Building a Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Building a Business - Assignment Example This is a risk that many entrepreneurs must face, yet the most committed ones often manage to find a way to get the business to a point where it can thrive. If I eventually found a partner to run the business with, my share in the business would reduce to half. However, I would also only be liable for half of the debts. The ultimate goal is to become a limited liability company or corporation so that I would not be personally affected by any debts that the business would incur. This is a risk that many entrepreneurs must face, yet the most committed ones often manage to find a way to get the business to a point where it can thrive. If I eventually found a partner to run the business with, my share in the business would reduce to half. However, I would also only be liable for half of the debts. The ultimate goal is to become a limited liability company or corporation so that I would not be personally affected by any debts that the business would incur. Because the business will begin as a sole proprietorship, I would not have the ability to raise funds right away. Any money that the business would start out with would have to be personally funded by myself. This is a huge risk, especially if the business goes bust. The initial startup capital would be $50,000. This is not a huge amount, but it would get the business started at least. Because I would be running the business by myself, I would look to source sports shoes at wholesale prices and then on-sell them at retail prices. Using this selling strategy would result in very little profit at first. However, it would slowly pay off my initial capital of $50,000. Obviously, if another partner joined the business, they would be able to invest some funds. This would mean that the business would reduce its debt by up to twice as fast as I could by myself. Eventually, if the business gets to the stage of an organization, money could be raised through stocks and shares. Because Sporty Shoes would not gain instant mark et recognition, the demand would start out very low. Very few people would have heard about the brand, so customers would generally be local. Once the business gained more of a reputation, demand would increase, particularly from other states. Demand can be expected to remain high over the long term because sports shoes are needed for all types of athletic activity.

Bureaucratic organization

Bureaucratic organization 2.1.0 Developing change process using a change models Unfreezing ) Movement ) Refreezing 2.2.0 Stakeholder Involvement in Change Process:- Customers Employees Owner/operators Suppliers Share holders Local communities Managing Change is a structured approach to Individuals, Team and Organizations from a current state to a desired future state. Introduction is a British-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share with profits exceeding  £6 billion. It is currently the third largest global retailer based on revenue, behind Wal-Mart and Frances Carrefour but second largest based on profit, ahead of Carrefour. Originally specializing in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, consumer electronics, financial services, telecoms, home, health and car insurance, dental plans, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet services, and software. Organizational Structure Jack Cohen founded Tesco in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name came about after Jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T.E. Stock well. He made new labels using the first three letters of the suppliers name (TES), and the first two letters of his surname (CO), forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex. Tesco floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited. The first self service store opened in St Albans in 1951 (still operational in 2008 as a Metro), and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956. During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, but also through acquisitions until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamsons stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960).. 1.1.2 Product Originally specializing in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, consumer electronics, financial services, telecoms, home, health and car insurance, dental plans, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet services, and software. 1.1.3 Market characteristics As mentioned above, any super market can be analyzed for its attractiveness to a particular company or organization on a number of different characteristics. Some of the more significant market characteristics that should be considered are actual market size, market growth rate, number of competitors, Intensity of competition, Production level. Tescos UK stores are divided into six formats, differentiated by size and the range of products sold. Which is One stop, Tesco Express, Tesco Metro, Tesco super stores, Tesco Extra and now they are planning to open a Mega Tesco. Where customers will have more availability and they can get everything they 1.1.4 Operating Strategies. There are few competitors in the market so that Tesco has become much more competitive in the recent years. Tesco always changes its strategies to remain No.1 in UK. I Past Strategy. Almost a decade ago Tesco strategy was to beat other competitors prices and become the UKs cheapest brand. Tescos was fully focused on selling large quantities of poor quality products on low prices. II Current Strategy. Currently Tescos marketing strategy has been based around a database strategy driving a huge direct marketing campaign. There customer base (as recorded by the details provided by the hugely successful Club Card Scheme) almost exactly mirrors the demographic make-up of the UK. Simply this means they have somehow managed to be all things to all men. They have between 7m and 8m different variations on the mailings going out to their clients based upon demographic and transactional data. The objective has always been to up-sell to their existing customers through acquiring better customer data and meeting their needs. Now, through providing customers with what they want, the most significant strategy has been aimed at increasing the non-food section by capitalising on the growing need for one-stop-shopping created by an increasingly time-starved population. Drives of changes in todays economy As organizations evolve and come to be seen as dynamic, coping systems, the concept of how they change and methods by which they manage change has continued to be refined. Managing a process of change in an organization can be a highly complex task and is often essential for effective organizational development (OD). This article will provide an overview of the change process faced by many organizations. Different models of change will be highlighted and the resistance to change displayed by many employees will be examined. 1.2.1 Factors of Change Organizations face huge pressures to change, from both internal and external sources, internal forces to change are often as a result of long-term external forces. For example, a banks internal pressure to adopt an Internet banking system, as a result of more and more other banks going online. Internal factors of change The factors internal to an organization that force changes can be identified through a formal analysis method. Most common among these methods is S.W.O.T. analysis. Strengths An organizations strengths, which help identify a competitive advantage or unique selling point, are of vital importance when deciding on changing the focus of the company. Deciding to push certain products or features in favor of dropping others, (like Apple did in recent) years can reinvent the organization. Weaknesses An organizations weaknesses are a real motivation to change. Weaknesses identified internally in a companys product or service, will require immediate attention and changing. Quite often (especially with service based companies), the weakness would be resolved by a cultural change. Opportunities Opportunities that present themselves, like new contracts on other continents will force changes in the company, sometimes as simple as new working hours. With the differences in different customer expectations, modern companies need to remain flexible. Flexibility is a major cultural change that needs to be introduced. Threats Threats to an organization, usually in the form of competitors and substitution products force a company to react. To react effectively companies have to react quickly, which is a cultural change in a company. External Factors of change The factors external to an organization that force changes can be identified through the PESTELI acronym. Political Political factors would include the current and potential influences from political pressures such as unions and national pay agreements. Economic The local, national and world economy impact can force an organization into changing their work practices or even product prices. Social Changes in lifestyle absolutely force changes in organizations (e.g. iPod), but at a cultural level, socially changing attitudes towards work or ethical issues can also have effects on the culture inside an organization. Technical The ever-changing technical world in which we live has probably the most profound effect on organizational culture of all external factors. Technical advancements that allow employees to work from home, working teams to be separated by great distances and for customers to be located on the opposite side of the world from their suppliers. Anything that changes the day-to-day work of the employees has a profound effect on the organizations culture. Ecological The local, national and world ecological and environmental issues that have effects on culture at national levels filter down into the organizational culture within a company. Legislative The legal issues both locally and at an EU level, such as taxes and working time regulations also have effects on culture at a national level, filter down into the organizational culture within a company. Industry Industry changes have a huge effect on national culture. The move away from agriculture into industrial and now information economies has greatly changed the national working culture. Organizational Structure (Bureaucratic organization) Purpose: to track changes in management paradigms from the bureaucratic to the post-bureaucratic to the learning organization model, highlighting core differentiating features of each paradigm as well as necessary ingredients for successful evolution. Design/methodology/approach: the article takes the form of a literature review and critical analysis. Findings: the complexity of the learning organization necessitates gradual evolution. The successful integration of the characteristics of post-bureaucratic firms empowerment, teamwork, trust, communication, commitment, and flexibility coupled with an emergent systems perspective can provide improved understanding of how the learning organization disciplines may actually materialize. Originality/value: linking two traditionally encapsulated areas of research namely post-bureaucratic organizations and learning organizations, highlighting an interesting roadmap for successful convergence of post-bureaucratic organizations towards learni ng organizations The strengths of a bureaucratic organization are: More control over the employees with clear rules and regulations No confusion as the reporting relationships is clear and well defined. The system is centralized and all the decisions can be monitored There is standardization and everyone has to follow the same procedure The weaknesses are: The decision making and all the other processes are very slow The jobs may become boring for the employees The communication has to go through so many levels that it gets distorted. Too much control discourages innovation and creativity. There are too many levels in the hierarchy. The bureaucracy itself encourages political behavior and people try to use other means to go up the hierarchy 2.1.0 Developing change process using a change models Lewins (1951) initiated a model of the change process as one consisting of the three phases which are. i) Unfreezing, reducing the factors and behaviors which maintain the status quo. ii) Movement, creating and developing new behaviors and implementing the change. iii) Refreezing, stabilizing the new behaviors and structure. The first change implemented by the management takeover, which of replacing the HR and Engineering Manager for individuals versed in Japanese philosophy and production methods, sent out a company-wide signal that change could, and would impact everyone at any level within the company. Whether this was intentional or not, this marked the true starting block for cultural change in Byrashi Mouldings. The subsequent changes implemented by the management team, were widespread, with no facet of the company remaining untouched. The changes can be broken down into the following areas -Adoption of Japanese manufacturing systems modernization of plant, which implied by â€Å"two years of rebuilding the plant investment in company, it implies a future -Reshaping work practices cell manufacturing process, industrial workforce into work teams, skills training for all staff Everybody applied for the Team Leader position Flattening and streamlining the organization by eliminating unnecessary tiers of management, â€Å"redundancies, bit heavily into the middle management cadre.† Due to the unprofitability of Byrashi Mouldings, which was commonly known, the voluntary and compulsory redundancies, this created a ‘do or die culture, and assisted in creating an environment where the only viable option for all the employees was to embrace change. All these movements/changes from all over the company are implemented to assist the first stage of managing change, that of unfreezing the existing structure. Computer Room implies continuous learning and change, which is normal for Japanese companies, which do Continuous Improvement equal-opportunity to all the employees of the company. The continuous-training programme gives a stable refreezing stage upon the organisation. Cultural change is not incremental and each stage of the change is important to impact the organisational cultural change. On the respect of the cultural norms of workforce, on the short or medium term, the first two stage takes a more significant impact on; while on the long term, the last stage which establishes a continuous improving system will take a more important impact on. Stakeholder Involvement in Change Process:- Customers: Explain the customers at the shop level, every time they come for shopping they should be told about the change by cashiers or at customer service desk. At the same time toll-free numbers, email or website should be able to explain all the queries. Employees: Line managers should arrange one to one meetings with the staff and explain the change process. Also Free company magazine (Tescos One Team), Staff benefits website, weekly news, daily updates and Team 5 messages should be used to answers all the questions and communicate to everyone in the business. Owner/operators: Company owner/operator explain the benefits for long or short run in directors meeting and also sending them special notes or emails. Suppliers: Company directors/Area Managers have one to one meetings with suppliers and their representatives. Arrange the workshops or training if necessary. Shareholders: Share holders should be able to find information on websites. And also they should be told by their monthly reports and through the Agents. Local communities: Making sure local communities are also on boat by contacting them through their club card statements and displaying banners or posters inside the shops.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Life, it is often said, is the greatest mystery. How many times throughout our lives do we pause and ask ourselves: Why are we here? What is our purpose? Or some other infinitely ponderous question. Here and now, as we stand teetering upon a great threshold welcoming us into a whole new realm of independence, is no exception. Tonight the many mysteries of life hang over us, but instead of casting a shadow, they are illuminating our world and setting a glow in our eyes and in our hearts. If you think there is no mystery around you now, I invite you to ask yourself: How did we get here? Can you recall the specifics? When we were full of hope, who shared in our elation? What will we do now? For some, the answer to that last question is simple. Some of us are looking ahead to work or furthering our education and others are looking no farther than this summer or even later tonight. But what about ten years from now? Twenty? All that we do now directly affects every coming second, just as all that we have done in the past has brought us to this point. Along the way there has been roc...

Bottled Water Essay

Water a very important part of our daily lives. We use it for many things but most importantly we drink it. So want it flavor, some want it cold others want it from the bottle some don’t care is long is they get six cups a day. What it comes down to is where we get it from. Do you buy it at a store or do you just use the tap at home. Some reasons why you should buy it are convenience and safety. Tap has it’s positives as well like it is healthier and better for the environment. Here are the arguments for both sides and there counter arguments. Bottled water convenience helps out a lot of people around the world. When we need to get water to a shelter or to a third world country the easiest and best way is bottled water. It is always there and has a good shelf life. It was there to help people from Hurricanes to Blood drives. It is easily transportable and accessible. The convenience of bottled water also helps people more likely to drink water in the amount they need and as a substitute for other drinks like soda. Bottled water is also safer to drink because it is easier to recall if there is something wrong with it. They are always testing and sampling the water and if something is wrong they know what batch is bad and where it went. It is easy to get the water back and ship out safe water to where ever the recall was. In some places bottled water is the only thing safe to drink. When disasters strike or a tap water system is not in place bottled water is the safest thing you can drink. Tap water is a lot healthier for you than bottled water. It is tested more and has more regulations than bottled water. With more regulations the water has less harmful chemicals and therefore more healthier for you. Tap water like bottled water is regulated by the FDA. While they are both regulated by the FDA tap water has more regulations and more testing than bottled water. Being that tap water is distributed to everyone practically free it has to be better regulated for everyone’s well being. Tap water is also better for the environment. This makes it better for you. With less plastic being used there is less toxins and water being produced. People who drink tap water usually just use a metal bottle and re-use it all the time. Tap water does not come in a container of plastic it comes from your faucet. Using a re usable container like glasses pitchers and re-usable water bottles does far less damage to the environment than plastic water bottles. Even though we can re-cycle plastic it doesn’t mean that it is really helps the environment. Most water bottles don’t even get recycled they get tossed in with all the other trash that does not get recycled. One is safer one is healthier. One helps out people in crisis while the other causes less damage to the environment as a whole. Bottled and tap water both have their benefits. Both have there purposes and are beneficial to society. Bottled water is convenient and safe while Tap is better for the environment and healthier. So open the cap or turn on the faucet and drink up. Cause we all need it.

Rothschilds Fiddle

Jackson Weeks Harold English 101 1-31-13 Chekhov’s Use of Futliarnost to Develop Yakov and the Importance of Morals in â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† Futliarnost, a Russian literature theme which is often present in Anton Chekhov’s short stories, is when a character is encased in a situation and can not escape. In â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†, Yakov is entrapped in an almost trance like state, that is brought about by loss and remorse in his life. â€Å"Is Yakov ever released from this state, through Marfa’s death, or any other instance and does Chekhov intend for the reader to see one single moral in this story? Chekhov uses irony and ambiguity to develop Yakov â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† into a deeper character as well. Chekhov uses one particular irony which is central to this short story. Yakov is evidently depressed for much if not all of his life, as he is always worrying about his income and his wasted opportunities in l ife. But ironically he is arguably more depressed and miserable after he realizes how meaningless his whole life has been. It is at this point when he is finally more alive than he has ever been, but because he is looking back on his life he wants to die more than ever.Yakov â€Å"reflected that death would be nothing but a benefit; he would not have to eat or drink, or pay taxes or offend people, and, as a man lies in his grave not for one year but for hundreds and thousands, if one reckoned it up the gain would be enormous. A man's life meant loss: death meant gain. † With this realization it can be said that Yakov only becomes more depressed. This is sad to see because as a reader we finally see someone that finally has much about life figured out, but it is in his last moments, and he is more miserable than ever.Chekhov Weeks 2 uses this passage to help develop the sense of futliarnost even more than it already is. Yakov was already trapped in a state of depression, knowi ngly or not, and when he finally realizes this at the end of his life he only becomes more depressed. The change that comes about because of this further misery is negative, as Yakov finally realizes many, if not all, of his faults in life yet he is at a point in his life where he can no longer change his ways enough to make up for all of his past mistakes.This is the point in which a moral can be deduced. Perhaps a moral of live life so that you have no regrets would be appropriate. But we must ask ourselves if Chekhov meant for a moral to be brought away from â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Based on the writing style it is safe to assume that a moral is applicable. Chekhov gives â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† folk like qualities which suggest there is a moral. Although this moral is very cliched, it certainly applies to Yakov. It is not saying live life with no regrets, rather live life so that you will have no regrets.If Yakov had treated Marfa better and not yelled at her and not caused her pain he likely would not have been as miserable in the end as he was. But it is also worth noting that some of the most beautiful music came about because of one mans suffering, and made many other lives better. Chekhov is intentionally ambiguous here, as he likely does not mean to only teach one lesson through this story. There are many lessons that can be taken away, and this is one of the beautiful things about Chekhov’s writings, especially â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†.Etymologically, the word ‘ambiguity’ means being able to push something from both ends [ambo-ago] and also, figuratively, to think about something in two different and even irreconcilable ways (Pazzagli 1505). Chekhov has many ambiguities in his writings in order to leave much interpretation up to the reader. The reader must decide whether to accept both meanings of a statement or choose between the two. Based on which approach a reader uses, the Wee ks 3 same passage can have completely different meanings. One example of this ambiguity comes when Marfa dies.Chekhov writes that her face turned â€Å"rosy with fever, unusually bright and joyful-looking† In this excerpt Chekhov states that Marfa is sick, and also that she was joyful. Perhaps she was just rosy from the fever, or more likely just relieved that she was finally going to be released from her dreary life of being frightened by Yakov, mistreated, and not appreciated. Even though Marfa only has a small presence in the text, she is a great tool for Chekhov. She is used to bring up Yakov’s past. Marfa says â€Å"Do you remember fifty years ago God gave us a little baby with flaxen hair?We used always to be sitting by the river then, singing songs . . . under the willows,† and laughing bitterly, she added: â€Å"The baby girl died. † Yakov did not remember his baby from years ago. Yakov had shut out most of his past, and only thought of profit and losses. However when Yakov later goes and sits beneath the tree and finally remembers their child, the reader is not ever sure as to whether he actually remembers the child, or if it is just a figment of his imagination. Another ambiguity is when Yakov leaves the cemetary after Marfa’s burial it is said that he didn’t feel well.However it is never clarified if he is physically ill, or emotionally ill. If Yakov is only emotionally ill and ends up dying from this it would indicate that Yakov is much more deeply connected to Marfa than has previously been shown. This would perpetuate the theme of loss, because if he was extremely close to his wife, then her loss is only that much more painful to him. Loss is surely the main recurring theme throughout â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Yakov in the beginning is complaining about lost profits, and lost work time, which in hindsight seem petty, compared to the loss of his wife, and the loss of the memory of his child .After Yakov’s epiphany it is apparent that he has felt remorse over the loss of the wrong things. If he had not been so interested in money he might have spent more time with his wife, and treated better, and he would Weeks 4 have perhaps had a better relationship with her. Chekhov is said to be the father of the stream of conscious writing style, which follows a character’s thoughts. With Yakov this becomes particularly interesting after the death of Marfa because we see just how miserable his life becomes.We see Yakov sitting on the riverbank, beneath the tree just thinking back on his missed opportunities and his lost and forgotten child. Later we see just how sorrowful Yakov has become, when he is just sitting in his doorway playing his fiddle, producing mournful tunes. The stream of consciousness writing style also puts emphasis on the change that takes place in Yakov. The reader sees how Yakov transforms from miserable because of his own losses, to miserable bec ause of the loss of others. Yakov follows the pattern that many of Chekhov’s characters set before him, by bringing attention to Russia’s changing landscape.One thing that Chekhov shows subtly in most of his works was his appreciation of Russia’s natural environment (Quinault 33). Chekhov voiced his sadness at the destruction of ancient hardwood forests in his short story, â€Å"Rothschild's Fiddle† (1894) and, more prominently, in his major plays. (Quinalt 33). In â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† Chekhov writes â€Å"On the other bank, where now there was the water meadow, in those days there stood a big birchwood, and yonder on the bare hillside that could be seen on the horizon an old, old pine forest used to be a bluish patch in the distance.Big boats used to sail on the river. But now it was all smooth and unruffled, and on the other bank there stood now only one birch-tree, youthful and slender like a young lady. † Even though this is only a small part of â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† it shows some of Chekhov’s interests outside of literature. Perhaps Yakov realizes the loss of this forest and this is just one more loss to go along with all of the other losses that have happened throughout the story. Yakov is in a depressed state throughout the story, both before Marfa’s death and after. Weeks 5Even though her death was the big event of the story and what made Yakov realize how miserable his life had been, it still was not enough to release him from the feeling of misery he was trapped in. It was just enough for him to realize how miserable his life had been before and send him deeper into depression because he realized he had lost Marfa, who was the one thing in his life he truly should have cared about. The significance of drawing this conclusion is that we see Chekhov following his usual pattern of a character being entrapped for the whole story, and still not escaping.One ambiguity t hat the reader is left with is that of whether a moral can should be deduced. Since Yakov produced some of the most beautiful and sad music. Even though Yakov was in such a miserable state his whole life, his music was beautiful and brightened other lives, It can be argued that no moral was meant to be drawn from â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Perhaps one could go on to research Chekhov as a writer and see if he typically consciously included some style of moral in his stories. Weeks 6 Works Cited Pazzagali, Adolfo. â€Å"Ambiguity. † International Journal of Psychoanalysis . 3. 6 (2012): 1505-1508. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. Quinalt, Roland. â€Å"Chekhov and Conservation. † History Today. 60. 2 (2010): 32-34. Web. Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Literature Network. † Rothschild's Fiddle. N. p. , 10 Mar 2005. Web. 4 Feb 2013. Note: I still do not have Microsoft Word and I attempted to indent my long quotes 10 spaces on GoogleDocs but I was not able to without inde nting the whole paragraph that the quote was contained in. This is why I left quotations around my quotes.. If you must take off for this I understand, but if you could be a little lenient that would be great!

Status through self-improvement Essay Example

Status through self Status through self-improvement Essay Status through self-improvement Essay Chapter thirty-nine can be seen as a pivotal section of Great Expectations due to the climax that is forced upon Pip. However, it helps Pip realise that wealth and social class are not everything, but that friends and relationships are a lot more valuable. His relationship with Magwitch develops and he is now a lot more grateful towards him. There is a definite similarity between Joe Gargery and Magwitch as they have both been watching over Pip. Both men are kind and giving but also of the lower class and uneducated. Joe and Magwitch have educated Pip and given him an opportunity to grow up and become something. However, Pip does not see the as worthy of him and feels he is above them even though both men still love him. Pip has now completely accepted Magwitch as a second father and as a friend in one of the possible climaxes in chapter fifty-six. His understanding of life and of other people is at its fullest and he has now developed into his most mature phase in relation to his character. Now that Magwitch is dying, Pip is visiting him as he sympathises for the sick man.  Dickens refers to God in several ways in the last chapter of Great Expectations. He lets the reader see Magwitchs death as God forgiving him for what he has done and lets him pass away instead of meeting his death through execution. The write uses religion as a symbol to demonstrate the peace between Magwitch and Pip. Glittering rays of April sun shows us how dickens felt that God was looking down on the courtroom and that he had the final say. Dickens makes the audience believe that Magwitch has come to peace with god who in return, forgives him with a quiet death. The Sunrise also suggests a victory for the old man as he passes away. The shaft of sunlight links together the judge and the convicts which shows that there was a sense of equality and that only one person decides what the outcome is. Dickens also uses the weather in pathetic fallacy where the rain symbolises sadness, as Magwitch will be executed, and the sunlight showing his happiness, as he will be able to die at peace with the world. Dickens emphasises the theme of Victorian attitudes towards criminality especially in the courtroom. All of the convicts who are to be tried and hanged are dealt with all together and at the same time as if they were a pack. This lets the reader see how Dickens saw how society viewed the lowest class. They were not treated as individuals and not worthy of being treated fairly. The courtroom could almost be seen as some sort of show. This gives the reader the impression that people were there to receive some sort of entertainment as if it was a circus. This reduces the convicts to the lowest in the community as people used their suffering and eventually death as a form of enjoyment. Dickens can relate to the scene in the courtroom as he has previously worked in one. His father was also arrested and humiliated which I believe left a deep impression on Dickens about how the system was run. He says, I could scarcely believe when all the people were about to be tried which shows a sign of hatred towards the court. He shows how people were demoralised in front of an audience and presents Magwitch as a victim of society. Dickens shows how the corrupt and biased court system favours the richer people and will not look at how Magwitchs life has changed in a positive way. Towards the end of Magwitchs death, Pip tells him about his long-lost daughter; Estella. She is a lady and very beautiful. And I love her! By telling Magwitch about his daughter he reveals that he can finally prioritise of the things, which matter in life. Pip stays with his benefactor until the end and is worried for his fate; while in contrast Magwitch is calm and is finally at peace with the world. This gives Magwitch everything he needs to die a peaceful death in knowing that he has made a true gentleman out of Pip. Magwitch is in many ways responsible for the alterations that have occurred throughout Pips existence. He has made him a more social and wealthy gentlemen as well. But, in many cases it has been Pip who has appreciated and regretted what he has done wrong in the past. With the help of Magwitch, Pip has been able to understand the importance of relationships and love, over wealth and social class. Dickens has used Pip to show how he has learned how to put his main concerns in front in many situations. He has helped the reader see how Pip has always wanted to improve himself as an idealist. This is shown when he wants to learn how to read and become a gentlemen on the whole. However Pips ambitions were morally wrong at first even though Magwitch helped him achieve them, but then, Magwitch also helped him become a true gentleman as well. Magwitch and Joe were both influential in the upbringing of Pip. But, I believe that Magwitch can be seen as a catalyst in regards to Pip as he has supported him financially and emotionally. Dickens has explored the differences in class during Great Expectations. He has discovered the poor and wretched criminals such as Magwitch, but he has also looked at the very rich and rude upper class including Mrs. Havisham. This is why the central theme of Charles Dickenss novel is social class and Pip is used to investigate this through him upgrading his status through self-improvement. The continuous development of Magwitchs and Pips characters are therefore dependent on this theme. Their relationship has helped uncover the attitudes of crime as it has shown through the various characters and is a theme that is repeated many times in the novel.

Setting a Multi-Line Caption for a TLabel in Delphi

Setting a Multi-Line Caption for a TLabel in Delphi A TLabel Delphi component has a WordWrap property you can set to true in order for the text in the Caption property appear wrapped (multi-lined) when it is too long for the width of the label. Whats more, at run-time, you can use the next assignment to specify multiple lines of text for a Label: Label1.Caption : First line #13#10 SecondLine; However, you *cannot* specify multi-line text for a TLabel at design-time, using Object Inspector. Instructions One trick to add more lines of text for a Caption property of a TLabel, at design time, is to edit the Forms .DFM file directly. Heres how: Drop a TLabel on a FormRight click the Form to activate the popup menuSelect View As TextLocate the object Label1:TLabel sectionChange the line Caption Label1 to:Caption Label1 #13#10 Second lineRight click the code to activate the popup, againSelect View As FormJob done! TLabel with multiple lines of text, at design-time!

Lucky Expressions

Lucky Expressions Lucky Expressions Lucky Expressions By Maeve Maddox Reader Emma requests a post on the expression lucked out: The †¦ times Ive heard people using [lucked out] to mean youre out of luck as opposed to expressing good luck or fortune is bordering on ridiculous. The expression to luck out is an American coinage dating from 1954. It means to succeed through luck. Specifically, according to the OED, it is to succeed in a difficult, testing, or dangerous situation. For example: He really lucked out on that exam; every question he had studied for was on it. The expression to be out of luck means to be unfortunate. For example: Youre out of luck: the last train has left the station. Two other uses of luck as a verb are: to luck into: to acquire by good fortune, without effort on ones part. Example: He lucked into a sweet deal on that car. to luck upon: to meet with, to find. Example: He lucked upon some old clothes he had wanted to give away†¦ The noun luck entered English in the 15th century from a Dutch word meaning happiness or good fortune. Its related to German Glà ¼ck, fortune, good luck. The multiplicity of expressions with the word luck, incorporate associations with Chance and Fortune in the sense of the powers that arrange the uncertain fates of human beings. One can have good luck, bad luck, or ill luck. My father used the expression If he didnt have bad luck, hed have no luck at all. People say that its good luck to find a four-leaf clover, but bad luck to break a mirror. Some people are said to have good luck, meaning that they are generally fortunate, while some are said to have no luck, meaning that they are generally unfortunate. Here are just a few more of the many expressions that employ the noun luck: Good luck! said to someone setting off to some uncertain undertaking like an exam or an audition. Better luck next time! said to someone who has failed to achieve some goal. Just my luck! said by someone who has missed out on something desired. To be down on ones luck to be in straitened circumstances, for example, jobless. Luck of the Irish a contradictory expression that can mean either bad luck, or extraordinary good luck, depending on the context. The Best of British luck usually meant ironically, the way Americans might say Good luck with that. The sense is go ahead and try, but youre probably not going to succeed. Trust to luck undertake a difficult task with insufficient preparation, hoping that all will go well. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:Time Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon7 Proofreading Steps

Images of Managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Images of Managing Change - Essay Example The six different images that are under managing change are director, coach, caretaker, nurturer, navigator and interpreter (Donoghue, n.d.). Different styles of implementing change are provided to the managers by the six images which vary according to the size and nature of the organization. Out of these six images the mangers need to choose the most appropriate image that fits into the organizational requirement and can derive long–term benefits for them (Ukaby, 2012). This provides a framework which helps in managing the changes in the structure of the organization, affect the processes of the new business or change the culture of the firm. Changes in the organization are unpredictable and furthermore outcome of that change is also difficult to predict. Different manger working in different organization has different approach of implementing change in own style. Therefore, before incorporating any changes they need to have a clear understanding regarding the various images. This study focuses on in-depth discussion regarding interpreter and navigator image. Outline of the other five images Coach: This image of change management aims towards shaping the organization rather than controlling it. This is very similar to the sports coach. Here the manager teaches and guides the organization in such a manner that they sustain in the competition and conquer all the challenges ahead (Chowdhury, 2009). Navigator: This image of the management is based on control. The change manger in this case agrees with the fact that while some of the outcomes of change are achievable, on the other the management has little control. Interpreter: This image of the management aims towards shaping the organization rather than controlling it. It helps in building a meaning for the members such that it facilitates them in understanding the various actions and events that initiate the changes in the organization. Caretaker: This image is primarily based on controlling the organizat ion but the change managers also acts like â€Å"shepherd guiding† the organization. In this way they intend to change the management process. Nurturer: This image of change management believes that a small change is enough to create a huge impact on the organization, which indicates that the outcome is beyond the control of the change managers. However this helps in cultivating the notion of positive self nurturing and organizing the firm. Change manger as Navigator This image considers control as heart of the action taken by the management. The mangers believes that the external factors are such that some of them helps in achieving the change outcomes that are intended, for sure while the other will be achieved over time, on which they have little control. Outcomes are not completely planned rather than they are partly emerging and results are obtained from various influences, processes and competing interests. For instance in a situation where the change manager intends to restructure the business units by creating cross-functional teams who will assist development of product across the various functional units, the change manger will be successful in establishing the cross-functional teams but it will be difficult to get the work done effectively where there is a history of gathering information, boundary fortification by functional units and distrust. In such cases the change manager may appoint some people to the cross-functio

WALMART'S OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WALMART'S OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Market analysts are of the opinion that Walmart will retain its top position ("Turning Point"). With this trend, it seems that Walmart will definitely continue its dominance in the consumer market, at least in the foreseeable future. It definitely does not hve a problem with the number of retail stores it owns; in the United States alone,it has about 3900 retail outlets ("Annual Dividend"). Walmart is a very aggressive company, and is currently opening about 1.45 stores per day. Although Walmart shares have mostly not grown, it will most likely increase in the immediate future. In a research note, Edward Jones analyst David Powers said "We believe Wal-Mart's growth outlook remains favorable." Powers believes that by April this year, growth will accelerate to nearly 13%. (Van Riper) Walmart's main concern is its slow growth rate, although this seems to be a minor problem at the moment. In January 2006 Walmart's same-store sales growth was 4.7%, compared to the previous december's 2.2%. (Van Riper) It is interesting that Walmart has what is probably the world's largest computer database, in its 1000-person Information Systems Division. This database has a capacity of 460 terabytes, equivalent to almost half of the information on the Internet. (Bianco) Walmart is able to reduce payrol costs through automated generation and adjustment of work sch

Describe the major topographic features of the ocean basin floor Research Paper

Describe the major topographic features of the ocean basin floor - Research Paper Example it is these basins that are of most interest when studying the topology of the ocean floor, as they differ greatly from the features of the surrounding landmasses (Garrison, Oceanography). This essay will briefly discuss several types of the features of the deep ocean basins and some of their implications for the science and study of oceanography. These features are primarily related to various effects of tectonic plate shifting. A significant portion of the ocean floor is categorized as the abyssal plain, which are large and mostly flat areas, covered in oceanic sediment (Garrison, Oceanography). In fact, the abyssal plain covers the largest proportion of the Earth's surface, more than any other known geographical feature (Garrison, Essentials of oceanography). The abyssal plain is the portion of the seabed found at the bottom of the ocean basins, in the absence of other features or tectonic activity. They may sometimes contain areas of abyssal hills, which are formed through low-le vel volcanic activity (Karleskint). The seafloor has numerous geological structures that rise up out of this abyssal plain, most of which are also volcanic in nature. One of these is seamounts, which are volcanic protrusions from the ocean bed taller than 100 meters from base to summit (Wessel, Sandwell, & Kim). These make up approximately 5% of the known area of the ocean floor (Yesson et al.). Seamounts can be active or extinct, and play a myriad of roles in the ocean ecosystem and the flow of surrounding water (Wessel, Sandwell, & Kim). Another are knolls, which are similar to seamounts in origin, but are smaller and do not have such a large effect on the surrounding ocean. These make up approximately 16% of the ocean floor habitat. Tens of thousands of such seamounts and knolls exist on the ocean floor, many of them still unmapped or even undiscovered; the ones that are known are biased towards areas with heavier ship activity and so such proportions may be considerably differen t from the actual makeup of the rest of the ocean basin (Yesson et al.). Larger volcanic structures may even be exposed above the surface of the ocean water, and result in chains of volcanic islands (Garrison, Oceanography). These chains, and many other volcanic bathygraphic features, are generally found along the boundaries of the tectonic plates making up the Earth's crust. Island chains may also be found along the borders of deep ocean trenches, another feature of the seabed. This type of island chain is referred to as an island arc (Karleskint). Rugged oceanic ridges are another feature of the deep ocean floor, appearing in areas where the ocean floor is spreading due to a divergent plate boundary. The area where the highest volcanic activity is found is called the rift valley, and the locations where new ocean floor is being formed due to such activity are referred to as the rift zones. These rift areas are often home to vibrant communities of deep-sea ocean life, unlike the ec osystem seen on the relatively lifeless abyssal plain (Karleskint). These communities exist as a result of the hydrothermal vents, or springs of hot water, produced by these zones (Garrison, Essentials of oceanography). Ocean ridges are also usually accompanied by fracture zones, which run perpendicular to the direction of the ridges. (Karleskint). The

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

Journals - Essay Example This makes me provide my readers with information that was not fully factual. Amy Tan’s situation regards the notion of acceptance being through similarity. In this case, the situation leads to the conflict regarding accepting a personality that define an individual or unhappy with oneself because of an individual’s personality. In this case, Amy finds herself in a compromising situation that leads to a struggle. In this struggle, Amy can both sacrifice her identity and pick the identity of another person, or something that does not define the person. In effect, she struggles to determine how to fit in and find acceptance and forgetting her personality. The outcome to this struggle and the situation is that Amy is embarrassed of herself, her family, and her heritage. She cannot appreciate her heritage, but she is embarrassed since she wants to please Robert, which makes her thoughts about diversity blurred. Eventually, the outcome is that Tan was unable to appreciate who she was as she struggled to fit into the Western culture. In this case, she forgoes her traditions, the food, components of her culture, and the festivities that had defined her

Elaborate on the five interpersonal bases of power, five ways to Essay

Elaborate on the five interpersonal bases of power, five ways to minimize political activity, and at least five ways to manage organizational politics effectively - Essay Example People have reference power when others respect and like them. It is the perception of individual relationships that she/he has that creates her/his power over others. Expert power is derived from having knowledge or skill in a particular area. Such individuals are highly esteemed by organizations for their problem solving skills. Modes of minimizing political activities in an organization involve: Opening eyes and accepting politics exist within the organization and dealing with them adequately. Challenge political behaviors to maintain performance. Make things visible; transparency within any organization will reduce political activities. Walk the talk; honesty shuns politicking since it encourages transparency. Reduce vulnerabilities to political behaviors within an organization. Managing organizational politics effectively involves creation and implementations of clear policies and procedures, which at the end reduces ambiguity. Transparency; be open and visible with employees in key matters that affect them. Learn the rules of politics and apply them appropriately for success in an organization. Establish positive and credible impression in the eyes of employees and others in the organization to motivate them. Act in ways consistent with verbal communication to employees to portray walk the talk

Ethical considerations and regulatory requirements in the development Essay

Ethical considerations and regulatory requirements in the development of NAS - Essay Example It encompasses the ethical and scientific aspects to be considered when planning, performing, documenting and reporting all phases of the clinical trial. The regulations and guidelines in conducting these trials are set forth in order to safeguard the rights, safety and overall well-being of trial subjects. In the process of obtaining human subjects for the clinical trial, it is necessary to procure a written informed consent from the persons involved. The Nuremberg Code of 1947 states that, "voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an affirmative decision by the experimental subject there should be made known to him the nature, duration, and purpose of the experiment; the method and means by which it is to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reason ably to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which may possibly come from his participation in the experiment.† " (Mitscherlich et. al., par. 2) In cases where an individual is considered unable to give informed consent, such as in the case of unconscious patients, children, and/or mentally ill patients, another person is generally authorized to give consent on their behalf. This is permissible only if the necessity of having this particular set of subject has been established and that there are no other alternatives otherwise. Also, the subject should be duly informed of his right to terminate his participation in the experiment at any given time, provided that he informs the investigator of his intentions to withdraw from the study and his reason for doing so. The ICH GCP guideline on informed consent maintains that, "The written informed consent form and any other written information to be provided to subjects should be revised whenever important new information becomes available that may be relevant to the subject's consent. Any revised written informed consent form, and written information should receive the IRB/IEC's approval/favourable opinion in advance of use. The subject or the subject's legally acceptable representative should be informed in a timely manner if new information becomes available that may be relevant to the subject's willingness to continue participation in the trial. The communication of this information should be documented." (ICH GCP 4.8.2, page 20) The written approval or favorable opinion of the written consent form and other written information to be given to the subjects should be obtained from the IRB/IEC before starting the clinical trial. (ICH GCP 4.8.1, page 20) Question #2: Can the testing of medicines in healthy volunteers be justified according to the

Elaborate on the five interpersonal bases of power, five ways to Essay

Elaborate on the five interpersonal bases of power, five ways to minimize political activity, and at least five ways to manage organizational politics effectively - Essay Example People have reference power when others respect and like them. It is the perception of individual relationships that she/he has that creates her/his power over others. Expert power is derived from having knowledge or skill in a particular area. Such individuals are highly esteemed by organizations for their problem solving skills. Modes of minimizing political activities in an organization involve: Opening eyes and accepting politics exist within the organization and dealing with them adequately. Challenge political behaviors to maintain performance. Make things visible; transparency within any organization will reduce political activities. Walk the talk; honesty shuns politicking since it encourages transparency. Reduce vulnerabilities to political behaviors within an organization. Managing organizational politics effectively involves creation and implementations of clear policies and procedures, which at the end reduces ambiguity. Transparency; be open and visible with employees in key matters that affect them. Learn the rules of politics and apply them appropriately for success in an organization. Establish positive and credible impression in the eyes of employees and others in the organization to motivate them. Act in ways consistent with verbal communication to employees to portray walk the talk

Individual Strategic Marketing Analysis and Plan Assignment

Individual Strategic Marketing Analysis and Plan - Assignment Example History, art and culture are essential motives for a considerable percentage of the number of individuals visiting the country each year. In addition to this, they form a strong promotional feature for destinations, towards market segments that are less sensitive to heritage and culture. Not forgetting the fact that, the tourism industries and authorities until recently, have accomplished exceedingly little to render impressive stock of historic and cultural resources available. Even less has been achieved to further the accessibility of the modern Italian traditions and culture (Moller & Deckert, 2009). This then forms a basis for and explains why the traditional cultural and artistic commodities and their use by international and national tourists is the focus of the paper. Through research of the market, the paper will examine the characteristics of both the supply and demand of cultural and heritage tourism commodities, to have a sound foundation through which to set a tourism ma rketing strategy is more scientific and with decreased risk. For instance, research estimates that today 55 percent of Italians go on holiday annually. In these cases, 15 percent usually purchase a package tour for a minimum of seven days. Research shows that more young people involved in these travels are between 30 and 20 years old, though individuals aged over 55 make up for a larger percentage of the 55% of tourists. As a result, of the exceedingly high demand for arts, historical and cultural tourism in Italy, the paper will propose a project to begin a new business supplying the demand for arts, historical and cultural tourism (Consulting & Promotion 2011, p2). Company Description The company will deal with tourism in arts, history, culture and religious paths. When it comes to religious tourism, more than 3000 structures are available in Italy, more than 56 ancient and modern convents, 25 Euro house receptions, 30 Euro monasteries that are available to be exploited by this ki nd of tourism. The company will focus on these areas to supply religious tourism demands by targeting individuals between the ages of 70 and 40. The company will also deal with material culture. The key to excellence for culture tourism in Italy is in the ability to deliver and create an efficient diversification crossing the right artistic, historical and monumental traditions with food, crafts, folk territory and wine. Culture in a wide sense to harmonize the traditional view to protection with improvement of local identity in culture (Richards 1996). The company will also exploit tourism in museums, as there are not enough visitations to museums. The company needs to breathe to the tourists in Italy that the emotions and atmosphere in museums offer a unique experience worth coming back for. The company will carry out an operation to communicate the new tourism features the company is offering within the country, that is involving the people of Italy in processes of systematic red iscovery of their own traditions (Richards 1996, p. 35). Goals of the Company The main goal of the company is to supply the unsupplied tourism demands in Italy especially in the area of arts, history, religious paths and history. The company will exploit all the available and underutilized tourist features related to culture, traditions and religion. Situation Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Art, history and culture are essential motives for a significant number of tourists. The considerable casual attitude of policy

Effect of Sugar on the Melting Rate of (Coke) Ice Cubes

Effect of Sugar on the Melting Rate of (Coke) Ice Cubes Introduction: There was constant information coming up about sugar lowering the freezing point of ice therefore shortening the melting time of the ice. This experiment will be conducted as hope to solidify research, Coke ice cubes will be used in the experiment; Original coke ice cubs which contain sugar, and Coke zero ice cubes which contain no added sugar. This experiment will provide more reliable information for scientists for real life applications such as melting ice off roads as faster and easier way, clearing snow off roads or to clear ice for room for infrastructure and construction. Aim: To see the effect of sugar on the melting rate of ice cubes (Original coke – sugar, and Coke Zero – no sugar). Hypothesis: The sugar in the Original Coke ice cubes will cause the ice cubes to melt faster than the Coke Zero ice cubes. This is because sugar lowers the freezing point of water/most liquids. Material list: Method: Pour 10mL of Original Coke into a separated/slotted ice cube tray using a pipette and measuring cylinder to make sure that all the ice cubes are the same size (leave the ice trays in the freezer overnight). Pour 10mL Coke Zero into a separated/slotted ice cube tray using a pipette and measuring cylinder to make sure that all the ice cubes are the same size (leave the ice trays in the freezer overnight). Place heat source in front or on top of bench and switch it on. Record room temperature and air temperature before removing ice cubes form the freezer. Place one of each ice cube on a separate plate and start the timer. Time how long it takes for the ice cubes to melt. Take photos of the melting of the ice cubes. Write down results of the experiment including; temperatures and times. Clean out plates and let them dry before repeating the experiment around 8 times or until your results are consistent, reliable and close. Variables: Results: Images: Discussion: I stated in my hypothesis that the Original Coke would melt faster because of its contents; containing sugar whereas, Coke Zero does not. This is experiment was conducted on the basis of the research on what makes ice melts fastest. Substances that dissolve in water lower the freezing point of the solution. This is an example of a colligative property. In this experiment, I investigated whether sugar affected the rate at which ice (cubes) melted. The reason I thought that the Original Coke would melt faster is because it contained lots of sugar and the reason I thought the Coke Zero would melt slower (than Original Coke) is because it has no natural sugar in it but instead it contains artificial sweeteners. On TV or in other countries (because we don’t have ice/snow on the streets in Australia unless you’re in the mountains), trucks are usually seen driving through streets covered with snow or ice, spreading a mixture of sand, gravel and salt on the ice/snow to de-ice the roads (melt the layer of ice/snow on the road). The lowered freezing point because of the poured mixture means that snow and ice can melt even if the weather is supposed to be freezing water. This is an example of freezing point depression (the decreasing of melting point of a substance/molecule). I decided to see if sugar would have the same effect as salt as they are not so different when it comes to their molecular properties. My results supported that my hypothesis and made my research reliable, The Original Coke melted significantly faster than the Coke Zero (as shown in images 4 and 6) . My results were repeated seven* times in order to obtain reliable data. The graph created from the table of results show the average melting times for each type of coke ice cube, it shows that Original Coke melted significantly (almost 300+ seconds in different instances) faster than the Coke Zero. The biggest difficulty I encountered was controlling the temperature of the air, plates and the temperature of the room. I set my experiment up in front of a gas heater in the living room where there were little things which would interfere with my experiment, making sure that each type of ice cube was the 30 centimetres away from the heat source, I began the experiment. Each type of ice cube was placed on the same type of plate at the same time for each repeat of the experiment. The temperatures were measured with 2 types of thermometers (an ordinary scientific grade thermometer and an IR thermometer1) during the experiment and the temperatures fluctuated from between 42oC and 50oC.. However, both types of ice cubes were exposed to the same increase during the experiment so the average melting rate results should not have been affected. The amount by which the freezing point is lowered depends only on the number of molecules dissolved, not on their chemical nature of the substance used because of this, my thoughts changed. Although my prediction2 was correct, I still do not completely know what it was that changed the melting rate of the ice because I do not have scientific grade equipment or a laboratory to conduct a full scale experiment, but I suspect that it may have to do with Original coke having more soluble substances/material than Coke Zero. I could also conduct an experiment to discover the truth behind that theory by testing the evaporation times of each type of Cola. (But that’s for another timeà ¯Ã‚ Ã…  ) Conclusion: My results show that the Original Coke ice cubes melt faster than Coke Zero ice cubes. I suspect that the sugar in Original Coke caused the ice cube to melt faster. However, freezing point depression depends on the amount of molecules dissolved, and not on the chemical nature or make up of the molecules. Therefore, the presence or absence of sugar in the Coke ice cubes may not have been the reason for my different melting rates. Bibliography: NaveC.R. (n.d.). Colligative Properties of Solutions.Colligative Properties of Solutions. Retrieved August 27, 2014, from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/chemical/collig.html OKeeffe, J. (2010, September 19). Why Does Sugar Affect the Freezing Point of Water?.eHow. Retrieved August 27, 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7194604_sugar-affect-freezing-point-water_.html ThinkQuest. (n.d.).ThinkQuest. Retrieved August 27, 2014, from http://library.thinkquest.org/C006669/data/Chem/colligative/colligative.html?tqskip1=1 Variables in Your Science Fair Project. (n.d.).Variables in Your Science Fair Project. Retrieved August 27, 2014, from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_variables.shtml *Eight times but I messed up my eighth so I dropped it. 2Prediction based on previous research conducted. 1IR thermometer: I got it from a cousin who had it lying around. It’s not scientific grade, it was bought from Bunnings warehouse.

Childhood Conduct Disorder Essay -- Diseases/Disorders

Introduction: A History and Brief Overview of Conduct Disorder Conduct Disorder has been a part of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manuel (DSM) since its original release date in 1994. Although, there is new information about the disorder that was previously unknown, Conduct Disorder is distinguished by a â€Å"repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms or rules are violated† (American Psychiatric Association, 1994.) This mild, moderate, or severe antisocial behavior begins to appear either in childhood, categorized as early-onset conduct disorder , or in adolescence after ten years of age, classified as adolescent-onset conduct disorder (Passamonti et al., 2010.) The criteria to meet to be diagnosed with this disorder are separated into four subgroups: aggressive conduct, nonaggressive conduct, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violations of the rules. Three or more incidents must be present in the past twelve months with at le ast one of the characteristics being present in the past six months. This disorder causes severe impairment of functioning across a variety of situations so it is important to keep in mind society and individual situations because this diagnosis may be â€Å"misapplied to individuals in settings where patterns of undesirable behavior are sometimes viewed as protective† (American Psychiatric Association, 1994.) For example, a patient that has recently relocated from a war torn country would most likely not be a candidate for Conduct disorder even though he or she may exhibit some of the characteristics. An interesting distinction between the two subcategories is that those diagnosed with early-onset Conduct Dis... ...004). Childhood Adversity, Monoamine Oxidase A Genotype, and Risk for Conduct Disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 738-744. Lahey et al. (2004). Predicting Future Antisocial Personality Disorder in Males from a Clinical Assessment in Childhood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 389-399. Maughn et al. (2004). Prenatal Smoking and Early Childhood Conduct Problems. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 836-843. Milich, R., Widiger, T. & Landau, S. (1987). Differential Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder Using Conditional Probabilities. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 726-767. Miller, G. E. & Prinz, R. J. (1990). Enhancement of Social Learning Family Interventions for Childhood Conduct Disorder. Psychological Bulletin. Passamonti et al. (2010). Neural Abnormalities in Early-Onset and Adolescent-Onset Conduct Disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 729-738.

Neural Interfacing Essay -- essays papers

Neural Interfacing In the motion picture â€Å"RoboCop† scientists during a future time implanted a human head into the body of a futuristic robot creating an almost unstoppable police officer. During 1987, when this movie was produced, the idea of man combining with machine was considered pure fantasy. However, advances in technology in the year 2000 and further studies in recent years have proven that this idea may, in time, become a reality. On October 13th 2003, sciencedaily.com in their article, Monkeys Consciously Control A Robot Arm Using Only Brain Signals, reported that researchers of Duke University had successfully taught a monkey to manipulate a robotic arm using only her brain signals and a video display.[1] Though the theory behind the idea of somehow connecting human tissue to electronic devices is relatively simple, the processes needed to create the experiment are very complex. For years scientists have understood that the brain uses small amounts of electrical currents to stimulate specific muscle movements. Some of these scientists then asked if it was possible to create a device that can be controlled simply by reading this electric activity of the brain. Only in recent years were scientists able to place this theory into practice. This amazing scientific accomplishment was made possible by surgically implanting microelectrodes (very small sensors used to measure electric activity in living tissue) into the brains of two monkeys.[2] These microelectrodes were implanted where scientists believe is the greatest amount of complex muscle control, the frontal and parietal regions of the brain. [3] Then different measurements of electric brain activity were recorded from the microelectrodes utilizing a scientifi... ... God and fiddle with God’s creation? This is a very personal question and must be dealt with the by individual alone. Works cited: Better Humans. (2004, February). Snail Brain Merged with Microchip. Retrieved March 31, 2004 from http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-02-23-4 Science Daily. (2004, March). Human Studies Show Feasibility Of Brain-machine Interfaces. Retrieved March 31, 2004 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040324071203.htm Science Daily. (2003, October). Monkeys Consciously Control A Robot Arm Using Only Brain Signals. Retrieved March 31, 2004 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031013082812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031013082812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040324071203.htm http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-02-23-4

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Well, it worked, I finally got the angel to leave the room. It went like this: Raziel called down to the front desk and asked him to send Jesus up. A few minutes later our Latin pal stood at attention at the foot of the angel's bed. Raziel said, â€Å"Tell him I need a Soap Opera Digest.† In Spanish, I said, â€Å"Good afternoon, Jesus. How are you today?† â€Å"I am well, sir, and you?† â€Å"As good as can be expected, considering this man is holding me prisoner.† â€Å"Tell him to hurry,† said Raziel. â€Å"He doesn't understand Spanish?† Jesus asked. â€Å"Not a word of it, but don't start speaking Hebrew or I'm sunk.† â€Å"Are you really a prisoner? I wondered why you two never left the room. Should I call the police?† â€Å"No, that won't be necessary, but please shake your head and look apologetic.† â€Å"What is taking so long?† Raziel said. â€Å"Give him the money and tell him to go.† â€Å"He said he is not allowed to buy publications for you, but he can direct you to a place where you can purchase them yourself.† â€Å"That's ridiculous, he's a servant, isn't he? He will do as I ask.† â€Å"Oh my, Jesus, he has asked if you would like to feel the power of his manly nakedness.† â€Å"Is he crazy? I have a wife and two children.† â€Å"Sadly, yes. Please show him that you are offended by his offer by spitting on him and storming out of the room.† â€Å"I don't know, sir, spitting on a guest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I handed him a handful of the bills that he'd taught me were appropriate gratuities. â€Å"Please, it will be good for him.† â€Å"Very well, Mister Biff.† He produced an impressive loogie and launched it at the front of the angel's robe, where it splatted and ran. Raziel leapt to his feet. â€Å"Well done, Jesus, now curse.† â€Å"You fuckstick!† â€Å"In Spanish.† â€Å"Sorry, I was showing off my English. I know many swear words.† â€Å"Well done. Spanish please.† â€Å"Pendejo!† â€Å"Splendid, now storm out.† Jesus turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him. â€Å"He spit on me?† Raziel said, still not believing it. â€Å"An angel of the Lord, and he spit on me.† â€Å"Yes, you offended him.† â€Å"He called me a fuckstick. I heard him.† â€Å"In his culture, it is an affront to ask another man to buy a Soap Opera Digest for you. We'll be lucky if he ever brings us a pizza again.† â€Å"But I want a Soap Opera Digest.† â€Å"He said you can buy one just down the street, I will be happy to go get one for you.† â€Å"Not so fast, Apostle, none of your tricks. I'll get it myself, you stay here.† â€Å"You'll need money.† I handed him some bills. â€Å"If you leave the room I will find you in an instant, you know that?† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"You cannot hide from me.† â€Å"Wouldn't dream of it. Hurry now.† He sort of shuffled sideways toward the door. â€Å"Don't try to lock me out, I'm taking a key with me. Not that I need it or anything, being an angel of the Lord.† â€Å"Not to mention a fuckstick.† â€Å"I don't even know what that means.† â€Å"Go, go, go.† I shooed him through the door. â€Å"Godspeed, Raziel.† â€Å"Work on your Gospel while I'm gone.† â€Å"Right.† I slammed the door in his face and threw the safety lock. Raziel has now watched hundreds of hours of American television, you'd think he would have noticed that people wear shoes when they go outside. The book is exactly as I suspected, a Bible, but written in a flowery version of this English I've been writing in. The translation of the Torah and the prophets from the Hebrew is muddled sometimes, but the first part seems to be our Bible. This language is amazing – so many words. In my time we had very few words, perhaps a hundred that we used all the time, and thirty of them were synonyms for guilt. In this language you can curse for an hour and never use the same word twice. Flocks and schools and herds of words, that's why I'm supposed to use this language to tell Joshua's story. I've hidden the book in the bathroom, so I can sneak in and read it while the angel is in the room. I didn't have time to actually read much of the part of the book they call the New Testament, but it's obvious that it is the story of Joshua's life. Or parts of it, anyway. I'll study it later, but now I should go on with the real story. I suppose I should have considered the exact nature of what we were doing before I invited Maggie to join us. I mean, there is some difference between the circumcision of an eight-day-old baby boy, which she had seen before, and the same operation on the ten-foot statue of a Greek god. â€Å"My goodness, that is, uh, impressive,† Maggie said, staring up at the marble member. â€Å"Graven image,† Joshua said under his breath. Even in the moonlight I could tell he was blushing. â€Å"Let's do it.† I pulled a small iron chisel from my pouch. Joshua was wrapping the head of his mallet with leather to deaden its sound. Sepphoris slept around us, the silence broken only by the occasional bleat of a sheep. The evening cook fires had long since gone to coals, the dust cloud that stirred through the city during the day had settled, and the night air was clean and still. From time to time I would catch a sweet whiff of sandalwood coming from Maggie and I would lose my train of thought. Funny the things you remember. We found a bucket and turned it upside down for Joshua to stand on while he worked. He set the tip of my chisel on Apollo's foreskin and ventured a light tap with the mallet. A tiny fragment of marble flaked away. â€Å"Give it a good whack,† I said. â€Å"I can't, it will make too much noise.† â€Å"No, it won't, the leather will cover it.† â€Å"But I might take the whole end of it off.† â€Å"He can spare it,† Maggie said, and we both turned to her with our mouths hanging open. â€Å"Probably,† she added quickly. â€Å"I'm only guessing. What do I know, I'm just a girl. Do you guys smell something?† We smelled the Roman before we heard him, heard him before we saw him. The Romans covered themselves with olive oil before they bathed, so if the wind was right or if it was an especially hot day you could smell a Roman coming at thirty paces. Between the olive oil they bathed with and the garlic and dried paste of anchovies they ate with their barley, when the legions marched into battle it must have smelled like an invasion of pizza people. If they'd had pizzas back then, which they didn't. Joshua took a quick swipe with the mallet and the chisel slipped, neatly severing Apollo's unit, which fell to the dirt with a dull thud. â€Å"Whoops,† said the Savior. â€Å"Shhhhhhhh,† I shushed. We heard the hobnails of the Roman's boots scraping on stone. Joshua jumped down from the bucket and looked frantically for a place to hide. The walls of the Greek's bathhouse were almost completed around the statue, so really, except for the entrance where the Roman was coming, there was no place to run. â€Å"Hey, what are you doing there?† We stood as still as the statue. I could see that it was the legionnaire that had been with Justus our first day in Sepphoris. â€Å"Sir, it's us, Biff and Joshua. Remember? The kid from the bread?† The soldier moved closer, his hand on the haft of his half-drawn short sword. When he saw Joshua he relaxed a bit. â€Å"What are you doing here so early? No one is to be about at this hour.† Suddenly, the soldier was yanked backward off of his feet and a dark figure fell on him, thrusting a blade into his chest over and over. Maggie screamed and the figure turned to us. I started to run. â€Å"Stop,† the murderer hissed. I froze. Maggie threw her arms around me and hid her face in my shirt as I trembled. A gurgling sound came from the soldier, but he lay still. Joshua made to step toward the murderer and I threw an arm across his chest to stop him. â€Å"That was wrong,† Joshua said, almost in tears. â€Å"You are wrong to kill that man.† The murderer held his bloody blade up by his face and grinned at us. â€Å"Is it not written that Moses became a prophet only after killing an Egyptian slave driver? No master but God!† â€Å"Sicarii,† I said. â€Å"Yes boy, Sicarii. Only when the Romans are dead will the Messiah come to set us free. I serve God by killing this tyrant.† â€Å"You serve evil,† Joshua said. â€Å"The Messiah didn't call for the blood of this Roman.† The assassin raised his blade and came at Joshua. Maggie and I leapt back, but Joshua stood his ground. The assassin grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him close. â€Å"What do you know of it, boy?† We could clearly see the murderer's face in the moonlight. Maggie gasped, â€Å"Jeremiah.† His eyes went wide, with fear or recognition, I don't know which. He released Joshua and made as if to grab Maggie. I pulled her away. â€Å"Mary?† The anger had left his voice. â€Å"Little Mary?† Maggie said nothing, but I could feel her shoulders heave as she began to sob. â€Å"Tell no one of this,† the murderer said, now talking as if he were in a trance. He backed away and stood beside the dead soldier. â€Å"No master but God,† he said, then he turned and ran into the night. Joshua put his hand on Maggie's head and she immediately stopped crying. â€Å"Jeremiah is my father's brother,† she said. Before I go on you should know about the Sicarii, and to know about them, you have to know about the Herods. So here you go. About the time that Joshua and I were meeting for the first time, King Herod the Great died after ruling Israel (under the Romans) for over forty years. It was, in fact, the death of Herod that prompted Joseph to bring his family back to Nazareth from Egypt, but that's another story. Now you need to know about Herod. Herod wasn't called â€Å"the Great† because he was a beloved ruler. Herod the Great, was, in fact, a fat, paranoid, pox-ridden tyrant who murdered thousands of Jews, including his own wife and many of his sons. Herod was called â€Å"the Great† because he built things. Amazing things: fortresses, palaces, theaters, harbors – a whole city, Caesarea, modeled on the Roman ideal of what a city should be. The one thing he did for the Jewish people, who hated him, was to rebuild the Temple of Solomon on Mount Moriah, the center of our faith. When H. the G. died, Rome divided his kingdom among three of his sons, Archelaus, Herod Philip, and Herod Antipas. It was Antipas who ultimately passed sentence on John the Baptist and gave Joshua over to Pilate. Antipas, you sniveling fuckstick (if only we'd had the word back then). It was Antipas whose toady pandering to the Romans caused bands of Jewish rebels to rise up in the hills by the hundreds. The Romans called all of th ese rebels Zealots, as if they were all united in method as well as cause, but, in fact, they were as fragmented as Jews of the villages. One of the bands that rose in Galilee called themselves the Sicarii. They showed their disapproval of Roman rule by the assassination of Roman soldiers and officials. Although certainly not the largest group of Zealots by number, they were the most conspicuous by their actions. No one knew where they came from, and no one knew where they went to after they killed, but every time they struck, the Romans did their best to make our lives hell to get us to give the killers up. And when the Romans caught a Zealot, they didn't just crucify the leader of the band, they crucified the whole band, their families, and anyone suspected of helping them. More than once we saw the road out of Sepphoris lined with crosses and corpses. My people. We ran through the sleeping city, stopping only after we had passed through the Venus Gate, where we fell in a heap on the ground, gasping. â€Å"We have to take Maggie home and get back here for work,† Joshua said. â€Å"You can stay here,† Maggie said. â€Å"I can go by myself.† â€Å"No, we have to go.† Joshua held his arms out to his sides and we saw the bloody handprints the killer had left on his shirt. â€Å"I have to clean this before someone sees it.† â€Å"Can't you just make it go away?† Maggie asked. â€Å"It's just a stain. I'd think the Messiah could get a stain out.† â€Å"Be nice,† I said. â€Å"He's not that good at Messiah stuff yet. It was your uncle, after all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maggie jumped to her feet. â€Å"You were the one who wanted to do this stupid thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Stop!† Joshua said, holding his hand up as if he were sprinkling us with silence. â€Å"If Maggie hadn't been with us, we might be dead now. We may still not be safe when the Sicarii realize that three witnesses live.† An hour later Maggie was home safe and Joshua emerged from the ritual bath outside the synagogue, his clothes soaked and rivulets running out of his hair. (Many of us had these mikvehs outside of our homes – and there were hundreds outside the Temple in Jerusalem – stone pits with steps leading down both sides into the water so one might walk in over one's head on one side, then out on the other after the ritual cleansing was done. According to the Law, any contact with blood called for a cleansing. Joshua thought it would be a good opportunity to scrub the stain out of his shirt as well.) â€Å"Cold.† Joshua was shivering and hopping from foot to foot as if on hot coals. â€Å"Very cold.† (There was a small stone hut built over the baths so they never got the direct light of the sun, consequently they never warmed up. Evaporation in the dry Galilee air chilled the water even more.) â€Å"Maybe you should come to my house. My mother will have a breakfast fire going by now, you can warm yourself.† He wrung out the tail of his shirt and water cascaded down his legs. â€Å"And how would I explain this?† â€Å"Uh, you sinned, had an emergency cleansing to do.† â€Å"Sinned? At dawn? What sin could I have done before dawn?† â€Å"Sin of Onan?† I said. Joshua's eyes went wide. â€Å"Have you committed the sin of Onan?† â€Å"No, but I'm looking forward to it.† â€Å"I can't tell your mother that I've committed the sin of Onan. I haven't.† â€Å"You could if you're fast.† â€Å"I'll suffer the cold,† Joshua said. The good old sin of Onan. That brings back memories. The sin of Onan. Spilling the old seed on the ground. Cuffing the camel. Dusting the donkey. Flogging the Pharisee. Onanism, a sin that requires hundreds of hours of practice to get right, or at least that's what I told myself. God slew Onan for spilling his seed on the ground (Onan's seed, not God's. God's seed turned out to be my best pal. Imagine the trouble you'd be in if you actually spilled God's seed. Try explaining that). According to the Law, if you had any contact with â€Å"nocturnal emissions† (which are not what come out of your tailpipe at night – we didn't have cars then), you had to purify yourself by baptism and you weren't allowed to be around people until the next day. Around the age of thirteen I spent a lot of time in and out of our mikveh, but I fudged on the solitary part of penance. I mean, it's not like that was going to help the problem. Many a morning I was still dripping and shivering from the bath when I met Joshua to go to work. â€Å"Spilled your seed upon the ground again?† he'd ask. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"You're unclean, you know?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm getting all wrinkly from purifying myself.† â€Å"You could stop.† â€Å"I tried. I think I'm being vexed by a demon.† â€Å"I could try to heal you.† â€Å"No way, Josh, I'm having enough trouble with laying on of my own hands.† â€Å"You don't want me to cast out your demon?† â€Å"I thought I'd try to exhaust him first.† â€Å"I could tell the scribes and they would have you stoned.† (Always trying to be helpful, Josh was.) â€Å"That would probably work, but it is written that ‘when the oil of the lamp is used up, the wanker shall light his own way to salvation.'† â€Å"That is not written.† â€Å"It is too. In, uh, Isaiah.† â€Å"Is not.† â€Å"You need to study your Prophets, Josh. How are you going to be the Messiah if you don't know your Prophets?† Joshua hung his head. â€Å"You are right, of course.† I clapped him on the shoulder. â€Å"You'll have time to learn the Prophets. Let's cut through the square and see if there are any girls gathering water.† Of course it was Maggie I was looking for. It was always Maggie. By the time we got back to Sepphoris the sun was well up, but the stream of merchants and farmers that normally poured through the Venus Gate was not there. Roman soldiers were stopping and searching everyone who was trying to leave the city, sending them back the way they came. A group of men and women were waiting outside the gate to go in, my father and some of his helpers among them. â€Å"Levi!† my father called. He ran to us and herded us to the side of the road. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked, trying to look innocent. â€Å"A Roman soldier was murdered last night. There will be no work today, now you both go home and stay there. Tell your mothers to keep the children in today. If the Romans don't find the killer there'll be soldiers in Nazareth before noon.† â€Å"Where is Joseph?† Joshua asked. My father put his arm around Joshua's shoulder. â€Å"He's been arrested. He must have come to work very early. They found him at first light, near the body of the dead soldier. I only know what has been shouted from inside the gate, the Romans aren't letting anyone in or out of the city. Joshua, tell your mother not to worry. Joseph is a good man, the Lord will protect him. Besides, if the Romans thought he was the killer he would have been tried already.† Joshua backed away from my father in stiff, stumbling steps. He stared straight ahead, but obviously saw nothing. â€Å"Take him home, Biff. I'll be along as soon as I can. I'm going to try to find out what they've done with Joseph.† I nodded and led Joshua away by the shoulders. When we were a few steps down the road, he said, â€Å"Joseph came looking for me. He was working on the other side of the city. The only reason he was near the Greek's house is that he was looking for me.† â€Å"We'll tell the centurion we saw who killed the soldier. He'll believe us.† â€Å"And if he believes us, believes it was Sicarii, what will happen to Maggie and her family?† I didn't know what to say. Joshua was right and my father was wrong, Joseph was not fine. The Romans would be questioning him right now, maybe torturing him to find out who his accomplices were. That he didn't know anything would not save him. And a testimony from his son not only wouldn't save him, but would send more people to the cross to join him. Jewish blood was going to be spilled one way or the other over this. Joshua shook off my hands and ran off the road into an olive grove. I started to follow, but he suddenly spun on me and the fury of his gaze stopped me in midstride. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"I need to talk to my father.† I waited by the road for nearly an hour. When Joshua walked out of the olive grove he looked as if a shadow had fallen permanently on his face. â€Å"I am lost,† he said. I pointed over my shoulder. â€Å"Nazareth that way, Sepphoris the other way. You're in the middle. Feel better?† â€Å"You know what I mean.† â€Å"No help from your father, then?† I always felt strange asking about Joshua's prayers. You had to see him pray, especially in those days, before we had traveled. There was a lot of strain and trembling, like someone trying to force a fever to break by sheer will. There was no peace in it. â€Å"I am alone,† Joshua said. I punched him in the arm, hard. â€Å"Then you didn't feel that.† â€Å"Ouch. What'd you do that for?† â€Å"Sorry, no one around to answer you. You're soooooooo alone.† â€Å"I am alone!† I wound up for a full-body-powered roundhouse punch. â€Å"Then you won't mind if I smite the bejeezus out of you.† He threw up his hands and jumped back. â€Å"No, don't.† â€Å"So you're not alone?† â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"Good, then wait here. I'm going to go talk to your father myself.† I tramped off into the olive grove. â€Å"You don't have to go in there to talk to him. He is everywhere.† â€Å"Yeah, right, like you know. If he's everywhere then how are you alone?† â€Å"Good point.† I left Joshua standing by the road and went off to pray. And thus did I pray: â€Å"Heavenly Father, God of my father and my father's father, God of Abraham and Isaac, God of Moses, who did lead our people out of Egypt, God of David and Solomon – well, you know who you are. Heavenly Father, far be it from me to question your judgment, being as you are all powerful and the God of Moses and all of the above, but what exactly are you trying to do to this poor kid? I mean, he's your son, right? He's the Messiah, right? Are you pulling one of those Abraham faith-test things on him? In case you didn't notice, he's in quite a pickle here, having witnessed a murder and his stepfather under arrest by the Romans, and in all likelihood, a lot of our people, who you have mentioned on more than one occasion are your favorites and the chosen (and of which I am one, by the way) are going to be tortured and killed unless we – I mean he – does something. So, what I'm saying here is, could you, much as you did with Samson when he was backed into a corner w eaponless against the Philistines, throw the kid a bone here? â€Å"With all due respect. Your friend, Biff. Amen.† I was never very good at prayer. Storytelling, I'm fine with. I, in fact, am the originator of a universal story that I know has survived to this time because I have heard it on TV. It begins: â€Å"Two Jews go into a bar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Those two Jews? Me and Josh. No kidding. Anyway, I'm not good at prayer, but before you think I was a little rough on God, there's another thing you need to know about my people. Our relationship with God was different from other people and their Gods. Sure there was fear and sacrifice and all, but essentially, we didn't go to him, he came to us. He told us we were the chosen, he told us he would help us to multiply to the ends of the earth, he told us he would give us a land of milk and honey. We didn't go to him. We didn't ask. And since he came to us, we figure we can hold him responsible for what he does and what happens to us. For it is written that â€Å"he who can walk away, controls the deal.† And if there's anything you learn from reading the Bible, it's that my people walked away a lot. You couldn't turn around that we weren't off in Babylon worshiping false gods, building false altars, or sleeping with unsuitable women. (Although the latter may be more of a guy thing than a Jewish thing.) And God pretty mu ch didn't mind throwing us into slavery or simply massacring us when we did that. We have that kind of relationship with God. We're family. So I'm not a prayer-master, so to speak, but that particular prayer couldn't have been that bad, because God answered. Well, he left me a message, anyway. As I emerged from the olive grove, Joshua held out his hand and said, â€Å"God left a message.† â€Å"It's a lizard,† I said. It was. Joshua was holding a small lizard in his outstretched hand. â€Å"Yes, that's the message, don't you see?† How was I to know what was going on? Joshua had never lied to me, never. So if he said that this lizard was a message from God, who was I to dispute him? I fell to my knees and bowed my head under Josh's outstretched hand. â€Å"Lord have mercy on me, I was expecting a burning bush or something. Sorry. Really.† Then to Josh, I said, â€Å"I'm not so sure you should take that seriously, Josh. Reptiles don't tend to have a great record for getting the message right. Like for instance, oh, let's see, that Adam and Eve thing.† â€Å"It's not that kind of message, Biff. My father hasn't spoken in words, but this message is as clear as if his voice had come down from the heavens.† â€Å"I knew that.† I stood up. â€Å"And the message is?† â€Å"In my mind. When you had been gone only a few minutes this lizard ran up my leg and perched on my hand. I realized that it was my father giving me the solution to our problem.† â€Å"And the message is?† â€Å"You remember when we were little, the game we used to play with the lizards?† â€Å"Sure I do. But the message is?† â€Å"You remember how I was able to bring them back to life.† â€Å"A great trick, Josh. But getting back to the message†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't you see? If the soldier isn't dead, then there was no murder. If there was no murder, then there is no reason for the Romans to harm Joseph. So all we have to do is see that the soldier is not dead. Simple.† â€Å"Of course, simple.† I studied the lizard for a minute, looking at it from a number of different angles. It was brownish green and seemed quite content to sit there on Joshua's palm. â€Å"Ask him what we're supposed to do now.†

Some People Think High School Students

Some people think high school students should take a year to work or travel before going at university. Some people believe that students should work or travel for a year before going at university,in my opinion I totally agree. Experiencing the world of work expands the mind. The experience will help us to see how the various aspects of college education relate to each other and to life outside of college. The richness of experience will powerfully inform your academic work.First I`ll talk about advantages and disadnvantages of one year working or travelling before going at university. There are a lot of advantages,but also there are some disadvantages. I think that we should work a certain period before going at university,because we`ll earn money to pay our education. Most of the student`s cant go at university because their parents are in bad financial situation. But If they work a certain period they`ll earn enough money for going at university also they`ll gain experience that will help them when they`ll decide to find a job.On the other hand they will learn how to live independently without assistance from parents, and how to face the challenges of life. Furthermore students could find out what they want in life, they could become single-minded, focused and motivated enough to achieve their aims. When they would start studying, they would be motivated to learn in order to attain the goals they have set, thus they will benefit from their travel experience.Another advantage of spending a year traveling between school and university is that students would be able to develop certain skills which will be very helpful for their further life. Students would learn to take responsibilities since they would be on their own in a foreign country where they would not be able to rely on others like they did at home. Whenever they would struggle with issues, they would have to solve the problems on their own; therefore the students would become more independent and awa re of the fact that dealing with issues and solving them is a process of becoming an adult.Thus, their traveling experience would have a positive impact on their personality since the teenagers would be able to develop further personal skills by experiencing a lot, dealing with problems that they would normally not have at home and becoming more aware of their own abilities. A year of traveling would not only benefit the students by helping them developing their personal skills but would also help them improving their language skills. Students that do not speak the anguage of the country they are traveling to so well, would practice it and expand their treasury of words since they would spend a lot of time there and they would have to communicate in order to handle the necessities of every day life like for example shopping. Therefore they would improve their language skills and this could be very expedient for their further studies. Spending a year abroad brings along a good opport unity to meet other people and make new friends.Students would get to know people from different cultures, hence they would learn many interesting things about the culture of the country they have traveled to. If students traveled to a less developed country, they could be more aware of the differences between the respective country and their home country and would therefore appreciate what they have at home. Even though there are many positive aspects concerning spending a year in a foreign country after finishing school, there also are some negative points that I want to clarify.Some students might decide for such an experience but they could soon find out that the decision they have taken was not an appropriate one. They could figure out that they have done the wrong choice since they would not be able to deal with all the issues they encounter there, so they would not only waste money in vain, but also precious time. Some teenagers would not be able to cope with such issues as r esponsibility and independence because they would need help and could not do it on their own, therefore they could not bear a whole year abroad if they traveled to a foreign country.Another disadvantage of spending a year abroad is the possibility of losing contact with friends at home. Since the teenagers who decide to take a break from school and do not continue their studies are spending a year away from home and from their friends, they could easily neglect their friends by not calling or writing them often enough. When the students would return home, their friends might have moved on with their lives and could have found other friends since they would have already started their university life.A year abroad could also be dangerous if students chose to travel to a less developed country where crime is the order of the day. The teenagers could betake themselves in dangerous situations and could, if the worst comes to the worst, get hurt. Another negative aspect concerning spendin g a year in a foreign country before going to university is the fact that the students could forget a lot of academic subjects such as mathematics and natural sciences.This could be a disadvantage for the students who want to continue their studies in this direction. Furthermore students could come out of their learning rhythm and this would probably cause difficulties when they would go to university since they would have to do their best from the start and would have to compete with other students who did not take a break from school but continued studying.All in all, one can draw the conclusion that spending a year traveling after finishing school, may have its positive sides, since students can develop their personal skills and experience a lot of helpful things that can shape up as very useful for their future. Nevertheless the decision to spend a year abroad should be elaborated since it may not fit to everybody and it may turn out to be a wrong idea. Therefore I hold the opin ion that everyone who contemplates to make such an experience should really try to find out if it is the right thing for her/him to do.