Chikankari of Lucknow

Chikan is one of the prides of the city of Nawabs that is Luknow. Although chikankari is an ancient form of white floral embroidery it has become synonym of nazakat and nafasat of the tehzeeb of Lucknow . For centuries this fine white tracery on transparent white fabric has delighted the hearts of the kings and commoners alike. The profession has always been respected that it is one vocation that affluent families have taken up without any perceived loss of societal acceptance. It is a complex and elegant craft that has come down to us, evolving over the years into an aesthetic form of great beauty . Chikankary has been practiced in Lucknow for more than two hundred years but it did not originate here. It flourished in the Mughal courts in the seventeenth centuries. When the Mughal courts disintegrated the artisans scattered across the country. Some of them came and settled in Avadh. They brought their craft with them and paved the way for the artisans of Luknow. Some historians opinion that chikan is a Persian word `Chikin’ or `Chikeen’ kind of embroidered fabric. It is believed that the craft was brought to the Mughal court of Jahangir by his talented consort Nurjahan. There are however other opinions on the origin of Chikankari. According to one historian , there is evidence of embroidered muslin apparel depicted in the famous paintings of Ajanta caves dating back to the fifth century A. D. This could be early trace of the presence of chikan. As per another version chikan can be dated back to king Harsh who is said to have a great fondness for white embroidered muslin garments without any embellish it. Bana a contemporary of king Harsh refers to this skillfully embroidered white muslin. Megasthenes also mentions the use of flowered muslin by Indians. The history of chikankary is richly anecdotal. It is said that one of the wives of a Nawab belonged to Murshidabad in Bengal where chikankary was established and popular at that time. She once embroidered a cap for the Nawab with chikankary. The other begums also picked up this craft to please the Nawab. Thus this became a trend setter among the ladies . Another interesting story says that a once a traveler was passing through a village in Lucknow. He stopped and requested a poor peasant for water. Delighted at this hospitality of the peasant,the traveler taught him the art of Chikankari. The slight cultural variation has distinct impact upon chikankary. Thus there is a difference between the chikankari of Bengal and that of Lucknow. It is said that exceptionally good Lucknow chikankari could get in those days a worker enough money to feed his family for a year. The chikan workers of Bengal used muslin or mulmul for embroidery,very much liked in Greece and Rome . These delicate fabrics known as gossamer were so prized that the Romans romantically called it â€Å"textilli venti† or woven winds . Lucknow has also earned name and fame for producing some very fine muslin . Rosy Llewellyn Jones in her book, A Fatal Friendship has written, â€Å"During the seventeenth century the East India Company decided to send two employees to live in Lucknow and buy bales of ‘dereabauds’ a kind of muslin which was made in Hassanganj area of Lucknow on the northern bank of the Gomti. † Later this muslin became the base material for good chikankary. Addhi,Tanzeeb and Girant were the traditional chikan fabrics. Several Europeans prominent among whom being Madec and Gentil settled in the court of Nawab Shuja-ud-daulah in the middle of the 18th century and it seems possible that French white embroidery had some influence on chikan of Lucknow. Apart from the muslin,another kind of white cotton fabric was produced in lucknow & Faizabad in those days. This fabric was called Jamdani. It bore a unique blend of regular and irregular floral motifs. The only difference being that Jamdani is woven & chikan is pure embroidery. Chikankari was used primarily to embellish garments. Long flowing angarkhas, ,achkans, kurtas were for men. For ladies chikankari was used to adorn lehengas,odhnis,kurtas,veils etc. Chikancraft was not confined to dress alone and it soon became a part of domestic life. The Lucknowasis use chikan to grace their homes in the form of bedsheets, palanquin curtains and drapes. It’s also used in table covers,mats,napkins, tea-cozy covers. The chikan industry received a setback after the dissolution of the royal courts of Avadh. It lost its greatest patron with the deposition of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Soon it became a commercial activity & reduced to a domestic economic activity practiced largely by Muslim women. With the passage of time there has been a qualitative degeneration in chikan craft of lucknow in the fabric as well as stitches partly because of dearness and partly because of commercialization. Neverthless it is a way of life for its people and is very much woven into their culture which is distinctly called ‘Lucknowi’. Chikankari has a global presence. It is a great tribute to the skill and technique of the craftpersons of Lucknow. Sonakshi srivastava La Martiniere Girls College Lucknow

Advantage and Disadvantages

Scene 1 Kevin is having a party at his house Scene 2 Mahir arrives. (Music: High High by GD and TOP) Mahir: Yo, what a crazy crib you got there, bro. Kevin: Thanks, bro essay writer pay. (Insert bro shake) Mahir throws his bag on the ground and snatches the food from the table. Kevin: The rest of the guests are not here yet. Mahir: Whatever, man. The girl I met at the bar last night was so hot like the sun. She was on fire man! Background music plays: Alicia Keys – On Fire The maid stroll past him and Mahir oogles her with his eyes. Mahir: Is she your girlfriend, man? Kevin: No, that’s my maid. Mahir: I wanna hire her.Scene 3 Doorbell Rings (Billionaire –Bruno Mars) Vikram: It’s been awhile, Kevin. Kevin: It hasn’t been that long. Its been like, three days. Vikram: That’s long, man. It’s a long time especially since I’m making money. Kevin: You mean we. Vikram: Of course, of course. I meant, us. Mahir: Yo, whats up? Vikram: Have we met before? Mahir: I don’t think so. I’m Mahir. I’m Kevin’s friend. We’ve known each other since we were sharing diapers. Vikram: Yeah, sure. Whatever. Kevin behind Vikram, he’ll try to shush Mahir. Mahir grabs Vik tie Mahir: I like your suit. Can I borrow them on Monday? I got an interview.Vikram: (Laughs sarcastically) I don’t think so. Mahir: How do you know Kevin? Vikram: We’ve been corporate share holders for the past ten years. We specialize in M & A. Mostly, A Mahir: MMA? (Boxing) Vikram: Mergers and Acquisitions. Basically, we rip people off their properties. Scene 4 Kevin opens the door to find Selina standing outside the door. She just walks inside without greeting. She goes straightaway to the table laden with snacks. As she stuff things inside her bag, Mahir: Hello, how are you? Selina: Ah, goodlah. You leh? Mahir: Very good, very good. Where are you from? Selina: Klang lah. Mahir: Klanglah?What? Selina; Klang l ah! Mahir: Nice bag, yeah? Selina: Yeah, yeah. This bag very the convenient. From Giant. Mahir: So how did you know psycho Kevin? Selina: Hah? Sorry, sorry. My England not very the good. Mahir: So, where you see Kevin? Selina: There lah! You blind ah? Mahir is stunned Mahir: Oh†¦kay. I never knew Kevin was in the house. Mahir walks away. Scene 5 Door bell rings. Isabel: Bonjour, Kevin. (Air kiss) Kevin: Isabel, come on in! Shafar: Good evening, sir. Kevin ignores Isabel’s PA (Shafar) Isabel: I’m parched. I need a drink. Shafar†¦. *snaps fingers* Shafar: What would you like to have?Isabel: Diet water. Shafar: Sure. Scene 6 Shafar heads to the snack table, finding for a glass of water when she sees Selina stuffing food inside her bag. Her eyes grow wide. Selina: Can you give me that water, ah? Shafar: Excuse me? Selina: That water, ah. Shafar: waterah? Selina: Aiyo, that water ah. Shafar: Sorry, I don’t understand. Selina: Soli, soli! Water also don†™t know. Selina pushes past her to get the bottled water, which she puts into her bag. Shafar rolls her eyes, took the other bottled water and goes to the kitchen ( Out of the stage) Scene 7 Madheeha opens the door for Tarshini. Tarshini: Hello. Gives a small timid wave) Madheeha: Hello, miss. (Madheeha lets her come in) Tarshini walks in. Tarshini: Is there any toilet in the house? Vikram overhead the question. Vikram: No. there’s none. If you wanna take a dump, go outside. Vikram walks away. Both Madheeha and Tarshini look at him. Madheeha: Just go straight and turn right. Tashini: Thank you. Tashini walks away. Scene 8 Doorbell rings. Elias: Greetings. Kevin: Hello! *Elias hugs Kevin†¦. for a long time* Kevin: Come, let me introduce you to some of my friends. Elias: Okay. They both walk towards Vikram, Isabel and Mahir. Kevin: This is Vikram, Isabel and Mahir.Selina shouts for Kevin. Kevin goes. Elias does his tradional greeting on Vikram. They both said hello. Elia s: Hello, Miss. Isabel. I am Elias. Isabel: Hello, Mr. Elias. When Elias turns to Mahir, his eyes grow wide in shocked at Mahir’s attire. Elias: What are you wearing? What is this? Mahir: What are You wearing? A dress? Vik: No, that’s his traditional attire. Didn’t you go to school? Maher: shut up Kevin: Guys, dinner time! Mahir: I’m already full. Isabel: Shafar. Shafar. Shafar! Shafar: Sorry, mam. Sorry. I was having your ‘go home’ shoes cleaned. Isabel: You should be more efficient. Shafar: I will next time.Shafar sets Isabel’s table. All move towards it. They sit down, shafar stands very close to Isabel. Elias: Did you get my sheep two days ago? Kevin: What shit? Elias: Sheep, sheep you know. Baa baa Kevin: Oh, that sheep! Baa baa black sheep. That sheep? Elias: Did you cook it? Kevin: Madheeha! Madheeha comes. Madheeha: Yes, boss? Kevin: Um, the lamb we received about, two days ago? What happened to it? Madheeha: It died. Elias: It died?! Madheeha: Yeah, I killed it. Elias: I thought it died by itself. Kevin: So, did you cook it? Madheeha: Yes, boss. I’ve made my famous lamb stew with half of it.And the other half is on the barbeque pit. Kevin: That’s good! Elias, you’re very lucky. You get to taste her famous lamb stew. Elias: Alright, alright Bring me the barbequed and your FAMOUS lamb stew. Madheeha: Right away! Madheeha walks away. Elias takes his carpet and put it on the floor. Madheeha puts lamb on the table. Elias: Why is my lamb on the table? Who is it for? Madheeha: Sorry. Kevin: No, no. Elias. We have to share. Elias: Yeah, yeah. We can share on the floor. Kevin: No, no Elias. You are one, they are many. Come sit at the table. Elias transfers everything on the table. Kevin: Thanks guys so much for coming.I really appreciate your attendance here. It means so much me. I hope you enjoy the food that I personally prepared. No caterer you know? BO LUI Vikram: Bo lui? What do you mean bo lui? You just added 20 million in your bank account. Isabel: Its only 20 million, darling. Selina: Walaoeh, 2o million ah? You no share share with me ah? Kevin, I’m your long long long†¦.. long long long†¦.. so long long what cousin ah? (count fingers) Tarshini: I’ll work my whole life and I won’t even get 1 million. Isabel: That’s why you look like that. Vikram: Are you interested in doing business? Isabel: Like, no.Merging my fashion industry with your M & A is so overrated. Kevin on the other hand†¦. is like, on the other hand. Shafar, laugh! Shafar laughs. Selina: What business what business? Can make money ah? I want I want. Viktam: Do you hear the dog barking? Kevin: I open one shop for you lah. Specifically one shop for you. I open a bubble tea shop for you. Selina: Got bubble tea one meh? How you make the tea got bubble? Soap ah? Kevin: No lah, no lah, no lah. You just find a name and the shop is yours lah. Selina: Tea is cha. T ime is si kan. So, chasikan lah! Kevin: Can ah can ah. Cha Siew pao also can lah.Isabel: Kevin, would you like to lead my fashion line for males? I need an inside view on the males. Mahir: Inside view? I can give you an inside view. Elias: Inside view? Vikram: Come, let’s talk this out. Isabel: Like, no. Shafar! Shafar shows the hand to Vikram. Vikram: I can make your life miserable. Shafar: Go ahead. It doesn’t get worse than this. Mahir: Why you look so quiet? You look so depressed, girl. Tarshini: No, I’m okay. Mahir: I can’t even hear what you’re trying to say. Tarshini: No, I’m okay! Mahir: Chill girl. Continue with your depression. Tarshini: I think I’m going to go to the toilet.Vikram: So how do you know Kevin? Elias: I knew him from uni. Vikram: So you guys go way back. Mahir: Not as back as me. Elias: What about you? Vikram: Kevin is my business partner. Elias: Oh so what do you do? I’m interested in doing some busines s in Malaysia. Vikram: Kevin, you didn’t tell me Elias is a rich bastard. Kevin: Oh yeah, yeah. He deals with importing and exporting fuel. Vikram: Hey! We can use this guy! Kevin: Hey, he is my friend! Vikram: I meant, we can use a guy like that. Kevin: Okay, then. I’ll discuss with Elias and see if he’s interested in doing some business with us.Vikram walks back happily, like he just won the lottery. Isabel kept turning and hits shafar. Glares. Isabel: Get lost! Shafar :Sorry, mam. .CENSOR. Shafar: She’s such a CENSOR. Madheeha: Tell me about it. Shafar: Does your boss treat you like this? Madheeha: No, he’s very nice. Shafar: You’re so lucky. Without me, I don’t think she’ll be able to go to the toilet without me. She can’t even brush her own teeth. Madheeha: Laughs Kevin: Madheeha! Madheeha: Yes, boss! Shafar stares. Kevin: Nah, you can clear this and have the balance. All yours. Madheeha: Wah, so much ah. Selina: Wa h, so the many food ah?Madheeha takes it all to the back. Shafar: Your boss is so nice. Madheeha: Yes, he is. Isabel: Shafar! Shafar: Here I go again. Isabel: Clear my bones and you can have some of those. Shafar shows Madheeha the plate and throws it. Selina: Eh, eh Madheeha. Just now the food ah, give me some can ah? Madheeha: Can, can. No problem. Selina: We loves our food, We loves our bag, my plecious. Selina: Hey, hi hi hi. Elias: What is she doing? Kevin: She's saying hi. Elias: So many times? Seline shakes her hand, palm at the top. Elias looks startled and gives money to Selina. Selina: Wah, free money. SO good ah?Selina takes the money and walks away. Isabel: Shafar, Shafar. Where is this, Shafar? Kevin: Madheeha! Get Shafar for me please. Madheeha brings Shafar. Isabel: How many bloody times do I have to tell you I only call once? Kevin: She’s been calling your name for three times and I had to call Madheeha to get you. Shafar: You know what? I quit! Shafar starts walking away. Isabel: No worries, Kevin. Watch me. Kevin: Watch what? Isabel: Shafar, did you just forget your family’s lives belong to me? I can just make a call and they’re †¦ Cut throat motion. Kevin, can I borrow your phone? Kevin: Anything for you my dear.Kevin passes the phone. Shafar: Sorry, mam. I was just joking. Hehehe. Both Kevin and Isabel turns away. Shafar – head down Madheeha comforts her and takes Shafar away. Isabel: I’m gonna make a move. Call me up for high tea or something okay? Bring Mahir. Kevin: I’ll give you a tinker, around, let’s say, Wednesday? Isabel: Anytime will do. Air kiss. Leaves with Shafar. Elias: Bye. I better go too. Kevin: See you soon Tarshini: Kevin, I think I, I better leave. Kevin: I hope you enjoyed the party and the company. Tarshini: No. Not really. Mahir chased me to the toilet. While I was at the dining table.Kevin: That bugger. So sorry for my useless, idiotic, friend. Mahir goes thumbs up ! Wide smile! Tarshini: No hope lah. Buh bye. Vikram: So, Kevin. I better make a move. Kevin: Yeah, sure. See you. Vikram: Remember to discuss with Elias about the business. Kevin: Okay, I will. Selina: Eh, I go first ah? Selina walks out the door. Mahir: Hey man. I gotta go to another party. Kevin: Okay then. Bye! So, Madheeha cleans the place up. As Mahir was going out of the door, Selina: Eh, I forget something Everyone stares while Selina goes to the snack table and takes the last remaining box of tissue.

Challenges And Frustrations In A Country Doctor English Literature Essay

Challenges And Frustrations In A Country Doctor English Literature Essay Franz Kafka’s, â€Å"A country doctor† is a story that narrates the experiences and challenges a country doctor faces as he tries to carry out his duties as the doctor. He goes through various obstacles which he has no solution to, but has to face them just as they are. He clings to the idea of being a helper, wards of resignation, is ready to sacrifice his private life for his professional ethics and is forced in the cruelest way to recognize the vanity of his effort (Samon 2002). In this essay, am going to identify four challenges and frustrations that accompany each that confront the doctor. I will also explain why the story may be called a nightmare then lastly highlight the themes that revealed from the story. The weather is very unfavourable. It is this period that the doctor struggles to attend to an emergency ten miles away during a snowstorm. It is this bad weather and exhaustion that led to the death of his horse. The death of the horse greatly frustrates the doctor as he is unable to attend to the alarm because of lack of a horse. At the end as he goes back home, he is still greatly affected by the snow. The perspective of the patient about his sickness is also a big challenge to the doctor. The patient has given up on life. When the doctor arrives and looks at the patient, the young man says, â€Å"doctor, let me die!† This is a total loss of hope. The young man knows that the presence of the doctor will not bring any improvement to his health status. The young man later asks, â€Å"Will you save me?† At the end the young man tells the doctor that he had very little confidence in him. This is a major challenge to the doctor as the sick young man has already given up. The doctor is frustrated because he can do nothing to the state of the young man (John stone 2008). The emerging of the groom from the pigsty is one great challenge the doctor faces. The groom is a stranger but very willing to assist by lending his horse. In stead of accompanying the doctor, he refuses to go with him. In fact just the first time he handles Rosa is very suspicious. He scratches her cheek with his teeth. The groom’s actions after the doctor leaves are also mysterious (Cuizon 2008). The torment the doctor feels about Rosa is also a great challenge. Rosa was left with a stranger whom she was not willing to stay with. The doctor had to make a choice between saving Rosa and attending to the patient. He decides to attend to the patient but is frequently disturbed mentally about the state of Rosa and the stranger. The frustrations go further as he has left Rosa in a vulnerable state yet his mission is not successful (Cuizon 2008). The story might be called a nightmare because of the happenings that take place. The emerging of the groom and the horses from the pigsty is frightening. The doctor, who is the owner of the pigsty thinks it is abandoned, in fact Rosa’s comment is satirical; â€Å"one doesn’t know the things one has in one’s own house.† The groom is too willing to help. The description of the horses is not normal; in fact the doctor admits that he had never used such horses. The speed the horses run and the time taken for the ten miles is very short. The way the patient’s family handles the doctor is also frightening. They take off his clothes, and then force him to lie in the same bed with the patient. They then close the door and leave. In addition, the song sung by the school children and the teacher is frightening, â€Å"take his clothes off, then he will heal, and if he does not cure, kill him. It’s only a doctor, it’s only a doctor.†(Cuizon 2008).

Civil Rights and Black Power Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Civil Rights and Black Power Movements - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that as the movement was aimed at using peaceful means to achieve its goals, it started its activities by influencing churches to preach equality though this faced a lot of opposition from the police as churches were expected to put emphasis on spiritual matters. The movement also believed that for the blacks to acquire equal rights with their white counterparts they had to be aware of their civil rights. This caused them to start state citizenship schools in 1954 that majored in teaching adults to enable them to pass literacy tests though they secretly offered democracy and civil rights classes against the law.As the discussion highlights unlike the SCLC, which believed in peace, the Black Panther Party founded in 1966 by Boy Scale (served as chairman) and Huey Newton believed in the use of military power by the minority against the government to earn freedom against segregation. Though both movements had an aim of gaining freedom against Negro segregatio n, BPM appeared to be more radical in their quest for freedom. Most of the protests involving BPM always turned out violent as the members believed in violence as a means of acquiring freedom. Important to note, however, unlike the SCLC, which was led by older church ministers and political activists like Martin Luther, most of the BPP leaders were in their early twenties and others even below twenty years, for example, Bobby Hutton, who was only seventeen years old.

What are the distinguishing aspects of Hispanic culture which affect Essay

What are the distinguishing aspects of Hispanic culture which affect political behaviour in the US after Obama - Essay Example The Census Bureau of the United States has defined individuals who are of Hispanic origin as those individuals who live in the United States, but state their origins as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central or South American. The same definition has been utilized by small business organizations all over the country as well as many federal, state and municipal agencies. This is needed by the mentioned organizations when it comes to awarding contracts to businesses owned by individuals from minority groups (US Census Bureau, 2001). As of this writing, the record for the number of Hispanic nationals residing in the United States has come up to 33 million, therefore making around 12 percent of the entire US population. It has been predicted that the numbers would increase to over 50 million by the year 2020 (US Census Bureau, 2001). According to Mendoza (1989), the Hispanic community is becoming increasingly acculturated. The process of ‘acculturation’ refers to the process of the integration of ethnic minorities into the mainstream culture of their environment. There has been research implying that acculturation has the tendency to reduce the feelings of inadequacy and helps minorities to feel a part of their ethnic group and the mainstream culture (La Fromboise et al., 1993). In the Hispanic population, acculturation has become more and more prevalent and despite this, there are still some cultural traits that Hispanic individuals possess, which in turn come into conflict with American culture. Lee et al (2006) has mentioned that cultural differences plays a part in affecting the organizational goals and objectives of an administration. The enormous changes in demographics within the 21st century has meant that postmodernism became one of the main players in the 2008 presidential elections. According to Sanchez & Fernandez (1993), Hispanic identity has been defined as the level to which individuals

Conservation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Conservation - Research Paper Example Consequently, the government has limited fishing and tourist activities in this region, as a result. Sadly, this wonderful feature has recently come under threat from the least expected source: the government. While an argument is being fronted to justify the government’s decision, conservationists feel otherwise. This paper seeks to highlight the present state, including facts, about the Great Barrier Reef. Further, the steps taken by various bodies, including the government in preventing damage to this all-important habit will be provided. In short, this paper provides some of the features associated with the Great Barrier Reef, threats it faces and the most effective efforts to save the habitat. Right from the onset, factual statistics shows that Australia has close to one million species, which includes 80% of the mammals in the world, and a further 90% of reptiles. Sadly, its ranking concerning the most endangered animals is alarming as it is currently ranked first (Seay, 2013). Beneath it is a diversity and abundance of shapes, colours and sizes. For instance, there is a semblance of soft and hard corals; annual migration of whales, nesting turtles and coral spawning occurs annually. In addition, the renowned Cod Hole found on the Lizard Island is actually a major reason for tourists to visit Australia. Some of these animals have the Great Barrier Reef as their habitat meaning the region ought to be a highly conserved place. Currently having more than 2,900 reefs, 900 islands and covering an area of 1400 miles, this region found on the coastal side of Queensland, gives life to a number of animals in Australia. In addition, Great Barrier Reef offers a great resource for scientific research with scientist visiting the area to conduct important tests. In addition, the Sea cow, commonly known as dugong and the green turtles are only found here, and face extinction

What is the relationship between Foucault's concept of Essay

What is the relationship between Foucault's concept of 'governmentality' and recent changes in field of crime control - Essay Example of Knowledge in 1969, Discipline and Punish in 1976, History of Sexuality, Volume 1 in 1976, Herculine Barbin in 1980, and The Use of Pleasure and The Care of Self both in 1984. Foucaults concept of governmentality has a distinct emphasis on self and promotes and encourages the actions that will help us evolve and fosters the relationship to other individuals and organizations by efficient interconnections. It recommends the use of governmental power not so much in terms of constraints and authorities but as a process of producing society that is healthy, literate, virtuous, normal, cultured, national citizens. Foucault sees government as a general technical form, which encompasses everything from ones control of the self to the control of populations. Correspondingly, he feels that the important thing in the political arena is to encourage the cultivation of the appropriate governmentality by politicians. Foucault introduced the term governmentality in a series of lectures that he gave at the College de France on the Birth of Bio politics in 1979 (Marks 2000: 128). These lectures engaged with the changing face of liberalism as a political project in the Reagan and Thatcher administrations. For Foucault, governmentality meant both strategies of organizational governance, in a broad sense, as well as self-governance by those who are made subjects of organizational governance. The concept of governmentality sought to capture new Liberal approaches to political management. The turmoil of World War II influenced his thinking and although his writings seem to cover a varied and widespread spectrum he was constantly looking to receive an understanding of the struggle of individuals against the collective power of the society. He was intrigued by the fact that individuals are controlled by the society at large and why this happens. He is very famous for his book â€Å"Discipline and Punish† written in 1975. This book analyzes the prison system and gave a new

The impact of tobacco smoking on the academic performance Essay

The impact of tobacco smoking on the academic performance - Essay Example The study’s hypothesis is that use of tobacco leads to poor academic performance. The study involves an extensive review of the literature that is associated with this area, and then a primary data collection through face-to-face interview and filling of questionnaires. A total of 40 males students are randomly selected to participate in the study, which takes place at Queens Mary University. The questionnaire and the interview questions are framed in a manner to provide both qualitative and quantitative approach of data analysis. Regression analysis by the use of SPSS is conducted analyses the quantitative data, while the qualitative data is coded and common themes identified. The findings of the study are that the students who have used tobacco for many years score poor grades in their academic work. Some of the reasons identified as the causes of poor academic performance include lack of completion of assignments, absenteeism, poor memory and lack of ability to read. The st udy recommends further research to identify the causation effect of the variables. Key words: Use of tobacco; Addiction; academic performance; cognitive. INTRODUCTION Smoking of tobacco in institutions of higher learning is a common scenario that has caused a lot of concern because of the side effects that are associative with such substances. The impact of smoking in the brain includes occurrence of numerous physical changes, which can significantly impair the process of learning and concentrations hence lower the level of academic performance by in students in the institutions of higher learning. Study conducted by a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [15] found that smoking of tobacco can have dire consequences on the academic performance of students. Some of the impacts they cited include lower level of concentration and activity, which occurs due to lack of nicotine in the body, for the time that the students stays away from smoking to attend classes; and high rate of absenteeism because the smoker’s immune system is weakened and hence susceptible to myriads of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and cold. In view of this, smoking of tobacco is potentially harmful to academic performance. This study will be aimed at identifying the impact of tobacco smoking on the academic performance of the students from Queen Mary University. LITERATURE REVIEW Use of tobacco among university students is a common trend and its impact is potentially hazardous in different ways, including impeding the level of academic performance. Some of the immediate risks include abuse and dependence, as well as numerous others psychological and physical impacts [13]. A study by Jones and Heaven [11] shows that not all smokers experience problems when they engage in smoking, while psychological risk model displays an intricate relationship between personality and individual factors, drug-taking behavior, and family and environmental factors. Lynskey et al. [14] and Ha n, McGue and Iacono [7] demonstrated that social and environmental factors rather than genetic factors influence use of substances. Most of the researchers in this field have cited common risk factors such as delinquent peers, depressive symptomatology, family functioning, child abuse, parenting style and expectancies, substance using, and antisocial behavior [e.g. 9]. It is also believed that use of substances can increase the risk of taking harmful drugs. The theory of gateway explains how the successive use of a particular substance to another is attained, but the issues of causal attribution and the exact sequencing are still not clear and further research is needed to shed more light [12]. Use of substances from very early ages has been associated with poor academic performa

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Politics - Essay Example In a republic, citizens give up their right by electing one person to represent their interests. Madison argues that a pure democracy cannot cure the mischief of faction which includes: instability, injustice and confusion. He refers to a faction as â€Å"a number of citizens comprising majority or minority of whole, united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or interest, adversed to rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of community† (Federalist 10). Human beings have different views and opinions which impact on how the government is run. Those with similar interests form a faction or a political party that criticizes the government on various issues such as taxation. The most common source of faction according to Madison is the various and unequal distribution of property. Legislators do try to regulate the differing interests but since they also have their own interests, they tend to pursue own ends at the expense of common good. The most powerful faction in the end gets its interests secured whether they are just or unjust. Since the cause of faction (human nature) cannot be removed, Madison argues that the government can only control its effects. This can be resolved using the Republican principle of majority wins or takes it all but this can only work if the ruling party is the majority in Congress. In a pure democracy, all citizens assemble to administer government in person hence it is not possible to reconcile the different interests; it has no checks and balances to control obnoxious individuals. Furthermore, it is short lived hence cannot secure personal security or property rights. The Republican government on the other hand, involves representatives hence has checks and balances. A representative comes from a district and represents the interests of constituents from that locality hence it is hard for him to pursue own interests. If he does so,

Aggressive Breast Cancer Vs.Suicide Rates Term Paper

Aggressive Breast Cancer Vs.Suicide Rates - Term Paper Example To achieve my goal, I collected data from the American Cancer Society of both the suicidal rates and aggressive breast cancer rate from thirty states in United States randomly. This data is more recent (2010). Breast cancer is one of the most fatal and prevalent of all killer diseases and ranks in the top three killers of women in the USA, though it also affects men. Meanwhile there has been an association of the aggressive breast cancer with suicides in the United States. In this study, I will conduct statistical test to verify this relationship of aggressive breast cancer with rates of suicides. My hypothetical theory is that victims of the aggressive breast cancer are more prone to commit suicide. I anchor my theory to the worrying trend of the increasing mental anxiety and depression among the aggressive breast cancer patients. To achieve my objective of linking suicide rates to aggressive breast cancer condition, I collected data for the suicides rates and aggressive breast cancer from thirty states. I subjected this data to statistical analysis to establish a link in these two variables. These states were collected randomly. PRESENTATION OF RAW DATA AND DISCUSSION ARRAY OF ALL DATA FROM THE THIRTY STATES Presentation of data on arrayed form with discussion   Table 1: Female Breast Cancer Incidence and Suicide Rates in thirty states (2002-2006) State Breast Cancer Incidence Suicide Rates Alabama 114.9 23.2 Alaska 128.9 22.0 Arkansas 113.9 22.8 California 128.0 23.9 Colorado 123.7 22.6 Connecticut 137.5 24.3 Delaware 123.8 23.5 Florida 115.9 21.8 Georgia 120.7 22.5 Hawaii 139.1 21.7 Idaho 118.7 22.5 Illinois 124.1 24.2 Indiana 115.1 24.2 Iowa 124.3 22.8 Kansas 125.2 24.2 Kentucky 118.8 24.4 Maine 128.0 23.4 Massachusetts 134.6 24.4 Missouri 122.2 25.3 Montana 118.8 23.0 Nevada 115.1 24.9 New Jersey 132.6 27.3 New Mexico 115.6 23.4 Oklahoma 127.6 25.0 Oregon 130.5 24.2 Pennsylvania 124.1 25.9 Rhode Island 129.6 23.5 South Carolina 121.2 22.8 Virginia 121.4 24.4 Wyoming 118.2 22.9 Source: Source Incidence 4, 2009 Data which is to be subjected to statistical tests for ascertain the relationship of the two v ariables. The data is listed alphabetically according to states Array of aggressive breast cancer incidence in thirty states data, in descending order State Aggressive Breast Cancer Incidence Suicide Rates 1. Hawaii 139.1 21.7 2. Connecticut 137.5 24.3 3. Massachusetts 134.6 24.4 4. New Jersey 132.6 27.3 5. Oregon 130.5 24.2 6. Rhode Island 129.6 23.5 7. Alaska 128.9 22.0 8. California 128.0 23.9 9. Maine 128.0 23.4 10. Oklahoma 127.6 25.0 11. Kansas 125.2 24.2 12. Iowa 124.3 22.8 13. Illinois 124.1 24.2 14. Pennsylvania 124.1 25.9 15. Delaware 123.8 23.5 16. Colorado 123.7 22.6 17. Missouri 122.2 25.3 18. Virginia 121.4 24

Diversity in American culture Essay Example for Free

Diversity in American culture Essay The American culture is one of the outstanding cultures in nature compared with other cultures of the world. The culture of the American people can be regarded as being diversified in nature. (Bernstein N, 2001). The diversity of the American culture is attributed by the fact that America is composed of many ethnic groups with different global origin. The diversity has been found to occur in the dressing habits, eating habits, marriages habits and religion in nature. America has a unique history in nature since it was a founded world which is currently composed of the African –American, White-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and the Indian –Americans. The diversity of the American culture has a lot of controversies which has come into a lot of criticism by the public in general. This paper will try to evaluate the religious diversity among the American people at the same it will try to bring out the driving forces behind this religion diversity. Consequently it will analyze the effects of the religious diversity to the American people. The religious diversity in America has been contributed by the immigration laws which encourage the religious freedom which has created the religious tolerance of the American people. According to Becvar, D. S (1997) â€Å"perhaps the most extreme case of religious pluralism in the world. † . Moreover the American constitution has consequently protected the religious rights of its members. The first amendment of The USA has consequently promoted the right of free worship without any interruptions. Thus the religious diversity has been promoted by the democratic government of the United States of America which has tried to encourage the immigration and at the same time guarating the religious freedom of its citizens. The American religious culture is made of many religious sects. The religious groups which are presently found in America includes the Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Budhism other minority religions (Bullis K, 1996). The religious diversity in the United States of America has proved to be so important to the society in nature, for instance there are a lot of intermarriages between the religious groups. By promoting the intermarriages, harmony is created in the world. The America of today has undergone some radical changes which have created a new America with new religious landscape. Nowdays the number of the immigrants has increased in to a great existent than before. The most growing group which has migrated in larger number is the Hispanics and the Asian groups. Most of the American people have not noticed the radical changes which the religious sector is undergoing in the recent times. We need to focus on such changes and realize that the religious field is currently under metamorphosis. Although the United states of America was being regarded as being a Christian nation, it has become to light that the Muslims have started to increase in their numbers, moreover the Buddhist religion has taken roots in the American land for example the Los Angeles city is a Buddhist city which is recognized as the most concentrated Buddhist city having the immigrants from India,China,Korea and sri lanka. At the same time the immigrants from the Latin America such as from Mexico, Brazil and Spain to the United States of America cities has promoted the growth of the Christianity of the Catholic and the protestant community. According to history the American land has been composed of many religions. The United States of America is undergoing a change in the religious practices. Most of the adults are nowadays have started to change their religious believes from the Christianity since the start of the First World War. However most of the American adults have started to identify themselves with some specific religion. But it has been established that the United States of America is currently losing its protestant members due to the fact that most of the Protestants were executed during the Second World War. The gender ratio has consequently affected the religious groups. It is estimated that 38% -39% of the religious believers are women. moreovcer most of the Muslims are men since the Muslim society allows only men to worship in the mosques, thus the religious practices has been found to affect the number of the believers. The religious believers in the United States of America have been found to affiliate themselves with the political parties. For example the Christian believers affiliate themselves to the Democrat, Republican and the Independents respectively. 56% of those who are the Assemblies of God have preferred to affiliate themselves with the Republican party while 56% of the Jews have preferred the Democratic party. (Burke T,2005). The religious diversity in the United States of America has profound effects on the way people are living. The religion has consequently affected the dressing codes of the individuals, the eating habits of the individuals and the social associations of the involved candidates. On the first case religion has been found to influence the dressing codes of people, for example the Muslim women wears long clothes which are made so that they can not have the direct contact with their male counterparts as it’s believed that it’s a taboo to for the Muslim women to have direct contact with men. At the same time the Hindu men wears what they refer as â€Å"dhoti†. The Christians women on the other hand have a tendency of wearing the trousers and sometimes skirts. Thus it can be concluded that the dressing codes in the United States of America has been influenced by the religion individuals have affiliated themselves to. The religious diversity in the United States of America has influenced the eating habits of the people of the United States of America. Many of the African-Americans are mainly Protestants and hence they have no strict eating habits (Canda. K, 1998). But other Christian members who belong to some sects such as the seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah witness have a lot of the eating restricness. At the same time some Muslim communities are prohibited from eating some foods such as the pork. Consequently the Hindus are prohibited from taking beef which they believe that it is a sacred animal in their religion. In conclusion it can be determined that religion is continuing to play one of the major roles in most people. The United States of America is secular increasingly, youve got African groups who bring another dimension of diversity. in nature and this phenomenon has spread in many states. Baer, H. A (1984) quoted that† In Southern California, weve got virtually everyone, Roof said. If you want an indicator of how much diversity there is in Southern California, there are approximately 100 different ethnic Buddhist groups here. With Latinos, its similar. With Islam, you get scores of nationalities†. The diversity of the religious believes among the Americans will continue to affect the daily activities of the Americans. References Baer, H. A. (1984). The Black spiritual movement: A religious response to racism. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. Becvar, D. S. (1997). Soul healing: A spiritual orientation in counseling and therapy. New York: Basic Books. Bernstein, N. (2001). The lost children of Wilder: The epic struggle to change foster care. New York: Vintage Books. Bullis, R. K. (1996). Spirituality in social work practice. Washington, DC: Taylor Francis. Burke, M. T. (2005). Religious and spiritual issues in counseling: Applications across diverse populations. New York: Brunner-Rout ledge. Canada, E. R. (Ed. ) (1998). Spirituality in social work: New directions. New York: Haworth Pastoral Press.

Teamwork discovery Essay Example for Free

Teamwork discovery Essay Describe team members’ results on the Discovery Wheel and Develop your multiple intelligences exercises. What similarities and differences exist within the team? Looking at our team results as individuals, it appears that we have all had a surprising look into ourselves accurately. We all have learned things about ourselves that we did not realize in the past. For instance, Jacob learned he would like to bring up his reading, Kathleen wants to be more time managed as she grows in her schooling she has learned, Nicole learned she wants to work on many areas in her growth with schooling, and Joni learned she needs to learn how to do testing better throughout schooling as well. Our team has the similarity of a high strength in Purpose. This is pretty much the only prominent high score as a team that we have in common. In the same since, we have looked at our results and we all have many differences. Like mentioned before, Kathleen, Jacob, Nicole, and Joni all want to improve areas throughout their course in their studies in schooling. Kathleen feels she will be stronger as a person once she is able to control her time management, Jacob feels one his reading becomes better he will be able to do better in school and in his life further down the road, Joni feels if she can do a test with less stress she will be able to pass them and accomplish much more through school. As a team we work well together through our weaknesses, because we are all different and have strength in the areas where others are lacking; therefore we work well as a team. 2. What are the advantages of having diversity on a team? What challenges might the team face because of diversity? As a team, we feel there are great advantages to having diversity on a team. We believe that diversity can bring a lot to a team; you can learn new points of view, opinions on how things are being done, and various ways of study that could help each other out. These are advantages, but they can also be seen as challenges in a team as well. The way these areas could be seen as a challenge is, if a team member is set in on specific way of study, does not do well with listening to how things could be approached differently, or they are just plain â€Å"set in their own ways†, then this could cause challenges. 3. How might factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles affect team building? Factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles may affect team building if one or more team members are unwilling to adapt to change that may take place; or even the styles of how people learn being different may become an issue. Work styles of how some team members want to get the job done right away and others procrastinate. Many of issues can arise while building your team. Once your team is built, you will know who is strong in areas and you will know where they will be needed the most. 4. Describe team members’ results on the Career Interest Profiler, and the Career Plan Building Activity-Competencies. What similarities and differences exist within the team? As the team, we scored high on Purpose and averaged in mostly everything else. Our low score came in at Reading. Our team has the similarity of Purpose, and a few of us paired up on other areas on where we scored, but overall we have many of differences on how we feel our areas need to be worked on. The differences are that some of us may have scored high in timing and low in other areas, but we fail to have time management. 5. How can you use the knowledge gained in the Career Interest Profiler, and the Career Plan Building Activity-Competencies to improve the performance of the Learning Team? We will stay on task and set early deadlines to make. This will help keep stress levels down to be able to complete the assignments at hand. We will stay in communication better with one another and post more often to find out what is needed; and if there is any confusion it can be clarified within the team or by the instructor if needed. This is what we learned to improve the performance of the Learning Team. 6. What obstacles might arise from different ethical perspectives among team members? There are many obstacles that could arise from ethical perspectives from a team. These obstacles can range from politics, religion, gender, race, or language. The list may go on even further, but these are major obstacles our team could think of. 7. How might these factors, diversity, attitude, learning and work styles, and ethical perspective be used to resolve conflicts? As a team we feel that diversity could be used to solve a conflict by learning the different ways of study that diversity may have to offer. Attitude can resolve conflict if the team comes forth as positive key players and are willing to keep an open mind without taking things personally. Learning new ways and being open to different ways of others’ ways of learning can resolve conflict as well. Taking in consideration that each individual is different and work in different styles may help resolve any conflict with work styles; try different work styles before just assuming you do not like them and keep in consideration they may work for other team members.

Web Personalization Using Feedforward Backpropagation

Web Personalization Using Feedforward Backpropagation WEB PERSONALIZATION USING FEEDFORWARD BACKPROPAGATION NEURAL NETWORK Chapter 4: Methodology Chapter 4 shows the methodology of the present work. Section 4.1 present the methodology, section 4.2 includes flow chart of the present work. Section 4.3 present the proposed algorithm. 1.1 METHODOLOGY Start Configure search engine Training on data according to user’s context. Testing on data ANN optimization for search optimization. Stop 1.1 Training: Data is trained using Feedforward Backpropagation Neural network. Before testing and searching the data is trained. Data training is required for optimal results. Testing: Testing of data is performed using Feedforward Backpropagation neural network and Using SVM (Support Vector Machine). User Query: User can enter the Query for find the information. Some Web sites name are suggested to the users according the query of user. 1.2 FLOWCHART The simple flowchart of the designed algorithm is depicted in the figure 4.2 Figure 4.2: flowchart of the designed algorithm 1.3 ALGORITHM DESIGN The Algorithm for the present work is discussed in this section. The various steps used in algorithm are explained. The pseudo Code for the algorithm is also discussed in this section. Table4.1 Proposed Algorithm Pseudo code of proposed algorithm:-The Pseudo code for proposed algorithm is shown below. Table 4.2 proposed algorithm in pseudo code Chapter-5 RESULT AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS In this chapter results of the present is explained. The figures of result, comparison, comparison tables and graphs of the present work are shown in this chapter. 1.1 TOOLS USED To implement my work I used Matlab. Matlab Stands for MATrix LABoratory. MATLAB has a modern programming language environment: it has refined data structures, contains built-in editing and debugging tools, and supports object-oriented programming. Table 5.1: Tools Used MATLAB The name MATLAB stands for MATrix LABoratory. MATLAB was written originally to provide easy access to matrix software developed by the LINPACK (linear system package) and EISPACK (Eigen system package) projects MATLAB is a high-performance language for technical computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and programming environment. Furthermore, MATLAB is a modern programming language environment: it has refined data structures, contains built-in editing and debugging tools, and supports object-oriented programming. These factors make MATLAB an outstanding tool for education and research. MATLAB has many advantages compared to conventional computer languages (e.g., C, FORTRAN) for solving technical problems. MATLAB is an interactive system whose basic data element is an array that does not require dimensioning. The software package has been commercially available since 1984 and is now considered as a standard tool at most universities and industries worldwide. It has powerf ul built-in routines that enable a very wide variety of computations. It also has easy to use graphics commands that make the visualization of results immediately available. Specification applications are collected in packages referred to as toolbox. There are toolboxes for signal processing, symbolic computation, control theory, simulation, and optimization. After logging into your account, you can enter MATLAB by double-clicking on the MATLAB shortcut icon (MATLAB 7.0.4) on your Windows desktop. When you start MATLAB, a special window called the MATLAB desktop appears. The desktop is a window that contains other windows. The major tools within or accessible from the desktop are: The Command Window The Command History Workspace The Current directory Help browser Start button 5.1.1 MATLAB CHARACTERISTICS Developed first and foremost by Cleve Molar in the 1970s Derived from FORTRAN subroutines LINPACK and EISPACK, linear and Eigen value systems. Developed principally as an interactive system to access LINPACK and EISPACK. Gained its esteem through word of mouth, because it was not authoritatively dispersed. Rewritten in C in the 1980s with more functionality, which include plotting routines. The Math Works Inc. was produced (1984) to marketplace and go on with expansion Of MATLAB. 5.1.2 ADVANTAGES OF MATLAB MATLAB may behave as a calculator or as a programming language MATLAB combine adequately calculation and graphic plotting. MATLAB is moderately easy to learn MATLAB is interpreted (not compiled), errors are easy to fix. MATLAB is optimized to be relatively fast when performing matrix operations MATLAB does have some object-oriented elements 5.1.3 RESULTS In this section Screen Shots of the present work are shown. Firstly, Data Set is uploaded after that Neural Network and SVM are used for training and testing of the data. User can create their account and if user has already account then he can sign in for the Personalization. Three parameters are taken for the comparison between the SVM (support vector machine) and Neural Network. Accuracy, Precision and Recall are the three parameters used for the comparison. Neural Network gives the best results. Figure 5.1: Proposed Flowchart Fig. 5.1 shows the main working window of the personalization. The above figure has all the training and testing window components in w +hich the personalized data can be trained through the Neural Network and Support Vector Machine. Training Model for SVM as well as Neural Network. Inputs: examples, a set of examples, each with input x = x1; x2; : : : ; xn and output y Inputs: network, a perceptron with weights Wj ; j = 0; : : : ; n and activation function g Repeat for each e in examples do inPnj = 0Wj xj [e] Err y[e] g(in) WjWj + _ _ Err _ g0(in) _ xj [e] End Until all examples correctly predicted or stopping criterion is reached Return network Figure 5.2: represents the architecture of the Neural Network Neural network contains of input and hidden layers. Each and every layer has weight and bandwidth of the data. Hidden Layer contains epochs that means iteration. The maximum iteration provided over here is 50 but it is not necessary that the neural will run till 50. It would cross check the validations and would provide the results required. The results can also be checked by the following graphs. Figure 5.3: Representing detailed neural architecture The above figure represents the architecture over which the neural has been tested and trained. There is one validation denoted by the pink line and has been achieved on the 4th Iteration. Figure 5.4: Personalizing Option The above figure provides the option to personalize the system according to the choice of the user. Here the user can banned those website link which he or she does not want to see in the future. Figure 5.5: Login window Figure 5.5 shows the login window. If the user is new or not registered then he can use sign up option for registration. After filling details, user is registered. Useris alreadyregisteredhe can log in using theUserID and Password. Figure 5.6: Results after testing data The above figure represents results after testing the data. User can test data after fill the data in the box. Figure 5.7. Different parameters The above figure shows the different parameter after click on result neural button. Accuracy, Precision, and recall parameters can be calculated. The same parameter can be calculated by SVM also. 5.2Comparison Tables and Graphical Representation The experiment was conducted for computing Accuracy, Precision and Recall. The experiment has been performed to compare the performance of both Neural Network and SVM (Support Vector Machine). The Accuracy, Precision and Recall for both approaches was different. Given tables and graphs proves the performance of the algorithms. Table 5.2: Accuracy Comparison Figure 5.8: Graph of accuracy comparison Table 5.3: Precision Comparison Figure 5.9: graph of Precision Comparison Table5.4: Recall Comparison Figure 5.10: Graph of Recall Comparison Chapter 6: CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPE Chapter 6 includes conclusion and future scope of the present work. Future scope means that what enhancement can be done in the future. Section 6.1 covers the Conclusion and Section 6.2 covers the Future scope. 6.1 CONCLUSION Web personalization is an answer for data over-burden issue on World Wide Web .The web personalization assemble the accuracy of web hunt apparatus, streamlines the looking process and reduce the time customer needs to spend for looking for. Today for both Web-based affiliations and for the end customers the web personalization has transformed into a key gadget. Web utilization mining is the methodology of recognizing delegate patterns and scanning examples depicting the movement in the site, by investigating the clients conduct. Site directors can then use this information to redesign or change the site according to the side interests and behaviour of its visitors, or upgrade the execution of their systems. Also, the supervisors of e-trade destinations can procure profitable business brainpower, making buyer profiles and accomplishing business sector division. There exists number of techniques yet none has been accomplished great amount. This postulation introduced a methodology taking into account neural system for web personalization of web substance. Firstly, in the pre-processing stage the information must be gathered from the better places it is put away (customer side, server side, and intermediary servers). In the wake of recognizing the customers, the snap surges of each customer must be part into sessions. The last venture of the entire web utilization mining methodology is to dissect the examples found amid the example disclosure step. Web Usage Mining attempt to comprehend the examples identified in before step. The most well-known systems is information visualization applying channels High dimensional information stream contains a huge colossal measure of information. Such huge sum information contains a vast information with high measurements with information many-sided quality. A valid example remote sensor framework data, web logs, Google look for, et cetera. Standard strategies are not suitable over h igh dimensional data as they obliged high figuring expense for taking care of data that is the reason this technique has been realized with some change highlights. 6.2 FUTURE SCOPE Future misleads examine the half breed utilization structure positioning that can be connected to a bound together web/navigational diagram which extends out of the breaking points of a solitary site. Such approach would empower a worldwide significance positioning over the web, improving both web query items and the suggestion process. Now, if the user wants to revisit URL P3, she would not be able to do that using just the BackButton navigation Stack. If she resorts to the history list to get some help, she will be disappointed to see that its list based textual representation gives no idea about the structure of the navigation pattern. Moreover, even for a modestly sized navigation session, the history list gets cluttered to an extent so that renders it ineffective in searching for a specific page. The bookmark facility is of little help in this case, as the user cannot bookmark each and every page due to overhead associated with the very process of bookmarking. Moreover, even selected bookmarking is of no help as, in most cases, the user does not know at the time of visiting a web page whether it is important enough to be bookmarked. One thing that has long been acknowledged by the research community is the use of graphical overview diagrams in assisting user navigation through complex information spaces. The visualization scheme employed should be efficient enough to give a graphical representation of user session history in real time. Computationally and graphically intensive application may cause undue delays in the visualization generation process, especially when the session history grows large. Most of the past work done for WWW subspace visualization is plagued by these delays therefore is inefficient for the ordinary use. The solution must be designed keeping in mind that it has to replace WWW browser stack based navigation structure and its history list. Therefore it must provide all those facilities that were provided by these browser components. Users who are familiar with the facilities provided by the browser may find it very difficult to adjust to a new scheme that does not provide these facilities. The visualization scheme should be designed more on an aesthetic rather than a scientific basis. Humans tend to get confused when presented with a large amount of data jumbled up in front of them. It is, therefore, highly recommended that session history data be divided into small and easily manageable groups, neatly knitted together through an elegant link structure. 1

A Forgettable Trip :: Free Essay Writer

The words on the sign that hung outside the bar gleamed: â€Å"Black Jack’s Bar.† After I jumped off my five-speed mountain bicycle and took off my helmet, I confidently walked up to the radiant building. I performed a last minute check of my appearance in an outside mirror. I slicked back my hair and tucked my tie-dye shirt inside of my tight blue jeans. Looking so sexy, I was ready to accomplish my goal for the night: to be flirtatious, and secure a lady’s telephone number in hopes of getting a date. My eyes surveyed the vicinity for irresistible women. At first, I did not see any desirable women; however, my eyes were soon affixed upon a beautiful blonde-hair woman with long legs. I decided to approach her. I asked her, â€Å"Are you tired?† She responded in a soft voice, â€Å"No. Why do you ask?† I then answered nonchalantly, â€Å"Because you have been running through my mind all night.† She erupted into laughter. I couldn’t understand why she had laughed at my pick-up line, which is a famous clichà © used to get dates. I decided that this lady wasn’t for me. I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t quit. I put more oil in my hair and was ready to proceed. I returned to my seat at the bar. I needed a drink to make me feel better so I ordered a scotch and water. Better hold the scotch. As the bartender handed me my drink, a young-looking brunette entered the bar. She walked in and sat down next to me; I had never seen such beauty before. I did nothing at first out of fear; however, I remembered my objective for the night and prepared a speech. I slid over to her and said, â€Å"Your feet must hurt.† She retorted, â€Å"No, not really. Why?† â€Å"Because you just fell from heaven, angel,† I replied. The brunette departed immediately for some unknown reason. I was dumbfounded. On any other night, I would have had two women in my arms. I thought deeply about my previous behavior. I decided that I would be myself and act normal around the next woman I saw. I decided to use this philosophy instead of a tactic called loan sharking. This is the process of buying a woman a drink while demanding something in return. Many people put on masks when meeting people just like I had done. People hide their true personality and make themselves less attractive.

Pride in Young Goodman Brown and The Ministers Black Veil Essay

Pride in Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of Hawthorne's characters wrap themselves in a pride of intellect. The characters become victims of their pride and consequently suffer.   Goodman Brown, from "Young Goodman Brown" and Hooper, from "The Minister's Black Veil" are two characters that suffer from a pride of intellect.   Their pride causes them similar problems and they end up living similar lives, although they came from different backgrounds.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hooper and Goodman Brown both become isolated from society.   Hooper had a revelation, and he feels that he truly understands human nature and sin. However, he believes that he is above everybody else because he has this understanding.   This is what causes the major separation between Hooper and society.   After Hooper dawns the veil he can no longer function or act as a normal person, because of this feeling of superiority.   His perception of an ultimate human isolation leaves him the man most isolated in what Hawthorne describes as that saddest of all prisons, his own heart . . . "(The Minister's Black Veil,228).   The veil affects all parts of his life, his fiance leaves him and he can no longer relate to his congregation the same way. "As a result of wearing the veil, Hooper becomes a man apart, isolated from love and sympathy, suspected and even feared by his congregation"(Minister's Black Veil, 228). Goodman Brown suffers the same fate because he also has a feeling of superiority over the rest of the village.   He attains this feeling after he sees all the people that he though were good and pure participating in satanic rituals in the fore... ...de.    Works Cited and Consulted Benoit, Raymond.   "'Young Goodman Brown': The Second Time Around."   The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 19 (Spring 1993): 18-21. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959. James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. Kaul, A. N., Ed..   "HAWTHORNE: A Collection of Critical Essays." Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1966. Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965. Morris, Lloyd., "THE REBELLIOUS PURITAN: Portrait of Mr. Hawthorne." Port Washington: Kennikat Press. Van Doren, Mark., Ed. "The Best of Hawthorne." New York: The Ronald Press Company. 1951. Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Kants Moral Constructivism and his Conception of Legislation Essay

Some hold that Kant’s conception of autonomy requires the rejection of moral realism in favor of "moral constructivism." However, commentary on a little noticed passage in the Metaphysics of Morals (with the assistance of Kant’s Lectures and Reflexionen) reveals that the conception of legislation at the core of Kant’s conception of autonomy represents a decidedly anti-constructivist strand in his moral philosophy. I. Summary: the Meaning of "Kant's Moral Constructivism" A. John Rawls In A Theory of Justice, although Rawls's method of generating principles of justice from a choice in the Original Position is described as "constructive", in the sense of "helpful to settle disputes", the idea of "constructivism" is hardly present. Constructivism, in the sense that interests us here, first plays a major role in Rawls's 1980 Dewey Lectures, "Kantian Constructivism in Moral Theory", where Rawls clarifies his own project as a limited programme in political theory, not in moral philosophy in general, a programme he has also described as something "political, not metaphysical". (2) There Rawls proposes a procedure of construction that connects a particular conception of the person with first principles of justice. In his article "Themes" Rawls emphasizes a similar idea in his interpretation of Kant moral philosophy, leading him to speak of what he calls "Kant's moral constructivism". In "Themes" Rawls begins with an outline of the "CI-Procedure" (where CI is an abbreviation for "categorical imperative"), which he sees as something given or laid out, based on the conception of free and equal persons as "reasonable" and "rational". The procedure specifies the first principles of right and justice, and through the procedure the... ...or" of the moral law. KGS IV, 431. (28) "Wà ¼rde man unter dem Legislator einen autorem legis verstehen, so wà ¼rde dieses bloß statutarische Gesetze betreffen. Gesetzen aber, die aus der Natur der Sache durch die Vernunft erkannt werden, wenn man denen einen auctorem beilegt, so kann er nur autor der Verbindlichkeit sein, die im Gesetz enthalten ist. ... unter dem autore eines natà ¼rlichen Gesetzes nur der Urheber der Verbindlichkeit nach dem Imperativ des Gesetzes gedacht werden kann...""Metaphysik der Sitten Vigilantius", KGS XXVII, 544-45. (29) "...sind nicht positive Gesetze." "Moral Mrongovius II", KGS XXIX, 634. (30) My thanks to Profs. Otfried Hà ¶ffe, Karl Ameriks, David Solomon, and audiences at the University of Tà ¼bingen and the 1998 APA Pacific Division Meetings and my commentator there, Mark LeBar, for helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper.

Large Schools vs. Small Schools: Which perform better?

Small schools perform better than large schools in more than one aspect. A study finds that small rural communities with a school have significantly higher housing values, more new housing, smaller income variability, fewer households receiving public assistance, lower poverty and child poverty rates, more workers in professional and managerial jobs, and more workers employed within the community. (1) The existence of schools even in small rural areas proves many benefits, but there is a larger question posed, would it be more beneficial to have a small school or a large one? This paper aims to find which category offers more to the quality of students. It may be true that large schools may have grander facilities like television and radio stations but there is more than behind the curtain of facilities. An extensive body of research demonstrates numerous positive benefits of small schools and small learning communities, especially for those students who are at greatest risk of educational failure. Indeed, in a synthesis of research on small schools, Raywid (1997/1998, p. 35) concludes, â€Å"there is enough evidence now of such positive effects—and of the devastating effects of large size on substantial numbers of youngsters—that it seems morally questionable not to act on it.† (2) This is more or less the same stand that this paper takes. In a small school there would be more benefits. As you will see throughout the paper, there have been studies that point out the benefits of a small school over that of a large one.   There is almost 40 years of existing research and literature on small schools which indicates that students in small schools have higher attendance and graduation rates (1), fewer drop-outs, equal or better levels of academic achievement (2), higher levels of extra-curricular participation (3) and parent involvement, and fewer incidences of discipline and violence (4). (3) Wasley, et al (2000, pg 4) says small schools increase student attendance across all types of small schools: schools-within-schools (SWS), freestanding small schools, and multi-school small schools. Lakhman (1999), on the other hand found that between 1988 and 1998, DeWitt Clinton high school developed 10 small schools. During that time, they reduced their dropout rate by 8.5% and increased their on-time graduation rate by almost 50%. Thus, proving that small schools have the ability to improve attendance and graduation rate. Moreover, researchers observe that the effects of smallness on achievement are indirect, being mediated through other small-school features as quality of the social environment and students' sense of attachment to the school. Mitchell (2000) reminds us that in the studies conducted by Howley and others, school size had such a powerful positive effect on the achievement of poor students that it even trumped the beneficial effects of class size (Cotton, 2001). This can also be credited to the fact that in a small school, they can focus more on the need of each student. Sometimes, students does not need a large school with lots of reference books but a school that encourages a lot of help, from peers and teachers. There are several studies whose findings reveal that students at all grade levels learn more in small schools than in large schools. Several researchers have also examined middle-grades schools with interdisciplinary teams and found that students in this type of small learning community outperform similar students in schools without such organizational arrangements (Mertens and Flowers, 2003; Mertens, Flowers, and Mulhall, 2001; George and Lounsbury, 2000; Lee and Smith, 2000; Felner et al., 1997; Lee and Smith, 1993). (2) In addition from improved attendance, higher graduation rates and improved academic achievement in small schools, another factor that is considered is the students’ level of participation.   Take for example Mitchell’s (2000) observation where in a school of 2,000 students, only the most talented will be recruited for the basketball team or the drama club. The result is that a small number of gifted students dominate the sports and activity rosters, while the vast majority are relegated to spectator status. In small schools, sports teams, musical groups and clubs depend on broader participation. The number of extracurricular opportunities does increase with school size. But a twentyfold increase in population produces only a fivefold increase in opportunities. That is, as the school expands, an increasingly smaller percentage of students are needed to fill the available slots. In short, more students produce less participation. Most students will not be required to participate because there will be others who would. In a small school every student will have the opportunity to hone and improve their talents and interests. Researchers point out that, in small schools, everyone is needed to populate teams, offices, and clubs; thus, even shy and less able students are encouraged to participate and made to feel they belong. In addition to the factors mentioned, another advantage of a small school over a large one involves more personalized approach where levels of parent involvement and parent satisfaction are greater in small school environments than in large ones. Communication between parents and teachers tends to be more substantive given the fact that the teachers often know the students better in the smaller learning environment (Cotton, 2001). This is a positive reinforcement of discipline for the students.   In a smaller learning environment, the students’ activities can be monitored and can be reported to parents, whether a violation or a perceived improvement. Among the advantages mentioned, the fewer incidence of violence is perhaps the most important. â€Å"There is less violence in small schools, less vandalism, a heightened sense of belonging, and better attendance,† the KnowledgeWorks report states. (4)   Another research also showed that â€Å"In urban schools with less than 300 students, 3.9% of the schools reported serious violent incidents compared with 32.9% of schools over 1,000 students (Gregory, 2000).† Small schools are better positioned to detect and help hurting students, and to address disruptive behavior before it escalates into tragic violence and abuse. When teachers know virtually all students in a school community by name, it fosters a culture of belonging, accountability, and support. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2000) studies show that small learning environments are characterized by fewer incidents of violence and disruptive behavior, less school graffiti, lower crime levels, and less serious student misconduct. The association attribute this to what they term as â€Å"human-scale schooling† which reduces isolation and increasing the sense of belongingness. Indeed, a closer community will bring more familiarity and less hostility. Hence, with all the aspects considered in the paper, it can be deduced that in a school of smaller quantity, we can focus more on the students’ quality. From this standpoint, the performance of a small school is better. Even policy makers have noted these benefits leading to   the development of some new rules. These includes: Florida Small School Law which recognizes the benefits of small schools and prohibits, as of July 2003, the construction of large schools. As of that date, new elementary schools will be limited to 500 students, middle schools to 700, and high schools to 900. Another is the Vermont Funding for Small Schools which in 1997, Vermont adopted a new system of funding education under Vermont Act 60 – The Equal Educational Opportunity Act (EEOA). Unlike most states, Vermont choose to provide additional funding to cover the higher costs of the state's smallest school districts. An extra $1 million per year was allocated to districts with fewer than 100 students. (5) This paper believes as far as, the future can depend on small school more than large ones, and to borrow Daniel Kinnaman’s title, the future will be filled up by small schools (with) big benefits.

Describe the main strengths and weaknesses of Utilitarianism Essay

Strengths * Utilitarianism is simple. It doesn’t have a lot of complex rules, but instead the individual can decide would be the ‘best’, by how it affects others. * It is flexible: no law or principle is unchallengeable. * It allows for circumstance, so you can decide what is the best thing to do given the current circumstance. * It ties in with the Christian ethic of unconditional love, as preached by Jesus. * If someone believes that both lying and breaking promises are acts that are intrinsically wrong, utilitarianism provides a principled way in which they can choose which moral rule to break if forced to make a choice between them. * The emphasis on impartiality, unselfishness and altruism is to be commended. * There is no need to consider precedents as absolute – just because one action worked for someone does not mean that it must be enforced again, when it may not work for someone else. * It is also attractive to secular thinkers, because it makes no grand claims to the supernatural or metaphysical. It appeals to tangible results – the consequences of an action will be perceived. Weaknesses * What do we mean by happiness? What makes us happy? It is hard to define happiness as it varies with person to person. * Should happiness always be pursued? What if we can only be happy if we achieve it in a ‘bad’ way? Like if a murderer is only happy if he kills someone. * How can we say that happiness from one pleasure is greater than from another? There is no way to tell if a genius is any more happy than someone not so clever. * Humans do not always treat each other equal. We care more about the people close to us and would give them more consideration in an ethical dilemma. Some would claim that utilitarians are simply idealistic and unrealistic because they do not accurately evaluate human behaviour and just assume we are all perfect, caring equally for everyone. * It is impossible to be certain about a consequence, which is a general problem with teleological ethics. * It is very difficult to measure pleasure given by any outcome. It will take a great deal of time, thought and study, considering effects on both people and the situation. * Can we compare one person’s happiness to another person’s happiness? * If only the total happiness counts, imagine these two situations: [A] 80% population live very well and are very happy because the other 20% are their slaves. [B] There are no slaves and everyone is happy but not as happy as the 80% in situation A. The total and average happiness in both situations is the same, therefore to a utilitarian there is no difference between the two, and both are equally morally right, but slavery is considered wrong. * Is Act Utilitarianism too demanding? Someone buys a TV for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500, which would make them happy; but they could also spend the money saving 1000 lives in Africa. Some Act utilitarians would argue that, yes, we should send most of our money overseas, since that would create the most happiness for the most people, but is that too demanding? * The refusal to acknowledge intrinsically wrong acts: a judge might convict an innocent man in order to prevent a riot that would ensue if he were not convicted – a utilitarian would argue that this is permissible because more people would be made unhappy by the lack of a conviction and the riot; but is it intrinsically wrong to imprison or execute an innocent man? * Act utilitarians might accuse Rule utilitarians of being legalistic: what’s the point, they could say, of following a rule when it is clear that the consequences will decrease happiness? In their view, past experience can only give guidelines, not rules. * Rule utilitarianism may just be act utilitarianism in disguise: all the rules are focussed around the maximisation of happiness. Rule utilitarians believe that the best way to maximise happiness is to maximise happiness with every act- but this is just act utilitarianism. * Human rights, justices, and other such values may not have any place in a utilitarian ethical system if the wishes of the majority override them. * Christians, Muslims, and others of religious faith would argue that god decides what is rights, and what is the best outcome; it is not four humans to try to calculate. * Utilitarianism ignores ‘meaning well’ – benevolent motives. * Utilitarianism â€Å"seems to require more of a human that many are capable of providing† * Just as there are no absolutes for determining acts which are intrinsically wrong, there is also no way to define what is universally good. * There must be sufficient account taken of the minority view – the majority are not always right, even though the satisfaction of their wishes might create the most happiness.

Animal Testing Is Morally Wrong

Testing on Animals is Morally Wrong In today’s world, large corporations seem to have decided that animal testing is an acceptable way to produce products that are safe for human use at the expense of innocent animals everywhere. Sadly, with large-scale corporations focused far more on money and profit than on the wellbeing of, safety and health of animals of all kinds. The Government has completed hundreds of tests through out the years, and there has been very dismal proof that conducting the animal testing is benefit to humans, even though morally it is unspeakably wrong.To better understand how humans started using animals to conduct product testing, it is important to look back into our history. In the past, animals were thought of as food and years later, we needed animals such as cattle and horses as a means of transportation by land and to help lighten the human workload. Years later it became possible to keep animals as pets and sources of entertainment. Now we have a nimals as companions and are thought of as members of our families: they are valuable and loved by many.Sadly, although the general population would never want to harm an animal, the corporate machine that functions all around the world runs on earning money based on the exploitation of people and animals. This goes against our current general outlook on the value of animal’s lives yet to mega corporations, these creatures have no legal voice or overpowering representation to save them from torture, abuse and death during product testing. There are two different kinds of animal testing. The first is animal experimentation, in which the laboratory animal may only have a minute or so of pain and discomfort.The second is called vivisection, which is the most inhumane form of animal testing. Vivisection is when an animal is tested on while not under any form of anesthesia to keep the animal from feeling pain. This form of testing is conducted when the animal is awake and feeling an incredible amount of pain. Both of these forms of animal testing are inhumane because even during the less horrific of the two testing processes, animals can sustain critical issues that come from the testing long after the tests are completed and the anesthesia has warn off.Although animals cannot speak for themselves, they desperately need human legal representation to act on their behalf as far as texting human products on animals that can threaten their wellbeing and lives. Due to the horrific animal abuses that happen in the US and abroad there are understandably many outraged animal rights activists that are involved organizations that work to stop animal testing. Since animals are obviously very different that humans it does morally makes sense to test products that are meant for human use and consumption.This can really hurt an animal and cause a lifetime of harm that we humans will never fully understand. There are many dangers to humans that are associated with animal t esting as well. If a product or drug is tested on animals with no known side effects that product can then be sold for human use but because animals and humans are so different a new drug coming straight from animal testing will undoubtedly have a slightly different effect on the human than on the animal and sometimes the effect is very serious.If illness or death occurs then tax dollars that Americans pay to companies that use animal testing for new drugs will be wasted on a product that undoubtedly harmed animals and also humans. At the same time, animals that react poorly to testing can cause medicine or other products that could benefit humans from being distributed simply because humans and animals will react differently to different things. There are many companies that have decided to stand up for animals and test many products on humans instead of abusing animals during the testing process.This is particularly common when testing makeup; skincare products and hair care produ cts. Companies that use natural ingredients especially, feel that they can safely test their products on humans. An entire market has been built upon the choice not to test on animals and people who care about animals will pay much more for products that were not tested on animals. It is my hope that more corporations especially will take a stand for animals and realize that their actions deeply harm animals and that money is ess important then the life of an animal. Research has proven that what works for them, does not necessarily work for us. I believe that it is a waste of American taxes to continue testing animals. Animals are a major part of our world and deserve more respect and care then they are currently given. It is my hope that we can stop cruel testing on animals and find new ways to test medicines and products that do not destroy the lives of animals.

Tasha’s Case Write Up

Case 1: Tashas, Franchising the Boutique Cafe Experience 1. Why did Natasha Sideris succeed with her first â€Å"Tashas† cafe and with her initial expansion? I think the main reason behind her success is her passion for this job. She is clearly loving every moment of owning a restaurant. She was also able to communicate this passion to the customers as well as the staff. She was very focused on the service side of the business, and saw it as the main driver. The way she insists on customers’ not waiting more than 20 minutes for the food, which is cooked right after they ordered it. The location of the restaurant is another key driver of her success. Opening up a store in a very rich business district’s shopping center is a very good investment. And finally access to financing was very important as well. The initial expansion was a success because she was able to differentiate the new store from the first one. The new store was designed to cater the needs of the customers of that specific area. . Evaluate Sideris’ expansion plans. What advice would you give her at the time of the case? I personally believe that having 15-20 stores in the same country is not a good idea. It may be a financially viable idea, as it seems from the case, but there is a great risk of diluting the brand. Taking into consideration the population of South Africa as well as the number of people who actually have enough money to go to cafes and restaurants, having 20 Tashas Cafes doesn’t seem reasonable to me. Coming from Turkey, which is showing similar economic trends with South Africa for the recent years and facing similar income distribution problems, I have been observing boutique cafes and restaurants expand to never more than 10 restaurants nationwide. Sideris offers high-end products at high-end locations and her customer base is not very big. I think she has to be more conservative about her approach to expanding, and she should look into decreasing the risk of cannibalizing and diluting the brand.

Tramadol Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tramadol - Research Paper Example Similarly, Tramadol is taken to ease some serious agony. Patients who are likely to require medication to ease the pain for several hours over a longer period mainly take its extended-release pills. Prescription The drug can be prescribed for different uses; for example, as depressant or analgesic. Tramadol falls into opiate agonist or analgesic category, and it works by altering how the body experiences pain. This implies that the drug functions in the central nervous parts and serves as morphine in the organs and releases pain, (Gulshan 45). As morphine, it joins some opioid body receptors. In addition, the drug functions as antidepressants in that it inhibits certain brain chemicals reuptake; for instance, serotonin. Various chemicals are crucial to transfer information into the nerves. As the information travels through the nerves, it causes the cell end to secrete serotonin, which consequently enters the gap from one nerve cell to the next. When serotonin reaches the adjacent ce ll of the nerve, the chemical triggers the receptors; thus, the message is transferred to the adjoining nerve cell. Use of Tramadol The drug is taken through the mouth or orally as extended release pill, and regular pill in a span of four to seven hours as prescribed – before or after food. ... Inform the physician of medication prescriptions and other nutritional or food complement one is using. Additionally, inform the doctor about other antifungal medications like monoamine or ketanonazole, anxiety mediations, seizures medications and mental illness medications, you are using. This is because such medications may interact with Ultram and cause adverse effects. The patient has to inform the doctor of other herbal remedies she is using. Moreover, the patient should tell the doctor all the medical conditions or disorders he has ever suffered such as seizures, head injuries, tumor of the brain, heart attack and other high blood pressure conditions and diabetes. This information helps the doctor to prepare individual precaution data of the drug to safeguard the patient against possible severe and fatal effects of the drug. The patient should inform the doctor about her status such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and planning to conceive, and if one becomes pregnant while, under T ramadol medication, she should inform the doctor to help protect the health of the patient. The patient should be aware that the drug might cause drowsiness, fainting and vertigo, therefore; the patient should get out of the lying position slowly to avoid collapsing and falling, (Gulshan 49). People must avoid consumption of alcohol and other illicit drugs because it may lead to adverse reduction in breathing and liver disorders, when consumed during Tramadol administration. Besides, the drug must be taken with caution in people at respiratory depression risk. Dosage People should take Tramadol as prescribed by the nurse or doctor. Additionally, administer the skipped dosage of regular Tramadol tablet immediately once you learn about

Finding a paper for my final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finding a paper for my final project - Essay Example Consequently, organizations have a chance of minimizing their IT based capital expenditures. Cloud computing services ensure that large and small organizations have the potential of attaining optimum IT based functionalities. These occur as the organizations face stiff competition and different government regulations on data-storage needs and computing. However, market factors and the management of the organizations may hinder or influence the engagement of the organizations in the cloud computing strategies. Such contributes in the reduction of the ability of organizations to engage in IT related infrastructure for business growth and improvement on competitive strength. Another key issue is the technical ability of the organization, which determines the potential of the organization to handle its cloud computing. This entails information sharing, cost savings, in-house degradation performance and the other associated performance over the in-house. Such depicts the trust level for the deployment of the effective cloud computing infrastructure, which makes the organization have the potential of achieving its success in the competitive business

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts - Essay Example Luxury rooms and luxury food have become the major features of modern Hotels like the Four Seasons Hotels. While going through the performance report, one finds that the firm has been implementing various strategies in branding, market segmentation, and product positioning. Table of Content 1. Introduction 2. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain in the marketplace 3. Centralization and Decentralization 4. Technology at Four Seasons 5. The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ Internet Site 6. SWOT analysis 1. Introduction The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a Canadian based business organization started by Isadore Sharp in 1960. Today, the company has 74 hotels and 13 resorts operating in 31 countries around the globe, including USA, India, Egypt, Italy, Malaysia, and Hong Cong. The company also provides services like video conferencing, wedding services and vacation packages. It has now become the world’s leading operator of luxury resorts and hotels. Their highest stan dards of service and dedication to the customers have made them the benchmark in luxury hotels. In the opinion of Talbott (2006), the success of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts can be attributed to choosing its employees who provides the best genuine and innovative service and its unique organizational culture. 2. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain in the marketplace The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has kept a distinguishable place in the marketplace rooted on their motto and vision statement of â€Å"treat others the way you would have them treat you† (Sharp, 2011). This puts the firm in an advantage point above the competing chains in the market. The main business strategy of the hotel is that it only hires people who seem to par with the vision of the organization. The management conducts thorough interview for the employees before they are appointed. The staffs of the hotel are asked to get into interrogation with the top level management regularly; this process makes the employees feel that they play an important role in the organization. On the other hand, in the opinion of Capodagli(n.d) the turnover rate at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is much lower than many other competing luxury hotels. The employees have the chances of getting incentives and bonuses that is above normal. In the opinion of Aufreiter, Elzinga & Gordon (2003), the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ consistency in treating the customers with respect and caring them in an excellent manner distinguished them from competitors. 2. Four Seasons’ delivery of service around the world The Four Season Hotel chain is highly noted for its excellent customer service all over the world. Burke, Martin & Cooper (2011 p.9) also state that the four qualities that hold the Four Seasons above some of their competitors are service, quality, culture, and brand. While delivering service over the international market, the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts hold the view that there are things that have to be sustained in the same manner for some properties and there are things that must be differentiated according to the culture of the area the hotel is located in. Technology is used only as a complementary tool to the human interactions. A telephone call is made as a follow-up to answer the e-mail send by a customer. Whenever the Four Seasons’ officials visit their different properties, they spend time having dinner with the top-level

Personal and profesional development Assignment

Personal and profesional development - Assignment Example The management decisions of the learning process need to balance between the teacher and the student. Some decisions keep revolving in the whole process. Some of the decisions will come from the teacher who guides the student while some will originate from the student since they involve the personal values and what the student will feel needs inculcating in them. Although these decisions balance between the teacher and the student, some will entirely lie in the teacher’s hands. These may involve decisions with the study curriculum, low structure tasks lie in the student’s decision line and they may have the student rely the decisions basing on the teachers guidance. Three essential dimensions need involvement in all the aspects of training and self-management. These are planning, implementation, and the evaluation processes (David, 1996, p.3). Lifelong learning process stems from a system that develops in the student from the learning stage. Evidence to this determined by how the student handles and controls his activities and decisions during the learning process. The planning process runs and develops as the student grows and the time this person takes to depends on the level of experience and personal controls of life. Life continues in the series of learning processes that only end when one decreases from the world. The learning process continues and so the need to develop a person in life features and the needs that they may have on their life and planning. Self-managed learning is about the individuals managing their own learning. This involves dealing with taking responsibility for decisions in their learning processes. This involves the decisions of what they learn, when they do the learning, how they do learn and where they learn. The most fundamental of them being why they learn that leads to the answers that give the student their quest. This involves the students deciding the learning goals and objectives that help the