Monday, September 30, 2019

Country Life vs City Life

Country Life Better Than City Life In my opinion I think country life is better than city life. The city is very busy and crazy! The crowds and traffic generates stress that challenges the human being. Perhaps that is why the city people act like an angry, stressed and unfriendly person. The country is so calm and peaceful, makes the city people want to go down there for vacations. Life in the city is very challenging. The public transportation reduces the demand for your own vehicles and the accompanying expenses. City life provides distractions available in the arts, theater, and other forms of entertainment.Even though there is a lot of activities that you can do like, going shopping on every corner and sidewalk, the city life also carries a heavy price. Housing and food are expensive. Services, such as transportation, are expensive. Worst of all, the most expensive part of life in the city is the fee it takes on your body through stress. Stress is everywhere in the city with ever y waking moment in the city. The crowds, traffic, tight work schedules never calm down. The air in the city is not healthy at all. The poisons of thousands of vehicles overwhelm what little green life remains to clean the air. Crime is very high in most cities.The odds of becoming a victim are high even for simple trips to the local grocery store or bank. Your brain and body are endlessly attacked by environmental pollution that a human inhales. There are very few opportunities to relax, stress builds, and the quality of your life decreases. The city dweller looks forward to a day out of the city. Historically, movement patters have been from the city to the suburbs and later to the country. Escape becomes the order of the day. Each move to the outer boundaries of the urban environment makes life a little more peaceful. The move to the country is the greatest move of all.Peaceful is the most concise description of the country. The night is quiet. Soft insect noises and the plaintive call of an owl rule the stillness. No heavy traffic, no sirens, no rush of the â€Å"madding crowd. † Life is simple and calming. Food is grown locally, instead of remotely. Everyone knows your name, and has been to your grandparents’ house. The country offers advantages to the stressed city dweller that can reduce stress, induce health, and present understanding. The country is for the laid back, no-stress, free living life you always wished for! This is just a few reasons why the country life is better than the city life.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Baby Boom

Baby boom is generally referred to the 18 years period from 1946 to 1964 that saw the birth of around 76 million babies in the USA. Today the baby boomers forms almost one third of the total American population and they have been instrumental in changing USA in cultural, societal and political ways (Russell, 1987, 27). Baby boomers have been different from their preceding and succeeding generations in their philosophical and political outlook and hence critically affect the US policy as they mature and take important posts in academic, political and business realms.Baby boomers: Social and Political Outlook As the baby boom generation approaches middle and older ages, its voice and opinion would carry tremendous weight in affecting US policy and politics trends (Boulard, 2000). As the baby boom generation is generally affluent, politically and socially conscious and a distinct philosophical outlook, they carry a very powerful voting force with them, compelling state legislators to li sten to them.Baby boomers carry the crucial political weight more because the generation X, the generation that is in its 20s and 30s today, lacks enough political enthusiasm and motivation to seriously consider their voting rights. On the other hands, the maturing and graying baby boomers have started to show better understanding of social causes, taxes, and education and hence become active participants in construction of political voting patterns. Older and Younger Baby Boomers Baby boomers, being born over a period of 19 years, do not constitute one single generation.Instead, they are two distinct blocs within the baby boomers themselves, that have traditionally differed in their attitude and outlook major issues affecting politics and society. Baby boomers born between 1946 and 1955 are called as older baby boomers, while those born after 1955 to 1964 are referred as younger baby boomers. Older baby boomers have inclined to be less materialistic, more philosophical, drawn to so cial causes and have advantage over younger generation in taking up best jobs and greater economic prosperity.On the other hand the younger baby boomers have been typically hard boiled, concerned with money, less interested in social and political cause and preferred leisure over work (Russell, 1987). However, despite their ideological differences, together baby boomers constitute a massive force with huge economic leverage and power in shaping USA’s destiny. According to MetLife Mature Market Institute’s Demographic profile of American baby boomers, the baby boomers have combined annual spending power of more than $ 2 trillion, making them economically and financially most well off segment in USA.Future Implications By 2030, the baby boomers will be in the age group from 66 to 84, making up 20 % of the total American population. With their immense economic power and concern about their old age security, they will cast determining affect on government policies. It is n atural to expect that the aging baby boomers will support a government that is more attuned to their aging needs, security, health- care services, insurance services, tax rebates structure, pension policies, and issues concerning welfare of their families and children.Baby boomers, have a full spectrum of political views. As a group they have shared values of their parents, they are generally patriotic, and moderate in their social views. They voted two to one for Ronal Reagan in 1984 presidential elections (Light, 1988). In general baby boomers would be against the baby buster generation that succeeded them and each one of them would claim to generational identities and form distinct political block (Torres Gil, 1992, 137).It is likely that baby boomers will display generational identification and cohesion and hence the competition they are likely to enter with the younger generation would be along electoral strength and taxation. With their 76 million votes, it is unlikely that th ere is any conceivable political force can afford to overlook their demands, if they decide to vote on common issues affecting them (Torres Gil, 1992, 137). Reference Boulard, G. (2000). Challenges of a New Century. State Legislatures.Volume: 26. Issue: 1. Publication Date: January 2000. Page Number: 12. Demographic Profile. Mature Market Institute. Accessed on web 11. 14. 2006. http://www. metlife. com/WPSAssets/34442486101113318029V1FBoomer%20Profile%202005. pdf Light Paul. Baby Boomers. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1988. Russell, C. (1987). 100 Predictions for the Baby Boom: The Next 50 Years. Basic Books: New York. Torres-Gil, F. M. (1992). The New Aging: Politics and Change in America. Auburn House Paperback: Westport, CT.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Private Peaceful

Private Peaceful†¦ Innocence, love, courage and cowardice. Michael Morpurgo is most famous for his children’s literature, such as The Butterfly Lion or War Horse, so it might seem odd that what is considered a children’s book should appear on a newspaper for students, but the truth is that this book is moving. The story is written from the point of view Thomas â€Å"Tommo† Peaceful, a young man born around the turn of the 20th century who is, for reasons unknown until the end, reliving his whole life in one night, with each chapter beginning with a different time reference and a short passage from the present before indulging us within the past.He tells the reader about his life as a child in a small English village: his school life, his family, the death of his father and the goings on up at the big house, but mainly he speaks of his admirable older brother, Charlie, and his love for his friend Molly and their growth into adulthood together. When war breaks out in Europe Charlie refuses to go and fight until he is threatened with the eviction of his family from their house, and is forced to sign up.Thomas, despite only being fifteen, signs up as well, rejecting the idea of letting his brother go and fight on his own. And so they go off to war, and the story tells of the horror of life along the front line in Belgium, of the bad guys on our side, and the good guys on theirs, from the point of view of an innocent country boy, with constant interjections form the present that build up, leaving the reading in suspense about what the dreaded morning will bring for Private Peaceful, with a climatic and beautiful finish.At its roots, Private Charlie Peaceful is an angry response towards the capital punishment of the soldiers on the front line during the First World War, however somewhere along the line Morpurgo managed to conjure up a beautiful story of brotherly love during a dark period of our history.The narrative style he adopts is touch ing and powerful in a subtle way, and his use of historical context and repetition create a believable and likable narrator and an older brother every reader wants in hard times. The imagery Morpurgo uses crafts the peace of the countryside and the madness of war perfectly, and his astounding knowledge of both the character’s social and historical background are fantastic and worthy of incredible amounts of praise.Why this book didn’t win the Whitbread Award it was shortlisted for will continue to confuse me, unless by some freak accident it was competing against the Bible and/or War and Peace. I would recommend this to any child that’s interested in action, love, war or is just looking for a good read. Morpurgo writes so many good books but by far this is the best. And I’m sorry I could not give away the ending†¦ ‘I have promises to keep. ’ Private Peaceful Private Peaceful†¦ Innocence, love, courage and cowardice. Michael Morpurgo is most famous for his children’s literature, such as The Butterfly Lion or War Horse, so it might seem odd that what is considered a children’s book should appear on a newspaper for students, but the truth is that this book is moving. The story is written from the point of view Thomas â€Å"Tommo† Peaceful, a young man born around the turn of the 20th century who is, for reasons unknown until the end, reliving his whole life in one night, with each chapter beginning with a different time reference and a short passage from the present before indulging us within the past.He tells the reader about his life as a child in a small English village: his school life, his family, the death of his father and the goings on up at the big house, but mainly he speaks of his admirable older brother, Charlie, and his love for his friend Molly and their growth into adulthood together. When war breaks out in Europe Charlie refuses to go and fight until he is threatened with the eviction of his family from their house, and is forced to sign up.Thomas, despite only being fifteen, signs up as well, rejecting the idea of letting his brother go and fight on his own. And so they go off to war, and the story tells of the horror of life along the front line in Belgium, of the bad guys on our side, and the good guys on theirs, from the point of view of an innocent country boy, with constant interjections form the present that build up, leaving the reading in suspense about what the dreaded morning will bring for Private Peaceful, with a climatic and beautiful finish.At its roots, Private Charlie Peaceful is an angry response towards the capital punishment of the soldiers on the front line during the First World War, however somewhere along the line Morpurgo managed to conjure up a beautiful story of brotherly love during a dark period of our history.The narrative style he adopts is touch ing and powerful in a subtle way, and his use of historical context and repetition create a believable and likable narrator and an older brother every reader wants in hard times. The imagery Morpurgo uses crafts the peace of the countryside and the madness of war perfectly, and his astounding knowledge of both the character’s social and historical background are fantastic and worthy of incredible amounts of praise.Why this book didn’t win the Whitbread Award it was shortlisted for will continue to confuse me, unless by some freak accident it was competing against the Bible and/or War and Peace. I would recommend this to any child that’s interested in action, love, war or is just looking for a good read. Morpurgo writes so many good books but by far this is the best. And I’m sorry I could not give away the ending†¦ ‘I have promises to keep. ’

Friday, September 27, 2019

Economics of UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Economics of UAE - Essay Example In the middle of 1980s, formation of major organizations began that came to force the growth of the Dubai tourism group. During 1985, the state developed Emirates Airlines, using Dubai airport like its major center. During 1989, the Dubai Tourism Board remained established thus focusing on worldwide advertisings and posing Dubai like not only a business center but also an alternative objective. It was during 1997 when it changed to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) (Baumgarten, 2010:98). The DTCM being the owner of the tourism industry, together with the aid of several major institutions and organizations of the group, conducted the initial yearly Dubai shopping celebration in 1996. During 1997, Jumeirah Group remained developed like a hotel organization industry. The industry currently has a portfolio of the great end hotels in the whole globe. These organizations fastened their development of the group, and by 2000, 3.4 million tourists’ remains visitin g Dubai every calendar. Towards the start of the millennium, Dubai’s tourism group started developing at an almost quicker speed. Not at all witnessed previously ideal estate schemes introduced Dubai international awareness. The Burj-Al-Arab, that started operation during 1999 was the initial 7 star hotel in the globe. The Palm Island schemes, commenced in 2002, remained the initial of that type. Foreign currency remained received in Dubai as rich tourists visited to live at its classic hotels, or to buy a few of its worthy waterfront assets. Between 2006 and 2010, the figure of hotel beds increased at a yearly proportion of near to 10%. Improving distribution caused hotel renting to shift from 82.2% in 2007 to 66.8% in 2009. The size of Dubai’s Global Airport remained expanded during this time. Analysis Size, ownership and employees The tourism industry owned by the DTCM is expected to develop with almost a 15% of the nation’s GDP in the next ten years and have a value of Dh 277.8 billion (US$75.62bn) yearly. However, the 2007-2009 financial disaster remained specifically a shock on Dubai’s tourism group, as its concern on great destination expatriate tourists left it at risk when international demand declined. Accommodation in hotels reduced to 19% from 2007-2009 and income for each accessible cube reduced from $235 in 2007 for a night to $163 for a night in 2009. During 2010, nevertheless, the group started reestablishing; renting increased by 3%, and income for each accessible cube went up by $35 for a night. Ideal GDP increase for travel and tourism economy was -17.8% in 2010. Despite the previous changes, the now scheme path will witness Dubai developing its hotel cube size by higher than any other town in the globe (Scott, 2010:76). The tourism industry in Dubai has shown increased growth in the number of people employed each year with the figure rising from 166,000 people to 173,000 people, and its expected to grow up to 236 ,000 people in a year in the coming ten tears. Currently 98 million people have employed in the industry. Structure of the industry The tourism industry in UAE constitutes a very competitive market structure with very many airlines in the nation. The competition leads to creativity and innovation in a bid to compete in the market for long. During 2010, Dubai’s hotels had the greatest income for each accessible cube in the globe costing $198 and Dubai attained position 10th in the globe considering the renting rate of 78.6%. During 2008, Dubai remained recognized like

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Group Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Decisions - Essay Example esses develop the group essence in methods that are efficient in psychological ways, based on social reality that group members experience, and posses the ability of social impact in the society. Formal decision making processes are applied in the workplace; for instance, consensus decision making and voting based decision making. Consensus decision making strives at avoiding losers or winners (Janis, 2002). Consensus illustrate that majority group members approve a specific decision, but the majority should accept to adhere to the decision. Voting based decision making provides each group member with a score. The decision approach with the highest allocated score is chosen. Decision making is at times viewed individually as process and also outcome. Processes entail group members’ interactions; for example, coalitions of participants, influence or persuasion. A method of this decision approach is the subcommittee. Subcommittee entails giving responsibility of analyzing a decision, to the sub set of the bigger group. Subcommittees are mostly common in big governance groups, like the legislature (Janis, 2002). Decisions Support Systems (DSS) are information technology systems that assist group members in coming up with appropriate decisions. These systems greatly minimize human errors in the decision making process. DSS is significant during decision making on large projects like; technological innovation, complex engineering, and foreign market entry (Janis, 2002). Groups which very cohesive experience high influence of members in the decision are making process. Group cohesion illustrates a thorough study of how groups affect decision making capabilities of their members. The high influence in cohesive groups is because members need the belonging effect; hence. They own decisions

Water crisis in the South Asian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water crisis in the South Asian - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the world is facing severe water crisis and the developing world is suffering an acute shortage of fresh water supply even today. Water is required for a number of daily activities besides drinking and a shortage of water can ultimately lead to food scarcity in certain populous countries of the developing world. The population explosion and lack of planning in the developing world are among the core causes of this rampant situation. According to UN Water, some 1.3 million people are without the access to clean water and certain regions of the world face a threat of water wars. Water scarcity is most pronounced in North America, Middle East, and South Asia. India and Pakistan in South Asia have already fought a war over water supply issues. The cost of drinking water is more than that of gasoline in some of the Middle Eastern countries. This overview of the situation shows that water scarcity is perhaps the most important issue faced by the planet. The freshwater is present mostly in the form of groundwater aquifers. The water in streams and rivers forms a lesser portion of the available water resources. Almost 11 trillion cubic meters of freshwater is available in the world for drinking and other uses, however, this enormous supply of water is not uniformly distributed across the planet. Moreover, the availability of water also varies across the different seasons of the year. Some of the regions in the world receive as low as 500 cubic meters of water per capita per annum of water supply and are labeled as water stressed.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

PROJECT CHARTER, SCOPE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PROJECT CHARTER, SCOPE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example In addition, more than 2000 employees are currently working for Alotaibi Business Group. Moreover, this company wants to train their staff, they have to send them to third party training centers. In this scenario these training centers charge a lot of money for staff skills development and training. Thus, there is a great deal of need for building a staff training center at business premises because it will help Alotaibi Business Group save a lot of money by offering proper skills management and training to their staff. In addition, the absence of training center requires from Alotaibi Business Group to send their employees to outside the organization training centers and it is very costly for the reason that Alotaibi Business Group has a staff of 2000 people. The establishment of a new training center at the Alotaibi Business Group premises will offer an excellent support for in-house staff training and handling. It will also offer an excellent support for management of staff working and operations. In fact, the development of this training center will potentially reduce the overall human resource training cost to 50%. So there are a lot of new opportunities for the business such as cost reduction, time and money saving and so many more. This project will have some exclusion. These elements will not be a part of this project or a training center. The first element is the recruitment of a staff trainer that will not be a part of this project. Here this project will not entitle any process of recruiting new staff members and their interviews. The next important factor is that this project will not involve the staff food and eating arrangement. Here we will not be responsible for arranging refreshment or lunch for the staff. The successful establishment of a new training center for Alotaibi Business Group will offer them a lot of benefits. In this scenario, one of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Models of Institutional Control Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Models of Institutional Control - Coursework Example This paper discusses the three models and explains their effectiveness as forms of institutionalization. Under this model, the prison administration has the authority in its hands. The administrators are uncompromising and apply stringent control measures over inmates’ lives. Under this model, official channel utilizing a chain of command binds communication between administrators and staff (Dilulio, 1987). The control model is an effective tool in sustaining internal order within a prison system (Stojkovic, 2004). The responsibility model allows inmates to have some control and as a result, there is less disorder. Here, prison administrators rely on maintaining order by placing restrictions on institutional control and letting prisoners to self-govern within a security setting. The communication between staff and prison administrators is casual and all staff members communicate on daily basis without following a chain of command (Dilulio, 1987). This model is effective in preventing tension and disorder within the prison (Stojkovic, 2004). The consensual model is a blend of responsibility and control models. This model shadows the responsibility model in that inmates have some control within the prison system and as such, there is less disorder. This model disregards both the control and the responsibility models. The model argues for a less restrictive prison environment and is liberal concerning policies governing prisoners’ welfare. Communication between staff and prison administrators is both informal and formal (Dilulio, 1987). This model is effective in fostering inmates’ participation in decision making process and choice of prison policies such as grooming and property rights (Brydensholt,

Monday, September 23, 2019

Extra credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Extra credit - Assignment Example entioned it clearly in the policy statement that it was â€Å"necessary and desirable that areas of unusual natural significance be set aside and preserved for the benefit of present and future generations†¦Once the areas have been destroyed, the areas cannot be wholly restored† (The Nature Conservancy, 2015). Development of the Mounds Lake Reservoir would also put the natural lands at risk, that the state has invested years of effort and money to build and protect for environmental beauty, health, and safety. There is possibility of development of a state water plan while it is established whether development of the Mounds Lake Reservoir is avoidable or unavoidable for being a public necessity. The water plan would yield information about the state’s water needs along with protecting the sustainability of the water sources. The material presented relates to a range of course topics in general and to the topics of biodiversity; population and community ecology; eco systems; and water quality, solid waste, and agriculture in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Famous Women and their Contribution to Egypt Essay Example for Free

Famous Women and their Contribution to Egypt Essay Shagrat al-Durr took upon herself the title of Sultan and regrouped the Egyptian army to take Damietta back from the Frankish Crusaders. She become the center of power as the leader of Mamluks During this new period, that of the Mamluks, Cairo was to become the center of power. The Mamluks kept their power for more than two centuries in Egypt and Syria. Shagrat al-Durr is one of the very few women in Islamic history to ascend to the throne. Her sensational life to show the information that a striving woman had to depend on the good will of men to be able to lead. Shagrat has been a good leader using her experience at administration and leadership. That is why Mamluks have succeeded leading Egypt and Syria for tow centuries. Tiye She is the married to Ramesses III (c. 1194-1163 B. C. ) and called the queen of the 20th century. She was involved in the harem plot, which sought to assassinate the king and place her son on the throne of Egypt, and was mentioned in the Juridical papyrus of Turin. The plot against the king was discobered, and the queen and the other members of the cabal were tried in a royal court. Nothing is known of the fate of Queen Tiye in the affair. She is a worshipper of Aten. And for those who believed believe the basic elements of the story of Moses from the Old Testament, as Queen Tiye’s influence may have helped give birth to Judaism, Christianity and Islam Nifertiti She was s the Great Royal Wife (or chief consort/wife) of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep IV and mother-in-law of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. She is considered to Cleopatra as the famous Queen of Egypt. Because of her feminine beauty you can see that she had greatly influenced the standard in the art of photography for the 20th century, not only in Egypt but also around the world. Cleopatra When you think of the phrase queen of Egypt. She will be the first one that will enter your mind. For many she is a not only one of the most beautiful queen and seductress that ever lived in the history of men. Little did other people know that Cleopatra was an educated in the sciences, and no doubt encouraged scientists and discussed their findings and thoughts with them. She would have been an equal among them, not because of her social standing, but because of her intelligence and education Furthermore. She is brilliant early mathematician, chemist and philosopher who wrote science books and met weekly with a team of scientific experts, according to a forthcoming book (Viegas, 2004). References Baron, Beth (2005) Egypt as a Woman: Nationalism, Gender and Politics. University of California Press. Mernissi, Fatima (1993) The Forgotten Queens of Islam. University of Minnesota Press, In Charis Waddy, Women in Muslim History, Longman, 1980 http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/11/GGD7.html

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay Introduction The marketing communication these days have changed like never before with more emphasis on the non conventional media rather than just relying on the mass media. Companies are no longer looking at the mass media as their saviour to reach out to the masses and convince them; on the contrary many of them find these mass media advertising as intrusive and the messages carried through them does not create the impact as much as they want it to be. Integrated marketing communication is the order of the day with multiple mediums used by the companies ensuring that they reach out to the customers in a more effective and efficient manner. By having the messages communicated through various channels they make sure that these companies are able to create a complete brand experience. IMC tries to integrate various marketing communication channels such as PR, online and social media, mass media advertising etc into one singular entity conveying a compelling simple theme that can get the customer s for the company. The main factor that these companies have to make sure is that they convey a unified message in all the mediums. There are several examples where companies in an attempt to woo the customers tried to pass on conflicting messages thus driving the customers away from them. Synergy between various mediums and the compatibility of the messages in all the mediums thus plays a very important role in this case (Fall C, 2002). NESTLE In UK In a recent media statement, the Swiss food giant Nestle said that they are well placed to cope up with the changing demographics and cost pressures and they are all set to rule the UK market. This statement came in view of the rise in the input prices by almost 10 % which has made other major corporations found wanting. Nestle still believes that they can be a market leader in confectionaries after the huge success of their brand Kit Kat which was well established. But the company has been under severe pressure to streamline its processes due to the fact that there has been an increase in the price of raw materials and that too the customer base in UK is more or less saturating leaving no room for further expansion. Major supplier of cocoa, Ivory Coast going through a rough political phase has been the reason for worry in UK confectionary industry. This leads to changes in prices even though Nestle claims that the pricing wont vary much and would be decided upon based on various segments that they are catering to (Ellwood, I. 2002). All these factors lead to the importance of having a loyal customer base and increased frequency of use by the existing customer base. In order to reach to your customer and get a share of their mind, especially in the FMCG segment it is essential that you have to reinforce the message again and again so as to get a top of the mind recall. In this age when one is bombarded with thousands of advertisements every day, unless and until you try out something different the customers are not really going to pay attention to you. One way to overcome this problem is using an integrated marketing communication approach, wherein the messages are passed on to the customers by means of various channels and thus reinforcing the message. By using various media options that are seen as non intrusive you are actually talking to the customers in a more conducive environment and hence they are more likely to listen to you (Davies, M. 1998). When y ou run a campaign it is essential to monitor the campaign and then guide it at each and every stage so that the money that is spent on advertising is not wasted. This is also possible by the use of various media options like Social and interactive media where the customers essentially form a part of the campaign thus giving them a feeling that they have an involvement in the whole process and thus they feel like owning the product. Integrated Marketing Campaign by NESTLE Nestle has been using Integrated marketing campaigns to good effect in almost all the countries they are into. They have been using non conventional media options to good effect so as to maintain the brand image that they have developed at the same time ensure a top of the mind recall in the minds of the customers. They have been into event marketing which is a very effective mode of communicating with your customers, as they are in a framework of mind to listen to you. C:UsersSharonDesktopAIM-path-to-purchase-generic.jpg For example their recent family days campaign as a part of the Minor league basketball sponsorship. They are using all the available media options for this purpose and have made an interactive website which has already attracted many hits in the initial days of the campaign itself. Thus by making the product a part of the events the company is trying to make it an essential part in the lives of those who love baseball and the customers start associating themselves with the brand more. This gives them immense opportunities to piggy-back on those events and thus creates a hype and excitement around the brand (Brassington, F and Pettitt, S, 2000). They can even analyse the current brand health and these events gives you the best platform to relaunch or reinforce the position in the market. By linking a campaign to loyalty and frequency programs the company can actually get more of repeat purchases thus ensuring that they are getting most out of a profitable customer by maintaining a lon g term relationship with them. Let us now look at various media options that are available, the pros and cons of them with respect to Nestle and then analyse whether they should go ahead with such an option or not. Mass Media Nestle being in FMCG category it is essential for them to advertise and remain in the minds of the customers and hence they have to use mass media. This is the cheapest option in terms of the cost per customer is concerned but the main worrying factor is that most of the developed nations have already admitted the famous death of mass media marketing as there are so many messages bombarded to the customers and they started ignoring the messages or is selectively paying attention to these channels. Another main factor that repels customer attention towards these channels are that the messages which are communicated are not distinctive or refreshing. For example when two companies Nestle and Cadbury comes up with a TV commercial about similar products, the customers dont find any major difference between the two and hence they tend to ignore both and the purchase is often impulsive. By Have a break Have a Kit Kat campaign the company tried to project the chocolate as a thing that can b e used whenever there is a break. The marketing teams often fall into this trap, they cannot survive the competition without getting a share of mind and voice which is possible only with mass media channels, but they themselves know that the message that they communicate is not targeted at the population that they are selling to or the majority does not care to buy the product. But in an FMCG industry in order to ensure parity with others in the market, companies are forced to make media expenditure on the product. The company thus have to ensure that they get the right TV spots whenever they are advertising rather than just extravagantly spending on Television advertising. In case of print media the life of ad is even longer and one can actually target the customers in a more effective manner. They can communicate their brand positioning in a more effective manner and the shelf value of such ads are much more than that of a radio or a TV commercial. Nestle has been not utilising this medium effectively, rather than just concentrating heavily on the TV commercials (Aaker, D and Joachimsthaler, E 2000). They should come out with effective Print ads in various national dailies and magazines that are meant for fun since their target group essentially reads these magazines and dailies. By means of print media, company can give more information to the customers and they can even invite them to be a part of various contests that they are planning in any campaign. Mobile Applications With widespread adoption of mobile phones, this is one of the important areas which can be effectively used by the Nestle. Most of the customers find mobile marketing as non intrusive and hence they welcome it if done in moderation. Again being an FMCG product Nestle have to combine this mobile marketing with any other sort of marketing such as event related or contests. They can give personalised information to individual customers on various product information and event sponsorships like that of Minor League Football Sponsorship. This medium is very effective because of the fact that the company can target its customers in a more effective manner. Unlike mass media which appeals to all sections of the population, in this case only the profitable customers can be targeted by effective use of CRM and database solutions. The messages are passed on to only those who have a good customer life time value according to the company statistics. This medium can also be used to lure those cus tomers who are likely to switch by offering them better deals and better variety of options. Given the tie up of Nestle with major retail stores in UK, it can be stated that they have good information about its customers preferences and they can utilise them to attract the customers into their fold. Online Media Marketers have realised the power of online media and almost every other company is trying hard to use the online media space to communicate their message to the customers. The customers on the other hand prefer this media much more than that of any other media channel because of the fact that this media channel gives them the option of a two way dialogue. Nestle can come up with initiatives to make customers a part of their marketing campaigns by means of suggestions and contests. Online media can be a double edged sword; it can create negative word of mouth which can affect the brand equity. No one realises it better than Nestle as they have already faced the brunt of Milk product campaign which gave them bad word of mouth and the news got spread all across the world in no time because of online media. There were several Boycott Nestle campaigns run across the world. So it has to be handled effectively. Online media also gives in-depth product information that the customers need. O ne of the main challenges that Nestle faces while addressing such an issue is that they have attract the customers to their website, which is difficult in case of an FMCG product. This can be done by having interactive sections, games and contests on the website which will draw the public towards these websites. The company can also go in for advertorials and expert comments which are taken with more credibility by the public. They develop a sense of trust in the brand when the products are endorsed by the domain experts and celebrities. Social networking is one major tool which is being increasingly used by many companies. People who are their target segment are internet savvy and spend most of their time in social networking sites like facebook. The company can promote their products through these sites and get a customer feedback directly from them (Assael, H. 1992). By placing the product promotions within various games and other applications that can help them in making the brand memorable in the minds of the people. One of the important factors why marketers prefer this media option is that they get a direct feedback over a specific marketing campaign that they run and hence they are able to mould it accordingly based on the needs and requirements of the company. Moreover internet offe rs them immense opportunities to promote the product at a very less cost and thus direct the expenses in a more effective manner. Out of the Home Advertising Out of the home advertising has moved on from the ages of static bill boards which occupied the advertising history for so long. Emergence of 3D sign-boards and likes has made the arena more compelling and attractive for the customer to take a note while he is on transit. There are several examples where companies engage in direct battles with the competitors through out of the home media (Baker, M. 2000). The industry is focusing more on OOH as it provides a cheaper substitute to the mass media at the same time helps them in making aware about the product. Nestle even though have been involved in a certain degree of Out of the home mode of advertising, they havent made any real breakthrough as afar as out of the home media is concerned (Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. 1981). They heavily rely on 2D ordinary bill boards still. They have to move out of the conventional methods and try out something new like a 3D billboard. If the company has to target the rural segment then they have to effectively use it. Given the fact that the urban customer base are already on a saturation , Nestle has to concentrate more on its rural population and this can be done effectively with the help of Out of the home media channels. Direct and E-mail Marketing FMCG companies use less of direct and email marketing, as they have very little information as compared to that of many high involvement products. The company have not been using this media option that much. Nestle can still use direct mailers and e mails to its profitable customers. But still they wont have much of an option when they consider such an option. This can be used while they run any particular contests or to attract the customers to their websites. Nestle can use this mode of option to direct the traffic to the website and then promote the products through the website. Marketers can measure the response rate of the direct mailer campaigns and hence can monitor the same very easily. Many companies ignore this route but Nestle can make use of this mode so that it can complement other methods of marketing (David Sebastan, 1959). PROS CONS of IMC: Why it should be Used? One of the main advantages of using an IMC approach in case of an FMCG is that it helps in effective cross functional merging of various media channels rather than just depending on the mass media to deliver. With an integrated marketing approach communication with the customers improves and it ensures that customers voice is also heard and at the same time gives them a sense of involvement in the whole process. By profiling the customers based on demographics and psychographics, Nestle can actually target only those who are actually a part of the target group rather than just communicating with anyone and everyone who is not a part of companies target group (John Gullivan, 1998). By applying strategic segmentation of customers, the company would be clear with respect to the communication objectives that they are upto and they help them in simplifying the whole process as they get an idea about how much to spend on each channel based on the effectiveness of the medium. Integrated mar keting communications approach also makes sure that many offline and online mediums which have high potential but rarely used are also used in the process to ensure that the customers are attacked from all the sides and they essentially develop a sort of bonding with the customers (Hoyer, W.D. and MacInnis, D.J. 2001). With the advent of online and internet marketing numerous ways to woo the customers such as Search engine optimisation e marketing campaigns pay per click, blogs, RSS podcasts etc are used which have proved to be non intrusive and very effective in reaching the customers. One of the main advantages of such a campaign is that Nestle would be able to customise the marketing communications based on the time budget and resources of the customers. This helps in streamlining the available resources with the company in a efficient manner. Nestle being a large corporation has the financial muscle power to utilise various channels to reach out to the customer and thus create a visible difference in their current campaign. The main disadvantages of such a campaign are that there need to be simple message that needs to be communicated through various mediums. If the messages in various mediums are contrasting then it is never going to work in favour of the company. It also depends excessively on the database that the company have and the profiling that they do with the data. If not done in a proper manner then all the money that one spends on it is going to be wasted (Glynn Mangold, David J. Faulds, 1992). The benefits of such campaigns are that it helps the company is maximising the use of money that they spend on marketing communications and it has been seen in many examples that the net results out of such campaigns per dollar is much more than that of normal mass media communications. It helps in interacting with the customers at an individual basis which is more effective and when you have a simple compelling story to tell through various media channels it is going to be a success for sure.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Databases, Forms, and Reports Essay -- Database Organization Design Es

Databases, Forms, and Reports This paper will discuss databases, forms and reports. Why has the use of databases increased dramatically? What factors should be considered when designing a database and why? How would you go about designing forms and reports from scratch? In conclusion, a summation will be given along with closing thoughts. Database Usage A database is an organized collection of information or data. It is a collection of organized information in which a computer can easily select and display different fields of data. Databases have been in use since the earliest days of electronic computing, but the vast majority of these were custom programs written to access custom databases. Unlike modern systems which can be applied to widely different databases and needs, these systems were tightly linked to the database in order to gain speed at the price of flexibility. As computers grew in capability this tradeoff became increasingly unnecessary, as a number of general-purpose database systems emerged. With the implementation of relational and object-oriented databases, companies found that the use of databases were much more productive and cost effective. Productivity and cost effectiveness being two of the main factors as to why the use of databases has increased dramatically over the years. Most recently there has also beco me a growing interest in using company data to improve business performance. Queries around business performance analysis were the top datab...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Descartes, Leibniz, And Spinoza Essay -- essays research papers

If these great thinkers (Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz) were to discuss instead the soul’s connection to the body, what might each say (both on his own behalf and in response to the other)? Would they find any places where they might agree? If not, why not? (These are, after all, smart guys!)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though this sort of meeting would strike me as a debate with as furiously disparate and uncompromising ideals as one would find in a meeting of Andrew Weil, Jerry Falwell, and David Duke, I expect that the philosophers would find some surprisingly common ground. Descartes, the Christian outcast, Spinoza, the Jewish outcast, and Leibniz, the creative mathematician all acknowledge that what we know better than anything is the mind. Given this, we can deduce that any knowledge we acquire of our perceived bodies does not necessarily relate to some external reality, physical substance, or biological bodies. However, from this point on the three scholars meander off in separate definitive arguments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Descartes reasons in â€Å"Meditations on the First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Distinction Between Mind and Body are Demonstrated† that mind and body are real, extant, and separate products of God. He does this by suggesting that if the body were not real, then God would be deceiving us, which is unlikely from a perfect god. He also arrives at a proof for his mind’s existence by postulating the famous cogito, ...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Beowulf and the Dragon :: Anglo Saxon Strength Poems Essays

Beowulf and the Dragon Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called â€Å"Beowulf and the Dragon.† A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem. In the scene, â€Å"Beowulf and the Dragon,† a slave guilty of wrongdoing has to steal to earn his freedom and be forgiven for what he has done wrong. The slave decides to steal a beautiful cup to pay off his mistake, which was probably murder. The slave does not realize that he is stealing from the dragon until he actually sees the dragon. The slave immediately knows that it is an enormous mistake to anger the dragon, but he panics and leaves with the cup. When the dragon awakes after three hundred years of sleep, he discovers that his cup has been stolen. The dragon, also known as the worm, fills with anger and rage. Even though he is so angry, he does like the idea of battle: â€Å"Yet he took joy in the thought of war, in the work of fighting† (Donaldson 40). The dragon cannot wait to ravage the land of the people where one man has stolen from him: â€Å"The hoard-guard waited restless until evening came; then the barrow-keeper was in rage: he would requite that precious drinking cup with vengeful fire† (Donaldson 40). The dragon destroys the land and kills everyone around. The dragon even destroys Beowulf’s home. When Beowulf finds out about his home being destroyed, he decides that he is going to kill the dragon himself. Although Beowulf is very old at this point, he still has the confidence to slay the dragon. Beowulf has been king for fifty years, and he knows that all of his experiences in battle is enough for him to defeat the dragon. This is the first scene in where we see Beowulf as an old man. The poem skips fifty years between the first and second parts, and this scene picks up after the fifty-year gap. This scene also sets up Beowulf’s last great battle, which happens with the dragon. This scene also describes Anglo-Saxon beliefs. The scene shows how the people, and the dragon, love to fight. It is their way of life. It also shows a little bit of the law.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Medicine Is Not Always The Answer Essay

For as far back as one could remember, using medicine to ‘fix’ an ailment has always been the right thing to do. Runny nose? Take something for it. Scratchy throat? Take something for it. If what’s being taken doesn’t help, take something stronger! It is never implied to let a cold run its course. The exact same thing happens when a child is diagnosed with ADHD. Medication is one of the first things that is suggested to control the symptoms of ADHD. Children who have been labeled as having ADHD are almost uncontrollable and it causes a strain on the parents, teachers and doctors who are already overworked and exhausted. However, medication brings on a plethora of other issues. When attempting to treat a child for ADHD, medicine, especially stimulants, shouldn’t be the first option. A child who is given stimulant medicines to combat the symptoms of ADHD can look forward to heart related issues, additional health problems and the possibility of the medicine regimen not being successful. Stimulant drugs are almost always used to treat the symptoms that a child is experiencing after being diagnosed as having ADHD. Stimulants are designed to increase the attention span of a person while decreasing their impulsiveness. With all of this, stimulants potentially affect the heart. These medications cause sudden death in children and adults that mostly have existing heart issues. One side effect of stimulants relative to heart issues is racing heartbeat. Stimulants cause the heart to race and will eventually cause death if it isn’t controlled in a timely manner. In addition, stimulants also cause the blood pressure to become elevated. Elevated blood pressure weakens the heart. Using stimulants in a child that may have ADHD has been proven to not be as safe as it was initially thought.   Now, because of the stimulant medicines, the child has the potential to experience other health issues. Some of the more common health issues that occur as a result of using stimulant medicines are headaches, upset stomach, nausea, depression and difficulty sleeping. All of these other additional health issues will need to be addressed. The child will have to take something for the nausea and the headache and the insomnia that they are now experiencing. So the initial stimulant medication is tweaked to try to rule  out side effects and then they’re on three or four medications. Is it ever considered that these stimulant medications can do more harm than good? None of these things seem to be considered when deciding to just ‘medicate’ the symptoms. This doesn’t help the situation at all. Potentially you have a child who’s been misdiagnosed, is now on medication for it and now he’s on medication for the side effects. At the end of all of this you have a parent who is now overwhelmed. What could possibly happen now? According to Christian Science Monitor, ADHD is Problematic. â€Å"After generations of research, there is still no test for ADHD, nor is there a standard diagnostic measure within the profession’ (Christian Science Monitor, 2013). When the parents and the doctors of a child who has symptoms of ADHD have tried stimulant medicines and nothing has works, what can be done? Having a medicine regime that is unsuccessful is definitely a very strong possibility. What happens when the medication route becomes unsuccessful? All medicines don’t work for everybody. What does a parent do when they’ve taken the doctor’s advice to medicate their child and end up doing more harm than good? Medicating a child is not necessarily a guaranteed solution. This is one of the main reasons that medicine should not be the first choice when attempting to treat the symptoms of ADHD. Medicating a child is not a guaranteed fix for dealing with ADHD. When making the decision to address ADHD and children, don’t rush to do so. â€Å"Sometimes other medical conditions – or even normal childhood behaviors – can be mistaken for ADD/ADHD symptoms, so be sure to eliminate all other possible causes before considering medication for your child† (Help Guide, 2013). Is medicating the symptoms of ADHD really the answer? Unfortunately, medication will not cure this disorder. Medication is designed to control the symptoms of the disorder. Medicating a child should be a last ditch effort when dealing with ADHD. Choosing to medicate a child brings on several different, complex issues. Heart related issues, additional health problems as well as an unsuccessful medicine regimen are all real issues when choosing to deal with medicating the symptoms of ADHD. Considering the use of medication is very risky. There should be other avenues that are considered when attempting to address dealing with ADHD in a child. Giving a child love, affection and mostly attention, should always  be one of the first things to try when dealing with a child that could possibly have ADHD. It’s not the child’s fault that his parents are overwhelmed with life.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Alice Munro the Found Boat Essay

At the end of Bell Street, McKay Street, Mayo Street, there was the Flood. It was the Wawanash River, which every spring overflowed its banks. Some springs, say one in every five, it covered the roads on that side of town and washed over the fields, creating a shallow choppy take. Light reflected off the water made every- thing bright and cold, as it is in a lakeside town, and woke or revived in people certain vague hopes of disaster. Mostly during the late afternoon and early evening, there were people straggling out to took at it, and discuss whether it was still rising, and whether this time it might invade the town. In general, those under fifteen and over sixty-five were most certain that it would. Eva and Carol rode out on their bicycles. They left the road-it was the end of Mayo Street, past any houses- and rode right into a field, over a wire fence entirely flattened by the weight of the winter’s snow. They coasted a little way before the long grass stopped them, then left their bicycles lying down and went to the water. ‘We have to find a log and ride on it,† Eva said. ‘Jesus, we’ll freeze our legs off. ‘Jesus, we’ll freeze our legs off’ said one of the boys who were there too at the water’s edge. He spoke in a sour whine, the way boys imitated girls although it was nothing like the way girls talked. These boys-there were three of them- were all in the same class as Eva and Carol at school and were known to them by name (their names being Frank, Bud and Clayton), but Eva and Carol, who had seen and recognized them from the road, had not spoken to them or looked at them or, even yet, given any sign of knowing they were there. The boys seemed to be trying to make a raft, from lumber they had salvaged from the water. Eva and Carol took off their shoes and socks and waded in. The water was so cold it sent pain up their legs, like blue electric sparks shooting through their veins, but they went on, putting their skirts high, tight behind and bunched so they could hold them in front. ‘Look at the fat-assed ducks in wading. ‘ ‘Fat-assed f****. † Eva and Carol, of course, gave no sign of hearing this. They laid hold of a log and climbed on, taking a couple of boards floating in the water for addles. There were always things floating around in the Flood-branches, fence-rails, logs, road signs, old lumber; sometimes boilers, washtubs, pots and pans, or even a car seat or stuffed chair, as if somewhere the Flood had got into a dump. They paddled away from shore, heading out into the cold take. The water was perfectly clear, they could see the brown grass swimming along the bottom. Suppose it was the sea, thought Eva. She thought of drowned cities and countries. Atlantis. Suppose they were riding in a Viking boat-Viking boats on the Atlantic were more frail and narrow than this log on the Flood-and they had miles of clear sea beneath them, then a spired city, intact as a jewel irretrievable on the ocean floor. This is a Viking boat,† she said. ‘I am the carving on the front. † She stuck her chest out and stretched her neck, trying to make a curve, and she made a face, putting out her tongue. Then she turned and for the first time took notice of the boys. ‘Hey, you sucks! † she yelled at them. ‘You’d be scared to come out here, this water is ten feet deep! â€Å"Liar,’ they answered without interest, and she was. They steered the log around a row of trees, avoiding floating barbed wire, and got into a little bay created by a natural hollow of the land. Where the bay was now, there would be a pond full of frogs later in the spring, and by the middle of summer there would be no water visible at all, just a low tangle of reeds and bushes, green, to show that mud was still wet around their roots. Larger bushes, willows, grew around the steep bank of this pond and were still partly out of the water. Eva and Carol let the log ride in. They saw a place where something was caught. It was a boat, or part of one. An old rowboat with most of one side ripped out, the board that had been the seat just dangling. It was pushed up among the branches, lying on what would have been its side, if it had a side, the prow caught high. Their idea came to them without consultation, at the same time: ‘You guys! Hey, you guys! † ‘We found you a boat! † â€Å"Stop building your stupid raft and come and took at the boat! ‘ What surprised them in the first place was that the boys really did come, scrambling overland, half running, half sliding down the bank, wanting to see. ‘Hey, where? ‘ ‘Where is it, I don’t see no boat. â€Å" What surprised them in the second place was that when the boys did actually see what boat was meant, this old flood-smashed wreck held up in the branches, they did not understand that they had been footed, that a joke had been played on them. They did not show a moment’s disappointment, but seemed as pleased at the discovery as if the boat had been whole and new. They were already barefoot, because they had been wading in the water to get lumber, and they waded in here without a stop, surrounding the boat and appraising it and paying no attention even of an insulting kind to Eva and Carol who bobbed up and down on their log. Eva and Carol had to call to them. ‘How do you think you’re going to get it off.? ‘ â€Å"It won’t float anyway. ‘ ‘What makes you think it will float? ‘ ‘It’ll sink. Glub-blub-blub, you’ll all be drownded. † The boys did not answer, because they were too busy walking around the boat, pulling at it in a testing way to see how it could be got off with the least possible damage. Frank, who was the most literate, talkative and inept of the three, began referring to the boat as she, an affectation which Eva and Carol acknowledged with fish-mouths of contempt. ‘She’s caught two places. You got to be careful not to tear a hole in her bottom. She’s heavier than you’d think. ‘ It was Clayton who climbed up and freed the boat, and Bud, a tall fat boy, who got the weight of it on his back to turn it into the water so that they could half float, half carry it to shore. All this took some time. Eva and Carol abandoned their log and waded out of the water. They walked overland to get their shoes and socks and bicycles. They did not need to come back this way but they came. They stood at the top of the hill, leaning on their bicycles. They did not go on home, but they did not sit down and frankly watch, either. They stood more or less facing each other, but glancing down at the water and at the boys struggling with the boat, as if they had just halted for a moment out of curiosity, and staying longer than they intended, to see what came of this unpromising project. About nine o’clock, or when it was nearly dark-dark to people inside the houses, but not quite dark outside-they all returned to town, going along Mayo Street in a sort of procession. Frank and Bud and Clayton came carrying the boat, upside-down, and Eva and Carol walked behind, wheeling their bicycles. The boys’ heads were almost hidden in the darkness of the overturned boat, with its smell of soaked wood, cold swampy water. The girls could took ahead and see the street lights in their tin reflectors, a necklace of lights climbing Mayo Street, reaching all the way up to the standpipe. They turned onto Burns Street heading for Clayton’s house, the nearest house belonging to any of them. nis was not the way home for Eva or for Carol either, but they followed along. The boys were perhaps too busy carrying the boat to tell them to go away. Some younger children were still out playing, playing hopscotch on the sidewalk though they could hardly see. At this time of year the bare sidewalk was still such a novelty and delight. These children cleared out of the way and watched the boat 90 by with unwilling respect; they shouted questions after it, wanting to know where it came from and what was going to be done with it. No one answered them. Eva and Carol as well as the boys refused to answer or even took at them. The five of them entered Clayton’s yard. ‘Me boys shifted weight, as if they were going to put the boat down. You better take it round to the back where nobody can see it,’ Carol said. That was the first thing any of them had said since they came into town. The boys said nothing but went on, following a mud path between Clayton’s house and a leaning board fence. They let the boat down in the back yard. â€Å"It’s a stolen boat, you know,† said Eva, mainly for the effect. ‘It must’ve belonged to somebody. You stole it. † ‘You was the ones who stole it then,† Bud said, short of breath. ‘It was you seen it first. † -It was you took it. † ‘It was all of us then. If one of us gets in trouble then all of us does. ‘Are you going to tell anybody on them? † said Carol as she and Eva rode home, along the streets which were dark between the lights now and potholed from winter. â€Å"It’s up to you. I won’t if you won’t. † â€Å"I won’t if you won’t† They rode in silence, relinquishing something, but not discontented. The board fence in Clayton’s back yard had every so often a post which sup, ported it, or tried to, and it was on these posts that Eva and Carol spent several evenings sitting, jauntily but not very comfortably. Or else they just leaned against the fence while the boys worked on the boat. During the first couple of evenings neighborhood children attracted by the sound of hammering tried to get into the yard to see what was going on, but Eva and Carol blocked their way. â€Å"Who said you could come in here? † ‘Just us can come in this yard. † These evenings were getting longer, the air milder. Skipping was starting on the sidewalks. Further along the street there was a row of hard maples that had been tapped. Children drank the sap as fast as it could drip into the buckets. The old man and woman who owned the trees, and who hoped to make syrup, came running out of the house making noises as if they were trying to scare away crows. Finally, every spring, the old man would come out on his porch and fire his shot- gun into the air, and then the thieving would stop. None of those working on the boat bothered about stealing sap, though all had done so last year. The lumber to repair the boat was picked up here and there, along back lanes. At this time of year things were lying around-old boards and branches, sodden mitts, spoons Hung out with the dishwater, lids of pudding pots that had been set in the snow to cool, all the debris that can sift through and survive winter. The tools came from Clayton’s cellar-left over, presumably, from the time when his father was alive- and though they had nobody to advise them the boys seemed to figure out more or less the manner in which boats are built, or rebuilt. Frank was the one who showed up with diagrams from books and Popular Mechanics magazines. Clayton looked at these diagrams and listened to Frank read the instructions and then went ahead and decided in his own way what was to be done. Bud was best at sawing. Eva and Carol watched everything from the fence and offered criticism and thought up names. Me names for the boat that they thought of were: Water Lily, Sea Horse, Flood Queen, and Caro-Eve, after them because they had found it. The boys did not say which, if any, of these names they found satisfactory. The boat had to be tarred. Clayton heated up a pot of tar on the kitchen stove and brought it out and painted slowly, his thorough way, sitting astride the overturned boat. The other boys were sawing a board to make a new seat. As Clayton worked, the tar cooled and thickened so that finally he could not move the brush any more. He turned to Eva and held out the pot and said, ‘You ran go in and heat this on the stove. ‘ Eva took the pot and went up the back steps. The kitchen seemed black after outside, but it must be light enough to see in, because there was Clayton’s mother standing at the ironing board, ironing. She did that for a living, took in wash and ironing. ‘Please may I put the tar pot on the stove? † said Eva, who had been brought up to talk politely to parents, even wash-and-iron ladies, and who for some reason especially wanted to make a good impression on Clayton’s mother. You’ll have to poke up the fire then,’ said Clayton’s mother, as if she doubted whether Eva would know how to do that. But Eva could see now, and she picked up the lid with the stove-lifter, and took the poker and poked up a flame. She stirred the tar as it softened. She felt privileged. Then and later. Before she went to sleep a picture of Clayton came to her mind; she saw him sitting astride the boat, tar painting, with such concentration, delicacy, absorption. She thought of him speaking to her, out of his isolation, in such an ordinary peaceful taking-for- granted voice. On the twenty-fourth of May, a school holiday in the middle of the week, the boat was carried out of town, a long way now, off the road over fields and fences that had been repaired, to where the river flowed between its normal banks. Eva and Carol, as well as the boys, took turns carrying it. It was launched in the water from a cow-trampled spot between willow bushes that were fresh out in leaf. The boys went first. They yelled with triumph when the boat did float, when it rode amazingly down the river current. The boat was painted black, and green inside, with yellow seats, and a strip of yellow all the way around the outside. There was no name on it, after all. The boys could not imagine that it needed any name to keep it separate from the other boats in the world. Eva and Carol ran along the bank, carrying bags full of peanut butter-and- jam sandwiches, pickles, bananas, chocolate cake, potato chips, graham crackers stuck together with corn syrup and five bottles of pop to be cooled in the river water. The bottles bumped against their legs. They yelled for a turn. ‘If they don’t let us they’re bastards,† Carol said, and they yelled together, ‘We found it! We found it! The boys did not answer, but after a while they brought the boat in, and Carol and Eva came crashing, panting down the bank. ‘Does it leak? ‘ ‘It don’t leak yet. † ‘We forgot a bailing can,’ waited Carol, but nevertheless she got in, with Eva, and Frank pushed them off, crying, ‘Here’s to a Watery Grave! ‘ And the thing about being in a boat was that it was not solidly bobbing, like a log, but was cupped in the water, so that riding in it was not like being on some- thing in the water, but like being in the water itself. Soon they were ll going out in the boat in mixed-up turns, two boys and a girt, two girls and a boy, a girl and a boy, until things were so confused it was impossible to tell whose turn came next, and nobody cared anyway. They went down the river -those who weren’t riding, running along the bank to keep up. They passed under two bridges, one iron, one cement. Once they saw a big carp just resting, it seemed to smile at them, in the bridge-shaded water. They did not know how far they had gone on the river, but things had changed- the water had got shallower, and the land flatter. Across an open field they saw a building that looked like a house, abandoned. They dragged the boat up on the bank and tied it and set out across the field. ‘That’s the old station,’ Frank said. ‘That’s Pedder Station. ‘ The others had heard this name but he was the one who knew, because his father was the station agent in town. He said that this was a station on a branch line that had been tom up, and that there had been a sawmill here, but a long time ago. Inside the station it was dark, cool. All the windows were broken. Glass lay in shards and in fairly big pieces on the door. They walked around finding the larger pieces of glass and tramping on them, smashing them, it was like cracking ice on puddles. Some partitions were still in place, you could see where the ticket window had been. There was a bench lying on its side. People had been here, it looked as if people came here all the time, though it was so far from anywhere. Beer bottles and pop bottles were lying around, also cigarette packages, gum and candy wrappers, the paper from a loaf of bread. The walls were covered with dim and fresh pencil and chalk writings and carved with knives.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Leadership Style Essay

Effective leadership is contingent on matching a leader’s style to a setting that fits (Northouse, 2007). According to Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, leadership styles are operationalized primarily on two ends of a spectrum, they are characterized as task motivated, or relationship motivated (Northouse, 2007). I believe in the adage that practice makes perfect. In this paper, I will look into an alternative way for leaders to lead when they find themselves situated in an unfavorable situation. In the case of leadership; an administrator, manager, or supervisor should use a reflective mindful praxis to improve their ability to make decisions that will achieve optimal outcomes from the organizations they lead in all situations, especially unfavorable ones. Fiedler’s research demonstrates, in essence, if you don’t fit the team mold, you are unfit to lead the team. The contingency model asserts that leadership styles can be gauged by the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. This model posits leadership styles on a spectrum ranging from task motivated, low LPC, or relationship motivated, high LPC. The contingency aspect ties the leadership styles to situational variables of the organization. The situational variables include leader-member relations, task structure and positional power (Northouse, 2007). Leader-member relations are characterized as good or poor depending on feelings found in the group atmosphere, relationships and trust. Although there is no scale for the task structure, the situational variable in the model, there is a clear definition of the term. The variable is operationalized by high structure and low structure. Position power is characterized by the authority a leader has to deliver the proverbial carrot or the stick, i. e. rewards and punishments (Northouse, 2007). Fiedler has an understanding of why leaders in the wrong setting are ineffective (Northouse, 2007). The correlation between the leader’s LPC score and the group or organization’s performance depended (or was contingent) on the degree to which the leadership situation was â€Å"favorable†(Fiedler, 1995). A leader in an uncomfortable and unfitting situation experiences stress and anxiety (Northouse, 2007). A leader under stress is likely to exhibit inappropriate behaviors and revert to less mature ways of coping that were learned in early development (Northouse, 2007). The leader’s less appropriate behaviors and decisions result in negative work outcomes (Northouse, 2007). This may be true in most situations; however, with our proposed alternative model, the M Model (M2), leaders can be taught how to transform their leadership style so that it transforms poor situations into good situations with successful outcomes. Hackman and Wagemann (2007) believe it is essential that we understand how to help leaders learn. Leaders can become even more effective if they are able to learn from their experience, both successes and failures without assigning cause to something or someone out of their control (Hackman and Wagemann, 2007). The M2 posits a leader learning strategy grounded in metacognition and mindfulness. Cognitive psychologists use the term metacognition to describe our ability to assess our own skills, knowledge, or learning (Lang, 2012). Chew describes metacognition as a person’s awareness of his or her own level of knowledge and thought processes (Lang, 2012). As stated by Kruger and Dunning, â€Å"those with limited knowledge in a domain suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it† (Krugger, Dunning, 1999). The M2 way is to practice metacognition as it relates to leadership skills and behaviors. M2 practitioners develop a practical understanding of their leadership abilities in various settings and they use their metacognitive awareness to improve their leadership skills in various situations. The other half of the M2 way is for the leader to be fully aware of their actions and the likely outcomes. This strategy is met by improving one’s mindfulness. Put simply, mindfulness practice is being aware of what is, what is happening now in the present moment (Bing, 2012). Goldman (2010) uses a definition of mindfulness from Rinchen in 2001. Rinchen’s definition of mindfulness situated in the leadership context is: â€Å"ridding ourselves of negative mental states and fostering and developing constructive ones† (Goldman, 2010). Mindfulness has shown to be effective in improving one’s performance in stressful situations (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Therefore, the M2 strategy is to teach the leader to be aware of their actions in the moment and this is accomplished vis a vis a practice of mindfulness. We postulate this mindful awareness will allow the M2 leader to make better choices in whatever situation they find themselves in. The keystone of the M Model (M2) is reflective leadership praxis. Praxis is the practice of an art or craft, such as leading (Bing Dictionary, 2012). Through reflection leaders analyze various leadership concepts, evaluate their experiences, and develop their personal leadership theory (Astin, 2000). Reflection provides leaders with the opportunity to examine and question and develop beliefs and values. It involves observation, questioning, and putting facts, ideas, and experiences together to construct new meaning and wisdom (UNK). Yukl (2008) finds that effective leaders are flexible and adaptive. We expect the M2 method combining metacognition, mindfulness and reflective practice will develop effective leaders. The proper place to begin is often at the beginning. The M2 solution posits that the leader must not only know themselves, but also their organization. With that knowledge of themselves and their organization applied to the contingency theory we can propose a solution to Fiedler’s catch 22 that a leader in a poor situation is doomed. The M2 solution begins at the point when a leader finds herself in a poor situation. The M2 leader knows her strengths, LPC score and other relevant situational and organizational information. She is taught to assess the organization thoroughly based on the situational variables. The assessment leads to the realization she is in the wrong situation and with M2 skills this discovery is made sooner than later. Knowing she is in the wrong situation the leader can take action to alleviate the stress that, Fiedler suggested, leads to poor decision making. Upon realizing she is in the poor and stressed situation the M2 leader will apply her reflective leadership practices for optimal outcomes. This is a set of practices that include development of the weekly or daily habit of reflecting upon actions taken and the results of those actions. The reflection will include a commitment to ongoing and summative written reflection and regular discussion with their M2 coach (Mabry, 1998). This reflection will lead the M2 leader to be more aware of her actions in the moment. This awareness will allow for a clearer understanding of a predictable result. Awareness in the moment will allow the M2 leader to choose a more appropriate action for the situation. This fits with the situational approached developed by Hersey and Blanchard. The premise of situational leadership is that an effective leader will be flexible and adapt to the situation (Northouse, 2007). The M2 hypothesizes that reflective praxis and mindful action will lead to improved organizational outcomes. Although Fiedler’s contingency theory has not always been collaborated by other research, it works. Our preliminary analysis predicts that the reflective leadership praxis of M2 will enhance the skills of the leader that finds herself in a favorable or unfavorable situation. The M2 practitioner in an unfavorable situation will not suffer the consequences of stress related poor decision-making. The M2 practitioner will be able to make choices that result in optimal outcomes not only for the organization but also for the people she leads.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Marketing Umpqua Bank

For those and women in business like attire. They don't expect people to be sitting around drinking coffee and chatting. This may cause them to feel uncomfortable and not want to do business with the bank. For young people this would be a very attractive environment. They are not used to the days of old; they may like the informal setting and bring in their friends. This area that I have discussed would be part of the subculture too. Young people generally do not like regimen, rules and regulations, and while these remain intact at Umps, they are semi-hidden in this informal appealing environment.Social class would also be a major influence on who â€Å"shops† at Umps. Although in an informal setting that makes people feel welcome, some customers may feel that they are out of their own class and again feel uncomfortable. Another issue that I see, is that I did not see in the video reference to doing business with ethnic groups such as Hispanics. On the website I did not see a link that would take you to a Spanish page. I was not sure when I viewed the videos on the Umps Bank website on what does local look like that I understood the cartoonist message.Bank like you live: the way we see it Premise was better understood as â€Å"We've never thought of ourselves as being simply a bank. We're really more like knowledgeable neighbors, the kind you invite over for a cup of coffee, seek advice from and chat over the fence. And we're here to help you bank like you live† (Umps. Com). As a consumer of Umps Bank the need recognition is an important factor. It may be as simple as having somewhere to go when you are hungry and tired. Umps Bank offers its guests free coffee and a place to relax and distress.People tell stories about their experience and having a good experience where you bank is a good way to get you coming back. Umps knows that you will likely tell others, and getting referrals from this personal source of information is what that are hoping f or. There are banks and there are banks, and Umps is certainly very unique in this regard. I do not know of any other bank that is emulating Umps, so seeking an alternative may be quite difficult. The Umps Bank website is full of information for the consumer.Whether or not the customer makes a decision to â€Å"purchase† or do business with the bank entirely depends on their experience. â€Å"Generally, the consumers purchase 181). Other peoples experience (such as friends) may influence the purchasing session. If they have had a good experience of the bank the chances are that they will be able to make a decision based on that. After the purchase we have to look at the relationship that develops between the customer and the bank (Postprocessor Behavior Marketing an Introduction peg. 181).If good follow up is made by the bank to the customer, then generally the customer will be happy with his decision to â€Å"purchase†. However the opposite is also true. Lack of foll ow up or seemed unfriendliness may cause the customer to have second thoughts. This negative impact may give rise to complaints and potentially cause mage to the reputation of the bank. Service characteristics include intangibility, inseparability, variability and permissibility. Umps Bank sets itself aside from other banks by providing customers with a sense of quality, not something that can be generally perceived by looking, but rather something that can be felt.The focus of Umps is to have its employees trained in all aspects of the Job and to the same high standards, so that there is no real variability in their standards of service to the customer. The same is true regarding service inseparability. Due to the fact that the customer is present hen the banks services are provided the provider-customer interaction both affect the service outcome. (Marketing: An Introduction peg 250). There may be special offers available for only a limited time which means that when the time has gone the offer is no longer available.This is known as service permissibility. Just how perishable a product or service is depends on how successful it is in its first offering and Just how much demand there is for the product or service being offered. A service provider could either lengthen the shelf life of the product or service if it proves popular, or they may shorten its life if it doesn't draw many customers. The service profit chain comprises of five links. These are Internal service quality, Satisfied and productive service employees, Greater service value, Satisfied and loyal customers and Healthy service profits and growth. Marketing: An Introduction peg 251). The following is part extract and part my own words from Kettle 13th Edition â€Å"Umps Bank† Umps Bank provides very high standards of customer service, from when the customer enters to when they leave. They are always greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. If they are actually a customer then they will b e greeted by name. After the customer's transaction is complete they get a piece of Umps chocolate. Can sit and drink coffee and if they have their laptop. Use the available free wife.Umps bank wants you to stay. Every employee receives six weeks of off-site training about the banks culture and beliefs and about how the bank operates differently. Placing the employee with the customer rather than them sitting behind a desk makes the customer feel even more welcome. To enjoy what you do as an employee is more important than Just what you do. The design of the bank, even though it looks more like a hotel lobby than a bank, didn't actually cost them anymore Han if they had invested in a more traditional setting.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Symbolism in The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Symbolism in The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example As he tells his frequently bizarre and frightening tales, Poe presents his readers with symbol-rich imagery and descriptions based on binary oppositions to help build the suspense and horror of his tale. As Mowery explains, binary oppositions are things such as hot and cold, male and female, dark and light. â€Å"It is in the subtle shifts in our expectations of the character that tension and conflict are developed† (1997). This concept is frequently illustrated in terms of the madness that comes upon characters as they experience deep feelings that had potential to overwhelm. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† Edgar Allan Poe uses madness and symbolism to convey love and hate. Poe employs two primary objects in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† to illustrate the cause of his narrator’s madness. The old man’s eye is the first of these symbols to appear within the text of the story. As the narrator attempts to explain why he felt led to murder, he says, It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever. (156). Basic medical knowledge to the modern reader quickly identifies this condition as symptoms of a cataract, a film that gradually creeps over the eye of an elderly person, eventually rendering him or her blind while also changing the color of the eye to a pale bluish color. It is this encroachment that seems to so bother the narrator, â€Å"it was not the old man who vexed

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Assisted Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Assisted Suicide - Research Paper Example The minutes pass like hours and you’ve been in this condition for three years. Relatives and friends occasionally come by but the visit is brief and filled with only sadness. What are you thinking as the minutes, days, months and years pass? Most, it would seem, would be praying to die wondering why anyone would be allowed to suffer physical and psychological pain endlessly. It is the worst type of torment, one without control or end. If you can speak, no health care worker will hasten death. If you cannot speak you cannot even express your wishes. If you were the family dog, society would have fully condoned that the â€Å"humane† option was taken and you were â€Å"put to sleep.† Laws that prohibit euthanasia are government mandated torture. The option of euthanasia, or doctor assisted suicide (DAS), strengthens the important doctor/patient relationship, respects an individuals dignity and right of personal autonomy in addition to reducing the suffering of pati ent, their families and the medical costs to both. Euthanasia is the contraction of Greek words meaning â€Å"good death† but too many people die gripped in pain, guilt and humiliation, a bad way to die. It’s shameful for a society to somehow justify the prohibition and criminalization of DAS. Statistics The General Population Those who oppose the concept of legal DAS usually do so based on religious grounds, believing that only God has the right to give and take life. Others claim that because people don’t decide how and when they are born they should not decide how and when they die. They also caution that legalizing euthanasia is a â€Å"slippery slope† and could result in an abuse of authority, that people could be euthanized when they don’t really want to die. Opponents to euthanasia are in the minority however, and support for a compassionate death is growing. In 2002, a Harris poll found that sixty-five percent supported legalization of DAS while sixty-one percent supported implementing a variation of Oregon’s Dignity Act enacted in their own state. The Act allows terminally-ill patients to die by self-administrating lethal drugs that were prescribed by a doctor for that specific reason. A series of studies involving patients with a terminal illness revealed at least two-thirds would like to have the option of a DAS. Surveys taken in California during 2005 and 2006 found seven in ten favored the idea that â€Å"incurably ill patients have the right to ask for and get life-ending medication.† (Fieser, 2011) Though it didn’t pass, a DAS bill introduced in 2005 to the California State Legislature gained passionate support. The Medical Community Support for legalized euthanasia is also found among those of strong religious faith though not to the degree as the general public and medical community. A 2005 national survey of doctors found fifty-seven percent consider DAS ethical. A Journal of the America n Medical Association survey in 2001 found a clear majority support the Dignity Act. Also in 2001, the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that forty-five percent of doctors thought DAS should be lawful and just thirty-four percent opposed. Mental health professionals realize that terminally ill patients can choose to die while mentally competent. A rational person can choose death as an alternative. Many medical groups have determined to adopt a â€Å"studied neutrality† stance on the subject of DAS, realizing not all within the medical field agree. (Fieser, 2011)

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Managing Human Resources in Contemporary Organisations Essay

Managing Human Resources in Contemporary Organisations - Essay Example Organizations have adopted various strategies and approaches with the aim of overcoming the increasing challenges, as well as meeting or exceeding the set organizational goals and objectives (Redman & Wilkinson, 2009, p. 14). The shift from traditional personnel management to human resource management is one such example of how organizations adopt new approaches and strategies in a bid to increase their competitiveness and improve their performance (Martin-Alcazar, et al., 2012, p. 512). There has been an argument among management practitioners that the traditional personnel management is outdated and that organizations need to adopt a human resource management approach, in order to achieve their goals and objectives in the increasingly challenging business environment (Durovic, 2012, p. 83). This essay will, therefore, discuss whether organizations need to adopt human resource management approach in replacing traditional personnel management that is deemed to be outdated. ... Specifically, personnel management is majorly administrative record-keeping function that seeks to create and maintain employment conditions and terms that are equitable (Legge, 2004, p. 55). On the other hand, the human resource management aims at integrating the functions of traditional personnel management to corporate strategies and goals, as well as performing additional people-centered organizational developmental activities. Basically, it can be seen that the significant differences between these two approaches are in terms of application, approach, and scope (Tripathi, 2002, p. 33). As has been mentioned, personnel management is the traditional approach, while the human resource management is the modern approach. In other words, personnel management preceded human resource management (Storey, 2007, p. 97). The origins of personnel management can be traced to the welfare tradition in the post World War One period where more focus was put on meeting the basic needs of the emplo yees. As the dynamics in relations between management and trade unions changed, the responsibilities of personnel management grew beyond welfare to include areas such as effective personnel and industrial relations administration. Personnel management approach put more emphasis on the formulating and monitoring procedures and rules conformance (Torrington et al, 2002, p. 29). Over the last three decades, there were changes in the business environment that wERE brought about by increasing competition and developments in technology. As a result, customers began to have widened choices which prompted companies to keep innovating and providing the kind of

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Stop-and-Search Rights Unveiled Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stop-and-Search Rights Unveiled - Essay Example Merseyside Police Authority says the decrease compared to the previous year is reflective of the fact that stop and search powers are used more selectively and consistently in line with force policy. The arrest rate rose from 10.9% to 14.6%. Publication Information: Article Title: Stop-and-Search Rights Unveiled; Officers Can Be Asked for Written Record. Newspaper Title: Daily Post. Publication Date: March 22, 2005. Page Number: 2. COPYRIGHT 2005 MGN Ltd.; COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group He also aims to increase the current 33 policemen and women from ethnic minorities in a force of 2,973 officers, at the same time as working with multicultural communities of Cardiff and Swansea to the valleys of south Wales. Here he tells the Welsh Mirror of the challenges facing him in his new job.I'm very excited. It's something new for myself and also for the force. I've enjoyed working with the police when I was director of the rural race equality project in the south-west of England. They will have needs which are unique to those living in rural communities. The approach in the country will have to be different because the issues in rural areas will be different to the ones in Cardiff and Swansea. Publication Information: Article Title: My Fight to Bring Equality and Race Harmony to ... There were a total of 47,106 stop and searches on Merseyside between April 2002 and March 2003. Stops started being recorded in Sefton under the new guidelines, known as Recommendation 61, on April 1, 2003. There were 19,601 stop and searches recorded between April 2003 and March 2004. Merseyside Police Authority says the decrease compared to the previous year is reflective of the fact that stop and search powers are used more selectively and consistently in line with force policy. The arrest rate rose from 10.9% to 14.6%. The new system will mean some extra costs, as yet undisclosed for Merseyside Police -1- Questia Media America, Inc. www.questia.com Publication Information: Article Title: Stop-and-Search Rights Unveiled; Officers Can Be Asked for Written Record. Newspaper Title: Daily Post. Publication Date: March 22, 2005. Page Number: 2. COPYRIGHT 2005 MGN Ltd.; COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group My Fight to Bring Equality and Race Harmony to Wales; UNIQUE ROLE FOR NEW MAN. by Nick Servini WALES'S biggest police force has named Mohammed Dhalech as its new race advisor - the only one outside London's Metropolitan Police. South Wales Police is the first force to take the lead set by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report. Mohammed will deal with ethnic minorities - as well as help stamp out race within the force. His role is to give expert advice to Chief Constable Tony Burden and senior officers when they deal with race-related crimes. He also aims to increase the current 33 policemen and women from ethnic minorities in a force of 2,973 officers, at the same time as working with multicultural communities of Cardiff and Swansea to the valleys

Yoga Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Yoga - Research Paper Example But Yoga deals with the breath, mind and quite subtly, the soul. It releases the toxins in the body and harmonizes the whole body. Many people use yoga to lose weight. This is possible as Yoga makes a person calm, reduces stress and hence addictions such as overeating and alcoholism are cured to a great degree. Yoga is an ancient meditative technique proposed originally by an Indian sage called Patanjali. It is a Sanskrit word and its literal meaning is ‘union’. The word union is used because Yoga unites the lost soul of a human being back to its god. There are many types of yoga postures and these are practiced by the saints and sages in the Himalayan region of India. But ordinary people also practice it throughout the world. When I saw the various yoga postures I thought that I won’t be able to do them. This is because they look very weird and seem to be inspired from the postures of the animals. For example, there is yoga posture called ‘Singhasan’ which literally means the ‘posture of a lion’. In it one has to lie on the belly, lift the body up by hands, take the tongue out (like a lion) and make a loud noise at the top of one’s throat (roar!!). But as I gleaned through the pages I realized that there were many methods which were very simple and extremely effective. The simplest Yoga posture is ‘Shavaasan’ which means ‘The posture of a corpse’ (Mumford, 15). I know this sounds frightening but it is quite simple. Just lie down on a flat ground or floor, loosen the body, relax the mind and follow your breath. Don’t move the body and be peaceful, like a corpse. After a few minutes the mind becomes very still and the body rejuvenates. This is the magic of yoga. I have always had problems with my concentration. I find it hard to concentrate on many things especially studies. My attention span seems to be decreasing day by day. I sought for a remedy in yoga. I saw many