Content Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 17000 words

Content Writing - Essay Example Thus, it is important that when you hear the word limit, you should be able to create an outline with the arguments that would put your article forward at a glance. This is where we at _________come in. This is important especially for a college entrance essay where a lot of students have applied for limited slots within the university. The admissions committee would readily want to separate the people who have something to say and those who go around the bush. They also want to know you as a person and as a writer in as little time as possible through reading your article. Second, articles are given a limit because they want to know how you would deal with pressure. They would want to know how deep is your understanding of an issue and how you will gather the necessary information into a good essay piece. The common error when writing an article with a word limit is that, people unconsciously disregard the basic essay structure, as they get too absorbed in dealing with the word count. Without the structure, one would lose coherence and would not be able to weave the important points together within the word limit. Our company, ______________, is here to ensure that your essay is given a thumbs-up by whatever institution. Dealing with the stringent requirements of an article would surely be hard to deal with on your own. Our team of writers would readily help you with the needs of your article. They received trainings for writing articles and readily know how to go about with writing the article. Their knowledge on writing is limitless and a big bonus is their innovative style of writing. We would match your needs with skills and talents as soon as we receive your order and this would keep the ball running. Let us help you with writing that article today. Contact our support team now and they would gladly and readily assist you every step of the way. We would provide you with our best writers

Southern Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Southern Company - Essay Example Southern Company is an electric utility company headquartered in Atlanta.    The firm possesses electric gadgets in ‘Alabama’, ‘Florida’, ‘Georgia’, and ‘Mississippi’ and services millions of customers. It also provides services in fiber optics and wireless communications fields. The brands of this company are known for their customer service, which is highly excellent, have high reliability standards, and for the best part have priced their retail electric prices below the national average. The hiring system of the company was at the entry level, and individuals were promoted internally for leadership positions to be filled.  Because of this, the company had a very low turnover rate, of which the result was that an older and more tenured workforce was present. After much thought, the Company came up with a group of leaders who had a professional level of business knowledge and were conversant with the company’s organizat ion and culture. In the late 1970s, the company hired a large number of people, and this ensured that by the year 2003, most of those workers who had remained with the company were beginning to face retirement (Goldsmith, Marshall, Carter, Louis, & Best Practice Institute, 2009). The company’s employees had and still have a retirement age of 50 years old, so many executives had to retire in large numbers, and also those who succeeded them would have to follow shortly. With this, the cthis assisted the firm to review and reform their succession planning and leadership development efforts to ensure that they had a well planned from which effective leaders would be able to meet the company’s future business needs. The company’s leadership people formed teams that assisted in the overall ratings. Leaders comprehended what they wanted after the recognizing the performance standards. They were equipped with skills of making employees work outstandingly hard (Goldsmith , Marshall, Carter, Louis, & Best Practice Institute, 2009). Leaders are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that their companies have the maximum performance ability and also to ensure the effectiveness of the company’s employees. Leaders are tasked with ensuring that employees’ performance is effective, and also should be able to develop and integrate new workers (Cohen, 2007). Developing and retaining of existing workers is also a major concern, while also finding ways to attract skilled workers to a company is another role of a leader. Talent management is the process by which an organization finds ways and means to retain, motivate, attract, engage, train, plan, manage, and most importantly develop individuals who can make the company rise to unimaginable heights in the global market. For every person coming into working economy, they have a particular talent and qualification. The Talent Management program enables these qualifications and talents to be sys tematically used in the operative process of a company. Most companies have a type(s) of employee appraisal system. Many companies are at a disadvantage of experiencing the lack of manual staff evaluation systems. Many individuals have trouble differentiating between performance management and performance appraisal. Performance Management is the process whereby the employees’ activities and outcomes are in line with the company’s objective and also ensures that whatever the outcome and activities involved, they are for the success of

Violence and its types and history

Violence and its types and history Violence is the expression of physical or verbal force against self or other, compelling action against ones will on pain of being hurt. The word violence covers a broad spectrum. It can vary from a physical altercation between two beings, where a slight injury may be the outcome, to war and genocide, where millions may die as a result.[1] [2] In terms of our everyday lives, violence has become an important aspect of the way the events around us take place The global violence of war and militarism is intimately linked with the violence people experience in their personal daily lives. Violence becomes normalised when we constantly receive information from the media about crimes and atrocities which happen around the world.[3] The violence against women at the domestic front and in other forms is another worrying influence of violence on the society. Mostly in the poor strata of the society this aspect of domestic violence has been very prevalent. Violence among the youth has been another major concern in the recent past. Official crime statistics reveal high rates of offense among young people. These offenses include rape, assault, and theft. About 34 percent of all offenders arrested for criminal offenses in 2006 were under the age of twenty-one (Federal Bureau of Investigations 2007b). People exposed to violence from a young age become highly sensitive to violence and might even resort to such ways later in life. Religious and political conflicts have also often resulted in violence leading to the biggest riots causing large scale harm to the society and taking many lives in the process. There have been various such incidents like the partition riots, the Godhra riots and the likes in India and the likes of anti-Semitic riots of Frankfurt, ancient blood libel against Jews etc on the international stage. Hence violence is something that breeds throughout the society in various garbs acting as a serious threat to a peaceful existence of mankind, be it on a personal level or on a larger international level. Throughout history, most religions and individuals like Mahatma Gandhi have preached that humans are capable of eliminating individual violence and organizing societies through purely nonviolent means. Gandhi himself once wrote: A society organized and run on the basis of complete non-violence would be the purest anarchy. This clearly shows that violence has always been a major concern since historic times and continues to be one in todays world. Conceptual Framework Violence is a broad term that can be defined in different ways depending on the perception of the individual and the context. Some widely accepted definitions of violence can be summarized. The problem of violence as defined in the World report on violence and health (WRVH)[4] is: the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. It[4] further divides the general definition of violence into three sub-types according to the victim-perpetrator relationship. Self-directed violence refers to violence in which the perpetrator and the victim are the same individual and is subdivided into self-abuse and suicide. Interpersonal violence refers to violence between individuals, and is subdivided into family and intimate partner violence and community violence. The former category includes child maltreatment; intimate partner violence; and elder abuse, while the latter is broken down into acquaintance and stranger violence and includes youth violence; assault by strangers; violence related to property crimes; and violence in workplaces and other institutions. Collective violence refers to violence committed by larger groups of individuals and can be subdivided into social, political and economic violence. Hence the above definition of the concept of violence and its implications on the individual/group or the whole society encircles all the various effects that violence may have on the society in any form of it. Review of Literature There have been works of literature discussing the behaviour of violence and its implications. These works are mostly in the forms of articles and books on violence. The major works that need a mention in this regard would be: 1. A History of Violence[5] by Steven Pinker This is an essay/article in which the author Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, talks about how the current era is probably the most peaceful moment of our species time on earth. Although this seems to be a hard-to-accept fact, but Pinker talks about violence in mans history and compares it to today and systematically shows how violence was prevalent to the extent of being even a source of entertainment in those times. 2. Two Concepts of Violence by Vittorio Bufacchi [6]The aim of this review article is to explore some theoretical issues regarding the nature and scope of violence. There are two ways of thinking about violence: in terms of an act of force, or in terms of a violation. Those who define violence as an intentional act of excessive or destructive force endorse a narrow conception of violence (the Minimalist Conception of Violence or MCV), while those who see violence in terms of a violation of rights champion a broader conception of violence (the Comprehensive Conception of Violence or CCV). The strengths and weaknesses of both approaches will be assessed. 3. Critique of Violence by Walter Benjamin This is a critique written by Walter Benjamin in which he criticizes the behaviour of violence and talks about how violence is not acceptable in any form and cannot be justified with any possible explanation. Empirical Study And Generalization Case 1: Case Description: A minor road accident takes place between an autorikshaw and a maruti 800 car. The driver of the autorikshaw (subject 1) is a 45 year old man. The driver of the Maruti car (subject 2) is a 20 year old college student. The autorikshaw driver is forced to apply brakes because of stray cattle ahead and the maruti 800 behind is unable to react soon enough and hits the autorikshaw which causes a minor damage to both the autorickshaw and the car. Because of it being a minor accident, subject 1 keeps driving considering the moving traffic on the road but subject 2 keeps following him and eventually makes him stop. Subject 2 starts arguing with subject 1 rudely. Subject 1 tries to explain the unavoidability of the accident calmly but the youth i.e. subject 2 pushes him. Subject 1 still tries to reason out but subject 2 slaps subject 1 and uses physical force. At this stage subject 1 has to defend himself and hence hits subject 2 back which results in subject 2 getting overpowered and falling down. This brawl catches attention of the people in the vicinity. After sometime a group of labourers working on the construction of a flyover nearby come and inquire the matter from subject 1. Soon they start threatening subject 2 to either compensate subject 1 or leave the scene peacefully. When subject 2 refuses to fulfil any of their demands and asks for compensation for himself instead, the labourers attack him physically. After many attempts from subject 1s side to peace out the situation and pleading from subject 2 the labourers finally stop. Subject 1 then calmly lends subject 2 a hand and advises him to control his rage and violent instincts and then makes a compromise on the sharing of expenses of damage. Role of Violence in the Case: As is apparent, subject 2 was more violent and cannot control his rage initially and resorts to violence to solve a problem or a situation. The use of violence led to worsening of the situation and resulted in the older and wiser subject 1 also using violence to tackle the means used by subject 2. Not only did it cause harm to subject 1 but also to subject 2. The situation worsened when the spectators also got involved in the fight even though the method they used to resolve everything was contemptible and uncivic. Hence violence led to a chain of events leading to more violence and harm or damage to people/society. Also violence originally used as a means to solve the problem further worsened the situation instead of improving it. Case 2: 4 high school students meet at one of the students place to play a video game which they are addicted to and on which they spend plenty of time daily. They divide themselves into two teams and start playing. The game basically resembles a war scene where the players are supposed to gun down their opponents to proceed further. Team A(consisting of subject 1 and subject 2) is leading Team 2(consisting of subject 3 and subject 4). After sometime subject 3 starts getting frustrated and blames subject 4 for their poor performance. Subject 4 gets offended and shouts back on subject 3 denying his blame. Meanwhile subject 1 and 2 already quite ahead in the game mock their opponents and take pleasure in their argument. Verbal abusing converts to a physical fight when subject 4 hits subject 3s head with the video game remote. Subject 3, physically and egotistically hurt, picks up a cricket bat in his sight and begins bashing subject 4 uncontrollably. Subject 1 and 2 try to stop him but subject 3 pushes them away. After a few minutes, subject 1s father arrives and gains control of the whole situation. Subject 4 is rushed to the nearby hospital. Doctors sadly announce that he has lost his left ears hearing power due to repeated blows near the ear. Role of Violence- As it is clearly seen this is an example of teenage violence. Prevalent in urban India today, such incidents are said to arise because of highly aggressive nature of todays adolescents who lose control over their tolerance and sensibility once someone hurts their ego. Also it is noteworthy to mention the role of video games containing any sort of violent actions in deteriorating the psychology of teenagers who have started taking pride and pleasure in using violence to resolve any matter rather than discussing or ignoring it. Violence proved to be nearly fatal here, though the victim was saved his life would never be the same. Also, subject 3 would live a life of shame and guilt owing to his one juvenile action. Findings of the Study and Generalization As it can be deduced from the above mentioned examples, violence can be circumstantial, politically driven or can arise from the way a persons mind has been moulded. Usually road rage and petty issues that are blown out of proportion are examples of circumstantial violence incidents. A persons loss of control over his anger or frustration has severe consequences. This can also be associated with the increasing stress levels of the working class especially in big cities who tend to lose their patience and tolerance easily owing to mental stress and hypertension. On the domestic front it is often observed that actions performed by adults are replicated by their children. If a boy has seen his father hitting his mother, his siblings or has experienced it himself he is likely to have a similar demeanour in his future. As childrens minds are tender and sensitive, they tend to get influenced easily. Intolerance and violence occurring due religious and caste divide is mostly politically driven to fill a candidates vote banks. People who supposedly fight to protect their religion often forget that no religion teaches violence. Teenage violence is evidently linked to teenagers lifestyles, the type of T.V. programs and online games they are subject to, the kind of places they visit and the people they meet during their re-creation time and the type of living their parents exemplify for them.

Anabolic Steroids and the High School Athlete Essay -- Drugs Athletics

Anabolic Steroids and the High School Athlete Anabolic steroid abuse has become a national concern among high school athletes. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of athletes using these performance enhancing drugs in high school almost double the number using since the 1980's. These athletes feel that steroids gives them the competitive edge that they think they need to boost themselves past the competition. Steroids have been used in bodybuilding and other sports since the 1950's. Nowadays, athletes from all walks of life use them. It's not uncommon for athletes such as bodybuilders, football players, boxers, sprinters, and especially powerlifters to use them on a year round basis. Some professional bodybuilders admit to using over 10 times the normal effective dosage for testosterone. Steroids and sports go hand in hand in many ways. They were legal until 1990 when they joined other banned substances such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines as being illegal. Many athletes including Arnold Schwarzenegger and football great Lyle Alzado have admitted to using them to help them become better athletes. Because they are illegal without a prescription in almost every country in the world they are only available to the recreational user on the "black market". The black market consists of all steroidal substances, counterfeits, and other illegal drugs that are purchased from a source other than directly from a pharmacy or a physician. As everyone knows, when a product is available only on the black market the demand of it goes up while the supply goes down. This means that a very high percentage of all athletes that use them are doing so illegally. This is a major reason why steroids have become so popular among high school athletes, there so easy to obtain. Once viewed as a problem only associated with professional athletes, recent reports estimate that 5 to 12 percent of male high school students and 1 percent of female students have used anabolic steroids by the time they were seniors. The athletes using these drugs don?t belong to one particular sport, these users play sports ranging from girls tennis all the way to boys swimming all of which have the same goal in common, to gain the upper hand. They are usually used during training to build muscles and contrary to popular belief are not usually used when the athlete is competing... ...An ongoing series of studies has shown that this team-centered approach reduces new steroid abuse by 50 percent. A program designed for adolescent girls on sports teams, patterned after the program designed for boys, is currently being tested. Some medications that have been used for treating steroid withdrawal, restore the hormonal system after its disruption by steroid abuse. Other medications target specific withdrawal symptoms, for example, antidepressants to treat depression, and analgesics for head aches and muscle and joint pains ( May pg 65). Some patients require assistance beyond simple treatment of withdrawal symptoms and are treated with behavioral therapies. Compared to student athletes who were not exposed to the program, ATLAS participants had increased understanding of the effects of steroids, greater belief in personal vulnerability to the consequences of steroid use, improved drug-refusal skills, less belief in steroid-promoting media messages, increased belief in the team as an information source, improved perception of athletic abilities and strength training self-efficacy, improved nutrition and exercise behaviors and reduced intentions to use steroids.

Humanities and Academic Disciplines Essay

Do you know what your human condition is? If this is a question that you have ever asked yourself then you might have heard of humanities. â€Å"Humanities are academic disciplines that study the human conditions, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural science. † Wikipedia. (n. d. ). Looking further into humanities we are able to better understand ancient and modern languages, literature, law and history, just to name a few, a whole lot better. Distinguishing the difference between humanities vs. other modes of human inquiry and expression are simply put that humanities are the study of the humans action and reaction to different areas mentioned above, were as other methods can include the study of science and math as it relates to the items mentioned above. Art for example in an area of study is widely considered in the humanities for the creative nature that one has to have to create â€Å"art†. First we have the history of art, then drawing, painting and so on. This is an interesting topic when dealing with humanities. Some say that it is pure talent and enjoyment when it comes to art. Other say that it is something that has to be done very precise and thought out, then and only then is something considered art. Music is also a big topic when it comes to humanities. Like art it depends on the person when it comes to humanities. One might think that music is a way of expression or a form of speaking. Were as others might take music to the extreme and feel like they have to hit every note at the exact same pitch every time or sing every word is the same tone every time to be precise. Like a math equation, it must equal out to be the same every time or it will not work. Another topic that we need to discuss is literature. At its broadest, it can mean any sequence of words that has been saved for the spread in some form or an other, often it is used to Humanities 3 show the creativeness or imaginative works such as stories, poems, and skits. It is also used for the use if items that are of great significance and in need of reward. Shakespeare had literature mastered at his prime and was able to express his love for plays and life through his writings. It  takes much talent to express yourself or something in the way that you intended it to come Architecture is a great way for one to fully express themselves or share with millions the way they are feeling or their creativeness. By constructing any type of building for the whole world to see is a bold statement that should not be taken lightly or given only a few moments thought. Yes, it does require great mathematical skill to be able to construct wonderful buildings but it also take a very creative mind, a mind willing to be open and free to new ideas and procedures, to try new things. One might argue that architecture is purely the use or mathematics or geometry, but the bases of build something comes from deep within. Now philosophy which is â€Å"investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods† Answer. com. (2011) is definitely something that has to do with the study of humanities and how the human nature reacts to such behaviors. It needs to be purely creative to even begin starting In the world today there are many topics that we are able to discuss about the relations of humanities. Given the few examples that we have discussed we are able to see that the relation between humanities and other human inquiries are very well defined. We now know that humanities are the study of academic disciplines that study the human conditions. I firmly believe the humanities are great increased based on a right or left brained person. It takes great creativity to come up with new laws, build an architectural beautiful building or create music Humanities 4 that is pleasing to its listeners. The humanities are an essential thing to help us visualize the study of academic disciplines.   

Essay on protection individuals from abuse

Identify two reports on serious failures to protect individuals from abuse. Write an account that describes the unsafe practices in the reviews. Abuse can happen anywhere anytime, but especially to vulnerable people. I have researched into two cases reported for abuse in adults. The Winterbourne case and the Orchid View case. Six care workers at the Winterbourne View care home were given prison terms for â€Å"cruel, callous and degrading† abuse of disabled patients. Orchid View care home was branded Britain's cruelest care home with neglect stemming from institutionalised abuse contributing to the deaths of five elderly residents.Staff at Winterbourne care home were using unsafe practices, They were caught on CCTV slapping vulnerable residents, soaking them in water and trapping them under chairs, staff were caught physically abusing these residents as well as emotionally and verbally abusing them by taunting and swearing at them. The individuals were not able to defend thems elves, this is an abuse of power and trust. Winterbourne were putting profits before humanity, it was run with a view to profit and with a lack of interest to its residents or staff.Poor working practices are seen here, one member of staff stated that he was originally shocked by the ill treatment of patients at Winterbourne yet became use to it over time. This is unsafe practice, not reporting incidents is also abusing the residents as they are still in danger. It was this member of staff’s responsibility to report what was happening. His behaviour was inappropriate. Unsafe practices were also seen in the Orchid View case. There was multiple accounts of maltreatment to elderly people in this home, there was institutionalised abuse throughout the home which started at a very early stage and nobody did anything about it.The home was mismanaged and understaffed meaning that the environment was not safe for the residents. There were several severe cases of neglect in this home, residents were left soiled and unattended while others were locked in their rooms. Another lady has a fractured ankle left undiagnosed for days. There was so many incidents of neglect reported in duty of personal care, another being unsafe administration of medication, for example failing to check the dosage. One lady had been overdosed and then her medical records were destroyed when it became clear she needed medical treatment.This is also inappropriate communication, not giving out the appropriate paperwork. Police and social workers where called into the home after a whistleblower reached breaking point after being told there was 28 errors in administrating drugs in a single shift. This shows the failure in ensuring supervision and staff being trained correctly. In both of these homes residents came into them to be looked after and to feel safe, yet lost their dignity, independence and some even their lives because of the unsafe practices being used and the abuse not being repor ted soon enough.

Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Movie vs. Book Essay Example

Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Movie vs. Book Essay Example Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Movie vs. Book Paper Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Movie vs. Book Paper This story Is both a tragic and extremely depressing book and a movie called The Boy In the Stripped Pajamas. The book and movie were both absolutely fantastic and were very much alike, but they still had some differences. The few differences between the movie and the book was, the ending of the book and movie, the perspective In which they were both told In, One of the major differences between the book and movie is the ending of each of them. The endings are different in one major way and that is about people dying. In act the ending of the book is much more depressing then the end of the movie because both of the boys die in the book. In the end of the book Bruno cares so much about his friend on the other side of the fence that he climbs the fence and enters the camp. He enters the camp to help the little Jewish boy find his dad, but instead something horribly tragic happens. Bruno gets mistaken by the Nazis as a Jewish boy and is thrown in the gas chamber on accident. The ending of the book is super heartbreaking; however, the end of the movie isnt as depressing but is still ere sad. In the end of the movie Bruno sneaks under the fence to help the Jewish boy find his dead, but is later hung. Another major difference between the movie and book is the perspective in which each is told in. The movie was definitely much easier to comprehend then the book because the movie you get to watch everything that happens, but the book Is told from a better perspective. The movie is told from an outside person so It makes it difficult to grasp how the characters are feeling, which also makes it difficult to put ourselves in the characters shoes. The novel Is much easier to understand and relate to because it is told from Bruno. Since It Is told from Bruno you can really grasp the story a lot better because you feel Like you are going through what Bruno Is. Also since It Is told from Bruno you get to know how he Is feeling and It makes It a lot easier to relate to, letting you understand the Internal struggle he goes through. I think that the book Is more effective because It Is told from Bruno, so you basically eel Like you are going through what he Is. The book, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas was by far one of the best books I have read. It really opened my eyes, teaching me to be grateful for the life that I have. The movie was really great to, but the book was definitely better in so many ways. I en KICK Ana teen movie were extremely close to Delve teen same out tender were a Tee things that were different. The few things that were different, included, the ending of the book and movie, the perspective in which they were both told in

Earl Giles Assessments Of and How For Learning

Earl Giles Assessments Of and How For Learning Earl Giles Assessments Of and How For Learning Earl Giles Assessments Of and How For Learning Teaching and learning are ongoing interactive process that takes place in the classroom between teachers and students. Assessment relates to gathering data of this process, which expresses teaching and learning outcome. The data is then analyzed, which reveals success and failure of both teacher and student, areas of improvement, whether teaching method is suitable for students, how the students are thinking, how are they visible during teaching. Collected data can also discover many other additional perspectives. Earl Giles in the article â€Å"An-other Look at Assessment: Assessment in Learning† implies a new concept of teaching and learning assessment (Earl Giles, 2011). Educational assessment so far has been described using phrases: assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning. The cornerstone of this new concept is in the proposition â€Å"in† to describe educational assessment. The authors suggest that teachers need to find a way of â€Å"being in† assessment while assessing knowledge and skills of students. Assessment of learning, also known as summative assessment largely determines learning outcome at the end of the teaching program. Assessment for learning also known as formative assessment evaluates both teachers and students’ activities undertaken by them. Formative assessment is conducted in interactive process from teacher to student and student to the teacher, as well as from student-to-student. It evaluates teaching planning, and students thinking and learning process. The aim of this assessment is not grading, but to increase the student’s self esteem. Earl Giles describes asses sment is an experiment with living individuals, which involves thinking and strategizing of language use and activity of participants (Earl Giles, 2011). That is why; the concept uses the term â€Å"being-in†. This idea reveals how well a teacher is â€Å"being-with†, and â€Å"being-in† relationship with the students. The concept evaluates both teachers and students â€Å"being- in† assessment. The â€Å"being-in† assessment includes: focusing on students’ learning process, seeing and reading them, responding and acting on what is noticed, and recognizing their changes and growth. live CHAT

Signs youre stuck in the rat race

Signs youre stuck in the rat race We’ve all heard the phrase rat race before- it refers to a seemingly never-ending, pointless, and even self-defeating pursuit, and it’s often used when referring to one’s job or career. Individuals who are stuck in the rat race are unhappily going through the motions in life, trudging through the daily grind of their workday feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and uninspired until they go home at the end of the day- only to repeat the whole process again. Individuals who are stuck in the rat race are more than just unhappy- they’re actually negatively affecting their health and well-being. According to a recent Forbes article, individuals who hate their jobs face some serious consequences, including increased risks for stress, sleeplessness, illness, and mental health issues. An article by The Atlantic  even goes on to suggest that workplace unhappiness can shorten your lifespan!Obviously, individuals who are stuck in this unfortunate situation have every good reason to try and get out of it. Are you one of them? The truth is, sometimes people get so busy and wrapped up in the responsibilities and activities they have going on in their daily lives that they fail to take stock of their current situations. You may very well be stuck in the rat race and not even know it!Use the following signs to determine if you need to make some changes to your daily life.1. Your energy and enthusiasm levels are low.Are you like the energizer bunny when you get up in the morning? Do you go through an average workday full of â€Å"get up and go† enthusiasm for what lies ahead? Or maybe you’re more like a wilted flower or droopy basset hound who practically needs to be dragged through the day, and can’t wait to get back home so you can†¦lie around and do absolutely nothing. We all have good days and bad, but if more often than not you’re facing each day with a real lack of energy and enthusiasm, that’s a good sig n your stuck in a rat race and may need a change.2. You’re stuck in the past.Do you spend more time thinking about â€Å"past glories† than future opportunities? Do you gladly reminisce about days gone by and what you have done at the expense of what lies ahead and what you will accomplish? Individuals who are stuck in the rat race avoid thinking about the present and the future as a protective mechanism- keeping them from having to confront an unhappy reality or an uncertain tomorrow. If this sounds like you, you might just be stuck in a rut.3. You lack purpose.Folks who are in happy places in their lives are fueled by a sense of purpose and gamely tackle each day, along with the challenges and goals they’ve set for themselves. Those stuck in less fulfilling situations? Not so much. And it’s not hard to imagine the vicious spiral this creates, leading you to accomplish less and less as the days drag on. Don’t get stuck in a rat race spiral!4. Youà ¢â‚¬â„¢re noticing changes in your health and wellness.We’ve already touched on this one- when you’re stuck in the grinding gears of the rat race you’re going to experience a negative effect on your health and well-being. The ravages of stress, tension, sleeplessness, anxiety, and more will begin to gnaw away at you- and you’ll notice it. Tack on to this that people stuck in the rat race often make poor diet and exercise choices and it’s easy to see that this is a road to ruin.5. You feel powerless to effect change or think there’s nothing better out there for you.One of the real tragedies of being stuck in the rat race- as if we haven’t mentioned enough of them already- is that it robs you of the very ability to see a way out of it. It’s common for those stuck in a rut to feel that there’s simply no way out or have such a negative raincloud following them that they can’t even fathom that there’s something better out there. It’s not a good place to be.If after reading this you’ve realized that you’re stuck in the rat race and are starting to worry or panic- take a deep breath. It’s always better to know the truth and it’s never too late or a bad time to figure out where you are with your job situation- good or bad- and make a change!

Applied Buyer Behaviour In Global Context Essay

Applied Buyer Behaviour In Global Context - Essay Example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Introduction Snickers is a product name candy bar prepared by Mars, Incorporated. â€Å"Hungry? Why wait? Seize Snickers† (Sunshine 2013). These ads of Snickers seize the audience’s concentration through the use of: background, intellectual illustrations, and color subjects. In the November 2012 theme of Rolling Stone, Snickers permits readers to vigorously engage in their comedic ad, the advertisement first seizes the reader’s concentration by situating â€Å"You are not you when you are ravenous† as well as the utterances â€Å"Satisfies† wrong way up at the top hub of the page (Sunshine 2013). Right away I thought about the clout of food, exclusively the clout of chocolaty sweets. I then came to recognize that the circumstance sufficed as a support system to primarily let reader’s be acquainted with that the manufactured goods is worth the buy and will abscond them satisfied (Wilson 2012). Next, I observed the hub of the advertisement where I adage the visage of a man (Sunshine 2013). The man’s temper in the advertisement can be illustrated as gloomy because of the grimace he displays. In addition, the depiction also shows a delightful man with a Snicker under his visage along with the expression â€Å"Satisfies† (Wilson 2012). This man demonstrates the two in one association between a purchaser who has had a Snickers and a purchaser who has not had a Snickers (Sunshine 2013). The design allows the person who reads to presume that a solitary person has two diverse egos: happy and upset. I came to be familiar with a constant theme; Snickers want clients to know that you turn out to be a diverse person within yourself devoid of the immense ta ng of a Snicker (Wilson 2012). Who is the advert targeted at? Snickers Ad expressions campaign targets foragers so famished they cannot hex (Mercides 2013). Targeting misspelled key expressions has long been a line of attack in search engine optimization and referrals or pay-per-click marketing in order to incarcerate traffic that while it valor not have as numerous impressions, it can be over and over again cheaper than the suitably spelled term or easier to position for the phrase (Mercides 2013). However, Snickers has taken this stratagem to a whole innovative level, not only targeting misspelled keywords, but as well as using their ad duplicate to play on the verity that the entity misspelled what he or she was incisive for (Christo 2012). The ad is always targeting any internet user and any other working civilian (Mercides 2013). It may also target the television fans and sports viewers, snickers is one of the promoting beneficiaries in the sporting grounds (Mercides 2013). Wha t bland and services are been offered? Snickers provides certain varieties and bland such as snickers dark chocolate this entails of an extra measure of cocoa thus providing or explaining it is dark appearance (Lukas 2012, p. 123). There is also the snickers egg which is simply a chocolate covered egg containing both

Political Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Political - Essay Example Some of the countries that exhibit the existence of state governments are found in Europe and America where a state government is a region within the larger nation that operates under its own laws though those laws fall within the jurisdictions of the federal laws. A nation is a group of individuals that co- exist within a given locales and these individuals may share religion, culture, language, and ethnicity. A nation is depicted as a sovereign state that is governed by its legislation and that protects the rights of every individual that lives in it. A nation is confined in a particular locality with clear territories that are widely respected under the international laws. A nation is guided by the federal law that is protected by the constitution of the nation, which every member of the nation must adhere to as a law-abiding citizen. The political environment that enables the nations to establish institutions of governance such as the courts drives most nations. The powers of the state/government derive from the established structures of governance that bestows power and authority to the government as stipulated under the constitution of a particular state. These institutions of governance enable the state to get taxes from its people in order to fast track its numerous developmental agendas it is undertaking. The judicial institution enables a state to enforce law and order thus becoming a powerful punisher to those individuals that may break the laws of the land. The state may employ its powers as a sovereign nation to solicit for financial funding on behalf of its people thus gaining powers on financial matters that aim at benefiting the entire folk. The government may spend this financial funding to develop education systems that are necessary to every member of the country thus obtaining powers to develop the required educational curriculum that is respected by every person. A state acquires its powers from the control it

Product Development and selling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Product Development and selling - Essay Example To the individuals, computers can be used for communication, type setting, graphic design, entertainment and performing of a variety of tasks depending on each individual user. These are fundamental activities which can make one be comfortable both at home and in their officers. On the other hand, computers can be used by business organizations in the automation of their services. Thus, they become able to produce organized, neat, accurate, reliable and high quality work. The use of Information Technology (IT) can be a very good idea for any business as it can be the surest way of improving its productivity. However, in order to ensure that my commodity is sold, I will have to properly plan. By putting in place relevant strategies, I will definitely manage to sell my products to my clients and be in a position of making profit. After all, that is the major goal of my business. Besides, I will have to scan the prevailing conditions in the market so as to be privy with all the information about the level of competition in the market. I will need to know about the pricing policies of my competitors. This will be important in helping me to set a reasonable price which will not only be appealing to my clients, but be able to enable me to increase my profitability. Such prices should be decided based on the costs of production and the level of competition in the market. With this in mind, I will still have to ensure that I produce high quality commodities because it will be crucial in determining the success of the business. Many clients prefer commodities with high value regardless of their prices. When this is done, the business will be able to make some profit. It represents a profit margin of 52%. However, because the company needs to maximize its profits, it will have to venture into a sales presentation as it will help it to bridge the gap between it and the potential and existing clients (Roth 219). Besides, additional initiatives such as

Statement of Purpose for pursuing graduate study Essay

Statement of Purpose for pursuing graduate study - Essay Example I have always yearned to listen, speak, read, write, and understand the Chinese language. Although it has been more than 20 years, I still remember a couple of my Chinese teachers’ names from the elementary school that I attended at the time. My major was Chinese Literature, and my test scores in Chinese have been relatively higher than my other subjects in high school. My feelings towards furthering my graduate studies in Chinese became stronger after studying in an art school for a couple of semesters. I have realized that Art has been an interest to me as well as a hobby. I have found that my passion is in the study of Chinese. I studied at the San Francisco State University where I obtained my baccalaureate degree in Criminal Justice. My experiences as a student were very positive, therefore, I wish to pursue my graduate Chinese studies at the same institution of higher education. I would like to engage in Chinese performance arts with a modern Chinese literature focus. Being bilingual in Chinese and English will give me the opportunity to perform research using primary sources and translating those research documents taking into account the differences and similarities of the western and eastern worlds: languages, cultures, traditions, customs, idiomatic terms, and non-verbal communication. This will be an asset for professors that are performing research given the Chinese language and any other dialects I may know for translation purposes given the above mentioned elements that need to be taken into consideration. I have faith and trust that a good college education will be the embodiment of one’s academic hopes and dreams for a better life. It will not only prepare me for my chosen profession, but it will also provide me with the social and individual interactive skills that are necessary for my personal and professional life. I hope that the Chinese Program at the San Francisco State University gives me the opportunity to become part of its

Exam 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Exam 1 - Essay Example Jill would likely claim damages and remedies for suffering ‘injury’ and damaged reputation following the employer’s concealment of some sections of the contract to her during recruitment. Additionally, she may claim damages for wrongful dismissal from the job; and her denial of benefits despite the purported validity of the contract. As an arbiter I would ask the employer to reinstate Jill from the date of dismissal with compensation entitlements for the time the employee has been away, but under new and clearer terms that would not be injurious to her morals and reputation as a staunch Christian. She would then withdraw the notice she had issued to the Justice Department. Usually, any monetary compensation is not applicable in her case because she served for less than six months. According to Palmer, if she brought the issue to the Federal Court, the judges would order the implementation of any of the two primary remedies for illegal termination of the employment contract (158): first, the two parties can either be ordered to honor the contract and perform what it entails in letter and spirit throughout the remaining period of the agreement or order the payment of damages to Jill for the injuries she has suffered. As a Federal Judge, I would not recommend the implementation of a specific performance of the employment agreement because a substantial amount of time may have elapsed between the period of the purported breach of the contract or dismissal and when the verdict of the Supreme Court is given. The Federal Court deliberates mainly on appeal cases, which may have lasted several years under lower jurisdictions. Â   Secondly, I would be unwilling to force the two parties to carry on their employment relationship when frosty ties may have already set in. For instance, Jill’s decision to contact the Justice Department following what she perceived to ‘unethical’ responsibilities bestowed upon her by the employer,

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat - Essay Example Other than the health perspective of eating vegetables, a close look at the chicken production in factory farms gives us another reason not to eat meat. According to Scott Bronstein(1991) article on poultry inspection of the nations poultry plants, every week, millions of chicken leaking yellow puss, stained feces, contaminated by diseases causing bacteria, with lung, heart, and skin infections are shipped for sale to consumers. Scott continues that, the birds are beheaded and gutted by powerful machines. Contaminations often occur at this point as the high-speed machines rip open the intestines commonly spilling the feces on the meat and body cavities. Such contamination is what we eat the chicken we often purchase. It is high time individuals decide whether it is cheap chicken or their health. I am supporting my opinion on a vegetarian diet. It a non-complicated position or decision. My opinion regarding vegetarianism is that I support for vegetarianism, but also a position on wise r animal agriculture. It is also a stance for the acceptance of a more omnivore diet. The safety of our animals products especially factory meat is questionable. The contamination and inconsistencies in following health protocols and ensuring the food products are of safe is a concern. On the contrary, it is clear that a vegetarian diet may pose less threat to our health compared to factory animal products.Despite the fact that eating vegetable requires no consumption of dairy products, fish, seafood, meat.

Exam 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Exam 1 - Essay Example Jill would likely claim damages and remedies for suffering ‘injury’ and damaged reputation following the employer’s concealment of some sections of the contract to her during recruitment. Additionally, she may claim damages for wrongful dismissal from the job; and her denial of benefits despite the purported validity of the contract. As an arbiter I would ask the employer to reinstate Jill from the date of dismissal with compensation entitlements for the time the employee has been away, but under new and clearer terms that would not be injurious to her morals and reputation as a staunch Christian. She would then withdraw the notice she had issued to the Justice Department. Usually, any monetary compensation is not applicable in her case because she served for less than six months. According to Palmer, if she brought the issue to the Federal Court, the judges would order the implementation of any of the two primary remedies for illegal termination of the employment contract (158): first, the two parties can either be ordered to honor the contract and perform what it entails in letter and spirit throughout the remaining period of the agreement or order the payment of damages to Jill for the injuries she has suffered. As a Federal Judge, I would not recommend the implementation of a specific performance of the employment agreement because a substantial amount of time may have elapsed between the period of the purported breach of the contract or dismissal and when the verdict of the Supreme Court is given. The Federal Court deliberates mainly on appeal cases, which may have lasted several years under lower jurisdictions. Â   Secondly, I would be unwilling to force the two parties to carry on their employment relationship when frosty ties may have already set in. For instance, Jill’s decision to contact the Justice Department following what she perceived to ‘unethical’ responsibilities bestowed upon her by the employer,

Josephs Story Essay Example for Free

Josephs Story Essay Joseph’s story is a common one of an unsuspected massive heart attack. Even though Joseph had numerous existing factors that put him at risk of heart conditions he continued to live with no fear, or ambition to make changes. While playing ball with his son in the park, Joseph experienced his worst case scenario, a massive heart attack. There were several elements that went into this clinical turn for the worst. Joseph’s heart could now have irreversible damage due to the advanced stage of the condition. When Joseph’s heart stopped working in the park the cells that make up the heart started to use up the remaining ATP that was left in the cells. Because there was no heart function to push oxygenated blood through the vessels the carbon dioxide levels started to increase and PH levels dropped within the cell. The heart was no longer providing blood flow with the rich oxygen and glucose to the mitochondria, which is needed for the production of ATP. Without ATP it was only a matter of a few moments before the active transport pumps in the plasma membrane had stopped. This seize of activity had now allowed for sodium to begin leaking out of the cells and potassium to leak in. Joseph’s lungs could no longer expel harmful carbon dioxide from his body, or bring important oxygen in. Cells were dying. As Joseph lay in the park his son was crying and calling for help. Lucky for them both, some people were nearby who ran to ran to their aid. As one person called for help, another person started CPR on Joseph’s heart. CPR allowed for fresh oxygen to reach his cells and with every chest compression more carbon dioxide was expelled from his body. However, Joseph’s cells were still unable to produce ATP and the structure of the cells were being compromised to say the least. The lack of ATP also meant that special calcium ATPases had stopped moving calcium from the cytosol into endoplasmic reticulum of his cardiac muscle cells. As the intracellular calcium levels rose within the cells, they caused proteases to spill into their interiors of the cell, attacking the cytoskeleton. Lysosomal enzymes as well as mitochondrial organelles are usually contained by membranes or vesicles. A lot of a cell does it contained within that membrane. When a cell starts to die the first to start seize is the membrane, exchanging nothing intentional, but leaking nutrients in and out. The instructions Joseph’s body needs to repair itself and his disposition for vascular disease are both contained within the cell, inside DNA, located in the nucleolus. As the intracellular calcium levels rose, they caused proteases to spill into the interior of the cell, attacking the cytoskeleton. Lysosmal enzymes normally bound safely inside vesicles began to digest the plasma membrane and the membranes of the organelles. Oxygen is required by cells to produce ATP, oxygen, and nutrients, multiple cellular processes affecting hemostasis. Joseph was not treating his body with the care it needed. As a result the cells in his body reacted in a damaging way. Health and disease are ultimately determined at the cellular level.

Review of a qualitative research article

Review of a qualitative research article This essay is a review of a research article of how Local Authority Social workers make decisions when they are considering referrals of children. The title of the study is Threshold Decisions: How Social Workers Prioritize Referrals of Child Concern by Dendy Platt (2008). I would attempt to critically appraise this Qualitative journal article based on essential elements of the research which include the Title, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Findings and Conclusion. The study examined how social workers make choices on individual cases of children concern referrals, if to carry out a an initial Assessment i.e. Sect 17 of the Children Act 1989 or if to undertake the Child Protection Procedure under the Sect. 47 of the Children Act 1989. The major finding suggests that Social workers prioritize their referrals based on five key areas, Specificity, Severity, risk, parental responsibility and corroboration. It was refreshing to know that data were collected from Social workers and that Parents were also involved. Title It is worth noting that the title adequately prepares the reader as it gives good insight into what the study is about. The title of an article is very important as it exposes the reader to an article. The key words were appropriate and sufficient as they did retrieve the article upon typing the key words in the search engine. (According to Descombe 2008 p.88), a topic needs to be a very much more narrowly defined area of its study. Abstract The major finding in this article suggests that social workers evaluate referrals based on five key factors, specificity, severity, risk, parental responsibility and corroboration. It is worth noting the abstract did prepare a reader for this study. The abstract clearly highlights that the aim of the study is to find out how social workers reach decision when to carry out an initial assessment (Sect 17 of children act 1989) or a core assessment, (Sect 47 of children Act 1989) when considering referrals about child concerns. The abstract clearly stated that the study chose a qualitative approach. According to (Punch 2000 p. 243), qualitative approach is often sensitive to context and process to lived experience and local groundedness, where the researcher tries to get closer to what is being studied. Using qualitative method allows the researcher to find out a lot about the study. He went further to explain thatqualitative research methods are the best way we have of getting the insiders perspective (Ibid) Qualitative method allows the researcher to generate new theoretical ideas. This happens because they are able to observe and speak to the people (person) being studied and allows them to come up with new ideas through out the study. Being bias is one of the limitations of qualitative research method because researchers can write their own view or even opinion on the matter. But as we can see that reaching difficult area is a great advantage to qualitative research method.) Introduction Looking at the introduction, it seems clear that the problem that led to the research was that the interpretation of the developments of the refocusing initiative has contributed to a climate where social workers work often feel pulled and pushed in different directions by political and popular opinion. The introduction touched on relevant government policies and initiatives such as refocusing initiative which was initiated by the government in 1990 and the framework for Assessment of children in need. In my view, the author attempted to appraise the refocusing initiative policy which attempts to refocus social work practice and to initiate any necessary changes. I partly agree with this notion as the study may bring about positive changes in the child protection climate. But also the author needs to acknowledge where he points on that the climate of child protection is one of uncertainty, that social work itself is a profession full of uncertainty. The researcher explained that the implication of the refocusing initiative is the rise in the threshold for acceptance of a child protection referral as it was thought that the cost to family of child protection procedures were not acceptable in the cases where allegations are minor. In my view, the identification of gap of knowledge shows that the problem has significance for social work practice and the research may positively inform practice. Interestingly, the researcher acknowledges and analyses previous work on the child protection field ( what is known) but also points out the knowledge gap as it demonstrates how application of these factors differs between cases of child concern and cases of child protection (What is desired to be known). I would argue that these reasons amount to sufficiently justification of this study. Literature Review Knowledge gap was identified but author did not explain how his work would attempt to close the gap. Author made an effort to critically review the work of others and points out inconsistencies. The purpose of the research is to examine ways social workers in England made decisions at the initial referral stage. It is my believe that since the author decided to collect information form social workers and families suggest that research is from a grounded theory approach. According to Punch (2000 p.163) Grounded theory is best defined as a research strategy whose purpose is to generate theory from data, To be grounded means basically the theory is generated from data. (ibid) My rational for asserting that a grounded theory approach was implemented is that the author made sense of the data through concepts primarily informed by social workers and the discovery of these concepts begins from the interviews with the social workers. (Somekh and Lewin 2006p.49) point out that grounded theory is best described as an integrated theoretical formulation that gives understanding about how organization experience and respond to events that occur. From this definition, it could be argued that grounded theory was the most effective way to approach this study. Researchers do bring perspective to the research, although these perspectives tend to guide the question and influence interpretation, but they dont drive the research. (ibid p.51). However one of the drawbacks from this approach is that research may be influenced by the researchers personal experiences and previous studies which thus disable the research in approaching the study with an open mind. Finding In my view, the researcher study has a strong internal validity, the researcher made a good effort to eliminate the alternative explanations in his findings. The result however cannot be applied beyond the sample. It would be clearly naà ¯ve to believe that the findings reflect how social workers in the UK decision making. Method The Researcher implemented ethical principles. The social workers involved have to be made aware of what they were getting into before deciding to collaborate. I would argue that appropriate procedures were implemented; also the participant understood what the purpose of the research. The researcher effectively anonymised participants identities, which protected participants privacy. The likely outcome the research aim to achieve include possible changes in policy, examine practice issues for social workers carrying out initial assessment, where in the past, it would have been a child abuse investigation ( Sect 47 of the children Act 1989) One of the strengths of case study is that multiple methods and data sources can be used to explore and interrogate case study thereby leading to a good description of a research from the perspective of the participant (Someth and Lewin 2006 p.33). I do admire the fact that the research implemented the case study approach as this gives the reader a very rich description of the study and also gives a reader a good understanding on the issue. Reliability of the finding was promoted by the data collection from two local authorities who have a very different procedures and practice, also All interviews were tape- recorded. According to (Silverman 2006p. 285), working with the audio and video recordings eliminates at one stroke many of the problems that researchers have with the unspecified accuracy of field notes and limited public access to them However the generalization of the research may not be possible. The weakness of case study is that it is not possible to generalize statistically from a small number of cases to a population as a whole (Someth and Lewin 2006 p.34) References Punch, K.F. (2000) Introduction to Social Research Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage Publication. Somekh, B. and Lewin, C. (2006) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Sage Publication: London. Silverman, D. (2006) 2nd Edition. Qualitative Research. Theory, Method and Practice. Sage Publication: London. Denscombe, M. (2008) Ground Rules for Good Research, a 10 guide for social researchers. Open University: Buckingham.

NCAA Drug use :: essays research papers

May 13-15, 2005 Vegas weekend. We have booked two suites at the Atrium Suites in Las Vegas for the nights of Friday May 13th and Saturday May 14th. Each Suite has 2 beds and a pull out couch, so we are planning on 5 people to a room. They run $109.00 ($21.80 per person) per night. The hotel is next door to the Hard Rock Cafe and 2 blocks from the strip, but it has a free one way shuttle. Loos tells us that this is a great place to stay and obviously a really good deal. May 4, 2005- Tux deadline If at all possible Tux sizes need to be in either to me or in the Men's Warehouse database by May 4th. They will be ready on Thursday June 2nd at the Glendale, WI store. I will include directions in an a e-mail soon. It's about 5 miles north of Downtown Milwaukee. The tux cost should be around $100. Thursday June 2, 2005 I will be in Milwaukee finishing up the final details for the wedding. Anyone interested in coming in on Thursday is certainly welcome. HOTEL ACCOMIDATIONS- Friday and Saturday Hotel Rooms have been blocked of at two places: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Pfister Hotel in Downtown Milwaukee for $169.00 per night. The Pfister is approx. 4 blocks from the rehearsal dinner site and 6-8 blocks from the Reception Hall site. (800) 472-4403 or www.pfister-hotel.com Deadline for this reservation is May 3, 2005 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Residence Inn- Marriott for $129.00 per night. These rooms are Studio Suites with a King OR Queen bed and a pull out sofa. So the rooms can sleep up to 4 people. This also includes a hot breakfast buffet. The Residence Inn- Marriott is 2.5 blocks away from Joey Buena ¡Ã‚ ¦s and 12-14 blocks from the Reception Hall site. (414) 224-7890 and ask for the Kimmel/Kelley party. Virtual tours available at www.residenceinnmilwaukee.com Deadline for this reservation is May 3, 2005. Friday June 3, 2005 „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golf during the day-Scenic View Country Club o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have 4 tee times beginning at 8:30 am o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are interested please let me know.

Artificial Intelligence and Angelology :: Technology Science Computers Essays

Artificial Intelligence and Angelology ABSTRACT: Recently, as I have become more computer-literate, I have noticed some interesting parallels between computer mechanisms and Aquinas’ metaphysics of angelic faculties. The present essay expands on some of the analogies which Aquinas himself, though no proponent of AI theory, might have found interesting. One of the philosophy newsgroups on the Internet is entitled "comp.ai.philosophy." This group features constant variations on questions such as: how close can artificial intelligence (particularly computers) approximate to human consciousness? is free will reducible to neurological mechanisms? and so forth. From my unscientific sampling, I would estimate that the clientele of this newsgroup is about evenly split between those who tend towards a reductive materialism, and those who maintain that consciousness or some element in human consciousness is not reducible to neural structures or functions. So the classical "Hobbes vs. Berkeley" debate continues on into the twenty-first millennium. One of the problems facing those who theorize about the independence and irreducibility of consciousness is the fact that it is difficult to conceptualize the essence of consciousness, as distinct from the sensations, feelings, etc. that are often associated with consciousness. Here we are definitely getting into abstract metaphysics. Medieval philosophers such as Aquinas, Duns Scotus and Suarez faced up to this challenge with a little help from Christian revelation, by speculating about the characteristics and functions of angels or "separate substances," who would presumably exemplify consciousness in its "pure" state, without any distracting admixtures. In this paper, I would like to take a look in particular at Aquinas' theory of separate substances. With this theory, we bypass the old question of the reducibility or irreducibility of consciousness to its material conditions, and we also find, in my opinion, some interesting analogies to contemporary computer technology. It would be too much to hope that these analogies, even if substantial, would instigate a revival of interest in Angelology among technophiles. But those interested in the metaphysics of the mind-body problem may find them suggestive: Microprocessors and Angelic Self-possession: The microprocessors of today's computers are integrated circuits which contain the CPU on a single chip. The latest developments, with variable clock speeds now often exceeding 200 MHz, include Intell's Pentium chip, the IBM/Apple/Motorola PowerPC chip, as well as chips from Cyrix and AMD. The CPU chip is the heart of the computer; only memory and input-output devices have to be added. A small fan might be added on top of the fastest chips to cool them down, but in the chip itself there are no moving parts, no complex gaps between the movement being imparted and that which imparts the movement.

O’connor’s A Good Man Is Hard To Find

From the title of the story itself, I was already expecting the plot to be showing the negative side of the characters. True enough, the characters involved seem to be downplaying their positive side as persons and indeed thrive on the conflicts their circumstances brought them. Every step along the way is a test of the family member’s character. The bad guys who did the killing and whose presence have been foreshadowed already by the grandmother are cold-blooded murderers who do not mind ending the lives of even the old and the young characters there. Being a classic story most often included in the studies of the young (in school), I was expecting a rather conservative storyline instead of a violent one. So it was with great surprise for me that the story ended with less to be desired. Even if I was preparing myself to be open-minded in reading materials such as these, I still can’t help feeling bad about the outcome of the story. It definitely changes my perception of things. The story reminds me that indeed, there is always a good and a bad side in every person. When the grandmother touches the â€Å"Misfit† before she was killed, I believe she was then showing compassion and forgiveness to the person in question. It could also be an appeal to spare her life. However, I wish to reiterate that after all the experiences the grandmother must have gone through, she can already see through a person’s true self, and perhaps, just perhaps, she has seen the goodness of the killer inspite of it all. On the other hand, the Misfit also showed a willingness to be humane when he recognized the possibility of the grandmother becoming good in the true sense of the word, if only she can be reminded all the time. I believe the Misfit’s sentence was a metaphor.

An Analysis of Moral in Who Moved My Cheese

Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, M. D. A Review and Essay By David Cox, Instructional Technology Facilitator Tioga Junior High School and Tioga High School At a time when Rapides Parish schools are once again facing huge financial deficits with resultant changes at almost every level, teachers must deal with mostly unwanted changes. Being a twenty-six year classroom veteran, I have had to change as well in many ways. In my internal search for ways to deal with change, I have recently read a book which has given me some new ways to think about change. I hope that this review might lead you to this book and help you to see how changes, even when first seen as negative and hurtful, are not necessarily a bad thing. Dr. Spencer Johnson has written a book which gives me some real ways to think about and deal with change. This small book, Who Moved My Cheese, is a fast and easy read but one which can enlighten even a cynical person to some ways to adapt to the inevitable changes of life in its many shifting forms and challenges. Like Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the story is told as a story within a story of several old friends at a high school reunion told by one of the friends. The story centers around four characters who live in a Maze and the changes with which they must wrangle. The characters are two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two so-called Littlepeople (creatures the size of mice but who look and act like people today) named Hem and Haw. The plot is pretty simple. The four characters find a large cache of cheese and can live their lives without much variation: get up, go to the cheese, eat, go home, and start over the next day. This works out okay until one day the cheese is gone. Then the characters must deal with the new situation. The mice, taken aback at first, are first to take action since they are creatures of almost entirely instinct: they set out looking for more cheese. On the other hand, Hem and Haw, creatures of reason and emotion, go through a series of reactions from shock to anger to knee-jerking and then to divergence. Hem stays at the now empty cheese station, sulking, complaining, thinking negatively and making even himself more miserable while Haw overcomes his fears and sets out to find new cheese. Filled with metaphor as direct as John Bunyan’s book Pilgrim’s Progress, this book then shows Haw rethinking, adjusting, and moving on with his life. He sets out to find his â€Å"New Cheese,† overcoming his fears and his sense of having been cheated. Along his journey, Haw writes messages of his inner discoveries on the Maze wall, hoping Hem will follow and read the â€Å"writing on the wall† and be comforted by Haw’s inner revelations. His revelations are never dramatic but always true and appropriate for his situation—and ours by extension. The outcome of the book for Haw is doubtful due to Haw’s many fears and doubts about himself on his journey. But by the end, the reader sees Haw succeed in ways that surprise both Haw and the reader. But what about Hem? Does he too succeed? That is where the story-within-a-story ends. And this is where this plot analysis ends. Who Moved My Cheese? begins with an introduction, sets up the story-within-a-story, tells the story of the Mice and LittleMen, and then ends with an analysis of parts of the story by the fictional high school reunion friends who tell parts of their life stories to one another since their graduation. Now, as in Chaucer’s day, this is effective although some critics and some readers want to fend for themselves intellectually—and that’s okay. Now, the reader of this article may ask, what does this have to do with Rapides Parish, teachers, and our mutual situations, and why is this review in a technology newsletter? Simply put, we are all constantly in a stew of change, having to deal with umpteen million rapid-fire often confusing and disheartening failures in the classroom. Technology may be used to enhance a teacher’s already good lessons just as the ideas in Who Moved My Cheese? can make dealing with changes in our lives a little easier with more direction. The story depicts the Littlepeople attacking the same problem with the same tools and failing each time. However, with just a little divergent thinking, Haw is able to break through from his old methods into new techniques and achieve his ultimate goal. Each teacher can find his or her own â€Å"New Cheese† in the classroom using technology tools in the same way and more fully reach the ultimate goal of educating young people. Students grow, have fun and learn at the same time, and meet challenges in ways that please and surprise them as well as their teachers, all the while successfully achieving benchmarks like Haw succeeds at finding his New Cheese. In conclusion, Rapides Parish schools are in for some changes; it is true. But with the use of technology to assist us, we can still accomplish our one unchanging goal. Technology instructors and facilitators can guide us through all of the myriad twists and turns of software and hardware, giving us methods, information, advice, and even pre-written lessons which use technology in every subject area and at every grade level. The school district Web site at http://www. rapides. k12. la. us/region6tltc/tltc. htm shows a lot of what can be easily obtained by every teacher who wants to successfully adjust to the changes coming, and then both teachers and students can benefit.

A Study on the Impacts of Noise Barrier in Construction Site Communication Essay

Construction industry is a complex and risky of work, the people in construction industry should have a better understanding of the need to practice good communication to ensure the better work quality and performance with a good communication (Vasanthi R.Perumal and Abu Hassan Abu Bakar, 2011). Good communication enables the members of the project for archiving the centre goal where the construction project complete in time with expected budget. In construction industry, communication can be achieved through letters, drawings, symbols, signs, posters, and word for ensure the information able to send and receive by each other. With the good communication, the workers especially in construction site find it easily and greatly productive to work together. Instruction and order are given and they are carried out as expected once they are well understood and acted upon correctly. Hence the communication in construction site shall be in clear, concise, accurate and well-planned. A good communication can enable an organization in better of work quality and performance, and also in decision making. Besides, an organization can achieve a better relationship with each other without any misunderstanding and misconception. So, the organization will be successful in any project without problems arise due to the poor communication. Other than that, good communication will also bring some advantages (Paul, 2008), such as: – Reduce conflict within an organization – Stronger and better relationships between each other – Improve the teamwork of an organization – Stronger controlling and problem-solving – Well coordinated work plan For instances, a good communication can benefit an organization for achieving better work quality and performance. Either in verbal or non verbal, communication should be practice well in an organization to prevent any misunderstanding or misconception occur. Problem Statement According to the BRE guidance on construction site communication (2010), UK construction industry cost at least  £20 billion to repair and reconstruct the incorrect work due to poor communication such as instructions or orders given incorrect, technical information not available and etc. Such defects occur resulted of the workers’ poor workmanship or misunderstood the instruction from site agent. One of the main factors of verbal communication is employment of foreign labour. According to Philida Schellekens & Judith Smith (2004), define that most of the construction project will employ foreign labour as worker due to their low salary. Those foreign labours have their own native language, so they may not able to communicate with site agent and other Malaysian workers. Hence, it finds out that there is language barrier between site agents with foreign labours at construction site. Besides, according to Ravi Jain (2012), mentioned the construction site creates noise through the use of vehicles, construction equipment and power tools. Those noises can affect the verbal communication between the site agents with foreign labours. A negative personality such as impatient, distrust, bad temper, fear (Asma Zaineb, 2010) happen on workers may be a barrier for them to communicate with others either in verbal or non verbal communication. Since construction industries had involved so many workers that came from different country with different education level, different cultural and etc (Nurul Azita Binti Sallet et al, 2012). There will be a huge impact on communication will be occurred with different personalities. Aim and Objectives The aim of the research study is to identify the factors affecting the verbal communication between site agent and foreign labour at construction site. Whereas, the objectives will be the following, – To identify the language barrier between site agent and foreign labour is a factor for verbal communication at construction site – To identify the noise barrier at construction site is a factor for verbal communication at construction site – To identify the personality barrier is a factor for verbal communication at construction site Hypothesis 1. Language barrier between site agent and foreign labour is a factor for verbal communication at construction site 2. Noise barrier at construction site is a factor for verbal communication at construction site 3. Personality barrier is a factor for verbal communication at construction site Scope of Study There are 4 main communication forms which are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication and visual communication (Aarti R, 2011). Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts can be made via different forms of modern communication media, like Internet, telephone and mobile. Besides, some of the basic ways of communication are by speaking, eye contact, sign language, body language, touch and singing. †¢ Verbal Communication – Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking. – Example: face to face communication, telephone, site meeting, etc †¢ Non Verbal Communication – Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of communication, like, tone of the voice, touch, smell and body motion. – Example: Short Message Service (SMS), Email, etc †¢ Written Communication – Written communication form is writing the words which used for communication. Good written communication is essential for business purposes and practiced in many different languages. – Example: Short Message Service (SMS), Email, etc †¢ Visual Communication – Visual communication is visual display of information, like topography, photography, signs, symbols and designs. – Example: Photo, Presentation Slide, etc In this research study, it focuses on verbal communication between two or more people at construction site. For the most part of the communications example, is between a site agent and foreign labour. This research study also will talk about factors that considered as barrier for good communication at construction site. Research Methodology Literature Review For literature review, journal articles and journal review were read up as much as possible to be cited in order to collect the useful data which were proved descriptively. This is a process of reading, analyzing, evaluating, summarizing and gathering information and data from book, article, journal, internet, newspaper, magazine and etc. All information relate to communication in construction site industry will be study and summarize in this research study. Questionnaire Survey A list of questions about the factors affects the verbal communication between site agent and foreign labours in construction site will be distributed to the respondents which are the parties involved in the construction site for more data and information for this research study. Questionnaire was designed in several sections and categories, the construction sites were randomly chosen and distributed in Kuala Lumpur. All the responses will be collected on individual basis and also a simple interview will conduct with respondents in respects of questionnaire earlier distributed. Definition of communication Communication is the interaction between two or above people and the interaction may in various form such as body motion, speaking, tone of the voice, touch and etc (Paul, 2008). It is the process of transmitting and receiving this information. A common objectives hardly to get done in a work place unless people able to share their ideas and information with others in a way to produce a common understanding. A successful communication in the workplace environment is very important. An employer shall create a good working situation which helps to increase the quality of work and increase the ensure quality control while the employee, it allows personal growth and development and contributes to satisfaction on the job. What is verbal communication? All humans need to interact. There are 4 main communication forms which are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication and visual communication (Aarti R, 2011). The most obvious and common form of communication is verbal communication. Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking and it is one way for people to communicate face to face. According to Beth Lee (2010), verbal communication involves using speech to exchange information with others. It is generally defined as spoken language. Tone, enunciation, pauses, loudness, emphasis, word choice, these can all be used while speaking to enhance the spoken word. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and different tones play an important role, it may cause greater impact upon the listener than informational content. For an example, a simple phrase like, â€Å"You did a wonderful job† may implicate different meanings and intentions. A genuine and sincere tone may su ggest praise and commendation, but a mocking tone can be offensive and sarcastic.

Employee Relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee Relations - Research Paper Example An open discussion should be done with the employee so as to justify the reasons behind one’s termination without following any such discipline procedure. Unfair labor practices denote all those approaches incorporated in a workplace that is not aligned with overall hard work of employees. Such practices encompass pay cuts, retrenchment operations, elimination of two-way communication methods, discrimination amongst employees, sexual harassment, no such provision for rewards or appraisals, etc. Labor practices are considered to be unfair when employees have deprived off their basic rights. There are such incidents witnessed in PAC Resources Inc., as employees were facing pay cuts, job losses, and even some of the team members were being sexually harassed. In order to overcome such issues, senior management should design an open discussion forum where employees belonging to any department may put across their issues related to various labor practices (Gusdorf, 2011). This, in turn, will help to reduce such practices and incorporate possible alternatives. Unionization should always be prevented from becoming a vital component of an organization. In the context of PAC Resources, Inc., unionization needs to be eliminated from the system as this is initiating more conflicts between management and employees. This factor can be discouraged by providing employees with such a medium through which they can easily interact with HR department or even senior management. It can be stated that social media has become a common tool for establishing such interactions between individuals. This platform can be incorporated in PAC by designing a community in such networking sites. Employees can effectively put across their allegations on these sites. Apart from this technique, an open discussion platform will discourage such unionization. Through this forum on weekly basis employees can directly interact with top management.

Virtual Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Virtual Reality - Research Paper Example These applications range from educational to health systems. However, the technology also has harbored some disadvantages due to its application. This paper delves into the topic of Virtual Reality. It examines some of its uses, its disadvantages as well as challenges that hinder its effective application. Introduction Virtual reality is a three-dimensional environment. One can only view it on a computer screen or through special goggles. Besides, one can relate with the virtual world as if one is part of it using specially designed equipment (Owens, 2010). According to Isdale (1993), virtual reality is a means for individuals to manipulate, interact and visualize with extremely complex data and computers. In this case, visualization part talks about the computer producing auditory, visual or other sensual outputs to a human being within the computer. This world could be a scientific simulation, a view into a database, or a CAD model. Conversely, the user can relate with the world an d directly and control objects within the world. In addition, other processes like simple animation scripts or physical simulations animate some worlds. With virtual reality, there is a likelihood of custom-designed while the three-dimensional environments permit instinctive â€Å"transparent† boundaries such that the computer interface is imperceptible to the user. In addition, virtual reality allows for considerably improved three-dimensional perception and interaction over conventional three-dimensional computer graphics because of its interaction capabilities and three-dimensional display (Bryson, 1996). On the other hand, VR can also be useful in an advanced user interface to three-dimensional simulation models in simulation terms (Barnes, 1996). Moreover, there are various fields in which VR applications have significant potential including medicine, industry, education and training, commerce, entertainment industry, scientific research and the space. On the other hand, to make innovations that use VR technology effective, there should be a thorough exploration. However, VR is still immature both as a technology and as a field of research. As a result, there should be considerable research to be done to realize the full potential of VR (Barrett, 2004). This is the reason the electronic and computer engineers are pursuing new ways of improving the virtual reality experience. Presently, computer and electronic scientists and engineers are developing a system that will incorporate the sense of taste (Lee, 2011). Applications and equipment for Virtual Reality Several technologies are requisite for the creation of a virtual world each of which, have advanced technologically and independently. The heart of virtual reality is a combination of software, hardware and electronics. These three computers related technologies merge to make virtual reality work. In addition, three imperatives are essential to help virtual reality work including special software , the individual user and a computer. Moreover, there are several input devices to improve the virtual reality experience and enable it to work. These input devices help in recording, measuring electronic signals, and converting them into a physical world. On the other hand, the output devices allow the user's brain to process the computer-generated physical world created. However, the reality engine is the main power of a virtual reality system. This engine helps create the virtual world and process information. It comprises either a group of computers or one powerful computer because the reality engine is supposed to create complex graphics (Lee, 2011). However, the virtual reali

Influence of Globalization on Organizational Network Structures Essay

Influence of Globalization on Organizational Network Structures - Essay Example Globalization can be identified as the increased â€Å"mobility of goods, sources of labor, technology and capital† on a worldwide prospect. Considering the impact of globalization on the organizational factors, it can be studied that several new possibilities and opportunities are opening as a result of globalization. Newer ways are cropping up with respect to delivery of different functions. There is an increase in the number of options available to a company and hence greater number of decisions to be taken. Moreover such decisions have to be communicated to all divisions and all levels within an organization. This undoubtedly increases the complexity of an organizational network structure as well. However corporate globalization increases the number of opportunities for an organization; but at the same time it sets up more numbers of interdependencies between a variety of organizations. Learning from a World Class Company: IBM (International Business Machines Corporation): The IBM is â€Å"one of the largest providers of information technology and services†. The primary missions of the company include becoming the leader in creating, developing, and manufacturing superior information technologies and transforming those skills and expertise into â€Å"value† for its customers. Computer systems that include â€Å"software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics† are designed, developed and manufactured by IBM. The operations of the company are spread across the world providing work opportunities for more than 200,000 people. The headquarters of the company is in Armonk, New York (Tung, 2001, p.40). A brief history of the company: IBM was first initiated in New York in the year 1911. However the company’s history dated back to 1890s when mass immigrants were entering the United States and an efficient system was required to measure the level of population. Initially although the company had been operating only in New York, but within a short duration of time, its operations expanded worldwide. Under the management of Thomas J. Watson the company’s products and services were even more expanded. â€Å"IBM refers to the decades between 1939 and 1963 as the ‘Era of Innovation’†. The product line of the company appreciably enhanced during this period of time. The company moved towards the advancement of computers during the period of the Second World War (Tung, 2001, pp.40-41). Gradually over the years, the company developed several new products that included â€Å"automatic-sequence-controlled calculator†, â€Å"IBM 701† which was the first large computer manufactured with vacuum tube, â€Å"system/360 computer†, and so on. In the year 1969, the company brought in modifications in its product selling and started selling individual components instead of hardware or software devices. IBM had also introduced â€Å"personal computers for small bus inesses, schools and homes†. The company initiated an establishment for network computing and several facilities of such computers. In the year 1993, Louis V. Gerstner joined the company as the CEO and he highlighted the necessity to

Entrepreneur Reflection Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneur Reflection - Research Paper Example The need to meet the specific demands of the clients is one of the most important indicators of success. Another issue that appears to engage the substance of the information is the value of communication within the discourse of entrepreneurship. In the course of doing business, situations arise that will require the judgment and communication ability of the entrepreneur to resolve (Kuratko, 2008). From the interview, it might be deduced that entrepreneurship generally involves a high element of risk. The case of Efendy Susanto brings into perspective the various challenges that relate to the entire aspect of entrepreneurship. As a Customer Service Representative, Efendy finds himself with the difficult task of ensuring the satisfaction of the customers without compromising on the company’s profits (Efendy, 2012). As he explains, some mistakes can cause enormous loses and might have lasting negative impacts to the stability of the customers and the retention of their levels of trust. Efendy gives the example of a wring shipment, which would have double negative consequences on both the organization and the clients. Normally, according to his explanation, shipments take about two months to reach the customer. This would imply that a wrong delivery would cost the customer two months of waiting and that the company would have to incur yet another shipping expense as it attempts to deliver the correct product. Ultimately, this would mean that the deliveries require utmost attention in order to eliminate possibilities of losses and customer dissatisfaction. One of the issues that come to the fore from this information is that the art of entrepreneurship is delicate and must involve the engagement of a vast network of skills in order to be successful. For instance, Efendy cites the difficulty in making customers to understand some aspects of business such as changes in prices. Occasionally, the company finds itself in a position in which it must change its pri ces in order to accommodate the effects of some unforeseen developments on the market. Communicating such changes must be done in a manner that is understandable to the customer in order to avoid losing him or her to competitors. It might be argued that the effects of the changes on the market are necessarily brought about by certain forces that may not be easily predictable to the company (Baron & Shane, 2007). The findings from this interview are consistent with various studies that have argued in favour of a strategic combination of speed and skill as some of the factors that determine the success levels of entrepreneurship. The corporate world is largely controlled by these variables. Efficiency is determined by the manner in which a business manages to meet its targets within a given time frame (Baron & Shane, 2007). This time frame may encounter challenges that expose the processes to delays and other commercial inconveniences. This exposes the business to the risk of lawsuits from dissatisfied customers and other forms of damages. In order for businesses to avoid such inconveniences, it is important for them to develop a systematic structure

Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Methodology - Essay Example Over the last few decades, the exploring and understanding of phenomena has given birth to various paradigms of social research, especially in context of educational betterment. Paradigms are a mixture of concepts and variables, attached to methodologies and tools that can help shape research into a certain subject or verify a certain theoretical proposition (Saunders et al, 2006). The positivist paradigm seeks to gather true knowledge, utilising a method of observation and experiment. The primary approach used in this paradigm is quantitative, with surveys and experiments becoming the tools to gage relationship and effect between two or more entities. On the other hand, an anti-positivist paradigm approaches a research subject under a qualitative cloud, using case studies and phenomenological methods to understand a single entity and its activities. In reference to this paper, the approach taken is under the positivist paradigm, as the crux of the research is evaluating the link between two or more entities, and the effects of change that is passed because of the existing linkage. However, the author acknowledges the importance of the anti-positive approach, and aims to undertake some tools of this methodology like interviews, in order to reach a more comprehensive conclusion. The methodology of research adopted is important in selecting the most suitable approach by which the researcher can answer the aims of a paper. A part of the approach is linked to the strategy adopted by the researcher; if deductive, the researcher is seeking to develop and test a theory, while if inductive, it involves the gathering of data from which a theory is likely to be built (Saunders et al, 2006). The research in this paper is set around understanding the linkage between the Indian textile industry with the Western markets of Europe and US, and the impact of the global downturn and financial