Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Literary Analysis The Odyssey And The Popol Vuh Essay

Through out the reading that have been read in class, they all have some type or multiple types of archetypes with in them. These archetypes have been either very noticeable or farther under the surface, the stories, poems and folklore are not all the same by any means but they do have some similarities besides the fact that they are all old. Ranging from The Odyssey to The Popol Vuh. The way of describing which archetype is in the stories is by thinking of an onion, that layer by layer seeing the archetype is more under the surface than the last, so the most significate is a scapegoat that is within all six stories. The scapegoat is not always a person it more than likely is an idea the main character has when trying to go around their fears or even when making a simple decision. The respectable way to compare six different works would be like peeling an onion; one begins by peeling away at the layers, starting with the skin which is the simplest like The Odyssey, then The Pillowboo k of Sei Shonagon, afterwards The Epic of Gilgamesh, following Poems of Catullus, later The Popol Vuh and lastly Lysistrata with all of the writings sharing a scapegoat to advance the plot of the story To begin with the first layer of finding the archetype is easiest when looking at The Odyssey by Homer. There are actually quite a few archetypes just within this epic story, but when talking about a scapegoat a handful come to mind. The first one can be found in the first five books when it talks

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The United States And The Roman Empire - 973 Words

Rome was a empire that was respected, by all other empires and kingdoms, back in ancient times. It had an incredibly strong military force, strong political system and a population who knew its place in society. These characteristics can be seen in the United States today. The population of both the United States and the Roman Empire have striking similarities. It appears that both the population of the United States and of the Roman Empire were obsessed with wealth and each individual person wanted to be viewed higher than their peers. The fact that both populations are obsessed with wealth can be seen in the way the Roman troops raided conquered land and the Roman youth and United States youth undervalue what they posses. Finally, it is easily seen that the Roman and American populations wanted to be viewed higher than their peers in the way they constructed their houses and buildings, and how they frivolously spent money. The citizens of Rome loved money, but as the Republic appro ached its end, they became obsessed with wealth. A man of the name of Sulla used force and led an army to take back the government. When he had successfully taken over the government, his troops began to raid houses and land. At this time, the citizens of Rome had viewed wealth as a symbol of power. People wanted more and more wealth. This theme was not only common with adults, but shared among children and young men began to have the same values. Children became very prideful and ungrateful ofShow MoreRelated The United States Will Fall like the Roman Empire Essay1057 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States Will Fall like the Roman Empire What makes a country or empire so powerful? Is it a leader, the military, or even the people? These all do. They make a certain connection due to the success of an empire. You can they’re the â€Å"Three Musketeers† of one. The old Roman Empire and the United States have that connection. Both were in great power, had prosperity, and were strong in their own unique ways. But what if the United States falls dramatically—just like the Roman Empire didRead MoreComparing the Roman Empire and the United States of America Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagessimilarities of military, economics and systems of government between the Roman Empire of the 6th century BCE and the United States of America of the 20th century. History has revealed that all superpowers fall eventually, although much time has passed since the glory days of Rome we see in 2015 the largest superpower in charge, the United States. There are many similarities that can be drawn between the American superpo wer and the Roman Empire such as the same founding of government and both dominated in militaryRead MoreEssay on A comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States908 Words   |  4 PagesA comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States Title: The Roman Empire and the Early United States A comparison The purpose of this paper is to show the comparison between remarkable empires that were created in many years apart. I chose to compare Pre-World War I United States and the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire information is said to be recorded between 753BC – 1184 BC (ThinkQuest) and the Pre World War I information is between late 19th century and early 20th century (Encarta)Read MoreWhy Did The United States Come To An End794 Words   |  4 PagesAll through history every major empire has come to an end at some point, showing that the United State will come to an end at some time. It is shown that every empire has a great period of time filled with outstanding peace, prosperity, inventions, and architecture, but all good things must come to an end, and throughout time empires end with corruption, violence, and destruction. Most empires fell due to invasion, lack of advancing, or the empire got too big. For example, the Incans fell becauseRead MoreThe History of the Fall of Rome : Is the United States Also Destined to Fall?1511 Words   |  7 PagesBCE and the first century ACE Rome expanded from a city-state into an empire controlling the Mediterranean Sea, which at the time of the Roman Empire, was the center of the civilized world. As years went by Rome fell. Many people link Rome and the United States together. Rome rose from nothing into a great world power, however, they reached their peak and then fell, much the same, as the United States is today. Rome and the United States are similar in many ways. Rome, at one point, was an advancedRead MoreSummary of People and Empires844 Words   |  3 PagesSummary of People and Empires. This book is a Short History, of western empires which explain how European civilization and includes chronology of key events are influenced by the empires that was formed in it, like the Roman empire. It starts with Alexander and his Greek army and ends with the EU. Major events between these two events are empires like the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, the Catholic Church as an Empire, the Spanish Empire, British Empire, and the European Colonial influenceRead MoreEssay about The Roman Empire979 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing the greatest empires in the history of the world, one that will always be included in the conversation is the Roman Empire. With an empire that spread from Hadrian’s Wall to Arabia, it is considered one of the mightiest empires in history. There was no single factor or individual that can be considered to be the driving force behind the success of the Roman Empire. It is rather a success founded upon political policies, military strength and cu ltural prosperity. No empire in history has everRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1428 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire is widely regarded as one of, if not the most dominant government to ever exist. Early civilization in Europe was dominated by the Romans, and their constantly growing empire. With the help of Greek political ideas, the Romans adopted one very similar where supreme power is held by the people from their elected representatives. These representatives were a part of the Senate, where all political laws were made and enforced, very similar idea to the type of Senate that existsRead MoreSlavery in Ancient Roman Society1301 Words   |  5 Pagesslavery, they think of the United States because that memory is relatively new and culturally relevant to Americans. However, slavery existed in many other cultures and times across the world. Understanding the nature of slavery is integral to an understanding of Western Civilization in general. Ancient Rome practiced slavery throughout much of the Empire, and especially under Emperor Augustus. It is likely that slavery was just as important for making the Roman Empire strong, wealthy and powerfulRead MoreHow Did The Technology Of Roman Empire Impact It?1741 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Roman Empire started to gain strength. They broke treaties and conquered neighboring countries. They revised battle tactics, weapons, legions, but mostly technology to emerge as an undisputed leader of the Mediterranean. The Roman Empire was eager to find new ways, new technology, to help the empire grow beyond imaginable. Arches, military weapons, and basic technology were all created by the Empire. However, the question trying to be answered is, â€Å"How did the technology of Roman Empire impact

Monday, December 9, 2019

Human Resource Management for School Performance -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theHuman Resource Management for School Performance. Answer: How HRM can improve the School Performance Human resource management plays a great role in conducting the day to day activities of the organization. According to Edwin Flippo "Human resource is concerned with planning, organizing, directing, controlling and also it takes care of people who are working in the organization so that goals and objectives can be accomplished easily" (Bratton Gold, 2017). It is seen that the organization cannot form a good team of the employees if there are no proper human resources. The basic functions of the human resource management are to give training, motivation the employees, performance appraisals and also workplace communication. It is analyzed that human resource management depends on the activities and system that influences the staff behavior and performance. According to Armstrong and Taylor (2014), "Human resource management can be stated as "approach that acquires, develop, manage, motivate and enhance the commitment of the organization resources so that people can work in a proper manner". The objective of human resource management is to attain positive results so that activities can be conducted smoothly. If there is proper human resource management then it can be possible to enhance the overall performance of the company. Human resource management takes into consideration the problems which are related to training, compensation, motivation, and communication. The team of human resource management tries to ensure that satisfaction level of the staff can be maximized and also the organization can easily accomplish overall goals and objectives in an effective manner. It is seen that human resource department in the school will focus on various functions like recruiting the right candidate so that activities can be conducted smoothly. To appoint the right candidate for the school is very important so that the activities can be managed. Not only it is important to give emphasis to the right candidates but schools are becoming more focused on producing a quality outcome. At the time of recruiting new candidates, the human resource team focuses on the long-term goals of the school and the candidates should be selected who love to work with school (Brewster, 2017). If efficient candidates are selected for the conducting the routine activities of the school then it can be easy to enhance the overall school performance. HRM also takes into consideration administering the student lifecycle. It is analyzed that from the time of admission to leaving the school there are many activities related to the students which are considered. Human resource team manages the information of the student, enhance school to home communication and also try to enhance the overall performance and success of the student. So, if a school is private, public or international it does not matter but what matters is the level of efficiency in the activities of the student. It is also seen that if there is efficiency in the overall activities then performance can be easily enhanced. It is beneficial for the student and teachers because if there is a proper record of the students then the activities can be conducted in a managed way (Marchington, Wilkinson, Donnelly Kynighou, 2016). According to Gupta Shaw (2014), Human resource management takes care of the payroll. It is seen that if teachers or the non-teaching staff of the school have any problem related to salary then they can easily discuss with the human resource management team. Also, it is seen that to manage the payroll is one of the difficult tasks and it gives direct impact on the performance of the employees. So, human resource team manages the payroll so that teachers can be happy and their satisfaction level can be enhanced effectively. If the staff is satisfied with the job then it can be easy to enhance the overall productivity in an effective manner. According to Mone London (2018), human resource management also plays a great role in managing the performance of the teacher. It gives direct impact on the on improving the performance of the school. It is seen that performance of the teachers and development appraisals are based on the overall growth and enhancement of the performance also it influences the student overall results. If there is human resource department then a teacher can perform their best as there are many ways which are considered by the team so that performance can be enhanced. Documenting and evaluating the performance of the teachers can be accessed with the help of balanced scorecard. It is only accessed by the human resource team of the organization. The performance of the school can be enhanced if the teachers are efficient towards the activities or the assigned task. The performance of the teacher can be enhanced by focusing on the capability and also on enhancing the ways so that their ability and profes sional standard can be improved. According to Bradshaw, Waasdorp, Debnam Johnson (2014), teachers and students can also achieve growth by having safe and secure school environment. It is the responsibility of human resource management to create a safe and secure school environment. Safety and security of the students and teachers depend on how human resource department satisfy the health and people security so that the culture of the students can be fostered. It also helps an individual who is conducting their routine activities to stay together in harmony (Kramar, 2014). (Source: Human resource, 2018). Human resource department also helps to create a violence-free environment and also focuses on reducing the risks of injuries. It is analyzed that human resource department emphasizes on developing the HR practices so that the activities of the school can help the children and teacher to enhance their skills. The human resource team of the school also tries to enhance the performance by creating culture and values in the school. Performance of the individuals depends on the working environment. To create a good conducive working environment is expect form the human resource team of the school. If there is safe working culture then it can be possible to bring best in an employee and also it will help to enhance the overall satisfaction level of the employees (Chowhan, Pries Mann, 2017). In the field of human resource management, it is seen that policies and practices give impact on the overall organizational performance. By promoting education it is seen that quality of staff can be improved. According to Ford (2014), training and development play a great role in enhancing the skill and knowledge of the people. Human resource team of the school focuses on giving training to the teachers so that they can conduct the activities in an efficient manner. Training is a method that assists the staff to attain knowledge and also it helps to improve the skills of the people. Development is a term that emphasizes the growth of the staff and also gives a positive impact on the future performance. Human resource team of the school has the responsibility to offer training to the staff so that the school performance can be enhanced effectively. It is also seen that good training and development programs help to retain the right candidate and also it gives impact on the overall pr ofitability (Cascio, 2018). According to China Gorman "As the organizations grow the war for talent also intensifies and the programs related to training and developments are important so that competitive advantage can be achieved and also it provides a defined strategic path for the companies to conduct the activities". The training and development programs of the staff impact on the bottom line. If proper training is given to both students and staff of the school by human resource team then it can be possible to enhance the overall performance of the school. Also, teacher and children can benefit from human resource management by minimizing the disputes that take place in the school. There are many problems related to disputes that arise with the children and teachers in the school premises (Loeb, Kalogrides Bteille, 2012). In such situations, human resource management team plays a role of mediator and consultant so that problems can be minimized effectively. They first listen to the problem of the student or the staff member and then they provide a good solution so that positive results can be achieved. The team focuses on taking timely action and prevents things from going out of hand (Rees Smith, 2017). According to Grunig (2013), human resource team also tries to develop public relations so that performance of the school can be maintained. The responsibility of creating good relations with the staff, parents, and children lies in the hand of human resource team. They are indulging in organizing seminars and also many official gatherings on the behalf of school so that proper relations can be maintained and growth can be achieved by the school. Many times, human resource department plays a great role in making school plans so that goodwill can be maintained and children growth can be enhanced. Human resource management can also enhance the performance of school by doing proper planning of the activities and making a timetable of the activities that should be conducted in the school. If the timetable is made in a proper manner then it can be easy to give chance to each and very children of the school to show his or her talent (Isor, 2009). This is one of the benefits also for the teachers and children that can be attained from proper human resource management. When planning is done by the human resource team then the activities can also be managed and conducted without any hindrance. If there is no proper planning done by human resource team then negative results can be seen in the overall activities of the school (Chuang, Jackson Jiang, 2016). According to Kerzner (2017), one of the important functions of HRM is controlling. It is the duty of the human resource team to control each and every activity of the organization. Also, in the school, it is seen that if activities are not controlled then it can give negative impact on the performance of a student. So, if there is no proper scheduling of the activities then the students and staff will not be able to perform in a proper manner. It is stated that if there is proper management in the organization, then it can be possible to achieve positive outcomes in a proper manner. Human resource management also focuses on employee welfare. The teachers of the school can benefit from human resource team in terms of facilities related to holidays and also in timings. There are some teachers who want to do a part-time job, so this decision is taken by the top management and managed by the human resource team of the school. According to (Foss, Pedersen, Reinholt, Fosgaard Stea, 2015), Motivation is the behavior of an individual to conduct the routine activities. It is also the function of the human resource department to enhance the motivation level of the staff and children so that positive results can be achieved in a proper manner. Human resource has the responsibility to keep individuals feel motivated for their work. In this, the team should focus on defining the task of the individuals so that the staff can complete the task in a proper manner. The team should focus on rewarding the staff members of the school so that they can complete it with efficiency. If the members of the staff are rewarded than it can be easy for human resource team to bring out best in them. So, one of the techniques that can be used by human resource management team is motivation which can help to enhance the performance of the school and also helps the teachers to conduct the activities effectively. So, by analyzing the paper it is seen that human resource management can easily enhance the performance of the school by taking into consideration the factors like motivation, training and conflict management. It is the responsibility of the team to improve the school performance so that success can be achieved. The success can only be achieved if there is proper management of students and staff in the school premises. Reference Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014).Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Bradshaw, C. P., Waasdorp, T. E., Debnam, K. J., Johnson, S. L. (2014). Measuring school climate in high schools: A focus on safety, engagement, and the environment.Journal of school health,84(9), 593-604. Bratton, J., Gold, J. (2017).Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave. Brewster, C. (2017). The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy. InPolicy and practice in European human resource management(pp. 22-35). Routledge. Cascio, W. (2018).Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education. Chowhan, J., Pries, F., Mann, S. (2017). Persistent innovation and the role of human resource management practices, work organization, and strategy.Journal of Management Organization,23(3), 456-471. Chuang, C. H., Jackson, S. E., Jiang, Y. (2016). Can knowledge-intensive teamwork be managed? Examining the roles of HRM systems, leadership, and tacit knowledge.Journal of management,42(2), 524-554. Ford, J. K. (2014).Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press. Foss, N. J., Pedersen, T., Reinholt Fosgaard, M., Stea, D. (2015). Why complementary HRM practices impact performance: The case of rewards, job design, and work climate in a knowledge?sharing context.Human Resource Management,54(6), 955-976. Grunig, J. E. (2013).Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Gupta, N., Shaw, J. D. (2014). Employee compensation: The neglected area of HRM research.Human Resource Management Review,24(1), 1-4. Isor, M. (2009). Teacher Evaluation: Current Practices in OECD Countries and a Literature Review. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 23.OECD Publishing (NJ1). Kerzner, H., Kerzner, H. R. (2017).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human resource management the next approach?.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(8), 1069-1089. Loeb, S., Kalogrides, D., Bteille, T. (2012). Effective schools: Teacher hiring, assignment, development, and retention.Education Finance and Policy,7(3), 269-304. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., Kynighou, A. (2016).Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers. Mone, E. M., London, M. (2018).Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge. Rees, G., Smith, P. (Eds.). (2017).Strategic human resource management: An international perspective. Sage.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Is Sectarianism an Obstacle to the Democratization of Iraq

Sectarianism refers to discrimination and hatred between subgroups of a larger group that result from differences in political, religious, and social ideologies. Sectarianism is an obstacle to the democratization of Iraq because it has created rifts between different ethnic and religious groups.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Sectarianism an Obstacle to the Democratization of Iraq? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aftermath of the 2003 war that initiated by the United States was formation of different social and political factions that opposed each other. Iraq might be gradually gaining political stability. However, rifts between ethnic and sectarian groups might derail its democratization. The Sunni insurgents, Shia Islamists, Sadrists, and the central government oppose each other thus compromising democratization efforts. Sectarianism began when the U.S military failed to establish a government after to ppling Saddam Hussein (Al-Sheikh and Sky 119). Iraqi people took revenge against their government by revolting. Resistance against the state was worsened by the violent actions of more than 35,000 prisoners released by Saddam before his downfall. In addition, dissolution of the military increased disorder, looting, and violence. Due to dissolution of security forces, many communities formed militia units to defend themselves (Al-Sheikh and Sky 120). A coalition established in 2003 to handle the situation promoted sectarian and ethnical precepts. The coalition’s composition comprised more Shi’ites than Sunnis. Kadrists were excluded from the coalition. Rifts intensified when Shia and Kurdish leaders proposed the proposal that government positions be divided according to the size of each group. Sunnis and Sadrists disagreed because they were aware that it was a move to divide them in order to rule easily (Al-Sheikh and Sky 120). De-Ba’athfication further separated the groups because Sunni leaders claimed that the initiative targeted its people. On the other hand, Sadrists were unsatisfied with the new regime that promoted sectarian precepts. Sunni leaders advocated for election boycott by its members. As a result, Shia parties took control of the government. In forming a new security force, Shi’ites declined to join due to intimidation and discrimination from Sunnis (Al-Sheikh and Sky 123). As a result, other groups waged violent attacks against them. For example, Sadrists murdered them in great numbers. Attacks betweenShia and Sunni groups worsened after the 2006 bombing of the Samara mosque. The civil war led to the demise of more than 10,000 people. Communities became divided into sectarian groups whose main was to protect their people. Sectarian tensions worsened after the execution of Saddam Hussein. After losing to Shi’ites, Sunnis decided to join forces with U.S. military to fight the Shia militias and al-Qaeda groups (A l-Sheikh and Sky 124). This heightened tension and violence among the three groups.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Efforts by the Iraqi government to unite warring groups failed because Shia and Sunni leaders were disinterested in unity. Shi’ites maintained that Sunni militias were supposed to be tried for the crimes they had committed. They also considered reconciliation as a means of abolishing the political system established in 2003. The government’s effort to implement the law led to more violence and murders among different groups. This worsened the rifts and intensified hatred among them. Every group fought to survive and protect its people (135). The situation improved during the 2010 elections. However, sectarian accusations from some groups compromised the newly found unity. The rifts between different groups in Iraq are so deep that they are an imped iment to its democratization. Each group feels discriminated and left out of the government. The goal of the groups is survival and self-preservation. They do not work towards a common goal that could unite them. In addition, the decision of Iran and the U.S to take sides worsened the rift between the groups. The only avenue of democratization of Iraq is establishment of peace among the different sectarian groups. Since the invasion, different groups have instigated violence against each other thus causing more divisions and compromising democratization efforts. Works Cited Al-Sheikh, Safa, and Sky, Emma. Iraq since 2003: Perspectives on a Divided Society.  Survival 53.4 (2011): 119-142. Print. This essay on Is Sectarianism an Obstacle to the Democratization of Iraq? was written and submitted by user Landry Barton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Incident at Ogala essays

Incident at Ogala essays Over the years, people have set out in many different ways, to portray the brutal and unjust treatment of the men in governmental power toward the many Native American tribes and people. The director of the two films, Incident at Ogala and Thunderheart, is trying to release evidence of the largely corrupt justice system of the American Government that controls the lives of the Native Americans. The director is giving the message that the same white brutality that began hundreds of years ago continues and manifests in todays society. In the film, Thunderheart, the director uses a fictional story plot to portray actual events that occurred on the Indian Reservation. With this film, the director wants to capture the emotion of the viewers. The director develops the viewers emotions by introducing them to the characters that are meant to arouse emotion and create an attachment. In doing this, the director makes the actual incident seem more real to the viewers because they are more emotionally connected to the incident. The directors development of the characters cause the views to be unable to dismiss the emotions that come with knowing that the events that caused them are a reality. In the film, Incident at Ogala, the director uses a similar approach to attract viewers to the message. The Native Americans that went through the incident and the trauma were able to describe the scenario in their own words and with their own emotion attached. This again makes the viewers form interest in the message being portrayed by developing attachments with the victims. The director set out to create an example of the hypothetical damage that could be done to Indian Reservations all over the country if the government continues to allow for corruptive power to remain in the treatment of Native Americans and their rights. Real incidents are in the film to expose the r...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Steps for Strong Time Management for College Students

Steps for Strong Time Management for College Students Within the first few days of starting college, many students quickly learn that managing their time is one of the most challenging and difficult aspects of being in school. With so much to do and keep track of, strong time management skills can make all the difference. Get and Use a Calendar It can be a paper calendar. It can be your cell phone. It can be a PDA. It can be a bullet journal. No matter what kind it is, though, make sure you have one. Write Down Everything Write down everything in one place. (Having multiple calendars just gives you more to do amidst an already tight schedule.) Schedule when you plan to sleep, when you are going to do your laundry, and when youre going to call your parents. The crazier your schedule gets, the more important this becomes. Schedule Time to Relax Dont forget to schedule in time to relax and breathe. Just because your calendar goes from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. doesnt mean you can. Keep Trying New Systems If your cell phone calendar isnt big enough, buy a paper one. If your paper one keeps getting torn, try a PDA. If you have too many things written down each day, try color-coding to help simplify. Very few college students make it through their programs without some kind of calendaring system; keep trying until you find one that works for you. Allow for Flexibility Things inevitably come up that you werent expecting. You may not have known that your roommates birthday is this week, and you certainly dont want to miss the celebrations! Leave room in your calendar so that you can move things around a little when needed. Plan Ahead Do you have a large research paper due the last week of the semester? Work backward in your calendar and figure out how much time you need to write it, how much time youll need to research it, and how much time youll need to pick your topic. If you think youll need six weeks for the entire project, work backward from the due date and schedule the time into your calendar before its too late. Plan for the Unexpected Sure, you just might be able to pull off two papers and a presentation during midterms week. But what happens if you catch the flu the night youre supposed to be pulling the all-nighter? Expect the unexpected so you dont have to spend more unplanned time trying to fix your mistakes. Schedule Rewards In Your midterms week is a nightmare, but it will all be over Friday by 2:30. Schedule a fun afternoon and a nice dinner out with some friends; your brain will need it, and you can relax knowing that youre not supposed to be doing anything else.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The environmental impacts of Los Angeles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The environmental impacts of Los Angeles - Essay Example The environmental impacts of Los Angeles Los Angeles is one of the most densely polluted countries of the world. Pollution has literally damaged the entire city in such a way that its impact is very obvious. Tourism is an essential part of Los Angeles economy. Los Angeles is one of those countries that are a major tourist attraction; Los Angeles has the honor of housing the home of all legendary actors that is Hollywood. From amazing shopping malls to Hollywood and an amazing blend of various restaurants, Los Angeles offers everything that a tourist wants during vacations. While travelling the quality and the atmosphere of the environment go hand in hand. The environment is made up of natural as well as manmade things which together build up the tourism in a state. The relation between tourism and environment tends to get very tangling at times. The effects of tourism are very controversial. At times they can be helpful in generating revenue for the state resulting in a fruitful economy and on the contrary it can damage and dent the citys environmental condition resulting in a disaster which can damage countries natural resources. Tourism leads to the development of the place with the construction of roads, parks, malls, resorts, restaurants, hotel, golf courses, and airports etc. which eventually build up the infrastructure of a place. "The notion of a tourism system is extremely important when we start to consider the notion of impacts.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Sustainable design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable design - Assignment Example The world is on the verge of celebrating Earth Day on 22nd April with different organization, each doing its own bit for pampering Mother Nature. Being an environment- concerned interior designer my ‘things-to-do-list’ for the next six to twelve months encompasses starting a sustainable design blog, posting invigorating comments pertaining to ‘going green’ on various social community networking sites such as Face Book and MySpace and arranging a series of get-togethers with a few more like-minded design students for sharing each other’s resources and ideas regarding sustainable building. My blog on sustainable design, which I am targeting to put up on Word Press by the end of May, will primarily throw light on U.S. Green Building Council (UGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This will be an endeavour in educating those in construction and interior designing about the significance and the role of the sustainable designing authorities thereby enabling them to understand the reason for getting certified by them. A draft of the same is as follows: According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an association of over 2,000 owners, architects, designers, contractors, engineers, commodity manufacturers and other fascinated units, almost 5% of all U.S. commercial construction is seeking for certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (Kelly 2004). The council has set specific standards for high-performance, green buildings which are recognized at certified silver, gold or platinum levels in accordance to their abilities to meet the requirements (Kelly 2004). While allotting points the six principle areas that are verified are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental creativity in design and eminence (Kelly 2004). Of these the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Internation Recruitment and Selection Essay Example for Free

Internation Recruitment and Selection Essay The world has been rapidly transforming due to the changes in technology, innovations, and the reduction of trade barriers into and out of countries which have permitted globalization. Due to globalization human resource management has been forced to take a more international approach, and has demonstrated that a more effective management of human resources internationally is imperative for the success of companies in international business (Shen). Therefore international organizations need to understand the roll that plays the international human resource management (IHRM) department, and the importance of adopting an effective recruiting, selecting, and training strategies that will enable the company to select the right talent for the right places. IHRM plays a very important and challenging roll in the international setting of organizations because â€Å"they must develop practices which will maintain congruence with the overall strategic plan of their respective multinational corporations, while balancing the economic, social, political, and legal constraints of the host countries† (Caligiuri). Companies understand that the only way to develop strong and successful global leaders, which are keys to competitive advantage, is through an IHRM department that has a well develop competitive strategy in place. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) like Unilever and Huawei Technologies Co., a Chinese networking and telecommunications supplier, have understood the importance of a well develop IHRM department and have implemented strategies that are aligned with a global approach that support the business operation worldwide (Gartsdie). Based on Heenan and Perlmutter model there are four competitive strategies as well as different training alternatives for global assignees that MNCs can use to develop a successful IHRM approach. The recruitment and selection (staffing) policies which MNCs implement for their foreign subsidiaries will vary greatly for every company, and should be determine accordingly with the IHRM approach the organization is pursuing (Ball). MNCs can be divided in four types based on their management approach and corporate philosophy. The first approach a MNC may consider is the ethnocentric approach which is â€Å"characterized by low pressures for cost reduction and low pressures for local responsiveness† (Ball). Ethnocentric MNCs are not willing to give up the control over foreign subsidiaries, and prefer to place expatriates employees belonging to the home country of the firm, in all key management positions abroad. IHRMs departments that adopt this approach believe that expatriates are more capable than employees of the host country, and they expect that their expatriate managers transfer headquarters’ culture and philosophy to the host nationals (Caligiuri). This approach is normally used by MNCs with primarily international strategic orientations in the early stages of globalization. The advantage of an ethnocentric approach is that it expands the experience of expatriates and prepares them for high level management positions who execute strategic decisions from headquarters. Many expatriates adapt, learn the language, and perform effectively within the host country (Ball). However data suggest that there is a high turnover rate among expatriates because many of them do not have the special set of skills, characteristics, and abilities (e.g. tolerance of ambiguity, adjust quickly, empathy, actively manage social contacts) that are required to be successful in such position (Caligiuri). Because of the previous statement it is imperative that MNCs understand that facilitating proper training and development to the expatriate is a very important part of the IHRM department because it has a major impact on the effectiveness of the expatriate manager and â€Å"research has shown that cross-cultural training is an effective intervention to prevent expatriate failures† (Deller). However MNCs today face a big problem because studies show that only fifty percent of all expatriates receive adequate training (Deller). Another very important aspect to the IHRM department needs to consider when selecting the right candidate under this approach is to keep in mind the impact in the family of the expatriate. The family’s willingness and ability to adjust is of crucial importance for the assignee’s employer and it needs to be address during the staffing process as well. Another disadvantage for this approach is that is more costly for the corporation because it has to offer more incentives to the expatriate (Deller). In the selection process it is the responsibility of the IHRM department to evaluate the efficiency and cross-cultural proficiency of the candidates to ensure the success of this approach. The polycentric staffing policy is a second approach that can be implemented by IHRM departments of MNCs. Under this approach the human resource department will look for host country nationals (HNC) to manage subsidiaries in their own country with some coordination form headquarters (Ball). With this approach IHRM departments do not need to worry about looking for certain skills or characteristics for an international setting because the candidates are employed at the subsidiary level and they do not have language and culture barriers, labor turnover reduces, productivity increase, there are ideal information of industry, legal and political configuration, and the first cost of employing them is less expensive. Also using this approach makes the subsidiary looks less foreign (Caligiuri). However the problem with hiring HCNs is that they are not familiar with the home country of the international company and with its corporate culture, policies, and practices (Ball). The underlying crisis in communication and control between the headquarters and the subsidiary due to language barriers, conflicting national loyalties and differences in personal values may create an inconsistency in the strategic management process that will result in the subsidiary operating as a separate unit. Home country national’s lack of exposure to international assignments and lack of career mobility among HCNs are also some disadvantages of this approach and ultimately will affect the competitive advantage of the MNC (Padala). According to the article of Jie Shein, â€Å"HCNs are included in management development schemes only at the subsidiary level and HCN managers are rarely promoted to senior management positions† (663). When staffing under this approach IHRM departments can choose from hiring HCNs in the home country or HCNs in the host country. Many MNCs have experienced difficulties in hiring high caliber of HCNs managers because of the lack of long-term IHRM planning and training and ineffective international management development (Shen). When the polycentric staffing approach is not adequate the regiocentric staffing approach might be a better option. The regiocentric staffing approach can be used for companies with a regional strategic approach. In this approach employees are selected for key positions within the region the subsidiary is operating, employing a variety of HCNs and third country nationals, TCNs (Ball). From this perspective the communication and integration systems must be highly sophisticated for headquarters to maintain control over the regions however the host national are given the opportunity to manage their own subsidiaries. The likelihood of HNCs career advancement is greater within the region, but still limited in headquarters (Caligiuri). The training and development for this approach are the same as with the polycentric staffing approach. One of the biggest advantages of this approach is that it serves as a bridge for MNCs to gradually move to a geocentric staffing approach. The geocentric staffing approach is used in companies with a transnational strategic orientation. This staffing approach seeks the best people for key jobs throughout the organization, regardless of nationality, selecting the best person for the job, irrespective of nationality is most consistent with the underlying philosophy of a global corporation (Padala). This approach is ideal because the human resource strategy will be the same across all subsidiaries, using the best practices from wherever they might be found across the MNC worldwide networking of operations (Ball). However one of the drawbacks of this approach is that it can be expensive to implement because of increased training, compensations packages, and relocations costs, and it could require longer lead time (Padala). IHRM staffing approaches are very important but training and development also play a very important role in the international setting. International training and development is one of IHRM’s most crucial activities. While it is true that MNCs recognize the significance of international training and development for their employees there is knowledge that this corporation’s training strategies are weak and not effective. Current researches show that today the majority of companies have ineffective training and management policies that have resulted in frequently employee failure (Shen). In order to succeed in the global arena MNCs need to implement an effective international training and development program for expatriates, HCNs, and TCNs. Globalization has definitely created a very competitive business market in which international human resource management plays a crucial role for the success on multinational corporations. It is imperative that corporation carefully analyze every staffing approach available and implement the one that will help them select the right candidates for the right position, and provide the candidates with the appropriate training and development in order to create a competitive advantage. Works Cited Ball, A. Don, et al. International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. 13th. New York: McGraw-Hill. Print. Caligiuri, Paula M., Linda K. Stroh. Multinational corporation strategies and international human resources practices: bringing IHRM to the bottom line. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 6:3 September 1995. P.494-498. http://chrs.rutgers.edu/pub_documents/Paula_14.pdf Deller, Juergen. International Human Resource Management And the Formation of Cross-Cultural Competence. Institute of Business Psychology, University of Lueneburg, Germany. International Management Review. Vol.2 No. 3. 2006. http://www.usimr.org/IMR-3-2006/International%20Human%20Resource%20Management%20and%20the%20Formation%20of%20Cross-Cultural%20Competence.pdf Gartside, David, Griccioli, Stefano, and Rustin Richburg. Different stokes: How to manage a global workforce. Issue No.2. 2011. Outlook. Accenture. http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Accenture-Outlook-How-to-Manage-a-Global-Workforce.pdf. Padala, Shanmukha Rao Dr.; Dr. N.V.S. Suryanarayana. Approaches to International Human Resource Management. September 11, 2012. Articlebase.com. http://www.articlesbase.com/international-business-articles/approaches-to-international-human-resource-manageme nt-3249167.html. Shen, Jie. International training and management development: theory and reality. Journal of Management Development. Vol 24 No. 7, 2005. November 2, 2012. http://people.math.sfu.ca/~van/diverse/bellut-papers/test-9.pdf

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Linux Against Microsoft Window Essay -- essays research papers

Linux Against Microsoft Windows Linux is a free operating system that was developed on the internet.It was formed by Linus Torvalds first,then he put its source code to his web page.After that,the internet hackers and the programmers developed it.It is a Unix-like operating system because it is the main reason to develop the Linux.By the time,it becomes a big organization and now it is a powerful, advanced operating system.It has an important feature that is not available for other operating systems.You can run Linux with other operating systems like MacOS, DOS,Windows 95, Windows NT, Novell, OS/2 on the same machine.It is an advantage of linux that a user can easily compare Linux with other operating systems. Unlike Windows, Linux is a capable of runnig on large variety of computer systems.One of them is Intel Based PCs.Most of the home users prefer Intel Based PCs.So they can run Linux on their computers(Windows can only run on Intel Based PCs).Digital Alpha systems are used by the huge companies.Linux has the capability of running on the Digital Alpha systems so it can reach the advanced users.Other computer system is Macintosh Power PC that is used by graphical designers,press companies and advertising companies, can be run with Linux. The others are Sun Sparc&Sun Ultra, Amiga, 3Com Palm Pilot which are rarely used. This capability of Linux provides a large user number and user kind that makes Linux more popular.(www.linux.org) Linux has a powerful security system.It is almost impossible to write a virus for Linux because it must be 30-40 Mbytes.Also it has firewall system to protect the network from the hackers.If we think that there are a lot viruses for windows that can harm all of your system, we can understand how Linux is secure.Linux is a stable operating system that never fails like Windows.When Bill Gates presented the Windows 98, an error message appeared on the screen that says you must shutdown your computer. In Linux, there are not error messages like that. You can kill a process that is not replying with kill command.Linux has true multitasking property.It is true because it is not like Windows. You can run up to twelve process in the same time with no performance loss.Miicrosoft claims that Windows has the capability of multitasking but you can not run two process on the same time. Linux has virtual memory.It means that you can use ... ...any to communicate with its branch. These are impossible on Windows 95/98. Linux have a lot of features and by the time its features are getting more. By the spreading of internet, Linux become more popular and more people learn that there is an operating system called Linux which is better than Windows.Linus Torvalds answers the question ‘What makes Linux so successful?’. He says “It is very simple.Because the software is free, there is no pressure to release it before its really ready just to achieve some sales targets. Every version of Linux is declared to be finished only when it is actually finished, which explains why it is so solid. The other reason why free software is better is because the personal reputation of the developer is attached to every release. If you are making something to give away to the world, something that represents to millions of users your philosophy of computing, you will always make it the very best product you can make. That’s the reason why Linux is a success .“(www.linux.org). We can understan d that Linux(It is a free software) is not worried about sales, and it wants to give the best to the user.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Production and the Workforce Essay

Corporate culture and the potential of ethical and legal issues should be of concern to a job candidate because, after all, the applicant is striving to be a part of that organization; therefore those matters of importance which might affect how the applicant is treated once he is hired should be of foremost importance for the candidate to know. It can help the applicant to avoid making unwise employment decisions (Gibson, 2002), as well as aid in the actual interview process, by having the knowledge of the right things to say and when to say it. These issues should also concern current employees, as being already inside the confines of the organization, they will be the persons most affected by the culture and the ethical and legal issues which may arise while they are employed by the company. For instance, a potential legal issue about compensation should already be known by employees so that they may do something about the matter, otherwise, they will be the ones to suffer about unresolved concerns, particularly the subject about remuneration. Managers, above all, should be highly familiar with the corporate culture and the potential of ethical and legal issues within his/her authority, as they will be looked up to by subordinates to facilitate the inculcation of the culture to all members of the organization as well as deal with ethical and legal issues which may arise concerning employees under his/her control. The community where the business operates should also somehow be concerned with the culture and the potential issues of the organization, as they are stakeholders, as well, in where such an issue as corporate social responsibility falling under ethical and legal matters would directly affect the community because how the business carries on with its activity is sure to reverberate effects to the community, whether this particular group likes it or not. Different aspects of the corporate culture and potential ethical and legal issues are typically of more importance to the various stakeholders, depending on what they are concerned of. Where internal stakeholders are found to be more concerned about culture, external stakeholders are likely to focus on ethical and legal issues concerning them.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

College app Essay

1. Obtain applications. Applications can be obtained online at college websites; downloadable and electronic applications are now available at most college websites. In fact, most colleges now prefer that applicants complete their online application (as opposed to the printable paper application), as it is more efficient for them and for you. Application fees may be waived by some schools if you use the electronic applications. However, if you would like to complete the application by hand, you may obtain a printable version online or by calling, writing, or emailing to request an application and information. Some applications are available in the Career Center (check with Ms. Roth). NOTE: Students are responsible for completing and mailing their college applications, essays, and processing fees to the college to which they are applying. All of your application â€Å"pieces† do not have to be mailed at the same time. As materials are received, the colleges will create â€Å"your† file. After submitting applications, you will want to follow up with each college to make sure that they have received all â€Å"pieces† of your application so that they can begin to evaluate your application. 2. Schedule a Senior Interview with your Counselor. Counselors will be meeting individually with you to discuss your post-graduation plans and to discuss how they can help you with the process and with your plans. If you are applying Early Decision or Early Action schedule a conference in SEPTEMBER. 3. Complete your Activity Sheet, Counselor Recommendation Brag Sheet and Parent Brag Sheets. Pick up the brag sheets and an example of an Activity sheet from your school counselor, Career Center or on Family Connection in the Document Library section. 4. Students must complete an Annandale High School Transcript Request and Release of Records form at least three weeks prior to the college’s application deadline in order to give our student services staff ample time to process your transcript and/or letter of recommendation. This form can be retrieved from Ms. Garman in the Office of Student Services or in the Family Connection Document Library. Once completed and signed by you and your parent, the form should be returned to Ms. Garman along with the following for each college you’re applying to: The college’s Secondary School Report Form (if required), a typed copy of your Activity Sheet, an AHS envelope address to the college’s Office of Admission and TWO stamps. If applying to more than 3 schools a $5. 00 fee is required for each additional school. Once the process is completed, your information will be mailed from our office to the colleges to which you’re applying. 5. Obtain teacher or counselor recommendations. Students should refer to each college’s application to find out how many recommendations are required, if any. Not all schools require a recommendation. For Teacher recommendations, students must give the teacher one self-addressed, stamped envelope for EACH school to which they are applying. The teacher will then mail the recommendation directly to each college. Again, Please be sure to give them at least 3 weeks notice on getting a letter of recommendation out. We recommend that Juniors ask their teachers if they’d be willing to write them a letter of recommendation for college at the end of their Junior year. For Counselor recommendations, students should fill out the Counselor Recommendation Brag Sheet and attach a typed or written Activity sheet or Resume of Activities. In addition, the student’s parent or guardian must fill out the Parent Information Sheet. Please be very detailed when filling out these forms. When finished, these forms should be given to your counselor at least three weeks prior to the college’s application deadline. Please note that your counselor will not write a letter of recommendation until these forms are received and a senior meeting has been held. 6. Register for all admissions tests†¦SAT I, SAT II, ACT, and TOEFL. Fee waivers are available for students who receive free or reduced Lunch. Please ask your school counselor for a test fee waiver. Colleges require that student test scores be sent directly to them via Collegeboard (www. collegeboard. com) or ACT (www. act. org) or TOEFL (www. toefl. org). You may send your scores free of charge to a maximum of 4 schools if they are sent within the designated window of opportunity. You will have to pay a fee for any additional scores sent. 7. Begin Scholarship searches NOW! Do not wait until you have been accepted to college to begin your search for money! A good place to start would be scholarship database in Family Connection under the â€Å"College Tab† if you don’t know where this is, see Ms. Roth in the Career Center. 8. Keep organized. Put each school’s materials in its own folder and create a check list for each application. Identify deadlines!!! Remember that application deadlines and financial aid deadlines are often times different dates. 9. Don’t succumb to Senioritis! Don’t stop working after you have been accepted; you have been accepted to a college provided you finish out your second semester satisfactorily! Colleges are not afraid to change their mind on their decision to accept you. 10. RELAX! DON’T STRESS OUT! If you are, please see your counselor or Mrs. Roth in the Career Center for help with the process.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Famous writers on writers block - Emphasis

Famous writers on writers block Famous writers on writers block Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. So said Gene Fowler, the American journalist and author. If you and your forehead have ever felt the pain of writers block, its worth taking some advice from some distinguished fellow sufferers. Although many of these come from creative writers, the same rules often apply. Accept a degree of imperfection I think writers block is when you say to yourself, I could write something, but it wouldnt be good enough. Theres no such thing as a complete inability to write a sentence. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word. Margaret Atwood, Canadian author Call it fear, call it perfectionism, call it Al. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: an imperfect report or proposal will be much more effective than no report or proposal. Tough love Writers block a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted. Do plumbers get plumbers block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day? The fact is that writing is hard work. Philip Pullman, British author The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Mary Heaton Vorse, American journalist, novelist and activist Telling yourself you cant do it wont get it done. Telling yourself its a job, and one youve done before, might help to. And youre definitely not going to finish while youre gardening/taking up DIY/repainting the shed/learning to salsa etc. Get going You would think that after so many years I might have mastered the art not of writing but of putting myself in a position to write. Stephen Fry, British author, actor and comedian The scariest moment is always just before you start [writing]. After that, things can only get better. Stephen King, American author The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. Mark Twain, American author Have a routine and stick to it. And dont panic if you dont have one yet. Just set yourself a time to start. Work for a short period, and then take a five-minute break. Repeat as required. And if the ghost of the unwritten document is haunting you, break it down with planning exercises such as a mind map and a reader profile questionnaire. Keep going I have to get into a sort of zone. It has something to do with an inability to concentrate, which is the absolute bottom line of writing. Stephen Fry You could be distracted by fear or by the latest email to land in your inbox, but either way its possible to train yourself to concentrate. If this involves turning off your phone, listening to music or sticking in earplugs, so be it. Learn what works for you, and practise. By gradually increasing the length of each short burst of work, interspersed with breaks, you will soon get into the zone. Last resort And if none of these quotes have struck a chord with you, consider this one: Writers block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol. Steve Martin, American actor Cheers. And for more block-busting tips, see the article Tips for breaking through the barrier.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Columbus State University Admission Requirements

Columbus State University Admission Requirements Columbus State University Admissions Overview: Even though a significant percentage of applicants to Columbus State do not get in, admission is not overly selective and most students with decent grades and SAT/ACT scores will be admitted. The Columbus State application gives students an opportunity to explain why they want to attend, but in general admission is not holistic and is based largely on empirical measures such as grades, core courses taken, class rank, and standardized test scores. Admissions Data (2016): Columbus State University Acceptance Rate: 53%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 430 / 550SAT Math: 430 / 540SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 17  / 23ACT English: 17 / 24ACT Math: 17 / 23ACT Math: - / -What these ACT numbers mean Columbus State University Description: Columbus State University is a four-year, public university located in Columbus, Georgia. The university offers more than 100 majors and academic tracks between the College of the Arts, College of Education and Health Professions, College of Letters and Sciences, Turner College of Business, TSYS School of Computer Science, Schwob School of Music and School of Nursing. Academics are supported by an 18 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Columbus State students stay busy outside of the classroom the university is home to plenty of intramurals, seven fraternities, eight sororities, and more than 110 student clubs and organizations, including the Beyond the Runway club, the American Sign Language club, and the Campus Nerds. On the athletic front, the CSU Cougars compete in the NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference (PBC) with sports such as men’s and women’s golf, cross country, and tennis. The rifle team competes at the Division I level. The university also offers several club sports including Martial Arts, Shotgun Club, and Bass Fishing. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 8,407 (6,789 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 41% Male / 59% Female71% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $6,031 (in-state); $16,605 (out-of-state)Books: $1,270 (why so much?)Room and Board: $10,198Other Expenses: $3,590Total Cost: $21,089  (in-state); $31,663 (out-of-state) Columbus State University Financial Aid (2015- 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 92%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 81%Loans: 60%Average Amount of AidGrants: $6,354Loans: $5,769 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, English, Health Sciences, Nursing, Psychology Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 73%Transfer Out Rate: 17%4-Year Graduation Rate: 11%6-Year Graduation Rate: 30% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Baseball, Golf, Basketball, Tennis, Track and Field, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Track and Field, Golf, Soccer, Cross Country Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Columbus State, You May Also Like These Schools: University of Georgia: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAgnes Scott College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphClark Atlanta University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAuburn University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMercer University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAlbany State University: Profile  Valdosta State University: Profile

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Exam - Assignment Example Another error parents make is they get mad at their children. Scaring the children by yelling them is the opposite of giving into their demands. This is coercive and worsen the children’s behavior because they will do the same annoying thing again when the yelling dad is not around. â€Å"Goodness of Fit† means being able to productively fit with the environment. A centered, well-adjusted person has the goodness of fit. Parents can have this skill by looking at their children and environment as they are and not as they want them to be. If they choose the latter, they will always be fighting with reality. They need to adjust according to the personality of their child. Parents can contribute in the same context by creating the good fit of environment for their child. If their child is interested in reading comics then encouragement from parents about comics will help boost the child’s self-esteem. But if they create an environment where the child finds it difficult to adjust with an adverse environment (different than his own personality), then it will create problems for the family. The early years of childhood are extremely important for children’s developmental trajectories. Parents can have several roles during this phase of their child’s development. As mentors the parents can teach their children the necessary skills of survival. They teach to stay away from fire and other harmful objects. As guardians, parents can give the sense of comfort and protection to children. And as playmates, parents can give their children the playful company they deserve. When these roles are played effectively it contributes in the healthy development of children. The focus is not only parent’s responsibility to play these roles. Parents also need to be psychologically healthy to have the positive impact on children’s developmental trajectories. If a parent is depressed, it will have a negative impact on the children. Each family

Friday, November 1, 2019

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Assignment Example and Tang, reflective practice is like providing a fishing net for a hungry man that keeps him fed for the rest of his life while new teaching techniques is provision of food for a day without thinking about the man’s future (Biggs & Tang, 2007, p.43). The ‘net’ as the authors call it can be an inheritance for learners in order for them to share in the meals, as this research attempts to prove. In the analysis of how reflective application helps one to become a strategic learner, several things have to be understood. In this study, the definitions of reflective practice will become clear. The reader will understand the types of reflection, why they are important and how they affect strategic learning. The practical application of reflective analysis is helpful in moulding a strategic learner, this paper attempts to clarify the latter statement to the reader. Reflective practice has no single finite description; rather it is dependent on ones understanding of the multiple definitions by different scholars. According to Brookfield (2005), the practice of engaging in continuous self-evaluation and observation in order to know how one reacts to certain things is reflective practice. In the latter definition, reflective practice is not a way of self-refinement; rather it is a way of aiding the whole practice on an ongoing basis. According to Epstein and Hundert (2002), the continuous application of communication, technical skill, knowledge, emotions and reflection in daily practice is what best defines reflective practice. Epstein further states that the application of the earlier mentioned attributes is for the benefit of the individuals and the community of the practice. The final and most relevant application of reflective practice stems from Schon’s work in 1983 as cited by Lyons(2010).The definition states that reflective practice involves framing the problem of a given situation and determining the features to fix within the problem. After featuring

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Why the Falling U.S. Birth Rates Are So Troubling Essay

Why the Falling U.S. Birth Rates Are So Troubling - Essay Example The USA birth rates fall every year the government reported with the experts calling it a proof that the weak economy has continued to reduce enthusiasm for having children. The drop in the preceding year was just by 1 %, not as a big drop as to 3% drop which was seen in the recent years. It may be an effect of the fertility rate and the aging population. The falling birth is a new phenomenon in this state that they had been on since the late 1990s. In the last year, fewer than four million births were reckoned last year the lowermost number since 1998. They theory behind the drop of the birth rate is couples who work hard get time being together, feeling that they are no need of having children because of their busy schedules. Across the U.S, the birth rates are falling, and family is shrinking. The fertility rate is less than two children a woman. As a result, U.S populations are growing extremely slowly and are beginning to decrease. Mark R. Montgomery states that the demographic trends portend that there are difficult times ahead for the United States economy because there are not enough people for jobs (206). A workforce that does not have enough workers can decrease productivity over time for any workforce. At the same time, the growing population of the elderly individuals threatens the solvency of social insurance and pension systems (Montgomery 206). As the household decreases, because people move away or some people die, the ability to care for the elderly diminishes.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effects of Derivatives

Effects of Derivatives Abstract Banks and other financial institutions have progressively understood the need to measure and manage the credit risk they are exposed to. Derivatives, therefore have ascended in retort to the surge in demand of financial institutions to create vehicle tools for hedging and shifting credit risks. Derivatives over the years have become a valuable financial tools with system-wide benefits. However as innovative as the derivatives have been, they carry inside themselves so many threats that in the hand of inexperienced market participants, destabilize the whole economic system. Inside such a Pandora box were the instruments that would participate in amplifying the 2008 financial crisis. This paper postulates that derivatives may have contributed to the 2008 crisis. Derivative contracts are probabilistic bets on future events, as defined on Investopedia they are securities with a price that are dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. Many people argue that derivatives reduce systemic problems, in that participants who cannot bear certain risks are able to transfer them to stronger hands. These people believe that derivatives act to stabilize the economy, facilitate trade, and eliminate bumps for individual participants (Buffett, 2016). We have now reached the stage where those who work in finance, and many who work outside finance, need to understand how derivatives work, how they are used, and how they are priced (Hull, 2015). For this reason, derivatives are at the center of everything. However, in 2008 the world witnessed a financial and economic hurricane that left massive financial and economic damages. It was universally recognized as the worst economic crash since the Great Depression. The old saying has it that success has a hundred fathers, but failure is an orphan (Davies, 2016). In this situation, it was the opposite as this failure had a long list of guilty men. While some argued that the changes in the law are the cause of the crisis, others pointed out the role derivatives played via the crash in the value of subprime mortgage-backed securities. The main thesis of this paper is that, while derivatives contributed a lot for the financial market would we be better off them? After a discussion of the positive effects of derivatives (their ability in refining the management of risk), the paper will analyze the negative aspects of them (enhancing risk-taking, evading taxes and creating financial crises). And we finish by looking at how derivatives fueled the financial crisis. Derivatives are instruments that derive their performance from some other instruments or assets. In contrary to the spot market, derivative markets require less capital and usually are more liquid.   Higher liquidity means more efficiency such that prices change more rapidly in response to new information, which is a good thing (Chance, 2008). There are different types of derivatives that an individual can use to protect himself against volatile time. Derivatives confer to the financial market different types of benefits such as risk management, price discovery, enhancement of liquidity. Fundamentally they are instruments that permit the transfer of risk from a seller to a buyer. Exporters, exposed to foreign exchange risk, can reduce their risk using derivatives (forward, futures, and options) (Viral Richardson, 2009). Derivatives can be viewed as insurance; one party gives up something in order for the other party to accept the risk. Some say that derivatives are nothing mo re than gambling (Peery, 2012). But derivatives can be compared more to insurance than be called gambling. In insurance, we have an insurer collecting the premiums where in derivatives, we have speculators receiving fees for speculation. Without speculators, hedging risk is impossible. Another benefit is price discovery; derivatives provide information to the market about the expectations of people on the future spot price. The ABX indices (i.e., a portfolio of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) of subprime mortgages) which were one of the first instruments to provide information to the marketplace on the deteriorating subprime securitization market (Viral Richardson, 2009). Moreover, they also give the opportunity to market participants to extract forward information instead of historical information. Such information is used, among others, by central banks in making policy decisions, investors for risk and return decisions on their portfolios and corporations for managing financial risk (Viral Richardson, 2009). An additional positive benefit is the enhancement of liquidity. When derivatives are added to an underlying market, it brings additional players who use the derivatives and give the opportunity to companies to earn income that would not be available to them or available but the cost would be high. By and large, spot markets with derivatives have more liquidity and thus lower transaction costs than markets without derivatives (Viral Richardson, 2009). If derivatives provide to the financial market all those useful benefits, how come they were accused of player a role in the financial crisis of 2008? Derivatives play an important role in reducing the risk that companies face, but they are a synonym of danger to the stability of the financial market and in doing so, the economy in general. Within the field of finance, derivatives are the most dynamic instruments because they have no limits unless parties, markets, or governments set them (Peery, 2012). In his annual letter to shareholders in 2002, Warren Buffett branded derivatives as time bombs, both for the parties that deal in them and the economic system (Buffett, 2016). However, that fear of derivatives existed way before Warren Buffett expressed it.   Max Webers 1896 essay on the stock exchange lingered over the concern that derivative contracts encouraged speculation and increased market instability (Maurer, 2002). Years after the financial crisis, (Hoefle, 2010) argued that derivatives were doomed from the start, that they were the answer to the stock market crash of 1987, the demise of the SL industry, and bankrupt cy of U.S banking system. Why are some people against the use of derivatives? At first, derivatives were tools that can be used to hedge against pre-existing risks, in another word a form of insurance. But as time went on, people realised that they can use derivatives in another form than insurance. They went from hedge to speculation, implying that they tried to earn a profit by prophesying future events better than another can, including future asset prices, interest rates, or credit ratings. While doing that most companies got themselves hugely exposed to derivatives. As you can see in the example I have in the appendix Table 1, most of those companies total assets cannot match the leverage the companies are facing throughout the use of derivatives. And when the corporations exposure becomes large to the overall market, that could translate to problems, for example the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management in 1998. The company at that time had capital of $4 billion, assets of $124 billion, but their exposure to derivatives was more than $1 trillion. How all of these translated into becoming one of the causes of the financial crisis? The Bank for International Settlements has only published statistics on the Credit Derivatives market since the end of 2004 when the total notional amount was $6 trillion (Stulz R. M., 2009). The market grew hugely and by the time we get to the middle of 2008 the notional amour was $57 trillion. Quickly Credit Derivatives became an important tool to manage credit exposure. There are different reasons to why market participants have found credit derivatives appealing.   First you do not need a deep pocket in order to take a position, secondly, CDs can be used as insurance against any type of loans, not just a specific. In addition to that, the largest derivatives market is for swaps. With a swap, two parties exchange the rights to cash flows from different assets (Stulz R. M., 2009). In principle, credit default swaps should make financial markets more efficient and improve the allocation of capital (Stulz R. M., 2009). As time went on people were more focused on CD contracts o n subprime mortgages. Although subprime mortgages carried inside them significant default risk, as other mortgages they were securitized. As (Stulz R. M., 2010) explained in his article, mortgages are placed in a pool, and notes are issued against that pool. In the pool, the highest notes always have an AAA rating. In the case of mortgages default, the lower-rated notes suffer first, but as the default losses increase the higher rated notes will be affected too. In 2006 the ABX indexes were introduced, it was based on the average of credit default swaps for identical superiority securitization notes. Every six months, ABX indexes played an important role as they made it possible for an investor to take positions on the subprime market, even though they have no ownership of subprime mortgages or as insurance for subprime exposure. As a result, it was possible for investors to bear more subprime risk than the risk in outstanding mortgages (Stulz R. M., 2009). As all good thing must co me to an end, in 2008 financial institutions faced counterparty risks in derivatives that they had never factored in their calculations. Renà © M. Stulz (2010) offers a more detailed explanation of the counterparty risks and the problem that can arise. As for the causes of the counterparty risk, some people argued that derivatives lead to huge web exposure across financial institutions. In case one of the financial institution fails, the others will follow. And as we saw with the failure of Lehman, which had at that time derivatives contracts with other financial firms. Those firms were expecting payments from Lehman on their derivatives. Sadly, for them, Lehman at that time had filed for bankruptcy. While they could have managed their exposure to the counterparty risk, as they were high rated counterparties something unexpected happened. The failure of Lehman had as consequence a huge increase in the price of derivatives, at that moment the collateral amount would not be enough to cover the default of other counterparties default. As a domino effect, most firms were hit by the default of Lehman and without the help of the government to bail them out some would not have survived. The CDs market grew too fast for its own good and it created a bubble that fooled the financial markets. The lack of regulations, transparency, and clarity in financial statements made it hard to prevent. And before people realised we were in what some people call the worse financial crisis of all time. No matter the instruments you give to someone the results will depend on his intention. A good instrument in the hand of an evil person who focuses on profit over ethics will make that instrument look evil. Pablo Triana in his book The number that killed us gave a perfect example of a situation where a red Ferrari was involved in an accident that had civil casualties. Should we blame the car for the accident or the driver who was guilty of speed driving in the past? Same dilemma with the derivatives, we have seen how derivatives allow firms and individuals to take risk efficiently and to hedge risks. However, they can also create risk when they are not used properly. And the downfall of a large derivatives user or dealer may create a systemic risk for the whole economy. Which is why as for any instruments that may harm the world, derivatives should be regulated more effectively. We did not ban the atomic bomb after Hiroshima, nor we did with planes for their risk of a crash, but bett er regulations were introduced to make them safe as sense to be. While derivatives have been blamed, sometimes wrongly, for large losses from Barings to Enron the benefits are widely dispersed and may not make for good headlines. On balance, the benefits outweigh the threats (Balls, 2016). Appendix Table 1 References Ahmad, I. M. (2010). Greed, financial innovation or laxity of regulation? a close look into the 2007-2009 financial crisis and stock market volatility. Studies in Economics and Finance, 110-134. Alnassar, W. I., Al-shakrchy, E., Almsafir, M. K. (2014). Credit Derivatives: Did They Exacerbate the 2007 Global Financial Crisis? AIG: Case Study. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1026-1034. Balls, A. (2016, 12 12). The Economics of Derivatives. Retrieved from nber.org: http://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/w10674.html Buffett, W. E. (2016, 11 28). Letters. Retrieved from berkshirehathaway: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/2002pdf.pdf Chance, D. M. (2008). Essays in Derivatives . New Jersey: Jonh Wileys Sons. Crotty, J. (2009). Structural causes of the global financial crisis: a critical assessment of the new financial architecture. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 563-580. Davies, H. (2016, 11 20). The Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame? Retrieved from Google Books: https://books.google.ie/books?hl=enlr=id=MNH6q2YGEUkCoi=fndpg=PR1dq=financial+derivatives+and+crisisots=2_ZzDDFPS3sig=JW59MDMZt2HWvDWthLHWtyDyZwcredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=financial%20derivatives%20and%20crisisf=false Hoefle, J. (2010). Ban, Dont Regulate, Derivatives. Executive Intelligence Review, 32-34. Hull, J. C. (2015). Options, Futures, and other Derivatives. New York: Pearson Education. Lebron, M. W. (2016, 12 20). Derivatives: The toxic financial instrument on par with terrorism . Retrieved from rt.com: https://www.rt.com/op-edge/325982-derivatives-toxic-instrument-review/ MacKenzie, D., Millo, Y. (2016, 11 12). Negotiating a Market, Performing Theory: The historical sociology of a financial derivatives exchange. Retrieved from SSRN Electronic Journal : https://ssrn.com/abstract=279029 Maurer, B. (2002). Repressed futures: financial derivatives theological unconscious. Economy and Society, 15-36. Peery, G. F. (2012). The Post-Reform Guide to Derivatives and Futures. New Jersey: John Wisley Sons. Stout, L. A. (2011). Derivatives and the legal origin of the 2008 credit crisis. Harvard Business Law Review, 1-38. Stulz, R. M. (2009). Financial Derivatives: lessons from the subprime crisis. The Milken Institute Review, 58-70. Stulz, R. M. (2010). Credit Default Swaps and the Credit Crisis. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 73-92. Triana, P. (2012). The Number That Killed Us: A Story of Modern Banking, Flawed Mathematics, and a Big Financial Crisis. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Viral , A. V., Richardson, M. (2009). Restoring Financial Stability: How to Repair a Failed System. John Wiley Sons.

Friday, October 25, 2019

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay -- Maya Angelou

In the novel I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou goes from a little southern black girl who wishes to be a â€Å"a long and blonde haired, light-blue eyed, white girl†, to a very mature young adult that is proud of her race. Throughout ’s (Maya’s) life she goes through many difficulties and triumphs. Some of which a person could never imagine of going through. Maya goes from being a very shy and strange black girl, to a certain and self-confident young woman. In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, has to deal with prejudice, rape, and also the issues of abandonment in her course of becoming a mature woman. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings takes place in the 1930s to the 1940s. During this time period Blacks were discriminated against. Being a child in this period, Maya experiences how difficult life is with prejudice people. For example, with all the discrimination going on, Maya wishes to be a white girl. She says â€Å"Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that Momma wouldn’t let me straighten? My light-blue eyes were going to hypnotize them.....Then they would understand why I had never picked up a Southern accent, or spoke the common slang, and why I had to be forced to eat pigs’ tails and snouts. Because I was really white and because a cruel fairy stepmother, who was understandably jealous of my beauty, had turned me into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth†. She experiences how mean an d harsh white people are to the black people. For example, Maya saw her grandmother â€Å"Momma† be insulted by a bunch of â€Å"powitetrash† kids. They were making fun of how she was standing on the front porch and how she was humming Church songs. After getting bored of mocking her, one of the girls had revealed herself to Momma. Throughout the whole episode Momma stood straight and stiff and kept humming her Hymns. This showed Maya that a black person doesn’t have to always react to what white people say or do towards them. Being strong and showing that a person is not afraid is the best thing to do when being harassed. Momma also contributes to Maya’s maturing by Maya starts to take pride in her race even with all the prejudice. Momma stands up and speaks out to the white dentist, which was... ...a lesbian or not. So, without help from her mother she goes to the first guy she sees and has sex with him. If her mother had not let her alone and guided her through this problem she would never had done this. In doing this she becomes pregnant. This is when Maya really matures and learns that she must grow up. Without any guidance through her life she never knew the difference between right or wrong. All the times that she was abandoned or not guided through her childhood resulted in her getting pregnant. If Maya was never abandoned from her parents and other people then maybe she would have never made these bad choices. During this time period and living in the South, it makes Maya’s life difficult to experience. She grows up very fast and learns about things that a normal child or teenager would not know at this time. She matures quickly by the discriminations, her rape, and being abandoned throughout her childhood. As a teenager, Maya seems to be an older woman becaus e of all the difficulties and the triumphs that she has gone through. Today, kids are growing up very quickly, and they need the help of adults and examples from adults to understand what’s going on around them. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay -- Maya Angelou In the novel I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou goes from a little southern black girl who wishes to be a â€Å"a long and blonde haired, light-blue eyed, white girl†, to a very mature young adult that is proud of her race. Throughout ’s (Maya’s) life she goes through many difficulties and triumphs. Some of which a person could never imagine of going through. Maya goes from being a very shy and strange black girl, to a certain and self-confident young woman. In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, has to deal with prejudice, rape, and also the issues of abandonment in her course of becoming a mature woman. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings takes place in the 1930s to the 1940s. During this time period Blacks were discriminated against. Being a child in this period, Maya experiences how difficult life is with prejudice people. For example, with all the discrimination going on, Maya wishes to be a white girl. She says â€Å"Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that Momma wouldn’t let me straighten? My light-blue eyes were going to hypnotize them.....Then they would understand why I had never picked up a Southern accent, or spoke the common slang, and why I had to be forced to eat pigs’ tails and snouts. Because I was really white and because a cruel fairy stepmother, who was understandably jealous of my beauty, had turned me into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth†. She experiences how mean an d harsh white people are to the black people. For example, Maya saw her grandmother â€Å"Momma† be insulted by a bunch of â€Å"powitetrash† kids. They were making fun of how she was standing on the front porch and how she was humming Church songs. After getting bored of mocking her, one of the girls had revealed herself to Momma. Throughout the whole episode Momma stood straight and stiff and kept humming her Hymns. This showed Maya that a black person doesn’t have to always react to what white people say or do towards them. Being strong and showing that a person is not afraid is the best thing to do when being harassed. Momma also contributes to Maya’s maturing by Maya starts to take pride in her race even with all the prejudice. Momma stands up and speaks out to the white dentist, which was... ...a lesbian or not. So, without help from her mother she goes to the first guy she sees and has sex with him. If her mother had not let her alone and guided her through this problem she would never had done this. In doing this she becomes pregnant. This is when Maya really matures and learns that she must grow up. Without any guidance through her life she never knew the difference between right or wrong. All the times that she was abandoned or not guided through her childhood resulted in her getting pregnant. If Maya was never abandoned from her parents and other people then maybe she would have never made these bad choices. During this time period and living in the South, it makes Maya’s life difficult to experience. She grows up very fast and learns about things that a normal child or teenager would not know at this time. She matures quickly by the discriminations, her rape, and being abandoned throughout her childhood. As a teenager, Maya seems to be an older woman becaus e of all the difficulties and the triumphs that she has gone through. Today, kids are growing up very quickly, and they need the help of adults and examples from adults to understand what’s going on around them.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Deterrence theory requires punishment

The birth of criminology ended discussions on legal philosophy in the 18th century. Bentham and Beccaria claimed that actions were the result of free will. Deterrence theory requires punishment to outweigh the pleasures derived from the criminal act. This is the underlying rationale by which our present criminal justice system operates. Consideration for biological factors as origin of criminal behavior was proven to be insignificant. Environment was said to play a vital role in such behavior.Heredity accepts it as unavoidable and a consequence of a bad seed most likely making it like a matter of destiny. The major contenders of crime were observed to be both environmental and psychosocial like greed, desire for power, poverty, education and parenting, and population statistics. These factors most likely raised Cain and produced crime. If biological factors were not eminent in the defects of brain waves and genetics consideration for criminology, the prime consideration of crime then is not centered on the person itself but with the sociological factors that have molded character and trait.Human behavioral genetics assumes that all phenomena have a scientific causal explanation exploring the relationship between behavioral genetics and concept of criminal responsibility. It argues that it has little utility in assessing criminal responsibility as a matter of criminal law theory. Behavioral genetics do not support the idea that human actions were caused by genes. Behavioral differences between individuals were brought about by a complex interaction of biology and environment.Heritability as a statistical approximation of genetic differences against environmental differences varies by age, culture, and environment and do not translate behavioral variation into causal explanation. It does not explain the causes of any specific act done by a person. Behavioral genetics studies revealed failure to account 38% to 88% of the observed behavioral variation of the group being studied. These observations will alone limit the introduction and participation of behavioral genetics evidence in criminal cases. Instead it tends to provide an open excuse for criminal responsibility when mitigating criminal liability.Criminal responsibility determines whether and to what extent is the judgement for corrective punishment. It allegedly shifts responsibility to individual characteristics of the defendant and not of the act itself. This is but a part only of a strategic defense in criminal law proceedings. (Coleman & Farahany 2006). Many criminals have relinquished social responsibility. Their lives projects trajectory paths from the inception of their early life. They were an absolute product of misguided conscience of parental abuse and child rearing who lacks caring and education.Intimate face-to-face interactions in early life are crucial in molding a child’s personality and character. Witnessing and experiencing emotionally traumatic events within t he domain of their warring families develops their perpetuation and formation of attitudes towards the world. The experience itself created a platform for determination of self control, discipline, and modes for socially accepted behavior. (Fleisher 1997). These factors are purely social-psychological effects of the economic and environment situation of an individual.Socioeconomic variables account the consequence of the act and of the blame. Crime inevitably involves human action and subjects itself for moral evaluation. Compromising rationality on a behavior’s moral evaluation is entirely not related to the genes of the individual but of the context of the individual’s social environment and values formation. References Coleman, J. & Farahany, N. (2006). Genetics and responsibility: To know the criminal from the crime. Law and contemporary problems. 69 (1-2), 115+. Fleisher, M. (1997). Can we break the pattern of the criminal lifestyle. USA Today. 125(2624), 30+.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Whole New Beginning

The entrance to the school gate was bursting with pupils, teachers and parents, creaking with the strain of opening and shutting as wave after wave of people came through it. The temperature was 5 degrees Celsius and the grass was still wet and appeared bedraggled from the rain that had fallen last night. The air was so cold that even when you breathed your breath was hot enough to create puffs of steam, and after stepping out of your house because of the cold your face feels like it is freezing up and it starts to get numb. Even though it was this cold there were still groups of people standing outside the gates of a high school. There were groups of children scattered around everywhere, some were new pupils and some were old but they were all in different groups; there were the athletes talking non-stop about the latest football match, the nerds all huddled up talking about if they had done all of their homework over the holidays and comparing answers. The grungers just standing silently listening to their music that would probably want to make any normal person want to kill themselves; the Asian minority groups standing around talking about things that no one can understand because it is being spoken in there native tongue. Some of the older girls were wearing the latest fashion and had put on tons of makeup, and the boys were trying to impress them with their aftershave, and sleek haircuts and a swagger in their walk which they thought made them look cool. Looking around one could see the Year Nines looking excited at being in their second year of high school; they were no longer the new kids and they can now look down on the Year Eights. However, they also appeared apprehensive as they would be choosing their GCSEs for next year. You could also see the year tens pretending to mature even though it is a cover for their feelings of worry because they must start their GCSEs this year, and they know that if they fail then they will have failed life. On the opposite side there were the new pupils, some talking with their friends from their old school about what they did in the holidays and others just hanging about walking back and forth like wound up toys, looking nervous and wondering what their first day of high school would be like, with the few who were hanging about with their parents, hoping that they would not get embarrassed and wanting their parents to leave. In the middle of this all there was a small group of teachers talking amongst them selves and the older teachers welcoming the newer ones into the school. There were some of the new teachers looking around at all of the children trying to figure out which ones were the polite students and which one were the dreadful students(the ones that were any teachers worst nightmares). Suddenly, the school bell rings with a deafening volume and all you can see is all of the children and parents staring as the teachers are first to enter the school. Shortly after the teachers entered the building all of the newer students rush towards the gate hoping to get to their classroom in time so that they are not late. All of the upper school pupils are still standing there and talking, like the school bell has not affected them because they know that there is no point in rushing to get to class because every one will make it; unlike normal school in this school it isn't the students that are late it is the teachers.