Creativity and entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creativity and entrepreneurship - Essay Example The social network studies scholars had claimed that creativity of an individual or a concern is significantly dependent on social networks that are static over time. The static network concepts are basically one network point at a time. Here networks are either described on the basis of their position or strength. However, it should be noted that the precise relationship existing between social network and creativity is not clearly known. Even so, it is believed that creativity of an individual or an organization is a component of social process. At the initial stages it was believed that social networking viewpoint of creativity was only a â€Å"one dimensional static concept† (Perry-Smith and Shalley, 2003). However, over time it is found that the concept can be multidimensional in nature, including both static and dynamic perspectives. Creativity and progress of an organization can only be tackled by its promoters or entrepreneurs. This essay will analyze the most appropri ate approach of social networking perspective of creativity in context of entrepreneurship. The social network perspective has been advocated by Perry-Smith and Shalley (2003), which identifies interpersonal interaction and interpersonal communication as two important antecedents or precursors to creativity. This concept has been previously agreed upon by various scholars such as Amabile (1996) and Woodman, Sawyer and Griffin (1993), proposing that communication of information and ideas enhance creativity. Interpersonal communication has been linked to creativity and knowledge level skills. Similarly, interpersonal interaction includes communication with people across diverse backgrounds, specialization areas and responsibilities (Woodman et al., 1993). Thus, one of the major factors differentiating social network perspective is its dynamic relationship and

Diversity, equality and inclusion in a work setting Essay Example for Free

Diversity, equality and inclusion in a work setting Essay Diversity means variety. The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences. It is extremely important to support and protect diversity because by valuing individuals and groups free from prejudice, and by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic. Diversity means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating difference. Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve: ï‚ §Understanding and appreciating interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment. ï‚ §Practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own. ï‚ §Understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of knowing; ï‚ §Recognizing that personal, cultural and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others; ï‚ §Building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. These include but are not limited to age, ethnicity, class, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, as well as religious status, gender expression, educational background, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, and work experiences. Finally, we acknowledge that categories of difference are not always fixed but also can be fluid, we respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one culture is intrinsically superior to another. Health and social care settings reflect the diversity of the population at large. Residents in a care home for elderly people – men and women, possibly gay and lesbian may range in age from 60 to well into their ninth decade. Each will have their own set of personal expe riences and in locations with an immigrant community, may hail from a variety of different countries. And preferences, for example for food and music, will vary from one person to another, as will attitudes, for example to staff and fellow residents, beliefs, for example political ideas and religious faiths, health status and physical and intellectual ability. Apart from differences in age, sex and gender, physical characteristics, ability, experiences and personal attributes, people also differ in respect of their: Diet, for example different health conditions mean that some people have specific dietary needs, and vegetarians and vegans can’t take medication that is derived from animals. Religious faith, for example some religions have specific requirements with respect to diet and method of worship, others require the use of running water to maintain personal hygiene, the right hand for eating and the left for personal cleansing after using the toilet, and so on. Need for modesty and dignity, for example some people aren’t comfortable being touched or seen undressed by someone of the opposite sex or that they don’t know; and different people have different ideas about how to be addressed when being spoken to. Communication, for example different physical and mental health conditions require the use of different methods of communication; some people express their fear, pain and grief freely and openly whilst others are more reserved; and different people have different ideas about the extent of their personal space. Working with and getting to know a diverse range of people – service users, patients, their friends and family, colleagues and other professionals enables health and social care workers to develop their knowledge and understanding of different ways of thinking and living and the reasons for different behaviours. As a consequence, tolerance of and respect for others develops, both of which are essential for meeting diverse – and individual – needs. And having their differences acknowledged and understood helps people to develop a sense of belonging. In addition, learning about different ways of thinking and living can be life-enriching. We become more open-minded to new experiences, opportunities and challenges, and are able to develop new relationships. As a result we grow as human beings and are able to achieve our full potential. Equality Equality is about treating people fairly, regardless of their differences, by ensuring that they have access to the same life opportunities as everyone else, ie that they have equal opportunities. Life opportunities include: Housing. Warmth and shelter are basic human needs. Education and employment. Just about everybody is capable of learning, and education not only enables us to find employment, it helps us to realize our full potential as human beings. Transport, without which we couldn’t get to work, to the shops, to see friends and family, to gp and hospital appointments, and so on. Health and social care, which all of us need at some point in our lives. Having enough money to buy a decent quality of life and not live in poverty. Being able to buy goods and services, in person, by telephone or online using cash, cheques, credit or debit cards or electronic transfer. Some people need extra help to access life opportunities. For example, having a physical or sensory disability can impact on gaining an education, a job, using public transport, getting to the doctors; and being elderly or mentally ill can affect an individual’s ability to maintain a decent standard of living, buy goods and services, speak up for themselves and have others listen to them. For this reason, equality is also about giving people help, providing them with appropriate services, so that they are not disadvantaged or treated less fairly than anyone else. People are disadvantaged for many reasons, but usually because they are different with respect to their: Appearance. Racial harassment and attacks are usually acted out on people whose appearance, for exam ple their skin colour and style of dress, is different from that of the perpetrator. Sex. Men are still more likely to be better paid than women and to reach the top of the career ladder, and some jobs are still perceived and advertised as being ’women’s’ or ‘men’s’ work. Sexual orientation. Gays and lesbians remain subject to physical and verbal abuse. Age. Older people often describe themselves as invisible, undervalued and a burden because of the way society treats them. Ability. A general lack of understanding about the needs of people with physical or mental disabilities results in them finding it very difficult to make the most of life’s opportunities. Imposing disadvantage on people can prevent them from entering into the everyday life of their community and of society. In other words they can become socially and financially excluded. Inclusion The term inclusion is seen as a universal human right and aims at embracing all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other need. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and getting rid of discrimination and intolerance. Inclusion nurtures a sense of wellbeing and of confidence in ones own identity and abilities. And it ensures that everyone can achieve their potent ial and take their rightful place in society. The potential effects of discrimination A prejudice is an attitude or way of thinking based on an unfounded, unreasonable pre-judgement of an individual, particular group of people or situation, rather than on a factual assessment. Prejudices can be positive or negative. If we are positively prejudiced towards someone, we think well of them. On the other hand, if we are negatively prejudiced against someone, we tolerate them less. In the main, negative prejudices develop against people who are different in some way. Discrimination happens when we act out our negative prejudices. Discriminatory behaviour results in unfair, unjust treatment. The people most likely to be discriminated against are those who are different in respect of their: Age. Age discrimination, or ageism, isn’t only targeted at elderly people – youngsters can also be on the receiving end of bullying, harassment and undeserved criticism. Sex. Men and women continue to be treated unfairly in certain walks of life, in particular in the workplace. Discrimination based on sex is known as sexism. Nationality, ethnic background, religion. Some people consider themselves superior to those from different backgrounds and faiths. Victimisation, bullying and harassment of people for such reasons is known as racism. Ability. Barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing the same opportunities as able-bodied people and the ignorant acting out of negative prejudices against physically or intellectually disabled people, for example through namecalling and damage of their property, is known as disablism. Size. Some of us are guilty of judging people by their size and treating them unfairly as a result. This behaviour is known as sizeism. Financial status. Discrimination against people on the grounds of their income, for example treating people living in poverty as inferior, is known as povertyism. There are two forms of discrimination, direct and indirect. Direct discrimination occurs when someone is intentionally treated unfairly, for example harassment on the basis of skin colour or religion. Indirect discrimination occurs when rules or guidelines meant to apply to everyone unintentionally affect one group of people more than others. For example, a company policy requiring everyone to work night shifts indirectly discriminates against single parents or people who care for elderly relatives, and menus that fail to offer a selection of food indirectly discriminates against people with specific dietary needs or preferences. Discrimination takes place in a variety of settings, for example within educational establishments, where learners may not be given support and encouragement if it’s assumed that their disability or advancing years affects their ability to learn; in the workplace, when people are persecuted on the basis of their skin colour or sexual preference. In housing, when landlords refuse to let their property to someone because of their refugee status or ethnic background; and in health and social care, when people are denied access to care on the basis of where they live – the postcode lottery. Inclusive work practice Inclusive practice is about the attitudes, approaches and strategies take n to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. It means supporting diversity by accepting and welcoming people’s differences, and promoting equality by ensuring equal opportunities for all. Inclusive practice is best practise. Health and social care workers demonstrate inclusive practice by working in ways that recognise, respect, value and make the most of all aspects of diversity. Having a sound awareness of and responding sensitively to an individual’s diverse needs supports them in developing a sense of belonging, wellbeing and confidence in their identity and abilities. And it helps them to achieve their potential and take their rightful place in society. In addition, inclusive practice involves having an understanding of the disastrous impact that discrimination, inequality and social exclusion can have on an individual’s physical and mental health. Having such an understanding ensures appropriate, personalised care and support, thereby enabling an individual to develop selfrespect and maintain a valued role in society. Because people who fail to support diversity or promote equality are usually entirely unaware of their attitudes and the impact of their behaviour, inclusive practice in volves reflecting on and challenging ones own prejudices, behaviours and work practices. It also involves challenging those of colleagues and other service providers, with a view to adapting ways of thinking and working and to changing services to build on good practice and to better support diversity and promote equality. Discrimination is an injustice and has devastating effects. The UK has in place numerous pieces of legislation (laws), rules, regulations, guidance documents and statutory codes of practice, all of which are intended to promote diversity, ensure equality and end discrimination. In other words they are in place to promote everyone’s right to fair and equal treatment, regardless of their differences. Acts of Parliament and regulations include: ï€  Ã¯â‚¬  The Human Rights Act 1998. This covers many different types of discrimination, including some that are not covered by other discrimination laws. Rights under the Act can be used only against a public authority, for example, the police or a local council, and not a private company. However, court decisions on discrimination usually have to take into account what the Human Rights Act says. The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discri mination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what you need to do to make your workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity but extends some protections to groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. The Equality Act is a mixture of rights and responsibilities that have: Stayed the same for example, direct discrimination still occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic Changed for example, employees will now be able to complain of harassment even if it is not directed at them, if they can demonstrate that it creates an offensive environment for them Been extended for example, associative discrimination (direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic) will cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex as well as race, religion and belief and sexual orientation Been introduced for the first time for example, the concept of discrimination arising from disability, which occurs if a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disabilit. Other pieces of legislation that protect the rights of people who use care services include: The NHS and Community Care Act 1980. This protects the rights of older and disabled people to receive care at home and in the community in ways that take account of their choices. The Children Act 2004. This protects children’s rights by requiring Local Authorities to be flexible in meeting their needs. Health and Social Care Act 2008. This Act established the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the remit of which is to protect and promote the right of people using health and social care services in England to quality care and to regulate its provision. CQC took over the roles of the Healthcare Commission, Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission in March 2009. These pieces of legislation have helped us move forward on equality, but in 2009, women were still earning, on average, 23% less per hour than men; less able but better off children were overtaking m ore able, poorer children at school by the age of six; people with disabilities were still more than twice as likely to be out of work than able bodied people; and one in five older people was unsuccessful in getting quotations for motor insurance, travel insurance and car hire.

Seaweeds :: Biology, Biodiversity, Marine Food

Seaweeds belong to a group of organisms that has enormous ecological importance and represent a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Seaweeds have always been of great interest in Asian culture as marine food sources (Rioux et al., 2009). In contrast, Seaweeds represent an important economical resource mostly in the countries of East and south Asia where they are not only largely harvested but also intensively and largely employed in the human nutrition (Caliceti et al., 2002). They can be classified as green algae (Chlorophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta) and brown algae (Phaeophyta) depending on their nutrient and chemical composition (Dawczynski et al., 2007). In addition, the seaweed industry uses tones of wet seaweeds annually, either from the wild or from cultivated crop (Dhargalkar and Verlecar, 2009). Seaweeds or marine macroalgae are potential renewable resource in the marine environment and known to be extremely rich source of bioactive compounds (Chandini et al., 2008). Therefore, algae can be a very interesting natural source of new metabolites with various biological activities that could be used as functional ingredients (Plaza et al., 2008). Biological activities are correlated to the presence of chemical compounds, particularly secondary metabolites. The presence of these compounds may assist in predicting some traditional uses of medicinal plants (Kamatou et al, 2008). However, novel potential areas have to be explored in order to maximize the effective utilization of seaweeds. The Phaeophyceae or brown seaweeds are a large group of multicellular algae, and they play an important role in marine environments both as food, and for the habitats they form. Most brown seaweeds contain the pigment fucoxanthin and various pheophycean tannins which are responsible for the distinctive greenish-brown color as the name indicated. Worldwide there are about 1500 species of brown seaweeds and they produce vast numbers of useful secondary metabolites (Davis et al., 2003, Reddy and Urban, 2009). Some species are of sufficient commercial importance, such that they have become subjects of extensive research in their own right. The term cosmeceutical is now commonly used to describe a cosmetic product that exerts a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit (Choi and Berson, 2006). Therefore, cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products with biologically active ingredients purporting to have medical or drug-like benefits. Dermatological research suggests that the bioactive ingredients used in cosmeceuticals do indeed have benefits beyond the traditional cosmetics such as creams, lotions, and ointments (Chen et al., 2005). There are number of synthetic components have been extensively used as ingredients for cosmetics. Seaweeds :: Biology, Biodiversity, Marine Food Seaweeds belong to a group of organisms that has enormous ecological importance and represent a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Seaweeds have always been of great interest in Asian culture as marine food sources (Rioux et al., 2009). In contrast, Seaweeds represent an important economical resource mostly in the countries of East and south Asia where they are not only largely harvested but also intensively and largely employed in the human nutrition (Caliceti et al., 2002). They can be classified as green algae (Chlorophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta) and brown algae (Phaeophyta) depending on their nutrient and chemical composition (Dawczynski et al., 2007). In addition, the seaweed industry uses tones of wet seaweeds annually, either from the wild or from cultivated crop (Dhargalkar and Verlecar, 2009). Seaweeds or marine macroalgae are potential renewable resource in the marine environment and known to be extremely rich source of bioactive compounds (Chandini et al., 2008). Therefore, algae can be a very interesting natural source of new metabolites with various biological activities that could be used as functional ingredients (Plaza et al., 2008). Biological activities are correlated to the presence of chemical compounds, particularly secondary metabolites. The presence of these compounds may assist in predicting some traditional uses of medicinal plants (Kamatou et al, 2008). However, novel potential areas have to be explored in order to maximize the effective utilization of seaweeds. The Phaeophyceae or brown seaweeds are a large group of multicellular algae, and they play an important role in marine environments both as food, and for the habitats they form. Most brown seaweeds contain the pigment fucoxanthin and various pheophycean tannins which are responsible for the distinctive greenish-brown color as the name indicated. Worldwide there are about 1500 species of brown seaweeds and they produce vast numbers of useful secondary metabolites (Davis et al., 2003, Reddy and Urban, 2009). Some species are of sufficient commercial importance, such that they have become subjects of extensive research in their own right. The term cosmeceutical is now commonly used to describe a cosmetic product that exerts a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit (Choi and Berson, 2006). Therefore, cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products with biologically active ingredients purporting to have medical or drug-like benefits. Dermatological research suggests that the bioactive ingredients used in cosmeceuticals do indeed have benefits beyond the traditional cosmetics such as creams, lotions, and ointments (Chen et al., 2005). There are number of synthetic components have been extensively used as ingredients for cosmetics.

Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary Essay

The difference between the patron-client and bureaucratic model is based on who is appointed the leader. The organization is based on trust and loyalty similar to the family. The main role as a patron-client is to show leadership by providing financial assistance and safety for the client. The client returns the favor by acting out different duties coming from the patron. The patron-client has the advantage because they are the sole providers for all communication for the client. Income is providing from executing from murders, thefts, frauds and drug trafficking. The patron client dominates a particular location for his organization. The group is also connected with police officers who are specialized in criminal operatives. The bureaucratic model is more focus on setting goals. Bureaucratic have a higher clientele but are selective with who is inducted into their group. All orders come from the boss in order to execute the next chain of events. The most important operation in the business is hierarchy. In order for the plan to be successful, all members must fully understand their role. This process is crucial for the structure to the organization and the members. The members must be able to carry out the task. If a step was missed by a member, they will eliminate from the project. The organization cannot afford for their hard work to be flush down the drain because an associate could not be trusted. Weber’s and Taylor’s models of the bureaucratic theory are most effective when used for larger events. Once a plan is started the bureaucratic should be introduced in order to control all lines of communication and any rules that were initially set. The patron-client is more decentralized and does not require control over unit members. Parton-clients are more favorable in social networks because there not fully involved with the plan. Bureaucratic model are vulnerable to cops  because upper management is stricter. The patron-client provides information for the job. For instance, the investigator will provide the client information so the whereabouts will not be an issue making the job easier to perform. In conclusion, each model has its expression of criminal cooperation with different socioeconomic conditions and law enforcement strategies to avoid media attention. Crime groups are broken down into different characteristics. Members of organized crime groups normally attack public officials and law enforcement agents. . Understanding organized crime is important because it gives the government the ability to know how they work so can be bought to a stop. References Connor, O. (2012). Organized Crime Investigation. Retrieved from http:// http://www.drtomoconnor.com/3220lect07a.htm/ Mallory, S. (2007). Understanding Organized Crime. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers

Black House Chapter Six

6 IN THE READY ROOM of the French Landing P.D., the phone on the desk rings. Bobby Dulac has been mining for nose-gold. Now he squashes his latest treasure on the sole of his shoe and picks up the phone. â€Å"Yell-o, Police Department, Officer Dulac speaking, how can I help you?† â€Å"Hey, Bobby. It's Danny Tcheda.† Bobby feels a prink of unease. Danny Tcheda last name pronounced Cheetah is one of French Landing's fourteen full-time RMP cops. He's currently on duty, and ordinary procedure dictates that duty cops radio in that's what the R in RMP stands for, after all. The only exception to the rule has to do with the Fisherman. Dale has mandated that patrol officers call in on a landline if they think they have a situation involving the killer. Too many people have their ears on out there, doubtless including Wendell â€Å"Pisshead† Green. â€Å"Danny, what's up?† â€Å"Maybe nothing, maybe something not so good. I got a bike and a sneaker in the trunk of my car. I found 'em over on Queen Street. Near Maxton Elder Care?† Bobby draws a pad toward him and begins to jot. The tickle of unease has become a sinking feeling. â€Å"Nothing wrong with the bike,† Danny continues, â€Å"just sitting there on its kickstand, but combined with the sneaker . . .† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I see your point, Danny, but you never should have fooled with what could be evidence of a crime.† Please God don't let it be evidence of a crime, Bobby Dulac is thinking. Please God don't let it be another one. Irma Freneau's mother has just been in to see Dale, and while there was no screaming or shouting, she came out with tears on her cheeks and looking like death on the half shell. They can't still be sure the little girl has become the Fisherman's third victim, but â€Å"Bobby, I had to,† Danny is saying. â€Å"I'm ridin' solo, I didn't want to put this out on the air, I hadda find a phone. If I'd left the bike there, someone else coulda monkeyed with it. Hell, stolen it. This is a good bike, Schwinn three-speed. Better'n the one my kid's got, tell you that.† â€Å"What's your twenty?† â€Å"7-Eleven, up the hill on 35. What I did was mark the location of the bike and the sneaker with chalk X's on the sidewalk. I handled them with gloves and put the sneaker in an evidence bag.† Danny is sounding more and more anxious. Bobby knows how he must feel, sympathizes with the choices Danny had to make. Riding solo is a bitch, but French Landing is already supporting as many cops full-time and part-time as the budget will bear. Unless, of course, this Fisherman business gets totally out of control; in that case, the town fathers will no doubt discover a bit more elastic in the budget. Maybe it's already out of control, Bobby thinks. â€Å"Okay, Danny. Okay. See your point.† Whether or not Dale sees it is a whole ‘nother thing, Bobby thinks. Danny lowers his voice. â€Å"No one needs to know I broke the chain of evidence, do they? I mean, if the subject ever came up. In court, or something.† â€Å"I guess that's up to Dale.† Oh God, Bobby thinks. A new problem has just occurred to him. All calls that come in on this phone are automatically taped. Bobby decides the taping machinery is about to have a malfunction, retroactive to about two o'clock in the afternoon. â€Å"And you want to know the other thing?† Danny is asking. â€Å"The big thing? I didn't want people to see it. A bike standing all by itself that way, you don't have to be Sherlock Fucking Holmes to draw a certain conclusion. And folks're getting close to the panic line, especially after that goddamned irresponsible story in the paper this morning. I didn't want to call from Maxton's for the same reason.† â€Å"I'm gonna put you on hold. You better talk to Dale.† In a vastly unhappy voice, Danny says: â€Å"Oh boy.† In Dale Gilbertson's office there is a bulletin board dominated by enlarged photographs of Amy St. Pierre and Johnny Irkenham. A third photo will be added soon, he fears that of Irma Freneau. Beneath the two current photos, Dale sits at his desk, smoking a Marlboro 100. He's got the fan on. It will, he hopes, blow the smoke away. Sarah would just about kill him if she knew he was smoking again, but dear Jesus Christ, he needs something. His interview with Tansy Freneau had been short and nothing short of purgatorial. Tansy is a juicer, a regular patron of the Sand Bar, and during their interview the smell of coffee brandy was so strong it almost seemed to be coming out of her pores (another excuse for the fan). Half drunk, she had been, and Dale was glad. It kept her calm, at least. It didn't put any sparkle in her dead eyes, coffee brandy was no good for that, but she had been calm. Hideously, she had even said â€Å"Thank you for helping me, sir† before leaving. Tansy's ex Irma's father lives across the state in Green Bay (â€Å"Green Bay is the devil's town,† Dale's father used to say, God knows why), where he works in a garage and, according to Tansy, supports several bars with names like the End Zone and the Fifty-Yard Line. Until today, there has been some reason to believe at least to hope that Richard â€Å"Cubby† Freneau snatched his daughter. An e-mail from the Green Bay Police Department has put paid to that little idea. Cubby Freneau is living with a woman who has two kids of her own, and he was in jail D & D the day Irma disappeared. There is still no body, and Tansy hasn't received a letter from the Fisherman, but The door opens. Bobby Dulac sticks his head in. Dale mashes his cigarette out on the inside lip of the wastebasket, burning the back of his hand with sparks in the process. â€Å"Gosh ‘n' fishes, Bobby, do you know how to knock?† â€Å"Sorry, Chief.† Bobby looks at the smoke ribboning up from the wastebasket with neither surprise nor interest. â€Å"Danny Tcheda's on the phone. I think you better take it.† â€Å"What's it about?† But he knows. Why else would it be the phone? Bobby only repeats, not without sympathy, â€Å"I think you better take it.† The car sent by Rebecca Vilas delivers Henry to Maxton Elder Care at three-thirty, ninety minutes before the Strawberry Fest! dance is scheduled to begin. The idea is for the old folks to work up an appetite on the floor, then troop down to the caff suitably decorated for the occasion for a glamorously late (seven-thirty is quite late for Maxton's) dinner. With wine, for those who drink it. A resentful Pete Wexler has been drafted by Rebecca Vilas to bring in the deejay's shit (Pete thinks of Henry as â€Å"the blind record-hopper†). Said shit consists of two speakers (very large), one turntable (light, but awkward as a motherfucker to carry), one preamp (very heavy), assorted wires (all tangled up, but that's the blind record-hopper's problem), and four boxes of actual records, which went out of style about a hundred years ago. Pete guesses that the blind record-hopper never heard a CD in his whole life. The last item is a suit bag on a hanger. Pete has peeked in and ascertained that the suit is white. â€Å"Hang it in there, please,† Henry says, pointing with unerring accuracy toward the supply closet that has been designated his dressing room. â€Å"Okay,† Pete says. â€Å"What exactly is it, if you don't mind me asking?† Henry smiles. He knows perfectly well that Pete has already had a peep. He heard the plastic bag rattling and the zipper chinking in a duet that only occurs when someone pulls the bag away from the hanger at the neck. â€Å"Inside that bag, my friend, Symphonic Stan, the Big-Band Man, is just waiting for me to put him on and bring him to life.† â€Å"Oh, uh-huh,† Pete says, not knowing if he has been answered or not. All he's really sure of is that those records were almost as heavy as the preamp. Someone should really give the blind record-hopper some information about CDs, the next great leap forward. â€Å"You asked me one; may I ask you one?† â€Å"Be my guest,† Pete says. â€Å"There appears to have been a police presence at Maxton Elder Care this afternoon,† the blind record-hopper says. â€Å"They're gone now, but they were here when I arrived. What's that about? There hasn't been a robbery or an assault among the geriatrics, I hope?† Pete stops in his tracks beneath a large cardboard strawberry, holding the suit bag and looking at the blind record-hopper with an amazement Henry can almost touch. â€Å"How'd you know the cops were here?† Henry puts a finger to the side of his nose and tips his head to one side. He replies in a hoarse, conspiratorial whisper. â€Å"Smelled something blue.† Pete looks puzzled, debates whether or not to inquire further, and decides not to. Resuming his march toward the supply closet?Cdressing room, he says: â€Å"They're playing it cagey, but I think they're looking for another lost kid.† The look of amused curiosity fades from Henry's face. â€Å"Good Christ,† he says. â€Å"They came and went in a hurry. No kids here, Mr . . . uh, Leyden?† â€Å"Leyden,† Henry confirms. â€Å"A kid in this place would stand out like a rose in a patch of poison ivy, if you know what I mean.† Henry doesn't consider old folks in any way analogous to poison ivy, but he does indeed get Mr. Wexler's drift. â€Å"What made them think ?† â€Å"Someone found sumpin' on the sidewalk,† Pete says. He points out the window, then realizes the blind guy can't see him pointing. Duh, as Ebbie would say. He lowers his hand. â€Å"If a kid got snatched, someone probably came along in a car and snatched him. No kidnapers in here, I can tell you that much.† Pete laughs at the very idea of a Maxton moldy oldie snatching any kid big enough to ride a bike. The kid would probably break the guy over his knee like a dry stick. â€Å"No,† Henry says soberly, â€Å"that hardly seems likely, does it?† â€Å"But I guess the cops got to dot all the t's and cross all the i's.† He pauses. â€Å"That's just a little joke of mine.† Henry smiles politely, thinking that with some people, Alzheimer's disease might be an actual improvement. â€Å"When you hang my suit up, Mr. Wexler, would you be so good as to give it a gentle shake? Just to banish any incipient wrinkles?† â€Å"Okay. Want me to take it out of the bag forya?† â€Å"Thanks, that won't be necessary.† Pete goes into the supply closet, hangs up the suit bag, and gives it a little shake. Incipient, just what the hell does that mean? There's a rudiment of a library here at Maxton's; maybe he'll look it up in the dictionary. It pays to increase your word power, as it says in the Reader's Digest, although Pete doubts it will pay him much in this job. When he goes back out to the common room, the blind record-hopper Mr. Leyden, Symphonic Stan, whoever the hell he is has begun unraveling wires and plugging them in with a speed and accuracy Pete finds a trifle unnerving. Poor old Fred Marshall is having a terrible dream. Knowing it's a dream should make it less horrible but somehow doesn't. He's in a rowboat with Judy, out on a lake. Judy is sitting in the bow. They are fishing. He is, at least; Judy is just holding her pole. Her face is an expressionless blank. Her skin is waxy. Her eyes have a stunned, hammered look. He labors with increasing desperation to make contact with her, trying one conversational gambit after another. None work. To make what is, under the circumstances, a fairly apt metaphor, she spits every lure. He sees that her empty eyes appear fixed on the creel sitting between them in the bottom of the boat. Blood is oozing through the wickerwork in fat red dribbles. It's nothing, just fishblood, he tries to assure her, but she makes no reply. In fact, Fred isn't so sure himself. He's thinking he ought to take a look inside the creel, just to be sure, when his pole gives a tremendous jerk if not for quick reflexes, he would have lost it over the side. He's hooked a big one! Fred reels it in, the fish on the other end of the line fighting him for every foot. Then, when he finally gets it near the boat, he realizes he has no net. Hell with it, he thinks, go for broke. He whips the pole backward, just daring the line to snap, and the fish biggest goddamned lake trout you'd ever hope to see flies out of the water and through the air in a gleaming, fin-flipping arc. It lands in the bottom of the boat (beside the oozing creel, in fact) and begins thrashing. It also begins to make gruesome choking noises. Fred has never heard a fish make noises like that. He bends forward and is horrified to see that the trout has Tyler's face. His son has somehow become a weretrout, and now he's dying in the bottom of the boat. Strangling. Fred grabs at it, wanting to remove the hook and throw it back while there's still time, but the terrible choking thing keeps slipping through his fingers, leaving only a shiny slime of scales behind. It would be tough to get the hook out, in any case. The Ty-fish has swallowed it whole, and the barbed tip is actually protruding from one of the gills, just below the point where the human face melts away. Ty's choking becomes louder, harsher, infinitely more horrible Fred sits up with a low cry, feeling as if he's choking himself. For a moment he's completely adrift as to place and time lost in the slippage, we might say and then he realizes he's in his own bedroom, sitting up on his side of the bed he shares with Judy. He notices that the light in here is much dimmer, because the sun has moved to the other side of the house. My God, he thinks, how long have I been asleep? How could I Oh, but here is another thing: that hideous choking sound has followed him out of his dream. It's louder than ever. It will wake Judy, scare her Judy is no longer on the bed, though. â€Å"Jude? Judy?† She's sitting in the corner. Her eyes are wide and blank, just as they were in his dream. A corsage of crumpled paper is protruding from her mouth. Her throat is grotesquely swelled, looks to Fred like a sausage that has been grilled until the casing is ready to pop. More paper, he thinks. Christ, she's choking on it. Fred rolls himself across the bed, falls off, and lands on his knees like a gymnast doing a trick. He reaches for her. She makes no move to evade him. There's that, at least. And although she's choking, he still sees no expression in her eyes. They are dusty zeros. Fred yanks the corsage of paper from her mouth. There's another behind it. Fred reaches between her teeth, tweezes this second ball of paper between the first two fingers of his right hand (thinking Please don't bite me, Judy, please don't), and pulls it out, too. There's a third ball of paper behind this one, way at the back of her mouth. He gets hold of this one as well, and extracts it. Although it's crumpled, he can see the printed words GREAT IDEA, and knows what she's swallowed: sheets of paper from the notepad Ty gave her for her birthday. She's still choking. Her skin is turning slate. Fred grabs her by her upper arms and pulls her up. She comes easily, but when he relaxes his hold her knees bend and she starts to go back down. She's turned into Raggedy Ann. The choking sound continues. Her sausage throat â€Å"Help me, Judy! Help me, you bitch!† Unaware of what he is saying. He yanks her hard as hard as he yanked the fishing pole in his dream and spins her around like a ballerina when she comes up on her toes. Then he seizes her in a bear hug, his wrists brushing the undersides of her breasts, her bottom tight against his crotch, the kind of position he would find extremely sexy if his wife didn't happen to be choking to death. He pops his thumb up between her breasts like a hitchhiker, then says the magic word as he pulls sharply upward and backward. The magic word is Heimlich, and it works. Two more wads of paper fly from Judy's mouth, propelled by a jet of vomit that is little more than bile her intake of food over the last twelve hours amounts to three cups of coffee and a cranberry muffin. She gives a gasp, coughs twice, then begins to breathe more or less normally. He puts her on the bed . . . drops her on the bed. His lower back is spasming wildly, and it's really no wonder; first Ty's dresser, now this. â€Å"Well, what did you think you were doing?† he asks her loudly. â€Å"What in the name of Christ did you think you were doing?† He realizes that he has raised one hand over Judy's upturned face as if to strike her. Part of him wants to strike her. He loves her, but at this moment he also hates her. He has imagined plenty of bad things over the years they've been married Judy getting cancer, Judy paralyzed in an accident, Judy first taking a lover and then demanding a divorce but he has never imagined Judy going chickenshit on him, and isn't that what this amounts to? â€Å"What did you think you were doing?† She looks at him without fear . . . but without anything else, either. Her eyes are dead. Her husband lowers his hand, thinking: I'd cut it off before I hit you. I might be pissed at you, I am pissed at you, but I'd cut it off before I did that. Judy rolls over, face-down on the coverlet, her hair spread around her head in a corona. â€Å"Judy?† Nothing. She just lies there. Fred looks at her for a moment, then uncrumples one of the slimy balls of paper with which she has tried to strangle herself. It is covered with tangles of scribbled words. Gorg, abbalah, eeleelee, munshun, bas, lum, opopanax: these mean nothing to him. Others drudge, asswipe, black, red, Chicago, and Ty are actual words but have no context. Printed up one side of the sheet is IF YOU'VE GOT PRINCE ALBERT IN A CAN, HOW CAN YOU EVER GET HIM OUT? Up the other, like a teletype stuck in repeat mode, is this: BLACK HOUSE CRIMSON KING BLACK HOUSE CRIMSON KING BLACK If you waste time looking for sense in this, you're as crazy as she is, Fred thinks. You can't waste time Time. He looks at the clock on his side of the bed and cannot believe its news: 4:17 P.M. Is that possible? He looks at his watch and sees that it is. Knowing it's foolish, knowing he would have heard his son come in even if in a deep sleep, Fred strides to the door on big nerveless legs. â€Å"Ty!† he yells. â€Å"Hey, Ty! TYLER!† Waiting for an answer that will not come, Fred realizes that everything in his life has changed, quite possibly forever. People tell you this can happen in the blink of an eye, they say, before you know it, they say but you don't believe it. Then a wind comes. Go down to Ty's room? Check? Be sure? Ty isn't there Fred knows this but he does it just the same. The room is empty, as he knew it would be. And it looks oddly distorted, almost sinister, with the dresser now on the other side. Judy. You left her alone, you idiot. She'll be chewing paper again by now, they're clever, mad people are clever Fred dashes back down to the master bedroom and exhales a sigh of relief when he sees Judy lying just as he left her, face-down, hair spread around her head. He discovers that his worries about his mad wife are now secondary to his worries about his missing son. He'll be home by four, at the latest . . . take it to the bank. So he had thought. But four has come and gone. A strong wind has arisen and blown the bank away. Fred walks to his side of the bed and sits down beside his wife's splayed right leg. He picks up the phone and punches in a number. It's an easy number, only three digits. â€Å"Yell-o, Police Department, Officer Dulac speaking, you've dialed 911, do you have an emergency?† â€Å"Officer Dulac, this is Fred Marshall. I'd like to speak to Dale, if he's still there.† Fred is pretty sure Dale is. He works late most nights, especially since He pushes the rest away, but inside his head the wind blows harder. Louder. â€Å"Gee, Mr. Marshall, he's here, but he's in a meeting and I don't think I can â€Å" â€Å"Get him.† â€Å"Mr. Marshall, you're not hearing me. He's in with two guys from the WSP and one from the FBI. If you could just tell me â€Å" Fred closes his eyes. It's interesting, isn't it? Something interesting here. He called in on the 911 line, but the idiot on the other end seems to have forgotten that. Why? Because it's someone he knows. It's good old Fred Marshall, bought a Deere lawn tractor from him just the year before last. Must have dialed 911 because it was easier than looking up the regular number. Because no one Bobby knows can actually have an emergency. Fred remembers having a similar idea himself that morning a different Fred Marshall, one who believed that the Fisherman could never touch his son. Not his son. Ty's gone.Gorg fascinated him and the abbalah took him. â€Å"Hello? Mr. Marshall? Fred? Are you still â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me,† Fred says, his eyes still closed. Down at Goltz's, he would be calling the man on the other end Bobby by now, but Goltz's has never seemed so far away; Goltz's is in the star-system Opopanax, on Planet Abbalah. â€Å"Listen to me carefully. Write it down if you have to. My wife has gone mad and my son is missing. Do you understand those things? Wife mad. Son missing. Now put me through to the chief!† But Bobby Dulac doesn't, not right away. He has made a deduction. A more diplomatic police officer ( Jack Sawyer as he was in his salad days, for instance) would have kept said deduction to himself, but Bobby can't do that. Bobby has hooked a big one. â€Å"Mr. Marshall? Fred? Your son doesn't own a Schwinn, does he? Three-speed Schwinn, red? Got a novelty license plate that reads . . . uh . . . BIG MAC?† Fred cannot answer. For several long and terrible moments he cannot even draw a breath. Between his ears, the wind blows both louder and harder. Now it's a hurricane. Gorg fascinated him . . . the abbalah took him. At last, just when it seems he will begin to strangle himself, his chest unlocks and he takes in a huge, tearing breath. â€Å"PUT CHIEF GIL-BERTSONON!DOITNOW,YOUMOTHERFUCKER!† Although he shrieks this at the top of his lungs, the woman lying face-down on the coverlet beside him never moves. There is a click. He's on hold. Not for long, but it's long enough for him to see the scratched, bald place on his missing son's bedroom wall, the swelled column of his mad wife's throat, and blood dribbling through the creel in his dream. His back spasms cruelly, and Fred welcomes the pain. It's like getting a telegram from the real world. Then Dale is on the phone, Dale is asking him what's wrong, and Fred Marshall begins to cry.

ACT

Is Online Tutoring As Good As In-Person Tutoring For The SAT/ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You know you want tutoring...but what kind of tutoring should you go for? How can you really figure out if online tutoring is as good as in-person tutoring? You asked for it, you got it: a side-by-side comparison of online tutoring and in-person tutoring. And by side-by-side, I mean listed vertically, one after the other. I’ll go into where each method excels†¦and where each method falls short.

My Success Plan Essays

My Success Plan Essays My Success Plan Essay My Success Plan Essay My Success Plan Name: Course: Date: My Success Plan Step one: Defining a mission and vision statement In launching my business when I am ready, the first step is creating a mission and vision statement, which I will intend to achieve. The mission statement will define my business, its purpose of existence, its primary customers, products and services that I will offer. The main purpose of the mission statement will be defining the purpose of my business. With a mission, I will be in a position to know what is important for the business and what is not (Pinson Jinnett, 2006). It further creates a sense of direction by providing me with a focus. On the other hand, the vision statement will be the image of the business in the future. It will be articulating the hopes and dreams I have for the future and stating where I wish to be in the future. With vision and mission statement, I will be having a clear picture of my business purpose and future. With this, I will focus my resources towards attaining them. The mission and vision statement will help me with business planning. Step 2: defining goals and objectives The second step toward the success of my business would be defining the goals and objectives upon which I will dedicate my resources. The goals and objectives shall be aligned to the vision and mission statement. The goals will be broad statements stating what I intend to achieve in the long-term future. This will direct my planning and decision-making (Pinson Jinnett, 2006). The objectives will state specific targets achievable within a certain predetermined period. The objectives will be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-specific. The objectives will act as the steps towards achieving the goals. The goals and objectives will help me in stating what I want to achieve and when the achievement should be attained. This will be quite helpful in establishing a plan for attaining the overall goal that is the mission. Additionally, this will provide a focus of the business (Ehmke Akridge, n.d). Step 3: analyzing the market In this step, I will describe the market in which the business will exist. In this process, I will discuss the market aspects such as the targeted customers, competition, market characteristics and the means to gain a competitive advantage. Within this step, I will analyze and narrow down the potential customers to those who are likely to buy the product. Some of the issues to consider about customers will be whether they are local, national, international o global in order to know how to reach the customers (Ehmke Akridge, n.d). The age of the customers, gender, lifestyle and income in order to help in pricing and putting the right features to serve the different customers. Other considerations can include religion and social background. The other issue to consider about the market is its characteristics. For characteristics, some of the factors to consider can be analyzed using porter’s five forces model. The factors include supplier power, buyer power, and barrier to entra nts, rivalry and legal regulations. With a market analysis, I will be aware what I will expect and the needs to enter the market. Step 4: Competitor analysis After the market analysis, I will analyze the competition. This will entail conducting a detailed review of the competitors by considering such aspects such as market share, marketing plan, pricing, customer relationship, strengths and products (Ehmke Akridge, n.d). This will also require defining the close competitors and their nature considering not all will pose direct competition while some that may not be obvious could pose stiff competition such as shopping malls. From each of the competitors, a SWOT analysis will be conducted in order to identify their weaknesses upon which to take advantage. It is essential to understand the operations and strategies of competitors in order to make a stand within relative terms among the competitors as well as know how to compete competitively. Step 5: establishing a marketing plan Any business requires marketing itself to the customers in order to create awareness to the people about its operations, products and services. A marketing plan will focus on four areas, which include the products and services offered, pricing, promotion efforts, and distribution. In this section, the products and services will be defined in details as well as their function, benefits, what they offer and their distinguishing features. Features should include its color, size shape, cost and its abilities (Morris, 2011). Other aspects could include packaging, support and warranties. Pricing will concern the strategy used to price the products and services. Some of the issues that will be considered during pricing are costs of operating the business, competitions and goals of the business. Some of the strategies to be considered include scheming, mark up cost, and penetration pricing. Distribution will describe the way the products and services will be distributed to the customers. It also defines the geographical area to be covered. The decisions within this factor will focus on the distributions channels and methods in order to avail the products and services to the customers within the required time. Finally, promotional efforts will focus on communicating to the customers about the value of the products and services offered. It will target on availing information to the targeted customers (Morris, 2011). Step 6: Operation plan This will involve defining ownership, organization structure, management, production a resources and legal issues. The aim of the operation plan is to state the plans that will be undertaken in order to achieve the purpose of the business. This will include the production methods, processes within the organization, decision-making, flow of information and other operations that ensure seamless flow of work within the business (Covello Hazelgren, 2006). Step 7: the financing plan This step will deal with the sources of finance. Considering every business requires capital for commencing as well as operational finance to handle the budget, a plan will be necessary in order to succeed. This will concern with available sources of finance, emergency sources, how to repay in case it is a loan. Additionally, it will concern with forecasting costs that will be incurred as well as expected cash flows. This will be the final step before an executive summary is written to summarize all the points and placed at the start of the plan. References Covello, J.A. Hazelgren, B.J. (2006). The Complete Book of Business Plans: Simple Steps to Writing Powerful Business Plans. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc Ehmke, C., Akridge, J. (n.d). The Elements of a Business Plan: First Steps for New Entrepreneurs. Purdue University. Morris, M. (2011). Starting a Successful Business: Choose a Business, Plan Your Business, Manage Operations. New York, N.Y: Kogan Page Publishers Pinson, L. Jinnett, J. (2006). Steps to Small Business Start-Up. Kaplan, L.A: Kaplan Publishing.

Simple Rules for Rounding Numbers Correctly

Simple Rules for Rounding Numbers Correctly Rounding numbers is important to preserve significant figures in calculations and to record long numbers. In everyday life, rounding is useful in calculating a tip at a restaurant and dividing the bill among diners. or in estimating the amount of cash required for a trip to the grocery store. When rounding whole numbers there are two rules to remember: First, you must understand the term rounding digit. When asked to round to the closest 10, your ​rounding digit is the second number from the right, or 10s place, when working with whole numbers. When asked to round to the nearest hundred, the third place from the right is the rounding digit or 100s place. Rules for Rounding Whole Numbers Determine what your rounding digit is and look to the right side of it. If the digit is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, do not change the rounding digit. All digits that are on the right-hand side of the requested rounding digit will become 0.If the digit is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, your rounding digit rounds up by one number. All digits that are on the right-hand side of the requested rounding digit will become 0. Rounding Rules for Decimal Numbers Determine what your rounding digit is and look to the right side of it. If that digit is 4, 3, 2, or 1, simply drop all digits to the right of it.If that digit is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 add one to the rounding digit and drop all digits to the right of it. Some teachers prefer another method, which provides more accuracy and is sometimes referred to as the Bankers Rule. When the first digit dropped is 5 and there are no digits following or the digits following are zeros, make the preceding digit even (i.e., round off to the nearest even digit). Following this rule, 2.315 and 2.325 both round to 2.32- instead of 2.325 rounding up to 2.33- when rounded off to the nearest 100th. The rationale for the third rule is that approximately half of the time the number will be rounded up and the other half of the time it will be rounded down. Examples of How to Round Numbers 765.3682 becomes: 1,000 when asked to round to the nearest 1,000800 when asked to round to the nearest 100770 when asked to round to the nearest 10765 when asked to round to the nearest one (1)765.4 when asked to round to the nearest 10th765.37 when asked to round to the nearest 100th765.368 when asked to round to the nearest (1,000th) Rounding comes in handy when you are about to leave a tip at a restaurant. Lets say your bill is $48.95. One rule of thumb is to round to $50 and leave a 15 percent tip. To quickly figure out the tip, say that $5 is 10 percent, and to reach 15 percent you need to add half of that, which is $2.50, bringing the tip to $7.50. If you want to round up again, leave $8- if the service was good, that is.

Ignition Systems and Electrical Theory (Aircraft Powerplants) Essay

Ignition Systems and Electrical Theory (Aircraft Powerplants) - Essay Example Several parts of the electrical theory of operation are difficult to understand. I least understood the ignition systems for gas turbine engines for the reason that the spark discharge of a turbine ignition system is superior and potent than the spark in an automobile engine (Tooley and Wyatt, 2009). A number of sparks are necessary to guarantee fast and consistent engine starts although a singular good spark will start combustion of the fuel/air combination in a turbine engines combustor. The different types of DC input turbine engine ignition exciter makes it difficult to know the required number of sparks. In addition, at times, the engine needs to be relit at some stage in an in-flight shutdown, and I found it difficult to understand exactly when the ignition systems job is complete. This part of the electric theory of operation requires mastery to ensure fluency of operations. The operation is also necessary when the next operational sequence of the aircrafts auxiliary power unit (APU) or turbine main engines starts once

The role of the neuromuscular system on work and exercise Essay

The role of the neuromuscular system on work and exercise - Essay Example A nerve impulse from the brain travels through the nerve and cause the release of acetylcholine at the nerve junction. This chemical is picked by chemical receptors in the muscle that effect the movement. Hypertensive individuals are treated with calcium blockers and catecholamine blockers. These drugs protect the hart from heart attacks by neither blocking the action of nor adrenaline which initiates the flight or fight response. They block the reception of stress hormones such as epinephrine weakening their effects. This reduces hypertension. Nevertheless, this also has some adverse effect on the individual because it blocks the absorption of calcium to the ones. As a result, the individual taking the treatment has a high risk of developing ostereoporosis. The motor skills of the patients are also adversely affected because of reduced calcium in the bones. As a result, this type of medicine is not good for physically active individuals or athletes as it affects their performance. This is because they block the uptake of oxygen and make exercise to be more strenuous. Some patients may even stop taking the drugs. Calcium channel blockers also have adverse effects on skeletal movements. They inhibit the movement of calcium inwards by slowed channels into the heart, blood vessels allowing the heart to pump blood more easily and increasing the width of the blood vessels. As such, the heart doe not strain in pumping blood lowering the blood pressure. Increase in intercellular concentration of calcium results in eccentric contraction that causes damage in the skeletal muscles by damaging the muscle protein structure (Blottner & Salanova 2010). The damage arises from increased resting calcium, profound loss of involuntary ad voluntary muscles and increase in intracellular calcium concentration. Caffeine is a mild stimulant. It effects as a stimulant and affects brain activity. Caffeine is quickly absorbed by the body the moment

Sleep and sleep disturbance factors among critically ill patients Research Paper - 1

Sleep and sleep disturbance factors among critically ill patients - Research Paper Example The process of adaptation was labeled general since it is argued to be produced by agents with general effect. Adaptive involves stimulation that helps in the maintenance of state of inurement. At alarm stage, generalized stimulation of the nervous system is believed to be automatic stimulation in the initial stages of the alarm reaction. An occurrence of nonspecific breakdown takes place at this stage. Nevertheless, a counter shock phase is recorded if the stressor continues (Nevid, 2009). This stage is characterized by increased heart beat rate, blood pressure, and alertness among others. On the other hand, resistance stage occurs when there is a reduction in the alarm reaction. This is where developmental adaptation takes place. Even with the stress is noted, at this stage, there is an immense attempt to maintain proper functioning of the body (Hesson & Olpin, 2013). In the last stage, exhaustion stage, if the organism is unable to get back into its normal status, the stage of exhaustion takes place. At this point, the initial characteristics of the alarm stage occur while there little effort to counter the stressor. It is apparent that sleep disturbances are connected to some stressors. Critically ill patients are susceptive to external factors that interacts the patient during the sleep (Berry, et al, 2005). For instance, environmental factors such as noise and light could be termed as sleep disturbance. It is apparent that noise is a stressor that causes sleep disturbance not only to sick persons, but also to health people. In fact, when there is noise around, one is not able to maintain the sleep as the nervous system is disturbed. This alarms the patient and forces him to be awake for as long as the stressor persists (Berry, et al, 2005). For some people, it is possible for them to resist the stressor and continue sleeping. This is mostly noted to people

Strategies in Teaching L2 Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategies in Teaching L2 Writing - Essay Example There is heightened cognitive interference when these procedures are jumbled with second language processing cognitive mechanisms. The degree of interference varies depending on a student’s proficiency level whereby students with a higher proficiency level have less interference, and the reverse holds true for students with a lower proficiency level. More often than not, L2 learners depend on their L1 writing to gain proficiency in their L2 writing; however, the extent of usage also varies based on the level of proficiency. L2 learners with a high proficiency level rely on their L1 writing skills less due to their heightened L2 knowledge, which in turn gives them the autonomy to sustain the writing process without the risk of a complete breakdown. This is far from the case for lower L2 proficiency learners, a factor that has triggered scholars’ interest in researching teaching strategies designed to help the former develop proficiency despite their drawbacks. These stra tegies vary among scholars; for example, for Cuming and Uzawa (1989), they included two distinct strategies- â€Å"lowering the standard†, and â€Å"keeping the standard†. The former allowed instructors to teach L2 writing within a reasonable timeframe while utilizing minimal mental effort; it included strategies such as simplification of syntax, and reduction of information among others. On the other hand, the latter strategy allowed instructors to teach L2 writing by maintaining the standards achieved by learners in L1 writing; it included strategies such as extensive revision (Uzawa, and Cuming, 1989). In contemporary society, technology continues to play a vital role in students’ acquisition of L2 writing. Explored in this essay is the use of technology in teaching L2 writing, impact of the educational environment, teaching strategies used for lower proficiency L2 writing learners, and the effect of peer and

Can the aesthetic give us insights into the nature of International Essay

Can the aesthetic give us insights into the nature of International politics How - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of aesthetics as the philosophical branch of inquiry that deals with principles underlying and guiding the work of art, beauty, perception, and appreciation. As a philosophy, aesthetics refers to the study of sensory values. Aesthetics deals more with seeing and sensing the world due to its ability to assume sensory levels and collective agreements regarding a contemporary matter such as international politics and beauty. Since aesthetic depends on factors like time and culture, this research paper will seek to assess whether aesthetic us the insights into the nature of international politics. It will resolve to determine, if yes, how it can give those insights. Since aesthetics is a philosophical branch studying creations, it can help us get insights into international politics since there are created and formed organizations, corporations, and societies internationally. The whole globe is feasible through created worldwide international communication systems regulated by international organizations like International Telecommunication Union, Universal Postal Union, and Intergovernmental Copyright Committee that exercises worldwide connection and integration by means of radio broadcasting, televising material, transferred mails, and books. The world also composes of created global systems of transportation that involves international airlines that operate under the watch of International Civil Aviation Organization. Additionally, the world, through formation, has internationally regulated social norms that encompass a variety of states and international groups’ interaction. All these integral relations show the will of aesthetic in international politics because aesthetic provides a strategic platform for philosophical evaluation of sensory values (Holloway and Beck, 2005:79). As a result, diplomats and signatories are undertaking the policy of creating international value for each other’s potent abili ty. Aesthetics revolve around our senses and our responses towards objects, ideas, and agreements. Therefore, it is giving us insights into international politics since we can see, hear, and feel the sense of international relations where nations are formalizing many structural expectations, involving written international agreements and contracts or treaties bearing and defining the obligations and rights of the cosigners. The most recent philosophical research shows that, aesthetic is making it possible for us to have insights on international politics since it is presenting us with philosophical beauty of determining the importance of international organization. We can objectively point out that, through aesthetic, the world can see international representation of groups through formalization of balanced capabilities, interests, and members wills (Constantinou and Oliver, 2008:118). By use of this sense, we can understand that, an internationally created group is a point of equil ibrium where a balance of values and

Strategies in Teaching L2 Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategies in Teaching L2 Writing - Essay Example There is heightened cognitive interference when these procedures are jumbled with second language processing cognitive mechanisms. The degree of interference varies depending on a student’s proficiency level whereby students with a higher proficiency level have less interference, and the reverse holds true for students with a lower proficiency level. More often than not, L2 learners depend on their L1 writing to gain proficiency in their L2 writing; however, the extent of usage also varies based on the level of proficiency. L2 learners with a high proficiency level rely on their L1 writing skills less due to their heightened L2 knowledge, which in turn gives them the autonomy to sustain the writing process without the risk of a complete breakdown. This is far from the case for lower L2 proficiency learners, a factor that has triggered scholars’ interest in researching teaching strategies designed to help the former develop proficiency despite their drawbacks. These stra tegies vary among scholars; for example, for Cuming and Uzawa (1989), they included two distinct strategies- â€Å"lowering the standard†, and â€Å"keeping the standard†. The former allowed instructors to teach L2 writing within a reasonable timeframe while utilizing minimal mental effort; it included strategies such as simplification of syntax, and reduction of information among others. On the other hand, the latter strategy allowed instructors to teach L2 writing by maintaining the standards achieved by learners in L1 writing; it included strategies such as extensive revision (Uzawa, and Cuming, 1989). In contemporary society, technology continues to play a vital role in students’ acquisition of L2 writing. Explored in this essay is the use of technology in teaching L2 writing, impact of the educational environment, teaching strategies used for lower proficiency L2 writing learners, and the effect of peer and

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

English writing - Essay Example This paper will explore the manner in which the mass media influences the public opinion of the masses in the course of serving its primary core functions in society, namely informing, entertaining and educating the public. The primary role of the mass media in every society is to provide news and information to the public, in the true sense of the so-called ‘information age’ in the 21st century, which greatly shapes public opinion (Mujtaba). Since human beings are social beings, people all over the world are presently ruled by information communication technologies. Consequently, it is not unusual for the masses to turn to the various media outlets, particularly the TV, in search of news and information at the break of every dawn (Colistra 85). Inevitably, the numerous media outlets play a very vital role in the information communication chain by informing the masses about what is taking place in their environments. The news and information received through these media outlets shapes people’s thinking and perceptions concerning certain issues in society. Public opinion is very crucial in the implementation of public policy, especially regarding controversial issues affecting the ma sses. Biased media reporting can totally shift the scales in terms of whether a proposed policy will be accepted or refuted by the masses. Policy makers often seek to establish positive public opinions to favour certain pieces of legislation through mass media. in politics, media reporting can potentially turn the public opinion either in favour of or against a certain proposed public policy (McQuail 8). In the wake of the Iraqi assault by the US troops back in the year 2003, the media played a great role in shaping the public opinion of the masses regarding the war. The then Bush administration and Congress decried the perceived biased media representation of facts that was consequently shifting public opinion against the war (Baum & Potter 40).

Ghosts and Supernatural with close reference to The Woman in Black and Violet Car Essay Example for Free

Ghosts and Supernatural with close reference to The Woman in Black and Violet Car Essay Ghost stories are all about death and dying. They help us to understand what happens after we die. They try to build up peoples fear of death and dying. They use peoples fear to build up suspense. Sometimes the author of the book will use the characters in the book to keep the reader wondering, grieving people sometime imagine things and the author can use this to keep the reader interested in the book. The reader would be wondering if it is the imagination of the character or a real ghost. Often ghost stories are based on someones premature or violent death. Some stories can use this to add more fear, because it could be an ordinary person that gets killed. Sometimes the author writes as if it had happened to them, this could help the reader to believe the story more. The Violet Car is about the violent death of a young girl. The man that had killed Mr. Eldridges daughter was driving though the village in his violet car. He pulled up to Mr. Eldridge, and asked him for directions to Hexham. It was a foggy day, and Mr. Eldridge didnt like the driver so he told him that it was straight on, and the driver drove straight of the edge of a cliff. Mr. Eldridge was haunted with the pictures of the car driving off the cliff and everyday he saw it. The only way that he could stop the visions was to stop the car from driving off the edge of the cliff. Mr. Eldridge stood on the corner of the road to stop the car as it came round the corner, it hit Mr. Eldridge and knocked him to the ground. The cause of death was heart failure, but he was really killed by the same car that had killed his daughter. The Woman in Black is about a ghost that haunts Eel Marsh House, an isolated house with a very dark secret. There is a ghost of a young woman that lost her son on the marshes near Eel Marsh House, which haunts the house. Mr. Drablow, the previous owner, died and Arthur Kipps is sent to sort out every thing in the house and make sure all the legal documents are correct. The ghost is of a woman called Jennet Humfrye, who had a son but was not allowed to keep him so she gave him up to Alice Drablow. Jennet came to see here son all the time and one day the child had been out in the town and come back on a horse and cart, but it had gone off the tracks and into the marsh. Arthur hears noises on the marsh of people dying, drowning in the mud of the marshes. Every time the ghost is seen a baby dies, but when no child died they thought that the curse of the old house had ended, but Arthurs child and wife die in an accident and the woman in black was left to haunt Crythin Gifford. The books are similar in many aspects, they are both written in the first person. Writing in first person is a common practice by Authors to make the reader believe the story more. The Woman in Black is written as if you are Arthur and the Violet Car is written from the point of view of the nurse. They are similar because they both try and achieve the same thing, just using different techniques. Susan Hill keeps the readers attention by using short sharp sentences, whereas Edith Nesbit uses lots of descriptions to keep the attention of the reader. The Woman in Black uses lots of very good descriptive words; they are very good for working up the suspense even more. The Woman in Black and Violet Car are both based on grief, The Woman in Black is the grief of Jennet, the Violet Car is about Mr. Eldridge and the grief he had because he sent the car off the edge of the cliff. In The Woman in Black Susan Hill make an eerie atmosphere by using short onomatopoeic sentences such as, Bump. Bump. Pause. Bump. Bump. Pause. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump This kind of sentence helps to build up anticipation and anxiety. It is like you want to find out what is going to happen next but are too scared to find out. She does not use cliffhangers at the end of a chapter; however she does use them at the end of some paragraphs. The Violet Car is a very different book in that respect, Edith Nesbit writes in a different way to Susan Hill. E. Nesbit didnt write in short sentences; instead she told the story in a way that made you want to continue reading. Both the stories are traditional well told ghost stories that use different techniques to get the same result. They are both interesting and exciting and the kind of story that you dont want to put down because it is so full of suspense. I think that The Woman in Black is a better ghost story because a lot more happens in it and it has a more complex plot to the Violet Car, however The Woman in Black is a book whereas the Violet Car is a short story. The Woman in Black was described has Heartstoppingly chilling and I agree with this.

Skills Required to be an Effective Manager

Skills Required to be an Effective Manager Management skills express the belief that economic change can be made into the most powerful engine for human betterment and social justice (Drucker, 2007). A perfect manager is an asset for a company. A good manager should have the knowledge about functionality, processes and standard operating procedures of an organization. It is said that leaders are born leaders; some of us have that charisma by birth whereas there are some that needed to learn their way towards it. In this document we will discuss which skills should be there in a good manager? Which are the qualities being a manager we should have in order to ensure a smooth sailing at work? Lets discuss further what makes a good manager. To be an effective manager one should have leadership skills. There are many ways in which a person can tackle different situations through various leadership roles. A good leader should be a good guide as well. He should be able to guide his team to perform well. He should not dominate all the time. A good manager should also have a visionary sight for the assistances of the organisation. He should plan the future steps for the development of the company. One of the most noteworthy skills of a good manager is effective management of time. A leader should be able to plan the schedule and be able to equally divide the time between tasks. Such a person can be an asset for the organisation. A good manager should encourage the team to perform well to achieve the organisational goals effectively. He should encourage innovative ideas. If some of the members of the team are not performing well, he should tackle the situation with professionalism and should decide accordingly. Even in a disaster circumstances, a person with good managerial and leadership skills should be able to execute well. He should be mentally strong to handle any kind of situations. He should also be responsible enough to retain a good and friendly environment. A manager should be profound towards others in the workplace. A happy atmosphere would only lead to more productivity and profitability for the orgnisation. With these skills, a person can definitely strive to be a good manager and thus be an asset for any organization! Analysis of the Skills Skills are the abilities or talents that are required to perform a job functions (Truesdell, 1998 ). As we know that the recipe to become a good manager contains lots of ingredient and spices. Here in this document we will analyse one personal and one professional skill of a good manager. Some of the skills in human beings are God gifted and some we develop by learning and practice. Personal Skills Personal skill is an ability to understand and manage self, management of change, learning to learn, personal responsibility, aesthetic responsiveness and wellness. If a person cannot manage himself/herself as human being, so how can he/she manage anything else? When the children have a strong foundation of personal skills, they manage themselves and cooperate with others (Ellison, 2001 ). In this document I will analyse communication Skill as my personal skill, which is helping me a lot in my personal life and as well as in professional life. Communication Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly. Its also about receiving information that others are sending to you. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication. This awareness needs to be married with reflection on our experiences and adjustment where necessary in our style of communication (Ellis, 2009). The author is very fond of travelling and making new friends. Infect while one is travelling and communicating with people from different places and culture, it really helps to know others . By doing this we are making new friends, increasing our personal relationship and as well as enjoying the diversity of the cultures. For me earthquake in Pakistan in the year 2005 was a lession learnt. I was living in Islamabad the capital of Pakistan. When the earthquake shook the earth, the scenes were very horrible. I went to the local office of Red Cross and told them that I want to volunteer myself to go and serve the earthquake effecties. Because of my strong communication skills I had many friends and I also took them to the Red Cross to serve as volunteers. Many of my friends are still working for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Thus I used my personal communication skill to help my own nation and to help my own people. By communicating better we can quickly and easily resolve the minor and bigger issues of our personal life. In addition by better communication we can help other in time and can be beneficial for our friends and companions. Professional Skill Most professional skills are outlined and regulated by the professional association of that particular field e.g. Engineers have their own professional associations that deal with specific skill requirements at each level of development. Professional skills differ from profession to profession but there are some basic professional skill which goes on with all the professions. Lets analyse one of the general professional skill. The development of professional skills, requires practice, experience, role mentorship and evaluative feedback (Kasar E., 2000) Presentation It is important to work hard and finish or complete your work on time or before time. But more important is to present that work to others. If one is working hard but he/she is not presenting himself/herself in a presentable manner, then he/she cannot excel in his/her career. I would like to share my experience of coming to UK. When I landed at the airport I was accompanied by the lots of Asian students. Most of them were very much afraid and were looking confused. Because they were looking confused, the entry clearance officer was putting more questions to them. Because of their appearance and bad presentation many of them were on hold at the airport. On the other hand I was composed and confident; I went to the visa officer, greeted him and gave him my documents and passport with a smile. Because of my better presentation and confidence the entry clearance officer granted me the entry without putting a single question. Actually, a great presentation is a combination of three elements: content, design and delivery (Rotondo Rotondo, 2001) Personal/Professional Skill Contributing In Organizational Strategy Skills play a vital role in an organizational setup. One can develop his career by employing and demonstrating personal and professional skills effectively. In the modern age skills play a vital role to develop your career. If you demonstrate good personal/professional skills with right attitude and direction, you will defiantly be rewarded. Personal skills shows that how well managed you are and when you come to work you can organize your work as you have managed yourself. As far as professional skills are concern they can be developed by training and practice. Normally the environment itself teaches you a lot to build up your institutional memory. It is better to understand what kind of professional skills are required for you to perform you duties and one should try to learn and practice those skills. Task2 SWOT Analysis of Personal Skills A SWOT analysis asks us to list all our perceived strengths and weaknesses in terms of skills attributes, interest, attitudes, likes and dislikes. At the same time we are asked to highlight any potential opportunities and threats that we may have to face (Thomas, 2007). Strengths Communication Skills Punctuality Weaknesses Dont like repetitions Unorganised Opportunities Personal Relationships Learn to manage self Threats Stress Key Findings from the SWOT Analysis As I mentioned good communication as my strength in the SWOT analysis, So by employing my strength of good communication skills I am able to clear many tests and interview. I have had built up personal relationship for my personal and organizational benefits. My other strengths like punctuality support my communication skill additionally to make a good impression on others. By communicating better I always have an opportunity to involve and attach with other easily, by doing that basically I am expanding the circle of my friends. As far as my weakness is concern, I dont like repetitions. I only understand the practical and logical things. I dont like repetitive tasks and this is the biggest reason of my casual lifestyle. SWOT Analysis of Professional Skills The SWOT analysis which includes the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats investigates internal and external as well as positive and negative factors of a corporation (Bohm, 2009). Strengths Leadership Presentation Quick decision maker Team player Weaknesses Bad in record keeping Bad in financial management Opportunities Can apply for management jobs after DMS Learn to manage documentation and self Threats Carelessness Overconfidence Key Findings from the SWOT Analysis As per SWOT analysis of my professional skills I am very good at presentation, leadership, decision making and teambuilding skills. Infect these are my core strengths throughout my career. I was working as a Network administrator in Pakistan and was designing, planning, implementing and maintaining the networking projects. Apart from technical issues I was managing and leading my team well. I always had this problem of mismanaging documentation and as well as the financial matters. Indeed it is really important for a manager to learn and improve to keep proper documentation and to keep the financial matter up to date and in proper order. Analysis of Personal/Professional Skills by Using Fishbone Diagram This is pictorial aid to some form of thinking formed and made popular by a renowned management guru by the name of Ishikawa. A typical base format of fishbone diagram is shown in the figure 1. Personal Skill Confusion or over concentration Losing interest 11th hour decisions Lack of attention Bad time Management Not having thing in writing Carelessness Casual lifestyle Too Many things to do Figure 1, Fishbone Diagram of personal skill In the diagram in figure1 a problem has been discussed. The author has a problem of bad time management. I have discussed different reasons and causes of bad time management which are self-explanatory. The most crucial is my casual lifestyle which I need to change immediately otherwise it will start shadowing on my professional career as well. Professional Skill Area of work is IT and Telecommunications Organisational politics Not been trained Non cooperative staff members Bad in managing finance or budgeting Insufficient time to concentrate No trainings or workshops at organisational level Unavailability of funds Too Many things to do Figure 2, Fishbone Diagram of professional skill As far as professional skills are concern I have had many problems in managing finance or budgeting. The major reason for that was that my profession is IT and Telecommunications. Due to this reason the management was not training me to handle financial matters. But according to me indeed it is a need of the time that I should learn finance and budgeting. When we talk about IT/Telecom project planning and designing, we cannot ignore the fact that there will be money involve and we need to budget accordingly. Learning Styles Theories of learning have evolved over the last century as a result of numerous experiments conducted, often with animals. Different school of psychological thinking has made their various contributions to the pool of knowledge. No single theory has obtained complete agreement among psychologists about the details of learning process, but many accept the basic premise that the learning occurs whenever one adopts new or modifies existing behaviour patterns in a way that has some influence on future performance and attitude (Sims, 1995). To gain a better understanding of yourself as a learner, you need to evaluate the way you prefer to learn or process information. By doing so, you will be able to develop strategies which will enhance your learning potential. Everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. There are many ways to find out that what youre learning style is. I have used the model of Honey and Mumford to identify my learning style. According to them people have four different kind of learning styles the Activist, the Pragmatist, the Reflector and the Theorist. After filling in the diagnostic tests I came to know that I am falling under the category of the Activists. According to the model I have used it describes me as and enthusiast who will try anything, enjoy a challenge and working with others, preferring to be the centre of attention. Weaknesses of and Activist are longer term implementation and perhaps not putting in enough thought before they get started. Analysis of my learning style (The Activist) As mentioned above that after applying the learning style model on myself I came to know that my learning style is activist. Being an activist I have some strengths and weaknesses. Strengths More on practical side Innovative and responsive Just need a little push to start Always on my toes to try something different Always try to push myself to give 100% Punctuality Always good and attentive at start Weaknesses Hates theories and just talking Cannot concentrate for a long time Dont like repetitions or repetitive tasks Not able to finish things well Most of the time in hurry Impact of learning style on personal development As we have discussed above some of the strengths and weaknesses of my learning style. My learning style has had a big role in my personal development and as well as professional development. It is because of my learning style that I had chosen IT/ Telecommunication as my profession. As an activist I like to do practical things and IT/Telecommunication is the branch of electronics where we do things practically. We plan, design and implement networks. Apart from practicality there have been an innovation involved in my profession, I always try to do different or I try things differently. So my learning style has helped me a lot to develop my personality and profession. Task3 SMART Goal Analysis SMART is an acronym that can help us to effectively set our goals. It stands for Specific , measureable, attainable, reasonable and time oriented. Just as following a compass keeps us from getting lost, adhering to these five precepts enable us to stay on the path that will ultimately lead to our success. Setting goals the SMART way is not just limited to financial success but can help you to achieve success in all areas of life, including educational, spiritual and physical goals (Berges, 2007). Personal Goals by Using SMART Goals Specific I have plans to be migrated to Canada by 2013. Measurable I have applied for Canadian immigration and I am in the queue since 2007. Achievable As I meet the criteria set by the Canadian government. I have two Masters degrees and on top of it I have plans to do MBA from UK, in these circumstances I believe that it is very much possible to achieve this goal. Realistic Indeed it is realistic to move to Canada because it has the charm and opportunities in the sector of IT and Telecommunications as compare to Pakistan. Time oriented It takes not more than 70 months to complete the whole process according to the old regulations. Specific I want to get hold of post study work permit by December 2011 . Measurable After completing MBA I can apply for post study work permit. Achievable As I am in UK and doing well in my studies, so it seems very much achievable Realistic It is realistic to get some hand on experience and improve my learning by getting work permit. Time oriented I will complete my MBA by December 2011, so I will be eligible to apply for post study work permit. Professional Goals by Using SMART Goals Specific I have planned to finish off my MBA before December 2011 from a good British University. Measurable I am already in UK and doing well in DMS course. Achievable It is achievable because I have arranged the entire fee for MBA in advance. Realistic As I will finish my first term of DMS by January 2011, so I am on the right track towards MBA. Time oriented It will take almost 6 months to complete MBA after DMS. Specific Want to get a managerial position in the sector of IT/Telecoms by the end of 2011. Measurable I have experience of technical end that has expanded over 9 years. Now I am doing DMS to learn management skills to become a manager. Achievable It is achievable if I keep myself of track and complete my studies on time. Realistic I have completed first term of DMS, so realistically I am on the right track to achieve my goal. Time oriented By the end of December 2011 Personal Development Plan In recent year role of personal development has become central to the success of those that have made the decisive jump from doing ok to major noticeable and measurable professional and personal success (Nutley, 2008). Learning and development need How does this support your professional and personal goals Actions to be taken including resources needed to achieve them Date for achievement/review Getting post study work permit It will enhance and enrich my theoretical learning by getting some working experience from UK. I need to get MBA degree to apply for post study work permit. December 2011/ I will review my PDP by June 2011. To learn and improve management skills by doing MBA I will qualify to apply for managerial jobs As my first step toward MBA, I am half way through my DMS and it will be completed mid next year. Than I have plans to do top-up MBA. I want to get MBA by December 2011. I will review my PDP by June 2011. Reflective Analysis of Attained Goals In this section we will have a reflective analysis of the goals that I have attained in past in my professional career as well as personal goals. Let me share analysis of attaining my personal goal. I had an urge to come to UK for higher studies but due to financial constraints it was not possible for me to come to UK and study here. I set a goal four years back that I have to go to UK to get an international qualification. What have I learnt from my experience? In the pursuit of my personal goal, I have learnt that nothing is impossible. If you plan realistically, you can achieve your goals easily. What went well? The best part was that the right things were happening to me at the right time. I got a good job at the right time, that job lasted for more than four years and that was the platform from where I set my goals and started planning things for myself. What could have gone better? The only thing that could have gone better was the environment. I this very moment most of the countries are going through or recovering from recession. If the environment could have progressive there was a chance for us being an international student to get some hands on experience as well on what we have learnt. How can I put into practise what I have learnt? The best way to put my leaning into practice is to plan realistically in future, considering my present situation. When it comes to set goals, at times what we do is, we set our goals very unrealistic or unachievable. So when one is setting goals for himself of herself, he or she should be aware of his or her present situation. In my professional career I had a very good experience of working for Red cross. While working there I got promotions at regular intervals. I would like to share my past professional working experience. What have I learnt from my experience? My key learnings from my experience of working with Red Cross are that it is important to work hard but the key thing is to show your work to get promoted within the organisation. What went well? The best part was that I was very much sound technically so it was very much easy for me to find my place and very easily I established myself and my repute in the organisation. What could have gone better? I should have learnt how to deal with organisational politics. I was not part of the politics and that was the reason many of the lobbies were against me. While working in and organisational structure one must learn how to deal with the politics within the organisation. Another thing is that I could have projected my work more, because I was doing the hard work all the time and my bosses were taking the credit on my behalf. Task 5 Evaluation of Activities in this learning programme In this specific learning programme, we have learnt about the personal management, in other words before getting in the professional career one must learn how to manage self. During this learning programme of twelve week we have learnt different personal and professional skills and we have had the chance to practice those skills in the classroom and while doing the group work. Specifically this learning programme has provided us the base to learn the management skills at professional level. The learning programme was evenly structured both for experience and inexperience students, which was the best part of the learning programme. The key skill which we have learnt in this programme were Report writing Presentation Time management Leaning styles SWOT analysis Smart goals Stress management Now let us evaluate these entire key learning one by one Report Writing Report writing is a key skill when it comes to the professional working environment. If we talk about the professional working environment, we have to write reports regarding our daily, weekly, monthly or yearly report. Report writing is also vital when it comes to career growth, a person who can show his work well has a better chance to get promoted, because ultimately it is the report which is going to the management which shows your performance. Key learning In this learning programme we have learnt about, how to write a report, what is the proper format of a report, what should be the language, what should be the style , what should be the formatting, how to start and end the report. Constraints As most of the students are from Asian origin and English is not their native language, due to that they were having communication problems. Because of this the teacher had to maintain a slow pace during the course and that really affected the practical work. Recommendations As far as theory is the concern the course was really good but somehow we are still short of practice. We understand the limitation of time but the essence of this course is learning by doing. So the sessions should have been more practical. Presentation Presentation is also very important skill to learn, especially in this modern age, if one dont know how to present himself, he cannot make progress in his professional career. Key Learning In this activity we have learnt; how to make presentations, what should be the contents, what should be the layout, presentation should be specific, how to present with style and confidence. Constraints Most of the students were not confident or they were feeling shy to come and present their work. They were given many chances to apply this skill. Recommendations It should be compulsory for the student for this learning programme to present in front of the class. Time Management Managing time and being punctual is the need of the time. It is one of the biggest cause to have a bad appraisal by your boss. It is one of the key skill of a good manager. A good manager should be able to manage his own time and also he needs to assign tasks at the right time to his team members. Key Learning We have been briefed about the importance of time management and after that an exercise was given to assess that how we manage our time and how it should be managed. Constraints We have only covered one side of the picture; we should have discussed the impact of bad time management on ones career. I would have been better if it could have explained by some audio visual support. Recommendations It is recommended to include audio visual aid in this specific learning activity to clear the concepts effectively. Learning styles It was the first ever experience for most of us to learn our learning style. It really helps if one knows about his learning style. By this way we can learn quick and also effectively. Key Learning This activity was very unique. In this activity we have leant that what is our learning style and how we can learn in a better way. Constraints Most of the students were confused while doing the exercise, because it was too long and complex. Recommendations It would be better if we put this activity in the start of the course, so that students should be aware of their learning style since beginning. Rest of the learning activities were also quite helpful for us to learn more about self-management and management at work place. Doing SWOT analysis on personal and professional skills was very helpful to figure out the strength and weakness. In SMART analysis we learnt how to set goals and how to achieve them. The element of stress was also discussed during the course and a session was given on how to manage stress personally and at work place. We can conclude that this whole set of activities was very much helpful to enhance and improve out daily life and management skills. It was also a learning experience to learn from the experience of the other classmates.