Lake effect snow in areas east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie

The effect of lake effect snowfall has increasing been felt by residents of cities east side of Lakes Ontario and Lake Erie.   Areas surrounding these great lakes can attest to the fact that amount of snowfall each year increases causing devastating damages to the livelihood of city residents in Buffalo, Rochester Watertown and Syracuse.   These effects are felt more by these areas since they lie on the leeward sides.   During winter days, the snow surface can raise to as high as 1200cm.   In such extreme cases, recreational activities, schooling agriculture and other economic activities have been profoundly incapacitated (Rosenfeld, 2000).The major explanation that has been underpinned to increased lake effect snowfall is global warming caused by emissions of green gases.   This paper makes a summary of the proposed project which is an analysis of the lake effect snowfall in cities east side of lakes Ontario and lake Erie, by outlining the various data and methodology†™s, interpretation tools and reasons why the steps will be crucial to achieving objectives of this proposed research.  IntroductionThe scientific explanation behind snowfall production is a clearly understood topic at least to most scientists; however, the lake effect snow that happens over great lakes in the USA remains a mystery.   However, â€Å"Numerous studies have found a strong correlation between the strength of lake-effect snow and the degree to which the wind changes direction with height in the lower atmosphere. Thus, the minimizations of directional wind `shear` is considered to be an excellent predictor of LES snowfall rates and intensity. In general, when we think about wind direction and lake-effect snow, the first thing that comes to mind is fetch and how it affects lake-effect snow.Assuming that there is sufficient number of cases, one may examine how other variables affect lake-effect snow when fetch remains the same. An example is studying how wind speed af fects snowfall for a given fetch. The purpose of this project is to establish the extent of lake effect snow in Lake Erie and Ontario and its effect to Metropoliation Buffalo and Rochester along with the eastern cities on the eastern end of Lake Ontario.Background study.The scientific explanations advanced about lake effect snow is cold air masses that originate from Canada have low water content which is warmed up and moistened as it passes over the Great lakes thereby creating lower atmospheric instability and upward motion.   As a result, friction between the down winds land surfaces, upslope flow of winds cause boundary layer turbulence, and hence the LES (Dewey 1979).   Lake effect snow is used to describe snowfall that occurs during the winter months and falls due to the mixture of cold air and warm air from lakes as winds cross over water masses of the great lakes. (Niziol, 1987) The manifestation of this contact between cold occurs in localized manner.This is because the snowfalls are not wind driven.   Thus, it is possible to find clear skies in one area surrounding great lakes and another covered with heavy snow downpour.   It is crucial for residents of area surrounding great lakes to be able to predict when a snow burst is likely to strike. Although nature can be difficult to predict, climatologic have made some headways into techniques useful for prediction purposes say. Studying synoptic scale weather pattern, study of temperature of water surfaces wind direction and speed changes in wind direction with height and so on.The visible effect of these IES is heavy snowfall in surrounding areas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.   It winter periods, the areas around these great lakes can experience a one-day snowfall of up to 175 cm deep or 300cm on a span of five days.   In extreme cases 1200 cm, deep snow has been reported in areas like New York (Dewey, 1979).   Wintertime in these areas is often a disaster due to the dramatic results of l ake effect snowfall. Meteorologists have expressed concern over increase of lake effect snowfall in areas surrounding Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Leather et al (1996) proposes that 30% to 60% of the increased instance of lake enhance snowfall increase has accrued from increased frequency of synoptic weather that is conducive for lake effect snowfall in cities east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.However, the proposal advanced by leather is elusive because it does not submit the reason behind the rise of synoptic weather in the first place.   As seen in the formation of lakes effect lakes have a profound influence an adding to the amount of snow fall lake Ontario is a huge water mass and he warm air that rises and the moisture content from it also contributes to rise in lake effect snowfall.   In order to evaluate the extent of the effect of lake effect snow in cities east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie it is important to have sufficient data to support itData and methodologyThis pr oject focuses on the areas east of Lake Ontario and Erie as well as Buffalo and Rochester.   In order to get the relevant data, a sample of 300 metrological stations located in these areas will be used. The stations for the sample will be ones that have weather records dating back to 30 to 40 years ago.   The records must be accurate and documented on a monthly basis.   The methodology of data collection shall be interviews with residents of cities around great lakes east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.   The purpose behind interviewing them is to get a feel of how they experience the dramatic effects of lake snow effect.The sample selection methodology will be selective meaning only resident who have linked in the cities for more than 30 years.   The meteorological departments will be chosen in each city east of the lakes Ontario and Erie because different cities experience lake effect snowfalls at varied degree. Data collected by the NOAA will be considered. Recordings of wind speeds collected in the past 30-40 years will also be crucial. On average snow effect, snow occurs during months of November through to April. The frequency of snowfall has increased while the rainfall frequency has declined in the past 30 years dating back to 1970 thrugh to 2001.The data from NOAA also shows that the intensity of snowfall has risen owing to the increased events of precipitation. Data will be from metrological stations and key components that will be looked for are total cold season snowfall values collected over the period stated, statistic on the negative impacts of increased lake effect snowfall in areas east side of lake Ontario and lake Erie, documented changes in weather climate and precipitation sped and so on.   Evaluation of the data will use simple arithmetic methods such as mean modes standard deviations correlation and variance.These evaluations will help to better interpret the results and findings from the research.   For instance, mean tempe rature throughout a month relationship between snowfall and temperature average snowfall experienced during autumn and winter days, deviation of temperatures from recorded mean temperatures.The mode will equally help to determine the frequency of a heavy lake effect snowfall over a 5-year interval in order to see if there is any consistent pattern followed by the lake effect snowfalls. In order to establish to correlation between increase in temperatures water vaporization and the increase in lake effect snowfall in east cities of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, models such as regression model ANOVA models CHI-SQ, students T distribution techniques will be utilized.   These models will come in handy when measuring my analysis degree of accuracy at significant confidence levels.   A time series of the occurrence of changes in weather and lake effect snowfall will be observed.REFERENCESBraham, R. R., and R. D. Kelly, 1982: Lake-effect snowstorms on Lake Michigan, USA. Cloud Dynamics, E. M. Agee and T. Asai, Eds., D. Reidel, 87–101.Dewey, K. F., 1977: Lake-effect snowstorms and the record breaking1976–77 snowfall to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Weatherwise, 30, 228–231.Leathers, D. J., and A. W. Ellis, 1996: Synoptic mechanisms associated with snowfall increases to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Int. J. Climatol., 16, 1117–1135.Niziol, T.A., 1982: A record setting lake effect snowstorm at buffalo NY. Natl. Wea.Dig., 7(4), 19-24.Rosenfeld, D., 2000: Suppression of rain and snow by urban and Industrial air pollution. Science, 287, 1793–1796.

Gender and Leadership Essay

The seemingly never-ending battle between the descendants of Mars and Venus has permeated the corporate setting. The workplace has transformed into a fierce arena that directly witnesses the competition between men and women. Who performs better? Who is a better leader? These questions are often encountered within corporate environments. However, based from a critical examination, one cannot help but wonder whether gender readily define and determine the individual’s competence and efficiency. This is most especially true as for the case of relegating leadership and managerial roles. Despite of strong efforts to eliminate, if not totally, eliminate gender bias, women continues to suffer from discrimination and unequal distribution of power. On a deeper context, this dilemma is triggered not by the apparent lack of talent and skills of women. Moreso, the unequal treatment is attributed to one’s gender or sexual orientation. Discussion Former President Bill Clinton’s statement which places heavy emphasis on having a â€Å"new gender of leadership† can be interpreted in several ways. First, the said statement may pertain to the act of reconstructing the gender-based leadership roles in the corporate environment. As previously mentioned, the work place is highly patriarchal orientation. Having said this, such scenario therefore demands not only gender sensitivity, but more of recognizing and acknowledging the contributions of women employees. Oftentimes, women, despite of their hard work, are frequently neglected and taken for granted. Thus, having a new gender then, equates to providing new perspectives and approaches on how to address gender-related issues such as leadership, for example. Secondly, the statement may also refer to the actual replacement of male leaders. Clinton’s argument could be also understood as a rallying cry to eventually topple patriarchal hegemony in the corporate setting. But then again, regardless of the various interpretations given to such statement, one thing is clear—gender equality and opportunity should be readily exemplified in the workplace (Davidson & Burke, 2000). Men and women should be given equal chance to pursue career growth and at the same time, showcase their skills and abilities. However, the bitter truth is that women employees continue to struggle and feasible solutions have not been made. There are different factors that seem to exclude women from the core functions of the workplace. First of all, women are constantly subjected into positions in which they cannot fully participate in decision-making activities. Sound and healthy decision-making skills are strict prerogatives of a competent leader. However, it seems impossible for women to develop such skills since they are denied of the chance and opportunity to put their talents into the test. In addition to that, the patriarchal ethos that prevails in corporate arenas leaves no choice for women but to continuously exert more effort in order to prove their value and worth. Relatively, the normative leadership traits attributed to women are also one of the reasons behind the lack of opportunity to acquire leadership roles. In many cases, women as leaders, are often questioned and to a certain extent—criticized when it comes to formulating concrete decisions (Hartmann-Tews & Pfister, 2003). Women are perceived to constantly change their minds, which is a proven weakness, most especially in highly critical situations. In addition to that, women as overtly emotional beings are also being challenged since leadership roles heavily demand an authoritative figure. Also the idea that male leaders, are more likely to take risks, thus, manifesting a strong sense of competence, further subjects women into derogatory positions. But nonetheless, a careful analysis shows that the above-mentioned leadership characteristics of women are highly stereotyped. The truth of the matter is, gender can hardly affect the individual’s management and leadership traits. These two core functions are not innate—rather it is developed and improved via constant exposure to situations that require a pragmatic approach. Yet, as explained, exposure and career opportunities are often denied from women. Conclusion The call for a new gender in leadership, more than anything else, serves as a challenge to the whole corporate set-up. Everyday, a new breed or generation of efficient leaders and managers shall come into life. However, it is important to note that these commendable leaders are not determined by their gender. Regardless of whether an individual is a man or a woman, the ability to rule and govern are not exclusive to a specific gender. Being a leader is a right, not a mandated privilege. Therefore, in such a case in which discrimination and inequality may still persist, indeed, former President Clinton is correct; a new gender of leadership must be readily formed and established. However, this gender should be characterized by neutrality and not by socially-constructed terms such as being â€Å"male or female. † References Davidson, M. and Burke, R. (2000). Women in Management. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Hartmann-Tews, I. and Pfister, G. (2003). Sport and Women. London: Routledge

Advancement and IT Organization Change Research Paper

Advancement and IT Organization Change - Research Paper Example This is a significant benefit to both IT managers and ultimately the company since initial budget is overridden. The software is cost effective since one pays for what they need. One gets a cost saving with regard to maintaining the respective platform of machinery, as well as, the necessary databases and the application server to run the application (OM Software, 2012). The company outsources to a level that systems do not disburse effort in the maintenance and choice of very systems. This allows the company to increasingly focus on the business as much as this requires an IT department. There is low confidence in data security. Corporate data is considered private to the company, and if let outside the walls of the company then many tend not to like it especially senior management (Brown, Southworth, and Sarzynski, 2008). In some occasions, it is conservative and skeptical There tends to be difficulties in integrating this system to the rest of the system. Normally local or in-house applications are installed, but with this system, there is complexity in case one wants to connect or use the available data in cloud with the data in the company. The question suggests that Quick Response Codes can be generated for either e-mail address or telephone number. It is worth noting that e-mail addresses are associated with online QR codes while the mobile phone (telephone number) is associated with offline codes. Both codes have obvious similarities in the sense that they are both meant to serve a similar purpose. They both convey information to users in a quick manner (Philogene, 2008). They signify a specific sense of exclusivity as regards the targeted users. They are also used to encode URLS for various websites. The two types of codes enhance efficient processing, for instance of tickets, as compared to the traditional barcodes. Additionally, these codes provided more information about a certain products as compared to

Company Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Company Strategy - Essay Example 9) There are several opportunities. Beer, being a luxury product, depends on the economy to stimulate demand. With the economic development of the developing nations, the demand for higher quality beverages, and hence beer is set to grow (Asia Pacific Breweries, n.d., p. 1; Diageo, n.d., p. 13; Krones AG, n.d., online). Alcohol consumption in Eastern Europe, Asia, Indochina (Vietnam and Cambodia), and America is rising (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, n.d., p. 1; Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 8). Even in mature market such as Europe, opportunities exist as they have the highest per capita alcohol consumption in the world (Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 12). Opportunities exist for localised products as the market is fragmented due to differences in taste around the world, as well as national barriers to trade that stipulate the allowable ingredients, alcoholic content level, and size of containers of beer (Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 5). For example, the Chinese prefers lighter tasting beer (Asia Pacific B reweries Limited, n.d., p. 4). Moreover, in certain countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, legislation is not so strict. Marketing and advertising are still self-regulated by the industry (Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 15). In the beer industry, the critical success factors for brewing fine beer are the brewer's marketing image and the recipe (Moen, 1997, online). Lastly, moderate amount of drinking is beneficial for health (Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 22). It is even considered as food in most of Europe (Camerra-Rowe, 2005, p. 25). The threats facing Guinness are strict legislation and decreasing demand. Increased focus on public health by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and some national governments lead them to urge for... The critical success factor of marketing image implies that a differentiation strategy is appropriate. In spite of the growing markets in other regions such as Asia, Eastern Europe, and Indochina, as well as the mature Europe market, Guinness has a low market share in the former. Moreover, these growing markets typically have less stringent legislation in contrast to the increasingly stricter legislation in Europe. A managerial implication is that Guinness should consider expanding its market beyond Europe. Lastly, the managerial implication of fragmented markets is the adoption of localization strategy. The beer industry sees a consolidation in recent years that mitigates competition. The intensity of competition is low, with only a few key competitors in each market. This includes Heineken in Ireland, both Heineken and SABMiller in Africa, and Carlsberg in Malaysia. In the beer industry, the customers are retail shops and wholesalers. Hence, the bargaining power of buyers is low, because they are fragmented, compared to a few large beer breweries. Suppliers of ingredients of beer such as tequila, neutral spirits, molasses, rum, cereals, sugar, and a number of flavors are located around the globe. Hence, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Moreover, sourcing for suppliers globally reduces their bargaining power. This is because the raw materials of beer are mostly agricultural products which price depends on the weather conditions and governmental control. Hence, buying from the global market diversifies risk.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Leadership and Commitment 16 4.5. Application of Concepts 16 Figure 2: The Concept of TQM 16 16 4.6. Future of TQM 17 Section 5 – Implementation of TQM in the Operational Process of Chevrolet 18 5.1. Process/ Prevention 18 5.2. Training and Education 18 5.3. Empowerment/ Organisation 19 Figure 3: TQM Process of General Motors 19 Section 6 – Conclusion 20 20 References 21 Section 1 – Introduction With the increasing influence of globalisation, the business environment is becoming more complex and wider affecting almost every organisation irrespective of its organisational structure and operations. Consequently, the competition is also at a rise due to which the competitive firms are focussed on developing competitive strategies, such as differentiation strategies, diversification strategies among others. It is in this context that the organisations are also considering the aspect of Total Quality Management (TQM). From the managerial perspective, TQM refers to a p hilosophy and/or a paradigm which is emphasised on continuous improvements of products and/or services. It is often defined as a comprehensive management process which principally focuses on the aspect of continuous quality improvement. To be precise, the TQM approach intends to satisfy the customers’ and/or the owners’ needs with efficiency and is driven by the continuous improvement of the entire operation process (PHCC Educational Foundation, 1996). With this virtue, the objective of the paper is to study the TQM approach adapted by General Motors (GM) in order to provide quality services to the potential customers and/or owners of Chevrolet. Thereby, the discussion of the paper will intend to identify the various attributes of the operational process of GM. It shall also consider reviewing various literatures relevant to the topic in order to contextualise the findings comprehensively. Section 2 – Context: Company XYZ Logistics Chevrolet is a world renowned brand and is owned by GM, an American auto maker which is also recognised as one of the market leaders in the international automotive industry. Besides other brands owned by the company, Chevrolet happens to be one of the most popular and successful brands marketed by GM. It was first introduced in the market during early 1900s and since then it has gained a remarkable growth in the international platform. Notably, it is marketed in 130 different countries including UK and other major countries of the European region with average sales of 3.5 million vehicles annually (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). 2.1. Main Products, Services and Customers Chevrolet is a major brand manufactured and marketed under the policies of GM. There are also various sub-brands under the brand name of Chevrolet which are also marketed by GM. To be mentioned, the sub-brands of Chevrolet are Spark City, Cruze Sedan, Aveo, Captiva SUV, Epica, Corvette and others. Thus, it is quite apparent that the brand and its par ent company offer a wide range of products to its customers (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). The services rendered by the brand are also available at a wide range from marketing to after and before sales services. To be precise, the brand in Europe serves the customers to modify the design of the car according to their convenience as a before sales service. It also includes test drive services in the category of before sales services. On the other hand, as after sales services, the brand offers vehicle inspections by expert professionals and the

Guildford Coffee shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Guildford Coffee shop - Essay Example (Rickgoossen-makegood.com, 2009) What stimulated such action is a trend towards such products in the UK. Consumers not only care about the products now, but they are very much sensitive to a corporate image that a company carries. Such as being part of fair-trade purchases and network. Coffee is one of the largest and widely consumed fair-trade products in Europe. It was only past 10 years that consumer demand helped the fair-trade coffee brand reach shelves of supermarkets and other brands. Over 55% of consumers in the UK say that they are not just consumers but they are ethical consumers of products(Nicholls, 2002) With all the above trends it seems a right time to open a fair-trade coffee shop in Guilford Surrey. The city currently has Starbucks which specifically sells fair-trade coffee. There is surely a market out there that has not been served. The distribution channels of fair-trade coffee have emerged in the past 10 years as well. Across Europe it is sold in over 35,000 supermarkets, imported by 100’s, served by many corporations and universities and EU government offices. (Raynolds, 2002) The distribution channel recommended to purchase the coffee for the coffee shop is through Fair-trade Foundation UK. The foundation recommends many retailers, and importers of fair-trade coffee. The recommended channel is going through importer of coffee in the UK rather than retail store as it will be a cheaper option. Going through the recommended importer from fair-trade foundation UK will also help coffee shop get the certification of fair-trade coffee seller by Fair-trade Label Organization

Personal Essay Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Essay Music - Research Paper Example According to Philip Dorrell, the man who wrote the book ‘what is music?’ and has a B.Sc in mathematics, music is a voice that has very strong emotions that affect any person who listens to it (What is Music). Music is a form of art which utilizes the medium sound in a structured manner to attract the audience. Rhythm is the most important aspect of music which differentiates it from other noises. Music is enjoyable to all the people across the world even though the style of music might be different in different countries. The exact beginning of the music history is still unknown to human. We can assume that the music was evolved along with the evolution of the human itself. Holy Bible has cited an example in which David used his musical power to treat the disease of a king. There are different styles of music; Caribbean, Classical, Folk, Western, Jazz, Folk, Latin, R & B, Rock n Roll etc (Music Styles). Each style has its own value and importance even though classical mu sic has an upper hand in the music history. .

Linguistics_Positioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Linguistics_Positioning - Essay Example In fact Warren Mashall's admissions have a phenomenal effect on the reader. It's mostly because of him that the reader initially develops a soft corner for Justin. It is rather interesting to note that in a father-son relationship the odds are in Justin's favor which is contrary to normal depiction of family life these days. Kevin Phillips, the lawyer, on the other hand has to jog down memory lane to recollect a character sketch and case history of Justin. His positioning of Justin is of a wannabe alpha male, a man who is willing to knock down some one because he suspects that they hurled abuse about his girlfriend. But Kevin does seem to generalize the case and his assessment of Justin is rather generic. To him Justin is just another case and according to him brawls like this do happen among young drunken men with raging hormones, especially when they happen to be rugby players. Thus even a cursory reading of Kevin's account of the case reveals some inconsistencies with the rest of the narrative. Justin confesses that he is not sure if Mathias ever did say anything to provoke him. In Justin's own words it could have been any one of the bystanders who could have chipped in. But on the contrary Kevin states it for fact that Justin was provoked which resulted in the ensuing brawl. The reader naturally doe sn't fully agree with Kevin's positioning of Justin because there is some room for doubt and the narrative that follows supports this view. Both the positionings are contrary to each other but are not worlds apart. The lawyer tends to generalize because for him this is everyday business. His assessment is based more on the crime and its legal implications and not so much on the client himself. Whereas the father gives a much better insight on the issue and is undoubtedly a much better source of judgment. Task B Positioning the Self Bar-room Brawl The self position in this excerpt is of a man who is at the ends of his nerves and who is simply fed up with the sort of attitude that people are giving him because of his career decision. By the end of the extract, in his own words, Justin snaps at this guy because he has had enough of the wisecracks. But on a parallel plane he is also remorseful of what he did because the guy he hit might not have said anything at all. So to sum it up Justin's self positioning is that of a man who is fed up and pretty much on the brink. No Animosity The self positioning in this part of the narrative is of a lot more toned down person, a person who is in remorse and regret over what he did. His character has shifted to a much more open person and a man changed by his circumstances and experience; the experience being a serious threat of spending significant time in jail. But apart from all this he is a true sportsman because he now respects the man he hit. This is mainly because he now believes that he may have wrongfully hit Mathias. Kevin respects Mathias for not destroying his career because at that time of the incident Mathias was in a position to do so. Thus the shift in self positioning is evident from a person looking for trouble to a person who regrets having done what he did. It is remarkable to see how the narrative plays with Justin's character and the phenomenal shift in his self perception is pretty much evident to the

[Paul's case] Essay with little research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

[Paul's case] with little research - Essay Example 14). The name "Faust" comes from a charlatan alchemist (some claim astrologer and necromancer) whose pride and vanity lead to his doom. (elconnery.blogspot.com, also, en.Wikipedia.org) In the past, it was assumed that the comic scenes were additions by other writers. However, most scholars today consider the comedy an integral part of the play, as its tone shows the change in Faust’s ambitions. (Anon) With greater recognition, Faust became a Grand Opera, ending tragically in death. Paul’s death in Cather’s short story, prompting the comparison, transmogrifies a youth’s confused vision of Utopia into a destination attainable only after renouncing life. The story is one extensive allusion, interspersed with multiple cross references to images or symbols, some of which are complex and require background knowledge of literature from Shakespeare’s era. Faust or Faustus, is noted for his pact with the devil, in the form of Mephistopheles, a servant of Lucifer, the Devil incarnate. He also finds place in other works dealing with the netherworld. (Soldati, 1980 also Leslie Kay Swigart, 2004). Kennedy’s Faust (p 537) curses life –â€Å"would that I were never born† he says. The similarity to Paul’s bent of mind is striking. Cordelia was one of three daughters of King Lear, from Shakespeare’s play of the same name. The only unmarried Princess, she fell out of favor with her father and was disowned by him, ultimately dying a horrific death. (JSTOR) The loss of paternal love affected her in its own way, as it did with Paul. Cordelia is, therefore, an allusion. There is a dichotomy here, because if she was a person who Paul identified himself with, in the story she symbolizes all that he had grown to despise. This symbol was the embodiment of a dreary street, stretching monotonously with identical houses lining it on both sides. It

Epic Story Essay Example for Free

Epic Story Essay Epic Story I’d like to call upon the fiction gods to empower this story to be extravagant. The cold storm carried on with its overwhelming booms from the thunder shaking the house from the outside. Terrified, the blond haired Juliet sat in the corner of her darkened closet attempting to go unnoticed by the intruder stalking around her house. She sat there hugging her legs, praying that he wouldn’t hear her soft whimpers of fear. She listened quietly to the footsteps walking around her once safe home. They began to come closer, she could feel her heartbeat pick up, and he began to slowly approach her inadequate closet hiding spot. Her heart began to beat ferociously. Staring up at the door handle, she knew all of her efforts to escape this ordeal unharmed had been abandoned. The handle twisted, she looked for something, anything to protect herself with, and she came up empty handed. Sheepishly, she attempted to cover herself further with her father’s overcoat. The door began to open, she huddled as close to the corner as she could, wishing she could just sink through the walls to safety. She was in tears now, trying her hardest to muffle them, she thrust the jacket into her quivering mouth. Then, with just enough of an opening to see the intruder’s cold murderous eye; it stopped with a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Juliet froze, in anticipation of what was to come next. The intruder left her closet to investigate. Juliet knew this would be her one and only chance to escape; she quietly snuck out of the closet and began to run towards the backdoor. Halfway there she heard the deafening sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of the intruder’s gun. Looking around she caught a glimpse of her mother’s frail body crumple to the ground through the reflection of a mirror. In agony, she pushed herself to go on towards the freedom of the door. She grasped the handle and swung it open. Running out into the rabid storm, she scanned the yard for somewhere safe, glancing behind her, she saw the intruder catch sight of her, she ran as fast as her legs could take her towards the gate, away from this nightmare. Halfway there dividing her from escape, she felt a large mean hand catch her arm and swing her around. Fighting his grip she flailed her arms and punched him, but doing no harm, he dragged her back into the house. With one large blow to the right side of her head, she blacked out. She woke up to throbbing on the right side of her head. Attempting to grasp it, she found her hands were tied together against a pole, along with her feet, and tape over her mouth. She looked around and saw her sister tied up across from across the room, her head hung over. She also saw a large table in the middle of the dirty basement. On the right was a staircase, and coming down it was the intruder. He carried a large tool bag that clanged whenever he took a step. He walked over to her sister, untied her and laid her on the table. While he prepared to harm her sister, Juliet began to fidget out of the chords that held her hostage. She got one hand free, then the other, going unnoticed, she untied her feet. Waiting for the opportune moment, she charged towards the intruder, jumping on his back and strangling his neck with all her might. He was staggering about, he got close to a wall and crashed her into it; she crumpled to the ground in pain. He punched her again, and again, and again, until she was bloody and bruised. At the verge of consciousness, he stopped. Opening her eyes, she saw her sister hitting him with an axe. ~~~ They opened the door and the brightness from outside filled their heart with hope. They walked hand in hand towards freedom. (I figured out this was supposed to be a true story after I finished†¦.. whoops! )

Management In Civil Engineering

Management In Civil Engineering In general and widely adopted sense civil engineers are considered to design and manage the construction of roads, railways, buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, airports, water supply and sewage systems. They must have to look into several factors in the design procedure from the production costs and expected lifetime of a project to government policies and possible environmental hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, assimilates many specialties. The most common and crucial fields of civil engineering are structural, water resources, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering(Bean, A.L., 2007). Most of the civil engineers hold administrative or supervisory positions, from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. As civil engineering is continuously broadening its area of interest so significant numbers of civil engineers have also chosen their career in management, research, and t eaching fields besides its common fields. Which are new emerging fields and they have their own significance in engineering.These sort of moves demand, civil engineers must have requisite knowledge about all these fields. Importance of Management in Civil Engineering Management is leading science domain and routine in managing building companies. It is one of the oldest human activities, it activates human abilities on building investment objects in order to assure necessity for civil engineering purposes. It is enough good reason to take place in management development in civil engineering. As there are too many definitions of management depending on an author, only the most important are offered, namely the most acceptable in civil engineering domain. Remarkable attention is given to managing tasks in civil engineering as well to their correlations If we speak about management in civil engineering then the total quality management must be proposed. Total quality management is a business philosophy and accessible way of modern companies around the whole world. It is the most contemporary idea of developing and advancing in all life and work domains. The growing urge of efficient use of the earths resources such as land, air, water and raw materials as well as concentration on efficient design, analysis and maintenance of civil structures requires a better insight in the spatial and temporal patterns of resources and activities (Bean, A.L., 2007). In view of the fact that the parameters of civil engineering today are not only confined to design and construction of structures but due to globalization and privatization of civil engineering organizations now civil engineering emerges as a study, which not only pay attention on construction and design but also reflects the importance of management of the resources used in constructio n. Now we talk about the various newly emerging fields of civil engineering (Motwani, J., 2001). Responsibilities for Civil Engineers In most of the cases, such as e.g. the situation, when natural phenomena like the weather is considered the engineering models developed to predict such phenomena are indeed very uncertain. The same applies to the prediction of natural hazards such as e.g. earthquakes, rock-fall and tsunamis which all constitute important exposures for the built environment. Engineering models must, however, also take into account the uncertain performance of man. Due to the effect of the different types of uncertainties there is no absolute certainty associated with the result of an engineering decision. For this reason there is also no absolute certainty about the safety of a structure. So as a engineer at construction site, it is also necessary for him to look into issues like health safety risk management, environmental management etc. Now we briefly discuss about these issues (Carpenter, J. Williams, 2004). 3.1 Health Safety Risk Management As per the definition, hazards which cause risk of lives at site are due to transfer of energy in one form or other. If the energy transferred more than the withstanding capacity at the receiving end, hazard is created, which eventually leads to physical harm of employees. The human system or any other object or species has tolerance levels or thresholds for each form of energy. The quantity of such energy, particularly near the threshold limit must be determined in order to decide on the control method to eliminate or reduce the impact of hazard. Mc Farland, another researcher in this field, has said all accidental injuries and damages result from application of specific forms of energy in amounts(Human Engineering, 2005). The main objective of the health management is to minimize or if possible then completely avoid hazards at site. It will decrease the chances of physical harm of employees and subsequently increase the health safety conditions at site. Although the success of a safety program depends on people, how they are motivated and how they communicate with each other. One of the important keys to success lies in establishing communication with people at all levels (Carpenter, J. Williams, 2004). So here health safety management comes into picture, it basically help to implement methods, which may include written circulars, reports, news sheets, promotional activities, incentive or reward schemes, personal contact and, most successful of all, structured safety meetings at the work place level where everyone can become involved . Safety meetings will be more productive and motivating if a member of a group under the guidance of management is asked to lead the meeting, having first been given the framework of the subjects for discussion and what the discussion hopes to accomplish. Where contractors are part of the work group they should also be included. Conclusions and concerns should be written down and acted well upon. The enthusiastic participation of all staff in safety meetings should be regarded as a long term objective. Case Study Over the last decade the highest rate of accidents and causalities in British Industries has been identified by the construction industry. Accordingly the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) arranged blitz inspections in an attempt to implement health and safety legislation and thus get better construction site safety. But, after 2000 site speculations it was noticed that one third of the site supervisors and agents had inadequate knowledge of and a poor attitude towards basic health and safety requirements. The blitz speculations were not successful in dropping down the number of deaths and other serious causalities but simply pointed out the lack of knowledge of and the unsatisfactory attitudes towards health and safety risk management. The risk of casualty in the construction industry has been dropped down from approximately 4.5 times higher to approximately three times higher than the risk of causalities that is related with all British industries (Figure 1) (Carpenter, J. Williams, 2004). Fig 1. UK construction industry fatality rates per 100,000 workers compared with other industries 1992-2006 (Carpenter, J. Williams, 2004) 3.3 Environmental Management First we define what exactly environmental management is and later we focus on its significance in a view of civil engineering. The main responsibilities of civil Engineers are to plan, grow and manage the surrounding environment. Majority of us in our routine lives take the built environment more or less for granted. We have got used to a well functioning infra-structure (Carpenter, J.,Williams, 2004). In addition, whereas some bridges and high rising buildings may be extremely extravagant most of the built environment is barely noticed. Environment management also includes the proper functioning of sewage systems, tunnels and water supply systems. Systems without which our modern society could not function. When civil engineers make decisions in regard to the planning, design or maintenance of the built environment they take basis in the fundamental laws of nature, e.g. the results of fundamental research in physics, chemistry and biology. Well known examples of this is the rule of gravity or the laws of thermodynamics which all play crucial roles in how we design and maintain buildings and structures. We know that the hotels and resorts in the Caribbean use large amounts of water, energy, chemicals, supplies, and disposable items. They also generate lots of waste such as wastewater and solid waste. Because of this, small efficiency gains can lead to large cost savings and environmental performance improvements. Environmental management is a systematic approach to finding out practical ways for saving water, energy, and materials, and reducing negative environmental impacts. A proactive environmental management program is a win-win-win proposition because it can help a property save money, get recognized for environmental leadership, and preserve and protect unique destinations (Human Engineering, 2005).. Sustainable urban growth needs an integrated approach and the Thematic Strategy advocates that national and regional authorities support municipalities in achieving more integrated management at the local level. Integrated approaches comprise of long term strategic visions and connect different policies at different administrative levels to guarantee coherency. Integrated environmental management also comprises of tackling regarded issues together such as integrated spatial planning, urban management and governance, economic wellbeing and competitiveness, social inclusion and environmental stewardship. . 4.Quality Management System Quality means excellence. It is thus a philosophy rather than a mere attribute. The difference between two objects is judged by their qualities. We set some standards which determine the level of acceptability. In most industries especially in manufacturing and process industry, the concept of quality management is old and used extensively. Nowadays, application of quality management is not only becoming popular but also mandatory in construction industry. Quality assurance in construction activities guides the use of correct structural design, specifications and proper materials ensuring that the quality of workmanship by the contractor or sub-contractor is achieved and finally maintaining the structure after construction is complete through periodic assessments for maintenance and repairs. Quality control has to be imposed by the contractor whereas quality assurance is carried out by a separate third party agency engaged by the owner (Biggar, J. L., 1990). Quality Management Concerns (Motwani, J.,2001): Quality control means rational use of resources. Quality control procedures implement appropriate mixing, proper compaction, correct placement and adequate curing. Quality control prevents temptation of over design. Quality control ensures strict monitoring of every stage of concrete production and rectification of faults. Quality control reduces maintenance costs. Fig 2. Role of quality management in any project (Motwani, J.,2001) Quality management basically comprises of following management: 4.1 Technical Management It is apparent that quality and cost are the prior major concerns for any construction in a customer as well contractors perspective. Cost is related to the quality, that need to be identified for management decisions. The costs of project can be broken down as follows: There are many components other than raw material and labor cost, which individual has to deal with to estimate and finalize the final cost of structures such as (Biggar, J. L., 1990): The costs of preparing appropriate designs, more training to reduce failure costs and a lot of maintenance work. In some cases we need demolishing of one structure and making another structure, so in this case the total cost and production time would be different from the estimates. Natural hazards can also cause to increase the cost of project significantly by delaying the construction process or damaging it. So technical management includes the estimation of cost, time of completion and prediction of natural hazards those possible can happen at the site. At the beginning stage after surveying the site, material testing is carried out in order to make structure economically feasible by ensuring all possible safety concerns for the users. Many standard codes are set up for defining the qualities of material and other raw materials such as The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) favors the improvement and application of quality management system standards, including international standards such as the American Society for Quality Control and ISO 9000, to specialized engineering services and the application of standards to the developed project (Motwani, J.,2001). Thus technical management also deals with matching up the standards of materials and if they suit then plans it to use efficiently. It even associates in predicting various factors which may affect the cost, safety and produ ction time of the structure. This is considered the essential management unit for any construction project which incorporates with defining objectives and limitations, and to build mathematical analysis models in solving difficult problems of production control, materials and inventory, among others. Technical management includes the resources and construction personnel must utilized efficiently for the various operations to accomplish the job. At the construction site this involves management associated to crew management with related tasks, logistics related to operations as well as operations, service and maintenance. 4.2 Project Management Project Management in construction can vary from projects to projects. Like if a construction is required to be done for a theme park than a team of creative people is needed, if a project is associated to the building some mall than the team of project management will have more of civil engineers. However today every company manages projects with some specialization. Such as a construction company can specialize only in building bungalow, sky capers, Malls, theatres, parks etc. Project Management section in a project is a structure that is purposely designed for executing projects. It is specifically modified to reach the demands of difficult tasks by separating unique work and maintaining a strong focus on accomplishing the project (Biggar, J. L., 1990)). Once the project is finished, this structure disbands. Although this structure is supposed to be very good in managing dedicated resources throughout the life of the project. This section shows techniques and requirements during project planning, including cost estimation, forecasting, risk assessment and economic evaluation. It is the division where design and planning phase in which major capital savings may be procured during the eventual construction and operation phases. The key responsibilities of the Project Manager may differ depending on the the company maturity, the company size, industry, and the company culture. However, there are some mandatory responsibilities that are common to all Project Management organizations (Motwani, J.,2001). Fig 3. Diagram shows the various tasks associate with project management (Motwani, J.,2001) Operations Management Operations Management (OM) incorporates with the design and management of required task, services and supply chains, processes. It includes a wide range of judgment that companies have to make, such as product design, capacity planning, forecasting, process selection, technology selection, design of facilities and jobs, inventory management, management of the supply chain, project management, maintenance management and quality management(Biggar, J. L., 1990). The work and fuction of Operational management (OM) ranges from strategic to operational and tactical levels. Strategic problems may incorporate with determining the location and size of manufacturing plants, deciding the structure of service networks and designated technology supply chains. And tactical problems could include plant layout and equipment selection. As a conclusive remark, operational tasks may include production scheduling, inventory management, quality control and material handling. The appropriate management of these resources requires the sorts of knowledge and skills provided by Operation Management concepts, tools and techniques (Sommerville, J., 2000). Financial and Commercial Systems 5.1 Financial Systems Financial systems facilitates to inform your organizations planning and action plans. Financial systems also assist you track and manage the resources required to successfully complete your work. These guidelines grant basic practices, Which you will need to build  ¬Ã‚ nancial sustainability in your organization. Other reasons why developing  ¬Ã‚ nancial systems are important because they play key role in the task such as establishing  ¬Ã‚ nancial controls and clear accounting procedures help ensure that funds are used for intended purposes, transparency, clear planning and realistic projections contribute to the credibility of the organization, Financial systems and capacity help the organization to make sound decisions based on cash  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow and available resources, it help to provide reports to the funders that demonstrate that grants were used for intended purposes etc. The financial system is the system that lets the transfer of money between savers and borrowers. Financial systems play a key role in distribution of resources in a modern economy. They link up household savings to the corporate sector and allocate investment funds among firms. They allow inter temporal smoothing of consumption by households and expenditures by firms and they enable households and firms to share risks. However these functions are very common to the financial systems of most developed and developing economies. Though the types of these financial systems varies widely as per the requirement. Generally we know the fact that the civil engineering projects are very large and demand a very huge amount of money. One individual is solely unable to fulfill that demand of money. To eliminate this problem financial systems have been developed, which ensure to provide any sudden and large requirement of money. They have authority to monitor the whole market and handle the economy of a large domain. 5.2 Commercial Systems The expression commercial system is general and applies to any group or organization with a specific set of skills, priorities, strategies, goals and resources that put in order to collectively achieve the predefined aim of making profit. Ultimately, a group and organization is said to be commercial if its main objective to earn profit for the proprietor, shareholders, or both, by supplying products and services. To comprehend properly what a commercial organization is requires being aware of the many for profit activities commercial organizations participate in. Thus both systems financial and commercial have their distinct role in any construction project. However financial systems are also highly commercial. Financial system guarantees the availability of necessary funds and proper distribution of it to the various departments of project. Where as commercial system aims to provide maximum profit to owner and even more satisfaction to customer. Human Resource Management Managing humans or personnel is at the heart of almost all the real life management problems. What it takes to manage humans? Why humans are a resource and what makes them special? The function of HRM is to bring out issues involved in the management of human resources (HRM), both from current theory as well as practice (Beardwell, Ian Holden, Len 1986). It also examines humans at work and discusses various aspects which are basic to human inspiration at work and in fulfilling career aspirations within organizations. HRM includes various issues right from selection placement to performance appraisal, salary career management, and training, etc. of employees in organizations. The expressions human resource management (HRM) and human resources (HR) have widely substituted by the expression personnel management as a explanation of the processes included in managing people in organizations. In brief, HRM has to deal with employing people, developing their resources, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the task and organizational requirement. The HRD profession and HRM function have undergone significant change over the past couple of years. Many years ago, large organizations looked to the Personnel Division mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people (Roethlisberger and Dickson, 1943). Human resource management (HRM) is the formulated concept to the management of an organizations most appreciated features. The people working there who individually as well as collectively contribute to the accomplishment of the objectives of the business. Recently, organizations consider the HR Department as playing a major role in recruitment, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organizations are performing at limit capability in a highly satisfying manner. However, many HR functions these days combat to get beyond the roles of employee champion and administration, and are seen rather as reactive than strategically proactive partners for the top management. At the end of the day, the objective of human resource management is to assist an organization to reach predefined goals by satisfying, and maintaining employees and also to manage them effectively. The key word most probably here is fit, a HRM approach seeks to ensure a fit between the management of a companys employees, and the overall strategic direction of the company (Staw and Barsade, 1993). The theoretical discipline of HRM is considering primarily the assumption that employees are individuals with varying needs and goals, and as such should not be thought of as basic business resources, such as trucks and filing cabinets. The area needs a positive view of workers, assuming that practically all wish to contribute to the enterprise productively, and that the main complication to their endeavors are lack of knowledge, failures of process and insufficient training. Nevertheless these conventional expressions are becoming less common for the theoretical discipline. Sometimes even industrial and employee relations are confusingly termed as synonyms, although these generally imply to the connection between management and workers and the behavior of people in companies. The Human Resources Management (HRM) profession includes numerous activities, and the most crucial among them is choosing what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or recruit employees to achieve these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, promising they are elevated performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring personnel and management practices conform to number of regulations. Activities also include managing your move toward to employee benefits and compensation, employee details and personnel policies. However, they should always ensure that employees have a vague idea of personnel policies which confirm to current regulations. These policies are generally in the form of employee manuals, that all employees own. Document Control Anyone who works in a professional services firm nowadays must know well that document management involves far more than simple data processing and file sharing. Document management nowadays must keep in mind the complete life cycle of a document as well as its content from creation, employees and clients, to the eventual storage and harvesting of content for reuse, to collaboration among partners. In response of fulfilling these needs, firm developed technologies that offer firms to make and control documents that were not applicable in years past. Professional services companies can now enhance productivity, increase security through tighter controls over document production and handling, and perk up document quality through the application of clear editing and review path ways. Additionally, progresses in collaboration and communication can facilitate firms to attain the smartest return. Summary Project Management section in a project is a structure that is purposely designed for executing projects. It is specifically modified to reach the demands of difficult tasks by separating unique work and maintaining a strong focus on accomplishing the project. Although this structure is supposed to be very good in managing dedicated resources throughout the life of the project. This section shows techniques and requirements during project planning, including cost estimation, forecasting, risk assessment and economic evaluation. It is the division where design and planning phase in which major capital savings may be procured during the eventual construction and operation phases. At the construction site safety is the major concern because these projects are huge so a small mistake can cause of a serious damage. The main objective of the health management is to minimize or if possible then completely avoid hazards at site. It will decrease the chances of physical harm of employees and subsequently increase the health safety conditions at site. One of the important keys to success lies in establishing communication with people at all levels. To improve the safety methods new ways have been used to reach the satisfactory safety levels. This whole work can not be done by the single unit at the site but all management units specified above coordinated well and help to implement methods, which may include written circulars, reports, news sheets, promotional activities, incentive or reward schemes, personal contact and, most successful of all, structured safety meetings at the work place level where everyone can become involved. Safety meetings will be more product ive and motivating if a member of a group under the guidance of management is asked to lead the meeting, having first been given the framework of the subjects for discussion and what the discussion hopes to accomplish. For the progress of any project it is necessary that all accident should be avoided at the site which eventually needs improved safety methods.

Jesus and Socrates Would Have Difficulty Surviving in America’s Public

Those at the plinth of the socioeconomic hierarchy face both structural constraints and functional impediments, especially people of color. The structural constraints imply socio-historical position of servitude, racial segregation and discrimination, ghettoization, distorted unemployment rates, and inferior health care funneled by deplorable education. The behavioral impediments on upward mobility connote the dwindling of the Protestant ethic an angle taken by Booker T. Washington and many other black Americans. Nonetheless, both categories can be marked as systematic obstacles. In my research paper, I focus on all components of the aforementioned dilemmas, particularly that pertaining to the black or minority experience in the American public education system. In doing so, I will prove that there is no reform or positive revision in America’s public education system. All of the previous listed problems are representative of a vicious cycle born from the lack of qualit y education; moreover, when discussing poor education in America, we are directly speaking to the educational crises of poor colored people – distinctively, blacks and Latinos. To put it clearly, the crux is K-12 public education in America is nowhere near as good as it should be, and it is predominantly the poor who bear the brunt of educational shortcomings. Chiefly, we ought to acknowledge that structures and functional dilemmas are inseparable, that institutions and values coexist as a dyadic function. â€Å"Minorities are more prone to attend high-poverty schools – that is, public schools where greater than seventy-five percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and are less likely to graduate from high school and subsequently atten... ...nt: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Penguin Group USA, 2009. Print. Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. Oxford: Capstone, 2001. Print. â€Å"The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report.† The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report. Web. 07 May 2012. . Smith, Dane, and Shawn Lewis. African American Boys: ‘Too Important to Fai’' http://www.growthandjustice.org. 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Washington, Harriet A. Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial times to the Present. New York: Anchor, 2008. Print. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Boston: Beacon, 1993. Print. Whitman, Mark. Removing a Badge of Slavery: The Record of Brown v. Board of Education. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Pub. 1993. Print.

Hawthornes Hierarchy of Sin in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Le

Hawthorne's Hierarchy of Sin in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚        Ã‚   Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne focuses on the struggle of Hester Prynne, a woman who is forced to deal with the strict Puritan punishment for the adulterous birth of her child, Pearl.   Yet, the very Puritan values that bring Hester public ignominy help to lift her to a position of respect in the community.   Although Hawthorne does not condone Hester's sin, he takes pains to show that her sin is minimal in comparison to those of her weak lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, and of her vengeful husband, Roger Chillingworth.       Hester finds solace in the moral teachings of her religion and in acts of repentance, which help her deal with the struggles resulting from her sin.   Although she no longer practices her faith openly after her public disgrace, she still has deep ties to her God and religion.   She often prays for Pearl in hopes that her child's wild character will be calmed with time.   Hester accepts her punishment readily, elaborately embroidering the scarlet "A" she is forced to wear on her breast and dressing Pearl in scarlet.   She continues to wear the symbol of her sin long after the community declares her repented due to her commendable record of community service, showing everyone that she has nothing to hide.   Indeed, Hester's salvation lies in the truth:   "In all things else, I have striven to be true!   Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast, through all extremity.    . . . A lie is never good, even though death threaten on the other side!" (200).   Hester finds comfort in prayer and repentance, which help to make her strong:   "Shame, Despair, Solitude!   These had been her teachers- s... ...esdale.   For his sins Chillingworth suffers a horrible fate:   "All his strength and energy-all his vital and intellectual force-seemed at once to desert him; insomuch that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal site. . ." (268).   He dies very shortly after Dimmesdale.       Although it appears at first glance that Hester is Hawthorne's focus in The Scarlet Letter, a closer examination reveals that the novel revolves around the struggles of a weak lover and a jealous husband.   Indeed, Hawthorne shows that Hester, who readily faces her problems, grows stronger and gains the respect of her community, whereas both Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, who are consumed by fear and hate respectively, bring about their own demise.    Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel.   The Scarlet Letter.   New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1948.

Strange Place

Alayna Grant Dr. Bellah English 1301-015 February 15, 2013 Strange Place On July 11th it will be twelve years since I discovered the magical world of yuccas and mesquite trees. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember driving all the way down the road that seemed like miles and miles of nothing but wilderness. We seemed to have driven for forever. There were no houses or mobile homes or much of anything. Then we came to a dirt road, and I said â€Å"Daddy I hope we are not going to drive into there. † There looked like an unmarked, mysterious place.It was a new unfamiliar place that I would be the first to discover. As soon as we got out of the truck I started asking questions. â€Å"Daddy is there dinosaurs here? † Then he explained that I would have to go check for myself, so I made that my personal mission. We came back a few days later because he was going to set up the layout of the house, and all that good stuff was going to be put together. I came pre pared this time; I had my binoculars, my toy gun, and my camera. I had my pink binoculars so I could see trouble that I might get into far away.I had my gun in case there was a dinosaur. Finally I had my camera so I could prove to my dad that there were dinosaurs. â€Å"Well here I go. † I said to myself. I start walking and before I know it I’m in this mysterious place. I am seeing things I never saw before. All these trees around me look evil; they have very long, sharp, pointy thorns on them. There were these weird plant look-alike things that I accidently stepped on that poked me and made blood droplets on my leg. There was this mean looking frog that had horns. And before you knew it I had gotten in too deep and was lost.All I could see that was familiar was the baby blue sky and the bright golden sun. So I kept going hoping I would find maybe a sign or a trail. I held my gun close to me just in case I found a dinosaur. Then out of nowhere hops a little grey bunny , he stops to look at me for a second then starts to hop off. I thought to myself â€Å"Maybe if I follow him I can get back to my daddy. † So that’s what I did until he was out of sight. I grabbed my binoculars to try to find him, but he was long gone. He hopped way too fast and I could not hop over the weird looking plants fast enough.So there I was again stuck alone and there were still no signs of any dinosaurs yet. â€Å"Maybe there are not any dinosaurs out here in this place. † I thought to myself, but I’ll keep looking. Gazing through my binoculars I came across something black, something that looked like I had seen before. I start walking faster and faster towards it. And before too long I was back at my dad’s black truck. â€Å"Whoa I thought I was going to be lost forever out here. † I said to my dad. He asked me â€Å"Did you find any dinosaurs’ baby? † And with a sad sounding voice I said â€Å"No but if we build a house out here I can look forever! †

Apple’s iphone – Not “made in America”

1) What is meant by globalization of human capital? Is this inevitable as firms increase their global operations? Globalization of human capital implies that people are moved out of their native country for employment in various fields. Since there are many companies around the globe and have branches in other countries, qualified people get an opportunity to move out and work. It is inevitable since globalization is established and the companies use the skills, labor, talent and knowledge as a part of globalization of human capital.2) How does this case illustrate the threats and opportunities facing global companies in developing their strategies? The main threat is when president Obama asked Steve job about reduction of job opportunities in United states and giving job in other countries, which made a feel of threat in their own country. And also many suicides at Foxconn lead a negative impression on Apple. The opportunities faced by them are high profit of $ 321 per i phone. It s hows the profit of a global company.3) Comment on Apple executives assertion that the company's only obligation is making the best product possible. â€Å"we do not have have any obligation o solve America's problems† I think it is really harsh to say these words. Everyone should have some obligation towards their country. But this is business and as an executive he is right he should always think about the growth and quality of the product. And should make maximum profit from low cost. So I think he is right.4) Who are the stakeholders in this situation and what, if any, obligations do they have? The main stakeholders are Apple company, Foxconn, and the government. All of these have obligations. Since Apple is a brand company and all expect best from them it is their obligation to be faithful and best quality provider to the consumers and also to the workers who work 24 hours for them. It is same for Foxconn too. They should be concern about the workers they should get the a dequate pay and rest. Also, government  should safe guard the people of each country from any type of pressure.5) How much extra are you prepared to pay for an iphone if assembled in the United states? I think I will not pay even a single penny extra to buy an iphone since they have a profit of $321 now itself. That is too much profit. I recommend they should decrease the rate of the phone. Some other product made in USA is not that expensive so the iphone should also be a little lower than now. After all, it is a phone although it has many application also it is not expensive enough to make it.6) How much extra are you prepared to pay for an iphone if assembled in China but under better conditions and pay? What kind of trade -off would you make? I have the same opinion as I said for United states. Better conditions and pay rights of workers and it does not mean the price should be increased since the already have a good profit. And it is the right thing to provide better conditio ns and better pay. We can also think about globalization of human capital to United states.7) To what extend do you think the negative media coverage has affected Apple's recent decision to ask the FLA to do an assessment and the subsequent decision by Foxconn to raise some salaries? What do you think will happen now?Since everyone knows about the case I think they will be more careful and take a favorable decision so as to protect the workers. It is sure that the negative media coverage has affected Apple's image very badly and so they asked for a FLA assessment. Foxconn on other hand was squeezing the workers to do more work with little pay and the suicide which occurred made made them into trouble and they increased the wages to save their face and I think they have to be very careful in future by providing good environment to work with a descent pay.

Employment Relations Essay

â€Å"Parliament, in the last 100 years or so, has a lot to say about conditions of work and the relationship between employers and their employees† (Deeks & Rasmussen, 2006). There have been many industrial disputes regarding the arbitration system between 1894 and 1991 which has influenced changes to New Zealand Employment Relations. One of the many industrial disputes was the waterfront industrial dispute 1951. This dispute in New Zealand’s labour history is the biggest industrial dispute that has influenced changes to Employment Relations legislation. Although it was not as violent as the great strike of 1913, it lasted longer-151 days, from February 15th to July 15, and involved more workers (Scott, 2001). The 1951 dispute pitted the government and public against the Watersiders after they decided to work to rule in protest at their employers’ refusal to award them a 15 per cent pay rise (Kay, 2008). At its peak, 22000 waterside workers (wharfies) and other unionists were off the job out of the population of just under two million (Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Today in History, 2007). This essay will discuss the effects, outcomes and influences of the 1951 waterfront industrial dispute thus how it turned the New Zealand Employment Relations around in order to avoid disputes as such from happening and also create a better relationship between the employers and the employees today. The historical events regarding New Zealand employment relations are really quite wide spread. Many events such as strikes and lockouts have happened regards to compulsory arbitration. In 1894 Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act (IC ;A Act 1894) was designed to replace industrial action with conciliation ; arbitration. This was implemented to bring negotiation and disputing sides together to solve industrial conflicts. ‘Unions registering under the act effectively got exclusive organising and bargaining rights’, (Rasmussen ; Deeks, 2006, pg 52). Unions played important interest groups during this time. They helped to promote employee interests to satisfy work goals such as better wages thus they became the legally recognised voice of the workers in a particular industry.

Kotler Mkting Management Chapter 13

Designing and Managing Services Discussion Questions 1. How do we define and classify services? 2. How do services differ from goods? 3. How can we achieve excellence in marketing services ? 4. How can we improve service quality? 5. How can goods marketers improve customer service? Slide 2 of 29 The Nature of Services 2008 – 2018 Loss of 1. 2 million jobs 2008 – 2018 Gain of 14. 6 million jobs Slide 3 of 29 Service An act or performance one party can offer to another that is mostly intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Slide 4 of 29 Categories of Service Mix Mix of goods & services Pure Tangible Good Hybrid Pure ServiceSoap Cell phone Babysitting Slide 5 of 29 Service Characteristics Intangibility Variability Perishability Empty seats Inseparability Slide 6 of 29 Intangibility Create tangible elements †¢ Place †¢ People †¢ Equipment †¢ Communication material †¢ Symbols †¢ Price Slide 7 of 29 Inseparability Work Faster Add More Service Providers Work with Larger Groups Slide 8 of 29 Variability Offer Guarantees Monitor Satisfaction Good Hiring and Training Slide 9 of 29 Overnight Hotel Stay Blueprint Slide 10 of 29 Perishability Empty seats Nonpeak Demand Complementary Services Reservation Systems Differential Pricing Slide 11 of 29 New Services RealitiesCustomer Empowerment Satisfying Employees Customer Co-production Slide 12 of 29 Root Cause of Customer Failure Slide 13 of 29 What Customers Want from Providers Knowledgeable employees Address needs on first contact Treat me like a valued customer 65% 64% 62% 54% 49% 49% 45% 43% 38% Demonstrates desire to meet my needs Can quickly access information Good value for the money Courteous employees Is a company/brand I can trust Treats me fairly Provides relevant/personalized service 0% 10% 20% 30% 31% 40% 50% 60% 70% Slide 14 of 29 Determinants of Service Quality Reliability Tangibles Responsive Empathy Assurance Slide 15 of 29

Cause and Effects of Lying Essay

People lie everyday, in someway or another, to keep themselves out of trouble. People lie about all types of situations. Regardless, a lie is a lie. Lying never stops. Each day we make the same choice hundreds of times: whether to lie or tell the truth. We are so quick to over look the obvious yet inconsequential decisions that we make each day about lying and telling the truth. Getting into trouble is most often the situation that everyone tries to avoid and therefor lie about. With all the lying going on in todays society its often nearly impossible to trust anyone anymore. So I ask you when is lying acceptable? Is lying acceptable? How can telling a lie benefit you or hurt you? In my own personal knowledge I understand that we begin lying from almost the time we began speaking until we are taking our last breaths. As small children we lie we lie about little things like if we really pooped in our pants to coloring on the wall and in my opinion I beleive that is only the start. As we get older our daily use of lying gets more and more frequent. As teenagers we feel the need to constantly lie about our grades, chores,our homework, or even what our weekend plans consist of. As adults the lies get even more progressive and more unacceptable. What about lying to impress someone? Possibly the most typical type of lying is due to trying to impress someone. We lie to impress friends,family,co-workers, and even those random people we have no idea who they are. The question is can lying to impress someone help you? Well to answer your question, In some cases yes it can but you still need to be aware of the unintended consequences of lying. Unintended consequences include losing your job for lying about something as simple as your age as well as create a potential problem for future employment. Small children and teenagers are in constant battle with one another of who is better. The downfall to that is the truth being releived. In the end telling a lie is only going to hurt you. There are two effects of lying, the good and the bad. Some good examples of lying can be the obvious no one finds out the truth, But I mean lets face it sooner or later your bound to get caught. Lying to your parents about where you were on saturday night and them never knowing the truth is an excellent example of a positive effect. But on the other hand if you are to get caught in the lie you can face the possible  punishment of grounding, spanking, extra chores and even more. More importanly as adults we lie to our spouses. Lying to our spouse can have some serious longterm effects on our lives and others as well. It may result in divorce,or breakups, unhappiness and missery for the other partner as well as children if they are involved. So you see a lie can benefit you and hurt you. Another example of beneficial lying would be parents and there children. As parents we dont always understand what a child has so enthusiastically dwarn up for us, but we make sure to tell them we do. Those types of lies are probably the only exceptable and beneficial types of lying a person can do. Perhaps if we spent more time thinking on the consequences of lying we wouldn’t do it so frequently. Although a lie may seem beneficial at the time it is normally proceeded by some not so beneficial consequences. Just remember this one important thing lying hurts you more than anything. So if you must lie first ask yourself will I be benefiting anyone from my lie or hurting someone or myself. Stop and think for a moment. Lies equal lack of trust and we all need trust.

The Innovation and Learning Perspective of the Balanced Scorecard Research Paper

The Innovation and Learning Perspective of the Balanced Scorecard - Research Paper Example There are two main causes of variances in a business’s budget. One of the main causes is spending more than the budget allows. This could be due to the fact that the management budgeted for less than required; there was mismanagement of funds or general poor planning. Secondly, there may be an unexpected emergency in a business that may cause a major rift in the use of funds from the budget (Berry et. al. 2006). Mechanical damages to a major processing asset, for instance, could lead to an urgent purchase of another one in order to maintain the expected level of production. As an example, the Manchester Meerkat Company (MMC) suffered a blow when floods drained the fibre filling. This caused emergency spending that may have resulted in variance in the budget. This would cause destabilization in the budget hence a variance. These variances can either cause adverse effects to an organization if ignored or lead to success in business if noted and improved. This is because there ex ist two categories of variances namely favourable and unfavourable variances. The favourable variances occur where the results of business operations are better as compared to the expected results. On the other hand, the unfavourable variances occur whenever the end results of business operations are worse than expected results. Therefore, managers always carry out variance analysis in order to the look-after-the fact at what caused the difference. Furthermore, according to Blocher & Cokins (2005), this analysis helps the management to pinpoint the effects the variances have to the business and how to correct or improve on them.

Partnership Agreement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Agreement - Case Study Example Except as Otherwise determined, all decisions shall be made by the partners whose capital accounts total a majority of the value of the capital accounts of all the partners 11. Bank Account. The partnership may select a bank for the purpose of opening a bank account. Funds in the bank account shall be withdrawn by checks signed by any partner designated by the partnership. 14. Transfers to a Trust. A partner may, after giving written notice to the other partners, transfer his/her interest in the partnership to a revocable living trust of which he/she is the grantor and sole trustee. 17. Voluntary Withdrawal (Partial or Full) of a Partner. Any partner may withdraw apart or all of the value of his/her capital account in the partnership and the partnership shall continue as a taxable entity. The partner withdrawing a portion or all of the value of his/her capital account shall give notice of such intention in writing to the Recording Partner. Written notice shall be deemed to be received as of the first meeting of the partnership at which it is presented. if written notice is received between meetings it will be treated as received at the first following meeting. In making payment, the value of the partnership as set forth in the valuation statement prepared for the first meeting following the meeting at which written notice is received from a partner requesting a partial or full

International marketing exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International marketing exam - Essay Example How accessible is the segment? Can the business obtain real data to consider the potential of the segment? Is it measurable? Market segmentation is done to clearly identify the various categories of customers in terms of needs and behaviour to better satisfy their needs. When the sellers and firms create separate segments of customers, it makes sense and provides customers with better solutions. Different customers have different amounts of disposable income and thus different in how they view price. Through segmentation, firms raise their average prices and thus enhanced profits for the business and builds up sales. Customer circumstances change, for instance they may shift necessitating change in buying patterns (Gunderson, 2008). When the sellers market products appealing to customers at different stages will help the firm in retaining their customers who might otherwise be tempted to switch to different products. In marketing, firms need to deliver the right message to the relevant customer segment. If the target group is too broad, there is likelihood that the main customers will be missed and that the cost of communication will rise rendering the business unprofitable. Through segmentation, the target customers are reached at a lower cost. Firms always target to increase their market share in the industry in a bid to maximize profits. Careful market segmentation and targeting will enable the businesses to achieve competitive production and costs of marketing therefore increasing the market share. There are various types of segmentation criteria including geographic segmentation; psychographics segmentation; demographic segmentation; and behavioralistic segmentation (Weinstein, 2004). When a company Toyota Motor Company produces cars for example, it segments its market into high, low and medium income earners and produces cars that customers in each segment can afford. The company determines which vehicle features are loved by people

Quantitative Analysis for Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitative Analysis for Finance - Essay Example b) The variable TOTREVFRAN has been computed according to its definition specified and being included in the adjoining .sav file. The scatter diagram associated with the trend that the variable takes over time has been depicted in the graph below. c) Financial data computed at current time implies those which are not corrected for the rate of inflation, in contrast to real data which indeed are corrected for inflation, prevailing at a certain base year. The real variable REALREVFRAN has been computed by correcting TOTREVFRAN for inflation with the base year 2005 (= 100). The formula being used is, d) The variable TRADEUKFRAN, aiming to figure out openness to trade of UK towards France, has been computed in the adjoining .sav file by means of the method being specified. Hence, the method of calculation involved is, e) The Harmonised Index of Consumer Price is a method of figuring out the extent of inflation and prevailing in an economy. It is commonly used by the European Central Bank to calculate the degree of price stability of the entire European Union. The method of computation is through estimating the weighted averages of the price indices of all nations underlying EU and who have adopted the Euro, at any given point of time (OECD, 2003, p. 77). f) Stepwise method of regression separates the factors which turn out to be insignificant from those that are significant in explaining a predictor, so as to yield the most effective regression model ultimately. Regressing REALREVFRAN against TRADEUKFRAN, STERPEREURO, HICPTRANSPORT, HICPRECCULT, HICPHOTELREST, HICPALL and REALGDPFRAN, in a stepwise method, yielded the following regression model – The values in parentheses are the estimated levels of significance of the parameters. Though the slopes corresponding to HICPTRAN and REALGDPFRAN are found to be significant even at a 99% confidence interval, the same is not true for the other

Exceptions to the Search Warrant Requirement Essay

Exceptions to the Search Warrant Requirement - Essay Example A search warrant is not an administrative function, it is a judicial act. In the United States, the issue of Search warrants is determined under Title 18 of the US Code. The law has been restated and extended under Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Each state can frame its own laws governing the issuance of search warrants. Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is one of the provisions included in the Bill of Rights. The Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, and was originally designed as a response to the controversial writs of assistance, which were a significant factor behind the American Revolution. It is observed that , in US , of the of the 19.3 million traffic stops documented in the study, about 1.3 million motorists said they or their vehicle had been searched. In almost 90 percent of these searches, police found no evidence of a crime .As such, Fourth Amendment was made to protect the interest and rights of citizens and to prevent harassment to their personal life and property. It protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures, provides that a search warrant may be issued only on oath or affirmation that a crime was probably committed. The amendment applies only to governmental actors. It does not guarantee to people the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by private citizens or organizations. ... The Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, and was originally designed as a response to the controversial writs of assistance, which were a significant factor behind the American Revolution. It is observed that , in US , of the of the 19.3 million traffic stops documented in the study, about 1.3 million motorists said they or their vehicle had been searched. In almost 90 percent of these searches, police found no evidence of a crime .As such, Fourth Amendment was made to protect the interest and rights of citizens and to prevent harassment to their personal life and property. It protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures, provides that a search warrant may be issued only on oath or affirmation that a crime was probably committed.The amendment applies only to governmental actors. It does not guarantee to people the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by private citizens or organizations. More specifically, the Bill of Rights only restricts the power of the federal government, but the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the Fourth Amendment is applicable to state governments by operation of the Fourteenth Amen dment. Moreover, all state constitutions contain an analogous provision. For eg. Article 1, and 7 of the Tennessee Constitution. Under the Fourth Amendment , searches must be "reasonable" and " specific". This means that a search warrant must be specific as to the specified object to be searched for and the place to be searched. Fourth Amendment protects citizens from physical entry to the home by search officials. It applies equally whether the police enter a home to

Satoro Tanaka and Mrs. Hitara Importance in David Masumoto's and Pico Essay

Satoro Tanaka and Mrs. Hitara Importance in David Masumoto's and Pico Iyer's and Texts - Essay Example In Harvest Son Masumoto mentions how his interaction with a buckwheat farmer Satoro Tanaka comes to affect him profoundly, and how he develops a fondness for the farmer. Pico Iyer is a British-born, American-raised eminent writer of Indian descent who decided to settle in Japan. His essay â€Å"Our Lady of Lawson† is about his experiences in Japan as a foreigner who refuses to succumb to the pressure to indulge in native Japanese food. He talks about a convenience store he frequently visited and the effect it had on him, especially the interaction between him and the convenience store manager, Mrs. Hirata. The two stories therefore share the common theme of two foreigners analyzing two different characters in Japan. Discussion In Harvest Son, Masumoto forms a close attachment to a local buckwheat farm and its farmer, Satoro Tanaka, while in Eat, Memory: Our Lady of Lawson, Pico Iyer experiences the same emotional attachment to a local convenience store, Lawson’s, and it s proprietor, Mrs. Hirata. Several similar themes run through both of these narratives, starting from the similarities between both authors. First and most important, both Masumoto and Iyer can be considered as â€Å"wild† children, belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Masumoto is a Japanese-American while Iyer was born in England but has been raised in the United States of America. Masumoto has journeyed back to the land of his ancestors to reconnect with their native heritage while Iyer has chosen Japan as his country of settlement. They are considered, as Masumoto puts it, â€Å"strangers†. Iyer writes of the sense of alienation due to something as basic as his entrenched American eating habits and lack of love for Japanese food; â€Å"my housemates in Japan simply shrug and see this as ultimate confirmation -- me dragging at some lasagna in a plastic box while they gobble down dried fish -- that I belong to an alien species† (Iyer, pg.1). His l ove of the convenience store further serves to solidify his characterization as an outsider who refuses to fit in, even though he insists that his love for Japan is real and on a deeper level. Having lived in the country for 12 years, he should still not be typecast as an alien, yet somehow, he still is. This he attributes mostly to his refusal to conform to Japanese food and his standing firmly by convenience-store meals. It can therefore be said of both of them that they are attempting to fit into their homeland’s culture, and understand and identify with their people. Masumoto identifies with Satoro Tanaka’s buckwheat farming while Iyer points out the specific attributes and values he considers â€Å"Japanese†: It's no easier to understand Japan in Western terms than it is to eat noodles with a knife and fork. Yet it has been evident to me for some time that the crush of the anonymous world lies out in the temple-filled streets; the heart of the familiarity, the communal sense of neighborhood, the simple kindness that brought me to Japan, lies in the convenience store.(Iyer, pg.2). The convenience store, and specifically, Mrs. Hitara, or Hitara-San, as Iyer refers to her in formal Japanese, comes to embody these values: And yet, in the 12 years I've lived on and off in my mock-California suburb, the one person who has come to embody for me all

Authentic Counselor Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Authentic Counselor - Coursework Example Such counselors require certain qualities such as having a good sense of who they are, what they are dealing with and be aware of their shortcomings and care about the needs of their clients. There are characteristics in authentic counseling, which include honesty and willingness for the participants to accept and admit when they are wrong (Scott, 2012). Other characteristics that are necessary are asking sincere questions, listening actively and emphasizing. An authentic counselor must have an identity, appreciate, and respect him or herself. They must recognize and accept their power and be open-minded to change, feeling alive, having a sense of humor, and making appropriate decisions. Authentic counselors must be able to live in the present, appreciate culture, have an interest in other people’s welfare, and find value in their work, which enables them to create healthy relationships with their clients (American Counseling Association, 2014).. An authentic counselor means someone who is real and honest with his or her clients. This means that something that is real is something that is valuable or rare therefore clients should be able to value their counselors and therefore find worth in their

Rizal in Macao Essay Example for Free

Rizal in Macao Essay Hounded by powerful enemies, Rizal was forced to leave his country for a second time in February 1888. He was then a full- grown man of 27 years of age, a practicing physician, and a recognized man-of-letters. The first time he went aboard in June 1882, he was a mere lad of 21, a youthful student in search of wisdom in the Old World, a romantic idealist with beautiful dreams of emancipating his people from bondage by the magic power of his pen. Times had changed. Rizal at 27 was an embittered victim of human iniquities, a disillusioned dreamer, a flustrated reformer. The Trip to Hong Kong. On February 3, 1888, after a short stay of six months in his beloved Calamba, Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong on board the Zafiro. He was sick and sad during the crossing of the choppy China Sea. He did not get off his ship when it made brief stopover at Amoy on February 7. for three reasons: (1) he was not feeling well, (2) it was raining hard, and (3) he heard that the city was dirty. He arrived in Hong Kong on February 8. During his stay in Hong Kong, a British colony, Rizal wrote a letter to Blumentritt, dated February 16, 1888, expressing his bitterness. In Hong Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria Hotel. He was welcomed by the Filipino residents, including Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio, and Manuel Yriarte, (son of Francisco Yriarte, alcalde mayor of Laguna). A Spaniard, Jose Sainz de Varanda, who was a former secretary of Governor General Terrero, shadowed Rizal’s movement in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was commissioned by the Spanish authorities to spy on Rizal. Hong Kong, wrote Rizal to Blumentritt on February 16, 1888, is a small, but very clean city. Many Portuguese, Hindus, English, Chinese, and Jews live in it. There are some Filipinos, the majority of whom being those who had been exiled to the Marianas Islands in 1872. They are poor, gentle, and timid. Formerly they were rich mechanics, industrialists, and financiers. Visit to Macao. On Feb 18, Rizal, accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer. Kiu-kiang for Macao. Macao is a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong. â€Å"the city of Macao,† wrote Rizal, in his diary, â€Å"is small, low, and gloomy. There are many junks, sampans, but few steamers. It looks sad and is almost dead. † In Macao, Rizal and Basa stayed at the home of Don Juan. Francisco Lecaros, a Filipino gentleman married to a Portuguese lady. He was rich and spent his days cultivating plants and flowers, many of which came from Philippines. During his two-day sojourn in Macao, Rizal visited the theatre, casino, cathedral and churches, pagodas, botanical garden, and bazaars. He also saw the famous Grotto of Camoens, Portugal’s national poet. In the evening of February 19, he witnessed a Catholic, in which the devotees were dressed in blue and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted candles.

A History of Autism Developments

A History of Autism Developments In Autistic Space Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. She completed her PhD in Animal Science at the University of Illinois in Urbana and invented the hug box, a device to calm those on the autism spectrum. She is one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to publicly share insights from her personal experience of autism. Grandin was diagnosed with brain damage when she was two. She could not speak until age three and struggled with severe behavioral issues through her teens. She thanked her mother who never lost faith in her and fought many battles to ensure that she got an education, and her high school science teacher, William Carlock, who built up her confidence and channeled her teenage fascination with cows into a career in animal science. At the University, she came to see her profound emotional connection with animals as autistic, and crucial for her work. In May 1989, she moderated a round table discussion at the conference of autism professionals and educators in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her presentation prompted Rimland to introduce her 1986 memoir, Emergence, as the first book written by a recovered autistic individual. By then, she was on her way to becoming the most recognized autistic people on earth. In his 1995 book An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks depicted Grandin as a mature autistic person with a complex inner life. The title of his book was inspired by Grandin when she said all her life she felt like an anthropologist observing human interactions from a distance. But by now, Grandin wouldnt consider herself as a recovered autistic. Autism is part of who I am, she told Sacks, If I could snap my fingers and be non-autistic, I would not, because then I wouldnt be me. But Grandins perspective did not take root among the advocacy organizations. When parent-run advocacy organizations get online in the 1990s, they continued to feature images of children on their websites, as if autistic adults didnt exist. The presentation at conferences dwelled on the usual deficits and impairments, rather than on exploring the atypical gifts that Grandin found so useful in her work. Jim Sinclair, a young man in the audience, determined to change that. Besides being on the spectrum, Sinclair was born with the physical characteristics of both genders. His parents had raised him as female on the advice of their doctor, but he had never felt female. He was speaking in echolalia until he was twelve. The complex rules of the social world seemed incomprehensible to him when he was a teenager. By the time he was in graduate school, his efforts to pass as non-autistic fell apart. When Sinclair saw Portrait of an Autistic Young Man, he had a profound sense of recognition. He could see what the experts in the film could not see: that Joseph was trying to communicate through his behavior. He wanted to connect with other autistic people, so he subscribed to a quarterly publication called the MAAP (for more able autistic people) and submitted poems and letters to the editor hoping his peers would contact him. One of Sinclairs poems attracted Gary Mesibovs attention. Mesibov, a cofounder of TEACCH, offered Sinclair a scholarship to attend the Chapel Hill conference and write an essay about his experience. Sinclairs essay on the conference appeared in a TEACCH anthology along with contributions from Lorna Wing and Catherine Lord. A year later, Sinclair was invited to sit on a panel in California by the Autism Society of America. He felt like a self-narrating zoo exhibit. Rather than being the token autistic on a panel at a conference in Indianapolis, Sinclair conspired with other members of the MAAP list to make their presence visible throughout the proceedings. Each of them would make a point of raising their hands during the QA sessions, identifying themselves as autistic people, and then asked questions or make a relevant comment so that people would notice they were there. *** In 1992, Sinclair launched the first autistic-run organization in history, called Autism Network International (ANI), with Donna Williams and Kathy Lissner. ANI would stand up for the civil rights and self-determination of people all across the spectrum. ANI organized its first Autreat at Camp Bristol Hills in Canandaigua, New York, in July 1996. The theme of the conference was Celebrating Autistic Culture. Autreat became an annual event and provided a template for similar conferences in other countries. *** A new idea was brewing in the autistic community. It turned out to be an old idea from Asperger that people with the traits of his syndrome have always been part of the human community, standing apart, making the world a better place. In the late 1990s, Judy Singer, an autistic student of anthropology and sociology in Australia called it neurodiversity. After her daughters diagnosis of Asperger syndrome at age nine, Singer recognized autistic traits in herself. She joined a mailing list called Independent Living on the Autism Spectrum (InLv). People with dyslexia, ADHD, and other conditions were also welcome to join the list. It was in telephone conversations with Harvey Blume, a list member and writer in the New York Times, that Singer came up with the term neurodiversity. *** In 2004, two teenagers named Alex Plank and Dan Grover launched Wrong Planet, one of the first autistic spaces in the internet. They were both digital natives with Asperger syndrome. The community grew slowly and steadily at first, and then it went viral with Planks interview with Bram Cohen, the autistic creator of BitTorrent. *** In December 2007, a series of billboards appeared on street corners in Manhattan. One ad read, We have your son. We will make sure he will not be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning. These ads were sponsored by the Child Study Center (CSC) of New York University to alert the public to the silent public health epidemic of childhood mental illness. Then from out of nowhere, an organization called the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) along with outraged parents and prominent disability rights groups launched a storm of e-mails and blogs in NYUs direction objecting to the demeaning wording of the ads. This is the first time in history that autistics were challenging the mainstream media without the help of a parent-run organization. The architect of the protest was a nineteen-year-old cofounder of the ASAN named Ari Neeman. Neeman was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when he was twelve years old. On December 6, the day after the CSCs ad campaign, Neeman called the CSC expressing his concerns and left phone messages, but got no reply. Two days later, ASAN blasted out an action alert. The next day when the major media outlets were running stories on the controversy, the CSC agreed to pull the ads. In 2010, President Obama nominated Neeman to the National Council on Disability (NCS). In recent years, the ASAN had played a significant role in formulating the federal disability policy. *** For parents like Craig and Shannon Rosa, the neurodiversity movement has offered ways of fighting for a better future for their children that dont depend on hopes of recovery. One of the most important lessons they had learned on their journey with Leo is patience. They have to accept that he is unfolding at his own pace. Shannon and her circle of friends launched a website called Thinking Persons Guide to Autism for parents just starting out on the journey so that they dont have to go through the ordeal that the Rosas did.