Report on the Role of Project Management in the Modern Business Essay

Report on the Role of Project Management in the Modern Business Enterprise - Essay Example 3.1. The author used the books listed in the appropriate section marked Reference List. Each book was reviewed and their relevant contents included in this report. In-text citations refer to direct quotations lifted or paraphrased from these references. 4.1.1. A Project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to achieve a particular aim. Every project is time-bound, constrained by time and resources, temporary and unique, may involve human resources from one department or from the whole organisation, and require planning, execution, and control (PMI, 2004, p. 3-4). 4.1.2. Project Management is the "application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities to meet the requirements of the particular project. Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing" (PMI, 2004, p. 8). 4.1.2.1. A project management team established to work on the project has the task of balancing and satisfying several (often competing) stakeholder interests as to the project's scope, deadlines, financial requirements, risk, and quality while achieving the project's objectives (PMI, 2004, pp. 9-10). 4.1.3. Efficiency and Effectiveness are respectively defined by Drucker (2003, pp. 66-67) as "doing things right" and "doing the right thing". He adds that balancing both is the mark of a business enterprise that is managed properly. 4.1.3.1. Modern business enterprises are characterised by complexity, the need for reaction speed to changes in the marketplace, and business competition. 4.1.3.2. Project management use in modern business enterprises range from the mundane (organising an employee party) to the extraordinary (moving the head office to another location), and from the simple (investigating the failure of a new product) to the complex (launching a marketing information system). All these involve the use of resources (people, finances, materials, and facilities) that need to be managed through a set of activities to achieve a defined objective within a specific timeframe and each provides a venue for the application of project management tools. 4.1.3.3. Several project management tools available to modern business enterprises enable them to manage projects with efficiency and effectiveness. Most of these tools developed in the 1950s from the scientific management theories of F.W. Taylor established in the late 19th century were

Compare Jesus in islam and Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare Jesus in islam and Christianity - Essay Example Christ was born without a father, but this is not a reflection of Christs power but it is a sign of Allahs serenity and his omnipotence (Caner & Caner 214). The dialogue between Mary and an angel is recorded in a chapter of Koran 19:20-21 which runs almost parallel to the gospel accounts (Beverly 61). But the difference between the biblical version and the chronic version is that Koran states that Jesus was born under a palm tree (Beverly 61). And when Mary brought the newly born to her relatives they said, "how can we talk to one who is in the cradle?" To this Jews replied: "Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a prophet" (Surah 19:30). Theres a consensus among all sects of Islam that Jesus was a prophet of God, but he was not God. There is very clear indication both in Quran and hadith (Mohammeds sayings) that Jesus was not the son of God either. The explanation is that God addresses Jesus as his son in the Bible the way he addresses all of humanity as his family. Islam is very clear in that Jesus was not the eternal son of God (Caner & Caner 214). Muslims also believe that Jesus cured the sick and dying only with the help of God. He had miracles of curing people, but this power was not his own, God gave him those miracles. Koran is very clear in stating that Jesus is not the begotten son of God. And anyone who believes that God had a son is a sinner. The famous Muslim philosopher and Persian scholar Al-Tabari highlights the eternity of human being Jesus Christ but his objection to the divinity of Christ is that if Jesus was Gods son then God would be subjected to change and deprived of his essential unity (Leirvi k 113). Islam stands very firm and clear about the divinity of Jesus that Christ was a servant, and a prophet of God and this belief is not subject to interpretation (Ataman 98). This belief

Objective Of The Value Management Construction Essay

Objective Of The Value Management Construction Essay The initial massage from the city authorities is to have the new-build modern local government administrative headquarters consist with high quality specification, to replace the old aged located government in various locations. Their investment is to integrate the public sector department to increase efficient administration. The aim of the VM study of the new project is to achieve the concept of the value for money aspect. Which is mean the stakeholder need and the objective in clearly identify. OBJECTIVE of the VALUE MANAGEMENT Value Management (VM) is a service that maximises the functional value of a project by managing its development from concept to occupancy through the audit of all decisions against a value system determined by the client. VM consist of the combined application of value methodologies and other methodologies at organisational level (from strategic to operational) in order to improve organisational effectiveness (G.Moris Pinto). Value methodologies included the process, tool and techniques from the Value analysis (VA). VA is aimed at the organised approach to the identification and elimination of unnecessary cost (J. Kelly S.Male), The value methodologies include the concept of function, which is the basic need or must in term of preference, the concept of cross functional teamwork which is based on a multidisplinary team approach in the environment of workshop to enable a broad view and an increased knowledge of situation and the concept of a structured process, which is based on creative thinking, in the vertical or lateral thinking to approach solution or solving the problem. VM Strategic Briefing Study A VM in the strategic level is least appropriate given information and unclear basic need of the construction project at this stage. The client is clearly exposed to the high risk and danger of unclear objective. The critical mission here is to define the project function and make it clear, simple and understandable sentence to satisfy the clients objective has yet to be confirmed. The VM at this stage is to analyse the initial information available and fully aware of the problem which may occur at surround the project and to develop the project objective that formally authorises a project and the strategic fit with the corporate aim of the client organisation. The strategic planning in stage is comprises with three processes, in the stage one: Orientation and diagnostic phase and the stage two: workshop phase. The final stage is the implementation phase. Pre- Workshop Study Orientation and Diagnostic phase In initial phase is planning to discover the information and documents of the project that may use at the workshop phase. The value manage will meet the commissioning client, project sponsor and key stakeholder to conducting interview, briefing the value process and the reviewing documents. Throughout the document analysis, the agenda of the workshop will be developed. Identify the key stakeholder by interview is the first approach to define the need and expectation of the key stakeholder, to understand the organisational structures and corporate culture that is crucial for the preparation of agenda at the workshop. Throughout the documents analysis, general information will discover like the existing size of the organisation, the location of project, the existing drawing of the project to review if there any constraint of the underground services, if possible take a site condition survey and record the surround the project environment that will help for the understanding the risk that may impact the project. Refer to quick review the cost estimation, the construction estimated budget of 25 million which is mean the GBP 2000/m2, reference from the Spons prices book 2008, cost modal for a high quality City office in the central of London was GBP 2004.45 sqm (not include fit-out) in the year 2004, the estimation budget is meet the average satisfactory level. However the construction in the city is exposed in high risks and uncertainty such as the construction difficult, compensation for the use of title, delay on the site acquisition, and preservation of culture heritage building, volatility of the interest, exchange rate and prices escalating that may cause the budget over run and put the project in to the high risk. And to deliver the effective high accuracy cost estimation is require a substantial amount of time, cost and labour intensive. It is highly recommended for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) procurement route as it is preferred Government Construction Strategy. PFI is mean the p rivate sector invest in the workforce to provide a service to the public sector, including capability and facilities, rather than the public sector acquiring the necessary assets itself through a traditional procurement process (C. Dale G. Stephen), there way of arrangement also is budgetary benefit for the government. Selection of Cross Functional Teamwork Member The team member is greater in number at the strategic stage to generate idea or thinking and smaller when the technical detail of the project is being involved, the initial size of team tends to be large as 18-20. The client build team member composition should be selected from the multidiscipline to provide input relevant at the strategic stage. They should be architect, accountant, engineer, operator and maintenance. The involving with the design team is highly recommended at the initial stage. That design team can be proactive identifying a batter way of proceeding throughout the project largely lost. The weakness of the independent review team overseeing the work of design team, there are totally independent, no preconceived ideas contributed during the workshop. There can be only a reactive or as audit team. The tool of the selection of is recommended to be taken by the ACID test (refer appendix A). There are several factor need to take into account during the selection of the team members. To avoid multiple representations from one discipline. To prevent argument in favour of the multiple represented organisation. To provide the hierarchical mix within the team, the mix in team is generate creative comprehensive thinking which is reflect from difference level rather than being control by few senior. To understand the relationship between team member. The completeness of team member need to be further with the client any apparently missing members. Proposed Agenda for the VM Study to Focus The main agenda of the local government is seeking for a new government office in the city centre for integrated all local government in the single location, to perform all function of local government administrative in the sustainable and high quality building that fulfil the socio-economic, recreational and spiritual of the residents and employees. The figure 1.1 indicates the job plan and the sequential of the activity in the process of value management. Figure 1.1 the value management Benchmarked Brainstorming Brainstorming is a group of participants gathering idea. All ideas are recorded and none are discarded under the prioritisation exercise. The session duration is taken about thirty minute to an hour that produce ideas may resemble science fiction. Client Value System The Client Value System is to focus the client business to explore the place of structured value criteria within an existing quality environment. A client value system diagram will construct by the view of the client and decide the value criteria by the client. After complete the matrix diagram, the ranked value criteria in order that represented the satisfactory client value criteria. Time Cost and Quality Draw a triangle with the time, cost and quality at each angle. A dot placed within a triangle that describes the relative important of time, cost or quality in relation to the project as the team consensus. Timeline Timeline is a focusing technique or a simple milestone used to show duration of the project that will happen. The aim is to sensitising the team to the critical anticipated dates. Function analysis system technique The FAST is a method that helps to describe and to interpret complex system. Starting by a principal function that will be decomposed to component functions, further decomposed to element function. The objective at the strategic stage is to lay the foundation for the solution to the problems that offers the best value for money. FAST is the closing techniques that lead to the primary objective after the issue analysis. Expected Output of the VM Study After the event of the workshop, the anticipate deliver of the VM study will be robust business case with the project mission statement for the purpose of the project that clearly define the scope and the capital expenditure budget with the cashflow constrains and the whole life cost of the building. A high level risk has been registered that the project possible to process for the next project briefing study. Simple programmes include the phases of the project and organisational structures for the project delivery with the initial procurement strategy plan. Recommendation of the follow-up VM Study Project briefing study VM Concept design study VE / RM Final sketch / Scheme design workshops VE / RM Operation work shop. VE / RM Fig Value Opportunity mapped out on a modified RIBA plan of work. Source : Male et. Al (1998) The Value Management Benchmark Despite of the value study, the OGMs Achieving Excellence in Construction Framework for Construction Procurement shell keep reviews in its gateway at all the relevant stages of the project. Project team should regularly measure the effeteness of the process and outcome. Conclusion In generally the form of the modern building should in the characteristic by: The concept of sustainable building, which is refers the structure and process using is environmental responsible resource efficient throughout a building life cycle. The concept of simplicity and clarity of forms eliminates of unnecessary detail, which is focus on efficient and waste reduction. Form follow function that the finish building design should derive directly for its purpose. VM study should consider the whole life value generated to the business and community and not simply focus on minimising initial capital cost. Does the building deliver social and economic benefit for the surround community? Is the building design and construction of high quality, including detailing?

Villalve Qualitative Article :: Article Review

I had some trouble determining which of the two articles that I read would be most beneficial for the class to read. The quantitative piece on Chinese learners of English fit very well with the course. It exemplified the word recognition view of reading that we have discussed and addressed themes and theoretical frameworks (common underlying proficiency, contrastive analysis, the monolingual perspective) that have come up on many occasions in our class. In the end however I chose the qualitative article from Villalve. My primary justification for this is that the article is so different from the readings we have done in class that I feel it has something more unique to contribute. The primary focus of the article was to consider diverse literacy practices in detail and also to look at approaches to inquiry, learning, and meaning making. In order to do this, Villalve took a case study approach to look at two 17 year-old bilingual Latina students during their last year of high school. These students were involved in an ongoing senior writing project that entailed collecting information from a diverse set of resources, collaborating with other students and school faculty, and finally submitting a thesis and making a final presentation. From this it is clear that one of the primary ways that this article differs from much of what our class has read so far is the age of the students involved. Relatively little data seems to exist on literacy practices of high school bilinguals and this is one reason I feel this article has something to offer the class. Another somewhat unique feature of this article relative to much of the other work we have looked at is the research paradigm and theoretical framework for the work. In terms of Mertens research paradigms, this article fits both into a constructivist and transformative frame. The reliance on the work of Fairclough (2001) and others and the concern with broad societal level discourse practices set this article apart from other pieces we have read. Also, in terms of the theoretical frames, Villalve utilizes an ecological approach to frame her data collection and analysis. For this she makes use of Barton (1994) in particular to define her 3-part framework for data analysis. Her 3 levels of analysis are hierarchical and start from the level of language as artifact (physical samples of writing etc.) From this she moves up to 2 larger frames of interaction and imagination and finally systems and contexts.

Public Handwash, Why Should They And Why They Don’t

Public Handwash, Why Should They And Why They Don’tFunny how little attention is paid to the importance of washing hands? After all, who does not know about it? Isnt it something we all learnt at a very tender age? It may appear to be a common sense thing. It is known that the hands are so much active in ones everyday life. It is the hands that touch everything and do all the work whether clean or dirty. Hands are therefore the routes through which germs and bacteria get their way into the body and eventually causing infections. According to Larson, et al, (2003), there is the need to always keep the hands clean and at all times. Keeping the hands clean prevents transmission of germs and prevents sickness and illnesses to oneself as well as to others. Others tend to trivialize the whole idea and overlook it. It is hard to believe the number of people who get their hands contaminated but will not wash them. Is washing of hands for some people?After all, some get dirtier than ot hers, don’t they? What with the gardener, the mechanic and all those known to indulge in jobs known to be dirty? Is it only the young children who need to be reminded to wash their hands because they have been out playing? Is it only the women or those preparing food that should continuously wash their hands? Washing of hands is not for a particular kind of people but for everybody. This is so by the fact that everyone’s hands are contaminated from time to time. It is surprising though to realize that even such people as doctors and nurses go without washing hands, considering that they sing the monotonous song to everybody of washing hands. Are they not the role models? Don’t they understand the reason behind it more than any one else?Some people who are adversely affected by this are school children. They are known to be very playful and they tend to use their hands. This exposes them to the hazard of getting infected because they are likely to forget to wash their hands and come lunchtime, they will use the same hands to eat without even hint of what they might be taking in.The fact that there is public handwash indicates the essence of the washing of hands. It is not necessary that your hands be soiled so that you can be convinced to wash them. You will be surprised to know how much dirty your hands are, much as they may appear clean. Whether in the hospitals, schools or restaurants, washing of hands is mandatory. It is shocking to come to the realization that only few people wash their hands after visiting the toilet.Is it because of the notions that the people have about these public places? Most people are known to view these public toilets and washrooms as dirty places. Does this excuse them from washing their hands? There are numerous reasons that call for one to see to it that their hands are washed regardless of whether they appear dirty or not. Just like I have said above, one has no option but to ensure that his hands are wash ed immediately after visiting the toilet. This is because there are so many germs that are got here and failure to wash hands dictates spread of germs and bacteria known to cause sickness and illnesses.The human body is one source of harmful germs and so one should ensure that he has washed hands after touching bare human body. One should also make it a duty to wash hands after handling animals. This much affects people who have pets like cats and dogs. These animals are known to be the carry a lot of germs and bacteria harmful to ones health as they cause illnesses.Before handling any food, one must wash hands to avoid contaminating it. This prevents harmful germs from being transferred from the  Hands to the food and consequently into the body through the mouth, (Roberts, 2001). Again, it is essential that one wash the hands after coughing, sneezing or even scratching. It is unbelievable the germs that are transmitted through sneezing or coughing. There is the need to wash hands frequently because every one is likely to touch the eyes or nose or any other sensitive body part that is likely to cause transmission of the germs from the hands and causing diseases. Last but not least, one should ensure that hands have been washed after handling soiled equipment. The fact that the equipment is already soiled is a clear indication of the need to wash the hands.This brings us to the key reason of discussing public handwash: its importance! To begin with, handwashing is essential to stop the spread of germs and bacteria that cause infections. Preventing sicknesses and illnesses subsequently prevents you from missing classes, job or social activities. This is so in that you do not go down with any infection that may have been caused by the germs. Washing of hands is particularly mandatory for the hospital workers. As the truth is, they are constantly in contact with sick people who may be secreting body fluids. This increases the chances of the doctor or nurse to ha ve hospital-acquired infections. It is therefore only wise for these health workers to wash their hands after every short while.Washing of hands not only keeps an individual safe from infections but it also keeps everyone else healthy. In The Journal, December 16,2006, it is promised that one cannot transmit germs from themselves to the next person as they have their hands washed and free from any germs. This applies largely in the context that one is preparing food for others. The chance of having germs transmitted from the hands to the food is drastically reduced owing to the fact that hands have been washed. People should always see to it that they have washed their hands before getting into the house. More applicable is the duty to wash hands before handling anything in the house. This ensures that no germs from outside have been brought into the house.I have always wondered why someone would think it ok to use the bathroom and comfortably check out without washing his or her ha nds. Don’t they know the kind of germs they can spread? I can bet women do it so acceptably; walking right out of the stall and out the exit door without so much as a care. Men on the other hand are not any better. In fact they are on the worse side. Now, someone has their hands on the same surfaces that you will be using soon after and still you don’t bother to wash your own hands after you are through? Something is just so wrong, or what shall I say about it?There are still people known not to wash their hands at all. Do these people have a valid reason why they should not? Aren’t they at the same risk with everyone else of contracting infections? One of the biggest reasons why some people don’t wash hands is if one is a man. Fewer men are known to wash their hands after visiting the public restroom than women. The crucial fact is that both men and women are at the same risk of getting infected with diseases if the hands are not washed. It is not so muc h that the men are incapable of contracting diseases but rather it is the issue about gender. The men see it as though it is only the women and childern who should have their hands washed while they overlook it altogether. It is disheartening when such simple task is not carried out as expected. Doesn’t it only require soap and water to have the whole thing done? Its not even like it takes long, yet it is a task not done by many.So much about people not feeling like washing their hands. It is very well known that some public restrooms and washrooms are not anything to write home about. In fact if the truth is to be told, they are so disgusting such that no one would wish to use them. This therefore becomes a reason why one would not use the public handwash facilities.Having talked about washing hands as a way of preventing spread of germs, it does not necessarily follow. By saying this, I want to bring into the limelight the fact that public handwashing may be a source of inf ections and affects the health of the community. Considering that there is universal use of soap and water, chances of spreading germs from one person to another are high. Thus handwashing becomes a problem in itself other than a problem solver. This therefore explains why many people would rather remain with dirty hands than expose them to greater danger. Everyone’s health is at this time put in danger as the rate at which the germs are to spread is quite high and the facilitators as well a in large numbers.It becomes apparent therefore that the best thing that one can do is to avoid it at all costs. There is the cost of medication to be looked into. This is the aftermath of handwashing and being infected with the germs that eventually cause diseases. The thought of visiting the hospital about a case of diarrhea is not at all pleasant. For it being a preventable illness indicates uncleanliness and poor hygiene. It would therefore be acceptable to deduce that while it is very much recommendable for one to wash their hands, there is also the need for great caution. In thinking that one is preventing germs and their spread, he may actually be getting more than he already has in his hands and thus exposing himself to danger of getting sick.Washing hands is therefore a very careful task that should not be overlooked or assumed (Curtis, 2002). Much as one might wash hands, it does not necessarily mean that they are really clean. One should then use the appropriate materials, which are clean water and soap. In doing so, one will be doing himself a lot of good and not just to himself but the other people as well. Just like we have seen, the other people’s health is very much affected by the individual’s hygiene. Public handwash is therefore both good and bad, as we have seen in the discussion above. This however does not mean that the public handwash should be done away with.References:Roberts, C. (2001). The food safety information handbook. Ory x Press.Larson, E., et al (2003). Short-and long-term effects of handwashing with antimicrobial or plain soap in the community. Journal of community health, Vol.28The journal (Newcastle, England,) (2006,December 16). How to avoid flu and colds this Christmas.Curtis, V. (2002,Oct): Health in your hands Lessons from building public-private partnerships for washing hands with soap, Retrieved September 29, 2007 from: http://www.globalhandwashing.org/Publications/Lessons_learntPart1.htm

Different type of games

Goldfish, padres, tuna, and speed are only but a mere portion of the hundreds of games that can be played with Just an ordinary deck of cards. Board games come in second place of popularity with the typical family home. Monopoly, chess, checkers, Clue, and newer games like 404: Law not found, and Smà ¶rgà ¥sbord are only but a few of the board games sizzling in the market. What family do you know that does not have a monopoly sitting around the house somewhere? From being placed In a drawer or neatly hidden Inside of a closet. Smà ¶rgà ¥sbord is a board game for friends, family and for the people who likes food.Players take on the role of aspiring chefs as they work their way around the board In search of fortunate success. The object of the game Is to be the first team of chefs to graduate from Rick's Culinary Academy! The losers†¦ Do the dishes! Board games proves their popularity and shows that this style of home entertainment will not go out without a fight. Outdoor game s comes In third place among the popular home games over the years. Basketball, softball, kickball, and touch football are played In almost every large backyard or vacant lot.Not only do outdoor games appeal to family bonding, but they also appeal to those who care about physical well-being. Staying physically fit while having fun sounds Like a great combination right? This category of games Is placed third for a reason. Outdoor games are currently at war with the present day technology, but will not give up so willingly. All three categories promote nothing but healthy competition among family members and friends. They provide a natural release of frustration, and also teaches the understanding of sportsmanship.Older players are reminded that how the game Is played Is the most Important thing to consider. While younger players learn to win and lose without the temper tantrums. Games played at home has remained popular for many years, and penthouse our technology gradually Increase, It will continue to remain popular for a long time to come. Different type of games By Commissaries somewhere? From being placed in a drawer or neatly hidden inside of a closet. Players take on the role of aspiring chefs as they work their way around the board in search of fortunate success.The object of the game is to be the first team of chefs to Outdoor games comes in third place among the popular home games over the years. Basketball, softball, kickball, and touch football are played in almost every large while having fun sounds like a great combination right? This category of games is All three categories promote nothing but healthy competition among family is played is the most important thing to consider. While younger players learn to win for many years, and penthouse our technology gradually increase, it will continue to

Free Essays on Nirvana

Nirvana Nirvana is the final or the ultimate state a monk attains after he passes through the initial three paths and became completely free from all becoming. It is liberation from the evils of ordinary life, the disappearance of all remnants of individuality, the feeling of "I" or "mine" or "me". It is a condition in which nothing stirs, nothing moves, nothing changes. When the Arhat or the holy one passes away, he attain the realm where there is nothing, where there is "neither solid nor fluid, neither heat nor motion, neither this world nor any other world, neither the sun nor the moon." This is called the cessation of becoming which is "neither arising, nor passing away, neither standing still nor being born, nor dying." It is Nirvana, which is unborn, without source, uncreated and unformed real into which escape is possible for the beings through cessation of craving. The Buddha did not encourage speculation by the initiates on the condition of Nirvana, because of the purely subjective nature of the experience. But an understanding of Nirvana was considered essential for the monks to attain it finally. What is actually the state of Nirvana? Is it a passing away into some void, into some nothingness, into some state that is without a center and without a boundary ? If it is liberation, passing away or dying out, then into what? What happens when a person attains Nirvana? Is Nirvana a kind of death from purely mental point of view? These are some of the difficult question we try to answer here. If we go by the sermon of flame delivered by the Buddha, Nirvana is the extinction of lust, of aversion, of delusion (raga, dvesha and moha), and of the urge to live. We are also told that when Nirvana is attained all becoming comes to an end. The notion of "I" and the "conceit of self-reference" disappears, since all notions of individuality have gone. We are not sure whether Nirvana is a state of bliss or not, unlike in Hinduism whe... Free Essays on Nirvana Free Essays on Nirvana Nirvana Nirvana is the final or the ultimate state a monk attains after he passes through the initial three paths and became completely free from all becoming. It is liberation from the evils of ordinary life, the disappearance of all remnants of individuality, the feeling of "I" or "mine" or "me". It is a condition in which nothing stirs, nothing moves, nothing changes. When the Arhat or the holy one passes away, he attain the realm where there is nothing, where there is "neither solid nor fluid, neither heat nor motion, neither this world nor any other world, neither the sun nor the moon." This is called the cessation of becoming which is "neither arising, nor passing away, neither standing still nor being born, nor dying." It is Nirvana, which is unborn, without source, uncreated and unformed real into which escape is possible for the beings through cessation of craving. The Buddha did not encourage speculation by the initiates on the condition of Nirvana, because of the purely subjective nature of the experience. But an understanding of Nirvana was considered essential for the monks to attain it finally. What is actually the state of Nirvana? Is it a passing away into some void, into some nothingness, into some state that is without a center and without a boundary ? If it is liberation, passing away or dying out, then into what? What happens when a person attains Nirvana? Is Nirvana a kind of death from purely mental point of view? These are some of the difficult question we try to answer here. If we go by the sermon of flame delivered by the Buddha, Nirvana is the extinction of lust, of aversion, of delusion (raga, dvesha and moha), and of the urge to live. We are also told that when Nirvana is attained all becoming comes to an end. The notion of "I" and the "conceit of self-reference" disappears, since all notions of individuality have gone. We are not sure whether Nirvana is a state of bliss or not, unlike in Hinduism whe...

Argos and Corinth essays

Argos and Corinth essays Argos was founded by Phoroneus; he named it after his son, Argos. It was the second largest city-state in Ancient Greece, and for centuries, the most important one. Argos was subsidiary to Mycenae until the Dorian invasion in the 12th century BC. Then Argos became the most prominent Greek city-state in the northeastern Peloponnese. Argos and the Early Hoplite Greek lists begin in 680 BC proper, which coincides with the dates attributed to the rise of King Pheidon of Argos, who is attributed with formalizing the hoplite system and reuniting the Argolid city-states under Argive rule.Though, Argos became held in disgrace by other city-states in 480 BC when Athens and Sparta asked Argos polis to send supplies, and Argos refused. Argos had a very successful military. Argos has always been productive during times of war and peace. Argos and Sparta were competing city-states Argos weather is usually hot since its polis is located on a plain. The Argives soil is not very fertile, compelling them to fight the elements for food. This was a major hardship for them, but inspite of this, Argives were superior and an envy to th0e other Greek city-states. In 146 BC Argos became part of the Roman province of Achaea (province of Argos) and flourished as a center of arts and trade during the Roman period. Argos was most famous for its statues of athletes; magnificent and rippling with muscle. The were also famous for their wonderful musicians and poets. Argos was the first place in all of Greece where plays were performed in open-air theatres; they drew crowds of over 20,000. Drama reached new heights in Argos polis. Corinth, as a coastal city, had its own bank and successful works program. From this, their history flourished. Though, Corinth was never the mo ...

Biography of Marvin Stone, Inventor of Drinking Straws

Biography of Marvin Stone, Inventor of Drinking Straws Marvin Stone (April 4, 1842–May 17, 1899) was an inventor who is best known for inventing, patenting and producing the spiral winding process to manufacture the first paper drinking straws. Before his straws, beverage drinkers were using the natural rye grass or hollow reed straws. Fast Facts: Marvin C. Stone Known For: Invention of the paper drinking straw.  Born: April 4, 1842 in Rootstown, Ohio.  Parents: Chester Stone and his wife Rachel.Died: May 17, 1899, Washington, D.C.Education: Oberlin College (1868–1871), Theology.Spouse: Jane E. (Jennie) Platt, of Baltimore MD (m. January 7, 1875)Children: Lester Marvin Stone Early Life Marvin Chester Stone was born on April 4, 1842, in Rootstown, Portage County, Ohio, the son of another inventor, Chester Stone and his wife Rachel. Chester Stone was an inventor himself, having invented the washing machine and a cheese press. In the 1840s, Chester moved his family to Ravenna, Ohio, where Marvin went to high school. After high school, he started a degree at Oberlin College, but when the Civil War broke out in 1861, he mustered into service as a private in the Seventh Regiment of Company C, of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He fought at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, and was wounded and disabled from active duty in the Battle of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee on Nov. 24, 1863. He eventually transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps and was sent to Washington DC on December 1, 1864 where he stayed in special services until he was mustered out on August 7, 1865. After the war, he returned to Ohio and in 1868 enrolled at Oberlin College as a music major but graduated from the College of Theology in 1871. He was then a newspaper journalist in the Washington DC area for several years. On January 7, 1875, he married Jane E. Jennie Platt: they had one child, Lester Marvin Stone. Inventive Life Marvin Stone began to imply his inventive nature into his business life in the late 1870s, when he invented a machine for making paper cigarette holders. He started a factory in Ninth Street, Washington DC to supply a major contractor, W. Duke Sons and companys Cameo brand of cigarette holders. His paper straw invention was the result of a problem Stone recognized: people used natural materials- rye grass and reeds- to consume cold liquids with, which sometimes brought an additional taste and odor to the drink involved and were often cracked and grew musty. Stone made his prototype straw by winding strips of paper around a pencil and gluing it together. He then experimented with paraffin-coated manila paper, so the straws would not become soggy while someone was drinking. Marvin Stone decided the ideal straw was 8 1/2-inches long with a diameter just wide enough to prevent things like lemon seeds from being lodged in the tube. Stone Straw Corporation The product was patented on January 3, 1888. By 1890, his factory was producing more straws than cigarette holders The company was housed in a large manufacturing establishment at 1218–1220 F Street, Northwest in Washington, DC. On February 6, 1896, Stone applied for two U.S. patents (585,057, and 585,058) for a machine which made artificial straws made of paper; the patents were published in June 22, 1897.   Stone was reported to be a kind and generous employer, looking after the moral and social condition of his working girls, and supplying them with a library, music room, meeting room for debates, and a dancing floor in the F Street building. Stone died on May 17, 1899, before his machines were brought into production. The company continued under the leadership of his brothers-in-law L.B. and W.D. Platt. They fought off a patent infringement case in 1902 against William Thomas of the American Straw Company: Thomas was a former employee. In 1906, the first machine was put into production by the Stones Stone Straw Corporation to machine-wind straws, ending the hand-winding process. Later other kinds of spiral-wound paper and non-paper products were made. Stones Patent Paper Julep Straws.   Public domain (printed in the  The Home Furnishing Review, 1899. Impact on Other Industries In 1928, electrical engineers began to use spiral-wound tubes in the first mass produced radios. All were made by the same process invented by Stone. Spiral-wound tubing is now found everywhere- in electric motors, electrical apparatus, electronic devices, electronic components, aerospace, textile, automotive, fuses, batteries, transformers, pyrotechnics, medical packaging, product protection, and packaging applications. Bendable straws, articulated straws, or bendy straws have a concertina-type hinge near the top for bending the straw into a more favorable angle for sipping. Joseph Friedman invented the bendy straw in 1937. Death and Legacy Stone took out several patents in his life- in addition to the cigarette holders and straws, he invented a fountain pen and an umbrella, and his last invention was for adding color to fine china- but he was also said to be a philanthropist. His factories employed several hundred people, and he was involved with building two blocks of tenement housing in Washington DC to provide good housing for African American people in the city. He also did very well for himself and his family, building a home named Cliffburn in Washington Heights, where he and his wife held social events including a U.S. Senator who was a relative of his wifes. Marvin Stone died before his patented manufacturing process was in production, but the company that Marvin Stone created is still in operation as the Stone Straw Company. Today they produce a variety of types of straws including eco-friendly straws which are bio-degradable and made of paper. Sources Obituary: Marvin C. Stone. The Home Furnishing Review 15, 1899. 323.Death of Marvin C. Stone: Inventor and Manufacturer and Veteran of the Civil War. Evening Star (Washington DC), May 18, 1899.  Catalogue of Oberlin College for the College Year 1868–9. Springfield, Ohio: Republic Steam Printing Company, 1868.  Catalogue of Oberlin College for the College Year 1871–72. Springfield, Ohio: Republic Steam Printing Company, 1871.  Thompson, Derek. The Amazing History and the Strange Invention of the Bendy Straw. The Atlantic, Nov. 22, 2011.  Wilson, Lawrence. Stone, Marvin C., Private. Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864: With Roster, Portraits and Biographies. New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1907. 440-441

To what Extent is Leadership Important and Significant in the Essay

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Service Operations Management for Aviation Essay

Service Operations Management for Aviation - Essay Example Virgin Atlantic services desing is based around mass customization of customer service where the needs of customer and expectation are meet. This is achieved through having different services for different customers so that the customer can choose the kind of service they intent to have. In this case, the customers can choose to fly in one of the three classes which include the business, economy and the upper class. The service design in virgin is also created around the standardisation of the service. This is achieved through the training of staff in order to have a standard of service as they face the customers. This attitude towards service design is both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is the fact that the members of staff are more likely to make any mistakes as they relate the customers (Woods, Hebron & Bradley, 2001). However, as Khosrowpour (2006) argues, when the service is standardised, the staff know exactly what to do and when to do it and this helps in ma king sure that the staff are not likely to do something that may harm the brand of the firm. At the same time, it helps the customers to know what to expect and this reduces the number of inconveniences. There are negatives however, and these include the fact that such a service may seem to be too robotic for the customers (Barlow, 2003). In fact, customers in many cases have complained due to this kind of service where the service members of staff are not able to act spontaneously when dealing with the customers but instead follow too strict procedures. This affects the quality of service especially for customers who would prefer to have a less formal and less robotized customer service. Virgin Atlantic operates in some of the markets where customers demand the best service. One of these markets is he American and European market where customer service quality is highly demanded. Apart from the fact that customers from these two markets demand he best customer service, the market i s also a high competition market, with so many airlines operating in the market (Heracleous, 2008). This competition means that the firms in the market have to be innovative in order to give the customers the best quality service while at the same time reducing costs (Truxal, 2013). This is a challenge for businesses like Virgin Atlantic because there delivering high quality leads to higher costs. Other issues of irregular demand are also important in affecting the way the firm is able to delver high quality services. Like many airlines, the firm has found a way to increase its customer base by increasing customer experience. This is done across the three flight classes. Virgin Atlantic has a department for service design that is dedicated to designing service models which will help the firm in giving the customer the best service. The department is given the mandate to design customer service experience with regard to the cabin crew and other staff who meet the customer face to fac e. It is also mandated with helping the firm to design internal systems in order to give the customer the best feel while flying. This department, in particular is mandated to achieve the following; Pre-flight customer experience design This includes the booking systems, check in systems, and customer service at the airport. Like many airlines, Virgin Atlantic has tied as much as possible to make flight booking easy and to make the check in process easy. This has also been aided by the fact that

SAUDIZATION AND THE SAUDI ARABIAN KINGDOM DEVELOPMENT Essay

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Biocentric Egalitarianism and Land Ethic Term Paper

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Lebanon Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Floating Exchange Rate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Lebanon Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lebanon - Annotated Bibliography Example Within the context of the stated, allegiance to Lebanon is subsumed by family and blood and this is the real source of the country's division and problems. Cerulo examines the phenomenon of identity in this article. As he explains, each and every individual has multiple identities. Amongst these are primordial identity, optionalist identity and collectivist identities. A person is identified in terms of his family, his social class, his educational status, his religion, his ethnicities and his nationality, to name but a handful. None of these identities cross out or negate the other but, instead, supposedly co-exist. The real question is which of these identities dominates as the dominant identity is usually that which directs behaviour and actions. Cerulo believes that the dominant identity is a negotiated identity, one that has been constructed on the based of all the identities particular to the individual. Farour, a political sociologist, argues that Lebanon's youth are confronting an identity crisis. Not only do they have to contend with the multiple identities which are thrust upon them by the very fact that they happened to be born in a country in which familial and ethnic identities dominate over others but with the East versus West tension. They are expected to be Easterners, Arabs whose identity is defined in traditional Arab-centric cultural terms. Yet, due to their unprecedented exposure to the outside world and to Western culture, they are unable to unquestioningly accept the traditional Arab/Eastern identity. They are trapped between Eastern and Western identities and are a product of the interaction between the two. Faour believes that the country's youth is engaged in the negotiation of an identity which would draw the East and the West together. Salibi, K. (1988) A house of many mansions: The history of Lebanon reconsidered. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Salibi engages in a historical investigation of the roots of Lebanon's identity problem. As he presents it, over the past centuries Lebanon was exposed to numerous cultures, each and every one of which attempted to impose itself on the country. The Arabs tried to Arabize Lebanon, the Ottomans tried to Ottomize and the French to Frenchify it to name but a few examples. Throughout its history, Lebanon has moved from one identity to the other. The ultimate outcome was that the country was not given the opportunity to develop its own national identity, culminating in division between multiple identities. This, according to Salibi, is Lebanon's

General Motors Essay Example for Free

General Motors Essay General Motors Corp., commonly known as GM, is an iconic American corporation. It was the world’s largest automobile manufacturer from 1931 to 2008. GM was a winner in the automobile market until 2005, when it reported a net loss of more than $10 billion and continued to post annual losses since that time. During 2005 to 2007, the stock price slight increased until it disclosed its huge deferred tax assets. Since then GM’s stock price continued dropping and reached at a low of $1.45 per share on March 6, 2009. On March 4,2009, Deloitte Touche issued an unqualified opinion with a going-on concern paragraph on GM’s 2008 financial statements. GM received $13.4 billion in government loans in December 2008 and has requested another $16.6 billion. In April 2009, a restructuring plan was created to save GM. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A new GM, known as General Motors Co., was created under the terms of bankruptcy plan. General Motors Co. began its operations on July 10,2009. In November 2010, GM went public with an initial public offering that raised $23.1 billion. This time, Deloitte did not make reference to going-on concern on GM’s 2010’s financial reporting. Discussion Questions 1. From Exhibit 1, we can see that since 2005, GM is suffering from losses and it had negative cash flows from operations except for 2007. In 2006, its total assets shrank nearly 60% from $476,078 million to $186,182 million. However, in my opinion, 2005 is not the sign of GM’s impending financial distress. It is in 2007 when it disclosed its huge deferred tax assets, which made the stock price dropped abruptly. And it is also in 2007 when the company’s net losses reached at $38,732 million. The huge deferred tax assets and constant huge losses make me consider that GM may encounter big financial distress in the following years. 2. Auditors should consider the following things in evaluating potential going-on concern uncertainties. (1) Consideration of conditions and events such as negative trends of operating losses, working capital deficiencies, negative cash flows, adverse key financial ratios. (2) Consideration of management’s plan such as plans to dispose assets, plans to borrow money or restructure debt, plans to reduce or delay expenditures and plans to increase ownership equity. (3) Consideration of financial statement effects; whether they are adequate and what are the possible effects. (4) Consideration of the effects on the auditor’s reports. 3. In my opinion, the going-concern uncertainty is not warranted. No one could predict what will happen in the future. Auditors do not have the responsibility to predict future events. Therefore, the going-concern uncertainty is just a substantial doubt based on historical data and past events, some reasonable estimates and management’s plans. From the exhibit 1, we can find that GM suffered losses since 2005. However, I do not think it necessary to issue an audit opinion modified to disclose going-concern opinion prior to 2007 when its losses reached at $38,732 million. A going-concern opinion should be issue when substantial doubt exists. Although it suffered losses since 2005, there was no sign that management would file the chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and it was likely that the US government would provide financial support for the GM. So it is not adequate to add the going-concern paragraph in my point of view. 4. The Great Recession which began in December 2007 and lasted to September 2008 might have accelerated Deloitte’s decision to issue an audit opinion modified to disclose going-concern uncertainties. The financial crisis resulted in collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, downturns in stock markets around the world, etc. The financial crisis made GM’s problems more difficult because it could not pay its debt and it became harder for it to refinance. Therefore, at this point, the going-concern uncertainty for GM was substantially increased, which led to an audit opinion with modified going-concern paragraph. 5. The Car Allowance Rebate Program released on July 1, 2009 did help the new GM. The program provided incentives for the automobile industry with more than 690,000 transactions rebated under this program. Although GM’s sale were down 17% from 2008, it got rid of 70% debt, abandoned 4 unprofitable brands and 13 manufacturing plants, cut off 22,500 employees and 2,300 dealers. These measures helped the new GM cut down its costs and got through its tough time. And there was no sign that any going-on concern uncertainty existed. What auditors should consider about the going-concern is pretty much the same as in question 2. 6. GM’s going-concern opinion would somewhat influence my decisions regarding purchasing a car from GM or investing in GM’s stock. And this may be part of the reason why GM’ stock dropped after 2008. In my point of view, going-concern is a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, it is not the going-concern opinion caused the company to file a bankruptcy protection. The company’s problem such as inefficient benefit plan had been existed there for a long time without solving. The going-concern opinion just revealed the problem and accelerated its demise. And this eventually made the self-fulfilling prophecy come true.

The Success Of Google Maps

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Additionally, Google APIs can perfectly access data in the Google cache, while at the same time provide checking in the spelling of words. Google APIs will more precisely implement the standardized search syntax used on many of Googles search properties.] The map data in Google Maps is compiled by a private company with whom Google have a partnership. This company is Tele Atlas and they are a world leaders in navigation and location-based services. The maps are highly accurate and have been praised for recording extremely rural areas and mapping the terrain correctly. Google Maps also coordinates with several other in-house application currently run by Google. The most obvious of these is Google Earth. The two services use each others data for coordinating satellite imagery and in updating newly-developed areas which have yet to be updated on both databases. Business and premises which are place-marked on maps have been supplied by directory listings. In the US, Google say that they use Yellow Pages directories but also mentions, We arent currently able to share our full list of U.S. Yellow Pages sources. All other premises and place-marks are shared by users which we will take a look at next. The technology behind Google Maps could generically be described as a map server. The map server generates a map for the requested location from a large set of pre-generated map tile images covering the entire planet. The map server may overlay data from other databases on top of this. The combination of a map viewer client and geographical database is traditionally called a Geographical Information System (GIS). A bit more detail, google maps uses a big div element to contain several img elements. each of those img elements is 256 pixels square, and is positioned on a regular grid. from there, the google maps javascript program calculates which grid images should be loaded into each img tag and uses regular dom manipulation to position each img in the right place. Only the tiles of the map that would be visible inside the div are loaded. when you scroll off the side, the javascript library unloads the image, and loads new ones as needed. Other elements, like the zoom controls, markers, and lines, are stacked or drawn on top of that as needed. Overlays are objects on the map that are tied to latitude/longitude coordinates, so they move when you drag or zoom the map. Overlays reflect objects that you add to the map to designate points, lines, or areas. The Maps API has several types of overlays: * Points on the map are displayed using markers, and often display a custom icon. Markers are objects of type GMarker and may make use of the GIcon type. * Lines on the map are displayed using polylines (representing a collection of points). Lines are objects of type GPolyline. * Areas on the map are displayed either as polygons if they are areas of an arbitrary shape or as ground overlays if they are rectangular. Polygons are similar to polylines in that they consist of a collection of points with a closed loop and may take any shape. Ground overlays are often used for areas that map either directly or indirectly to tiles on the map. * The map itself is displayed using a tile overlay. You can modify this with your own set of tiles by using a GTileLayerOverlay or even by creating your map type using a GMapType. * The info window is also a special kind of overlay. Note, however, that the info window is added to the map automatically, and that there can only be one object of type GInfoWindow attached to a map. Each overlay implements the GOverlay interface. Overlays can be added to a map using the GMap2.addOverlay() method and removed using the GMap2.removeOverlay() method. (Note that the info window is added by default to the map.) GPolyline objects use the vector drawing capabilities of the browser, if available. In Internet Explorer, Google Maps uses VML (see XHTML and VML) to draw polylines; in other browsers SVG is used if available. In all other circumstances, we request an image of the line from Google servers and overlay that image on the map, refreshing the image as necessary as the map is zoomed and dragged around. Google Apps Script privilege users with a new level of control over Google products. One can now access and control Google Spreadsheets and other products using ones own JavaScript scripts. Unlike browser-based JavaScript, the scripts you write run directly on Google servers in order to provide direct access to the products they control. These scripts interact with Google applications such as Google Spreadsheets, Google Finance, and Google Sites, and enable varying degrees of interactivity among the applications. Google Apps Scripts is powerful and flexible enough to be used to accomplish a wide range of different tasks, but its also easy enough to use that you dont have to be a programmer to create scripts. ================================================== The Google Apps Script language is JavaScript, with objects and methods that are unique to Google Apps Script. These objects and methods give the scripts access to Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Gmail, Google Finance, and other Google applications. Youll read more about objects and methods in Using the Google Apps Script APIs. Scripts are saved and run from an associated Google Spreadsheet. You can save as many scripts as you want to a particular Spreadsheet, then run them at will. The data your script works with is typically stored in a Google Spreadsheet, but you can retrieve information from many external sources, including web pages and XML sources. You can use Google Apps Script to create email, spreadsheets, pages on Google Sites, and files in the Google Docs Document List. The instructions in a script are grouped into functions. Each function performs a section of the larger task your script accomplishes. For example, if you write a script to manage your budget, the first function might display custom menus in the Spreadsheet and the second might pop up a dialog box that you use to insert additional information into the Spreadsheet. Google Apps Script provides a robust API (Applications Programming Interface) of objects and methods that you use in your scripts for such tasks such as displaying a dialog box, creating a calendar event, creating a page on a Google Site, and many other activities. The Google Apps Script API document is here. ========================================================= The JavaScript class that represents a map is the Map class. Objects of this class define a single map on a page.More than one instance of this class can be created since each object will define a separate map on the page.When creating a new map instance, specify a HTML element in the page as a container for the map. HTML nodes are children of the JavaScript document object, and we obtain a reference to this element via the document.getElementById() method. This code defines a variable (named map) and assigns that variable to a new Map object, also passing in options defined within the myOptions object literal. These options will be used to initialize the maps properties. The function Map() is known as a constructor and its definition is shown below: ========================================================= While an HTML page renders, the document object model (DOM) is built out, and any external images and scripts are received and incorporated into the document object. To ensure that the map is placed on the page after the page has fully loaded, the function, which constructs the Map object once the element of the HTML page receives an onload event, is executed. Doing so avoids unpredictable behavior and gives the user more control on how and when the map draws. The body tags onload attribute is an example of an event handler. The Google Maps JavaScript API also provides a set of events that one can handle to determine state changes. ============================================================================================ The maps on Google Maps contain UI(User Interaction) elements for allowing user interaction through the map. These elements are known as controls and variations of these controls can be included in a Google Maps API application. The Maps API provides built-in controls which may be useful when creating a map: The Navigation control displays a large pan/zoom control as used on Google Maps. This control appears by default in the top left corner of the map. The Scale control displays a map scale element. This control is not enabled by default. The MapType control lets the user toggle between map types (such as ROADMAP and SATELLITE). This control appears by default in the top right corner of the map. controls cannot be accessed or modified directly. Instead, the maps MapOptions fields, which affect the visibility and presentation of controls, is changed. ===================================================================== can be calculated by using the DirectionsService object. This object communicates with the Google Maps API Directions Service which receives direction requests and returns computed results. The user may either handle these directions results himself or use the DirectionsRenderer object to render these results. Directions may specify origins and destinations either as text strings (e.g. Chicago, IL or Darwin, NSW, Australia) or as LatLng values. The Directions service can return multi-part directions using a series of waypoints. Directions are displayed as a polyline drawing the route on a map, or additionally as a series of textual description within a element (e.g. Turn right onto the Williamsburg Bridge ramp). ====================================================================== The Elevation service provides elevation data for locations on the surface of the earth, including depth locations on the ocean floor (which return negative values). If Google does not know the exact elevation value, it uses four nearest locations and returns the avareged value. The ElevationService object provides you with a simple interface to query locations on the earth for elevation data. Additionally, you may request sampled elevation data along paths, allowing you to calculate the equidistant elevation changes along routes. The ElevationService object communicates with the Google Maps API Elevation Service which receives elevation requests and returns elevation data. ============================================================= The SDK includes two SWC files, a Flex version for use within FlexBuilder (or with the free Flex SDK), and a non-Flex version for use within Flash CS3. The Flex *.swc is denoted with a _flex suffix in the filename. These SWC files contain interfaces for all public classes in the Google Maps API for Flash development environment. Compiling your application with this library ensures that it can utilize and communicate with all public functionality of the runtime Google Maps API for Flash library, which is retrieved from Googles servers whenever a client loads your application. ============================================================ The Google Earth Plug-in and its JavaScript API let you embed Google Earth, a true 3D digital globe, into your web pages. Using the API you can draw markers and lines, drape images over the terrain, add 3D models, or load KML files, allowing you to build sophisticated 3D map applications. If you have an existing Maps API site, you can 3D-enable your page with as little as one line of code.

The Way of Tlachtli Essay -- Anthropology

Since the early 1400s BCE, people of this era have played one of the earliest known forms of a sport that involves two teams and a rubber ball played on a court. Based on archaeological evidence, Tlachtli (which translates in English to â€Å"ball game†) is thought to have been played by the civilizations of Mesoamerica including the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, and Toltec. The game was more than a sport to these people. It was a means of settling conflicts and maintaining social harmony, it was a very important part in the ritualistic lives of those cultures. The most fascinating aspect of this sport is what set it apart from other ritual-based events of these cultures. Based on how you played in the ball game was a matter of life and death. As seen on murals and carvings showing the ball game, the sport was linked to rituals involving human sacrifice. Shrouded in speculation and myth, the sacred game of Tlachtli remains one of the most fascinating and intriguing mysteries of the Mes oamerica civilizations. This paper will touch basis on how this sport played a part in shaping the lives of these Pre-Columbian civilizations. Taladoire speculates that the ball game may have originated in the coastal lowlands along the Pacific Ocean (Taladoire 2001:107-108). Archaeologists discovered the oldest known ball court at the ruins of the city of Paso de la Amada which is around 3,400 years old. According to most, around 300 BCE, Tlachtli was already found throughout most of Mesoamerica. Ceramic ball player figurines have been discovered as ceremonial internments in cities such as San Lorenzo Tenochtitlà ¡n (the last site of the Olmec civilization) and areas such as the Valley of Oaxaca. Many archeologists are indecisive on when or where the Mesoameric... ...ndo Horcasitas and Doris Heyden. University of Oklahoma Press, 1971. Fox, John. "Students of the Game: Archaeologists are Researching Ulama - Oldest Sport in the Americas." Smithsonian Magazine Apr. 2006. Heitzman, James, Schenkluhn, Wolfgang. â€Å"The world in the year 1000.† University Press of America, 2004. Kowalewski, S. â€Å"Pre-Hispanic Ballcourts from the Valley of Oaxaca† University of Arizona Press, 1991. Taladoire, E. and Colsenet, B. â€Å"Bois Ton Sang, Beaumanoir: The Political and Conflictual Aspects of the Ballgame in the Northern Chiapas Area† University of Arizona Press, 1991. Taladoire, E. â€Å"Architectural background of the Pre-Hispanic ball game: an evolutionary perspective†. Charlotte, 2001. Tokovinine, Alexandre. Divine Patrons of the Mesoamerican Ballgame. Moscow State University. http://www.mesoweb.com/features/tokovinine/Ballgame.pdf. 2002.

A Deeper Look at ?Neighbors? Essay -- essays research papers

In the story â€Å"Neighbors†, a man and a woman’s true nature is revealed when nobody is watching. Bill and Arlene Miller are introduced as a normal, â€Å"happy,† middle class married couple, but they feel less important than their friends Harriet and Jim Stone, who live in the apartment across the hall. The Miller’s perceive the Stone’s to have a better and more eventful life. The Stones get to travel often because o Jim’s job, leaving their ca and plants n the care of the Millers. When the Stones leave on their vacation, the two families seem like good friends, but the depth of the Miller’s jealousy is revealed as a kind of obsession with the Stones’ everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first night the Millers house sit, Bill tends to the cat, and then to his obsessive curiosity. He wanders through the Stone’s medicine cabinets, and steal a bottle of Harriet’s pills. This comes as a surprise to the reader because there is not any indication that Bill might act this way. Only after his curiosity is fulfilled does he carry out the rest of his house sitting duties by watering the plants. This shows that he is more concerned with his own needs than those or his neighbors. When Bill returns to his own apartment, arouse after being in the Stones’ apartment, he fondles his wife’s breasts and asks her if she wants to sleep with him that night. Here the reader can start to get a hint that Bill gets a sexual turn-on from being in the Stones’ apartment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Quality Education in the Philippines

We know that Philippines country is rich in agriculture and economics. But don't you know that Philippines are one of the top that is great in terms of education. And I can prove that in simply observing the status of my country and surveys in the rank of schools. Literacy rate in the Philippines has improved a lot over the last few years- from 72 percent in 1960 to 94 percent in 1990. This is attributed to the increase in both the number of schools built and the level of enrollment in these schools. The number of schools grew rapidly in all three levels – elementary, secondary, and tertiary. From the mid-1960s up to the early 1990, there was an increase of 58 percent in the elementary schools and 362 percent in the tertiary schools. For the same period, enrollment in all three levels also rose by 120 percent. More than 90 percent of the elementary schools and 60 percent of the secondary schools are publicly owned. However, only 28 percent of the tertiary schools are publicly owned. A big percentage of tertiary-level students enroll in and finish commerce and business management courses. Table 1 shows the distribution of courses taken, based on School Year 1990-1991. Note that the difference between the number of enrollees in the commerce and business courses and in the engineering and technology courses may be small – 29. 2 percent for commerce and business and 20. 3 percent for engineering and technology. However, the gap widens in terms of the number of graduates for the said courses. Aside from the numbers presented above, which are impressive, there is also a need to look closely and resolve the following important issues: 1) quality of education 2) affordability of education 3) government budget for education; and 4) education mismatch. In Quality There was a decline in the quality of the Philippine education, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for college students, were way below the target mean score. In Affordability – There is also a big disparity in educational achievements across social groups. For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level. And most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively well-off families. In Budget – The Philippine Constitution has mandated the government to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, the Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education among the ASEAN countries. In Mismatch – There is a large proportion of â€Å"mismatch† between training and actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or underemployed. Improved quality of education in the Philippine schools The Philippine education system is plagued with problems from the basic level until the tertiary level, and although previous and present administrations took steps to reform the system, these reforms failed to improve the country’s education system. According to the latest â€Å"Economic Policy Monitor†, released in April 2012 of government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, despite the reforms pursued by the Aquino administration to address these failures, even more reforms are needed to improve the quality of education in the Philippines. The same study found that even the reforms initiated by the government may even bring more problems to the education system. Foremost among the problems in the early childhood education is the inequality to access to kindergarten education. THE INTENSE ECONOMIC CRISIS that the Philippines are currently undergoing has certainly buried the sanguine and unreasonable hopes that the government had projected for the near future. The triumphalism of Philippines 2000 has been shaken to the core and reduced to a laughable joke for the history books. This crisis only confirms that the Philippines have yet to liberate itself from the age-old problems, which have plagued it in the economic and political spheres. The much-trumpeted new epoch of free competition and borderless economies has not resulted in any real development but only in a more intense form of economic domination and exploitation of the poorer countries by the advanced capitalist countries. The seemingly neutral facade of Globalization has turned out to be more of the same old Imperialism that just cannot be wished away. Nevertheless, it would be too much of a simplification to arrive at the conclusion that the present global order has not resulted in any significant changes. It would certainly be correct to ay that for the educational system, as in Philippine society as a whole, that â€Å"nothing of the essence has changed. † However, even if it is true that the essential traits and defining characteristics of Philippine education has remained the same all throughout this so-called period of â€Å"Globalization,† it is also equally unavoidably true that certain changes have occurred and are still occurring that may not have actually touched the â€Å"essence† of things as they are but still have important implications for the understanding of the current situation and the various effective political responses that can lead to genuine social transformation. One of the main tasks is to attempt to identify what these â€Å"changes† are without losing sight of the â€Å"meaning† of these phenomena in relation to an essentially unchanged exploitative global economic and political system which must be identified as â€Å"imperialism. † The changes in question can be identified by analyzing the so-called â€Å"three major areas of concern† in education which have been underlined in the Medium Term Education Development Plan (MTEDP). These are: â€Å"(1) increasing access to and improving of the quality of basic education; (2) liberalizing the regulation of private schools, and; (3) rationalizing the programs of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). † The question of â€Å"increasing access to† and â€Å"improving the quality of† education have been constant themes since even before the intricate and obfuscators jargon of â€Å"globalization† entered the scene. It cannot even be asserted that these ideas have changed in the sense that they previously had an altruistic meaning which has currently been lost in this period of technocratic appeals to â€Å"efficiency† rather than â€Å"morality. Reyes, John Christian A. BSIT-109I Improved quality of education in the Philippines schools This is the first major issue that the Philippine government should resolve but somehow it is recently improving. The quality of Philippine education has declined few years ago due to poor results from standard entrance tests conducted among elementary and secondary students, as well as the tertiary levels. The results were way below the target mean score. High dropout ates, high number of repeaters, low passing grades, lack of particular language skills, failure to adequately respond and address the needs of people with special needs, overcrowded classrooms, and poor teacher performances, have greatly affected the quality of education in the Philippines. Philippine education is strongly viewed as a pillar of national development and a primary avenue for social and economic mobility. It has undergone several stages of development from the pre-spanish time to the present. It is handled by three government organizations, namely, the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the TESDA. The DECS govern both public and private education in all levels, with its mission â€Å"to provide quality basic education that is equitably accessible to all by the foundation for lifelong learning and service for the common good. † The government was mandated by the Philippine Constitution to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, among the ASEAN countries, the Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education. This is due to some mainstream political issues and humungous problems that the government is facing specially corruption. There are some measures that the Philippine government has looked into for the reformation of quality education. Technology use is starting to gain momentum in the overall education of this country. This helped improve the quality of education in the Philippines and to be globally competitive in this millennium. Improving the Quality of Education in our Country The Philippines has the highest number of college graduates among developing Asian countries, but that isn’t a substitute for quality. The role of education in economic development is widely acknowledged: education increases the innovative capacity of an economy and facilitates the diffusion, adoption, and adaptation of new ideas. More specifically, education increases the amount of human capital available, thereby increasing productivity and ultimately output. Education is especially important in a rapidly evolving economic environment where a rapid rate of job destruction and creation might otherwise lead to a gap between the skills demanded in the labor market and the skills of job-seekers. So how can regional cooperation improve the quality and availability of education? The role of regional cooperation in a particular country and what means of cooperation are viable will largely depend on that country’s position on the development ladder and the status of its education sector. The role of regional cooperation in a particular country and what means of cooperation are viable will largely depend on that country’s position on the development ladder and the status of its education sector. Since 1975 both GDP and education levels in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have been catching up. Over the same period GDP growth and improvements to education levels have been losing momentum in developed countries including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. The Philippines exhibits a curious pattern in this respect, because even as the level of education attainment plateaued, its GDP has been falling behind. This is an apparent contradiction. Given the well-established beneficial effects of education on GDP and on GDP growth rates, the Philippines should have witnessed an era of high growth since 1975, when it had the highest rate of completion of tertiary education among developing Asian countries – higher than Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or Singapore. This suggests that the problem in the Philippines has been the quality of education, rather than its availability or accessibility. Regional cooperation in education is often identified with trade in education services. In the Asia Pacific, this most commonly takes the form of direct exchanges of people, whether they be students from less-developed countries going to study in more-developed ones, or, as in the case of Singapore and Malaysia, academics from more-developed countries encouraged to relocate to universities in less-developed countries by partnerships between the two institutions. Trade in education services also takes place through transnational education, for example when foreign institutions are encouraged to establish campuses in developing countries. Yet these forms of cooperation are not the most appropriate for the Philippines – for instance because poor local infrastructure makes it difficult to attract foreign institutions and academics. And, moreover, the principal effect of these forms of education cooperation is to make education more available, when the problem in the Philippines is the quality of education – not its availability. Regulatory reform is needed to ensure that the quality of education received at home is high enough to give domestic Filipino students access to education and work abroad. This reform process must start by establishing a credible accreditation system, because under the current system of voluntary self-regulation, less than 20 percent of higher education institutions in the Philippines are accredited. Forms of international cooperation other than through trade in education services would allow the Philippines to improve the quality of domestic education by following the example set by Malaysia, which has linked its own accreditation system to international ones. Malaysia has also been active in promoting the development of a regional quality assurance framework, the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN). The AQAN was organized in 2008 in order to promote collaboration among quality assurance agencies in individual ASEAN countries. Though the Philippines has not yet fully acceded to the AQAN, negotiations are underway to formalize an agreement to adopt common standards in the education sector. The Philippines can also pursue bilateral mutual recognition agreements. Such agreements should include quality assurance on the part of both countries. In this way, even if the standards are not at the same level as in higher-income countries, there will be pressure on some of the higher education institutions in the Philippines to improve their programs and facilities in order to gain accreditation. Such agreements, whether bilateral or as part of the AQAN, might make it easier for Filipino policy makers to argue for domestic reform on the basis that it is necessary to meet international agreements. With a higher-quality higher education system, the Philippines would then be better placed to reap the well-documented economic benefits of an educated population.