of all in the tourism management and see how that connects and from there start volunteering for programs and tell people about it. But before that first learn how blessed we are and how rich our natural resources are, you would be inspired and motivated to take better care of it. From there, you start with yourself not only our government who pay attention on it. Sources http://www.egerton.ac.ke/index.php/bsc-ecoahos.html http://bio427.blogspot.com/2010/10/environmental-laws-of-philippines.html-. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Philippine_tourism_laws#ixzz2718t1XVm

Renaisance Art Essay -- essays research papers

I have a real love for Renaissance art. The reason I chose this topic is because I took a class on art a freshman, and really enjoyed it. The book I read was ‘The Art of the Renaissance.’ After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in about the 5th century A.D., Europe remained poor and in poverty until the 11th century. By then, Europe began to grow and flourish. While surrounding countries of Italy, such as France, Spain, and England were powerful centralized nations, Italy was still full of city-sized states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Italy was now the center of trade and manufacturing. Noble courts and wealthy people criticized artists and scholars as they saw them as non-equals. Most Italian artists and sculptors modeled what the ancient Romans did in the way of art, and literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Florence was the place where art had a ‘rebirth’, following the masterpieces of Giotto in the 13th century. In the 15th century, a man by the name of Filippo Brunelleschi had turned his idea of art into architecture. New buildings and Cathedrals were being built in Florence, and Brunelleschi’s amazing sense of contrast of light, classical proportions, and spatial effects made him one of the best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later in the 1400’s there was a painter by the name of Masaccio. This amazing artist had a special was of creating 3 dimensions in all of his paintings. As time went on, more talented artists, architects, and sculptors had found thems...

The Hero :: Example Personal Narratives

The Hero Another Sunday morning came, and as I contemplated whether I should do my laundry, or go to the super market, or maybe even down to the mall to buy that fishing rod that was on sale, the phone suddenly rang. "Hey Russ, do you want to go down to the mall? They have a sale at Big Video, all their heroes of action videos are on sale today" said my friend Gilbert. I guess he read my mind, which came as a blessing, since decisions of the mediocre kind tend to be fruitless at this hour of the morning. "I'll come by to pick you up in 20 minutes" I replied as I dragged my comb across my hair and was soon in my car on my way to the first task at hand. Parking was a breeze this weekend as many Americans have chosen to recess their spending since the September 11 attack by terrorist. Only I, whom at one time had confronted their type on the operation table, was not about to give them the pleasure. Now bless me for my behavior for I was rewarded for the first time by the gift of front row parking. As I headed for the sporting good shop, Gilbert dashed to the video sale to assure his chances of getting there before his prizes were all sold out. After I completed my procurement of that dashing blue fishing pole, I stopped at the Deli to pick up a hero sandwich in honor of a comrade in arms. As I ordered that big boy, I slipped the owner a ten-spot and asked if he could make this one special for someone deserving. He smiled and went to the oven to get a hot fresh loaf of bread. You could see the hot vapor rising, as he sliced though the crispy crust. He panned though the assortment of exotic mustards and picked out his all time favorites, spreading it across the aromatic loaf. He went straight for the refrigerator where he pulled fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and the large chunks of deli meats that were freshly sliced for the occasion. He added a few extra slices just to be sure the sandwich looked as good as its name.

I am Sam Movie Review Essay -- Film Movie Psychology Essays

"I am Sam" Movie Review 1. Movie Title   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I Am Sam 2. Year of Production   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2001 (Theatrical) ? 2002 (Home Video) 3. Feature Length   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  134 Minutes 4. Director   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessie Nelson 5. Producers and Studio   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Director/Producer Jessie Nelson, Executive Producer David Scott Rubin & Producers Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Richard Solomon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New Line Home Entertainment 6. Major Character Cast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sam Dawson played by Sean Penn   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rita Harrison played by Michelle Pfeiffer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lucy Diamond Dawson played by Dakota Fanning 7. Brief Synopsis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mentally disabled Sam Dawson is a single father fighting to keep custody of his daughter Lucy with the help of his pro-bono lawyer, Rita Harrison. 11. Comparative Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie portrays Sam Dawson as a mentally deficient parent. The closest the movie, and any resource on it, came to giving an actual diagnosis of his condition is given by a judge in the film stating ?? you have the mental capacity of a 7 year old.? This movie revolves around Sam fighting for the right to raise his daughter beyond the age of 7. The film also has many sociological aspects that correspond to Sam and his daughter, Lucy?s relationship as well as the effects on them separately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the large amount of legal proceedings Sam goes through in the movie, I expected to hear a formal diagnosis or at least a technical term for Sam?s mental capabilities, but there was none. Some of the symptoms portrayed...

A Different History- Analysis

A Different History By- Suajata Bhatt The poem ‘A Different History’ is set in India. In the first paragraph the poet describes how the world is developing at a fast pace and leaving behind culture, morals, value, spirituality etc. But India on the other hand has managed to sustain its tradition and modernity. â€Å"Great Pan is not dead; he simply emigrated to India Here, the gods roam freely Disguised as snakes or monkeys; every tree is sacred† Pan is the Greek god of nature. This reference to Greece and Pan could refer to two things.One of the possible interpretations is that- Rome, Greece and India are considered the hubs of spirituality and they have their own set of gods and goddesses. But over the years Greece has developed and consequently its people have lost faith in god. On the contrary, India continues to be highly spiritual and god fearing and the ‘Great Pan’ emigrating to India could connote how India continues to have faith and believe in god. Another explanation could be the love for nature and respect for the natural environment in India. Legend has it that Pan died due to the depletion of nature and animals in Greece.At the time this poem was written India was not a shade of what it is now and was known for its natural beauty and its peoples dependence and respect for nature. The next three lines seem to be mocking the Indian psyche of turning everything and everyone to god and creating a god for everything. The stereotypical Indian has a habit of using god’s name to get things done; associating every minute detail in his life to god and this is what I feel the poet is mocking. â€Å"And it is a sin to be rude to a book It is a sin to shove a book aside with your foot, sin to slam books down hard on a table, a sin to toss one carelessly across a room. † â€Å"You must learn how to turn the pages gently without disturbing Sarasvati, without offending the tree from whose wood the paper was made. â €  These lines describe the Indian culture, traditions and the values that are inculcated into kids at a young age. Sarasvati, who is considered the goddess of arts and knowledge, is, according to Hindu beliefs, resides in books. So books are respected (reference to mockery of Indian psyche) but in this case she is admiring this aspect of Indian culture.Books are considered an equivalent of god and touching god with your feet, slamming him et cetera is profanity. What the poet is trying to say in the first paragraph is that India is probably the only country in the world that have maintained its values, morals, culture and tradition and these have gone hand in hand with development. She also talks about the element of god being added to an array of things. Some of which, she thinks, are completely bizarre and others that she truly respects. â€Å"Which language has not been the oppressor’s tongue? Which language truly meant to murder someone? And how does it happen hat af ter the torture, after the soul has been cropped with a long scythe swooping out of the conqueror’s face- the unborn grandchildren grow to love that strange language. † I feel that the transition from the first paragraph to the second is not very good as the connection between the two themes is not evident. In my opinion the connection is that she is drawing a parallel between the pre- British India and the colonised India. She is using the English language as a representation of the colonised India and how it forgot or was made to forget its culture in the name of a ‘better future’ and ‘development’.Here, she refers to them as ‘oppressors’, ‘murderers’, but murderers of what? In my opinion murder in this context refers not just to taking lives but also the murder of spirits, souls and more relevantly cultures and customs. She seems to be blaming the British for the loss of the culture, customs, values, morals and in t his case language as well. She questions how despite all the damage done by the British we continue to speak the English language and have stopped speaking our mother tongue. This is the same language that was spoken by the people who destroyed out heritage and culture used .This is not only in reference to language but our love for anything ‘foreign’ and our disdain at our very own country and shame at our deep, brilliant and fascinating culture. But a poem is open to interpretation and the tone and the way it is said can change the meaning completely. While reading a poem it is important to analyse what background the poem has, the life of the poet how it is connected to her life. Sujata Bhatt, it was the first time I heard her name. She was born in Ahmedabad to a Gujarati family.She was brought up in Pune and then in 1968 at the age of twelve she shifted to the US. Currently she lives in Germany. Suajata Bhatt’s life is a complete contrast to the poem. In the poem she keeps talking about how we are forgetting our culture how we have been influenced by the ‘Conquerors’ et cetera. My first reaction to this was that she was a hypocrite. But then I realised that many times in life there are things that bother you, things that eat your insides but it is completely different and much harder to change or work against these things.I got to thinking that maybe Sujata Bhatt considers herself an example of the ‘unborn grandchildren’, maybe while writing this poem she had herself and her whole life in mind. Maybe she realised how she was losing contact with her motherland how she was losing the Indian in her. This poem could be a poem to reach out to the masses and try to make them understand the value of being in touch with your motherland and not commit the same mistake she had committed. This poem was written in the post colonial period.At a time when India was finding its bearings in the world. It was a time when India was still hung over from the British rule but at the same time it played the rebellious teen and tried to fight the natural course of things. When your country has been ruled by foreigners, colonisers for as many as three hundred years there are bound to be an influence on the country. The British ruled over many many generations of Indians and after a point of time the British way of living and approach in general started seeming normal to the Indians and they began to follow it.When the British left India in 1947 the youth were in an awkward predicament while they wanted to revive their culture and their lifestyle they continued to be westernised. Sujata Bhatt continuously emphasises the importance of a national identity not only in this poem but throughout. A national identity is what defines you globally. On the world map it is not the people who are visible it is the countries. Outside your territory your country plays a major part in your identity. The poet says that if you lo se your native habits, morals, values and culture your identity is depleted. * Arjun Nayar 9C

Helping Children Improve their Self-Esteem Essay

To have a healthy sense of self-esteem is what most parents would want their young children to have. Special emphasis is given to self-esteem because parents know that self- esteem has a powerful effect on communication behavior. Also, many observers believe that at the bottom of the many societal problems lie in low self-esteem. Adler and Towne added that â€Å"people with high self esteem are more willing to communicate that people with low self-esteem† (48). Although self-esteem has been studied and scrutinized for many years already, specialists and educators still argue about its nature and development. Even so, they all generally agree that parents and other adults who are important to children play a major role in laying a solid foundation for a child’s development. So what or how is self-esteem defined and illustrated in the different social contexts? Self-esteem is said to be a part of self concept that involves evaluations of self worth. The basics of self-esteem laid early in life when infants develop attachments with those who are responsible for them. Babies learn to feel loved and valued when those who look after them readily respond to their cries and smiles. By being loved and accepted by the people they idolize, children come to feel loved and accepted too. Also, parents and teachers can help their children to build healthy self-esteem by teaching good values, expressing appreciation, giving challenges, and coping with defeats. As children become increasingly sensitive to evaluations by their peers, parents and teachers can be very instrumental in fostering positive relationships with the children’s peers. You can also help the child by being clear about good values and keeping the communication lines open about experiences outside the home. When adults respond to the child’s interests and efforts with appreciation rather than just praise, a child’s sense of self-worth is more likely to deepen. Imagine this, when your child shows interest in something you are doing, you might want to include the child in the activity. In this manner, you respond positively to your child’s interest by treating it seriously. On the contrary, flattery and praise can sometimes distract children from the topics they are interested in because children may develop a habit of expressing interest in a subject matter just to receive flattery. Tasks and activities that offer a real challenge than from those that are merely playful or funs are more likely to benefit children from. Involving the children in doing house hold chores will help boost self-esteem because it will give the children a sense of accomplishment. Cutright also put emphasis that rather than emphasizing constant successes and triumphs, parents and teachers can help the child develop and maintain healthy self-esteem by helping him or her cope with defeats. When love and support remain unchanged during times of disappointment or crisis, the child’s weakened self-esteem can be strengthened when parents or teachers let the child feel that. As a conclusion, parents and teachers can play a significant role in strengthening children’s self-esteem by treating them respectfully, taking their views and opinions seriously, and expressing appreciation to them. Also, parents must keep in mind that self-esteem is an important part of every child’s development. Reference: Adler, Ronald B. , and Neil Towne. Looking out/looking in interpersonal communication. 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978. Cutright, Melitta. â€Å"Self-esteem: the key to a child’s success and happiness. † PTA Today 17 (1992): 5-6.

Alexander Chabanyuk

Any form of exchanging information between people or groups of people is referred to as communication. For any cooperate to achieve effective organizational change, internal communication is very important. Research indicates that employees in lower levels are usually ignored while making organization’s decisions. It was also found out that the employees become alienated especially when the decision is aimed at initiating a change in the organization. As a way of fostering employee productivity, effective internal communication is therefore very important.This does not downplay the vital role of external communication in an organization but both must be balanced. The up and down or horizontal internal communication- as in the case of Vodafone- helps the employees in understanding what they are expected of them and taking the necessary steps in ensuring their work is completed on time. (http://www. thetimes100. co. uk/downloads/vodafone/vodafone_12_full. pdf ) Internal communic ation can also be verbal or written. The vital role of internal communication involves explaining organization’s values, culture as well as visions to employees for them to make informed decisions.It will also strengthen employee relationship and enhance their sense of belonging. For example; ‘eVelopers internal communication system was developed and implemented to ensure that all employees are informed about all corporate policies, strategies, decisions, updates, news, changes, etc. and properly apply them, increasing the efficacy of company performance. ’ http://www. evelopers. com/qm5 This paper examines cooperate meetings as one of the internal communication processes in an organization. Participant selectionCooperate meetings have proofed to be very successful especially where the organization succeeds to invite the right participants. This can be done by conducting extensive consultations with the employees from different departments in an organization. Thi s will however depend on the reason as to why the meeting should be held. After making a decision about whom to invite, it is very important for them to be briefed on the purpose of the meeting. They should also be informed on where, when, the expected participants and where to make further enquiries if they needed to do so.It was found out that the conditions or the environment surrounding the meeting’s venue highly determines whether the meeting will be a success or not. The venue should be comfortable enough to win the concentration of the participants. When setting the date and time care should be taken to ensure that every participant is comfortable. Religious, gender and cultural diversity among the employees should be considered, failure to which the participants may pay little or no attention to the proceedings of the meeting.True representation of the organization in the meeting should be demonstrated by including employees or their representatives from all departmen ts. (http://www. managementhelp. org/misc/mtgmgmnt. htm ; Quirke B, 2000, pp. 25-61) Agenda development The meetings agenda should be made known to all expected participants. Research indicates that no effective meetings agenda can be developed without adequate consultations among all the concerned parties. The key participants should help in identifying feasible outcomes and what ought to be done to ensure the identified target outcomes are reached.It is very important for every meeting to have an overall outcome. For instance, increasing sales, improving quality of products or service, conflict resolution, management and transformation, and introducing change among others. The agenda should clearly indicate how the participants should be kept busy especially those who arrive earlier than stated. It is very important to ensure that all topics are listed together with their respective action or expected output. Opening meetings Punctuality is always very important in any meeting.Mee tings should therefore start on the scheduled time. Acknowledging the presence of participants who dedicate their time to attend the meeting encourages them and enhances the sense of meaning in whatever goes on in the meeting. It is also very important to review the meeting’s agenda in order to consider any possibility of making any amendments. Meeting participation and evaluation Every one should be given an opportunity to participate actively. This can be done through use of questions, opinions, votes, demonstrations and individual presentations.Discursions should revolve around the agenda items. The meetings should be made as lively as possible to help the participants to open up and give their views without fear or favor. The appropriate momentum should be maintained. Participants should be asked to evaluate the progress of the meeting from time to time in order to ensure the correct pace is maintained. An effective meeting must be successfully concluded. Participant conf identiality must be guaranteed. Soon after conclusion, the overall evaluation must be done.This will help in setting a date for another meeting if need be and decide on its agendas. Proceedings of the meetings should be recorded and every participant should get a copy at the end of the meeting. Further development Even though cooperate meetings have been held by many organizations over the past, there is still need to improve them in order to reap their full benefits. It is very unfortunate that the physically challenged have been neglected during cooperates meetings.The deaf and the dump should not be ignored. Sign language should be introduced in order to enable such people with special needs to follow what the other participants are doing. Departmental meetings should be held before the actual meetings in order to bring the employees from a particular department together. This will save time and ensure that a true reflection of the status of the organization is portrayed. Meeting s involving many participants should be held in a room with adequate facilities but not in the open air.Some organizations address their employees in open-air meetings and their intention is not met due to disruptions from external factors. Audiovisual gadgets should be introduced to enable people to participate even from their offices. This will ensure that incase some senior officers are not able to attend -simply because they are out for other cooperate duties –they can participate in the meeting and provide appropriate responses when asked to. Since meetings are expensive, such a decision will reduce the number of meetings held especially when an urgent problem solution is required.This can be made possible by the use intranet. (Klein A, 2004, pp. 59) Depending on the purpose of the meeting, thorough consultations should be carried out from every department to ensure all underlying issues are tabled before the meeting. It is also good to invite at least one representative from those departments that are thought to be less concerned because an issue affecting a particular department affects the organization at large and needs cooperation in seeking for a long-lasting solution.It is expected that, in the future, cooperate meetings may take another dimensions and be transformed into be Parliamentary Procedures, which will involve the use of parliamentary laws. (http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm ) These parliamentary laws can be defined as; â€Å"the best method yet devised to enable assemblies of any size, with due regard for every member’s opinion, to arrive at the general will on the maximum number of questions of varying complexity in a minimum amount of time and under all kinds of internal climate ranging from total harmony to hardened or impassioned division of opinion.† http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm Conclusion Internal communication must however include all the other forms of internal communication processe s in order to ensure smooth running of the organization. These processes may be used interchangeably in order to ensure that information reaches the intended person at the correct time to enable proper action to be taken. References Slaughter, J. (1998). Better, More Legal Corporate Meetings. [Retrieved] 24th July, 2008, [From] http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm McNamara, C.(1997). Basic Guide to Conducting Effective Meetings. [Retrieved] 23rd July, 2008, [From] http://www. managementhelp. org/misc/mtgmgmnt. htm Communications. [Retrieved] 23rd July, 2008, [From] http://www. thetimes100. co. uk/downloads/vodafone/vodafone_12_full. pdf Evelopers, Quality manual: Internal Communication. [Retrieved] 24th July, 2008, [From] http://www. evelopers. com/qm5 Klein A, 2004, Adoption von electronic meeting systems, DUV Accessed from Amazon. com Quirke B, 2000, Making the connections, Gower Publishing, Ltd

Science in Mechanical Engineering

For someone who has always seen himself as lesser superior than others; for someone whose confidence is always behind the scene; for someone who has never really seen himself any bigger than a green pea; for someone who has acquired numbers of rejection which, apparently, outnumbered number of acceptance from people around him; for someone who used to just exist – just exist – who would have thought it would come to this point? Review I cannot consider my life as an extraordinary this world had ever had. Each person has a story to tell and I must say mine is not really something different.While some people spend their lives with lots of colors around them, some just do not – and as much as I hate to admit, I spent many years of my life belonging to the second group. I go with flow and that has always been the case. It goes this way: I knew I need to attend school and so I did. I have to do well in school or else I will suffer from all the criticisms – the usual criticisms. It is never easy to live in other people’s expectations to the point that it is what they want that drives you. It is your body under their minds. I can now imagine how pathetic that was.All the while, though, I do not think I was as inspired as the rest of the class was. I did not make lots of friends from school. No big deal! But there were times when I also deal with thinking of the reasons for the ‘empty’ life. Those days would usually end with me getting no answer than ‘It must be me†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Although I acknowledge the fact that each of us has our own set of preferences and all the while, I lived in the thought that I just prefer to live my life like this – lonely, detached, alone. It was tiring when you care for no one and more when no one cares for you.This probably exhibits the self-centered approach known to men. My being careless about others exhibits my being self-centered while others being self-centered is signifi ed by how I saw them treating me. I started my career as an advocate of science and technology. Yes, my first degree was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I used to get fascinated with breakthroughs science gets to offer – all those inventions and advances in technology. Awesome! Hale great! Breath-taking! Fantastic! All those praises†¦ Nothing can beat the feeling of having invented something out of nothing.Or the feeling of being the one to drastically improve the current state of something for the benefit of people around the globe – it is always satisfying! Or so I was told. But who could tell it was not really a career of choice? I was one of those high school graduates who do not really know what they want to happen in their lives. And so, without any particular basis, it was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering that I ended up with. Not a bad call anyway. I am aware of the good future this field has to offer. I have known of lots of pe ople who have succeeded in this career and, yes, that is, somehow, something to look forward to.I, at least, had this driving force to continue with my study. Fair enough to push me to strive harder and harder. I just told myself I need it or else I will end up with nothing. Although I appeared to be so passive all the while, in my heart I know I long for something. That something, however, is unknown. I do not know if I am just one those people who experience wanting something they do not exactly know what or looking for something they do not know, for sure, if existent. Can you just imagine how if feels to be in the dark? Be somewhere without any clear direction? They say that every little thing just takes a little of getting used to.Oh, well, probably, as I seemed to have been used to the feeling of being lost. It was sad but true. At this point in my life, I can never consider this as self-centeredness as I cannot even put myself at the center of everything. Myself was put on da rk – not in the center but in the darkness. Despite the lack of light in my life, I never questioned the existence of the Great Someone Up There. I perfectly know he is there. I do not recall how often I scream for His help. Maybe not that often but, of course, I do. I do and in my heart, I know I am not essentially alone all the while.However, there are moments when I tend to question the number and quantity of challenges facing me. There seems to be imbalance in load allocation. How come I am so lost while others follow certain direction? How come I do not know what I want in life while others are so certain of what they want in theirs? How come I do not seem to possess enough reason to be happy and complete. I often envy happy and satisfied people, I must admit – but I do not harm to them. I just envy them, that is it. And more often than not, I wish I were in their shoes. I even envy my own family members who seemed to find satisfaction in this life.Self-centered, I was, that time. In all the insecurities I have inside, there were times when I ask myself if this is something I caused. What is that something I failed to do? What is that something that I can probably change to make a difference? What could be missing? I have heard of success stories about people who started with nothing and ended up having the life they have always dreamed of. Can I not be one of them? My concern is never monetary. I did not wish for the whole world. I just want a piece of it – a piece of it where I can enjoy life to the fullest.I did not ask for extravagant things. What would a loner do with those? I doubt if anybody could really enjoy everything alone. I did not wish for fame. I have lived my life not having the attention of the whole world. I just want some compassion and feeling of belongingness. I did not wish for power as I have never ever seen myself mandating others or controlling the world. It could be that I long for power but that power is the power to appreciate and enjoy life, the power to make people see me as a sensible being worth the company, the power to contribute to the ‘real’ things in this world.In short, I was never a materialistic type. There are things I lack from within and that is something I longed for to fill in. Looking at these things now, it was all, I – I – I. I was so I-centered. Self-centeredness, however, can be seen positively or negatively. Realization should start from oneself. Otherwise, there is no way one can share himself to others. There is no way sharing yourself if you are now whole. In this way, self-centeredness can be seen as a first way in building or trying to build relationships with others.I used to have a, so to speak, very narrow view of things in life. I exist. I have to live. I have to survive. I used to find the question, â€Å"What am I here for? † or â€Å"Why do I exist? † as cliche that should have been buried decades back. Come o n! You are here because you are here and there is just nothing you can do about it! It is not a problem needing solution. It is just a situation that you have to live with. You are left with just two options – either you continue to exist or you end your own existence. Is that something needing some sort of profound thinking?!Life is as plain as that. You just have to go with the flow. I was never a person of confidence. I could not care less of what others might be thinking of me. Why would I? Could they care for me any better than that? I doubt†¦ I am just me. With or without me, the world would still revolve around the sun. With or without me, people from any part of the globe would still have 24 hours in a day. With or without me, things still go precisely the same way as they do when I am here. I am a nobody to ever have the notion I mean something – that I am myself and this person counts.As I started to look back, where did it all start? Where and when did I ever acquire this feeling of inferiority and lack of self-worth? When did I start to â€Å"kill† myself? After some self-scrutiny, these questions led me to this answer – the number of rejections I got from people around me. I was ignored for more than once, not just twice, far more than thrice, and to say it is four times is an understatement. It is never easy to be ignored. It is a feeling I would not want myself to dwell with – not anymore. As some people say, any attention is better than none.And indeed, any attention is better than the countless rejections my past gave me. Life has never been that kind to me. All those moments when I wanted to say something and no one seemed to be interested to even turn a head to look at who is talking; all those moments when my eyes could not speak more of what I feel inside and yet no one seemed to notice; all those moments when the only resort I can think of is to walk and walk and walk until my life ends; all those m oments when all I wanted is to disappear from everybody’s sight; all those moments contributed to the me that I used to be.In which case, the concept of containment applied in me. It was during this time when I tend to control and keep all emotions to myself, given the assumption that no one will listen and no one will care. My life went on and on and on. I learned to care for myself and for myself alone as I do not want to meddle with any other people’s lives. Why would I? Is it not that for so long I am with myself and myself alone? Is it not that for so long, I could not seem to find anyone beside me? Who ever said, â€Å"No man is an island? † I used to be an island and that is something I can attest.Until this very day came – I happened to come across (accidentally or probably it is fate’s planned way) with this certain book entitled, â€Å"Teach Only Love†. I am not a bookworm, definitely. No, unless it is an Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics book. I cannot exactly recall what is in that book that made me read it through. It was not me that is for sure. Nonetheless, the next thing I know is I finished reading that book. This is not normal. This must be something. And, indeed, it was. Why? Because reading that book had been the key to discover the other self I have.Yes, and it surprised me much more than any reader of this essay could ever imagine. What about this â€Å"magical† book? Nothing special at first glance†¦ It is a simple, plain, ordinary book that discusses the importance of our every word and every deed. It emphasizes that what we are today is basically an aftermath of what we said and did yesterday. I then started to look back at my past once more – the past that does not possess any allure to be revisited if not for the purpose of wanting to see myself mourning for the nth time. After reading this book once, I must admit something in me felt a slight change in perspective.But I was in denial. It is just a book – a fantasy created by someone, a perspective shared to others hoping there will be people to buy the ideas. â€Å"Count me out†, I told myself. But this book seemed to have a magical and magnetic property that made me want to read it over again. And so I did. This time, I cannot seem to put myself in denial as I did the first time. And yes, it opened my eyes in more than just one way. How could this certain piece of something, non-living, non-speaking, can speak of the things I have never heard from anyone in my life?How could this piece of bound paper wake me up from the long sleep I have been? How could it be? These are the questions reining my head for days and days. I got tired of seeking for answers. And then came the answer – if that non-living thing happened to show the life out of me, I can do far better than that. If this thing that does not have a mouth spoke to me of million things, how better could someone with mout h do that? If this thing that does not have a hand touched me in a unique, special way that no one has ever done before, what more could my able hands do?If this thing without eyes saw me the way I have always wanted to be seen, how better could these bright eyes of mine see those who are in need of my attention? If this thing without ears heard me like I was never listened to before, what more could these ears of mine do to those people who need people to listen as they confess? If this thing without shoulder happened to offer me a cradle of comfort, what more could this broad shoulder of mine offer those who need some rest? And if this thing without a heart happened to feel me, how can my heart not feel what other people have to express?It is this moment when I finally decided to stop asking why but to start thanking God that for millions of wandering souls we have in this world, I was given the chance to come across this book that opened millions of wonderful and worthwhile possi bilities. And so the confession above justifies the need for me to shift my profession from Mechanical Engineering to Counseling Psychology. These are far apart degrees and, yes, I did not see myself engaging in counseling. No, not even in my wildest dream. But this is not a dream. Yes, I am living in reality and the reality is that this is the vocation of choice.This is where I find myself, my heart. This is where I belong. It is true what the â€Å"magical† book says – that it is from your past where you draw your present. If not for the thousands of rejection, if not for the feeling of inferiority, if not for the lack of self confidence, I do not really think this book would have as much effect on me as it had. What is in counseling that truly entices me? It is not the feeling of recognition. It is not the money behind every consultation. It is not to make a living. It is to live and to let others appreciate how wonderful it is to live. Experience, indeed, is the be st teacher.I know the feeling of being neglected. I experienced lots of it. And this leads me to wanting to help people feel important, feel needed, feel worthy. I know the feeling of losing self worth and so I love to boost people’s confidence in themselves. I love to see people seeing their value as a person and claiming it as theirs. I love to see people loving themselves. But going through all these things, all these aspirations for others required lots of self realization. I had to learn to love myself first. It is true that you cannot share something you do not possess in the first place.How can I share love and confidence when I do not have it myself? I started with loving myself unconditionally, being proud of myself like I have never achieved anything before, and looking myself at the mirror with the courage to say, â€Å"This is me and without me, the world will never be exactly the same again. † When I finally learned to appreciate my own self, that was the time I started to see others in the way they should be seen – no prejudgment, no bias, no unjust feeling. This is where I started to realize the positive side of being self-centered.I took time to stabilize myself and when the time came, accidentally or planned, that I can tell myself I am whole, was the time I can start reaching out to others. Therapeutic relationship with others is where the essence of counseling relies. You have to build that kind of relationship to be able to counsel who are in need of help. When is it therapeutic? When you can ease others’ pain and when you can hear others’ grief without literally saying it. It is when your relationship with people tends to make those people feel relieved of their burden. It is the talent that no book can actually teach.This is the spice of counseling career. The theories behind help, but the counselor’s approach to practice it can never be assured by the theories. Person-centered counseling is when you put the person you are counseling as the central consideration in every word you will say, in every piece of advice you will give, and in every gesture you will show to the patient. The person being counseled would want it done that way. Well, to start with, he seeks counseling to be paid with attention that he wants to get, to get the understanding that no one seems to give him.The counselor should be able to give that. The central purpose is to make the person being counseled feel healed of the burden. As Jennie Rowden once said, â€Å"The best thing about counseling psychology is the face-to-face client work; it’s a real privilege to share in a complex process of change and deeply satisfying on a personal level. But I do so many other interesting things as well as therapy; with the research, supervision and the teaching and training of others, my job is endlessly fascinating and evolving. † And I share this same gratitude towards this vocation.It is more satisfy ing than having solved the most complex mathematical problem and far more complex than having invented a machine that could make the car fly. I am not saying these are fancy things. Let us just say, to each, his own. And this something that I won right now is something I will always be proud of. I claim the right to own it and be proud of it. Looking at my self now, I am far more self-directed than I was at a younger age. It is my responsibility to help others see the light of path and to be able to do that, I know I have to see the light in my own path first.It is a must for counselors to have interest in understanding people’s interaction with others and with the social environment. Understanding people’s perception is also mandatory. These things can be too challenging and too complex and only those are whole-heartedly interested can bear the complexity. Prominent areas needing focus are motivation, thought, attention, sensory, and perception. One of the most import ant things a counselor should never take off the mind is the confidentiality of the story or revelation of his patients.Opening someone’s life to a person who is not even a relative or a friend is never a simple thing. The counselor should keep the trust and confidence of the patient. Sharing one’s life is never easy, especially if what you have to share is something not-so-wonderful. But who ever define what is wonderful and what is not? As I come across this vocation, I realize, appreciation of something starts it all. When you learn to love what you have, you will see you need not have anything else. The chance to touch someone’s life, in a way or so, is one blessing I will not forsake.As I walk down the road, I wish my simple talk can speak of the things the lesser fortunate being would want to hear; my simple touch, I wish, could give them the comfort and shield they need; my simple smile, I pray, could bring them joy and hope that tomorrow is another day. There are people asking me what could have been – if I pursue the Engineering career†¦ As for me, I do not see this as a question needing answer. But then, I answered, â€Å"I do not really know. The only thing I am sure of is that had I not choose this vocation I am currently in, I may not feel this very light spirit in me.It could be that I will deal with problems of people in the world in addition to my own, but that is where the beauty lies. God gave these people challenges to work on, to give people like us opportunity to enlighten and uplift others’ souls. It is never easy but it is always true, always real, always sincere. † Looking myself in the mirror now, I still look the same but I see a completely new individual within. It was a total change – something I love. My past taught me a lot of lessons and although life has never been too kind for me then, the sacrifices that past brought me served as the inspiration in my life today.If not for this sad past, I doubt if I can see my life the way I see it now. Every bitter past, indeed, has sweet beginning if we only welcome the possibilities, if we only keep open arms for all the new changes. Fear is but a natural feeling. But to let oneself be drowned in it is another thing. The line, â€Å"I was left with no choice,† does not apply, I now believe. We are always given choices. The pick is ours. Sometimes we want something yet the apprehension is there and we let the apprehension rule. Realization does not have age limit.There are very young bloods who are very positive with their viewpoint in life. There are people old enough to realize things they should be doing and yet not doing anything. Maturity, indeed, does not come with age. It comes with the exposure in life. It comes with faith. It comes with the mindset brought by home. It comes with everything that happens in our lives if we only see things in right perspective. Each day is a new beginning and in each m orning I wake up, I thank God for the night that passed and pray that for this day, I inspire and counsel a soul.If I will ever change someone’s viewpoint, from dim to positively clear, that is when my day would become worthwhile. That is when I can tell it was never a waste and this day is something I am proud to tell God. In every talk that I do, may it be counseling or casual talk with friends, I know it is not them who learn from me. Talking is always a mutual thing. You learn from one another. No one can tell he knows everything. The same line, when uttered by two different individuals, may mean different. Why? Because it is not solely the words but the feelings and meaning behind the words.That is why talking about the same thing with different people results to a definitely wider perspective. It is not the subject matter, it is the people talking. It is not about the language used, it is the feeling behind every word. It is not length nor it is the brevity of the talk, it is the sincerity behind every statement. It is not important if the words are pronounced correctly or not. What is important is the openness of one another to talk and the willingness to feel and listen. There are, indeed, things no textbook can teach. There are things you can only learn as you get through it.I now know the answer to my questions and the answer is that I had to experience all those to experience what I am experiencing now. That may be the only acceptable answer and I do not really intend to search for more. Life is so simple if we only know how to really live it. Life happens but once. I might have spent many years of it in a not-so-wonderful way but it life does not lead back. It only moves forward. And so I should. No one should really wallow about the misfortunes in life, as there is no such thing. There are instances – some are happy while some are not.But those that are not are not really misfortunes if we are to scrutinize. Those are just Godâ€℠¢s means to prepare us. He does not teach us how to see things. He can only provide us with tests that can help us see things the way He wants us to. Our God is never a spoon-feeding, pampering God. He is a just God who gives comprehensive examinations where we can learn great lessons if we only listen. The world is a very huge venue to learn. This life is a very comprehensive exam to pass. The beauty is when we learn to appreciate the class – when we go to it not because it is mandatory to go to it but because we love to.ConclusionIf anybody would ask me now if I regret giving up my first degree to pursue counseling, I will answer, â€Å"The sad past led me to a wonderful today. Every bit of failure and pain did not really lead me to regretting anything because in each of those, I learned. And in each of those, I grew – not just as a person for myself but as a person for other people. † And now, I no longer find the question, â€Å"What do I live for? † mushy. I can tell, with chin up, I live for others to appreciate their lives. I do not just exist. I live. I continue to learn through others with high hopes and belief that they also learn from me. ?

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Article Critique - Essay Example This movement did much to shift the focus from job recovery to the national debt. Though some from the conservative stance felt the Tea Party movement was exactly what the nation needed, proponents such as Sarah Palin had a very different view. She supported the insurgency much more so than the leader of the movement. She was very much against the movement being defined by any one leader or party. TEA AND SYMPATHY Who owns the American Revolution? (Tanenhaus,2012) The article uses metaphor to describe the Boston Tea Party ship. Though there is a replica that is discussed I believe in this article the discussion demonstrates that State of the Tea party Movement. Jill Lepore goes on to describe one business commentator’s outrage of the federal government’s bailout plan, demanding a new Tea Party. He insisted on the unloading of derivative securities into Lake Michigan. The article highlights the importance of the Founding fathers and those events that transpired in 1773; comparing them in a way as to give the opinion that today’s Tea Party movement is small in comparison and lacks the convictions of those of that time. Jill Lepore’s bias seems to be in agreement with the argument’s she presented in the article, and is in agreement that no particular leader or party should be on whole responsible for the Tea Party movement and that those who are considered Tea party faithful’s are emphatic of quixotic crusades (Tanenhaus,2012). Lepore disagree that the tea Party movement has a misguided view of the American Revolutionary period (Mohamed, 2011). Lepore uses sources such as Christen Varley, responsible for holding monthly Tea Party movement meetings and CNBC business commentator Rick Santelli. Lepore suggests that if the Tea party is to be thought of as fundamentalism history and its review will not change these thoughts. No Thanks for the Memories Gordon S. Wood (Wood, 2011) This article is actually a response to the Jill L epore book â€Å"The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle over American History, (Princeton University Press, 2011). He describes Jill Lepores attitudes and opinions as mocking and describes her discussions as ramblings of present day Tea Party movement issues with those of the Revolution. He considers her question of what our forefathers would do to be a question that is not only pointless but serves little purpose then to provoke conversation towards what seems to be her favorite subject, the American Revolution. Lepore regards the Tea Party as an ageless and nearly sacred event almost to the point of worship. Throughout her book she constantly reiterates that in the case of the Tea Party movement history is clearly not understood and possibly incapable of being understood by today’s government. She dismisses interpretative doctrine of original ideas as fundamentalism (Woods, 2011). Woods opinion is that Lepore should have as her focus mem ory of the American Revolution more so than emotional ties and that these ties cloud and bias her vision and opinion. He expresses concern that her scientific credentials are not demonstrated and that the book leaves us with little actual understanding of the Tea Party movement. He feels the book should have ‘

Public Speaking and the Youth of Todayv Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Public Speaking and the Youth of Todayv - Essay Example Since we do and cannot exist on our own we will need to effectively communicate our desires or messages (as this will be referred to later in this paper) to obtain the response we expect and make the communicative act more rewarding. No one is alike in its desires, opinions on certain things, acceptance even in non-acceptance of an idea for everyone is brought up in different environment by different significant others and are exposed to different stimuli. Engaging in a communicative act is, in effect, creating a common ground that will serve as a spring board for consequential interactions. We may study communication or the communicative act in two ways: either as a process and or as an activity. On the one hand, if it will be studied as a process, communication will be explored based on the basic principles involved: thinking, the verbal as well as non-verbal form of communication, the elements involved in the process (i.e source, message, channel, and the receiver), and factors affecting each element in the communicative act. ... Finally, if the communicative act is seen as an activity, the result or the effect of the communicative act will likewise be examined after engaging in a specific form of communication. In a group discussion, for example, emphasis will be on the result-i.e whether a solution has been made. In a persuasive discourse, however, whether the audience is convinced of the ideas presented by the speaker. All of these will be explained in this paper, except, of course the actual presentation of each form. Much of the discussion, however, will focus on public speaking and its effect on one of the most difficult to persuade audience: the youth. The basic guiding principles that will motivate such genre of receiver will be given emphasis in the later part of this paper. The communicative act, as specified earlier, may take different forms. The most common form, so common that it tends to be given least consideration, is intrapersonal communication or "the processes which operate within the individual (Intrapersonal Communication)."In this level of communication an individual acts as both the originating and the responding communicator. It ranges from simply thinking, meditating, and reflecting to talking to one's self or writing oneself a memo. Then there is what is called the interpersonal level of communication. While in the intrapersonal level, both the source and the receiver of the message pertain to an individual, interpersonal communication involves another person. It may take the form of a conversation, a dialogue or an interview. As you might have guessed, two personae are now actively participating, affecting and being affected in the process. The success in this

Management accounting for business decisions Trailer Construct plc Coursework

Management accounting for business decisions Trailer Construct plc - Coursework Example The Trailer Construct PLC is a small family business which is in the process of expansion into a higher level of operations. The enterprise is involved in the construction and repair of trailers custom made according to the specifications of the client. The demand for construction of new trailers has been consistently rising through the five years to 2011, although demand for repair remained consistent throughout the same period. As a result, the company decided to raise its production level, however its policies and practices remained the same.Trailor Construct’s problem is comprised of a mismatch between its increased scale of operations, and its policies regarding inventory management, cash management, cost tracing and determination, price setting, and its human resources management. The firm is comprised of three divisions, namely Administration, Repair and Construction. The aforementioned policies involved practices undertaken in all three, and therefore are resolved usin g a systemic approach. This report recommends that the economic order quantity be applied to the inventory management practices of the company, instead of the present long lead time, large inventory storage employed by the company which unnecessarily inflates carrying costs. Production should be enhanced to make better use of expanded capacity and increase production efficiency, to reduce the level of fixed costs distributed to each unit of production. Cash management should be managed better by speeding up collection of receivables. This is to avoid the need to borrow from the bank to bridge cash shortfalls, and thereby eliminate unnecessary interest charges. Finally, employee performance should be improved by motivation through employee engagement. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Repair 4 Construction 5 Administration 6 Inventory management 7 Treatment of employees 8 Conclusion 8 References 10 Introduction The case of the Trailer Construct plc concerns the transformation of a small family business into a larger corporation as a result in the escalation in the scale of operations. This is typical of successful enterprises which attract a greater volume of business than its usual procedures are suited for. The administrative procedures, employee management, and inventory policies should evolve when a company shifts towards a higher scale of operation, because the greater business volumes enable the development of economies of scale, and demand a greater efficiency in these policies and activities. Repair The financial performance of the Repair division shows turnover to be almost unchanged from one year to the next; in comparison, turnover in construction is growing steadily. There is therefore no reason for the procedure that the client can bring in their trailer for repair after only a phone call. However, there is concern that maintaining a large stock or spare parts is unnecessary investment in materials when a lowe r stock level would do. There may be some merit to stocking up on materials in anticipation of higher prices, but this seldom results in the anticipated savings (unless a sudden significant rise in price or severe shortage takes place) because of the increase in storage and carrying costs that may just offset and even exceed the amount saved by chasing the lower price. The recommendation therefore is that the inventory system should employ the economic order quantity (EOQ) system which is described in the discussion on inventory below. Construction Being the larger of the two divisions, the Construction division shows a steadily rising turnover, indicating that the market is expanding. This presents an opportunity that Trailer Construct should take advantage of. The financial show that although turnover rises, profits remain unchanged for Construction. This may or may not mean that the firm is unduly incurring unnecessary expenses. The company decided to increase capacity by