Four Traditions of Geography Essay

Four Tradition of Geography The Four Traditions of Geography has many different assumptions and aspects of geography; aspects ranging from basic mapping and geometry, to the impact on nature of humans and the processes of the earth itself. Geographers can study and explain their research by selecting a certain tradition that leads to many different fields of geography. â€Å"There are four traditions whose identification provides an alternative to the competing monistic definitions that have been a geographer’s lot† (Pattison 1964). The following discussion treats the traditions in this order: (1) a spatial tradition, (2) an area studies tradition, (3) a man-land tradition and (4) an earth science tradition† (Pattison 1964). Pattison is exploring all the categories of geography and he is explaining how these different traditions can uncover the meanings of different studies of geography. â€Å"Going further one can uncover the meanings of â€Å"systematic geogra phy,† â€Å"regional geography,† â€Å"urban geography,† â€Å"industrial geography,† etc. † (Pattison 1964). Spatial tradition is an area of concentration that relies on geometry and movement. It also is the study of mapping as seen in the ancient Greece recordings of such, and it also deals with the GIS system. GIS is any system that captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that are linked to a location. It explores the central place theory and how it is used in geography. Central place theory is the geography theory that seeks to explain the number, size and location of human settlements in an urban system. Area Studies, just like the spatial tradition it has roots from many, many years ago. The Greek philosopher, Strabo, wrote an encyclopedia about geographical knowledge. â€Å"He is Strabo, celebrated for his Geography which is a massive production addressed to the statesmen of Augustan Rome and intended to sum up and regularize knowledge not of the location of places and associated cartographic facts, as in the somewhat later case of Ptolemy, but of the nature of places, their character and their differentiation† (Pattison 1964). The area-studies tradition was tended to be excluded from early American professional geography. Today, it is beset by certain champions of the spatial tradition who would have one believe that somehow the area studies way of organizing knowledge is only a subdepartment of spatialism† (Pattison 1964). It concentrates on the descriptions of regions in order to differentiate them from other regions and areas. Being able to understand geography in these terms can reveal the deepest knowledge of the world’s environment. The Man-Land tradition describes the human impact in nature and also the impact of nature on humans, and it also defines the nature disasters our world takes on. Social Darwinism simply grabbed a theory from the biosciences and applied it to social happenings without the lengthy process of trial and error for social data which led to environmentalism. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the environment. Man-Land gives us the basic perception on the environment and what is happening to it. The earth science tradition, embraces the study of the earth, the waters of the earth, and the atmosphere surrounding the earth and the association between the earth and the sun† (Pattison 1964). On two different hands of the topic, it is being used and then it is not being used. â€Å"On one hand, it is not always elected as the best tradition as it has been decreasing in use from past decades, while on the other one knows that college departments rely substantially, for justification of their role in general education, upon curricular content springing directly from this tradition† (Pattison 1964). It also acknowledges the human impact on the planet but mainly focuses on the planet itself and its physical processes. Geology, mineralogy, paleontology, glaciology, and meteorology all have rooted out of these studies. From reading â€Å"Four Traditions of Geography† and â€Å"In Search of Synthesis,† Area Studies tradition is my personal preference on this matter. Gober talks about the many different specialties that lie in between human and physical geography, and I grasped that I am more of a physical, on-hands doing person. With human geography you study societies as a whole and I am more interested in urbanization of the earth and how we can use the land we have in a fashion that is basically perfect. I am interested in the different regions because I am really fascinated in real estate and I figure I would learn a whole lot about the physical aspect of geography. I feel that I could really excel in real estate with this kind of learning. The Four Traditions of Geography has different definitions and aspects of geography. With the information given, people are given the opportunity to understand what geography is all about and be able to break geography down and select a certain practice from the very selective topic. â€Å"It is hoped that through a widened willingness to conceive of and discuss the field in terms of these traditions, geography will be better able to secure the inner unity and outer intelligibility† (Pattison 1964). William D. Pattison, The Four Traditions of Geography, (1964).

Baccalaureate Nurses vs. Associate Nurses Essay

Is having a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN) better than an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)? Why should nurses get a BSN? Many nurses ask themselves these questions. Hospitals are pushing for nurses to advance their education. If there is an ADN nurse and BSN nurse applying for the same position most likely the BSN nurse will receive the job before the ADN nurse because â€Å" the additional course work enhances the student’s professional development, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice, and provides the nurse with a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence health care delivery† (â€Å"American Association of Colleges of Nursing,† p.1). Different Education Routes for Nurses Diploma graduates, Associate graduates, and Baccalaureate graduates are the three education routes for licensures of Nurses. Even though all three programs sit for the same National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), this exam verifies only â€Å"minimal competency to provide safe, basic care† (Haverkamp & Ball, 2013, p. 144). ADN vs. BSN Competencies Many say that Associate nurses are trained strictly on clinical skills, whereas Baccalaureate programs â€Å"emphasize evidence-based clinical practice and leadership through course work that includes research, statistics, population-based care, nursing management, and the humanities† (Haverkamp & Ball, 2013, p. 144). This meaning that, Baccalaureate nurses receive training that allows them to look at the whole picture, like why and how things happen and what they can do to prevent them. Associate nurses as a Member of the Health Care Team, â€Å"refer patients and their families to resources that facilitate continuity of care; health promotion, maintenance,  and restoration; and ensure confidentiality† (Texas Board of Nursing). Whereas a Baccalaureate nurse as a Member of Health Care Team, â€Å"use multiple referral resources for patients, families, populations, and communities, considering cost; confidentiality; effectiveness and efficiency of care; continuity and continuum of care; and health promotion, maintenance, and restoration† (Texas Board of Nursing). Patient Care Situation An example in the difference of education between Baccalaureate nurses and Associate nurses is shown here. The patient was admitted for Diabetic Ketoacidosis, not taking home medication because he was homeless and lacked health insurance. Nurse A, admitted this patient and cared for the patient for three days. On the third day the patient was to be discharged, keep in mind this patient came to the hospital because he is a Type 1 diabetic and was admitted for Diabetic Ketoacidosis and was not taking any of his insulin because he could not afford them. Upon Nurse A telling the patient he was going to be discharge the patient became irritated and started to become angry and stated â€Å"I am homeless, how am I suppose to pay for my medications that I need, and I will just come right back to the hospital because I won’t be able to take any of my medications.† Nurse A, being an Associate nurse thought to herself what am I suppose to do? Nurse A then stated to the patient â€Å"The doctor has discharged you so you are medically stable to leave.† Nurse A explained to the patient that the doctor wrote prescriptions for him to take and fill so that way the patient would have his medication. Again the patient stated â€Å"How am I suppose to pay for my medication if I am homeless and have no money.† Nurse A was stuck in what she needed to do. So during morning rounds with Case Management Nurses which carry a BSN, Nurse A expressed the patients concerns and their response was well let us take a look at every resource that we have and maybe we can voucher his medication for one month and possible sign him up for some type of health care that will help him with his insulin and other medications that he needed. The next thing the Baccalaureate nurse did was go into the patient’s room asked a variety of questions and came back out of the room and told Nurse A, that the patient qualifies for state health insurance and that she will work on the vouchers for his medication for a month. The Baccalaureate nurse explained to the Associate nurse that she would have to  go further up in the chain of command to get the medications vouchered. The Baccalaureate nurse also gave the patient resources that would help him with his troubles in life, examples were housing for the homeless, churches that donate clothes and food to the homeless. What if the Nurse had a BSN? If the nurse taking care of this patient had a BSN they would have started to collaborate with the Case Manager about vouchering his medications and helping him find health insurance upon admission. Examples of what the Baccalaureate nurse would do are: find resources for the patient for food, shelter and health insurance on the day the patient was admitted, or have made a case management referral. Whereas the Associate nurse was focused on treating the patients and the illness and verifying and following the doctors orders. This is an example of how a Baccalaureate nurse was able to apply leadership and critical thinking skills while the Associate nurse was unable to. The Associate nurse struggled with the situation that arisen on the day of discharge. For the three days the Associate nurse had the knowledge base to treat the patient illness; taking blood sugars, administering insulin and bringing the patient back to holistic level of wellness. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important for all nurses to further their education. Baccalaureate nurses can provide better care for their patients and educate their patients about their disease process in depth and use the resources available to all nurses. They are also able to provide better patient outcomes through their advanced knowledge. Baccalaureate nurses also have opportunities for career advancement in all sorts of different positions whereas the Associate nurses are most likely staying in patient care areas. Baccalaureate nurses can move up and work as Nurse Managers, Case Managers, Quality Management and Infection Control. The encouragement for all nurses to advance their education is a quality step in the right direction for delivering excellent and safe patient care. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education Haverkamp, J. J., & Ball, K. (2013, August). BSN 10: What is Your Opinion? AORN Journal, 98(2), 144-152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2013.06.006 Texas Board of Nursing. (December 2011). Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs. Retrieved from http://www.bon.texas.gov/about/pdfs/delc-2010.pdf

Trends That Influence Effective Learning Assignment

Trends That Influence Effective Learning - Assignment Example Proper instructional design should promote the transfer of information from the known to the unknown to enable learners to link up the current to the past, and be able to prepare for the future. The efficiency of every trend of instruction should be evaluated scientifically, or through observations to ensure significant results that may facilitate easy transition of knowledge and skills. Promoting performance in education, one should come up with various instructional blueprint models such as the ADDIE process. This paper shall indicate how this model of instruction promotes instruction. According to Morrison et al (2010) ADDIE process was established in the University of Florida, and was meant for military training servicemen, who needed curriculum development processes. Its present version was developed, and revised in mid 1980’s. ADDIE process involves the five treads founded in this model. They include; analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluation. These five steps have an influence that will enable effective learning. Analyze; this involves an instructor collecting information concerning the learners, identifying the topics, and the content that should be covered. It is in this step that the instructors give a layout of the projects objectives that need to be achieved. This enhances and gives meaning to the content since it makes learning to be relevant and achievable. Objectives serve as pointers of goal setting in education. When an instructor is developing a pedagogical way of delivering information, one must ensure that he comes up with objectives that need to be addressed. In cases, where these goals are not met, then learning may not have taken place. Therefore, for useful learning and teaching to be identified proper tools and materials should be applied to improve instruction. Design; this is the second step that enables instructional designers to develop their projects using the information received from the analysis stage. It is at this point that the instructor shows how he plans to ensure that learning has been achieved. The content is broken down in to basic units that can be easily understood by learners. The instructors use elementary concepts as foundations to build complex ideas. In addition, the instructor shows activities which will involve learners that will portray an achievement of goals in education. Develop; this is where activities that need to be implemented are identified and developed for effective leaning. Materials that should be used in the design are collected and brought together. The instructor, at this level makes sure that the models for the design are available to enhance the achievement of the goals. Implement; content is the subject matter that the instructor intends to pass to the learners. This suggests that content is a significant factor to be considered, when designing teaching approaches. Therefore, it is at this stage that the content is build up together with the tools and materials of learning that are needed to facilitate the transition of knowledge and skills (Morrison et al 2010). Evaluate; as mentioned above, goals indicate the route map, and the foundation of effective learning. They guide the instructors on how to deliver their content to the learners. Therefore, assessment of these goals is necessary to test the achievement of the learning process. According to Morrison et al (2010), content should be in agreement with the goals

Business of war and war of the business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business of war and war of the business - Essay Example Life and Debt is a documentary based on A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. Released in 2001, Life and Debt analyze the economic and social scenario of Jamaica with the discussion of international financial institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank’s impact on Jamaica’s macro-environment. Moreover, the impact of globalization and global financial institutions’ structural adjustments on Jamaica’s economy are also discussed in the 80 minute long documentary. The documentary won 8 internationally renowned awards due to the ideology presented in the documentary (Internet Movie Database line 1-10). Lord of war was released in 2005 and is considered as belonging to crime war movie genre. Produced and directed by Andrew Niccol, Lord of War portrays the life of an illegal dealer of arms and presents the psychoanalysis of Yuri Orlov. Nicolas Cage has played the anchor role in the movie as Yuri Orlov and the majority of the part of the movie r evolves around acknowledging its audience that how international arm dealers adds to the ongoing wars in different parts of the world for the sake of increasing profitability of their business (Internet Movie Database line 1-8). First of all, the focus would be laid on the mise en scene that these two films were based on. Both movies project the deteriorated scenario of two different but financially similar societies initially. Lord of war starts with the manufacturing of bullet at a Soviet firm and its shipment to an African war zone, thus reflecting how the fire arm trade is worsening the already worst scenario in African nations like Zimbabwe, Congo and Somalia. On the other hand, Life and Debt starts with the voice over of lead artist telling the story of Jamaica’s financial system’s destruction in the hand of global financial institutions and their efforts to implement globalization policies into the business systems of Jamaica. In this sense, the plots of these t wo movies are almost same, but Lord of war focuses on acknowledging its audience about how arms dealers create wars in different regions of the world so that their revenues keep on increasing. Whereas, Life and debt focuses on acknowledging its audience about how financial institutions of the world had used their power to enrage war of business and finances in Jamaica. In this manner, both these films are same to each other when it comes to projecting war culture in different movies and the social abuse that business commit towards different nations of the world. But at the same time, these movies contrast to each other as far as the basic tool projected in both of the movies, i.e. fire arms used in Lord of War and financial resources used to create war in Life and Debt. The biggest similarity between Lord of War and Life and Debt is that these movies focuses on delivering the message that business should not forget their social responsibility and ethical boundaries to expand the si ze of their revenues. Lord of war explains how Yuri Orlov committed himself to international crimes by selling weapons to militant forces in Africa. While dealing with African dictators and militants, Yuri forgot his social responsibilities and ignored the innocent people who will be killed with the weapons he sold. Even he did not considered his brother’s death and wife’

Humanitarian intervention and International law Essay

Humanitarian intervention and International law - Essay Example humanitarian intervention because while forming the international law, it could not foresee every situation and intervention on humanitarian grounds has become imperative owing to evil regimes and dictatorships around the world, especially in African countries. If accepted, another haunting question arises: is it possible for the institution of humanitarian intervention to justify unauthorised actions? Should powerful States take it upon themselves and judge the situation and take individualistic actions against the erring state? Where will be the end to it? This is a highly intriguing and frustrating situation, especially when genocide is going on, like that of Rwanda’s. But it is difficult to justify the war over Iraq, even though United Kingdom and United States tried hard to wrap it up in various colour package, saying that it was imperative because of human rights violation, dictatorship, establishing democracy, better the lives of Iraqis etc. and this theory has found no takers. The genocide that happened in Rwanda will go down in history as one of the worst of its kind and the question still remains as to how the international community can stop this horrendous killing from continuing further or happening somewhere else. The United Nations and its Security Council has a ‘responsibility to protect’ the innocent people all around the world, irrespective of their nationality, race and creed. Some international law makers argue that Security Council should be given more power to intervene; but if given, could that power be mismanaged and misused by the powerful few? These questions had been haunting the world leaders for a long time now. How to empower a humanitarian intervention under impossibly difficult situations? Is it possible for the world body to handle such a situation, without getting influenced by super powers? Sovereignty of the country should not be violated by another country, even though it has violated human rights, according to rights

Comparative Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative Summary - Essay Example It is against this backdrop that three major financial environments namely the profit making environment, not-for-profit environment and government environments have been identified in this study for critical scrutiny on how differences in financial management in each of the environments can be well harnessed to ensure that the collective goal of achieving universal quality healthcare can be achieved. Profits Making Financial Environment Healthsouth is the identified entity under the profits financial environment. Generally, the financial structure of the profits financial environment can be described as one that is influenced by the activities of shareholders. This is to say that these entities have financial bottom lines that address the profit gaining needs of their shareholders (Experience Healthsouth, 2010). To this end, they are structured such that there is several profit making avenues on the services and products that are offered. As much as possible also, there exist extern al investments models made with the contributions of shareholders so as to maximize the earnings from the health facility. Some of the policies that are unique to the profit making environment include the fact that annual profits are shared among shareholders instead of reinvesting the entire amount of profit made. This is because shareholders come on board as investors who expect positive financial returns at the end of each fiscal year. In the same manner that profits are shared, there exists a peculiar provision whereby losses are also shared among the shareholders. In the event of recording a loss at the end of the fiscal year, shareholders will be expected to make financial provisions for the proceeding budget (Experience Healthsouth, 2010). Because losses are shared by shareholders as much as profits, there are always efforts that ensure that all lope holes to financial malfeasance of any kind are blocked. This is indeed one of the most outstanding financial management practic es prevalent in the profit financial environment. With the Healthsouth as a case study, it would be observed that the entity employs the services of financial experts such as accountants, bursars and auditors whose duties are not incorporated into the larger healthcare delivery services of the entity (Experience Healthsouth, 2010). Despite the numerous efforts that are made to ensure financial management practices at Healthsouth, it would still be realized that the facility faces several challenges. The major reason that can be ascribed to the existence of these financial management challenges is because the facility is a healthcare facility. Generally, it is debated because the services of financial experts are not directly linked to the health provision services of the healthcare facilities; there exist apathy on the part of healthcare administrators to closely monitor the activities of the said financial management experts (Wolinsky, 2005). Not-for-Profit Environment Carolinas He althcare Systems is the selected entity under the not-for-profit financial environment. Among the features of the facility that makes it stand out and worth discussing is the fact that the facility focuses its services to not just short term care but lifetime medical care to patients. The facility therefore serves as lifetime medical home to patients (Carolinas Medical Center,

Written and Unwritten Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Written and Unwritten Constitution - Essay Example As we have already seen, the sources of the British Constitution are many and various, and may generally be grouped under four heads: This distinction between written and unwritten constitutions has led to the establishment of a far more important classification of written and unwritten constitutions. The idea of permanency is closely associated with the concept of constitution so much so that stability is considered to be one of its main attributes. Written constitutions are considered to be more permanent and, therefore, more written, because, generally speaking, they cannot be amended except by a special process or by means of special machinery. Unwritten constitutions, on the other hand, are deemed to be unwritten because they can be amended or altered by the ordinary process of legislation. It should, however, be noted that the distinction between written and unwritten constitutions does not necessarily depend on the distinction between written and unwritten constitutions. A written constitution may be as unwritten as an unwritten constitution. A typical instance is furnished by the Italian Constitution of 184 8 which, according to the generally accepted view, could be amended by the ordinary process of legislation. (Smith, 2001, 80) The distinction between written and unwritten constitutions was pointed out for the first time by Bryce, and has now become a fundamental concept of constitutional law and practice. According to Bryce, there are two types of constitutions: those which have grown organically without any pattern either in their form or in their content and which consist of a variety of laws, conventions and customs. (Bogdanor, 1997, 351) The second type is the result of systematic, exhaustive and conscious labour. The first type is derived from the same source as the ordinary laws and, consequently, may be abrogated or revised by the same organ and in the same manner as in the case of ordinary laws; and this he calls an unwritten constitution. On the other hand, a written constitution is derived from a source other than that of ordinary laws and is of a rank superior to that of ordinary laws. It can only be annulled or amended by the same organ which created it or some other organ to which its power has been delegated. In other words, a written constitution is one which demands for its amendment or revision special machinery or a special method. 1 It, therefore, occupies a privileged position and possesses a greater guarantee of permanence: a situation which French jurists have described as constitutional super-legality. In theory, therefore, inflexibility is the essence of this system. (Patterson, 1947, 135) A typic al instance of a written constitution is furnished by the United States of America. Article 7 of the Constitution prescribes two different methods of amendment: (i) either two-thirds of both Houses of the Congress may propose amendments, or legislatures of two-thirds of the States may call a convention for proposing amendments, and (ii) the

Capital Budget Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital Budget - Assignment Example The trucks will also ensure that we can handle all requests for garbage collection. It will eventually lead to a conducive, clean environment in River County. River County residents have echoed out their views of having better roads in the county. River County needs all weather roads constructed all over because of the varying weather condition experienced in the area. As of (Finkler, 2013, p. 32) good governance involves better infrastructure. I have budgeted $240,000 for the purchase of two bulldozers. The expected lifetime for the bulldozers is eight year. The bulldozers will make road and other construction projects in the next eight years simpler. A better the infrastructure will bring development in River County. The two bulldozers may also be used in the building of government projects in the County. River County houses three international stadiums. It is the county’s responsibility to keep the stadiums in excellent conditions. The government offices located in the area also require to be well maintaining. It is because of these factors that I included two lawn mowers in my budget. The two go for a combined total of $48,000. The expected lifetime of the lawnmowers is five years. $48000 will be the ideal spending if the two can service the county for five years. Properly maintained stadiums will encourage the sports sector in the county. If the sports sector is improved, a lot of people will turn up in the stadiums and pay for the service through the purchase of tickets. Properly maintained government compounds will keep the environment clean (Finkler, 2013, p. 32). A lot of the people living in River County are self-employed. The residents would love a centre set up that would offer the grounds for growing their businesses. Centralization of all the counties enterprises and activities would be a significant step towards the growth of the county. The business centre would also bring in some good relationship among the residents of

Bad Lending Leading to the East Asian Crisis In 1990s Essay

Bad Lending Leading to the East Asian Crisis In 1990s - Essay Example Bad Lending Leading to the East Asian Crisis In 1990s The East Asian economic crisis was later analysed as caused by several external and internal stimuli such as improper maintenance of financial market activities, inadequate foreign borrowing and absence of inducements towards risk management among others (Dullum & Kulkarni, 2005). Considering this aspects, this essay will describe how different activities resulted in high lending activities in East Asian economies causing a crisis situation. The objective of the essay is to analyse and describe the main economic problem that triggered the economic crisis in East Asian nations. Hence, the rationale for choosing this topic is to understand various facets which can lead to bad economic crisis with the aim to gain knowledge regarding measures which can be implemented to avoid such circumstances. Major Features of Asian Economic Crisis In the year 1997, when the financial crisis was identified, International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that the situation was fundamentally caused due to t he inefficiency of East Asian financial markets to manage its foreign debt as well as lending policies. As soon as this crisis hit, IMF assigned that it was the responsibility of East Asian capitalism. This occurrence was further observed to have created a significant impact upon the Asian financial markets including Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines. In these nations, bank lending dues on private organisations had increased remarkably before and during the crisis situation. For instance, in Philippines, credit to private organisations surpassed 40% growth from 1993 to 1996. The amount of liabilities also ascended from 8.8% of GDP in 1995 to 21% of GDP in 1997 in Philippines. In Korea, the amount of foreign liabilities of banks had been observed to gain growth in almost two-folds, i.e. from 4.5% of GDP in 1993 to 9.5% of GDP in 1997. Only in Indonesia, even though the credit growth was recorded at a modest level within the national financial structure, the private organisations were engaged in borrowing openly from foreign sources. The most risky circumstance was observed in Thailand where the aggregate amount of foreign liabilities of banks had increased rapidly to almost 28% of GDP in 1995 (Radelet & et. al., 1998). This huge amount of liabilities can further be observed as the result of weak regulatory measures taken by governments and poor financial structure of different East Asian nations. This huge amount of liabilities imposed a degree of negative impact on the economic performances of these East Asian nations, as most of the foreign creditors began extracting their capital from these countries as well as the other nations in the East Asian region. Due to deep capital outflow, the currency exchange rates came under strong burden. It can be observed that in 1997, the currency exchange rates of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand had reduced by more than 20%. The collapse of economic conditions in these nations triggered the feeling among investors that other nations in the East Asian region will soon fall under economic crisis. The major rating organisations slowly demoted the nations in East Asian region, causing more capital extraction by the creditors. Furthermore, as exchange rate depreciated,

The Terrorist Group ISIS Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Terrorist Group ISIS - Research Proposal Example The inquiry into the rise of the terrorist group ISIS is of great significance as the kind of politics it connotes is something that is set to evince aspirationalism in a radical context, is bound to be pan-Arab and is based on concrete territorial and power grabbing motives. The kind of radical challenge that ISIS poses to Western democracies is something that was rarely seen in the past, even if one takes into consideration Iran or North Korea for that matter. This paper intends to answer as to whether the promulgation of Western-style liberal democracy and political values in the Middle East is an apt antidote to ISIS or whether ISIS is a direct outcome of the sectarian politics immanent in the region since long?The irony is that the solution to this research question is multifaceted and far from being simple. No doubt, the Western style political democracy, inclusiveness, and diversity can succeed in the region provided that attempts are made by the local political states and pow er structures to bring about some sort of reconciliation in the long-standing sectarian animosities in the region. The Western-style democracy in the region could also succeed in bringing a halt to the onward march of ISIS, provided the Western should also care to resolve the long-standing issues like the Arab-Israel animosity, a challenge that has distinct Western linkages and outcrops. I will use an array of methods to seek a viable and pragmatic answer to this question.

Classification of Milk Essay Example for Free

Classification of Milk Essay Milk is important for both children and adults because it is a source of minerals, calcium, protein and phosphorus. Currently, there are different kinds of milk products in the market. Here are some types of milk based on the manufacturing process: -UHT Liquid Milk UHT is stands for Ultra High Temperature Processing or Ultra Heat Treatment. It is a way to sterilize food through to high heat process about 24 seconds at 135-140 degrees Celsius which the spores of milk is destroyed completely in that temperature. The high temperature pasteurization processes was first discovered in the 1960s by used with the milk know as UHT milk. UHT milk can be stored at room temperature for 6-10 months compared with pasteurized milk. UHT milk free of preservatives because the package is made in six layers to keep the milk remains in a sterile condition within a specified period without other chemicals. -Milk Pasteurization Pasteurized milk is raw milk that passed through the heat of not less than 60 Celsius for at least 30 minutes or uses the heat of not less than 73 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds. Pasteurized milk is only lasted for 14 days if not stored in the refrigerator with a temperature of 5-7 degrees Celsius. Pasteurized milk has fresh taste and features as the natural milk. -Milk Sterilization The milk will be sterilized by high heat at 120 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes and caused the whole bacteria die but the spores will still be growing. The sterilized milk is not suitable for children because some nutrients like Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 and Vitamin C disappear during the heating process. The sterilized milk is usually packed in sealed metal cans so it can be kept up to 1-2 years and should be stored in the refrigerator after you open it to maintain the quality of milk. -Sweetened Condensed Milk 80 degrees Celsius warming conducted over three hours. It is condensed milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added. It can last for year without refrigeration if unopened. Sweetened Condensed Milk is used for cooking rather than drinking. And it contains very high sugar so it should not to use to feed the baby. -Milk Powder It is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness with a spray dryer or roller dryer is 200 degrees Celsius for two hours. The purpose of drying milk is to preserve it. It can be kept longer than the liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated. Milk has been one of the most widely consumed foods since a long time. However, it may not be benefiting us much, or may even be harming us. This paper of the advantages and disadvantages of milk can help you decide what kind of milk is the best for yourself and your family. Reference Admin (JUNE 6, 2011),Various Types of Milk : Based on The Manufacturing Process. Retrieved November,17 ,2011 from http://gorgeoushealthyme. com/various-types-of-milk-based-on-the-manufacturing-process/.

The Work Life Management Social Work Essay

The Work Life Management Social Work Essay In today fast-paced society, finding a perfect balance between work and daily living is a very challenging task that every worker must face. Particularly, it is most affected to families lives, as some couples may prefer having more children, yet cannot see how they would afford to working lesser or stop working in order to look after their kids; while some other families satisfy with the number of kids they have, but still prefer working more to support their life styles. This typical problem somehow raises difficulty to the government in a sense that if parents could not achieve their desired work-life balance, it could affect their welfare and so directly impacts on the development of the country as a whole. As a matter of fact, it is said there is no such thing called perfectionism in this world. Even so, Work life balance is still very important for the healthiness of everyone employees and employers, so as for the good sake of the organization; presently it has also received attention from researchers, governments, management teams and employee representatives (Pocock, Van Wanrooy, Strazzari Bridge, 2001; Russel Bowman, 2000). In fact, most of us have all heard the term and simply complain that we do not have enough of it in our lives; so what is work-life balance, exactly? According to Kathleen Gerson, Sociologist, young people are searching for new ways to define Work-life balance that do not force them to choose between spending time with their children and earning an income. Yet, it is generally believed that parents should make more time to support their kids both economically and emotionally, as well as sharing labor equally, at the same time. Indeed, Work-life balance is not simply about working less or starting a family; it is also about learning how to truly liv e and enjoy our lives. In this paper, I would like to address the importance of work-life balance in the workplace; also, the challenges and solutions upon work-life balance. II. Body 2. a. Benefits Work-life balance describes an individuals work and personal life. It tries to prioritize between work (career and ambition) and life styles (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual meditation), so that people can maintain their leisure times with families and friends, and at the same time improving their potential performance at work. On that account, three main benefits are given to both employers and employees when organizations agree to adopt Work-life balance; firstly, embracing Work-Life balance helps attracting and retaining top talent staffs. Otherwise, negatively changing work environment like increasing working hours or lack of support and guidance from new employers are likely to force them to leave the place. Due to the fact that Work-life balance is compulsory toward the growth of company, The Yamaha Group, for example, is known to actively cooperate with labor for many years in its efforts to promote Work-life balance shortening total work hours and providing s upport for both work and family. The company then started introducing employee benefit programs and systems ahead of statutory requirements. Besides, The Yamaha also introduced childcare leave followed by a system of nursing care leave, hopefully eliminating the negative outside forces of their staffs while working for the company ( Initiatives for a Better Work-Life Balance , 2011). Secondly, work-life initiatives helps employees to reducing absenteeism, health costs, and stress even though they may have some distractions by family issues at work; it is known that people who are free of worry about what is going on at home can be more productive at work. According to the Australian data from the 2010 National Work/Life Benchmarking Study (Barbara Holmes, Work/life Balance International) found that thirty-seven percent (37%) stated that their work-life balancing strategy contributed to a reduction in absenteeism, while seventy-nine percent (79%) reported a positive impact on work productivity. Thirdly, work-life balance also allows changes in working flexibility. New research from Families and Work Institute (FWI) has found out that employers and employees benefit, when both partner in finding flexible ways to work. Working flexibly means due to shortages of talent and skills, many knowledge workers have the bargaining power to negotiate their working conditions, including working hours preferences and space available, as long as they can ensure the job will be done. That is to say, working flexibly can not only help employees to manage their work and personal responsibilities, but it can also enhance an employees effectiveness on the job, and thus benefiting employers as much as employees themselves. b. Challenges We live in stressful times, and each of us has to deal with stress everyday. In a society that filled with conflicting commitments and responsibilities, work-life balance is known to be a predominant issue in the workplace; thus, having better understanding the interface between work and family relation, it directly and indirectly affects the daily living and performance in the workplace. Regardless of above benefits, three major challenges of work-life balance are described here. Firstly, global competition describes the outside forces that bring about the work-life balance tensions. These days, due to the various demand of the national and international workplaces, employment experience is changing to get the jobs within todays business environment, workers need to obtain higher skills to compete with overseas workers, it is somewhat weaken the relationship between work and family life. Also, in this new global trend, in order to decrease the companys cost, most employers are sear ching for lower costs workers, resulting in pushing the wages lower and income insecurity higher for the individual workers. According to A Work-Life balance survey in 2009, it was stated that seventy percent (70%) of more than one thousand and five hundred (1500) respondents said they do not have a healthy work-life balance. Ageing population, secondly, impacts the staffs benefits directly. According to Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Older workers are those men and women who continue their employment after reaching age 50, or who during their fifties or sixties are seeking to re-enter the labor market. Therefore, to stabilize their job in old age, an individual has to work longer hours, thus forgoing personal leisure time as well as neglecting their health, to meet the excessive demands of work and life. In the United States, for example, healthcare does not provide to all citizens. Statistically, Berg disclosed that 15.7 percent out of a population of 46 million is said to have no access to healthcare, because it is mainly covered by their employers and for the expenditures on this healthcare have just rose by 40 percent. Likewise, since their society takes it as a private matter, there is no federal assistance for this child rearing and sickness, causing it to be very expensive for most workers to afford. Additionally, Berg also added that starting from 1997 until today, dual-earner couples has been increasing in US causing them to work by 10 hours per week and thus personal time has been dramatically reduced to an hour or less for men and women respectively. Thirdly, technology is said to have facilitated employees from pressuring and keeping themselves at work more than home; however, the increased technology allows individuals to work anywhere and at anytime. Berg again raises that men nowadays have less time off but working more, which pushing them to face higher levels of intensity at workplace. An increasing in ill health, both mental and physical, and stress then have become troublesome problem in the modern workplace as much for office staff, managers, and even shop floor workers, due to over-work. c. Solutions Since work life balance is rising to the top of many employers and employees consciousness, in today high-tech society, human resource personnel seek alternatives to positively impact the bottom line of their companies improve employee morale, retain employees with valuable company knowledge, and at the same time to keep pace with workplace trends. Â  There is no particular strategy of one size fits all; yet three possible solutions are given to deal with above challenges. To begin with, On-the-Job Training should be provided. Being able to take part in lots of seminars and training might allow employees to challenge themselves in a global market. Besides, it is also enabling them to learn how to better manage their workloads, eliminate unproductive work habits, get enough exercise and bargain for more flexible work conditions, which meet their needs. On top of that, it is important for line manager to be aware of overwork, because only managers are able to manage the error rates, absenteeism and stress-related burnout of their employees, by simply offering employee-assistance programs. Moreover, a manager should also guide them on how to prioritize their works in case lower level workers do not have related-knowledge; otherwise workload and stress are likely to exist amongst them. Next, both men and women in ageing society mainly like in US, are found to be very crucial for the development of organization in terms of the knowledge they have, the role they can play in mentoring or coaching younger colleagues, and for the experiences they offer; so organization should consider creating strains on retirement pension budgets and education on retirement healthcare, prompting governments to encourage older employees to remain in the workplace with flexible time contracts. Otherwise, those young talented staffs will urge to retire more and enjoy early retirement stage, while other older and experiential senior workers insisting on retirement due to the need of spending more time with family and friends. Plus, government also plays important role in eliminating age discrimination in the workplace either upon promotion or recruitment. According to Margaret Collins from Bloomberg.com/news, once they lost their jobs, older workers in the age of 55 years old tend to stay out of work longer about 41 weeks on average in 2010, compared to 35 weeks of those age 25 54 years old. Last but not least, with unlimited access to information and technological advances, it seems to serve both of our personal and business matter at the same time, faster than expected. However, when technology could be accessed everywhere people seem to be busier than they used to; it is suggested that if one is really addicted to web surfing, so to better balance this typical work-life, an individual should limit their working time (checking email, and work on it) and start focusing on family life, while getting some other times for leisure, as well. Besides, it is suggested that all workaholic should adopt the single idea of work will never be finished . It is true that there are some certain people, who try to please everyone (boss, customers, family) by holding multi-tasking at the same time, but they may forget that it could make them less productive and inefficient if they still continue with their workloads. People are not computer, there are times to be productive and times t o be not, so entertainment is a must in this sense, to help them relax or re-focus on their job after a short while. III. Conclusion To sum up, in todays sophisticated life, although money is not everything, people have to work harder to support their infinite demands. Meanwhile, they have to distinguish between working and family time while earning money. So it is the responsibility of all the managerial levels of organizations to ensure that they provide positive working environment for their employees by taking Work-Life Balance into consideration. Employees tend to feel more motivated when they feel appreciated and respected, thus boosting up their morale and productivity levels. In my opinion, efforts should be made to balance personal life and professional life, for the reason that if employees tend to pay more attention on personal life, then professional life will be more disturbed which resulting in losing the job and income. Nonetheless, if employees would give more importance to professional life, it is more likely to affect their nerve causing higher stress levels and thus negatively affecting their wo rk performance.

The Types Of Inflation Economics Essay

The Types Of Inflation Economics Essay Inflation indicates to a rise in prices that causes the purchasing power of a nation to fall. Inflation is a normal economic development as long as the annual percentage remains low; once the percentage rises over a pre-determined level, it is considered an inflation crisis. The term inflation once referred to increases in the money supply (monetary inflation); however, economic debates about the relationship between money supply and price levels have led to its primary use today in describing price inflation. Inflation can also be described as a decline in the real value of money-a loss of purchasing power in the medium of exchange which is also the monetary unit of account. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. A chief measure of general price-level inflation is the general inflation rate, which is the percentage change in a general price index, normally the Consumer Price Index, over time. Inflation can cause adverse effects on the economy. For example, uncertainty about future inflation may discourage investment and saving. High inflation may lead to shortages of goods if consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future. Low (as opposed to zero or negative) inflation may reduce the severity of economic recessions by enabling the labor market to adjust more quickly in a downturn, and reducing the risk that a liquidity trap prevents monetary policy from stabilizing the economy. The task of keeping the rate of inflation low and stable is usually given to monetary authorities. Generally, these monetary authorities are the central banks that control the size of the money supply through the setting of interest rates, through open market operations, and through the setting of banking reserve requirements. Types of Inflation Demand-pull The most important inflation is called demand-pull or excess demand inflation. It occurs when the total demand for goods and services in an economy exceeds the supply available, so the prices for such goods and services rise in the economy. Cost-push inflation The name indicates the cause i.e. costs of production rise, for one reason or another, and forces up the prices of finished goods and services. Often a rise in wages in surplus of any gains in labor yield is what raises unit costs of production and thus raises prices. This is less common than demand-pull, but can occur independently as well as in combination with it. Pricing power inflation It occurs whenever businesses in general make a decision to boost their prices to boost their profit margins. This does not occur normally in recessions but when the economy is booming and sales are strong. Causes of Inflation There are many causes for inflation, depending on a number of factors. Excess money printing Inflation can happen when governments print an excess of money to deal with a crisis but dont have resources at backed, usually governments are allowed to print only that amount of currency that is equal to gold available to that country. As a result, prices end up rising at an extremely elevated speed to keep up with the currency surplus. In which prices are forced upwards because of a high demand. High Production Cost Another common cause of inflation is a rise in production costs, which leads to an increase in the price of the final product. For example, if raw materials increase in price, this leads to the cost of production increasing which in turn leads to the company increasing prices to maintain steady profits. Rising labor costs can also lead to inflation. International lending and national debts Inflation can also be caused by international lending and national debts. As nations borrow money, they have to deal with interests, which in the end cause prices to rise as a way of keeping up with their debts. Federal taxes Inflation may be caused by federal taxes put on consumer products such as cigarettes or fuel. As the taxes rise, suppliers often pass on the burden to the consumer; however, once prices have increased, they rarely go back, even if the taxes are later reduced. For example a rise in the rate of excise duty on alcohol and cigarettes, an increase in fuel duties or perhaps a rise in the standard rate of Value Added Tax or an extension to the range of products to which VAT is applied. These taxes are levied on producers (suppliers) who, depending on the price elasticity of demand and supply for their products, can opt to pass on the burden of the tax onto consumers. For example, if the government was to choose to levy a new tax on aviation fuel, then this would contribute to a rise in cost-push inflation. Effects of Inflation Most effects of inflation are negative, and can hurt individuals and companies alike, below is a list of negative and positive effects of inflation. Negative Effects Hoarding People will try to get rid of cash before it is devalued, by hoarding food and other commodities creating shortages of the hoarded objects. Increased risk Higher uncertainties: Uncertainties in business always exist, but with inflation risks are very high, because of the flux of prices. Fixed income recipients will be hurt: Because while inflation increases, their income doesnt increase, and therefore their income will have less value over time. Lowers national saving: When there is a high inflation, saving money would mean watching your cash decrease in value day after day, so people tend to spend the cash on something else. Existing creditors will be hurt: Because the value of the money they will receive from their borrowers later will be lower than the money they gave before. Distortion of relative prices: Usually the prices of goods go higher, especially the prices of commodities. Causes an increase in tax bracket People will be taxed a higher percentage if their income increases following an inflation increase. Causes business life cycles: Many companies will have to go out of business because of the losses they incurred from inflation and its effects). Positive Effects It can benefit the inflators (those responsible for the inflation) It can benefit early and first recipients of the inflated money (because the negative effects of inflation are not there yet). It can benefit the cartels (it benefits big cartels, destroys small sellers, and can cause price control set by the cartels for their own benefits). It might relatively benefit borrowers who will have to pay the same amount of money they borrowed (+ fixed interests), but the inflation could be higher than the interests; therefore they will be paying less money back. (example, you borrowed $1000 in 2008 with a 5% fixed interest rate and you paid it back in full in 2010, lets assume the inflation rate for 2005, 2006 and 2007 has been 13%, and borrower was charged 5% of interests, but in actual borrower earning 8% of interests, because 13% (inflation rate) 5% (interests) = 8% profit, which means you have paid only around 65- 70% of the real value in the 3 years. The first three effects are only positive to a few elite, and therefore might not be considered positive by the general public. Surviving in inflation Be wise when holding cash, whether in your home or in your savings account, if youre earning 5% interest on the money you have in your bank, and inflation rate is 10% then youre in reality losing 5% and not earning anything. Be vigilant when buying bonds, high inflation rates completely destroy the value of long-term bonds. Invest in durable goods or commodities rather than in money. Invest in things that going to be used anyway and will serve for a long time. Invest for long-term capital gains, because short term investments tend to give misleading results or sense of making profits while in reality its resulting in loss. Manage wisely recurring monthly bills such as (phone bills, cable TV), it would help to reduce them or eliminate some of them. Ask yourself, do I really need these things Im spending my money on? Think how much and how often you will need something before buying it. Use the money saving tips such as: you need to reduce your consumption of things that are rising rapidly in price (e.g, gas) without having to reduce your consumption of goods that are rising less rapidly or even falling in price (eg, clothes). Buy only what is need, especially objects that have multi-tasks, and are considered durable goods. Causes of Inflation In Pakistan Several supply and demand factors could be responsible for this surge in inflation. Supply-side shocks If occurs can cause large fluctuations in food and oil prices, which impacts over all inflation, at times, can be so extreme that these cannot be countered through demand management, including monetary policy. Increased domestic demand Increased domestic demand can create an output gap, putting upward pressure on prices. Growth in private consumption on the average remained over 10 % between fiscal year 2004 and 2006, depicting signs of demand side pressures on price level. The relationship between growth and inflation depends on the state of the economy. High growth, without an increase in inflation, is possible if the productive capacity or potential output of the economy is growing enough to keep pace with demand. A prolonged phase of rising inflation in such a case can have severe consequences for the economy. Rising trade deficit The prospect effect is very important since there is a danger that the current high rate of inflation can get locked into expectations of inflation. People expect higher salaries to compensate for intended increase in prices, speculation in asset prices increases, credit meant for manufacturing sector diverts to real estate and stock markets, and hoarders, profit and rent seekers become active in expectation of high price in the future. All this can have devastating effect for the prices. Fiscal policy remained expansionary Fiscal policy has remained expansionary in the last few years. Expansionary fiscal policy fuels domestic demand and puts pressure on the current account deficit. It widens the investment-saving gap, which has to be financed externally. Financing of fiscal deficit through money creation adds to inflationary pressures. Increased government borrowing from central bank can have serious consequences for general price level. Expansionary monetary policy The expansionary monetary policy- high growth in money supply and loose credit policy- was believed to be contributing to high inflation. Although expansion of credit is usual in expanding economies, excessive credit growth can have adverse effects on real variables. Increase in import prices Increasing import prices are also considered an important factor for inflation. Exchange rate, if depreciating can also put upward pressure on price level. Increase in prices of goods, such as petrol, raw material etc makes our imports costlier, impacting on cost of production. Indirect taxes Indirect taxes are also blamed as the main cause of inflation. The indirect taxes, such as sales tax and excise duties raise the prices of consumer goods. This creates inflationary pressure. contarary, direct taxes reduce the take-home income and have anti-inflationary effect. A substantial increase in support price of wheat is estimated to have an inflationary effect on consumer prices, particularly food prices. This effect is due to the fact that wheat and wheat-related products account for 5.1 per cent of the CPI basket. Measuring Inflation Four different price indices are used in Pakistan over the course of fiscal year, namely: the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) and the GDP deflator. The CPI is the main measure of price changes at the retail level. It covers the retail prices of 374 items in 35 major cities and reflects roughly the changes in the cost of living of urban areas. The WPI is designed for those items which are of day to day use on the primary and secondary level; these prices are collected from wholesale markets as well as from manufacturers. The WPI covers the wholesale price of 106 commodities prevailing in 18 major cities of Pakistan. The SPI shows the weekly change of price of 53 selected items of daily use consumed by those households The SPI is based on the prices prevailing in 17+ major cities and is computed for the basket of commodities being consumed by the households belonging to all income groups combined. In Pakistan, the main focus is placed on the CPI as a measure of inflation as it represents more with a wider coverage of more than 374 items in 71 markets of 35 cities around the country. As such, the change in CPI becomes an indicator of the inflation that affects all of us. WPI indicates the change in wholesale prices which affects businesses and industries. And SPI that covers a limited number of essential items of daily use including food and fuel can be termed as the inflation for the poor. CPI Analysis from 2008 to 2012 In March 2012 inflation rate in Pakistan was reported to be 10.8%. From 2003 until 2010, the average inflation rate in Pakistan was 10.15 percent reaching an all time height of 25.33 percent in August of 2008 and a record low of 1.41 percent in July of 2003. Controling Inflation To reduce our Government Luxury Expenses both Federal and Provincial. To reassess the complete system of Direct and Indirect Taxes. To increase the Production of Food, Industry and Service things. Take benefit to public in shape of (Oil Petrol is low than reduce the prices) Reduce Unemployment Increase in Agriculture, industry Monopoly Control System should be work accurately SBP should take major steps to control inflation Conclusion Inflation impacts the multiple sectors of the economy (impact on the distribution of income and wealth, impact on production, impact on the Government, impact on the Balance of Payment, impact on Monetary Policy, impact on Social Sector, impact on Political environment) and different classes of the people (Debtors Creditors, Salaried Class, Wages earners, Fixed income group, Investors and shareholders, Businessmen, Agriculturists). A reasonable rate of inflation of around 3- 6 per cent is often viewed to have positive effects on the national economy as it encourages investment and production and allows growth in wages. When inflation crosses reasonable limits, it has negative effects. It reduces the value of money, resulting in uncertainty of the value of gains and losses of borrowers, lenders, and buyers and sellers. The increasing uncertainty discourages saving and investment. Not only can high inflation grind down the gains from growth, it also makes the poor worse off and widens the gap between the rich and the poor. If much of the inflation comes from increase in food prices, it hurts poor more since over half of family budget of the low wage earners goes for food. Second, it redistributes income from fixed income earners (for instance pensioners) to owners of assets and earners of large and variable income, such as profits. For Pakistans economy, inflation can be bad if it crosses the threshold of six per cent, and can be extremely harmful if it crosses the double digit level. Several supply and demand factors could be responsible for this surge in inflation. Supply-side shocks can cause large fluctuations in food and oil prices, effects of which on overall inflation, at times, can be so excessive that these cannot be countered through demand management.

Personal Narrative: A Very Bad Day Essay -- essays research papers

I was born in a country that is mostly populated with poor people. I lived in a area where my sorrounding was blocked by concrete buildings. It happened when I was only seven years old. I was living in a community where everyone knew each others. I started my day waking up late from my bed. I thought I was getting late for my school, but as soon as I woke up, I heard some of my local friends playing outside. I looked up at the clock and it was one thirty p.m. I asked my mom, "what day is it?" and she said, "its friday." Friday is the country's national holiday, so for me that means no school, no study. I looked up in the sky and saw big dark fluffy clouds joining together. I thought it was going to be a rainy day. I waited two hours inside my house for the rain to come down, but it never rained. At five p.m. I went outside to play with my friends. I played two hours with my friends and after that the day became dusk. I came back home at seven p.m. and turned my life into a nightmare. First, I came back home, took warm shower, and got dressed. Then, I went to the living room to watch television. While watching television, I ate my supper in the living room, while my mom was reading her local newspaper sitting on the sofa. My mom's best friend was our next door neighbor. My mom's best friend called my mom to her house to have some private conversation. When my mom left, I got too excited because that time I was suppose to study at home and finish all my homework before the bedtime, even though Friday meant no school. Usually that does not always stay the same when my mom is at home. My private teacher lived right next to our house. When my mom stays at work, my teacher used to sneak on me, just to see if I was studying or playi... ...does not know what to do with me. Fortunately, right at that moment my uncle, who lives in a rural area, came in the city on a bus. He spotted the police and then he spotted me on a rickshaw. My uncle did not know that I was lost. When my uncle called my name i looked behind and saw him running towards me. I was very excited to see him and the police explained everything to my uncle. The police then followed me into my house along with my uncle. The police told everything to my mom about the incident. My mom was pleased with his service, so she gave him one thousand taka (seventeen dollars) and a cold Sprite just for his comfort. In conclusion, if my uncle was not present on time on that day, I would probably never see my family again. I learned a value lesson that it was a bad idea to follow some one and not letting that person know that I was following him/her. Personal Narrative: A Very Bad Day Essay -- essays research papers I was born in a country that is mostly populated with poor people. I lived in a area where my sorrounding was blocked by concrete buildings. It happened when I was only seven years old. I was living in a community where everyone knew each others. I started my day waking up late from my bed. I thought I was getting late for my school, but as soon as I woke up, I heard some of my local friends playing outside. I looked up at the clock and it was one thirty p.m. I asked my mom, "what day is it?" and she said, "its friday." Friday is the country's national holiday, so for me that means no school, no study. I looked up in the sky and saw big dark fluffy clouds joining together. I thought it was going to be a rainy day. I waited two hours inside my house for the rain to come down, but it never rained. At five p.m. I went outside to play with my friends. I played two hours with my friends and after that the day became dusk. I came back home at seven p.m. and turned my life into a nightmare. First, I came back home, took warm shower, and got dressed. Then, I went to the living room to watch television. While watching television, I ate my supper in the living room, while my mom was reading her local newspaper sitting on the sofa. My mom's best friend was our next door neighbor. My mom's best friend called my mom to her house to have some private conversation. When my mom left, I got too excited because that time I was suppose to study at home and finish all my homework before the bedtime, even though Friday meant no school. Usually that does not always stay the same when my mom is at home. My private teacher lived right next to our house. When my mom stays at work, my teacher used to sneak on me, just to see if I was studying or playi... ...does not know what to do with me. Fortunately, right at that moment my uncle, who lives in a rural area, came in the city on a bus. He spotted the police and then he spotted me on a rickshaw. My uncle did not know that I was lost. When my uncle called my name i looked behind and saw him running towards me. I was very excited to see him and the police explained everything to my uncle. The police then followed me into my house along with my uncle. The police told everything to my mom about the incident. My mom was pleased with his service, so she gave him one thousand taka (seventeen dollars) and a cold Sprite just for his comfort. In conclusion, if my uncle was not present on time on that day, I would probably never see my family again. I learned a value lesson that it was a bad idea to follow some one and not letting that person know that I was following him/her.

Computer-Based Training :: Business Essays

Computer-Based Training Computer-based training can be found in almost all segments of business and education today. "Virtually every major corporation has turned to computer-based training for teaching employees everything from company regulations, to compliance, to factory operations (Rothfeder 1998) Candice Harp (1998) adds that "Corporate spending for training has risen to over $40 billion each year and a recent survey of Fortune 500 companies found that in some industries, companies dedicate as much as 5 percent of their information system budgets to training" (Harp, Taylor et al. 1998) For one thing, the economics make sense. "Employees can be trained at their desktops no matter where they're based, without incurring travel, hotel and meal costs, and there’s no lost productivity from the time spent traveling" (Rothfeder 1998) But exactly what is computer-based training and what are the various forms it takes? Background In general, computer-based training consists primarily of occupational training for adults, as opposed to computer-aided instruction used mainly in educational settings with younger populations. Training refers to any means of delivering information to people so they can do their jobs better. Computer-based training is delivered using computer tutorials in place of live instructors in a classroom format or video taped instruction. Computer-based training is usually interactive, self-paced, learner-directed, and offers immediate feedback to learners. The various forms of computer-based training currently available include interactive CD-ROM tutorials, multimedia simulations, and most recently, internet and intranet-based programs. Some of the numerous examples where computer-based training has been successfully implemented include instruction for bankers regarding corporate policies, Marine Corps fire teams, airline baggage handlers, MBA’s learning economics, and hostage rescue situations. One of the more sophisticated programs even simulates business war games where profits and losses vary based on management-trainee decisions. Advantages "Adult learning theory postulates that adult learners prefer a high degree of learner control. Computer-based training provides more learner control than other forms of training because it allows the learner to select the appropriate time to engage in learning and which topics will be covered" (Harp, Taylor et al. 1998) Another factor in adult learning theory suggests that adults are motivated by relevance of information to their current needs. With computer-based training, "on-demand training is possible for such instances as mechanics using animated, multimedia reference manuals to learn how to correctly install a new part in a car (Bowman, Grupe et al. 1995) Since most of computer-based training is aimed at adult populations, this advantage is a key factor to its popularity.

Jimmy Carter :: essays research papers

Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He was the first president to be born in the hospital (the Wise Clinic in Plains). His parents were James Earl Carter (born 1894, died 1953), and Lillian Gordy Carter (born 1898, died 1983). Jimmy had 3 siblings, Ruth Carter (Stapleton), Gloria Carter (Spann), and William Alton (Billy) Carter. Jimmy Carter’s ancestry was English, his religion is Baptist. He went to the following schools: - Plains High school, Georgia (1929-1941) - Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia (1941-1942) - Georgia Institute of Technology (1942-1943? - United States Naval Academy, Annapolis (1943-1946 *class of 1947*) - Union College, Schenectady, New York (1952-1953) Some of Jimmy Carter’s favorites are: Sports and hobbies - Played Basket ball in Plains High school - Ran cross-country & played under-140 lb. football at Annapolis. - Life-long tennis player - Plays softball, billiards, bowls, fishes, hunts( especially wild turkey, quail, and dove) - Rode a motorcycle before entering politics - To keep in shape, rides a bicycle, jogs, plays tennis. - Dances with Rosalynn - Favorite spectator sport is basketball Breakfast - Orange juice, coffee, fruit, and cereal. Sometimes pancakes. Food - Sirloin steak, medium rare - Any kind of fish or poultry - Corn bread - Any vegetables except beans - Salad with Roquefort dressing - Frozen yogurt Hymns - The Navy Hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save" - "Amazing Grace" - "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" Color - Blue Gift to receive (as a youth) - Books Books - Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Poet - Dylan Thomas - Miller Williams Philosopher - Paul Tillich - Reinhold Niebuhr - Soren Kierkegaard Bible quote "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelations 3:20) Some of his occupations were: Served in U.S. Navy to rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; farmer, warehouseman, Plains 1953-77; member of Georgia Senate 1963-1967; Governor of Georgia 1971- 1975; president of the United States 1977-1981; University Professor, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 1982-presodent. Upon graduation in 1946 from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn. After serving as a Naval Officer for 7 years, Carter returned to plains, and in 1962 he entered state politics. 8 years later he was elected Governor of Georgia. As a governor, he strongly emphasized ecology, efficiency in government, and the removal of racial barriers.

Anthem vs. Hunger Games Essay

In today’s society, a lot of people tend to take for granted what they have. Every once and a while, something drastic will ensue them, and that’s when they finally grasp what’s been right in front of them the whole time. In many different societies, for example the societies in The Hunger Games, and Anthem, the individuals that are living there are forced to listen to the ruler, or rulers, do not have an opinion in some of the choices that are made for them, and are also forced to accept the rule of selflessness. Based on the themes of the Power of Knowledge, the Image of Self, and the Consequences of Free Will, the novella, Anthem, and the film, The Hunger Games express similarities and differences regarding the dangers of a Totalitarian government and its effect on its citizens in order to teach the reader to be blessed that they have a democracy and that the individuals of the United States have it really easy compared to other countries, and even societies i n books or movies. The Power of Knowledge is the result of having or not having knowledge. Being knowledgeable is not just one quality, but is many and a process of learning, experiencing, knowing and understanding. In the book Anthem Equality 7-2521states, â€Å"But we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth, else we are sentenced to three years in the Palace of Corrective Detention† (Rand 19). This quote from Anthem is an important example of the Power of Knowledge because what Equality is saying is that every person in his town has the knowledge of what happened before the Great Rebirth, they just choose not to bring it up because they are petrified of what their punishments will be. However, an example of the Power of Knowledge from The Hunger Games is when Katniss recognizes the weakness of Seneca Crane, which is not having a winner of this year’s game, and uses that to her best advantage to force Seneca to let both her and Peeta win. This is important because if Katniss had not realized that doing so was his weakness, she and Peeta would have both had to kill themselves because they  did not want to live without each other. In conclusion to these two different pieces of evidence, they are also able to be compared by noticing the facts that if both these characters did not take into account the opinions or beliefs of others, there would never be a way to be different, or a way out. Image of self is the way one views his or herself, the ability to know our own flaws, strengths, bad habits and limits. When life starts to get rigid, most people lose hope in themselves because they feel as if they are not sturdy enough to stand anymore. In a lot of books, or even movies, this is a major problem that most characters face. In this case, from Anthem, the teachers always pointed out the flaws in Equality 7-2521, â€Å"There is evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your brothers† (18). This quote would be essential to the topic of Image of Self, because Equality already knew that he had all these â€Å"different† qualities, and knew that he was diverse from his brothers, yet he tried to remain the same by ignoring them. However in The Hunger Games, Katniss only sees the flaws that are in her, and chooses to ignore the compliments that everyone is saying to her. When life puts individuals in the situation that Katniss and Peeta are in in the film, it is important to deposit all the negatives away and to only focus on the positives, no matter how hard they may be to see. This is a contrast between the novella and the film because in Anthem Equality knows that he is different, but just ignores the fact that he can do nothing about it, but in The Hunger Games, Katniss does not let anyone try to make her better because she believes she will never be right, or in a way better than the other characters. Although the quotes are contrasting, the similarity in them is the fact that Equality and Katniss both know they are different than the rest, yet overcome them in some sort of way. The last theme being focused on is Consequences of Free Will. Consequences of Free Will means a person innate ability to make decisions with his or herself. I n a dictatorship, or the governments in Anthem and The Hunger Games, individuals are owned by the group, and they also have no right to lead his or her own life. This is known as collectivism. In today’s society,  making decisions for someone’s own good is very hard because everyone is trying to impress others. For example, in Anthem Equality states â€Å"It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see† (17). The importance of this quote to the Consequences of Free will is that Equality is not able to express his own way of living because it is illegal to express his own being. In The Hunger Games, something that readers would learn regarding the Consequences of Free Will would be the idea that the tributes did not really know who to trust, and when, because they did not know when that person would turn against them. Similarly, these two pieces of information would go to together by both dealing with the idea of being able to show a person’s own true colors. In addition to them being similar, they would differentiate by the thought of trust, and expression. In Anthem, we as readers are seeing the idea of expression, but in The Hunger Games, we are watching how others are putting their trust into some, and how they are also putting up walls to others. Although these two societies are supposed to be completely different from the one that exists today, in some ways they could be seen as having the same â€Å"controlling† effect on the citizens. In our government, citizens have numerous more rights than other countries can even think of having, yet all of us choose to all try to be the same. Why is that? Why do individuals all strive to have the same hair, or wear the same clothes? Everyone should embrace our right to be dissimilar, and show the world that each and every one of us are not afraid to be ourselves, because there is no punishment that will be rewarded to us in long run.

A case study on Padini Malaysia Essay

Introduction: In Malaysia Padini become the eyes catching brand in the most famous giant shopping mall. This brand also the most successful brand that I meet that can compete with the foreign same line brands like Giordano, Esprit, Elle and etc. From the minor focus group I did between my friends and relatives, surprisingly more than 90% of them thought that Padini is the foreign branded name like Esprit. Until I told them that actually Padini is the Malaysia local brand they also feel proud of this brand— Padini. Thus, Padini also has the history from the stretch until today so popular in the Malaysia consumers mind. Therefore, this is the reason why I chosen Padini as the brand that is MADE IN MALAYSIA to compete with other brands in Hong Kong to show that Malaysia Boleh! History: Padini began as a backend operation in Malaysia’s apparel industry, manufacturing, trading and supplying garments for retailers and distributors. Padini in Malaysia’s is a multibillion textiles and garment industry, a brand leader involved in the distribution and retail of its own fashion labels through 170 freestanding stores and in house outlet. It has also proudly carried the Made-in-Malaysia stamp abroad, with garment exports to Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and West Asia. The success of the company can be attributed to the prudence of it management and the commitment of its staff. Padini Products Range: Padini is mainly an integrated operation that controls its products – fashion  wear and accessories – from concept stage to manufacturing, merchandising and image marketing. Each brand represents a fashion philosophy; each philosophy covers a comprehensive range of products aimed at a targeted consumer. Brand image is strongly backed up by real value: quality, functionality and price. Padini Brands We address fashion-conscious consumers of both sexes and all ages through eight distinct brands: Padini Classic, Padini Authentic, PDI, P & Co, Seed, Miki House, and Rope. Vincci accessories have focused on the fast changing tastes of woman consumers, and Seed Cafe opens an exciting new dimension in food operations for the company. Padini’s New Stores The company is on the expansion trail, with new stores targeted in the immediate future for Ampang Point, Prangin Mall Penang, Jusco Maluri and IOI Mall. The Padini Mega Store in Johor Baru confirms the company’s reputation as a visionary leader in fashion retail. The 12,000 sq ft store consolidates all its brands under one roof for a total experience in shopping for clothes. In The Pipeline Padini will maintain and increase its leadership position in Malaysia’s fashion industry through various strategies. New brands and increased product diversity are key expansion policies. The company will continue to upgrade the image of its products while emphasising value and quality. Vincci is the company’s successful toehold in the lucrative but competitive women’s footwear market. There are plans to strengthen its dominant position with improved production lines and increased capacity. Having successfully etched its brand names into the consciousness of Malaysian consumers, Padini is moving to turn its various labels into regionally recognised fashion  leaders. It intends to fulfil the potential of the export market, especially in the Asean region, and will also step up overseas marketing for its products. Image Activities Padini recognises the value of advertising and promotions in enhancing the presence and leadership of its brands. It participates in:*Magazine Advertising (Female, Nuyou, Eh!, Cleo, Marie Claire, FHM, New Tide and Cittabella) *Cinema Advertising (Tanjong Golden Village, Mega and Pavillion) Blow-up posters at key freestanding stores, banners and fashion shows have all contributed to Padini’s complete lifestyle message. Vision The vision shared by everyone in Padini is to be the market leader in the retail industry. We are committed to achieving this goal through hard work, discipline and creative endeavour. Currently, Padini Holdings is consolidating its operations in order to be even more streamlined. In the long terms, we will continue to maintain our high standard of design and manufacturing quality as well as affordability. We are also working towards expanding the business on a regional basis. At present, we have a growing presence in our neighbouring countries, and we believe that there is great scope for growth. Environmental scanning towards country chosen: Marketing in different countries around the world are depending to many influences. It is possible to identify those influences in order to understand the market thoroughly. The development of successful international marketing strategies is based on an effective understanding of the similarity and differences that exist in the countries around the world. Padini are concerned with international markets need to be aware of the variety market contemplations relevant to their operations. Especially Padini only has limited exposure to international markets. Padini also lack of experiences toward the totally differences culture, geographically and other PEST factors countries like Hong Kong and Taiwan. The countries that Padini recently built their brand identity are Singapore, Thailand and Brunei. Therefore, in this assignment I plan to develop this domestic brand —-Padini in Hong Kong. Although it is full of challenge built this domestic brand in this full of stiff competition country. At the same time, Padini also will face a lot of the new problems like how to manage the four seasonal stocks keeping, design, 4p’s and etc. But, if Padini can overcome the problems and successfully built the brand image like Giordano, in the future Padini also can develop their brand in Japan, Middle East, Pakistan and etc. It is because Giordano already successfully open their outlets around the world, amazingly Giordano able to open 50 outlets in Middle East. Thus, in order to eliminate the problems we must scan the environment thoroughly. Buyer behaviour In international marketing the type of buyer behaviour must be matched to market considerations. Thus, Padini must understand the Hong Kong consumers buying behaviour towards fashion. The type of consumer buying behaviour varies according to the type of buying decision. The main influences relate to the differences between the brands available to the consumer and the degree of personal involvement decision. Buying process is relatively quick because of the limited differences between brands (it means the brands that have parallel image like Bossini, Giordano, Elle and etc) But not included high price brands like Guess, Calvin Klein (CK), Gucci and etc. It also under low involvement, low price compare to  Gucci and low risk group. Thus, consumers will always make their quick and fast decision when purchase Padini products. Therefore, if Padini enter into Hong Kong market, in the future Padini will become the potential brand in international market. Culture The difference of culture in international marketing is thoughtful. It is an obvious source of difference. Some easy to manage but some the other ways round. Culture is difficult to define precisely. It is the way, which people live together in a society, it also can influence by religion, education, family and reference groups. In Hong Kong the Hongkee are very concern about their personal image, especially the younger generation. They are willing to spend the money to make-up themselves and never think about the saving. Padini will has a competitive advantage in fashion market it is because nowadays the trend for the fashion will change so aggressively. Padini still can keep the cost low production because Padini is the backend operation apparel industry. Padini also can eliminate the culture problem in Hong Kong it is because the culture between Malaysia Chinese and Hong Kong are quite similar. It is because the Malaysian had influenced by Hong Kong culture through broadcast and media since we had our television. Politic factors The legal system operating within a host country is an important environmental influence for international marketers. Fortunately Padini products are the simple ordinary consumer products. But, the following areas in which international marketing management will be concerned to understand the legal position. Contracts for the supply and delivery of goods and services The registration and enforcement of trademarks, brand names, labelling Patents;Marketing communications;Pricing ;Product safety, acceptability and environmental issues Hong Kong is a free port and the financial hub in Asia. In Hong Kong the politic is stable compare to a lot of other countries. Therefore, it is the time to develop the brand in that country. Economic factors Countries can be classified in a variety of ways. Most classifications are based on national income and degree of industrialisation. Hong Kong GDP per capita in excess of $ 3000. The market size and growth is encouraged, it is because Giordano can open the more than 50 outlets in Hong Kong within a years. Thus, the demand will very impressive if Padini fashion can really suit the taste of the Hongkee. Competitive factors Stiff competition sure will occur in Hong Kong market, but Padini brand image is strongly backed up by real value: quality, functionality and price. In Michael Porter’s five forces the important forces that can affect Padini in Hong Kong is the rivalry between the competitors and customers. The others like substitutes, supplier and new entrant will be the second consideration. How to develop brand image 3.0 Symbols Buyers respond differently to company and brand images. The primary way to account for NIKE. NIKE succeeded in convincing millions of young consumers that shoe is not simply the shoe, it’s an attitude. Padini should also need to acquire this influence power in consumers’ mind. 3.1Media/ Advertising Padini in Malaysia is the popular brand in consumers mind. If Padini wish to develop the brand image in the Hong Kong consumers mind it not so easy. Therefore, Padini should appear in the most popular Hong Kong magazine. Apart from it, Padini also can give the post card brochures to customers to increase the brand awareness. On top of that, Padini might engage in programmes that broadcast the fashion shows around the clock or 24 hours in the Specially formulated Fashion Channel in the satellite TV. 3.2:Events/ product endorsement A company can build an identity through the events it sponsors. Every one know that Hong Kong TV programmes is attractive, consumers like to watch TV at the same time they also like to take the actor or actress as their image role model. Thus, if Padini can successfully sponsor the costume to the actor or actress in some soup opera or TV programmes. Padini brand will become more popular. These role models can conduct fan club activities featuring autography session and all these product endorsers are wearing Padini outfits. When Padini develop their brand in Hong Kong it still need to choose the appropriate media to promote their brand and products. Thus, Padini can take part in their fashion show. For example, every month in Hong Kong most popular shopping centre â€Å"TIME SQUARE† will conduct the fashion show. At the same time, a lot of the famous actors and actresses will come to give the comment toward the model, designer and the fashion they wear. If Padini  product also can be chosen by the famous actor or actress as their brand I feel that Padini will has the bright future in Hong Kong. 3.3: Atmosphere The physical space occupied by the company is another powerful image generators. For example, in Hong Kong DKNY developed a distinctive image through its outlets. When you enter in you will feel enter into star trek space ship. Thus, Padini need to survey how the competitors outlets interior design, layout, colour and furnishings in order to match the taste of the customers. If not, the consumers will project the brand is the inferior brand because of the outlets. How to maintain the brand equity—– ICEBERG MODEL Padini also need to plan how to maintain the brand equity, actually maintain the brand equity is difficulty as develop the brand. A brand is what the customer buys. But, the equity is the marketing asset that exists in the customer’s mind. Brands must be holistically integrated to meet target needs. For example in the Iceberg model the brand with nothing below the waterline lacks depth and sustainability. Thus it will not last for a long period of time. Actually Padini must always take care of their stakeholders. Padini should not only aim for maximising the profit and abandon the employees and other shareholders feeling. The best employees will generate the empire for the company if they sincere to their company. They will feel proud to be the members of the company. On the other hand, if the company squeeze them lack of motivation to them, sooner or later they will try to  destroy the brand of the company. How to be a social responsible brand Nowadays the global marketer concern about environmental issues and social responsible. Padini also can take this opportunity to develop their brand in consumers mind. Padini can do some promotion for example, if the customers purchase their products and keep their recycle bag for next time shopping use in Padini outlet they will deduct 10 cents for the environment charity group. It is because Padini can cultivate the customers to become more environmental friendly and Padini also can save their cost. At the same time, if everyone in Time Square carries Padini Bag, the other will be curious and wish to be part of the culture too. Therefore, the bag should have the serial number therefore the retailers only can proof the bag is old. From the serial number, Padini also can motivate the customers in the better way by offering them the lucky draw in every month to win the Padini products like belt, tee- shirt, vouchers and etc. Padini is the manufactures they have high technology in dyeing the material. At the same time, Padini also can tell the consumers that they very concern the environment pollution issues. Conclusion—- Long Term Strategy Padini also need to do the internal and external audit to strengthen the position in the international market. To do the audit the first step should do by Padini is to benchmarking with their strategy group competitors. The following picture is some example how to maintain the advertisement quality, outlets atmosphere, models, design and brand image compare with the competitors. Therefore, Padini also need to employ some of the foreign designer to pump in  some new blood in their new innovate design or pattern. Padini also need to provide some training to their stuffs to enhance skill and knowledge. As we know that world change aggressively, competitors have born everyday. If we cannot plan to create the value chain to the company, the company will hard to survive prosperity.

“Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality” by Henry Cloud Essay

The book titled â€Å"Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality† by Dr. Henry Cloud, shed a whole new light on the subject of integrity for me. My original understanding of integrity was to do the right thing even when no one is watching, but this book challenged my definition and the applications to my own personal life and work experience. By understanding integrity as the courage to meet the demands of reality, I will be able to focus on improving my best traits and become a great leader. Cloud explains in his book how six essential qualities determine your success in business: establishing trust, being oriented toward truth, getting results, embracing the negative, being oriented toward increase, and being oriented toward transcendence. I will give my personal educated reaction to each one of these qualities. One of the most important ideas Cloud starts mentioning in his book, is that of the â€Å"wake†, defined as the result we leave behind (pg. 17). I agree with Cloud that there are two sides to the wake, the task and the relationship side. I was especially moved by reading that the two sides of the wake must be equally important and contributed to. Unfortunately, there have been many times in my life when I have either focused on the task more, or the relationship side of the wake I was leaving behind. Looking back, I now realize why I have not been reached by people from previous jobs, where being the top performer was my priority. But I also understand now, that it was because of the great wake I left behind, that many of my previous colleagues still show appreciation, respect, and adoration for me, even though I was a better performer than them. It is a great feeling to be able to motivate people and bring out the best in them for many years to  come. After reading this book, I now understand how to use the â€Å"wake† tool to make me a better person and a better leader in my personal life but also my career. On page 24, Cloud gives his definition of character as â€Å"the ability to meet the demands of reality† which shook my perception that character couldn’t change. Cloud was very successful in making me see how the demands of reality determine the requirements of the design, and that character is changeable. From now on, I will not only try to improve my own character, but I will also push people around me to be the best character they can be. It has not been easy to meet the demand of my reality, such as being a single mother, being a great fulltime graduate student, being a good fulltime employee showing high performance results while building long lasting relationships with colleagues and customers, being a good daughter, sister, partner, a healthy and beautiful woman etc. I now truly understand why several top performers in my company have been let go over the years because of the fact that their character did not meet the demands of the reality within the company, t he employees and the customer base we are trying to provide excellent products and services to. I especially loved it when Cloud mentioned that â€Å"people grow and people change when the right experiences are brought to the person, and they have the right response in using those experiences† (pg. 27). One of the most important aspects of establishing trust, according to Cloud is â€Å"true listening and understanding, which occurs only when the other person understands that you understand† (pg. 60). This idea opened my eyes wide and made me understand how I must become better at showing to the people around me that not only I listen to when they have to say, but I truly understand them and their situation. Since reading this part of the book I have tried really hard every day at work to show empathy and connect with my coworkers and not just my customers, winning their hearts by showing that I genuinely care for their success as much as mine. The other two ways of establishing trust according to Cloud are through extending favors and through vulnerability. I could not agree more with the author in that a good leader cannot just set the demand, he or she must do anything to help the people meet that demand. I have seen this concept with my General Manager being a part of the team, working as hard as we do toward the same goal, for our store to be as successful as we are. Throughout my life I have been able to establish trust in my personal  relationships, such as with my son, by extending favors and helping people not only understand the demands but also accomplishing them. Being vulnerable is another very important part to building trust, as mentioned by Cloud on page 92. Great leaders must be â€Å"strong enough to depend on, but vulnerable enough to identify with†. This is a whole new concept for me, because I have always thought that not showing your weaknesses made you a good role model. I will definitely let my guard down now and accept my imperfections and admit to being a work in progress myself. The second important quality to be a successful leader according to Cloud is to be oriented toward the truth by being in touch with reality. On page 104 Cloud mentions how â€Å"the consequences of deceit are usually greater than the ones of the truth†. I could not agree more with this concept, especially because I was cheated on from my husband and was really hard for me to find out that what I thought was true, it had not been true all along. Being oriented toward the truth builds trustworthy relationships forever in every aspect of life. A new concept for me that I will incorporate in my life from now on, is the concept that Cloud mentions on page 117 that â€Å"you will excel only by maximizing your strengths, never by fixing your weaknesses†. Even though it does sound hard to do, I am determined to put it to practice in my own life with all my relationships. The third quality important to success mentioned by the author is that of getting results. Cloud says that one of the most important aspects of character that leads to success is â€Å"the ability to keep going when we hit an obstacle, believe that there is a way to get it done, and keep going until we find it†. I have had to learn this lesson personally in a hard way, since I have hit rock bottom many times, and have had to get up and fight and move on, and end up stronger than before. The fourth quality to a successful leader mentioned in Cloud’s book is the ability to embrace the negative. I could not agree more with Cloud in when he says that â€Å"the ones who succeed in life are the ones who realize that life is largely about solving problems†. I have had to deal with this concept myself many times in my life, and every time I have decided to take the problems head on instead of ignoring them, I have grown as a character myself while building stronger relat ionships. I have also had to work with several managers who avoided  dealing with problems, which contradicts the idea Cloud points out on page 179 that â€Å"the leaders who are respected are the ones who can be depended on to deal with things directly and competently†. This concept reiterates my belief to why employees did not respect those managers I mentioned above. Reading from Cloud that â€Å"if they have to have others like them, or not be upset with them, then solving problems becomes virtually impossible† on page 184, convinces me even more that solving problems as they come, no matter how big or small they are, will make me a better leader and role model for everyone around me. I am so proud to say that I work with great leaders who do exactly what Cloud mentions in his book â€Å"it’s not useful to beat other people up when they make mistakes†¦to the contrary that’s the time to coach, encourage them, and help then regain their confidence† (pg. 190). I am learning from the best, hands on, every day at work, and I strongly believe that because I am using the same concept in my relationships, I will soon become a great leader as well. The last two character dimensions important to success according to Cloud are: oriented toward increase and oriented toward transcendence. The idea presented in this book that managers are good maintainers, while leaders are good growers, makes me realize why I have taken so much pride and joy in helping coworkers and friends grow in the last few years, because I am working on growing myself and becoming a great leader (pg. 207). This also touches the concept of being transcendent in order to be successful, especially when Cloud mentions that â€Å"it truly is more blessed to give than to receive† (pg. 253). A fairly new concept for me though, that I truly enjoyed learning about is that ‘the greatest people are the ones who have not sought greatness, but served greatly the causes, values, and missions that were much bigger than them†¦and by joining and serving those, we see greatness emerge† (pg. 243). From my personal life I have observed how not being transc endent can hold someone from being a good leader, such as those people who believe they are the center of the Universe. This book was a great eye opener for me personally and made me question many of my traits and experiences. I now can connect the six character dimensions together within myself and using my best traits to become even better. The  most important conclusion I arrived at after reading â€Å"Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality† by Dr. Henry Cloud, is that to become a successful leader in life I must understand why I might have some â€Å"gaps† to work on, accept myself and realize that there is nothing â€Å"wrong† with having â€Å"gaps†, and know what to do next to resolve them (pg. 265). I will for sure share this knowledge with as many people around me as I can, so that I can help them grow together with me.