Classical Music Essay

Kerala (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™/), also known as Keralam (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™m/) is a state located in the south-west region of India on the Malabar coast. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital among the 14 districts; other major cities include Kochi andKozhikode. At a population of 33,388,000 in 2011, the state has the lowest population growth rate. It also has the highest literacy rate; It is also considered as the â€Å"cleanest state in India. Production of pepper and natural rubber constitute prominent output in the total national output, as well as in the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, spices are important. Climate Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Agriculture Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper[180] and accounts for 85% of the area under natural rubber in the country.[181][66] Coconut, tea,coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg—comprise a critical agricultural sector.[182][183][184][185][89][186] The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields Fisheries Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. about 1.1 million people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. Culture-Dance The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it’s an integral part of Indian culture. Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal andKrishnanattam, Culture-Music: Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. Development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. Culture-Cuisine- Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat Elephants Elephants have been an integral part of culture of the state. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephant in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals.[324] These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. Tourism Kerala is a tourist destination: the backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism, and tropical greenery are among its major attractions. Kerala’s beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. RÄ jasthÄ n, ) Known as â€Å"The land of kings†, is the largest state of the Republic of Indiaby area. It is located in the northwest of India. Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the state. Eastern Rajasthan has the world famous Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. It also has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Sariska Tiger Reserve, and a famous temple in Khatu, Sikar district, Language: Rajasthani is the main spoken language of the state, although Hindi and English are used for official purposes. It is spoken by 13 million peo ple in Rajasthan and other states of India. Economy Rajasthan’s economy is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds.Cotton and tobacco are the state’s cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer ofoilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India and the main opium producer and consumer. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan. The main industries are mineral based, agriculture based, and textiles. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyester fibre in India. Rajasthan is pre-eminent in quarrying and mining in India The state is the second largest source of cement in India Tourism: Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry in Rajasthan. The palaces of Jaipur and Ajmer-Pushkar, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jodhpur, Taragarh Fort (Star Fort) in Bundi, and Bikaner and Jaisalmer rank among the most preferred destinations in India for many tourists both Indian and foreign. Culture: The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained international recognition. Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture.Kathputli, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindr, Kachchhighori, Tejaji etc. are the examples of the traditional Rajasthani culture. Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art.wall painting in bundi . The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zariembroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and handicrafts, carpets, and blue pottery are some of the things commonly found here. Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle length skirt and a short top, also known as a lehenga or a chaniya choli. Cuisne Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region.[1] Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Rajasthani cuisine is a splendid array of colorful, spicy and unique dishes. Rajasthani food is incomplete without the mention of the famedDal-Baati-Churma, a distinctive dish of the state. Amir Khusrau AmÄ «rKhusrow was an Indian musician, scholar and poet. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. A Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, AmÄ «r Khusrow was not only a notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. He compiled the oldest known printed dictionary (Khaliq-e-bari ) in 1320 which mainly dealt with Hindvi and Persian words. He is regarded as the â€Å"father of qawwali†. He is also credited with enriching Hindustani classical music by introducing Persian and Arabic elements in it, and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music. The invention of the tabla is also traditionally attributed to AmÄ «r Khusrow. Early life and background AmÄ «r Khusrow was born in Patiyali in Uttar Pradesh. His father, AmÄ «r Sayf ud-DÄ «n MahmÃ… «d, was a Turkic officer and a member of the Lachin tribe of Transoxania, themselves belonging to the Kara-Khitais.[5][6][7] His mother was the daughter of Rawat Arz, the famous war minister of Balban, and belonged to the Rajput tribes of Uttar Pradesh Khusrow the royal poet Khusrow was a prolific classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. He is popular in much of North India and Pakistan, because of many playful riddles, songs and legends attributed to him. Through his enormous literary output and the legendary folk personality, Khusrow represents one of the first (recorded) Indian personages with a true multi-cultural or pluralistic identity. Last Days I 321 Mubarak Khilji was murdered and Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq came to power. Khusro started to write theTughluqnama. 1325 Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq came to power. Nizamuddin Auliya died, and six months later so did Khusrow . Khusrow ‘s tomb is next to that of his master in the Nizamuddin Dargah of Delhi. ————————————————- Tulsi Das TulsiDas also known as Goswami Tulsidas), was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion to the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known as the author of the epicRamcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation ofValmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.[4] He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman, the divine devotee of Rama.[5] Tulsidas lived permanently and died in the city of Varanasi.[6] The Tulsi Ghat in Varnasi is named after him.[3] He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.[7] Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.[8] He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature.[9][10][11][12] The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series. Tulsidas is believed to be a reincarnation of Valmiki Early life Birth Tulsidas was born on the seventh day of the bright half of the lunar Hindu month Shraavana (July–August). After renunciation, Tulsidas spent most of his time at Varanasi, Prayag, Ayodhya, and Chitrakuta but visited many other nearby and far-off places. He traveled across India to many places, studying different people, meeting saints and Sadhus and meditating Tulsidas died at the Assi Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga in the Shraavan (July–August) month of the year Vikram 1680 (1623 CE). Like the year of his birth, traditional accounts and biographers do not agree on the exact date of his death. Different sources give the date as the third day of the bright half, seventh day of the bright half, or the third day of the dark half.[77][78] ————————————————- Works Kamban Kambar (Kampan in casual address) was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Tamil Ramayanam Ramavatharam, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana. He was born in the 12th century in Tiruvaluntur in Tanjore district ————————————————- Life Kambar belonged to the Ochchan or Occhan caste, traditionally nadaswaram players in southern India.[3][4] But he was brought up in the household of a wealthy farmer in Vennai Nellur in south India. The Chola king having heard of this talented bard, summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarthi or The Emperor of Poets. The Ramavataram or Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas as opposed to Valmiki’s 24000 couplets. Kamba Ramayana is not a translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but an original retelling of the story of the God Rama. The poetic work is well known for its similes. Many Tamil poets, statesmen, kings and common people have praised Kambar for his Kambaramayanam which has more than 10000 songs forming one of the greatest epics of Tamil. Kambaramayanam has more than 45000 lines. Thyagaraja Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (May 4, 1767–January 6, 1847), was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the South Indian classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in praise of Lord Rama — many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Krithis (English: â€Å"five gems†), which are often sung in programs in his honor. Tyagaraja was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur district, in what is now called Tamil Nadu, to Kakarla Ramabrahmam and Sitamma in a Telugu Brahmin family of the Mulukanadu subsect He was named Tyagaraja after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of the temple at Tiruvarur. Tyagaraja began his musical training under Sri Sonthi Ramanayya, a music scholar, at an early age. He regarded music as a way to experience God’s love. His objective while practising music was purely devotional, as opposed to focusing on the technicalities of classical music. Tyagaraja, who was totally immersed in his devotion to Lord Rama and led the most spartan way of life without bothering in the least for the comforts of the world, The songs he composed were widespread in their popularity. due to the labour of love by these musicians and researchers, there is a definitive collection of Thyagaraja’s music. However out of 24,000 thousand songs said to have been composed, about 700 songs remain known. Tyagaraja Aradhana, the commemorative music festival is held every year at Thiruvaiyaru in the months of January to February in Tyagaraja’s honour. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. SAROD The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in Hindustani (northern Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) classical music. The sarod is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet, overtone-rich texture of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant quality. It is a fretless instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes known as meend (glissandi), which is important to Indian music. The sarod is believed by some to have descended from the Afghan rubab, a similar instrument originating in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The nameSarod roughly translates to â€Å"beautiful sound† or â€Å"melody† in Persian . Design The design of the instrument depends on the school (gharana) of playing. There are three distinguishable types, discussed below. The conventional sarod is an 17 to 25-stringed lute-like instrument — four to five main strings used for playing the melody, one or two drone strings, twochikari strings and nine to eleven sympathetic strings. The design of this early model is generally credited to Niyamatullah Khan of the Lucknow Gharana as well as Ghulam Ali Khan of the Gwalior-Bangash Gharana. Among the contemporary sarod players, this basic design is kept intact by two streams of sarod playing Another type is that designed by Allauddin Khan and his brother Ayet Ali Khan. This instrument, referred to by David Trasoff (Trasoff, 2000) as the 1934 Maihar Prototype, is larger and longer than the conventional instrument, though the fingerboard is identical to the traditional sarod described above. This instrument has 25 strings in all. Sarod strings are made either of steel or phosphor bronze. Early sarod players used plain wire plectrums, which yield a soft, ringing tone. Playing The lack of frets and the tension of the strings make the sarod a very demanding instrument to play, as the strings must be pressed hard against the fingerboard. There are two approaches to stopping the strings of the sarod. One involves using the tip of one’s fingernails to stop the strings, and the other uses a combination of the nail and the fingertip to stop the strings against the fingerboard

Anatomy Week 3

Honors Enrichment Questions Week 3 1) What are chemotherapeutic drugs? Research two and explain how they work against cancer. Chemotherapeutic drugs are used during chemotherapy and are a treatment for cancer. Leustatin- used for hairy cell leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. It is an infusion through a vein and it attacks cells at very specific phases in the cycle. Taxol- used for treatment of breast, ovarian, lung, bladder, prostate, melanoma, esophageal, and other types of solid tumor cancers.Attacks cells during certain phases of the process. 2) What is hydrocortisone and when used, how does this reduce cell damage? It is a steroid hormone that is produced by adrenal cortex and used medicinally to treat inflammation resulting from eczema and rheumatism. It helps reduce cell damage because it is a steroid that helps prevent inflammation of cells and tissues. 3) If a molecule comes toward the cell, how is it decided if the molecule will be ta ken in using active or passive transport?Passive transport is moving biochemical and atomic or molecular substances across the cell membrane but unlike active transport it does not involve chemical energy. Active transport is transporting things from a region of lower concentration to higher concentration, and it uses energy. Depending on whether it needs energy and the transports or places that it goes through will depend on whether it will use active or passive. 4) Explain in your own words, the role of DNA and RNA in protein synthesis. The DNA molecule will unwind and unzip as the hydrogen bonds between the break of the bases.RNA nucleotides pair up with the exposed bases of one of the strands and as they pair up with their pairs the sugar phosphate groups are bonded together to form the new molecule called mRNA. 5) How do endocrine and exocrine glands differ in   structure and function? Endocrine glands are ductless glands that diffuse into the blood to be used in the body suc h as the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands while exocrine glands retain their ducts and empty through ducts to the epithelial surface that includes sweat and oil glands, liver, and the pancreas.

Case X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case X - Essay Example Udon has none of these. Porter then goes back to her patrol car to call in the license plate. It turns out that the car, while registered to Udon, does not have current tags. Since Udons license plate displayed the current registration tag, Porter surmises, correctly, that Udon has stolen the tag. Porter also finds out that Udon does not have a drivers license, had never possessed a drivers license, and does not have insurance. Porter goes back to the car to talk to Udon, and then, upon coming back to the car, the policewoman notices the smell of alcohol on Udons breath. Therefore, Porter asks Udon to get out of the car so that she can give Udon the field sobriety test. However, Udon refuses, stating that she is pregnant and bleeding and needs to go to the hospital. Porter, having heard similar excuses 100 times a day from people who are trying to get out of a ticket or having to do a field sobriety test, refuses the request and continues to ask Udon to step out of the car so that Udon can take a field sobriety test. Udon continues to refuse, then finally relents. Since Udon was heavily intoxicated, she fails the field sobriety test in spectacular fashion, so Porter handcuffs her and takes her to the station. While in the car, Udon continually states that she is bleeding and needs to go to the hospital. Porter immediately assumes that, even if Udon is bleeding, it is probably because she is on her menstrual cycle and Udon was not to be trusted. After all, Udon gave Porter a false name, was driving in a car that was not registered, was driving intoxicated, and had neither a drivers license nor insurance. There was no reason for Porter to believe Udons story about having a miscarriage and needing to go to the hospital. And, as stated before, people, when pulled over, offer all kinds of excuses as to why they are speeding or why they cannot perform a field sobriety test.

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Marketing Management - Essay Example From there onwards, the paper shows an analysis of the company’s micro-environment and macro-environment. There are many elements in the company’s internal and external environment and it is essential for the managers to understand every detail of these environments. In today’s world, it is not only the internal environment of the company that is important but also the external forces that act upon the company and influence the way it works. Therefore, Emirates Airline must understand its environment and deal with it effectively. Furthermore, a SWOT analysis of the company is done to get a holistic view of the company in order to better understand it. And finally, recommendations are made, after extensive research on the company and its environment, as to what changes the company must adopt in order to avoid failure and continue prospering in today’s challenging environment. There are many benefits of doing customer analysis for Emirates Airlines. Firstly, it is important to note that Emirates Airlines operates in more than 50 countries throughout the world (Nasser, et al, 2005). This means that it encounters with a wide array of cultures in its customer base. It would be impossible for the company to manage its operations if it did not understand these cultures and did not cater to them individually. There are many changes happening in today’s world. The customers are much more informed due to technological advancements and the widespread of internet. There is increasingly fierce competition in the airline industry and the customer perceptions and preferences are changing due to the global recession and awareness. All these factors conclude to changes in the demands of the customers. By doing a thorough analysis of the customers changing needs, Emirates Airlines can tailor its marketing mix, distribution channels and offerings

The case of The Office of Fair Trading vs Abbey National Plc & Others Literature review

The case of The Office of Fair Trading vs Abbey National Plc & Others - Literature review Example The appeal starts by Lord Walker. In The appeal, the Supreme court was to give a verdict as whether the OFT should go ahead and undertake investigations to find out if the charges â€Å"the Banks†, which were the appellants, made for unauthorized overdrafts by their customers were fair. At the moment, banks provided retail banking services on grounds that customers’ accounts that lend the bank money are excluded from paying charges to the bank for services offered. Customers whose accounts had authorized overdrafts only paid charges for the money they borrow â€Å"the Banks†. Customers whose accounts had unauthorized overdrafts, however, paid interest on money borrowed besides paying fixed fees for every service they received from â€Å"the banks†. The Office of Fair Trading holds investigative powers on consumer contracts’ fairness terms. The power of the Office of Fair Trading, however, has limitations bound to it. The limitations stipulated in th e Unfair Contract Terms, in Consumer Regulations 1999. The Unfair Contract Terms, in Consumer Regulations 1999, implemented European Council Directive 93/13/EEC. The directives help protect customers and ensure a favorable business environment for fair trading. OFT has the mandate on undertaking this. The provisions regulation 6 (2) (b) give way for evaluate trading activities of a business enterprise or organization. OFT scrutinizes the activities so as to determine the level of fairness of the activities. The OFT scrutinizes contracts and customer satisfaction to determine their fairness. In the case the court of appeal did hold the point of exclusion in the case only to the contracts’ â€Å"core terms†. The court excluded ancillary terms as charges for unauthorized overdrafts on reasons that the charges were within the exclusion. The charges, according to the court, were part of the charges for banking services provided. At first instance ([2008] EWHC 875 (Comm), an d in the Court of Appeal, OFT was successful. Under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, the Office of Fair Trading wished to conduct an investigation on â€Å"the Banks’† relevant terms in their contracts with customers by imposing charges on customers whose accounts had unauthorized overdrafts. The Office of Fair Trade hold mandate to undertake the investigation, notwithstanding regulation 6 (2) (b).The decision of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal that regulation 6 (2) (b) could not deter the OFT from doing the investigation made â€Å"the banks† to file appeal. Lord Walker emphasized the lack of decision on the fairness of the system of charging current account customers with unauthorized overdrafts. The court could only decide on the investigative mandate of the OFT (para 3). Lord Mance reaffirmed the investigative roles of OFT (para 61). Determining whether charges were consisted ‘cost and revenue’ as against â₠¬Ëœthe goods or services distributed in exchange’ within the meaning of the Regulations was the main point to decide on. First, charges were ‘in exchange’ for the transactions to which they relate should the customer have inadequate funds to do so (Para 75). Secondly, regulation 6 (2) (b) no longer had a standing to the â€Å"ancillary† charges in the binding form (Paras 38-41, 47, 78, 112)1. In his reasoning, Lord Mance stated that, if in case the contracts were to serve as the package, then the charges levied would be fair. He further states that the charges

Mortgage Market in the United States Case Study

Mortgage Market in the United States - Case Study Example However, the low interest rates offered by mortgage lenders as well as the requirement to service the mortgage debts of the home owners in relation to their higher take home pay will not bring back the sad economic scenario in the 1990s era. Also the high value attached to the homes has triggered the money lenders to enter into the home mortgage and the chattel mortgage economic market. Currently, the fixed costs that goes with maintaining a home is no longer as expensive as the mortgage homes of the early part of the 1990s(2003;p.5). Despite the unfortunate beginnings in the latter part of 2002 and until 2003, many people contributed to the economy by continuing their spending spree at moderate speed. This was one of the major factors that prevented the increase in severity of the economic downturn. Thus, government monetary policy theory states that the state must intervene in order to create a competitive economic environment (Roberts,2000;pp 77). In addition, Marshall theorized that people have the normal attitude of preferring to spend instead of saving their money in His Principles of Economics book as " Everyone is aware that the accumulation of wealth is held in check, and the rate of interest so far sustained, by the preference which the great mass of humanity have for the present over deferred gratifications, or, in other words, by their unwillingness to 'wait'"(Keynes, 1936; pp.242) The supply and demand theory states that as the mortgage interest increases, the number of borrower demands will decrease. And, the supply theory states that as the mortgage interest rate increases, the number of mortgage lenders will increase(Graziano, 1987;p129-145). Both theories state meet when the mortgage lenders lower their interest rates in order to attract more borrowers. For, the best mortgage interest rate that will make both the mortgagor borrower and the mortgagee lender happily meet in the middle is the equilibrium rate. In terms of mortgagor purchasing power, the timely increases in the take home pay off household owners as well as the gains in disposable personal income starting June of 2003 countered the ill effects of the consumer's spending spree. As proof, the share of personal consumption on Gross Domestic Products had reached a whopping seventy percent in the year 2004. For clarity, consumer spending is arrived at taking into consideration the increase in real permanent income, fluctuations in market prices and demographic factors(Su, 2005;p10). MORTGAGE RATE GRAPH Under the theory known as Markowitz economic model, the investors, including the mortgage lender, want to maximize expected return from their investments and minimize variances. For variance is synonymous with risk(Culp, 2001;pp.48-113). Thus, the lenders charge higher interest rates for more risky mortgage borrowers. The above graph shows that there are fluctuations in the mortgage interest rates from the period Aug 2, 2007 to Sept 27 2007. The graph shows that the Thirty -year mortgage rates had declined starting in the middle of July. Then decline trendily continued to decline until

'English Law does not normally impose liability for failure to act Assignment

'English Law does not normally impose liability for failure to act despite the fact that there may be compelling moral justifications for doing so. Critically discuss this statement - Assignment Example This is one of the questionable areas of tort law. For instance, if a person sees a child drowning in a pool but does nothing to save him, they would not be held liable. However, if that person jumps in the water to save the child and acts negligently while doing so hence causing harm, they would be held liable for the harm caused due to their negligence. This paper discusses whether it is fair and justified for English law to not impose any liability upon failure to act, and the extent to which it collides with moral principles. It would be seen that the law actually does not violate any moral principles. It rather preserves the freedom of choice for people as they are in the best position to judge their own ability. If one is able to save someone, they may same them. But where one is incapable of saving someone, they should not be forced by law to save them. It is not that failure to act always escapes liability under English law: there are a few exceptions where courts do impose a liability. The most common are the circumstances where there is a special relationship e.g. parental, conjugal, doctor-patient. between the plaintiff and the defendant. Innkeepers, common carriers and certain other business relationships are also covered in this category. Defendants have an affirmative duty to act on the plaintiffs’ behalf and prevent injury where there is such a relation. Another exception is the one that is briefly mentioned above: there is no liability for not acting but once the defendant decides to act, they must do so in a reasonable way so as to avoid any harm that may be caused to the plaintiff due to the defendant’s negligence. Also, where the defendant has a control over land, a third party, or dangerous things that can cause harm to the plaintiff, the defendant has a duty to act and stop the danger. It can be said that maybe the establishment of duty does coincide with moral principles. In Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co

Revelation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Revelation - Essay Example For instance, God makes it plain for Perpetua and her companions in a vision [where God reveals Himself to Perpetua as a feeding Shepherd] that it was God’s will that He delivers them from the persecution, but through martyrdom. This idea of God using not-so-pleasant experiences, circumstances and occurrences is also exemplified in Genesis 15:12-16. In His relationship with Abraham, God reveals that Abraham’s descendents are to be oppressed as slaves in another land [Egypt] for 430 years (Class notes, 45). In both cases [Perpetua’s and Abraham’s], there are very unfortunate circumstances that God permits, for purposes only He can understand. This is in total contrast to what some modern day televangelists tout in their ‘name-it-claim-it’ doctrine, to the effect that all Christians should have a good life, health and ample financial repository as long as they had faith. Perpetua’s martyrdom and the revelation that God gives Abraham concerning his descendants suffering in Egypt echo St. Paul’s charge that those who will live godly lives shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Again, the revelations in the martyrdom of Perpetua and her companions and in God’s relation with Israel in the wilderness also find a point of similarity. Contrary to the wrongful postulation of the average mind, Even as God allows Perpetua and her companions to undergo martyrdom, He is still a Shepherd to Perpetua and her companions. The intimation herein is that with God as the Shepherd, He delivered Perpetua through [and not from] the persecution (Natgeotv.com, 32nd minute and Class notes, 2). Therefore, God’s deliverance and care surpasses man’s idea of deliverance. Even as someone like Perpetua is tortured, she is given grace, divine resolve and protected, just as Jesus promises that not even a strand of His children’s hair shall be lost during persecution. The same is similar to the revelation God gives to the Israelites in the

The stranger was a ghost Essay Example for Free

The stranger was a ghost Essay It was in the summer season I was on my way home for a holiday. I had really longed to be at home especially during this period as it is also the time I celebrate my birthday. I needed to pass by the supermarket and do some shopping since I had planned of having my birthday party indoors with my friends. The big day being only two days away then meant that I needed to do some shopping instead of having to run for some items during the last minute. As I parked my car outside the supermarket and quickly reached out for my ‘to buy list ’I noticed a very pretty lady standing by the telephone booth. But just as I came out I lost interest in her since I was sure that her face didn’t look any familiar. I went ahead to the supermarket and there did most of my shopping, which took quite some time, approximately 2hours. I went to the counter and paid and pushed the carrier to the car, suddenly I realized that I had misplaced my key to the car door, looked in my shopping bags, nothing! Inside my jeans pockets but lo! I was then sure of one thing, that my key must be lying some where in the shelves of the supermarket where I must have placed them as I read the prices and probably compared what quantities of items to buy. Any one would have forgiven me as I was a bit confused with the huge shopping something that I was not used to. I made to the supermarkets but as I entered I saw the same lady again, this time I noticed that she actually looked at me as if ready to say hey but I was in much haste of which she must have noticed. I went right in the supermarket and started going from one shelf to another; appeared like I was doing a double task because I literally went to all the shelves I had earlier picked items from. The key was right on the last shelf what a pity? Had I thought of doing the rounds but on a reverse I would have saved a lot of time! The lady made a point of stopping me on my way out, she called me â€Å"Paul is it you†? I turned to her and said no am sorry but my name is Peter. But were you at Braubern High School? I told her yes that is where I went for my high school education and had a friend by the name Paul and people mistook us for another so this wasn’t so unusual. So I was kind to her and told her that I was abit in a hurry and so needed to go. She was reluctant but said if I didn’t mind for her to give me her mobile phone contacts so that incase I met Paul I would give it to him. I reached out for my phone and apologized to her that my day had been hectic as I had even misplaced the key to my car. She told me that she had noticed that I had lost peace when she saw me running back to the supermarket. I reached for my phone and she gave me her contacts and when she gave her name as Tracy I gave her a second look since that was the name of my first girlfriend. A girl I had met at a theatre in college and we had talked for so long on the first night that by the time we were actually parting ways to go back to our school vans we felt like we had known each other half our lives! One thing I was sure about was that this is not her at least not my Tracy. Whatever had happened between me and Tracy was sort of a mystery because after seeing each other for quite sometime during vacation, had fallen for one another intimately and had known that for sure we were meant to be together and that we were to do anything within our powers to make it happen. The last time I had seen Tracy was at the beach and coincidentally it was also the best time together. But she had disappeared from me in a mysterious way, a way that I can’t describe as she felt me taking a drink at the beach and she had told me she needed to sand bath, something I never enjoyed doing but she had told me that she would be back in a while. That is the last I saw her. I made reports about that and even the search of her in the waters became fruitless. I had only known that she lived alone and was actually an immigrant so efforts to track her family were frustrated especially because after her education she had moved to another state. Anyway all this I remembered after this lady gave her name as Tracy and inside I was burning with an interest of knowing her more, knowing if she had anything to do with my girlfriend. I quickly told her that I would be calling her later and she was like that is very okay and indeed she was looking forward to communicating with me later. I gave my phone contact too. As I drove home that evening I kept remembering all the good things that had happened between me and the initial Tracy, the way we had loved each other, the promises we had promised each other, the respect and all that, and I felt I missed her, missed her hugely! A cold chill ran through my backbone for I could not avoid remembering that she had disappeared mysteriously. Perhaps she had left me through this way intentionally or may be it was as a result of not loving me as she had appeared to. Could it have been a way of hurting me? I had promised to take my time before committing to another girl but sincerely speaking I knew I would not mind having this second Tracy as a close friend, perhaps to help me forget of my past love life. My night was full of this lady! The following day I made up my mind and called her, I was not going to suffer in silence anymore, I asked her if I could met her for an hour as we have a drink over our talks and she told me she could only get available in the evening, this didn’t exactly suit my agenda since I needed to be home the whole evening and doing preparations for the following day but I all the same said that was okay to see her then. I was so anxious, seeing like time was on a stand still, like the clock had stopped ticking. I was not sure if it was okay to tell her the old story of the other lady, or to first give her time and observe her character, I was only sure of one thing: that I needed to be with her, at least even if it was for an hour! Time came and we had sat and made our orders that I kept stealing glances at her not to appear rude if I stared, I told her about my following day agendas and infact invited her also to the party. One thing led to another and we had stayed out late, when I asked her if she could come with me for the preparations she didn’t hesitate but said as long she could get a taxi from my place to her home in the late hours after helping. Tracy was so helpful she did most of what was worrying me and In a short while, then I asked if it would be okay if I let her sleep in the guest room and maybe leave in the morning to return later for the party. She must have also liked me as she said no problem, that whole evening she made me feel important, a man†¦..wanted and loved, there are the moments in my life I hoped that would last forever. We kissed and hugged tons! Finally I showed her where to rest for the night and I closed the main door and went to my room to rest also. I was up early the following day and after I made breakfast, I made it to the room where she was supposedly asleep and tried calling her name but Lo! There was no one there! Absolutely no one! Why had this happened to me again? Why had I gone all the way with a stranger? How had she made her way out? I had had the key to the main door all the night. Why was this spirit following me? For at this moment I had no doubts that this was a ghost even of the same first Tracy. My day was completely spoilt, when my friends arrived later in the day they had to make food for themselves for I had not done a thing, I was even scared and stayed out at the verandah all the day thinking that if I went inside the house the ghost would haunt me, believing It was still within. My friends then moved me to another apartment and I sworn to myself never again, Strangers not me!

The Effects of Jazz and Classical Music on Musicians Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Jazz and Classical Music on Musicians Essay A thesis presented on the history of jazz as compared to classical music and the effects on musicians, beginning with the birth of jazz, and covering the twentieth century. Berliner (1994) impresses upon the idea that jazz music is more important to a musician’s development and an individual’s mental health than classical music. It is this author’s opinion that Jazz is superior over classical music because jazz music is often soft, smooth, and reflective. In addition, the world of jazz has some wonderful artists who can both play and write jazz music so extraordinary that it will make music lovers melt like ice as the stress washes away. Jazz allows people to close their eyes, relax, mediate, and dream about their loved ones. It is the best for mediation purposes because it provides people with softness, calm, soul, and fantasy. The freedom found in jazz represents the freedom inside of all Americans. Jazz itself is a success story told through its own invention. True jazz musicians play the music that they do as a necessity to themselves. Their music is their diary, and their diary is more pure than words can tell. Jazz is Americas great contribution to the arts. It is thrilling, exhilarating, and thought-provoking music that stirs emotions of all kinds. Jazz is in the mind, heart, and in the soul. Its influence extends worldwide, and touches all related forms of music. It is an enriching art form that deserves a special place in our vibrant culture. III In the world of jazz, young performers must master a repertoire of chord progressions, off-beats, and harmonies so that they can count on them as structures around which and through which they might weave more magical variations. Jazz players use chord changes as a means of giving shape to melodic improvisation. Classical players merely read lead sheets or book arrangements and use strict chord symbols in a much more static way. â€Å"Classical music is simple for its rhythmic pattern and simplistic chords while jazz’ chords are complex† Cook (p. 17). Many may argue that classical music is a more integral part of development, but a talented classical composer will in fact draw on stylistic elements of jazz to enrich the classical tradition of symphonic music. Classical composers have consistently been making use of two elements of jazz over the years which are syncopation and harmony characterized by blue notes. â€Å"Indeed, even apparently knowledgeable classical musicians often sound confused and unsure about the essence of jazz music.† Carr (p. 174). Some of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a life-long study of jazz music, and few classical musicians have been able to master jazz. Jazz music ran parallel to the development of the twentieth century classical style music. Those musicians that learn both types of music are not locked into one type of discipline, and will have more musical experiences. â€Å"We are the musical melting pot achieving a vision of merging cultures that fulfilled the image that America had of its own social destiny.† Gioia (P. 395). As a result of this concept, jazz composers began to attend symphony concerts, and subsequently jazz and classical styles began to overlap to a degree; which resulted in an art form now referred to as jazz fusion. Some would argue that jazz music is too different from classical due to being unceremonious, gritty, or too improvisational. Between 1920 and 1950 jazz and classical music together made the most successful contributions to music. â€Å"One genre essentially has the ability to learn something from the other, and can create an even more captivating sound.† Ratliff (p. 23) Many could dispute over the fact that a newcomer to jazz might feel bewildered by its proliferation of styles and differing approaches to music-making. â€Å"Indeed, harmonies are more dissonant, phrases more irregular, accents sharper, and tempos are more varied, but that is what makes it so beautiful. Its casual nature is evidenced by the inoffensiveness of wrong notes being plated, by singers taking breath sometimes without relation to lyrics, and musicians being introduced right in the middle of a performance† Ratliff (p. 72). Classical music on the other hand can occasionally trigger a thorough exploration of self and mind. It may cause a person to look at their failures in life. A sudden realization of self can be extreme or painful. Not everyone enjoys classical music. In the UK, classical music is used to drive groups of youths away from places they congregate in. Jazz music is a beautiful improvisational art making itself up as it goes along just like the country that gave it birth, and with each tap of the foot, jazz musicians reaffirm their connection to the earth. Jazz waxes and wanes between tension and repose. It challenges the musician with unpredictability and then rewarding the listener with predictable rhythms. â€Å"Jazz rewards individual expression but demands selfless collaboration.† Ward (p. 1). Listening to jazz is not just a satisfying and rewarding experience; studies show that it is actually good for a musician’s health. Listening to jazz or playing jazz melodies can relieve chronic pain and migraines, reduce blood pressure, accelerate post-stroke recovery, improve memory, boost immunity and induce relaxation. 2 Jazz music helps distract people. It gives individuals a sense of control and also releases endorphins into their bodies that alleviate pain. There is a very contextual debate that classical music is superior due to the fact it can release dopamine during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. It conveys very well what the composer puts into it, and although classical music does activate pleasure and reward-related regions of the brain creating a high, playing highly pitched stimulating music for long periods is not healthy because it leads to cortisol and noradrenalin secretion without the concomitant fight or flight action. Long term overdose with those hormones is well documented to create many health problems, from depression to sexual dysfunction. The current market share of Jazz in America is mere 3 percent, but jazz is still regarded as a very powerful music which is in the blood and feeling of the American people more than any other style of music. It can be made the basis of serious symphonic works of lasting value in the hands of a talented composer. â€Å"Jazz music has always been and forever will be fundamental in the development of future musicians† Cook (p. 65). Glossary Bebop: the style of jazz developed by young players in the early 40s, particularly Parker, Gillespie, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Christian and Bud Powell. Small groups were favored, and simple standard tunes or just their chord progressions were used as springboards for rapid, many-noted improvisations using long, irregular, syncopated phrasing. Improv was based on chordal harmony rather than the tune. The ‘higher intervals’ of the chords (9th, 11th and 13th) were emphasized in improv and in piano chord voicings, and alterations were used more freely than before, especially the augmented 11th. The ground beat was moved from the bass drum to the ride cymbal and the string bass, and the rhythmic feel is more flowing and subtle than before. Instrumental virtuosity was stressed, while tone quality became more restrained, less obviously ‘expressive’. The style cast a very long shadow and many of today’s players 60 years later could be fairly described as bebop. Blues: (1) A form normally consisting of 12 bars, staying in one key and moving to IV at bar 5. (2) A melodic style, with typical associated harmonies, using certain ‘blues scales’, riffs and grace notes. (3) A musical genre, ancestral to jazz and part of it. (4) A feeling that is said to inform all of jazz. Boogie (boogie-woogie): a style of piano playing very popular in the thirties. Blues, with continuous repeated eighth note patterns in the left hand and exciting but often stereotyped blues riffs and figures in the right hand. Cadence: A key-establishing chord progression, generally following the circle of fifths. A turnaround is one example of a cadence. Sometimes a whole section of a tune can be an extended cadence. In understanding the harmonic structure of a tune, it’s important to see which chords are connected to which others in cadences. Free Jazz: a style of the early and middle sixties, involving ‘free’ playing and a vehement affect. It was originally associated with black cultural nationalism. Sometimes two drummers and/or two bass players were used. Some free jazz was profound, and some not very good. Some who played it later denounced it, but the style became an ingredient in future styles and still has many proponents despite its lack of general popularity. Groove: an infectious feeling of rightness in the rhythm, of being perfectly centered. This is a difficult term to define. A Medium Groove is a tempo of, say, 112, with a slinky or funky feeling. Improvisation (improv): the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune. The improviser may depend on the contours of the original tune, or solely on the possibilities of the chords’ harmonies, or (like Ornette Coleman) on a basis of pure melody. The ‘improv’ also refers to the improvisational section of the tune, as opposed to the head. Inner voice: a melodic line, no matter how fragmentary, lying between the bass and the melody. Interlude: an additional section in a tune, especially one between one person’s solo and another’s. The Dizzy Gillespie standard A Night In Tunisia has a famous interlude. Jazz Standard: A well-known tune by a jazz musician. See Standard. Latin: (1) Afro-Cuban, Brazilian or other South American-derived. There are many special terms used in Latin music and I haven’t tried to include them here. (2) Played with equal eighth notes as opposed to swung (see swing def. 2). Also ‘straight-8†². The feel of bossa novas and sambas. Pattern: a pre-planned melodic figure, repeated at different pitch levels. Something played automatically by the fingers without much thought. Reliance on patterns is the hallmark of a weak player. REFERENCES: Berliner, Thinking in Jazz, University of Chicago, 1994 Carr, Ian, Jazz the Essential Companion, Prentice Hall Press, 1987 Cook, Richard, The Penguin Guide to Jazz, Penguin Books, 2004 Gioia, Ted, The History of Jazz, Oxford University Press, 1997 Ward, Geoffrey, Jazz a History of America’s Music, Random House, 2000 5

The Leadership Influence And Motivation

The Leadership Influence And Motivation Before I can describe how my understanding has evolved; it is important that I give one of my change experience. I was responsible for implementing and managing a change program within the logistical function. I was the change implementer and strategist within the change program. The scope of the change affected the engineering and logistical functions daily working. I initially thought about and planned for the negative effects on the logistical employees motivation, commitment and perception of job security. This transformational change was the outcome of economic factors within the far environment of the business cause by the global credit crunch, slow rate of economic growth and internally by the need to reduce cost. The garage at Harrow Weald (HD) failed to retain 2 contracts from Transport for London as the business was out bid by the competition, First bus. This resulted was a reduced work load for the Material Manager at HD. The Material Manager workload reduced from 9% in 2009 to 6% between January 2010 and May 2010. I made the decision along with the Head of Purchasing, with support from the Engineering Director to merge Edgware (EW) and HD store rooms because of the 5 miles distance between sites and the same bus types at their locations. The Material Manager at HD will be moving to Holloway (HT) to support HT as their current workload has increased to 25% and the Material Manager at EW will be running HD and EW store rooms. Personally this was needed to reduce cost at HD logistical function; if cost was not reduced, this might have led to redundancies. I felt I had to do something to protect my team while solving a manning issue at HT. However, I learnt as the change continued that it was not the Material Managers or the Trade unions (TU) unitary involvement which had the negative views caused by the uncertainty created by this change program. But the Engineering managers of EW and HD who were worried about their logistical cover for their repair programs. There were a lot of resistance from the Engineering managers which my change program did not take in account. I did not understand the reasons at the time. From that experience; I have learnt from reading about the range of stability Arnold et al., ibid and using the stakeholder analysis model. (The principles and practices of change Pg 16) That understanding behaviour and attitudes is vital in the change process. Using that methodology; more careful planning by using multiple change tools, frameworks and by providing information through sensitive implementation; while involving everyone affected by the changes; will help increase the success of the change. Any change program needs to be understood fully by providing information, which will strengthen the program and implemented in a way that people can cope effectively with it. I failed to inform and involved the Engineering managers within the change sufficiently before. I needed to show people that the change had integrity and benefits. I see treating people with humanity, honesty and respect will reduce the resisting forces, thats involves good leadership. Change I now see; can be unsettling to everyone within the program; managers and staff, nothing must be taken for granted within change. If change is forced on people problems and resistance normally arise. I have come to realize; that I can achieve my personal change if I follow the same format. Change must be realistic, achievable and measurable (SMART). Figure 1 How my understanding of change has evolved over the 5 weeks This is what I took for granted; as the Engineering managers were managers, I expected them to be committed to the change. I did not focus on their needs 1.2 McKinsey 7S Model The McKinsey 7-S model is an approach to planned internal change devised by Peters (1970). This method collectively analyzes the interdependence between 7 variables on how the change within business must operate. I really identify with this model because it focuses on internal relationships between systems and people. Figure 2 McKinsey 7S Model (The principles and practice of change Pg 11) If I had used this model during my pervious change program, I might have notice the interdependence between the Engineering managers and their repair program. Thus with this information, I could have created a clearer shared vision and involve them within the strategies. I will be using this in the future on my stores project to research the interdependence of systems and people to reduce resistances and improve communication. 1.3 Kurt Lewins Force Field Analysis This model from Lewin (1940) focuses on the individuals who resist change and do not want to change their status quo (The principles and practices of change Pg 278). According to figure 3; there are 2 types of forces within a change program. This model looks at internal and external forces; the change strategy looks to increase the change driving forces and at the same time reduce the resistance forces. This model would have being useful in my previous experience of change; as it focuses on peoples activities who are affected by the change in a negative or positive way. This is definitely a useful model for the future as it helps to formulate strategies used in reducing these resisting forces. Figure 3 Force Field Analysis Source: www.change-management-coach.com/images/force-field-analysis.jpg accessed 19-12-10 1.4 Kotter Model To me this is the most important model I have come across; it focuses on internal and external factors and forces to bring about organizational change. However to me it seems a little complex and time consuming. However this theoretical emergent approach to change known as the Kotter Model is great way of analyzing, planning and implementing change which involves 8 steps Figure 4 Kotter 8 step Model Source: www. downloadsoftwarestore.com/software_images/82/34/00053482/Software__Kotter_Change_Model-screenshot.gif Accessed 19-12-10 Personally, I really like this model compared to McKinsey 7-S model and Kurt Lewins Force Field Analysis, as this model focuses on the change drivers internally and externally and the reason for change. It looks at empowerment of staff and picking the right change leaders to make the change work. The model is complex as it entails focusing on the entire organization, the impact of the change and timing is critical between steps. What is beautiful about it; it also looks at the aftermath of the change and quick wins to encourage participation and visual simulation. However change is complex and I now see using one model or framework within a change program, something or someone will be missed. Over the last 5 weeks; I have learnt that organization does not exist in isolation, but its part of a complex 3 phases environment. These environments exhort pressure on businesses internally and externally. The organization has to change to meet these pressures in order to survive, adapt or seize opportunities. Thus its essential to use multiple frameworks, good leadership and evaluations to increase the sustainability of change. Part 2 2.1 Identify the aspects of change which you expect to follow up in later work in developing your EBI From my research; I came across Leadership and change in small firms and entrepreneurship http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=439879 accessed 02-01-11. The concept of Entrepreneurial Leadership illustrated in figure 5; which is leading through direct involvement by creating shared values for organizational stakeholders. Through flexibility, innovations and evolving concepts of organizational frameworks that can be constantly changed. Thus change is welcome and second natured within the business. Figure 5 Paradigm of keys to organizational excellence and leadership strategies Source: Darling and Beebe, 2007, p. 87 At this stage; I believe this course will enables me to review my current leadership style illustrated in figure 6. I will never become a perfect leader or manager, I acknowledge this now. But I am someone who likes order and I have chosen change tools which bring order to the change complexity. Now, I am going to step out of my comfort zone with the cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to change framework and identify ways to improve my leadership skills and effectiveness by contributing to an environment that empowers my managers by encouraging innovative thoughts. By allowing my managers to lead me to a vision within my stores project will improve our systems inside the logistical function. According to Gersick (1991) Change brings about positive and negative emotions caused by stimuli within the change, which affects our behaviour (The principles and practices of change Pg 185). Figure 6 My development of leadership and change at workUnderstanding emotional intelligence, as defined by Goldman (1998), is often associated with key social skills which includes self-awareness, trust and empathy which are also important in the workplace. Using the Goldmans five major factors of emotional intelligence model illustrated in figure 5 which involves intrapersonal and interpersonal components. I would like to explore more in the upcoming weeks at work. Gersick (1991)- stimuli Kotter (2009)- Leadership or Management Vera and Rodriguez-Lopez (2004)- Humility Baker (2009- Fellowship Goldman- (1998)- Emotional Intelligence Self discovery- Improve communication and relationships at work My Delivery- Making it happen Innovation and Design- Using My Emotional Intelligence My Vision- involves fellowship and humility leadership, allowing myself to be led My Discovery and Planning- cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to change framework http://www.infopeople.org/training/webcasts/webcast_data/203/FiveComponentsEmotionalIntelligence.pdf accessed 02-01-10 To achieve this concept, I have to be trusted and respected within the change program, which have to demonstrate integrity by doing the right things. This concept is very fascinating and I think this is the pinnacle of me evolving; this tie into my humility and emotional aspects of leadership I am trying to explore as part of my EBI. The concept of giving respect and providing meaning by creating a sense of worth to the change recipients will show my humility. Thus increasing the level of commitment to the change while keeping change recipients within their range of stability and (The principles and practices of change Pg 16) reducing the resisting forces. I do not see myself as a brilliant change agent; but I do understand how change can make people feel uneasy and the level of uncertainty that can be created from my past experience of change. In achieving successful organizational change, I must able to inspire and turn negatives into positives by finding innovative ways of doing things while working with the change recipients. Even if the change has bad news, being honest and open will help build trust through positioning; which will enable my reputation for future change programs to be viewed with honesty, confidence and respect. Over the 5 weeks I come to understand that organizing and communicating the possibilities of what can be achieve from the change is management and while giving meaning to change is leadership. Trust through positioning implies having predictability, accountability and reliability this provides the foundation for the change integrity. Now the question is how I would show this within my EBI and does this make any sense. 2.2 Give a brief summary of the scouting work (including key inquiries) you have undertaken on the options and opportunities for your EBI EBI name Key features Stores reorganisation -Current organisational change program Exploring differing leadership and management theories and concepts. Then putting them into practice 6 months to complete Work related Researching universities to study my MBA My personal goal Will have to involve friends and family Searching for a new job in China to further -Very challenging -Risky -My personal and situational goal Relevance, feasibility and ranking of EBIs which were identified during scouting EBI name Relevance1 Relevance to my organisation1 Feasibility2 Rank Stores reorganisation- 75% sure Probably very relevant Probably very achievable 1 Researching universities to study my MBA 20%- sure May be relevant, but cant quite tell Im pessimistic about my ability to do this 2 Searching for a new job in China to further 5%- sure Not very relevant to my organisation at first glance Im uncertain about whether it can be done 3 After the TMA 2; I spoke with my mentor about possible EBIs. We were both in agreement that the stores reorganisation project is a perfect inquiry for my EBI; as there are elements of change and leadership focusing on the emotional characteristic of humility within the project and the project deals with changes which I personally would like to develop, as I am too task- oriented. This will encourage me to reflect on my daily experiences, identify what I would like to learn about from the course materials and the Tutor group forums. In addition try to engage with the course materials and themes in the light of my experiences. This is essential for me to develop as a good leader and manager and I will be able to use this knowledge and notes, I have acquired via this process to advance to my EBI. Although the entire aspects of my EBI is still unclear with the problems of linking leadership and change together is still a little ambiguous. I still have some doubts of which EBI to choose and what area of leadership and change to focus on. In addition, if I am actually making a journey into a better leader or manager, but I am learning new theories and framework to deal with my day to day work problems. Additionally, the stores reorganisation is a very important project for me and my logistical team. I am trying to standardise the warehouses layout throughout 10 sites. The local material managers are already not happy with some of my ideas, but I need to win them over with the new warehouse layout which will test my own leadership skills, by letting go of my order and control and letting them lead me to a shared vision of the change. Thus, I might use my stores reorganisation project as one giant inquiry for my EBI. I have also spoken with my line manager; to check the feasibility of the stores project; he is happy for me to use the project as part of my studies. However, he added that the stores project was already complex without adding another dimension of things to do. I never thought about the stores project with this perspective, therefore, the following questions will need to be addressed: is it too complex to conduct an EBI with such an important work project? Can I test and report on any actual growth within my understanding of things I have learnt? His perspective has added a new dimension on my possible EBIs and created a level of uncertainty. Word count Part 1 1.1 My change experience and change issues- 568 words 1.2 McKinsey 7S Model- 117 words 1.3 Kurt Lewins Force Field Analysis-113 words 1.4 Kotter Model- 248 words Total: 1089 Words Part 2 2.1 Identify the aspects of change- 529 words 2.2 Give a brief summary of the scouting work- 544 words Total: 1073 words Part 1+ Part 2 = 2119 words 3.1 Appendix Stocktaking Week 16 What do you feel about the course so far? How have you found it? (You may find it helpful to look at some possible responses on page 8 of Study Guide 2.) What are the three most important things you have picked up so far? What have been the three most important things so far? Have you shared your work on B204 with colleagues at work? What do they think about what you are doing? After the scouting and the study you have done, how do you now feel about the EBI you will have to do? Do you feel you are in control of your learning on the course or are you just being driven along by the work and the schedules? What are the reasons for your answer? What things are you hoping to build on as your move into Phase 2? Looking forward, what things are you now feeling most anxious about? What are your real hopes and concerns about the next stages of the course? What issues have really struck you most? Any other thoughts

The Chained Women: When Religion and the State Intersect :: Free Essays Online

The Chained Women: When Religion and the State Intersect When Israel was conceived as a Jewish state, questions arose over the division between the religious and the secular. Judaism is grounded in halakha, a detailed set of laws which guides observant Jews, but debate continues over whether Israel should adopt these religious laws to govern a largely secular population. Contradictions exist between the ancient laws and modern ideals, especially regarding women’s rights. Most developed states strive to enact laws that treat men and women fairly, but in Israel, where the rabbinical courts still adhere to ancient Jewish law, women’s rights suffer. Divorce laws in particular give men excessive power over their wives, resulting in large numbers of women being denied their basic human right to marriage and family. According to halakhic law, a marriage can only be terminated in two ways: the death of a spouse, or the giving of a get. A get is a formal statement of divorce which can only be granted by the husband to his wife, and he can refuse to give a get indefinitely. Until a get is both given and accepted, the wife remains an agunah, a chained woman. She cannot remarry, and any child born to an agunah becomes a mamzer, a bastard child (Haut 17). A husband who withholds a get is guilty of violating Article Sixteen of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (the right to marriage and family), but is not violating halakhic law and has the support of the rabbinical courts in Israel. Usually giving and accepting a get is a routine part of divorce proceedings in Israel, but a get is sometimes used as a bargaining tool during a divorce. A man can refuse to release a â€Å"chained woman† until he receives a divorce settlement he prefers. If she refuses to accept an unfair or demeaning settlement, then she remains an agunah. According to the Israel Women’s Network, â€Å"estimates of the number of ‘anchored’ women in Israel today vary, the rabbinate claiming that there are ‘only’ some 500, while women’s organizations claim that there are thousands† (IWN).

Genetic Haemochromatosis :: essays research papers

Genetic haemochromatosis is a disorder, which causes iron build up over time. Usually an adult has about 4 grams of iron in their body but with this disorder the amount of iron in the body is much higher, with the total amount of iron in the body reaching up to 20 to 40 grams if untreated. In Australia, haemochromatosis affects 1 in 200-300 people but it is most common in Australians whose ancestry is from Northern Europe or the United Kingdom. If haemochromatosis is left untreated, it leads to conditions such as:  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cirrhosis of the liver  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cardiomyopathy  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diabetes To prevent these problems from developing, early diagnosis and treatment is needed. The treatment for this disorder is done by regularly extracting blood, from the same main vein, as the one that’s used for when a person donates blood. By doing this regularly, it reduces the high levels of iron in the blood so that it doesn’t get stored in various organs. People who are affected by haemochromatosis may show no symptoms at all. The symptoms of this disorder are more likely to develop in men aged between 40 and 60 years old and at a later age for women, although the disorder can be diagnosed much earlier. For this disorder, symptoms vary according to the organs involved. In the early years there may be no symptoms at all except for a healthy skin colouring that seems like a tan. Although early symptoms that occur in some people are:  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weakness  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weight Loss  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lack of interest or concern  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sexual drive  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pain in the arms  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muscle Tenderness  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cramps in the legs Symptoms may occur earlier in men though because women lose blood during menstruation and childbirth causing the iron levels in the body to reduce. THE CAUSES OF HEREDITARY HAEMOCHROMATOSIS The gene most commonly involved in hereditary haemochromatosis is called the HFE gene. On the short arm of chromosome number 6 is where this gene is located. The HFE gene codes the protein that regulates iron absorption. When the HFE gene is faulty the message from the gene is also faulty causing the iron storage that regulates itself to fail. Two mutations, called C282Y and H63D, have been identified in the HFE gene. It appears to cause most of the cases of hereditary haemochromatosis. Being born with two faulty HFE gene copies does not actually have to mean that a person will definitely develop HH, it just means that they are more easily affected by hereditary haemochromatosis then others.

Consider the benefits and challenges of social media amongst young Australians Essay

The use of social media by young Australians has become increasingly popular. This essay will show that social media can have many benefits to young Australians by enabling them to engage with peers, the creativeness it brings out and enhanced learning opportunities. Cyber bullying and privacy issues are some of the challenges that can arise with the use of social media. One of the benefits of social media is the ability to connect and engage with others. Keeping in touch with friends and family who live far away can be made a lot easier by communicating through social media by sharing updates, photos, videos, and messages. ’In 2008, Facebook reported having 67 million active users, with more than half of them returning daily and spending an average 20 minutes per day on the site’. Social media provides young people with the right tool to be able to make new relationships as well as strengthened existing relationships. The strong sense of community and belonging fostered by SNS [social networking services] has the potential to promote resilience, which helps young people to successfully adapt to change and stressful events. Social media is a significant tool for enabling creativity and innovation for young Australians. Through social media they are able to develop a diverse range of skills such as editing content, interactive blogging, encourage the creation and sharing of poetry, arts, photography, and video content. A study conducted last year by the University of Minnesota suggested that using social networking sites improved technology and communication skills, boosted creativity and exposed students to new and diverse world views. These students also tended to do better in exams. Education through social media has great benefits for young people. Being able to learn everything from foreign languages to how to write a computer code and everything in between. Social networking services can facilitate learning and skill development outside formal learning environments by supporting peer-to-peer learning of knowledge and skills, collaboration, diverse cultural expression, the development of skills valued in the modern workplace , and a more empowered conception of citizenship. Cyber bullying on social media is a risk for young Australians. Cyber bullying is purposely using social media to communicate wrong, humiliating, or hostile information about another person. The most frequently used nature of harassments are name calling and gossiping. ‘Thirty three percent of youth reported an online harassment in the last year’. Young people usually react by pretending to ignore it, by really ignoring it or by reacting and bullying the bully. Cyber bullying is quite common and can occur to any young person online. Cyber bullying can have devastating effects to a young person including depression, anxiety, isolation and suicide. The improper use of social media by young Australians can put their privacy at risk. The volume and accessibility of personal information available on social media have attracted malicious people who seek to exploit this information. Young people who lack an awareness of privacy issues often post on social media inappropriate messages, pictures, and videos of themselves and others without understanding that it could result in future reputations being damaged. ‘Adults are concerned about invasion of privacy, while teens freely give up personal information’. Sharing too much information on social media can also make young people easier targets for marketers and fraudsters. Communicating and sharing information on social media to someone who you do not know their identity can be very dangerous as this sort of behaviour can attract online predators. To conclude, it is clear young Australian’s are faced with many benefits and challenges when using social media. From cyber bullying and privacy issues social media opens up avenues for problems but along with these challenges come opportunities for young people to learn in many different ways and express themselves creatively. It is up to the user how they want to engage and use social media.

Managerial Finance Essay

Managerial Finance – Problem Review Set – Dividends Policy 1) If a firm adopts a residual distribution policy, distributions are determined as a residual after funding the capital budget. Therefore, the better the firm’s investment opportunities, the lower its payout ratio should be. a. True b. False 2) Even if a stock split has no information content, and even if the dividend per share adjusted for the split is not increased, there can still be a real benefit (i. e. , a higher value for shareholders) from such a split, but any such benefit is probably small. a. True b. False 3) Which of the following should NOT influence a firm’s dividend policy decision? a. The firm’s ability to accelerate or delay investment projects. b. A strong preference by most shareholders for current cash income versus capital gains. c. Constraints imposed by the firm’s bond indenture. d. The fact that much of the firm’s equipment has been leased rather than bought and owned. e. The fact that Congress is considering changes in the tax law regarding the taxation of dividends versus capital gains. 4) Which of the following would be most likely to lead to a decrease in a firm’s dividend payout ratio? a. Its earnings become more stable. b. Its access to the capital markets increases. c. Its R;D efforts pay off, and it now has more high-return investment opportunities. d. Its accounts receivable decrease due to a change in its credit policy. e. Its stock price has increased over the last year by a greater percentage than the increase in the broad stock market averages. 5) If a firm adheres strictly to the residual dividend policy The stronger management thinks the clientele effect is, the more likely the firm is to adopt a strict version of the residual dividend model. d. Large stock repurchases financed by debt tend to increase earnings per share, but they also increase the firm’s financial risk. e. A dollar paid out to repurchase stock is taxed at the same rate as a dollar paid out in dividends. Thus, both companies and investors are indifferent between distributing cash through dividends and stock repurchase programs. 7) P;D Co. has a capital budget of $1,000,000. The company wants to maintain a target capital structure which is 30% debt and 70% equity.

Scientific Management – Taylorism

‘Scientific Management’ is a managerial development theory that was proposed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1880s. It was designed to apply scientific methods to the management of work organisations in order to improve economic efficiency and labour productivity. This theory is also well known as ‘Taylorism’ and has had a significant impact in the history of organisational management. Scientific management has had many benefits in the work organisation such as the division between workers and managers, increased efficiency in production and task specialisation. To some extent, this idea may still be relevant in some organisations but it is evident that the problems associated with this theory has led to the downfall of scientific management in today’s service economy and furthermore has allowed for the introduction of improved managerial methods. The issues and disadvantages of scientific management will be further discussed and explained why it is no longer considered relevant in our modern day service economy. With the introduction of scientific management in the work organisation there has been a controversial debate over the changes that occur within the workplace. Do the disadvantages of scientific management theory outweigh the advantages? It is true that this method allows specific tasks to be assigned to specific workers according to their specialisation thus increasing efficiency in productivity as well as a â€Å"regimented system of work organisation and managerial practice† (Aguiar, 2002, p. 239). However these changes have had a detrimental effect on the welfare of the workers due to the investigation of introducing new management procedures. Stress levels and insecurity of the workers were said to have increased as a result of redundancies, layoffs and health and safety issues according to Aguiar (2002). There was also a change in work conditions that introduced the ‘gender division of labour’ meaning that women were assigned with easier jobs whereas men were assigned with the more â€Å"heavy-duty† (Aguiar, 2002, p. 246) jobs. Due to these new management strategies, labour intensification had been increased ultimately leading to an increase in workload and even more changes in work conditions. As a result of gender division, it was evident that there was a significant difference in wages for women and men. Men typically received a higher wage than women which unquestionably became an issue as men were less likely to experience changes in their assigned jobs, whereas women were more susceptible to these changes. Furthermore, not only are women’s wages lower than men’s, this often ends in a gender clash as it leads to women feeling unmotivated and not up to standard. Not only has scientific management created a negative gender division in work organisations, it has also created a less encouraging environment for workers. Although the principles of Taylorism have had a positive outcome on efficiency of production and productivity of workers, it has negatively impacted the workers as it has decreased job satisfaction thus increasing the repetitive nature of the workload. As workers are only required to specialise in one specific task, workers quickly become dissatisfied as the fundamental job requirements such as variety of skill, significance of tasks, independence and criticism are all missing. According to Gronroos (1994), it is due to the introduction of new technology in the work organisation that prevents workers from experiencing considerable job satisfaction. This also results in a poor relationship between workers and customers, as the value of customer satisfaction is neglected and therefore competitive advantages are not achieved. In some work environments there were â€Å"additional target-related pressures† (Bain et al. , 2002, p. 182) where workers refused to work overtime or simply insisted on taking breaks between shifts. In some cases there would be workers that would feel the need to conform and not give into pressure to take breaks thus increasing stress levels and decrease in job satisfaction. Lastly, there is also the issue of Taylorism being easily distorted to exploit workers in a way that they are being controlled and treated as machines rather than human beings. This introduces the idea that this method of management can be seen as dehumanising to the worker. Taylor fails to recognise the importance of the wellbeing of workers in their work environment and rather focuses entirely on gaining maximum efficiency, productivity and profits. This raises conflicts with labour unions as they strongly believe that humans are unlike machines and cannot operate as machines do. Since workers are assigned to their specific task and that task only, they are unable to develop further skills and use their imagination and creativity to complete certain tasks and this is due to a scientific approach in management. There are limited opportunities for workers to be able to express his or her creativity as â€Å"each worker has a very well-determined task† (Caldari, 2007, p. 73). Therefore the outcome of completing the required task will only result in maximum efficiency if they complete what they have been assigned to do but will be unable to develop mentally thus illustrating the concept of dehumanisation. Although the human mind is constantly capable of storing new information such as certain routines and actions, â€Å"the human brain and flexible production systems must exhibit the ability to change, evolve and create† (Caldari, 2007, p. 74). Conclusively, it is evident that in some cases the scientific management approach is accepted by some work organisations. However, Taylor’s theory is flawed in a way that he has failed to account for the crucial factors relating to human welfare and focuses purely on maximisation in productivity, efficiency and profits. Although Taylor’s method was considered the machine model of organisation, and impacted management history in dramatic ways, his theory had also raised many controversial issues that must be considered prior to applying those theories in a predominant service economy. Scientific management may have had a positive impact in particular organisations but in today’s society, this theory is no longer relevant in a predominantly service economy.

Health Care Museum Essay

HEALTH CARE MUSEUM The Health Care Museum exhibit is to acknowledgment the five most significant developments in the evolution of healthcare in the United States. Over the years we’ve seen a rapid growth in the Health Care industry that’s both good and bad. After my research there are several areas I would like to portray for my exhibit debut. The five most significant developments are The Insured, the Underinsured, & the Uninsured, Medications, Prevention, Technology and Health Care Delivery. EXHIBIT A: The Insured, the Underinsured, & the Uninsured Insurance plays a huge part of healthcare development over the years. We have laws in place to help patients who are insured, underinsured and uninsured to received treatments. There a lot of people who struggle to keep up with the increasing costs of health care insurance, but there are plan that’s affordable to cover their medical expenses. The impact insurance has in United States is really big because â€Å"the number of people without health care has increased†. The establishing future in Health Care insurance remains uncertain because many people today still don’t have health insurance. I do believe that the health care reform will help in that case, but it may take some time to see the results. EXHIBIT B: Medications Medications play a very big important role into the development of the Health Care Industry. With the advancement of medication we have seen a momentous decrease in the number of people that were hospitalized or caused death because they did not acquired the proper medication. Science is the main reason why we are so ahead in medicine, â€Å"advances in medical science† help protect most diseases from spreading. Medicines can cure, preclude, or even stop an outbreak or a virus. The most notable development of medicine is that it comes in many different shapes and size. One can take medicine in a use of a pill, liquid such as syrup and exercise is a form of medication. . EXHIBIT C: Prevention Prevention has to be the most important development thus far because if we don’t have any control over transferrable diseases from spreading â€Å"Ebola†, then we all are at risk of an epidemic of disease that’s infectious. Around the world we have community associates and health care providers that’s willing to educate the public about the importance and the consequences of a transmittable disease. We all have been working together to prevent the spreading of dangerous disease. Some of the simple task we can do to prevent spreading disease is as simple as washing your hands constantly. EXHIBIT D: Technology If it wasn’t for technology the United State Health Care System wouldn’t be as great as it is today. Technology has a great impact in all of the different health fields in the industry. Since technology is improving constantly the possibilities are endless as to what we can use it for. The most important part in regards to technology in Health Care is the ability to obtain very important medical information. Many different departments in the healthcare field are using technology a lot of different ways. The most common use is to reach out to the â€Å"broader populations,† connect with patients virtually, and most importantly public awareness. EXHIBIT E: Health Care Delivery Reforming our health care delivery system to improve the quality and value of care is essential to address escalating costs, poor quality, and increasing numbers of Americans without health insurance coverage. Reforms should improve access to the right care at the right time in the right setting. They should keep people healthy and prevent common, avoidable complications of illnesses to the greatest extent possible. Thoughtfully constructed reforms would support greater access to health-improving care – in contrast to the current system, which encourages more tests, procedures, and treatments that are at best unnecessary and at worst harmful. In conclusion, as we all know the health care industry has grown drastically over the years. The five most significant developments is not only important factors in the health care field, but they’re also important in today’s society. For example, The Insured, the Underinsured, & the Uninsured plays a huge part in today’s world because of the sky rocking health cost and the fact that not everyone can afford it. Medications are also very important since we all want to feel better when we are ill. References Access to Health Care Coalition (2001). Closing the gap: Improving access to health care in Michigan. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://bcbsm.com/blues/pdf/access_to_hc.pdf American Hospital Association (1997). Hospital statistics: A comprehensive summary of U. S. hospitals. Chicago, IL: Author. Institute for the Future (2000). Health and health care 2010: The forecast, the challenge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Health Statistics. Health U.S. 2010: With Special features on death and dying. Hyattsville MD:CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 2014

Age and Gender Differences on Fear of Crime

Age and Gender Differences on Fear of Crime The current study aimed to investigate age and gender effects on fear of crime and their relationships with attitude towards prisoner and crime, life satisfaction, living arrangement and religion in a Chinese sample. 170 undergraduate and postgraduate students, with a mean age of 21.9 years, participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on fear of crime. In general, women reported significantly greater fear of crime than men. A factor analysis was performed and two factors were extracted: â€Å"fear of being cheated† and â€Å"fear of physical harm†. An age-gender interaction effect was found after controlling the variable of â€Å"attitude towards prisoner†. Results indicated that older females had higher levels of fear of being cheated than males. Yet, gender and age differences in fear of fraud victimizations are a largely unexplored area. Additional research is needed to examine how women’s fear of being cheated varie s with age. Introduction Fear of crime has received considerable attention in the criminological studies. Over the last few decades, research has been carried out to explore how fear of crime is explained and handled by society. Information about fear of crime not only help us to understand and interpret what fear of crime meant for individuals and societies, but also facilitate government to develop active plans to tackle public’s fear. Anxieties about crime may lead to behavioral adaptation, e.g. taking precautions against crime and avoiding certain places. Nonetheless, public anxieties about crime may also have negative consequences for the individual and for society. For example, they may exacerbate the impact of crime by damaging an individual’s quality of life or may affect the community by deteriorating a shared sense of trust, cohesion, and social control (Jackson, 2006). The concept of fear of crime and its causation is widely examined in the criminological fi eld, but there is a lack of agreement on the definition of ‘fear of crime’. Fear of crime may involve two different concepts: an ‘evaluative’ component and an ’emotional’ component (Skogen, 1984). For instance, Hollway and Jefferson (1997) referred crime fear as ‘irrational’ response in which the ‘rational, calculating individuals who routinely miscalculate their â€Å"true† risk of crime’; whereas Ferraro (1995) suggested that fear of crime is ‘an emotional reaction of dread or anxiety to crime or symbols that a person associates with crime’. Past research has identified a number of factors which appear to make a contribution to fear, such as age, gender, race, vulnerability, neighbourhood cohesion, personal knowledge of crime and victimization, confidence in police and criminal justice systems, perception of risk, and assessment of offence seriousness (Box, Hale and Andrews, 1988). However, the c urrent study will focus mainly on age and gender effects on fear of crime. Gender and Age Effects It is well-documented that women are more fearful of becoming a victim of crime than men despite the fact that they are less often victimized by serious violent crime (Pain, 2001; Fetchenhauer and Buunk, 2005). Over the past decades, researchers have proposed different approaches to resolve the â€Å"fear victimization paradox†: (1) hidden victimization of women; (2) gender tendencies of women to recall victimization experience, and to generalize fear from one context to another; (3) vulnerability of women; and (4) male discount of fear. Most crime surveys have shown that the levels of violence against women (e.g. domestic violence) are far higher than men; therefore it has been argued that women are not ‘irrationally’ fearful of crime. It is because women and elderly under-report their actual victimization, and thus they appear to be less victimized (Pain, 2001). Ho wever, some have suggested that women tend to ‘generalize’ the actual experience of victimization across spatial contexts than men (Pain, 1995; Farraro, 1995). Warr (1984) found that fear of sexual assault operated as a â€Å"master offense† among women and their fear of sexual assault influenced fear of nonpersonal crimes, such as burglary. Yet, still others reported that males often discount their fear of crime (Smith and Torstensson, 1997). Previous literature has demonstrated that males are suppressed by the perception that it is not socially acceptable to express one’s fear; and when men are being perfectly honest, they may actually be more afraid of crime than women (Sutton and Farrall, 2005). On the other hand, the vulnerability hypothesis suggested that women are physically weaker than men and therefore they are less able to defend themselves against (typically male) perpetrators. A considerable amount of studies have also shown that that gender di fference in fear of crime often reflects gender difference in physical vulnerability (e.g. Smith and Torstensson, 1997).

Short articles about sex, gender and society Essay - 1

Short articles about sex, gender and society - Essay Example Her decision to be a boy was met with chastisement, as are transgender people (etc.), because they defy the norm of two genders, male and female. In the article about being fat and then losing the weight, she experienced a radically different social sentiment about her. She was labeled as fat, which has stereotypical implications in which society sees the fat individual as, perhaps, stupid and socially irrelevant. When she became thin, people began to praise her, believe in her health-consciousness, and talk about being fat in a negative connotation as though she had evolved and was now smart enough to avoid gaining excessive weight again. None saw the real person, just a label of fat that carried negative social opinion, not allowing society to see the authentic nature of her personality and character. She suddenly found social belonging after losing weight, which again speaks toward society’s prejudices that attempt to define how a person should be categorized within a broader societal context. While in â€Å"Fifty Shades of Gay†, the speaker states that she fits in a gray area, being attracted to both men and women, how society views her is complicated. She had to learn to reject some of this social sentiment to become familiarized with her true self, one that does not fit the stereotypical norms of gender and sexuality. She learned who she truly is: An individual that defies such norms and has learned to find peace and comfort with her own decision-making that is relevant for her own needs and desires. I think that someone knows who they are when they are willing to be somewhat non-conformist to society’s expectations. By getting in touch with what mechanisms drive their sexuality (as one example), they can be confident and satisfied even though the world does not recognize their social significance. The individual discussing her weight loss had a

A personal development plan. Becoming an international manager in Essay

A personal development plan. Becoming an international manager in intercontinental hotel - Essay Example Identifying my strengths and weaknesses will enable me to achieve both professional and personal development in the hospitality industry. A personal development plan is important because it fosters and monitors career progression and helps in developing appropriate skills needed to meet the demands of customers and employees in the hospitality industry. The work of an international hotel manager includes answering all questions posted by clients across the world about hotel services and policies. The manager also listens and resolves employees and client’s complaints. The international hotel manager assigns tasks to employees and carefully schedule shifts for all employees worldwide. Supervisors assist in monitoring employees’ work, but the ultimate authority of observing and monitoring employees’ performance in the hotels rests with the international manager. This operation enables the hotel management to accomplish tasks that are assigned to employees. Internat ional managers schedule appointments with clients to plan banquets, weddings and other formal or information conventions. They also meet with business associates and stakeholders to discuss business expansion and future business partners in new countries. The work of a hotel manager is to monitor and track money spent and hotel profits. The international hotel manager is required to cooperate and deliberate with other senior managers to synchronize the activities of the hotels in different parts of the world. The manager is in charge of negotiating contracts with suppliers, electricians, medics and other important people that work together to achieve a common goal of higher returns in their different fields. International hotel managers write extensive reports about each department functions in the hotel and use a computer system to monitor and maintain this information. Some hotels allow their international managers to set room price rates, create a budget, develop and implement po licies and create hotel procedures. An international hotel manager may be allocated the marketing, advertising and promotion design tasks. After completing my studies, my short-term goal includes working in an international hotel such as InterContinental Hotel as a manager. This position will give me the platform needed to acquire experience and skills to progress to a senior manager. Developing interpersonal relationships with my seniors, peers and subordinates will enable me to work towards increasing the hotel profits and improving the living standards of staff members. My long term career aspiration after 5 years of working as a manager is to be promoted to international InterContinental hotel manager. This top position will increase my annual salary with benefits and further develop my leadership and management skills. My long term personal aspiration is to travel to new countries, meet new people and learn new skills. In my international management position, I will develop new working conditions favorable for employees working in different countries with respect to their religious values, political affiliation and cultural backgrounds. I will plan and implement an exchange program for my employees, enabling them to travel to other countries that have our hotel branches and work for six months. During this time, employees will be allowed to explore their creativity in the hospitality industry, exchange cultural values and create a global relationship with other employees from different countrie