Review & Critical Thinking: Music of the World Essay

1. What are the Hurrian songs? Why are they important? The Hurrian songs are a set of fragmentary relics as well as a nearly complete example of notated music from around 1400 BCE. They are important because it was the first piece of evidence that there was written musical pieces and these songs were played during important life events such that as marriages and royal family births. 2. What is the Natya Shastra? Why is it important? The Natya Shastra is a written discourse on the performing arts, including music, dance, stage performances, and that alike. The importance of music to ancient India is best seen through Natya Shastra. It was also important because it gave quite detailed information on the types of instruments that were used at the time and forms of music that was popular. 3. Who were troubadours? What was their music like? Troubadours were traveling poet-musicians who traveled from place to place, singing and performing for the upper class. Their music was generally monophonic and accompanied themselves with an instrument like the lyre or drums. 4. What are the modes in Western music? Describe at least one mode in Western music. There are seven different modes: Dorian, Ionian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Dorian mode in C begins and ends on D. 5. What is polyphonic music? How does it differ from monophonic music? Polyphonic music uses two or more independent melodies; whereas monophonic music has only one independent melody. Critical Thinking Questions 1. Why did early humans develop music? What are some of the ways that they were thought to create music? Some scholars believe that music developed from natural sounds and rhythms and humans mimicked these sounds, as they are known to mimic the noises they hear. Therefore early music was likely simple sounds repeated for enjoyment and to create reactions from animals during hunting. Some of the ways they were thought to create music was through their own voices and created instruments. 2. Why is the study of  prehistoric and ancient music important? What can we learn from it? The study of prehistoric and ancient music is important because it gives us insight and understanding of where we evolved from and how we advanced in music up until this very day, and we wouldn’t know just how well we advanced if we did not study prehistoric and ancient music. From this we can learn how the musical instruments in both time periods were used and what use they may have had. 3. What roles did music play in the life of prehistoric and ancient people? Are the roles similar to or different from the roles that it plays today? In the past music was not as big of a deal as it is today. Some individuals may have used music for entertainment but the main use of music in prehistoric and ancient times was for religious reasons such that of ceremonies. The roles are different in that we use music for a multitude of reasons, whether it be to wake us up for school or aid us in sleeping; or even when we need something to cheer us up after a long and hard day or maybe something to calm us down after a heated argument. We use music today for our enjoyment as well as for our emotions. 4. What were the effects of musical notation on music, society, and composers? Music notation allows for multiple people to be able to learn to play an instrument without hearing it as well as having written documents of composers long after they have passed. It also allows a composer to create music without always having to remember it at the top of their head. 5. Describe medieval music’s relationship with the Catholic Church. How was the music influenced by the Church? The Catholic Church influenced medieval music during the Middle Ages through chanting and performances by monks but soon developed melodic sounds which were harmonized together. The Catholic Church did not use musical instruments and those who attended their performances liked the noise that was being produced by the church.

Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission

This proposal provides insights on the challenges that the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, the agency that assists in the administration of policies and programs that enable students learning in the United States (US) to meet their needs pertaining to education and culture, and mediates between educational institutions in the US and the other branches based in Saudi as well as the predicament that Saudi students studying in the US under the Saudi government’s sponsorship are facing, which the researcher deems to be primarily.A consequence of the agency’s failure to provide adequate solutions and the resulting students’ powerlessness to raise their concerns to appropriate authorities.An intensive literature review on materials that reflect the interdependence of the Arabian cultural mission and the Saudi students it serves in the United States was conducted to gather pertinent information for this study. Information gathered revealed that the major concerns of the students namely:1) inadequacy in language proficiency due to inappropriate language education curriculum;2) cultural discrimination resulting to isolation and formation of cliques;3) delay in defraying school fees resulting to a number of late registration and, in austere cases, to students having to drop off from school;4) the agency’s reluctance in assisting students to acquire relevant immigration documents; and5) the existing inappropriate matching system that determines students’ eligibility to be accepted to certain courses they intend to apply for are primarily caused by the agency’s current programs’ inadequacy to respond to the needs of their clientele.Recommendations presented propose reasonable modifications to the existing practices carried on by the agency which if ever adopted are deemed to improve the current state of interdependency between the cultural mission and the Saudi students studying under the government sponsorship in the United States.

Life Span Development and Personality

This paper will discuss the life span of a business man, movie producer, aviator, and billionaire, Howard Hughes. It will also explain the psychological development and personality characteristics of the young man that was raised by a financially driven father, and mentally disturbed mother. Mother and Father Howard Hughes was born in 1905 in Houston, Texas to Howard Hughes Sr. and Allene Hughes. Allene Hughes was the biggest influence on Howard junior’s life; she constantly worried about the germs and sickness that her son came in contact with. Allene Hughes suffered from the mental disorder Obsessive Compulsion Disorder (OCD). Howard Hughes Sr. spent most of his time following oil rigs and trying to improve the process of drilling into rock. In 1908/1909 Hughes Sr. invented a drill bit that would penetrate rock, which later made him a millionaire. Hughes Sr. was the owner of Hughes Tool Company. Howard Hughes Junior attended private schools in Boston, where his interest in academics were lacking, and just as his father was mesmerized by anything mechanical. Against his mothers’ wishes, Howard Junior built a bicycle with a motor, later called the motorcycle. Orphaned In 1922, Allene Hughes went into the hospital for minor surgery, but never woke up. Allene Hughes died at 39 years of age, and Howard Junior lost his mother when he was only 16. The death of wife and mother caused a tremendous amount of grief for Howard Sr. , and Jr. Life changed for them, but especially Howard Junior. His father was unable to recover from the death of his wife, and spent the next couple of years subjected Howard Junior to many women, looking for that same happiness again. In January 1924, Howard Senior was working at his desk when he suffered a heart attack and died at age 54. At age 18, Howard Junior was an orphan, and the owner of 75% of his father’s company, making him a very rich young man. Since Howard was not considered to be an adult an unable to make business decisions, he went to court and convinced the judge that he should be declared an adult so that he could run his own affairs. Soon after the judge granted his request, Howard bought all the shares to the company from his relatives, which made him the sole owner of Howard Tool Company, which made a very nice amount of money that he used as a foundation for his future fortune. In 1925 a will was made that stated upon his death, all of his money was to be put into a medical research facility. Movies to Aviation Howard was not satisfied with just running the business that his father had left him, so after his marriage to Ella Rice in 1925, they moved to Hollywood California where he would try his hand at making movies with his uncle Rupert. In the beginning of his movie career, there were two or so flops, but soon he directed the film â€Å"Two Arabian Nights† which won the Academy Award. He went on to do â€Å"The Outlaw, Scarface, and Hells Angels†. During the making of the Hells Angels movie, Hughes became fascinated with flying, and received his pilot’s license. Not only did he fly, in 1932 he founded the Hughes Aircraft Company. Later, the military would hire him to build a large plane that would carry troops overseas; this plane was called the â€Å"Spruce Goose†. In 1938 he financed the creation of the Boeing 307, and was the beginning of the Transcontinental and West Airlines, later called TWA. This was his most profitable investment, earning him $540 million. He sold the airline in 1966. He used the earnings from the airlines to form the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He used this medical facility to put all of his money into, to prevent the IRS from finding it. The End As far back as birth, Hughes was continually inventing or perfecting an invention. After many failed attempts, caused by his obsessive need to be perfect, Hughes suffered a mental breakdown. The obsessive compulsive disorder worsened, and the stress of inheriting his father’s company at an early age caused anxiety and paranoia became evident when he required phone taps, and private investigators. Like his mother he became obsessed with germs with continuous hand washing, and using napkins or Kleenex to touch objects and open doors. In 1950 Hughes was rarely seen in public. He left the United States and moved from country to country, and in 1972 Hughes Tool Company, his father’s company, was sold. His obsession to control his surroundings led him to be a bitter old recluse. He became weakened by the lack of food, and the effects of drug use. On a plane in 1976, flying from Mexico to Houston for treatment, Hughes dies at age 71. Because of his choices later in life, his body was unrecognizable and could only be identified through fingerprints. Conclusion Despite his mental disorders, Howard Hughes accomplished many great things. Best known for his production of movies, and aviation, his mental illness proved to be his undoing. Most diagnostics were done after his death; therefore there is no way of knowing if medical treatment would have helped him. Although he may have inherited OCD from his mother, it is also believed that his contraction of syphilis in 1930 also played a part in his mental stability. In 1976, Dr. Raymond Fowler, the President of the American Psychology Association, was asked to do a psychological evaluation from what he knew and read of Howard Hughes. After the long study Fowler concluded that â€Å"Hughes was not psychotic, he was just a disturbed man†. Life Span Development and Personality IntroductionThe Healer of the World – Karol Wojtyla, gave a breakthrough of acceptance in the world’s aim for peace, prosperity and unity.   His belief on religion was considered to be flexible as to believing that all people are created equal in blood, color, race or belief (Weigel, 2001).   The differences of such religions must not serve as a wall to hinder one from crossing the line of faith but rather, to give respect to the God being served and hailed.   â€Å"We all believe in one God† (Weigel, 2001), remarked the Saint.   His enthusiasm and love for humanity built a bridge which not all Popes were able to fulfill.   Criticized by some followers of Christianity, his motivation on reaching his prayers even to the extent of other religions gave a positive impact on those individuals who have long felt that Christianity, being the most dominant religion in the world, must reign over.Challenges faced by the PopeHis influence to the masses made him a negotiator in uniting the archipelagos of different countries; he had an amazing view of life, like a philosopher who cared for other people more than himself.   Death threats and vicious plans for assassination haunted his living daylights, but he remained calm, his deep sagacity of forgiveness lurked in every pore of his system, believing that people who have gone astray, must not be punished but be guided (Weigel, 2001).Environment’s role in molding his beliefThe factual argument to support such questions on why his perceptions, character and views were â€Å"godly† and unselfish can be traced with the kind of life he was raised, living in Poland, a â€Å"privacy-oriented† country armed with a raging belief on war, his quest in search for unity indulged him to do good, instead of enrolling in a realm where blood is shed (Weigel, 2001), believed that God was calling him for priesthood, to serve with gospels and not with armors.The institutions where he enrol led also played a large factor in molding his character, as human behavior stresses â€Å"the environment by which one is raised and the people surrounding the individual will most likely be the reasons of what you are today† (Freud & Strachey, 1962).   His family, friends and experiences in life are the main reasons why he possessed the highest level of concern for others.Psychological Theory in his behaviorAccording to developmental psychology, the sense of faith of a person is an acquired form of skill or ability, not an innate one.   It is an inherited acquired phenomenon; given the fact that a new-born baby at the time of birth is non-moral, non-thinking and non-aesthetic, all tantamount to innocence (Dimitrius & Mazzarella, 1991).Therefore, such character is gradually acquired through experience.   It can be then taken to assumption that a family, inclined with scriptures and rituals or of religion, will most likely raise religious offspring.However, a deliberativ e argument of such belief would disprove its validity given the fact that change is most likely to happen, since that the kind of environment which will later be experienced and dwelled upon to by the individual will make abrupt changes in his belief, adaptation would be suitable term (Freud & Strachey, 1962).   Not unless the atmosphere also tames such religiousness.ConclusionInstinct Theory and Learning Theory are evident in the life of the Pope, his belief, that he was being called portrays the first kind and his sense of mimicking priests illustrate his form of motivation in venturing to priesthood (Freud & Strachey, 1962). Such theories are the hugest well supported evidences why the Pope, possess the exceptional characteristic of a human being.   Concluding the existence and the explanations in his life clearly shows that there lived a person, influenced with humanistic theories, but utilized what he has acquired in the â€Å"godliest† way possible.References:Dimitr ius, J.-E., & Mazzarella, M. C. (1991). Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior- -Anytime, Anyplace (1 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.Freud, S., & Strachey, J. (1962). The Ego and the Id. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.Weigel, G. (2001). Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II (1st Cliff Street Books Paperback Ed ed.). New York: Harper Perennial.

Minnesota v. Dickerson 1993 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minnesota v. Dickerson 1993 - Case Study Example The event occurred on November 9, 1989, while exiting an apartment building with a history of cocaine trafficking, Timothy Dickerson, a patron walking in the streets, spotted police officers and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Due to this hastiness, the law officials commanded Dickerson to stop, in suspicious of him running around and eventually got to him. On the intent of suspicion, the officer discovered a lump, which he belied was some sort of a leisure drug. Upon further investigation, that suspicious was true. Dickerson was charged with possession of an illegal substance. However, his lawyers argued that there was no valid cause for the officers to conduct this search. Afterall, Dickerson panicked when he saw officials, something that a natural human being is inclined to do when he sees authority. Dickerson pleaded the trial court not to use the possession of cocaine in the court, but was rejected. This case become a supersession to allow officials to lawfully pat dow n a suspect since no element of invasion of privacy has been violated. In his defense to appeal his conviction, Dickerson claimed that the search violated the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unreasonable searches, as he pleaded it exceeded the limits of a permissible as outlined in Terry vs Ohio. As evident, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that police mat still frisk a patron based on suspicious reasonable search. The search’s purpose is to find weapons, and the officials may seize any items found in any search which is evident. The court made a very important ruling which became evident in future cases. In essence, the court ruled that a detection of contraband during a lawful patdown is legal, even though it does not require a warrant. Due to this ruling, warrantless seizures became permissible. However, the court also pointed out that the Court also concluded that law officials tackling Dickerson stepped outside the

Social Performance of a Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Performance of a Company - Research Paper Example This is experienced because the decision has to be made by a group and not by a sole person as it is done in other sectors. All shareholders have to come into a conclusion (Gunay 2008). Each stakeholder in a corporation is entitled to carry out certain duties in the corporation. Employees are entitled to handle the activities and maintain a harmonious environment for making profits. They are also entitled to make contributions in the decision making since they are the one who have bigger influence on the future of the corporation. Suppliers form an active part of stakeholders, since the corporation relies on them entirely for its deliverance of its services to the target market. The bank plays the role of managing the corporation bank’s account and the transactions that the corporation engage in the process of service delivery. The bank also lends money to the corporation when the need arises. On the other hand, the investors are the most sensitive part of the corporation. Thi s is because they are the one who make a pool of resources to make the corporation run smoothly at all times. They are entitled to the making of major decisions that determine the course of the corporation (Heath 2001). According to Suleyman, the secondary stakeholders are the group that does not directly affect the future survival of the corporation. The group is not involved directly to the corporation. The members of this group include the media and other social facilities. Though the corporation cannot efficiently perform without this group, its operations are not affected in any way by these stakeholders. The media is considered as an essential part by the corporation for the advertisements purpose which in return creates the familiarity of the corporation to the target market hence, earning more customers. All primary stakeholders are considered to be directly related to the success of the corporation but their degree depends on the environment, these are internal and external environment. The internal environment is concerned with the daily activities and the future survival of the corporation, while the external factors have little effect to the corporation activities (Heath 2001). Formation of a coalition in the corporation is the basics to achieve the future goals set by the corporation. Moral appreciation of the stakeholders, no matter their individual investments in the corporation and creation of a platform where all stakeholders will be consulted during the decision making in the corporation is one of the vital strategies that we are targeting. This will give the corporation an added advantage that will go a long way to meet the target set by the corporation of having many individuals wanting to invest in the company since their opinions are addressed by the corporation and at some point implemented by the same corporation they have invested in. It will also strengthen the coalition (Heath 2001). Considering the investors point of view, many of t he potential investors have an altitude of pooling their funds towards a corporation that have a sense of belonging to the society. These are achieved through the corporation participating in the corporate social responsibility. This encourages more individuals to invest in the c

Misconceptions in Maths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Misconceptions in Maths - Essay Example According to Swann (2001, p.147), â€Å"People makes mistakes for different reasons. Some may be simply due to lapses in concentration, hasty reasoning, memory overload or a failure to notice salient features of a situation. Others, however, may be symptoms of deeper misunderstandings or may not be mistakes at all – they may be result of alternative interpretations of the situations.† According to Sadi (2007, p.2), â€Å"More students have problems with decimals than with any other number concept. Difficulties with decimal numbers range from comprehending place value after the decimal to proper use of the algorithm of addition and subtraction.† Some of the most common misconceptions that children makes in decimal are identifying which decimal number is greater, placing the decimal in order from smallest to largest, subtracting and adding. This is illustrated by below examples In this case, some children may think that 3.501 is greater than 3.52 because 3.52 have three terms as compared to 3.501 that have four terms. They simply ignore the decimal when comparing two numbers. Children are taught that 35.90 is identical to 35.9. Now, some children may confuse with it and will be not able to determine exactly when zero be written and when it should be omitted. For example, dividing 1632 by 8 they will answer 24 instead of 204.In addition, children think that it gets bigger when they multiply and smaller when they divide. Therefore they seems to be inconceivable that 8 Ãâ€" 0.5 give 4, since 4 is smaller than 8. Similarly, they find it hard to accept that 20 à · 0.2 gives 100, since 100 is much bigger than 20. For many children, to make a number bigger, they have to multiply it and to make it smaller they have to divide it (Sadi 2007, p.3). According to Sadi (2007, p.5), only 26% of twelve-year old students could work out how much a pair of jeans which normally costs  £15 would cost after a 20% reduction and there ere thirty-three different answers were given to

Yoko Ono's Relationship with Popular Culture Essay

Yoko Ono's Relationship with Popular Culture - Essay Example The essay "Yoko Ono's relationship with popular culture" investigates the great talent of the famous artist and her role in the context of culture. Paper gives details from her life and activity. It is almost fifty years ago, when people started thinking of Yoko Ono as that woman. She was aged 27 years and lived in New York. Paper discover Yoko Ono's background that partly explains radical works and performances. The performances include ''Cut Piece'' that she did in 1965. It is here that she sat impassively like Bodhisattva, while the audience slowly one by one cut off her clothes. This was an amazing feminist manifesto as by then most people did not know what feminism was. It was about exhibitionism and sex. Similar to her other works she did, it rebuffed parent’s mores in a great way. But in the performance, of importance was the element of ritual violence. This was not like seppuku but a theatrical version of self-sacrifice. This was a recurrent theme around Yoko Ono's pub lic life. Yoko Ono can be considered as a muse. This does not only apply to John Lennon whose devotion and love for her resulted in the most interesting and beautiful artworks of his career. She was a pioneering artist, activist, musician, and feminist. Yoko Ono has influenced to a great extent those artists who are daring enough in pushing at and experimenting the imaginary distinctions and boundaries between media and art forms. Her talent was formidable but the prominent quality in her painting works was her spirit.

Nonprofit Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Sector - Essay Example Secondly, comments have been directed toward nonprofit organizations in regards to their lack of market discipline as a predominant cause of their limited self-sustainability. Other factors involve rising service and administration costs, and the increased competition for limited donations amongst nonprofit organisations. By becoming a commercial enterprise nonprofits are able to leverage former sources of funding. Nonprofits are seeking additional revenue such as setting up peripheral commercial businesses as a way to add to their fee paying programs that do not generate profits. In many cases this is a strategy in which they can raise community awareness of their cause and simultaneously make money. Some nonprofits have sought to commercialize their key programs, relying less on donations and moving to fee payments by beneficiaries, or creating contracts with government organisations or corporations. Alternatively, nonprofits may charge a corporation, which in turn charges its beneficiaries for a once free service.

Policy Evaluation Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Policy Evaluation Analysis - Research Paper Example Currently, public education in the US is offered by district public schools and Charter schools according to Stuart (2002). Charter schools are not government-run, instead, they are opened and attended by choice. The policy of funding Charter schools using federal funds was authorized by President Bush in the NCLB Act in order to stimulate their development. However, this is done indirectly done by transferring the money allocated for each child enrolled in a Charter school, from their former district schools. This means that the relationship between a Charter school and the district sponsoring it could facilitate or hinder its access to federal funding (US Government Accountancy Office 1998). Some Charter schools are considered as LEAs and receive direct deferral funding. Finnigan et al (2004) and Ascher et al. (2004) state that in terms of funding, charter schools receive funding according to enrollment. In many cases, Charter schools receive lesser funds as compared to other publi c schools due to imperfections in money transfers (Reville, 2007). Stuart (2002) adds that Charter schools do not receive funding for securing facilities. This causes them to seek operation costs outside the federal funds for example through donation. However there is a recent federal legislation which allows that allocation of start-up costs to Charter schools. This paper gives an evaluation and analysis of this policy. Policy evaluation time The policy of using federal money to fund Charter schools has to be evaluated before the end of the next financial year. This is because the results from the evaluation will be useful in determining any changes that are required in terms of funding. For example, it will help in determining the effect of this funding policy on Charter schools since it started in 2002 as noted by Finnigan et al. (200). These include the performance of Charter schools, costs, quality, program, and goal attainment levels. A knowledge of the extent of the achieveme nt of its goals will therefore determine amount of funding or additional funding required. These changes will then be included in the next federal budget and will be reflected in the amount of money set aside for public education. Policy evaluation process According to Theodoulou and Koffins (2004), policy evaluation is a critical way of determining whether a policy works or not, whether it is achieving its intended functions and whether its impacts are intentional or not. In order to determine the successful implementation and outcomes of a certain policy, an all round evaluation has to be conducted. This means that an application of the four policy evaluation typologies should be done. These include process evaluation, impact evaluation, outcome evaluation and cost-benefit evaluation. Process evaluation analyses how well a certain program or policy is being implemented. It is normally done with an aim of determining necessary actions that are required to improve its implementation . In order to achieve this, the government has to determine why the policy is performing at current levels and identify any problems. This requires the use of sampling in order to determine the extent to which Charter schools have been receiving federal funds, the amounts and effectiveness in delivery of funds (Theodoulou and Koffins, 2004). The government has

Discussion 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Discussion 2 - Assignment Example Therefore, this means that cultural diversity increases the sales of a business, as well as its profit. If a business plans to sell in a diverse marketplace, then it must be totally able effectively to utilize its diverse workers in significant strategic ways. The aging populace is both an advantage and a disadvantage for small businesses (McCarthy, 2012). One certain thing, however, is that small organizations will have to reorient their strategies to hurdle the exceptional challenges and opportunities aging people offer (McCarthy, 2012). In the 90’s, among the biggest hurdles facing small businesses was access to government regulations, capital and taxes. Nevertheless, in the new millennium, they can add a new hurdle to the list, the persistent labor shortage. Therefore, businesses lack the required labor, which would enable them to work efficiently (McCarthy, 2012). On an optimistic note, small organizations can exploit this growing section of the population. Marketing strategy and new products will need to be created targeting the elderly

Halliburton Essay Example for Free

Halliburton Essay One of the most important functions for any organization to succeed in any particular direction is planning. Planning is an activity that enables companies and their employees to understand the company’s purpose and its strategic direction so that they can align themselves to it. This paper will discuss the importance of planning at Halliburton Company and analyze the extent to which it impacts the legal, ethical and CSR issues in the organization. Furthermore, it will discuss three factors that have an influence on the company’s strategic, tactical, operational and contingency planning. Halliburton Company was established in 1919 in Houston, Texas with a second headquarter in Dubai, UAE. Currently employing over 50,000 people, it is a huge multinational and global leader in the energy services sector operating in more than 70 countries. Using its technological edge in its operations and assistance from its world-class human resource, Halliburton has demonstrated outstanding growth and development in the energy sector over the past several decades. Its focus on innovation dates back to its early years when its founder, Erle P. Halliburton initiated his oil well cementing business by building a wooden mixing box only by hiring a wagon, a team of mules and a pump in Oklahoma. Careful planning and effective strategies have enabled Halliburton to remain as the market leader in the energy sector for almost a century now. Its planning strategies are comprehensive, focused on global changes and follow the â€Å"Think globally, act locally† theme. Halliburton management realizes the fact that for global survival it is essential to adopt different methodologies in different countries. For this purpose, it operates from 2 headquarters – Texas, the oil hub of the West and Dubai, the trading hub of Asia and Europe. â€Å"The number one priority of Halliburton is to provide competitive, safe and superior quality products and services†. Halliburton management maintains that in order to ensure business continuity they must explore the unexplored parts of the world for newer energy reserves bringing in environmental concerns. Thus, there are several instances when Corporate Social Responsibility and other issues have an impact on the planning of Halliburton and its strategy planning. There are often differences in the legal framework of different countries, for example, the British and American laws pertaining to environmental exploration have different clauses. This results in differences in the local planning of future steps to be taken by Halliburton in maintaining its market position and extending its operations. Ethics also play a key role in shaping up its policies and plans for the future. Environmental concerns, consideration for animal and plant wildlife are some of the factors the Halliburton management takes into account when planning its activities. For example, if oil exploration in the Sahara will result in extinction of the sub-Saharan tigers living in the region, the company will develop an alternative plan. Global companies as large as Halliburton have to manage their activities and operations collaboratively; sometimes the ethical and legal frameworks of adjacent countries can render certain actions legal in one nation and illegal in another nation. Thus corporate planning is a very extensive process at Halliburton which involves considerable amount of consideration given to regional subsidies of the company. Though corporate social responsibility and legal issues dominate the effect on the planning activities of Halliburton, ethical considerations also sometimes require plans to be modified. For example, Halliburton’s operations in Saudi Arabia have to be controlled differently than its operations in the US. The ethics standards and beliefs in the two countries are different and regulate different practices. For instance, daytime operations during the fasting season where the temperature is very high is not restricted by law. Even the workers may be willing to work, but ethics and moral standards suggest that Halliburton operations should be continued at night during those days. There are several factors which affect the course of action of companies. Often we see changes in the stock market leading to important strategic planning changes in companies. However, most of these are short-term plans and do not affect the vision of the company by a significant degree. Some of the most important factors which have a contribution towards the company’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning are as follows: Potential Energy Reserves: Halliburton thrives on its energy reserves and constant exploration of newer energy sites. Its strategic and international planning is based upon the potential energy reserves of a region. A region where there are high energy reserves would naturally be an area for long-term planning for Halliburton management while a exit strategy may be prepared for a dried up site in Japan. Its strategy is the key to business continuity and profits and thus takes into account the future business that can be generated from a particular region. Taxation and Corporate Laws: The reason why Nevada is the registered as the corporate head office of thousands of companies is because of its tax-friendly laws. Halliburton’s expansion and acquisition strategies are dependent on the corporate taxation and regulations that are enforceable in a particular state or country. These laws influence to a great degree the company’s operational and contingency panning as well. Avoiding over-taxation requires careful hindsight in operational and acquisition activities. Companies like Halliburton need to have effective planning strategies in order to save huge amounts in taxation and legal fees. Culture: The culture of Texas may be very oil-friendly however, that may not be the case in Brazil. The differences in culture, customs and therefore the code of ethics is important for Halliburton to realize and respect. Companies not caring about these factors often face problems in the long-term. Nike could not stop the sweatshop crisis news from coming into the media which caused hundreds of thousands of dollars loss to the company and several protests were lodged against the company till it finally winded up its operations. Halliburton’s planning should take into account the resident cultural practices and base its plan according to them – violation of local culture is often taken very strongly by the people and is revoked at some point or the other.

Communication In Job Role Essay Example for Free

Communication In Job Role Essay Review the range of groups and individuals whose communication needs must be addressed in own job role. Resident communication needs In my job role as a Deputy Manager I must ensure that I consider the different levels of communication when supporting our residents: We use the following within my work place: Picture schedule This is a form of pictures on a long strip of Velcro, which highlights what is expected of the resident thought the day. This is important to the resident because it enables the individual to see what activities they have thought out the day, it provides a structured day for the resident to identify what activities they have first then after. This provides stable communication between staff member and the residents in aid of reducing anxiety. Barriers and challenges. Barriers that and challenges may arise are: Individuals whom are using the pictures may become too complacent there for require the same product such as dairy milk chocolate bar that is presented on the picture. This can become a challenge as if diary milk factory was to shut and the products where to be no longer produced then the resident whom has the picture of the diary milk and has constantly used this picture to resemble chocolate for the last ten years may become anxious due to not having the chocolate bar resembling the correct photo. Staff members may not be consistent with using the picture schedule, when using picture schedule it is paramount that staffs are consistent when prompting picture schedule. This can become an barrier and a challenge when some staff are using the schedule and some are not. This can confuse the residents and increase anxiety when not used; this can also take the skill away from that resident as well as hinder their communication development. Staffs whom are not adequate trained in using the picture schedule could provide a potential barrier to our residents as it creates a disturbance in the routine of their daily activities in not knowing what they are going to do for the day. Social story A social story is used to simplify a form of information. This is done by having words as well as pictures to explain the information that is needed to be presented to the person. For example: This form of communication is used within our service it ensures that the individual feels included in any decisions that are made, and that they are aware of what is expected off them when they are going on an activity, any planned activities set for the future. They can also be used to explain the step by step guide of what they are to do on a daily bases. This form of communication also reduces anxiety by giving the resident a preferred communication between staff and the individual; it also gives them a clear understanding of what staff members are asking them to do. Individuals whom are creating the social stories may provide information that is too difficult for the resident to understand. They could also presume that the information given has been taken in by the resident; the challenge that may arise is that the resident will not take in the information and may become anxious due to confusion over what is being asked. Another barrier may be too much information, depending on whom you are presenting the social story to, some require bug writing and big pictures where as others may require average size font and pictures but with short and sweet information. A challenge may arise when we presume that an individual whom is using picture schedule may understand social stories, this can in effect create a barrier as it provides the resident with no information other than words and pictures. When presenting the social story, we may not be presenting the social story in the correct manner in accordance to the individual, When reading we may need to be mindful of how fast we go through the information and how many times we go read the social story to the person. Because by going over to many times may cause an issue as well as how fast we read through as some individual may take longer to cognitively understand the information, therefore we must ensure we work at the speed of the individual whom we are working with. Verbal communication Some of our residents require verbal communication, however not all residents who are verbal are able to understand all language used. Therefore they require to be communicated with simple form of vocabulary rather than jargon. This is important to be assessed and mindful because you do not want to give them information that is too difficult to understand, you want them to have simple words that they can take in and understand to avoid any confusion or anxiety. A barrier that may arise when verbally communicating to a resident is how fast and what form of words we use. Not all residents whom are vocal are able to understand long fast sentences there for we must speak to the resident in a manner that they can understand. For example if the resident understands one single word then staff will use the single word rather than a sentences, this is because by using the sentences it could potentially create a challenge as it can cause the resident to become anxious by having too much demands placed on them. I also need to be mindful of whom I am speaking to when I am communicating to individuals, for instance if I speak to a GP then I would not speak the same to the residents as my choice of words will differ massively. Therefore I must always be mindful of the way that I communicate to each individual to ensure that they understand the information that is presented as well as I understands the needs of each person. Makaton We do not have a resident who uses Makaton however if the staff did not know how to use Makaton then we would need Makaton training to enable use to communicate effectively with the resident. We would also need to ensure that we have a basic communication with that resident to ensure we meet the needs of the resident threw understanding what the residents wants and any issues the resident may have on a daily bases. Pecks Book A pecks book is used with one of our residents to identify what he wants, the  peck books provides the resident with a choice of what to eat and what activities he would like to do on a daily bases. This is helpful as it provides the team with a preferred communication style in enabling the staff to identify what activities and want he requires. We can support this by ensuring that we be consistent when using the pecks book with the residents to enable the resident to maintain the communication skill. If we do not use this form of communication then the resident will potentially forget how to use the communication book as well has not be able to communicate his needs to the staff effectively. Team communication needs Team meeting As a team a form of communication that we use are team meetings, team meetings allow staff and management to formally communicate any issues or good relating practices that are present. It is important when conducting a team meeting that all relevant information communicated is understood by all of our staff team, if there is any person who requires help then supervision may help. Other ways of helping would be to complete an information leaflet of what has been said in the meeting as well as the action plans and outcomes. Supervisions Not all staff members are able to share their opinions when in a team meeting another form of preferred communication for some is via supervisions. This enables the individual to discuss their feeling and thoughts without feeling judged by others, it also gives the employee an opportunity to discuss their opinions through their own preferred communication. It also provides managers with an effective approach on how each staff member should receive their supervision. It is paramount that when giving supervision, managers should cater their discussion around the individual. They should also ensure they be mindful of whom they are speaking to and how they approach negative and constructive feedback depending on the individual whom is undergoing the supervision. You can also support effective communication threw supervisions by getting the individual involved in completing the supervision form; you can also provide them with an outcome of the supervision enabling them to  read over and sign in their own time. Barriers and challenges Communication book Communication book can be used to log important information that is needed to be handed over, it can also be used to pass on massages to staff members whom are not on shift. We are able to provide effective communication through this book by ensuring staff read and sign what is put into the book; this can ensure that when they have signed the information then they understand what has been passed on within the book. However the only issue with the communication book is that staff may not always read the book or they may not read the information. This can be reduced by providing the communication book on hand over, shift leader to ensure all staff read and sign also you could have an extended sheet of the a4 paper highlighting the important information that staff should read and sign. We also need to be mindful how we provide the information; Information that is put into the book should be clear, understandable, literature that all staff can understand to avoid any confusion. Face to Face contact whilst on shift. Even though it can be easier to put information into a communication it is not always the best form of communication to all, why because we are all individuals. Some individuals require management to discuss any issues via face to face contact as some individuals tend to understand more when they are listening and picking up body language when talking. We can support individual threw face to face contact by asking them do they understand and if there is any other way they would like the information, you can also effective communication by ensuring the person is focused on you rather than the things going on in the environment.

Unemployment During The Recession Economics Essay

Unemployment During The Recession Economics Essay The unemployment rate is one of the key variables that policy makers are interested in. There are different causes of unemployment and it is very difficult for governments to determine which causes are most important and how to deal with them. The two main types of causes of unemployment can be split as demand-sided and supply-sided. The unemployment has both economic and noneconomic costs (McConnell and Brue, 2005). The economic costs of unemployment are; (i) decrease in income and output which is measured in terms of the GNP gap and, (ii) burden of unemployment is not distributed equally among employees especially during recession periods (Petroff, 2002). On the other hand, loss of self-confidence, social and political conflicts can be counted as some of the noneconomic costs of unemployment (McConnell and Brue, 2005). Thus, it is important to analyse causes and outcomes of unemployment especially during recession period. Unemployment during Recession Since Industrial Revolution, the entire world economy has gained a momentum. This momentum has led to economic expansion an increase in quality of life. However, this momentum hasnt shown continuity. Countries have experienced many ups and downs in their economic activities since they industrialized. These up and down movements in economic activities or in production level are known as business or economic cycle (Parkin, 2012; Abel et al., 2008). There are two main periods of the business cycle (Parkin, 2012); expansion and recession. An expansion is a period which represents an increase in the economic activities and production level of an economy/country (Burda and Wyplosz, 2001). Contrary, recession is an extended time period when the economic activities and gross domestic product (GDP) of a nation are slowing or falling down (Abel et al, 2008; Harris, 2002). These activities are including level of employment, investments, household income, business profits and inflation rate. In a business or economic cycle, recession occurs between peak and trough points. It is also known as a business cycle contraction. This is represented in the Figure 1. -Causes of Recession: Negative Demand and Supply Shocks According to Abel et al. (2008), two main causes of economic recession are negative aggregate demand shock (ADS) and negative aggregate supply shock (ASS). A negative ADS is a sudden event that decreases the aggregate demand in an economy (Burda and Wyplosz, 2001). There are several reasons for this type of negative shock. It generally occurs because of tight fiscal and monetary policies (Abel et al., 2008). Government sets high taxes and reduces government expenditures to decrease the inflationary pressures. On the other hand, these policies can causes a fall in the aggregate demand and as a result economic recession takes place. The recession that United Kingdom (UK) experienced during 1980-81 was caused by tight fiscal and monetary policies (Pettinger, 2012). There were high tax rates, low government expenditure, and high interest rates for reducing spending, consumption and investment. The UK government was applied these tight policies for reducing the inflationary pressures whic h was formed in the late of 1980s. Inflation had fallen but the cost of these policies was the economic recession. Classical economists suggest that the negative ADS do not cause continued fluctuations in output level (Burda and Wyplosz, 2001). However, they view that a negative ASS is a major reason behind the critical changes in output and employment level (Burda and Wyplosz, 2001). A negative supply shock or a negative production shock is an unexpected event that decreases the aggregate supply in an economy/country (Abel et al., 2008). A negative ASS causes an inward shift in the long run aggregate supply (LRAS) curve of an economy (Abel et al., 2008). In figure 2, there is an inward shift in the LRAS curve because of a negative supply shock. It is reducing full-employment output from Q1 to Q2 and increase the price level from P1 to P2. This change in the price level represents that a negative supply shock causes prices to rise during the recession. Some of the real world examples of negative supply shocks are; changes in weather, such as an unexpected cold weather; changes in the structure of industries, such as merging of two or more dominant companies (Abel et al., 2008). Sometimes, the dominant suppliers join together for increasing their market power. By this way, they can restrict supply and set higher prices for making more profit. The real world reflection of this happened in 1970s by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) where members were imposed an oil embargo and then increased oil prices. When the oil prices rise, firms began to produce less since the cost of production was increase independently fro m aggregate demand. During oil price shock, labour demand, employment and real wage rate had fallen (Carlstrom and Fuerst, 2006). A negative supply shock reduces the quantity of labour demanded at any given real wage rate and causes an inward shift in the labour demand curve (Abel et al., 2008). In figure 3, the negative supply shock causes a fall in the labour market equilibrium from point A to B. At the new equilibrium both real wage and employment level falls. This graph also reflects the effects of oil price shock on the labour market. -Supply Side Factors During recession both businesses and individuals tend to retrench their economic belts and this causes negative effects on the level of production and consequently demands for labour decrease. Thus, during recession unemployment turns out to be one of the major problems on both government and society. Some of the unemployment during recession base on supply-side factors like personal transferable skills, job-seeker research channel, occupational mobility (job skills), and geographical mobility (Adams et al., 2000). For example; in UK, economic structure is turning to service based from manufacturing based economy (Parkin, 2012). The main reason of this structural change is globalisation and international trade agreements. According to Parkin (2012), UK has completely lost its cost advantages in manufacturing goods since the cost of production is much cheaper in Eastern Europe countries. Structural changes lead primary and secondary sector workers lose their jobs and many of them cann ot find new jobs since they dont have necessary skills for working in service sectors such as financial service institutions and information technology. However, even when economy is operating at full capacity, there is some unemployment that causes by the supply side factors. This is generally known as the natural rate of unemployment or equilibrium unemployment (Blink and Dorton, 2007). The natural rate of unemployment exists when the labour market is in equilibrium (Abel et al., 2008). In figure 4, the total labour force (TLF) in an economy and aggregate supply of labour (ASL), which stands for the number of people who are willing to work at every given wage rate, are presented. The difference between points a and b is natural rate of unemployment. The natural rate of unemployment is the combination of frictional and structural unemployment (Abel et al., 2008). Frictional unemployment occurs when employees leave their jobs for finding more suitable job opportunities in order to satisfy their career and income expectations (Parkin, 2012). While employees are searching for new jobs, there is always some frictional unemployment in th e economy. The poor job information may lead this searching process to take longer than what the employees expected and consequently employees may lose their motivations for finding new jobs. Unemployment benefits are also a factor that affect the incentive to not to work. Also, structural unemployment occurs when the structure or production methods of an industry are changed in order to keep pace with changes in consumers tastes and new production techniques (Sloman, 2004). Structural unemployment is generally known as the long-term unemployment since workers must retrain or they may have to relocate for staying at their current jobs or finding new jobs (Parkin, 2012). On the other hand, the financial and mental costs of retraining and relocation lead structural unemployment that contains geographical and occupational immobility. Housing prices are one of the most important financial problems that cause geographical immobility. For example; in London, the active capital city life creates more job opportunities than in the North of England, but housing prices and rents are much more expensive than in the North of England. So, some workers may prefer to take unemployment benefits and staying at their neighbourhoods rather than paying high rents or buyin g expensive houses in London. This causes geographical immobility. An increase in unemployment rate also increases the burden of the government. High unemployment means an increase in the total amount of unemployment benefits that governments have to pay. As a result of an increase in unemployment rate, governments revenues fall. So, it causes budget deficits. In order to decrease the rate of unemployment, government may use both supply-side and demand-side policies. The main aim of the supply-side polices is to make labour force more responsive and flexible against the changes in job opportunities (Sloman, 2004). However, if there is lack of aggregate demand, supply-side policies can be ineffective. Thus, for achieving more effective results government can support supply-side policies by using demand-side policies as well as fiscal and monetary policies. Conclusion In recent years, recession become one of the major problems that the entire world economies encountered. It is inevitable for governments to take certain measures to determine the causes of economic downturn. It can be caused by demand side or supply side shocks. During the recession, unemployment becomes one of the serious problems because of low levels of consumption, demand and investment (Pettinger, 2011). However, unemployment exists even when economy is operating at full capacity. Unemployment never becomes zero because of supply-side factors, like; personal transferable skills, job-seeker research channel, occupational mobility (job skills), and geographical mobility (Adams et al., 2000). Structural and frictional unemployment are unemployment types that cause by supply side factors. There are massive research efforts to find out causes of unemployment and how to deal with it. The long lasting effects of unemployment make it an important problem for all economies and governmen ts that encourage governments to try to find solutions for it since it has economic, social and political consequences.

From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertificati

From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertification Desertification has many definitions, encompassing both the physical and social consequences of the transformation of land into desert-like conditions. In all cases, the impacts of human activity are indelibly linked to desertification. In 1977, the United Nations Conference on Desertification proposed a definition: "Desertification is the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. It is an aspect of widespread deterioration of ecosystems, and has diminished or destroyed the biological potential, i.e., plant and animal production, for multiple use purposes at a time when increased productivity is needed to support growing populations in quest of development." (Mainguet, 1994, 3) In addition, Monique Mainguet cites Kates et al. (1977) as noting that, "Unlike drought, which is usually a short-term diminution of available moisture, the physical processes involved in desertification are long-term, chronic, and pervasive" (1994, 2). Mainguet considers "soil deterioration as the most critical component of land degradation and, in the framework of irreversible land degradation, as the main factor of desertification" (1994, p. 151). Soil degradation "is expressed as water and wind erosion, salinization, loss of soil fertility, and soil compaction" (Dregne, 1985, p. 19). Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil may bring severe famine to a previous fertile area. Desertification has destroyed past civilizations, such North Mesopotamia, and is currently degrading vulnerable lands around the world, such as the Nile Valley of Egypt. The most important... ... Hulme, Mike and Kelly, Mick, 1993, Exploring the Links Between Desertification and Climate Change: Environment (St. Louis), v. 35: 6, p. 4-11. Kishk, M. A., 1986, Land Degradation in the Nile Valley: Ambio, v. 15, p. 226-230. Mainguet, Monique, 1994, Desertification: Natural Background and Human Mismanagement: New York, Springer-Verlag, 314 p. Mitchell, D. J. and Fullen, M. A., 1994, Soil-Forming Processes on Reclaimed Desertified Land in North-Central China: In Millington, Andrew C., and Pye, Ken, eds., 1994, Environmental Change in Drylands: New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 393-412. Sabadell, J. Eleonora, et al., 1982, Desertification in the United States: Washington, D. C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 277 p. Weiss, H., et al., 1993, The Genesis and Collapse of Third Millennium North Mesopotamian Civilization: Science, v. 261, p. 995-1004.

Did Attitude Shape Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie Success as

Back in the 1830’s when it was unimaginable to journey for months to a foreign country so uncultivated; two naà ¯ve sisters did just that. The Backwoods of Canada is a straightforward, realistic account complied of letters written back home of Catharine Parr Traill’s first years in Canada. Roughing It in the Bush is a witty, autobiographical memoir written by her younger sister, Susanna Moodie. Their attitude to becoming pioneers was shaped by their temperaments and circumstance. Catharine’s attitude is one quiet acceptance and is reflected in her no-nonsense writing, whereas Susanna’s attitude first appears to have an edgier, less optimistic outlook on her new homeland, but she covers it up with a dry sense of humour in style and dialogue when reflecting on her Canadian experience. Upon examination, we first must look at the sisters’ temperament and attitude towards life. Their attitude on life comes out in their writing and we can sense how they would perceive their new homeland, Canada in the 1832. Catharine, the elder by 23 months was considered to be the â€Å"sweet-tempered and placid, was her father’s favourite child,† and Susanna, the youngest, â€Å"was the impulsive and defiant [one], with a wicked sense of humour† (Gray, 17, 18). Both sisters’ traits are clearly exposed in their approach to starting a new life in Canada. Even before moving to Canada, it was Susanna’s passion for life and her new baby that energized Catharine and Thomas to ‘get involved’, get married and to emigrate with Susanna and her family, but it was Catharine’s methodical calmness that got Susanna through the valleys and peaks in actually moving to Canada ( 48). Catharine and her husband were at an advantage over her sister when they first arrived in Canad... ...arine wrote with a no-nonsense positive style to assist women embarking on immigrating to Canada. Susanna wrote with humour and frankness to cover up her disgust and disappointment and to warn genteel women of the hardships of becoming pioneers. After researching these two sisters’ biographies, I realize that they both had fortitude beyond what I would be able to endure if I were in either of their shoes. Works Cited Parr Traill, Catharine. â€Å"The Backwoods of Canada.† An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English. 3rd ed. Ed.Donna Bennett, and Russell Brown. Don Mills, ON:Oxford, 2010, 102-108, Print. Moodie, Susanna. â€Å"Roughing It in the Bush.† An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English. 3rd ed. Ed.Donna Bennett, and Russell Brown. Don Mills, ON:Oxford, 2010, 102-108, Print. Gray, Charlotte. Sisters In The Wilderness. Toronto: Penguin, 1999. Print

Children in the Third World Essay -- World Poverty Essays

Children in the Third World We live in an imperfect world where poverty is a reality. Forty thousand children die per year of starvation. Over 1 billion cities face unemployment and poverty day to day. Three-fourth's of the world's largest poverty population live in the Third World Countries, which includes underdeveloped countries, mainly Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Originally the term "Third World" meant all those not supporting communism and the Western countries. Now, it is a term used to describe the poor countries of the world. These countries face hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and poor health care on a day to day basis. They have high population increases, the death rates have lowered over the years, but the birth rates are still high. Because of these increases in population and the low amount of resources available to accommodate these people, hunger is a rapidly increasing problem for the Third World. "The average spending per capita is $660 in a developing country, $13,100 in a developed country, and $19,800 in the United States." "60% of the Third World lives in extreme poverty." "I knew that poverty exists, but it never occurred to me that most of the people in this world live in poverty." (Junior Padma Krishnan) That is the problem with people today, many do not realize what a reality poverty is. That is the key word, "Reality." Many sit back and watch the commercials on children starving in Kenya or the bloated stomachs of the malnourished or undernourished in Somalia, but how many actually think about what a problem this is? What is being done to help these people? Is it fair for those in America who make millions of dollars a year to ignore this and allow these children to starve? Children by far suff... ...s imported from the poor countries, and we buy more food from 36 of the 40 countries. Is this something that we , as Americans, can be proud of? The horrific conditions experienced by the people of the third world are conditions that we can only begin to try to understand. Twenty five percent of children will die before their fifth birthday, and those who live will live without many things they need and are entitled to. Children are the future," they need to be tomorrow's solutions, not tomorrow's problems. There are many people out there working to eliminate poverty and improve living conditions for those in the third world countries, but they cannot do it alone. Everyone should take it upon themselves to do something. It may seem like an impossible to solve, but if everyone would work together, poverty would be lost and the third world would be a better place. Children in the Third World Essay -- World Poverty Essays Children in the Third World We live in an imperfect world where poverty is a reality. Forty thousand children die per year of starvation. Over 1 billion cities face unemployment and poverty day to day. Three-fourth's of the world's largest poverty population live in the Third World Countries, which includes underdeveloped countries, mainly Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Originally the term "Third World" meant all those not supporting communism and the Western countries. Now, it is a term used to describe the poor countries of the world. These countries face hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and poor health care on a day to day basis. They have high population increases, the death rates have lowered over the years, but the birth rates are still high. Because of these increases in population and the low amount of resources available to accommodate these people, hunger is a rapidly increasing problem for the Third World. "The average spending per capita is $660 in a developing country, $13,100 in a developed country, and $19,800 in the United States." "60% of the Third World lives in extreme poverty." "I knew that poverty exists, but it never occurred to me that most of the people in this world live in poverty." (Junior Padma Krishnan) That is the problem with people today, many do not realize what a reality poverty is. That is the key word, "Reality." Many sit back and watch the commercials on children starving in Kenya or the bloated stomachs of the malnourished or undernourished in Somalia, but how many actually think about what a problem this is? What is being done to help these people? Is it fair for those in America who make millions of dollars a year to ignore this and allow these children to starve? Children by far suff... ...s imported from the poor countries, and we buy more food from 36 of the 40 countries. Is this something that we , as Americans, can be proud of? The horrific conditions experienced by the people of the third world are conditions that we can only begin to try to understand. Twenty five percent of children will die before their fifth birthday, and those who live will live without many things they need and are entitled to. Children are the future," they need to be tomorrow's solutions, not tomorrow's problems. There are many people out there working to eliminate poverty and improve living conditions for those in the third world countries, but they cannot do it alone. Everyone should take it upon themselves to do something. It may seem like an impossible to solve, but if everyone would work together, poverty would be lost and the third world would be a better place.

English leaving cert comprehension Essay

Write a personal essay in which you explore the storytelling evident in music and song and its impact on you as a listener. Music; The art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. There are many things in the world that I am mildly passionate about, including sports such as golf and swimming, animals, family, friends and school. But there is only one thing that I am extremely passionate about and that is music. There is something about music and how it can have such a significant effect on my everyday life. Music is something everyone hears at least once a day. Our world is filled by music. I have a great passion for music. It provides me with satisfaction that I don’t really find in other activities. Listening to it disconnects me from the outside world and releases some stresses in life. When I’m tense or when my other activities drain all my energy, I can just retire to my room, plug in my headphones and just listen to my favourite songs. I believe music has the ability to change any persons mood. It can be used to let out anger, sadness and happiness. The specific song I listen to can affect how I feel, it may make me cry, laugh, or even feel angry. Throughout history, people have used song to convey their messages. Songs are a powerful way to get your message across. They are our fears, our desires, our hopes, our dreams, our losses, our celebrations, our memories and our experiences. Each and every one of them are a story. The stories musicians tell and the themes that they communicate through music have a long lasting effect on the audience. Musicians and composers have the unique opportunity and responsibility to portray their stories that can empower and enable their listeners and fans to believe and relate to their own personal experiences. Take the National anthems for instance, singing ones National Anthem may it be in a stadium, hall or even at school has the absolute power to reinforce the feeling of pride and accomplishment of that nation. It has the ability to bond every single person of that nation together. When people are representing their country and singing their national anthem anyone can notice the power of emotion it bestows on them. National Anthems are a portrayal of a countries history and culture and it presents their ambitions for the future. To some extent, a songwriter can be seen as a storyteller, singing about their experiences or feelings. Most songs revolve around a certain theme, such as friendships, love, pain, etc. Each song tells a different story, love songs can either be about falling in love or breaking up. Rap is a powerful example of how storytelling can be evident in music and song. Rappers are famous for rapping about an event that has happened to them or something they feel strongly about. Marshall Bruce Mathers, known by his stage name Eminem world wide is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and rapper. Eminem bases the majority of his songs on his family, in particular his daughter Hailie, drug issues and legal troubles. One of Eminem’s songs that has the most effect on me his is song Mockingbird. I feel Eminem was referring to the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ where the mockingbird portrayed someone who is innocent but is a victim of circumstance and prejudice. In this song, Eminem’s daughter Hailie is the mockingbird as an innocent young girl, but she is unfortunately a victim because of the harsh circumstances surrounding the situation between her parents. Eminem blames himself for Hailies situation and he tries to comfort her telling her that he will always be there for her even when ‘mommys not there’. I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now But hey,  what daddy always tell you? Straighten up little soldier Stiffen up that upper lip What you crying about? You got me I feel that the words to this song hold a strong and emotional effect on me and I would presume that it would have the same effect to anyone else listening to it. Eminem is only one example of a particular artist that has a storytelling aspect in his songs that have an impact on me. I could name many more also, but I just want to end in saying I know music will always be important in my life because of how it has the power to change any mood.

Marie Ziegler of John Deere Essay

The characteristics of effective sustainable business leadership consist of having a vision of what the business is aiming to attain, seeing the value in the process and providing the leadership to attain the goal. The leadership starts with believing in yourself knowing that your capable of making your dreams come true. John Deere was born on February 7,1804 in Rutland, Vermont. In 1836 John Deere moved to Grand Detour, Illinois to escape from depressing business conditions he had in Vermont. Capable and hard working John Deere used his skills as a blacksmith were instantly in command. John Deere opened his shop in 1837 allowing him to operate as a general repairman as well as a manufacturer of small tools such as pitchforks and shovels. Using a broken saw blade Deere created a plow in the year of 1837. By 1841, Deere produced 100 plows annually. Two years later became an alliance with Leonard Andrus to fabricate more plows to increase demand purchasing a new land for the building of a new two-story factory alongside of the Rock River in Illinois. This factory produced about 400 plows in that same year. Regardless the success, Deere’s alliance with Andrus finished in 1848, when Deere moved to Moline, Illinois which offered advantages of water power, coal and cheaper transportation than to be found in Grand Detour. In 1850, approximately 1600 plows were made, and the company was soon producing other tools to complement its steel plow. In 1858, Deere transferred leadership of the company to his son, Charles, who served as its vice president. John Deere retained the title of president of the company, but now turned his attention to civic and political activities. John Deere was active in public life throughout his career in Moline. Among other roles, he was a founder and president of the National Bank of Moline, was an active member of the First Congregational Church, and served as the city’s mayor for two years. John Deere died on May 17, 1886, at his home in Moline. (â€Å"Past Leaders â€Å", 2014). After the death of John Deere the company was producing a collection of farm tools in addition to plows, plus wagons, corn planters, and cultivators. At the same time the company expanded into the bicycle business during the 1890’s, but the essential focus stayed on agricultural imp lements. Increased  competition during the early 1900s from the new International Harvester Company led the company to expand its offerings in the implement business, but it was the production of gasoline tractors which would come to define Deere & Company’s operations during the twentieth century. After Charles Deere death in 1907, William Butterworth Deere & Company new president started the business expansion into the tractor business. During the years John Deere has been increasing profits as well as production becoming one of the best equipments for farming. According to â€Å"Past Leaders † (2014), (Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality, built on a tradition of integrity). As of 2014, Deere & Company employs approximately 67,000 people in 27 countries worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Turkey, Canada, United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco and South Africa, among many others and is the greatest agriculture machinery company in the world. Inside the United States, the company’s primary locations are its administrative center in Moline, Illinois and manufacturing factories in central and southeastern United States. (â€Å"John Deere†, 2014). Marie Z. Ziegler is Vice President and Treasurer for Deere & Company, a position she’s held since November 2010. Ziegler is responsible for the company’s worldwide treasury and investor relations activities. Ziegler joined Deere & Company in 1978 as a consolidation accountant and has held management positions in finance, treasury operations, strategic planning and investor and banking relations. She served as Director of Investor Relations, and in May 2001, was appointed Vice President, Investor Relations for Deere & Company. (â€Å"John Deere†, 2014). The John Deere portfolio of businesses is varied, yet interrelated. Two of our businesses – Agricultural and Construction equipment – are in an excellent position to take advantage of global growth. Two additional  businesses – Turf and Forestry equipment – support and enhance worldwide channel development. And additional supporting businesses – Financial Services, Power Systems, Parts Services, and the Intelligent Solutions Group – strengthen and differentiate our equipment businesses. Strategy. (2014). The key for John Deere success is having exceptional operating performance, disciplined SVA growth, and aligned high-performance teamwork. These factors direct success for this company as they are important for the future of John Deere as they leverage and create core strengths.. John Deere future successes will require more people working for them. For that reason, they are creating strength in four additional capabilities: Deep Customer Understanding, Delivering Customer Value, World-class Distribution System, and Growing Extraordinary Global Talent. These additional success factors are critical in order to achieve sustainable SVA growth through global growth. Shareholder Value Added (SVA) – the difference between operating profit and pretax cost of capital – is a metric used by John Deere to evaluate business results and measure sustainable performance. Why Invest. (2014). John Deere tracks their progress as they follow their growth goals by monitoring Performance metrics and Health metrics. Performance metrics is the traditional financial measures based on what they deliver to their stakeholders. Health metrics is based on the company’s success factors such as their qualities, attributes, and actions being introduced to ensure the sustainability of our performance over time. Measures of Success.(2014). The â€Å"How† is represented by John Deere core values of Integrity, Quality, Commitment, and Innovation. Customers can see the value of the products and processes. People recognize how John Deere manage an every day business, including the manner of how employees, customers,suppliers, dealers, and stakeholders are taken care of. John Deere core values define them as they come together and distinguish from competitors. John Deere commitment to these core values is optional, and never waivers. Core values.(2014).

Heathrow: Terminal 5

Terminal 5 Heathrow London London Heathrow Terminal 5 Project Scope The plans for this project began as far back as 1982, where there was an on-going debate as to whether the aviation industry in the United Kingdom should expand through Heathrow Airport or Stansted Airport. The objective of the operation was to add a fifth passenger terminal to Heathrow to handle the tourism coming into London, also with the intentions of increasing the capacity of Heathrow Airport from 65 million people per year to 97 million people per year. Plans for the building of Terminal 5 began in 1988.The project was given a budget of under ? 4. 5 billion. The main stakeholders in this operation were Willy Walsh (CEO of British Airways at the time), and Tony Douglas (CEO of BAA at the time). Terminal Five was going to be made using the latest technology in order to make the airport experience much easier for the public, and also to keep up with the leading airports in the world. The public were originally ve ry strongly opposing the plans, with local people and local councils claiming it would cause more noise pollution, air pollution and traffic congestion in their area.The first design milestone for this project came in the late 1980's when architect Richard Rogers of ‘Richard Rogers Partnership Architecture Firm' was appointed with the task of designing the structure. British Airports Authority (BAA) officially announced a proposal to expand through building Terminal 5 at Heathrow in May of 1992. Terminal 5 had to fulfil a number of needs as an airport terminal, such as retail facilities, rail terminal, multi-storey car park, production lines etc. Project PlanThe development of Terminal 5 was an extremely time-consuming journey which started in the late 1980's when Richard Rogers Partnership was appointed with the task of designing the terminal. Planning applications were submitted in 1993, and a public enquiry was held from 1995 to 1999 to examine the every need of this new te rminal, and every aspect of the design of the structure that was about to be introduced. Eight years after the initial planning application, the transport minister had made the decision to grant planning permission on behalf of the British government.It was the longest public enquiry in UK history with legal costs reaching 80m pounds and contained over 700 building conditions. At the time Terminal 5 was the largest construction project in Europe and cost a staggering 4. 2bn. Phase one of the project included many systems of systems; it contains two main terminal satellites, car parks with over 4,000 spaces, major tunnelling and excavations, underground bagging system, road rail extensions, air traffic control tower, a hotel containing 600 bedrooms, 60 aircraft stands, as well as transit systems.The British Airports Authority felt they had to upgrade their airport to keep in competition with other main hub airports. Construction of the project went underway in the Summer of 2002 and was originally a five year plan. Five key stages were identified in the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5: * Site Preparation & Enabling Works * Ground Works * Major Structures * Fit Out Site Preparation and Enabling Works A major archaeology excavation took place on the Terminal 5 site, where there were over 80,000 artefacts found during the excavation.Also operations such as levelling the site, laying foundations, extensive tunnelling to cater for the large underground baggage and railway system that was to be put in place for the airport. Groundworks March 2005 also saw the completion of developed road infrastructure (internal airside roads). A new spur road off the M25 was also completed and opened in April 2008 in order to improve access to the terminal. Underground railroad tunnel connections between Heathrow express and Terminal 5 were finally completed in September 2004 after four and half months of tunnelling.Terminal 5 has six platforms, two of which are used for London Underground Piccadilly extension, two for the Heathrow express and the remaining two for additional extensions. The railway service was completed in March 2008. Major Structures Two satellite terminals were built to cater for 30 million extra passengers per year. Phase 1 of building these structures would account for 27 million passengers then a further 3 million on completion of Phase 2. Phase 2 was the further construction of a second satellite terminal neighbouring to the original Terminal 5 structure and was completed in June 2005.March 2005 was a pivotal point in the construction of Terminal 5; the air traffic control tower was fully erected and stood 87 meters tall, which makes it one of the largest in Europe. Fit Out Key elements of the fit out comprise of specific electronic systems. These electronic systems involve new check-in technology. It uses a face recognition system on arrival to reduce waiting time for boarding passengers. The service also includes the Rapid Transit System, which is a personal people mover carriage which links people from the car park to the main Terminal 5 building.It was completed in April 2011 and then opened to the public in September 2011. The baggage handling system is the largest of its kind in Europe and it has two main integrated systems; fast track and main baggage sorter. The systems were designed to handle more than 70,000 bags per day. Working Breakdown Structure Risks Capital Issues Many factors had to be taken into account upon undertaking the Heathrow Terminal 5 build. This at the time was Europe’s largest construction project in its history and was also the British Airport Authority (BAA) largest and most expensive project undertaken.This project would tie up much of BAA’s working capital (4. 3 Billion). Taking up all off this was a huge risk for BAA as any major cost overruns would severely break the budget and would lead to huge exposure to BAA as a company itself rendering them out of money an d needing extra finance. To overcome this BAA set out a new no blame culture Construction Risks The construction site of the Terminal posed huge risks to the project as it was determined the site would be built on an area of wetlands west of the original airport.The site was previously occupied by a sewage works and these wetlands had two main rivers running through them which would need to be relocated in order for any construction to go ahead. The two rivers – The Longford River and The Duke of Northumberland River. BAA came up with a twin Rivers Diversion Scheme to re route these rivers operating under strict time constraints established from the inquiry. The scheme achieved a Civil Engineering Environmental Quality (CEEQUAL) award for maintaining high environmental standards and quality during design and construction.Constraint Issues Being the largest free standing building ever to be built in Europe coupled with the fact that Heathrow had to be fully operational through out the construction project special cranes had to be custom built in order to erect the building while not interfering with air space and possibly causing havoc amongst the airport. Many constraints were also put on the builders, workers and architects of the project from the lengthy inquiry – one of the main issues being that only one access road would be allowed to service the site.This forced BAA to create and off site set up area where the pre fabrication was done for the project and then brought on site when needed. Costs We as a group believe that this project was extremely good value for money although it came in over budget by over â‚ ¬200. T2 received 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction.Terminal 2 was over budget because it was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. With its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. We believe that the planning of the budget was the problem here and not enough consideration was taken into account about unforeseen circumstances – leading to the budget being hugely unrealistic.The Enabling works along with site logistics & phasing was originally budgeted at â‚ ¬5,925,000 but final cost turned out to be â‚ ¬9,135,000. The works & logistics involved diversion of utility services and the unplanned extensive reconstruction of Corbalis House a post medieval house dating back to the pre 1700’s. REFERENCE Upon reaching our judgement that T2 was a construction success we referred back to and compared Heathrow’s T5. DAA managed to build and Internatio nal Terminal with a final cost of â‚ ¬609 whereas it took BAA â‚ ¬4. Billion to service only double the amount of yearly passengers as Dublins T2. Below are some other stark comparisons where we believe T2 was a massive success as they managed to spend 7 x times less than BAA’s T5. ————————————————- | ————————————————- BAA T5| ————————————————- DAA T2| ————————————————- FINAL COST| ————————————————- â‚ ¬5. 3 BILLION| ————————————————- â‚ ¬609 MILLION| ———————————————— PASSENGERS PER ANNUM| ————————————————- 30 MILLION| ————————————————- 15 MILLION| ————————————————- SQ METRES| ————————————————- 350,000| ————————————————- 75 ,000| ————————————————- CONSTRUCTION LENGTH| ————————————————- 6 YEARS| ————————————————- 3 YEARS| ———————————————— NO. RETAIL OUTLETS| ————————————————- 112| ————————————————- 40| Terminal 2 Terminal 2 as a project in our group’s opinion was value for money, even though it came in at 200 million over budget it has r eceived 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction. Terminal 2 was over budget because . t was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. , with its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. Bibliography * http://centrim. mis. brighton. ac. uk/research/projects/t5 * http://www. economist. com/node/4300209 * http://www. hacan. org. uk/resources/briefings/hacan. briefing. heathrow_terminal_5. pdf

Emily Dickinson’s “A Certain Slant of Light” Analysis Essay Essay

In her poem, There’s a certain Slant of light, Emily Dickinson uses metaphors and imagery to convey the feeling of solemnity and despair at winter’s twilight. The slanted light that she sees, is a metaphor for her battle with depression. Anyone who is familiar with Dickinson’s background will have a better understanding of what she is trying to say in this poem. Dickinson was known as a recluse and spent most of her life isolated from the outside world. The few people that she did come in contact with over the years are said to have had a major impact on her poetry. Although, her main muse of her work seems to be despair and internal conflict. What’s interesting about the poem is that Dickinson uses metaphors to describe depression, as well as religion. It is clear that the poet intends to highlight the light in the afternoon with its heaviness and solemnity. The time of year that the poet is describing is winter, while the time of day is twilight, or the afternoon, as said in the poem. Often times, and how I’ve interpreted it, the season, plus the time of day can be considered a metaphor for death. In Dickinson’s, There’s a certain Slant of light, she used a metered rhyming scheme that follows the pattern of ABCB. Since the poem uses rhyming, it’s closed form. There are four stanzas that almost have a hymn-like rhythm. It’s unclear if that was intentional or not due the religious metaphors within the stanzas. Dickinson used trochaic and iambic meters through out the poem. She also used stressed and unstressed syllables. The opening line of the poem, states the title and at the same time, introduces what the poem is essentially about. The poet goes on to say that the winter light, which slants in through the windows, weighs upon the speakers soul like â€Å"the Heft of Cathedral tunes.† Organs, with their multiple pipes, strike ears and fill Cathedrals with a sound that often leaves you with a feeling of unwelcome solemnity and grandiosity. This can leave listeners with an overwhelming feeling that lays heavy in their being. The image of winter, as well as the organ music, adds gloom to the poem. There’s a sense of anguish that the speaker is feeling and you believe that a certain slant of light might connote hope, but not even sunshine on a winter afternoon could bring happiness into the speaker’s life. Winter itself is a symbol of death and decay, opposed to summer, which is characterized by sunshine and joy. Like the Cathedral tunes, the light reminds her of desolation. The feeling of despair is transported into an auditory feeling, which is where the organs come in. The word â€Å"heft† has two meanings, weight and significance. It can refer to the cathedral tunes, and also the speaker being weighed down by despair. In the second stanza, the light oppresses her soul; it gives her a â€Å"Heavenly Hurt.† The experience of slanted light is a metaphor for ideas and how it feels to experience depression. This kind of heavenly hurt leaves no scar behind, but it creates an internal difference that brings a change in demeanor. The phrase â€Å"Heavenly Hurt† brings together a feeling of elation and the reality of what the speaker is feeling. The alliteration of this phrase is used as an emphasis. In the third stanza, the first two lines are, â€Å"None may teach it – Any – ‘Tis the Seal Despair -† This is saying that no one is able to teach us what death feels like. We can prepare for it, in the sense of what we believe will come after, but the actual physical and mental feeling is unknown. Death is very unpredictable in the way that we don’t know how our lives will end, but it’s on everyone’s mind. In the line, An imperial affliction, Sent us of the Air – (11-12) the speaker has made a connection with the winter light, the â€Å"Heavenly Hurt†, and the feeling of internal difference and despair. In Dickinson’s poem, an imperial affliction is a metaphor for an all-encompassing despair that comes from the air. Whenever we have a strong emotion, like happiness, we tend to see the world around us in a brighter light and over all it makes us feel joyful. If we’re feeling down, like the speaker of this poe m, we see the world as how we feel inside; things look unpleasant, and grey and dismal. We’re unable to see a ray of hope that is coming through the window in the form of sunshine. In the fourth stanza, when death, or â€Å"it† as the speaker calls it, comes everything listens. When someone dies, those still on this earth sometimes experience stillness in nature, as if the world is on hold and listening to us. In Dickinson’s poem the stillness comes from the slant of light, and the landscape and shadows listen and figuratively hold their breath. The landscape and shadows are personified in this stanza. The capitalization of â€Å"Landscape† and â€Å"Shadows† gives the impression that the speaker is referring to someone she knows. The mood here changes quite a bit compared to the first three stanzas of this poem. You get a sense of anticipation instead of despair, and the oppression that the speaker has felt has lifted and now she’s feeling light and maybe some what alluring. In the final two lines of the poem, the poet uses sort of a morbid imagery. â€Å"When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance, On the look of Death.† (15-16) Dead people have a distant look to them since the life in their being is gone somewhere else. We also see the exit of winter light at the end of the day in the same distant way we might see some deaths. Death is mysterious to those on earth, just as the sunset in the heart of winter is. The day is blanketed in shadows due to the sun’s proximity to earth during this season, and as it sets, it’s a gradual process, that sometimes leaves the world at a standstill, much like death. The dash at the end serves as emphasis that a period wouldn’t leave behind. As readers, we’re left with no definitive answers in regards to the light or the speaker’s internal despair. Dickinson almost made this intentional in a way that the reader might feel an equal despair or oppression at the outcome of the poem, or the â€Å"light† might leave us with a feeling of enlightenment and hope. At the end of this poem, we’re left with a feeling of despair, that Dickinson almost made intentional in order for the reader to better understand how the speaker feels as the light breaks through the windows on winter afternoons. Emily Dickinson’s use of imagery and metaphors highlights her battle with depression and isolation. There’s a certain Slant of light (about 1861) Emily Dickinson There’s a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons – That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes – Heavenly Hurt, it gives us – We can find no scar, But internal Difference, Where the Meanings, are – None may teach it – Any – ‘Tis the Seal Dispair – An imperial affliction Sent us of the Air – When it comes, the Landscape listens – Shadows – hold their breath – When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance On the look of Death – Works Cited Page Kennedy, X. J.. An introduction to poetry. Boston: Little, Brown, 1966. Print.