Thursday Caption Contest - February 18th

He was United States from Delaware, and is now the Vice-President of the United States. Did you know that Joe Biden is also dedicated family man? If you can caption this image of Vice President Joe Biden at Georgetown University for a campus tour, you could win. We’ll pick our three favorites, taking into account the number of likes your submission gets (hint: it helps to share)!Winner gets a $20 Amazon Gift Card, $20 in site credits, plus bragging rights. The two runners-up each get $10 in credits to apply towardsunlocking successfulapplication examplesand/or chatting withmentors. Follow us onFacebookandTwitterto see the winners every week! Contest ends Thursday, February 25th. Three submissions max. Congrats tolast week’s winners!

Egyptian Pyramids Essays - Giza Plateau, Saqqara, Free Essays

Egyptian Pyramids Essays - Giza Plateau, Saqqara, Free Essays Egyptian Pyramids When most people mention Ancient Egypt the first thing that comes to mind is the Pyramids. To construct such monuments required a mastery of art, architecture and social organization that few cultures would ever rival. The pyramids are said to have built Egypt by being the force that knit together the kingdom's economy. Their creations were so subeztial, that the sight of these vast pyramids would take your breath away. Today, the valley of the Nile has an open air museum so people can witness these grand monuments. Obsessed with the afterlife, Egypt's rulers of 4,500 years ago glorified themselves in stone, thereby laying the foundation of the first great nation-state. A Pyramid is an enormous machine that helps the king go through the wall of the dead, achieve resurrection and live forever in the happiness of the gods. The start of the Old Kingdom is said to be the building of the Djoser's monument. The construction of Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser began around 2630 B.C. and was designed to awe the ancient Egyptians, to impress them with their rule's godlike strength. It was the world's first great construction project; indeed, it was the world's largest building. Djoser, the second king of the 3rd dynasty, hired an architect called Imhoptep who for the first time constructed a tomb completely of stone. Imhoptep is considered the preeminent genius of the Old Kingdom. He assembled one workforce to quarry limestone at the cliff of Tura, across the Nile, another to haul the stone to the site where master carvers shaped each block and put it in place. The Step Pyramid is a terraced structure rising in six unequal stages to a height of 60 meters, its base measuring 120 meters by 108 meters. The substructure has a system of underground corridors and rooms. Its main feature being a central shaft 25 meters deep and 8 meters wide. The step pyramid rises within a vast walled court 544 meters long and 277 meters wide, in which are the remnants of several stone edifices built to supply the wants of the king in the here after. Towering limestone columns were shaped to mimic the sway and droop of leafy plants. Immovable doors hung on great carved hinges. Facades called false doors through which the pharaoh's ka, or vital force, was presumed to pass, lay recessed within walls. The interiors of dummy temples were packed with rubble. Everything about the place bespoke illusion. The Step Pyramid was a ladder. Not a symbol of a ladder but an actual one, by which the soul of a dead ruler might climb to the sky, joining the gods in immortality. No one knows why the Egyptians created this fantastic scene, but some archaeologists speculate that there was an Old Kingdom belief that a work of art, a building, had power and utility in the afterlife in direct proportion to its uselessness in the real world. In this view, each false door, each dummy temple worked in the afterlife precisely because it could not function in this one. On the north side of the pyramid is a small stone cubicle, with a pair of tiny holes in its facade. When you look through these holes, you see two eyes retuning your stare, the blank gaze of a life size statue of Djoser sitting on the throne. The holes are there for the pharaoh to look out perhaps at the stars in the northern sky called the Imperishables because they never set. Many believe that the building of Djoser's pyramid complex, which was accomplished by hundreds of workers from across the land, served to join those provinces into the world's first nation-state. During the Old Kingdom, which began around 2700 B.C. and lasted some 550 years, each pharaoh after Djoser marshaled a vast portion of his country's manpower and wealth to build his own tomb and ensure his immortality. To build such outezding monuments required a preciseness of architecture, and years of endless labor from so many Egyptians. The kingdom developed a funerary tradition around the worship of their divine pharaohs, both living and dead. Every aspect of life was affected. The Egyptians dug a network of canals

Explain dualism, materialism, and Idealism. Which is preferable and Essay

Explain dualism, materialism, and Idealism. Which is preferable and why - Essay Example nly measure of reality by disregarding other possible dimensions such as the mental, cultural, or spiritual as it is only material things that constitute the entirety of the universe including all other phenomena. This theory is alternatively termed as eliminative materialism because it disregards all the other possible mental states as probably inherently wrong and non-existent (Ramsey, 2013). 3. Idealism – this philosophy is basically the exact opposite of materialism by claiming that all forms of observed phenomena (or reality itself) are primarily ideal or mental in form only (as mental constructs and therefore immaterial by its very nature). It rejects materialism by and other forms of philosophical thought by saying all human experiences are mental in nature and the entire universal human existence is just like one giant â€Å"mental thought† and ultimate reality is nothing but just images or representations of what people observed (McQuillan, 2014). Dualism is a better philosophy because it more or less is consonant with what people are observing and experiencing in terms of their earthly human existence. In other words, there is a duality in human existence which is the physical or material world and then another dimension of a spiritual nature because the mind-body interactions are very real indeed (Kelly,

Current Ethical Issue in Business Paper Research

Current Ethical Issue in Business - Research Paper Example When Merrill Lynch put bad mortgages in hedge funds than sold them for a year with the promise of a return, the logic was the investors knew the risk. Lita Epstein (2007) explains: Merrill investors had no idea how bad its situation was until it finally came clean about its losses and took a $7.9 billion write-down on these risky securities, one of Wall Streets largest write-downs ever, plus another $463 million write-down of deal-related lending commitments for a total of $8.4 billion. (Epstein 2007). The result of Merrill Lynch and other hedge fund managers was Congress stepping in with new legislation. This means stricter laws and taxes in the United States and Europe. Merrill Lynch did not learn from their mistakes. Instead of operating in the United States and Europe, â€Å"Bank of America Merrill Lynch is helping to establish more than a dozen hedge funds in Asia as industry regulation grows tougher in America and Europe† (Cooper 2010). Clearly this suggests that Merrill Lynch cares more about a profit than the investor. The ground rules that manifested this situation were greed, deception, irresponsible borrowing, and portfolio importance. The hedge funds were there to make money by taking risks. The deception of transferring bad mortgages to the hedge fund created the situation. Irresponsible borrowing, a hedge fund can borrow up to thirty percent over their assets, led to defaulted mortgages. Finally the annual financial report had to meet certain goals to be acceptable to stockholders. The truth never had a chance. Merrill Lynch was guilty of defrauding their stockholders. Although after taking the write down no penalties were given, Merrill Lynch should have learned about the right way to run a hedge fund. The fact that Merrill Lynch wants to operate in Asia should make investors run. This company puts money and success over ethics and investors. This case scenario is not a good example of ethics. Investor should not trust their pennies, much

Review la confidential Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

La confidential - Movie Review Example The character of Dudley Smith played by James Cromwell is tough and disciplined. Being the head of the LAPD he plays a protagonist role against the ‘bad boys’ in the city and is also loyal to his collogues and the department. Bud white (Russell Crowe), a police detective who is often hard and violent to enforce justice and law. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) a cop cum detective works strictly for the policing policies while being totally aware of the politics within the department. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is the sparkling Hollywood detective serving as a technical adviser for a television series. Mickey Cohen took over the running crime scene of Los Angeles bringing down the reputation of LA police department and turning the department against him. But soon this guy is arrested while the legacy of crime scenes continues. The story revolves around three detectives; Exley, Jack and Bud white. Bud white watches a man abusing her wife. He is bought to death by Bud White. On the other hand Jack Vincennes serves as a narcotics detective and arrest two men engaged with marijuana. Exley moves to the murder investigation and Vincennes joined the Vice Squad. Bud White’s suspension is also over taken when they set out for the mission. The three now set out to stop criminals entering the LA and trying to take over Mickey Cohen’s business. The suspected criminals are taken to a remote location, beaten hard by Bud White and then forced to leave the city. The detectives now plan to find Cohen’s subordinates to trace and catch his network; this working strategy helped them while Cohen remains in the prison. There is a twist in the story with the murders at Nite Owl. Every police detective now starts to investigate about this crime scene while leaving all the other aims aside. If the killers are caught, Exley will lead the interrogations. Bud White left this

Globalisation: Threats and Benefits for SMEs

Globalisation: Threats and Benefits for SMEs INTRODUCTION Globalisation has become a hot discussion issue for both academicians as well as the corporate world. This is because of the effects globalisation has on Small medium enterprise as well as the benefits they offer to the SMEs and national economies as a whole. Globalisation is a major driver that has an impact on nearly every business due to internationalization of markets. Technological progress in distribution and other logistics enables every business to buy and sell at a global scale. Small Medium Enterprises contributes to over 50% of the national GDP and provides over 60% of the total employment in most of the developed high income countries. Small and Medium Entrepreneurs play a major role in creating economic growth in every country through job creation (UNCTAD) .Despite small businesses being engines that drive economic growth in most economies, smaller firms in developing countries are greatly disadvantage in terms of growth and profitability due to globalisation. 1.0 What is Globalisation? Globalisation refers to the shift towards a more integrated and independent world economy (Hill 2003) .Globalisation has two main dimensions thus Globalisation of markets and Globalisation of production. 1.1 Globalisation of markets refers to the merging of separate national markets into one global market which is aimed at reducing cross boarder barriers making it easy to sell and buy international (Hill 2003). However cavugil et al -defines Globalisation of markets as a gradual integration and growing interdependence of national economies. It is also aimed at standardizing products worldwide and a means of converging customer preferences. Its therefore important to note that this is a gradual process which started as far back as 1830 has been done in phases. The integration has resulted in the formation of regional bloc e.g. the European Union, SADC in southern Africa, COMESA just to mention a few. Integration is where two or more countries in the same geographical area make an alliance with a view of reducing barriers to trade and invest to grow their economies. This implies that the lowering of trade barriers enables firms to view the world as one global market rather than a singl e market. 1.2 Globalisation of production is the sourcing of goods and services from countries around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality factors of production. China is a good example of emerging markets with low labor costs. With globalistaion, this has seen most firms moving their production centers to china to reduce costs and this has enhanced their economies of scale. By doing this, firms aim to gain competitive advantage as globalisation has resulted in increased competition in the global market. Globalisation productions not limited to giants like Boeing but smaller firms are getting into the act as they aim to lower costs and increase their profit margins. Why GLOBALISATION-There are many reasons why nations globalise. 2.1 Nations globalise to reduce barriers of trade and investment .This means that the absence of barriers has enabled firms to have access to the total market resulting into a wider selection of choice of goods for customers. On the other hand globalisation has resulted into the formation of regional blocks where governments get into agreements so as to eliminate the hindrances to trade freely among the member countries This has not only reduced barriers of trade but also have enhanced the bilateral relationships between member countries. Globalisation is one way of liberalizing markets meaning its one way of opening up markets with minimal government indulgence. Its believed that globalisation creates opportunities to advance in technology and this has resulted in creating efficiency for firms and has brought about innovation which enables firms compete favorably. The other reason why nations globalise is that its easy to integrate world financial markets. As the world is merging business transactions are becoming more simplified e.g. the sourcing of funds from foreign firms have been made easy. However, globalisation has its own benefits and threats especially to small firms 3.0 Benefits of globalisation to smaller firms-.Globalisation has its own pros and cons however its important to note that it has been quite beneficial to smaller firms in various ways. Globalisation has created opportunities for smaller firms to make alliances (merge) with other small firms enabling them access expertise from other countries and creating synergies to achieve competitive advantage. Smaller firms have also benefited greatly from technology mostly brought by globalisation of markets. Communication has become easy as it i possible to transact with different countries within a short period of time. More knowledge about production methods, management techniques, and economic policies are easily accessible at very low costs which is a valuable resource especially for developing countries. Globalisation has resulted in increased investment in business even for small firms due to easy sourcing of funds globally and supports small firms get from other supranational authorities Globalisation has opened doors for small businesses to export their products .Some statistic show that 90% of exporters are small businesses this has helped infant firms have wider market for their products and services. It has also created an opportunity for Small firms to compete on an international scale 4.0 Threats of Globalisation to SMEs Critics of globalisation argue that although there are benefits associated with globalisation, its also apparent that Smaller Medium Enterprises are threatened by globalisation in different ways: With the opening of boarders which has seen a number of MNEs in most countries offering lower prices, small firms are forced to sell their goods and services at lower costs as it is the only way they can compete and this has a negative effect on their profitability. Its has also increased spending for research and development in market entry as it takes a much higher proportion of total spending smaller firms than in larger businesses. Opening up of boarders has resulted in mass migration. This entails that countries loses some of its best talented and skilled people which in turn could mean reduced pool of Human resource SMEs can choose from. Globalisation has also brought about stiff competition from Multi National Entrepreneurs investing in various countries. With globalisation most governments especially in developing countries have policies benefiting MNEs and disadvantaging smaller firms in their quest to attract foreign direct investment. It is because of these threats that governments and supranational authorities have to come in and protect the smaller firms from being swept away. 5.0 What are supranational authorities? These are international governing bodies empowered to regulate international trade and investment .Their main objective is to save collective interest of member states. 5.1 Roles of Supranational Authorities-Supranational authorities play key roles in integration of market as they are aimed at solving common economic problems facing different countries including smaller firms. Examples of these authorities which play major role in protecting smaller firms include; World trade organisation, World Bank, International Monetary fund, African Bank for Reconstruction and development (ABRD) etc, these authorities work hand in hand with governments from various countries to see how poverty can be reduced and creation of jobs enhanced. This includes protecting smaller firms from effects of globalisation and ensuring that they are not swept away by the presence of multi national enterprises since they are the drivers of most economies today. 5.1.1 IMF: The international monetary funds main objective is to raise living standards of its member countries by ensuring that countries can sustain themselves without much dependency on donor funding. Its aimed at fostering global monetary cooperation and secure financial stability by stabilizing exchange rates. If the exchange rates are stabilized its easy for the nation to attract foreign direct investment. International Monetary Funds also facilitates international trade and promotes high employment and sustainability of economic growth with the ultimate goal of reducing poverty. This means that IMF encourages member countries to adopt sound economic policies to promote entrepreneurs in member states especially developing countries so as to help them grow their economies. Once these economies have grown it will mean they become self reliant and employment created for the citizens and IMF would have achieved its goal. 5.1.2 World Bank: The World Banks mission is to fight poverty and improving the living standard of people in developing countries www.worldbank.org. To achieve this, the bank provides low interest loans to different organisations to help funding various projects. Not only to organisations but the bank also offer grants to governments to run various projects in different ministries. World Bank provides advice on implementation of various policies that benefits the different economies. It also offers technical advice to both low and medium income countries on how economies can be improved thereby reducing poverty. The World Bank partners with governments to come up with projects as a way of promoting growth in the economies which leads to job creation .The other reason is to empower smaller firms so that they can explore the opportunities arising from globalisation. The World Bank has other major wings thus the International Bank for Reconstruction and development (IBRD) and the international development association which work primarily with governments to support private businesses in developing countries. Besides the above two wings discussed there is also the international development bank which offers advice on how to access IDB financed contracts 5.1.3 World trade organisation: World trade deals with rules of trade between nations to avoid exploiting one another .World trade ensure that there is fair trade between the trading nations and that trade should not benefit one nation at the expense of the other. The main goal is to help producers of goods and services conduct their business in a fair and transparent manner. This includes Multi national enterprises and smaller firms alike 6.0 Role of Government in protecting small firms Although reasons for economic stagnation vary, several factors point out that many developing countries have economic policies that destroy wealth rather than creating wealth. Its for this reason that Government should come up with policies protecting smaller firms from exploitation as they contribute greatly to the growth of the economy. However this task should not be left alone to supranational authorities but it calls for efforts of various governments to work hand in hand with these authorities to achieve the main goal. In as much as globalisation has benefited most economies of various nations globalisation still poses challenges to many businesses especially infant firms in developing countries. Government therefore should ensure that these infant firms are protected from threats and or exploitation brought about globalisation of markets and production .Its also important to highlight that government needs concerted efforts from all stakeholders thus the private sector to come aboard in helping small and medium firms thrive through stiff competitions. Government can support smaller firms through the implementation of policies in support of smaller firms in form of financial and technical assistance so as to prevent small business from being swept away by todays global economy. This can be through offering tax incentives which can be in form of tax rebates. Government can support smaller firms by injecting capital into these small firms. For example in Zambia there is a government project called the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (C.E.E.C) aimed at encouraging youths and Zambian small entrepreneurs to become entrepreneurs and grow their businesses. It provides loans to small entrepreneurs so that they can grow their businesses and compete effectively. Entrepreneurs are asked to come up with project proposals which are then submitted to C.E.E.C for evaluation. After the evaluation process then they are advised as to weather the project is viable of not and are advised accordingly .if they are sound a loan is given to them after submission of the relevant documents. Government can introduce market linkage through global trade centers to buyers abroad this will help ensure that there is always ready market for small firms products .In most instances small firms may have the product but no market for them at they end up selling their product cheaply without making profits to reinvest .Trade centers on the other hand will do the research on behalf of the entrepreneurs and advises them on how to add quality to their product to meet the international standards and all the logistics should be put in place. In Zambia, the government through the ZDA offers a service of market sourcing for emerging SMEs. Development of good road network system is another way government can come to support these firms. This is because most small firms find it hard to transport their product to market places due to poor roads .This is most applicable in developing countries like Zambia where small firms especially those dealing with agricultural products have problems transporting their produces to major markets where there are better offers hence they end up selling these products cheaply Government can also work hand in hand with local banks and help reduce interest and lending rates so as to enable small firms have access to loans to finance their business this will ensure growth to this infant firms. Government can also come up with policies where small entrepreneurs especially in the agricultural sector sell direct to the Food Reserve Agency (F.R.A) at a profitable price. This will deter buyers seeking to exploit them with lower prices. Smaller firms fail to compete effectively due to lack of planning. Most of them fail to come up with comprehensive business proposal plans as a result they have no direction on how to compete. This is where governments co-operating partners can come in to help by running workshops so as to give them direction. The Government Republic of Zambia offer such training through a government wing called Zambia Development Agency (ZDA). For firms in the exporting business government can offer incentives in form of invoice discount or warehouse receipts this will encourage more smaller firms to venture into exporting which is a way of expanding their market and is less risky and cheaper that foreign direct investment. Government should also introduce price sealing to deter multi national Enterprises from exploiting market for infant firms seeking to use the cost leadership strategy as a means of entering the foreign market. This will ensures there is protection of the home grown products as there is a floor limiting price factor Governments from the same regional blocks can introduce one stop boarder post where small entrepreneurs are allowed to cross over with goods and with no tax on certain goods. In the SADC region for example ,Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have signed this agreement although its not as effective as it should be If all these measures are put in place and necessary policies are implemented by the government and its stakeholders then smaller firms will survive from globalisation threats and will eventually be translated into economic growth and increased gross domestic product ratio. CONCLUSION In conclusion, as globalisation has progressed the living conditions have improved significantly in almost all the countries. However the strongest gains have been particularly on high income countries (developed countries) and only a few in developing countries. This is because low income countries have not been able to integrate with global economies quickly as the developed countries partly because of the policies implemented in various nations and other factors beyond their control. Every country should seek to reduce poverty thus encouraging entrepreneurship by strengthening their financial muscle so that they can withstand stiff competition amid globalisation. This is the only way to ensure that smaller firms have access to benefits of globalisation and reduced threats. Finally for as long as Small Medium Enterprises lack financial support, with poor infrastructure and lack of government assistance and support ,small firms will continue being threatened by globalisation and eventually will be swept away. This will have an adverse impact on the economy as small firms are the back bone of the strong economies. RECOMMENDATION The Government of the Republic of Zambia must increase the allocation to the wings responsible for youth and entrepreneur project e.g. the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission and should be encouraged to lend to women groups and have the collateral to borrow from banks as most of this government wing offer too little to small firms and cannot borrow from high interest Banks due to lack of collaterals. Policies that protect local manufacturers should be strengthened by developing country governments. This is because currently the laws and regulations on this angle are too weak as a result investors source raw materials from their country of origin and not from local suppliers. There is also great need for governments to enhance education, training and research and development to promote productivity among small firms through its cooperating partners. This could be an opportunity for small businesses to acquire right skills in dynamic economies. Other policies should include structural reforms to encourage domestic competition. If local firms can compete domestically it helps improve product and service standard thereby preparing them to compete internationally. Developing countries should lobby from rich countries to relax restrictions for developing countries to export into European and western markets. This can be done through bodies like SADC, COMESA and A.U. There is a better chance of being heard if they speak with one strong voice. Supranational authorities should introduce parallel lending specifically for small firms so that funds are not diverted. They should also channel funds for capacity building which helps instill know how to infant firms so that they can compete effectively. Supranational authorities should work hand in hand with Non governmental organisation by funding various projects e.g. when it comes to running workshops. They should also lower interest rates to small firms to enable them access loans with minimal interests. APPENDICES chart1a chart2b

Computer Crime Is Increasing :: essays research papers fc

Computer Crime Is Increasing A report discussing the proposition that computer crime has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. Introduction Computer crime is generally defined as any crime accomplished through special knowledge of computer technology. Increasing instances of white-collar crime involve computers as more businesses automate and the information held by the computers becomes an important asset. Computers can also become objects of crime when they or their contents are damaged, for example when vandals attack the computer itself, or when a "computer virus" (a program capable of altering or erasing computer memory) is introduced into a computer system. As subjects of crime, computers represent the electronic environment in which frauds are programmed and executed; an example is the transfer of money balances in accounts to perpetrators' accounts for withdrawal. Computers are instruments of crime when they are used to plan or control such criminal acts. Examples of these types of crimes are complex embezzlements that might occur over long periods of time, or when a computer operator uses a computer to steal or alter valuable information from an employer. Variety and Extent Since the first cases were reported in 1958, computers have been used for most kinds of crime, including fraud, theft, embezzlement, burglary, sabotage, espionage, murder, and forgery. One study of 1,500 computer crimes established that most of them were committed by trusted computer users within businesses i.e. persons with the requisite skills, knowledge, access, and resources. Much of known computer crime has consisted of entering false data into computers. This method of computer crime is simpler and safer than the complex process of writing a program to change data already in the computer. Now that personal computers with the ability to communicate by telephone are prevalent in our society, increasing numbers of crimes have been perpetrated by computer hobbyists, known as "hackers," who display a high level of technical expertise. These "hackers" are able to manipulate various communications systems so that their interference with other computer systems is hidden and their real identity is difficult to trace. The crimes committed by most "hackers" consist mainly of simple but costly electronic trespassing, copyrighted-information piracy, and vandalism. There is also evidence that organised professional criminals have been attacking and using computer systems as they find their old activities and environments being automated. Another area of grave concern to both the operators and users of computer systems is the increasing prevalence of computer viruses. A computer virus is generally defined as any sort of destructive computer program, though the term is usually reserved for the most dangerous ones. The ethos of a computer virus is an intent to cause damage, "akin to vandalism on a small scale, or terrorism

Reading and Writing Essay

Learning how to read back in 1970 is quite different from learning how to read in the world we live in today. Learning to read was somewhat difficult for me as a child. We didn’t have the fancy reading tools back in the day, such as: Hooked on Phonics or Phonemic Awareness. Looking back over my life, I can remember when I was in the first grade, about six or seven years old and I brought home my first report card. On my report card my teacher pointed out an area of weakness in reading. I can still hear my father saying â€Å"Susie are you having trouble reading? † I would respond as any typical six year old child would do by shrugging my shoulders and saying â€Å"I don’t know. † My father was a concerned parent and wanted to help his child. He didn’t want to see me struggle in school nor did he want to see me fall behind. My father was determined he was going to help me improve my reading skills and by doing so my reading grade would improve also. So therefore, my father set up a strategy plan. Every evening after school my father and I would sit down at the dinner table and work on improving my reading skills. His first step was to see if I could sound out all the letters of the alphabet. Once he realized I was able to sound out all letters in the alphabet, his next step was to determine if I could sound out all the vowels: long, short and house top vowels too. The third step was to begin sounding out small words such as: the, cat, red, run, ran, like etc. Once I began to get comfortable reading on my own while my father prepared dinner for my two brothers and I, he would have me to sit at the dinner table and read aloud to him fifteen minutes each day. Eventually with with all the hard work and dedication my reading skills gradually improved. After all, they say practice makes perfect. As I grew older I started enjoying reading much more than I ever realized. I had to find out what type of books and magazines I enjoyed reading. In other words, I had to find my reading niche. I enjoy reading books like Mama, How Stella got her Grove Back, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan. Reading can be very enjoyable, relaxing and mind stimulating as well. Reading exercises our brain. One can self improve while gaining experience from other people by reading. Reading is knowledge and power. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Now that I have returned to college, reading and writing is a common part of everyday life. Every semester I have had several different assignments that required reading and writing skills. I have had to do an essay, public speaking presentations which involved reading and writing. Reading is very important because one can explore themselves to new things. One can also self improve while gaining experience from other people. Reading can be used for connecting your brain and it can also boost ones imagination and creativity. Reading exercises ones brain. Many factors play a vital role in a child’s growth and development. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Children who read do better at school. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. Reading is a great source of entertainment. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. In almost everything we do reading and writing is a vital part of our everyday lives.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae Essays

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae Essays In Flanders Fields by John McCrae Paper In Flanders Fields by John McCrae Paper Essay Topic: Poetry In Flanders Fields by John McCrae is a poem that has helped me to appreciate the unpleasant side of life. It is a poem that deals with the reality that soldiers sacrificed their lives for the living, telling them to finish what they started. It also contains a message from the poet John McCrae that we have a responsibility not to replicate the mistakes of the past. The poet uses exceptionally vivid imagery and skilful symbolism, rhyming, steady pace, well-placed punctuation and other poetic techniques to help me understand this side of life. The imagery used in this poem creates an exceptionally clear picture in the minds eye of what actually happened In Flanders fields. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, This quotation gives the reader the picture of red poppies, symbolising blood, leaking out of the ground between the white unnamed crosses showing just how many innocent people lost their lives. There is a stark contrast between bright, living flowers and the plain, dead, tombstones. It is very effective because if poppies are left alone, they will keep on growing until there are thousands of them, just like there are thousands of soldiers buried In Flanders fields. Also McCrae uses very vivid imagery in the first paragraph. There is a feeling of hope because there is a continuation of nature in spite of what man is doing on the ground underneath the singing, flying birds. Then at this very moment of hope the singing is drowned out by the noises of man at war. The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. This quotation gives the reader a strong and vibrant image of what was happening In Flanders fields. The soldiers could see the birds flying above but could not hear them singing beautifully over the sound of their machine guns and mortar shells exploding all around them. Furthermore, in the second paragraph the speaker speaks to the reader as if he was one of the dead soldiers. To the reader it is influential, showing the dead were real living people at one time in history. They enjoyed life and saw things they liked, just as we do, but all of their hopes and dreams were shattered by war. We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, This quotation uses imagery to show the reader what the soldiers were thinking about in the days before the war when they saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets. This suggests to the reader what the soldiers saw while fighting; they did not see saw a nice sunrise or sunset, just a blood stained sky. We are the Dead. The poet adds emphasis to the fact that dead people can speak out from the grave by adding a capital d to Dead. Another reason is that they have no real name any more and the Dead is now their proper name. It also makes the reader realise just how many people died In Flanders fields by not giving an accurate number and using we. One of the best uses of symbolism is in the last verse when the dead soldiers are telling the next generation to finish what they started, to finish their fight against evil. To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. This quotation shows that the dead men thought that they were losing and could not complete their objective of wining the war. It also means that they were throwing on the torch of life as they died. The torch symbolises guidance, hope, victory and life, which must someday burn out or in the case of the soldiers, be extinguished. It is effective as again it reminds the reader of death, as the soldiers threw away their lives for the ones they loved. Probably the best use of symbolism in the poem is in the last line: We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. In this quotation the dead people tell the reader that if they do not fight evil, there will be no peace in the world and more blood will be shed as the poppies grow. It is very effective as all the poppies in the poem symbolise blood. This tells the reader that even more will be spent, and that the dead will have died in vein, knowing that they did not bring peace to the world. These final lines might also point to the fact that some kink of poppies can be use to derive opium from, from which morphine can be made. Morphine is one of the strongest painkillers and may have been used to put severely wounded soldiers to sleep and put them out of their misery. The word sleep is symbolic here as they are really not sleeping but are fading into death. The rhyming in this poem makes the poem flow, just like the blood flowing from the wounded. The rhyming is quite regular as the endings of lines one, two, and five all rhyme in each separate stanza: blow, ago, foe The exception is in the middle, stanza two where only lines one and two rhyme because there is only four lines instead of the usual five. Also lines three and four rhyme in each of the stanzas: high, die The exception is also in verse two where only line three rhymes with the others. This is significant as it very cleverly shows that the soldiers never spent long on the battlefield before they died. The poet does this by making stanza two shorter than the others. The poem has a slow, miserable pace to it, symbolising first the slow pace at which the war was fought, the soldiers inching their way forward towards the enemy. Secondly the sadness felt by both the soldiers as their friends died around them, and the by the reader who learns of this terrible tragedy from them. The poet has achieved this by using punctuation extremely skilfully. There are several well placed commas, colons and semi-colons all used specifically to slow down the pace of the poem. That mark our place; and in the sky Take up our quarrel with the foe: These quotations show just how colons and semi-colons can dramatically slow down the pace of a poem. This is effective because it gives the reader the impression of the sluggish pace at which the war was fought. In the last verse the poet speaks of an unending quarrel with the foe. This is a really good example of irony because if one thing became clear during the War it was that there was no quarrel between ordinary soldiers, except maybe in the heat of a fight. The real quarrel existed only in the minds of some stupid politicians and high-ranking officers, who mostly never experienced the horrors of the battlefields. The message from John McCrae, is that we have a responsibility not to replicate the mistakes of the past. I think that the message comes across extremely strongly and makes the reader feel sad and sorry for the dead and their loved ones. The First and Second World Wars taught the world an example not to fight to such a large extent that millions of people die at some point in a battle. In conclusion I found In Flanders Fields by John McCrae a very interesting and intriguing poem. It helped me to see the unpleasant side of life and it dealt with the reality that soldiers sacrificed their lives for the living. By using exceptionally vivid imagery and skilful symbolism, amongst other poetic techniques to help me appreciate this side of life.

Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations

Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations It is impossible to write a good short story without a compelling main character or group of characters. The fact that a well-written short story requires refined characterization skills is enough to show why the use of metaphor in the genre is prolific. In such, understanding metaphor as a path to characterization is vitally important for the short story writer and is one of the many factors that make the genre so uniquely complicated to write.In Poetics, the revered Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote: [T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor†¦ [it is] a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars. This perception he speaks of isnt always easy to come by, which means that metaphor, when used correctly and in its most potent form, isnt easy. It involves layers of meaning and imagery, and reflects the authors own scope of knowledge. The way it will be read and interpreted is based on the individual readers unique and varied scope of knowledge, creating thousands of potential possibilities when it comes to interpretation of the work.Beyond the limitless possibilities, metaphor as a literary device allows one or two words to carry the weight of many. With successful use of metaphor, an author can speak volumes through the use of a single word or phrase, and induce the reader to understand the character in a more intimate way or in a more specific way. You can have a character who is pale, but describing a womans bone white skin immediately calls to mind the macabre, and has subtly mixed a mood of mortality and death into the story with the use of that one simple description.Why metaphor worksMetaphor is one of those indispensable literary devises that encourages interpretation based on the readers own experiences and background knowledge. In this way, it serves to create layers of meaning for each individual reader, giving him or her the pleasure of interpretation- an interpretation th at might indeed be vastly different than what the author intended. This unique characteristic of metaphor adds depth to literature, particularly short stories, in that it helps the reader intuit a great deal of information within a short period of time. You could write, he felt nervous opening the door and the reader could empathize with him, at most. However, you could write that his hands were two large land masses quaking, and the door was the fault line, and an entire new layer of interpretation opens up. He isnt just nervous, this isnt just some random door- in fact, opening it could be his very raison dà ªtre.Consider some of the following literary metaphors written by famous authors, and how such language helped solidify these writers place in literary history:All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.William ShakespeareDying is a wild night and a new road.Emily DickinsonIn the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun†¦Stephen Crane†¦when I laid down the paper, I was aware of a flash- rush- flow- I do not know what to call it- no word I can find is satisfactorily descriptive- in which I seemed to see that bedroom passing through my room, like a picture impossibly painted on a running river.Charles Dickens†¦impressions poured in upon her of those two men, and to follow her thought was like following a voice which speaks too quickly to be taken down by ones pencil†¦Virginia WoolfThe many faces of metaphorsA common error many beginning writers make is the assumption that metaphor is limited to certain parts of speech when in fact, you can make use of the metaphor in several ways. For example, you can use a metaphor as:A verb (The smile that invaded her face was evidence enough.)An adjective (His imprisoning stare demanded her attention.)An adverb (He spoke musi cally, each word in crescendo.)A prepositional phrase (She looked at me with the eye of an eagle.)A modifier (At her feet lay the pieces of torn paper, a graveyard of ink soaking in the puddled rain.)The eye of a poetUsing metaphor is the only way to achieve profound characterization. No one knows this better than the poet, who is generally more limited in word count than even the short story writer, and must say as much as possible in a format that is famished for words. For this reason, as an exercise in perfecting ones craft and the use of metaphor, try looking at your short storys rough draft with the eyes of a poet. If you had to reduce an entire short story to a poem- and its main character(s) to poetic figures- what images would you use in doing so? Which parts of the story would be the focus and what metaphor or imagery would you use to elicit the desired response from your reader?You can take this exercise one step further and actually write that poem. When its finished, co nvert it back into prose and use the metaphors it introduces as highlights of your short storys climax or dà ©nouement; or, use the imagery randomly throughout your short story to deepen the level of characterization you have already developed.

BPR - What does it means to organization who are underperforming Assignment

BPR - What does it means to organization who are underperforming - Assignment Example These are the key issues to be dealt with when doing BPR for an underperforming firm. IT is one of the means through which BPR can be achieved ; it is not an end itself. (Guy Doumeingts) The ERP package is there to help the BPR process. Many firms equate BPR with the implementation of the ERP software. This is where IT becomes a hurdle rather than a support for BPR. The software should be molded to suit the business processes. The processes and their outcomes are the important thing which needs to be re-organized by the firm; the software is not the important thing. When the latter assumes more importance and technical experts rather than functional people are made in charge of the BPR process IT becomes a hurdle and BPR fails. Misfit of the ERP package selected with the business processes – Vicro’s business processes were highly customer specific. The ERP package was a misfit to these processes and thus further denigrated performance. BPR equated with the software – Vicro made no efforts to actually focus on the business processes and re-engineer them. Its entire focus was on the software implementation. The implementation of this software was accepted to improve the processes as well which never happened. Make Business people owner of the change – Instead of the ERP package being forced by vendors from outside, functional people of the company who run the business should have been made owner of the processes and the vendor responsible to them. Get Universal Buy in – In order to reduce employee’s resistance to change proper education should have been provided to them regarding the implementation and the benefits from it. Their suggestions and feedback should have been taken. Proper Requirement Definition – ERP implementation was made as the major aim by Vicro. This was an improper requirement. The main aim should have been to improve the

Environmental Consultancies And Its Attorneys Firms Essay

Environmental Consultancies And Its Attorneys Firms - Essay Example The Environmental Consultancies and its attorneys firm were formed in 1985 by Ali Al Sulaimani to achieve one goal, for people to live in a healthier, safer, and green environment. Ali Al-Sulaiman was born in 1962 to humble parents. His parents were farmers who lived peacefully in the rural areas of the county. A petrochemical company was built in the area where he lived and hence caused much toxic waste and pollution to the environment. The cause of not handling the toxic waste in a suitable manner, Ali's parents passed away with serious cancer. This incident affected Ali in many ways when he was young. He promised himself to do his level best to ensure that companies such as the one, which was built near their farm never to have a negative effect on the people. The picture below shows Ali Al Sulaimani tossing with President Obama. Environmental Consultancies and its Attorney’s faced many challenges during the past years from lawsuits against companies-due to dumping their to xic wastes materials, including carcinogens to sewage system-to a simple EPA restrictions case. Many industries approach our firm clueless about what EPA means, and how they are supposed to eliminate all their toxic wastes. Having most of our employees graduating from Harvard and Oxford with hazardous and waste management degrees, they are extremely well equipped with solutions and proposals for any industries. As mentioned previously, the roots of the firm were built for people to live in a greener and healthier environment.... For air, a limit is imposed on the exposure of certain air pollutants in all areas. EPA can also ban a certain air pollutant from emission like from chemical plants, mills, and utilities. By limiting the exposure of dangerous air pollutants, EPA helps keep the air clean and livable to all creatures and human beings. EPA takes responsibility for cleaning up land or underground waste that has a threat on the environment. Their well-trained health workers, who carry out frequent inspections and risk assessments, do this. Mostly land is cleaned in industrial areas where as wastes are dumped, and they pose threats to living beings in that vicinity. In order to keep the land free of dangerous chemicals, and provide a healthy diet, pesticides are registered, and tolerance of each pesticide is set for usage. To monitor toxic substances in the environment, EPA conducts tests and gathers relevant data for future analysis other than controlling its exposure. The EPA also regulates waste disposa l and recycling of it. Water is treated for safe and healthy usage and water waste management is also conducted to ensure it remains pollution free. EPA has also set regulations to manage waste or release of hazardous material by accident in emergency conditions. EPA deals with another category termed cross cutting issues. It covers several aspects ranging from environmental justice to climatic change. To make sure the above-mentioned regulations are followed, EPA follows a compliance process. The compliance department assists local bodies by providing tools and training to combat unexpected situations. They also impose penalties to businesses, which fail to comply with the environmental safety regulations. During their audit procedure, they also reduce or eliminate penalties on