Suicidal Risk Factors for Older Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Suicidal Risk Factors for Older Adults - Essay Example 72). Even though variables within psychological, physical, and public domains have been related to completed suicide in older adults, â€Å"controlled studies are necessary to test hypothesized risk factors† (Stimming & Stimming, 1999, p. 98). Poor health as well as functional impairment raises risk, but their control seems to be mediated by dejection. Older adults who take their own lives are hardly ever stimulated by irritation or vengeance; rather, they usually just try to find the release in the form of death as an â€Å"escape from emotional and physical pain† (Ford, 2010, p. 22). Suicide in later life seldom seems to be a result of ambivalence or transmitted anger. It is argued that older adults are â€Å"less conflicted, more direct, and more aware of the reasons for ending their lives† (Ford, 2010, p. 23). Feelings of deficiency, insignificance and guiltiness, depression and misery are a few of the reasons why individuals with dejection come to believe that suicide is a practical solution. In addition, there are a number of factors that raise the risk for dejection among older adults, for instance, persistent disease, physical disability, loss, social seclusion, and failure of social functions and ties (Marcovitz, 2010). Recklessness and self-damage are both thought to be prognostic of suicide though this link has been more strongly developed with younger adults and adolescents. For example, one study, investigated attempted suicide between 17 and 65 year old members and found that â€Å"half had thought about it for 10 minutes or less before engaging in suicide-related behavior† (Leo, 2001, p. 32). Official suicide figures recognize older adults as a high-threat group. In 2010, it was noted that older adults consisted of 15 percent of the U.S. population, yet constitute 22 percent of its suicides. Among older people, there are between two

The Victorian Age in Literature Essay Example for Free

The Victorian Age in Literature Essay The Victorian Age is roughly delimited by the reign of Queen Victoria, who ascended the throne of Great Britain on 1937, and died in 1901. For the sake of convenience the Victorian age of literature is bracketed by the period 1830 to 1901. Both in terms of literature and culture the Victorian period is highly distinctive. For such a characteristic period to correspond to the reign of a monarch, and considering the inordinate length of it, suggests somehow that the character of the monarch has left its imprint therein. But this is very far from being the case. In theory Britain was a constitutional monarchy, which meant that the queen was supreme ruler, and was aided by an executive arm, which was a Parliament that is democratically elected. This was, however, only on paper. In practice the bourgeoisie were entrenched in the Parliament and ruled the land as an oligarchy. The entrenchment of the middle classes in England was a process begun with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, in which the nobles wrenched significant powers from the crown, then in the form of the unpopular King John. Both the nobles and the crown, however, met a new challenge in the form of the merchant and middle classes after the Protestant Reformation, which was the basis of the English Civil War, fought in the seventeenth century. The result of this war was a monarchy thoroughly emasculated and in the hands of the bourgeoisie, who began to appoint their kings from abroad, beginning with William of Orange, from Holland, who ascended the British throne as William III in the â€Å"Glorious Revolution† of 1688. In 1714 George Louis, Elector of Hanover, was invited to sit on the British throne, which began the long lineage of the House of Hanover, of which Queen Victoria was descended. In this wise the queen was barely English, and had hardly any inclination to become one, evidenced by the links continued to be held with the continent. She became merely a sentimentalized figurehead, as Britain forged ahead, during her reign, to become the economic and imperial power of world. She was ultimately conferred the title of Empress of India, at the time when India was the Jewel in the Crown of a world empire. But she identified little with the aspirations of the age that she labeled. The emancipation of woman was a central tenet of Victorianism, which she opposed vehemently. She called it â€Å"mad, wicked folly†, and thought that these ladies â€Å"ought to get a good whipping† (qtd. in Strachey 409). The advance of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution forms the backdrop to the Victorian age. The prelude to this was the rise of science and rationalism at the expense of faith. The Enlightenment is the name given to this movement in the initial phase, especially in relation to the conscious intellectual movement in this direction inspired by the likes of Bayle and Voltaire in France. It venerated reason, the experimental method of Bacon, the mechanics of Newton, and the ideals of the Classical world of ancient Rome and Greece. This movement eventually bred a reaction in Germany, through the likes of Herder, Schiller and Goethe, who emphasized passion and spontaneity, as against cold reason. The movement came to be labeled Romanticism, and found a vigorous growth on English soil too through Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats and others. Many have characterized the Victorian ethos as a compromise between these two extremes, and found expression in a philosophy known as Utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham and James Mill were the advocates of this philosophy. Bentham coined the motto â€Å"the greatest good of the greatest number† to encapsulate the philosophy (qtd. in Parekh 62). It is what Chesterton describes as the â€Å"great Victorian compromise†. But Victorian literature, as a whole, is not a reflection of Utilitarianism, but is rather a protest against it. Chesterton compares such a protest with the popular uprising of the French Revolution. If the stifling effects of science and industry caused the people to revolt in France, in Britain it was the poets and wordsmiths who did so. In fact this was the only avenue of protest left open in Britain, where the captains of industry has already seized all other social institutions, which is the very reason why the Industrial Revolution took place in Britain and not anywhere else. The â€Å"enclosures† had taken land away from the people, leaving them just as powerless as the queen on her throne. Industry herded them into the cities and made them captive to Smith’s â€Å"division of labor†. Literature was the means to revolution, according to Chesterton, on which he elaborates: This trend of the English Romantics to carry out the revolutionary idea not savagely in works, but very wildly indeed in words, had several results; the most important of which was this. It started English literature after the Revolution with a sort of bent towards independence and eccentricity, which in the brighter wits became individuality, and in the duller ones, Individualism. (5) In this way the revolution is said to have succeeded, because it was able to mould the modern character so that it is able to deal with modernity. This is a triumph not to be belittled, and so, continues Chesterton, â€Å"Verbally considered, Carlyles French Revolution was more revolutionary than the real French Revolution† (Ibid). EARLY PERIOD (1830-1848) Though coming well before the Victorian period, the novels of Jane Austen must be considered as a beginning, and a forerunner to proper Victorian literature. They seem to be merely unassuming domestic dramas, written from the very limited perspective of a provincial lady. In fact, Jane Austen had very little experience of life beyond the confines of rural England, and her works are unencumbered by the great philosophies that were then vying with each other for the domination of the world. She was neither a rationalist, nor a Romanticist. For her heroines, life’s one concern is to secure a good match, one that combines a good income with social esteem. The overriding message of her novels seems to be that to obtain the ideal match the woman must possess both sense and sensibility, i. e. both reason and passion. In fact, Sense and Sensibility is the title of her first novel, establishing her mode. As such we are able to identify it as a precursor to the Victorian compromise. This is not to call her heroines Utilitarian, in the sense of being scheming social climbers. Austen’s novels must be seen as celebration of domestic life, as standing opposed to the insidious infiltration of ideas, in which sense both the rationalists and the Romanticists are guilty. Such a resistance to rational frameworks characterizes nearly all of Victorian literature, and Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetes were still engaged in the same towards the end of the Victorian period. From another point of view, it is the imposition of the woman’s perspective into a world that is otherwise overburdened with the male. Austen must also be credited with inventing the modern novel, which Chesterton describes as a â€Å"feminine art†, and the function of which is to distinguish character, rather than tell a story (39). All the great Victorian novelists follow Austen in this sense. Thomas Babbington Macaulay is another writer who cannot be left out in any consideration of Victorian literature, even though he clearly comes before. He is the true prophet of progress, and thus the harbinger of the Victorian ethos. As a historian the overriding task of Macaulay is to delineate â€Å"progress†. He tackles history with an overwhelming bias towards the Whiggish faction, the party that upheld the liberal tradition and allied itself to the moneyed middle classes. He upheld Bentham’s Utilitarianism, but was by no means cold and calculating. Instead he promoted a vision that is broad, captivating and awe-inspiring. He is the undeniable single influence behind Victorian literature, even though not all his influence was wholesome. Of him Chesterton says: The chief tragedy in the trend of later literature may be expressed by saying that the smaller Macaulay conquered the larger. Later men had less and less of that hot love of history he had inherited from Scott. They had more and more of that cold science of self-interests which he had learnt from Bentham. (12) Those who practiced the hard school of science, and advocated Utilitarianism, were usually beyond the fray of literature. The leading light among them, John Stuart Mill, was an exception among them, however. He championed Smithsonian economics, and attempted to provide polish to the philosophy of Utilitarianism, yet he did so as an artist, and with profound common sense. His father was one of the founders of Utilitarianism, and Bentham was his godfather. He was educated at home under his father’s punishing regime, one that was cause of a near breakdown of the youthful Mill. It was meant that he imbibe as much classical and scientific education as possible, and Bentham was also instrumental towards this end. Mill, however, survived and went on to redefine the philosophy of Utilitarianism in a more human way. It was the wont of the Utilitarians to circumvent the truism that the freedom of one comes in the way of that of the other. If they did consider it, it was only in the larger numbers, along the principle of â€Å"the greatest good of the greatest number†. But, in his seminal essay â€Å"On Liberty†, Mill advanced the â€Å"harm principle†, in which the act of liberty is said to be virtuous only when there is no immediate harem discernable to the next: The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign. (28) The philosophy of Mill was suspect. Nevertheless, he is heartfelt and genuine, and therefore he succeeds as a writer, and his works succeed as literature, which was highly influential in taming the hard edges of Utilitarianism. He meant it that the philosophy be not cold-headed, but warm-hearted. He points out that there is a difference between ‘happiness’ and ‘contentment’, and that Bentham confused the latter with the former. One may be content with numbers, but not happy with a guilty conscience. It is happiness that is to be sought, and cannot be had with numbers. So he says: It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. (Mill, Utilitarianism, 281) Many commentators tend to classify Thomas Carlyle as a Romanticist, and indeed his introduction to the world of letters is through his translations of Goethe, whose Romantic ideals he championed. But Carlyle will be found to be eminently Victorian, and should indeed serve as the ideal representative of Victorianism in its early phase. The most marked characteristic of a Victorian author is that he knows instinctively something to be wrong, and gives vent to this mood in his writing. It is a remark that wholly applies to Carlyle. He is never as logical as Goethe and the Romantics. He does not insist on passion, he is merely passionate. The things that he is passionate about are derived, as if, from the sixth sense. He was impatient of all forms of speculation. â€Å"Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance,† he says, â€Å"but to do what lies clearly at hand† (Carlyle, Critical, 462). He distrusts history in any form whatsoever, which might seem hypocritical seeing that his major works are predominantly history. But reading the French Revolution does not give us the impression of having read history. It is narrated as if the events were in the present, and we are supposed to be moved as if the revolution is happening, not as a report of a past occurrence. He had no rapport with the mob: â€Å"Democracy is, by the nature of it, a self-canceling business; and it gives in the long run a net result of zero† (Carlyle, Chartism, 33). Neither the mob, nor the ossified â€Å"isms† of the philosophers partake in history. Instead it is the heroic individual, moved by the immediacy of duty, who is the real author of history. â€Å"The history of the world is but the biography of great men,† he avers in On Heroes and Hero Worship (29).

John Huston the Dead Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film, The Dead, directed by John Houston, is based on a short story that takes place in Dublin, Ireland around 1904. In Ireland at this time there is much conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants, whether Ireland should be part of Great Britain or not. This narrative is intended to show life in Ireland at this time as real as possible. The music during the story is a constant reminder of the mood of the film; the music is generally sad, but when needed it is in a happier tone. Everything about the film adds to the despair that all of the characters eventually feel at some time in the film.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie ends up being a very morbid film. All of the emotions from the characters make the film have a melancholy undertone....

Are German Atrocities In A Myth Or Reality History Essay

On one manus, the book German Atrocities, 1914: A History of Denial is of great value, as it portrays the state of affairs on the footing of legion beginnings and grounds. What really happened during the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914 was, in much item, analyzed to come to a decision that would non merely be based on premises and accusals. There was an â€Å" extraordinary sum of myth and fable that propagandists deposited over the true history of the events †[ 3 ]. This besides has to be considered when analysing this book, as it can besides be seen as a type of propaganda. The beginning, originated in 2001 and written by John Horne and Alan Kramer, weighed the grounds of these past happenings, to find what can be considered to be a myth, and what is accepted to be world. It explains that German soldiers feared and really much expected to happen barbarian franc-tireurs, or civilian zealots, around every corner in Belgium. This caused them to put to death normal ene my soldiers, guiltless civilians and even some of their ain people in friendly fires.[ 4 ]Germans burnt down the mediaeval library in Louvain because they believed franc-tireurs had been active at that place. In world there was â€Å" no official Belgian policy of civilian opposition, and really small – if any – existent civilian opposition. â€Å" A? There is really small grounds for stray incidents, so the writers of this book found that Germans had no valid ground to assail civilians. However, German soldiers executed around 6,500 guiltless civilians, driven by their ain paranoia. Kramer and Horne besides straight associate these accounts to the usage of propaganda at the clip. In their book it is explained that the British authorities published studies of German atrociousnesss affecting kids whose custodies were cut off as they were keeping onto their female parents, and farther narratives that were depicted for the British public to see. These illustrations of propaganda are really relevant to this rating, because they introduce another facet of the state of affairs. Britain used propaganda to influence and pull strings its ain people, by doing them believe that the Germans were brutal monsters that had to be stopped. It made certain that all people knew precisely whom to direct their hatred towards. Britain ‘s chief statement was that Germany was evil, had to be attacked and surely defeated. The worse Germany ‘s atrociousnesss seemed, the easier it was for Britain to convert its people that war was necessary to halt them.[ 5 ]One of Britain â₠¬Ëœs chief motivations was besides to conceal any facts that would demo how barbarous war really was, as it wanted to convert as many of its citizens as possible to enlist themselves in the ground forces. Recruiting was one of its chief ideas behind such propaganda. Cinemas, films, and photographs presented German undercover agents and barbarous atrociousnesss, and besides British authors were told to make anti-German propaganda.[ 6 ]A specialised â€Å" War Propaganda Bureau † , besides known as â€Å" Wellington House † , was set up merely to command the people ‘s sentiments. It was really active and had sub-divisions, one of which specialized merely on anti-German propaganda.[ 7 ]It is unquestionable whether Britain took advantage of the narratives refering German atrociousnesss to pull strings the heads of its people in 1914. The invasion of Belgium gave Britain a ground to take portion in the war, and the public propaganda it had used to turn its citizens ag ainst Germany, gave the state the strength to bear up against its enemy. Another really of import facet of propaganda is the Bryce Report.[ 8 ]This beginning of information is really valuable when looking at the point of position that Germany did perpetrate such a big figure of war offenses. It evaluates a broad assortment of histories of victims and provinces that its claims are based on informant studies, whose names could, nevertheless, non be identified. It is explained that this is due to â€Å" the fright that there might be German reprisals against household members. But British soldier informants remained every bit anon. , for no evident ground. Nevertheless in his debut, Bryce said he and his fellow commissioners had tested the grounds ‘severely. ‘ â€Å"[ 9 ]James Bryce wrote this study to inform people in the United States about the state of affairs refering German atrociousnesss in Belgium, and it was published with a really certain consequence. The United States had a more impersonal attitude towards the state of affairs in Euro pe, until Bryce ‘s study was officially presented to its people. Its transcripts were sold for merely a penny, and the many people who read it thought of the Germans the same manner British citizens did. When replying the inquiry, whether or non German atrociousnesss in 1914 were myth or world, the Bryce Report can on one manus be considered an hyperbole of the past incidents, but on the other besides as a valid beginning that proved German atrociousnesss to be true to such a big extent. On one manus there is important agnosticism about the study, as even Bryce reported himself as doubting. It was used for anti-German propaganda, and it was rushed into print five yearss after the sinking of the Lusitania, a British rider ship, to convey the United States into the war. Narratives of atrociousnesss were dubbed as propaganda and prevarications and were non verifiable. On the other manus, it can be considered to be dependable because it contains first-hand studies from 1,200 refugees in Britain, official Belgian studies, and infusions from German journals. These studies were good known to the general populace. The Bryce Report besides provides conclusive grounds of onslaughts against civilians and cultural sites. The German authorities published paperss both during and after the war trying to legalize their actions against civilians, thereby turn outing that they did happen.[ 10 ] To oppose the thoughts of the study and besides some of Horne ‘s and Kramer ‘s averments, an article from a German citizen, Klaus Wippermann, was published in August 2004.[ 11 ]It introduces the thought that most of the atrociousnesss were strictly fantasized and that it was merely British propaganda that gave Germany such a hideous image in World War 1. It states that Britain debased Germany and made it look to be inhumane. The beginning besides discusses the thought that Britain welcomed Germany ‘s invasion of Belgium, to give it the best possible alibi to get down contending. The war was non merely a consequence of Germany ‘s purposes, because all other powers had much more specific grounds to get down one. The article besides mentions that Horne and Kramer analyzed distorted facts instead than valid 1s, and that their book is based on a figure of selected beginnings that give Germany an even worse image. It states that any offense committed by a German is automatically worse that the same offense committed by person else, and clarifies how absurd such ways of believing and such ways of analysing state of affairss are. From this it can be seen that really different sentiments can be based on really different pieces of grounds, and that the clip period besides affects certain perceptual experiences of world. Horne ‘s and Kramer ‘s book appears to be really dependable, as it shows both sides to this statement and provides grounds and a background that is doubtless a valid beginning of information. It does non deny or contradict events that truly did take topographic point, and it besides evaluates to what extent propaganda exaggerated them. Bryce ‘s study is a instead nonreversible statement and gives the feeling that Germans were strictly evil, which coincides with the thoughts portrayed by British propaganda at the clip. Britain and the United States wanted to act upon their people to give them a colored position towards the war. Propaganda at the clip, even if exaggerated to a big extent, was still really reliable because it was, after all, based on a figure of true occasions. Wh ilst Germans denied to hold been guilty of anything at the clip, their enemies made it look as if they were hardhearted monsters who were merely waiting to anguish and execute civilians. This was a instance of common denial, as Belgium negated all accusals of holding franc-tireurs that caused Germany to perpetrate such offenses, and Germany steadfastly believed that it was a victim of Belgian zealots. It can be said that German atrociousnesss either happened, were imagined, or that they were invented to organize public sentiment, but neither of these facets can entirely reply the inquiry whether or non they were myth or world, because they were all interlinked to give such beliing statements refering this subject.

The Business of Facebook

The business model of any organization is very important in helping a business become successful or unsuccessful. They help guide the leaders in the company to reach the goals and purpose of their organization. In recent news, the business model of Backbone has been under a large amount of scrutiny.I will be analyzing the business model of Backbone using the definition of business model from the textbook which states â€Å"A business model defines how an organization interacts with its environment to define a unique strategy, attract the resources and build the abilities required to execute the strategy, and create value for all stakeholders† (Applegate, Austin & Souls, 2009). STRATEGY There are four key dimensions to strategy: market positioning, product positioning, business networking positioning, and boundary positioning.These four dimensions combined help an organization develop a strategy which by definition of the textbook is the series of choices that determine the opp ortunities you pursue and the market potential of those opportunities (Applegate, Austin & Souls, 2009). In order to analyze the business strategy of an organization you must first determine what kind f business it is (Applegate, Austin & Souls, 2009). In E. B.Body's (2012) article â€Å"What is Passbooks Business† she states â€Å"[Backbone] creates a place for people to hang out and upload photos or pithy notes on what they are doing right that second, and then it posts advertising along the side of that status update highway. † Backbone services 845 million members all over the world, excluding China where Backbone has been blocked by the Chinese government. In December of 2011 Backbone averaged a total of 483 million daily active users worldwide (Form S-l, 2012).For a company such as Backbone, marketing position is very important. Market positioning determines the selection of customers that a business decides to serve (Applegate, Austin ; Souls, 2009). One of Pass books ten main principles is â€Å"One World† which states â€Å"The Backbone Service should transcend geographic and national boundaries and be available to everyone in the world (backbone. Com, 2012). Passbooks customer base is two-sided. They have the 845 million individuals that have profiles on the site and then they have the companies that advertise.Considering the fact that Backbone already has 845 million users and there are only seven billion people on the earth, here is not much room for Backbone to grow their consumer base. With China off significant growth in the user base of Backbone is very unlikely (Boyd, 2012). The other side to Passbooks customer base is the companies that purchase advertising on Backbone. Jonathan Blue (2012) states, â€Å"Any business would be foolish not to consider Backbone as an ongoing marketing option. † According to Blue, Passbooks advertising costs are incredibly cheap.For a monthly fee advertisers can run ads and in return t hey receive a report on viewer's impressions and click-through (Blue, 2012). In 2011 Backbone brought in $3. Billion in revenues from advertising alone. This accounts for eighty-five percent of their revenues. Backbone receives revenues from advertisers with many different objectives ranging from long-term brand awareness to stimulating an immediate purchase (Form S-l, 2012). The advertising on Backbone is based on the likes that users have on their accounts.Advertisers can decide what type of audience they think would be interested in their product, then Backbone displays adds on the sides of people's news feeds based on their likes and preferences (Blue, 2012). Product positioning is the choice of products and services hat a company offers. It includes the features of these products and the price at which they will be offered. Backbone offers a variety of product including pages, profiles, ads and sponsored stories and platforms (backbone. Com, 2012). Different sides of their cust omer base use different products that Backbone has to offer.Although the majority of Passbooks revenues come from advertising, they also receive income through other platforms where users purchase virtual and digital goods (Form S-l, 2012). The majority of the payments that Backbone receives from third-party applications come from Zingy, a social network gaming company (Boyd, 012). Business networking is the role that an organization plays and the activities it performs within an extended network of suppliers, producers, distributors and partners. Over the years Backbone has partnered with many different companies in order to offer more to its users and make it become more enticing to use.Backbone has formed partnership with many companies such as Microsoft, Cell Partners, Digital Sky Technologies and more. Boundary positioning is when an organization determines the markets and products that they will not pursue. Backbone has not specified any specific market that it has not decided to pursue. The founder, Mark Seersucker even traveled to China to speak with some of China's top technology executives in hopes of them removing the ban that had been placed on the use of Backbone in China. In 2009 the number of Backbone users in China plummeted from one million to 14,000 due to the ban.While user numbers in China have slightly risen, many users are still blocked from accessing the site (Chaos, 2010). CAPABILITIES Capabilities help a company implement their business strategy while paving the way for future growth. It also helps a business see what resources are necessary in order o successfully execute their strategy (Applegate, Austin, Souls, 2009). In order to service its consumers, Backbone has created an intricate infrastructure, including custom-built servers, racks and UPS units.In an article by Rich Miller, the CEO of Backbone, Mark Seersucker is quoted saying, â€Å"Being able to design more efficient servers†¦ Is a big part of enabling us to build th e features we add† (2011). When Backbone has not released a definite number of servers that it runs off of, it is believed that by 2009 the company was running at least 60,000 servers in its data centers (Miller, 2010). We can conclude that since Backbone has began to design more efficient servers, that they have the resources and technology needed to support their user base.As the number of users increases, Backbone increases the number of servers and data centers so that their consumers can receive the best in class. The Backbone team is also comprised of very well educated people, who have the expertise needed in order to run and continue to improve the operations of Backbone. In my research of the company I did not run into anything that made me believe that the employees of Backbone were not fully qualified and competent in order to run the business. I also believe that the company has strong leadership and is comprised of people who are committed to making Backbone succe ssful.Mark Seersucker is very involved in all aspects of the company. VALUE The majority of Passbooks stockholders are internal stockholders. Mark Seersucker, the CEO and founder of Backbone, owns twenty-four percent of the shares of Backbone. Some of the other leading stockholders include Cell Partners, Digital Sky Technologies, Microsoft, and co-founder Dustin Muscovite as well as many more (Carlson, 2010). Backbone has made recent headlines when GM decided to withdraw TTS $10 million contract with Backbone for advertising (Junk, 2012). This raised a very important question for many investors.Will Backbone be able to attract and retain key customers? The majority of Passbooks revenue is generated through advertising and in their S-l that was filed in January of this year Backbone warns investors that there is a high degree of risk that is involved in investing in Backbone. In order for Backbone to continue generating revenues, it will need to continue selling advertisement. While these revenues from advertising are purchased by business OTOH big and small, the success of Backbone selling advertising relies largely on the individuals that have profiles on Backbone.In their S-l Backbone states â€Å"If we fail to retain existing users or add new users, or if our users decrease their level of engagement with Backbone, our revenue , financial results and business maybe significantly harmed† (2012). One of the biggest marketing factors that Backbone has in selling advertisers is that a company who purchases advertising on Backbone could potentially reach the more than 800 million monthly active users on Backbone. This is also the downfall of advertising on Backbone. If the number of users decreases or people become less active, then that is less people that the advertising is reaching.

Ethics Auditing Essay Example

Ethics Auditing Essay Example Ethics Auditing Paper Ethics Auditing Paper Ethics Auditing: Identify the benefits and limits of ethics auditing. Is there a strategic role that ethics auditing may play in a company? Ethics Auditing By definition, an ethics audit is a â€Å"systematic evaluation of an organization’s ethics program and/or performance to determine its effectiveness. † (1) This concept of ethics auditing is fairly new and few companies have conducted an ethics audit. However, performing such audits will likely become more mainstream as recent legislation encourages greater ethical accountability for companies to demonstrate they are abiding by the law and have established programs to improve their ethical decision making. The U. S. Sentencing Commission (the â€Å"Commission) has amended the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (â€Å"FSGO†) whereby an effective compliance and ethics program must â€Å"exercise due diligence to prevent, detect, and report criminal conduct and otherwise promote an organizational culture that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to compliance with all applicable law. (2) The Commission noted there are seven minimum requirements of an effective ethics program: (1) Standards and procedures to prevent and detect criminal conduct; (2) Responsibility at all levels of the program, together with adequate program resources and authority for its managers; (3) Due diligence in hiring and assigning personnel to positions with substantial authority; (4) Communicating standards and procedures, including a specific requirement for training at all levels; (5) Monitoring, auditing, and non-retaliatory internal guidance/reporting systems, including periodic evaluation of program effectiveness; (6) Promotion and enforcement of compliance and ethical conduct; and (7) Taking reasonable steps to respond appropriately and prevent further misconduct upon detecting a violation. These requirements should be addressed through the ethics audit. Framework for an Ethics Audit In addition to the requirements noted by the Commission, there are many different questions that can be addressed by an ethics audit. How broad should the audit be? How often should the audit be performed? How will the company communicate the results with its constituencies? As each company has unique needs, each ethics audit should be unique. An example of a framework for an ethics audit is detailed below(4). Companies can adapt this framework to their own needs and circumstances. Step 1: Secure Commitment of Top Managers and Board of Directors As noted in the class slides, â€Å"a corporation only acts through those who act for it and it is the latter who must assume responsibility for the corporation. † (3) Essentially, management and the board of directors are responsible for the direction of a corporation. If there is no commitment from the top levels of a corporation, it is very unlikely that an audit would be successful. Step 2: Establish a Committee to Oversee the Ethics Audit The committee should consist of members who are knowledgeable about ethics auditing and come from various departments. In most cases, companies may not have internal employees that have the skill set to serve on an ethics audit committee. In such circumstances, external consultants, such as the Ethics Resource Center, can be used to assist with the audit. Step 3: Define the Scope of the Audit Process As mentioned above, each organization is unique and therefore, the scope of an ethics audit will differ from company to company. The committee should establish a scope based on the company’s risks and how those risks will be addressed. The committee should then monitor the progress of the audit based on the scope defined. Step 4: Review Organizational Mission, Values, Goals and Policies and Define Ethical Priorities In this step, the committee should examine and review all of the company’s policies, procedures and practices related to any areas defined in the scope of the audit process. All of these items may or may not be stated in the company’s mission statement. In some cases, the committee may find areas where policies need to be established and procedures updated. An effective ethics audit should review all these areas and assess their strengths and weaknesses. Step 5: Collect and Analyze Relevant Information This step is the where the majority of the audit work will take place. The committee should review internal and external documents and more importantly, gather employee, customer and stakeholder feedback through surveys. As employees are the key to carrying out an effective ethics program and to successful business operations, gathering and understanding their feedback is crucial. Customer and stakeholder perception of the company is also critical, so collecting their thoughts and opinions will help to create and maintain customer satisfaction and uphold stakeholder expectations. Step 6: Verify the Results The results collected in Step 5 should then be verified by an independent source. The independent assessment will verify the quality, accuracy and completeness of the audit. Having a third party verify this information will also offer an extra layer of assurance to external constituents. Step 7: Report the Findings The final step of the process is to report the findings to management and the board of directors through an ethics audit report. The report should outline all six steps discussed above and identify what the committee discovered throughout the process. In some cases, the findings may be more meaningful if combined with some benchmarking of similar companies in the industry. Such benchmarking is available through the OCEG Benchmarking Study that discusses best practices across industries. Benefits of Ethics Audits There are many reasons companies go through the process detailed above and perform an ethics audit. In some cases, management may simply want to comply with the FSGO or the board of directors may encourage compliance with these guidelines. From a business perspective, the auditing process can highlight trends, improve organizational learning and facilitate communication and working relationships (5). Internally, companies are able to assess their current policies and possibly find ways to increase efficiency in its operations. Additionally, the buzz word in the business world today is â€Å"transparency†. An ethics audit is one way to provide employees, customers and stakeholders with greater transparency. Many constituents have become wary of verbal assurances from companies. An ethics audit is verified by a third party and thus, seems to carry more weight than internal communication from management. Limits of Ethics Audits While the benefits of performing an ethics audit may be many, there are also some limitations. Many people interchange the words â€Å"ethics† and â€Å"integrity†. How do you measure the integrity or ethics of an organization? It is certainly not as easy to measure integrity as it is to measure financial performance. Financial performance can be quantified while integrity and ethics are the subjective aspects of a company’s culture. Models such as Six Sigma, the Balanced Scorecard and the Triple Bottom Line have been developed to capture structural and behavioral organizational ethical performance (6). However, these models likely will involve external consultants, which can prove to be costly to an organization. Additionally, ethics audits could uncover an issue that, when reported, could hurt employee, customer or stakeholder relations. This could also lead to public scrutiny. Strategic Role of Ethics Auditing Ethics auditing can be an important piece of the strategic direction of a company. The ethics audit can prove to be a useful management tool in helping a company to identify important initiatives and improvements. By identifying such initiatives, companies can prioritize its resources to focus on such ideas. The ethics audit can also help companies to fulfill their mission statements and identify areas where improvement of operating practices may be needed. In summary, and perhaps most importantly, the auditing process can demonstrate the positive impact of ethical conduct and convince constituents of the value of adapting more ethical and socially responsible business practices (7). Reference Page Cited Materials: (1) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, Eighth Edition, p. 243 (2) Ethics Resource Center, FSGO, Part 2 Article: thics. org/resource/fsgo-series-part-2 (3) Corporate Governance Social Responsibility Class Slides, 9/26/2011 (4) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, Eighth Edition, p. 252 (5) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, Eighth Edition, p. 245 (6) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, Eighth Edition, p. 248 (7) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, Eighth Edition, p. 265

Stirring Quotes From All Quiet on the Western Front

Stirring Quotes From 'All Quiet on the Western Front' All Quiet on the Western Front is a literary classic, and this roundup of the books best quotes reveal why. Published in 1929, author  Erich Maria Remarque used  the novel as a means to deal with World War I. Several parts of the book are autobiographical. The books frankness about wartime led to it being censored in countries such as Germany. Get a better sense of the groundbreaking novel  with the following selections. Quotes From Chapter 1 The leader of our group, shrewd, cunning, and hard-bitten, forty years of age, with a face of the soil, blue eyes, bent shoulders, and a remarkable nose for dirty weather, good food, and soft jobs. The soldier is on friendlier terms than other men with his stomach and intestines. Three-quarters of his vocabulary is derived from these regions, and they give an intimate flavour to expressions of his greatest joy as well as of his deepest indignation. It is impossible to express oneself in any other way so clearly and pithily. Our families and our teachers will be shocked when we go home, but here it is the universal language. One could sit like this forever. The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy. Katczinsky said that was a result of their upbringing. It made them stupid. And what Kat said, he had thought about. Yes, thats the way they think, these hundred thousand Kantoreks! Iron Youth! Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? That is long ago. We are old folk. Highlights From Chapters 2 to 4 We have lost all sense of other considerations, because they are artificial. Only the facts are real and important to us. And good boots are hard to come by.(Ch. 2) That is Kat. If for one hour in a year something eatable were to be had in some one place only, within that hour, as if moved by a vision, he would put on his cap, go out and walk directly there, as though following a compass, and find it.(Ch. 3) You take it from me, we are losing the war because we can salute too well.(Ch. 3) Give em all the same grub and all the same pay/And the war would be over and done in a day.(Ch. 3) To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself.(Ch. 4) Excerpts From Chapters 5 to 7 The war has ruined us for everything.(Ch. 5) We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.(Ch. 5) We lie under the network of arching shells and live in a suspense of uncertainty. If a shot comes, we can duck, that is all; we neither know nor can determine where it will fall.(Ch. 6) Bombardment, barrage, curtain-fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine-guns, hand-grenades - words, words, words, but they hold the horror of the world.(Ch. 6) There is a distance, a veil between us.(Ch. 7) Selections From Chapters 9 to 11 But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I thought of your hand grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony - Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?(Ch. 9) I will come back again! I will come back again!(Ch. 10) I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another.(Ch. 10) Our thoughts are clay, they are moulded with the changes of the days; - when we are resting they are good; under fire, they are dead. Fields of craters within and without.(Ch. 11) Trenches, hospitals, the common grave - there are no other possibilities.(Ch. 11) Do I walk? Have I feet still? I raise my eyes, I let them move round, and turn myself with them, one circle, one circle, and I stand in the midst. All is as usual. Only the Militiaman Stanislaus Katczinsky has died. Then I know nothing more.(Ch. 11) Selections From Chapter 12 Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear. The life that has borne me through these years is still in my hands and my eyes. Whether I have subdued it, I know not. But so long as it is there it will seek its own way out, heedless of the will that is within me.(Ch. 12) He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front. He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.(Ch. 12)

The History of Corinthian Columns

The History of Corinthian Columns The word Corinthian describes an ornate column style developed in ancient Greece and classified as one of the Classical Orders of Architecture. The Corinthian style is more complex and elaborate than the earlier Doric and Ionic Orders. The capital or top part of a Corinthian style column has lavish ornamentation carved to resemble leaves and flowers. Roman architect Vitruvius observed that the delicate Corinthian design was produced out of the two other orders. He described the Corinthian column as an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden; for the outlines and limbs of maidens, being more slender on account of their tender years, admit of prettier effects in the way of adornment. Because of their opulence, Corinthian columns are rarely used as common porch columns for the ordinary home. The style is more suited for Greek Revival mansions and public architecture such as government buildings, especially courthouses. Characteristics of Corinthian columns include: Fluted (grooved) shaftsCapitals (the tops of each shaft) decorated with  acanthus leaves and flowers and sometimes small scrollsCapital ornaments that flare outward like bells, suggesting a sense of heightProportion; Vitruvius tells us that the height of their capitals gives them proportionately a taller and more slender effect than Ionic columns Why Are They Called Corinthian Columns? In the worlds first architecture textbook, De architectura (30 B.C.), Vitruvius tells the story of a young girl from the city-state of Corinth. A free-born maiden of Corinth, just of marriageable age, was attacked by an illness and passed away, writes Vitruvius. She was buried with a basket of her favorite things atop her tomb, near the root of an acanthus tree. That spring, leaves and stalks grew up through the basket, creating a delicate explosion of natural beauty. The effect caught the eye of a passing sculptor named Callimachus, who began to incorporate the intricate design onto column capitals. Because the sculptor found this design in Corinth, the columns that bear it became known as Corinthian columns. West of Corinth in Greece is the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, thought to be the oldest surviving example of the Classical Corinthian column. This temple from about 425 B.C. is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Tholos (a round building) at Epidauros (c. 350 B.C.) is thought to be one of the first structures to use a colonnade of Corinthian columns. Archaeologists have determined the tholos to have 26 exterior Doric columns and 14 interior Corinthian columns. The Temple of Olympian Zeus (175 B.C.) in Athens is said to have had more than 100 Corinthian columns. Are All Corinthian Capitals the Same? No, not all Corinthian capitals are exactly alike, but they are characterized by their leafy flowers. The capitals of Corinthian columns are more ornamented and delicate than the tops of other column types. They can easily deteriorate over time, especially when they are used outdoors. Early Corinthian columns were used primarily for interiors spaces, and thus were protected from the elements. The Monument of Lysikrates (c. 335 B.C.) in Athens features some of the earliest examples of exterior Corinthian columns. Replacing deteriorated Corinthian capitals must be done by master craftsmen. During the 1945 bombing of Berlin, the royal palace was heavily damaged, and it was later demolished in the 1950s. With the reunification of East and West Berlin, the palace was reinvented. Sculptors used old photographs to recreate the architectural details in the new facade, in clay and in plaster, noting that not all of the Corinthian capitals were the same. Architectural Styles That Use Corinthian Columns The Corinthian column and the Corinthian Order were created in ancient Greece. Ancient Greek and Roman architecture is collectively known as Classical, and so Corinthian columns are found in Classical architecture. The Arch of Constantine (A.D. 315) in Rome and the Ancient Library of Celsus in Ephesus feature examples of Corinthian columns in Classical architecture. Classical architecture was reborn during the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later derivatives of Classical architecture include the Neoclassical, Greek Revival, and Neoclassical Revival architectures of the 19th century, and the Beaux Arts architecture of the American Gilded Age. Thomas Jefferson was influential in bringing the Neoclassical style to America, as seen in the Rotunda at The University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Corinthian-like designs can also be found in some Islamic architecture. The distinctive capital of the Corinthian column comes in many forms, but the acanthus leaf appears in most designs. Professor Talbot Hamlin suggests that Islamic architecture was influenced by the acanthus leaf design: Many mosques, like those at Kairouan and Cordova, used actual ancient Corinthian capitals; and later Moslem capitals were often based on the Corinthian scheme in general pattern, although the tendency toward abstraction gradually removed all remaining signs of realism from the carving of the leaves. Famous Buildings With Corinthian Columns In the United States, famous buildings with Corinthian columns include the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Archives Building, all of which are in Washington, D.C. In New York City, buildings with these columns include the New York Stock Exchange Building on Broad Street in Lower Manhattan and the James A. Farley Building, which is across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. In Rome, check out the Pantheon and the Colosseum, where Doric columns are on the first level, Ionic columns on the second, and Corinthian columns on the third. Great Renaissance cathedrals throughout Europe are apt to show off their Corinthian columns, including St. Pauls Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

International Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Health Care - Assignment Example Also there are many â€Å"barefoot doctors" that are working for the health care of citizens. All these policies that are being implemented in China are in accordance to the Mao’s initial ‘prevention first’ health policy. During Mao’s era the healthcare was taken as an utmost priority (W & Sidel, 1977 ). China did a surveillance to check for any social inequities in the healthcare system (W & Sidel, 1977 ). Few inequities were found as a result of the surveillance and these inequities seemed difficult to resolve. But the authorities figured out that the health care responds directly to the demonstrated needs of citizens. The surveillance also helped China in activation of political will and community participation among the public because it provided realistic information for local, district and national decision-makers (W & Sidel, 1977 ). This activation of community participation was done through the famous Model County Project. This model showed how an efficiently organized system can be extended to test procedures in experimental areas and adapt them for wide-ranging achievement of specific goals. This project shows how ideological commitment to impartiality and objectiveness can improve health care. Between the early 1960s and late 1970s, China used barefoot doctors to monitor the health of locals and also to give health care to people nearby. Local health cooperatives and the barefoot doctors together, spread knowledge related to healthcare. The activities from the implementation of Model County Project showed a considerable decline of infant mortality which was 275 to 250 (CE, 1992). The general economic reform occurred in China in 1980. China shifted to privatization which reversed the earlier priority of equity. This has caused Chinese rural health care system to go through a rapid transformation. According to some researches, the modernization of China has caused its once viable model of health care system to fall apart.

Week3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week3 - Essay Example According to research in the textbook, diets that contain saturated fats and trans fats can affect a person’s health negatively since they lead to increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood, which can in turn lead to heart disease and other acute health conditions. Additionally, the textbook indicated that a study was conducted between seven countries in order to understand the link between heart disease and fat diets. The study showed the two populations, which is the Island of Crete and Finland, suffered from heart disease. Indeed, the study found that the food diet in Crete contained less saturated fat as compared to Finland, where death rates linked to heart disease were much higher than Crete. Furthermore, according to Omega article, consuming more fish and food elements that contain omega-3 helps in reducing the risk of getting heart disease. In addition, omega-3 also helps in reducing the effect of some risk factors such as stress that can lead to heart disease and strokes. According to the article â€Å"Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Mood Disorders†, Omega-3 is an important mineral in maintaining ones moods. This is why people with depressive disorders are likely to have mood swings if omega-3 is absent in their diet. Moreover, research shows that the tremendous increase in depression and neurological disorders is being fueled by the increasing consumption of vegetable oils that are rich in the omega-6 fatty acids (Parker et al. 969). However, consumption of foods such as fish, which is rich on omega-3, helps in preventing depression. Dietary changes from traditional foods that include fish eating to western fast food diets have led to increased rates of anxiety, depre ssion, seasonal affective disorder, and suicide (Parker et al. 969-970). Some of the changes that I would like to make when it comes to changing my food diet include consuming more fish and less fast food. Additionally, I will include

Transformational Leadership Style and Communication in the New Research Paper

Transformational Leadership Style and Communication in the New Organizational Goals - Research Paper Example For a business to be successful, significant changes within the external market environment of shoe industry should be aligned with the internal business environment (Change Management. Session 1. The Context of Change (lecture notes), 2010). Given that the company’s target consumers are working men and women between the age brackets of 26 to 45 years old, Richard and Katie’s plan to shift from the focus on selling Oakes shoes from small-scale shoe shops to online selling could significantly increase the company’s annual sales and profit by expanding the business within the U.K. market to international market. In line with this, there is a strong need to provide training programmes for its staff with regards to the use of online marketing and selling, new courses on web designs, and web-based applications. As an increasingly Human Capital Centric organization, Lawler (2008) explained that the HR selection and recruitment process plays an important role in terms o f establishing a long-term business relationship with its employees. In line with this, the availability of competitive and flexible training and development programmes could encourage competitive employees to deliver outstanding customer service and remain loyal to the company for a long period of time. Since the company aims to improve its existing shoe designs and expand its market through the use of online selling, it is necessary for the company to consider the need to recruit young individuals who are technically qualified to perform online marketing and selling on a part-time basis.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 12

Leadership - Essay Example These situational theories are highly dependent upon factors like the particular situation, task, people, environmental variables and organization. Fiedler had proposed a situational theory, which proposed that there is no singular way of handling particular situation (Davidson and Omar 1352-1706).The different leadership approaches adopted by the managers at varied situations have different impact on the employee morale and performance (Dong and Liu 1352-1706). When a leader adopts autocratic approach, there is negative impact on the employees’ performance and outcome. When a leader adopts transformational and goal setting leadership, there is an increase in the employee performance and morale. Although, there is no singular leadership theory, which would help to increase the organizational outcome, moral and performance of the employees, yet the management of the organization needs to focus on application of several leadership theories. A distinction should be made between the task and relationship oriented managers. Task oriented managers lay emphasis on the tasks in hand, than on the enhancement of the leader member relationship (Fish 1352-1760). These kind of managers focus on the organizational structure, task delegated to the members and the position and power of the employees. It has been observed that the employee performance and morale increased with the motivation received from the managers. The employee morale and performance is also dependent on the way the manager conducts themselves and motivate the employees of the organization. The organizational outcome is also directly related and proportional to the motivation and the guidance of the leaders (Fontaine 125-135). The development plan would be to implement leadership program, which would highlight the basic leadership approaches like transformational, goal setting theories, which Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 37 Leadership - Essay Example The chosen leaders need to have enough knowledge on the forms of leadership that will foster student learning and teachers’ cooperation. This paper seeks to discuss key characteristics reflected in teacher leadership that positive impact on teachers. Theory of leadership is a fundamental characteristic of teacher leaders. The concept of leadership is a vital organ when it comes to development of effective leadership. The fundamental distinctions of leadership models are providing direction and exercising influence. The different ways employed in carrying out or executing these functions is what makes a leadership theory (Wilmore, 2007). Capturing the attention of school personnel is an important aspect in leadership. The above is a significant characteristic factor that contributes greatly to positive teacher leadership. In most institutions, students and teachers are found to posses low attention to initiatives from the leaders. In effecting leadership, such leaders should be able to capture the attention of these teachers and students in a variety of ways. The leaders can engage in using formative and summative student assessments aligned along the new standards (Wilmore, 2007). The leaders should develop capacity building. As much as assessment captures teachers and students attention, must a robust response to the dilemmas and conflicts created in order to generate productive change. Effective response is brought through development of a strong, in-house, systematically aligned, professional development strategies (Wilmore, 2007). The leaders should create and develop a sustained competitive edge in their jurisdictions. When the leaders create competitive but interactive forums among the teachers and the students, they will be able to sensitize on the positive impacts of their leaderships. Positive creation of competition facilitates empowerment of the teachers towards performing their tasks. Empowerment fosters accountability

The Interests and the Freedom of the Members of Society Essay

The Interests and the Freedom of the Members of Society - Essay Example Sneakers, on the other hand, is a 1992 film starring Robert Redford as Martin Bishop. For 20 years, Bishop has done what he could to evade the arm of the law and has established a new identity for him. Knowing that he had not done anything wrong and that he was just wrongly accused, Bishop works to secure his freedom. The movie is about Bishop and his team of sneakers and a code breaker box they have been blackmailed into stealing. Failure to do so will mean that Bishop’s real identity will be revealed to authorities and may eventually lead to his capture. Several turns in the plot occur, the biggest one being that the Bishop finds himself in a situation where he can finally erase his bad record which will inevitably lead to his complete freedom. In the end, Bishop and his group develop a plan to make sure that no group makes use of the code breaker and at the same time ensure that Bishop remains free and all other members get what they’ve always dreamt of. As previousl y mentioned, freedom is a central theme in both works of art discussed. As with Valjean, Bishop makes use of all means possible to preserve his freedom. Both main characters are evading authorities determined to catch them. In fact, both Valjean and Bishop established new identities for themselves in order to avoid being arrested. Such a similarity exists because both stories focus on the lives of men on the run. Both show how protecting one’s freedom sometimes entails running away and turning one’s back on his past.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 12

Leadership - Essay Example These situational theories are highly dependent upon factors like the particular situation, task, people, environmental variables and organization. Fiedler had proposed a situational theory, which proposed that there is no singular way of handling particular situation (Davidson and Omar 1352-1706).The different leadership approaches adopted by the managers at varied situations have different impact on the employee morale and performance (Dong and Liu 1352-1706). When a leader adopts autocratic approach, there is negative impact on the employees’ performance and outcome. When a leader adopts transformational and goal setting leadership, there is an increase in the employee performance and morale. Although, there is no singular leadership theory, which would help to increase the organizational outcome, moral and performance of the employees, yet the management of the organization needs to focus on application of several leadership theories. A distinction should be made between the task and relationship oriented managers. Task oriented managers lay emphasis on the tasks in hand, than on the enhancement of the leader member relationship (Fish 1352-1760). These kind of managers focus on the organizational structure, task delegated to the members and the position and power of the employees. It has been observed that the employee performance and morale increased with the motivation received from the managers. The employee morale and performance is also dependent on the way the manager conducts themselves and motivate the employees of the organization. The organizational outcome is also directly related and proportional to the motivation and the guidance of the leaders (Fontaine 125-135). The development plan would be to implement leadership program, which would highlight the basic leadership approaches like transformational, goal setting theories, which Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 37 Leadership - Essay Example The chosen leaders need to have enough knowledge on the forms of leadership that will foster student learning and teachers’ cooperation. This paper seeks to discuss key characteristics reflected in teacher leadership that positive impact on teachers. Theory of leadership is a fundamental characteristic of teacher leaders. The concept of leadership is a vital organ when it comes to development of effective leadership. The fundamental distinctions of leadership models are providing direction and exercising influence. The different ways employed in carrying out or executing these functions is what makes a leadership theory (Wilmore, 2007). Capturing the attention of school personnel is an important aspect in leadership. The above is a significant characteristic factor that contributes greatly to positive teacher leadership. In most institutions, students and teachers are found to posses low attention to initiatives from the leaders. In effecting leadership, such leaders should be able to capture the attention of these teachers and students in a variety of ways. The leaders can engage in using formative and summative student assessments aligned along the new standards (Wilmore, 2007). The leaders should develop capacity building. As much as assessment captures teachers and students attention, must a robust response to the dilemmas and conflicts created in order to generate productive change. Effective response is brought through development of a strong, in-house, systematically aligned, professional development strategies (Wilmore, 2007). The leaders should create and develop a sustained competitive edge in their jurisdictions. When the leaders create competitive but interactive forums among the teachers and the students, they will be able to sensitize on the positive impacts of their leaderships. Positive creation of competition facilitates empowerment of the teachers towards performing their tasks. Empowerment fosters accountability

Sexual Response and Arousal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexual Response and Arousal - Research Paper Example As disclosed, the breakdown of the gender of these participants was 101 male students and 111 female students and should be at least 18 years old to qualify as valid participants due to the explicit sexual content of the research. The methodology required a specifically designed erotic story composed of 1,600 words that allegedly started from precoital to postcoital detailed narrative scenes. A questionnaire was designed to measure pre-test levels of â€Å"sexual self-esteem, sexual desire, and pre- and posttest measures of arousal† (Scott & Cortez, 2011, p. 165). The results of the study revealed that there were no apparent significant levels of disparities between both genders in evaluating the appeal of erotic stories (using both explicit and suggestive narrative discourses) (Scott & Cortez, 2011). The authors, however, found that there were some disparities in terms of manifesting arousal levels between male and female under suggestive conditions. As disclosed, males who read suggestive narrative discourse exhibited limited increases in arousal levels as compared to males who read explicit narrative discourse, especially describing the coital scenario. As such, the authors concluded that â€Å"although women have reported physiological arousal in response to male-dominant explicit materials, women were more psychologically aroused by erotica designed for women† (Scott & Cortez, 2011, p. 174). The online published article from PsychCentral written by Nauert (2010) entitled â€Å"Men and Women Differ on Sexual Arousal† indicated that there are disparities between the way males and females respond physiologically to mental sexual arousal. As contended, â€Å"men’s reports of feeling sexually aroused tend to match their physiological responses, while women’s mind and body responses are less aligned† (Nauert, 2010, par. 2). These findings were reported to be the result of a study

Prepositional Phrases Essay Example for Free

Prepositional Phrases Essay Once, there was a little girl named Matilda. Her father worked for an organization concerned with the health of the people, so Matilda was used to traveling all across the city, and all over the world. At age seven, she demonstrated the abilities of an eighteen year old. Being exposed to the kind of work his father had, Matilda had always been filled with concern for those in need.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Matilda was walking home, she was interrupted by a citizen, who looked familiar to her. She realized that it was her old neighbor, Mrs. Paterson, who left their street three years ago. Matilda remembered her to be a very pretty lady who loved to help other people. Her family was rich, but she opted to live a very simple lifestyle. Unlike before, Mrs. Paterson looked different—her clothes were shabby, her hair was chaotic, and her beautiful face was covered with dirt. Matilda was surprised with what she had seen, and asked Mrs. Paterson about it. Soon, Matilda learned that Mrs. Patersons husband had a gambling problem, causing them to lose all of their wealth. Mrs. Paterson broke into tears telling her that their only daughter, Morgan, who was only three years old, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that could actually take her life. She had to undergo a new treatment and surgery that was costly for her parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without hesitation, Matilda volunteered to help in order to give Morgan the treatment she needed. She had flyers distributed and posted around the park, and in the different areas in the city. Matilda was very much determined, with her friends doing much of the postings. Unsatisfied with the results, Matilda wrote to the mayor of their city to ask for assistance. The mayor was touched with Matildas kindness, and her story was known by everyone. It was even published in the newspaper, drawing much attention from the whole world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, Matilda was able to raise money for Morgans sensitive operation that practically saved her life. Mr. Mrs. Paterson were able to start anew with the money that Matilda had given them. Matilda, on the other hand, was filled with happiness and content for the good deed that she has done. The mayor, and the town, were deeply affected with the kindness that the little girl offered, giving Matilda her own â€Å"Matilda Day†, falling on her birthday. All is well.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Inventory Management Systems

Advantages and Disadvantages of Inventory Management Systems INVENTORY The term inventory derives from the French word inventaire and the Latin word inventariom which simply means a list of things which are found. The term inventory includes materials which are in raw form, or are in process, in the finished packaging, spares and the others which are stocked in order to meet all the unexpected demands or distribution in the future. This term usually refers to the stock at hand at a particular period of time of all those materials which are in raw form, those goods which are in progress of manufacture, all the finished products, merchandise purchased products for resale of those products, tangible products which can be seen, touched, measured or are countable. In a connection with the financial statements and records of accounting, the reference may be to the amount assigned to the stock or the pile of goods owned by an enterprise at a particular period of time. Inventory controls transit and handling. The raw materials may be transported thousands of ki lometers before they are converted into an end product. At the same time, materials which are in transit, may take a period of several days or months. During this process of transit, materials carry someone’s inventory. These Inventories serve to isolate the supplier, the producer and the consumer. Inventories permit the acquirement of raw materials in economic lot sizes as well as processing of these raw materials into finished goods in the most economical quantities. Raw material inventories distinguish the supplier of raw materials from the user of these raw materials. Finished goods inventories distinguish the user of the final goods from the producer of the goods. Inventories are held to facilitate product display and service to customers, batching in production in order to take advantage of longer production runs and provide flexibility in production scheduling. There are four types of inventories: Production inventories MRO inventories In process inventories Finished goods inventories Objectives of inventory management To ensure a continuous supply of raw materials and supplies to facilitate unhandled production. To maintain required quantity of finished goods for smooth sales operation and efficient customer service. It permits the acquirement of raw materials in economic lot sizes as well as processing of these raw materials into finished goods is the most economical quantity known as economic lot size. It reduces the dependencies of one another and enables the organizations to schedule their operations without getting dependent on each other. It helps to reduce those costs which have been occurred during the material handling. It helps to utilize people and materials reasonably. It controls display of the products and services provided to the corresponding customers. INVENTORY SYSTEM An inventory system facilitates the organizational structure and the operating policies for maintaining and controlling materials to be inventoried. This system is responsible for ordering and receipt of materials, timing the order placement and keeping record of what has been ordered, how much ordered and from whom the order placement has been done. There are two models of inventory system:- The fixed order quantity system The fixed order periodic system FIXED ORDER QUANTITY SYSTEM The fixed order quantity system is also known as the Q system. In this system, whenever the stock on hand reaches the reorder point, a fixed quantity of materials is ordered. The fixed quantity of material ordered each time is actually the economic order quantity. Whenever a new consignment arrives, the total stock is maintained within the maximum and the minimum limits. The fixed order quantity method is a method that facilitates for a predetermined amount of a given material to be ordered at a particular period of time. This method helps to limit reorder mistakes, conserve space for the storage of the finished goods, and block those unnecessary expenditures that would tie up funds that could be better utilized elsewhere. The fixed order quantity may be bridged to an automatic reorder point where a particular quantity of a good is ordered when stock at hand reaches a level which is already determined.   Advantages: Each material can be procured in the most economical quantity. Purchasing and inventory control people automatically gives their attention to those items which are required only when are needed. Positive control can easily be handled to maintain the inventory investment at the desired level only by calculating the predetermined maximum and minimum values. Disadvantages: Sometimes, the orders are placed at the irregular time periods which may not be convenient to the producers or the suppliers of the materials. The items cannot be grouped and ordered at a time since the reorder points occur irregularly. If there is a case when the order placement time is very high, there would be two to three orders pending with the supplier each time and there is likelihood that he may supply all orders at a time. EOQ may give an order quantity which is much lower than the supplier minimum and there is always a probability that the order placement level for a material has been reached but not noticed in which case a stock out may occur. The system assumes stable usage and definite lead time. When these change significantly, a new order quantity and a new order point should be fixed, which is quite cumbersome. FIXED ORDER PERIOD SYSTEM In this system, the stock position of each material of a product is checked at regular intervals of time period. When the stock level of a given product is not sufficient to sustain the operation of production until the next scheduled tested, an order is placed destroying the supply. The frequency of reviews varies from organization to organization. It also varies among products within the same organization, depending upon the importance of the product, predetermined production schedules, market conditions and so forth. The order quantities vary for different materials. Every order quantity in their method is obtained by the following formula. Advantages: The ordering and inventory costs are low. The ordering cost is considerably reduced though follow up work for each delivery may be necessary. The suppliers will also offer attractive discounts as sales are guaranteed. The system works well for those products which exhibit an irregular or seasonal usage and whose purchases must be planned in advance on the basis of sales estimates. Dis advantages: The periodic testing system tends to peak the purchasing work around the review dates. The system demands the establishment of rather inflexible order quantities in the interest of administrative efficiency. It compels a periodic review of all items; this itself makes the system somewhat inefficient. Distinction between Q system and P system Point of difference Q system P system Initiation of order Stock on hand reaches to reorder point Based on fixed review period and not stock level Period of order Any time when stock level reaches to reorder point Only after the predetermined period Record keeping Continuously each time a withdrawal or addition is made Only at the review period Order quantity Constant the same quantity ordered each time Quantity of order varies each time order is placed Size of inventory less than the P system Larger than the Q system Time to maintain Higher due to perpetual record keeping Less than due to only at the review period Examples Fixed order quantity system A painter can order 200 gallons or more for $4.75 per gallon, with all other factors in the computation remaining the same. He must compare the total costs of taking this approach to the total costs under the EOQ. Using the total cost formula, the painter would find TC = PD + HQ/2 + SD/Q = (5 Ãâ€" 3,500) + (3 Ãâ€" 187)/2 + (15 Ãâ€" 3,500)/187 = $18,061 for the EOQ. Ordering the higher quantity and receiving the price discount would yield a total cost of (4.75 Ãâ€" 3,500) + (3 Ãâ€" 200)/2 + (15 Ãâ€" 3,500)/200 = $17,187. In other words, the painter can save $875 per year by taking advantage of the price break and making 17.5 orders per year of 200 units each. Fixed order period system Daily demand for a product is 10 units with a standard deviation of 3 units. The review period is 30 days, and lead time is 14 days. At the moment of the review time, there are 150 units in inventory. For a 98% service level, how many units should be ordered? Solution = 10 units = 3 units T= 30 days L= 14 days z= 2.05 units.

Essay --

Geier v. University of Tennessee 597 F.2d 1056 (6th cir 1979) Facts: Faculty member of Tennessee State University (TSU) Rita Geier (nee Sanders) sought an injunction with the district court to prohibit the proposed expansion of the University of Tennessee at Nashville (UT-N). TSU, a historically black university governed by the State Board of Regents, was the only 4-year degree granting public institution in the greater Nashville area while UT-N operated under the independent governance of the University of Tennessee Board and served as two-year non-degree granting extension college of the UT system. Geier asserted that the expansion of UT-N to a four-year degree granting institution would maintain two separate, distinct, and segregated systems of higher education within the State of Tennessee. The United States, an interviewing plaintiff-appellee, asserted that the State of Tennessee was in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment with the justification that TSU students received unequitable educational opportunities in comparison to students within the University of Tennessee (UT) system. The United States sought for UT-N and TSU to be merged with an additional requirement of a formal plan of desegregation to be developed by UT, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), and the State Board of Regents (SBR). Geier’s request for an injunction was denied based upon the court not finding records to verify that UT-N was attempting to expand into a degree-granting day institution. The district court did however rule that the State of Tennessee’s open admission policy was not sufficient enough to satisfy the freedoms protected under the 14th amendment and ordered the state defendants (UT Board, THEC, and... ...ill subject to state and federal governance. The federal constitution was a key factor within the district court’s decisions as well as the appellate court’s decisions and it is imperative that we as policy makers are upholding laws appropriately. Additionally, we can learn from the inaction of THEC, the SBR, and the UT board. They had several failed attempts to desegregate the system and the district court ruled multiple times that they were not making adequate progress. Why they did not make a sustained effort to dismantle the dual system and end segregation can only be hypothesized but as policy makers and campus leaders we can learn from their mistakes. The formation of campus diversity offices and presidential taskforce’s that consider campus climate are prime examples of how we are more cognizant affording students with an equitable educational opportunity. Essay -- Geier v. University of Tennessee 597 F.2d 1056 (6th cir 1979) Facts: Faculty member of Tennessee State University (TSU) Rita Geier (nee Sanders) sought an injunction with the district court to prohibit the proposed expansion of the University of Tennessee at Nashville (UT-N). TSU, a historically black university governed by the State Board of Regents, was the only 4-year degree granting public institution in the greater Nashville area while UT-N operated under the independent governance of the University of Tennessee Board and served as two-year non-degree granting extension college of the UT system. Geier asserted that the expansion of UT-N to a four-year degree granting institution would maintain two separate, distinct, and segregated systems of higher education within the State of Tennessee. The United States, an interviewing plaintiff-appellee, asserted that the State of Tennessee was in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment with the justification that TSU students received unequitable educational opportunities in comparison to students within the University of Tennessee (UT) system. The United States sought for UT-N and TSU to be merged with an additional requirement of a formal plan of desegregation to be developed by UT, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), and the State Board of Regents (SBR). Geier’s request for an injunction was denied based upon the court not finding records to verify that UT-N was attempting to expand into a degree-granting day institution. The district court did however rule that the State of Tennessee’s open admission policy was not sufficient enough to satisfy the freedoms protected under the 14th amendment and ordered the state defendants (UT Board, THEC, and... ...ill subject to state and federal governance. The federal constitution was a key factor within the district court’s decisions as well as the appellate court’s decisions and it is imperative that we as policy makers are upholding laws appropriately. Additionally, we can learn from the inaction of THEC, the SBR, and the UT board. They had several failed attempts to desegregate the system and the district court ruled multiple times that they were not making adequate progress. Why they did not make a sustained effort to dismantle the dual system and end segregation can only be hypothesized but as policy makers and campus leaders we can learn from their mistakes. The formation of campus diversity offices and presidential taskforce’s that consider campus climate are prime examples of how we are more cognizant affording students with an equitable educational opportunity.

Exemplification Essay

Exemplification Essay I once heard a story about a restaurant manager named Jerry. Jerry was the type of guy that always was in a good mood no matter what. He was a natural motivator. When one of his employees would come in hating life he would be help them to look on the positive side of the situation. One of his other employees was curious, so one day he went up to Jerry and asked, â€Å"I don’t get it man, how can you be in a good positive mood all of the time. How do you do it? † Jerry replied, â€Å"Each morning I get up and I have a decision to make: to be in a good mood or to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good one. Every time something bad happens I can choose blame it on myself or I can choose to learn from the situation. † â€Å"It’s not that easy. † The employee protested. â€Å"Yeah it is. † Jerry said. â€Å"Life is all about the choices that you make and how you handle them, you choose to be in a good mood or to be in a bad mood. Bottom line: Attitude is everything. † The employee reflected on Jerry’s example. Later he left the restaurant business to start a business of his own. He lost touch with Jerry but would often use his teachings in his everyday choices in his life. A number of years later he heard that Jerry had left the back door open to his restaurant and he was robbed at gunpoint. While Jerry was opening the safe he was shaking and he slipped. One of the robbers, on edge, shot Jerry and they scurried away. Luckily, he wasn’t lying out for too long for an ambulance to come rush Jerry to the hospital; Jerry survived. Six months after the robbery the old employee met up with Jerry and had asked him about the incident. Jerry replied, â€Å"The Paramedics in the Ambulance were great. They kept on telling me that I was going to be fine until they handed me over to the doctors, that’s when I got worried. The doctors and the nurses eyes read that I was a dead man, not likely to survive. A nurse asked, â€Å"Do you have any allergies? †. I had a choice to make, to live or to die, to be in a good mood or a bad mood. â€Å"Yes† I replied to the nurse. The doctors stopped what they were doing waiting for my answer. â€Å"Bullets! † During their laughter they I told them â€Å"I’m not dead yet, make sure I don’t die. † Jerry lived by the outstanding skill of the doctors, but also due to his attitude. On July 19, 2011 my dad taught me the greatest lesson that I could ever be taught. Every year my paternal side of the family has a reunion in Capitol Reef National park, Southern Utah. My dad came up with the idea that we should leave a couple days earlier and ride our road bikes ahead of the rest of the family. Knowing me, he knew I was â€Å"in†. I just had had a friend move in with me because his family moved to Kentucky and he wanted to finish his senior year at our high school. He joined us on the ride. We started to do some training rides to get ready for the two hundred mile trek of which we were about to embark. July 19: woke up, ate a banana and oatmeal, got dressed in biking gear, took the first pedal and off we went. There were two different routes we could have taken: east of the lake or west of the lake. We chose to go west to avoid the traffic and the higher risk. When we reached the west side of the lake there was a head wind, so we started to draft off of each other. Every five minutes we would rotate who was in lead. It was my turn to lead, my dad following me, and my friend Kallen following him. Kallen’s headphones fell out of his ears and got wrapped up in his front wheels. While drafting he reached down to clear the remains of his headphones and his arm got sucked into the spokes which made him flip over the handle bars. I didn’t notice over the sound of my music that he had crashed but my dad did hear the accident and waved me down to go back. We frantically signaled a car down. A nice lady stepped out and offered to take Kallen to the hospital. My dad and I continued on our way. We reached the other side of the lake and I got a flat tire, which was my second for the day and I was already upset that we lost Kallen. We patched the flat and continued on our ride. Anger was just bottling up inside of me as we entered the next town. When we arrived we sat down to eat. It was about 3 o’clock and we still had seventy miles to go which added to my anger. After lunch we rode over to a park to use the public bathrooms. I take a short cut through a little dirt field. I used the restroom and hopped back on my bike to begin riding again and my tire was flat, again. â€Å"AHHH! †, I screamed. We went and sat on the grass to patch it. My attitude has not only has affected me, but has affected my dad too. â€Å"You better get in a better mood† he said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦because you are acting like a little baby. You have a choice to make; be in a good mood or a bad one, because we are going to finish this ride whether you want to or not. † I was shocked. My dad had never talked to me like that before. I realized that attitude is everything. We rode into the dark that night till we reached one hundred and twenty miles and the next day we biked the remaining 80 and made it to Capitol Reef. July 19 is my birthday. It had to have been the worst but also the best birthday that I have ever had. Your attitude towards something can change your life. Whether it is as big as saving your life or as small as changing your mood such as finishing a biking trip with your dad. It will stick with you and make you a better person and a happy person. Bottom line: Attitude is Everything. Exemplification Essay Exemplification Essay I once heard a story about a restaurant manager named Jerry. Jerry was the type of guy that always was in a good mood no matter what. He was a natural motivator. When one of his employees would come in hating life he would be help them to look on the positive side of the situation. One of his other employees was curious, so one day he went up to Jerry and asked, â€Å"I don’t get it man, how can you be in a good positive mood all of the time. How do you do it? † Jerry replied, â€Å"Each morning I get up and I have a decision to make: to be in a good mood or to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good one. Every time something bad happens I can choose blame it on myself or I can choose to learn from the situation. † â€Å"It’s not that easy. † The employee protested. â€Å"Yeah it is. † Jerry said. â€Å"Life is all about the choices that you make and how you handle them, you choose to be in a good mood or to be in a bad mood. Bottom line: Attitude is everything. † The employee reflected on Jerry’s example. Later he left the restaurant business to start a business of his own. He lost touch with Jerry but would often use his teachings in his everyday choices in his life. A number of years later he heard that Jerry had left the back door open to his restaurant and he was robbed at gunpoint. While Jerry was opening the safe he was shaking and he slipped. One of the robbers, on edge, shot Jerry and they scurried away. Luckily, he wasn’t lying out for too long for an ambulance to come rush Jerry to the hospital; Jerry survived. Six months after the robbery the old employee met up with Jerry and had asked him about the incident. Jerry replied, â€Å"The Paramedics in the Ambulance were great. They kept on telling me that I was going to be fine until they handed me over to the doctors, that’s when I got worried. The doctors and the nurses eyes read that I was a dead man, not likely to survive. A nurse asked, â€Å"Do you have any allergies? †. I had a choice to make, to live or to die, to be in a good mood or a bad mood. â€Å"Yes† I replied to the nurse. The doctors stopped what they were doing waiting for my answer. â€Å"Bullets! † During their laughter they I told them â€Å"I’m not dead yet, make sure I don’t die. † Jerry lived by the outstanding skill of the doctors, but also due to his attitude. On July 19, 2011 my dad taught me the greatest lesson that I could ever be taught. Every year my paternal side of the family has a reunion in Capitol Reef National park, Southern Utah. My dad came up with the idea that we should leave a couple days earlier and ride our road bikes ahead of the rest of the family. Knowing me, he knew I was â€Å"in†. I just had had a friend move in with me because his family moved to Kentucky and he wanted to finish his senior year at our high school. He joined us on the ride. We started to do some training rides to get ready for the two hundred mile trek of which we were about to embark. July 19: woke up, ate a banana and oatmeal, got dressed in biking gear, took the first pedal and off we went. There were two different routes we could have taken: east of the lake or west of the lake. We chose to go west to avoid the traffic and the higher risk. When we reached the west side of the lake there was a head wind, so we started to draft off of each other. Every five minutes we would rotate who was in lead. It was my turn to lead, my dad following me, and my friend Kallen following him. Kallen’s headphones fell out of his ears and got wrapped up in his front wheels. While drafting he reached down to clear the remains of his headphones and his arm got sucked into the spokes which made him flip over the handle bars. I didn’t notice over the sound of my music that he had crashed but my dad did hear the accident and waved me down to go back. We frantically signaled a car down. A nice lady stepped out and offered to take Kallen to the hospital. My dad and I continued on our way. We reached the other side of the lake and I got a flat tire, which was my second for the day and I was already upset that we lost Kallen. We patched the flat and continued on our ride. Anger was just bottling up inside of me as we entered the next town. When we arrived we sat down to eat. It was about 3 o’clock and we still had seventy miles to go which added to my anger. After lunch we rode over to a park to use the public bathrooms. I take a short cut through a little dirt field. I used the restroom and hopped back on my bike to begin riding again and my tire was flat, again. â€Å"AHHH! †, I screamed. We went and sat on the grass to patch it. My attitude has not only has affected me, but has affected my dad too. â€Å"You better get in a better mood† he said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦because you are acting like a little baby. You have a choice to make; be in a good mood or a bad one, because we are going to finish this ride whether you want to or not. † I was shocked. My dad had never talked to me like that before. I realized that attitude is everything. We rode into the dark that night till we reached one hundred and twenty miles and the next day we biked the remaining 80 and made it to Capitol Reef. July 19 is my birthday. It had to have been the worst but also the best birthday that I have ever had. Your attitude towards something can change your life. Whether it is as big as saving your life or as small as changing your mood such as finishing a biking trip with your dad. It will stick with you and make you a better person and a happy person. Bottom line: Attitude is Everything.