Molecular Identification of DMS-Producing Bacteria Isolated from Dissertation

Molecular Identification of DMS-Producing Bacteria Isolated from Marine Algae - Dissertation Example Michael Steinke, for his unfailing and relentless support, and insightful remarks. His guidance in the conception and interpretation of this study granted me the confidence and multiplied my abilities for the successful execution of this project. I am grateful to the University, especially to the Department of Biosciences for enabling me in bringing this study to realization by providing me with all the necessary resources and support. I am greatly indebted to the University, my supervisor and colleagues, without whom the completion of this dissertation would have been a highly daunting task if not totally impossible. Contents Abbreviations 8 Abstract 10 1. Introduction 11 1.1 Distribution of DMSP in upper and lower photic zones 12 1.2 Microbial breakdown of DMSP and production of DMS 12 1.2.1 Microbes involved in DMSP breakdown 12 1.2.2 Mechanism of conversion of DMSP to DMS 16 1.2.3 Genes, proteins, promoters and gene regulation 18 1.3 Environmental significance of DMS and its role in global climate 25 1.4 Importance of identification, characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of DMS producing bacteria 26 2. Materials and methods 28 2.1 Isolation and growth of DMS producing bacteria 28 2.2.1 Preparation of growth media 28 2.2.2.1 Chemicals and reagents required 29 2.2.2.2 Preparation of M9 media of normal salinity with glucose as a carbon source 29 Rami Abdullah Aldagrer September 9th, 2011 Contents UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX 1 DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1 MSc. DEGREE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY 1 Acknowledgements 2 Contents 2 Abbreviations 8 Abstract 10 1. Introduction 11 1.1 Distribution of DMSP in upper and lower photic zones 12 1.2 Microbial breakdown of DMSP and production of DMS 13 1.2.1 Microbes involved in DMSP breakdown 13 1.2.2 Mechanism of conversion of DMSP to DMS 16 1.2.3 Genes, proteins, promoters and gene regulation 18 1.3 Environmental significance of DMS and its role in global climate 24 1.4 Importance of identification, characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of DMS producing bacteria 26 2. Materials and methods 28 2.1 Isolation and growth of DMS producing bacteria 28 2.2.1 Preparation of growth media 28 2.2.2.1 Chemicals and reagents required 29 2.2.2.2 Preparation of M9 media of normal salinity with glucose as a carbon source 29 2.2.2.3 Preparation of M9 media of normal salinity with DMSP as a carbon source 29 2.2. 2.4 Preparation of M9 media without any carbon source of normal salinity 29 2.2.2.5 Preparation of M9 media of high (32 N) salinity 30 2.2.3 Inoculation into three different media to identify DMSP utilizing bacteria 30 2.2.4 Gram staining 31 2.2.5 Spectrophotometric analysis of growth and calculation of specific growth rate and doubling time 31 2.2 Extraction of DNA 31 2.2.1 Chemicals and materials required for the CTAB method of DNA extraction: 32 2.2.2 Preparation of reagents 32 2.2.3 Methodology of DNA extraction 33 2.2.4 Verification of extracted DNA 34 2.3 Amplification of 16s rRNA using PCR 34 2.4 Purification of PCR products 35 2.5 Identification of bacteria and phylogenetic analysis 35 3. Results 37 3.1 Observation of growth in different media 37 3.1.1 Growth in M9 media with DMSP 37 3.1.2 Growth in M9 media with glucose 38 3.1.3 Growth in M9 media without any carbon source 39 3.2 Results of gram staining 40 3.3 Plotting of growth curve 41 3.4 Calculation of specific growth rate and doubling time 44 3.4.1 Specific growth rate of bacteria in M9 media with glucose 45 3.4.1.1 Specific growth rate of B3B 45 3.4.1.2 Specific growth rate of B2B 46 3.4.1.3 Specific growth rate of B2A 46 3.4.2 Calculation of doubling time of bacteria in M9 media with glucose 47 3.4.3 Specific growth rate of bacteria in M9 media with DMSP 47 3.4.3.1 Specific growth rate of B3B 47 3.4.3.2 Specific growth rate of B2B 48 3.4.3.3 Specific growth rate of B2A 48 3.4.4 Calculation of doubling time of bacteria in M9 media with DMSP 49 3.4.5 Summary of specific growth rate and generation time 50 Specific growth rate bacteria in M9 media with glucose and M9 media with DMSP 50 Doubling time of bacteria in M9 media with glucose and M9 media with DMSP 50 3.4.6 Analysis of variance between the growth rates in two different media 51 3.4.7 Analysis of variance in doubling time 52 3.2 Results of DNA extraction 53 3.3

Flexible work options Essay Example for Free

Flexible work options Essay With our personal lives busier than ever, offering flexible work options to your employees could be the best way to keep the good ones around. By offering flexible work options, such as flextime, it will allow employees more family time, go back to school, if desired, to further education, as well as decrease absenteeism at work. Now, who wouldn’t want a job that offered the time allowed to do those kind of things? I know I would. Flexible work hours allow employees more time with their family. It allows more time to spend with their children, and to attend all school programs and plays. It allows a parent the opportunity to be able to take their child to school, and go back to pick them up from school. This makes for happy children which makes for happy parents, which in turn, makes for a happy employee. Happy parents working flexible schedules, are more productive at work and produce better quality of care. Not only does it allow for family time, but employees working flexible work hours are able to return to school on their own, and pursue that college degree they have always wanted. Not only does it allow to obtain a college degree, it allows one to go back to school to further the degree they already obtain. Working flextime allows the time to go back to school without interrupting the work schedule at work. This allows a person to work full time and attend school. Flextime allows the ability for employers to retain key, dedicated employees whose personal needs conflict with traditional work hours. By offering flextime, youll gain increased productivity and worker satisfaction, along with decreased absenteeism and turnover; all great money-savers for the company. Flextime helps create a happier, more satisfying workplace, too. Because employees are often so glad that their employers are willing to allow for a work-life time adjustment, they tend to work harder and in a more dedicated fashion to hold on to their now-perfect schedule and re-balance their lives, and actually enjoy coming to work. This is why no one calls-in to work. They love it. To keep happy employees, employers, fathers, mothers, or the entire family, offering flextime is the way to go. It allows for so many benefits, neither one can go wrong with working flexible work hours. It will produce happy parents, happy children, and happy employers. Work progress will improve so much as well as the quality of work provided. With the busy lives of people and everything that is required of some of them, flextime is the best way to go. Going with flextime makes everyone happy. Yay for flextime.

Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People around the world speak of American influence in politics, business, and merchandise. The terms ‘globalization’ or ‘global interdependence’ are recently being more understood by most when defining them with relation to corporations, environmental issues, and the modern economy. Can these terms be used to describe the religious beliefs in Canada? The religious life of North American society does not find its roots here at home. We live in a Christian domain. Its roots are 2000 years old and lie half way around the world. It is all around us in our homes, schools, workplace, media, and quite inescapable in our daily lives. In the 21st Century however, basic Christian values are being influenced by ‘Eastern’ religions. Buddhism, in particular, is becoming very popular in North America. What happens when a person attempts to be a Buddhist follower in a Christian society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long before Christian missionaries spread their word around the globe, Buddhist monks were traveling afar attracting followers. Buddhism was the world's first missionary religion. There was no evidence that any religion before it was interested in spreading their faith on a world-wide basis. Indeed, the opposite was the case. Pre-Buddhist religions were more interested in excluding others from its fold rather than welcoming them. However, outside Asia, these missionary attempts were somewhat unfruitful. Although Buddhism successfully spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them. Many Tibetans, for example, fled from their country after the Chinese takeover in 1959. The wars in Indochina in the 1950s and 1960s led m any Vietnamese people to move to and settle in America. Other Buddhists from countries such as Thailand have established businesses in the larger Western cities. They have all brought their Buddhist beliefs to their new homes, and helped to set up Buddhist centres all over North America. With technology and the expansion of travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...d by an arrow wishes to know who shoots the arrow, from which direction it comes, whether the arrow head is made of bone or iron, whether the shaft is of this kind of wood or another before he will have the arrow removed. This man is likened to those who would like to know about the origin of the Universe, whether the world is eternal or not, finite or not before they will undertake the practice of a religion. Just as the man in the parable will die before he has all the answers he wants regarding the origin and nature of the arrow, such people will die before they will ever have the answers to all their irrelevant questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personally, learning this theory has caused me to first, sigh in relief. I sigh because I realize that the Buddha is right. I realize that all the stress in deciding on a religion is completely irrelevant. The first step is accepting the world the way it is, at the present time, and understanding it. Then, concentrate on the things that are causing the suffering in my life. Without being a Buddha, one can live a life that would please any God (real or not, in almost any religion), while at the same time that person can be happy. Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People around the world speak of American influence in politics, business, and merchandise. The terms ‘globalization’ or ‘global interdependence’ are recently being more understood by most when defining them with relation to corporations, environmental issues, and the modern economy. Can these terms be used to describe the religious beliefs in Canada? The religious life of North American society does not find its roots here at home. We live in a Christian domain. Its roots are 2000 years old and lie half way around the world. It is all around us in our homes, schools, workplace, media, and quite inescapable in our daily lives. In the 21st Century however, basic Christian values are being influenced by ‘Eastern’ religions. Buddhism, in particular, is becoming very popular in North America. What happens when a person attempts to be a Buddhist follower in a Christian society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long before Christian missionaries spread their word around the globe, Buddhist monks were traveling afar attracting followers. Buddhism was the world's first missionary religion. There was no evidence that any religion before it was interested in spreading their faith on a world-wide basis. Indeed, the opposite was the case. Pre-Buddhist religions were more interested in excluding others from its fold rather than welcoming them. However, outside Asia, these missionary attempts were somewhat unfruitful. Although Buddhism successfully spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them. Many Tibetans, for example, fled from their country after the Chinese takeover in 1959. The wars in Indochina in the 1950s and 1960s led m any Vietnamese people to move to and settle in America. Other Buddhists from countries such as Thailand have established businesses in the larger Western cities. They have all brought their Buddhist beliefs to their new homes, and helped to set up Buddhist centres all over North America. With technology and the expansion of travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...d by an arrow wishes to know who shoots the arrow, from which direction it comes, whether the arrow head is made of bone or iron, whether the shaft is of this kind of wood or another before he will have the arrow removed. This man is likened to those who would like to know about the origin of the Universe, whether the world is eternal or not, finite or not before they will undertake the practice of a religion. Just as the man in the parable will die before he has all the answers he wants regarding the origin and nature of the arrow, such people will die before they will ever have the answers to all their irrelevant questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personally, learning this theory has caused me to first, sigh in relief. I sigh because I realize that the Buddha is right. I realize that all the stress in deciding on a religion is completely irrelevant. The first step is accepting the world the way it is, at the present time, and understanding it. Then, concentrate on the things that are causing the suffering in my life. Without being a Buddha, one can live a life that would please any God (real or not, in almost any religion), while at the same time that person can be happy.

Australia’s Religious Landscape Post 1945

â€Å"We live in a postmodern world in the sense that no single religion, system or ideology has any convincing claim to be the one voice of truth. We are yet to grasp the full reality that Australia is a pluralistic, multicultural, multi-religious society in which among people of different traditions and with indigenous people is a requirement of social cohesion. In a global world our national identities in no way preclude our responsibilities for the well-being of all humanity and the one earth we share. † – Dr Gerard Hall SMDr Gerard Hall says we now live in a ‘postmodern world’ where ‘no single religion, system or ideology’ can ‘convincingly claim the one voice of truth’. Australia has been long dominated by the Christian faith with the 1911 census reporting 96% of Australians subscribing to any denomination of Christianity. This large percentage of Christians can be attributed to the White Australia policy. However, the 2011 c ensus revealed a decrease of Christians with only 61% aligning themselves with the faith, half of the overseas-born population also reporting a Christian denomination.Non-Christians affiliations and those reporting ‘no religion’ have increased radically since the last census. The number of people reporting ‘No Religion' increased from 15% of the population in 2001 to 22% in 2011. This is most prevalent among younger Australians with 28% of people aged 15-34 reporting they had no religious affiliation. There are over 59 religious traditions present in Australia today. Globalisation has influenced the growth of eastern religions and new age fads in Australian society.Migration has led to an increase in the number of religious adherents in non-Christian faiths such as Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism and Hinduism. Hinduism has grown exponentially since 1911 at 189%, followed by Islam at 69%, and Buddhism at 48%. Atheism or citizens who have no revealed any religious affilia tion has risen due to scientific advancement, rise of secularism, immigration and births. Along with this there is renewed interest in and awareness of Indigenous spirituality.Due to the ‘pluralistic, multicultural, multi-religious society’ of Australia, multi-faith dialogue is important for the cohesion and harmony of Australian society. Sometimes tensions between religious traditions or against a particular religion result in violence or discrimination. To illustrate this point, ignorant and prejudiced media portrayals of Muslims have encouraged anti-Islamic attitudes and stereotypes despite the peaceful religious teachings of the Koran. Dr Ameer Ali (President of Australian Federation of Islamic Councils) recognised that interfaith dialogue was essential to ‘understand each other’.Similarly, Archbishop George Pell believes that interfaith dialogue must be established to maintain currently peaceful relationships before potential hostilities have a chance to escalate. In 1964, Pope Paul VI recognised the need for interfaith communication, stating that; â€Å"We do not wish to turn a blind eye to the spiritual and moral values of the various non-Christian religions, for we desire to join with them in promoting and defending common ideals in the spheres of religious liberty, human brotherhood, education, culture, social welfare, and civic order.Dialogue is possible in all these great projects, which are our concern as much as theirs and we will not fail to offer opportunities for discussion in the event of such an offer being favourably received in genuine, mutual respect. We readily accept the principle of stressing what we all have in common rather than what divides us. This provides a good and fruitful basis for our dialogue, and we are prepared to engage upon it with a will. â€Å"Multi-faith dialogue assists in keeping peace and social unity in society, especially with organisations such as the NSW Council of Christians and Jews who recognise their common heritage in order to promote understanding and combat anti-Semitism. They organise activities that include an annual Passover demonstration directed to non-Jewish audiences, panel discussions and seminars on current subjects of interest, multi-denominational evenings for poetry and music, Holocaust education and an annual Christian commemorative service for the Holocaust held in the crypt of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.Along with interfaith dialogue between Christians and Jews, the NSW Council of Christians and Jews also seek to broaden the interfaith relations with Islam in particular. Some past interfaith activities in Australia include the 2001 Anzac Day service at St. Mary’s Cathedral for Buddhist Monks and Christian Ministers, Centenary of Federation celebrations in Melbourne, Prayer services at Martin Place by the Muslim-Christian Council for peace in Indonesia, Prayer services for September 11, Asian Boxing Day Tsunami and Bali bombings.As Dr Gerard Hall says, in the current ‘global world, our national identities in no way preclude our responsibilities for the well-being of all humanity and the one earth we share’. This statement is illustrated by a number of international councils, one being the World Conference on Religion and Peace – an international council founded by the Buddhist Nichiko Niwano in 1970 that organises bi-annual ‘Heads of Faith Meetings’ that are attended by the leaders of the Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Baha’i faiths.The meetings conducted by the World Conference on Religion and Peace provide an opportunity for religious world leaders to exchange ideas and information and establish a working alliance between these religious traditions. The promotion of understanding and the education of interfaith co-operation assists in pursuing social justice issues, for example, Aboriginal reconciliation and rights. Reconciliatio n is the process whereby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples move towards the future with a relationship based upon mutual recognition, understanding and respect.For this to happen there must be acknowledgement of past mistakes such as land dispossession and the stolen generation in order to make amends, such as restoring Native Title. Reconciliation is a long process which began with the 1967 referendum giving ATSI people the right to vote and the Commonwealth government the authority to make laws in the interest of ATSI people. Additionally, most churches have helped facilitate this reconciliation.The NCCA (National Council of Churches Australia) acknowledge that many of its member churches played a role in culmination of the stolen generations and issued a public statement on the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report making recommendations in support of Reconciliation. The Week of Prayer for Reconciliation began i n 1993 with the goal of providing an interfaith week of prayer encompassing all faiths with the common goal of reconciliation. It is to devote time to prayer, thought and reflection on the soul of a nation and the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.Attempts at reconciliation by various religious denominations have helped to bring out acceptance of the synchronization of Christian and Aboriginal religious traditions; as an example: many Aboriginal clergy incorporate Indigenous symbols and rituals from their own culture to express Christian concepts such as using Indigenous coconut milk instead of wine and damper or yam instead of bread, Christian stories are often retold with an Indigenous slant (instead of fire, they talk about fire sticks), red ochre is used instead of ashes/oil on the forehead and prayers are told in Indigenous languages.Many Christian churches incorporate Aboriginal Ministries and Aboriginal Spirituality into services, particularly Pro testant churches though many people feel that incorporating Aboriginal beliefs into Christianity degrades both. Critics claim that ‘Self-determination’ is now replaced with ‘Main-Streaming’. ‘Practical Reconciliation’ is now the term used rather than a real acknowledgement of past wrongs.The Catholic Church has also made many positive overtures towards Reconciliation starting with Pope John Paul II’s visit to Alice Springs in 1986 who stated that â€Å"there is the need for just and proper settlement that lies unachieved in Australia’ Pope Benedict’s recent address to Australia encouraged ongoing assistance for Reconciliation. In 1998 the Catholic church joined with other churches to issues a statement called ‘Towards Reconciliation in Australian Society – Reconciliation and Aboriginal Australians’.They also pressured for more assistance for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders due to the ongoing psychological trauma of the Protection and Assimilation policies. National Reconciliation Week is a week of Catholic initiatives promoting reconciliation with emphasis on Aboriginal health. Other Christian churches involved in Reconciliation include the Anglican Church who expressed its support for Reconciliation during 1998. It also provides funding to National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) that assists in rebuilding Indigenous communities.Anglicare Australia and the Anglican Board of Missionaries formed the Anglican Reconciliation Working Group which provides accommodation, health care, family support for Indigenous communities and helps fund training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The Ecumenical movement Uniting Church formed a Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress in Townsville that works with Indigenous people to promote compensation and healing for past wrongs. The Uniting Church National Assembly has also made a formal apology for its part in the harmful policies in the past and a commitment to a better future.Christian leaders and leaders from other religious faiths united in rejecting the Howard Government’s attempts to weaken the Wik legislation. Their conviction no doubt assisted in changing opinions and rallying support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights. Interfaith dialogue especially between Dreaming and Christianity illustrate the importance of multi-faith communication. There are, however, limitations of interfaith dialogue as critics believe there are important differences between faiths that cannot be overlooked.There is also controversy that religions are trying to change and distort their religious beliefs to attempt to reconcile with other religions. Despite the criticisms of interfaith dialogue it still plays an essential role in Australian society to maintain peace and social cohesion. ————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. The Importance of Inter-faith Cooperation; available from http://www. buddhistinformation. com/importance_of_inter_faith_cooperation. htm [ 2 ]. Pope John Paul II’s public statement at Alice Springs, 1986; available from http://www. austlii. edu. au/au/orgs/car/docrec/relevant/docbook/p7. htm

Prometheus Essay

When I was reading â€Å"Prometheus†, I came upon a lot of similarities between the story and Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. I believe Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus was a good name for Mary Shelley’s book for multiple reasons. One reason was that both Prometheus and Victor, despite what people said, gave very valuable but dangerous things to both society and individual persons. Another reason might be that both Victor and Prometheus had to suffer for their bad decisions. Both Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus and â€Å"Prometheus† share many similarities through both their tone and morale.In Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, the tone of the subject to the author simply screams disapproval and a little bit of appreciation. When Mary Shelley first writes of Victor creating the monster, she shows excitement through her writing when she brings up the idea that life could be created in a lab and given to a lifeless being. But, later on in the book, wh en she is writing for Victor’s character, she clearly expresses more hatred and disapproval of the idea of the giving of life to lifeless beings.She expresses these ideas through Frankenstein’s obvious anger and pain that is caused because of his reckless choice to create life. In terms of morale, Shelley makes it clear life is not meant to be created and given away. Life is supposed to be a very valuable thing to be appreciated every day. But yet, she still shows that good can come from a bad situation. These are some of the examples of Shelley’s intentional moral and tone in Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. In â€Å"Prometheus† the author’s tone also shows disapproval, but it presents positive thoughts about the gift of fire.When Prometheus first gives fire to the people of the earth, the author expresses both his approval and disapproval of the situation through Zeus’s character and Prometheus’s character. When Zeus says, †Å"Now that they have that gift, there’s no telling what they’ll do. Soon they will be so proud of their accomplishments, that they will think they are as great as gods. Who knows, they might even try to storm Olympus itself†, the author obviously is glowing with disapproval of the idea. However, the author admits that some good could come out of it, when Zues decides to give the humans a chance ather than burn them in their own flames. Now we are to the point where I must state both the stories’ similarities. Both the â€Å"Prometheus† and Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus are similar in so many ways; I easily understand why Mary Shelley named her novel based on the Greek Myth. One of the most obvious reasons is the close similarity in the plot. Both Victor and Prometheus are punished for their decisions they had make. They also both think their choices will contribute to society, instead of being a menace to society. Another major similarity is t hat the authors of both stories present the same lesson throughout each story.The lesson is that some things are meant to be left alone or else major consequences will follow because of the decision to tamper with those things. In Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, Victor tampers with the matter of life; his consequence is the torture of being responsible for the murder of those he loves. In the Greek Myth Prometheus, Prometheus tampers with the matter of fire; his consequence is being tortured every day for the rest of eternity by excruciating physical pain. Those are a couple of the many similarities between the two classic stories.Both the Greek myth â€Å"Prometheus† and novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus were good stories to read. They both provided very good life lessons. One is that if one is doing something that requires unwanted lying to those they love, one probably should not be doing it in the first place. Another is that one needs to take responsibility for his or her actions and accept it with open arms because it was due to their one decision. After reading these stories many similarities arose for me that helped me make the decision that Mary Shelley’s novel was appropriately named.

Free Essays on Narrative Essay

As I walked down the hallway to the back, a strong repulsive odor became noticeable. I walked further and the stench grew stronger. I almost couldn’t take it; the smell twisted my stomach almost making me vomit, but I fought the urge and continued on. As I walked on that’s when I heard it, initially muffled and then clearer, it was cries and yelps. It sounded like something was being tortured or murdered in such a way as to extract the last bit of pain from its victim. I pressed on reaching the end of the passage; that’s when I then crossed the threshold into the main room only to have my heart ripped from my chest and thrown to the floor. All I could see was cage after cage of dogs in some of the worst conditions I have ever seen. As I ventured into the room the first thing that jumped out at me were the cages, they were small, and had two to three dogs in each one. The cages were constructed of chain-link fencing on three sides and they were connected to an identical outside enclosure via a hole in a shared block wall. I walked on and noticed that I was starting to sweat. It was awfully hot and uncomfortable in this room; I could only imagine how the animals felt lying on the floor next to the passage that was letting in the blazing inferno of the afternoon sun. As I continued on, I thought to myself, â€Å"They don’t even treat prisoners this badly.† Cringing as I had to pass all the cages I noticed that not only were the cages small, overfilled, and comfortless, they were also filthy. The disgusting odor that had embraced my sense of smell earlier was that of dog urine and excrement. The bear concrete floors of the cages were covered in dried dog urine that in the summer’s heat was releasing a less than desirable aroma. As I approached a cage to see one of the dogs, I noticed fecal matter was spotted all over the floor. If I had to guess I would say that the cages were never cleaned. Caught between sickness... Free Essays on Narrative Essay Free Essays on Narrative Essay â€Å"Stop chasing me!† shrieked the little boy with freckles and fire-red hair. Sheila couldn’t help but stare as she entered her sleek black Mercedes with all-wood paneling and leather interior. She flipped up her cell phone and immediately dialed the number of her office, reaching Suzy, her secretary. Without even a greeting, Sheila began rattling orders away. â€Å"Call Mr. Isham, cancel my appointment at 3:30, have the McLaden, Hyatt, Jacobs, and Smith Warner files on my desk a.s.a.p.† All in one breath. â€Å"Oh, and don’t forget my double espresso with sesame seed bagel. Toasted.† Sheila tries to engulf herself in work whenever possible, which isn’t too hard considering she’s a high priced lawyer in New York earning over $350,000 a year. She made some decisions earlier in her life, which still haunt her and she wonders daily if she made the right choice. Chit chattering of fellow students and constant clicking on keyboards surrounds the busy coffee house, combined with the sweet aroma of espresso blended with whipped cream. All Sheila could think about was the pink plus sign on the pregnancy test. Here she was a junior at Princeton, one of the best schools in the nation, and she was facing the biggest decision she’d ever make. Oh the humiliation she would face from her family and the disappointment that she would cause them, more so to herself. It had been her dream ever since she hit junior high to become a high priced lawyer in New York. â€Å"Hey sweetie. I missed you,† he whispered softy in her ear. â€Å"What’s wrong? Did you get an A- on an exam,† he teased. â€Å"I’m pregnant Keon,† she said in one quick breath. He gently took her in his arms and promised to always be there whenever she need him. Sheila pushed him away and immediately told him her decision without looking up. â€Å"I’m getting an abortion at a local clinic tomorrow,† she sniffled. â€Å"Don’t try to change my mind. As s... Free Essays on Narrative Essay It’s July 1993. I’m 12 years old. We are watching television in the living room. I hear a bird chirping outside the window of the living room. I pull the curtain wide open to see where the chirp was coming from. I saw a baby bird limping on the sidewalk, it must have fell out of the tree, I thought to myself. My instincts told me to go outside and bring the bird inside before a cat gets to it and eats it up. I turn to my brother, who is just sitting in the dining room next to me, and yelled out to him, â€Å"There’s a bird outside limping, lets bring it in the house until it gets better and then we’ll let it go.† My brother and I dash to the door to get the bird. As we both got to the porch and ran down three painted red steps, the bird began to hop towards a bush on the side of the house. Every time we got closer to the bird the louder the bird began to chirp. As the bird reached the bush it was a lot harder to grab it because of all the thorns sticking out of bush. When I finally got hold of the bird and began reaching for it. A loud bang sound had gone of within the neighborhood. It sounded much like a firework that had gone off. I startled from the sound and dropped the bird out of my hand. My brother looked frightened, said to me that the sound of that bang, sounded like gunfire. I told him that it was just some firework down the street since it is almost Fourth of July. So we went back to trying to grab the bird and thought nothing of it. Bang, bang, bang! I startled again and this time I looked up to see what the noise really is. It turned out to be a sound of a gunfire that was coming from the bottom of the street from a brown, dirty, graffiti apartment. I see a man in black jeans and a gray T-shirt running up the hill with a gun in his hand. He is pointing the gun up towards the hill at a woman who is running in and out of the street screaming for help. I took a double look and I see the woman running towards my brothe... Free Essays on Narrative Essay Graduation is supposed to be an exciting time in a person’s life. Their family and friends are to gather and celebrate in the joyous occasion, especially a college graduation. However, my brother’s graduation was a little out of the ordinary. Picture perfect is how it was planned, but God decided to alter this ideal weekend to make it a bit more interesting. My brother decided about five years ago to leave our family and move to Sacramento to go to college. Two and a half years later it was time for him to graduate and time for us to fly up to see it. Airline tickets were bought and hotel reservations were made, we were ready to go. The morning of, my mother called the car rental place to make sure that a car would be there, waiting for us. The lady on the phone told my mom that she had us scheduled to arrive at nine o’clock pm. This posed a huge problem considering that the graduation was a three. After my mom hung up the phone she called the airline to check the flight. She found out that when she asked for an early morning flight the person who helped us put us on a nine o’clock flight thinking that it was in the morning, but he failed to notice the pm attached to the time. So off we went dodging the cars of the morning rush hour traffic to make it to the airport on time. My other brother, Rob, was going to meet us there so we could all go together. My mother tried and tried to get a hold of him, but was unsuccessful. We arrived only to find Rob waiting there for us ready to go, it was an enormous relief. So we boarded the plane anticipating all the relaxation that could be accomplished on the hour and a half flight to Sacramento. The ride was calming and peaceful for all about an hour until the captain came on the intercom and announced heavy fog at the airport we were to arrive at. After that point we flew around for about 20 to 30 minutes until we were directed back ho... Free Essays on Narrative Essay As I walked down the hallway to the back, a strong repulsive odor became noticeable. I walked further and the stench grew stronger. I almost couldn’t take it; the smell twisted my stomach almost making me vomit, but I fought the urge and continued on. As I walked on that’s when I heard it, initially muffled and then clearer, it was cries and yelps. It sounded like something was being tortured or murdered in such a way as to extract the last bit of pain from its victim. I pressed on reaching the end of the passage; that’s when I then crossed the threshold into the main room only to have my heart ripped from my chest and thrown to the floor. All I could see was cage after cage of dogs in some of the worst conditions I have ever seen. As I ventured into the room the first thing that jumped out at me were the cages, they were small, and had two to three dogs in each one. The cages were constructed of chain-link fencing on three sides and they were connected to an identical outside enclosure via a hole in a shared block wall. I walked on and noticed that I was starting to sweat. It was awfully hot and uncomfortable in this room; I could only imagine how the animals felt lying on the floor next to the passage that was letting in the blazing inferno of the afternoon sun. As I continued on, I thought to myself, â€Å"They don’t even treat prisoners this badly.† Cringing as I had to pass all the cages I noticed that not only were the cages small, overfilled, and comfortless, they were also filthy. The disgusting odor that had embraced my sense of smell earlier was that of dog urine and excrement. The bear concrete floors of the cages were covered in dried dog urine that in the summer’s heat was releasing a less than desirable aroma. As I approached a cage to see one of the dogs, I noticed fecal matter was spotted all over the floor. If I had to guess I would say that the cages were never cleaned. Caught between sickness...

9 things to do before you write that resume- The JobNetwork

9 things to do before you write that resume- The JobNetwork So, you’ve found that job posting that looks a little too good to be true. You want to put your best foot forward, but you haven’t even gotten your resume in order. Sound familiar? Since your resume is your potential employer’s first impression of you, resume writing is a serious task - one that can’t be started without getting your life together first.Here’s what you should do before you start writing your resume:1. Introspection is keyBefore you even set pen to paper (or really, in this day and age, boot up your laptop), you first have to decide what it is you’re aiming for. This applies to both new job seekers and to those who simply wish to embark on a new phase of their career. Do you have a goal in mind for what you want to do with your life or where you want your career to go?If you need some help discovering your career path, check out these approaches:ââ€"  Search your soul: Set some time aside to ask yourself important questions about where you would like your career to go. Brainstorm what you enjoy doing, think through your priorities, or ask yourself questions like where you would like to see yourself in ten years. The conclusions you arrive at will be instrumental in helping you find your way.ââ€"  Take a test: If you’re interested to see if there are any options that you haven’t previously considered, there are plenty of free career tests online, such as Sokanu’s Career Test or the O*NET Interest Profiler, which is created by the U.S. Department of Labor. In these tests, you answer a set of questions and see if your interests or personality are suited for a certain career path. After that, you can research your results and see if it’s what you want.ââ€"  Talk to a professional: If you feel that talking to an unbiased professional would benefit you, seeking guidance from a career counselor may be a good move. A career counselor’s job is to guide you through your car eer choices. He or she may first find out more about you and your interests, and then give you suggestions based on what he or she knows about you and her expertise on the salaries and skills required for various fields. Though this option costs between $75.00 to over $1,200.00 per hour-long session, some colleges offer free counseling to alumni, so be sure to explore your options thoroughly.Once you decide on your path, it will be easier to see what assets you have that will take you where you wish to go.2. Gather your informationIf you already have a dream job in mind, great! The next step is figuring out what an employer in that field is looking for in an ideal candidate and preparing accordingly. According to  this article by Workopolis, only 2% of job seekers make it to the interview, with a well-crafted application being what elevates you to the top 2% of contenders. Therefore, having a resume that provides a lot of targeted information clearly and concisely is one of the be st ways to make the strongest impression possible.To create a competitive resume, be sure to take a stroll down memory lane and compile these important tidbits: ââ€"  Relevant previous work experience, including specific dates of employment. ââ€"  Pertinent certifications, licenses and awards, honors, and activities. ââ€"  A list of your publications. ââ€"  Your GPA, but only include this if it’s above a 3.0.Once you get all this information together, you can use it to build the case that you are exactly what your would-be employer is looking for.3. Ready your portfolio, website, and/or LinkedIn profileWhether it’s a hard copy binder or online, a portfolio is a collection of your best work that your potential employer can peruse to determine if you have the skills they are looking for. It’s a valuable tool, providing incontrovertible evidence that you’re the real deal, and not overselling yourself. Depending on the industry you’re hoping to enter, particularly if it’s arts related, a portfolio may even be required.A personal website often serves the same purpose as an online portfolio, with more biographical information in the form of an â€Å"About† section, and some additional features, such as a blog and contact page. Having a personal website greatly increases your visibility, and is known to impress would-be employers when he or she Googles you. So, if you have one, make sure that it’s up-to-date before including it on your resume.Finally, in this age of social media, your LinkedIn profile is quickly becoming a must-have on your resume. Therefore, an important step to preparing your resume is optimizing your LinkedIn. Although the information on both your resume and LinkedIn profile may seem similar, make sure that it’s not identical. Think of your LinkedIn as an additional opportunity to showcase yourself, so don’t waste it!4. Brainstorm your skillsNow that you have your past a ccomplishments laid out in front of you, it’s time to analyze the concrete skills that led to your success.For first time job seekers :If this is your first-ever resume, start by thinking about your achievements from school or other endeavors. If you’re a student, were you on the executive board for a club? If you’re a stay-at-home mother, did you run a fundraiser? Maybe you can even leverage your travels by emphasizing the skills you gained. Even if these are not â€Å"jobs† per se, they require certain skills to pull off, skills that you can put on your resume. For job seekers who have gone through the grind before : If this isn’t your first job, that means you must have some work experience you can glean skills from. If your previous job is similar to the one you’re seeking, then this part should be fairly easy because you already know the skills necessary for success.However, if your next job is in a completely  new field, identifying and convincingly presenting transferable skills between jobs will be your most critical and difficult task. Nevertheless, doing so will make you a much stronger candidate. Don’t forget soft skills!When assembling your list of skills, in addition to the more technical hard skills, such as typing or operating certain machinery, don’t forget to work in soft skills that may not be so obvious at first, such as people skills or leadership skills. If you can show that you are a well-rounded individual with the appropriate skills, it will convince your would-be employer that this job is right up your alley and that you are the best person for the job.5. Check in with your referencesThis tip is a matter of courtesy. Although a list of references is not customarily part of the resume, it’s a resource that should be available upon request. Therefore, before crafting your resume, it may also be a good idea to take a moment and ponder who would make an appropriate reference. Before you list names and contact info of your references, however, you should remember to make sure that the people you’re volunteering are okay with your potential employer contacting them. Not only are you showing your references that you respect them and don’t come off entitled to their good reviews, but asking for their permission ensures that your references aren’t taken by surprise when they are contacted by your would-be employer. After all, you want your reference to be prepared when the call comes!To make sure that you get the best possible recommendation, your reference should know what you are applying for and you should remind them of what you did while working under him or her. If possible, provide a template highlighting what you would most like the reference to emphasize. Even if you are the best job candidate, if your potential employer can sense that your references are caught off guard or don’t really know who you are or what you did, t hat reflects badly on you. You come off as disrespectful and unorganized, two strikes against you that will turn off any would-be employers.6. Determine what format works best for youResumes usually fall under one of three formats: reverse chronological, functional, or a combination of both. Each of these formats has their own advantages and disadvantages. You should choose accordingly, depending on which format presents your character and professional background in the most positive light.Here’s a quick explanation of the differences between the three formats:ââ€"  Reverse chronological : With this format, since your work experience is listed in reverse chronological order, would-be employers can easily discern upward mobility with your roles and responsibilities, making you a highly attractive candidate. However, despite being the most common format, it puts applicants who have a work gap or who don’t have as much work experience at a disadvantage, since your expe rience is front and center.ââ€"  Functional: Since functional resumes lead with the skills section and gloss over your past jobs, it’s good for applicants who would like to conceal a gap in their work experience, such as a stay-at-home mother returning to the workforce. Since functional resumes aren’t as common, hiring managers sometimes interpret it as a red flag, so be sure to back up your resume with a compelling cover letter and be ready to field questions about it in the interview.ââ€"  Combination: Another format that puts the skills section first, this format is ideal for applicants who are going for a very technical job or one who might be seeking to switch fields. After all, this format emphasizes your skills, which may be transferrable, and draws attention away from your work experience, which may not directly correlate with the job you’re applying for. A mix of both of the preceding ones, this format could be the perfect fit for your career path . However, since this format still has your work history in it, it is unable to conceal work gaps, so if you have any, you should choose a different format.Before you start writing, make sure you take a good look at your career up until now and choose the format that will best showcase it.7. It’s all in the wordsWord choice for your resume is also of critical importance. For one, most companies now run resumes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that will scan your resume for relevant keywords. If your resume doesn’t hit enough of the keywords, your resume may never even reach human eyes before it’s summarily rejected.However, if your resume does reach a human, one thing you don’t want crossing his or her mind is: this is boring. Bear in mind that it’s likely that he or she has probably at least skimmed through hundreds of resumes before yours, so if your resume doesn’t stick out or command a presence, it won’t leave much of an impression.Here’s how you can ensure that your word choice makes your resume stand out from the rest:ââ€"  Research, research, research : A quick search of similar job postings should inform you what keywords have direct bearing on your industry. Work these into your resume, but don’t go overboard. Don’t forget to catch related keywords, as well.ââ€"  Ready a list of action verbs: Action verbs are important tools to have readily accessible because they vividly describe your actions and don’t take up as much space as passive voice. They also make you sound more authoritative, since you are actively implementing duties, instead of the duties passively happening to you. Employers love assertive resumes because they are more inclined to entrust you with important tasks.ââ€"  Dust off your thesaurus : Making use of a thesaurus will keep you from the monotony of repetition, thus keeping the hiring manager engaged. So, even if you have all this experien ce and know-how, it won’t amount to much if you can’t frame it with descriptive and powerful words that will resonate with your would-be employer.With the perfect words at your fingertips, you can weave them all together to compose a resume that will earn the approval of both the robots and the hiring manager.8. Style counts!This is one of those steps that seems trivial compared to the others. However, the font you choose can factor into your potential employer’s first impression of you. Choosing a silly font is going to make you stand out, but not in a way that you may want. Instead, fonts that convey reliability and trustworthiness are your best bet.Likewise, you want to help out your would-be employer as much as you can, so you should prioritize readability for your resume over something ostentatious. Depending on the typeface, something too flashy can obscure or distract from your message. If you want some suggestions on fonts that have proven to be well-lik ed by recruiters, take a look at this list of best fonts to use on your resume.9. Be prepared to kill your darlingsPhoto of William Faulkner by Carl Van Vechten [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto of William Faulkner by Carl Van Vechten [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsNo matter how long and illustrious your career, your resume should not be a document that rambles on and on. If you consider the hundreds of resumes hiring managers have to power through, it’s natural that they wouldn’t spend more than six seconds on each resume, as this study by The Ladders. This leads to an old adage that your resume shouldn’t exceed a single page, which still holds true today. Therefore, you should approach writing with the mindset: be concise.If you find yourself hesitating, take some advice from a famous writer, William Faulkner, and be prepared to kill your darlings. While this advice sounds extreme, what Faulkner really means is that you should be mentally read y to cut stuff out of your writing, even if you take great pride in writing it.This idea can also be applied to resume writing. Maybe you have a fondness for that first job you ever took or that high school club you participated in. However, if neither of these are pertinent to the job you are seeking, it’s best to just trim out the unnecessary information or reword it more efficiently.Wrapping things up Sitting down and writing your resume isn’t something you should approach haphazardly. Being mentally prepared and having all the appropriate information ready will result in a better looking and better received resume, making the job hunting process all the more smooth. So, don’t be afraid to take your time and brainstorm away!About the author:  Lauren McAdams is a hiring manager, career consultant, and lead writer at ResumeCompanion.com. She’s been quoted by sites like Forbes, Fox Business, and TechRepublic, and her resume templates and career advice o n Resume Companion have helped hundreds of applicants find their dream jobs. When she’s not busy enriching the lives of job seekers, she’s either sipping on coffee or a glass of wine – depending on the time of day of course.

Reynolds Surname Meaning and Origin

Reynolds Surname Meaning and Origin The common last name Reynolds is a patronymic surname meaning son of Reynold. The given name Reynold derives from the Germanic name Reginold composed of the elements ragin, meaning counsel, advice and wald, meaning rule. Mac Raghnaill is the Irish version of the Reynolds  surname, deriving  from the Old Norse  Rognvald  a Latin given name composed of  rogn for regal and vald, or valor. Surname Origin: English, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: REYNOLDSON, REYNOLD, MAC RAGHNAILL, MRAINELL, MRANALD, MRANDAL, MACRANNALL, MACRANALD, MACRANDELL, MACCRINDLE, MACREYNOLD, MACREYNOLDS, RANDALSON, RONALDSON, RANNALS, RANDALS, RANDLES, RANOLDS Famous People with the Surname REYNOLDS: Ryan Reynolds - Canadian actorGeneral John F. Reynolds -  Union leader during the U.S. Civil War Genealogy Resources for the Surname REYNOLDS: Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 250 common last names from the 2000 census? The Reynolds Family CircleA  non-profit organization open to any descendant of William Reynolds and Jane Milliken who were married on August 23, 1790 in Greene County, Tennessee. Reynolds Surname DNA ProjectThis FamilyTreeDNA hosted project has over 200 members with the Reynolds surname who have had their Y-DNA tested in an attempt to determine distant ancestral origins. Reynolds Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Reynolds surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or ask your own question about your Reynolds ancestors. FamilySearch - REYNOLDS GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Reynolds surname and its variations. REYNOLDS Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Reynolds surname. DistantCousin.com - REYNOLDS Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Reynolds. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Article # 4 (due 10-12) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article # 4 (due 10-12) - Essay Example Provider operational issues arise as a result of the huge consumption of energy because some departments in the health care providers may require more energy than the other department. This is because some department may use more advanced machinery than others. According to the study work of Brimmer (2012), 76 percent of the health care provider’s finances get used to provide energy to the facility. This puts pressure on the management to find other sources of finances to facilitate the operations of other department. From the financial records of most health care facilities, lighting of the facilities and machineries also uses prodigious amount of energy this makes the operations department of the health care provider to use lighting conservation features. Focusing too much finance in one area depletes the finances of the health care providers hindering the other departments from working properly (Brimmer, 2012). Energy being a core aspect in the organizational operations, it is essential for the management to use energy saving tips to reduce the amount energy in

Groups and Teams Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Groups and Teams Paper - Essay Example Harvey Dubin (2005) stresses the need for high performance team: "A high-performing team will produce innovations and results that take the company to the next level." He further adds that this "will reduce costs, increase productivity, shorten time for research and development, and get products and services to market faster." With these advantages, high performance teams are a "must have" for any business organization. The establishment of high performance teams should be commenced by the individual employees' commitment. In starting any specific task, a team can only function efficiently if each of the members vows their total devotion and dedication to the job to be accomplished. Each of the members should not be bound by their past experience but should seek to commit and perform in ways they never have before, opening themselves to new skills and perspectives. According to Harvey (2005): Building a high-performing team is not about people's skills, abilities or knowledge. It's about their commitment. It is not about putting together the right team. It's about putting together the right challenge. It is not about avoiding or overcoming setbacks and corporate resistance. It's about embracing difficulties and leveraging them to galvanize the team in a relentless pursuit of results. A research conducted by the Filine Institute c... Good communication is really a key in achieving process gains. Communication enables the dispensation of relevant information which will aid the whole organization in transferring ideas, evaluating possibilities, and promotes harmonious relationship between group members. Good communication also eliminates probable errors which can be brought about by miscommunications. Cohesion or interdependence is another key in boosting the performance of a team. The realization within the group that they are a part of a cohesive whole whose goals can only be achieved by strong coordination will motivate each member to do best for the group. Cohesion also cultivates each member's sense of belongingness. Meanwhile, Donald J. Bodwell (2002) recognized that high performance teams consistently displays trust, respect, and support for each team member. He argues that "team members need to be coached in the need to trust and support each other" (Bodwell 2002). He emphasizes t he value of support which involves keeping an eye on each team member as well as offering help when needed. In order to become a high performance team, members should constantly show that they are strongly and tightly united in order to achieve a common goal. Nowadays, the new trend in business organizations is diversity hiring. As companies come to recognize the contribution of workplace diversity, it is widely observed that players are closely monitoring the extent of diversity in its human resource. The rationale in favoring a human resource with different origins, backgrounds, interests, and status is fairly simple: diversity will is able to pool together various talents, ideas, skills, and knowledge

During the 1980s and early 1990s recessions, British manufacturing Essay - 1

During the 1980s and early 1990s recessions, British manufacturing management restored profitability, sacked employees, and tran - Essay Example The depression had been caused by the great value of the pound, towering rates of interest, a firm fiscal policy, the economic boom and bust, high charges of mortgage interests, and the use of the Exchange Rate System Since the recession in the 1980s, British manufacturing has not been able to regain its position as the world’s top manufacturing nation. Although the decline experienced by Britain has been inevitable, a number of measures have been taken to improve British manufacturing. Among these is the New Growth Economics, which focuses on growth policy, convergence and catching-up, social capability, human capital, and investment. The United Kingdom has also made efforts to sustain a high level of foreign direct investment, which is one of the foundations to the revival of British manufacturing. Keywords: Recession, British Manufacturing, Gross Domestic Product, Inflation, Manufacturing Sector, Competitors, Unemployment, Economy A recession is a â€Å"downturn in the bus iness cycle during which real GDP declines, business profits fall, the percentage of the work without jobs rises, and production capacity is underutilized† (Tucker, 2008, p.252). GDP means, â€Å"the value of a country`s overall output of goods and services during one fiscal year at market prices, excluding net income from abroad† (â€Å"gross domestic product (GDP),† n.d.). ... Source: (â€Å"Causes of recessions,† n.d.). A recession consists of two quarters, whereby the decline in the GDP; during a recession the economy is functioning inside and further away from its production possibilities curve. During a recession the economy is affected in a downfall, demands begin to slowly go down; this is because the market is saturated and the demands for goods and services becomes weak (Montgomery, 2011). Factors that lead to the recession in Britain during the 1980s and early 1990s include: 1. Great value of the pound: This reduced the demand for exports since they became more expensive. British manufacturing was the sector that was mostly affected. 2. High rates of interest: Inflation in the UK was above 15% in 1979 (â€Å"Causes of Recessions,† n.d.). High inflation was inherited by the conservative government, which made a commitment to reduce it. The government focused on tight fiscal and monetary policies, which reduced inflation, but caused a reduction in investment, spending, and output. 3. A firm fiscal policy: The government focused on reducing its borrowing level to reduce inflation, which was necessary for the economy. To achieve this, taxes were increased, consequently reducing consumer spending due to the fact that their disposable income was reduced by the tax increase. 4. Economic boom and bust: There was rapid economic growth during the 1980s. As a result of this inflation increased above 10% (â€Å"Causes of Recessions,† n.d.). The UK government embarked on reducing the inflation by increasing the rates of interests, which led to a reduction in spending. 5. Use of the Exchange Rate System: The UK

Developing yourself and others Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing yourself and others - Coursework Example I like action oriented careers, in which I will be in the goal settings and implementations. My colleague has a converging learning style. He likes experimenting first on theories and principles before he can apply on real office work. He questions everything he is given to work with and rarely does his work following gut feelings. He is interested in developmental work with innovations such as technology and science. For him, everything has to be tackled with an appropriate solution, and what worked for a single problem may not work for another one unless, it is first tried and tested. He is the kind of person who can come up with manuals to be used in the work, and everybody should use the manual when solving the particular problem. The developmental needs assessment for me and my colleague was done using a SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is an analysis that focuses on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Burrow, 2012 p. 148). The first strength I harbor is that I am a hands-on person, and like doing things the best way in which I think will work out. The market is always dynamic changing from day to day and thus what worked yesterday may not function today. The opportunity I have is that I am a fast learner, and I am also very flexible to change and can thus adapt to any organizational setting. My major weakness lies in the use of standards and formulas. I cannot do a job that requires the use of standards, as I prefer taking shortcuts. The primary threat I harbor is the flooding of the market with people who are whole rounded. The major need is to learn how to use standards and patience in implementation of strategies. My colleague’s strength lies in the ability to use standards and use only those formulas that are tested and tried. His major opportunity lies in the fact that he is still young and in school, and, for this reason, will climb the corporate ladder fast because of the amount of certificates he has. His major weakness is

Human resource Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human resource - Assignment Example This need is more significant than ever, as Human Resource Development is a process for budding and setting free human expertise progress with the rationale of improving performance. This performance can be improved through organizational development and personnel training and development and profession development. Arguably, in this rapidly changing business environment, organizations have increasingly implemented the organizational strategies to address these changes in the external environment by integrating functional Human resource management strategies. This paper delineates the activities involved in strategic Human Resources Development in reference to Fly Airline Dubai. Training and Developmental Activities In reference to Wilson (1999), Human Resource training and Development is concerned with undertaking identification of the training requirements, planning and designing training, implementing and evaluating training activities (p. 34). Fly Airline Dubai’s Human res ource department carries out activities designed to teach and advance company personnel, address performance challenges and assist in preparing the employees for high management positions and roles. Debatably, Fly Airline Dubai offers lithe alternatives which include coaching, job rotation experiences and mentoring. i. Needs assessment and Analysis activity Leigh et al (2000) emphasizes on the significance of assessing and analyzing needs in human resource development and training (p.89). Assessment of the needs in human resource development and training is a corner stone in identifying Human Resource Development interventions required for effective efforts. Fly Airline Dubai assess the requirements of the organization, the individual worker proficiencies, understanding and attitudes, and the functional obligations and department requirements. ii. Planning and Design Activity Just like Delahaye (2000, p. 24)) suggests, Fly Airline Dubai identifies the learning stratagems to be emplo yed, the training results and the individuals who experience the training. Alzabani (2002) asserts that after the needs analysis is complete and clear objectives set, Human Resource Development professionals consequently plan in choosing the suitable training provider in order to organize internal proficiency (p. 124-125). Fly Airline Dubai outsources for external training providers who provide training to its staff members. Developing lesson plans and choosing the effective techniques of training as described by Desimone et al (2002, p. 37) is an imperative aspect of Fly Airline Dubai’s Human resource development. In reference to Nadler and Nadler (1994), the lesson plans serve as an essential pointer for the trainer during the delivery of the training substance (p. 87). iii. Implementation Activity Fly Airline Dubai’s Human Resource Development and training considers several questions in its training. First, the department considers â€Å"when the employees will be provided with the training?† Secondly, it considers â€Å"who will receive the training?† Thirdly, it considers where the training will take place and who will conduct the training and the techniques to be used by the trainer. Arguably, these reviews by Fly Airline assist it on the implementation of the Human Resource Developments and Training program within the company. iv. Evaluation Activity Evaluation is a significant activity in training and

Developing yourself and others Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing yourself and others - Coursework Example I like action oriented careers, in which I will be in the goal settings and implementations. My colleague has a converging learning style. He likes experimenting first on theories and principles before he can apply on real office work. He questions everything he is given to work with and rarely does his work following gut feelings. He is interested in developmental work with innovations such as technology and science. For him, everything has to be tackled with an appropriate solution, and what worked for a single problem may not work for another one unless, it is first tried and tested. He is the kind of person who can come up with manuals to be used in the work, and everybody should use the manual when solving the particular problem. The developmental needs assessment for me and my colleague was done using a SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is an analysis that focuses on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Burrow, 2012 p. 148). The first strength I harbor is that I am a hands-on person, and like doing things the best way in which I think will work out. The market is always dynamic changing from day to day and thus what worked yesterday may not function today. The opportunity I have is that I am a fast learner, and I am also very flexible to change and can thus adapt to any organizational setting. My major weakness lies in the use of standards and formulas. I cannot do a job that requires the use of standards, as I prefer taking shortcuts. The primary threat I harbor is the flooding of the market with people who are whole rounded. The major need is to learn how to use standards and patience in implementation of strategies. My colleague’s strength lies in the ability to use standards and use only those formulas that are tested and tried. His major opportunity lies in the fact that he is still young and in school, and, for this reason, will climb the corporate ladder fast because of the amount of certificates he has. His major weakness is

Human Resources - Pay Plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resources - Pay Plans - Essay Example Hence, reward system in organization can be defined as â€Å"The degree to which reward allocations (i.e., salary increase, promotions) are based on employee performance criteria in contrast to seniority, favoritism and so on.† However, reward systems are more than bonus and stock options. As Steve Jobs says â€Å"The journey is reward†; often rewards include both of these incentives, they can also include other recognition such as reassignment, non-monetary like vacations. Abraham Maslow’s theory of needs hierarchy explains the needs of human beings into five hierarchical categories namely physiological, safety, social, esteem, and need for self-actualisation.   On the contrary, Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory explains why employees act the way they do, in light of their aspirations and their expectation of reaching those goals. These two theories are renowned frameworks that are used to create effective reward systems in organisations. Intrinsic rewards are intangible, i.e., feeling of accomplishment and a sense of achievement. These rewards are those that produce non-quantifiable, personal satisfaction and a feeling that the work of employee is appreciated. On the other hand, extrinsic rewards are tangible outcome such as monetary, promotion, bonuses and sales prizes. Such employees are thought to be motivated to work hard to produce quality results when extrinsic rewards are offered. In research paper of â€Å"Management implication of the interaction between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards† by David Beswick of University of Melbourne, when employee is intrinsically motivated, they are more aware of wide range of phenomena while giving more attention to complexities, inconsistencies and unexpected possibilities. Such employees need time and independence to make choices, to collect and process information, and to get applauded for well

Four Factors of Organizational Success Essay Example for Free

Four Factors of Organizational Success Essay There are numerous ways to achieve organization success. Ask any two business guru their opinions and you will undoubtedly get two unique lists. Successful entrepreneurs covet their secrets of success and business school faculty lecture what the latest texts have written. Defining a check list of do’s and don’ts may seem like a rather easy task, but the implementation of those ideas is what will truly lead to organizational success. But what is organization success? That question can have many answers depending on the business. A University might define it as job placement of graduating students, but a middle school may be successful if its American history program is nationally recognized. A publicly traded company (and its stock holders) could define it as profits over the last quarter, whereas a small technology start-up could consider the issue of a patent on their newest widget a success. It’s my assessment that of all the factors pertaining to organizational success, those that revolve around the people within the organization and adaptation within the organization are the largest factors of success. I believe when a commitment to improvement, a continuous workforce development plan, and an implementation of a shared vision are harmoniously integrated by a resilient leader, it will place a company on a path to organizational success. Commitment to Continuous Quality (Process Improvement) There are no perfect scenarios where a company continues to profit and does nothing to improve. Updating a process is a continuous method that involves employees at all levels while focusing on the needs of the customer (John, 1992). Successful organizations are able to identify potential areas for increasing the value of processes or products. Not all products need to undergo substantial change in order to qualify as a process improvement. A change in the perceived value of the product is all that is needed. For example, a recent advertisement from McDonald’s is touting their Egg McMuffin sandwich as a luxury and higher class item. Taking from old consumer adage â€Å"It’s the Cadillac of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , McDonalds has substituted â€Å"McMuffin† for Cadillac. There have been no changes to the recipe of the sandwich, but they have changed the perception of the item by comparing it to a separate premium item and in turn increasing a perceived value (Biasi, 2012). Whether a company modifies a current product, updates a process or simply re-brands, constant improvement is a key factor in the success of an organization. Shared vision In order for a company to achieve a goal, its employees must be on board with the missions of the organization. That is, employees must be aligned with the mission, values and goals of the organization in order to foster growth and achieve long term success (The secrets of organizational success, 1995). In order for an organization to implement any changes, those within (at all levels) must share in the vision of the organization (Kanter, 1988). Every company should have a vision. Without a vision there are no goals to achieve and the company has no definition of success in the future. A successful vision provides a company with a few goals to which they can devote their resources to while inspiring its workforce to achieve those goals (Clancy, n.d.). The importance (as stated by Clancy) lies with inspiring employees. A vision alone needs support. Simply wanting something done, without dedicating recourses to it, is futile. Creating a shared vision, one in which employees have a stake, is significant in the organizations long term success. Providing a personal connection to the product (or process) drastically changes the way employees approach their work and makes a substantial impact on their work quality (Hill Tande, 2003). People have to want to work, not because they are told to (Senge, 1990). The creation of a shared vision adds value to the work of an employee. A paycheck cannot be the only motivation. The employee must want to take stake in the operation of the company and understand their work is critical to the mission of the company. Continuous Learning / Workforce Development Former CEO of Intel Andrew Grove once said, â€Å"Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure† (1996). It is important for a company to provide its staff with the opportunities to develop and provide new insights into company processes. While in his tenure at Intel, Grove urged executive to allow staff to experiment with new techniques and processes while concurrently performing the production of existing products (Grove, 1996). Acknowledging the importance of creative freedom and invention allows for an improved process to be implemented without a significant reduction in production levels (Sheridan, 2004). Learning enhances people’s abilities; it drives creation, workplace competencies and motivates others to do the same (Loon, Lim, Teck, Lai, 2012). A company can develop their staff internally while creating new ideas, updating procedures and processes. Constant improvements do not come automatically. Instituting a program that promotes continuous learning and workforce development can eliminate down time between successes and will create a substantial competitive advantage. Strategic decision maker As an organization undergoes change, its leaders also need to have the willingness to do so. Strategic decision makers are flexible yet concise; they must make crucial decisions regarding growth, divestment, new products and cost cutting (Grant, 2008). As a company attempts to succeed in the marketplace, its leader must effectively navigate a myriad of executive decisions that affect the livelihood of the company. While any company can claim they want to improve, the implementation of that vision is the key. R.M. Kanter (1988) discusses that the best of those leaders are called â€Å"Change Masters†; leaders who are able to create a shared vision, encourage innovation, and support internal education. She continues that change isn’t always necessary, but a strategic decision maker will identify times where change is eminent and make adjustment rapidly. Take for example Lee Iacocca and Chrysler. Before his hire, the company was on the edge of complete failure. Something desperately needed to change. With the hire of Lee Iacocca came a decision to layoff those employees not willing to accept changes he believed would right the company. Those who stayed for a maximum $14 per hour salary, redesigned the brand and help the company earn over $2.5 billion within three years of his hire. (Roberts, n.d.). I am not suggesting a change in company culture is necessary, but a leader must be able to identify the need for change, have the ability to implement such change, and the gumption to do so. Finding a leader with the before mentioned qualifications will aid in corporate success. Four factors working together There are many other factors which could lead to (or prevent) organizational success. It’s my belief that the four points briefly discussed are deeply intertwined and provide an ever changing path towards success. The proper mix of these four items creates an environment that fosters company development. Just a few examples of the cohesion of these four factors have been noted in other publications: * Great leaders must be passionate about their visions and responsible for advancing workforce development (Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly Konopaske, 2006; Loon, et al., 2012). * Continuous learning among all levels leads to future process improvements (Zairi, Whymark. 2000). * Leaders must also have the mindset required for visionary leadership; otherwise they are managers and not leaders (Transforming leadership for success and sustainability, 2011). * Continuous process improvements that are derived from a shared vision are more readily adapted by employees (Guti, Llorà ©ns-Mon tes, Óscar. 2009). The items above are not meant to be all inclusive. There are numerous other factors that one could argue have equal impact on success. While I do not discredit those other factors, it’s my determination that the four mentioned are factors that are able to be controlled within the organization. Other factors such as environmental conditions, consumer behaviors, and external costs, remain out of the control of the business leader. Focusing on supplying staff with the necessary leadership to achieve the company vision will lead to success. As the newest management fads pass and business trends change, one thing will remain constant: the success of organization will rely on heavily people who are a part of the organization. References Biasi, A. (2012) Increasing Perceived Value (of your product or service). Smart Marketing Solutions. http://www.smartmarketingllc.com/2012/01/14/increasing-perceived-value-of-your-product-or-service/ Clancey, K.J. (n.d.). Shocking truth of the month. Most companies are operating without a vision. Retrieved from http://www.thekevinclancy.com/truths_102009_g.html Gibson, J.L., Ivancevich, J.M., Donnelly, J.H. Jr., Konopaske, R. (2008). Organizations. Behavior, structure, processes. McGraw-Hill Irwin. New York, NY. Grove, A. (1996). Only the paranoid survive. Double Day Publishing. New York, NY. Guti, L. J., F.J. Llorà ©ns-Montes, Óscar, F. B. S. (2009). Six sigma: From a goal-theoretic perspective to shared-vision development. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 29(2), 151-169. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01443570910932039 Hill, B., Tande, C. (2003). Personal impact maps: Chart the course to a shared vision. Workspan, 46(10), 38-42. Retrieved from ABI/Inform database. John, S. W. F.,Jr. (1992). Managing process improvement at the cherry point naval aviation depot. National Productivity Review (1986-1998), 11(4), 533-533. Retrieved from ABI/Inform database Kanter, R. M. (1988). Change masters vs. change stiflers. Executive Excellence, 5(3), 12-13. Retrieved from ABI/ Inform database Loon, M., Yet, M. L., Teck, H. L., Cai, L. T. (2012). Transformational leadership and job-related learning. Management Research Review, 35(3), 192-205. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01409171211210118 Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Sheridan, J.H. (2004). 1997 Technology Leader of the Year, Andy Grove: Building An Information Age Legacy. Industry Week. Retrieved from http://www.industryweek.com/companies-amp-executives/1997-technology-leader-yearandy-grove-building-information-age-legacy Sudhir, K. C., Pullig, C., F, D. A. (1997). Critical success factors from an organizational life cycle perspective: Perceptions of small business owners from different business environments. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 9(1), 47-0_7. Retrieved from ABI/Inform database. The secrets of organizational success: Aligning employees behind new corporate goals and objectives. (1995) Training Development, 49(8), 28-28. Retrieved from ABI/Inform Database. Transforming leadership for success and sustainability. (2011). Strategic Direction, 27(3), 19-21. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02580541111109598 Zairi, M., Whymark, J. (2000). The transfer of best practices: How to build a culture of benchmarking and continuous learning part 2. Benchmarking, 7(2), 146-167. Retrieved from ABI/Inform database.

Greek Colonization in the Archaic Period

Greek Colonization in the Archaic Period Identify and Discuss the Main Elements Stimulating the Spread of  Greek Colonies During the Archaic Period Introduction Between around 800 and 500[1] the Greek states embarked upon a widespread colonisation movement; by the 6th century Greek colonies were scattered throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It was as a direct result of this colonisation movement that Greek culture was disseminated to Africa, Asia and Southern Europe, it was a movement that changed the economic and cultural history of the whole region (Bradley, 1988, 20). Motivation for Colonisation It is often assumed, based upon the original claim of Thucydides, and recently exemplified by Sealey (1976, 31), that colonisation was a direct result of land hunger[2] caused by overpopulation of the mother city and a lack of local resources to feed burgeoning numbers. He claims support for this idea can be found in the foundation of Cyrene (Herodotus 4.150-158). The colonists were sent out by Thera after a period of famine, but this does not at all support the idea that colonists were sent out by overpopulated cities, but that some colonies wee the result of natural disaster. The theory of exploding population as a direct cause for much of the colonisation movement can easily be defeated; the assumption of increasing numbers comes from the archaeological evidence for greater numbers of graves in places like Attica and the Argolid (Cawkwell, 1992, 57). Athens, however, sent out no colonies before the end of the 7th century and Argos none at all. The archaeological evidence also suggests that the number of burials declined in the 7th century implying a population decrease, if the logic is followed through, during the period when Athens sent out here colony. It would be unsafe to assume one without the other. What the archaeology is most likely giving us evidence of is a change in fashion through the archaic period. Alleviating pressure on the available lad was almost certainly one motivation, but this would have been as a result of some natural disaster, such as the drought on Thera mentioned above (Herodotus 4.150-158; cf. Sealey, 1976, 31). Towards the beginning of the last century, it was believed that at most sites in the west, notably in Sicily, Greek pottery had been imported by natives before the colonists arrived. From this it was reasonable to infer that trade was an important and perhaps decisive factor in the colonising movement (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70): this assumption has long been disputed, however. The current balance of archaeological opinion is that there is no certain evidence of trade with Sicily before the colonists arrived (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70). There is little doubt, however, that trade was a very significant factor in the colonisation of the Mediterranean, as exemplified by the foundation of Naucratis in Egypt (Herodotus 2.178); it was traders who knew of the most advantageous places to settle and trading links were maintained with the mother city (Sealey, 1976, 31; cf. Murray, 1980, 107). Who were the colonists? As noted above, traders often formed part of the population of many of the colonies, or at the very least colonists would have been relying heavily on information supplied by traders (Murray, 1980, 107). It should further be noted that the two earliest known colonies, Al Mina and Pithecusae,[3] were both established as trading posts (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70). Murray argues (Murray, 1980, 108), however, that in general terms trade tended to be a consequence of colonial activity and not its main driving force and thus the main constituents of a colony were almost always farmers and craftsmen looking for what can only be described as a better like. The colonies always were intended to be self sufficient and so members of a colonising expedition were made up of all classis and trades (Hammond, 1959, 114). In the larger colonies, settlers tended to come in several waves, the latter settlers tending to be of lower status in the colony and being known as epoikoi (Hammond, 1959, 114). Which cities colonised? Many Greek city states and islands participated in the colonising movement, including Chalcis in Euboea, Corinth (for colonisation of Corcyra, Strabo 6.2.4), Megara, Rhodes, Crete most of whom founded colonies in Sicily. Southern Italy was colonised largely by the Achaen states of the northern Peloponnese such as Sybaris and Croton (Sealey, 1976, 32). In the Northen Aegean area, the three pronged peninsula that became known as the Chalcidide was so called because of the many foundations from Chalcis, some in that region were also from Andros. The Bosphorus area was colonised by Megara and many colonies in the Black Sea came from the Ionian Greek states such as Miletus (Sealey, 1976, 33). It is perhaps more notable as to which states did not participate in the colonisation movement In any significant way, Sparta only founded one colony at Tarentum (Sealey, 1976, 32-3). in Southern Italy, and Athens likewise only founded o single colony whilst Argos founded none at all. A comprehensive list of all Greek foundations in the Archaic period can be found in Hammond, 1959, 657-660. Which areas were colonised? The first wave of Greek colonisation was felt most strongly in Sicily (Thucydides 6.1ff) and slightly later, southern Italy. After this initial burst of activity, the islands and promontories of the northern Aegean and along the coast of Macedon and Thrace were settled. The entrance to the Black Sea was colonised in the early 7th century and the Black Sea region probably at some point after that, although the dating for this is far from certain. North Africa seems to have been the focus of settlement activity in the mid 7th century with Cyrene being founded around 630. Around 600 the Phoenicians established a number of colonies in southern France,[4] and in Spain[5] (Murray, 1980, 104). The colonisation movement essentially ended in 580, geographically the best sites had all been occupies by then and the only significant remaining area in the Adriatic was had a barren and inhospitable coastline (Murray, 1980, 104). What was the relationship to the mother city? When the primary colony of a city state itself founded a subsidiary colony, it was common to invite a citizen from the mother state as oikistes and transplanted the same institutions: for example, the Corcyreans founded Epidamnus under the leadership of a Corinthian. We also know that Sparta’s foundation, Taras, had a college of ephors; and Euesperides, a colony of Cyrene, both ephors and a gerousia (Hammond, 1959, 112). The sense of kinship with the founding colony was, therefore, exceptionally strong. The attachment was no doubt because of a sense of debt and gratitude felt by the colonists towards the mother city for organising the settlers in the first place. As noted above, however, colonies were intended to by self sufficient and once they were firmly established the cord was cut. It was a symbol of the independence of the colony that it worshipped not its founding city, but its oikistes, even if he was of alien origin as at Epidamnus (Hammond, 1959, 112). Some privilege s were occasionally extended to the foundress, such as a request to arbitrate a dispute, but they were also frequently offered to other cities also. The relationship between founder and colony did not always remain friendly after the colony essentially became independent, the best possible example of this being the complex dispute between Corinth, Corcyra and Epidamnus that led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War (Rhodes, 2006, 82ff). Conclusion The Greek colonisation movement had no single individual cause, it was partly the result of land hunger caused by natural disaster in some city states, almost certainly the result of expansion in some states, the result of a desire for trade revenues by some. Colonies were always intended to be independent and not simply an extension of the home city so the motivation of colonisation is hard to fathom unless we realise that it was usually not the city that was the driving force behind the desire to settle abroad but probably the main driving force came from citizens rather than it states. Individual citizens largely drove colonisation no doubt seeking a tract of land for themselves and their children, something they may never have been able to achieve in their home state. Most city states took part in the colonisation movement, but a number of the most powerful, Athens, Sparta and Argos, did not; so we can reasonably assume that colonisation did not add greatly, if at all, to the military or economic strength, or perhaps even prestige of the founding city again supporting the view that the movement was largely from citizens rather than states. Bibliography P. Bradley, Ancient Greece: Using Evidence (London 1988) J. B. Bury R. Meiggs, A History of Greece (London 1994) G. Cawkwell, Early Colonisation, CQ 1992 N. G. L. Hammond, A History of Greece to 322 BC (Oxford, 1959) O. Murray, Early Greece (Glasgow 1980) P. J. Rhodes, A History of the Classical Greek World, 478-323BC (Oxford 2006) R. Sealey, A History of the Greek City States: 700-338 BC (London 1976) 1 Footnotes [1] All dates are BC unless otherwise stated. [2] Argument of Thucydides in Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70. [3] Both established before 750. [4] e.g. Massalia. [5] e.g. Emporion.

Homeless and Alienated in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay

Homeless and Alienated in Waiting For Godot    Jean-Paul Sartre (1957) once said "Man is condemned to be free; because, once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." (23) Whether this is good or bad is not an issue, whereas the implications derived from this are profound. Life, in this case, has no fixed purpose, and we are free to give it one; perhaps it is more appropriate to say that we are condemned to give it one, instead. One look at today's western modernized society makes it seem as if we strive to learn about everything and invent the ultimate tool to carry out all conceivable tasks for us (however artificial the task may be.) Writers, like Albert Camus, describe how waiting, or more generally, boredom, causes the individual to put serious effort into thought of questions regarding one's identity. It is easily seen, thus, that with the way our society has developed, it was inevitable that things like the existential philosophical movement and the literary absurdist movement would eme rge from an era of modernism. Perhaps one of the more famous absurdists was the 1969 Nobel Literature Prize winner, Samuel Beckett. His most popular play, 'Waiting For Godot,' is easily classified as an absurdist work by its properties, or lack thereof, as pointed out in a 1955 review of the play: "Beckett defies every known law of playwriting, his play is about nothing... Each Act is interrupted by a big bully and a fool he keeps on a chain... That is all. There is no climax, no sense of anticipation and the situation becomes obvious in the first five minutes." (Barker, qtd. In Butler 22) This reviewer naively added "I think that people are wrong in trying to read a philosophy i... ... us aside, making us feel homeless and alienated no matter where we are or try to go, "For reasons unknown." Works Cited: Astro, Alan (1990). Understanding Samuel Beckett. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. Beckett, Samuel (1954). Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove Press. Beckett, Samuel (1958). Endgame. New York: Grove Press. Beckett, Samuel (1974). First Love and Other Shorts. New York: Grove Press. Butler, L. St. J. (ed.) (1993) Critical Essays on Samuel Beckett. Brookfield: Scolar Press. Jeffares, A. N., & Bushrui, S (Eds.). (1981) York Notes on Waiting for Godot. London: York Press. Sartre, Jean-Paul (1957). Existentialism and Human Emotions. New Jersey: Citadel Press, Inc. Sartre, Jean-Paul (1946). No Exit and Three Other Plays (Vintage 1989) Webster Online Dictionary, (1986) Formatted 1994.

Analyse the role of human activity in plant succession

There are many factors that can affect a climax vegetation. These include climate, hydrology and soil type. Human activity also plays a major role. If succession is modified or interrupted by a human influence then a plagioclimax is reached. Human activities include grazing, burning and deforestation and these processes can be collectively known as arresting factors. A plant succession begins on bare ground with light-seeded grasses, legumes and flowering plants. Over time small trees, brush and briar thickets shade out the sun loving grasses. Ultimately, light-seeded trees shade out the brush and make conditions favourable for shade loving mast producers like oaks. Deforestation involves the cutting down, burning and damaging of forests. If the current rate of deforestation continues then the world's rainforests will disappear completely within 100 years – causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating a majority of plant and animal species currently alive on the planet. The reasons for deforestation are complex. It is mainly carried out for agricultural reasons, e.g. grazing cattle and planting crops. Poor farmers may chop down a small area (usually a few acres) and burn the trunks in a process known as ‘slash and burn' agriculture. Cattle pastures often replace the rainforests in order to grow beef for the world market. Another type of deforestation is known as commercial logging. This is the cutting down of trees in order to sell off as timber and pulp. This process uses heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and road graders etc to remove trees and this is detrimental to the forest and plant successions overall. Competitive global marketing drives the need for money in economically challenged tropical countries. At national level, governments sell logging concessions to raise money for projects or to pay international debt. For example, Brazil had an international debt of $159 billion in 1995 on which it must make payments each year. Logging companies seek to harvest forest and make profits from sales of pulp and valuable hardwoods e.g. mahogany. This raises the money required in order to pay back some debts. A case study of an area where deforestation has affected succession is in the Philippines. For the past 50 years the Philippines has lost 2.4 acres of hardwood forest every minute leaving only 21% of forest cover. This has been due to increasing agriculture and illegal logging. Reports of deforestation-related declines in rainfall totals and disruption of rainfall regimes have also been reported for parts of the Philippines (Alfonso, pers. comm., 1988). During the 1960s there was considerable deforestation on Mount Apo, for instance, due to the establishment of coffee plantations; and the apparent result is increasing drought. The short-term gain of deforestation, i.e. the profit to be made, is all well and good but there have been a large number of adverse effects brought about by the removal of large areas of forest. The main effects are increased soil erosion (which leads to increased flooding in most areas), reduction in biodiversity, the Greenhouse Effect, reduced fertility of land in deforested areas and disruption of the hydrological cycle. Major roads are being built through the forest to provide easier access to the underground resources like iron and aluminium ores: more trees need to be removed to mine these commodities. Inhabitants of shanty towns around Major cities in Brazil are being encouraged to move to rural areas and more land has to be cleared to accommodate these people. In third world countries forests are cut down and used to provide firewood, since this is practically the only source of fuel available to people living there. There are also a large number of new markets opening which are set to increase the demand for products, which have their origin in the tropical rainforests. These include body creams, bath oils, sweets, fruits and nuts, but as these products come into greater demand the future of the forest will be more secure because to produce a large yield of these products a large number of trees need to be grown. About 16-20 million hectares of tropical rainforests are removed each year. When trees are removed no water gets transpired back into the atmosphere from the soil. Because of this there is reduced rainfall and surrounding areas of forest are threatened with dessication and faster soil erosion because the soil is no longer held together by moisture. Another recently discovered side effect of deforestation is that it may actually help to spread diseases like malaria and river blindness. Anopheles darlingi, a mosquito that effectively spreads malaria parasites, breeds in pools of water created in deforested land, open cast mines, and on eroded land after trees have been removed. Deforestation has favoured a population explosion for this species and up to a quarter of the people living along the Transamazon highway in Brazil are affected by malaria each year. However damaging to plant succession human activities can be, the effects provide excellent conditions in which for a secondary succession to take place. A secondary succession differs from a primary succession in that it occurs in an area where a community of plants and animals has recently been wiped out, i.e. the land is already suitable for a wide diversity of species to establish themselves on. A secondary succession can happen on an area of land where a forest fire or parasite wiped out a previous climax community or which has been disturbed in some way by humans e.g. deforestation or arable farming. A secondary succession takes place much more quickly than a primary succession for two main reasons, the most obvious one being that a suitable medium already exists for the new organisms to grow in, and the other being that some seeds or spores from the last plant community can still be present in the soil after the community is destroyed. This is a positive aspect as new plant species can grow and thrive. As well as big processes such as deforestation, humans can contribute to vegetation in smaller ways. There are now varied types of species in Britain due to human interferences, modification and management. Without interference vegetation would be typically temperate forest. Today, in Britain, there are no natural woodlands at all, only semi woodlands, and there is only 2% of that. In Spain the figure for natural woodland is 28% and Sweden has a 64% woodland covering. Other interferences have caused the introduction of foreign plants such as the rhododendron or sycamores. The rhododendron was in fact imported from Japan. Other introductions to this country include the rabbit, which was imported from Spain by the Normans. Urbanisation also causes damage to plant life. High demand for housing has caused the destruction of forest and woodland, especially in the north. A rising birth rate in the twentieth century called for an increase in housing, and this needed to be conducted as cheaply and effectively as possible. As a result, miles of forests were cut down in order for building to go ahead. This s detrimental to our health as well as destroying areas of natural beauty. . Recent investigations suggest that over a third of the world's oxygen supply is produced by the rainforests, the only larger source being algae in the sea. So cutting down trees is very damaging to our well being.