Wednesday, October 30, 2019

What were the political and intellectual outlooks of the civilizations Essay

What were the political and intellectual outlooks of the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia How did geography influence the religious outlooks of these two civilizations - Essay Example Like Mesopotamia, Egypt was also dominated by a major river: the Nile, which was central to its life (Pollock, 1999). According to Trigger (2003), city-states in Mesopotamia, after successfully resisting incoporation into larger political systems for more than fifteen hundred years, were not transformed into territorial states, but absorbed into regional kingdoms. Unlike a hegemonic city-state system, the â€Å"Inka† empire was organized as a series of provinces ruled by the Inka upper class. Governorships were not allowed to become hereditary. Provinces were governed from administrative centres which were new foundations. Local rulers who in the central highlands were mostly descended from the hereditary chiefs, administered largely rural populations. Their executive powers were subject to the approval of the provincial governor. To reduce the power of conquered groups, they were sent as colonists to far-off regions of the Inka state, and replaced by reliable settlers from older parts of the kingdom (Patterson, 1987). In contrast to the situation in Mesopotamia, where urban development played a prominent role in shaping the civilization, most people in ancient Egypt continued to live in small, largely self-sufficient villages. Although the reasons for this are complex and include fundamental differences in political organization (Trigger, 2003), the greater uniformity and stability of natural resources and correspondingly lower risks associated with agriculture in Egypt were significant (Wenke, 1989). In Mesopotamia, political entities were most often small-scale competitive polities rather than centralized regional states (Pollock, 1999). Politically centralized territorial entities were the exception rather than the rule, and most were of short duration. Contrastingly, in Egypt, after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around the end of the fourth millennium, it remained a politically centralized state comprising of a great geographical

Monday, October 28, 2019

Richard Florida Critique Essay Example for Free

Richard Florida Critique Essay Brenda Parker’s article emphazises a critique of Richard Florida’s Creative Class discourse. Florida’s theory is centred on the belief that human knowledge is the main requirement in order for cities to be successful in modern society. He argues that diversity and creativity are the drivers of innovation and regional and national growth (Florida, 2003, p.3). Parker’s argues that Florida overlooks several aspects in this theory particularly labor market segmentation as it relates to race and gender. â€Å"I suggest that the Creative Class discourse forwards a seemingly soft, contemporary version of hegemonic masculinity. † (Parker, 2008, p. 202). The main goal of the article argues that the Creative Class traditional characteristics facilitate unequal gender and racial relations. She highlights the women minorities and wage inequalities in many ‘creative careers’ as well as the tensions among care giving and work (Parker, 2008, p.203). She argues that Florida’s theory allow men to thrive in society through the â€Å"creative professional† aspect, while women are undervalued. She highlights the inequality between work and home and ‘creative’ and ‘service’ work. According to Parker, Florida’s creative discourse attracts an elite population which reproduces such gender and racial relations (Parker, 2008, p.222). Critical Analysis Richard Florida developed a theory based on a Creative Class.† His theory relates to many creative cities in the world today. Is this a perfectly constructed theory that defines modern day society? The answer to that is no because it fails to account for many important aspects of inequality that exists in today’s society. Brenda Parker’s article argues that Florida overlooks important issues of race and gender in his theory of the creative class. Parker argues that Florida’s simplified theory reproduces raced and gender inequalities in the city (Parker, 2008, p.204). At first glance, Florida’s theory creates a positive image to the reader. It appears to be a relevant theory to successful global cities in modern day society. There is  a creative core and a super creative core in which diversity is claimed to be important (Parker, 2008, p.203). These creative and knowledge people are perceived as having the potential to change cities into successful ones as they are drivers of economic growth. Parker dissects this theory and illustrates how this simplistic view requires further analysis on issues of race and gender. The article provides a detailed analysis of labour segmentation in creative cities. It mainly highlights the intersection of gender and race as it relates to the distribution of jobs in the ‘creative class’ society. The dominance of a masculine figure is prevalent in Florida’s theory. According to Parker, women face significant barriers to entry, remain marginalized and operate within a society centred on masculine norms (Parker, 2008, p.203). The idea is that a creative worker is required to work long hours in order to be successful while sacrificing family life. Florida ignores the workers who aim to maintain a work life balance and maintain a family. He overlooks the fact that not every individual has the same values and beliefs. The â€Å"second shift† of women is often referred to as care work. It is clear that Florida devalues the importance of this job. â€Å"Households and social reproduction are not presented as sites of creativity or as placed wh ere social relations and identity negotiations take place.† (Parker, 2008, p.210). Florida segregates the workforce and narrows the meaning of a creative professional worker. There seems to be no opportunity for success for women who value family life. A high percentage of the women who do work are in the lower paying service class jobs. The issue of race is also an important factor which explains the labour market segmentation. As Parker (2008, p.216) explains in her statistical research, the poverty rates for black households are higher in creative cities and there is a large gap between the earnings of white and black households. Despite the desire to drive economic growth with creative workers, Florida fails to address the continuous problem of racism in the labour market. The perception that his theory encourages diversity is therefore questionable. The social construction of employment skills as it relates to gender and race are highlighted in Parker’s article. â€Å"A normative, northern, elite, white male is most unambiguously at the heart of Florid a’s idealized Creative Class.† (Parker, 2008, p.208). The creative class promotes job skills that are based on a typical masculine figure. Masculine norms based  on long hours of working as well as the hard, demanding nature of work dominates the best jobs in these cities (Parker, 2008, p.209). Therefore, it is evident that the successful jobs are dominated by men while the care work performed by women receives no recognition. As Parker (2008, p.225) states, the creative class erases reproductive and caring activities, labelling them as uncreative, and spatializing them apart from production and consumption. Many of the employed women in today’s society are in underpaid, service class jobs with little opportunity for advancement. In global cities, resident workers are women of colour, native and immigrant status (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.258). This is also evident in Parker’s article as statistics show the unequal earnings between female minorities as compared to male. Even though the gap seems narrower than in previous years, it is still significant enough and needs to be addressed. As resources are shifted from services such as education and health care, women and families suffer negatively (Nagar et al., 2002). This shift results in an increase in poverty for these women among other consequences. Many women have shifted to subsistence food production, informal work, emigration, and prostitution (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.266). One of the major problems arising from this is illegal trafficking in cities. â€Å"Prostitution and migrant labour are increasingly popular ways to make a living.† (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.265). Women are exploited in such industries by illegal gangs and government institutions that promote these activities as a major source of revenue. Despite several strong arguments presented by Parker, there are a few weaknesses. Parker emphasises inequality in the creative class mainly through women inequality. With the exception of a few minor arguments, she fails to signify how racial inequality is also a major problem. The main argument for racial inequality is the statistical representation of the super creative core. Labour segmentation involves more than simply gender inequality and Parker fails to address this. Conclusion It is clear that Florida’s creative class theory needs to be reassessed. The labour segmentation aspects such as racial and gender inequality is an evident problem that exists within the theory. The significant disadvantage and devaluation women face in the workforce in comparison to men requires further analysis. The attempt to encourage diversity in creative cities is  not enough to solve the inequality problem. An analysis of this paper alerts the reader to be aware of labour segmentation and the social construction of employment as it relates to race and gender bias. It is important to note and understand how these inequalities are still significant in today’s society despite efforts to reduce them. Further research which can encourage and promote creative workers while minimising inequality should be done. The problem will always be evident but if it can be minimised in creative cities, they will be more attractive. Reference Page Ehrenreich, B., Hochschild, A.R., (2002). Global Woman. Parker, B. (2008). Emerald Book Chapter. In J.N. DeSena (Ed.), Research in Urban Sociology, Volume 9 (pp.201-232). Sassen, S. (2007). A Sociology of Globalization.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Contrasting the Natural and Mechanical Worlds in Hathaways Oh, Oh Essa

Contrasting the Natural and Mechanical Worlds in Hathaway's Oh, Oh      Ã‚   The French poet and essayist Louis Aragon, in his Paris Peasant, wrote that "light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error--we only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash" (Aragon 18).   Aragon noted that the world is full of contrasts, and it is through those contrasts that we live and understand who we are and why we are here.   Without an understanding of light, Aragon argues, we cannot understand what darkness really is.   Or, without an awareness as to the concept of truth, one cannot possibly error, for the act cannot be defined.   In William Hathaway's poem "Oh, Oh," the poet uses language, word choices, images, onamatopoeic descriptions, and even the title of the poem to define the intrusion of the mechanical harshness of the world into the carefree land of nature.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The images, content, and focus of the poem change with the intrusion of the train.   Before the protagonist's girl notices the train, the two characters are concerned with the cows, grass, and simply ambling down a country lane.   But, as soon as the train approaches, and as it passes, the characters are no longer concerned with nature.   Rather, they suddenly begin dreaming of "being president" (11) and of "wonderful, faraway places" (14).   This switch from the serenity of nature to the dreams of the world finally ends with the poems last line -- a punishment or at least a warning.   The tranquil and peaceful nature suddenly becomes filled with "fifty Hell's Angels" (17).   But, more than simply motorcycles waiting at a railroad crossing, Hathaway has personified the motorcycles creating the mechanical Hell... ...orld where two universes are defined through their contrast.   Through his world choices, images, and even his title, we are transported to a picturesque country landscape with "moo cows chomping daisies" (2) and "maple dappled summer sunlight" (7).   Standing at a stark contrast to this land is the "lit headlight" (8) of a passing train and "growling [...] Hell's Angels" (17).   Hathaway, through his firm grip of language, has recorded a poem that, through contrasts, gives us an understanding of both the natural and mechanical world in an attempt to show us how we can "look / eagerly to the road ahead" (16-17).       Works Cited Aragon, Louis. Paris Peasant. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1926. Hathaway, William. "Oh, Oh." The Bedford Introduction to   Literature: Leading, Thinking, and Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1996. 593-94.      

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Brief Therapy

Personally, this â€Å"solution-based or solution-focused brief therapy† is appealing to me simply because it is brief (The.. , 2003). See I have the tendency to become impatient in anything that calls for counseling (The.. , 2003). Since brief therapy has the power to address my dilemma in less than five counseling sessions, I am very grateful for it (The.. , 2003).I also appreciate greatly the fact that â€Å"instead of solving problems, it builds solutions† which makes the change that occurred to be consistent and most likely to last (The..  , 2003).Brief therapy also addresses a wide range of dilemmas including the following: 1) anxiety; 2) depression; 3) mental health-related problems; 4) oppression experiences; 5) pain; 6) problems in sleeping; 7) work-related dilemmas; 8) relationship problems (including differences with children, with spouse, and with close friends); 9) stress; 10) substance abuse (including drugs and alcohol); 11) etc (The.. , 2003).What make s it more remarkable is that it may also be experienced by the economically challenged individuals who cannot afford the traditional and expensive counseling (The.. , 2003). It is good that there is a psychological therapy or counseling that may be offered free to those who do not have the capacity to pay but needed to solve a certain dilemma through â€Å"brief therapy† (The.. , 2003). Personal Experience I tried ‘brief therapy’ when I had terrible problems with my relationship with my partner.Here, I was taught to communicate better or effectively, I was inspired to trust and to establish a gratifying relationship (The.. , 2003). In addition to that, I was taught to address, manage, and settle conflict (The.. , 2003). My specific problem has been addressed in just a few counseling sessions and that particular dilemma never became a problem again (The.. , 2003). Reference The Brief Therapy Practice. (2003). Solution Focused Brief Therapy. Retrieved October 6, 20 07 from http://www. brieftherapy. org. uk/

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ghosts and Supernatural with close reference to ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Violet Car’ Essay

Ghost stories are all about death and dying. They help us to understand what happens after we die. They try to build up people’s fear of death and dying. They use people’s fear to build up suspense. Sometimes the author of the book will use the characters in the book to keep the reader wondering, grieving people sometime imagine things and the author can use this to keep the reader interested in the book. The reader would be wondering if it is the imagination of the character or a real ghost. Often ghost stories are based on someone’s premature or violent death. Some stories can use this to add more fear, because it could be an ordinary person that gets killed. Sometimes the author writes as if it had happened to them, this could help the reader to believe the story more. The ‘Violet Car’ is about the violent death of a young girl. The man that had killed Mr. Eldridge’s daughter was driving though the village in his violet car. He pulled up to Mr. Eldridge, and asked him for directions to Hexham. It was a foggy day, and Mr. Eldridge didn’t like the driver so he told him that it was straight on, and the driver drove straight of the edge of a cliff. Mr. Eldridge was haunted with the pictures of the car driving off the cliff and everyday he saw it. The only way that he could stop the visions was to stop the car from driving off the edge of the cliff. Mr. Eldridge stood on the corner of the road to stop the car as it came round the corner, it hit Mr. Eldridge and knocked him to the ground. The cause of death was heart failure, but he was really killed by the same car that had killed his daughter. ‘The Woman in Black’ is about a ghost that haunts Eel Marsh House, an isolated house with a very dark secret. There is a ghost of a young woman that lost her son on the marshes near Eel Marsh House, which haunts the house. Mr. Drablow, the previous owner, died and Arthur Kipps is sent to sort out every thing in the house and make sure all the legal documents are correct. The ghost is of a woman called Jennet Humfrye, who had a son but was not allowed to keep him so she gave him up to Alice Drablow. Jennet came to see here son all the time and one day the child had been out in the town and come back on a horse and cart, but it had gone off the tracks and into the marsh. Arthur hears noises on the marsh of people dying, drowning in the mud of the marshes. Every time the ghost is seen a baby dies, but when no child died they thought that the curse of the old house had ended, but Arthur’s child and wife die in an accident and the woman in black was left to haunt Crythin Gifford. The books are similar in many aspects, they are both written in the first person. Writing in first person is a common practice by Authors to make the reader believe the story more. ‘The Woman in Black’ is written as if you are Arthur and the ‘Violet Car’ is written from the point of view of the nurse. They are similar because they both try and achieve the same thing, just using different techniques. Susan Hill keeps the readers attention by using short sharp sentences, whereas Edith Nesbit uses lots of descriptions to keep the attention of the reader. ‘The Woman in Black’ uses lots of very good descriptive words; they are very good for working up the suspense even more. ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Violet Car’ are both based on grief, ‘The Woman in Black’ is the grief of Jennet, the ‘Violet Car’ is about Mr. Eldridge and the grief he had because he sent the car off the edge of the cliff. In ‘The Woman in Black’ Susan Hill make an eerie atmosphere by using short onomatopoeic sentences such as, â€Å"Bump. Bump. Pause. Bump. Bump. Pause. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump† This kind of sentence helps to build up anticipation and anxiety. It is like you want to find out what is going to happen next but are too scared to find out. She does not use cliffhangers at the end of a chapter; however she does use them at the end of some paragraphs. The ‘Violet Car’ is a very different book in that respect, Edith Nesbit writes in a different way to Susan Hill. E. Nesbit didn’t write in short sentences; instead she told the story in a way that made you want to continue reading. Both the stories are traditional well told ghost stories that use different techniques to get the same result. They are both interesting and exciting and the kind of story that you don’t want to put down because it is so full of suspense. I think that ‘The Woman in Black’ is a better ghost story because a lot more happens in it and it has a more complex plot to the ‘Violet Car’, however ‘The Woman in Black’ is a book whereas the ‘Violet Car’ is a short story. ‘The Woman in Black’ was described has ‘Heartstoppingly chilling’ and I agree with this.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation Writing a letter of recommendation is a big responsibility that could determine the future of an employee, student, colleague, or someone else you know. No wonder so many people are daunted by the process. Letters of recommendation follow a typical format and layout, so it is useful to understand what to include, things to avoid, and how to get started. Whether youre requesting a letter or writing one, a few helpful tips will make the process much easier. What to Include in a Recommendation Letter When  writing a recommendation, it is important to craft an original letter  that is unique to the person youre recommending. You should never copy text directly from a sample letter- this is equivalent to copying a resume from the internet- as it makes both you and the subject of your recommendation look bad. To make your recommendation original and effective, try including specific examples of the subjects achievements or strengths as an academic, employee, or  leader. Keep your comments concise and to the point. Your letter should be less than one page, so edit it down to a couple of examples that you think will be the most helpful. You may also want to speak with the person youre recommending about their needs. Do they need a letter that highlights their work ethic? Would they prefer a letter that addresses aspects of their potential in a particular area? You dont want to say anything that is untrue, but knowing the desired point of focus can provide inspiration for the content of the letter. Example of an Employer Recommendation The sample letter below shows what might be included in a career reference or employment recommendation. It includes a short introduction highlighting the employees strengths, a couple of relevant examples in the two main paragraphs, and a simple closing. Youll notice that the recommender provides specific information on the subject and focuses heavily on her strengths. These include solid interpersonal skills, teamwork skills, and strong leadership capability. The recommender also includes specific examples of achievements (such as an increase in profits). Examples are important and add legitimacy to the recommendation. Another thing youll notice is that this letter is very similar to a cover letter you might send along with your own resume. The format mimics a traditional cover letter and many of the key words used to describe valuable job skills are included. To Whom It May Concern:This letter is my personal recommendation for Cathy Douglas. Until just recently, I was Cathys immediate supervisor for several years. I found her to be consistently pleasant, tackling all assignments with dedication and a smile. Her interpersonal skills are exemplary and appreciated by everyone who works with her.Besides being a joy to work with, Cathy is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits. She has successfully developed several marketing plans for our company that have resulted in increased annual revenue. During her tenure, we saw an increase in profits that exceeded $800,000. The new revenue was a direct result of the sales and marketing plans designed and implemented by Cathy. The additional revenue that she earned helped us to reinvest in the company and expand our operations into other markets.Though she was an asset to our marketing efforts, Cathy was also extraordinarily helpful in other areas of the company. In addition to writing effective training modules for sales representatives, Cathy assumed a leadership role in sales meetings, inspiring and motivating other employees. She also served as a project manager for several key projects and helped to implement our expanded operations. She has proven, on several occasions, that she can be trusted to deliver a completed project on schedule and within budget.I highly recommend Cathy for employment. She is a team player and would make a great asset to any organization.Sincerely,Sharon Feeney, Marketing Manager ABC Productions What to Avoid in a Recommendation Letter Just as important when writing a letter of recommendation is knowing what not to include. Consider writing a first draft, taking a break, then coming back to the letter for editing. See if you spot any of these common pitfalls. Do not mention personal relationships. This is particularly true if you employed a family member or friend. Keep the relationship out of the letter and focus instead on their professional qualities. Keep the dirty laundry to yourself. If you cannot honestly recommend an employee because of past grievances, its best to decline the request to write a letter. Try not to embellish the truth either. The person reading your letter is trusting your professional opinion. Think about the honesty you would expect in a letter and edit out anything that may be overindulgent. Leave out personal information. Unless it has to do with someones performance at work, its not important.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Compare and Contrast the Glorious Revolution and the America essays

Compare and Contrast the Glorious Revolution and the America essays What were the worldwide effects on the political expectations for self-government and individual liberty after the American Revolution and the Glorious Revolution? I believe that the American Revolution was not a fair war because the British had a huge advantage. The British had a bigger and better army, while the Americans had almost nothing. The Americans were inexperienced and were mainly comprised of farmers fighting for independence. Even though the Americans had some soldiers willing to fight, the Americans were unable to pay the soldiers enough money to fight a war and they did not have enough food, supplies, guns, ammunition, and war ships. I believe that the Glorious Revolution ended up the way that it did because the people did not like James II and did not agree with the things that he wanted to do while in power.The Glorious Revolution was fought while James II was king because he made some decisions that the people did not like. One reason why England did not like James II was because he wanted to convert the religious beliefs of the thoroughly Protestant England to a Catholic religion. The people did not agree to many of his ideas. Even though James was able to create a very strong army, he was not able to conquer other lands and gain the respect of his men. While they were at war his army abandoned James II to fight for other sides. After James was left by his men, Parliament claimed that he had abandoned his country and went into exile in France. On February 6, 1689, James II was succeeded by William of Orange as the new King and his wife, Mary, James IIs daughter, became Queen of England. A few months later, James II decided that he wanted to come back to England to try and regain the throne, but failed along with his son and grandson who also tried to assume their line for the throne. Now the American Revolution was a war whose main purpose was for the Americans to escape from England&ap...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Latin Verbs and Infinitive Endings

Latin Verbs and Infinitive Endings An infinitive is a basic form of  a verb that in English often is preceded by to and that serves as a noun or a modifier.  In Latin, infinitives are rarely used to indicate purpose, but rather are most often used to express indirect speech (oratorio obliqua). Latin Infinitive Basics When you look up a Latin verb in a Latin-English dictionary, you will see four entries (principal parts) for most verbs. The second entry- usually abbreviated -are, -ere, or -ire- is the infinitive. More specifically, its the present active infinitive, which is translated into English as to plus whatever the verb means. The vowel (a, e, or i) of the infinitive indicates which conjugation it belongs to. Example of a dictionary entry for a verb in Latin:Laudo, -are, -avi, -atus. Praise The first entry in the dictionary entry is the present, active, singular, first-person form of the verb. Note the -o ending. Laudo  I praise is a first conjugation verb and, therefore, has an infinitive ending in -are. The entire present active infinitive of laudo is laudare, which translates into English as to praise.  Laudari is the present passive infinitive of laudo and means to be praised. Most verbs have six infinitives, which have tense and voice, including: Present active (to praise)Present passive (to have been praised)Perfect active (to have praised)Perfect passive (to have been praised)Future active (to be about to praise)Future passive (to be about to be praised) Perfect Infinitives of Latin Verbs The perfect active infinitive is formed from the perfect stem. In the  example of a first conjugation verb, laudo, the perfect stem is found on the third principal part, laudavi, which is listed in the dictionary simply as -avi. Remove the personal ending (i) and add isse- laudavisse- to make the perfect active infinitive. The perfect passive infinitive is formed from the fourth principal part- in the example, laudatus, plus esse. The perfect passive infinitive is laudatus esse. Future Infinitives of Latin Verbs The fourth principal part also informs future infinitives. The future active infinitive is laudaturus esse and future passive infinitive is laudatum iri. Infinitives of Conjugated Latin Verbs In Latin, verbs are conjugated to indicate voice, person, number, mood, time, and tense. There are four conjugations, or verb inflection groups.  Ã‚   Infinitives of a first conjugation Latin verb include: Present active- amare (love)Present passive- amariPerfect active- amavissePerfect passive- amatus esseFuture active- amaturus esseFuture passive- amatum iri Infinitives of a second conjugation Latin verb include:   Present active- monere (warn)Present passive- moneriPerfect active- monuissePerfect passive- monitus esseFuture active- moniturus esseFuture passive- monitum iri Infinitives of a third conjugation Latin verb include: Present active- regere (rule)Present passive- regiPerfect active- rexissePerfect passive- rectus esseFuture active- recturus esseFuture passive- rectum iri Infinitives of a fourth conjugation Latin verb include: Present active- audire (hear)Present passive- audiriPerfect active- audivissePerfect passive- auditus esseFuture active- auditurus esseFuture passive- auditum iri Interpreting the Infinitive It may be easy to translate the infinitive as to plus whatever the verb is (plus whatever person and tense markers may be required), but explaining the infinitive isnt as easy. It acts as a verbal noun; therefore, it is sometimes taught alongside the gerund. Latin Compositions Bernard M. Allen says that just under half of the time that an infinitive is used in Latin, it is in an indirect statement. An example of an indirect statement is: She says that she is tall. In Latin, the that wouldnt be there. Instead, the construction would involve a regular statement- she says (dicit), followed by the indirect part, with the subject she in the accusative case followed by the present infinitive (esse): Dicit eam esse altam.She says (that) she [acc.] is [infinitive] tall [acc.]. Allen says that Charles E. Bennetts New Latin  Grammar provides a rule for the tense of the infinitive that is only applicable to the present infinitive in an indirect statement. According to Bennetts rule: The Present Infinitive represents an act as contemporaneous with that of the verb on which it depends. Allen prefers the following: In Indirect Statements the present infinitive represents an act as contemporaneous with the time of verb on which it depends. In other substantive uses it is merely a verbal noun, without any tense force. Tense in Latin Complementary Infinitives As an example of why tense is a difficult concept with present infinitives, Allen says that in Cicero and Caesar, a third of their present infinitives follow the verb possum  to be able. If you are able to do something, that ability precedes the time of the statement. Other Uses of the Infinitive An infinitive can also be used as the subject of a sentence. The subjective infinitive is found after impersonal expressions like necesse est,  it is necessary. Necesse est dormire.it is necessary to sleep. Sources Allen, Bernard Melzer. Latin Composition (Classic Reprint). Forgotten Books, 2019Bennett, Charles. New Latin Grammar. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1918.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

For most people, working is simply a means to pay the bills, it has no Essay - 1

For most people, working is simply a means to pay the bills, it has no intrinsic worth. Discuss - Essay Example But the real truth is that regardless of whether one is a caveman or a city dweller, he or she has to make some effort to put food on his table, even if he does not have bills to pay. We work basically to feed our bellies. But is that enough? No, one might say, the glittering world of materialism makes us work towards buying a new set of sofas, a Plasma TV, a shiny new car and God knows what else all in the name of ‘necessity.’ The relationship between work, money and maintaining a lifestyle has corrupted us to such an extent that we have to work to keep up with the Joneses or have our name high up in society. In this essay, I am going to argue that work cannot simply be understood as the means to pay the bills – it has a far deeper meaning for individuals in our society than simply providing for wages or salary. However this does not necessarily mean that it has any intrinsic worth to the individual. Section One of my essay will discuss the readings of Jackson and Carter (2000) and O’Doherty (2006), whereby I shall explore the strong and deep connections between work and an individual’s sense of self- indeed, the search for a secure personal identity. In Section Two subsequently drawing upon the work of Rosen (1988) and others I will show how the managers of modern corporations are explicitly encouraged to design the workplace and motivate employees, so that these employees connect their sense of self with the organizations they work for. But even this does not adequately explain the whole meaning of work for individuals. In Section Three I will discuss the viewpoints made by Jackall (1988), Knights and Roberts (1982), and Morgan (2006) that show the anxiety, subordination and domination that may also describe the unfortunate experience of work for both managerial and non-managerial employees. In conclusion, I will reiterate that work for most of us today is more t han just the means to pay bills - however this does not necessarily mean

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group - Coursework Example The group’s activities span such disparate lines of business as music, airlines, rail transport, movie industry, financial services, telecommunications, soft drinks, space travel, tourism, health services and much more. As can be expected, some of the ventures did not live up to the expectations, inviting criticism of the limits to which a brand’s power can be stretched by reckless and unrelated diversification. At the same time, the unique leadership that Branson provides with commonsense approach, changing corporate and functional strategies continuously, laying focus on corporate governance, customer satisfaction and employee-motivation belie the flamboyant extrovert who exploits every opportunity to enhance Virgin’s brand power for success of the various ventures under its umbrella. The case study explores the story of an entrepreneur who dares to challenge established notions of limits of brand dilution, diversification into unrelated areas, value of commons ense in business, and informality in organizational/communication matters. Talking to the Forbes magazine on 1 February 1997, Branson said, â€Å"If you can run one company, you can run any company. You can learn the nuances of a particular industry in two months. And it is so great being in so many different businesses. That is the fun of it† (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). The last part is a give away (the fun and enjoyment of being in business) for the Branson persona. Occasional failure or short-on-performance does not dilute Branson’s vision for making Virgin as one of the world’s leading brands. Failures While the Virgin Record Company and related businesses were highly successful, Branson’s move into the highly competitive airlines industry and challenging the major established players with cheap travel plans was not so successful. In fact, in the early 1990s, Branson had to sell off his first love, the music company, in order to support the falter ing Virgin Atlantic Airways, which faced intense competition from the British Airways, the dominant player. Although Virgin Atlantic Airways started off well since its inception in 1984 and went public in 1986, the stock market crash of 1987 led to crash of its share prices forcing Branson to buy back the public stock and turn it into a private firm once again (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). The Virgin Group’s cable company NTL planned acquisition of a stake in the media and entertainment business which was dominated by Rupert Murdoch, by acquiring nearly 20% stake in the company ITV (Barr, 2006; Clothier, CNN, 2006). These plans were thwarted by Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB, who outbid NTL. This episode exposed Branson’s inability to accept defeat in grace. Another criticism of the Virgin Group has been its inability to fully integrate local cultural nuances into its management policies and branded products. In order to overcome this situation, Branson brought in a w ell-known marketing specialist Ashley Stockwell, as Virgin’s Brand Marketing Director (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). Branson’s foray into the movie industry with the acquisition of MGM in 1995 was again a failure, which he readily accepted and described it as a premature decision (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). Reasons for success Branson’

Friday, October 18, 2019

Email repies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Email repies - Coursework Example One strongly believes that the Epistles provide lessons that confirm the existence of the Divine Trinity through the words and life of Jesus Christ. The response was therefore a positive manifestation of spiritual growth and an enhancement of appreciation for God’s Words through the readings. The discussion provided by Classmate B initially differentiated the way Fee and Stuart apparently discussed both historical and literary contexts of the Epistles; eventually, hermeneutical challenges were expounded, prior to providing comparative applications to contemporary times. The good point raised was the cultural context within which the contexts were written, explaining diversity in beliefs, practices and values that were eminent at that time. One contends that there is validity in taking into account the culture and historical context into which the biblical authors wrote their discourse. Greater understanding and appreciation of discerning that diversity in their applicability has been significantly due to the time element that transpired since then. One therefore commends the manner by which the thread was written in discerning the crucial elements that enhanced one’s learning through the discussed

Strategy Adopted by an Organization Is a Consequence of the Match Essay

Strategy Adopted by an Organization Is a Consequence of the Match between the Organizations External Relationships and its Internal Capabilities - Essay Example The researcher states that a mismatch between the internal capability of an organization and its strategies may to some extent contribute to less than optimal output and input ration in an organization. The accessible research findings have confirmed the existence of a very close relationship between an organization’s internal capabilities, the organization’s strategies, and the organization’s external relationships. In most cases, organizations that have the ability to balance between their internal capabilities and their strategies have competitive advantages over institutions that formulate their policies without considering their internal strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the analysis of the company’s internal liabilities, resources, weaknesses, and strengths are essential in the strategy formulation process. Sufficient examination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the business is as exceptionally decisive in devising the organization’s strategy. The objective of a strategy should be based on the company’s weaknesses and strengths. In planning for the organization strategy, the strategists should also consider the institution’s entrepreneurial problems and administrative problems. In most cases, strategies and organization’s internal capabilities reinforce each other in the success of an organization. A successful organization selects management systems that are in line with its strategies. Moreover, entities with several adjustment levels employ different strategies to match with their internal capabilities. As a result, business entities that have high-level of adjustments reveal organic structures and prospectors plan while business entities with low-level adjustment use mechanistic structures and defender strategies. In most cases, organizations strategists identify a unique approach to its marketplace before structuring an organization strategy that fits the identifi ed market approach.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Nullity of a Company in English Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nullity of a Company in English Law - Case Study Example The essay will then discuss whether such concept is used in English Law as illustrated through cases. Lastly, the essay will then assess, based on the use or lack of usage of the concept of nullity on English Law whether there is a need for such concept. Nullity is a concept that renders an entity, in this case a company, insignificant and non-existent, such that any act made by or in behalf of that company will be rendered invalid as well. This declaration, as recognised by the First Council Directive 68/151/EEC ('First Directive'), is imperative to protect the company in question and their shareholders, as well as third parties that transact with them because of the possible retroactive effect it will have on these parties' actions. Hence, as called for by the First Directive, countries must limit the cases of nullity to decisions by a court of law, and on the grounds that (a) that no instrument of constitution was executed or that the rules of preventive control or the requisite legal formalities were not complied with; (b) that the objects of the company are unlawful or contrary to public policy; (c) that the instrument of constitution or the statutes do not state the name of the... al to be paid up; (e) the incapacity of all the founder members; (f) that, contrary to the national law governing the company, the number of founder members is less than two.1 In this sense, the concept of nullity of a company, as proposed by the First Directive, has a two-fold objective: it is meant to protect companies from trivial and unlawful declarations of nullity, which can be to the detriment of its operations by limiting the grounds for declaring it; and it is meant to protect a company's creditors, as well as the public, by preventing transactions for unlawful and fraudulent acts of unregistered or unlawfully registered companies. Thus, the effect of such declaration is a crucial aspect of company law because companies, as an artificial legal entity, have legal rights and obligations, which will be rendered null and void upon declaration of nullity. The status of companies as a legal entity is embodied in the company's corporate personality, which as stated in Salomon v. Salomon & Co (1897), a company in compliance with regulations of the Companies Acts are distinct legal entities, capable of incurring debts, limiting the liability of its members to the amount invested as prescribed by the companies Act.2 Thus, by virtue of its corporate personality, a company's shareholders and members, as a consequence, have limited liabilities. In addition, a company's corporate personality also accords to it the capacity to enter into legal contractual relations with other persons.3 However, while companies have limited liabilities to its shareholders, its shareholders are also limited in their ownership, such that they do not have ownership of the company's assets, as well.4 In this regard, it is important to note that not all companies have limited liability. As

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

International Business - Assignment Example Secondly, the culture of the people of USA is different to that of the people of Turkey. Evidently, the Turkey citizens have different beliefs to people of the United States of America hence a person working in the USA will be more diverse in terms of norms and beliefs to that person working in Turkey(Czinkota, 1989). In addition, the language barrier is another factor that brings the contradiction in the two working regions; that is USA and Turkey (DRS, 2012). For example, the national language of Turkey is Turkish while that of the United States of America is English. Therefore this vividly brings out the difference of working in the two countries. Furthermore, the constitution of the country Turkey is different to that of the USA (Czinkota, 1989). Evidently there are a number of things the government of Turkey approves one to engage in but the government of USA totally bans them totally and vice versa. In conclusion, there are a lot of things that may prohibit a person to work in a particular country and make that country unfavorable working environment. Clearly, this is highlighted throughout the book and one can practically hand pick

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Nullity of a Company in English Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nullity of a Company in English Law - Case Study Example The essay will then discuss whether such concept is used in English Law as illustrated through cases. Lastly, the essay will then assess, based on the use or lack of usage of the concept of nullity on English Law whether there is a need for such concept. Nullity is a concept that renders an entity, in this case a company, insignificant and non-existent, such that any act made by or in behalf of that company will be rendered invalid as well. This declaration, as recognised by the First Council Directive 68/151/EEC ('First Directive'), is imperative to protect the company in question and their shareholders, as well as third parties that transact with them because of the possible retroactive effect it will have on these parties' actions. Hence, as called for by the First Directive, countries must limit the cases of nullity to decisions by a court of law, and on the grounds that (a) that no instrument of constitution was executed or that the rules of preventive control or the requisite legal formalities were not complied with; (b) that the objects of the company are unlawful or contrary to public policy; (c) that the instrument of constitution or the statutes do not state the name of the... al to be paid up; (e) the incapacity of all the founder members; (f) that, contrary to the national law governing the company, the number of founder members is less than two.1 In this sense, the concept of nullity of a company, as proposed by the First Directive, has a two-fold objective: it is meant to protect companies from trivial and unlawful declarations of nullity, which can be to the detriment of its operations by limiting the grounds for declaring it; and it is meant to protect a company's creditors, as well as the public, by preventing transactions for unlawful and fraudulent acts of unregistered or unlawfully registered companies. Thus, the effect of such declaration is a crucial aspect of company law because companies, as an artificial legal entity, have legal rights and obligations, which will be rendered null and void upon declaration of nullity. The status of companies as a legal entity is embodied in the company's corporate personality, which as stated in Salomon v. Salomon & Co (1897), a company in compliance with regulations of the Companies Acts are distinct legal entities, capable of incurring debts, limiting the liability of its members to the amount invested as prescribed by the companies Act.2 Thus, by virtue of its corporate personality, a company's shareholders and members, as a consequence, have limited liabilities. In addition, a company's corporate personality also accords to it the capacity to enter into legal contractual relations with other persons.3 However, while companies have limited liabilities to its shareholders, its shareholders are also limited in their ownership, such that they do not have ownership of the company's assets, as well.4 In this regard, it is important to note that not all companies have limited liability. As

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Turbo Tax & IRS FreeFile and a Software Program of the Intuit Company Research Paper

Turbo Tax & IRS FreeFile and a Software Program of the Intuit Company - Research Paper Example The IRS is the provider of the FreeFile that is also a program for filing taxes online. FreeFile assists in tax preparations and e-filing for free. A prospective user would need Turbo Tax software because of many reasons. One of the reasons relates to the ability of the software to support the online filing of tax returns. Through the capability, the software can help a user to save time that would others waste when moving to places of tax returns, and sometimes following along system to get clearance. Another reason that a prospect would love to use Turbo Tax software relates to its ability to run error checks. The software is able to perform error checks, and a final review of a user’s return to ensure that tax calculations are correct. Turbo Tax software has four major versions meant for different kinds of consumers. The first version is the Federal Free Edition that performs simple tax returns, and absolutely free. The second version is the Deluxe that maximizes an individual’s tax deductions. The Deluxe version of Turbo Tax costs $34.99 and is the most popular version. The third version of Turbo Tax software is the Premier, which is good for rental and investment property (Krantz, 2015). The Premier version costs $54.99. Home and Business is the fourth version of the Turbo Tax software. The edition costs $79.99 and appropriate for sole proprietors and small business operators. One can find the Turbo Tax software versions from the link https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/compare.jsp. A prospective user would also want to use the IRS FreeFile program because of some good features of the software. The software is capable of performing deductions and analyzing tax history of the taxpayer and provides a comprehensive report to the effect (IRS, 2015). The FreeFile is also safe and efficient, which enable t to assure security, preserve privacy and allow quick access to user’s tax records. FreeFile also has features that support  the filing of tax returns for individuals earning below $60000.  

Monday, October 14, 2019

Intermediate Accounting Essay Example for Free

Intermediate Accounting Essay Nicholas Inc. is in need of a new punch press to increase its production output. Their company policy is to have the purchasing department obtain 3 different vendor bids for any major purchases. The engineering department of Nicholas Inc. has determined that each of the three vendor’s punch presses is substantially identical and each has an estimated useful life of 20 years. Maintenance on the machine is performed at year-end. With a cost of capital of 10%, it is our job to determine which vendor to purchase the new machine from. The engineering department has determined the annual maintenance expense associated with the punch press to be $1000 per year for the first five years, $2000 per year for the next 10 years and $3000 per year for the last five years. To calculate the present value of these accumulated costs you need to calculate the present value of an ordinary annuity of $1,000 for the first five periods plus the present value of an ordinary annuity of $2,000 in periods 6 thru 15 plus the present value of an ordinary annuity in periods 16 thru 20. This is equal to: =1000 x PV of OA + 2000 x PV of OA + 3000 x PV of OA =1000 x 3.79079 + 2000 x (7.60608-3.79079) + 3000 x (8.51356-7.60608) =$14,143.81 The value of the punch press from Vendor A is equal to $55,000 in cash at delivery and 10 year end payments of $18,000 each. To calculate the present value of the purchase, you need to calculate the present value of an ordinary annuity of $18,000 plus the initial payment of $55,000. This in preset value is equal to: =55000 + 18000 x PV of OA =55000 + 18000 x 6.14457 =$165,602.26 Vendor A offers a separate 20-year maintenance service contract valued at $10000 made at the initial purchase. This would save the company $4,143.81 in maintenance costs over the life of the press. Including maintenance costs associated with this punch press, the total amount of money spent on this machine in present day dollars would be $175,602.26 The value of the punch press from Vendor B is equal to forty semiannual payments of $9,500 each, with the first payment due at the time of delivery. To determine the cost in present value dollars, you find the present value of an annuity due of $9500 for 40 periods at 5%, which is equal to: =9500 x PV of AD =9500 x (17.15909 x 1.05) =$171,161.92 Vendor B will perform all year-end maintenance associated with the press at no additional cost, so the present value amount spent on the equipment would be $171,161.92 The value of the punch press from Vendor C is equal to $150,000 cash at the initial time of delivery. Since no annual maintenance package is offered from Vendor C, we must assume the cost of maintenance will be equal to what the engineering department had determined above. The present value dollar costs associated with the purchase of the press from Vendor C is $164,143.81. Nicholas Inc. should use Vendor C to purchase the new punch press. Using present value dollars to determine how much the press will cost today, Vendor C offers the cheapest purchase price for the machine. One factor other than the price of the equipment Nicholas Inc. should consider is the balance in their cash account. Do they have a large enough balance to cover the large initial payment of $150,000? Also, if they do have enough cash on hand to make a $150,000 initial purchase, will this result in Nicholas Inc. being short on the cash that it needs for other normal expenses like payroll, utilities and raw materials purchases? If a cash shortfall would result from purchasing the press from Vendor C, then Nicholas Inc. may be forced to use Vendor B who offers a financing plan but will result in them paying more in present value dollars for the press. The most recent concept statement that deals with present value measurements in accounting is the Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 7, Using Cash Flow Information and Present Value in Accounting Measurements. This was issued in February of 2000. When observable dollar amounts are not available to determine the value of an asset or liability, accountants often turn to estimated cash flows to determine the carrying value of the asset or liability in question. Since those cash flows usually occur in one or more future periods, present value concepts of the future cash flows are used to determine the value of the asset or liability. The goal here is to determine the difference in value between these cash flows if they were received today and when they are received in the future. Examples of assets and liabilities that would use present value concepts to determine their carrying value are notes payable, bonds payable, notes receivable and bonds receivable. The following are key terms related to present value and its use in accounting measurement practices. Best estimate is the single most likely amount in a range of possible estimated amounts. Estimated cash flow refers to a single amount to be received or paid in the future. Expected cash flow refers to the probability-weighed amounts in a range of possible estimated amounts to be received or paid in the future. A fresh-start measurement is when the value of an asset or a liability is re-evaluated after its original period of valuation. Some fresh-start measurements are performed every period while others occur only after a certain situation or â€Å"trigger† occurs. Interest methods of allocation refers to the process companies use to adjust the book value of assets or liabilities when their values have previously been determined using present value techniques. Interest methods of allocation will be used to determine the carrying value of the punch press for Nicholas Inc in future periods. Estimated cash outflows associated with each vendor were the basis to determine which vendor had the cheapest present value price of the equipment. [ 1 ]. FASB, Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 7, Using Cash Flow Information and Present Value in Accounting Measurements, Paragraph 1. February 2000. [ 2 ]. FASB, Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 7, Using Cash Flow Information and Present Value in Accounting Measurements, February 2000.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills Introduction With the rapid development of society, the competitions between companies are also increasing, what the employers want for the graduates are not only focus on the degree but pay more attention to their employability skills. In order to win their competitors in the fierce competition, employers want graduates who have a wide range of skills to bring to the work environment and need the employees with multi-skilled to fulfil many different roles. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.4à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. So graduates who coming into the workforce must have the skills needed by employers. With the purpose of making ourselves become more competitive in the future job market first we should find out what the employability skills the employer want for graduates, then according to the employability skills do the personal SWOT analysis and make an action plan to improve ourselves. Discussion of employability skills What skills do employers want Employability skills are defined as skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve ones potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. (DEST 2002a) Today, despite the degree, companies are paying more attention to the employability skills of the graduates, but there is no uniform standard of employability skills. What employability skills the graduates should have are depend on companys actual operating conditions and different companies have different standards. Through a wide range of literature research, the result of what the employability skills needed by companies are almost the same, and can be roughly divided into the following eight basic skills: Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Problem solving skills , Self management skills, Planning and organizing skills, Technology skills, Life-long learning skills and Initiative and enterprise skills. (MONASH, nd) Why do companies want these skills? Communication skills The CIPDs views are based on the latest CIPD/KPMG quarterly Labor Market Outlook, a survey of over 1,400 UK employers, the key attributes employers look for in school leaver recruits are communication skills (40% of employers rank this in their top three required attributes), work ethic (39%) and personality (32%). (CIPD,2006) .Communication happens all the time in the workplace, having effective communication skills can make us have a good relationship with colleagues and superiors ,thus can create a good working environment and help us complete the work more efficiently. Whats more , have good communication skills not only can make the existing customers become more satisfy with the products and services provided by our company but also can attract more clients cooperate with us . Teamwork skills In Todays society, only have the individual working ability is not enough, more and more works need a group of people to complete together .Work in groups can speed up the progress of work and also through brainstorming to create a better idea of the company Problem solving skills In this competitive world, companies will faced various problems at any time, solving the problem successfully enable the company ride out the storm or it will fail. Self-management skills Companies also need graduates have self-management skills to complete the work alone or almost alone, without the need for someone to stand over the employees constantly and tell them want to do.à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.14à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Planning and organizing skills Employers need graduates to make plans and organize the limited sources to achieve both short and long-term goals of company. Technology skills In the technological age, technology skills become increasingly important, company need employees use computers and telecommunications systems proficiency, understanding current trends and gathering information to predict the companys operating condition through technology. Life-long learning skills In order to make the company development sustainably, only require employee continuous learning can let the company keep pace with this rapid-developing society, and employees who have the life-long learning skills can also bring benefits to the company. Initiative and enterprise skills Employees recruited by the company are all with multi-skilled, the company may frequent transfer their employees to different departments and to take different roles within a company. (Heather and Peter, 2006, p.2) .So this require the employee have the initiative and enterprise skills to adjust themselves easily to new situations and can take the job quickly. Personal SWOT Analysis After identify the employability skills that needed by companies, I make a personal SWOT analysis based on actual experience and self assessment test through the internet. Strengths : I have good team work and organizing skills. According to the results of my self assessment test, I have a great mark in humanistic-encouraging and affiliative. (See Appendix 1) In the group work I can build on ideas with other members and as team leader I usually will make plans to allocate tasks to the group members to make sure everyone enjoys the tasks they are assigned to. I am good at Self management. I can management my time well and get thing done without being pushed. Usually I will write down the things what I need to do and sort them out according to the importance and the time sequence. After that I will write them to the calendar so that I can know clearly what and when should I do next I do well in learning. I willing to put in time and effort to learn new skills. As a student, beside the major I also join the free English class and the Assessment Centres mini module to improve myself. I have technology skills. I am not only having the basic computer skills but also can use specialised software packages. Since I have learned the business decision modelling in my first year and now I also learning the applied management and decision modelling, all of them need to use the specialised software packages so I learned how to use them in the course. Weaknesses I have no employment experience, even the part-time job experience. I am weak in problem solving; when I face problems usually I can not see all sides of them and can not provide good solution of them. My Communication skills are weak. I am an introvert (Result in appendix ) and I am not good at communicate with others .I feel shy when I talking to strangers. Opportunities I can find a part-time job through the future of our school to learn new skills to enhance my CV. I am more employable than others if I get work experience in UK. 65% of international employers indicate that they are more willing to employ graduates with overseas work experience. (Archer and Davison, 2008.). I have an opportunity to get a good job if I return to China after I graduate. China is widely expected to become the worlds largest human capital market in the future, requiring an explosive number of talented professionals. Companies seeking to hire Mainland Chinese returnees: born and raised in China, studied/worked in the U.S. or Europe and then returned to China. They offer international experience, plus language and cultural skills but are in short supply (Davy, Lau). I can enjoy a variety of preferential policies for overseas student which provided by the Chinese government if I back to China. Threats In recent years, explosive growth trends of Chinese overseas students choose to return home which will increase the competition of getting jobs in China. Employment pressure both in China and UK. Not only Chinese graduates for job-hunting with anxiety, graduates of British also face the same problem. The jobs shortage was blamed on a substantial backlog in the number of jobless graduates from previous years creating additional pressure on the employment market in 2010. (Articlesbase, 2010). Personal Action Plan After I finished the personal SWOT analysis, according to my own situation I make an action plan base on SMART Skill to be improved Specific Actions Measure Target date Communication skills: Participating in the activities that organized by school community orinvolvingin the school communitydirectly. Make a lot of friends. Take the initiative in making acquaintances. Do not feel nervous when talking to strangers Next month Take the mini module about communication that provided by the future in our school Presenting and participating in class discussions Semester 2 Through the IELTStestto improve my English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. Take the IELTS test Christmas holidays Problem solving skills Apply for the volunteer opportunities provide by the futureHelping people solve problem while improving my problem solving skills. Become a volunteer Semester 2 Analysis the requirements of school assignments Meet the assignment requirements of teachers Deadline of assignments Initiative and enterprise skills Find part-time jobs in our school or become a volunteer Get part-time jobs, become a volunteer Semester 2 Become a trainee of a company for 1-2week Work in a company as a trainee Christmas holidays Teamwork skills Working on group assignments Do the Group work assignments Deadline of group assignments Planning and organisation skills Arranging study and daily lives at university Make plans everyday and do thing according to plans Everyday Self-management skills Summing upthe gaps in skills and knowledge Doself-reflection whenteachers give assignment feedback At the end of semester 1 Learning skills Learning new skills that needed by employers Attend courses and finish courses Semester 2 Technology skills Learn something about Photoshop or database. Participatethe relevant courses During semester 2 Conclusion There is no doubt that employees who having a good degree will gain an excellent starting point, since a good degree helps employees open the door of finding a job, however, a degree alone is not enough, employers want much more from their graduate employees, they want employees can bring benefits to the company and let the company in an invincible position during the fierce competition. Through extensive research I summed up eight kinds of employability skills that most needed by companies. And I made a personal SWOT analysis based on employability skills and self assessment test through the internet and actual experience which made me become more aware of myself. After that I made an action plan for myself. Ill stick to the plan and I hope that it would help me improve my employability skills after I finish it .And get a good job in the competitive job market after I graduate.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Thomas Jefferson: Pragmatics over Doctrine :: Cheathouse Essays

Thomas Jefferson: Pragmatics over Doctrine During the period 1800-1817, the Jeffersonians to a great extent compromised their political principles and essentially â€Å"out Federalized the Federalists†. While traditional Jeffersonian Republicanism advocated a strict interpretation of the Constitution and an emphasis on an agrarian economic system, the actual policies of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were markedly different from their theoretical principles. This obvious compromise of Jeffersonian principles is evident in the Federal government’s assumption of broad-based political powers and institution of capitalistic Hamiltonian economic reforms, both of which stemmed from Jefferson and Madison’s adoption of broad constructionist policies. Despite his many compromises however, Thomas Jefferson’s intent to dissolve the national debt was to a great extent unvarying. Jefferson and his Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin honestly feared a large federal deficit as a threat to Republicanism. To avoid this threat, the President sought to diminish the role of the federal government, and decreased the national budget. These budget cuts substantially diminished the size and resources of the American army and navy. When criticized, Jefferson defended these military cuts as being consistent with Republican policies in that a smaller U.S. Army would be seen as less of a threat to other nations and reduce the risk of provocation, resulting in the ultimate promotion of peace. Unfortunately, the President’s consistency with Republican principles in matters of political power was not nearly as strong as his resolve to reduce the national debt. Under Jefferson and Madison, the federal government assumed political powers that the Constitution did not allot for. While prior to his presidency, Jefferson, then a strict constructionist had argued that the government should not assume any power unless specifically provided for in the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase where America purchased a vast tract of land for $15 million, compromised these lofty ideals. In terms of the military, Thomas Jefferson had come to power vowing to reduce military size and power. Contrary to those principles, the Barbary War, where for nearly three years the American military exercised a naval blockade of the North African coast wasted millions of dollars of the people’s money and unconstitutionally violated states rights and strict constructionist principles, in the ir place asserting an alien un-Republican nationalism. While the evidence found in Jefferson’s political and military dealings helps us understand how Madison and him â€Å"out Federalized the Federalists†, an examination of Jefferson’s economic policies truly proves that in the words on one historian he was the â€Å"American Sphinx†.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Seed Germination

The time that a seed germinates, and whether or not it actually does germinate, depends on many factors. These factors include; the chemical environment, which must be the right conditions; oxygen must be present, and inhibitory chemicals must not be present. Germination also depends on the physical environment. Temperatures must be suited to the seed, and light quality and quantity must also be suited to the needs of the seed. In some cases, all these conditions are met, and still, the seed fails to germinate. This is because the seed is said to be dormant (Bewley and Black 1985). Seed dormancy is a short-lived deficiency, or block of an able seed to complete germination under suitable conditions. There are two different types of dormancy, embryo, and coat dormancy (Kucera et al.2005). Embryo dormancy is mostly common in woody species, but can also be found in blossoming plants as well. Coat dormancy is when the tissues that enclose the seed are too tight and the seed cannot overcome the constraint. Seeds can be released from dormancy through being chilled, sometimes for several weeks, or sometimes even months, at temperatures of one to five degrees Celsius. This means that seeds that rely on such ways of dormancy must wait for the cold seasons to pass before they can germinate (Bewley and Black 1985). Many seeds can germinate with, or without light, but the plants that require light, are called photoblastic, and are controlled by the phytochrome (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Phytochrome has two descriptions, the first one, Phytochrome red (Pr), is transformed by red light, to the second form, phytochrome far red (Pfr). Far red radiation can reverse the whole process. Phytochrome far red absorbs far red light (730nm), and phytochrome red absorbs red light (660nm) (Toyomasu et al. 1997). Seeds that are grown in darkness don’t germinate unless they are exposed to red light for a short period of time. For a red light to be effective, water content in the seed must be at 15%, because dry seeds do not respond to red light. In lettuce seeds that are matured naturally, phytochrome is most commonly in the form of phytochrome red, and in the dehydrated form, the conversion to phytochrome for red light is not possible (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Lettuce is an important vegetable cultivated worldwide, and requires high quality seeds. Lettuce seeds are unable to germinate in the dark, and are unable to germinate at high temperatures. These characteristics affect the rates that new seeds are developed (Metzger et al. 2009). Light is a very important factor in releasing seeds from dormancy. Seeds can be affected by being exposed to white light from just a few seconds, to or even minutes, others require intermittent light. The light frequency that is required depends on the temperature. Lettuce seeds that are bought in stores are usually treated to improve the germination process, even when lots of light is unavailable. Although, light sensitive leaves need a lot higher levels of phytochrome far red light to bring the seed out of dormancy (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Using all the information I have gathered, I hypothesised that the red light and white light would cause a greater percentage of germination than the other lights, because they produced more far red light. Methods The lettuce seeds that we used (Lactuca sativa L.cv Tango), were dried and stored at 22oC until we used them. We used gibberellin acid (GA3) of ≠¥ 90% purity, at the following concentrations; 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, and 10-6. The red light source we used was gathered by filtering white light that came from a twenty-five watt fluorescent bulb, through two layers of dark red cellophane paper. We got the far red light by a forty watt incandescent bulb. The light was then filtered through a container containing 10cm of water, which was placed above the two layers or red and blue cellophane. The white light we obtained was taken from a sixty watt light bulb. Twenty to thirty-five lettuce seeds were placed on two layers of whatman No. 1 filter paper, and all seeds were equally controlled in a room with a green light bulb. In each dish, 5ml of distilled water was added, along with 5ml of its appropriate GA3 solution. The dishes were wrapped in one layer of tin foil, and put in a darkened box. A control was also prepared. The seeds were added to a dish with distilled water. All the experiments were conducted at the same temperature, 24oC. When everything was ready, to figure out how many seeds were germinating, we counted how many seeds in each petri dish had a white radical coming out if it. When we were done, we recorded our results, and pooled them with the rest of the class (Migabo 2011). Seed Germination The time that a seed germinates, and whether or not it actually does germinate, depends on many factors. These factors include; the chemical environment, which must be the right conditions; oxygen must be present, and inhibitory chemicals must not be present. Germination also depends on the physical environment. Temperatures must be suited to the seed, and light quality and quantity must also be suited to the needs of the seed. In some cases, all these conditions are met, and still, the seed fails to germinate. This is because the seed is said to be dormant (Bewley and Black 1985). Seed dormancy is a short-lived deficiency, or block of an able seed to complete germination under suitable conditions. There are two different types of dormancy, embryo, and coat dormancy (Kucera et al.2005). Embryo dormancy is mostly common in woody species, but can also be found in blossoming plants as well. Coat dormancy is when the tissues that enclose the seed are too tight and the seed cannot overcome the constraint. Seeds can be released from dormancy through being chilled, sometimes for several weeks, or sometimes even months, at temperatures of one to five degrees Celsius. This means that seeds that rely on such ways of dormancy must wait for the cold seasons to pass before they can germinate (Bewley and Black 1985). Many seeds can germinate with, or without light, but the plants that require light, are called photoblastic, and are controlled by the phytochrome (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Phytochrome has two descriptions, the first one, Phytochrome red (Pr), is transformed by red light, to the second form, phytochrome far red (Pfr). Far red radiation can reverse the whole process. Phytochrome far red absorbs far red light (730nm), and phytochrome red absorbs red light (660nm) (Toyomasu et al. 1997). Seeds that are grown in darkness don’t germinate unless they are exposed to red light for a short period of time. For a red light to be effective, water content in the seed must be at 15%, because dry seeds do not respond to red light. In lettuce seeds that are matured naturally, phytochrome is most commonly in the form of phytochrome red, and in the dehydrated form, the conversion to phytochrome for red light is not possible (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Lettuce is an important vegetable cultivated worldwide, and requires high quality seeds. Lettuce seeds are unable to germinate in the dark, and are unable to germinate at high temperatures. These characteristics affect the rates that new seeds are developed (Metzger et al. 2009). Light is a very important factor in releasing seeds from dormancy. Seeds can be affected by being exposed to white light from just a few seconds, to or even minutes, others require intermittent light. The light frequency that is required depends on the temperature. Lettuce seeds that are bought in stores are usually treated to improve the germination process, even when lots of light is unavailable. Although, light sensitive leaves need a lot higher levels of phytochrome far red light to bring the seed out of dormancy (Kendrick and Russell 1975). Using all the information I have gathered, I hypothesised that the red light and white light would cause a greater percentage of germination than the other lights, because they produced more far red light. Methods The lettuce seeds that we used (Lactuca sativa L.cv Tango), were dried and stored at 22oC until we used them. We used gibberellin acid (GA3) of ≠¥ 90% purity, at the following concentrations; 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, and 10-6. The red light source we used was gathered by filtering white light that came from a twenty-five watt fluorescent bulb, through two layers of dark red cellophane paper. We got the far red light by a forty watt incandescent bulb. The light was then filtered through a container containing 10cm of water, which was placed above the two layers or red and blue cellophane. The white light we obtained was taken from a sixty watt light bulb. Twenty to thirty-five lettuce seeds were placed on two layers of whatman No. 1 filter paper, and all seeds were equally controlled in a room with a green light bulb. In each dish, 5ml of distilled water was added, along with 5ml of its appropriate GA3 solution. The dishes were wrapped in one layer of tin foil, and put in a darkened box. A control was also prepared. The seeds were added to a dish with distilled water. All the experiments were conducted at the same temperature, 24oC. When everything was ready, to figure out how many seeds were germinating, we counted how many seeds in each petri dish had a white radical coming out if it. When we were done, we recorded our results, and pooled them with the rest of the class (Migabo 2011).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Addie Bundren’s Everlasting Impact

Addie Bundren’s Everlasting Impact Often times in novels, there will be a character that has the ability to appear as little as possible and still be able to have one of the biggest impacts on the rest of the characters and on the novel as a whole. In As I Lay Dying, Addie Bundren is one of those types of characters. She has only one chapter in the entire book, yet is somehow able to have the biggest influence on the rest of the characters. She is the basis of the story, and everything relates back to her. Addie Bundren seems to have such a heavy impact on the characters as they were constantly trying to please her. Darl always longed for her approval and was constantly jealous of her relationship with Jewel. He was always trying to provoke Jewel: â€Å"’You could borrow the loan of Vernon’s team and we could catch up with you,’ I say. ‘If she didn’t wait for us. ’ ‘Ah, shut your goddamn mouth,’ Jewel says. † (pg. 18) Addie seems to have enjoyed all the attention she was getting. She was constantly trying to fulfil her feeling of dissatisfaction, trying to find multiple ways to rid herself of the sickening feeling, but nothing she did helped. Her dissatisfaction was the centre of her life. Her character greatly affected all the characters in the novel. She was the spokes holding their family wheel together. Darl longed for her approval, while Jewel had her sitting on a pedestal. Anse, even through all his selfish, narcissistic ways, looked up to her and felt attached to her, even beyond her death. He felt like he owed her something. Her character is similar to Vardaman’s character in the sense that they are both unable to fully express themselves. Vardaman resorts to comparisons such as ‘my mother is a fish’ (pg. 84) while Addie resorts to having an affair with Whitefield. Addie is the basis of the book. Without her, there would not be a story. Her character has a powerful hold over the rest of the Bundrens, even after death. With her death, the characters could have just buried her wherever they felt convenient; however, they still follow through with her request. Though one could argue that they did so only for their own selfish benefits, their conversations never fail to relate back to her in one way or another. They feel compelled to grant her wishes, making references to her while on their journey, helping the reader piece Addie’s character together without her actually speaking. As I Lay Dying amplifies the feminist role with Addie Bundren. It ties her influence in with her motherly figure, making her a vital character in the novel. She has the rare ability to hold such a powerful control over the characters in the novel, making her a significant character with only one chapter.

My Favorite Class

All semester my students have been writing paragraphs for me. They have learned how to write topic sentences and supporting sentences and also concluding sentences. They have worked very hard. Now it is my turn to write a paragraph. Hopefully I’ll be able to write an interesting topic sentence that will catch the attention of my students. So, what should my paragraph be about? MRS. D’S FAVORITE CLASS. My reading/writing class for the fall semester at the community college in 2008 was an excellent class. How were they excellent? Well, first they always did their homework. Most of them had jobs to do during the day but they still found time to do their homework. They wrote in their journals and wrote a lot of paragraphs and then they rewrote the paragraphs. They were also excellent in another way. They really got along well with one another as a class. Some of them were very outgoing and some of them were quite shy but they respected each other and learned a lot about each other’s countries as a result. Finally, they were an excellent class because they always made the teacher laugh. Even though they had worked hard all day, they came to class in a happy mood. If they were tired, they never acted grumpy about it or if they didn’t feel well, they just kept right on working. So, you can see that this really was an excellent class and I hope that they will all do well in the future. So, did Mrs. D. write a good paragraph? What was the topic sentence? Did all the sentences support the topic or were there some irrelevant sentences? And how about the concluding sentence? Did she repeat some words from the topic sentence? Was it a good conclusion? Notice that she didn’t indent the first word in the paragraph. The reason is that this is a typed paragraph and the paragraphs are separated by a space instead of making an indentation. Well, I don’t think that it’s the greatest paragraph in the world but it expresses how I feel about this class. I hope you all have a nice vacation and best wishes for your continued success in the coming year – 2009!! Sincerely, Mrs D.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Major Developments in the Rise of Democracy in America Essay

The Major Developments in the Rise of Democracy in America - Essay Example Another characteristic feature of this period was the American revolutionary war of 1775 to 1783. The incidences that took place during this period saw a rise in the democratic space of the Americans. Opposition to the British rule was a key pillar in the fight for democracy in America. In 1765, George Grenville, the British Prime Minister spearheaded the adoption of stamp duty where all documents were required to have a stamp and the duty paid. This incited the people to begin objecting the British rule. In order to fight for their democratic rights, a group called Sons of Liberty was formed, it used various strategies to object the taxes that were being imposed on the Americans. They used to demonstrate in the streets, became violent, as well as made several threats to the government. In addition, they aired their grievances to the monarch to have the tax laws done away with. Their voices were heard when the group opted to invade the home of Thomas Hutchinson, the chief justice as well as looting and burning records in the vice-admiralty court. This development saw a step being made towards democracy, the Declaration of Rights and Grievances was enacted. Further, there was a co nsensus that the stamp tax is repealed. However, the parliament was to remain the sovereign authority as provided in the Declaratory Act of 19661. Legislations catapulted the rise in democracy, the Americans felt that the legislation was harsh on them. The passing of a bill that saw an increment in taxes of basic commodities made the colonists to boycott British goods. In 1768, British troops were sent to Boston where they were to contain the riots that had ensued. Some individuals were killed in the process, an incidence that resulted in growing resentment of the British rule by the state of Massachusetts2. The parliament acted again by withdrawing all the imposed taxes except that of tea. The race  to democracy was also facilitated by the efforts of Samuel Adams who created the Committee of Correspondence that provided a common forum for all the patriots in thirteen states to launch a rebellion against the colonial rule.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The role of National Training Awards in Terms of Improving Employee Essay

The role of National Training Awards in Terms of Improving Employee Development in the Current Political, Economic, Social and Technical Environment - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the NTAs accept competitors from all divisions, industries and regions across the UK and provide with an exclusive opportunity to have individual’s training appraised against the best in the UK. Department for Education and Science has established NTA in 1987 which has been independently administered by U.K. Skills and advocated as the training sector’s adaptation of Oscars. This body merged with People’s Training Awards to establish a single display for training eminence. Games of the XXX Olympiad or 2012 Summer Olympic Games, London will watch the high demand in sophisticated mechanical skills. New opportunities will open up and every major sector will require skill.   These new opportunities and skills will help U.K. to compete with the developing economies like India and China. The main issue of this case study is how NTA helps in improving employee development in the current political, economic, social and technical environment. We will be going through the core aspects of NTA and cite examples to show the achievements and benefits of NTA.   From this paper it is clear that recently certain initiatives have been taken by the donors like the European Social Fund (ESF) and the University for Industry (UfI) who has recognized training and development of retail sector as a primary aim in terms of enhancing economic affluence, competitiveness and employment. In a case study of Thorn Lighting Limited, the main point of discussion was the Spennymoor enterprise in UK, whose objective was to supply the quality products at a minimum cost provided to satisfy customers’ needs. The enterprise hired above one thousand workforces and since 1989 has gone through changes in organizations and culture allowing doubling its share in market.

Monday, October 7, 2019

The environmental effects on rasing children Essay

The environmental effects on rasing children - Essay Example The maltreatment may involve physical and emotional abuse, experiencing domestic violence, sexual harassment, or abandonment that exposes children to significant physical or emotional stress. Ideally, the frequency and severity of the maltreatment, age of child, and the relationship between the child and the offender defines the social and academic effect of the maltreatment on the child (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014). The maltreatment can cause trauma that jeopardizes brain development and hinders attachment and interpersonal relationships between the caregiver and the child thus affecting the childrens social life (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014). Maltreatment leads to learning and cognitive problems that fosters poor academic achievement among the victimized children since it also affects the areas of speech and language (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014). Maltreatment also leads to numerous mental health problems like depression, post-tra umatic stress disorder, and anxiety that have adverse effects on childrens social life. Such children cannot establish and maintain positive relationships with caregivers or other children since they develop behavioral problems. Children that are subject to maltreatment can also inflict pain on others and develop aggressive and violent behaviors that limit their social life (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014). Single parent families also effects childrens social and academic life. Single parent families involve families led solely by either a man or woman. However, most single parent families are single-mother families. Apparently, children in single parent families experience less parental supervision compared to children in two-parent households, which leads to significant social and academic effects (Yarber & Sharp, 2010). Single parents depict less involvement in monitoring their children’s social and school activities. As a result, such

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Islamic center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic center - Essay Example It is a ritual in which Muslims, men and women must attend in mosques, since it is not a prayer than can be performed in house, and while Men are obliged to attend as it was made clear in Quran and Prophetical narrations, women are excused from doing so, as the Prophet Muhammad (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) explained that when He said (with the meaning): "Jumu`ah is an obligation upon every Muslim which He must perform in congregation, except for four: an owned servant, a woman, a young boy and a (very) sick Man" The time needed for the Jmu`ah prayer changes from one mosque to another, it depends on the important of the subject addressed by the Imam, the man who usually leads the 5 daily prayers in the mosque, He usually choose the topic of it according to what He sees best regarding benefiting the Muslims attending the prayer. Sometimes the Imam addresses a social problem taking place within the Muslim world and communities, in other cases He points and guides toward the right practices, remind people of what is good and forbid them of what is bad, channel their thoughts and help toward other Muslims in need and no matter what is the main topic of the speech, it is all follow the reminder of Allah and His Messenger, by quoting Verses from Quran and Hadith (Narrations) from the words of the Prophet Muhammad and in other cases He mentions certain related opinions or ruling for known knowledgably trusted scholars. One can clearly see the Muslims heading toward nearby mosques before the start of the prayer, some goes there real early as they try to seek more rewards while others try to manage being there before the Imam starts the speech. It doesn’t matter if you are a local in that area or just passing by or even a traveler, when you go inside the mosque you instantly see all sorts of people walking in, placing their

Friday, October 4, 2019

The Legal and Ethical Considerations of Marketing in America Essay

The Legal and Ethical Considerations of Marketing in America - Essay Example The American Marketing Association (AMA) is committed to promoting the highest ethical standards among its members. They are guided by the ethical norms that state that they should not harm; they should foster trust in the marketing system; and they should embrace ethical values (American Marketing Association, 2011). These ethical values include honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship. It is unfortunate though that not all companies honor these guidelines set by AMA; thus, the existence of numerous marketing strategies which are illegal and unethical. Unfair and illegal marketing practices of corporations are those where it withholds pertinent information or misrepresents information. Example, a bank marketing officer was able to convince a client to apply for a loan because of the low interest rates but later on the client realizes that if he prepays the loan, he will have to pay a prepayment penalty. The information on prepayment penalty was deliberately withheld just to close the transaction. This could be considered an unfair marketing practice by the bank. One popular legal issue that most manufacturing companies are faced today comes in the light of America’s concern for the environment. The words â€Å"biodegradable† or â€Å"environmentally friendly† are often seen in the packaging of products nowadays. The Federal Trade Commission and the National Advertising Division (NAD), and the Council of Better Business Bureaus have come up with guidelines regarding the use of the word â€Å"biodegradable† as many companies are loosely using the term to promote a better image for their products and to convince the consumers to buy them because they are â€Å"environmentally-friendly† (Gekas, Harrold, & Dixon, 2010). The legal issues in the packaging, specifically the labeling of products is one aspect in the marketing strategy which must be considered by organizations.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Man vs. Fishing Boat Essay Example for Free

Man vs. Fishing Boat Essay It was a cloudy summer day, the first week in June following my high school graduation. I was meeting my boyfriend and his family out on Shasta Lake who were enjoying the week on a houseboat. This would be the first time meeting all his aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. I did not expect for the meeting to end up like this. Brandon, my boyfriend, and his younger cousin, Jake, picked me up at Packers Bay in the ski boat. It was a chilly morning and I was in shorts and tank top and had only my towel to keep me warm. The boys forgot where the houseboat was parked in the lake. We spent the next hour and half searching the entire area of Shasta Lake for their houseboat. â€Å"Brandon, just call your mom and ask where they’re at,† I mentioned as an idea. â€Å"Embarrassing as it is, I guess I will,† Brandon sighed. He called his mom, and the first thing she said, â€Å"Your lost aren’t you?† Mothers know everything. We finally found our way to the houseboat. We climbed out of the boat, and one after another, each family member said their hellos and each gave me a very welcoming hug. I felt like family already. We sat in the houseboat for about 30 minutes socializing and eating breakfast, when Brandon’s dad, Gary, decided to tell us we were moving the houseboat to a different spot for the day. Moving the houseboat is a lot more challenging than just one boat because the Connolly’s also had two jet skies, the ski boat and an old tin fishing boat (which wasn’t even registered). â€Å"Brandon, you and Ally take the ski boat. Jake, you hop in the fishing boat and the girls got the jet skies. Get out in front and lead the way to another cove,† Gary said with much authority. So Brandon and I jumped in the ski boat and drove out way past the houseboat waiting for everyone to get situated. Jake, 15 at the time took control of the tin fishing boat. We all figured that he had driven a boat like that before, but we may have been wrong. Enjoying the cloudy day, Brandon and I sat in the ski boat waiting for Jake to make his move. And we heard the motor start and Jake was moving. Phew. There were some waves coming from Brandon’s messing around in the boat that Jake was hitting, but we didn’t think anything of it. After talking for a little bit, we turn around to check on Jake’s progress and we see him flying through the air and the tin boat going very fast around and around and Jake was no where to be found. His head popped up out of the water and than his hand came up with his phone in hand and he screamed, â€Å"Help!† Brandon threw him and a life buoy and told him, â€Å"GET AWAY FROM THE BOAT!† The boat was still spinning out of control and one hit from the tin boat would kill Jake instantly. Since it was a cold morning, Jake was in two pairs of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and he had his Nike tennis shoes on. Swimming was a lot more difficult. He reached the life buoy and made it safely to our ski boat. But this wasn’t the tragic event. It took a while for the family on the houseboat to realize what was going on, than next thing we know we see Uncle Dan fly out on one of the jet skies. He seemed like superman or maybe even batman. He looked like he was going to be the hero of this crazy event. We never even thought he would be the victim. From the ski boat, Brandon, Jake, and I all thought that with the tin fishing boat spinning out of control, Uncle Dan was just going to take the front of the jet ski and stop the tin boat. Nope. Wrong. Next thing we know he is in the water. â€Å"What is he doing?† I asked Brandon in a very worrisome voice. â€Å"I’m not quite sure.† He replied. Dan swims towards the spinning boat and reaches to grab the front of it when it comes around and he misses. So he goes in one more time. Strike two. Misses again. Third times a charm? Not in this story. He swims in for the third time and as the boat makes its 360 rotation it seemed, as every noise around us was silent except for the sound of rocks in a motor. But it wasn’t rocks. It was Uncle Dan. I looked at Brandon and Jake in horror. What was going on? It seemed like he was in the water forever before he popped up. Finally he did. In a very settle and quite voice, he raises his hand covered in red thick blood and a face that looked like it was dipped in ketchup, says, â€Å"Help. Help. I’m hurt.† I scream at Brandon and Jake, both swimmers, â€Å"Help him! Get in the water. Help him!† Brandon and Jake start stripping off their clothes one at a time and Jake was in the water within seconds. Swimming like it was the last meet of his life, he swims over to Uncle Dan and, with his adrenaline, lifts the middle-aged man onto the jet ski. Blood was everywhere and the tin boat was still spinning. Jake speeds the jet ski along with Uncle Dan and his wounded body towards the shore where the houseboat was still vacated and the next thing I see is Jake’s mother, who is also Dan’s sister, strip completely naked and used her clothes to wrap up his arm and face. I’ve never been so shocked and scared in my life. Seeing a hand sliced up from the elbow down to the tips of the fingers and a face covered in blood coming from the eye and side of the face, which hid his pain. He was being so tough and he just kept saying in a mellow tone, â€Å"I just don’t want to loose my hand.† He repeated this many times. Next thing I know, Gary was the driver of the ski boat with Uncle Dan laid out in the boat with naked Aunt Janine at his side, they were off to the shore where the ambulance helicopter was meeting to take him to the emergency room. We all else went back on the houseboat and comforted Jake and everyone effected by this horrific accident. The cloudy day served it’s purpose. After the cops asked all their questions to all of us involved, and finally crashed into the tin fishing boat with their sheriff boat, we could all just relax on the houseboat and wait for the call from the hospital to hear the news of Uncle Dan.