The Standards Movement Developing High Quality Early...

The standards movement plays a critical role in developing high-quality early childhood programs. According to Freeney, Galper, and Seefeldt (2009) â€Å"the standards movement is one of the most influential trends in all of education in the last few decades† (p. 260). The main goal of creating standards in early childhood education was to prepare all children to start school ready to learn. However, there was much debate about what and how readiness was determined. This brief dissertation describes the standards movement and its relation to developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), identifies and explains my position in regards to these approaches, and identifies a particular instructional strategy that reinforces early learning standards. The Standards Movement The standards movement emerged during former President Bill Clinton’s presidency in 1989 to ensure that early childhood programs followed guidelines that prepared young children for school. Young learners were prepared in areas of cognitive, language and communication, physical, and social/emotional development. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE, n. d.) notes â€Å"that early learning standards can be a valuable part of a comprehensive, high-quality system of services for young children† (p. 1). However, key elements that must take place to ensure success include: (1) emphasizeShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Play For Early Childhood Education Programs1699 Words   |  7 Pagesexamine?the relevance of the main discourses of play for early childhood education programs This essay introduces the definition of play, its importance in early years. It also makes us understand the different contributions made by theorists in enhancing our understanding the value of play. It also examines the implications of play on children and early childhood services. We also discuss the origin and role of child-initiated play in a child?s early years. Play is defined as universal language and aRead MoreChildhood Obesity : A Serious Medical Condition That Affects Children And Adolescents Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mayo Clinic goes on to say that childhood obesity is particularly troubling because it starts kids off on an early path to health complications that they could encounter later in life (Mayo). The Centers for Decease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently started referring to obesity as an â€Å"epidemic† and new national statistics show that about 16.06% of American children, ages six years old to eleven years old, are considered to be overweigh (Childhood Obesity Facts). The California DepartmentRead MoreEssay on Child Development2912 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction In developing countries, a large number of children are exposed to various risk factors in their early childhood. These include malnutrition, poor health and reduced levels of home stimulation. The risk factors including poverty, low levels of maternal education, child malnutrition, teenage parenting, increased levels of maternal stress and depression, low weights during birth, unsafe neighborhoods, and reduced stimulation at home, and those children that are exposed to a variety ofRead MoreA Popular Education Quote From Henry Brougham Goes This Way1252 Words   |  6 Pagesare various laws and movements for the support of education. The Education for All (EFA) is the battle cry of the United Nations. Everybody must have the access to free and equitable education. Our 1987 Philippine Constitution also provides in Article XIV, Section 1 that, â€Å"the state shall provide and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps t o make such education accessible to all.† There are various programs of the government gearedRead MoreHow Different Systems Of Production And Their Contributing Socioeconomic Institutions Characterize Different Economic Periods?1606 Words   |  7 Pagescharacterize different economic periods (Blau, 2003). The SSA theory accepts crisis as a part of the capitalist cycle, and expects the market to collapse for new opportunities for growth and capital gains. At the end of the 19th century and in the early and mid-20th century, there have been three major economic collapses that shaped the structure and operation of the USA. Reich (2009) notes the Depression of the1890s due to the devaluation of the dollar and agricultural crisis was resolved politicallyRead MoreGap Between Education And Education1703 Words   |  7 Pageseducation has evolved to mean education aimed at children aged from four to six, and the terms â€Å"early childhood education† or â€Å"primary education† have come to define the period from birth to age three. Early childhood education is without a doubt growing fast. In several countries, children born into poverty are beginning to gain from the pre-school experience, although obvious inequalities still continue between high-class and low-class children and between urban and rural children. Inequality in accessRead MorePreschool Programs And The Universal Preschool2914 Words   |  12 PagesPreschool p rograms are designed specifically to make sure that children are ready for kindergarten and will be able to succeed in school by third grade. All preschool programs have three characteristics in common. They are governed by high program standards, are open to 3 and 4 year–olds, and focus on school readiness. The term universal preschool means that preschool programs are available to any child in a given state, regardless of family income, children’s abilities, or any other factors (Colker)Read MoreCurrent Issues and Trends in Assessment in Early Childhood Education6428 Words   |  26 PagesAssessment in Early Childhood Education The 1980s brought a new reform movement in education, accompanied by a new emphasis on testing. The effort to improve education at all levels included the use of standardized tests to provide accountability for what students are learning. Minimum competency tests, achievement tests, and screening instruments were used to ensure that students from preschool through college reached the desired educational goals and achieved the minimum standards of education thatRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pagespublication is the second of a three-volume series designed to im ­ rove early learning and p develop ­ ent for California’s preschool m children. Young children are naturally eager to learn. However, not all of them enter kindergarten ready for school. All too often, children are already lagging behind their classmates, and this circumstance can impede their continued learning and development long past kindergarten. High-quality preschool teaching contributes to children’s longrange social andRead MoreThe Fight Against Juvenile Crime4550 Words   |  19 Pagesto their full capacity. Education was and continues to be a game-changing social reform. Reformers have viewed education as the key to individual opportunity and to the creation of an enlightened and responsible population. They also believe that quality public schooling is among the most effective weapons in the fight against juvenile crime and is an essential component aiding in the assimilation of immigrants. A good education provides substantial benefits to individuals and, as individual benefits

Analysis Of Soni And David Pitts On Diversity And Work...

In this assignment, I will deliberate the theoretical framework of two authors, Vidu Soni and David Pitts on the topics of diversity and work performance. I will discuss a brief review of Soni’s theoretical model of receptivity to diversity and summarize her findings. Secondly, I will examine the relationship between diversity and work related outcomes presented by David Pitts. Thirdly, I will consider the assumptions of diversity and work performance and lastly, address the theories and recap the conclusions. As I read the article, â€Å"A twenty-first-century reception for diversity in the public sector: A case study† by author Vidu Soni, the main focus of the study is about how receptive the workforce is about diversity and who are the main components to contribute to the change in the workplace. Soni studied the â€Å"diversity model† aiming as an involvement and a practical method to fully and equitably utilization towards rewarding employees or workers of different racial or ethnic backgrounds. â€Å"This model not only advocates that organizations actually recognize, accept, and value diversity in workplaces.† The model show’s that diversity is a desirable goal in itself. In the theoretical model of Soni’s case study (2000), â€Å"receptivity to diversity was measured by employee perceptions of salience of diversity and their attitudes toward diversity.†(p. 397) Soni talks about the theoretical model and its focus on three independent variables. These variables are assumed to

Entrepreneurial Orientation & Firm Performance-Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the different elements of Entrepreneurial Orientation along with that of competitive strategy of the firms. Answer: Introduction Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is indicative of a multidimensional construct that characterizes the entrepreneurial behavior of that of the firm that includes the three dimensions- risk-taking, being pro-active and that of innovations. Competitive strategy can help a company in getting competitive advantage over that of the competitors within the industry. This report analyzes how the entrepreneurial orientation along with that of competitive advantage can help in increasing the performance of an organization. Concept of Entrepreneurial Orientation Risk taking, pro-activeness and innovation are distinguishing characteristics of firms that are entrepreneurial. In relation to entrepreneurial orientation, risk-taking means venturing in the unfamiliar terrain by taking recourse to bold action. Substantial resources are committed in different ventures within ambiguous settings. According to Wales, Gupta and Mousa (2013), a pioneering outlook is indicative of the pro-active factor which introduces new services along with products in front of the competitor. Focusing on the aspect of Research and Development paves the path for innovation and a leader in the arena of technology can produce innovative products. It has been found that entrepreneurial orientation is contingent in relation to that of the context and exhibits different result on the basis of the context like that of strategy or that of environment. Entrepreneurial orientation would produce different effect on that of firm performance based on circumstances. Concept of Competitive Strategy Differentiation can help in meeting the demands of the customer in unique manner like that of product design, speed and that of flexibility. Cost leadership is mainly focused on getting low cost structure the products to be offered at low cost as compared to that of the competitors by taking recourse to economy of scale (Boso, Story and Cadogan 2013). Mixed strategy balances offering the traditional products with that of new products by imitating successful new products of that of the competitors. Impact of entrepreneurial orientation, competitive strategy and firm performance The originalizers are the firms that provide latest offering by the help of innovative products and services. Originalizers aim at meeting the demands in unique manner and differentiation will be the choice over that of cost leadership. The primary aim is to produce products that have value added benefits and cost is not much important in this case. The firms that are systematizers focus on the aspect of providing standard along with offerings of low cost to that of the customers. Cost leadership acts as the primary choice of strategy over that of differentiation as the systematizers focus on the aspect of cost reduction together with that of efficiency. It has been stated by Covin and Miller (2014) that cost leadership is integrally associated with that of upfront investment in arenas like that of technology along with that of equipment. The higher investments made compel the managers to show more of risk-taking behavior. The evaluators offer successful offerings to that of the customers. In order to achieve this, evaluation is carried out in relation to the products along with services that are offered to that of the customers. Mixed strategy that includes that of cost leadership along with that of differentiation along with that of differentiation can be achieved with the help of a balancing act. It has been argued by Lechner Gudmundsson (2014) that difference from that of systematizers along with originalizers is on account of risk aversion that can be received with the help of a mixed strategy. Evaluators that has a mixed strategy does not have similar demands like those that possess strategy of that of pure cost leadership. Configuration theory rests on the idea that organizations fall under a ambit of state of that of internal coherence within that of a collection of theoretical attributes. Firms should make fundamental changes so that it can steer clear of in-between states. Derived conclusion like that of typologies can help a researcher in organizing complex relationship into that of profound explanation (Boso, Story and Cadogan 2013). Examination in relation to entrepreneurial orientation profile along with competitive strategy produces a fine-grained view in relation to multi-dimensional linkage that can augment the performance of the firm. Previous research carried out has demonstrated empirical support for that of the configurational nature in relation to EO subdivision. It has been stated by Linton Kask (2017) that the subdivisions of that of Entrepreneurial Orientation have varied relationships with that of performance that is dependent on that of configurational setting within which the sub- divisions are located. The three subdivisions of Entrepreneurial Orientation have innovative interactions within the context of that of competitive strategy. It has been brought out with the help of research that combining the EO dimensions with that of the mixing of competitive strategies can prove to be fruitful for the firm. This opinion stands in contrast to the findings of Wales, Parida Patel (2013) who do not consider the possibility of mixing that of the competitive strategies. It has been brought out with the help of studies conducted that differentiation when combined with that of pro-activeness without the factor of risk-taking suggest that the EO sub-divisions can be present simultaneously when the other EO subdivision are absent. This points out to the fact that if the EO construct is perceived as that of a formative construct can provide a vast picture of the whole understanding of the understanding of that of the EO construct (Anderson and Eshima 2013). Combination of the EO postures of that of the firm with that of the best competitive strategy can help in the growth of an organization. Firms should not merely focus on the aspect of being more entrepreneurial but they should focus on certain dimensions of that of entrepreneurship that can perfectly fit with that of their strategy. The firms should adopt that of a competitive strategy that can match with that of the particular profile of EO. For the firms that are small differentiation can become a necessary strategy that can happen either on its own or after combination with that of cost leadership which depends on various entrepreneurial conditions. Conclusion The growth of an organization can be facilitated by combining the EO posture of that of the company with the best-suited competitive strategy. Merely focusing on the aspect of being entrepreneurial will not augment the performance but rather emphasis should be laid on certain elements in relation to entrepreneurship that best harmonizes with the strategy of the firm. References: Anderson, B.S. and Eshima, Y., 2013. The influence of firm age and intangible resources on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm growth among Japanese SMEs.Journal of Business Venturing,28(3), pp.413-429. Boso, N., Story, V.M. and Cadogan, J.W., 2013. Entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, network ties, and performance: Study of entrepreneurial firms in a developing economy.Journal of Business Venturing,28(6), pp.708-727. Covin, J.G. and Miller, D., 2014. International entrepreneurial orientation: Conceptual considerations, research themes, measurement issues, and future research directions.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,38(1), pp.11-44. Lechner, C. and Gudmundsson, S.V., 2014. Entrepreneurial orientation, firm strategy and small firm performance.International Small Business Journal,32(1), pp.36-60. Linton, G. and Kask, J., 2017. Configurations of entrepreneurial orientation and competitive strategy for high performance.Journal of Business Research,70, pp.168-176. Wales, W.J., Gupta, V.K. and Mousa, F.T., 2013. Empirical research on entrepreneurial orientation: An assessment and suggestions for future research.International Small Business Journal,31(4), pp.357-383. Wales, W.J., Parida, V. and Patel, P.C., 2013. Too much of a good thing? Absorptive capacity, firm performance, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation.Strategic Management Journal,34(5), pp.622-633.

Watson Engine Company Organization Structure and Teamwork

Executive Summary This report focuses on Watson Engine Company. Located in Eastern England, Watson Engine Company is one of the leading car engine manufacturers in the region. The company has a centralized form of organization structure and embraces teamwork in its operations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Watson Engine Company Organization Structure and Teamwork specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result of the entrance of new companies into the industry coupled with changes in production technologies, the company has been facing a lot of challenges in meeting the needs of their customers. However, with the change in its organization structure and production technologies, the company stands a high change of retaining its customers and attracting new ones hence having a competitive edge over its rivals. Introduction This report shall focus on Watson Engine Company. Watson Engine Company is a leading car engin e manufacturing in Eastern England. Started out as a family business, the company now has a staff of over 200 employees made up of 125 semi-skilled workers, 54 skilled workers and 27 employees at the managerial level. This report shall focus on the organization structure of the company, teams and teamwork and finally come up with recommendations on means through which the company will improve on its operations. Organization Structure Watson Engine Company uses the centralized form of organization structure in the process of running and managing its operations. The organization structure of the company is old fashioned and hierarchical in nature that minimizes the influence of the employees in the running of the organization. They therefore do not feel as part and parcel of the organization (Sign, 2009). All of the decisions are made at the top level. The manager, Mr. Gordon Watson rarely visits the operation floor leaving this responsibility to the operations manager. Below the oper ation manager is the production manager, a young enthusiastic man who has had a bright career in companies based in Germany and England. Despite the efforts he has put across in his position to ensure that the company’s operation are efficient, he feels like the company need to incorporate the use of information technology in its running. The company thus needs to adapt and use new technology in the production and manufacturing of its products to keep up with the pace of other companies. However, the management has not put up any effort to implement his ideas. Considering the information above, Watson Company does not involve the workers at lower levels in decision-making nor does it they utilize their ideas. The current theories on management postulate that it is the workers at the low levels who have first hand information about the internal and external matters that affect the affairs of a company (Marchewka, 2006). They are therefore the best people to make decisions for the company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Watson Company however does not consider this fact. The flow of information in this company is one way; from top managerial level to the bottom. This is not good for the company because there are high chances that the information will be distorted as it moves from one level to another. On the other hand, the voice of the people at the lower levels is not heard. These people do not feel free to talk about their problems to their superiors. In the end, their performance becomes poor which in turn pulls down the production of the company. Teams and Team Working It is important for an organization to involve employees its affairs (PMBOK, 2000). The best approach to do this is through the establishment of teams among the workers (Human Resources, 2011). Different teams perform different tasks that the organization is involved in. Throu gh teamwork these different groups work together to ensure that the goals and objectives which have been set up by the organization. Watson Engine Company is made of a network of teams who work together to ensure that the entire consumer needs are met. These teams work hand in hand with each other. The individuals who are in these teams are skilled in their relevant skills. The company also allows for the rotation of individuals from one department to the other thus workers develop even new skills while they work at the firm (Sign, 2009). The company, through its policies, allows its workers to further their education and skills to improve the excellence of their work. The company is normally involved in a serious of projects all over eastern part of England. Each project is conducted by a specific team. On its completion, the team is disbanded and rearranged in preparation of a new project. Watson Engine Company therefore encourages teams and team working, a factor that has contrib uted greatly to the success of the company over the years (PMBOK, 2000). Measures of Teamwork A measure that can be used to determine the level of teamwork in the organization is the quality of the goods that the company has been producing and the ease at which it is able to meet its deadline. For the last several decades, Watson Engine Company has been credited as one of the best companies that manufacture various parts and components of car engines. Despite the low utilization of Information Technology, modern production methods and entry of new production companies, Watson Engine Company still has a large market share over its rivals. This can only be credited to the high quality work that is provided by its employees. Impacts of Existing Structures Watson Engine Company still embraces an old-fashioned organization structure that is hierarchical. This has impacted the organization culture of the firm in a negative way. Low levels employees are not involved in the process of decis ion-making, they are not well represented due to lack of a formal trade union and information only flows in one direction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Watson Engine Company Organization Structure and Teamwork specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This creates a poor working environment for the employees and in turn reduces their level and quality of production. However, through embracing the concept of teamwork, the company has managed to motivate employees to collectively meet their targets and maintain the quality of their work at a desirable level. Improvements In order for the firm to operate in an effective and efficient manner, a number of changes need to be implemented in its operations. First, the company needs to adopt a decentralized organization structure that requires the participation of all employees in the running and management of the firm. This will improve decision making within the company and communication as the views of employees of all levels shall be heard and put into consideration. This will in turn motivate employees of all levels and boost production. The company should also embrace the use of modern production techniques and incorporate fully IT in its operations. This will further improve on their production efficiency. Conclusion Watson Engine Company is one of the leading engine production companies in England. However, its operations have been shunned due to its poor organization structure and its resistance to change. However, the company has managed to maintain its market share by maintaining its quality of production as a result of teamwork from its employees. Therefore, for the organization to be sustainable in the short run and in the long run, the company should adopt a decentralized organization structure and embrace change. References Human Resources. (2011). Team Building and Empowerment. Human Resources.  Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecare ers.com/team-building-4161668 Marchewka, J. (2006). Information Technology Project Management. New Delhi: Wiley India Pvt. Ltd., 2006. PMBOK (2000). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sign, K. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Text and Cases. Mumbai: Pearson Education. This essay on Watson Engine Company Organization Structure and Teamwork was written and submitted by user Leslie Burt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How The effect of information asymmetry affects Essays

How The effect of information asymmetry affects Essays How The effect of information asymmetry affects Essay How The effect of information asymmetry affects Essay Academic Writing In English for Graduate Students, Spring 2014 How The effect of information assortment affects on business decisions He Jung Gang Business Department, Korea University Paying dividends to shareholders may benefit to some companies chief executive officers (CEO). It is because they receive stock options as an incentive for any dividends Selectivenesss. The shareholders of some firms vote on whether to pay dividends or to Invest In valuable projects. A CEO may try to make encourage hardliners to vote to parlor dividends using information asymmetry. Information asymmetry means a situation where one party has more or superior information compared to another in a transaction. This harmful situation, in which one partys lack of knowledge may lead to disadvantages of, often happens in business decisions. Some companies have tried for shareholders to limit access to financial information to pursue them shareholders to agree to pay for dividends rather than to spend money for on investing investment, especially in R business and growth options. Early studies have found that dividends have a significantly negative influence on investment (Peterson, 1983) due to information asymmetry, even if dividends should not affective no effect. This essay will summarize how information asymmetry affects business decisions in R investments and growth options. First of all. In R Investment. Higher Information asymmetry between CEO and shareholders can occur due to greater uncertainty on the future benefits relative to capital investment, leading to moral hazard problems (Chant, 2001). Executives may Orca shareholders to choose to pay dividends rather than to pursue valuable investment projects on limited internal funds. It is because having little financial information provided by CEO leads shareholders to make an Invaluable sub-optimal business decisions. To receive funding from outside Investors, firms may spend money for on conference events If needed or for hilling to make roll the collection of data for reporting for to outside investors. Therefore, firms are likely to cost high for spend a lot to secure funding for R investments (Hall, 2010). Secondly, growth options mean that a company invests to growth of potential future outputs In future. Information asymmetry can also occur in growth options. It Is because growth options have greater uncertainty and Involve unverifiable future cash flow reports (Smith, 1992) and shareholders may be more likely to have difficulties to understanding or estimate estimating future cash flow repossesses reports. When greater competition for internal funds between paying dividends and investing projects occur, companies may be forced to forgo the investments as Coos re reluctant to cut dividends (Lintier, 1956). Information asymmetry will play a vital role negatively to affect business decisions. Again, the higher costs of raising funds As can be seen, due to information asymmetry between executives and shareholders, firms forgo valuable investment projects especially in R and growth options to pay dividends. In summary, information asymmetry plays a crucial role in investment decisions negatively because shareholders can vote to pay dividends rather than to invest in valuable projects in a situation where little data is provided.

How to Recognize a Legitimate College Honor Society

How to Recognize a Legitimate College Honor Society Phi Beta Kappa, the first honor society, was established in 1776. Since then, dozens - if not hundreds - of other college honor societies have been established, covering all academic fields, and also specific fields, such as the natural sciences, English, engineering, business, and political science. According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), â€Å"honor societies exist primarily to recognize the attainment of scholarship of a superior quality.† In addition, the CAS notes â€Å"a few societies recognize the development of leadership qualities and commitment to service and excellence in research in addition to a strong scholarship record.† However, with so many organizations, students might not be able to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent college honor societies.   Legit or Not? One way to evaluate the legitimacy of an honor society is to look at its history. â€Å"Legitimate honor societies have a long history and legacy that is easily recognizable,† according to Hannah Breaux, who is the communications director for Phi Kappa Phi. The honor society was founded at the University of Maine in 1897. Breaux tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"Today, we have chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines, and have initiated over 1.5 million members since our founding.† According to C. Allen Powell, executive director and co-founder of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), â€Å"Students should find out if the organization is a registered, non-profit, educational organization or not.† This information should be prominently displayed on the society’s website. â€Å"For-profit honor societies should usually be avoided and tend to promise more services and benefits than they deliver,† Powell warns. The organization’s structure should also be evaluated. Powell says students should determine, â€Å"Is it a school/college chapter-based organization or not?  Must a candidate be recommended by the school for membership, or can they join directly without school documentation?† High academic achievement is usually another requirement. For example, eligibility for Phi Kappa Phi requires juniors to be ranked in the top 7.5% of their class, and seniors and graduate students must be ranked in the top 10% of their class. The members of the National Technical Honor Society may be in high school, tech college, or college; however, all students need to have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.   Powell also thinks it is a good idea to ask for references.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A list of member schools and colleges should be found on the organization’s website – go to those member school web sites and get references.† Faculty members can also provide guidance.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Students who have concerns about the legitimacy of an honor society should also consider talking to an advisor or faculty member on campus,† Breaux suggests. â€Å"Faculty and staff can serve as a great resource in helping a student determine whether or not a particular honor society’s invitation is credible or not.† Certification status is another way to evaluate an honor society. Steve Loflin, past president of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and CEO founder of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, says, â€Å"Most institutions value ACHS certification as the best way to know the honor society meets high standards.† Loflin warns that some organizations aren’t true honor societies. â€Å"Some of these student organizations are masquerading as honor societies, meaning they use ‘honor society’ as a hook, but they are for-profit companies and do not have academic criteria or standards that would meet the ACHS guidelines for certified honor societies.† For students considering an invitation, Loflin says, â€Å"Recognize that non-certified groups are potentially not transparent about their business practices and can’t deliver the prestige, tradition and value of certified honor society membership.†Ã‚  The ACHS provides a checklist that students can use to evaluate the legitimacy of a non-certified honor society. To Join or Not to Join?   What are the benefits of joining a college honor society? Why should students consider accepting an invitation? â€Å"In addition to the academic recognition, joining an honor society can provide a number of benefits and resources that extend beyond a student’s academic career and into their professional lives,† Breaux says. â€Å"At Phi Kappa Phi, we like to say that membership is more than a line on a rà ©sumà ©,† Breaux adds, noting some of the membership benefits as follows: â€Å"The ability to apply for a number of awards and grants valued at $1.4 million each biennium; our extensive award programs provide everything from $15,000 Fellowships for graduate school to $500 Love of Learning Awards for continuing education and professional development.† Also, Breaux says the honor society provides networking, career resources, and exclusive discounts from over 25 corporate partners. â€Å"We also offer leadership opportunities and much more as part of active membership in the Society,† Breaux says. Increasingly, employers say they want applicants with soft skills, and honor societies provide opportunities to develop these in-demand traits. We also wanted to get the perspective of someone who is a member of a college honor society. Darius Williams-McKenzie of Penn State-Altoona is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First-Year College Students. â€Å"Alpha Lambda Delta has impacted my life tremendously,† Williams-McKenzie says. â€Å"Ever since my induction into the honor society, I have been more confident in my academics and in my leadership.† According to the National Association of College and Universities, potential employers place a premium on career readiness among job applicants. While some college honor societies are only open to juniors and seniors, he believes it’s important to be in an honor society as a freshman. â€Å"Being recognized by your colleagues as a freshman because of your academic achievements instills a confidence in you that you can build upon in your collegiate future.† When students do their homework, membership in an honor society can be quite beneficial. â€Å"Joining an established, respected honor society can be a good investment, since colleges, universities, and company recruiters look for evidence of achievement in the applicant’s documentation,† explains Powell. However, he ultimately advises students to ask themselves, â€Å"What is the cost of membership; are their services and benefits reasonable; and will they boost my profile and help in my career pursuits?

Information Technology Annotated Bibliography Essay

Information Technology Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example Moreover, they conducted comprehensive experiments that illustrated near optimal video streaming transmission quality. Their approach comprised a cross-layer protocol, which applies an intelligent approximation prediction of rate-distortion packets scheduler for real time video streaming. Additionally, it also comprises a forward error correction technique that protects against wireless channel noise. This article provides methodology and principle for my work in cooperative video streaming in smartphones using web browser cache. Conversely, their approach is a stand-alone application in mobile devices where I am interested in extending there work but with focus on persuasive approach using web browsing cache to achieve this target. Many concepts and guidelines in the article provide a good basis for live video streaming on wireless mobile connection, which I can, use. Overall, the strength can be seen in the work of optimization framework whereas, the limitation of this article is w ithin their experiment, which they did not compare with other approaches. H. Seferoglu and A. Markopoulou. â€Å"Video-Aware Opportunistic Network Coding over Wireless Networks,† in IEEE JSAC, Special Issue on Network Coding for Wireless Communication Networks, vol. 27, June 2009. Star rating:   2 Stars:   Paper describes some important terms and fundamental concepts Key words: Network coding, video streaming, prioritizedtransmission, wireless networks, and cross-layer optimization. The study highlights the aspect of network coding in increasing both the video quality and throughput over a wireless network for video streaming. This article cross-references various journal articles on relevant topics, which makes it easy to explode detailed information about contents of interest. Its concentration regards discussions that propose network coding and scheduling scheme for transmitting several video streams over a wireless mesh network. The know how mainly comes from the curr ent researches, which claim; network coding can increase throughput contrary to broadcast media through integrating packets obtained from diverse flows. Consequently, resulting to increased information content per transmission owing to the keen selection, which its basis is the decoding capacity concerning different network codes prior the main commencement. In comparing the former design and recent, the latter is more advantageous, since its information content per transmission is adequate or not limited thus, yielding to video quality of up to 5dB. In addition, the recent design possesses an extensive advancing capacity, which usually has similar MAC throughput levels. It is certain that, this work bridges the gap between the two approaches. Finally, the paper serves as an essential reading, which can help me gain deep knowledge regarding video streaming and network coding. Hence, act as supplement to the already attained knowledge towards the intended research. H. Seferoglu, A. M arkopoulou, U. C. Kozat, M. R. Civanlar and J. Kempf, â€Å"Dynamic FEC Algorithms for TFRC Flows,† in IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, vol. 12 pp. 869-885, Dec. 2010.   Star rating:   5 Stars: Paper is a leading paper for my research. I need clearly to comprehend how my research builds on this research. Key words: Application Layer FEC, Congestion Control, Video

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Paper Example This also affects the jobs and the overall medical facilities and the same will be discussed under this subheading. Major Problems: Major problems caused by Illegal immigration will be discussed in this part and a comprehensive analysis of how to tackle the same will also be discussed in this part. Solutions to the problems: Once the problems are discussed, possible solutions will be discussed. The ways to stop illegal immigration will be discussed; this has been a long standing problem in the US and it is high time to deal with it. How to Restrict Illegal Immigration: This section will throw light upon the solutions to deal with this menace. Laws must be made stricter in order to ensure no illegal immigration takes place, only then can countries witness an unprecedented growth. Conclusion: Summing up the main points discussed in the paper and presenting a logical conclusion that will solve all the problems. Immigration can be of two types, one is legal and the other one is illegal. Legal immigration involves many hassles, there is a lot of paperwork involved but illegal immigration is different. People who know that they are ineligible for legal immigration try their hands at illegal immigration and many succeed immigrating into another country illegally. This has ramifications and this paper will shed more light upon the ramifications of immigration. The United States of America is a developed nation and there are many foreigners who have ensconced themselves in the country. There are many people in Mexico who try to sneak in illegally through the Mexican border into the United States, the personnel in the United States is well aware of this problem and have already taken measures to ensure that no illegal immigration takes place. People are always looking for shortcuts and they always find ways to simplify their work but at times these shortcuts can cost them dear. Immigration is a very complicated procedure, the paperwork involved can take months but this i s the legal way of doing things, illegal ways are adopted because people have no time and patience to do things legally, there are many illegal immigrants in the United States at this moment. Legal immigration becomes illegal when a person whose visa has expired decides to overstay in the country, this is also illegal immigration. A person whose visa has expired must approach the concerned authorities and extend the visa so as to ensure that they do not have to face any serious problems. The personnel have become aware of this problem and the procedure has been changed to deter people from overstaying in the country once their visa has expired. â€Å"Ten million illegal immigrants live in the US, according to estimates by academic and government agencies, although Bear-Stearns investment firm analysts claim that the US illegal immigrant population "may be as high as 20 million people." (â€Å"Illegal Immigration†) Every year millions of people sneak illegally into another co untry by crossing the border line, this is very common in the United States of America. This is called illegal immigration, in other words, people who do not have work permit or any kind of permission from the government to come and stay in that particular country. The same affects the health facilities in the country and negatively impacts the overall healthcare facilities in the USA. Research has found that illegal immigrati Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12 Research Paper Example he helm of the leadership of Ghana upon the achievement of that country’s sovereignty in 1957, and is furthermore given credit for touching off an avalanche of independence movements that ran through the rest of Africa in the ten years following that achievement of independence. He would be ousted from power in 1966, via a coup, but by that time 40 countries all over Africa had been able to achieve independence and freedom from the hands of their European masters. For this reason, and for the strength of his leadership and his ideas relating to the importance of a free Africa and other key tenets, Nkrumah is regarded as a key political figure not just in Ghana but in Africa as a whole, apart from the influence and stature bestowed on him in the international stage as well. On a worldwide basis, many of his ideas and views have substantial weight and impact, including those that he held relating to national and regional development, a united and free Africa, and socialism, amon g others.1 His views on socialism, more of which shall be said later, were however tempered by a politics that was considered to be one of conciliation and friendship towards the western powers to some extent, and that means being friendly to some of the west’s ideas on democracy and democratic principles. 2 His ideas meanwhile on the unity of Africa as something that is urgent and necessary, a must, with the unity redounding to many benefits, political and economic, for the whole of Africa, is something that is said to have been validated by moves in Europe at unification, as well as in other places. 3 That said, some of his ideas relating to socialism and the adoption of socialist economic principles, such as the nationalization of aspects of Ghana agriculture, are said to have met with financial and personal disaster for the country and for its farmers, among others, tempering the positive assessment of Nkrumah’s role in the development of Ghana and African politics and economics.

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. genes in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistanceCrop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t.corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide toleranceFor some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9. Cold toleranceUnexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.) Drought tolerance/salinity toleranceAs the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. NutritionMalnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15. PharmaceuticalsMedicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. PhytoremediationNot all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18. How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U. S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources. Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio.org/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organismsLast year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further. Reduced effectiveness of pesticidesJust as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target speciesAnother concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not receive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive. Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone. Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human healthThere is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health. Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate. Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy seed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants. Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables. Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population. Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries.

Best Man Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Best Man Wedding Speech Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen – I'd like to start by saying that what a genuine honor it is to be part of Rick's wedding. Rick certainly is handsome tonight, with his fine rented tux and shoes. On a gala evening such as this, you may find it hard to believe that Rick has not always been so handsome. The truth is, Rick was so ugly at birth, the doctor slapped his mother! The nurses were no more sympathetic, they diapered poor little Rick’s face. The fact is, his parents were so embarrassed of Rick that they borrowed another baby for the baptism ceremony. When little Rick went to school, the situation didn’t improve at all. Yes, it is true that Rick was the teacher’s pet – but that was just because the teacher couldn’t afford a dog! Rick's appearance b... Best Man Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches Best Man Wedding Speech Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen – I'd like to start by saying that what a genuine honor it is to be part of Rick's wedding. Rick certainly is handsome tonight, with his fine rented tux and shoes. On a gala evening such as this, you may find it hard to believe that Rick has not always been so handsome. The truth is, Rick was so ugly at birth, the doctor slapped his mother! The nurses were no more sympathetic, they diapered poor little Rick’s face. The fact is, his parents were so embarrassed of Rick that they borrowed another baby for the baptism ceremony. When little Rick went to school, the situation didn’t improve at all. Yes, it is true that Rick was the teacher’s pet – but that was just because the teacher couldn’t afford a dog! Rick's appearance b... Best Man Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches Best Man Wedding Speech Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen – I'd like to start by saying that what a genuine honor it is to be part of Rick's wedding. Rick certainly is handsome tonight, with his fine rented tux and shoes. On a gala evening such as this, you may find it hard to believe that Rick has not always been so handsome. The truth is, Rick was so ugly at birth, the doctor slapped his mother! The nurses were no more sympathetic, they diapered poor little Rick’s face. The fact is, his parents were so embarrassed of Rick that they borrowed another baby for the baptism ceremony. When little Rick went to school, the situation didn’t improve at all. Yes, it is true that Rick was the teacher’s pet – but that was just because the teacher couldn’t afford a dog! Rick's appearance b...

Childrens Day Essay

In India, Children’s day is celebrated on the 14th November every year. As a tribute Children’s Day is celebrated on the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday. Lovingly called ‘Chacha Nehru’ which means Uncle Nehru by the kids, Jawaharlal Nehru gave emphasis to the significance of giving love and affection to children, who are the bright future of India. The main purpose of this day is to encourage the welfare of children all over the country. The first ever Children’s day was celebrated in 1954. The idea of a universal Children’s Day was suggested by Mr. V.K. Krishna Menon and it adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. At first it was celebrated universally in the month of October. After 1959, November 20th was chosen as Children’s day as it marked the anniversary day when the Declaration of the Child Rights was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly. In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child w as also signed on the same date. However, in India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday was declared as Children’s Day and is celebrated annually to cherish his love and attachment for children. Children are like precious gems. Understand the significance of children’s day which is celebrated on 14th November in India. Children are adorable. They are like divine gifts that parents get from the almighty. Their eyes are full of innocence. They smile when they receive love and admiration, they cry when it is their first day at school away from their parents, they giggle when they mingle with their buddies, and they signify nothing but the pure and faithful love. They truly symbolise god. 14th November is celebrated as children’s day in all over India. 14th November is also the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India. Childhood memories are sweetest of all. They can be savored for a lifetime. Children’s day celebration is fun for the little ones but it is important for the parents too. Every parent must understand the importance of the children’s day. Parents should be well aware about the little desires of t heir angels. Chacha Nehru’s love for children Do you know why Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday is celebrated as the children’s day? Pandit Nehru was a great leader. He worked passionately for the welfare of children and youngsters soon after independence. He was keen about welfare, education, and development of children in India. He was fond of  children and thus became popular as Chacha Nehru (Uncle Nehru) among his little admirers. Nehru was very particular about the progress of the Indian youth. He wanted to create responsible citizens out of young boys and girls. Under his regime he established several educational institutions including All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Institutes of Technology, and Indian Institutes of Management. He included and highlighted the point in his five years plan that every child in India would get free and compulsory primary education. Over thousands of schools were built through out the villages of India when Nehru was in power. He also brought the scheme to distribute free meals and milk to school children in India to prevent malnutrition. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself was destiny’s child. He struggled a lot for the welfare of India. It is believed that he admired two things a lot, red roses and children. His love and passion towards children is the reason why we celebrate Children’s Day on his birthday. Why do we celebrate Children’s Day? Children’s Day celebration is the tribute to childhood. John Kennedy, 35th US president has quoted it rightly, ‘Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.’ We cannot hide the fact that many children in India are not getting basic privileges like education. Many children are earning money instead of playing with toys. The true essence of children’s day is to understand the significance of childhood in our lives. The values and disciplines learned as a child are responsible for the kind of adulthood one has. Thus childhood is special and should be celebrated. Children’s Day is to remind all young and adults about children’s right to enjoy their childhood without any boundaries and to be educated adult in the future. Children’s Day is to revise the right methods of raising children. Children’s Day Celebration 20th November is Universal Children’s Day. In India lots fun activities and programs are organized on the children’s day. Childr en’s Day is called as ‘Bal Divas’ in Hindi. On this particular day government, NGOs (non government organisations), schools, and some private bodies conduct competitions and events for children. Various cultural programs are organized through out the schools. Special television programs for children are broadcasted on 14th November. Parents too are eager about children’s day. Some parents buy gifts for their sons and daughters. Some parents give greeting cards to their children to express their wishes on this special  day. As parents we should not let this day pass as other ordinary day. It is our duty to make children’s day special for our child. You may take your child to visit some NGO or children’s home on this day. You can imbibe some precious values in him though generous acts. Your child can give away some of his belongings to other poor children. In such a way he will get to know the real significance of this day. Make every 14th November special for your child. After all, ‘Children will no t remember you for the material things you provide them but for the feeling that you cherished them.’

How You Plan to Collect Data on Customers Essay

How you plan to collect data on customers, competitors and the market environment and why you think this will be useful. How do you propose to use this market research to understand the behaviour of customers, competitors and the market environment? Market research is a crucial factor to do for any organisation in order to make their business successful. In the case of STUDENTAL, it is a new product from Sainsbury’s. Therefore, Sainsbury’s have to do all the market research on customers, competitors and on market environment in point of fact. For this task, I have to collect data on customers, competitors and the market environment. To collect data on customers I am going to prepare some questionnaires and ask Customers questions regarding STUDENTAL. This will help me to get the true analysis from customers straight away. This will be more accurate than information collecting from other sources like internet and magazine. I have included a variety of questions to the questionnaire and I am sure that this will help me in understanding behaviour of customers towards energy drinks. In addition, I am also going to observe customers by going in to Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets. I will observe their buying attitudes towards energy drinks. This will help me to make suggestions to the future developments of STUDENTAL. Through observing and asking questions to customers, we will be able to analyse their likes, dislikes and attitudes towards energy drinks. We will able to apply this information to the STUDENTAL. To collect data on competitors, I am going to do a research on internet. There are many competitors for STUDENTAL. This includes the bigger brands like, Lucozade, Red Bull, Boost and Power Ade. I will check for the price and product descriptions of the competing products. Through this, we will be able to understand the similarities and non-similarities of STUDENTAL and other products. Internet research will be useful to identify similar drinks sold by ASDA and Tesco. This will help Sainsbury’s to make any further changes to the product to compete effectively with other supermarkets. Another useful method of collecting information on competitors will be doing a SWOT analysis, Boston Matrix and Product Life Cycle. SWOT analysis will be able to find out STUDENTAL’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. With the help of Boston Matrix, we will be able to understand and recognize the competing brands. To collect data on market environment, I am going to do a research on the packaging of STUDENTAL’s competitors. Using a PESTE-G will also help to find the necessary information on market environment. PESTE-G focuses on Political, Economical, Social, Technological and Green Issues. By doing a PESTE-G analysis, I will be able to understand all the external issues, which affects STUDENTAL and Sainsbury’s. The questionnaire used for collecting information from customers is attached and results obtained will be presented in the form of pie charts and bar charts as appropriate. Questionnaire – STUDENTAL Please tick one box for each question. 1. Your GenderMale Female 2. Age groupUnder 16 16 – 19 20 – 25 20 – 25 25 – 40 40 & over 3. Where did you first hear about STUDENTAL? In store From friends Advertisements On TV 4. How would you describe the taste of your favourite energy drink? Bitter Sweet Bitter & Sweet Bland 5. Which of the following drink do you buy? LucozadeRed bull Powerade Other 6. From where do you buy energy drinks? Supermarkets Sports shop Gym/fitness club Other 7. What price (per litre) do you think would be right for STUDENTAL? Under  £1.00 £1.00 –  £1.30  £1.30 –  £2.00 £3.00 and over 8. What price do you usually pay for these†¦. Lucozade ______Coca-cola _______ Redbull ______ Boost _______ Don’t know _______ 9. What kind of drink do you think the STUDENTAL is? Energy drink Health Drink Social drinkChildren’s drink 10. If you bought STUDENTAL, would the packaging be important to you? YesNo 11. Does it matter if the packaging is recyclable? YesNo 12. How often do you drink energy drinks? DailyTwice a week Once a weekmonthly 13. When do you drink energy drink? MorningWith Lunch When Excising When working Thank you for filling out this questionnaire – Sebil To get the data on customers, I have asked customers 13 questions. To make it more effective, I asked questions to a both Males and Females. I also made sure to ask the questions to a mixture of people from different age groups. 1. Firstly, the question was about surveyed people’s gender. I asked the questions to 25 people. It included 15 Males and 10 Females. This indicates that people from both gender groups have been engaged in this survey. The above charts shows that 40% of total participants were Females and 60% of them were Males. 2. The second question was about the surveyed people’s Age Group. There was a mixture of people from different age groups. However, a large percentage of people were from the 16-19 age group. I think this will help Sainsbury’s, as STUDENTAL’s direct target market is peoples from 16-19. The above chart represents the age group of the people who participated in the survey. 16% of total participants were under 16. There were 54% of people from 16-19 age group. 22% of total participants were between 20-35 age. 8% of them were above 40 years old. This indicates that a mixture of people from all age groups participated in this survey. This will definitely help Sainsbury’s in the case of market research. 3. I asked the people about STUDENTAL after the second question. I asked them, where did you first hear about STUDENTAL? This question was to check whether they know about the product already or not. 80% of surveyed people said that they heard about the product from their friends. 20% of them said, from store. 4. How would you the taste of your favourite energy drink? This question was to understand people’s favourite taste. From the chart above, we can we clearly see that about 30% of people like bitter taste, 40% of them like sweet, 20% of them like bitter and sweet and finally, 10% of them like bland taste. Sainsbury’s may make STUDENTAL’s taste bitter or sweet as from the chart we can understand that most of the people like sweet and bitter taste 5. Which of the following drink do you buy? This question asked to find out the popular brand among the public. In addition, when STUDENTAL will be launched that popular brand will be the main competitor with STUDENTAL. The chart above represents the participators’ favourite energy drink. 30% of total participants like Red Bull Energy Drinks while 40% of th`em said that they like Lucozade. 6. From where do you buy energy drinks? This question was asked to know the place from customers buy energy drinks. About half of the people are buying their energy drinks from supermarkets. This is a very good signal for Sainsbury’s as they are going to sell STUDNTAL at their stores. 7. What price (per litre) do you think would be right for STUDENTAL? This question was asked to find out how much money people would spend on STUDENTAL when it is available in supermarkets. 40% of total participants thinks that STUDENTAL’s price will well be right if it is under  £1.00. Another 40% thinks that the price will be right if it is between  £1.00 and  £1.30. This indicates that the current price of STUDENTAL is high and there will be only very few customers who are willing to buy STUDENTAL at a cost of  £13.9/litre. 8. What price do you usually pay for energy drinks? This question will help to find out the people’s buying behaviour. The above chart shows that how much money they are spending on energy drinks. 44% of them are spending  £1.00 to  £1.50 for energy drinks. 36% of them are only prepared to spend less than  £1.00. As the chart indicates, people are not willing to buy energy drinks for higher prices. Therefore, Sainsbury’s must have to adjust the price accordingly. 9. What kind of drink do you think the STUDENTAL is? The above chart shows the answers for the question, what kind of drink do you think the STUDENTAL is? Most of the people do not know that STUDENTAL is an energy drink. I think this is due to the name STUDENTAL. It does not have the power to represent an energy drink. 10. If you bought STUDENTAL, would the packaging be important to you? This was one of the important questions asked to the participants. 90% of them said that they do care about the packaging of STUDENTAL. 11. Does it matter if the packaging is recyclable? This was another important question included in the questionnaire. 70% of participants said that they do care about the packaging and they want it to be recyclable. 12. How often do you drink energy drinks? The above chart shows that 10% of total participants consume energy drinks daily, 30% of them consume it twice in a week, 40% of them consume it weekly and 20% of them consume energy drinks monthly.

The eNotes Blog F. Scott Fitzgerald Says, ReadThis!

F. Scott Fitzgerald Says, ReadThis! Image via Electric Lit F. Scott Fitzgerald  was very ill in 1936 and was recovering at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina with the help of a private nurse.   In addition to his failing health, the author was struggling with the decision to commit his wife, Zelda, to a mental institution at a nearby hospital.   His essay about his own decline, The Crack-Up, had just been published in Esquire.   Here, Fitzgerald voices an incredibly sad awareness of his own decline:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"[M]y life had been a drawing on resources that I did not possess, that I had been mortgaging myself physically and spiritually up to the hilt, he wrote. It didnt seem that anything could go right that year.   Fitzgeralds drinking had become increasingly problematic and he had significant money problems.   That summer, he fractured his shoulder while diving into the hotel swimming pool, and sometime later, according to Michael Cody at the University of South Carolina’s Fitzgerald Web site, â€Å"he fired a revolver in a suicide threat, after which the hotel refused to let him stay without a nurse. (Source) Eventually, the hotel relented and allowed Fitzgerald to have an attendant, a woman named Dorothy Richardson, who, in addition to tending to his physical needs, had the unenviable task of keeping the writer from drinking too much. The two developed a friendship during his convalescence. At one point, apparently Dorothy asked what she should read. Heres the list Fitzgerald gave her, written in her own hand as he reeled off the titles and authors names: Image via Open Culture Heres a more legible list: Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser The Life of Jesus, by Ernest Renan A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson The Old Wives’ Tale, by Arnold Bennett The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiel Hammett The Red and the Black, by Stendahl The Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant, translated by Michael Monahan An Outline of Abnormal Psychology, edited by Gardner Murphy The Stories of Anton Chekhov, edited by Robert N. Linscott The Best American Humorous Short Stories, edited by Alexander Jessup Victory, by Joseph Conrad The Revolt of the Angels, by Anatole France The Plays of Oscar Wilde Sanctuary, by William Faulkner Within a Budding Grove, by Marcel Proust The Guermantes Way, by Marcel Proust Swann’s Way, by Marcel Proust South Wind, by Norman Douglas The Garden Party, by Katherine Mansfield War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley: Complete Poetical Works (Source) Featured Image via Unsplash

How to Find a Job After Being an Entrepreneur

How to Find a Job After Being an Entrepreneur Jason Alba, creator of JibberJobber.com, has literally written a book on how to make your own niche in the working world as a self-employed entrepreneur, but he also knows that being your own boss isn’t the best option all of the time. Sometimes it’s a question of timing, prioritizing a stable paycheck over following your bliss, family crisis taking precedence, or a market crash, etc. And he has some reassurance for you. It’s ok! You can quit one enterprise and seek out a job in someone else’s employ, without being a quitter or giving up on your dream. Take it from someone who’s lived it:Whether you are a cog in someone else’s wheel, or you create the next Facebook, you have value. Â  And as I mentioned earlier, circumstances change. Â  Maybe your role as cog today will lead you to successful entrepreneur in the future. Â  Or maybe you’ll be a great cog, with a great career, with financial stability and all the joys that can come fr om having a fulfilled life.Shuttering your small business, with all the blood, sweat, tears, and time you’ve sunk into it, can feel like failure–but it doesn’t have to. You too may have the heart of an entrepreneur, but thanks to timing and external circumstances, it may be just what you and your family need to take down that shingle and exchange it for a company ID. It doesn’t mean you’re done inventing, planning for the future, or directing your own life. Be ready for the right opportunity when it calls, and trust that you’re doing your best. Document all your responsibilities, risk-taking and successes in your next stellar resume, and take that confidence into your next job interview. Entrepreneurship will be waiting for you when you get back.When an Entrepreneur Quits and Has to Find a JobRead More at Jibberjobber

Relationship between Sound and Space in I am Seating in a Room by Essay

Relationship between Sound and Space in I am Seating in a Room by Alvin Lucier - Essay Example Instead, the artists who firmly occupy one discipline – composers who compose music, artists who create visual art, and architects who fashion functional space – find themselves more readily embraced by critics and audiences. Artists whose work combines all of these disciplines however often encounter a chilly, if not confused, critical and audience response. Susan Philipsz, who won the Turner Prize in 2010, has been called the â€Å"first artist working with sound to have won the prize,† and some sound artists view this development as a positive harbinger for the discipline as a whole (Searle n.p.) Searle describes Philipsz as â€Å"just a singer, with the sort of voice you might feel lucky to come across at a folk club. But there is much more to Philipsz than a good voice. All singers, of course, are aware of the space their voice occupies, of the difference between one hall and another...But the way Philipsz sites recordings of her voice is as much to do with place as with sound† (Searle n.p.). True, Philipsz’s use of sound is extraordinary. However, Philipsz is still â€Å"singing† in the traditional sense of the word. ... Sound artists define the term polymath; they straddle multiple disciplines, including art, music, performance art, and architecture, and become masters in each. However, the critical community has not caught up to the speed at which these artists process the physical world. Aside from the occasional Burning Man performance, for the most part sound artists remain in obscurity. This reality exists because sound art by nature occupies a fractious, shadowy space between two critical perspectives that harbor two powerful biases: the visual bias of the so-called â€Å"visual† art school of criticism, and the â€Å"music† bias of the music school of criticism. Both biases persist and effectively hamstring critics to discuss one or the other, but never both. Is it art, or is it music? Is it sound, or is it art? As Cox argues, â€Å"the broader field of sound art has been ignored by musicologists, art historians, and aesthetic theorists. The open-ended sonic forms and often sit e-specific location of sound installations thwart artists musicological analysis, which remains oriented to the formal examination of discrete sound structures and performances, while the purely visual purview of art history allows its practitioners not only to disregard sound art but also to gloss over the sonic strategies of Postminimalism and Conceptualism† (Cox 146). Never mind that music itself is a form of sound – in fact, all noise that the human ear processes can be conceived of as such – yet the polarizing critical perspectives persist, to the detriment of scholars and audiences alike. As Cox explains, â€Å"sound art remains so profoundly undertheorized, and†¦has failed to generate a rich and compelling critical literature†¦because the prevailing theoretical models are inadequate to it.

Racing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Racing - Essay Example Hence, only those with an unyielding attitude are found willing to accept struggles and unceasingly proceed with the race. Though it typically pertains to a sport in which racers compete for speed and strategizing at the maximum speed to emerge as the first on the finish line, people in general form varying connotations about ‘racing’. Often times, racing is valued for the idea that life is only lived once so one should seize every opportunity that comes his way. It becomes worthwhile as well to consider that racing may represent people who are optimistic enough to not lose heart with their depressed conditions and keep the race with life instead, positively hoping for recovery no matter what it takes. To others, racing is a means to demonstrate potentials of being tough amidst crises or in contending against an opponent who wishes to maintain a tight competition, hence, only those with an unyielding attitude are found willing to accept struggles and unceasingly proceed with the race.Perhaps it is through the ambiguity of the term ‘racing’ that the world has been led to further inclination and fondness of a racing sport in view of its associated principles which are applicable to a person’s life. As it turns out, the fascination to reach a goal or beat the rest who go after the same goal creates the basic idea about racing which eventually serves as a guide for a racer to live a life of purpose regardless of the type of field or endeavor chosen.

Motivating Employees Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Motivating Employees Case Study - Essay Example Apart from training I would recommend that employees are given more freedom to air their views in terms of working conditions and service delivery to clients. Motivation is a very important factor and therefore would recommend that management reviews compensation rates against industry averages as well as cost of living so that our employees do not start looking elsewhere. My preferred intervention option to the situation at the Argosy, is to critically look at motivation. This is because motivated employees are very willing to work, would commit their time as well as energy towards the attainment of organisational goals. This translates into exemplary service which in turn makes customers happy and portrays the organisation’s public image in positive light. To achieve this I would recommend that employees are allowed freedom to express their personal views without any fear of victimisation and their views be taken with seriousness. This can be implemented immediately and should really change attitudes among employees as they will feel appreciated as part and parcel of the organisation. Secondly is through good compensation and on this I think prorating compensation rates against industry averages and cost of life is very important. A task force should be formed to carry out a study on this within a month and come up with the best possible rate s. In an interview with the Head of the Training Department at a local hospital on their training programs and tracking of the same learnt that training is a very important of any organisation. Equally important is the choice of whether to decentralise or centralise train and how to track the same as tracking helps in identifying gaps and necessary interventions. For this reason the hospital has chosen the centralised option for its HR training function because it is easier to track, obtain feedback on improvements directly from the

Thomas Hobbes And Francis Bacon In English History History Essay

Thomas Hobbes And Francis Bacon In English History History Essay Considered one of the most turbulent times in English History, The 17th Century could actually be looked at as an age of tremendous intellectual and economic advancement in Great Britain. Despite friction over issues of religion and church and state domestically, the British population grew and its economy prospered. Commerce expanded throughout the globe as Great Britain successfully developed and extended trade and business. Some of historys most famous minds were both a part, and a product of Great Britains transition from an age of faith to one of reason. Thomas Hobbes was one of those famous minds and is now thought of as one of historys greatest natural law philosophers. (www.historyworld.net) Thomas Hobbs was born in England in April of 1588. He was reportedly born prematurely due his mothers fear of the news of the approaching Spanish Armada. Hobbes was the second son of a local clergyman, but his father never played a role in his life. There are varying accounts as to why his father abandoned the family in Hobbes youth, but he was nevertheless raised by a well-to-do uncle who supported his education and development. Hobbs started his schooling at 15 entering Magdalen College, Oxford, yet initially focused more attention on maps and charts. He graduated at 19 and soon served as private tutor to William Cavendish, a wealthy boy not much younger than Hobbes who later became the 2nd Earl of Devonshire. As Cavendishs tutor, Hobbes had the opportunity to travel and tutored Cavendish and his brother on the European Continent for several years. It was during this time that Hobbes broadened not only his world view, but more importantly his philosophical views. He studied the cla ssics and developed and increasing interest in politics and history. (www.notablebiographies.com) Hobbes association with the Cavendish family afforded him number of resources which probably played a large part in developing his scholarly pursuits. As a scholar, Hobbes first major work was a translation of Greek historian Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian Wars, in 1629. Hobbes indicated that he translated History of the Peloponnesian Wars during a period of civil unrest to remind political leaders of his day that the ancient scholars thought democracy to be the least effective form of government. Thucydides work represented that understanding the past was important in determining the proper course of action. Regarding Thucydides great History of the Peloponnesian Wars: Hobbes stated, For the principal and proper work of history being to instruct, and enable men by the knowledge of actions past to bear themselves prudently in the present and providently in the future, there is not extent any other (merely human) that doth more fully and naturally perform it (http://history.wisc.edu) In Hobbess view, one of the most significant intellectual events of his life occurred when he was forty when he stumbled upon a copy of Euclids geometry. His second work, A Short Treatise on First Principles, expressed his deep interest in the study of geometry. Hobbes went on to continue his travels throughout Europe and spent time with many of the most influential minds of his time. In France, he met with Mersenne and members of the scientific community including Gassendi and Descartes. In Italy, he spent time with Galileo. In order to escape the civil unrest in England, Hobbes spent the next eleven years in France and taught Mathematics to Charles, Prince of Wales. It was in the 1640s that Hobbes developed plans for future philosophical work. As Civil War was imminent in England, he was Inspired to write on issues related to society and published De Cive in Paris in 1642. Hobbes later published the same work in English under the title Philosophical Rudiments concerning Government and Society as the Commonwealth took hold of the government. The book was highly contentious as both sides of the civil war criticized its views. (www.philosophypages.com) In light of the developments in Paris, Hobbes feared France was no longer a safe haven for the English court in exile and returned to England in 1651. Upon his return he published one of his most famous works, Leviathan. In Leviathan, Hobbes contends that all human acts are self-serving, even if they appear to be altruistic, and that in a natural state which lacks the organization of government, human beings would act in a completely selfish manner. Hobbes believes that humans are basically equal from mental and physical perspectives and are therefore naturally likely to compete amongst one another ultimately resulting in conflict. He believed that democracy would inevitably fail because people are solely motivated by self-interest and that humans desire for power and wealth would only result in conflict of humans amongst themselves. Hobbes perspective was that governments were responsible for protecting the people from their own selfish nature. In Hobbes view, government would have power similar to that of a sea monster, or leviathan and saw a king as a necessary figure of authority. (Clarendon) Widely considered as one of the 17th centurys most influential natural law philosophers, Thomas Hobbes had a significant impact on British social, economic and political theory. Hobbes developed status in a variety of studies and shaped intellectual philosophy until this day. He was known as a scientist, as a mathematician, as a translator of the classics, as a writer on law, as a disputant in metaphysics and epistemology; not least, he became notorious for his writings and disputes on religious questions. (http://homepage.newschool.edu) However, it is as a result of his writings on politics and morality that he has been eternally remembered. Several of Hobbes many works were never published during his lifetime, among the titles that remained unpublished is: the tract on Heresy, and Behemoth: the History of the Causes of the Civil Wars of England, among others. Hobbes outlived many of his contemporaries and continued to write completing his autobiography when he was eighty-four years old. He finished Latin translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey in his final years, and in 1675 he left London to live with the Cavendish family in Derbyshire until his death at Hardwick on December 4, 1679. (www.egs.edu) 200px-Thomas_Hobbes_(portrait).jpg bacon.jpg Hobbes wasnt the only great philosopher to come out of the Elizabethan Age; Sir Francis Bacon was another leading natural philosopher during the period. Bacon was statesman, a lawyer, and Member of Parliament. His writings included subjects regarding questions of law, politics, and church and state. He also wrote on issues on which questioned societal and ethical norms in some of his most famous writings such as Essays or in his primary work on natural philosophy, The Advancement of Learning. (http://plato.stanford.edu) Francis Bacon was the son of Nicolas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Seal of Elisabeth I. He enrolled at Trinity College Cambridge at the age 12 and at an early stage of his development began to reject the common philosophical thought of the day which was generally based on Aristotelianism and Scholasticism. Bacons father passed when he was only 18, and as the youngest son he was left with very little financial means. Although Bacon is said to have had rich relatives, he received little assistance, yet he pursued studies in law and had became a member of the House of Commons by 23. (www.oregonstate.edu) Bacon went on to publish Essays, Colours of Good and Evil, and Meditationes Sacrae in 1597. After Queen Elizabeth 1st death and the rise of James I in 1603, Bacons political career began to grow. He was knighted in 1603 and several honors followed: Solicitor General in 1604, Attorney General in 1613, Lord Chancellor in 1618, Baron Verulam in 1618, and Viscount St. Albans in 1621. (http://bacon.thefreelibrary.com/) Under King James, Bacon was appointed to a number of posts, and like his father, was eventually given the title of Keeper of the Great Seal. He was unfortunately caught in the middle of a power struggle between the King and Parliament which resulted in Bacon having to forfeit his political status, honor, and much of his personal wealth. (www.oregonstate.edu) Only 5 days five days after he had been given the Viscount St. Albans title, he was accused of bribery in 1621. Bacon admitted to the charges and was subsequently banished from the court and received fines. Bacon never paid the fines, but his sentence was reduced and he was only confined to punishment in the tower for four days. Although the sentence had been reduced he would never again be able to hold political office for the rest of his life. Bacon later published Novum Organum, or True Directions Concerning the Interpretation of Nature. In this work Bacon suggested that it was time to let go of Aristotelian ideas and in doing so helped to establish the foundations for modern science and philosophy. Following his dismissal from the court, four additional books followed: Historia Ventorum, Historia Vitae et Mortis Augmentis Scientiarum and Apothegms. Some reports indicated that that Bacon assisted in editing the King James Bible, but that remains subject to debate until this day. There are groups that support, as well as dispute this claim, with equal numbers on either side of the debate. (http://science.jrank.org) Bacons contribution to contemporary thought focused greatly on the relationship between science and social philosophy. In Bacons view knowledge is power and that an expansion of knowledge and learning among individuals can help to offset many of societal issues. Many people in his time considered Bacon a genius. His work, which attempted to encompass the three realms of natural, human and divine existence, has had a significant impact on the study of history, law and philosophy. (www.findingdulcinea.com) In1626, Bacon attempted to test the impact of the cold on the decay of meat. In experimenting with stuffing a chicken with snow, he fell ill, developed pneumonia, and died on April 9th, 1626.