Case Study A Little Swan Group Company - 2267 Words

FINAL INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT Analysis of case study Challenges and Recommendation Paramjeet Kaur 10/14/2014 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Case Studies 2 Max Muir-Size Matters 2 The Jiangsu Little Swan Group Company 3 Bill Day- Seeing Opportunities Where Others See Disasters 4 Jeff Griffiths: Now you see him, Now you don’t 6 Conclusion 6 References 8 Introduction This report is about four different case studies from Pech and Turner’s book Making waves (2014). In this report many things will be discussed starting from three dimensions of entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial intensity grid, innovative lessons from the cases, recommendation for the organizations and the difficulties for other firms to adopt these†¦show more content†¦Muir took the initiative by established a network of storage facilities. Along with that the strategy for grow through procurement was proactive, the firm figured out to purchase other smaller traders and using sales people to build and maintain sales network throughout Victoria and NSW (Pech and Turner, 2014, p. 157). Risk-taking is the willingness to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty (Peterson and Lee, 2000). The Max Muir firm’s use of just in time (JIT) system was risky and it can be fail when the unexpected crisis or disasters strikes which was not unusual in Australia. The strategy of growth by continued acquisition effects on the firm’s finance (Pech and Turner, 2014, p. 158). Considering the case, Max Muir’s company strategy falls in dynamic in the entrepreneurial intensity grid. In this case Max Muir focused on the establishing and maintaining a multiple business. Max Muir was able to understand his client and recognized the opportunity for growth. He grew his business gradually and never exhibited his success (Pech and Turner, 2014, p. 158). He always mindful of any negative impact his actions might make on client perception. His strong leadership and visionary approach to the business quickly push the firm towards growth. â€Å"Vision and inspiration are hallmarks of any type of real entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship and pragmatic vision† ( Waddock, 2009, p. 281). Moreover, passing the

Adoption, the Moral Alternative to Abortion Essay

Adoption, the Moral Alternative to Abortion It was only three days after being born that I was flown to my new family in Illinois. If I had not been for a one woman’s unselfish decision, I would not be writing the words on this page right now. Abortion is an ethically wrong decision and option for a parent. It is illegal to take the life of another human being; by choosing to have an abortion, legally a parent is not willingly killing a human life. However, this choice is still seen as a murder to most people. Women should be forced to place their children up for adoption instead of a choice have an abortion. Abortion is a morally wrong decision. By definition, abortion is an aborted organism. In such†¦show more content†¦Choosing to go through an abortion and placing a child up for adoption are quite different matters to analyze. Simply, going through with an abortion is murder by killing a child. Where as, if you were to put a child up for adoption you are giving that child a chance to live. Enduring an abortion may to some people be a convenience; abortion is a quick way of dealing with this problem. Adoption can be seen as a long and grueling process. However, they are both mentally damaging; in both cases the parents, or parent have to give up a child and a life. In some adoption cases some people choose to take back their child; but for others the decision is indefinite. Both situations must be seriously considered and measured. There are many reasons and scenarios to why people may have difficulties in raising a child. Financial reasons may be one of the major reasons people consider abortions or adoptions. It cost a fairly decent amount of money to raise a child and provide for it. In some tragic cases women decide to have an abortion or an adoption due to rape. In such a case it is almost conceivable to consider that as being an exception. Premarital relations and teenage pregnancies are other reasons as to why one would choose either of these alternatives. No teenager wants to be a parent or be forced to grow up while they are still in their youth. In today’s society, theShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of An Unborn Fetus Should Be Viewed Through The Same Moral Standards1523 Words   |  7 Pagesdestructor of peace was â€Å"abortion, because it is a war against the child- a direct killing of the innocent child- murdered by the mother herself.† In the United States, four in ten of unintended pregnancies result in abortion culminating in approximately 1.21 million abortions each year.1 Abortion, defined as the removal of a fertilized egg from the uterus, has been a controversial issue in our society. On January 1973 the Supreme Court of the U.S gave the right to abortion on Roe vs Wade. This monumentalRead MoreThe Moral Issue Of Abortion987 Words   |  4 PagesMoral Issue of Abortion There are many moral topics people can chose to debate about. One of the most popular ones is abortion and whether it is morally right or if it is morally wrong. Personally I believe abortion is morally wrong. The main reason is taking another persons life. There are many causes and outcomes that can take place. First, the main point of sexual intercourse is reproduction so if the two people create a child they are morally in charge of protecting the new life being createdRead MoreThe Debate On Abortion And Abortion1063 Words   |  5 Pagesmost estranging moral and politically controversial issues in the United States is the stand on abortion. By definition an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and the expulsion of pregnancy tissue, including embryo, fetus, placenta, and membranes (Wicclair, Gosman 2005). In the recent years the debate on abortion has shifted to a different viewpoint that has reopened the conversation of abortion and has generated a healthy following for a bortion control. The premise of abortion control is toRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal?1135 Words   |  5 PagesKelsi Hodgkin Composition 1 Professor Chipps 19 October 2015 Should Abortion Be Legal A common debate in the world today involves abortion, the deliberate end of human pregnancy, and whether or not it should be legalized. â€Å"Every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day† (â€Å"Abortions Worldwide this Year†). On one side of the argument, people are not disturbed by this grotesque number, and on theRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemm Abortion Essay1233 Words   |  5 Pages Ethical Dilemma: Abortion Abortion is a widely discussed topic that has opened a moral debate on whether it should, or not, be allowed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study which will be addressed from a Christian based worldview. Additionally, since abortion is a controversial subject, it is necessary to take into account the potential resolutions of the issue, and how they can be contrasted to Christian values and core beliefs. Ethical Dilemma A woman gets pregnant after aRead MoreThe Morality of Abortion Essay examples1494 Words   |  6 PagesThe Morality of Abortion Abortion is the termination of a foetus whilst in the womb and is a constantly argued issue in todays society. Whether abortion is moral or immoral depends on many topics and on one particular topic; when does life start? In 1976 the Abortion act was made active in England and Wales. This allowed the termination of a foetus aged up to 28 weeks, and for the first time women had the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. However limitationsRead MoreMedical Ethics And Abortion : A Moral And Ethical Dilemma Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesMedical Ethics and Abortion Abortion is wrong because it is the murder of a human being. Abortion continues to be a moral and ethical dilemma for all those involved. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics states, â€Å"nurses have the ethical and moral obligation to promote and protect life.† Still, debates continue, opposing the belief of life against the principle of autonomy and a woman’s right to regulate her body. It is disputable that the right to have an abortion is a right to dominateRead MoreWhy Abortion Should Be Illegal Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesViewpoints, â€Å"An abortion is a medical or surgical procedure that ends a pregnancy† and it was made legal in 1973 (â€Å"Abortion†, 2014, para. 1). I grew up always wanting a large family. Some of the best memories of my childhood were ones made during family reunions with my cousins. When I found out that there are people in the world that willingly murder their children before they are even born, I knew th at it was something I had to change. I urge you to join me in the realization that abortion should beRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal?1052 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is a personal matter and is a very sacred and sensitive topic. The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy is what we know of as an abortion. Although abortion is considered to be immorally wrong to some people, it should be a fundamental right for women to control their own bodies. Abortions are one of the many things that everyone has an opinion on. It is one of the most controversial topics anyone will not agree upon. When abortion is discussed, people tend to assume one of two positions:Read MoreAbortion Is Immoral And Unethical1234 Words   |  5 Pagestwo options: keep the baby and change her plans to fit those needs, or have an abortion. The choice is hers to make and legally, she can have an abortion if desired. Morally, however, there are many other aspects to consider. Abortion, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus. For over a century, abortion has been one of the most highly disputed subjects in America, and this trend

Miscommunication in Workplace for Respect - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theMiscommunication in Workplace for Respect and Dignity. Answer: Introduction I think that the topic is important in general because communication within the workplace is necessary to inform the employees about the roles that they need to perform within the organization. Many researches have shown that the managers feel that the employees are inefficient in handling communication within themselves and the employees feel the same regarding the managers as well. The treatment that the employees want in the workplace is of respect and dignity, which they do not receive when communicating with the managers. Grapevine is one of the most common problem that exists in the workplace (Sebok et al., 2015). Overview The report will contain the driving factors that causes miscommunication in the workplace such as the theory of assumptions, the wrong use of body language, which can confuse the other employees in the workplace. The other things are that the managers provide only the main information and nothing that will help in supporting the information. This creates many confusions in the minds of the employees that lead to miscommunication in the organization. The most common form of miscommunication is through typing errors that may tend to complicate the minds of the employees (Holmes Stubbe, 2015). The background history of miscommunication in workplace is that it creates lot of problems in the industry that may dampen the organizational structure within the company. this leads to the loss of resources and decrease in the economies of scale. The profit-making power of the company gets reduced to a great extent. This research will help in identifying the common problems that increases the chances of miscommunication and aims to reduce the problem by applying various techniques within the workplace. The scope of the research that will be done by me is that it will be further analyzed by different researchers in ADMC. This will help in broadening the horizon with respect to miscommunication in the workplace. Body Language Since most of the communication that takes place in the organization depends on the non-verbal communication, body language plays an important role. This enables the employees to silently communicate within the organization without hampering the work environment. This may lead to miscommunication as the gestures or the facial expression may be interpreted in a wrong manner, which can create confusion in the workplace (Thambi Albert, 2014). Assumptions This is one of the common causes that led to grapevine within the organization. The employees assume that they know what their role is in the workplace and does not take the consent of the managers who are more experienced before proceeding with the task. This attitude of the employees leads to a lot of commotion in the workplace, which delays the process of work within the organization (Deep, Othman Salleh, 2016). Provision of Bare Necessities The managers in some cases provide only a half of the information that they feel might be sufficient for the employees to carry on with their task. This may result in misunderstanding among the employees as the new and the less attentive employees may not understand the requirement and pester the experienced employees of making them understand it. This may result in the delay of the work within the organization. This creates a lot of problems in the workplace due the inefficiency of the managers in sharing the necessary information (Watts, 2016). Typing Mistakes Due to the negligence factor that may sometime happen in the workplace, the conveyor of the message may type in the wrong language or misinform the employees by circulated miscalculated facts. The information may be for one employees but due to the error may get passed on to some other employee who was not expecting that in the organization. These issues create commotion and lead to miscommunication in the workplace (Wyatt, 2014). Others Communication may consist of both the parties being engaged in a verbal or a non-verbal conversation. The organizations also need to follow that. If there is a lack of communication from one side that is either from the management or the employees, it will lead to miscommunication. There has to be the existence of vertical and horizontal communication within the organization. The communication with the employees and the management will help in the efficient working of the organization (Kumar, 2015). The horizontal communication will help in establishing strong bonds with the employees of the departments within the organization. It will lead to an efficient work as a team. Often silence can lead to miscommunication as the employees or the management may not take their job seriously. This will lead to conflict within the organization and give rise to grapevine within the organization (Martin, 2014). Proposal of Research I think that this research on miscommunication is important in United Arab Emirates (UAE), as it is a land of opportunity and people from different backgrounds migrate to this country to work and earn. The cultural differences often create a barrier in the communication process, which is hard to decipher most of the times. The people of different countries may be influenced to work in a particular way in its early formational stage and education plays a big role in influencing the behavior of the people. Due to the effect of globalization, people migrate from one part to another country in search of better job opportunities. These cultural differences take time to get adapted in the working environment and often conflict arises in the initial stages. The things that I would require to know with respect to the county is how the management of the organizations are able to communicate with the employees who are from different cultural backgrounds. The management of the organizations along with the managers have undergone certain training programs or not to retain the workforce who are mainly from the South East Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Philippines (Thambi Albert, 2014). The division of the work in relation to the employees are done on what basis and how does the employees from different cultures adopt to the working culture in UAE. Apart from these, the human resources department play an important role in hiring the best employees so that the organization can benefit and maximize its profits (Watts, 2016). Do they undergo any training that helps them in identifying the correct talent pool among the people? The research that will be conducted by me will help in the college level as these stages help in the formation of the individual. By the help of proper guidance in these formative years, it will be easier to face the challenges when the individuals are ready to work in different working cultures. Reference List Deep, S., Othman, H., Salleh, B. M. (2016). Potential Causes and Outcomes of Communication Conflicts at the Workplace-A Qualitative Study in Pakistan.Journal Of Management Info,11(1), 1-15. Holmes, J., Stubbe, M. (2015).Power and politeness in the workplace: A sociolinguistic analysis of talk at work. Routledge. Kumar, G. K. (2015). Diversity in workplace: Benefits, challenges and solutions.International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences,5(7), 149-164. Martin, G. C. (2014). The effects of cultural diversity in the workplace.Journal of Diversity Management (Online),9(2), 89. Sebok, S., Chan, T., Klinger, D., Sherbino, J. (2015). Mixed Messages or Miscommunication: The relationship between Workplace-based Assessment scores and Written Comments in the Mcmaster Modular Assessment Program (mcmap).Medical Education,49, 98. Thambi, O., Albert, P. R. (2014). English for Workplace Communication.Language In India,(12),321. Watts, C. (2016).Exploring Experiences of Information Overload: The Influence of Computer-Mediated Communication in the Workplace(Doctoral dissertation, Universit d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa). Wyatt, B. (2014). An Analysis of Generational Cooperation in the Workplace.

Nostradamus Essays - Apocalypticists, Divination, Nostradamus

Nostradamus For four centuries Nostradamus's prophecies have inspired fear and controversy. His followers say he predicted the French Revolution, the birth and rise of Hitler, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Did he, as his believers claim, predict some of history's most monumental events - from the Great Fire of London to the launch disaster of the space shuttle Challenger? Nostradamus was typical of the Renaissance time period. He made many prophecies and was a major contributor to not only the Renaissance but the 'Spirit of the Renaissance'. Michel de Nostrodame (or his more used Latin name of Nostradamus) was born a Jew in the small town of St.Remy de Province in southern France on the 14th of December 1503. Little is known about Nostradamus's family apart from Jean his youngest brother became Procurer of the Parliament of Province. As a small boy Nostradamus underwent significant changes in his life. While Nostradamus was a child his family was forced to convert to Roman Catholicism. Around this time he was sent to live with his grandfather who taught him the basics of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Mathematics and Astrology. A few years later Nostradamus's grandfather died and he went to Avignon to finish his schooling. Whilst at Avignon he also believed as did Galileo that the Earth was round and circled the sun. Nostradamus used his ability to help people through harsh times and did not even fear for his own life. In 1525 he received his Bachelor's degree for Medicine and went to help the fight against the 'Black Death' that was feared throughout the Renaissance period. After traveling for almost four years helping the sufferers of the Plague, he returned to Avignon and won fame for his eagerness for learning which ties in with the spirit of the Renaissance. In 1532 he earned his Doctorate and became a Professor at the Montipellier University but resigned within the same year. He then moved to Agen, married and had a son and daughter. His life now seemed complete until an outbreak of the Plague in Agen that killed his wife and children. In 1538, he was accused of heresy because of a remark about a statue of the Virgin Mary being like a devil that he had made years before. The Inquisitors sent him to Toulouse to stand trial. Leoni, Edgar stated that in 1554 Nostradamus settled in Marseilles after wandering for six years keeping well clear of the church authorities. During these time legends started to appear about his foreseeing powers. It was not until later however that he received his fame with his prophetic visions of the future - 942 cryptic poems called The Centuries - that have preoccupied generation after generation of readers. The Centauries (ten in total) were written in poem like form and contained hard-to-break codes that were use to stop attention being drawn to him self as the church authorities could not arrest him for writing in gibberish, because in that time prophecies were considered as witch craft or devil work. The Centauries were written by night as not to be seen in 1555. He eventually settled down in the town of Salon, France in 1554 where he Married his second wife, Anne Ponsart Gemelle, with whom he rose six Children - three boys and three girls. Do these writings actually predict the death of popes, rise of tyrants, and natural disasters to come? The code in which the prophecies were written could be comprehended to mean many things, but if the people who claim to be able to crack the code of Nostradamus' work are right then World War Three will reach its climax in the year 1999. Bio-warfare will be used - which will virtually wipe out most of humanity with minimal survivors with the human race living until the year 3797. Nostradamus travelled to Paris and booked in at a hotel on the 15th of August 1556 and the queen at the time sent a message to Nostradamus asking him to see her. The queen talked to Nostradamus privately for two hours, nothing is know about what they talked about. Two weeks later Nostradamus was again summoned to speak with the queen. This time she asked him to give horoscopes on all her children - all turned out correct except one horoscope, her youngest child who died before taking the throne. In 1564 Nostradamus was appointed Royal Physician to King Charles IX. On the 1st of July 1566 he sent for the local priest to give him this message, "I

Parts of a Thesis

Parts of a Thesis Parts of a Thesis Parts of a Thesis While writing parts of a thesis - be wary of questions. Rhetorical questions are often used in writing, but are much less common in theses, where an argument should be clearly stated, not hinted at by means of rhetorical questions. Sometimes, for stylistic purposes, you might choose to pose a question to engage the reader's interest. However, thesis examiners will usually expect you to give your own answer to raised question rather than leave it hanging for others to research. Use gender-neutral, dispassionate language. Avoid terms such as 'he' unless you are talking about a specific person. Such terms can usually easily be replaced with gender-neutral language, e.g. 'the manager', 'the researcher'. Similarly, demeaning and dismissive language should be avoided. For example, be careful of criticizing previous researchers in a dismissive or personal way. If your English thesis writing appears to be sexist or arrogant, you may alienate your thesis examiner. Worst of all, your examiner may be a friend of or even the author of work you criticized while writing a thesis.   They are unlikely to look sympathetically on criticism which does not appear to be well founded and objective. This does not mean that you should avoid pointing out gaps in previous literature or failings of previous studies in the course of your academic thesis writing. Master thesis must be well-written and properly formatted. While writing a thesis, always use the spell-check and grammar-check functions. Spelling and grammar checks are not substitutes for careful editing, but will rapidly identify many problems in your writing. Your instinctive last action before you print any document to give to your supervisor should always be a spell check. Failure to detect and remove misspelled words is a direct indicator is your inadequate attention to thesis writing. Thesis Ideas Your thesis editing should happen both on the screen and on the paper. offers you an opportunity to order professional thesis writing help.   We are able to assist you with all parts of a thesis writing.   In addition, you are welcome to request regular updates and communicate with the assigned writer directly. Our writers are exceptionally educated and have many years of thesis writing experience.   There is no assignment we cannot handle!   You may contact us at any time to learn more about writing services and prices.   We are open for communication and we are ready to write thesis on any topic!

Timeline for Applying to Law School

Timeline for Applying to Law School As most people are aware, preparing to pursue a career in law involves a total of eight years of education, starting with a bachelors degree in a similar field. Therefore, it is advised that hopeful applicants to law school should begin preparing to apply at least a year ahead of time, during the junior and senior year of their bachelors program.   Discover the timeline below to find out the best methods for applying for and completing your law school degree, the first step into an exciting career in the field.   Junior Year First things first: do you want to go to law school? Around the beginning of the junior year of your bachelor degree, you should determine if a path into law is right for you. If so, you can begin researching law schools to apply to on the LSAC site  and schedule your  LSAT  for either February or June of the following semester.   During the following months, its best to begin preparation for this all-important test. If you are taking the LSAT in February, immerse yourself in studying. Consider taking a preparation course or hiring a tutor. Review test prep books and take as many exams as you have access to. Registration for each exam must be completed at least  30 days before the tests - remember that seats do fill up at testing locations, so booking early is advised. Developing relationships with professors in the field would also be advisable at this time. You will need them to write  recommendation letters  for your application. Cultivate relationships with these faculty, and they will have a positive response (and good things to say) when it is time for you to ask. You should also meet with a pre-law advisor or another faculty member who can provide you with information and feedback on your progress toward gaining admission into law school.   In the spring (or summer, depending on when you schedule it), you will take your LSAT. Your score will be available three weeks after the exam. If your LSAT score  is high enough for a good chance of admission, you dont have to worry with this again. However, if you feel you might do better, there are two more opportunities to retake the LSAT: once in June and again in October.   Summer Between Junior and Senior Year If you need to retake the LSAT, remember to register more than 30 days in advance for the June test. If you still dont believe the score is good enough to get you into your chosen  law schools, you may retake it in October. In that case, spend the summer studying up and meeting with other professionals in the field to get insight on how best to take the test.   At this time, it is essential that you register with the LSDAS and begin your Credential Assembly Service application, complete with having your higher education  transcripts sent to LSDAS. You should also start finalizing your list of top choices of schools youd like to apply for. Narrowing down your selection will prevent wasting money on applications to schools you dont want and help in understanding what you should be sending out in your resumes (each school is slightly different).   Spend the summer gathering each schools application materials, downloading applications and requesting additional information and materials as needed. Draft your  personal statement and review it with your advisor, other professors, friends and family and anyone else who will read it and give feedback. Edit this and draft your resume, again seeking feedback for both.   Fall, Senior Year As you enter your senior year, it is time to  request recommendation letters from faculty  who you have developed relationships with throughout your schooling. Youll typically want to send three of these letters along with each application. You will then need to provide the letter writer with  a copy of your resume, transcript and a summary of aspects of your academic, professional and personal life accomplishments for them to consider. If needed, continue updating your resume and take the October LSAT for your final chance to garner the highest score.   If you require financial aid, complete the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which makes you eligible to apply for it. Triple-check your law school applications before finalizing them with the Credential Application Service. Then prepare and submit  law school application forms to each school. It is important now to confirm that each application was received and is complete. Typically you will receive an email or postcard. If you dont, make contact with the admissions office. During this time, also do not forget to submit completed financial aid applications. Acceptance, Rejection or Wait-Listed It is important to keep your LSAC profile up to date, so submit your updated transcript to the LSAC upon entering the final semester of your senior year. As soon as January,  acceptance, rejection and wait-list letters begin to roll in. You will now need to evaluate acceptances and wait-list letters to determine which ones you will pursue further. If your application was rejected, evaluate your application and consider  reasons why  and  how to improve, if you decide to reapply. It is recommended that you visit law schools youve been accepted to, if possible. This way you can get a feel for not only the academic environment of the schools curriculum but also a feel for the community, landscape, location and campus of your preferred schools. If youve been accepted to multiple institutions, these could be the determining factors that help you choose which law school youll ultimately go to.   In any case, you should send thank you notes to faculty who have helped you. Let them know the outcome of your application and thank them for their help. Once you graduate college, send your final transcript to the school that you will attend.   Then, enjoy your last summer before law school and good luck in your next higher institution of learning.

Timeline for Applying to Law School

Timeline for Applying to Law School As most people are aware, preparing to pursue a career in law involves a total of eight years of education, starting with a bachelors degree in a similar field. Therefore, it is advised that hopeful applicants to law school should begin preparing to apply at least a year ahead of time, during the junior and senior year of their bachelors program.   Discover the timeline below to find out the best methods for applying for and completing your law school degree, the first step into an exciting career in the field.   Junior Year First things first: do you want to go to law school? Around the beginning of the junior year of your bachelor degree, you should determine if a path into law is right for you. If so, you can begin researching law schools to apply to on the LSAC site  and schedule your  LSAT  for either February or June of the following semester.   During the following months, its best to begin preparation for this all-important test. If you are taking the LSAT in February, immerse yourself in studying. Consider taking a preparation course or hiring a tutor. Review test prep books and take as many exams as you have access to. Registration for each exam must be completed at least  30 days before the tests - remember that seats do fill up at testing locations, so booking early is advised. Developing relationships with professors in the field would also be advisable at this time. You will need them to write  recommendation letters  for your application. Cultivate relationships with these faculty, and they will have a positive response (and good things to say) when it is time for you to ask. You should also meet with a pre-law advisor or another faculty member who can provide you with information and feedback on your progress toward gaining admission into law school.   In the spring (or summer, depending on when you schedule it), you will take your LSAT. Your score will be available three weeks after the exam. If your LSAT score  is high enough for a good chance of admission, you dont have to worry with this again. However, if you feel you might do better, there are two more opportunities to retake the LSAT: once in June and again in October.   Summer Between Junior and Senior Year If you need to retake the LSAT, remember to register more than 30 days in advance for the June test. If you still dont believe the score is good enough to get you into your chosen  law schools, you may retake it in October. In that case, spend the summer studying up and meeting with other professionals in the field to get insight on how best to take the test.   At this time, it is essential that you register with the LSDAS and begin your Credential Assembly Service application, complete with having your higher education  transcripts sent to LSDAS. You should also start finalizing your list of top choices of schools youd like to apply for. Narrowing down your selection will prevent wasting money on applications to schools you dont want and help in understanding what you should be sending out in your resumes (each school is slightly different).   Spend the summer gathering each schools application materials, downloading applications and requesting additional information and materials as needed. Draft your  personal statement and review it with your advisor, other professors, friends and family and anyone else who will read it and give feedback. Edit this and draft your resume, again seeking feedback for both.   Fall, Senior Year As you enter your senior year, it is time to  request recommendation letters from faculty  who you have developed relationships with throughout your schooling. Youll typically want to send three of these letters along with each application. You will then need to provide the letter writer with  a copy of your resume, transcript and a summary of aspects of your academic, professional and personal life accomplishments for them to consider. If needed, continue updating your resume and take the October LSAT for your final chance to garner the highest score.   If you require financial aid, complete the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which makes you eligible to apply for it. Triple-check your law school applications before finalizing them with the Credential Application Service. Then prepare and submit  law school application forms to each school. It is important now to confirm that each application was received and is complete. Typically you will receive an email or postcard. If you dont, make contact with the admissions office. During this time, also do not forget to submit completed financial aid applications. Acceptance, Rejection or Wait-Listed It is important to keep your LSAC profile up to date, so submit your updated transcript to the LSAC upon entering the final semester of your senior year. As soon as January,  acceptance, rejection and wait-list letters begin to roll in. You will now need to evaluate acceptances and wait-list letters to determine which ones you will pursue further. If your application was rejected, evaluate your application and consider  reasons why  and  how to improve, if you decide to reapply. It is recommended that you visit law schools youve been accepted to, if possible. This way you can get a feel for not only the academic environment of the schools curriculum but also a feel for the community, landscape, location and campus of your preferred schools. If youve been accepted to multiple institutions, these could be the determining factors that help you choose which law school youll ultimately go to.   In any case, you should send thank you notes to faculty who have helped you. Let them know the outcome of your application and thank them for their help. Once you graduate college, send your final transcript to the school that you will attend.   Then, enjoy your last summer before law school and good luck in your next higher institution of learning.

Types of Health Insurance Plans Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Types of Health Insurance Plans - Case Study Example Offering a health insurance plan helps in retaining and attracting quality workers. Accordingly, this results in a higher productivity and customer satisfaction. Additionally, a health insurance makes employee accept better benefits instead of a higher salary. Consequently, this reduces the organizational expenditure and provides more financial resources for development (Morrisey,  2008). Furthermore, a health benefit decreases absenteeism and improves the workers’ health and morale. As a result, the workers are more willing to offer better services that assist the firm in realizing its objectives. On the other hand, such a benefit is expensive for the organization, considering its small size and sources of finance. Additionally, the administrative cost of designing and implementing such a plan is very expensive for the business (Morrisey,  2008). Furthermore, the current cost of insurance policies is increasing, making it less viable and an expensive endeavor for the organization. For this reason, any mistakes made in the benefit plans can lead the team to serious legal problems that might lead to costly charges or regulatory fines. There are different types of health insurance plans designed to meet specific needs of an employee or employees. Specifically, the most common in the market is embedded in a network of providers in order to benefit from the economies of scale. Some of the available plans include the exclusive provider organization, health maintenance organization, a point of service, and the preferred provider organization (Morrisey,  2008). The most desirable and cost-effective plan for the organization is the Preferred Provider Organization. Specifically, this is because the method is cost effective as it allows members of the network to pay less when the employees use services from the providers within the network. The Preferred Provider Organization is network specific, and the employees do not pay for the plan.  

Anger, Aggression and communication Research Paper

Anger, Aggression and communication - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that frustration has been linked to anger when an obstruction of motivationally relevant goals has been observed. In order for angry affect to occur the situation must be understood and personally important. In other words, there must be a goal that is blocked and others may be blamed. In many circumstances, the blockage of this personally relevant goal can be viewed as either legitimate or illegitimate (unfair). Weiss, Suckow, and Cropanzano investigated the effect of unfairness of a particular outcome on reported levels of anger. As the amount of unfairness increased so did the level of anger. It is important to maintain the distinct difference between anger and aggression. Anger is an affect, an emotion, while aggression is a destructive or hostile behavior. Frustration has been studied with aggression as well as with anger. Dollard et al. were some of the first researchers to investigate the effects of frustration on aggression. They foun d that the obstruction of an expected reward created increased levels of aggression. More recently Leonard Berkowitz and his colleagues have modified this theory. In general it is accepted that the blockage of some personally relevant goal leads to frustration, which in turn may lead to anger and/or aggression. The type of frustration required to elicit an anger response may not need to be a goal of long standing personal relevance. Roseman investigated appraisals involving emotions and concluded that transient rewards or fleeting punishments can produce anger arousing affect. Obstructions to a goal determined to be purposeful created more anger than situations in which they were deemed accidental, even in temporary situations of reward and punishment. There is evidence indicating that people may become more aggressive in a frustrating situation, specifically, when anger is primed in comparison to fear. Betsch (1999) studied the concept of hostile aggression with university students . Hostile aggression was measured by participants' reactions when confronted with a scenario involving a frustrating event. Either anger or fear related cognitions were activated. Results indicate that in the anger priming condition, hostile goals (i.e. aggression) were more likely to be reported. This suggests that frustration, anger, and aggression are associated. It is assumed that in a frustrating situation, levels of anger will increase. As reported previously, as anger increases so does the amount of aggression displayed. There are other reasons for the onset of anger and in turn aggression. One interesting aspect is the role of communication. Communication Communication is an essential part of human existence, and research suggests that there are innate mechanisms in the development of human

Assigning Evaluation and Management Essay Example for Free

Assigning Evaluation and Management Essay Individual Assigning Evaluation and Management (E/M) Codes 1. Initial consultation for a 78-year-old woman with unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding. Comprehensive history and examination performed. 99205 This history and examination were comprehensive and dealt with several body systems, so 99205 is the better E/M code to use. 2. 30-year-old patient presents complaining of flu-like symptoms characterized by unremitting cough, sinus pain, and thick nasal discharge. Examination reveals bronchitis and sinus infection. Patient is prescribed a five-day course of Zithromax. 99202 The case does not distinguish whether the patient was a new or an established patient. Without this knowledge, I would use the code 99202. 3. Established patient on Lithium presents for routine blood work to monitor therapeutic levels and kidney function. Nurse reviews the results and advises the patient that tests are normal and no change in dosage is indicated. 99211 This patient is an existing patient with an established history, so 99211 is the proper E/M code to use. 4. 62-year-old diabetic female presents for check-up and dressing change of wound on left foot. Examination reveals that the wound is healing. Nurse applied new dressing and patient will return for check-up in one week. 99212 I have selected 99212 because the patient has diabetes and is there for a routine check-up and dressing change. Because the wound is healing and the patient will return for another check-up, 99212 is the best/M code. 5. A mother brings in her six-month-old male child for routine wellness check. Examination reveals the child to be in good health and making adequate progress. 99215 This is a routine wellness check, which is an extensive visit to ensure the baby is doing well and continues developing on schedule.

Endings and Beginnings :: Personal Narrative Essays

Endings and Beginnings Death, while in many respects an "end," actually serves as more of a beginning for all but the most pessimistic of religions or philosophies. Even Socrates, at one time near the end of his life, at least, felt this sort of hopefulness. According to Plato, on his deathbed after having drunk the hemlock, Socrates mumbled these last words to Crito: "I owe a cock to Asclepius; do not forget it." In his time it was customary to offer a cock to Asclepius, the God of Healing, upon recovering from a sickness, so at a time of impending death Socrates was actually thinking of healing in one way or another and beginning anew. When he confronts the idea of his own death earlier, however, in Plato's Apology, he says: "If I were to claim to be wiser than my neighbor in any respect, it would be this: that not possessing any real knowledge of what comes after death, I am also conscious that I do not possess it." On his deathbed, then, Socrates seems to be offering the cock just in case, a common rea son for religion for many dying people. All religions have death rituals or hopeful ideas of where they will end up after their death: Hindus seek to escape repeated reincarnation by practicing yoga, by adhering to Vedic scriptures, and by devotion to a personal guru; Buddhists seek a state of living Nirvana by following the path of righteousness--if they are not perfectly righteous then they repeat another lifetime that is either good or bad depending upon their actions (karma) in their previous life; Christians believe that if they take Jesus Christ as their savior they may gain access to heaven after their life on earth. Joseph Campbell believed that all of the world's religions are tied together by the similarity of their myths. Stories of creation, holy trinities, resurrections, deaths, and heavens repeat over and over again in slightly different forms. He believed, then, that all the world's religions are the same, but they're cloaked in different masks that betray the prejudices of the culture. One thing all religio ns have in common, however, is this: When we die, we all go somewhere else in one form or another. The beginning of a thing is its birth. The end of that thing is its death. Within the broad framework of our lives--the coordinate system that begins at age zero and completes some sort of cycle when our bodies stop breathing--we experience an infinite number of

Black dog of fate Essay

The Book â€Å"Black Dog of Fate† by Peter Balakian is a memoir by the Armenian genocide survivors’ descendants that lived in the United States of America and it was written in the suburbs of Tenafly, New Jersey, where the author grew up. The author tries to relate his personal history and happenings in his family to the general story of the Armenians. It is the story of a young man’s realization of his background and the huge massacres that occurred to the Armenians in Turkey. It is the history of the killing of about one and half million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government in 1915 (Balakian, 1997). These series of killings is regarded as the twentieth century’s first genocide. The name ‘Black dog of fate’ is about the parable that was narrated to the author by his grandmother ‘Nafina Aroosian’. In the parable, there were two offerings that were made to the goddess of fate. The first offering is a luscious lamb that had its body filled with almonds and pomegranates and its eyes sparkled with rubies, while the other offering is a dead black dog that had its mouth filled with wormy apple. In a twist of fate, the lamb is rejected and the dead black dog is accepted by the goddess. As Nafina puts it to Peter that he should not be deceived by appearances and that the world is not what people think it is (Balakian, 1997). Peter balakian was one of the members of the Balakian-Aroosian family and the oldest in his generation. His family had secretly guarded the history of their past for so long. They guarded this secret as they had horrific memories of their past in their heads as they knew if they delved into their pasts the gory details of their traumatic experiences in the hands of their persecutors would haunt them. The memory of the brutal murder of lots of their relatives was not a topic that was suitable for discussion as they looked to erase the tragic event from their memories. It narrates the ordeal of the Armenians in the hands of the Turks. The Armenians were subjected to various forms of inhumane conditions. Their ladies were raped and their men were butchered. The Armenians were gruesomely murdered in their thousands day after day and their carcasses were left to the vultures to feast upon. The Turks robbed them off their belongings and really impoverished them. The book exposes the societal evils perpetrated by the Turks on the Armenians. The Turkish government tries to cover up these horrific crimes as they denied the existence of the genocide. Balakian lets us into his family line as we are introduced to the matriarchs, a bishop, merchants, physicians, his aunts and two famous figures in the world of literature. The names of his renowned aunts are Anna and Nona Balakian, who distinguished themselves in the field of literature. His two other aunts are Gladys and Lucille, who were business women on Wall Street. But out of all these characters, the most important of them is his grandmother, one of the survivors of the genocide, whose experience was dreadful as she lost her husband to the genocide. The book teaches us survival instincts in the midst of obstacles and it narrates a family’s sojourn from a horrific past into a better life and a new world. It represents the experience of an immigrant child in the United States of America while still retaining one’s cultural heritage. It tells us how the author’s relatives escaped the genocide and ended up in the United States of America. One of the remarkable quotations in the novel that makes the novel a notable one as recognized by the New York Times Book review is simply quoted â€Å"In all of this germ madness there seemed to be some deeper, more pervasive anxiety being expressed. Some pathological fear that I sensed in my grandmother when she hovered over me, incessantly brushing her hand over my hair and asking me, How are you, what can I do for you, are you OK? Eench, eench, eench. [What, what, what] For my grandparents’ and parents’ generation, perhaps the world was a place conspiring to kill you. After the Genocide, the fear of death was different from the fear of mortality. In this atmosphere of deep anxiety, our family was far from the optimistic mood of suburbia. As my grandmother said to me as I lay on my bed recovering from the measles, ‘Sleep with one eye open; know the evil eye.'† (Balakian, 1997). Another powerful excerpt is in the latter page of the book and it is quoted a s â€Å"Free speech does not guarantee the deniers the right to be treated as the other side of a legitimate debate when there is no other side.† (Balakian, 1997). As the persecutions was against the Armenian Christians by the Turkish Muslims, the holocausts in the World War II era draws inspiration from it as it foreshadowed the mind-sets of the German army. The World War I killings of the millions of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks served as a justification to the holocausts of the World War II era. The holocaust was a period of mass murder of the Jews during the Second World War. During the holocausts, Hitler made several references to the serial killings of the Armenians as he justified their extermination. On the latter part of the book, Peter Balakian observes the mind-set of the German army towards the Armenians which foreshadows the pains they would later inflict on the European Jews in the Second World War (Balakian, 1997). As the Germans considered the Armenians as threats to the Turks so also were the Jews considered as threats to the establishment of the superiority of the Germans. In the concluding pages of the book, Balakian requests for the acceptance by the Turkish government of the Armenian genocide, a fact they had previously denied its existence. He also requests for an apology by the Turkish government and a consequential forgiveness from the Armenians. Reference Balakian, P. (1997). Black Dog of Fate . New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Educational Goals Essay

I am working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media Design. I chose this because it combines two things that I am highly interested in – technology and creativity. I also researched the percent increase in jobs in the field over the past few years, which was higher than several other programs I looked into. After taking a few classes at Eastern Illinois University in Management Information Systems, I decided that computer programming and networking was not for me. I was not very good at networking and I did not enjoy programming. However, there was one class that seemed to be a lot different than all the other ones I was taking. It was an Information Presentation class where we worked with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Google Sketch up, and Windows Movie Maker. Another reason I chose this program is because technology, as we all know, is always changing and growing. I feel like there will always be jobs in this area and new ones being created. I know I will not receive any immediate benefits after obtaining my Bachelor’s degree because I work for a non-for-profit company mostly funded by the state of Illinois. However, with that degree I will have the opportunity to apply for other jobs in other places as it is typically a requirement for the type of job I want. There are about 12 classes I need to take to complete the program since I’ve already transferred in all of the general education requirements. I am just taking Learning Strategies for the summer to brush up on some things and get used to taking a class completely online. It is also a prerequisite for all the other classes I need to take. In the fall, I will take the first two required classes. I am a bit cautious to take more than 2-3 a semester right away since I work full time, have a 5 year old daughter, and haven’t had any classes since 2009. I assume it will take me roughly two years to finish this program. That includes taking classes in the summer. I am not trying to finish it quickly I just want to finish eventually in order to secure my daughter’s future.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel Bed bugs were once a pest of the past, but they’ve made a remarkable comeback in recent years. Just a few hitchhiking bed bugs in your luggage can start a full-scale infestation of these bloodsucking insects in your home.   What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? Adult bed bugs are oval in  shape and brown or reddish in color. Immature bed bugs tend to be lighter in color. Bed bugs usually live in groups, so where theres one, theres likely to be many. Other signs that bed bugs are present include tiny black spots on linens or furniture (excrement) and piles of light brown skin casings. 4 Common Myths About Bed Bugs The mere thought of bed bugs might be enough to make your skin crawl (literally!), but its important you understand a few things about these pests and their habits. Bed bugs dont transmit diseases and arent generally considered a threat to your health. As with any insect bite, bed bug bites can be itchy, and some peoples skin may be more sensitive than others.Bed bugs are not a product of filth. They will inhabit even the cleanest of homes. Dont assume your house or your hotel room is too clean to host bed bugs. If theres something for them to eat (usually you), bed bugs will be just as happy in a 5-star resort as they will in a cheap motel.Bed bugs are nocturnal. That means theyre only going to show their faces at night when its good and dark. Dont expect to walk into a hotel room in broad daylight and see bed bugs crawling up the walls.Bed bugs are really small. Adult  bed bugs are visible to the naked eye but youll need a magnifying glass to spot their eggs. Because theyre so tiny, bed bugs can hide in places youd never think of looking.   Fortunately, theres plenty you can do to minimize your chances of bringing bed bugs home from your next vacation or business trip. What to Research Before You Go Before you hit the road on your next vacation or business trip, do your homework. People are quick to share their travel experiences online, especially when it comes to  bed bugs  in hotel rooms. Websites like  Tripadvisor, where customers post their own reviews of hotels and resorts, are invaluable resources to  see if your hotel has  a bed bug problem. You can also check out  bedbugregistry.com, an online database that tracks reported  bed bug infestations  in hotels and apartments. The bottom line – if people are saying theyve seen  bed bugs at a certain hotel  or resort, dont stay there on your trip. How to Pack to Avoid Bed Bugs Use sealable sandwich bags. This way even if you do end up in a room with the pests your belongings will be protected. Get yourself a good supply of large baggies (gallon  sizes work great), and seal everything you can inside them. Clothing, shoes, toiletries, and even books can be zipped up tight. Make sure you seal the baggies completely, as even a tiny opening can allow a wandering bed bug to get in. When in your hotel room, keep the baggies zipped shut unless you need access to an item inside. Use hard-sided luggage.  Cloth-sided luggage offers bed bugs a million hideaways. Hard-sided luggage doesnt have folds or seams where bed bugs can hide, and it closes completely, with no gaps so the pests cant penetrate your bags interior.   If you must use soft-sided luggage for your trip, lighter-colored bags are better. Bed bugs will be virtually impossible to spot on black or dark-colored bags. Pack clothing that is easy to launder. Avoid packing clothing that can only be laundered in cold water. Washing in hot water, then drying at high heat, does a good job of killing any bed bugs carried home on clothes, so youll want to choose garments that can be easily debugged  when you return. How to Inspect Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs When you arrive at your hotel or resort, leave your luggage in the car or with the bellhop. Should you walk in and find a room teeming with  bed bugs, you dont want your belongings sitting in the midst of the infestation.  Dont bring your bags into the room until youve done a proper bed bug inspection. Bed bugs hide during daylight hours, and theyre quite small, so finding them takes a little work. Its a good idea to  carry a small flashlight  when you  travel since bed bugs will likely be hiding  in the darkest crevices of the room.  A LED  key chain makes a great bed bug inspection tool.   The sulfur in an unlit match will cause the bugs to flee. Run an unlit match along the seam of the mattress to bring the bugs out of hiding. Where to Look When Inspecting a Hotel Room for Bed Bugs Start with the bed (theyre called bed bugs for a reason, after all). Check the linens thoroughly for any signs of bed bugs, especially around any seams, piping, or ruffles. Dont forget to inspect the dust ruffle, a common hiding place for  bed bugs  that  are  often overlooked. Pull back the sheets, and inspect the mattress, again looking carefully at any seams or piping. If theres a box spring, check for bed bugs there as well. If possible, lift each corner of the mattress and box spring and inspect the bed frame, another popular hiding place for bed bugs. Bed bugs can also live in wood. Continue your inspection by examining any furniture or other items near the bed.  The majority of bed bugs  live within close proximity to the bed. If you are able, inspect behind the headboard, which is often mounted on the wall in hotel rooms. Also, look behind picture frames and mirrors. Pull out any drawers, using your flashlight to look inside the dresser and nightstand. What to Do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room? Go immediately to the front desk and ask for a different room. Tell the management what bed bug evidence you found, and specify that you want a room with no history of bed bug problems. Dont let them give you a room adjacent to the room where you found bed bugs (including the rooms above or below it), as bed bugs can easily travel through ductwork or wall cracks into adjoining rooms. Be sure to repeat your bed bug inspection in the new room, too. While Youre Staying at the Hotel Just because you didnt find any bed bugs, doesnt mean they arent there. Its quite possible your room could still have pests, so take a few extra precautions. Never place your luggage or your clothing on the floor or bed. Store your bags on the luggage rack or on top of a dresser, off the floor. Keep any  items, not in use sealed in baggies. How to Unpack From Your Trip and Kill Any Stowaway Bed Bugs After you check out of the hotel, you can take steps to keep any undetected  bed bugs  from following you home. Before you put your luggage in the car to head home, place it in a large plastic garbage bag and knot it tightly closed. Once you get home, unpack carefully.   All clothing and other machine washable items should be laundered immediately in the hottest water allowable.  Clothes should then dried on high heat for at least 30 minutes. This should kill any bed bugs that managed to stow away. Freeze things that cant be washed or heated. Items that cannot be exposed to water or heat can be frozen instead, although this takes longer to destroy  the bed bug eggs. Keep these belongings sealed in baggies, and place them in a freezer for a minimum of 5 days. Electronics and other items that cannot survive such temperature extremes should be inspected thoroughly, preferably outdoors or in a garage or other area of the house with limited carpeting or furniture. Inspect your luggage, especially soft-sided pieces. Check the zippers, lining, pockets, and any piping or seams carefully  for signs of bed bugs. Ideally, you should steam clean your soft-sided luggage. Wipe down hard-sided luggage and check any fabric inner lining thoroughly.

Website Content Template How to Get Content Right the First Time

Website Content Template How to Get Content Right the First Time You’ve checked your backlog and suddenly you see it. You need to craft content for a new web page. For some marketers this marks the beginning of endless back and forths with developers, upper management or even clients over what content you need to create. Wouldn’t it be easier to simplify this process? That’s where a website content template comes into play. What are some benefits to using them? Lets count three: They make it easier to take a content-first approach with everything written and ready to hand off to a developer. Templates help provide the clarity your developers need to insert the content you’ve created to the webpage without them having to endlessly ask for it. T hey also help you and your marketing team remain consistent which leads to more pages being published on time. After all, who wouldn’t like being on time? Plus, they make it easy for writers to pass content back and forth for editing review. This post will walk you through how to use our template to create your initial content for any web page. Well also cover a four-step planning process to share with your marketing team. Keep reading to see how you can simplify your entire website content creation process.

The prevailing poverty and inequalities in the world Essay

The prevailing poverty and inequalities in the world - Essay Example More specifically, the Summary Report of the Social development: implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly states (2006) that around the world some of "those working did not earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the $2-a-day poverty line" (p.3) In other words, it has quantified economic impoverishment as an earning below the amount of two USD. Hence those people who do not have opportunities to earn a minimum of 2 USD per day, as said to be in a state of poverty. According to the Summit Report of the United Nations General Assembly (2006), the approximate estimate of those living below the poverty-line globally, was about 1.4 billion. This is despite the fact that this 1.4 billion is a working force. According to the report "although the share of the $2-a-day working poor in total employment had decreased to 47.4 per cent in 2006, from almost 55 per cent in 1996" (p.3). Moreover, other categories of aged unemployed, women and children unemployed also fall into the category of 'people living below the poverty line, according to the Summit Report (2007, p. 2-3). The overall figures of the various figures show a m

Assignment in Planning and Programming Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

In Planning and Programming - Assignment Example The paper defines a project plan as the guide towards the execution and control of a project. Project plan forms a fundamental base towards the success or failure of a given project. According to Kerzner a project plan defines the appropriate methods to be employed during the project. The defined methods ensure successful completion of projects. Project plan ensures optimisation of the resources towards achieving the objectives of the project. The plan, therefore, acts as a guideline in maintaining a balance between resource utilisation and project schedule compliance. The plan ensures proper utilisation of project resources and timely completion of projects. The project planning process in the construction industry forms a fundamental activity for the entire project. The planning process consists of numerous stages. The stages include. †¢ Choosing of correct technology and construction method to be employed in the project. †¢ Establishing the work tasks. †¢ Defining the existing relationships between various activities. †¢ Estimating the activity durations. †¢ Estimating the resource requirements for the work activities involved. Numerous factors within the construction sector affect the planning process. The factors affecting the project planning process lie within the financial and time functions of the project. The factors can, therefore, be defined as cost factors and schedule factors. The chart below shows the factors affecting the planning process. ... These uncertainties form what project managers consider project risks. Risk management becomes an essential part of projects execution in ensuring the success of a project. Ireland (2006) defines the element of risk assessment as the critical analysis of the expected constraints and uncertainties before embarking on a project. Comprehensive analysis of the risks becomes essential in minimising the probabilities of project failure. Ireland continues to discuss that failure to analyse these factors efficiently and critically, poses surmountable problem of project failure. The process of risk assessment involves, identifying the uncertainties, analysing them, and prioritising the risks as analysed. The last phase, of prioritising, ensures the arrangement of the risks in relation to the impacts they may posses on the project. This phase allows project managers to eliminate the substantial risks perfectly while managing the other risks throughout the project duration. Financial planning P roject management process includes financial planning as an element within the execution process. A financial plan defines and identifies the financial needs of the entire project. All expenses expected within the project execution, need to be indicated within the scope of financial plan. Kerzner (2009) defines financial planning as the element of drawing the budgetary needs for the different phases of a project. Financial planning provides a breakdown of all expenses to be incurred at different stages during the project execution duration. The importance of financial planning lies in ensuring controlled utilisation of financial resources available for projects. Financial

Technical Skills Essential to the Role of Secretarial Administration Essay

Technical Skills Essential to the Role of Secretarial Administration - Essay Example The researcher will begin with the statement that his experience in administration began when he was appointed as personal secretary to the Director-General of the Department of Arts and Culture. The researcher’s duties included the giving of administrative support to the Director-General. His main focus was administrative leadership, security and control functions which facilitated internal and external communication of the Head of Department with Top Management, Board Members and Agencies receiving state funding for arts and culture. The author got familiar with the Department’s policy regarding its system of correspondence, which included the drafting of internal memoranda, letters, and submissions for approval of funding proposals according to the system of delegation. In the researcher’s 10 years of employment with the Department, he prepared agendas for board and in-house meetings, took notes and set-up minutes of the meetings. The author had to organize in ternal staff meetings and provide all related documentation to the program managers (heads of the department’s divisions) like the financial executive director. Of his functions were to build a complete and efficient filing system in the form of paper files for back-up as well as an electronic filing system which kept track of each matter under discussion. Each unresolved matter was given a deadline date and the computer programme gave a daily print-out of outstanding matters with regard to urgent bookmarks for immediate attention that day.

Literature On Solid Waste Management

Literature On Solid Waste Management There is not much literature available on Harar Municipal Solid Waste Management sector although such studies were conducted at Addis Ababa and Jimma. Therefore, this section borrows liberally from studies conducted elsewhere. While poor management of solid waste is a general problem in Ethiopia, it is probably conspicuous in Harar city considering its historical and regional importance. It is a government organization that motivates the public towards SWM. Pubic and government are inseparable from the welfare point of view. The question is how do we get local municipality in Harar as an organ of the state government to be innovative in providing solid waste services? Despite the wide use of the term, innovation systems are yet to be clearly defined, characterized and evaluated in a systematic and quantifiable manner. With the selection of solid waste services in local municipality the following experience in Sri Lanka may of interest and guidance to us. The innovation systems theory in the 1980s in Sri Lanka invoked the notion of national innovation systems which are made up of institutions that create, store and transfer knowledge. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the creators of knowledge are not limited to those in institutions dedicated to such. Instead now it is widely accepted that knowledge is created in application as opposed to formal knowledge institutions (Gibbons et al., 1994) Moreover, emerging importance of knowledge underpins the conceptual basis for the project. A change in the nature of the knowledge landscape was predicted by Gibbons and others as early as the 1990s in what they termed as the changing modes of knowledge production. They designated knowledge produced in formal settings such as Universities and research institutes as institution influenced knowledge and knowledge gained in work places and other settings as formal practical knowledge which will gradually supersede institutional knowledge. Although the concept is widely used in the literature, empirical work supporting it is lacking. Yet, any training that Harar municipality would offer to its employees involved in SWM would make a breakthrough in SWM system. Knowledge for innovation in solid waste services will be generated from within the practitioners, with the formal knowledge community playing a supporting role. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to separate creation of knowledge from the sharing or the application. An emerging literature such as Bartone (1995) on Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) supports the newer notion of knowledge creation and application is not two separate things. Innovation in services is now understood to be an ongoing process where the producers of the service continually learn from customers, suppliers and recruits. 2.2 Social Assessment 2.2.1 Introduction to SA Moreover, as this study looked into social factors assessment, the following literature reviews were felt suitable for discussion. Although the researcher applied only some the following views for this project, the SA views for SWM gains prominence in that any participatory approach needs a strong social assessment. According to the World Bank, (2003) a social assessment refers to the analysis that a borrower undertakes during project design to assess social feasibility of a project. It also incorporates a range of instruments that can be used not only to obtain the necessary social input and identify appropriate mechanisms for community participation in the design and implementation of these systems, but also to ensure that vulnerable social groups are not excluded from the benefits of investments and system improvements. Equally important is the need to ensure that social groups and communities are not adversely affected by relevant decisions whether they relate to factors such as changes in service fees, expansion of service boundaries, and/or inclusion/exclusion of activities of the informal sector with regard to SWM. Further, World Bank (2003) is of the opinion that the ideal SA facilitates the process through which the Borrower better understands social organization and cultural systems, as well as institutional, historical, and political contexts in order to ensure the quality of investment design and success during implementation; provides means to enhance equality, strengthen social inclusion and cohesion, promote transparent governance and empower the poor and the vulnerable in project design and/or implementation. It further says that it constitutes a mechanism to identify the opportunities, constraints, impacts, and social risks associated with policy and project design; provides a framework for dialogue on development priorities among social groups, civil society, government and other stakeholders; and uses an approach to identify and mitigate the potential social risks, including adverse social impacts. According to Social Assessment for Tehran City Solid Waste Management Project (2004) Community and institutional characteristics are as important as household characteristics in determining the role of stakeholders in MSWM. Often the poorest communities, such as those that are of low caste or ethnic status, and those that are new immigrants of urban peripheries, are either excluded from MSWM services or may be adversely impacted. Dump sites may be located near the most vulnerable communities, thus subjecting them to health problems. This is quite true to Harar city. Their voices may not be strong enough within the urban political structure to affect positive changes in their environmental status. The said project of Tehran further demonstrated that a thorough assessment of socio-economic, demographic and migratory characteristics of the project population was an important analytical tool that helped formulate recommendations for the improvement of the MSWS in the city. These improvem ents were directly derived from the findings of the SA. 2.2.2 Gender Perspectives Gender and MSWM are closely related. Although this study does not delve deep into gender dimension with regard SWM of Harar city, it is true that SWM is gendered to some extent in the city. According to Scheinberg et al. (1999) many aspects of solid waste management are gendered. Looking at gender dimensions of MSWM also enables the planners to note the differences in the behavior, needs, and the roles played by other social groups. Women and men play different roles in the MSWM at all levels. At the household level, for example, they have different responsibilities. At workplaces dealing with waste sorting, collection, transportation, and planning, there are other key differences. Although the differences are largely culture specific, it is not common to see women among the high level managers of solid waste within municipal or formal private sector institutions Women may take responsibility for community cleanliness as long as the work is voluntary, but when it becomes paid and leg itimized, it frequently, if not always goes to men. In planning improvements to the MSWM system, therefore, the implications are that there is a need to preserve womens role in cleaning activities (UWEP 1999). Womens ability to contribute to environmental cleaning or even carrying their household waste to bins placed in public places may be hindered in certain cultural settings where womens presence in public is discouraged, as is documented for Yemens secondary cities (Bernstein 1998). Although it may not be fully true to Harar city, elderly and middle aged women do not get involved in these activities frequently 2.2.3 Poverty and Low Income Many studies were conducted on poverty and low income. These studies proved that they were closely related to SWM. The following are some excerpts from literature in this regard that go hand in hand with the existing social and economic condition that prevails in the study area affecting the MSWM. Among other issues that are important in analyzing social diversity, understanding poverty dimensions is critical. Urban poverty and poor environmental conditions in most parts of the world are inextricably linked. In many cities, the poor do not have access to the formal solid waste collection service, or live in unsafe, marginal, and environmentally hazardous areas such as polluted land-sites near solid waste dumps. These conditions lead to poor environmental health which aggravates poverty and leads to impacts such as loss of income due to sickness and disease, inadequate medical treatment, and increased spending on health care which depletes household savings. Lowered incomes and aggravated poverty divest the poor of their capability either to live in safer environments or to improve the environment where they live. Hence, it is essential to improve environmental conditions that surround the urban poor in order to enhance the latters capability to fight poverty (Bartone, 2000). In the context of an investment in MSWM, project planners should ensure that the poor are among the beneficiaries of service improvements. Waste pickers at dumpsites and on the streets commonly are socially marginalized. They work under conditions which are extremely hazardous to health and detrimental to family, social, and educational development and live without basic economic or social security. Often children and the elderly are involved in this type of work. Waste pickers live and work under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks. Support should aim to improve their working conditions, earnings, and access to social services. In three Turkish cities (Diyarbakir, Mardin, Urfa), large numbers of school age children walk around the city streets in small groups, sorting for a wide range of items. These are the children of families that have been displaced from their villages for security reasons. The little that they are able to earn from scavenging meets a significant percentage of the food needs of their families (Bernstein, 1999). Improving environmental conditions in cities and towns helps in reducing poverty directly as well as indirectly (Bartone, 2000). As a direct impact, improvement in solid waste conditions can lead to better health which in turn, can help to improve productivity and increased incomes. An indirect impact of improved solid waste conditions can lead to decreased health problems and hence, savings from spending on health. The savings and better living environment per se would provide the poor with resources, time, and most importantly a better quality of life to enrich their skills (and thereby increase their capabilities) to earn higher incomes, and fight poverty. Further, an increase in income would also enable the poor to pay for the basic environmental services they need. Many other aspects of MSWM are closely related to poverty. Poverty is closely associated with low level of garbage generation and waste collection as well as high levels of waste sorting, re-use, and recycling. Poverty is also associated with residential proximity to dump sites as well as exclusion from municipal services. Poverty influences pe oples perception on SWM. 2.2. 4 Garbage Pickers and Environment Many people both young and old make a living from the SW dumps in the outskirts of the city. This poses a great danger to the community in general and the collectors in particular. Aging is also emerging as a critical problem in MSWM (Bernstein, 1999). In many nations of Eastern Europe and most countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) population aging is rising. In some cases, over a quarter of the population are older than 60 years (Kudat and Youssef 1999). Even when they generate low volume of solid waste, elderly people face special problems. For example, they often do not have easy access to a waste collection bins or have difficulties paying for the waste collection services. According to World Bank (2004) in some countries, the poorest segments of the elderly population (mainly abandoned single elderly) collect food from waste bins, thus facing serious health risks. In others situations (e.g., in Mongolia) there are many elderly individuals who collect recyclable items (cans and bottles) for cash. For many of them, collecting waste is the main source of income. The livelihoods of solid waste collectors at Harar city depend on the cash they generate through the collection. There are, however, important environmentally sound lessons that can be learnt from the poor with respect to both the reduction of waste and its re-use. In poor communities of Mardin, for example, most upper income groups do not engage in any sorting whereas all lower income residents make use of plastic materials, paper, cardboard and tin cans. Among the poor, for example, paper waste is used as a fire starter for stoves, leftover bread is given to milk sellers or to bran manufacturers and plastic bags are used for carrying food or storing bread (Bernstein, 1999). Levels of economic development and household income are important determinants of the volume and composition of wastes generated by residential and other users, as well as the willingness and ability to pay for a particular level of service. Similarly, the characteristics of other waste generators (for example, artisan shops, schools, government offices, bars) determine their ability and willingness to pay for MSWM service s. It is often assumed that the poor would both be unable and unwilling to pay for improved MSWM services. The evidence from the water and sanitation sector strongly points in the opposite direction (Cernea, and Kudat 1977). Indeed, the poor are often unable to have regular access to municipal services and, and must pay a disproportionately higher share of their income to pay for alternative service arrangements. The garbage collectors indeed face huge risk both for their own health and the health of the community they live with. The following are literature reviews in this regard. Most of the information available from these secondary sources is true to the solid waste collectors of Harar. All activities in solid waste management involve risk, either to the workers directly involved, or to the nearby residents. Risks occur at every step in the process, from the point where residents source segregate wastes into different components for collection and recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal (Cointreau 2000) Health and safety risks from waste are caused by many factors and may include the following: The nature of raw waste, its composition (that is, toxic, allergic and infectious substances), and its components (that is, gases, dusts, leachate, sharps). The nature of waste as it decomposes (that is., gases, dusts, leachate, particle sizes) and their change in ability to cause a toxic, allergic or infectious health response · The handling of waste (that is, working in traffic, shoveling, lifting, equipment vibrations, accidents) The processing of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, accidents, air and water emissions, residuals, explosions, fires); The disposal of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, stability of waste piles, air and water emissions, explosions, fires). It is not always possible to quantify health impacts associated with exposure to solid waste; poorly managed municipal solid waste can impose significant risks to the following groups: Refuse collection workers and waste pickers (including children) Garbage pickers who work and often live under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks, and Municipal workers also are affected by high rates of worker illness and absenteeism 2.2.5 Solid Waste Disposal The public at large is affected by poor MSWM practices that are responsible for drinking water mix-up with sewerage. Similarly, while the exposure of communities closer to the dump sites is higher, there are broader public risks associated with air pollution as well. SAs that clearly show the relationship of residential proximity to landfills and health problems have yet to be produced. Nonetheless, a study in Southeastern Turkey indicates that there may be a close relationship (Bernstein 1999), particularly for the poor. The residents say that there are a lot of diseases because they have to live close to the landfill. Our children are playing with syringes and bottles. They are dirty. Our children are sick, and there is no doctor. We dont have money. We suffer from the waste. The State must solve our problem, the residents cry. Residents of communities also add: The wind spreads plastic bags from the landfill. Our cattle are ill because they eat these plastic bags. This is very important for us because these are not only our animals but our income and our food. The SA carried out in Turkey also shows that the health impact of picking waste is often severe. Most pickers use their hands for sorting waste and are exposed to medical waste and hazardous objects. One of the children collecting waste in the landfill said I cut my hands several times. We suffer from various diseases. One of my friends and I got typhoid, and these two boys got hepatitis. Other boys cut their hands with broken glass. (Bernstein 1999). Finally, the SA undertaken in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2002) demonstrated that external factors like civil war put additional pressure on the environment and health of the local communities by contributing to the mismanagement of existing landfills and emergence of new areas for waste disposal, including those in and around abandoned home and public buildings. 2.3 Information Dissemination Dissemination of information plays a key factor in MSWM. Several literature such as Gunn, Susan E., and Zenaida Ostos (1992); Bartone, C.L, Bernstein, J.D, (1993); Olley, J and, Olbina R. (1999); Medina, Martin (2000); World Bank. 1982 recommends that taking the MSWM policies and issues to the public in the following manner plays a key role in solving several key problems in MSWM. Every good public involvement program includes a good public information campaign. In particular, the public needs to know why a solid waste facility is needed and what the consequences will be if no facility is on place. People need information about the alternatives to choose between them, and they need to know the facts about a proposed decision to decide whether they support it. Some techniques for communicating to the public are: Briefings: Briefings keep key elected officials or agencies informed of the progress with regard to MSWM. Briefings consist of a personal visit or even a phone call to inform people before an action is taken. Briefings often lead to two-way communication, because you may receive valuable information in response to your announcement. Briefing elected officials or agencies is particularly important if your actions might result in political controversy that may affect them. This was possible but not widely practiced in the study area. Feature Stories: A feature story is a full-blown news story, written by a reporter, not just an announcement based on a news release. Sending a news release to a newspaper is one way to get the media interested in your story. But often you are more likely to get someone interested if you make a personal contact with an editor or reporter who has an interest in the issue. As the study area is inhabited by basically literate people to University graduates besides some illiterate population, this could spread information on MSWM in the city. Yet, this is not practiced in the study area except for occasional publications. Mailing out Key Technical Reports or Environmental Documents: Simply making technical reports available at libraries or other public places has not proven effective for getting the level of knowledge about these documents that you need for credibility. Instead, send key documents can be mailed directly to leaders of the organized groups and interests, including business, environmental, or neighborhood associations. Although mailing documents is impractical to individuals and organizations, keeping them in public libraries could be done. However, the public libraries in the study area did not contain such documents. Paid Advertisements: Paid advertisements are one way to make an announcement or present information to the public in newspapers or on radio or television. One major consideration in paid advertising is public reaction against the spending of public funds. Occasionally, people criticize large advertisements, even if they are providing information. Paid advertisements are useful when announcing public meetings. However, this is not the case in the study area. Information on the Mass Media: This is very effective as many people could afford to own a radio and have the opportunity to watch television programs in public places and community information centers. Any program explaining the MSWM and the problems that it faces in the nation can easily be telecasted and broadcasted using experienced television and radio artists and showing live on television the sanitation degradation due to problems in MSWM. Although, the study area has a huge television screen for public at the center of the city and many people in the city own radio and have access to watch television programs, due to the absence of regular programs on SWM on mass media, information on MSWM could not reach the public at large. Willingness to Pay Another important aspect of MSWM is the WTP (Willingness To Pay) of the beneficiaries. This idea has been discussed at length in several literature related to SWM. The following points are the most important ones found in this regard. Household Income ( as discussed in Chapter One) The belief of households that it is the government and not the citizens are responsible for SWM ( this is also discussed in Chapter One) The degree of realization of the importance of proper SWM towards healthy living The Importance of PPP (Public -Private Partnership) in SWM Stringent law with regard to SWS Thus, WTP by the beneficiaries was considered for this project with regard to SWM in Harar city.

Feminine Sexuality and Passion in Kate Chopins The Storm Essay

Feminine Sexuality and Passion in Kate Chopin's The Storm         Ã‚   In Kate Chopin's short story The Storm, the narrative surrounds the brief extramarital affair of two individuals, Calixta and Alcà ©e. Many critics do not see the story as a condemnation of infidelity, but rather as an affirmation of human sexuality. This essay argues that "The Storm" may be interpreted as an affirmation of feminine sexuality and passion as well as a condemnation of its repression by the constraints of society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If one is to attempt to interpret The Storm, it becomes necessary to examine the conditions surrounding the story's genesis. The story was written in 1898, very shortly after Chopin had completed "The Awakening", "the boldest treatment so far in American literature of the sensuous, independant woman" (Seyersted 1969, p164). "The Storm" was not published, however, until well after Chopin's death, doubtless because of the as-yet unparalleled sensuousness of the story and its characters. In his critical biography Kate Chopin, Per Seyersted argues that "The Storm" is objective in its portrayal of human sexuality and that Chopin is "not consciously speaking as a woman, but as an individual" (p169). One must question this assertion, however; it is doubtful that in writing "The Storm" so soon after completing her 'feminist' novel, Chopin had "the protest of "The Awakening" off her mind" (p169).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The title of "The Storm", with its obvious connotations of sexual energy and passion, is of course critical to any interpretation of the narrative. Chopin's title refers to nature, which is symbolically feminine; the storm can therefore be seen as symbolic of feminine sexuality and passion, and the image of the storm will ... ...l constraints; her unreserved portrayal of feminine sexuality would have been seen as a radical affront to the society of her time. The ending is therefore purposefully ambiguous: one may see the storm's passage as implying a happy ending, or one may see it as implying that the storm will eventually return, perhaps with the intent to destroy. Kate Chopin, however, sees feminine sexuality as something that is pure, natural, and very real in its existence; one cannot assume that a brief and limited awakening that passes like a storm will be enough to make one happy.    List of References Used * Chopin, Kate. "The Storm" in Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories (6th edition), by James H. Pickering. Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1992. * Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969.   

Analysis and comparison of the presentation of the prologue Essay

The prologue is the introduction, which gives an overview of the play. It tells us what happens at the end of the play, in this case in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ it is told in the introduction, for example the lines, ‘a pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life’, ‘doth with their death bury their parents strife’. These two lines say that Romeo and Juliet both deep in love with each other, die at the end of the play, the reason being that their parents hated each other. It also sets the scene of ‘Fair Verona’ and it explains the contents of the play, ‘Two households’, and ‘break to new mutiny’. The prologue is said by the chorus. This means it is an idea of a group of people taken from ancient Greek tradition. The prologue does not introduce the audience to the characters in the play; it just talks briefly about the events within the play. A prologue at the beginning of a play is a style commonly used by Shakespeare to open up a play. It is also common that Shakespeare uses the use of a sonnet to produce the prologues. A sonnet always has fourteen lines in total. It is a very precise piece of poetry. The rhyme scheme is very tight and controlled- a,b,a,b,c,d,c,d,e,f,e,f,g,g. They consist of three quatrains with a final rhyming couplet. It is very controlled, yet very subtle. You would tend to notice the story telling first and then later realise that it is a poem with rhythm. There are ten syllables in each line, a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. It is self consciously dramatic. It emphasises its purpose in telling the story, ‘Is now the two hour’s traffic of our stage. ‘ It directly tells the audience to pay attention, ‘The which if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend,’ and the play will develop from what the prologue has been revealing. In Franco Zefirelli’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the prologue is very brief and short. The film starts off with the details, the opening credits. The font to the credits is in white and in a quite gothic style of writing making it fit in with the traditional theme. While the details are slowly appearing on the screen, around the screen there is a thin border of orange geometric shapes on a yellow background. As the border is so bright and colourful, it is able to immediately catch the audience’s eyes and therefore grabs their attention. The border suggests a very sixties styles. You would probably expect a more formal, dark edged kind of border. A soft and slow melody played on a harpsichord plays quietly in the background. The effect that Zefirelli tries to create here is to create a nice calm beginning to the play. In shot one, you can see the camera panning over the city of ‘Fair Verona’ and slightly out of focus. The light is blue and hazy, gradually brightening up as the camera pans, suggesting that it is dawn. The colour of the light in the sky shining over the city, creates a dreamy and peaceful effect, and adds to the beauty of the city that is being shown. You could only just make out the tops of tall buildings and churches at first, but as it gradually gets lighter, the buildings and other features become more into focus. The rooftops of houses, church spires and a river are seen clearly. You are able to feel the quietness of the city in the early morning, which again gives the effect of the city being very calm and peaceful. The camera pans round the whole city, and then moves up towards the sun and stop with the sun being directly in the middle of the screen shot. The sun suggests the hot foreign climate of a hot foreign country, such as Italy. Shakespeare’s name appears when the camera has stop panning and focused on the sun. All of this equals one continuos shot. The panning is slow, and the brightening of the day is slow, creating a slow pace to the shot. It gives me the impression of a slow climax to the prologue, getting more and more intense as it goes along, and stopping at the sun gives me the impression that it represents the end, with an either tragic end or a very happy end. I think that it is trying to relate to the whole play itself, with the gradual climax with an intense ending. Throughout shot one, the speaker slowly recites the prologue in a poetic style. He speaks slowly going with the steady flow of the slow motion of the panning of the camera, so that it would not effect the background’s creation of peace. The speaker of the prologue is a man whose voice is gentle, soothing and rhythmic as he echoes the prologue. He still speaks when going into the second shot. Shot two is of a medieval courtyard. In front of the courtyard there is the city wall with battlements made of stone and brick, which gives the impression of the setting being in the medieval times. The camera stops moving and shows the shot of the courtyard while the speaker finishes reciting the prologue. As he completes his speech of the prologue, the camera moves slightly round to the left, which shows that where the camera is next to the city wall, it is also one of the ends of a busy marketplace. The sun’s golden bright morning light shines over the city wall and through the street of the marketplace, representing that it is the start of a new day. The sound of the hustle and bustle of a busy marketplace gradually builds up and the first act of the first scene begins there. This effect is to bring in the play with a more calm start and not rushing into the play with a different shot, bringing the audience into a slow and calm beginning. Zefirelli does not create any huge special effects. The title of the play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ appears as the speaker says the words ‘star-crosse’d lovers’. Zefirelli’s purpose of having the title and the words ‘star-crosse’d lovers’ coming up at the same time, is to reinforce visually and aurally the main point of the play that it is a tragic story about the lovers Romeo and Juliet. Baz Luhrmann’s version of the prologue is done in much more detail and is emphasised a huge amount more. Luhrmann tries to grab the attention of the audience with very fast moving screen shots and very lively music. The first shot that comes up on the screen is of a TV with a blank screen, and the distance between the camera and the TV is very far, making the TV look very small in the distance. The first sound is the fuzziness of a TV, and then on the screen of the TV, the opening credits are displayed on white tiles with a black background. The contrast between the colours gives a very sharp effect. This gives a very different first effect on the audience compared to Zefirelli’s opening shot. Luhrmann’s first shot of the bold white tiles with a black background, gets the audience’s attention straight away. After the credits, a female newsreader appears on the TV screen, and she reads aloud the prologue. She says the prologue like reading aloud a news report rather than in a poetic sonnet way. This makes the prologue subtle and it makes the audience think twice before realising that it is the prologue that she is saying. The subtle speaking of the prologue differs with Zefirelli’s make of the prologue being obvious to opening up the film. Beside the newsreader in the background, there is a small picture with some text underneath it. As the camera is in the far distance, it makes it hard to see what the picture and text are, which makes the audience wonder what it is. While the newsreader is saying the prologue, the camera subtly zooms in directly towards the screen, and the picture in the corner gradually comes into focus. The picture is of a broken ring with the text underneath it saying ‘Star cross’d lovers’. The symbolism of the broken ring is that the lovers end up being torn away from each other. After the newsreader says the twelfth line of the prologue, the camera suddenly picks up speeds and zooms right into the TV screen, through a high street. At the same time the words, ‘Fair Verona’ constantly flashes up in white with a black background. From the zooming, it has merged from one background into another. This sudden pick up of speed would as if wake up the audience and shocking them as the screen had suddenly gone from one shot to another. This is very unlike Zefirelli’s presentation of the prologue, as he keeps his prologue simple and calm all the way through, whereas Luhrmann uses the effect of zooming and flashing words up creating a dramatic scene. The reason of flashing the words, ‘Fair Verona’ while the camera rushes down the high street, is to make the audience understand the comparison and realise exactly how ‘fair’ Verona really is in his version of the film. It shows a decaying urban landscape contradicting ‘fair Verona’. The font style of the writing is bold like Arial, and is in block capitals, making it clear to the audience what it says. In Zefirelli’s, as the camera pans over the city, you can see that Verona is very pretty and fair, as the prologue says it is. As the camera reaches the end of the street, the camera is suddenly focused on the face of a statue, which was far in the distance from where the zooming into the street began. Very dramatic music starts to be played loudly, which produces a bigger effect on grabbing the audience’s attention. The camera then pulls back to view the tops of two corporate buildings with the statue in the middle. The buildings have big signs on the top of them. They are the names of the two households, Capulet and Montague. They are in different colours, Capulet in red and Montague in blue. The differences in the colours emphasise the difference between the two. The effect of having the statue splitting the two buildings up is to make the point clear, that the two households need something or someone to keep them apart to avoid causing major trouble in the city, as they absolutely despise each other. The statue shown actually represents Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is trying to control the families and bringing some peace to the city. In Zefirelli’s version, the point that the two families cannot stand each other is not emphasised. As the prologue is said in the same tone and way all the way through and the pictures are just of how fair Verona is, does not give a definite and clear point that the two households are major enemies. Luhrmann makes it visual to the audience, the hate between the two families. The next part of the introduction to Luhrmann’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, is of a rapid chain of clips from one to the other including clips of police cars with ‘VBPD’ on the side of them standing for ‘Verona Beach Police Department’. This is shown to tell the audience that this is ‘Verona Beach’ and not fair ‘Verona’. The chain of clips also includes clips of helicopters, clips of the disaster from different viewpoints, some far up in the sky, some close up to casualties who were injured, and the damage done to the city by this one disaster brought up because of the hate between the Capulets and the Montagues. The disaster is emphasised in this rapid succession of clips, to stress how much damage can be caused by one incident done by the two families. It also makes the audience think and imagine if this one incident caused so much damage, the amount of damage that they probably had done to the city in the past and what would be done in the future. The prologue is said once again while another variety of images using other media of newspaper articles and magazine covers appear. This time, the prologue is said by a character whom is actually in the play, referring to how the prologue is traditionally said by the chorus. The character who speaks the prologue is Friar Lawrence, and he says it in a poetic way, and this time the rhythm of a sonnet is emphasised. A man with a soft, gentle and low voice speaks the prologue like it is in Zefirelli’s production. This is one similarity that the two productions have. As he speaks, some words of the prologue is emphasised by magazine headlines appearing, using the effect of spinning one on top of the other. The headlines include ‘New Mutiny’ and ‘Civil Blood Makes Civil Hands Unclean’. These headlines are to tell the audience and remind them the symbolism and reasoning behind each word in the prologue. There is also a faint background of burning flames when these headlines appearing as if showing the damage done. The images however, some are of like modern day newspapers and magazines. The camera slowly pans through a rack of different covers, and the headline of each newspaper and magazine are all referring to the feud caused between the two households, emphasising that they produce big issues in the city. Other images in this group of images include police taking charge of the situation in a live kind of view, showing how fast the police and other services had to respond to reduce the risk of more damage happening. The police and fire departments had to work into the night with the clearing up of the situation. This is known as the images are taken from broad daylight into the dark night. These images give the audience a visual understanding of how bad it is of the two households hating each other, which can cause so many innocent people in the city to be harmed. As the speaking of the prologue comes to an end, with the two lines ‘A pair of star cross’d lovers, take their life’ with the lines shown in white writing on a black background. This effect by now would be recognised by the audience by now as it had been used before to state the words ‘Fair Verona’. This effect of repeating jogs the audience’s memories reminding them again and again the importance of the lines in the prologue. As the prologue stops being spoken, the same dramatic music becomes loud again. Each of the main characters are shown one by one with a pause on each with the text describing who each of the characters are and how they are either related to Romeo or Juliet or what the purpose of the character is in the film. This presentation of the character echoes the style of how it was done in famous program called ‘Dallas’. In Zefirelli’s version, the characters were not introduced and the film got right into the first scene once the prologue was spoken. A shot of Romeo looking through the narrow gap of a door appears, and then the camera immediately changes its angle to show what he see, which is a church aisle with blue neon crosses and candles. The angles that these two shots were taken were both through a narrow opening of the door. The first shot was taken from the inside of the church looking at Romeo, the man standing outside the door, and the second shot was taken from the outside of the door looking into the church. It emphasises what Romeo had seen, which the audience can assume is Juliet lying on the alter at the end of the aisle, Romeo thinking that she had really died. It also symbolises with that it was the conclusion and the end, viewing Romeo and the crosses, show that they were linked together and producing the idea of death. There was one more series of fast moving clips and a rush of lines as a final wind up to the prologue. There are a variety of different clips of things that happen from the beginning of the play to the end. The repeating of the clips again and again produce permanent images into the minds of the audience. The prologue ends with the words ‘take their life’ and move onto the first act. The words ‘take their life’ are stated to tell the audience that the story line would conclude with something relevant to it. I think that it is a new technique Luhrmann has used. He uses the technique of grabbing the attention of the audience and makes them concentrate. The prologue being reinforced by being presented for the third time, does not makes the audience get bored and tire of the clips being seen and seen again, but make them more excited about the film. I think that both Zefirelli and Luhrmann were trying to represent ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in a different way, with different techniques. The prologue was of course interpreted differently. Zefirelli presented the prologue in his production in a gentle and calm way all the way through giving the audience a good idea of the peace and beauty of Verona. Luhrmann of course presented the prologue in a different way, almost a complete contrast to what Zefirelli did. He changed ‘Fair Verona’ into urban sprawled Verona. I think that the presentations of the prologue were both appropriate for their interpretations because Zefirelli wanted to keep his production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ original and alike Shakespeare. Luhrmann wanted to interpret the play into something slightly more modern and unlike Shakespeare’s original version. In Luhrmann’s production he emphasised the complications between the two households and the alterations he had made to the film, like how he set his production in an urban city and called it ‘Verona Beach’ instead of setting it in the original city of Verona in Italy.