Retail Calculator

package retail. calculator; import java. awt. *; import java. awt. event. *; import java. text. DecimalFormat; import javax. swing. *; public class RetailCalculator extends JFrame { //create ojects JLabel department; JLabel number; JLabel name; JLabel price; JLabel discount; JLabel sale; JComboBox dept; JTextField itemNum; JTextField itemName; JTextField itemPrice; JTextField itemDisc; JTextField salePrice; JButton calculate; JButton clear; public RetailCalculator() { //set object variables super(â€Å"Retail Sales Calculator†); //window title setSize(250, 250); //set window size etDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame. EXIT_ON_CLOSE); //window close GridLayout grid = new GridLayout(7, 2); setLayout(grid); department = new JLabel(â€Å"Department†); dept = new JComboBox(); dept. addItem(â€Å"Select†); dept. addItem(â€Å"Apperal†); dept. addItem(â€Å"Automotive†); dept. addItem(â€Å"Cosmetics†); dept. addItem(â€Å"Jewlry†); dept. addItem(â €Å"Pets†); dept. addItem(â€Å"Pharmacy†); //add ItemListener†¦ combobox and jtextfield dept. addItemListener(new ItemListener() { public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent ie) { String str = (String)dept. getSelectedItem(); itemNum. setText(str); //end public void }); //end item listener number = new JLabel(â€Å"Item Number†); itemNum = new JTextField(10); name = new JLabel(â€Å"Item Name†); itemName = new JTextField(10); price = new JLabel(â€Å"Original Price†); itemPrice = new JTextField(10); discount = new JLabel(â€Å"Discount†); itemDisc = new JTextField(10); sale = new JLabel(â€Å"Sale Price†); salePrice = new JTextField(10); salePrice. setEditable(false); calculate = new JButton(â€Å"Calculate†); clear = new JButton(â€Å"Clear†); //add objects to JFrame add(department); add(dept); add(number); add(itemNum); add(name); add(itemName); dd(price); add(itemPrice); add(discount); add(itemDisc); add(sale); add( salePrice); add(calculate); add(clear); //add event listener to calculate sale price calculate. addActionListener(new ActionListener() { public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent retail) { String input1; String input2; double origPrice; double percOff; double clearance; input1 = itemPrice. getText(); input2 = itemDisc. getText(); origPrice = Double. parseDouble(input1); percOff = Double. parseDouble(input2)/100; clearance = origPrice – (origPrice * percOff); DecimalFormat df = new DecimalFormat(â€Å"$#,###. #†); salePrice. setText(df. clearance); //output to jtextfield } }); //clear feilds clear. addActionListener (new ActionListener() { public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) { //JButton event dept. setSelectedIndex(0); //clear itemNum. setText(null); //clear item number itemName. setText(null); //clear item name itemPrice. setText(null); //clear item name itemDisc. setText(null); //clear item name salePrice. setText(null); //clear item name } }); setVisible(tru e); } public static void main(String[] args) { RetailCalculator rc = new RetailCalculator(); } }

Invention that you wish it never exist Essay

Inventions, ideally, are result of needs and necessities of a certain generation of humankind. Human beings prospered and progressed over time because of his inquisitive nature and the ability to explore. Discoveries and inventions helped them to know more about the mother earth and made them to make their stay on this planet more comfortable. Needs and necessities of different ages and times encouraged humankind to come up with new inventions, however, some inventions simply originated to serve the whims and fancies of some men in authority who abused their influence and knowledge to invent something which put a questionmark on mere existence of human race on this planet. An invention without which this world would be a much better place is the invention of weapons of mass destruction also known WMDs. A weapon of mass destruction is a nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to man-made structures (e.g. buildings), natural structures (e.g. mountains), or the biosphere. These weapons were developed initially by industrialized nations liks United States, Japan, Germany etc as a weapon of self defence to deter the enemy against any possible aggression and attack (Deterrence theory of international politics). However, in due course of time these weapons emerged as a threat to the very existence of human race on this planet. The deterrence theory failed to prevent wars and battles between nations and rather led to beginning of an arms race between nations. India and Pakistan, 2 south asian neighbours developed nuclear weapons in 1998 but still had a war in 1999 and still have skirmishes on their borders on almost daily basis. The application of nuclear bomb by United States against Japan, use of chemical weapons by Germans against Jews in concentration camps made the world to realize the ferocity and dangers of these weapons. More recently, the use of Chemical weapons in Syrian Civil War had brought the world to brink of another war when US tried to int ervene in order to maintain the sanctity of Chemical weapons convention. The world have realized the uselessness of these weapons and tried to control, ban and regulate their usage through conventions and treaties like Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), Partial Test Ban Treaty, Outer Space Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Seabed  Arms Control Treaty, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, has not entered into force). These weapons not only are capable of killing millions of lives but also affect future generations, cause irreversible and irreparable damage to environment, drain resources of nations on non-productive activities. Secondly, there is an imminent threat of misuse of these weapons by terrorist organizations and anti-human elements that can use it to kill thousands of innocent lives. Threat of possession of such weapons was a major reason for US attack on Iraq. Thirdly, such weapons lead to power struggles and pose a danger to establishment of world peace. Fourthly, even poor nations spend a considerable amount of their scarce resources on production and storage of these weapons instead of using these resources for the welfare of their poor and undernourished citizens. Thus, based on the arguments above we can easily conclude, this world would have been a much better place, had there been no weapons of mass destruction. After all, the ever more sophisticated weapons piling up in the arsenals of the wealthiest and the mightiest can kill the illiterate, the ill, the poor and the hungry, but they cannot kill ignorance, illness, poverty or hunger. Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory. It is high time that the world shall bid goodbye to WMDs and make this world a much better place to live in. References: 1. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/weapons.html#w4hFA17ZzOdtj8bc.99 2. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/weapons-of-mass-destruction 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_of_mass_destruction 4. http://sangwhopark.blogspot.in/2011/11/18-what-invention-would-world-be-better.html

Vodafone AirTouch’s bid for Mannesmann

First of all, one has to mention that it is always difficult to evaluate a company. There is no single measure/calculation who can give you the valuation of a company. The value of a company can be different for every single human being. For instance, Vodafone Air Touch will try to calculate a very low valuation of the company because it wants to pay as less as possible, and Mannesmann a very high valuation, because it wants to get as much money as possible. As a result, it often depends on the interest of the different persons who evaluate a company. In October 1999, Mannesmann offered shares around 157. â‚ ¬. This was before the acquisition of Orange PLC, a competitor of Vodafone Air Touch in the UK market. After the acquisition, Vodafone offered 266â‚ ¬ per share, 68% more than the 157. 8â‚ ¬ per share Mannesmann offered few weeks before. Despite, this very high premium, Mannesmann’s CEO evaluated his company 350â‚ ¬ per share. Here in this case, I think that the main reason for this high price differences is that with time, Mannesmann’s bargaining position changed. In the beginning, their position was not as strong as in the end when they achieved to acquire Orange Plc, a telecommunication company in the U. K. which was growing faster than Vodafone. As a result, Mannesmann became a stronger competitor for Vodafone and Mannesmann’s CEO knew that. As a consequence, he increased the valuation of his company. The reason why for instance an analyst from Julius Baar valuated Mannesmann between 250â‚ ¬ and 350â‚ ¬ per share and many other analysts between 174â‚ ¬ and 250â‚ ¬ per share may have some reasons. The main reason is that, as anticipated before, it is very difficult to evaluate a company. Furthermore, it is even more difficult to evaluate how many synergies Vodafone Air Touch would benefit from this takeover. So it is very difficult to evaluate how much this Mannesmann takeover could be worth for Vodafone Air Touch. Moreover, one has to check which analysts own stocks of Mannesmann or Vodafone because this may also influence the different evaluations. (2) In your opinion, in general, when a company is the target of a hostile takeover bid, who should decide whether the terms and conditions of this bid are acceptable? The Chief Executive Officer (or the equivalent) of the target company? Or its Chairperson (if another person than the CEO)? Its board of directors? Its shareholders ? If the shareholders, how practically should they make their decision? In my opinion, only the shareholders should take this type of decision. They are the one who own the company, and they should decide if they accept the takeover bid or not. If 50 % + X agree with the bid price, then the takeover should take place. Of course, before taking the decision, they should listen to the opinion of the CEO, the Chairperson, some analysts, as well as the Board of Directors. However, in my opinion, none of these key persons should take part of the decision making process. In my opinion, the shareholders are the one who own the company, and they should decide what should happen with their investment. For instance, let us assume the employees would take part of decision making process. Then, in most of the cases, the employees would vote against a take over, because they fear about their jobs. They would never take a neutral decision, but a decision which is the best for them, not caring about the fact that the shareholders loose a high premium. They, as well as the trade unions, would vote against an takeover because they fear for the jobs. However, they never think about the fact, that if the company is not taken over, the company who made a mid remains a competitor. And this competitor could increase its market share in spite of the smaller company that did not accept the takeover. And in this case, the employees of the smaller company would even risk to loose more jobs. The CEO and the the Chairperson should never take this type of decisions. Because, they are only in charge of the operations of the company, but they do not own the company. As a result, they should not decide about the matter. 3) In the case of the Vodafone AirTouch bid for Mannesmann, who should have made the decision ? (Please take into account the fact that Mannesmann had two boards, the supervisory board, and the management board) What do you think of the sentence in the fourth paragraph of page 5 of the case: â€Å"Esser rejected the offer on the grounds that it was inadequate† ? As stated before the shareholders should have taken this de cision. They own the company and if 50 % + X is in favour of Vodadone AirTouch’s bid, then the company should accept the bid. Let’s assume that you invested 50 000 â‚ ¬ in Mannesmann’s shares and now somebody is offering you 80 000 â‚ ¬ for the shares. Then you should decide if you accept this money, or if you think that your shares are much worthier in some months/years. In that case you vote against the hostile takeover. I think that this system makes the decision making also very rapid and efficient. In fact, if one would also ask the employees, some analysts and so on, then the decision making process would be much longer. As a result, I think that the shareholders should take the decision, after having listened to the different opinions of the CEO, employees, analysts,.. However, I think it inacceptable that Esser as the CEO of the company, who does not own many shares, rejects the offer in the name of all the investors. This cannot be tolerated. In fact, he is like an employee of Meeresmann, he does not own the company, and he should take the best decisions for his shareholders who in some way gave him this job as CEO. As a result, I think that he cannot take the decision to refuse a bid without having spoken with any shareholder of the company. This is not a personal decision, but a decision which influences all the stakeholders of the company. It is unacceptable that he takes the decision on behalf of all the share- and stakeholders. (4) If you had been a shareholder of Mannesmann on December 17, 1999, what would you have liked to say to Klaus Esser ? What would you have like to say to Chris Gent ? If you had had the opportunity to vote to accept or not Vodafone's bid, how would you have voted (please ignore the subsequent events not described in the case) ? As a shareholder of Mannesmann, I would liked to ask him why he refused an offer of 266â‚ ¬ per share, which is a premium of 72. 2 % compared to Mannesmann’s closing price on October 18th. I would blame him for not having asked the shareholder what they thought about the offer. He took a decision about something which did not own him, but where I owned a fraction. Finally, I would ask him if he could guarantee me that the share price of Meeresmann would be as high as the Vodafone AirTouch’s offer in the future. Only if this is the case, the Esser would be partly excused. I mention only partly, because even if he thinks that the share price of Meeresmann will be higher in the near future, then he should have explained that to the shareholders. And then, if the majority of the shareholders would agree, then he could refuse the offer. As a shareholder of Mannesmann, I would ask him what would be the strategy of Vodafone AirTouch after the acquisition of Meeresmann. This is important to me, because I will have to make an important decision if the hostile takeover is agreed: either I keep the Vodafone shares or I sell all the shares the day of the take over. In that way, I would gild the premium. I would definitely have accepted the deal. During that time, it was quite sure that a consolidation of the telecommunication market would happen. As a result, I think that it would have been very difficult for Meeresmann, as one of the smaller companies, to survive in that market environment. Furthermore, the offered premium was so high, that I could not deny this offer.

Sarbanes Oxley Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Sarbanes Oxley Act - Essay Example porting, whistleblower policy, internal policies on executive loans and compensation and external auditor independence can have a positive impact on the nonprofit entity as it contrives to preserve and, even, enhance the trust and confidence the public and its community have on its nonprofit activities. Small businesses, on the other hand, have pointed out the prohibitive costs of implementing the SOX requirements and that the benefits derived from implementing these requirements are much less than these costs. However, there is also positive impact of SOX requirements on small businesses. Small business owners who adopt the SOX requirements may find their competitive advantage increasing, easier access to new capital or loans, more efficient handling of family-related governance issues and an increased opportunity to deter, discover and deal with fraud. With the various accounting and corporate scandals that surprised and shocked the whole business world, the regulators, the stakeholders and the private sector, in general, are all clamoring for more transparency and accountability, as well as a more ethical way of conducting businesses, for the various entities. The passing of the Sarbanes Oxley Act is viewed as an important step towards the improvement of these aspects. The SOX is geared towards the publicly-listed, oftentimes large, companies due to their large impact on the economy (in general) and their stakeholders (in particular). However, it is also worthwhile to note that, according to Cynthia Reaves (n.d.), a practitioner in the areas of tax-exempt organization law, the â€Å"inappropriate financial management practices† that were present in most of the companies embroiled in these scandals may also occur in nonprofit entities. McGladrey & Pullen, Certified Public Accountants (n.d.) also pointed out that nonprofit e ntities â€Å"interact with or impact a significant portion of the population†. Based on these, it can be inferred that the SOX also has an

Analysis and response assignment of joan didion's on going home Essay

Analysis and response assignment of joan didion's on going home - Essay Example Although, this past life will give them fond and nostalgic memories, it could affect their present life, including the lives of their currently related ones. This tough feeling and dilemma could occur to any individual, and it happened to Joan Didion as well. Joan Didion’s wish to connect with her childhood life including her parents and other relatives in California negatively impacts her present life in Los Angeles, which includes her husband and daughter. So, this paper focusing on Joan Didion’s work On Going Home will analyze her dilemma of wishing to hold on to her past life although her present life is calling her. The paper will also provide a personal perspective of how Didion’s dilemma somewhat ‘mirrors’ the dilemma of mine. Didion begins the story by stating that her "home" is not the â€Å"house in Los Angeles where my husband and I and the baby live, but the place where my family is, in Central Valley of California† (Didion 125). So, from her nuclear family life in Los Angles, Didion visits her extended family in Central Valley, California to celebrate the first birthday of her daughter and importantly to connect with her childhood life and recollect the nostalgic memories. However, at the outset itself, Didions husband does not want to stay in California and wants to return immediately to their home in Los Angeles. He does not like it in there because, first Didion’s family does not wholeheartedly accept him and do not treat him as an important individual, mainly referring him as Joans husband. Importantly, he feels that as Didion stays there for a long time, she changes her way of living adopting her families’ lifestyle, instead of following his way of living. These grievances of her husband complicates her mind because, she does not want to stop her visits to her family home, but at the same time does not want to offend and oppose her husband. Her wish to travel on a neutral path, balancing both

The Post-Washington Consensus policies should be completely abandoned Essay

The Post-Washington Consensus policies should be completely abandoned and countries left to choose their own development paths. Discuss - Essay Example nomic level to be adopted by these developing states, especially the Latin American states and the ex-communist bloc, to help them come out of the dire economic crisis. The main idea behind the propagation of the ideals behind Washington Consensus implied that there would be fre flow of capital across borders, including the free flow of services along with the goods, increasing market efficiency by monitoring and assistance via International Financial Institutions i.e. the IMF (International Monetary Fund). However, during the 1990`s the definition and the context of the Washington Consensus was revised, and consequently what is now being termed as the â€Å"Post-Washington Consensus† was deemed as a product of this development. As opposed to the earlier definition, where the ideals of Washington Crisis were being adopted for the well-being of the developing states, the ideals now being implemented were rather aimed at dictating biased policies on the part of the IFI`s with th e sole purpose of maintaining their status quo which is now being rejected by the mainstream intellectual community in the developing world. The Post-Washington Consensus must policies must be replaced by a progressive set of policies, considering the needs and economic feasibility of the developing world. Also, instead of imposing the neo-liberal policies on the Global South, the states must be left with an option to adopt a set of policies more suitable to their socio-economic setup. The Post-Washington Consensus was inherently flawed in understanding the basic economic structure of the developed states, and adopting generic measures for intrinsically complex state of affairs governing in each setup (Jomo & Fine 2006). Thus, the tools and techniques being applied in this context failed to produce desired results, and thus the wave of disappointment amongst the economically weaker states was instigated. Also, instead of coming off as industrially developed nations, these states turned into

National Identification System in the United States Essay

National Identification System in the United States - Essay Example National Identification System In The United States Firstly, it is national because it is used throughout the country having nationally uniform identifiers and formats. Secondly, the system is for practical and legal use only. Cards like credit cards can also be used to identify a person, but they are not national identity cards. People can have a number of such cards or no cards at all and still roam about in the country without any problems. However, if the law makes it mandatory for everyone to have such cards for identification purposes, it then comes in the category of national identity cards. Last but not the least; the system is used for the identification of an individual. It is different from a social security number. A social security number attaches a number to the name of a person and is just a national identifier. A national identity card actually proves the identity of a person. It shows that a person, previously known to the system, has once again presented himself or herself. It involves a biometric tie between the num ber and the person. The card would not only have the name and address of the person, but it also involves a compulsory facial image of a person on the card. The chip inside the card will help the law officials in identifying whether a person is on government’s watch list or not. Finger prints or retinal images on the card will also help in the identification of a person. This will help in retrieving information about the person from the government databases and immigration agencies as well. Many people are of the view that had such a system been implemented earlier, it would have probably helped in averting the 9/11 tragedy. The issue is still unclear whether everyone or a section of society should have such cards or where to use them such as at the airports or when accessing government buildings etc (Wang, pg, 1. 2002). Here it would be pertinent to discuss the National Identification Legislation in detail: NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION LEGISLATION: 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Evaluating the 9/11 terrorist

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown - Essay Example Young Goodman Brown is a satire on Puritanism and what Hawthorne perceives to be its hypocrisies. Hawthorne employs an abundance of symbolisms all throughout the narrative to create an atmosphere of evil deeply lurking behind the faces of the characters in the story behind their benevolent faà §ade. The story revolves around a young man named Goodman Brown and one particular night in his life which would forever change his life and his perception of the people and the world around him. That one night is the night when Goodman Brown is to finally determine whether he would finally succumb to the temptation of becoming a part of a witches’ coven in Salem. As he walks through the forest to the predetermined meeting place where he would take his official vow to the group, he sees a lot of things which makes him vacillate with his decision. He sees the people he often sees in the church, people who are known for their piety, wisdom and kindness, people who serve in the high positions of the government. He sees his old catechism teacher and spiritual counselor, the Salem’s minister, Deacon Gookin, other pious people and even his young wife, Faith in the company of the devil. This last revelation is the last straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. Brown de cides to embrace evil having lost the wife he wants to be good for. In the rite held at the unholy altar, as Satan is about to put the mark of baptism on his and his wife’s heads, Brown makes his last stand and cries out in protest and urges his wife to resist the devil. He suddenly finds himself alone and back in the middle of the forest. Goodman Brown lives the rest of his life a miserable man, still wondering whether what he went through was real or merely a dream. Nevertheless, he remains suspicious of all the people around him and even of his wife and lives his life in isolation from the people in his

Letter to Executive of Local Network Research Proposal

Letter to Executive of Local Network - Research Proposal Example These two principles are: Undertaking initiatives that lead towards promotion of a high level of responsibility towards the environment. Encouragement of adopting, developing and diffusing technology that is friendly to the environment. This submission will review and present a selection of business practices and/or approaches from Chevron, as well as other companies in the similar industry, which may be applicable in the effort to achieve the compliance to both of the mentioned principles of the Global Compact. Additionally, it will discuss lessons learnt from these approaches. It will, as well, develop business practice recommendations that will lead to an improvement in complying with the Global Compact principles. Finally it will provide discussions of the advantages, disadvantages and implications for key stakeholders, in case implementation of these recommendations is successful. Business practices and approaches that may be used Chevron is a multinational energy corporation th at bases its principles on promoting high levels environmental responsibility. At Chevron, we are committed to satisfying the world’s energy requirements while at the same time, taking appropriate measures to protect the environment. It is our belief that protecting the environment is the right thing to do especially in a world which needs a clean, healthy, and safe environment with regards to energy sources. As a consequence of this, we opted to make the task of reducing pollution and waste, conserving natural resources, and minimizing potentially negative environmental effects of our operations and tasks, our priority (Jakobeit 2008). The first practices we incorporate to ensure compliance to the two principles of the Global Compact is protecting the environment by making sure we use safe, reliable, healthy, efficient, and environmental friendly processes. We also respect and conserve biodiversity because we know about the significance of the complexity of nature. In additi on, we are keen on preserving fresh water resources because we are familiar with the importance of fresh water as a primary social, economic, and environmental resource. Finally, we have invested in the production of alternative energy sources that have no environmental effects such as solar, bio-fuel, and wind, and other renewable energy ventures (Johnson 2101). Positive and negative lessons learnt from these business practice and approaches The practices we have in play have a crucial role in helping us comply with the two principles of the Global Compact. The use of safe, reliable, healthy, efficient, and environmental friendly processes in protecting the environment has significantly improved our ability to identify and establish conservation areas (Rashce and Kell 2010). On the other hand, respecting biodiversity has helped us to protect habitats, by preventing the introduction of insidious mammal species and spread of weeds, as well as protecting endangered species. Preservati on of fresh water resources has enabled us partner with local communities where we have plants for the benefit of those people as well as our business. In doing so, we developed a working strategy that ensures water resources have the first priority in our operations (Rashce and Kell 2010). When it comes to the use of alternative energy sources, we have realized a significant reduction in cost of production meaning that it is cheap to use renewable and natural energy sources. Of all the positive lessons learn

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Research Methods - Essay Example According to Bryman (2008, p. 25), a sample has advantages than a complete count in that; Different sampling techniques exist and they are divided into two categories namely formal and informal (non probability sampling). The formal sampling techniques operate on a known probability of choosing and they include; simple random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, systematic sampling and multistage sampling. Simple random sampling is a technique where all the elements are said to have the same chance of being selected. The probability of selecting any elements in the population is equal (Green and Salkind 2008, p. 57). This technique is applied in cases where all the elements in that certain population have same traits (characteristics). Such populations are said to be homogenous. Another formal sampling technique is stratified sampling and is applied in cases where the population is made up of elements of different traits. In this technique, the population is sub-divided into non-overlapping sub-groups called strata (each is a stratum) each made up of elements with the same traits. Once this has been done, a simple random sample is selected from each stratum and then combined for final analysis. This technique is advantageous in that it eliminates biasness which is present if simple random sampling is used and also leads to higher precision. Cluster sampling on the other hand is a probability sampling technique in which the population is divided into clusters and then the researcher selects randomly the clusters to be included in the final analysis. It is mostly used in cases where getting the entire population for the research study is impossible or where the study population is concentrated in regions e.g. schools, churches, counties etc. The only disadvan tage of this technique is less precision than even simple random sampling and stratified sampling. Systematic sampling is the selecting of sample

Business Email (100 words) and Attachment (400 words) Essay

Business Email (100 words) and Attachment (400 words) - Essay Example We have already prepared several copies of our business card that has a Korean translation to help us communicate our official rank in the company. (Kwintessential Ltd. 2008)2 When it comes to exchanging business cards, our sales team has been informed to use both hands when giving or receiving a business card. We have also informed our team to read the business card first before keeping it in a case or a pocket. Unlike the typical handshake as a business practice in North America, our sales team have been taught that they should greet South Korean businessmen with their family name combined with a â€Å"slight bow† and a handshake while maintaining a good eye-contact with the other party upon the first meeting the Korean business people in an informal reception, just before the presentation and the evening meal starts. (Kwintessential Ltd. 2008) Calling them by their surname remain a practice until the Korean businessmen to tell us to simply call them with their first name. We have also made the sales presentation as short as possible so as not to avoid over-selling our expertise as a consultant company. (Movius et al. 2006) Instead, we aim to develop a stronger business relationship with them. "Communicaid." Doing business in South Korea| South Korean Social and Business Culture. 2008. http://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and-management/doing-business-in/South-korean-business-and-social-culture.php (accessed June 14,

The Holy Virgin Mother Mary Essay Example for Free

The Holy Virgin Mother Mary Essay The Holy Virgin Mother Mary,by Chris Ofili, is one of the many controversial pieces of artwork to rise to fame in the late nineties. Taken as highly offense to the religious community due to the portraits exposed breast, hints of pornographic material,elephant dung and seemingly downgrading use of the sacred image of Mother Mary. Due to Ofilis inappropriate interpretation of real art, he received countless criticisms about his work including threats and vandalism against The Holy Virgin Mother Mary. The portrait has a 2D shape,very flat with little to no depth. My eye is drawn directly to the blue rosebud in the center of the portrait,which turns out to be the breast of the Holy Virgin Mary,after reading a little into the background of this portrait. Multiple round putty-like splatters are spread out around the painting. If you look closely you can determine that these are pornographic cutouts pasted all along and around the painting. The foreground of the painting tends to blend with the background and the only thing separating the Virgin Mary from the bright yellows and oranges is a soft thin line. The Holy Virgin Mary depicts a woman of African descent and clothed in turquoise blue robes in a similar manner as mother Mary. Small round objects float about the painting in a random and unorganized manner,which represents an ironic reference to the putti that appear in traditional religious art. The Holy Virgin Mother Mary sit centers around a yellow and orange background. Ofili started using dried-out elephant dung for the first time after a visit to Zimbabwe in 1992, his first ever trip to Africa. He was so taken by this experience that he wanted to import something of the African landscape into his paintings. In order to compensate for the foul nature of the dung, however, he took special care to make the overall effect of his paintings especially attractive. He did so by making richly-layered decorative surfaces. Ofili employed mixed media, including oil paint, glitter, and polyester resin,and collaged pornographic images in this painting, incorporating colored dots, sparkling glitter, polyester resin, map pins, collage cut-outs, all carefully combined into a dazzling display of vibrant folksy energy. A lump of dried, varnished elephant dung orms one bared breast, and the painting is displayed leaning against the gallery wall, supported by two other lumps of elephant dung, decorated with colored pins. The pins on the left are arranged to spell out Virgin and the one on the right Mary. (BBC News) In an interview, the British artist Chris Ofili discusses his work. He asserts that his paintings are part of hip-hop culture, and states that his work operates on multiple levels and is open to interpretation. He explains his intention of transforming everyday junk and aspects of contemporary culture into thought-provoking images, noting the importance of his identity as a Londoner. He discusses his techniques and current projects, and explains the importance of music, drawing parallels between his concerns and those of contemporary hip-hop and soul artists. He considers his painting The Holy Virgin Mary with reference to issues including the stereotyping of black women, the paradox of the virgin mother, and notions of beauty and caricature, and concludes by asserting that art can be constructed from anything and should be unrestricted by cultural norms(Miller, Paul D). It is perhaps Marys role as virgin and mother that best captures the paradoxical character of her identity and her imagery. Mary has often been cast as the counterpoint to Eve,as the agent of sin and death versus woman as vehicle of redemption. Yet, remember, Mary also bore a son. In one fourteenth-century book, the Annunciation scene is surrounded by cats, rabbits, monkeys, and flirtatious girls and boys to contrast the Virgins chastity with worldly carnality and simultaneously to offer a message of fertility(College Street Journal). I think that Ofilis imagery must be seen against this,contradictory visual history and in terms of the personal and universal that has underlain much of art connected with the Virgin. Ofili depicts her features and uses elephant dung to connect her in a basic way to the African earth and its people. To depict the The Holy Virgin Mary as a beautiful piece of art, is a bit of a stretch for me. It is a unique work of art that expresses the artists views on certain religious phenomena and worldly stereotypes.

Gender Differences in Reading Ability

Gender Differences in Reading Ability Reading is one of main ways to get information. What is the relationship between gender and reading comprehension? Reading success depends on factors such as the levels of readers proficiency, types of text, text difficulty, and task demands (Brudice, 2009). One important factor that affects the process of reading and consequently the process of comprehension is the reader text variable. Considering the text variable, different studies have been conducted to investigate the way readers affect the processes of reading and comprehension. The strategies used by readers, their background knowledge, motivation, attitude, age, personality and sex all have been investigated (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). This paper aims to investigate how gender differences influence reading comprehension. Statement of Problem In this paper the presented problem was to identify whether or not gender differences had an effect on reading comprehension ability. As a question, the problem is, What is the relationship between gender and reading comprehension ability for secondary students? (Brudice, 2009) Definition of Terms Gender Differences: Gender: the state of being male or female (with reference to social or cultural differences) Reading Comprehension can be defined as techniques for improving students success in obtaining useful knowledge from text. Reading comprehension is understanding some texts that are read, or the process of constructing meaning from read texts. Comprehension is a construction process because it includes all of the elements of the reading process working together as a text is read to create a representation of the text in the readers mind (Brudice, 2009). Discussion Reading comprehension is a complex cognitive skill in which the reader should construct meaning by using all the available resources from both the text and background knowledge (Brudice, 2009). Several studies, which have investigated some independent variables that are linked to students abilities to comprehend science textbooks, have conflicting findings. While some found important differences in boys and girls verbal abilities in favor of girls, some others did not find gender differences in their subjects abilities to comprehend two biology texts (Soybio; McKenzie-Briscoe, 1998). The findings of a 2008 study indicate that there is a difference between malesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and femalesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ comprehension of the reading passages. Females are better in case of comprehending passages. Females are outstandingly superior in reading skills, and the proportion of men going to reading classes as a remedy, is higher than males. Females outperformed males in their comprehension of given passages in a written recall task (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). Why do girls have a higher reading ability? Boys have more often their own room in comparison to girls. This may take time from reading and contribute to lower scores. Girls have a little bit more often their own study desk that may contribute to their higher reading test results. Although boys have a little bit more books at home, they are not so good in reading. According to the evaluation of girls, there is more classic literature and poetry in their homes. Children influence the home culture and so this literature is bought more often for girls. More girls are from homes without a computer. Working on computers may reduce the boys time for reading books and magazines. More girls are confident that they are doing well in language. The self-evaluation supports learning language and is a result of good learning. There are more boys among students who have fewer than 2 hours for self-study of language. Once more girls devote more time to language studies and boys have other interests (Lynn Mikk, 2009). And for second language in general, it seems that no gender differences existed on TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in any of the subtests (Jie Wu, 2003). In light of new issues about second language reading perhaps more inquiries about second language reading comprehension should be concerned with the amounts and types of variables that are superior, or more influential, in producing higher levels of reading comprehension because as a whole it is very different from first language (Brantmeier, 2004). Conclusion A meta-analysis provides strong evidence that the significance of the gender difference in verbal ability is currently so small that it can effectively be considered to be zero. More detailed analysis of various types of verbal ability (e.g., vocabulary, reading comprehension, analogies) similarly provided no evidence of a substantial gender difference (Hayde Linn, 1988). But as the results of this study indicate, females are somehow superior in reading comprehension compared to male subjects (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008) and females are more global and prefer to guess meaning from context while males are more analytic and attend more to words (Brudice, 2009). This suggests that teachers should take into consideration the fact that more practice needs to be done when working with male students. Another consequence of the study can be drawn from the finding that both male and female students had greater gains on essay regardless of their gender. This may imply that teachers can focus on teaching different types of texts in their classes regardless of their students gender. This may help learners to pave the way toward autonomy in that they can build on what they already know or what they have explicitly learned in their classrooms (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). So teachers should be aware of these differences; they can help learners of both genders in different ways. By concentrating on learners limitations, teachers can provide successful learning situations. Only in this way can teachers handle the class efficiently and achieve the teaching goals. Strategy training can be done through working with students in small groups or individually by using various reading texts and questions to check students processing problems through questioning and answering. Teaching learners comprehension monitoring and reading comprehension test taking strategies can help them to take a more reflective and self-directed approach to text reading. Additionally, it can help learners in reducing anxiety in reading tests (Brudice, 2009).

Overpopulation in the 1900s :: essays research papers

Some people believe that immigration in the 1900’s was a good thing, however, they would be wrong. The United States government should have restricted the immigrants around that time. Some reasons are the population, the taking of new jobs and lowering wages, and diseases spreading quickly. These all factored importantly into why they should not have been allowed in. The population in the 1900’s was beginning to overflow. In 1875 the United States government had to put a immigration restriction so that no more immigrants could come into the United States. Which ended up leading into the depression. Then later in 1882 the United States government had to put a restriction on all Chinese immigrants because there were too many of them coming over. So as a result you can tell that too many immigrants were coming over into the United States. Another big factor in why the immigrants should have been restricted in the 1900’s is because they would take most of the needed jobs in all of the warehouses. The main reason that they would get all of the jobs in the warehouses is because they would come in large amounts and they were willing to work for very little pay. The places that they lived were usually shacks or a 2 or three room apartment so they wouldn’t have many costs to take care of. This also would lead allot of Americans getting angry because it would become harder and harder to find work. Due to the very poor living conditions that all of the immigrants would live in diseases would spread very quickly. Another reason that diseases would spread is because so many different people from different country’s would take very long journeys on a boat where it is tremendously overcrowded. Whenever immigrants would come over they would have to see a doctor.

Voltaires Candide Essay -- Enlightenment Voltaire Essays

Voltaire's Candide Candide is a reflection of the philosophical values of the Enlightenment. Voltaire’s novel is a satire of the Old Regime ideologies in which he critiques the political, social, and religious ideals of his time. A common intellectual characteristic of the Enlightenment was anti-feudalism. Philosophers were against the separations in the Old Regime and pushed for equality among human beings. Voltaire parodies the pompousness of the nobility several times throughout his novel. As we are introduced to the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh, Voltaire describes his castle as luxurious, even though it is inferred that Westphalia is only a moderate estate. Although the name may sound important, Thunder-ten-tronckh lacks the luxury of nobility. The Baron lives off of the labor of others, justifying it by his birth into the right of power. Furthermore, the Baron’s sister refuses to marry Candide’s father because he has one less quarterling than she on his coat of arms. The difference in their lineage is minute; however, the Baroness refuses to marry someone that is less important than she is. Candide himself also experiences a similar incident. The Baron’s son refuses to allow Candide to marry his sister, Cunegonde. Although Candide rescues Cunegonde from several misfortunes, the Baron feels that he is unworthy of someone with such status. In his display of noble arrogance, Voltaire suggests that the accident of birth is meaningless. He continues his parody of the nobility by introducing Don Fernando, the governor of Buenos Ayres. Don Fernando carries with him a long list of names to accentuate his power and wealth. In the days of the Old Regime, this was custom in order to recognize nobility. However, Voltaire portrays Don Fernando as a predator, a liar, and a cheat. He shows that even though Don Fernando may be characterized as wealthy and powerful, he is not superior to others. Finally, Candide’s experiences in the army suggest Voltaire’s bitterness toward the aristocracy. In every war Candide participates in, the common people suffer the consequences of the nobility’s actions. Another characteristic of the Enlightenment was that of optimism; however Voltaire was a pessimist. Voltaire uses Candide to criticize the Enlightenment view that reason can overcome social chaos. Pangloss, Candide’s devoted friend, is an optimist who claims th... ...e a Franciscan can enter the order, they are required to take a vow of poverty. In stealing the jewels, the theft was breaking this religious vow. The Old Woman was the illegitimate daughter of a Pope. He not only broke his vows of celibacy, but he refused to protect his daughter from society. Also, while Candide was in France he met an abbe. The abbe was involved in things such as gambling, extortion, cheating, and stealing. He also promoted loose morals and involved Candide in these practices by introducing him to a seductress. The abbe only showed kindness to Candide because of the jewels and gold he possessed. Finally, Giroflee is introduced as a satire of the church. Friar Giroflee has hired Pacquette for prostitution services. In a monastery, monks are supposed to refrain from participating in any secular activities, especially prostitution. Voltaire cleverly parodies the events of the Old Regime in his novel, Candide. With wit and sarcasm, the ideologies of the Enlightenment philosophers are candidly displayed through fictitious, absurd characters. The entire novel is a satire of the political, social, and religious ideals that Voltaire so tirelessly advocated against.

The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Literature

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a great piece of literature. It explores problems in society that still occur today. It is fascinating to see how the Puritans punished adultery then and the lack of punishment of adultery in our society now. It shows how all the characters affect Hester and what everyone does in the community. It shows that no one is exempt from any type of crime in that town. In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he analyzes the characters of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl. One of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter is Hester Prynne. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester is described as â€Å"a comely woman whose pride sustains her through her punishment and for all the years of her life† (Overview: Characters). She is tall, has dark hair and her attire showed the attitude of her spirit (Hawthorne 51). She has a husband, Roger Prynne, whom she did not love. Before she got married, she was a strong-willed and eager young woman. Her husband, Prynne, has sent her to America and he was to arrive later. When he never arrived in Boston, she assumed he was lost at sea (SparkNotes). At the beginning of the book Prynne is walking out of the prison holding her daughter, Pearl, with the scarlet letter â€Å"A† embroidered on her clothing (Hawthorne 51-52). She wears the scarlet letter as a punishment and her secrecy to her lover. Her husband is in the crowd, and is living in Boston for revenge on her lover (Sparknotes). Hester is being charged with adultery. Her sentence is one that could be used for a much lesser crime (Korobkin). She is then kicked out of town and is forced to live on the outskirts of Boston in a small cottage (Hawthorne 62). Dimmesdale is the â€Å"judge† in Hester’s case. When Governor Bellingh... ...es from Gale. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. Milliman, Craig A. "Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter.' (Nathaniel Hawthorne)." The Explicator 53.2 (1995): 83+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. Pimple, Kenneth D. "'Subtle, but remorseful hypocrite': Dimmesdale's Moral Character." Studies in the Novel 25.3 (Fall 1993): 257-271. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 158. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. Pringle, Michael. "The Scarlet Lever: Hester's Civil Disobedience." ESQ: A Journal of the American Renaissance 53.1 (2007): 31-55. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Dana Ferguson. Vol. 163. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Scarlet Letter.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web. 1 Feb. 2012

American Culture vs Lebanese Culture Essay

History and Geography are the most important factors that shape a given society’s culture; In Lebanon, religions are of great influence on the adopted values and assumptions; some will be discussed in the following to make the point about how history and geography have interfered to shape the Lebanese society as such, and then a comparison with the American values and their historical backgrounds will follow; -Family: being at the heart of the Arab world, where Christianity and Islam were born and spread later to the entire world, Lebanese people practice their religious believes in their different aspects, including those related to the family bounds and relations. Lebanese families have strong tights: the Respect to the Older, the extended kinship networks, the dependence of the Weak on the Strong (when youngsters depend on their parents until they become able to take responsibility of themselves, and then the dependence of the parents on their sons –and girls- when they become old and in need for their assistance); all these are the â€Å"normal† Lebanese expectations and values regarding the family. – History: Lebanese people give big importance to their history and they keep it in mind to learn from the mistakes of the past that cost them hundreds of thousands of souls; in Lebanon the term â€Å"we paid blood for this cause† is widely used. The Lebanese flag has two red bands at its top and bottom sides, to symbolize for the blood that has been shed for the sake of the country and all those martyrs who sacrificed their lives throughout the history. Lebanese history is very rich and full of invasions and struggles to freedom time after time, and this has left pride in Lebanese people of their past and determination to continue the same path in moralities and values regarding the country and their freedom. – Food: Conservation of Food that the Lebanese used to prepare each summer for the winter (called Mooneh), has its origins both from the cold winters where no food would be available, and from the famous WWI’s famine that stroke Lebanon, where only rich people and some farmers were able to survive since  they had some food stored in their warehouses. In addition, meat has to be Halal; that is the animal has to be slaughtered according to the Islamic way, even for Lebanese Christians who consider Halal meat healthier and more hygienic. In the Islamic regions of Lebanon, it’s not acceptable to request alcohol or to drink or be drunk when visiting a Muslim, as alcohol is forbidden in Islam. As it is offensive to request for food or to eat, drink or smoke in public during the day in Ramadan, where Muslims will be fasting by that time. While in the American context, history has also shaped the values of the American people, but obviously in different direction as the historical events and circumstances was far different from those experienced in Lebanon. Taking the above tackled examples, in the following is an analysis of these in the American context as compared to the Lebanese one. – Family: the social tissue of the American society is made up of immigrants from different parts of the world, and according to their origin, families have different values and social practices. Accordingly, families living in Michigan are similar in their family bounds and values to the Lebanese, as there is a big Lebanese Diaspora living in this state. While in other regions where most of the immigrants originate from North-Western Europe, families don’t have as strong bounds as the oriental people, and young adults’ dependence on their parents is considered as a shame and regarded to as immaturity. – History: in spite of the short history of the United States as compared to other countries – here to Lebanon- history has had great deal with shaping the American culture and its people’s values, and Americans as the Lebanese are proud of their history and show great respect for those who contributed to the nowadays constitutional laws and values. For instance, the famous war between the North and the South had its important footprints on the American values regarding the racial discrimination and the respect to the individual regardless his color or race. On the other hand, the interventions of President Roosevelt during the Great Economical Depression in order to create job opportunities and boost the economy, is being nowadays highly  appreciated and appraised by the Americans. – Food: the American culinary culture seems to have no relation with that found in the Lebanese food. Americans depend mostly on â€Å"Fast Food†, with little time needed to prepare; this might have its origins the shortage in time when women and men had both to work during the industrial revolution at the beginning of the 20th century. In addition, no religious restrictions regarding the meat or alcohol, but rather a respect to some nutritional preferences like vegetarian and vegan food for some. Although each society has its own peculiarities, values and cultural distinction, globalization is now invading most societies in the world and shaping them into a new, more homogeneous society having pretty much the same Global Culture; the nature of that culture will be that of the most powerful societies’ who invade the weak ones culturally and prevail over them; only the strongest values will persist and this is another form of struggle. The most aspect of the American values I’ve adopted is independence as a woman coming from a Lebanese family. Although I was born and raised here, technically I am American; my family likes to think otherwise. My family is into the Lebanese culture very much. My father came to America when he was really young, maybe in his early 20s. He would visit Lebanon just about every summer and in 1983 he married my mother who was his neighbor. Soon after that my parents had my older brother, than my twin brother and I. My mother came to this country at the age of 22 (I think) and she started to bring over my uncles and grandmother. So, basically all of my family was here on my mother’s side except two of her sisters and one brother. We are very family oriented and I was the only girl so everyone was basically looking after me because they thought if I was to take the American way of things I would be wild and do whatever it is I wanted. That’s not how it works in the old country. The sister or daughter of the family is supposed to stay home, take care of the house, clean, cook, and cater to the father and/or brothers of her family. Since we lived in America and grew up here, I kind of had it the easy way, for a little while. I got away with almost everything. I was â€Å"daddy’s little girl,† whatever I wanted, I got. I think  it was because I was the only girl, for the most part. My father would get me any and everything I wanted. If my brothers were bothering me and I wanted to get them away from me, all I would do is scream â€Å"daddy, they’re hurting me† he would come running and they were the ones in trouble not me. Most of the time I would start the fight, so it was supposed to be my fault that we ended up fighting, but my father never knew that. He never wanted to see me cry or get hurt by my brothers who were rough and always play fighting. My biological father died when I was 7 years old of a heart attack and so my mother was left as a single parent taking care of two 7 year olds and a 12 year old. It was devastating, heart breaking; nothing has been the same since of course. My mom was extremely strict on us after the passing of my father, that was the only way she knew how to protect us from this â€Å"evil and cruel world† she would tell us. My mom had her mother and three brothers here; my father’s sister lived on the second floor of our house, so she wasn’t alone taking care of us. Of course mothers have their own way of taking care of their kids and she didn’t want anyone to change the way she was raising us or taking care of us. She made our lives very difficult at times because most of the kids we went to school with or lived around were always outside on the street playing but we weren’t allowed outside of the driveway because she always wanted her eye on us or someone always had to watch us. There was never a time where we were alone, especially me since I’m the girl of the family. My brothers had more privileges than I did be cause of course they were boys and I wasn’t. In 2001 that’s when things got a lot easier for my mother and us. She got remarried to a Lebanese man who was from the same city in Lebanon where we were from. She was happy and of course we were happy for her and as a family in general. A lot more freedom and independence came upon us. He is a very open-minded individual. He wasn’t living in America when my mother met him. He was visiting and ended up staying because him and my mom fell in love and got married. He sort of opened my mother’s mind up A LOT, for me. My brothers always had their freedom for the most part. My mom started letting me go to the park with my girlfriends, she let me go to birthday parties at friends houses. The option of sleeping over someone’s house was never there. I was very happy and thankful that God brought this man into our family. I  am very close to him; he is my step-father, of course. My father will never be replaced but a part of me always sits and thinks maybe my father brought this man into our lives; maybe he picked him out for my mom. He and my father are very similar people. When I was going into my junior year of high school my parents thought of this brilliant idea to move out of the city. It wasn’t so brilliant for us. We were living in Hyde Park. We left our childhood home, street, friends, parks, etc. It was a very sad thing to do. Our new home was in Attleboro, Ma. A very suburb area as oppose to Hyde Park. That’s where most of my independence and freedom took part. I’m thinking my mom was more lenient to letting me do things and go places because we were now living in the suburbs. I would go to my friend’s house, sometimes stay there until really late at night. When I turned 17 I learned how to drive, I got my permit and soon after my license. The most freedom a teenager has is when they’re able to drive themselves around and not depend on other people or their parents for a ride anywhere. My freedom and independence began here. It was the most wonderful time of my life. I would drive from Attleboro to Boston almost every other day. My mom knew where I would be going, to my best friend’s house in Boston or to visit my grandmother and uncles who still live in Hyde Park. The fact that my mother was letting me or allowing me to do all of these things defines where I have adopted the American â€Å"teenage† lifestyle in that point of my life. My religion is very important to my family and to me as well. I grew up in the Orthodox Christian church. I will always have this value from my native culture. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my religion or where my beliefs come from. I went to church every Sunday every since I was a little girl. As for now, I don’t go to church so much anymore. I live a busy life, like most Americans and especially Bostonians. I always have time for religion, there’s nothing wrong with prayer at home or wherever you are. My brothers and I went to a church camp out in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania called Antiochian Village. The mission of the Antiochian Village is to present to young people a living experience of the Holy Orthodox Faith, in their relationship with God and other campers in an uncluttered, natural environment. We were there for two weeks every summer. It was probably the best two weeks out of the whole year. I started going there when I was 12 years old until I was 17. I learned a lot about my religion, met life-long friends who I call family  now, and learned how to live without electronics attached to me every second of the day. It was a big challenge for me because I was so used to watching TV every day and using the phone to talk to friends, and playing video games. Our trips to the Village have taught self-awareness. I t’s a big aspect of my life. I think to accomplish the mission of the Village was to bring young people: * Awareness of self and fellow man * A broadening of their Orthodox life * A greater awareness of their religion * Good sportsmanship * Growth in personal relationships and personal responsibility * An appreciation of nature and a concern for the environment In Lebanon I see that religion is very powerful. When I go there for the summer there are always feasts and Saints days. There are huge celebrations for these feasts and Saints days. The whole town/city/village is a part of these celebrations. The churches are decorated with lights and candles and flowers. It’s beautiful. When I see these churches decorated like this, it makes me realize that there is a God. Without God there would be nothing. I wear jewelry to represent that I am religious; like a cross on my neck or sometimes prayer beads around my wrist. I make it very clear to people that I’m a big part of Christianity. Lebanese people can tell right away what religion you are. There are different crosses for the Catholic and Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox cross has a slightly different look than the Catholic one. For me — melting pot/salad bowl — it’s about a country of immigrants becoming stronger by both embracing the diversity of its cultures but also all feeling they do belong to one nation as well. I’m more of a melting pot. I’m more ethnic but have been combined with the American culture. I live my life more of the American lifestyle in some ways more than others apposes to the Lebanese lifestyle. I’m big into the equality of opportunity whereas in Lebanon the man is in charge of the household, most women are stay at home wives who take care of the household, cooking and cleaning. I’m more independent that the cousins I have in Lebanon. The only women in my family who work are the ones who have gone to University and have found good jobs  that are actually worth it. In America even if one doesn’t have a college degree there is a high possibility that they can be successful. It could be from knowing someone in a certain type of job or business where they can receive better privileges and get promoted easily with higher paying jobs and not even having to step foot in a college level course. Those are the perks of living in America and having opportunity. In Lebanon there are not many options. Middle class or very wealthy families put their children in college or universities. Some of the people in my family were very fortunate to go to college because their parents had to give up their dreams or sell a piece of land that was handed down to them from their fathers or grandfathers in order to pay for their college tuitions. As I said before independence is my number one turnover from the Lebanese culture to the American culture. Only the bravest women in my culture stand up to their families or husbands and choose to be independent. I have that opportunity without a doubt or without anyone having to tell me â€Å"No.† Of course I still have my values that come from my culture. These values are what make me who I am and best represent me as independent. In Lebanon the people are always giving a helping hand, Americans are the same way. I take that value very much inconsideration because I always try to help the less fortunate. I have so much to be thankful and grateful by the help of my parents and God that I try and give out a helping hand even if it’s a dollar. There are millions of charities to help the less fortunate in Lebanon and there are a million charities that I have contributed my money, clothes, shoes, jackets, etc. to. It gives me great pleasure to do so, it’s very frowned upon if you know someone who is less fortunate and doesn’t help them out with whatever it is possible that you can give in Lebanon and I’m sure in America as well. Some Americans are greedy or cheap and don’t like to give their belongings or money away to homeless or less fortunate people but for the most part I see a very large amount of contributors to these people. Happiness is a great value that I’ve inherited from both cultures; Lebanese and American. My mother always tells me â€Å"it is better to be poor and happy than to be wealthy and unhappy,† meaning no matter how big or deep your  pocket it is, it will not give you happiness. I always surround myself with the things that make me the most happy. It is of course my family, my best friends, etc. When I finish school, I plan on opening my own business it may or may not be successful either way that is my goal. It is what’s going to make me happy. Whether I become very wealthy or very poor that is what will make me the most happiest. The thought of my goal and dream to be my own boss will give me great pleasure in saying to someone â€Å"I am my own boss,† finally. I hope to be as successful as some of the people in my family are. Some own their own business, some have very high paying jobs at very well known corporations/businesses. Even if I become a manager at a business or corporation it will still make me very happy to say that I’ve accomplished my dreams in becoming â€Å"wealthy,† because that is how I define wealthy; rising from the very bottom to the very top in my life. I want to show my parents that I have accomplished my dreams because I have more opportunities than my mother and father did from when they first arrived in this country. It will make me happy just seeing my mother happy. It’s a great thing to be, happy. Lebanese people are happy whether they are very poor, middle-class, an d wealthy sometimes. Americans don’t see the economic status the same as us Lebanese, but I have seen a number of people say the same who are Americans. Having good health is the number one priority in a Lebanese family. My mother also has always said â€Å"without health you have nothing.† If my father wasn’t healthy he may be still alive. I know my father’s side of the family has a history of heart disease and he was also under a lot of stress at the time. But he wasn’t healthy at all. If a person isn’t healthy, there would be no way a person can go to school to get an education, go to work to earn their money, not even get up out of their beds. Health is a big issue in Lebanon and in America. Obesity is growing and growing in America every day. I’m concerned for myself and family. But with the help of God and us there is no way being unhealthy is an option in my book. In conclusion, independence, a helping hand, and health have best described my melting pot and shape me to be the person I am today. There is no better way to explaining myself in any other way than I already have. Thank you.

Recrystallization of Acetanilide Using Water as Solvent Essay

Abstract Recrystallization is a technique used to purify organic solids. This method involves dissolving of a solute in a solvent and inciting the solute to produce a precipitate from a solution. In this experiment, acetic anhydride was added to the mixture of 2mL aniline and 20mL of distilled water. The mixture was cooled in an ice bath and filtered through filter paper resulting to the crude acetanilide. The pure acetanilide was then produced by the filtered solution of crude acetanilide and recrystallizing solvent. Choosing of the recrystallizing solvent was done by placing a small amount of pure acetanilide in three test tubes, each containing: water, 95% ethanol and hexane. The final weight produced by the pure acetanilide is 1.1g contrary to the weight of the crude of the acetanilide which is 0.5g. Quantitative analysis showed that the pure acetanilide produced 37.04% percentage yield. Introduction Recrystallization is a process of purifying organic compounds obtained from nature that contain soluble, insoluble and colored impurities. This is based on the premise that solubility increases on the increase of temperature while solubility decreases on the decrease of temperature. This is the process behind the formation of crystals. Recrystallization can be broken down into several steps. A suitable solvent is chosen followed by the compound being dissolved in a minimum solvent. Insoluble impurities are removed and crystallization follows upon cooling. The crystals are collected and dried. Choosing the best recrystallizing solvent would lead to the solubility of the impure substances in the compound. The boiling point of the recrystallizing solvent should be lower than the compound to be recrystallized. There are several criteria in determining the best recrystallizing solvent. The compound being purified must be insoluble in the solvent at room temperature. It should be insoluble in the solvent at high temperature. Upon low temperature, it should be soluble. Acetanilide can be obtained by acetylation of aniline undergone by nitration at low temperature. For acetylation of anilines, acetic anhydride is commonly used. Also called acetic acid anilide, acetanilide is an odorless, white crystalline powder which is soluble in hot water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, acetone, glycerol and benzene. It has a melting point of 114  °C and boiling point of 314 °C. It is a combustible solid. When digested, it is moderately toxic. Exposure to body tissues would lead to irritation. For the production of rubber accelerators, dyes and camphor, acetanilide is used as an intermediate. It also used in penicillin synthesis and other pharmaceuticals like painkillers and intermediates. It is incompatible with strong alkalis and oxidizers but remains stable under normal conditions. Also, it is an amide. This experiment aims to purify crude acetanilide water, the best recrystallizing solvent, which is determined by the solubility of the solid compound, to produce pure acetanilide and to calculate the percentage yield of the weight of the pure acetanilide. Also, it aims to prove the process of recrystallization in purifying compounds. Materials and Methods The materials used were test tubes, Erlenmeyer flask, Bunsen burner, tripod, wire gauze, beaker, filter paper, aniline compound, hexane compound, acetic anhydride and methanol. The experiment began on the choosing of the recrystallizing solvent. Three test tubes that individually contained 1mL water, 95% ethanol and hexane were added a corn grain amount of pure acetanilide. Water was the chosen  recrystallizing solvent. In an Erlenmeyer flask, 2mL of aniline and 20mL of distilled water were mixed to be followed by the slow addition of 3mL acetic anhydride. This produced the crude acetanilide. The crude acetanilide was weighed. 20mL of recrystallizing solvent was added to the crude acetanilide. The solution was heated in the water bath until the solid dissolves. Activated charcoal is added to produce a colorless solution. While still hot, the solution was filtered through the filter paper. The crystals produced are collected, washed with distilled water and dried between filter papers. The resulting pure acetanilide is weighed Results and Discussion Choosing the recrystallizing solvent 3 test tubes containing 1mL water, 95% ethanol and hexane were subjected to different temperatures for 1-5 minutes in order to test the solubility of the pure acetanilide. In room temperature, water and hexane were insoluble; whereas, 95% ethanol was soluble. In high temperature or during heating, water and 95% ethanol are soluble while hexane was insoluble. In low temperature of upon cooling, water and 95% ethanol are both insoluble while hexane remained insoluble. Table 1 shows the result of the solubility of pure acetanilide in different temperatures provided. Table 1: Summary of the Solubility of Pure Acetanilide in Different Solvents of Varying Temperatures Solvent| At room temperature| During heating| Upon cooling| Water| Insoluble| Soluble | Insoluble| 95% ethanol| Soluble| Soluble| Soluble| Hexane| Inoluble| Insoluble| Insoluble| In order to attain the best recrystallizing solvent, this table explains that the compound should be very soluble in high temperatures and insoluble in  room temperature. The difference in hot and cold temperatures is essential for the process of recrystallization. It would not dissolve if at high temperatures the compound in the chosen solvent is insoluble. It would not crystallize in pure form if the compound in the solvent is soluble. The desired compound may be lost during recrystallization that is why the solvent should not react with the compound being purified. Unwanted impurities should be either very soluble in room temperature of insoluble in hot temperature. After the solution cools, the desired compound crystallizes and the remaining impurities will remain dissolved. After the compound has crystallized, the solvent should be volatile enough to be removed from the solvent after the compound. Easy and rapid drying of the solid compound after it has been isolated follows. Table 2 shows the weight of the crude acetanilide and the pure acetanilide. Table 2: Summary of the Weight of Crude and Pure Acetanilide Acetanilide| Weight (g)| Crude| 6.5| Pure| 1.2| Crude acetanilide was formed from the synthesis of acetanilide. Pure acetanilide was collected after recrystallizing the crude acetanilide. Quantitative Analysis of Acetanilide thru Determination of Percentage Yield The percentage recovery of pure acetanilide was computed using the formula: %Yield=Actual YieldTheoretical Yield x 100 Substituting the values: %Yield=1.1g2.97gx 100 Therefore, the percentage yield of pure acetanilide is 37.04%. Percentage yield is used in cases where chemical transformation occurs. In calculating the percentage yield, the following is needed: 1. The molar ratio of product to starting material 2. The molecular weights of product and starting material 3. Limiting Reagent Determination of Theoretical Yield 2mL Aniline (C6H5NH2) x 1.0271 mole x 1 mole93.13g x 102.09 g1 mole = 2.24g 3mL Acetic Anhydride (C4H6O3) x 1.0821 mole x 1 mole102.09g x 93.13g1 mole = 2.97g The limiting reagent is Aniline since 2.97g was needed to make 3 milliliters of Acetic Anhydride. REFERENCES: From The Internet: (1) http://www.chem.umass.edu/~samal/269/cryst1.pdf. Recrystallization. Electronic References (2) http://www.chemistry.sc.chula.ac.th/bsac/Org%20Chem%20Lab_2012/Exp.2[1].pdf. Purification by Recrystallization (3) http://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_EN_CB9444812.htm. Chemical Book (4) http://www.epcc.edu/OfficeofRiskManagement/Documents/EPCC%20MSDS/Acetanilide.pdf. Flinn Scientific Inc. (2001) (5) http://sites.psu.edu/lburns/files/2013/04/ch.6-formal-report.pdf. Bortiatynski, Jackie, M’Mechan, J.C.

Naturalization of Undocumented Immigrant

Prof. Alexandru November 18, 2013 Communications Immigration Laws Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to Central Idea: The immigration system needs to be reformed. Introduction l. â€Å"Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. † These words are engraved on the Statue of Liberty that was assembled in 1886. The statue was meant to be a beacon of hope for all immigrants that enter the U. S. Hope for opportunities, a better life, a better home. But can we really say that's what they are given?II. A big issue that has been focused on lately by the government is Immigration law reform. For this speech I have done research about immigration laws and how they affect undocumented immigrants. Ill. A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D. C. has found that there has been an increase of unauthorized immigrants in the United States since the end of recession in 2009, which means there a lot more people that live in the United States that will be affected.This can also be said that everyone in California can be affected by these laws because we are a border state, which usually get a larger influx of immigrants. ‘V. Today I would like to tell you about the serious issues with present day mmigration laws and persuade you to help reform them. First I will explain what immigration laws are and their purposes. Then I will tell you about some of those laws, and how they affect undocumented immigrants and society. And I will end with why and how you can help to make a difference. Body (So what are immigration laws? ) l.Immigration laws were created to regulate who and what may come into the United States. According the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers, this is to protect us in four different major ways: public safety, public health, Jobs, and national ecurity. A. Ever since 1960, creating laws based on public safety, is to ensure that immigrants that may be potential prostitute s, polygamists, sexual deviates, or criminals would not be allowed to cross our borders. B. For Public Health, there are laws that prevent contagious diseases epidemics or people with potentially dangerous mental diseases.C. To ensure our Jobs are secure, laws are created to keep immigration from depressing wages too much. D. And National Security – Foreigners who would harm the country cannot come here, but the definition of who terrorists, for instance. Now let's talking about some actual immigration laws) V. Immigration laws vary on circumstances and we have to remember that every law always have exceptions. Every law also has flaws. Now I'm going to tell you about two laws that I found alarming. A. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that close to 400,000 US citizens marry a non-U.S. citizen. When a United States' citizen gets married to a person from a different country, there is a long process that the couple has to go through to prove their marriage and plenty of petitions need to be filled out to gain citizenship. A. l . The process and analysis of the couples were not at all alarming me until I ran across an article that went into detail about transgender spouses, who not only had to deal with the naturalization process but also the process specifying their gender.

Tennessee William’s Play a Street Car Named Desire

Tennessee William’s play, A Street Car Named Desire, creates conflict and tension between characters using several dramatic devices. It also makes clear use of the sound effects and music used during the production, the appearance of the characters as well as the language used. Blanche DuBois, the centralized character in the play is a woman in her early thirties, although she would have you believe otherwise. William’s from the very start creates a veneer of Blanch and slowly throughout the story lets us know what is behind this attractive pretence.Blanch is first presented to the audience as a woman belonging to another class, superior to all her surroundings even such of her sister, Stella. â€Å"Explain to me this place. What are you doing in a place like this? † When Blanche is first introduced to Stella’s husband, Stanley Kowalski, she is quite attracted to him, she even flirts with this â€Å"common† man. Animalistic and exhibitionistic, Stan ley removes his hot, sweat-soaked, smelly and sticky T-shirt in front of her, and changes into a clean one to â€Å"make myself comfortable. He offers Blanche a drink but she declines stating that â€Å"ones my limit† and that she rarely touches it. This being blatant lies, Stanley quite rightly remarks â€Å"Well, there are some people that rarely touch it, but it touches them often. † Laying her cards on the table, Blanche later admits to Stanley that she only tells the truth when necessary, after all she wouldn’t want it affecting her playing her role. â€Å"I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is fifty percent illusion, but when a thing is important I tell the truth†¦ †As the play progresses we find Blanch desperately trying to cling to everyone whilst maintaining her old ‘southern belle’, aristocratic, gracious and desirable frontier, not letting on that she is in fact penniless. â€Å"I'm not going to put up in a hotel. I've got to be near you Stella. I've got to be with people. I can't be alone†¦ † She plays this ‘role’ most likely only to keep up her self-esteem. Blanch is very self conscious pf her appearance, always wanting someone to reassure her with a compliment. Blanche: Would you think it possible that I was once considered attractive? Stanley: Your looks are ok.Blanche: I was fishing for a compliment, Stanley. The very language that she uses is over elaborate and self conscious, with such exaggerated formality. Such carefully structured language perhaps signifies her desire to remain in control. It more likely is used to cover up her anxiety, unease, even extreme agitation at time boarding hysteria. She is constantly washing herself and bathing, hydrotherapy she calls it, purifying and cleansing her. Blanches relationship with Mitch is untruthful from the beginning, with nothing but a paper lantern disguising the illusion from reality.She is trying to hold o nto what she has already lost; Belle Reve (Beautiful dream), her husband, her youth. The encounter with the boy collecting for the Evening Star newspaper amplifies the point of her longing to be young once again. Blanche even falls into the trap of playing the role of fantasies which she even ridicules. â€Å"I attempt to instil a bunch of bobby-soxers and drug store Romeos with reverence for Hawthorne and Whitman and Poe! † This perhaps has some link with Aunt Pennyman from Washington Square, meeting up with strangers in foreign places.Blanche has always said how she relies on the kindness of strangers. Although Tennessee Williams being a socially conscious playwright he still involved such themes that would challenge production code sensors of films at the time. The audiences of the time would have considered the play to be controversial to say the least, involving immoral and decadent acts, with it’s bold adult drama including rape, insanity, domestic violence, homo sexuality and sexual obsession. Williams was noted for bringing to his audiences a slice of his own life and the feel of southern culture.

Being Safe Online

Computer Ethics Reflection Many people may think going online is safe, but it can be very hazardous at times. You need to know how to protect yourself online, and avoid cyber bullying. While you are writing a paper for school, you need to know what academic honesty is. Cyber bulling is the use of the internet and/or related technology to hurt other people, in a recurring, and aggressive method. Cyber bulling is very common these days. People do it to get a little laugh, but never think twice about what emotional impact it can have on the other person.Many people say, â€Å"Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. †, and it may seem like good advice but it isn’t. When people cyber bully someone, they think it is funny, and since words are just words nobody will get hurt, but they are very wrong. Cyber bulling is not harmless. People have committed suicide over it. Some people who cyber bully think that it is impossible to take it too far, becaus e they are just messing around.But the truth is cyber bullies take it to far when just the thought of cyber bulling runs through their heads. If you get cyber bullied, the first thing you should do is ignore it; maybe they are having a bad day. If it still continues you need to block them, for all you know they will not stop. The next step, if it still carries on, is to tell an adult. There might be times when you think you parents don’t know anything, but they are her to protect you. If you do not want to tell your parents, tell a teacher or you guidance counselor.Any adult can help you. Sometimes, it may still go on. In this case, you need to save it and print it up so you have proof. If you participate in cyber bullying, there will be consequences. Sometimes the person who you cyber bullied might commit suicide. If you get caught, you will be in massive trouble with the police. Keeping yourself safe online is very vital. Just by giving someone your first name, that person can track you down. Going online itself can always be dangerous.Do not give out your personal information. Personal information consists of your name, phone number, e-mail address, your parents name, your home address, and et cetera. When someone sends you a request, and you have never met them face to face, DO NOT accept them. This does not mean that you go and meet them somewhere! Always be respectful, and use appropriate language. Do not swear or call people out of their names. Passwords are also something you should not share with ANYONE besides your parents.

Is America a Christian country Should it be Term Paper

Is America a Christian country Should it be - Term Paper Example Christianity has various forms and branches with accompanying different practice sand beliefs. The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. There are numerous subcategories of these branches still. Most followers of Christianity were mainly found in the West until late 20th century but now it has spread rapidly to all the continents. The one God believed by Christians exist as The Father, The son and The Holy Spirit giving emphasis on the faith of Christ. The sacred book of Christians is the bible including Hebrew scripture (Old Testament) and the New Testament. The common practices to Christians are gathering at churches for worship, study fellowship and even interacting with rest of the world and other Christians through evangelism and social work. In the case America, Christianity was introduced to United States by the colonizing Europeans around 16th and 17th century. Immigrants from other places further increased the numbers. Christianity is the most popular religion and the denominations here can be divided into Mainline Protestantism, Evangelical Protestantism and Roman Catholic. A research conducted in 2004 on religions in United States, it showed 26.3% Evangelical, 22% Roman Catholics and 16% Mainline Protestantism. Most surveys done in America have constantly shown that over 73% of Americans identified themselves as Christians (Boyd, 2007). Many people especially some politicians and religious activists have argued that America was meant to be Christian nation by those who founded it. Having a large portion of the population being Christians does not simply qualify the country to be a Christian nation. To be a Christian nation it has to be official, Christian beliefs at least, have to be enshrined in the constitution and institutions like judiciary, education departments, and commissions should be shaped by Christian

Concerto genre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concerto genre - Term Paper Example For the purposes of this genre study, I seek to research and discuss concerto genre. Particularly, I will work on piano concerto by Frantz Liszt. Frantz was renowned for his exemplary virtuosic skills with the piano. Many people still claim that his level of perfection with the piano matched Paganini with his violin. I really like his piano concerto No. 1, which was done in E-flat major. The concerto can listen on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KggSgpm8XuY. I would really love and welcome anyone who would help me deconstruct and analyze this concerto. I have listened to it several times and compared the concerto with others with the same artist. I wish to compare Frantz Liszt’s piano concerto No. 1 with one of the latest piano artists named John Ireland. His music can be found on http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/alan-rowlands/album/john-ireland-piano-music. After listening to the two set of music, I found some similarities albeit not much. Any assistance on comparison would be v ery welcome.Response to Post Number 2I like your approach since it is almost similar to mine. We are both exploring piano artists although yours focuses on sonata while mine focusses on concertos. Certainly, Robert Schumann did complicated pieces of sonatas. Although you have not yet generated a rhapsody URL for both artists, your link for Robert Schumann works and is good for both his history and music as well. Perhaps you should explain more about how his elements of insanity are reflected in his music.

A Bakery in Downtown, New Delhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Bakery in Downtown, New Delhi - Essay Example The preliminary research has revealed that there are very few bakeries in the populated areas of New Delhi and hence, the competitive edge of the bakery would be its location inviting a lot of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. The main customers of the bakery would be office going youngsters and students who like mobile food and snacks and have a preference for Western origin food more than their local origins. The initial setup cost of the bakery including the construction, rentals, machinery, raw material, etc. is around $ 76,000, which is an estimate calculated from the data of bakeries of similar capacity. New Delhi hosts majority of the Indian elite and average income people, and investing in a bakery that has numerous future prospects seems like an investment that is worthwhile. Moreover, bakery items have long changed their place from that of being luxury commodities and have now become necessities. Therefore, opening a bakery in downtown New Delhi would prove to be an extr emely profitable venture with the rising share of the bakery industry. The Gantt chart of the project shows that it would take the bakery more than two months approximately starting from research up until its launch. Project Description The objective of the project is to set up a small bakery that sells hot breads, rolls, cakes, etc. ... The bakery would host products such as freshly baked breads, rolls, muffins, various cakes, biscuits, sandwiches, and other similar bakery items. The star product of the bakery would be different kinds of hot freshly made breads baked continuously during the day as ordered. The bakery would also setup tables and chairs in its premises to provide seating facility to the customers. It would also have attractive packaging for takeaways and gifts. Market study has revealed that food business, specifically bakeries, restaurants, and other similar outlets suffer less even in the time of recession. Moreover, the business are easy to setup and not a lot of technical expertise is necessary. The revenue model of such a venture is also very simple and the risk involved is not very high, typically for investors investing in such a business. In order for a bakery to be successful, we need very few basic things: a need in the market, taste and quality in the product. New Delhi is a sophisticated c ity and majority of India’s elite is located here. Here people have the income and the resources to spend on luxuries such as eating out and spending on bakery items. In addition to this, the star product of the bakery, i.e. the freshly baked bread is not even considered a luxury anymore. It has become a necessity for every modern household’s breakfast table. Besides, a survey of the city areas where the offices and schools are located reveals that there are not many bakeries close by. Hence, a bakery that is in the middle of the daily hustle and bustle is bound to be successful, as it would get tremendous amount of attention and pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. Work Breakdown Structure WBS LEVEL WBS LEVEL 2 WBS LEVEL 3 Cost

Mathematical Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mathematical Concepts - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss mathematical concepts of a course. The paper will offer a summary of the concepts learnt in the course, relevance of the concepts to the characteristics of a mathematics teacher as well as analysis of the influence of the learnt concepts on my personal ideas and philosophy of teaching. Summary of the major mathematical concepts One of the mathematical concepts discussed in the course is problem solving. This concept is described as an approach towards finding a solution to a problem. The concept of problem solving involves a number of steps that starts from understanding the problem at hand, developing a strategy, exploring any applicable pattern and finally using logic to ascertain the nature of the solution. Strategy to problem solving, according to Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, involves a series of steps that include â€Å"understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back† over the solution (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010, p. 4). In order to understand a problem, it is necessary to be able to acculturate and paraphrase the problem before identifying the next course of action. The necessary information in the problem that can be used in its solution is then extracted and the unknown that is to be solved identified (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010) ... As an approach to describing numbers through notations, numeration systems include Hindu Arabic system and Tally system among others. The concept of sets on the other hand involves definition of sets and set operations such as unions and intersections. The course also covers concepts of operation of whole numbers that includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with stepwise procedures for carrying out the operations. The course also described the concept of algebra that covers variables, equations, and functions. Variables refer symbols that can take more than one values. In numerical concepts, a variable can represent more that one number or quantities and is represented using a letter. Algebraic equations are on the other hand used to represent values, either algebraic or a combination of both algebraic and numerical, which are assumed to have similar magnitudes. Equations can then be used to solve for exact values of unknowns in given problems. Relationship betwe en variables is further explored through functions (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010). Like operations of whole numbers, the course covers basic rules in operation of decimal numbers and fractions. It explores algorithms of basic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, with respect to decimals and fractions. The final set of mathematical concepts, as covered by the course includes proportions, ratios, and percentages. The basis of ratios, percentages, and proportions as expression of relationship between variables, and understanding of their concepts is important in solving real life problems such as interest and interest rates among other practical relationships (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010) Relevance of the learnt

Change management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Change management - Assignment Example As a result of diffusion of global trends to various markets around the world, demands of various nature are continuously rising from the markets and consumers located in the developing and developed economies. This essentially promotes a significant amount of business opportunity for various organizations around the world. Because of the rise of digitized communication trends, the barriers to accessing information of various markets around the world have become almost nonexistent and redundant. The ease of access of information by organizations around the world, are essentially encouraging them and providing them with the potential to move forward and enter into new markets. This is in return resulting in the process of increase of competition in the global marketplace. Companies and organizations around the world are increasingly feeling the pinch of this increase in competition in the marketplace. ... It has to be said that change management is very essential as it plays a crucial role for the purpose of attaining sustainable growth in the business while changing as per market conditions and requirements. While viewing change management from the theoretic and academic point of view, it is important to mention the fact that the change management denotes a broad arena of activities that is related to managing change at the workplace. The change management must focus on the process of integration on the lines of a range of elements which might comprise of communication, training , testing , implementation of the program as well as various new policies and procedures (Gustin, 2008, p. 209). It is of high importance to mention the fact that while trying to implement changes in an organization, it is necessary to design and implement the right tools that are required for effective management of change within the organization. It has to be said that the change management tools should be capable of addressing the requirements on the lines of identification of opportunity or problem, assessment of the organization, ability for project planning as well as preparation of sponsor, training and implementation (Pershing, 2006, p. 272). It is relevant to mention that the factors of change are largely dependent on a large number of variables. Talking in an elaborate manner, it can be said that the variables like nature and style of change , change consequence, history of the organization, nature of the individuals as well as individual history all plays a major role in identifying the possible outcome and response of a change that is going to happen within the organization (Cameron and Green, 2012, p. 60 ). Source: Cameron and Green, 2012, p. 60