Stakeholder management and risk management Essay

Stakeholder management and risk management - Essay Example The stakeholder identification includes listing of the external and internal stakeholders who are associated with the mega project and then categorizing the stakeholders according to their roles, influence and impact on the large project. After analyzing the group of stakeholders, a stakeholder matrix is formed in which the stakeholders are positioned based on their relative importance for the large project that they are associated with. Followed by the formation of stakeholder matrix, stakeholder engagement is crucial in order to discuss the objectives and goals of the organization. The expectations of the stakeholders are also discussed in the meeting and a common goal is arrived to which all the stakeholders need to abide. The expectations of the stakeholders are discussed and the nature of communication to be maintained with the stakeholders is also agreed upon during the process (Kerzner and  Belack, 2010, p.47). The approach of stakeholder management maintains all the protoco ls of the large scale project in terms of security, confidentiality, etc. ... The synthesis approach to stakeholder management considers the ethical responsibilities to the stakeholders apart from the fiduciary responsibilities. Risk management is a process of identification, assessment, categorization and prioritization of risks and then adopt suitable strategies for allocation of resources in order to monitor, control and mitigate the impacts of risk exposures. Risk management approaches are adopted in order to minimize the impacts of uncertain events which could interrupt or cause stoppage or considerable loss in the operations of large scale projects. Risk management takes into account the exposures to the financial markets, credit policies, legal risk, operational risk and any other event that is unpredictable or uncertain in the course of large projects. The various approaches to risk management in large scale projects include avoiding the risk, reducing the impact of risk exposure, transferring the risk to another party or even accepting some or all of the probable impacts of a certain risk exposure (Handlechner, 2008, p.37). In case of avoidance of the risk, some of the resources or objectives of the large scale project may need to be compromises. The risk avoidance approach is taken when the impact of such risk on the large scale project nullifies the value of the project. In most large scale projects, the risk mitigation approach is followed with a view that there is a risk return trade off for the project. Lowering the amount of risk to the tolerable limit of the project would help large projects to be executed with a profitable balance between the associated risks and the potential returns (Conrow, 2003, p.58). The third approach for the management of risk is the method of transferring the risk to another party. By transferring

Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Journal - Research Paper Example The first one, â€Å"Boys and Girls†, lets the reader know that Nenny is still too young to be a friend to her sister and yet, the unnamed older sister is already looking forward to the time when Nenny will be old enough to be her friend and enjoy each others company. The sense of sibling love is quite strong in this story because she feels protective of her younger sister and looks out for her because not all the kids in their neighborhood are nice children and she does not want her sister exposed to any bad influences. The end of the story makes one wonder what might have become of the sisters after some years had passed. That is why it was nice to see the relationship progression in the second story â€Å"Our Good Day†. In â€Å"Our Good Day†, the readers learn that Nenny is no longer a little child. She is already old enough to be the friend of her sister and that the relationship between them is one filled with trust and care. It also shows that the older sister keeps her younger sibling in mind and is very happy to be able to share any good fortune that she might come into in life with her. However, the story that shows us the greatest development in the relationship of the sisters can be seen in the story â€Å"Laughter†. Look at that house, I said, it looks like Mexico. Rachel and Lucy look at me like I am crazy, but before they can let out a laugh, Nenny says yes: Yes, thats Mexico all right. Thats what I was thinking exactly. This shows that the sisters have reached a point in their sibling-ship where they know each other so well that they trust that the other will know what the one is trying to say. Even more impressive, is that the sisters already think alike. Which is a sign that the siblings are quite in-tune with one another and share more than just a superficial relationship. I guess that is why I enjoyed reading about these stories so much. The short stories give a sense of character development and

Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Infrared Range

Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Infrared Range Various aspects of nonlinear optical phenomena in the infrared range Yu Qin Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics, which describes the behavior of light in nonlinear media, where the dielectric polarization P responses nonlinearly to the electric field of the light E. This is a very broad concept. In this thesis, we focus our study on three aspects of nonlinear optical phenomena in the infrared wavelength range: the characterization of a mid-infrared ultrashort laser by autocorrelation based on Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), the influence of the beam mode on the interaction between laser and media during nonlinear propagation of femtosecond near-infrared pulses in liquid, and the dynamics of the ablation of solid samples submerged in liquid using a long nanosecond near-infrared laser. Many energy levels of molecules and lattice vibrations are in mid-infrared wavelength range of 2.5-25 Â µm. For this reason, this wavelength range is called chemical fingerprint zone. Infrared absorption spectroscopy using light source in this wavelength range has been widely used identify different covalent bonds in many kinds of samples. Besides, by irradiation of an intense and short laser pulse whose wavelength is tuned to the resonance, a specific molecular band absorbs the pulse energy, and specific chemical reaction is excited. For this reason, tunable mid-infrared ultrafast lasers have a lot of potential applications in energy and material science, i.e., the production of alcohol or hydrogen from H2O and CO2, and the development of next-generation solar cells. Kyoto University Free-electron Laser (KU-FEL) is an oscillator-type free-electron laser, which works in the mid-infrared wavelength range of 5-13 Â µm. In temporal domain, the pulses from KU-FEL have a dual-pulse structure. In a macropulse with the duration of a few microseconds, thousands of micropulses sit with the interval of 350 ps between each other. Due to its special lasing dynamics, the wavelength instability of this kind of Free-Electron Laser (FEL) is relatively worse compared with optical lasers, i.e., at the working wavelength of 12 Â µm, this instability is around hundreds of Gigahertzes, which is comparable to the bandwidth of the vibrational modes. For those potential applications in which resonances are involved, stabilization of the wavelength of KU-FEL is necessary. And before that, we should first know the amount of wavelength instability. Besides, similar to all other ultrashort pulse lasers, micropulse duration of KU-FEL is very important information for applic ations such as nonlinear optics. For these purposes, in this thesis, we report the measurements of both the duration and wavelength instability of KU-FEL micropulses using the technique of Fringe-Resolved AutoCorrelation (FRAC). For temporal characterization of ultrashort pulses, standard techniques such as Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating (FROG) and Spectral Phase Interferometry for Direct Electric-field Reconstruction (SPIDER) are invented more than ten years ago, which can give a single-shot measure for both the amplitude and the phase of the electric field, even for the pulses with the durations down to few cycle. Both FROG and SPIDER are spectrum-resolved measurement, for which the 2D array detector (CCD) is required to measure the single-shot spectrum. However, such kind of detectors for the mid-infrared wavelength range is very expensive, and not available in our institute. Under this condition, we perform an autocorrelation measurement of KU-FEL, and try to find the information about pulse duration and wavelength instability for the results. Autocorrelation is a kind of well-known technique, which is invented more than thirty years ago. It is usually used for a rough estimation of the pulse duration of ultrashort laser pulses. In this thesis, by a systematic study of the influence of the wavelength instability on the signal of FRAC measurement, we first propose a method of measuring the wavelength instability of micropulses of an oscillator-type FEL by FRAC. Besides, we find that, by integrating the FRAC over the delay time, we can measure the duration of an ultrafast pulse, without knowing the chirps in advance. To the best of our knowledge, this finding has not been reported anywhere else, and it can save us from an additional Intensity AutoCorrelation (IAC) measurement. Both of the above mentioned methods work well when applied to an FRAC measurement of KU-FEL at the wavelength of 12 Â µm. The durations and the wavelength instability of the microoulses are measured to be ~0.6 ps and 1.3%. This technique can be also applied for characterization of ultrashort pulses at other wavelengths, where 2D array detectors are not easily available, i.e., for the extreme-ultraviolet case. Since our autocorrelation measurement is based on SHG, which is a second order nonlinear process, good focusablity of the laser beam is required to reach the high intensity at the focus position. To test the focusibility of the KU-FEL, a measurement of M2 factor of KU-FEL is carried out by the 2D knife-edge method before the autocorrelation measurement. The most convenient way to measure the M2 factor of a laser is to measure the beam profile at different distances from the focus by a beam profiler, and analyze the results. The reason why we choose the old-fashioned knife-edge method is still the lack of 2D array detector in this wavelength range. The beam profiles at different distances from the focus are reconstructed from the results of knife-edge scanning in both horizontal and vertical directions. During the data analysis, the beam of KU-FEL is found to have the non-Gaussian beam profile. As a result, the analytical methods developed for Gaussian beams under the knife-edge measu rement do not work for our case. Taken the non-Gaussian property of the beam into consideration, some special and original treatments are taken during the data analysis. With the development of the Ti:sapphire laser and the chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system, high power at the order of Terawatt becomes available at the wavelength of around 800 nm. This has attracted a lot of interests on the studies of nonlinear optics, such as the generations of attosecond pulses, Terahertz radiations, high order harmonics, and supercontinuum spectra. From the beginning of this century, the filamentation induced by femtosecond pulses during propagation in nonlinear media has been a hot topic. During the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses, due to the balance between self-focusing, plasma defocusing, and nonlinear loss, the intense part of the laser beam collapses to a spot with very small diameter, which can propagate for a distance much longer than the Rayleigh length. This phenomenon is called filamentation. Because of the long focal depth of the filamentation, it has many applications such as laser machining, Laser Imaging, Detection and Ranging (LA DAR), and long distance Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Besides, strong spectral broadening occurs during filamentation, and the coherent white light is generated at the central part of the beam. This effect is widely used for pulse compression. And for the reason of high time resolution, this coherent white light also serves as a good light source in spectroscopy. Most of the studies about filamentation have used Gaussian beams as the incident beams. Recently, the axicon lens has made the generation of Bessel beam much easier. Many groups have focused their studies on the filamentation induced by Bessel beams. Compared with Gaussian beams, Bessel beams keep the high on-axis intensity for even longer propagation distance, thus can produce longer filamentation. We perform a comparison study of filamentations generated by Gaussian and Bessel beams. Since the pulses we can use are splitted from a CPA system, which contain the energy of 200 Â µJ, we choose the liquid as the nonlinear media. Compared with gaseous media, liquid has much larger nonlinear coefficient, so that the nonlinear effect can be observed at much lower incident power, and in a much shorter propagation range. Besides, unlike solid media, we can use the liquid sample for long time during experiment, without worrying about the laser-induced damage. During this experiment, we have confirmed the resistance of Self Phase Modulation during the propagation of Bessel beam, which is also reported in some papers by other groups. The experimental results and qualitative explanations are reported in this thesis. When an intense laser pulse is focused on the material, plasma is generated. During this process, small portion of the material to be analyzed gets atomized and excited, and emits light. By collecting and analyzing the spectra of the emitted light, we can detect the constituents of the material, or even the relative abundance of each constituent element. This technique is called Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Compared with other similar techniques, LIBS has many advantages, i.e., in principle, it can detect all elements, and can analyze any matter regardless of its physical state, be it solid, liquid or gas. Since during a single shot in the LIBS measurement, the mass of the ablated material is in the range of picogram to nanogram, the LIBS is considered to be non-destructive. Another important advantage of LIBS is the easiness of the sample preparation. For most of the cases, the sample does not require any treatment before LIBS measurement. For this reason, LIBS can be applied for in-situ multi-elemental analysis. And due to its fast analysis time, LIBS can be used for a realtime composition measurement. Nd:YAG laser at fundamental wavelength (1064 nm) is most often used during LIBS experiments. It has several advantages, i.e., the scattered laser light does not influence the measurement of the visible spectra, and compared with shorter wavelength, laser at this wavelength has better heating effect on the laser-induced plasma. Compared with LIBS of solid sample in gaseous media, LIBS of solid sample under liquid is more complicated. In such condition, if the single nanosecond pulse is used for ablation, the measured spectra are always deformed and broadened, which is due to the strong confinement of plasma plume in liquid environment. One solution of this problem is to use the double pulses LIBS, during which the first pulse can generate a bubble near the surface of the sample, in which the plasma produced by the second pulse can expand. Another solution is to use the long nanosecond pulses, which have the durations of more than 100 ns. During long pulse LIBS, the diameter of the laser-induced bubble can reach hundreds of micrometers at the trailing part of the pulse, which provides a space with low density for the plasma plume to grow. Compared with the double pulses LIBS, the advantage of the long pulse LIBS is that, it can be applied for the measurement under very high pressure. However, if the double p ulses LIBS is applied under such condition, the bubble generated by the first pulse can not grow to a size large enough for the plasma plume generated by the second pulse to expand inside. And as a result, the double pulses LIBS loses its advantage. In this thesis, we report our experimental study of long pulse LIBS of solid samples under liquid. Two experiments are included. The first one is to optimize the laser focus position, and the second one is to study the influence of solvent temperature on the ablation dynamics. The results of these experiments can help us better understand the dynamics of ablation during long pulse LIBS of solid sample submerged into liquid.

The three great crimes of macbeth :: essays research papers

The Three Great Crimes of Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play ‘Macbeth’ is a portrait of one man, an ambitious, ruthless, disturbing individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play shows how he evolves as a person. Although we are presented with his declination from good to evil, we can see his human side throughout the play, which makes it a tragedy. The themes of ‘Macbeth’ are ambition, effects of evil, and violence. Once Macbeth’s ambition has ‘set the ball rolling’, events happen quickly in the play as it gathers momentum. The themes are demonstrated mainly by the language of the play. As in Shakespeare’s time, plays were performed in daylight with very few props. Ambition is something that everyone can identify with, and ‘Macbeth’ is a interesting study of how ambition can destroy you, so the audience is interested in Macbeth’s character. Our first impression of Macbeth is of a heroic, famous, popular man who is well liked by the King, Duncan. Duncan refers to Macbeth as ‘noble Macbeth’.(Act 1 Scene 2 L67) Macbeth craves the title of king greatly, but real izes that he will have to commit some horrible crimes to get that position. Macbeth is tempted to follow through with the acts because of two sources of external evil - the witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth was already ambitious, but this was only heightened by the women as they made those desires appear as though they were achievable. This sets into motion the first of three great crimes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Act one, scene three, Macbeth reveals that he is thinking of killing Duncan. Once the audience knows how the character thinks, they tend to sympathize with him, which is another reason why Macbeth is a tragedy. Shakespeare was such a talented playwrite, that he tended to make the audience sympathize with not only the hero, but also the villain. The aside follows closely Macbeth’s desires and doubts - he does not know whether ‘this supernatural soliciting’ is good or bad, but he dearly wants to be king. He describes the murder that he is imagining to be ‘horrible’(Act 1 Scene 3 L137) and ‘makes my seated heart knock at my ribs’ (Act 1 Scene 3 L135), showing that the whole idea disgusts and horrifies him, as it would any man who was brave and noble, but Macbeth cannot stop thinking about it, showing that he is considering the idea and is drawn to it, and that he has ambitions to be king within him already.

Using Budgets for Control

Budgets provide a means for planning the financial future and play a vital role for planning. Budgets simultaneously make managers construct and implement plans, contribute useful information for improved decision making, provide a standard to administer performance evaluation, and enhance organization and communication. An essential component of the budgeting system is control. Control periodically takes actual results and budgeted results and compares the two. It also allows for managers to frequently measure their performance from reports by providing performance evaluations.The master budget can be separated into operating and financial budgets, each made up of distinctly supporting schedules. Implementing budgets enables managers to create a formulated plan that allows for performance evaluation and improved control. Control involves the process of looking at the past, determining what really occurred and comparing it to previously projected results. Two processes which are sign ificant to adjusting the budget are the control cycle and the planning cycle.Both are linked through feedback and in their final stage, involve budgets. Participative budgeting gives subordinate managers the opportunity to contribute considerable proposals for establishing budgets. A key factor in implementing participative budgeting is that each manager should only be held responsible for costs they can completely control. Any costs that are outside of their control that are included on their budgets need to be marked as non-controllable, and separated from those costs that can be controlled.Participative Budgeting also enables the manager with the chance to structure slack into the budget as a way to increase the probability that the manager will achieve the proposed budget and therefore decrease the risk they may incur. This requires upper level management to carefully review budget proposals from subordinate management in order to decrease the amount of slack placed into the bud get. Performance evaluation is a vital element in rating the performance of management as well as maintaining control.When using budgets for performance evaluations it can result in feedback frequency of performance, monetary as well as nonmonetary incentives, participative budgeting, attainable standards, a variety of measures of performance and the possibility of controlling costs. By using frequent feedback on performance it gives managers a means to measure the success of their planning and enforce any corrective action. Monetary and nonmonetary incentives can aid in invoking a positive, goal congruent behavior in which goals at managerial and organizational levels agree.A simple example of performance evaluation could take place in a pizza restaurant that makes only pizzas. If the owner has an exact amount of toppings that he knows should be put on the pizzas and what that cost is, he can assess the amount of toppings being used. He might find that his workers are inadvertently topping some pizzas with more toppings than others. By encouraging his employees to top all pizzas with a consistent amount of toppings he can improve the consistency of the pizzas delivered to customers and increase savings on costs of toppings.If this same principle is practiced toward other aspects of the restaurant it could provide significant savings overall. Budgets contribute a valuable role in the success of a company. Implementing control and performance evaluations increases the effectiveness of the budget and provides guidelines for performance improvement in the business. Participative budgeting gives subordinate managers the ability to be involved and invokes a sense of responsibility while embracing creativity.However if not implemented correctly, the results can produce reduced control and padded budgets that can make it difficult to evaluate performance. Although budgets can contribute a valuable measure for managerial performance, they can still be manipulated by m anagers that are able to increase budgetary performance in the short-run yet cause significant damage to the business. Organizations need to utilize other qualified measures that take into consideration the financial or nonfinancial and short-run and long-run effects in order to avoid any threats of myopic behavior.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 1

Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade,† Mary-Lynnette said as she and Mark passed the old Victorian farmhouse. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Rowan. And Kestrel. And Jade. The names of thegirls who're moving in.† Mary-Lynnette tilted herhead toward the farmhouse-her hands were full of lawn chair. â€Å"They're Mrs. Burdock's nieces. Don't you remember I told you they were coming to live with her?† â€Å"Vaguely,† Mark said, readjusting the weight of the telescope he was carrying as they trudged up the manzanita-covered hill. He spoke shortly, which Mary-Lynnette knew meant he was feeling shy. â€Å"They're pretty names,† she said. â€Å"And they must be sweet girls, because Mrs. Burdock said so.† â€Å"Mrs. Burdock is crazy.† â€Å"She's just eccentric. And yesterday she told meher nieces are all beautiful. I mean, I'm sure she's prejudiced and everything, but she was pretty definite. Each one of them gorgeous, each one a completely different type.† â€Å"So they should be going to California,† Mark saidin an almost-inaudible mutter. â€Å"They should be posing for Vogue.Where do you want this thing?† he added as they reached the top of the hill. â€Å"Right here.† Mary-Lynnette put the lawn chairdown. She scraped some dirt away with her foot so the telescope would sit evenly. Then she said casually, â€Å"You know, I thought maybe we could go over there tomorrow and introduce ourselves-sort of welcome them, you know†¦.† â€Å"Will you cut itout?†Mark said tersely. â€Å"I can organize my own life. If I want to meet a girl, I'll meet a girl. I don't need help.† â€Å"Okay, okay. You don't need help. Be careful withthat focuser tube-â€Å" â€Å"And besides, what are we going to say?† Mark said, on a roll now. â€Å"‘Welcome to Briar Creek, where nothing ever happens. Where there are more coyotes than people. Where if you really want some excitement you can ride into town and watch theSaturday night mouse racing at the Gold Creek Bar†¦.'† â€Å"Okay. Okay.† Mary-Lynnette sighed. She-looked at her younger brother, who just at the moment was illuminated by the last rays of sunset. To see him now, you'd think he'd never been sick a day in hislife. His hair was as dark and shiny as Mary Lynnette's, his eyes were as blue and clear and snapping. He had the same healthy tan as she did; thesame glow of color in his cheeks. But when he'd been a baby, he'd been thin andscrawny and every breath had been a challenge.His asthma had been so bad he'd spent most of his second year in an oxygen tent, fighting to stay alive. Mary-Lynnette, a year and a half older, had won dered every day if her baby brother would ever come home. It had changed him, being alone in that tent whereeven their mother couldn't touch him. When hecame out he was shy and clingy-holding on to theirmother's arm all the time. And for years he hadn'tbeen able to go out for sports like the other kids. That was all a long time ago-Mark was going to bea junior in high school this year-but he was still shy. And when he got defensive, he bit people's heads off. Mary-Lynnette wished one of the new girls would be right for him, draw him out a bit, give him confidence. Maybe she could arrange it somehow†¦. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† Mark asked suspiciously. Mary-Lynnette realized he was staring at her. â€Å"About how the seeing's going to be really good tonight,† she said blandly. â€Å"August's the best month for starwatching; the air's so warm and still. Hey,there's the first star-you can make a wish.† She pointed to a bright point of light above the southern horizon. It worked; Mark was distracted and looked, too. Mary-Lynnette stared at the back of his dark head.If it would do any good, I'd wish for romance for you, she thought. I'd wish it for myself, too-but what would be the point? There's nobody around here to be romantic with. None of the guys at school–except maybe JeremyLovett-understood why she was interested in as tronomy, or what she felt about the stars. Most ofthe time Mary-Lynnette didn't care-but occasionally she felt a vague ache in her chest. A longing to †¦ share. If she hadwished, it would have been for that, for someone to share the night with. Oh, well. It didn't help to dwell on it. And besides,although she didn't want to tell Mark, what they were wishing on was the planet Jupiter, and not a star at all. Mark shook his head as he tramped down the path that wound through buckbrush and poison hemlock. He should have apologized to Mary-Lynnette beforeleaving-he didn't like being nasty to her. In fact, she was the one person he usually tried to be decent to. But why was she always trying to fix him? To the point of wishing on stars. And Mark hadn't really made a wish, anyway. He'd thought, if I was making a wish, which I'm not because it's hokey and stupid, it would be for some excitement around here. Something wild, mark thought-and felt an innershiver as he hiked downhill in the gathering darkness. Jade stared at the steady, brilliant point of lightabove the southern horizon. It was a planet, she knew. For the last two nights she'd seen it moving across the sky, accompanied by tiny pinpricks of light that must be its moons. Where she came from, nobody was in the habit of wishing on stars, but this planet seemed like a friend-a traveler, just like her. As Jade watched it tonight, she felt a sort of concentration of hope rise inside her. Almost awish. Jade had to admit that they weren't off to a very promising start. The night air was too quiet; there wasn't the faintest sound of a car coming. She wastired and worried and beginning to be very, very hungry. Jade turned to look at her sisters. â€Å"Well, where is she?† â€Å"I don't know,† Rowan said in her most doggedly gentle voice. â€Å"Be patient.† â€Å"Well, maybe we should scan for her. â€Å"No,† Rowan said. â€Å"Absolutely not. Remember what we decided.† â€Å"She's probably forgotten we were coming,† Kestrel said. â€Å"I told you she was getting senile.† â€Å"Don't saythings like that. It's not polite,† Rowan said, still gentle, but through her teeth. Rowan was always gentle when she could manageit. She was nineteen, tall, slim, and stately. She had cinnamon-brown eyes and warm brown hair that cascaded down her back in waves. Kestrel was seventeen and had hair the color of old gold sweeping back from her face like a bird's wings. Her eyes were amber and hawklike, and she was never gentle. Jade was the youngest, just turned sixteen, and she didn't look like either of her sisters. She had white-blond hair that she used as a veil to hide behind, and green eyes. People said she looked serene, but she almost never felt serene. Usually she was either madly excited or madly anxious and confused. Right now it was anxious. She was worried about her battered, half-century-old Morocco leather suitcase. She couldn't hear a thing from inside it. 00 â€Å"Hey, why don't you two go down the road a little way and see if she's coming?† Her sisters looked back at her. There were few things that Rowan and Kestrel agreed on, but Jade was one of them. She could see that they were about to team up against her. â€Å"Now what?† Kestrel said, her teeth showing just briefly. And Rowan said, â€Å"You're up to something. What are you up to, Jade?† Jade smoothed her thoughts and her face out and just looked at them artlessly. She hoped. They stared back for a few minutes, then looked at each other, giving up. â€Å"We're going to have to walk, you know,† Kestrel said to Rowan. â€Å"There are worse things than walking,† Rowansaid. She pushed a stray wisp of chestnut-colored hair off her forehead and looked around the bus stationwhich consisted of a three-sided, glass-walled cubicle,and the splintering wooden bench. â€Å"I wish there was a telephone.† â€Å"Well, there isn't. And it's twenty miles to BriarCreek,† Kestrel said, golden eyes glinting with a kind of grim enjoyment. â€Å"We should probably leave our bags here.† Alarm tingled through Jade. â€Å"No, no. I've got allmy–all my clothes in there. Come on, twenty milesisn't so far.† With one hand she picked up her cat carrier-it was homemade, just boards and wiresand with the other she picked up the suitcase. She got quite a distance down the road before she heard the crunch of gravel behind her. They were following: Rowan sighing patiently, Kestrel chuckling softly, her hair shining like old gold in the starlight. The one-lane road was dark and deserted. But notentirely silent there were dozens of tiny night sounds, all adding up to one intricate, harmonizing night stillness. It would have been pleasant, except that Jade's suitcase seemed to get heavier with everystep, and she was hungrier than she had ever beenbefore. She knew better than to mention it to Rowan, but it made her feel confused and weak. Just when she was beginning tothink she would have to put the suitcase down and rest, she heard a new sound. It was a car, coming from behind them. The engine was so loud that it seemed to take a long time to get close to them, but when it passed, Jade saw that itwas actually going very fast. Then there was a rattling of gravel and the car stopped. It backed up and Jade saw a boy looking through the window at her. There was another boy in the passenger seat. Jade looked at them curiously. They seemed to be about Rowan's age, and theywere both deeply tanned. The one in the driver's seat had blond hair and looked as if he hadn't washed ina while. The other one had brown hair. He was wear ing a vest with no shirt underneath. He had a toothpick in his mouth. They both looked back at Jade, seeming just as curious as she was. Then the driver's window slid down. Jade was fascinated by how quickly it went. â€Å"Need a ride?† the driver said, with an oddly bright smile. His teeth shone in contrast to his dingy face. Jade looked at Rowan and Kestrel, who were just catching up. Kestrel said nothing, but looked at the car through narrow, heavy-lashed amber eyes. Rowan's brown eyes were very warm. â€Å"We sure would,† she said, smiling. Then, doubtfully, â€Å"But we're going to Burdock Farm. It may be out of your way†¦.† â€Å"Oh, hey, I know that place. It's not far,† the onein the vest said around his toothpick. â€Å"Anyway, anything for a lady,† he said, with what seemed to be an attempt at gallantry. He opened his door and got out of the car. â€Å"One of you can sit up front, and I can sit in back with the other two. Lucky me, huh?† he said to the driver. â€Å"Lucky you,† the driver said, smiling largely again. He opened his door, too. â€Å"You go on and put that cat carrier in front, and the suitcases can go in the trunk,† he said. Rowan smiled at Jade, and Jade knew what she was thinking. Iwonder if everybody out here is so friendly? They distributed their belongings and thenpiled in the car, Jade in the front with the driver, Rowan and Kestrel in the back on either side of the vested guy. A minute later they were flying downthe road at what Jade found a delightful speed, gravel crunching beneath the tires. â€Å"I'm Vic,† the driver said. â€Å"I'm Todd,† the vested guy said. Rowan said, â€Å"I'm Rowan, and this is Kestrel. That'sJade up there.† â€Å"You girls friends?† â€Å"We're sisters,† Jade said. â€Å"You don't look like sisters.† â€Å"Everybody says that.† Jade meant everybody theyhad met since they'd run away. Back home, everybodyknew they were sisters, so nobody said it. â€Å"What are you doing out here so late?† Vic asked. â€Å"It's not the place for nice girls.† â€Å"We're not nice girls,† Kestrel explained absently. â€Å"We're trying to be,† Rowan said reprovingly through her teeth. To Vic, she said, â€Å"We were waiting for our great-aunt Opal to pick us up at the bus stop, but she didn't come. We're going to live at Burdock Farm.† â€Å"Old lady Burdock is your aunt?† Todd said, removing his toothpick. â€Å"That crazy old bat?† Vic turned around to look at him, and they both laughed and shook their heads. Jade looked away from Vic. She stared down at the cat carrier, listening for the little squeaking noises that meant Tiggy was awake. She felt just slightly †¦ uneasy. She sensed something. Even though these guys seemed friendly, there was something beneath the surface. But she was toosleepy-and too light-headed from hunger-to figure out exactly what it was. Rowan was still looking polite and puzzled, but Kestrel looked at the car door on her side thoughtfully. Jade knew what she was looking for-a handle.There wasn't one. â€Å"Too bad,† Vic said. â€Å"This car's a real junkheap; you can't even open the back doors from inside.† He grabbed Jade's upper arm so hard she could feel pressure on the bone. â€Å"Now, you girls just be nice and nobody's going to get hurt.† They seemed to drive a long time beforeVic spoke again. â€Å"You girls ever been to Oregon before?† Jade blinked and murmured a negative. â€Å"It's got some pretty lonely places,† Vic said. â€Å"Outhere, for example. Briar Creek was a gold rush town, but when the gold ran out and the railroad passed it by, it just died. Now the wilderness is taking it back.† His tone was significant, but Jade didn't understand what he was trying to convey. â€Å"It does seem peaceful;† Rowan said politely from the backseat. Vic made a brief snorting sound. â€Å"Yeah, well, peaceful wasn't exactly what I meant. I meant, take this road. These farmhouses are miles apart, right? Ifyou screamed, there wouldn't be anyone to hearyou.† Jade blinked. What a strange thing to say. Rowan, still politely making conversation, said, â€Å"Well, you and Todd would.† â€Å"I mean, nobody else,† Vic said, and Jade could feel his impatience. He had been driving more and more slowly. Now he pulled the car off to the side of the road and stopped. Parked. â€Å"Nobody outthere is going to hear,† he clarified,turning around to look into the backseat. Jade looked, too, and saw Todd grinning, a wide bright grin with teeth clenched on his toothpick. â€Å"That's right,† Todd said. â€Å"You're out here alone with us, so maybe you'd better listen to us, huh?† Jade saw that he was gripping Rowan's arm with one hand and Kestrel's wrist with the other.

Critical thinking paper Essays - Thought, Epistemology, Free Essays

Critical thinking paper Essays - Thought, Epistemology, Free Essays Critical thinking paper MGT/350 April 22, 2013 Teri Tregoning Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (National council, 1987) Thinking Critically When it comes to thinking critical we have many different levels. Most of the thing we do throughout our lives such as walking, and blinking, we dont have to do much think about, it just something that happens naturally, but there are things that require more thought, for instance deciding the right diet, or choosing the best clothing for a special occasion. Some levels of thinking can be higher which include our critical thinking can be higher which include our critical thinking abilities. A lot of people have noted that critical thinking is more of a skill then a process and consists of mainly evaluating arguments. Critical thinking is a mental activity of individuals evaluating arguments or propositions and making the proper judgments that can help the development of beliefs and actions taken. It has been found the experts from economy and education nominated critical thinking as the most important skill in knowledge management (Astleitner, 2002) It is very important that you are knowledgeable about making the right decision before making a decision, because it usually requires critical thinking to make the right decision. Decision can be very simple, from deciding where you want to live. It is very complex like deciding how to build your house. Some decisions can be very critical, especially if it involves a business. It is very important that managers take responsibility for their actions and learn to make the right decisions for the company sake. Also when making a decision you have to remember that taking a long time to make a simple decision and making a complex decision to fast can have drastic effects on anything. Critical thinkers have the ability to think on a much higher level. The process of a individual thinking critically is required to go about decisions and ideas that will help provide for a better life for ourselves and others around us. A lot of people take thinking for granted, but in order to develop as a critical thinker, we have to open ourselves to recognizing the strengths and weakness of our own thinking. Higher thinking comes into play when people are choosing a presidential candidate, being on stand for jury duty for a murder trail, or determining the effects of global warning. As a critical thinker one becomes a more responsible, contributing member of society (Schafersman, S.D., 1991). In order to be out on the road of being critical thinkers, we must acquire the attributes of a critical thinker and learn to be open -minded and recognize our own ignorance. Critical Thinking Experience Being the manager at my job, I was face with a problem last week. One of my employees came into work reeking of alcohol. I didnt know if he was drinking before he got to work or the night before. I didnt want to send him home because Fridays are usual super busy, and he was doing his work as usual nothing seem wrong, just the smell. You can smell the alcohol from a mile away. I am not the type of person to judge, so I pulled him to the side and ask him what happen? He explained that he was going through something last night and had a couple of drinks. I didnt know what to say at that moment, so I sent him back to work and watched him very closely. Realizing that the store would be opening in just about 30mins I was forced to make a decision. I thought should I keep him there and risk breaking our policy because I need the help, or send him home and get through the day with the three employees I had. I though long and hard, my decision was to warn him about drinking and our policy and sent him home without pay. I dont like to be hard on my employees because they all do such a great job, and rules are rules. As a manager you must

Llama Facts

Llama Facts The llama (Lama glama) is a large, furry mammal that was domesticated in South America thousands of years ago for meat, fur, and as pack animal. Although related to camels, llamas dont have humps. Llamas are close relatives of alpacas, vicuà ±as, and guanacos. Although they are all different species, a group of llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuà ±as may be called lamoids or simply llamas. Fast Facts: Llama Scientific Name: Lama glamaCommon Name: LlamaBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 5 feet 7 inches - 5 feet 11 inchesWeight: 290-440 poundsLifespan: 15-25 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: From the Andes Mountains of South AmericaPopulation: MillionsConservation Status: Not evaluated (domestic animal) Description Llamas and other lamoids have cloven feet, short tails, and long necks. A llama has long banana-shaped ears and a cleft upper lip. Mature llamas have modified canine and incisor teeth called fighting teeth or fangs. Generally, these teeth are removed from intact males, as they can injure other males during fights for dominance. Llamas occur in many colors, including white, black, brown, tan, gray, and piebald. The fur may be short-coated (Ccara) or medium-coated (Curaca). Adults range from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches in height and weigh between 290 and 440 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Llamas were domesticated in Peru around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago from wild guanacos. However, the animals actually came from North America and moved to South America following the Ice Age. Today, llamas are raised all over the world. Several million live in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Llamas and alpacas resulted from domestication of guanacos and vicunas in the Andes. Diet Llamas are herbivores that graze on a wide variety of plants. They typically eat corn, alfalfa, and grass. Although llamas regurgitate and re-chew food like sheep and cattle, they have a three-compartment stomach and are not ruminants. The llama has a very long large intestine that allows it to digest cellulose-rich plants and also survive on much less water than most mammals. Behavior Llamas are herd animals. Except for dominance disputes, they dont usually bite. They spit, wrestle, and kick to establish social rank and fight off predators. Llamas are intelligent and easily halter-trained. They can carry between 25% and 30% of their weight for a distance of 5 to 8 miles. Reproduction and Offspring Unlike most large animals, llamas are induced ovulators. That is, they ovulate as a result of mating rather than going into estrus or heat. Llamas mate lying down. Gestation lasts 350 days (11.5 months) and results in a single newborn, which is called a cria. Crias stand, walk, and nurse within an hour after birth. Llama tongues dont reach far enough outside their mouths for the mother to lick her young dry, so llamas have evolved to give birth in warm daylight hours. Female llamas become sexually mature at one year of age. Males mature later, around three years of age. Llamas usually live 15 to 25 years, but some live 30 years. A male dromedary camel and female llama can produce a hybrid known as a cama. Due to the size difference between camels and llamas, camas only result from artificial insemination. A llama and her cria. Jonne Seijdel, Getty Images Conservation Status Because they are domesticated animals, llamas do not have a conservation status. The wild ancestor of the llama, the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), is classified as least concern by the IUCN. There are over a million guanacos and their population size is increasing. Llamas and Humans In the pre-Incan and Incan cultures, llamas were used as pack animals, for meat, and for fiber. Their fur is soft, warm, and lanolin-free. Llama dung was an important fertilizer. In modern society, llamas are still raised for all of these reasons, plus they are valuable guard animals for sheep and goats. Llamas bond with livestock and help protect lambs from coyotes, feral dogs, and other predators. How to Tell Llamas and Alpacas Apart While both llamas and alpacas may be grouped as llamas, they are separate camelid species. Llamas are larger than alpacas and occur in more colors. A llamas face is more elongated and its ears are larger and banana-shaped. Alpacas have flatter faces and smaller, straight ears. Sources Birutta, Gale. A Guide to Raising Llamas. 1997. ISBN 0-88266-954-0.Kurtà ©n, Bjà ¶rn and Elaine Anderson. Pleistocene Mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 307, 1980. ISBN 0231037333.Perry, Roger. Wonders of Llamas. Dodd, Mead Company. p. 7, 1977. ISBN 0-396-07460-X.Walker, Cameron. Guard Llamas Keep Sheep Safe From Coyotes. National Geographic. June 10, 2003.Wheeler, Dr Jane; Miranda Kadwell; Matilde Fernandez; Helen F. Stanley; Ricardo Baldi; Raul Rosadio; Michael W. Bruford. Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 268 (1485): 2575–2584, 2001. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1774

B-25 Mitchell in World War II

B-25 Mitchell in World War II The evolution of the North American B-25 Mitchell began in 1936 when the company began work on its first twin-engine military design. Dubbed the NA-21 (later NA-39), this project produced an aircraft that was of all-metal construction and powered by a pair of Pratt Whitney R-2180-A Twin Hornet engines. A mid-wing monoplane, the the NA-21 was intended to carry a payload of 2,20o lbs. of bombs with range of around 1,900 miles. Following its first flight in December 1936, North American modified the aircraft to correct several minor issues. Re-designated the NA-39, it was accepted by the US Army Air Corps as the XB-21 and entered into competition the following year against an improved version of the Douglas B-18 Bolo. Further altered during the trials, the North American design proved to have consistently superior performance to its competitor, but cost significantly more per aircraft ($122,000 vs. $64,000). This led to the USAAC passing on the XB-21 in favor of what became the B-18B. Development Utilizing the lessons learned from the project, North American moved forward with a new design for a medium bomber which was dubbed the NA-40. This was spurred on in March 1938 by USAAC circular 38-385 which called for a medium bomber capable of carrying a payload of 1,200 lbs. a distance of 1,200 miles while maintaining a speed of 200 mph. First flying in January 1939, it proved under-powered. This issue was soon remedied through the use of two Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone engines. The improved version of the aircraft, the NA-40B, was placed into competition with entries from Douglas, Stearman, and Martin, where it performed well but failed to secure an USAAC contract. Seeking to take advantage of Britain and Frances need for a medium bomber during the early days of World War II, North American intended to build the NA-40B for export. These attempts failed when both countries elected to move forward with a different aircraft. In March 1939, as the NA-40B was competing, the USAAC issued another specification for a medium bomber requiring a payload of 2,400 lbs., range of 1,200 miles, and a speed of 300 mph. Further revising their NA-40B design, North American submitted the NA-62 for evaluation. Due to a pressing need for medium bombers, the USAAC approved the design, as well as the Martin B-26 Marauder, without conducting the usual prototype service tests. A prototype of the NA-62 first flew on August 19, 1940. Design Production Designated B-25 Mitchell, the aircraft was named for Major General Billy Mitchell. Featuring a distinctive twin tail, early variants of the B-25 also incorporated a greenhouse-style nose which contained the bombardiers position. They also possessed a tail gunner position at the rear of the aircraft. This was eliminated in the B-25B while a manned dorsal turret was added along with a remotely operated ventral turret. Around 120 B-25Bs were built with some going to the Royal Air Force as the Mitchell Mk.I. Improvements continued and the first type to be mass-produced was the B-25C/D. This variant increased the aircrafts nose armament and saw the addition of improved Wright Cyclone engines. Over 3,800 B-25C/Ds were produced and many saw service with other Allied nations. As the need for effective ground support/attack aircraft increased, the B-25 frequently received field modifications to fulfill this role. Acting on this, North American devised the B-25G which increased the number of guns on the aircraft and included the mounting of a 75 mm cannon in a new solid nose section. These alterations were refined in the B-25H. In addition to a lighter 75 mm cannon, the B-25H mounted four .50-cal. machine guns below the cockpit as well as four more in cheek blisters. The aircraft saw the return of the tail gunner position and the addition of two waist guns. Capable of carrying 3,000 lbs. of bombs, the B-25H also possessed hard points for eight rockets. The final variant of the aircraft, the B-25J, was a cross between the B-25C/D and the G/H. It saw the removal of the 75 mm gun and the return of the open nose, but the retention of the machine gun armament. Some were built with a solid nose and an increased armament of 18 machine guns. B-25J Mitchell Specifications: General Length: 52 ft. 11 in.Wingspan: 67 ft. 6 in.Height: 17 ft. 7 in.Wing Area: 610 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 21,120 lbs.Loaded Weight: 33,510 lbs.Crew: 6 Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Wright R-2600 Cyclone radials, 1,850 hpCombat Radius: 1,350 milesMax Speed: 275 mphCeiling: 25,000 ft. Armament Guns: 12-18 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 6,000 lbs. max. or 8 x 5 rockets 3,000 lbs. bombs Operational History The aircraft first came to prominence in April 1942 when Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle used modified B-25Bs in his raid on Japan. Flying from the carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on April 18, Doolittles 16 B-25s struck targets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokosuka before flying on to China. Deployed to most theaters of the war, the B-25 saw service in the Pacific, North Africa, China-India-Burma, Alaska, and the Mediterranean. Though effective as a level medium bomber, the B-25 proved particularly devastating in Southwest Pacific as a ground attack aircraft. Modified B-25s routinely conducted skip bombing and strafing attacks against Japanese ships and ground positions. Serving with distinction, the B-25 played key roles in Allied victories such as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Employed throughout the war, the B-25 was largely retired from frontline service at its conclusion. Though known as a forgiving aircraft to fly, the type did cause some hearing loss problems among crews due to engine noise issues. In the years after the war, the B-25 was used by a number of foreign nations.

Implementing the Responsibility to Protect Essay - 1

Implementing the Responsibility to Protect - Essay Example The paper tells that in the UN summit, all the governments and Heads of States saw the need for each state to protect the citizens from genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Indeed, the assurance of sovereignty protects the small states from the dictatorial rule that the dominant states would exercise on them. Essentially, the sovereign country should have inbuilt mechanisms of fighting crimes, however, it may seek international assistance where the threat is significant and worries the state security. The implication is that each state has to build a strong and reliable coordination with other countries, whose help becomes essential during a war. Therefore, one can argue strongly that sovereignty should not bar the state from forging the strong relationship with the other countries. In addition, inappropriate use of sovereignty would mean protecting the self-interest at the expense of the citizens. Some of the key catalysts to sovereignty include the po litical will, need for international integration and ethnic co-existence. Fundamentally, the leadership will and peaceful co-existence ensure that the sovereign state remains peaceful and coherent. In addition, it would enable the state to build a proper relationship with other states, thereby, being in a position of getting international assistance during the emergency. Furthermore, this would enhance international integration among different countries. Legally, the states are obliged to use sovereignty for the interest of the people, safeguard them and ensure that they free to live and interact in the country. The protection is legal and spelled out in the constitution, thereby, being credible and legitimate. In the contemporary society, Jackson acknowledges that there are State powers that do not use their sovereignty for the good of the people. For example, some developing states literally misuse sovereignty to achieve personal or ethnic gains, with disregards to the public. Ind eed, the theory of the balance of power explains the misuse of state sovereignty resulting from the differences in power factions within the country.

Cover Letter & Resume Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cover Letter & Resume - Assignment Example Additionally, I have participated in exchange programs in the years 2012 and 2007 in Miami-Dade College and Delegate of Nanjing Foreign Language School in Nanjing respectively. This means that am capable of co-ordinating several clients and sponsors despite their language. To add on, I worked as a marketing representative at Chu’s Chinese Restaurant from September 2011 to September 2012. I was also a mathematics Tutor from September 2012toDecember 2012. I worked as a sales vice president at Jiangsu GPRO Group Company from 2009 to 2010. Lastly, I was a full time intern at Bank of China New York branch. With the above experience I am able to design and conduct surveys, make marketing plans, solve company’s problems, create sales plans, market new products and make translations to foreign languages. Since the above duties are the general functions of a human resource manager, it means that I am qualified for the job (Beatty, 2004, 35). I will be liable to the customer’s plans and marketing plans. I will be the general overseer of the company’s proceedings. Thus my experience makes it easy for me to be a Human Resource Manager at your

THE CLASSICAL AND DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD Essay

THE CLASSICAL AND DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD - Essay Example Muslims have ruled in different parts of the world beginning from 622 A.D. till the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. During this long period of rule, Islamic art has gone through various changes rising and falling with the rise and fall of the different empires. Islam is a liberal religion and likewise it allows freedom to its followers within the limits of religion. Keeping this in mind the Islamic art has flourished in different periods and has been able to prove its identity in all aspects. However there has been a controversy regarding the use of figures in Islamic art and architecture. In this paper I would like to review the history of figural representation in Islamic art. Later I would like to comment on the use of figures in art and architecture from the Islamic point of view. The first examples of Islamic art appear in the period of the Caliph Umer where the amalgamation of classical and Iranian motifs and themes became prominent. The Dome of the rock in Jerusalem is a prominent example in this regard. The Dome reflects an amalgamation of the Greco-Roman, Byzantine and the Sasanian art. Islamic art emerged during the period of the Caliph Umer (661-750). This period is often considered as the formative period in the history of Islamic art (The Nature of Islamic Art, n.d.). Figural imagery was found in the Umayad palaces of the inland Levant such as Mushatta and the Khirbat al Mafjar (Allen, 1988). With the spread of Islam in different parts of the world, Islamic art continued to flourish under different influences. Despite the fact that Islamic art came under different changes due to different influences in different periods, the unique thing about it is that it has been able to maintain its individuality and identity. The most salient features of Islamic art are Calligraphy is regarded as the highest form of Islamic art. It is the art of writing Quranic verses in different

Marketing distribution management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Marketing distribution management - Essay Example Conversely, some consumers may not be willing or afford to pay the high price and therefore may purchase from a competitor. Microsoft Company utilizes value-added pricing strategy to sell its product in the market. In this perspective, the company determines the value of window operating system in determining the value to place on the product in the software market. The company sells the product at a high price because the product provides special, unique and valuable features not available in the market (Schindler  51). The strategy is the best for the company since it determines the cost of the product by what customers are willing to pay. On the other hand, the uniqueness and company’s brand name validate this pricing strategy. Traditionally, skimming and penetrating pricing approaches were used to determine the price of a new product in the market. Microsoft Company utilized the skimming pricing strategy in presenting the new window software in the market. The rationale behind this approach was to skim off the top of the market and therefore dominate (Schindler  96). On the other hand, penetrating pricing strategy involves introducing a new or innovative product at a low price in an attempt to gain a share of the

New Media in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

New Media in Art - Essay Example The merger of the digital and physical space alters not only our perception of space but also the sense of reality... (Space and Perception). Over the years, artists, scientists, media researchers and technology experts have shared their creative discoveries, theories and researches that have taken place in the fields related to space and perception. Identifying the common in these different views on realities and perception of space has lead to contextualizing and setting up the conceptual background for the development of emerging field of Mixed Reality. This has also activated the collaborative potential of art, and its relation to sciences, technology and other creative fields of present day society. In an attempt to root the theory of aesthetic experience of new media art, experiments to identify a "new philosophy" in a process to understand the new space have surfaced. The digital manipulation of space and time is indeed a revolutionary moment for philosophy (of art). Hansen has made his observations on the nature of embodied experience of new media (art) more precise in terms of philosophical aesthetics. (Hansen chapter 3-4) New media art is a genre that encompasses artworks created with new media technologies, including computer graphics, computer animation, the Internet, interactive technologies, robotics, and biotechnologies. The term differentiates itself by its resulting cultural objects, which can be seen in opposition to those deriving from old media arts, the traditional painting, sculpture, etc. New Media concerns are often derived from the telecommunications, mass media including the digital modes of delivery involving the artworks, with practices ranging from conceptual to virtual art, performance to installation. New Media generally applies to disciplines such as Digital art, Generative art, Hacktivism, Information art, Interactive art, Internet art, Performance art, Robotic art, Software art, Sound art, Video art, Virtual architecture and Video Game Art in the virtual space of the electronic media. (Wikipedia) Tracing the evolution of the concept of time in psychology from ancient to modern periods, a current and comprehensive review can be had on various physical, philosophical, and psychological theories and definitions of time, focusing on the methodological concerns of psychologists regarding the scientific investigation of time. Recalling the digital image, Hansen says : The image in a digital era is no more a cut into the flux of the real. It rather consists of processural realization of information in time where bodily intervention plays the constitutive, productive role of rendering of data. This fundamental reconfiguration of the image goes beyond many "interface" metaphors that have accompanied theories of new media claiming for "interactive access" to information. "In sum, the image can no longer be restricted to the level of surface appearance, but must be extended to encompass the entire process by which information is made perceivable through embodied experience." (Hansen 10) Following a notion of embodied perception, it is the human body that not only selectively filters images (Henri Bergson) but does create them in a process of enframing the digital information. Even though technical frames often appear to be primary they are rendered here secondary as a matter of principle. New media

Ch 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ch 8 - Essay Example The United States policymakers face varied challenges of recognizing that the fundamental change in global politics and utilizing the supreme military power of America to fashion an international environment conducive to its interests. Moreover, globalization has contributed to varied changes not only to my lifestyle but also to my urban area. It has contributed to social conflicting issues especially through social media such as increased cyber bullying, cyber crimes and increased health related issues due to too much use of social media. It has also created effects on efficiency, production and competitiveness in production of commodities, as well as, increased unemployment levels with associated social impacts in urban areas. There are significant considerations taken when making decisions to migrate and this includes the need for employment opportunities, search for better working conditions, political considerations including a stable political climate and economic considerations. These aspects might differentially impact many people in different ways. First, an unemployed young Mexican will be impacted by these decisions in a manner that migrating to another new working environment may contribute to communication problems because of language barriers. Although many young people prefer migrating to new places in search for new pastures, many of them face varied issues due to spatial interaction problems. Secondly, a retired Midwestern farm couple will also be impacted because of locational attributes and other aspects. For instance, incomes of retirees vary from one location to another; thus the migration decisions coupled by job market conditions will impact them. Lastly, an unemployed heavy equipment operator might find it difficult to operate new equipment machine in anew working environment because of changes in technology. Sometimes, working rules differs from one working environment another and this

New Media in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

New Media in Art - Essay Example The merger of the digital and physical space alters not only our perception of space but also the sense of reality... (Space and Perception). Over the years, artists, scientists, media researchers and technology experts have shared their creative discoveries, theories and researches that have taken place in the fields related to space and perception. Identifying the common in these different views on realities and perception of space has lead to contextualizing and setting up the conceptual background for the development of emerging field of Mixed Reality. This has also activated the collaborative potential of art, and its relation to sciences, technology and other creative fields of present day society. In an attempt to root the theory of aesthetic experience of new media art, experiments to identify a "new philosophy" in a process to understand the new space have surfaced. The digital manipulation of space and time is indeed a revolutionary moment for philosophy (of art). Hansen has made his observations on the nature of embodied experience of new media (art) more precise in terms of philosophical aesthetics. (Hansen chapter 3-4) New media art is a genre that encompasses artworks created with new media technologies, including computer graphics, computer animation, the Internet, interactive technologies, robotics, and biotechnologies. The term differentiates itself by its resulting cultural objects, which can be seen in opposition to those deriving from old media arts, the traditional painting, sculpture, etc. New Media concerns are often derived from the telecommunications, mass media including the digital modes of delivery involving the artworks, with practices ranging from conceptual to virtual art, performance to installation. New Media generally applies to disciplines such as Digital art, Generative art, Hacktivism, Information art, Interactive art, Internet art, Performance art, Robotic art, Software art, Sound art, Video art, Virtual architecture and Video Game Art in the virtual space of the electronic media. (Wikipedia) Tracing the evolution of the concept of time in psychology from ancient to modern periods, a current and comprehensive review can be had on various physical, philosophical, and psychological theories and definitions of time, focusing on the methodological concerns of psychologists regarding the scientific investigation of time. Recalling the digital image, Hansen says : The image in a digital era is no more a cut into the flux of the real. It rather consists of processural realization of information in time where bodily intervention plays the constitutive, productive role of rendering of data. This fundamental reconfiguration of the image goes beyond many "interface" metaphors that have accompanied theories of new media claiming for "interactive access" to information. "In sum, the image can no longer be restricted to the level of surface appearance, but must be extended to encompass the entire process by which information is made perceivable through embodied experience." (Hansen 10) Following a notion of embodied perception, it is the human body that not only selectively filters images (Henri Bergson) but does create them in a process of enframing the digital information. Even though technical frames often appear to be primary they are rendered here secondary as a matter of principle. New media

The Magna Carta Essay Example for Free

The Magna Carta Essay The Magna Carta is widely viewed as one if the most important documents in the history of democracy. The Magna Carta was written by a group of people in 13th century England to protect their rights and property against their oppressive king. The document provides specific laws and rules to keep the king from having too much power over the country; this very key document also inspired the American constitution and Bill of Rights. In the stories from the unit A Royal Mess it is easily identifiable why the people of England wanted a document to protect their freedoms and rights. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the character Macbeth is an honorable man who becomes a bloodthirsty, power hungry king; he kills for pleasure and without reason. This would be a big reason for the Magna Carta since in the document in article 29 states that â€Å"No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land.† This principle would have eliminated the actions of Macbeth because he as king would not have been able to kill any people without just cause or without a trial for their actions. In the play Macbeth, the thane of Cawdor was killed in battle and King Duncan took his land to give to Macbeth. This would be unjust according to the Magna Carta. The solution to the problem is stated in article 2 where it states that â€Å"If any of our earls or barons, or anyone else holding from us in chief by military service should die, and should his heir be of full age and owe relief, the heir is to have his inheritance for the ancient relief, namely the heir or hairs of an earl for a whole county 100, the heir or heirs of a baron for a whole barony 100 marks, the heir or heirs of a knight for a whole knights fee 100 shillings at most, and he who owes less will give less, according to the ancient custom of (knights’) fees.† This article is basically saying that if a royal owner of land dies the land cannot be taken from his family it must be passed down to his children or given to his wife. In Beowulf, Wiglaf banishes the geats who refuses to help Beowulf fight the dragon. Those geats would have been protected by article 29 of the Magna Carta which says that no man can be exiled from the land without a trial of his actions by judgment of his peers. The Magna Carta is relevant to our culture in the fact that it was the model for the American Constitution. This was the mold for the document that guides our free country still today. We do not need a new Magna Carta because The American Constitution and Bill of Rights are our modern day Magna Carta. Those documents protect our rights as citizens and control our government to keep our president from having to much power. Without the Magna Carta we may have never gotten our American documenst to protect us, the people who live here.

Claude Monets Impressionism Artwork

Claude Monets Impressionism Artwork Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris France and was son to Claude Adolphe Monet and Louise-Justine Aubree. Monet, even from a very young age, had always loved to study and practice art and even attended Le Havre, school for the arts at the ripe age of 11. Monet continued to study art for much of his life and even developed his own style of art that was coined Impressionism (Claude Monet Biography). Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects (Impressionism). Characteristics of Impressionist paintings include visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on light in its changing qualities, ordinary subject matter, the inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles (Art Periods: Impressionism in France). Monet painted a series of Impressionist series of approximately 250 paintings called Water Lilies. 250 The paintings depict Monets flower garden at Giverny and were the main focus of Monets artistic production during the last thirty years of his life (Water Lilies). As part of his extensive gardening plans at Giverny, Monet had a pond dug and planted with lilies in 1893. He painted the subject in 1899, and thereafter it dominated his art. He worked continuously for more than twenty years on a large-scale decorative series, attempting to capture every observation, impression, and reflection of the flowers and water. By the mid-1910s Monet had achieved a completely new, fluid, and somewhat audacious style of painting in which the water-lily pond became the point of departure for an almost abstract art. This work, which he began in the late teens and kept in his studio until his death, is one of the most complete pictures of the late series (Claude Monet). One of the 250 Water Lilies paintings, completed in 1907 is currently on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. The painting is oil on canvas and 38 1/8 x 38  ¾. The form of the painting is 2-dimensional. The painting shows water lilies in what appears to be a pond. There are more water lilies in the distance than â€Å"in the front†. The water and the water lilies are not painted in a â€Å"traditional† way. If looking closely, one can see that they are painted will unsmooth and spotted paint strokes and a vast variety of colors. The water surrounding the water lilies highlights them by adding areas of light as well depth where needed. The space of the Water Lilies is key to its beauty. Monet uses a proper proportional scale to indicate distance from the viewer. The lilies are not crowded and appear â€Å"comfortable† in their environment. Each group of lilies had its own space. Though the groups of lilies get close to one another in the distance, there is no obvious overlapping. When it comes to the composition of the painting, Monet leads the viewer though the entire painting with every brush stroke. The â€Å"front† of the painting is bright and full of light and catches the eye first. The light in the center of the painting leads the viewers eyes up to view the large clusters of lilies. The color in Water Lilies makes the painting the gorgeous work of art that it is. The various colors allows for the depth and the reflection of light. The water in the painting varies in color from very pale lavender, to dark and mossy browns and greens. Lavender, brown, and green are probably not the first colors a viewer would think of when imagining a pond or stream but it works perfectly in Water Lilies. There is also a wide variety of color used in the lilies. When looking up close, the â€Å"green† part of the lilies are actually composed of every shade of green imaginable, yellows, blues, browns, and even pinks. The flowers on the lilies, which appear just pink from a distance, are made with red, pink, white, brown, and grey. From the painting, it is clear that Monet was fascinated, and spent a lot of time concentrating on the light of a painting. There is so much depth and highlighting in the painting that many onlookers find it breathtaking. The lightest part of the painting is right in the center. There are no lilies in that area, so there is no need for shadowing which is why it appears to be illuminated. In the distance of the painting, it is much darker and there are also a lot more lilies. The front of the painting is purple and blue. It almost appears as though it is the sky reflecting onto the water. The texture of this painting is what makes Monet, Monet. When looking up close at the painting, it is hard to believe that the textured, rough and quick brush strokes create such a clear looking and well composed painting from far away. If a viewer only had the opportunity to view the painting up close, it would be reasonable to believe that they would think the painting was a mess and wouldnt create a clear image. There are so many layers in Water Lilies. When looking up close, it is strange to see shades of brown layered on top of purple and it appears as though it would never look fluid, but Monet mastered it to do so. Monet was the master of Impressionism and his series of 250 Water Lilies paintings showcased his talent in the category perfectly. His works are displayed all around the world, even right here in the Boston area. Monet will forever go down in history as the first, and perhaps the greatest Impressionist artist of all time. References Art Periods: IMPRESSIONISM in France. Discover France French Arts, Culture, Tourism. Web. 09 Mar. 2010. . Claude Monet (18401926) | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org. Web. 09 Mar. 2010. . Claude MONET Biography. Giverny Vernon : In the Heart of Impressionism. Web. 09 Mar. 2010. . Impressionism Impressionism Art. Oil Paintings Reproduction Canvas Oil Painting Reproductions For Sale. Web. 09 Mar. 2010. . Water Lilies | Claude Monet | All | European Paintings | Collection Database | Works of Art | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org. Web. 09 Mar. 2010. .

The Buddha, Two Lessons Essay -- essays research papers

Almost everybody I have ever met can recognize a Buddha statue, but few folks who I have ever associated with understand the meaning of the Buddha. Myself included was one of those folks blessed with such ignorance. When the term Buddha was brought up, all I thought about was the pudgy bellies of myself and fellow offensive lineman on my high school football team. Nirvana! Hey isn’t that one of the great rock bands of the early nineties? Right? In this paper, I will explain who the Buddha was and the deep meaning of the message that Prince Guatama preached. The Buddha defined the Middle Path as a way that leads to insight, which leads to wisdom, which conduces to calm, to knowledge, to the Sambodhi, to Nirvana (76). These words meant that all else was linked to some sort of suffering, that true peace and happiness could only be achieved through your mind and true pain and suffering could be achieved through reality. The Buddha illustrated this idea through his Four Noble Truths. The first of these is the Noble Truth of Suffering. These sufferings included natural situations of life, including birth, decay, death, presence of objects we hate not to obtain what we want, and finally, mere existence (76). There is a pattern that is developed in this order. Birth is the beginning of reality that has its good as well as bad times. The Buddha appears to focus on the hardships of reality that Prince Guatama knew of in this world. As life would carry onward, the hardships woul...

College Essay :: essays research papers

As I thought of this article, many of the issues I have faced as a single Hmong woman in her mid-twenties came to mind. Should I discuss the functional reasons why marriage is so important in the Hmong culture, especially for women? Or do I talk about the lack of eligible, older Hmong men? Better yet, should I complain about the attempts by my relatives to find me a good husband as if it were an unfortunate circumstance that I was single instead of a conscious choice? Thinking it over, though, I decided that all those questions boiled down to one fundamental truth – the Hmong community is still trying to learn how to treat the increasing number of Hmong women who, like me, are making the choice to stay single in their mid-twenties. Today, single Hmong women in their mid-twenties are living on their own, sometimes in different cities, earning their own income, and making decisions independent of both their parents and clans. However, in a community where marriage defines the moment an individual becomes an adult, these successes still have not allowed them to be treated or perceived as adults by the family and clan. Furthermore, in a culture where a woman’s role continues to be defined by the dominant male in her life – either her father or her husband – the independence of Hmong women in their mid-twenties has led to a displacement of traditional roles. My sister coined the term â€Å"Christmas Tree Age† when someone told her that in order to be able to find a good husband, a Hmong woman needed to be no older than twenty-five years old. Just like a Christmas Tree which is discarded after the 25th of December, the Hmong community seems to disregard women older than twenty-five as in-eligible marriage material. At twenty-five years of age, I’ve attained many of the goals I set for myself as a young girl, starting a successful career in Corporate America, gaining financial freedom and traveling the globe. Yet, to many of my relatives, it seems my life is still lacking the most critical ingredient – a husband. While in college, my single status seemed more acceptable. However, as I have continued to focus on my career instead of a husband and as I have reached the magic twenty-five, the choice to remain single has become an increasing concern for my family.

Renaissance And Enlightenment

Blair and Games wanted to grow the appreciation for British literature, and Campbell wanted to give the appropriate insights of English philosophy (peg 170). Yet, Britain, during this time was growing as an empire in the world, and wanted to be recognized for its language ND institutions they made, to be equal to all of Europe. George Campbell interest in the scientific site of rhetoric of a humans mind, is close to Plat's speculations about psyche in which each part gives out its own rhetoric (peg. 184). Whitely saw that rhetoric would be the center of arguments.He felt that rhetoric would dominate in arguments that involved concerns and skills (174). Belletristic Movement's, however, were interested in the language of rhetoric, much like Georgia and Longings. The 18th century sees rhetoric at the head of educational concerns. Going through chapter 8 of the textbook, it appears that rhetoric really never died out. It Just evolved into the next phase that it was needed in. Yet, we se e still, that rhetoric is still studied Just as the people in Greece used it. It has become apparent that no matter how rhetoric changes, people still use rhetoric as it was intended.These people are Just merely trying to find ways to enhance its abilities so it can be used throughout the country, and be shared with others. Warwick argues that rhetoric shifts from producing public discourse, to enhancing its consumption (peg. 184). Rhetoric, during the time of the renaissance, was used as a subject of study (peg 160). During this period, rhetoric was how people were educated. There was a movement known as the Italian Humanism, that helped with rhetoric's influence between 1300 and 1750 (peg 50). Rhetoric was given attention by important figure like, Patriarch and Villa.Due to their attention to this subject it grew the status of rhetoric immensely, because of their status in society. These people used rhetoric as a way to argue against philosophical thinking. Going back to Humanism; it mixed principles from Christianity. It led to a search for new education. They ended up using rhetoric as a way to question the â€Å"status quo† (153). Patriarch, was one of many figures during the renaissance, who used rhetoric to refine culture. Rhetoric raised to a place of high importance by humanists because of what rhetoric was capable of doing.It gave the potential to give new insight and it was able to preserve future values (160). Due to Cicerone's findings, Patriarch was big in liberal arts, and the life of political involvement. Rhetoric was able to help form an effective government during the renaissance. The renaissance, was probably the most important time for rhetoric. It was at its peak and used by public figures everywhere. There was never a greater time for rhetoric because it was used in importance, such as education, probably the most important subject of all.Also, as the book states, rhetoric was used in more political terms like Cicero attempted to do. Thanks to the renaissance, rhetoric lived on and was taught throughout the years. There were four main ideas during these two era's that coincide with each other. The first two would be the education that went on during the renaissance era, and enlightenment era. These two subjects were huge for these era's. Along with, the differences between Whitey's view on rhetoric and George Campbell view on rhetoric.Their different view on what rhetoric is, their ideas, pretty much made their separate era's. Whitley believe that rhetoric was really an art. Whitely also connects rhetoric with logic by defining argumentative composition as an offshoot of logic (World Press). Whitley also, believed that rhetoric could be used for evil purposes Just like Cicero did. This connects back to Augustine argument that rhetoric is to be sustained thin the church so it may not be able to be used with evil intentions. There is no amount of success that any student will have when studying rhetoric.In Wat tle's own words,† learning more doesn't teach you to think well but that thinking well will help you to learn more (World Press). Whitley viewed that in order to know the educational side of rhetoric it has to be comprised exercises that are relevant to students' studies, current events, and personal lives. â€Å"Whitely argues that the systems help to improve natural abilities but they cannot supersede natural ability. Once a student has learned the system, he can manipulate it, but this again does not mean that his ability has improved (World Press). I believe in what Whitley believes in. I can see how rhetoric could be used for evil, if it was something that was so powerful among society back in his time. I also believe in his teachings, or at least the way rhetoric should be taught. It is in my understanding since taking this course, that rhetoric is a difficult subject to understand. The way that Whitley views rhetoric, it is not something that can be taught through a bo ok. For someone to understand rhetoric they have to be taught wrought real life. Through trial and error, with examples or situations on using it properly.Campbell, on the other hand, believed reasoning is a natural part of rhetoric. Rhetoric begins with the search for truth and then proceeds to persuasion, the attempt to move the will to ethical action. See, what Campbell saw rhetoric as, was the scientific side of it. He did not believe it could be used for evil like Whitley believed. According to our book, George Campbell was one of the most important rhetorical theorists of the 18th century (peg. 179). Campbell was open to new ideas, ND intended to develop a new rhetoric that incorporated insights of the Enlightenment period (peg. 79). He thought that he was laying a foundation of classical rhetoric, and hoped to one day be able to move past those traditions and create something his own. Campbell advanced beyond traditional scientific rhetoric, but science meant something differ ent for him. The one thing, that Campbell and Whitley disagreed on, was argumentation. Whitley did not care about the larger philosophical issue's on rhetoric. Whitley was always focused on the issues of argument (peg 182). He was most known for his concussion of types of argument and debate (peg. 182).Whereas Campbell, was only concerned to understand how the mind works. He believed that if you understood a person's mind, you had control over them. On this bases I truly agree with Campbell on the thoughts of argumentation. Reason being is I truly think that if someone knows someone mind, and knows how they thing, they ultimately know what makes a person tick. They will truly know the best way to win argumentation with another person, in the quickest way possible. Each person, during an argument, has some sort of weakness, a click that when shushed by someone else will ultimately give up.When knowing a way someone thinks, you can reach that point a lot quicker than others. The Enlig htenment era and Renaissance era, are two very different periods in history. The Renaissance era is put with the advances of certain subjects. Such as: literature, architecture, humanism, and world economy. Meanwhile Enlightenment era advanced, different scientific methods, industrialization, rationality, astronomy, and calculus (wise geek). While doing some research on both era's one name in particular kept coming up. His name, Marcus Tulips Cicero.It was through him that the thinkers of the Renaissance and Enlightenment discovered the riches of Classical rhetoric. In the Enlightenment era, public figures, such as George Campbell, used some of Cicerone's works to help shape his own way of thinking. He helped guide the Scottish (though â€Å"Celtic† might be better since we need to include at least one Irishman in this list) Enlightenment and Common Sense movement of the 18th century. Cicerone's influence hung over Home, Burke, and Smith (Briber). Cicero also influenced a man named Giovanni Vice. A rhetorician also, in his days.Vice found inspiration for this theory in Cicero and the rhetorical tradition rather than in the philosophers and logicians. Most of what the Enlightenment era took from Cicero, was his thinking of natural law. He helped develop their systems, due to his also theory on rhetoric. Cicerone's main influence though, was during the Renaissance era. His Ciceronian influence was around and noticeable during the Renaissance, it was limited to a degree. Like the Enlightenment era, his influence during these times was derived from a very small number of his works. Most notably for both era's, De Invention (peg 43).Following the Greek sophists, Cicero represents language as the force that led humanity out of the wilderness into civilization, a political force through public speech that allowed peoples to make laws for themselves (peg. 149). This is directly associated with the Enlightenment era, because the Enlightenment era took language, and used it in argumentative rhetoric fashion. So, in essence the Enlightenment era used knowledge from the Renaissance era. Cicero, also had much influence on young philosophers/rhetoricians in the Renaissance era. Patriarch, used Cicero as a tool towards his own greatness.He studied Cicerone's readings and added them to his literary education. Cicerone's rhetoric was the key to Italy's return to greatness (peg. 1 52). Villa sought to broaden the conception of proper Latin beyond the model established by Cicero (peg. 154). So in turn, he used Cicero as a starting block, which most rhetoricians did in these days, and try to go beyond what he had started. Lastly, Cicero had effect on the two written books, A Treatise of Schemes and Tropes, The Art or Craft of Rhetoric, and The Rate of Rhetoric (peg. 159). These were all key pieces of rhetorical text in this day and age.All of which used Cicerone's views as a way to teach and provide information, in these books. I believe that rhetori c, was important as can be for these two periods. Not Just, Cicerone's views on rhetoric, but everyone's views that were important rhetoricians in this world, were used to shape those periods. I also, feel that at these times, the importance of education started to come about more. It would seem that at these times, people were better educated than in past years. In my personal opinion though, I think the Enlightenment era would be a personal favorite of mine.The season being the Enlightenment era was all about argumentation. The book explains on how, that in that time, they used rhetoric as a way to win arguments. In my mind that is pretty fascinating because I do believe arguments are necessary in life. I really enjoyed though, how both era's used Cicero. He is by far my favorite rhetorician, and I feel that it is why, the two era's were so successful and important in history. His views helped shaped two era's, and help them be successful, and in my mind these era's were very succ essful, at leading the future to where we are today. Work Cited:

Marriage Analysis

Marriage is one of the major rights of passage in life. It is a change of status that involves all the emotional baggage that comes with such changes. Marriage is one of the few rights of passage that I, myself have chosen to undertake. Once my fianc? and I made the desciscion to get married, the next step was to plan the wedding. The first thing I had to do was to set a date. Choosing a date was not a simple task, considering I had to keep in mind of family commitments, other events, the length that some guests had to travel, and weather conditions. I knew that I wanted to be a summer bride, so I decided the best time would be around labor day. It would be the end of the summer, and a new beginning for me. Next, I went to the library and checked out all the books that I could find on weddings. I read each one carefully and took notes. Also I asked family members and friends about their own weddings. I asked questions about everything from weddings dresses to flower arrangements. The Internet was also is very informative. I logged onto the Internet and read many interesting stories about other people and their weddings. The third problem that I had to face was, â€Å"What kind of wedding do I want? † I had to choose from an ultra-formal, formal, semiformal, or informal. Determining how formal the wedding is to be will is to be would help establish the overall wedding strategy. The level of formality determines, to a great extent, the overall cost of the wedding. I chose the formal layout, which is the most typical wedding format†¦ Then there is finding a ceremony site. Since most of our friends are in North Carolina, we decided to have it here and not in Texas where my fianc? s raised. I decided to have the ceremonies held in the church that I grew up in. Choosing a ceremony site was not that hard, since I also decided that the reception also would be held at the church. The next thing was choosing the participants. I chose my sisters and friends for brides maids. My niece and little cousin would be the flower girls. Next, I went and asked each one to participate in the wedding, at which time they very gladly accepted. Choosing a wedding gown would be the hardest task. I saw so many gowns the were so beautiful. First, I decided how much I wanted to spend on the gown. Then, I had to chose the color that would be the best for me. So after going to one-hundred different shops, and several wedding shows, I picked the gown that most made me feel like Cinderella. Next, came the hiring of the musician, the catering, photographer, and florist. I was fortunate enough to find the One Stop Shop. They were highly recommended. At the One Stop Shop, they do it all. With the combination of services that they provided, I was exhilarated to learn that they had reasonable pricing. Sending out the invitations is the second-to-last event that needed to be planned. The Invitations are to be mailed approximately four to six weeks prior to the wedding. The envelopes are to be hand addressed in ink matching the printed ink on the invitation itself. Finally, the planning of the honeymoon. The key is to plan ahead and make every minute count. I decided on a week in Hawaii would be the means to get much needed rest. After planning a wedding, the only thing I can say is, â€Å"Thank God! I only have to go through this once! †

Groups, Teams, and Conflict Essay

Strategies There are various strategies available to aid in effective team building. One step is developing a recruiting strategy that supports the organization’s diversity goals. Volunteering time to organizations that serve the needs of underrepresented segments of the population is another way to enhance your company’s reputation as an employer that values diversity. Another step that can be used is by registering the organization with local job agencies, such as the local Workforce Center. The organization can also contact universities, trade schools and other academic institutions with information about the company and keep them informed of job openings they can post for graduating students. Organizations can also create partnerships with national and local organizations to promote the company’s image. It can also help to participate in industry events, and include employees in the company’s current workforce who represent various forms of diversity. The organization should not limit its definition of diversity to race, color, sex, national origin or religion but should expand its concept of diversity to include multi-generational diversity as well as diversity in work styles and cultures. One of the most important strategies is to construct work teams with diversity in mind. Whenever possible, the organization should assign employees to work on teams together who otherwise would not have the opportunity to work together. They should assemble groups of people who represent varied work styles, generations, skills and culture and encourage collaboration and synergy among employees through embracing differences (Huebsch, 2013). Challenges One of the biggest challenges with diversity is misconception. Most people associate the word diversity with multicultural issues, but it also covers  the differences in age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, background, and even position of power. Failing to recognize this can result in accidental discrimination against certain groups. Several types of workplace diversity challenges exist. These issues can strengthen a company or ruin one. Communication is essential to diversity in the workplace. Every person and cultural group communicates differently, which can be the biggest challenge of a diversified team. Sometimes employees misinterpret tone, e-mails, and body language, and fail to respond appropriately. Employees that resist change can be a significant diversity barrier. If someone has been raised a certain way, it can be difficult to adapt overnight. Having one resistant employee can throw off the organization’s balance. An organization benefits more when its manager is on board with major decisions for maximum results. Diversity will not work without a supportive manager (Holt, 2013). Conclusion The best way for an organization to determine which strategy works best for, is by looking at the success of the team and ultimately how the organization benefits from the teams work. As we all know, there will be challenges with any team/group because you have different people from different backgrounds, different personalities, and different outlooks on life. However, if the organization can get each member to recognize that their success ultimately depends on the success of the company, I believe that the diversity of the group will no longer be a primary issue. Instead each team member will begin to pay more attention to the work and less about the differences of each team member in regard to themselves. Once the organization begins to benefit from the team’s success, it will be evident that the strategy chosen is a success. References Holt, M. (2013). Workplace Diversity Challenges. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/create-diverse-workplace-10154.html Huebsch, R. (2013). Workplace Diversity Strategy. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-diversity-strategy-4925.html