E Commerce An Opportunity For Fashion Retailers - 795 Words

Share LinkedIn Twitter Email Most Read BRAND BUILDING Talking Commerce and Growth with Katie Rose of The Bridge Co. FUTURE COMMERCE Commercialising Fashion in the Digital Age E-COMMERCE / RETAIL Mobile Commerce: What Fashion Retailers Need to Know FUTURE COMMERCE Sustainability: A Dirty Word for a Clean Cause FUTURE COMMERCE On Production, Provenance and Supply Chain Ethics FUTURE COMMERCE Future Luxury: Recalibrating Luxury for the Digital Economy E-COMMERCE / RETAIL In-Store Mobile Technology: An Opportunity for Fashion Retailers Ahead of Fashion Digital s FD Mobile event on March 24, 2015 in New York City, we continue to delve into our archive, and revisit a series by our friends over at POQ Studio on how mobile offers an unprecedented opportunity to fashion retailers. Despite over 15 years of ecommerce, most fashion retailers still manage online and offline retail as separate departments, but that’s not good enough any more. With the rise of the tech-savvy customer, retailers need to link up these two parts of their business. The potential to better connect online and offline shopping has been underexploited for years while we waited for technology to catch up. Industry experts have been talking about ‘mcommerce’ since the early 2000s, but it’s taken 12 years and the arrival of the iPhone to make it a reality. The same applies to the application of in-store mobile. This year has seen the launch of iBeacons in iOS7, which allow retailers to target customersShow MoreRelatedPersonalised Social Media Endorsements For Online Products1530 Words   |  7 Pagesinclude the information given by customers on what to read, see, buy, and so on; while referral programs involve some material or non-material rewards provided by sellers (Moe Trusov 2011). Ratings and Reviews: these indicate the original social commerce toolset used for customers to share their shopping and user experience. In a business view, these help the companies to integrate community features and customer feedback into their websites. In a customer based view, these help potential customersRead MoreLuxury Brand Experience In An Omni-Channel Setting With Strategic Online Visual Merchandising Analysis867 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Over the past decade, the consumer has taken the lead in online brand perceptions and conceptualizations. Multi-channel business practices are becoming more adaptive with its fast-growing and evolving consumer market. It is essential that retailers in the 21st century acknowledge the success of multi-channel businesses. The function of multiple-channel retail, also commonly known as omni-channel, is to coordinate a coherent way of managing, integrating information, and delivering service andRead MoreThe Driving Forces Of E Commerce For Asos1581 Words   |  7 Pages Critically Evaluate the Driving Forces of E-commerce for ASOS in 2015 1.Introduction In the year of 2013, Asos sees a great revenue growth and profits all over the world. Asos continued its global expansion and in August of 2014, Asos received 61% of the whole sale from outside UK (Asos plc, 2014). According to the report released in 16th Sep 2014, the sales of Asos grew toï ¿ ¡975.5m in the end of August this year. Addition to that, the CEO Nick Robertson claimed that Asos will make even largerRead MoreOnline Shopping Of Apparel And Footwear1557 Words   |  7 Pagesbillion in 2014 and  £19 billion in 2019 in UK. Reynolds (1999), cited in McGoldrick (2002), made a conclusion about the driving forces impact the development of Business-to-Consumer E-commerce, they are the consumer acceptance, technological process competition and legislative and institutional. Asos, an online fashion retailer, sells over 65,000 own-brand and other brands product and delivers products to 240 different countries (Asosplc, 2014). Until August 2014, Asos’s sales increased to  £975.5 millionRead MoreRetail Info Systems ( Ris ) Reported938 Words   |  4 Pagestop 10 retailers in Apparel Magazine s 2015 annual Top 50 list with the highest profit margins, noting that these 10 had the highest profit margins in the business. All retailers can aspire to, and benefit from, Apparel Magazine s report on the Top 50, which also reveals that the average profit margin for the first 10 retailers was 11.3 percent, with the highest of them earning a score of 17.57 percent. This is good news, however, it is not all store front business. These same retailers, who areRead MoreMacy s International Retail Strategy Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesMacy’s International Retail Strategy There are many opportunities available for companies willing to venture into new, international markets. Reaching more customers and therefore, turning a larger profit are two fairly obvious reasons for companies to consider global expansion. However, the potential benefits do no end there. Expanding to international markets can hold less obvious, yet extremely beneficial appeals such as access to new and different talent pools, grander output requires greatRead MoreMau Lo Business Expansion1569 Words   |  7 Pages Mau Loa – Business Expansion Funding opportunities should be explored and increased for small businesses and entrepreneurs doing business in Atlanta, GA (Fulton County). Georgia State Legislators should use their influence to broaden funding opportunities in the City of Atlanta similar to the funding opportunities enjoyed by start-ups in Silicon Valley (Southern San Francisco Bay area). More specifically, State politicians should consider using their influence to assist young entrepreneurs (underRead MoreGlobal Business: International Business Concepts Theories - Impact of Globalisation on Retail in Australia2525 Words   |  11 Pagesand the free exchange of goods continue to have a prolific impact on the retail industry. The retail industry in Australia accounts for 4.1% of Australia’s GDP and 10.7% of employment . The article â€Å"Click, shop - Australians love doing their fashion shopping online† published in The Australian on October 29, 2013 identifies prolific growth in online shopping for the Australian market: â€Å"According to John Riccio, national digital change leader with PricewaterhouseCoopers, citing the NAB OnlineRead MoreThe Effect of E-Commerence on Supply Chain Management and Marketing in the Fashion Industry3136 Words   |  13 Pages‘Electronic commerce and the Internet are fundamentally changing the nature of supply chains, and redefining how consumers learn about, select, purchase, and use products and services’ (Sreenivas, 2007) According to Barnes and Lea-Greenwood (2006) and Berger (n.d), mass-communication has allowed consumers greater access to information and consequently the performance gap between companies can no longer be hidden. With the introduction of e-commerce, how consumers behave and what they demandRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed The World Of Retailing1487 Words   |  6 Pagesmobile applications and online platforms are changing the way retailers do business. One other mobile trend is the creation of mobile point-of-sale applications to make it easier for consumers to buy apparels. Furthermore, another trend would be the usage of customer data by retailers to attain information of the preferences of customers through the use of social media. There are numerous benefits that technology brings to the fashion industry and the first advantage is the smart use of metadata

Essay Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures â€Å"into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild† (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find â€Å"harborage† on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. He rides to the castle and is granted permission to enter by the lord. Gawain is attended to in a fashion befitting kings, and he meets the lord who tells his identity to all in the court. There are many significant implications and foreshadowings which occur during Gawain’s†¦show more content†¦The castle grounds are an unusual contrast to the surrounding winter landscape, and this is the first of many unusual characteristics that the mysterious castle has. The castle grounds are described as: â€Å"fair and green, in a goodly park with a palisade of palings planted about for two miles and more, round many a fair tree† (Norton, 312). The description of a castle surrounded by lush fauna in the middle of winter is anything but normal. Sir Gawain rides to the great castle and is quickly greeted by a porter. He asks the porter to tell the lord he seeks harbor, and he is soon granted permission to enter the castle. Gawain is royally greeted by the castle’s inhabitants; however, the treatment he receives from the attendants and knights is most unusual because no one knows who Sir Gawain is (or at least they shouldn’t; however, they seem to know that Gawain is a great knight). The lord of the castle soon comes to greet Gawain. Gawain is then taken to a luxurious room where he is undressed, given new clothing, and eats a magnificent dinner while warming by a fire. The following day Gawain identifies himself to the lord and his court. The people laugh and are in high spirits. They seem as if th ey already know who Gawain is, and know the purpose of his visit. The castle’s inhabitants describe Gawain as â€Å"the father of fine manners† (Norton, 315), and he seems to be highly regarded by all of the people of this strange stronghold. The castleShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay2387 Words   |  10 Pagesthe fourteenth century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem opens with allusions to Greek and Roman history and eventually sets the story on Christmas in Camelot with King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew and a knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, faces trials and temptations that one would typically expect from a knight of the round table. Through careful and juxtaposed analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and articles by reputable authorsRead More A Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight1426 Words   |  6 PagesA Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is skillfully brought to life by the unknown author. Through the eyes of numerous characters in the poem, we see Gawain as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. As the story progresses, Gawain is subjected to a number of tests of character, some known and some unknown. These tests tell us a greatRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight955 Words   |  4 Pagesthe classic medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that is used to form a more captivating story and construct a deeper meaning to the plot. The color green certainly is a prominent color in the poem, especially with the Green Knight, who is literally green from head to toe. The Green Knight makes quite the entrance on his horse as he rides into Camelot disrupting King Arthur and his knight’s New Year’s Feast. The Green Knight has come to find out if the Knights of the Round Tab le are as loyalRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight940 Words   |  4 Pages In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the men and women appear to have different roles in the society. The men attempt to live a more noble life while emasculating the power of the women. Throughout the poem, women display hints of their potential through manipulation and trickery, traits that are uneasily recognized by men as growing power. Morgan la Fay manipulates the Lord Bercilak to assume the role of the Green Knight, and she uses him for revenge against Queen Guenevere. She engineered a planRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1054 Words   |  5 PagesIn his book The Discarded Image C.S. Lewis states that â€Å"the Middle Ages depended predominantly on books†¦reading was one way of the total culture.† To illustrate, imagine a young heroic knight, holding his sword in one hand and his shield in another. Standing in confidence, with a determined look upon his face before confronting his next challenge. Bravery is found in many interesting stories throughout the medieval ages. It is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as â€Å"courageous behavior or character† (OxfordRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight846 Words   |  4 PagesAnd Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is not an exception to the rule. The poem uses imagery, juxtaposition of scenes, and the action of the chara cters to present the numerous themes to the reader and the presentation is done throughout the work. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea that in the world, there are man-made and natural rules that one must follow but in times, the two rules come in conflict with each other. By analyzing the two games played by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, theRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1199 Words   |  5 Pagesfrequently depicted as a knight in shining armor, an image that originates from age-old literature such as the fourteenth-century Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In such literary works, the heroic knight has several virtuosic character traits: friendship, chastity, generosity, courtesy, and piety; however, he must also endure a quest in which his virtues are tested. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, three obstacles challenge the hero Gawain’s morals, including the Green Knight, the seductress, andRead MoreAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green K night866 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is the classic tale of a knight of the round table who takes up the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight. The poem begins with the Green Knight’s sudden arrival and his declaration of his proposition: a knight may strike him, and then a year and one day from then he will return the blow. This tale is most well-known for dealing with the themes of a knight’s code of chivalry, loyalty, resisting temptation, and keeping one’s word. While the whole poem is full ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe language of symbols plays a major role in medieval poetry â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is no exception. The use of symbolism gives a writer the ability to draw important connections between items in their story and the audience. The poet behind â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† gives the reader a detailed description of the pentagram, his most important symbol, in order to form the key understanding of this poem. The narrator compares knightly ideals such as integrity, focus, and strengthRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes636 Words   |  3 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes The anonymous author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was supposedly the first to have originated the alternation of temptation and hunting scenes, which both contribute importantly to the effectiveness of the poem (Benson 57). The two narratives are obviously meant to be read as complementary. Therefore, the parallel juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated episodes is the basic characteristic of the narrative. The narrative

Poetry Analysis Mezzo Cammin free essay sample

The poem Mezzo Cammin by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow explains his regretful life and his reasoning at why he didn’t live it to its full potential and how he looks at his past. It then looks to his future as being near and bearing a huge weight down on him. The way Longfellow talks about his life is depressing. He doesn’t speak of the good accomplishments, only the things he hasn’t done until he looks back into the past and then forward at how the future may be. In the first part of the poem Longfellow talks about his life being halfway over and everything that stopped him from really living his life. In the very first couple of lines he says â€Å"I have let the years slip from me and have not fulfilled the aspiration of my youth, to build some tower of song with lofty parapet. † This talks about what he wishes he could’ve done while he was young and the things he wishes he accomplished were extraordinary things, so his regret is unneeded in my perspective. We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry Analysis Mezzo Cammin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He goes on to explain he cared to much about the world around him to get the things he wanted done, â€Å"Of restless passions that would not be stilled, but sorrow, and a care that almost killed, kept me from what I may accomplish yet;†. After telling of all the regrets he has, he metaphorically explains his life as a hill and he is at the peak looking back to the past. He sees it as a city â€Å"A city in the twilight dim and vast, with smoking roofs, soft bells, and gleaming lights†. The way he explains the city seems very peaceful. The way he describes soft bells and gleaming lights doesn’t seem like a horrible place to be. This makes his look on his past questionable as if he sees the regret as something silly now, and he doesn’t still feel those feelings because his past was a good place. Or in another view he could be seeing his past as boring and nothing really occurred. He describes it as night time with smoking roofs which could be perceived as a quiet place where nothing exciting happens. This could be how he sees his past life and why he regrets not having accomplished many things. At the end of the poem, Longfellow speaks of the future. He describes it strangely, â€Å"And hear above me on the autumnal blast The cataract of Death far thundering from the heights. † These lines are very open ended and in one way he could be speaking of death as far away by the way he describes the thundering waterfall very high up. The reference to height could mean its at a good distance that he can see it, but its still far away. It could also mean he has more of his life to live up to and his regretful past doesn’t mean much to him anymore because he has his future to look forward to as he is on his metaphorical hill of life. In another view, he could be describing death as being right around the corner and him looking right at it when he describes the waterfall. You could look at it as him having a life threatening disease and him knowing his death is coming soon, which could also describe the way he views his past full of regret. If he knew the end is coming soon and he doesn’t believe he fully lived his life to how he wishes, the regret is understandable and the cataract of death makes sense in this point of view. Overall, this poem shows the past, present, and future of the writer. His life is full of regret at points and then seems hopeful in others. This poem could be viewed in many ways but mostly you understand it as a man who wishes he could change his past because he knows his future is near and his life will soon be coming to an end. References Greene, Erica, Tugba Bodrumlu, and Kevin Knight. Automatic analysis of rhythmic poetry with applications to generation and translation. Proceedings of the 2010 conference on empirical methods in natural language processing. Association for Computational Linguistics, 2010. Austin, Norman. Archery at the dark of the moon: poetic problems in Homers Odyssey. Vol. 302. Univ of California Press, 1975. Dorf, Carol. Composing Mathematical Poetry. CAMPBELL, MARY BAINE. cc Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita. Text and Territory: Geographical Imagination in the European Middle Ages (1998): 15. Anderson, Ashley, et al. Historical-Biographical P1. WILCOX, JOHN C., EMILIO PRADOS, and Ignacio Javier Là ³pez. Jardà ­n cerrado (Nostalgias, sueà ±os, presencias), 1940–1946. (1998): 576-578. Hatzfeld, Helmut A. The problem of literary interpretation reconsidered. Orbis Litterarum 19.2†4 (1964): 66-76. MDZ. Yeats at Thirty and Seventy. Poetry (1936): 268-277. Scanlon, Mara, and Chad Engbers, eds. Poetry and Dialogism: Hearing Over. Springer, 2014.

Nazi Consolidation of Power in 1933 free essay sample

It is to an certain extent that Nazi consolidation of power in 1933 was due to the use of terror and violence. However the terror and violence was very limited because the Nazis weren’t in a strong enough position to exert terror and violence alone. Nazi propaganda against the communists made most Germans fearful of Communism therefore allowing Nazis to consolidate a bit more power through means of terror. On the other hand the Nazi party’s policy of legality and the threat of communism are to a large extent the underlining most important factor in explaining how the Nazis were able to destroy political opposition and become dominant and consolidate power in 1933. Legality was a policy where Hitler’s objective was to legally consolidate power which was suitable and pleased most of the German people. Hitler and the Nazis ability to exercise terror and violence later on was secured through legal means. We will write a custom essay sample on Nazi Consolidation of Power in 1933 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Which although arguably immoral were still technically legal, for example the enabling act allowed the Nazis to do this without being held legally accountable as it was made legal through the act. The Nazis policy of legality was vital in giving the Nazis legal means to begin the seizure of power and thereby consolidate their power. This was to gain support from the majority of the population of Germany. This was evident from the result of the Reichstag fire. The Reichstag Fire allowed the Nazis to legally consolidate their power by issuing the emergency decree ‘For the protection of the people and state’ on 28th February 1933. The result of this was freedom of speech; press and assembly in the Weimar constitution to be suspended. The decree also enabled the cabinet to intervene in local governments of the states. This showed a clear shift in power which allowed the Nazis to therefore consolidate their power as they were able to simultaneously hide the collapse in the rule of law by keeping a legal front whilst at the same time eliminate the dual layer of federalism and create a republic with more centralised power. Due to the decree being extremely popular the Nazis therefore gained more results this was evident as they gained 228 seats in a high electoral success in the general elections of March 1933. The importance of this is that the Nazis were able to consolidate their power due to legality and not by using terror and violence because the emergency decree allowed them to stop the communist KPD members from the Reichstag voting on legislation. As a result Hitler had more power and the consolidation of power was being gained legally. This consolidation of power can also be considered significant as it gained the Nazis support in the General election showing that they faced reduced opposition. The enabling act passed in March 1933 gave Hitler power as it effectively gave him fours years of dictatorship. So this meant that the Nazis in the 1933 election were able to destroy political opposition, therefore showing that the Nazis use of violence and terror wasn’t primarily due to the consolidation of power. Hitler’s reassurances to the leader of the centre party that the churches position wouldn’t be affected made them support the enabling act. The act was passed 444 votes to 94 resulting in democracy and Reichstag influence vanishing. The emergency decree and enabling act were important and legal so it allowed Hitler to gain power and support so therefore the Nazis were able to legally to consolidate power without any opposition, violence and terror. Gaining centre party support was through means of negotiation which is in stark contrast to terror and violence further showing that legality was more of an underlining factor as it involved negotiation within the party and out in order to pass through legislation that would lead to consolidation of power. On the other hand even though Hitler’s ways of consolidating power was legal, violence and terror was used to enable the Nazis to consolidate power. This was done ruthlessly which is significant in itself as the use of violence and terror was balanced by the attempt to ensure that the consolidation of power had the veneer of legality. This is evident as on February 1st 1933 Hitler (through mediums such as the radio) broadcasted his â€Å"Appeal to the German People† and the SA began to attack the enemies of National Socialism. As a result of this terror and encouraging the use of violence, twenty one days later the police were reinforced with the SA. This was significantly important in the Nazi consolidation of power as it removed threats and made people support the Nazis and Hitler even if the support was drawn out of fear of them being targetted through means of violence and terror, thus increasing support for them. Hitler stressed the issue of the Communist threat which was more important as it meant that more people would oppose hem and even go as far as supporting Hitler to effectively legalise violence which their voters believed was needed in order for them to consolidate power and put a stop to the supposed threat. An example of this is that the Reichstag Fire allowed the police to legally arrest suspects without reference to the courts. Another way that the Nazis consolidated their power through violence was at the appointment of 50,000 SA, SS and Stahlhelm members on 22nd February 1933 to create a wave of violence against communists and SPD supporters. There was a failure on the left which weakened the importance of the terror in violence in consolidating power. This is because, the communists and the SPD didn’t believe that the Nazi party would last and that Hitler like his predeccors would leave the chancellorship in a matter of months. Therefore their plan of action was to do nothing and wait. Therefore terror and violence wasn’t a necessity at that specific time as communists weren’t as much as a threat. However the methods of violence and terror can to some extent indicate that was their main way of consolidating power but to provide a veneer of legality in order to make the whole process seem more legitimate so as to avoid disenfranchising voters and reaching further out to gain more voters who were growing ever more dissident as they associated democracy and Weimar republic with the Versailles treaty, hyper inflation and the great depression despite not being directly responsible for the causes. Nazi propaganda highlighted the threat of communism which people were afraid of, so the Nazis exploited this in order to consolidate their power further. Before The Enabling Act 1933, Hitler used the opening of the Reichstag in Potsdam as a propaganda tool where he wore morning dress instead of uniform, bowed deeply in front of Hindenburg and gave an impressive speech. This showed that Leading generals saw Hitler’s actions as commitment to traditional German values and submitting to Hindenburg. This shows that the primary reason of his consolidation of power and the Nazis was due to the legality as it gained the Nazis and Hitler support by first moulding their image to the public as co-operative with Weimar democracy and respecting its constitution and more importantly President Hindenburg. Another burst of terror and violence in order to consolidate power was evident after the Nazi elections in March 1933. This is when Hitler destroyed political opposition in order to consolidate power, e. g. oncentration camps were set up to hold vocal opposition, minoritys and jews as prisoners. This showed Hitler consolidating power by using violence and terror to not only silence current opposition but also to deter anyone else from speaking out in fear of dhire consequences. Hitler was able to remove political threats whilst at the same time fulfil his irrational hatred and anti-Semitic ideology by persecuting the jews while disguising it as â€Å"protective custody† which allowed consolidation of power for the Nazis. The result was a success in the eyes of the Nazi party as the violence made SPD leaders flee abroad. Around 3,000 well known socialists were arrested and some killed, so terror was significant as it meant more political parties broken up and therefore allowed Nazi to create and mould a one party state. However it was a combination of the terror and violence with the propaganda and legality which allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power. Legality as the underlining factor as without it, other ways of further consolidating power wouldnt of been realized without first legalising and in the view of the German people giving it perceived legitimacy. Therefore terror and violence on its own was limited and legality methods allowed it to continue. In conclusion the Nazis were able to consolidate their power mainly due to Hitler’s implementation of legality such as the emergency decree and enabling act and the numerous legislation that followed which paved the way for violence, terror and propaganda to further consolidate power. He kept this use of legality throughout his time in consolidating power and therefore allowed him to gain support for himself and the Nazis in Germany. This is shown through the enabling act and the emergency decree. However we must acknowledge that the use of terror and violence are also important factors as they allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power further more, even to the point of absolute power some would argue. It was used to increase the perceived threat of communism through propaganda and reduce opposition forcefully through concentration camps. The SA and SS were a key factor in which terror was enforced and therefore the political parties breaking up as they were scared to be treated the same way as the communists. But overall Hitler’s scheme of legality allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power throughout because it was tactical and practical to do so. It made them dominant in the Reichstag through the constitutions own PR system and then above the rule of law and the constitution when passing through the enabling act. Effective Terror and violence methods to consolidate power further to the point of absolute power were realized only because of legal means in which otherwise without legality would not have occurred. Therefore Legality was primarily the most significant factor in Nazi consolidation of power in which violence and terror could blossom because of it.

A New Beggining for Zinder essays

A New Beggining for Zinder essays We were given the assignment of creating a community for 150 people with $1,500,000. The first aspect that was necessary was to gather facts and information and decide as a group what ideas we had for this community. After we made our list of ideas we then decided on what we thought was most important to implement in this new community. We decided that housing was definitely an essential. The next idea that we felt was a priority was a community center. This center is not only focusing on entertainment and fun, but also education and health needs. Next we decided to implement an energy system to power the houses, community center, and our last idea of a radio station. We feel that these were the most important aspects in making this new community a success. In the new community there is an overwhelming need for health care, supplies, and the simple basic necessity of everyday living. Through the $1,500,00 grant given through United Nations, the new community will be able to allocate the adequate health care needed by the community. Niger has a high infant mortality rate and basic medical complications, which makes up 80 percent of the direct cause of death, which could be prevented with improved access of pregnant woman to adequate medical facilities, before during and after delivery. The community will receive proper training on the need for contraceptive use to prevent HIV, AIDS, STDs and other life threatening diseases along with helping to prevent pregnancy. The community outreach center will be the center for community activities. The schooling of both children and adults will be held in this center. Literacy is the main priority for this community due to low literacy rates. This community center will also include a health services section. It will also serve as the center for religious services. The outreach center will serve as the core for community socialization. During the twice-a-month visits the ...

Byzantine-Seljuk Wars and the Battle of Manzikert

Byzantine-Seljuk Wars and the Battle of Manzikert The Battle of Manzikert was fought on August 26, 1071, during the Byzantine-Seljuk Wars (1048-1308). Ascending to the throne in 1068, Romanos IV Diogenes worked to restore a decaying military situation on the Byzantine Empires eastern borders. Passing needed reforms, he directed Manuel Comnenus to lead a campaign against the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Seljuk Turks with the goal of regaining lost territory. While this initially proved successful, it ended in disaster when Manuel was defeated and captured. Despite this failure, Romanos was able to conclude a peace treaty with Seljuk leader Alp Arslan in 1069. This was largely due to Arslans need for peace on his northern border so that he could campaign against the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. Romanos Plan In February 1071, Romanos sent envoys to Arslan with a request to renew the peace treaty of 1069. Agreeing, Arslan began moving his army into Fatimid Syria to besiege  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Aleppo. Part of an elaborate scheme, Romanos had hoped that the treaty renewal would lead Arslan away from the area allowing him to launch a campaign against the Seljuks in Armenia. Believing that the plan was working, Romanos assembled an army numbering between 40,000-70,000 outside Constantinople in March. This force included veteran Byzantine troops as well as Normans, Franks, Pechenegs, Armenians,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Bulgarians, and variety of other mercenaries. The Campaign Begins Moving east, Romanos army continued to grow but was plagued by the questionable loyalties of its officer corps including the co-regent, Andronikos Doukas. A rival of Romanos, Doukas was a key member of the powerful Doukid faction in Constantinople. Arriving at Theodosiopoulis in July, Romanos received reports that Arslan had abandoned the siege of Aleppo and was retreating east towards the Euphrates River. Though some of his commanders wished to halt and await Arslans approach, Romanos pressed on towards Manzikert. Believing that the enemy would approach from the south, Romanos split his army and directed Joseph Tarchaneiotes to take one wing in that direction to block the road from Khilat. Arriving at Manzikert, Romanos overwhelmed the Seljuk garrison and secured the town on August 23. Byzantine intelligence had been correct in reporting that Arslan had abandoned the siege of Aleppo but failed in noting his next destination. Eager to deal with the Byzantine incursion, Arslan moved north into Armenia. In the course of the march, his army shrank as the region offered little plunder. The Armies Clash Reaching Armenia in late August, Arslan began maneuvering towards the Byzantines. Spotting a large Seljuk force advancing from the south, Tarchaneiotes elected to retreat west and failed to inform Romanos of his actions. Unaware that nearly half his army had departed the area, Romanos located Arslans army on August 24 when Byzantine troops under Nicephorus Bryennius clashed with the Seljuks. While these troops successfully fell back, a cavalry force led by Basilakes was crushed. Arriving on the field, Arslan dispatched a peace offer which was quickly rejected by the Byzantines. On August 26, Romanos deployed his army for battle with himself commanding the center, Bryennius leading the left, and Theodore Alyates directing the right. The Byzantine reserves were placed to the rear under the leadership of Andronikos Doukas. Arslan, commanding from a nearby hill, directed his army to form a crescent moon-shaped line. Commencing a slow advance, the Byzantine flanks were struck by arrows from the wings of the Seljuk formation. As the Byzantines advanced, the center of the Seljuk line fell back with the flanks conducting hit and run attacks on Romanos men. Disaster for Romanos Though capturing the Seljuk camp late in the day, Romanos had failed to bring Arslans army to battle. As dusk neared, he ordered a withdrawal back towards their camp. Turning, the Byzantine army fell into confusion as the right wing failed to obey the order to fall back. As gaps in Romanos line began to open, he was betrayed by Doukas who led the reserve off the field rather than forward to cover the armys retreat. Sensing an opportunity, Arslan began a series of heavy assaults on the Byzantine flanks and shattered Alyates wing. As the battle turned into a rout, Nicephorus Bryennius was able to lead his force to safety. Quickly surrounded, Romanos and the Byzantine center were unable to break out. Aided by the Varangian Guard, Romanos continued the fight until falling wounded. Captured, he was taken to Arslan who placed a boot on his throat and forced him to kiss the ground. With the Byzantine army shattered and in retreat, Arslan kept the defeated emperor as his guest for a week before allowing him to return to Constantinople. Aftermath While Seljuk losses at Manzikert are not known, recent scholarship estimates that the Byzantines lost around 8,000 killed. In the wake of the defeat, Arslan negotiated a peace with Romanos before permitting him to depart. This saw the transfer of Antioch, Edessa, Hierapolis, and Manzikert to the Seljuks as well as the initial payment of 1.5 million gold pieces and 360,000 gold pieces annually as a ransom for Romanos. Reaching the capital, Romanos found himself unable to rule and was deposed later that year after being defeated by the Doukas family. Blinded, he was exiled to Proti the following year. The defeat at Manzikert unleashed nearly a decade of internal strife which weakened the Byzantine Empire and saw the Seljuks make gains on the eastern border.

Corporate Compliance Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Compliance Benchmarking - Essay Example B. In order to solve the problem, Toyota introduced new programs for minority employees and plant workers working with old equipment. Under this new arrangement, both the employees and Toyota benefited. The employees received flexible bonus incentives and were able to earn more than they did under previous pay scale (Toyota Home Page 2008).. Toyota, on the other hand, quit losing an estimated $5 million per year on the plant and has a new source from which to purchase roller bearings and help keep the other competitors' prices in line. All workers were proposed additional training in order to meet new standards and requirements. The advantage of this strategy is that Toyota focuses on employees' needs rather than organizational objectives (Kennedy-Glans and Schulz 2005). C. It took time to train minority workers and replaced old equipment in some plants, but this strategy allowed Toyota improved productivity and develop positive climate and morale. Employees felt they were valued by the company, and motivated by fair compensation. These tactics have been applied by top management equally against factory workers and middle management white collar workers. Today, companies strategy assist in making the business case and fixing the reward package. To operate without major disruptions, Toyota must be in compliance with legal requirements, international, federal, state, and local (Kennedy-Glans and Schulz 2005). Ford A. Ford was accused in unfair policies applied to women's compensation and benefits. A successful reward strategy encompasses much more than the compensation package, although that may be the key practical element in ensuring that the appointee, partner and family set off on the assignment with confidence and in a positive frame and is focused strongly on helping partners to resolve dual-career issues. The granting of staff status has been put into effect by a few progressive firms. Effective arguments supporting the issue appear to be pleas or threats to management that if they do not take appropriate action, then the federal government will step in and do it for them through some form of a new legislation. They also argue that business can either pay women an adequate wage or pay instead through welfare programs (Ford Home Page 2008). B. In order to solve the problem, Ford evaluated her abilities and education and came to conclusion that the African-American woman received low compensation because she lacked necessary skills and education for the position she occupied. In order to overcome such problems is future, Ford introduced infringed benefits for production workers (Ford Home Page 2008). The reality is that companies tend to have greater income security because performance evaluations usually are a rather modest determinant of their total compensation package. Also, Ford executives give much of the credit to the blue-collar worker and management and union leadership willingness to listen to them and to work with them in increasing productivity.C. As a result, the company improved its image and avoided legal responsibility. Also, the company introduced special benefits for women (and mothers in particular) including direct benefits: sick pay and

Project planning and control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project planning and control - Essay Example It is a very key part in stakeholder management. Its goal is to develop cooperation between the stakeholders and the project team. It is needed to clarify the consequences of expected change or to start anew project by the organization (Mitchell, Agle & Wood 2008). In this case of changing room project the stakeholders are: the members of the group, software developers, suppliers, customers and the government. The software that is developed will provide a platform for the supplier to know the exact measurement of the client without returning the clothes that have been ordered. The entrepreneurs who form the group will be able to receive the image from all side and the exact measurement taken. The software will promote the good relation between the firm and the client and the supplier of the clothing. The online marketing done through the application also give the government the opportunity to get revenue and regulate the number of businesses carried out within a specific location within a particular time (Fletcher et al. 2003). In addition, the software developers will also find the readily available market for their product in the market. On the technological advancement, it will add an input in the use of current technology in sales and mark eting. The product quality and the volume of sales to the business will increase greatly. While the positive effects are felt among the stakeholders, it is also associated the negative effects among the stakeholders. The project is very expensive because it requires additional capital to consult and contract the software companies. It requires regular maintenance and qualified and trained personnel which the company might lack in the long run. It might also take too long to be implemented. To the clients it will take them too long to change with the new system. Change is difficult to adopt some client would

Linguistics and Language Essay Example for Free

Linguistics and Language Essay While bilingualism has always been an object of interest and thorough research for scientists of various fields, mixing languages had been, until the last few decades, cast aside as its defective by-product. However, recent linguistic studies show that intermingling languages should not be considered an ill-conceived overlapping tendency that implies carelessness and a improper use of language, but a linguistic phenomenon with its own intricate rules and purposes. The addition of objectivity towards this subject has enabled linguists to describe in length the downsides and benefits of intermingling languages. None of the pros and cons can be treated with absolute certainty as language mixing itself is often subject to different interpretations. The term ‘intermingling languages’ is sometimes replaced with ‘code switching’ or ‘code mixing’, and the latter two treated as synonyms, although their meaning differs in multiple aspects. Code switching implies that the alternation between languages takes place after longer periods of time. Since code-switch mostly occurs at a clause or sentence boundary, it is referred to as intersential switching. According to the Sridhar brothers (1980) code mixing comprises of changing languages after shorter utterances within a single sentence, and can therefore be considered intrasential. Unlike code switching, it is not accompanied by a shift in speech situation. Code mixing also differs from borrowing, which is a less comprehensive form of using multiple languages in a short period of time. Code mixing, unlike borrowing, is not necessarily caused by a lexical gap in the host language. Neither are the mixed elements limited to a collection of terms accepted by the speech community. The mixed sequences are longer than single words (as is immanent to borrowing), but they are not always assimilated into the base language according to usual grammatical rules. The greatest difference of the two linguistic devices is probably the fact that code mixing is inevitably the result of bilingualism, however, borrowing can also occur in monolingual speech. (Sridhar Sridhar 1980) Despite the availabilty of aforementioned precise definitions numerous studies use code/language switching, mixing and intermingling synonymously without notable deficiency in the results, since these definitions tend to not hold a high level of importance when it comesto analysing the reasons, benefits and downsides of mixing languages. Contrary to popular belief, code mixing is not necessarily a sign of improperly acquired languages or inability to switch from bilingual to monolingual mode. Instead, the contradicticting mixing occurs when the usage of a single language no longer efficiently conveys meaning that is appropriate to a certain situation. According to Crystal (1987 cited in Rezaei Gheitanchian 2008) the benefits of code-switch become apparent when solving communication problems in three types of situations. The most obvious reason for a switch in languages being the difficulty in expressing oneself due to a deficiency in the base language. This shortage of a lexical item may come about because the expressed concept has no equivalent in the culture of the other language, or simply because of a momentary inability to remember said term in the host language. This type of code switching is especially prone to happen when the speaker is upset, tired or distracted in some manner. Work related mixing also falls into the ‘lexical gap’ category. For example, code switching becomes a useful tool when individuals lack the appropriate jargon while speaking about a particular topic. One may mix languages when talking about work because the technical terms associated with work are only known in one language. The second important cause in switching is the wish to ensure social belonging. An individual my want to express solidarity with a particular social group. In this case rapport is established between the speaker and the listener if the latter responds with a similar switch. Code mixing may also be used to exclude people from a conversation: for example, when travelling companions switch to their native language when mentioning things they do not wish to convey to the surrounding people; or when bilingual parents mix languages to keep their monolingual children from understanding private conversations. Thirdly, the reason for switching may be result of the wishing to convey one’s attitude towards the listener. Whereas monolinguals can express attitudes by means of variation in the level of formality in their speech, bilinguals have an extra device in this situation – code switching. When two bilinguals are accustomed to communicating in a fixed language, switching to the other is thought to create a special effect. This idea suggests that code switching can be used as a socio-linguistic tool, that aids bilinguals to emphasise a particular point in a sentence. While these benefits havebeen pointed out only during the last few decades of language studies, the downsides of code switching have always been an emphasised parallel to bilingualism research. The most common allegations have been the inability to fully comprehend either language; delays in thinking, speaking and understanding; language pollution and deterioration. The notion that intermingling languages is a results of insufficient knowledge of either of the languages, their grammatical structures and syntax, can be dismissed with the aid of the Equivalence Constraint by Poplack: â€Å"Codeswitches will tend to occur at points in discourse where juxtaposition of L1, and L2 elements does not violate a syntactic rule of either language, i. e. , at points around which the surface structures of the two languages map onto each other. † (1979 cited in Sridhar Sridhar 1980). This means that when the two languages have very different syntactical rules, the mixing is done in a way that switches occur in those parts of the sentence that allow the presence of a foreign word without causing grammatical discrepancies. However, when this is not possible the following principle of linguistics minimises the incongruity of the situation: â€Å"Dual Structure Principle: the internal structure of the guest constituent need not conform to the constituent structure rules of the host language, so long as its placement in the host sentence obeys the rules of the host language. † (Sridhar Sridhar 1980) Another problem associated with intermingling is the claimed time delay that occurs in switching. However, Gollan and Ferreira (2009) suggest that bilinguals switch languages only when non-dominant language responses are easily accesible and the switching does not occur with the price of accuracy, or if the switches improve accuracy. Furthermore, if the switches are not forced, bilinguals can actually make up for some of the costs linked with language mixing, including the small costs in time. The uncertainties that bilinguals experience when expressing emotions can also be considered a problematic aspect of language mixing. The common belief that emotions conveyd in the mother tongue have the most strength and sincereness, implies that code switching somehow lessens the truthfulness of one’s emotions. In contrast, Grosjean (2008) points out that the notion of bilinguals always expressing their emotions in their first language is a myth. The opposite can be true when a childhood in one language lacked affection or had an abundance of distressing events – in  that case, the second language may be used more often as it has stronger reaffirming emotional tones. Despite the emergence of the previous pattern, there are instances where a person might benefit more from using an emotionally less-dominating language. For example, code switching is sometimes strategically used in psychological counseling. This can be accounted to the usefulness of speaking in a second language when trying to distance oneself from emotional events. Language switching becomes a defence mechanism because of usaging a language that is not associated with such a broad range of emotions (often L2). (Altarriba Santiago Riviera 1994 as cited in Altarriba, Heredia 2001). Language mixing is an important aspect of bilingualism, and a natural occurence the conversations of bilinguals. Some linguists see it as a polluting factor which indicates the lack of language proficiency. This notion is supported by findings alike the apparent delays that switching has shown to occasionally cause in speech formation and comprehension. The claim of language mixing resulting in improper use of syntax has been counteracted with proving the well-formed and grammatically correct unwritten rules of code switching. Therefore, most of the downsides of code mixing have either not found enough proof or are minimised by counteractive processes. Analysing the reasons for language mixing has enabled us to point out its benefits. Intermingling may be induced by a simple lack of a lexical term, the need to build rapport with a fellow bilingual, a wish to restrict the conversation from surrounding monolinguals or the necessity to convey a different tone or opinion towards what is being expressed. When the problemic conditions that triggered code switching are solved this linguistic devices proves its usefulness. Keeping these notions in mind, it is easy to agree with practitioners, who despite some downsides, see language mixing as an inevitable linguistic occurance that enhances communication rather than decreasing its quality. Intermingling strengthens the content and the essence of the message, thus becoming an important social funtion of communicating. References Altarriba, J. and Santiago-Rivera, A. L. 1994. Current perspectives on using linguistic and cultural factors in counseling the Hispanic client. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 25, 388–397. Altarriba, Jeanette and Heredia, Roberto R. 2001. Bilingual Language Mixing: Why Do Bilinguals Code-Switch? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10: 15, 164-168. Crystal, D. 1987. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Gollan, Tamara H. and Ferreira, Victor S. 2008. Should I stay or should I switch? A cost-benefit analysis of voluntary language switshing in young and aging bilinguals. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 35: 3, 640-665. Grosjean, Francois. 2008. Studying Bilinguals. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Poplack, S. 1979. Sometimes I’ll start a sentence in Spanish y termino en Espanol: Toward a typology of codeswitching. Linguistics, 18: 7-8, 581-618. Rezaei, Seyyed Hassan Seyyed and Gheitanchian, Mehrnaz. 2008. E-proceedings of the International Online Language Conference (IOLC), 61-67. Sridhar, S. N. and Sridhar, Kamal K. 1980. The Syntax and Psycholynguistics of Bilingual Code Mixing. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 34: 4, 407-416. | | |

Right to Abortion Essay -- Abortion Birth Pregnancy Argumentative Essa

Right to Abortion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion has always been a controversial subject among everybody whether they are involved directly or indirectly, whether they are for it or against it. It is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn't have an opinion about abortion. Both those who favor or oppose abortion make superior arguments to defend their beliefs and views. Personally, I think every last person is entitled to his or her own opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and rights. And yes, women have rights too, and denying women the right to choose abortion in the early stages of fetal development is denying her rights as a US citizen and is also discriminating against her. I think that abortion should be restricted to the first 21 weeks, which is when most of the tests can be taken to determine the health of the fetus. Anything after that might be immoral, since the fetus can very well live outside the mother's womb; although, it does depend on the situation. Abortion should unquestionably not be used as a primary birth control use. It should be determined based on the circumstances of the pregnancy. A woman should have the choice to have an abortion if she is raped, impregnated by a disturbed man or by incest. It would be unfair to force a rape victim to bear an unwanted baby and give up all the dreams she ever had and be reminded of that rape for the rest of her life. I also think a womanà ¢s life should not be sacrificed or put at risk, a woman should be able to abort if th...

ICD-10-CM Essay

The Changes between ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets. Differences between ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code sets. How ICD-10 coding could affect patient encounters. How the transition will affect departments. Regulatory requirements. Quality Improvement. Clinical Documentation Improvement. The challenges and barriers of ICD-10-CM/PCS coding transitions. Create a checklist for the staff. The font or typeface I will use or script-like fonts around 14, in bold those typically work better as heading fonts rather than body text and 12 for the body. I use of visuals communication would help me effectively deliver my message on the important issues with documentation and with the pictures and graphs, showing gains and loss of loss revenue would help them understand what is required for compliance and increase revenue. I will also show the standard required to be in compliances with The Joint Commission rule and regulations. The reason for my choice for training materials because is easiest way too explained and train the staff with all the new changes. These training sessions will be workshops and departmental in-services with custom design to fit each service needs. My training or transition would start with and introduction to explained in detail the new system of ICD-10 The ICD-10 Transition The ICD-9 code sets used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient Procedures will be replaced by ICD-10 code sets. This fact sheet provides background on the ICD-10 transition, general guidance on how to prepare for it, and resources for more information. About ICD-10 ICD-10-CM/PCS International Classifications of Diseases, 10th Edition, and Clinical Modification Procedure Coding System consist of two parts. 1. ICD-10-CM for diagnosis coding outpatient 2. ICD-10-PCS for inpatient procedure coding. ICD-10-CM for use in all U.S. health care settings. Diagnosis Coding under ICD-10-CM uses 3 to 7 digits instead of the 3 to 5 digits used with ICD-9-CM, but the format of the code sets is similar. ICD-10-PCS is for use in U.S. inpatient hospital settings only. ICD-10Â ¬ PCS uses 7 alphanumeric digits instead of the 3 or 4 numeric digits used under ICD-9-CM procedure coding. Coding under ICD-10-PCS is much more specific and substantially different from ICD-9-CM procedures coding. The transition to ICD-10 is occurring because ICD-9 produces limited data about patients’ medical conditions and hospital inpatient procedures. ICD-9 is 30 years old, has outdated terms, and is inconsistent with current medical practice. Also, the structure of ICD-9 limits the number of new codes that can be created, and many ICD-9 categories are full. This New Patient Summary table demonstrates the required levels of the 3 key components for E&M code selection: History, Exam, and Medical Decision Making; elements must be met in all 3. This New Patient Summary table demonstrates the required levels of the 3 key components for E&M code selection: History, Exam, and Medical Decision Making; elements must be met in all 3. Next I would add a example of E&M codes with procedure and continue through the most common outpatient services and I would start with the inpatient process. I hope with the review and and example and other training aids the medical staff would understand that it more important than ever with the documentation and explained in different scenario how it could affect you and patient legally and medically, when treatment is not documented. Using visual most times it help, just not just having a boring training where you know no ones is paying attention. I will use other visual aids and charts on a few different power points. Since it so much information to take in I will do a basis summary of the changes. In Addition I will complete on training aids using what the Department of Veterans Affairs adding some of my material making it more customize for our Medical Center breaking it up so the staff wouldn’t get overwhelm. Iexplain and show them that structurally, ICD-9-CM is running out of room to add new codes. New diagnosis codes are submitted by medical societies, quality monitoring organizations and others annually. ICD-10-CM will allow not only for more codes but also for greater specificity and thus better epidemiological tracking, analysis of disease patterns and treatment outcomes, supports quality measurement efforts, and leads to accurate reimbursement and supports waste, fraud and abuse initiatives. Health Information Management(HIM) my department will have assessment each of coding staff they will be the first to complete the training along with the doctors. The doctors training will be more on documentation. The doctors will need to document to the level of ICD-10 allows for very specific code assignment when provider done. The coders will train more on how to select the correct codes. My finial decision will be the following steps 1.ICD-10 Training ICD 2.ICD-10-CM Anatomy and Pathophysiology 3.ICD-10 Proficiency Assessment 4.ICD-10 Documentation Training for Physicians (detailed) 5.Implementation ICD-10-CM My Duties As The Medical Records Administration Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize and adapt to changing priorities; and Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs. Teaching or instructing in an adult education program, secondary school, college, military installation, or industrial establishment in the appropriate field(s). Supervising or administering a training program. Development or review of training/course materials, aids, devices, etc., and evaluation of training results. Work in the occupation or subject matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis. Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. Planning, developing, and directing a medical records program for a health care facility that meets both institutional goals and standards of accrediting agencies. Evaluating and analyzing the organization and operation of medical records services, including medical records and indexes, and recommending and/or implementing appropriate revisions and modifications. Assisting medical and administrative staff in evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient and health care services. Designing information systems to collect, analyze, monitor, report, and maintain privacy and confidentiality of patient and institutional data for health care related programs, and evaluating and implementing changes to assure the reliability of data. Developing and implementing policies and procedures for processing legal medical documents and insurance and correspondence requests in accordance with Federal, State, and local statu Refernce Search Ask Pictures http://www.search.ask.com/pictures?q=new&o=APN10092&lang=english&tpr=3&gct=bar Search Ask celabration http://www.search.ask.com/pictures?q=balloons+celabration&o=APN10092&lang=english&tpr=2&gct=bar Department of Veterans Affairs http://vaww.vhaco.va.gov/him/

Becoming a Business Accountant Essay

Business Accountant help to ensure that the country’s firms are run efficiently, its taxes are paid on time and its public records stay accurate. Accountants offer a wide variety of business and accounting services. Some of these services are: public, management and government accounting. Their main tasks are preparing, analyzing, and verifying financial documents in order to provide information to clients. Many accountants are required to have a lot of skill and knowledge. Most accountant work in an office, however those that are self-employed may be able to do part of their work at home. Accountants who are employed by public accounting firms and government agencies sometime have to travel often to perform audit at branches of their firm, clients’ places of business, or government facilities. Usually accountants work about a 40-hour week, but most work longer especially if they are self-employed and have many clients. Most accountant position requires at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. Beginning accounting positions in the Federal Government requires 4 years of college including 24 semester hour in accounting or an equal amount of education and experience. Also practical knowledge of computers and their applications in accounting is a good thing to have for job seekers in accounting field. People who want a career in accounting should have a skill in mathematics and be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures quickly. They must be able to communicate the results of their work to clients.

Torvald Helmers Monologue From A Dolls House

Torvald Helmer's Monologue From 'A Doll's House' Torvald Helmer, the male lead in A Doll’s House, can be interpreted in several ways. Many readers view him as a domineering, self-righteous control freak. Yet, Torvald can also be seen as a cowardly, misguided but sympathetic husband who fails to live up to his own ideal. In either case, one thing is for certain: He does not understand his wife. In this scene, Torvald reveals his ignorance. Moments before this monolog he declared he no longer loved his wife because she had brought shame and legal calamity to his good name. When that conflict suddenly evaporates, Torvald recants all of his hurtful words and expects the marriage to go back to â€Å"normal.† Unbeknownst to Torvald, his wife Nora is packing up her things during his speech. As he speaks these lines, he believes he is repairing her wounded feelings. In truth, she has outgrown him and plans to leave their home forever. The Monologue Torvald:(Standing at Nora’s doorway.) Try and calm yourself, and make your mind easy again, my frightened little singing-bird. Be at rest, and feel secure; I have broad wings to shelter you under. (Walks up and down by the door.) How warm and cozy our home is, Nora. Here is a shelter for you; here I will protect you like a hunted dove that I have saved from a hawks claws; I will bring peace to your poor beating heart. It will come, little by little, Nora, believe me. Tomorrow morning you will look upon it all quite differently; soon everything will be just as it was before. Very soon you wont need me to assure you that I have forgiven you; you will yourself feel the certainty that I have done so. Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you or even reproaching you? You have no idea what a true mans heart is like, Nora. There is something so indescribably sweet and satisfying, to a man, in the knowledge that he has forgiven his wife- forgiven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were, doubly his own; he has given her a new life, so to speak, and she is in a way become both wife and child to him. So you shall be for me after this, my little scared, helpless darling. Have no anxiety about anything, Nora; only be frank and open with me, and I will serve as will and conscience both to you- . What is this? Not gone to bed? Have you changed your things?

How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest

How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest The college admissions process can be cruel, especially to those students who find themselves in limbo because theyve been deferred or waitlisted. This frustrating status tells you that the school thought you were a strong enough applicant to admit, but you werent among the first round of top-choice candidates. As a result, youre left waiting to find out what your future might hold. On the plus side, you havent been rejected, and you can often take action to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist and eventually being admitted. What to Include in a Letter of Continued Interest Assuming the college explicitly states that you shouldnt write, your first step when you find that youve been deferred or waitlisted should be to write a letter of continued interest. The tips below can help guide you as you craft your letter. Address your letter to the admissions officer assigned to you, or the Director of Admissions. In most cases, youll be writing to the person who sent you the waitlist or deferral letter. An opening such as To Whom it May Concern is impersonal and will make your message seem generic and cold.Restate your interest in attending the college, and give a couple of specific reasons  why  you want to attend. Is there a program that excites you? Did you visit the campus and feel the college was a good match? Does the college line up with your professional and personal goals in a specific way?If the college is your first choice school, dont be shy about telling this to the admissions committee. When colleges give offers of admission, they want students to accept those offers. A strong yield  makes the school look good and helps the admissions staff meet their enrollment goals efficiently.Let the college know if you  have new and significant information to add to your application. Since you originally applied, did you get new and better SAT/ACT scores? Did you win any meaningful awards or honors? Has your GPA gone up? Dont include trivial information, but dont hesitate to highlight new accomplishments. Thank the admissions folks for taking the time to review your application materials.Make sure you include current contact information so that the college can reach you. Waitlist activity can occur in the summer, so make sure the college can contact you even if you are traveling.   To see what an effective letter might look like, here are a couple of sample  letters of continued interest. Notice that they are not long. You dont want to impose too much on the time of the admissions staff. What to Not Include in a Letter of Continued Interest There are various things you shouldnt include a letter of continued interest. This include: Anger or Frustration: You may feel both of these things, but keep your letter positive. Show that you are mature enough to handle disappointment with a level head.Presumption: If you write as if you are assuming youll get off the waitlist, you are likely to come off as arrogant.Desperation: You wont be improving your chances if you tell the college that you have no other options, or that youll die if you dont get in. Highlight your continued interest, not your unenviable position on the waitlist. General Guidelines for a Letter of Continued Interest Make sure the college accepts letters of continued interest. If your waitlist or deferral letter states that you should send no further materials, you should respect the colleges wish and show that you know how to follow directions.Send the letter as soon as you learn that you have been deferred or waitlisted. Your promptness helps show your eagerness to attend (demonstrated interest is essential!), and some schools start admitting students from their waitlists soon after creating lists.Keep the letter to a single page. It shouldnt ever take more space than that to state your continued interest, and you should be respectful of the busy schedules of the admissions staff.A physical letter isnt always the best option. Read the admissions website to see if the college tends to ask for materials electronically or physically. An old-school paper letter looks nice and is easy to slip into an applicants physical file, but if a college is handling all application materials electronically, som eone will have the inconvenience of scanning your paper letter to include it in your file. Attend to grammar, style, and presentation. If your letter of continued interest looks like it was dashed off in two minutes and written by a third-grader, youll be hurting your chances, not helping them. A Final Word Will your letter of continued interest improve your chances of getting in? It might. At the same time, you should be realistic. In most cases, the odds of getting off a waitlist are not in your favor. But when a college does turn to the waitlist, or when the school looks at the general applicant pool in the case of deferral, demonstrated interest matters. Your letter of continued interest is no magic admission bullet, but it certainly can play a positive role in the process.

Compare and Contrast the Western and Middle Eastern Culture Essay

Compare and Contrast the Western and Middle Eastern Culture - Essay Example Eating with fork and knife is culture in the west but eating with hand is culture in the Arab world. Cultural differences can be found in all aspects when we compare the east and the west. Even when we commence a business activity in a foreign land we need to give importance to the culture followed so that the company is accepted globally. Situated between Africa, Asia and Europe, the Middle East has been the dream destination for travelers, empire builders and traders. The population includes Kurds, Iranians, Arabs, Jews, Turks, Armenians, and Nubians. The diversified population gives rise to the cultural richness in Middle East. Completely in contrast to the eastern culture, the western culture evolved in ancient Greece, slowly spreading over the European countries. The two traditions which contributed to this culture is the inheritance of the classical culture and Christianity. Today this culture has moved out of European countries and gradually spread across the entire globe. This culture mainly dominates in the central European nations and western countries like the US and Canada. We can also see the increasing influence of this culture in Asian nations like India, China, Thailand and Singapore with the liberalization of the economy. The people of the eastern world give great importanc... The people of the Arab world follow Islam. The Koran is the holy book which is considered as a spiritual guide, a system of law, code of ethics and a way of life. All Muslim members are expected to read the holy book everyday. The teachings of the Koran forms the foundation for Islamic culture and tradition. The teachings of Prophet Muhammad are considered paramount in the Koran. Friday is considered as the holy day and no business activity takes place on this day. Facing east (direction of Mecca), kneeling, forehead and palms touching the floor, Muslims pray five times a day and Friday noon prayer is led by a spiritual leader. All the male members of a Muslim family go to mosque compulsorily and the female members pray at home. All Muslims are expected to make a pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca once in their lifetime. The month of Ramzan is considered as the holy month for rejuvenating oneself by abstaining from food, drinks and personal pleasures in the daylight. (Religion in the cultur es of Middle East. 2006). However, the Christian religion dominates the western culture. The Bible is considered as the force which has created religious identity to the western culture. The religion encourages freedom of expression and speech to both genders equally. Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are the important celebrations of this culture. Sunday is considered as the holy day and no business activities takes place on this day. The Vatican City is the place of pilgrimage for this religion, and decisions taken by Pope play an important role, in the progress of the world economy, as the Christian population remains the largest in the world. Family and

Comics History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comics History - Essay Example The book is mainly autobiographical, as it draws on the experiences of Spiegelman's father during the World War II, and his own story as a graphic artist. The main theme of the book is the Holocaust It narrates Spiegelman's father Vladek's traumatic experiences during and after the Holocaust., at the same time, showing the trauma which the son Artie is going through in the present time. Vladek, a Polish Jew, has survived the Holocaust in Auschwitz, but his experiences have not removed his own racist tendencies. His wife Anja, Artie's mother, commits suicide soon after they come to America., which leaves a deep scar on Artie's mind. Vladek marries Mala, whom he treats with the same insensitivity. Spiegelman uses allegory, portraying humans of different nationalities as different animals. In Maus, the Jews are depicted as mice, the Germans as cats, the Poles as pigs, the Americans as dogs. There are other animals like the reindeer, the bears depicting the Russians, frogs, the French and the English, fish. Maus takes its name from the German word for mouse. Mice, which are used to represent the Jews, are small, timid , harmless creatures the qualities which the Jews are supposed to possess. At the same time, they are dirty, disease carrying vermin according to the Nazis. Mice are also very resourceful, a characteristic of the Jews.

Topic by yourself-ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Topic by yourself-ethics - Essay Example Cultural Relativism is, according to James Rachels, â€Å"a theory about the nature of morality†, that â€Å"challenges our ordinary belief in the objectivity and universality of moral truth† (Rachels). Essentially, what is right and what is wrong is determined by tradition and culture, and each culturally-dictated standard of living should be viewed, understood, and judged within the context of that particular culture alone (Nussbaum 121). This way of viewing culturally-specific circumstances is a good deterrent for racism, religious extremism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice. We Westerners are and have been guilty of colonialism and ethnocentric thinking. With this in mind, majority of scholars and even undergraduates â€Å"are hesitant to make any negative judgment of a culture other than their own† (Nussbaum 121). ... ccurs in many countries in Africa where there is a ritualistic cutting of a part or the entire external female genitalia of girl as a rite of passage to adulthood. I agree with Nussbaum that the best argument for retaining this practice is FGM’s essentiality in ensuring â€Å"cultural continuity†. These operations make the community intact for it is a ritual that has been passed from generation to generation, and for a young lady, having undergone this ritual is a sign of being a part of the community. Cultural relativism would dictate that we should not be opposed to this ritual, because the society that practices it sees that it is the right thing to do for the greater good of not just the individual, or her husband, or their families, but for the benefit of the whole society as well. However, if you view this argument with rational thinking, practicing FGM does more harm to the society because the lives of their next generation women are at stake every time the proce dure is performed, and for a continent that relies on female labor for most of its agricultural endeavors, it is not to the society’s benefit if their women cannot do their jobs more efficiently because of chronic infection, pain and difficulty in walking, urination, and menstruation, due to FGM. What is more, the future of the society is at stake because FGM makes the rates of complications in child birth higher and the risk of the mother and infant dying during and after child birth greater. Though many modern philosophers and social scientists recognize that different cultures have different moral codes, many as well as I believe that there is such a thing as a â€Å"natural right†1, that which everything and anything that violates that â€Å"right† can be considered universally wrong (Harman 367).

Analysis Of Allure Magazine Usa Media Essay

Analysis Of Allure Magazine Usa Media Essay Allure, the first and only magazine devoted to beauty, is an insiders guide to a womans total image. Allure investigates and celebrates beauty and fashion with objectivity and candor, and places appearance in larger cultural context. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) Well known for its pioneering approach to beauty, intelligent and truthful coverage of current issues that surround women, such as; The dangers of breast implants, eating disorders and Models addicted to heroin. Allure has been recognized for its strength and quality in journalistic writing, as well as its keen aesthetic sense seen in its photography. (Refer to appendix 3) And with it, summoned a strong following of readers that has soared to 1,150,000 (refer to appendix 1) since its beginning in 1991. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009) The Allure magazine is targeted towards urban women 18-49 years old with a middle income and a tertiary education. (Refer to appendix 1 2) They have a certain amount of disposable income which they enjoy spending on themselves and pride themselves in making informed choices on the products and services that they consume. In their social circle, they are influencers; informed and up to date on current affairs, trends, movies, restaurants, beauty products, fashion, music, etc. They like to be the first to know and the one that informs their friends. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009) Conscious about their appearance thought not obsessed by it, Allure is targeted at everyday women who are culturally universal; who dont take themselves too seriously and most of all possess a sense of humour. (Quantcast Audience Profile- Allure.com, July 2010) Allures editorial and advertising content reflects this, the products advertised and featured in Allure range from high street fashion labels; Calvin Klein Jeans, DKNY, Guess, Sisley to designer brands; Fendi, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Coach. As for cosmetics and beauty products, the same applies; ranging from Maybelline, LOreal, Olay, Revlon, Garnier, to higher-end products; Lancà ´me, Clinique, Shiseido, Federic Fekkai, all tastefully selected with the above target market in mind. Unlike other womens magazines, Allure also contains advertising for cosmetic procedures i.e. Botox, pharmaceutical products i.e. contraceptive pills and prescription beauty products i.e. Latisse, an eyelash serum that encourages growth, showing that it does have a very specific reader. The Keatsian adage of beauty being truth and truth beauty seems also to guide the editorial philosophy of Allure; founding editor and current editor-in-chief Linda Wells. (Delving Beneath The Skin To Cover Beauty, MOSAICA, November 1998, p1) As a results of Wells innovative and bold direction, Allure has carved itself a niche amongst the traditional genre of womens magazines which concentrated solely on the latest fashion trends and beauty prescriptive; by tackling head-on some of the more serious issues that affect women. We were the first womens magazine ever to write about the dangers of breast implants, Wells explains. We did the first story on models that were addicted to heroin. Weve written about eating disorders in a way that no magazine has done. I think magazines were afraid to pull the curtains back on Oz and find out that Oz is just this little man. We pull the curtain back and say, Heres whats going on in the world.' (Delving Beneath The Skin To Cover Beauty, MOSAICA, November 1998, p1) Delving beneath the surface of beauty, fashion and womens health, Allure has been praised as the one magazine that consistently gives consumers the information that they need. With numerous awards in tow, including National Magazine Award, the Editorial Excellence Award (from Folio), and the Circulation Excellence Award (from Circulation Management), Allure is also highly regarded and recognized by the beauty industry for its truthful and informative reporting. It has won 29 awards from the American Academy of Dermatology, nine journalism awards from the Fragrance foundation, and the Excellence in Media Award from the Skin Cancer foundation. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) According to Linda Wells, appearances are really important in this current day. Hence it has becomes important to women, the way in which they take care of themselves; and in the methods and process of taking care of themselves; how it makes them feel. It lifts their confidence. It gives a woman a sense of price and control. Confirming those feelings and the importance of keeping up appearances these days is something that is crucial to Allure. (QA with Linda Wells, 28th April 2009, Kaitlin Tambuscio, p2) Allure has a very strong and consistent editorial formula that has not changed over the years. (Refer to Appendix 4) Each issue has a specific editorial focus which changes according to trends and seasons, but it also has fixed features in certain issues through the year, every year i.e. Readers Choice Ballot in February, Readers Choice Awards in June, The Free Stuff Issue in August and Best of Beauty: Editors Choice Awards Breakthroughs in October. (Refer Appendix 8) In this analysis I am going to use three issues of Allure dating April 2005, August 2007 and March 2010. All three consists of six sections, listed in order; Beauty reporter, Fashion, Insiders guide, Health, Features and Regulars. There are many sub-sections within these headings but for the discussion of this paper, I am only going to discuss the few that stand out. Dedicated to beauty and acting as an insiders guide to a womans total image, Allures editorial content consists mainly of two categories, the external appearance; hair and make-up how-tos i.e. Back Stage Beauty Top 10 trends, cosmetic procedures (risks and benefits) i.e. Feature A Shot in the Dark; a growing number of women who are administering TCA peels and dubious fat-fighting injections to themselves, fashion trends i.e. Fashion Stakeout on Chloe Sevignys fashion choices, and skin care i.e. Beauty Reporter Youth Movement a review on six anti-ageing products, as well as internal well-being; physical and mental health i.e. Body News Testing Diets and Mood News Sad vs. Angry. (Allure Magazine May 2005, Condà © Nast Publications, p72, 88, 89, 139, 143, 252 168-190) Every issue consists of a balance of these two categories spread over the six sections of the magazine, contributed by a variety of writers and photographers. The sections in Allure magazine that forms the editorial format which in my opinion makes it stand out from its competitors are described as follows. Under Contributors, it highlights the contributors for that issue which are often various famous and freelance writers and photographers. This I feel gives consistent variety in terms of editorial as well as aesthetic value to the features. Beauty by numbers uses numbers and statistics to reveal interesting, unique and often humorous information about a topic in the issue which is related to beauty. (Refer to Appendix 5) Insiders Guide is a step-by-step guide by experts on three various topics including travel, beauty, entertaining and etiquette I.e. How to whiten your teeth? How to care for your shoes? How to stay cool under pressure? How to travel on your own? How to be a good houseguest? (Refer to Appendix 6) And finally, Beauty 101 a detailed pictorial guide on how-to create a look i.e. Low Ponytail, which also includes four tear-out cardboard cards for easy reference. (Refer to Appendix 7) Founded in 1991 by Editor in Chief Linda Wells, and directed by Vice President and Publisher Agnes B. Chapski since May 2008 (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p2), Allures masthead consists of almost one hundred staff (Refer to Appendix 9). It is owned by worldwide publishing company, Condà © Nast Publications which is one of the worlds most celebrated publishers. Their commitment to journalistic integrity, influential reporting and superior design combined with world-renowned editors, writers and photographers, which their magazines consistently feature; meld together to form an incredible stable of talent unmatched by any other publishing company. (A Brief History of the Condà © Nast Publications, 1993) Some examples of the prestigious lifestyle magazines that Condà © Nast Publications have under their belt are Vogue, GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, amongst many others. (Refer to Appendix 10) Hence, it is no surprise that under the same publishing umbrella, Allure has also made its name as one of the most successful and innovative publications, backed by soaring circulation figures from its initial 250,000 in 1991 to its current 1,150,000. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) The Magazines Handbook suggests that the average advertising/editorial ratio of consumer magazines should be around 60:40 (McKay, Routledge 2000, p142).; containing enough advertising to generate revenue but still giving the reader value for money in terms of editorial. When the advertising content in a magazine is much more than 60%, it becomes cluttered with too many ads and according to Litman; will lose the editorial interest of the reader. (Litman, Journal of Advertising 1997, p4) This is further backed up by Halls Magazine reports 2009, which show that in the last ten years, the advertising/ editorial ratio of magazines has kept closely to the 60:40 recommendations. (Refer to Appendix 11) Hence, Allure gives its readers good value as it has managed to come under the recommended 60:40 advertising/ editorial ratio as shown in Appendix 12. HISTORY OF ALLURE MAGAZINE Allure magazine was first published in March 1991 (Refer to Appendix 13) by Condà © Nast Publications Inc., it was the first magazine entirely dedicated to beauty. Linda A. Wells is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of Allure magazine. The current editor-in-chief, Wells started Allure because she wanted to create a womens magazine that was both informative and truthful; unlike the traditional genre of womens magazines that focused on the latest fashion and beauty products, Wells wanted to give consumers the information that they needed. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p1) Allure has been and still is currently owned by Condà © Nast Publications Inc. since its inception. At the time of its premiere issue, Kathy Leventhal was the publisher; she only stayed with Allure for two years leaving in May 1993. However, in the time that she was with the magazine, advertising pages rose from 94.9% to 462%, in the first half of 1993 from the comparable period in 1992. Circulation also jumped 41.4% for the first five issue of the year, to 669,000. (Fabrikant, The Media Business, May 1993) Since Kathy Leventhals departure, Allure has seen a few more publishers come and go. Sandy Golinkin (Carmody, The Media Business, May 1993) replaced Leventhal as publisher from May 1993 but was dismissed in 1999 because of the declining market for beauty advertising. (The New York Daily News, May 2000) Next in line was Erica Bartman who took over from Golinkin but abruptly resigned in April 2000. Shortly after in May 2000, Suzanne Grimes became publisher at Allure and she helped turn around a three year financial slide , posting a 13% increase in revenue in the first and only year she was there, she left to be the Vice President-Publisher of another Condà © Nast Publications; Glamour. (Betzold, Advertising Age, June 2001) Nancy Berger Cardone was Vice President and Publisher of Allure from 2001; she left in 2008 to become Vice President-Publisher of Gourmet. Under her leadership, Allure enjoyed seven consecutive record-breaking years, she increased advertising pages by 50% and published the largest issue in Allures history. It was also during her tenure that Allure won Ad weeks Hot List and Advertising Ages Best Performer. (Gourmet Press Centre, 2010) Finally, replacing Cardone in 2008 is Agnes B. Chapski, she is also the current Vice President-Publisher of Allure. (Allure Media Kit, 19th August 2008, p2) There are two problems that Allure encountered during its life so far; the media/digital revolution which drastically changed the way media was consumed, and the Economic Recession which significantly affected advertising revenue. In order to keep up with the digital revolution Allure launched its website Allure.com on the 17th of May 1994, the website is consistent with Allures brand as the ultimate beauty expert resource. It feature the same sections that are present in the magazine such as; The Beauty Reporter, Inside Allure, How-tos, Trends, Salon Spa directory, Makeovers and also includes interactive elements such as Free stuff, Twitter and Videos. The website also enabled you to subscribe to the magazine. (Website Traffic Spy, 2010) During the Economic Recession Allures advertising revenue plummeted 41% in January 2009 from January 2008. January 2008 had 70 pages of ads and January 2009 only had 41 according to the Media Industry Newsletter due to clients cutting their advertising budgets to cope with the recession and turning to other less established downscale publications which offered heavy discounts. In an interview by The New York Times, Jack Hanrahan said, Allure adopted a smart strategy to combat the financial recession; they negotiated with advertisers in regards to paging but not on price as they had larger bases of ad pages. As it is a private company, it does not need to report quarterly revenue. This enables them to preserve their well-established pricing-position of being equitable across advertisers and not engaging in heavy discounting and negotiations to secure a small schedule. Instead, they encouraged the advertisers annual commitment to a magazine. (Clifford, the New York Times, January 2009) As you can see, is still very much alive today. With an active website that had a monthly traffic of 487,000 readers in May 2010 and a monthly traffic which averages 208,600 readers a month, we can say that it has effectively kept up with the digital age while still maintaining its market position in print with a circulation of 1,050,000 and a readership of 6,570,000. (Allure Experts Reader Panel, Fas-Fax 31st December 2009)

jap stuff :: essays research papers

Many of us have seen at least advertisements for this Japanese animation (if you have not, you must have been incarcerated, in a comma or on crack). Innocent looking is it not? But is this really a harmless children's show or a horrific mind controlling device being used on our nations children. One of the major themes of Pokemon is the containment of elemental and physical forces in the forms of cute little creatures with sub-human, super animal intelligence. Basically they are beasts with the powers of gods. Today we have statistics and chaos to predict random events, do we really need this modern mythology? Anyhow this franchise is really a cover for a sinister polytheistic religion bent on dominating children's minds. What a parent see as a harmless toy is really seen by the children as religious icon that they worship. No longer are their ritualistic sacrifices of crops/animals or humans, instead seek sacrifice of cash in the name of the cult. Children see the pokemon as gifts from the gods to the pokemon masters for loyal devotions to the various gods like Thor (Pikachu), Neptune (Squirtle) and others as well as spirits like the sirens (JigglyPuff). These kids will literally pray to, cry over, kill and die for these creatures. Another problem is the concept of the portraying the concept of the "power of one". What is the idea of the of putting that shit in a child's mind. Telling a child they can get ahead by trusting in their own abilities will lead them to loss and a world of pain. Some examples, Joan of Arc got burned alive, Harry Houdini was punched in the stomach and his appendix burst, and Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. What will these children do when they make a stupid decision get in real trouble and their precious Pocket Monsters will not come to their aid?

Mentoring and Enabling Learning in the Practice Setting

Mentoring and enabling learning in the practice setting A reflective account of my experience of facilitating learning, assessing and teaching a student or co-worker, and how this experience will inform my future development within the mentor or practice teacher role. Student Number: 2930211 Word Count: 3150 Part 1: Introducing the Mentorship role I am a band five registered paediatric nurse based on an orthopaedic and spinal surgical ward in a tertiary paediatric hospital.I am currently engaging in completing my training to become a qualified mentor. This reflective account details my experiences assessing, teaching and facilitating the learning of a student during their practice based learning, and how this experience may affect my future practice. Throughout the account, in order to protect the identities of people, trust and clinical setting involved confidentiality will be maintained via the use of pseudonyms or omission of names (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), 2008a).The function of practice based learning is to provide experience, serving an important role in developing the skills of the student in interacting with patients and their families assisting in technical, psychomotor, interpersonal and communication skills (Ali and Panther, 2008). Practice based learning provides an opportunity to link theory and practice, and promotes professional identity development (Fishel and Johnson, 1981). Practice based learning is also crucial in the profession of nursing due to the vocational nature of the work, and necessity of assessing clinical competency and safeguarding the public (Rutowski, 2007).By ensuring specific standards are met with assessment in practice, it effectively ensures that students are fit for practice at point of registration (NMC, 2004). My demonstration of demonstrating my eligibility to supervise and assess students in a practice setting and successful completion of the NMC approved mentorship programme will allow me to meet the defi nition of a mentor (NMC, 2004), and perform an important role that every nurse has to assume formally, sooner or later (Ali and Panther 2008, Figure 1)Figure 1. (Synthesised using NMC 2008b, Rutowski 2007, Beskine 2009) Part 2 The NMC Standards In order to ensure that there is a set level for supporting learning and assessment in practice, the NMC devised and provided a set of standards for which mentors, practice teachers and teachers are required to meet (NMC 2008b, Ali and Panther, 2008). The agreed mandatory requirements include a developmental framework, the standards, and information regarding application of the standards to assessment in practice.The competence and outcomes for a mentor are underpinned by eight domains (Figure 2, NMC, 2008b). Figure 2. (NMC, 2008b) Number Domain 1 Establishing effective working relationships 2 Facilitation of learning 3 Assessment and accountability 4 Evaluation of learning 5 Creating an environment for learning 6 Context of practice 7 Eviden ce-based practice 8 Leadership When considering the eight domains within my own clinical practice area I consider establishing effective working relationships and leadership to be of particular importance.The establishment of an effective working relationship is vital due to working together with families and providing care for the family as the patient, rather than just the child (Casey, 1988) in order to provide a good standard of care. Establishing effective working relationships also serves to reduce poor student experiences and improve ability to assure competence to practice (Beskine 2009, Dowie 2008). When considering the importance of family centred care, as well as the promotion of an effective working relationship, leadership is a key theme.Leadership in my clinical setting involves role modeling, improving care and influencing others (Cook, 2001) as well as considering situational forms of leadership (Faugier and Woolnough, 2002) when communicating with different parties in different situations. Leadership in my practice setting could range from working with a difficult family, which may require participative leadership, or a situation where I need to be assertive. I must frequently act as an advocate for the child (Children Act 1989), requiring a more autocratic approach (Bass and Bass 2008).Both establishing effective relationships and leadership require skill, knowledge and experience and can be central to providing quality care (Department of Health 2004). Key professional challenges surrounding learning and assessment in my practice area include difficulty due to the busyness and staffing levels on my ward, which is known to affect the quality of assessment in practice (Phillips et al, 2000). The pressure of clinical commitments and lack of available time has an affect on the organisation and supervision of students during clinical placement (Caldwell et al 2008).Other difficulties may include inconsistency in performance influencing assessment of fitness for practice (Duffy and Hardicre 2007a), or students who are not compliant with support available and provided should they be failing (Duffy and Hardicre 2007b). Reluctance to fail a failing student due to poor assessment or finding the failing process too difficult (Duffy 2003) also serves as a professional challenge in my practice area.The NMC Standards to support learning and assessment in practice (2008b) do provide a framework for mentors, but due to the nature of the document it is not comprehensive enough to consider all aspects of competence assessment (Cassidy, 2009). It could be considered that some level of assessment remains subjective despite the framework being provided, due to the inherent nature of the involved profession and the variation of skills to be assessed.Holistic assessment of competence is difficult to structure a framework, particularly when considering a students reflexive action to utilise their knowledge skills and attitude with emotional i ntelligence (Freshwater and Stickley 2004, Clibbens et al 2007). These issues may become more prevalent when considering the possibility of a mentors failure to fail a student (Duffy, 2003). These is somewhat rectified by the responsive development of ‘sign off mentors’ who make a final judgement on the fitness for practice of the student at the end of their training (NMC 2008b).Further support can be given to the NMC standards to support learning and assessment in practice (NMC 2008b) by documents such as ‘Guidance for mentors or nursing students and midwives’ (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2007) a toolkit which assists in providing support and strategies for mentors. Part 3: My practice based assessment session Practice based assessment is a core method of assessing the knowledge, skills and attitude of a student (Bloom 1956, Wallace 2003), but is complex to ensure objective management (Carr, 2004).To accommodate a diversity of patients and needs (Dogra and Wass, 2006), different types of assessment are necessary, all of which are part of the mentor student relationship (Wilkinson et al 2008, Figure 3, NMC 2008b). Figure 3. ( Wilkinson et al, 2008) Type of assessment Description Mini clinical evaluation exercise. Snapshot of student performing core clinical skill. Can be integrated into ward environment or routine patient encounter (e. g gaining a pain score from a patient) Direct observation of procedural skills.Observing a student carry out a procedure and providing feedback afterwards (e. g performing aseptic non touch technique to prepare a dressings trolley). Case based discussion. A structured interview to explore behaviour and judgement (e. g discussing aspects care of a patient and what a student did or observed). Mini peer assessment. A group of qualified professionals providing feedback on an individuals performance, includes self assessment (e. g feedback from other nurses that supervise a student in their clinical plac ement).The method of assessment must be considered in terms of reliability, validity, acceptability, educational impact, and cost effectiveness in order to evaluate the suitability of the assessment itself (Chandratilake et al, 2010). Assessment of formal knowledge allows review of conceptual knowledge, including considering potential risks or other influencing factors. Assessing an individual in practice, or their craft knowledge, allows reflection and development on experiential learning (Price, 2007).Both formal and craft knowledge are required to be continuously assessed to understand the student in order to understand how the student reads risk situations and uses concepts to address practice requirements (Price, 2007). When assessing students it is important to establish four key areas (Hinchliffe 2009, figure 4). Figure 4. (Hinchliffe 2009) Key area Description Knowledge What do they know? Skill What do they do? Performance How well do they do it? Motivation Why do they do it , and how do they feel about it? Continuous assessment has limitations with regards to validity and reliability for numerous reasons.There is a requirement for co-ordination between educators and service providers to agree on appropriate assessment pathways for formative and summative assessment, allowing an appropriate level of assessment and practice theory link (Price, 2007). A mentor in a complex clinical setting combined with the pressure of continuous assessment on students in front of patients, family, relatives and other professionals has an impact on performance and may increase the anxiety of the student or the assessor (Price, 2007). Anxiety may also be caused by the mentors eeling of competence to assess, the student feeling ready to be assessed (including contributing personal factors), as well as changes in curriculum causing mentors to feel less competent in assessing certain areas (Price, 2007). My assessment was of the competence of a first year student utilising pa in assessment tools appropriately to successfully gain a pain score from a post operative patient. I considered this to be an area of importance due to the integral part of professional training pain assessment is recommended to serve; considering pain as the fifth vital sign (Royal College of Nursing (RCN),2008).Considering the expectations of first years participation in observing vital signs, competence is important for patient safety (Lomas 2009) . I would consider this assessment a direct observation of a procedural skill (Wilkinson et al 2008). An observing qualified mentor was present and observing at all points of the assessment and feedback. The observing assessor provided written feedback regarding the assessment provided (Appendix 2).The assessment was planned including the criteria and a number of questions developed, to test the learners understanding (appendix 1). The criteria for assessment was structured and at an appropriate level for the student on both a theoretic al and practical level (Stuart, 2007). The developed questions were aimed to make the student provide rationale for their choices within and around the assessment, aiming to make the assessed skill less of a series of tasks and provide a more versatile skill applicable in different ways (Cassidy, 2009).I waited until the ward was quiet to ensure there would not be interruptions and the assessment would not be compromised (Rutowski, 2007). Initially, I introduced myself to the student, as it was the first time we had met, this aimed to familiarise myself with the student and aim to reduce their anxiety (Price, 2007). I went on to tell the student what exactly I wanted them to do, approximately how long it would take and reassured them not to be worried as this was not a formal assessment, aiming to reduce anxiety (Price 2007) and make expectations clear.It was identified by my observing assessor that I did not enquire as to previous experiences of the learner. Although I knew that th e student was a first year and the assessment was appropriate as such, enquiring further into their experiences may have provided a link that would have altered the assessment in some way and perhaps have assisted in supporting further growth (Newman and Pelle, 2002). My assessor also felt that outcomes should have been more clearly identified at the beginning of the assessment.Though the information was provided, and in an appropriate environment (Price, 2007) a shorter almost bullet point summary at the end of discussing outcomes may help to prepare the student for what is expected of them (Stuart, 2007) and reduce confusion or anxiety (Price, 2007). When the student had completed the first criteria, I asked her my first question. This took into consideration the students approach to communication (Dickson et al, 1997) and their knowledge of basic child development (Sheridan et al 1997), knowledge applicable to core skills in many ways.The student correctly prioritised the order o f pain evaluation, completing the second criteria (International association for the study of pain (IASP) 1994, Broome 2000). I asked the student the second question at this point, the student demonstrated theoretical ability to integrate with the nursing team to provide safe and effective care (Stuart 2007, Lomas 2009). Finally for the assessment the student communicated well with the child and their family demonstrating effective family centred care (Casey 1988) and successfully gained an appropriate pain score (IASP 1994) using the ‘Wong-Baker faces pain rating’ (Wong et al 2001).After the pain score had been gained I asked my final question which was how often should pain observation be done, which the student correctly responded to in accordance with RCN (2008). My observing assessor felt that at points my speech was too fast and noted that I needed to repeat myself on occasion. Speaking at a slower rate allow a student to digest and understand information given to a better level, and prevents them from becoming overwhelmed with information faster than they can process it (Prozesky 2000).I provided a feedback session for the student, aiming to develop a sustainable proactive learning relationship with the student (Cassidy, 2009), which included an action plan made with the student (Appendix 3). Considering that the student was essentially competent at the skill, the action plan was focussed on gaining a greater range and experience in order to gain a more reflexive experienced quality regarding the skill and provide more holistic competence (Cassidy, 2009).The feedback was provided positively and constructively and seemed to help with the students self esteem with regards to the skill, creating a more supportive working relationship and conducive learning environment (Clynes and Raftery, 2008). The student-mentor relationship is crucial to the students learning experience (Ali and Panther 2008, Beskine 2009, Goppee 2008, NMC 2008b, Wilkes 200 6, White 2007). Effective communication skills can help identify a student causing concern at an early stage in order to pre-empt failure (Caldwell et al, 2008).Though feelings of sadness or failure may be felt by the student and mentor from failing assessment, and this provides a challenge, it is important for mentors not to avoid these situations if a student has not met desired outcomes as this may have far reaching implications on student progression (Duffy and Hardicre 2007a, Duffy and Hardicre 2007b, Wilkinson 1999). The feedback was scheduled and provided shortly after the session aiming to give the student prompt support if required and to correct any unsatisfactory behaviour if present (Duffy and Hardicre 2007b).Considering the feedback, and my own reflections on the assessment, there is need for my future development. I will also endeavor to speak more slowly and learning more about the student prior to assessment. , and provide a more clear identification of outcomes . I would consider gaining feedback on the students performance from the patient and their family in the future. This would allow us to take into account the view of the service user and family to promote clinical excellence and family centred care is of a high quality (Department of Health 2004, Casey 1988).Overall, my observing assessor thought that my assessment of the student was appropriate for their level of knowledge, skill and attitude (Bloom 1956, Hinchliffe 2009, NMC 2008b) and effective in determining the level of competency in this area. Part 4: My practice based teaching session I prepared a teaching plan (appendix 4), a powerpoint presentation (appendix 7), handout of the presentation and a handout of the various tools for pain assessment (appendix 8) before my teaching session.This teaching took a mostly behaviourist approach as opposed to a cognitive approach, however, discussion during the learning allows for a more cognitive approach(Figure 5). I arranged for a qualifi ed mentor to observe and assess my teaching and the feedback I provided to the student (appendix 5). They provided written feedback on my session (appendix 6 and appendix 9). My assessor noted positive use of further reading and handouts, to enhance the students personal knowledge and support for further adult learning (Knowles 1990, Beskine 2008).Provision of printed handouts, particularly with space for notes beside them, may help accommodate students who have dyslexia, and may otherwise struggle to absorb the information provided (White, 2007). Figure 5. (Synthesised from Bullock et al 2008, Goppee 2008, Hinchliffe 2009) Learning theory Description Behaviourist Information provided by teacher, student relatively passive. Cognitive (humanisitic) Student centred. More useful in vocational teaching like nursing. Relates past experience (knowledge or theory).I booked and prepared the seminar room on the ward to ensure there wouldn’t be disturbances, a formal teaching session w ith clear aims of what to achieve (Goppee, 2008). Utilising a space like this creates a professional and friendly environment helping create a good learning environment (Beskine 2008, Hand 2006). My assessor observed that I had created a welcoming environment. My assessor commented on the high quality of the evidence based content within the teaching session, my own skill and knowledge in this particular area.Providing good evidence based information assists in providing excellence in care (Department of Health 2004, Beskine 2008). Using examples from practice also helped describe to the learner applications of the theory to practice (Knowles 1990). My assessor noted my good eye contact and body language, reassuring the student encourages continued attention, interest and a positive relationship (Dickson et al 1997). My assessor commented upon the open questions I asked, keeping the student interested, engaged and relating to practice, encouraging cognitive learning (Figure 5).Furth er learning revolved around the student as an adult learner identifying how to best expand their knowledge in this area by approaching it in a more kinaesthetic learning style (Pashler et al 2009, Figure 6). Figure 6. (Synthesised from Dunn et al 1996, Given and Reid 1999) Learning Style Advantages Disadvantages Visual Learns through images, visual tools or imagining events. May need more time to complete tasks. May have decreased interest in theoretical values. Auditory Learns well through talks or lectures.Absorbs sequenced organised information well. May use checklist. Highly unlikely to be able to multitask. Can focus on one area at a time and neglect ‘the big picture’. May not work well in groups. Kinaesthetic (Tactile) Learns through doing. Tends to enjoy the experience of learning. Finds it easy to demonstrate. May miss instructions or information if presented orally. May find paying attention to detail difficult. My observing assessor noted that at some points t he speed of the session was a little too fast.This may cause the student to become confused or not absorb the information that I am teaching (Prozesky 2000). On reflection I can use this experience to expand my personal knowledge and how to develop further (O’Callaghan 2005). I will speak more slowly so that the learner can gain more from my teaching session, and consider the student as an adult learner with previous experiences, which can be used as a resource (Knowles 1990). I could also have asked how the student learned best and accommodated their learning style effectively (Rassool and Rawaf 2007).A wider range of learning styles (figure 6) would accommodate all types of learning (Rassool and Rawaf 2007, Pashler et al 2009). I would also put more emphasis on patient safety issues (Beskine 2008). Part 5: The Leadership skills required by a Mentor I am aware that being a mentor is part and parcel of leadership behaviour (Girvin, 1998). Transformational leadership concentra tes on the ability to influence situations or people by affecting their methodology of thought and role modelling (Girvin, 1998).Transformational leadership in nursing encourage autonomy and enable students or staff to reach their potential and promotes good interprofessional rapport (Pollard, 2009). By acting as a role model in my clinical setting and seeking to address obstacles inherent in mentorship on the ward, it is possible that I could not only develop myself and the students that I mentor, but also other mentors on the ward and their behaviour and practice in a positive way (Girvin 1998, Pollard 2009).Obstacles such as staffing levels, busy ward environment and the pressure of clinical commitments impact upon me damaging the effective working relationship between myself and the student (Beskine 2009, Hurley and Snowden 2008, McBrien 2006). Finding time provide written feedback in a students documentation can be limited (Price, 2007). By e-mailing other mentors evaluations o f my shifts with their students it may become common practice providing a greater range of student evaluation and a positive learning environment (Cassidy, 2009).This feedback can then be sent to the mentor at a quieter time, and discussed with the student prior to, signing and entry into their documentation with time being less of an issue. Despite this being a good use of resources and time management (Beskine 2009) I have already tried this and found often mentors are not interested unless the evaluation bears a particular negative weight with regards to poor performance which must be addressed urgently. Anxiety of the student, or my own as the assessor may effect the reliability, subjectivity or the validity of assessment (Price, 2007).Effectively facilitating the learning of students requires flexibility and understanding for different learning styles including (Bullock et al 2008, Goppee 2008, Hinchliffe 2009, Dunn et al 1996) including adult learning (Knowles,1990) and studen ts with learning difficulties (White, 2007). Strong links between practice and theory (Stuart, 2007) must be in place to ensure suitability of assessment and teaching. Along with these issues, the student-mentor relationship must be nurtured to provide a quality learning experience (Ali and Panther 2008, Beskine 2009).Discussing a students preferred learning style in their initial interview may encourage the student to engage in a higher standard of adult learning (Knowles 1990, Rassool and Rawaf, 2007). This can help me alter my strategies to create a better relationship between myself and the student (Beskine, 2009). I am currently supervisor to a first year student on first placement who has studied in school and sixth form, they do not have a great deal of experience with adult learning, and they have needed additional support and provision of resources to facilitate their learning, articularly with practical skills. Orientation is the gateway to a successful placement (Beskine 2009). Students must be assessed fairly and objectively (Ali and Panther 2008, Duffy and Hardicre 2007a), though this may cause unpleasant emotions to both the student and assessor it is important that this is done, to ensure student progression is not damaged (Duffy 2003, Duffy and Hardicre 2007a, Duffy and Hardicre 2007b, Rutowski 2007, Wilkinson 1999) and competence is insured for patient safety (NMC 2008b, Lomas 2009).I aim to ensure that the students I work with and assess are competent and fit for practice (NMC, 2008b). It is important to regularly work with students and have clear objectives from the initial interview (Duffy and Hardicre, 2007a). I am aware that it is my responsibility to ensure concerns with a students performance are raised by midpoint at latest, so that by final interview, there should be no surprises for the students summative assessment of their progress and level of competence (Duffy and Hardicre, 2007a).Asking children and parents their opinions on stu dents working with me, and their performance can provide an insight into the family centred care the student is providing (Casey, 1988) and may allow a greater interpretation of holistic reflexive performance (Cassidy, 2009). On the negative side, a parent is not aware of the pressures upon the student (Price, 2007). The parent of a sick child is anxious themselves and will be more subjective than objective.In conclusion, mentoring is a complex and diverse role, and one I will take on with focus and and knowledge, and endeavor to continue to develop as a practitioner, assessor and teacher in the clinical setting. This reflective process has been incredibly valuable in preparing me to be a mentor, and my personal and professional development. I have gained a much deeper understanding of the mentor student process through investigation of the various aspects of NMC standards, as well as various assessment and teaching strategies. Areas on which I must develop are clear, and in complet ing this ourse I feel adequately prepared, and look forward to further developing my skills and knowledge within this role. REFERENCES References Ali PA, Panther W (2008), Professional development and the role of mentorship, Nursing Standard, 35-39, Date of acceptance April 3 2008. Bass, B. M. & Bass, R. (2008). The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications (4th ed. ). New York: Free Press. 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