The leadership theories and personal leadership style Essay

The leadership theories and personal leadership style - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the leadership characteristics of individuals are not standardized; the professional and educational background is usually a key factor influencing the leadership capabilities of people worldwide. The author has rightly presented that at the same time, the personal view can highly influence the decisions of people as members of various social groups, either related to economic or social activities. In this context, determining the perfect position, in terms of leadership capabilities, can be a challenging task. The researcher’s leadership style, as influencing his perfect position in the workplace, is presented in this paper. Reference is made to leadership theories, as applied in social and business life internationally. This essay discusses that personal leadership approach is presented and evaluated in order to decide which would be the position in which the author would perform more successfully, that is which would be the r esearcher’s Perfect Position in the workplace. It is evidently clear from the discussion that different approaches have been developed in the literature for explaining the decisions of leaders. These approaches are based on different social or economic conditions. This means that the leadership style of each individual is unique; still, it seems that similarities in regard to the leadership styles of individuals cannot be avoided.... the participative and the authoritarian leadership styles; the first allows subordinates to participate in the decision making process while the second reflects the power of the leader to decide alone, i.e. without being influenced by the views of his subordinates (DuBrin 2008, p.348). On the other hand, Wright (2009) noted that leadership styles could be divided into six major categories: ‘visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and commanding’ (Wright 2009, p.237). Using the above distinction of leadership styles, I would characterize my personal leadership style as visionary, a leadership style that has certain characteristics. Indeed, the visionary leader tend to focus ‘on the values of individuals’ (Wright 2009, p.237) and tries to continuously inspire individuals in order ‘to achieve long-term goals’ (Wright 2009, p.237). From a similar point of view, Cameron and Green (2012) note that the key characteristic of the vision ary leader is his ability to set long – term goals, i.e. to plan for the future, and not only for present. At the same time, it is made clear that the visionary leader can ‘inspire trust to subordinates’ (Cameron and Green 2012, p.158). At the same time, Riggio and Orr (2004) explain that a visionary leader is characterized by ‘high enthusiasm and integrity’ (Riggio and Orr 2004, p.225); such leader is also expected to focus ‘on empowering subordinates and sharing his vision’ (Riggio and Orr 2004, p.225). These characteristics of visionary leader will be evaluated, as related to my personal behavior in order to verify whether my leadership style is a visionary leadership style or not. 2.2 Personal leadership style, as related to leadership theories I have been working in a quite challenging sector, the

Reconstruction After the American Civil War Essay Example for Free

Reconstruction After the American Civil War Essay The civil war is considered by many the most important war that our country has endured. During the 5 year Civil War, not only did 620,000 men die, but our nation was left in ruins. It was necessary that our country be rebuilt from bottom up. Abraham Lincoln, said to be the brightest president of his time, had plans and ideas for reconstruction. Unfortunately, these plans were failed to be put in place due to the fact of his assassination on April 14, 1865. Throughout some of the most politically tough years our nation has experienced (1865-1877) lousy presidents were elected, plans and bills failed and succeeded, and struggles with civil rights were prominent everywhere. The United State’s hopeful plans for reconstructing and reuniting slowly faded until it was all gone The most important part of reconstruction would probably have to be the beginning, or where it all started. Reconstruction of our nation began unofficially in 1863 with Lincoln’s 10% plan. Because Lincoln wanted a reunited nation as easily and quickly as possible, he entailed that only 10% of the confederates in each state would have to swear allegiance in order for the state to be accepted back into the union. Because of the small number of confederates needed to swear allegiance, the radical republicans in congress were angered and proposed the Wade-Davis Bill. The Wade-Davis bill was intended to make congress responsible for reconstruction rather than the president, and also stated that the majority (not 10%) would have to swear allegiance in each state to be re-accepted into the union. For the good of the united states, not for selfish reasons, Lincoln vetoed (or declined) the bill. Because Lincoln was assassinated, the rest of his plans and hopes for reconstruction were n ever put to use, and his vice-president, Andrew Johnson, took the Presidential role. As reconstruction continued on, it brought many major achievements that greatly benefited our country. One of the greatest accomplishments of reconstruction was the Fifteenth Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment stated that everyone has a right to vote no matter what â€Å"race, color, or previous condition of servitude† was. Because many whites didn’t like this, they wouldn’t cooperate with the amendment and would go as far as using violence to make blacks not vote. Because of this congress used the Enforcement Act of 1870 which entailed that federal governments would be able to punish those that were causing problems for the African Americans. Going along with the fifteenth amendment, reconstruction brought another achievement, a new life and society for former slaves. Supported by the government, former slaves were able to create new lives for themselves. Although it took hard work and dedication, African Americans were able to create schooling systems, churches and volunteer groups and fight against segregation. Former slaves were able to reunite with their families, and blacks were even finally allowed a spot in politics. The final greatest achievement of reconstruction was reuniting our country. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the other four states all re-entered the union by 1870. By originally initiating reconstruction, this is what Lincoln was shooting for. Although they still had political and economic differences, they were once again a reunited nation. With every great movement and political plan, lasting effects come along with it. During reconstruction many things were accomplished, which means that our nation was faced with many positive and negative effects. Some of the positive effects included new opportunities for the common public and former slaves. For example, the common public was presented with its first public school system, new roads and railroads, as well as orphanages for children and institutions for the mentally ill. One of the negative effects of the war was the physically and economically drained south. After the war, the south was in extremely poor physical condition and most everything had to be either rebuilt or restored. This was going to cost sufficient amounts of money that the south did not have. To get the money, the taxes rose and the wages lowered. Many people were without family members that died in the civil war, and the south’s population had decreased drastically. Another lasting effect that reconstruction left on our nation was a dent on the farms and plantations in the south. Many farms and plantations in the south had been ruined. Poor whites and African Americans were at disagreement with rich whites on what the farm land should be used as. Rich whites wanted to restore the plantation system and poor whites and African Americans wanted to create small farms and subsistence farming. Labor was also down. With many men dying in the war, not as many people were left to work on the farms. When the plantations were reopened, many African Americans and poor whites worked on the plantations in exchange for housing, food, clothing, etc. Many good and bad effects were left on our nation from reconstruction. Although reconstruction was a good recovery point for our nation, it was slowly ended in 1877 for a collection of reasons. One of the largest problems was whites inflicting violence on African Americans to prevent them from exercising their rights. During reconstruction, Americans struggled with anti-black radicals such as the Ku Klux Klan. They destroyed buildings, personal property, harmed the African Americans, and even went as far as killing them. The goal of the Ku Klux Klan was to restore white supremacy. By 1880 terrorist groups had restored white supremacy in the south. Along with terrorist groups, political troubles were also in the nation’s way. General Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1872. Because Grant was inexperienced, he brought his friends into high positions and many scandals resulted. Because of all of the scandals, many people became irritated and more conflict arose. Last but not least, the United States was experiencing economic turmoil. The panic of 1873 was one of the main reasons that focus was turned away from reconstruction. A man named Jay Cooke invested a grand amount of money in railroads and not enough investors bought shares, causing Cooke to spiral into debt. Because of this Cooke’s banking firm (largest in the nation) went bankrupt. Many small banks and businesses closed and the stock market closed. Millions lost their jobs. Because of this five year depression, the focus of the country was turned away from reconstruction. Reconstruction lasted a solid 13 years that were filled with many great improvements and countless lasting effects on our country. While enduring many severe losses and challenges brought on by the Civil War, the United States pushed through and reunited. We will always be affected by this era in our country’s history. Throughout many failed presidencies, failed and passed bills and movements, and continuous struggles with civil rights, America became the country it is tod ay. From the achievements to the collapse of reconstruction, I believe it was completely necessary and left many lasting effects, good and bad, on our country.

Foreign Trade Zones Essay -- Foreign Trading Essays

Foreign Trade Zones Source: http://ia.ita.doc.gov/ftzpage/tic.html In reading and going over chapter 17, I learned a lot but what most interesting is that the field that I work in which is a Logistic Company and we export and import shipments all day long. We do lots from holding goods and receiving and shipping out goods to the Georgia Port Authority and we do custom paperwork. So this was very enlightening to me and there was lots of information on the internet. I choose this article because of the homework assignment that was given to us and I think that it was great information to anyone learning about FTZs. Foreign trade zones (FTZs) are designated sites where special customs procedures apply. Foreign trade zones in the United States are comparable to so-called free trade zones in many countries, though procedures vary widely from country to country. FTZs allow domestic activity involving foreign items to take place as if it were outside the customs territory of the United States for duty payment purposes, thus offsetting customs advantages available to overseas producers who export in competition with products made in the United States. WHAT IS AN FTZ? A foreign trade zone is a restricted access site authorized by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board, which consists of the treasury and commerce secretaries (the secretary of commerce chairs the board). FTZs, upon activation under regulations of the U.S. Customs Service, are secure areas under U.S. Customs supervision. These zones are at or near U.S. Customs ports of entry. Formal customs entry procedures don?ft apply in these zones, although FTZs are within the territory and jurisdiction of the United States. WHY WERE SUCH ZONES ESTABLISHED? Congress established the Foreign-Trade Zones Board in 1934 to license and regulates FTZs in the United States. FTZs were established for a number of reasons, the primary being to encourage and expedite U.S. participation in international trade. Foreign goods may be admitted to an FTZ without being subject to customs duties and certain excise taxes. FTZs allow deferred payment of duties until goods are entered into the commerce of the United States. Under zone procedures, the usual customs entry procedures and payment of duties are not required on foreign merchandise until it actually enters customs territory for domestic consumption. Foreign mercha... ...ms clearance. FTZs also assist state and local officials to develop their economies by attracting foreign commerce. And by helping U.S. companies improve their international competitiveness, FTZs can help retain local business and encourage the development of additional jobs. FTZs also facilitate international trade, as noted in the advantages above. DO OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE FTZs? Many other countries operate special customs areas, such as free trade zones (also referred to as FTZs) and export processing zones. U.S. exporters and other interested parties should contact the embassy or customs officials of individual countries for specific procedures, requirements, and arrangements. Although there may be several similarities, it should not be assumed that a free trade zone overseas operates under the same principles as a foreign trade zone in the United States. Contact information for foreign embassies is available by calling the Trade Information Center at 800- USA-TRADE, or by visiting www.export.gov/tic. Many U.S.freight forwarders also have working relationships with trade zones overseas and can provide information on the documentation required to ship goods through them.

Air Pollution Essay

Introduction The earth’s atmosphere, at or near sea level, consists approximately of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gases. If it were possible to remain in this state, 100 percent clean air would result. However, many varied sources allow other gases and particulates to mix with the clean air, causing our atmosphere to become unclean or polluted. Some of these pollutants are visible while others are invisible, with each having the capability of causing distress to the eyes, ears, throat, skin and respiratory system. Should these pollutants become concentrated in a specific area and under certain conditions, death could result due to the displacement or chemical change of the oxygen content in the air. These pollutants can also cause great damage to the environment and to the many man made objects that are exposed to the elements. To better understand the causes of air pollution, the pollutants can be categorized into 3 separate types, natural, industrial and aut omotive. Natural Pollutants Natural pollution has been present on earth since before man appeared and continues to be a factor when discussing air pollution, although it causes only a small percentage of the overall pollution problem. It is the direct result of decaying organic matter, wind born smoke and particulates from such natural events as plain and forest fires (ignited by heat or lightning), volcanic ash, sand and dust which can spread over a large area of the countryside. Such a phenomenon of natural pollution has been seen in the form of volcanic eruptions, with the resulting plume of smoke, steam and volcanic ash blotting out the sun’s rays as it spreads and rises higher into the atmosphere. As it travels into the atmosphere the upper air currents catch and carry the smoke and ash, while condensing the steam back into water vapor. As the water vapor, smoke and ash travel on their journey, the smoke dissipates into the atmosphere while the ash and moisture settle back to earth in a trail hundreds of miles long. In some cases, lives are lost and millions of dollars of property damage result. Industrial Pollutants Industrial pollution is caused primarily by industrial processes, the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, which in turn produce smoke and fumes. Because the burning fuels contain large amounts of sulfur, the principal ingredients of smoke and fumes are sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. This type of pollutant occurs most severely during still, damp and cool weather, such as at night. Even in its less severe form, this pollutant is not confined to just cities. Because of air movements, the pollutants move for miles over the surrounding countryside, leaving in its path a barren and unhealthy environment for all living things. Working with Federal, State and Local mandated regulations and by carefully monitoring emissions, big business has greatly reduced the amount of pollutant introduced from its industrial sources, striving to obtain an acceptable level. Because of the mandated industrial emission clean up, many land areas and streams in and around the cities that were formerly barren of vegetation and life, have now begun to move back in the direction of nature’s intended balance. Automotive Pollutants The third major source of air pollution is automotive emissions. The emissions from the internal combustion engines were not an appreciable problem years ago because of the small number of registered vehicles and the nation’s small highway system. However, during the early 1950’s, the trend of the American people was to move from the cities to the surrounding suburbs. This caused an immediate problem in transportation because the majority of suburbs were not afforded mass transit conveniences. This lack of transportation created an attractive market for the automobile manufacturers, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of vehicles produced and sold, along with a marked increase in highway construction between cities and the suburbs. Multi-vehicle families emerged with a growing emphasis placed on an individual vehicle per family member. As the increase in vehicle ownership and usage occurred, so did pollutant levels in and around the cities, as suburbanites drove daily to their businesses and employment, returning at the end of the day to their homes in the suburbs. It was noted that a smoke and fog type haze was being formed and at times, remained in suspension over the cities, taking time to dissipate. At first this â€Å"smog,† derived from the words â€Å"smoke† and â€Å"fog,† was thought to result from industrial pollution but it was determined that automobile emissions shared the blame. It was discovered that when normal automobile emissions were exposed to sunlight for a period of time, complex chemical reactions would take place. It is now known that smog is a photo chemical layer which develops when certain oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) from automobile emissions are exposed to sunlight. Pollution was more severe when smog would become stagnant over an area in which a warm layer of air settled over the top of the cooler air mass, trapping and holding the cooler mass at ground level. The trapped cooler air would keep the emissions from being dispersed and diluted through normal air flows. This type of air stagnation was given the name â€Å"Temperature Inversion.† TEMPERATURE INVERSION In normal weather situations, surface air is warmed by heat radiating from the earth’s surface and the sun’s rays. This causes it to rise upward, into the atmosphere. Upon rising it will cool through a convection type heat exchange with the cooler upper air. As warm air rises, the surface pollutants are carried upward and dissipated into the atmosphere. When a temperature inversion occurs, we find the higher air is no longer cooler, but is warmer than the surface air, causing the cooler surface air to become trapped. This warm air blanket can extend from above ground level to a few hundred or even a few thousand feet into the air. As the surface air is trapped, so are the pollutants, causing a severe smog condition. Should this stagnant air mass extend to a few thousand feet high, enough air movement with the inversion takes place to allow the smog layer to rise above ground level but the pollutants still cannot dissipate. This inversion can remain for days over an area, with the smog level only rising or lowering from ground level to a few hundred feet high. Meanwhile, the pollutant levels increase, causing eye irritation, respiratory problems, reduced visibility, plant damage and in some cases, even disease. This inversion phenomenon was first noted in the Los Angeles, California area. The city lies in terrain resembling a basin and with certain weather conditions, a cold air mass is held in the basin while a warmer air mass covers it like a lid. Because this type of condition was first documented as prevalent in the Los Angeles area, this type of trapped pollution was named Los Angeles Smog, although it occurs in other areas where a large concentration of automobiles are used and the air remains stagnant for any length of time. HEAT TRANSFER Consider the internal combustion engine as a machine in which raw materials must be placed so a finished product comes out. As in any machine operation, a certain amount of wasted material is formed. When we relate this to the internal combustion engine, we find that through the input of air and fuel, we obtain power during the combustion process to drive the vehicle. The by-product or waste of this power is, in part, heat and exhaust gases with which we must dispose. The heat from the combustion process can rise to over 4000 °F (2204 °C). The dissipation of this heat is controlled by a ram air effect, the use of cooling fans to cause air flow and a liquid coolant solution surrounding the combustion area to transfer the heat of combustion through the cylinder walls and into the coolant. The coolant is then directed to a thin-finned, multi-tubed radiator, from which the excess heat is transferred to the atmosphere by 1 of the 3 heat transfer methods, conduction, convection or radiation. The cooling of the combustion area is an important part in the control of exhaust emissions. To understand the behavior of the combustion and transfer of its heat, consider the air/fuel charge. It is ignited and the flame front burns progressively across the combustion chamber until the burning charge reaches the cylinder walls. Some of the fuel in contact with the walls is not hot enough to burn, thereby snuffing out or quenching the combustion process. This leaves unburned fuel in the combustion chamber. This unburned fuel is then forced out of the cylinder and into the exhaust system, along with the exhaust gases. Many attempts have been made to minimize the amount of unburned fuel in the combustion chambers due to quenching, by increasing the coolant temperature and lessening the contact area of the coolant around the combustion area. However, design limitations within the combustion chambers prevent the complete burning of the air/fuel charge, so a certain amount of the unburned fuel is still expelled into the exhaust system, regardless of modifications to the engine.

How to eat Essay

Trash Trash by Andy Mulligan, an important event in the book is when the police go to the dumpsite looking for the bag. This event is important because it make Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious, it also makes the police angry because they can’t find the bag. The last reason is that it’s a catalyst to other events in the story. The story is about three boys in a third world country who earn a living by picking through rubbish. One day they find a bag, the contents of it put them into a terrifying adventure, fighting against corruption and authority. In the event I chose when the police go to the dumpsite looking for the bag. The police go to the dumpsite asking the residents including Raphael, Gardo and Rat if they found a bag, but the police didn’t get any answers. The first reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it makes Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious. It makes Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious because they had the bag and wanted to know why it was so important. The police said â€Å"We think this bag might have something important in it to help us solve a crime.† In other words, the police looking for the bag is an important part in the story, and if the police didn’t go to the dumpsite looking for the bag Raphael wouldn’t have gone looking for answers. The second reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it is a catalyst to other events in the story. If the police didn’t go to the dumpsite looking for the bag Raphael, Gardo and Rat wouldn’t have gone to the police station to find out why the bag is so important. Therefore, the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is a key part of the story. The last reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it makes the police angry because they can’t find the bag and that makes them interrogate Raphael and that shows how the police are corrupt because they beat Raphael. â€Å"What did you find?† said the boss â€Å"I didn’t find a bag, sir.† Raphael said. In summary the police going  to the dumpsite looking for the bag shows how the police are corrupt. In conclusion, in trash the police going to the dumpsite is an important event for three reasons. These are it is a catalyst to other events, it makes Raphael Gardo and Rat curious and it makes to police angry because they can’t find the bag. Andy Mulligan wrote this book to show the gap between the rich and the poor and how the police and government are corrupt. The police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag illustrates this by showing that the police will do anything to protect themselves and the government. This is a powerful life message.

Chapter 7 Mini Case #350 Example

Chapter 7 Mini Case #350 Example Chapter 7 Mini Case #350 – Case Study Example Decision on Arbitral Matter The case scenario involves an arbitral matter falling in the domain of labour arbitration. It is in doubt whether an employee who has declined to work for an extra 6 hours has acted within the confines of the contract governing the employment relationship and whether the 6 hours constitutes a change in the work schedule requiring that the employer and the union to mutually consent. In addition, the employee has already been suspended for a single day signifying another punishment. The grievance is the suspension while the company would like to legally hold staff to work for 6 hours whenever necessary. To decide the case, I consider relevant factors to arrive at a fair decision. One such factor is whether the additional 6 hours constituted a change in the work schedule. This can easily be proved or disproved using past practice or custom as well the construction of the employment contract. If it is confirmed, the employee would have breached the agreement a nd be liable. By receiving a one day suspension, it is clear that the employer had already punished by the employer without first establishing if the employee had violated terms of the agreement between the union and the company. On this ground, I would rule in favor of the employee because the employer made a unilateral decision without following the correct procedure. From the onset, 6 additional hours of work is substantial enough to constitute work schedule change and the employee was right to decline the requirement. The mentioned reasons dictate that the employer’s violated the right of the employee and therefore on the wrong.ReferencesReed, L. (2012). Arbitral Decision-making: Art, Science or Sport? The kaplan Lecture 2012. new York: Kaplan University.

William Wordsworth, the Wandering Poet.

William Wordsworth, the Wandering Poet. Through the many works of William Wordsworth is found a vast correlation in his poetry and the experiences which he went through as an early child and throughout the rest of his life. These experiences carved themselves into Wordsworth's mind giving him a favorable ability to put his experiences and emotions into words through his good-natured poetry. To greater understand the poetry he wrote, it is crucial to have a knowledge of the life he lived.William Wordsworth was born the second child of John and Ann Wordsworth in Cockermouth, Cumberland, on April 7, 1770. Wordsworth was living up a decently good childhood in Cockermouth until 1778, where in March of that year his mother Ann died and the family was split up. Wordsworth's sister Dorothy was sent to live at Halifax with her mother's cousin, and the boys of the family were sent to school at Hawkshead where they were educated well and cared for.English: Portrait of William Wordsworth by William...It was young William's headmaster at Hawkshead who first encouraged him to read and write poetry. Wordsworth also happened to later write a poem about this early time in his life called "The Prelude." In this poem Wordsworth directly conveys the childish activities which he experienced which seemed quite normal, but would later develop him into a great poet.Four years had passed since his mother died and then, on December 30th, 1983 after celebrating the Christmas holidays, his father passed away at Wordsworth's young age of thirteen. After this occurrence their house was given up and the boys were made to live with their maternal grandparents the Cooksons, and their uncle, Christopher Crackanthoope Cookson. At this time in Wordsworth's life he underwent a significant change experienced dependency through patronization and also underwent a rebellious state from having to live with people who weren't...

Melting Point Vs. Freezing Point

Melting Point Vs. Freezing Point You may think the melting point and freezing point of a substance occur at the same temperature. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they dont. The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid phase and the  solid phase are equal and at equilibrium. If you increase the temperature, the solid will melt. If you decrease the temperature of a liquid past the same temperature, it may or may not freeze! This is supercooling and it occurs with many substances, including water. Unless there is a nucleus for crystallization, you can cool water well below its melting point and it wont turn to ice (freeze). You can demonstrate this effect by cooling very pure water in a freezer in a smooth container to as low as −42 degrees Celcius. Then if you disturb the water (shake it, pour it, or touch it), it will turn to ice as you watch. The freezing point of water and other liquids may be the same temperature as the melting point. It wont be higher, but it could easily be lower.

Employee Selection and Performance Appraisal Essay

Employee Selection and Performance Appraisal - Essay Example Organizational operations, in both profit making and ‘non-profit’ making enterprises, require evaluation for reconciliation with set objectives as well as for comparison with operations with other enterprises in a similar industry. Assessment is the process of evaluating a subject, which can be a process, in order to ascertain its potential or quality. Management on the other hand refers to the act or responsibility of controlling people or activities. Assessment and management are therefore critical elements in the life of an organization. This paper seeks to discuss performance assessment and management of McDonalds Company. The paper will explore the established culture of employee selection and appraisal criteria that McDonalds applies in its human resource management. The paper will, with this respect, offer an overview of McDonalds human resource practices in employee selection and appraisal initiatives and then further analyze the processes. McDonalds is a multinational company that operates in a number of cultures across the world. Its human resource management is however converged to a uniform culture. With an overall workforce of more than thirty thousand employees, McDonalds has its personnel management strategies incorporated in its core objectives. In order to achieve its goal of being the best service provider in the food industry, the company’s ensures that it has a diversified cultural base with excellent employee management. McDonalds has a broad based approach in selecting its employees. This includes a special consideration to disabled people who may have some specialized capacity to service delivery. The company has also adopted a universal program for handling older employees more than 55 years of age that follows a criterion of being fair and ‘non-discriminatory’. It has therefore been open to different categories of cultured workforce. As far as recruiting is concerned, the company relies on the

Neurological Biological Development of the Brain Essay

Neurological Biological Development of the Brain - Essay Example The brain is an incredibly intricate and complex part of the human body. It is made up of neurons, or brain cells and these brain cells connect to one another through synapses, which are physical gaps between the neurons. Then there are neurotransmitters which are used to carry signals between brain cells, and these also work by diffusing across the synapse and triggering the electrical activity that transmits information throughout the brain itself. The grown adult human brain contains about 200 billion neurons, and it needs to be known that the number of neurons that are in the brain actually does not change from birth, bur rather the growth occurs in the dendrites. The developmental process of the brain really takes on two separate sides, especially in regards to something such as communication, as the left part of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa, and so in order to come to a proper conclusion in regards to the developmental processes of the brain we t hus have to thoroughly examine and discuss the two parts of the brain separately and in their own regards. Both sides of the brain develop incredibly complexly, and there are many different intricate and codependent processes that are going on during the course and the development of a human being, and all of these need to be considered in a matter such as this. The first eight weeks of brain development is known as being the embryonic period, and this is before the baby is actually born, once they have been conceived and the very beginning of the neurological biological development of the brain begins, and during this time is when multiple different and significant changes take place, as the organs, systems, and tissues of the future are being induced and differentiated and put properly into place in regards to the brain's development, and then the growth and development and refinement of these organs, systems, and tissues begins at this point. The brain actually begins to develop very soon after the point of conception, sooner than many people seem to believe, and this is when the brain cells first begin forming at the very tip of the embryo; as well, by as early as three and a half weeks past the conception date, the neural tube will begin to expand and mature and will result in forming the spinal cord and the brain. At the beginning, during this point, the brain cells themselves multiply incredibly quickly, at a rate of 250,000 per minute, however after about the 20th week, there is a slowdown which will occur, and this happens because the brain is organizing itself into more than 40 separate systems, which thus causes a significant decrease in the multiplication of the brain cells. Then there is the foetal stage of development, which takes place from the third to the ninth month, and during this time is when "the communication lines between the brain and the periphery of the body

I though I knew what good management was Article

I though I knew what good management was - Article Example his mix feelings, when he arrived in SFD for his first time, where there were approximately one hundred workers on the site, including the gasification pilot plant, support, building and offices. Peace explains that he had mixed feelings of challenges of significant opportunities and threat of situations concerning technology and market, which were foreign to him. Moreover, he explains that it took him four years to gather confidence in discussing issues related to technology with knowledgeable customers. Peace also had problems with employee attitudes, which he identifies through attitude survey months before he arrived in the company. In fact, he compared these attitudes with others, and they were not favorable to him, though he had a solution for these issues, which included effective communication and site cafeteria for addressing the employees. The employees’ attitudes attributed to distrust of management and hostility, which was difficult for him to understand. During the period when trouble was brewing, problems, which seemed to have been resolved, kept recurring, and the managers were applying the same agenda. Consequently, the employees were complaining about innovative ideas from the management were impractical risky and expensive. Peace also explains that he was unhappy with lack of management follow-through, since the managers seemed to be against the system, though the business objectives were well articulated in the company. Moreover, he mentions about his effort in calling a meeting for a discussion related to issues of management style, which bore no fruits. Peace narrates about the period when the problem escalated in the company, whereby there was undeclared war within the division, which might have gone on indefinitely to act of vandalism. In fact, during November 1982, there were unidentified employees involved in slashing the tires of two cars belonging to the managers parked off-site. This act was due to the employee resentment towards

Studying chemical engineering in the united states Essay

Studying chemical engineering in the united states - Essay Example It is clear that most of the renowned institutions in the world are located in the US including Stanford, Harvard, Yale and John Hopkins University. Sadly, Kuwaiti universities do not enjoy a similar stature. I hope to study in the US because the society has persistently changed because employers are not accepting graduates from any learning institution. A degree from a university can be insignificant especially if it is not recognizable by universal employers and major institutions. Consequently, I saw it essential to choose US since its degrees are recognizable in the world because of their quality. Unlike the colleges in Kuwaiti, the accreditation of US colleges is dependent on the experience of their lecturers, educational structures and appraisal from major corporations. Leading corporations recruit excellent students from reputable organizations to become employees in their institutions. The organizations are confident the recruits present the best talent in the market. The universities in the US are attractive based on their diverse education system; thus, my desire to study in the country. The universities scout for tutors and professors from various backgrounds who are experts. Additionally, the students originate from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to share similar classrooms and living environments. I believe the diverse perspectives and knowledge of the students and professors add value to the quality of education. Consequently, I am likely to understand diverse viewpoints of the material presented during class when the students and tutors originate from diverse backgrounds. I believe a diverse educational setting presents unique opportunities to the students and tutors. Globalization enhances an individual’s capacity to interact with persons from different cultural settings. The experiences in the American universities will broaden my social and cross cultural

Ammendments to the bill of rights of the US Constitution Essay

Ammendments to the bill of rights of the US Constitution - Essay Example Bill of Rights is the synonym of freedom to American citizens. The rights and freedoms that are covered under the Bill of Rights involve, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom to keep and Bear Arms, Freedom of Religion and Protection for that Accused of Crimes. Other crucial rights covered by Bill of Rights include Freedom to petition as well as the rights to save themselves from unreasonable search, seizure and cruel and unusual punishment. Citizens of United States are also entitled to the rights against compelled self-incrimination. The Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government in United States. These restrictions on the rights of the government boost up the rights of the citizens, visitors, and other temporary residents in the nation. Bill of Rights guarantees several crucial enumerated rights to the citizens. These amendments also control the government from making any new laws that respect the establishment of religion. These ame ndments also ensure that the government does not seize anybody’s life, property or freedom unless it happens by the processes of the law. Bill of Rights ensure that the Congress do not make any citizen deprive of his life and liberty. In the matter of criminal cases only the indictment by grand jury can deal a capital (infamous) crime. These special freedom rights ensure a speedy public trial on these cases using a local or impartial jury. These rights also ensure there never occurs a double jeopardy. The Fifth Amendment upholds the rights of people in this case. Majority of the Bill of Rights were applied to the nation by a sequence of decisions that include the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. These were included after the American Civil War. The Bill of Rights is a fundamental symbol of the freedom, liberty, independence and choice of the nation. Bill of Rights was first prepared in 1789 by James Madison and was drafted during a period when there happened nu merous ideological misunderstandings between Federalists and anti-Federalists. These ideological conflicts had started since the 1787 Philadelphia Convention. These conflicts and the associated problems questioned the Constitution's ratification. The Bill of Rights is closely associated with the 1689 English Bill of Rights, George Mason's 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, English political documents like Magna Carta (1215) and the other important documents that were associated with the natural rights. The Bill of Rights answered all questions related to the freedom of citizens and was a big challenge to the celebrated founding fathers who completely forgot to include the basic principles of human liberty in the constitution. The Bill of Rights is too important for American citizens, American law and the government. You can find a copy of the Bill of Rights available for public display in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.. There are fourteen original copies of the Bill of Rights. December 15 is considered as the ‘Bill of Rights Day’ as per the declaration of the Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Bill of Rights ensures any abuse of power from the part of the government. Citizens enjoy various types of freedom through the Bill of Right

Analysis opera market in Princeton area including psychographic Assignment

Analysis opera market in Princeton area including psychographic profile including life-styles, attitudes, personalities - Assignment Example Such has been used to hold iconic events in the region. An example of an Opera House that has been successful over time is the Sydney Opera House that has been active for over 40 years (ABC News). Linking personality to promote the opera house is important. People who are mostly open, conscientiousness and extroverted are more willing to offer clientele. In the area, people like meeting up, the opera would provide the meeting point. The opera house will be a place to exchange ideas among the people. The people may perceive opera houses to be places for rich people. This may influence the high income earners to go to the opera house. The desire of the people in the region to go to the opera house will be driven by curiosity to seek entertainment from the new establishment in the area. Moreover, more people can be coerced to the opera by their peers since most of the population in the region consists of young adults to middle aged person. In this regard, the psychographic data is important in establishing the market for the opera house. According to Kane, an editor with the Irish Times, a good example is the Wexford Opera house where in 2014 reported to have sold almost 90% of the 21 500 tickets put for sale for the different

Ammendments to the bill of rights of the US Constitution Essay

Ammendments to the bill of rights of the US Constitution - Essay Example Bill of Rights is the synonym of freedom to American citizens. The rights and freedoms that are covered under the Bill of Rights involve, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom to keep and Bear Arms, Freedom of Religion and Protection for that Accused of Crimes. Other crucial rights covered by Bill of Rights include Freedom to petition as well as the rights to save themselves from unreasonable search, seizure and cruel and unusual punishment. Citizens of United States are also entitled to the rights against compelled self-incrimination. The Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government in United States. These restrictions on the rights of the government boost up the rights of the citizens, visitors, and other temporary residents in the nation. Bill of Rights guarantees several crucial enumerated rights to the citizens. These amendments also control the government from making any new laws that respect the establishment of religion. These ame ndments also ensure that the government does not seize anybody’s life, property or freedom unless it happens by the processes of the law. Bill of Rights ensure that the Congress do not make any citizen deprive of his life and liberty. In the matter of criminal cases only the indictment by grand jury can deal a capital (infamous) crime. These special freedom rights ensure a speedy public trial on these cases using a local or impartial jury. These rights also ensure there never occurs a double jeopardy. The Fifth Amendment upholds the rights of people in this case. Majority of the Bill of Rights were applied to the nation by a sequence of decisions that include the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. These were included after the American Civil War. The Bill of Rights is a fundamental symbol of the freedom, liberty, independence and choice of the nation. Bill of Rights was first prepared in 1789 by James Madison and was drafted during a period when there happened nu merous ideological misunderstandings between Federalists and anti-Federalists. These ideological conflicts had started since the 1787 Philadelphia Convention. These conflicts and the associated problems questioned the Constitution's ratification. The Bill of Rights is closely associated with the 1689 English Bill of Rights, George Mason's 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, English political documents like Magna Carta (1215) and the other important documents that were associated with the natural rights. The Bill of Rights answered all questions related to the freedom of citizens and was a big challenge to the celebrated founding fathers who completely forgot to include the basic principles of human liberty in the constitution. The Bill of Rights is too important for American citizens, American law and the government. You can find a copy of the Bill of Rights available for public display in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.. There are fourteen original copies of the Bill of Rights. December 15 is considered as the ‘Bill of Rights Day’ as per the declaration of the Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Bill of Rights ensures any abuse of power from the part of the government. Citizens enjoy various types of freedom through the Bill of Right

Active Listening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Active Listening - Essay Example First, I asked for her suggestion about a convenient meeting place. We jointly chose the conference room because it was a neutral and comfortable meeting place. I arranged the chairs in the conversational angle of 45 degrees. I also made drinking water accessible to her in case she needed. Then, I assured her of her confidentiality and the ultimate goal of listening and never judging her. I then switched off my phone and requested her to do the same to limit interruptions. In addition, I made sure that no one interrupted our session in the conference room. She began narrating her experiences with alcohol. Mainly, she explained how it affected her work, relationships, and family time. I maintained an eye contact with the client, nodded and sometimes encouraged her to talk through further probing. Mrs. Hirst cried at some level demonstrating her inner pain about the issue. I responded well by allowing her to shade tears after which we proceeded with the conversation. After the narration, she asked for my assistance. Instead, I guided her to make a sound solution to her problem by asking about her feelings and what she considers useful (Hoppe, 2011). She promised to stop drinking but required some guidance. I recommended a rehabilitation plan for her. At the end, I reassured her and promised her the confidentiality. I also appreciated her bold decision to address the problem. In conclusion, the session was emotional. However, I applied active listening skills to demonstrate maturity and help the client. I also set up a convenient environment and encouraged the client to speak without interruptions. I believe it was the best session

The Relationship between Reason and Experience Essay Example for Free

The Relationship between Reason and Experience Essay The various man-made creations, the formation of different school of thoughts and literature that reflects the varieties of human experiences and the different ideas that govern man’s way of living attest man’s love of wisdom. Man as the highest form of animal is an authentic specie that never stops learning, innovating, creating, and seeking ways to gain more choices in giving his life more meaning. As he continually desire to seek answers in his questions towards his existence, there is a continuous enhancement of man’s intellect. Reviewing the history and looking around the contemporary world itself will ascertain man’s development towards intellect. But how do knowledge and rationality develop that resulted to man’s creation of many things? People establish knowledge and rationality in different ways. Human beings basically hate uncertainty or skepticism. But skepticism as it resulted to ambiguity and doubt motivates man to seek for answers in fulfilling his wonder. The use of observation from experiences or senses is one of the most important resources in acquiring knowledge. People can easily believe the idea that mind apprehends truths through the medium of the senses for the reason that people really learned from experience. However, is there something as absolute knowledge by which human beings accumulate truths without having to experience it? This paper will attest that human beings’ innate reasoning and experience are inextricably linked in the acquisition and manipulation of knowledge. Experience that is associated with empiricism and innate reasoning associated with rationalism are interrelated. Over the years, the source and extent of knowledge has been strongly debated in the world of philosophy. Rationalism and empiricism are the two rival schools of thoughts that gave accounts on the theories of knowledge. Basically the debate between empiricists and rationalists was whether or not knowledge is acquired from the senses or experiences. Empiricism holds the â€Å"attitude that beliefs are to be accepted and acted upon only if they first have been confirmed by actual experience† (â€Å"Empiricism†). Empiricism emphasizes the role of experience as it gives evidences in the formation of ideas. Just like in science, hypothesis and theories must be tested through observation and experiments to be sure of its factuality. However some reality or knowledge on empiricism in the context of experimental reasoning is not always credible. All can be subject to revision. â€Å"As far as possible, empiricism also try to avoid any reference to abstract entities and to restrict themselves to what is sometimes called a nominalistic language, i. e. , one not containing such references† (Carnap 1997). Empiricism apparently believes that â€Å"innate knowledge is unobservable and inefficacious; that is, it does not do anything†. A particular knowledge only works and becomes more meaningful if one experiences it. For example, how would you know or imagine the richness of color present in a rainbow if you were born blind? Or how can we possibly get the idea of a perfect circle and a perfect square without seeing it? We can possibly describe it in words and description but its full meaning will never be realized without experience. The only way to have a complete idea of a rainbow or on any object is to experience it with the use of senses. â€Å"Aristotle was one of the scientists who believe in the concept of empiricism; he felt that it is imperative that we trust our senses, for what else have we to trust? † (Purvis) Rationalism on the other hand holds the idea that â€Å"reason is the chief source and test of knowledge and that reality itself has an inherently logical structure† (â€Å"Rationalism†). Moreover, rationalists believe that there are truths in this world that are beyond the reach of sense perception that can only be explained by reason and logic. Mathematical truths for example (e. g. 0+1=1) are said to be absolutely true or a statement â€Å"A nun is a female† or â€Å"A priest is a male†. These truths according to rationalists were acquired prior to experience. They will remain true whether an individual experience it or not. But in creating these mathematical truths are they not already acquired through experience? In favor of empiricism, â€Å"mathematics is a good way of showing how both rationalism and empiricism are both important components of knowledge† (Purvis 2008). The creation of numbers is not innate or they are not things on themselves. They are manmade creations that we use â€Å"to more conveniently operate and organize our empirical perceptions† (Purvis 2008) Rationalists also hold the concept that humans’ sense of morality with the presence of conscience and guilt and man’s logic are innate. But we can not rationally prove the rightness and wrongness of morality or logic without empirical evidence. The idea that there is indeed a morality will never be realized without understanding its consequences from experiences. Man was encouraged to create morality for the purpose of making his existence more meaningful. With no raw data from experience then there should be no participation in full metaphysics. Given that there is an innate sense of reasoning, but that will only be fully revealed and realized through experience. Reason and experience for me, are both reliable source of knowledge. The senses and the mind are both necessary in acquiring knowledge and truth. So the argument should arise in proving the relationship of reason and experience. Experience can sometimes be a less reliable source of knowledge or reality since at any moment new experience may disapprove the old. However we can not be completely dependent upon reasoning to gain knowledge since people naturally need experience to test the truths of logical arguments. We can not imagine a life without experience. The fact the people react or reason means people respond in their environment and their present experience or situation. Our ability to perceive is an experience in itself. The innate existence of logic and rationality I believed will come into a complete understanding and will transform into life with the use of experience. However there are also things that can never be understood or considered an absolute truth without experiencing it. Some people in order to accept truth backed up it with concrete proofs from past or future experience. Work Cited Page: Empiricism. Encyclop? dia Britannica. 2009. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. 15 Feb. 2009 http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/186146/Empiricism. Rationalism. Encyclop? dia Britannica. 2009. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. 15 Feb. 2009 http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/492034/rationalism. Carnap, Rudolf. â€Å"Empiricism, Semantics and Onthology†. Revue Internationale de Philosophie. Retrived 15 February, 2009. from http://www. ditext. com/carnap/carnap. html Yount, David J. Empiricism V. Rationalism online. Retrieved 15 February 2009 from http://www. mc. maricopa. edu/~yount/text/empm-v-ratm. html Purvis, Dustin. Rationalism Vs. Empiricism. SocyBerty online. 2008, April 17. Retrieved 15 February, 2009 From http://www. socyberty. com/Philosophy/Rationalism-Vs-Empiricism. 110492/1

Problems of global waste

Problems of global waste The caring for and management of global waste is a global concern for the Earth as the population of Earth grows, and places where waste is deposited becomes a problem. Waste of various kinds is a danger to human health, wildlife preservation, and the environment in a broad range of aspects including how waste affects water supplies, soil contamination, and hazardous environments that remain or become uninhabitable. As the human population grows, so does consumption, and with that consumption huge amounts of waste are formed. concerning the management and the future of how waste is handled locally and globally, as it is a global problem not just local. How people and wildlife can cope with or without a world filled with hazardous material left over from various human activities caused from their disposal of waste. municipal solid waste of most human households affect how we live and how we affect the environment. How medical waste that is thrown in places where it may come into conta ct with the human population and how it can spread disease. How hazardous waste that is perceived by the public as the most potentially dangerous waste, can prove to be fatal if left untreated in populated areas . Is the future of waste management that of recycling or turning waste into usable energy such as electricity and other powered devices. Waste problems do not only affect local environments but the global environments as a whole. Unfortunately when waste is put into landfills the waste does not disappear just because the human eye can no longer see it does not mean the earth and global habitats dont feel the consequences. There are many kinds of waste that effect the world. they are classified by their physical, chemical and biological characteristics of their compounds . Solid waste materials can contain less than 70% water. Solid waste can be materials as household garbage, industrial wastes, mining wastes, and oilfield wastes. Liquid wastes contain less than 1% solids. Liquid waste can contain high concentrations of salts and metals. Sludge is whats in between liquid and solid. Sludge is usually made up of 3% and 25% solids, everything else is water dissolved materials. Landfills affect pollution levels of the environment the contamination of groundwater and aquifers that are used for consumption by humans and anim als the leakage of waste and soil contamination methane gas caused by decaying organic wastes methane which is a greenhouse gas more potent and deadly than carbon dioxide it can cause severe problems for the local environment around the waste site they can also be disease zones can cause outbreaks of certain diseases to the surrounding area and problems of annoyance and health risks such as dust, pests, bad odor, and other problems. Alternative methods can help the environment such as waste reduction and recycling incineration of waste can also reduce waste problems but when waste is burned harmful substances affect our air quality and health. When Waste is burned in incinerators It is a more expensive alternative way of disposal than landfills. In the united states the EPA reported 118.5 million tons or 57 percent of the united states total waste were managed in landfills. Todays incinerators are capable of destroying around 99.9% of the organic waste material that are put into the furnaces. Also this can produce a form of usable energy for Numerous thermal processes that recover energy from the burnt solid waste. waste organizations burn wastes in incinerators to produce steam for energy and is cleaner. Garbage as plastic and other non organic substances burned in incinerators poisons water soil and the air. Areas of life that are near incinerators have objected to them because of fears of harmful pollution. There are drawbacks to the use of incinerators but it is one of the measures that can reduce organic waste problems. In the United states 33.5 million tons of waste or 16 percent total were combusted at high temperatures. Recycling methods are becoming more popular worldwide. Recycling can also be a way to gather energy through thermal treatment from using waste as a way to use for appliances, and too make boilers to produce steam and electricity in a turbine. When items that would be waste if not recycled can be reused and prevent waste of reusable mate rials, lowers the need to keep making more items that would be more waste, and keeps the environment safer than use of other waste management methods like incineration and to prevent water pollution from landfills. recycling has also lower greenhouse gas that is a major concern for our planet. Recyclable products are many items from glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics that are refurbished cleaned and gone through different checks to make sure they are safe for re-consumption. unfortunately recycling methods tend to be very expensive alternatives to traditional waste management and for this reason they are turned away for much more environmental damaging solutions. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that 56 million tons or 27 percent of Americas total waste were recovered by recycling. The EPA is encouraging recycling and that recycling in the united states has reduced the countrys total carbon emissions. Recycling has caused some controversy by critics as they often say that the practice is too expensive and not as effective as other methods as incineration which produces energy that is used more than the reused products that are saved from recycling and how landfills are becoming more organized and more environmentally friendly than in the past. To Methods to turn waste into energy as discussed with how incinerators create energy are called Waste-to-energy and is becoming increasingly popular as it turns harmful waste into energy in the form of heat of electricity from the incineration of the waste materials. This form of waste management produce electricity in the form of combustion or produce a combustible fuel in the form of ethane methanol methane and also synthetic fuels that can power various equipments. There are also some very new and developing technologies that produce energy from waste and other fuels without direct combustion like that of incinerators. These new forms of energy producing waste deduction have the poten tial to produce more electric power amount of fuel than would be by direct combustion. The converted fuel produce a higher combustion temperatures. A modern form of waste management is Plasma arc gasification it uses a very high electrical energy and the extreme temperatures created by an electrical arc gasifies. The arc converts waste into elemental gas and solid waste in a plasma converter. this method has been intended to be a generator of electricity, depending what the composition of input wastes are and to reduce the volumes of waste being sent to landfill mounds. Another method of making waste or other products into energy is gasification which converts carbon materials like coal and petroleum into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by placing the materials in a high temperature within a controlled setting of oxygen and steam. This forms synthesis gas and is a fuel. mechanical biological treatment system facilities is a sorting facility that takes care of biological treatment such as anaerobic digestion and composting . mechanical biological treatment facilities are designed to process household wastes along with commercial and industrial wastes.

Reflective Essay on College Writing -- Reflective Essay

Reflective Essay on College Writing This semester was my very first semester as a college student. Being the first, it was probably the semester I would learn the most in. I learned the expectations for writing that I will have to live up to for the next four years of my college career. Though my high school teachers were usually demanding because I was in the Honors English section throughout high school, writing in college has still ?raised the bar? for me. Also, in high school, we would have weeks to pick a topic, create a thesis, outline the paper, write the paper, and then revise the paper. In college, the time restraints are not quite as lenient. I?ve had to learn to manage my time and be more productive with what free moments I have. Strangely enough, I?ve found the college English experience to be much more rewarding and enjoyable than in high school. Academically, I have learned many new ways to look at literature. My high school teachers did not expose us to many literary theories or how to apply them. Indeed, we learned about romanticism, realism, transcendentalism, etc. but never really related them to our writing. Most of the writing we did was simply based upon our own opinions. We hardly ever used secondary sources. I believe that deconstructionist theory was the most helpful theory I learned this year for analyzing literature. Breaking a poem up line by line or image by image or even a story into small sections made it a lot easier to grasp the main concepts of the work. Most of the time during this semester, however, I took a formalist point of view. Also, unlike high school, the reading was much more entertaining. In high school, I really enjoyed very few of the texts that were discussed in class. In... ...d myself having in high school. I still tend to be a little too wordy at times, I misplace commas, and I still forget how to properly cite my research sources every now and them. I think I have become a little more meticulous about looking over my papers, however. I make fewer careless mistakes and take more time writing my papers than I did in high school. My points of view are clearer, and I have not been using commas incorrectly quite as often. I hope to continue to improve in the next few years of college as well. I haven?t received an ?A? on a paper yet, so my goal for the next few years of college is to eventually be able to consistently produce papers worthy of ?As.? I would also like to apply my writing more in school by possibly writing for New Morning in the future. I think Introduction to Literature has had a positive impact overall upon my literary skills.

Coyote Blue Chapter 18~19

CHAPTER 18 Shadowphobia Saturday morning Josh Spagnola was sleeping in and dreaming of putting shampoo into bunnies' eyes when the Harley-Davidson crashed through his front door carrying a 270-pound, pissed-off, speed-crazed biker named Tinker. With the crash and thunder of the bike in his living room, Spagnola sat up in his nest of satin sheets thinking earthquake, listening for the sounds of his burglar alarms, which did not come. Spagnola's house was wired six ways to stop an elegant picklock or spry cutpurse from entering by stealth, sneak, or cat's-paw; he had, in fact, protected himself against someone exactly like himself. That anyone would break in on a battering ram of Milwaukee iron, in broad daylight, had never occurred to him. Tinker, on the other hand, took the words breaking and entering quite literally, and found entering a rather empty experience without substantial breaking. He carried on his belt a policeman's riot baton, a blackjack, two hunting knives, and a set of brass knuckles. In a rare moment of sanity he had left his guns at home. His lawyer had advised against guns while on probation. Tinker had received an early-morning call from Lonnie Ray, one of his brothers in the Guild. â€Å"You want him dead?† Tinker had asked Lonnie. â€Å"No, just fuck him up. And don't wear your colors. I don't want any connection to me.† â€Å"Is he big?† Tinker had a deep-seated fear of someday meeting someone as large and violent as himself. â€Å"I don't know. Just wait until I call. You'll see the black Mercedes.† â€Å"You got it, bro,† Tinker said, and hung up. Tinker tried to wait for Lonnie's call, but he'd been up all night cooking up a batch of methedrine in the Guild's lab, and had lost his patience after sampling the product in order to take the edge off the case of beer he'd drunk. At daybreak his bloodlust got the better of him and he left. In the bedroom, hearing a Harley do burnouts on his Berber carpet, Spagnola finally realized that something was seriously wrong. He leapt from bed and began searching through a trail of clothes he had left last night on the way to bed with the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday masseuse from the Cliffs. He remembered kicking his gun belt away from the bedroom door when he sent her home at midnight and scrambled to the door. He was bending to unholster the gun when Tinker kicked the door open, catching Spagnola square in the forehead, knocking him cold. Tinker looked down at the naked, unconscious little man and let out a sigh. The absence of terror was wildly unsatisfying for him. As a gesture of brotherhood to Lonnie he pulled the baton from his belt and with two vicious blows broke both of Spagnola's legs, then he sulked out of the bedroom, mounted his bike, and rode to the Guild's clubhouse to watch Saturday-morning cartoons. -=*=- Sam awoke to Yiffer yelling, â€Å"Get down! Don't let them see you!† Sam looked around the room. Calliope and Grubb were gone. He got up and reached for his watch on the dresser while shouts and whispers continued from the living room. Six in the morning. It must have gone on all night: the shouting, the pounding, the babies crying. He was lucky to have slept at all. He dressed and walked into the living room. â€Å"Get down,† Yiffer said. â€Å"Don't let them see you.† Sam dropped to a crouch in the doorway. Nina and Calliope were huddled under the front windows holding the babies. Yiffer was crouched by the door that led to the balcony. He rose up to peek out the window, then instantly dropped to cover. â€Å"What is it?† Sam said. â€Å"Is someone shooting?† Nina said, â€Å"No, it's the garage sale people. Stay down.† â€Å"Good morning,† Calliope said. â€Å"Did you sleep well?† â€Å"Fine. Who are the garage sale people?† â€Å"They're fucking predators,† Yiffer said. â€Å"They keep circling like sharks. Look.† Yiffer gestured to the window. Sam duck-walked to the window and peeked over the edge. Dodge Darts and Ford Escorts were cruising slowly by, stopping in front of the house, then moving slowly on. Nina said, â€Å"Yiffer put the ad in the paper for our yard sale with the wrong date. They're all looking for us.† â€Å"Five of them have been to the door already,† Yiffer said. â€Å"Whatever you do, don't answer it. They'll tear us apart.† â€Å"Probably ten of them went to Lonnie's door and left when he didn't answer,† Calliope said. â€Å"What happened with Lonnie?† Sam said. Yiffer rose up and peeked out the window. â€Å"Christ! There's a whole van full of them outside.† He dropped to a sitting position, his back to the door. To Sam he said, â€Å"Lonnie didn't answer when I went down there last night. As soon as he heard me come back upstairs he got on his bike and left.† Nina said, â€Å"How long are they going to circle? I have to go to work today.† â€Å"They're never going to leave,† Yiffer wailed hopelessly. â€Å"They're going to just wait and pick us off one by one. We're doomed. We're doomed.† Nina slapped Yiffer across the face. â€Å"Get a grip.† Sam could think of only one thing, the cigarettes on the seat of his car. He had gone sixteen hours without a smoke and was feeling as if he would snap like Yiffer in a few minutes if he didn't get some nicotine into his system. â€Å"I'm going out there,† he said. He felt like John Wayne – before the lung cancer. â€Å"No, dude. Don't do it,† Yiffer pleaded. â€Å"I'm going.† Sam stood up and Yiffer covered his head as if expecting an explosion. Sam picked up Grubb's plastic donut on wheels. â€Å"Can I borrow this?† â€Å"Sure,† Calliope said. â€Å"Are you coming back?† Sam paused for a minute, then smiled and took her hand. â€Å"Definitely,† he said. â€Å"I just need to take a shower and handle a few things. I'll call you, okay?† Calliope nodded. â€Å"You'll never see him alive again,† Yiffer whined. Nina looked up apologetically. â€Å"He had a lot to drink last night. I'm sorry if our fighting disturbed you.† â€Å"No problem,† Sam said. â€Å"Nice meeting you both.† He turned and walked through the kitchen and out the door. As he went down the steps, the van that Yiffer had spotted screeched to a halt in front of the duplex and a dozen gray-haired ladies piled out and rushed him. They met at the bottom of the steps. â€Å"Where's the sale?† one said. â€Å"This is the right address. We checked it twice.† â€Å"Where's the bargains? The ad said bargains.† Sam held the plastic donut up before them. â€Å"This is it, ladies. I'm sorry, but everything was gone but this when I got here. We were all too late. The quick and the dead, you know.† A collective moan came from the mob, then one shouted, â€Å"I'll give you ten bucks for it!† â€Å"Twelve!† another shouted. â€Å"Twelve fifty.† Sam gestured for them to be quiet. â€Å"No, I need this,† he said solemnly. He hugged the donut to his chest. Their purpose gone, they milled around for a moment, then gradually wandered back to the van. Sam stood for a moment watching them. The other garage sale people who had been circling the block saw them leaving, and Sam could almost feel the disappointment settling into their collective consciousness as they broke pattern and drove off. â€Å"Great night,† Coyote said. Sam's nerves had been so worn from the night and morning that he didn't even jump at the voice by his ear. He looked over his shoulder to see Coyote in his black buckskins and a huge, white ten-gallon cowboy hat. â€Å"Nice hat,† Sam said. â€Å"I'm in disguise.† â€Å"Swell,† Sam said. â€Å"I can't get rid of you, can I?† â€Å"Can you wipe off your shadow?† â€Å"That's what I thought,†. Sam said. â€Å"Let's go.† -=*=- The shogun of the Big Sky Samurai Golf Course and Hot Springs was worried. His name was Kiro Yashamoto. He was driving his wife and two children in a rented Jeep station wagon up a winding mountain road to look at an ancient Indian medicine wheel. The day before, Kiro had purchased two thousand acres of land (with hot springs and trout stream) near Livingston, Montana, for roughly the price he would have paid for a studio apartment in Tokyo. The deal did not worry him; after the golf course and health club were built he would recoup his investment in a year from the droves of Japanese tourists who would come there. His children worried him. During this trip Kiro's son, Tommy, who was fourteen, and his daughter, Michiko, who was twelve, had both decided that they wanted to attend American universities and live in the United States. Tommy wanted to run General Motors and Michiko wanted to be a patent attorney. As he drove, Kiro listened to his children discussing their plans in English; they paused only when Kiro pointed out some natural wonder, at which time they would dutifully acknowledge the interruption before returning to their conversation. It had been the same at the Custer Battlefield, the Grand Canyon, and even Disneyland, where the children marveled at the machinations of commerce and missed those of magic. My children are monsters, Kiro thought. And I am responsible. Perhaps if I had read them the haikus of Basho when they were little instead of that American manifesto of high-pressure sales, Green Eggs and Ham†¦ Kiro steered the jeep around a long gradual curve that rounded the peak of the mountain and the medicine wheel came into view: huge stones formed spokes almost two hundred feet long. In the center of the wheel a tattered figure lay prostrate in the dirt. â€Å"Look, father,† Michiko said. â€Å"They have hired an Indian to take tickets and he has fallen asleep on the job.† Kiro got out of the Jeep and walked cautiously toward the center of the wheel. He'd learned a lesson in caution when Tommy had nearly been trampled in Yellowstone National Park while trying to videotape a herd of buffalo. Tommy and Michiko ran to their father's side while Mrs. Yashamoto stayed in the car and checked off the medicine wheel on the itinerary and maps. Tommy panned the camcorder as he walked. â€Å"It's just rocks, Father.† â€Å"So is the Zen garden at Kyoto just rocks.† â€Å"But you could make a wheel of rocks at your golf course and people wouldn't have to drive up here to see them. You could hire a Japanese to take tickets so you wouldn't lose revenue.† They reached the Indian and Tommy put the camcorder on the macro setting for a close-up. â€Å"Look, he has fallen asleep with his face on the ground.† Kiro bent and felt the Indian's neck for a pulse. â€Å"Michiko, bring water from the Jeep. Tommy, put down that camera and help me turn this man over. He is sick.† They turned the Indian over and cradled his head on Kiro's rolled-up jacket. He found a beaded wallet in the Indian's overalls and handed it to Tommy. â€Å"Look for medical information.† Michiko returned with a bottle of Evian water and handed it to her father. â€Å"Mother says that we should leave him here and go get help. She is worried about a lawsuit for improper care.† Kiro waved his daughter away and held the water to the Indian's lips. â€Å"This man will not live if we leave him now.† Tommy pulled a square of paper from the beaded wallet. He unfolded it and his face lit up. â€Å"Father, this Indian has a personal letter from Lee Iacocca, the president of Chrysler.† â€Å"Tommy, please look for medical information.† â€Å"His name is Pokey Medicine Wing. Listen: ‘Dear Mr. Medicine Wing: ‘Thank you for your recent suggestion for the naming of our new line of light trucks. It is true that we have had great success with our Dakota line of trucks, as well as the Cherokee, Comanche, and Apache lines of our Jeep/Eagle division, but after investigation by our marketing department we have found that the word Crow has a negative connotation with the car-buying public. We also found that the word Absarokee was too difficult to pronounce and Children of the Large-Beaked Bird was too long and somewhat inappropriate for the name of a truck. ‘In answer to your question, we are not aware of any royalties paid to the Navaho tribe by the Mazda Corporation for the use of their name, and we do not pay royalties to the Comanche, Cherokee, or Apache tribes, as these words are registered trademarks of the Jeep Corporation. ‘While your proposed boycott of Chrysler products by the Crow tribe and other Native Americans saddens us deeply, research has determined that they do not represent a large enough demographic to affect our profits. ‘Please accept the enclosed blanket in thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. ‘Sincerely, Lee Iacocca ‘CEO, Chrysler Corporation. â€Å" Kiro said, â€Å"Tommy, put down the letter and help me sit him up so he can drink.† Tommy said, â€Å"If he knows Lee Iacocca he will be good to have as a contact, Father.† â€Å"Not if he dies.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Tommy dropped to his knees and helped Kiro lift Pokey to a sitting position. Kiro held the bottle to Pokey's lips and the old man's eyes opened as he drank. After a few swallows he pushed the bottle away and looked up at Tommy. â€Å"I burned the blanket,† he said. â€Å"Smallpox.† Then he passed out. CHAPTER 19 Five Faces of Coyote Blue Ever since the morning Adeline Eats had found the frost-covered liar in the grass behind Wiley's Food and Gas there had been a screech owl sitting atop the power pole in front of her house, sitting there like feathered trouble. In addition, Black Cloud Follows had blown a water pump, all of her kids were coming down with the flu, her husband, Milo, had gone off to a peyote ceremony, and she was trying desperately to stay out of Hell. It was unfair, she thought, that her new faith was being tested before the paint was even dry. She wanted the owl to go away and take her bad luck with it. But to a good Christian, an owl was just an owl. Only a traditional Crow believed in the bad luck of owls. A good Christian would just go out there and shoo that old owl away. Of course, it wouldn't bother a good Christian. Adeline had come to Christianity the same way she had come to sex and smoking: through peer pressure. Thinking about her six kids and her smoker's hack, she wondered if perhaps peer pressure didn't always lead to the best habits. Her sisters had all converted and they had referred to her as the heathen of the family until she caved in and accepted Christ. Now, only three weeks after being washed in the blood of the Lamb, she was already backsliding like a dog surprised down a skunk hole. The owl. Adeline looked out the front window to check on the owl; he was still there. Had he winked at her? She had pinned up her hair and was wearing sunglasses and a pair of Milo's overalls, hoping the owl wouldn't recognize her until she figured out what to do. She was tempted to pray to Jesus to make the owl go away, but if she did that, she would be admitting that she believed in the old ways and she'd go to Hell. There was no Hell in the old ways. Then again, she could load up Milo's shotgun, walk out in the yard, and turn that old owl into pink mist. She couldn't see herself doing that either – no telling what kind of trouble that would unleash. And she couldn't wait for Milo and ask him for help: not after weeks of working on him to leave the Native American church and trade in his peyote buttons for wafers and wine. She ducked away from the window. One of the kids coughed in the other room. Eventually she was going to have to take them down to the clinic for treatment. But she was afraid to pass by the owl. According to the priest, God knew everything. The sunglasses and hairdo wouldn't fool God. God knew she was afraid, so He knew she still had faith in the old ways, so she was going to Hell as sure as if she'd been out all morning worshiping golden calves and graven images. â€Å"I got bad medicine from being Crow,† she thought. â€Å"And I'm going to Hell for being Christian. I should have let that old liar Pokey freeze to death.† She slapped herself on the forehead. â€Å"Damn! Another Hell thought.† -=*=- A nun with an Uzi popped up on the parapet of Notre Dame like a ninja penguin. Coyote shot from the hip, winging her before she could fire. She tumbled over the side, bounced off a gargoyle, and splattered on the sidewalk below. A synthesized Gregorian chant began to play as her spirit rose to heaven, a steel ruler in hand. Coyote strafed a stained-glass window and took out a bazooka-wielding bishop for two thousand penance points. Sam walked into the bedroom, hair wet, a towel wrapped around his hips. â€Å"Nice shot,† Sam said. Coyote glanced up from the video game. â€Å"The red ones have killed me three times.† â€Å"Those are cardinals. You have to hit them twice to kill them. Wait until you get to the Vatican level. The pope has guilt-beam vision.† Before Coyote could look back to the screen the cathedral doors flew open and St. Patrick fired a wiggling salvo of heat-seeking vipers. â€Å"Hit your smart bomb,† Sam said. Coyote fumbled with the control, but was too late. A snake latched onto his leg and exploded. The screen flashed GAME OVER, and a synthesized voice instructed Coyote to â€Å"go to confession.† Coyote dropped the control onto the bed with a sigh. Sam said, â€Å"You did good. Gunning for Nuns is a hard game for beginners.† â€Å"I should have brought some cheating medicine. My cheating medicine never fails.† â€Å"This isn't like the hand game. This is a game of skill.† â€Å"Who needs skill when you can have luck?† Sam shook his head and turned to go back to the bathroom. During the night something inside him had changed. Each time he thought things had reached a plateau of weirdness, something even weirder had happened. The result, he realized, was that he was now accepting anything that happened, no matter how weird, without resistance. Chaos was the new order in his life. The phone rang and Sam, hoping it was Calliope, grabbed the receiver off the vanity. â€Å"Samuel Hunter,† he said. â€Å"You low-life, scum-sucking shithead!† â€Å"Good morning to you too, Josh.† â€Å"You win, dickhead. There'll be a meeting of the co-op association tonight. They'll vote you back in. You can keep your apartment, but I want your guarantee that this is over.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"I hope you know I've lost all respect for you as a professional, Sam. The doctor says I'm going to walk with a limp for the rest of my life.† â€Å"There was a crooked man who had a crooked-â€Å" â€Å"You broke my legs! My house is destroyed.† Sam peeked into the bedroom where Coyote was attacking the Sistine Chapel with a helicopter gunship. â€Å"Josh, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm glad you came to your senses.† â€Å"Fuck you. I'm using up years of collected dirt to get your apartment back.† â€Å"Townhouse,† Sam corrected. â€Å"Not apartment.† â€Å"Don't fuck with me, Sam. I'm in a cast up to my nipples and a sadistic nurse has been force-feeding me green Jell-O for an hour. Just tell me it's over.† â€Å"It's over,† Sam said. The phone clicked. Sam walked back into the bedroom. â€Å"What did you do to Spagnola?† Coyote was rolling on the bed in exaggerated body English to tilt the gunship. â€Å"These birds are eating my tail rotor. I can't control it.† â€Å"Uh-oh, St. Francis released the doves of death. You're dead meat.† Sam took a cigarette from the pack on the dresser and offered one to Coyote. â€Å"What did you do to Spagnola?† â€Å"You said you wanted your old life back.† â€Å"So you broke Spagnola's legs?† â€Å"It was a trick.† â€Å"You can't just go around breaking people's legs like some Mafioso fairy godmother.† The gunship spun out of control and crashed on the mezzanine. Coyote threw the joystick at the screen and turned to Sam. â€Å"How can I win if you keep talking to me? You whine like an old woman. I got you your house back!† â€Å"I wouldn't have lost it if you had left me alone. Be logical.† â€Å"What gods do you know that are logical? Name two.† â€Å"Never mind,† Sam said. He went to the closet and pulled his clothing out for the day. Coyote said, â€Å"Do you have a light?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No? After I stole fire from the sun and gave it to your people?† â€Å"Why, Coyote? Why did you do that?† Sam turned to point out the lighter on the dresser, but the trickster was gone. -=*=- Calliope's upbringing in the Eastern religions, with their emphasis on living in the now – of acting, not thinking – had left her totally unprepared to do battle with the future. She'd tried to ignore it, even after Grubb was born, but it had become more and more difficult to function on karmic autopilot. Now, Sam had entered her life and she felt like she had something to lose. The future had a name. She wondered what she had done to manifest the curse of a nice guy. â€Å"It feels wonderful, but I want more,† Calliope said. â€Å"I don't get it,† Nina said. They were cleaning up the kitchen. Grubb was scooting around on the linoleum at their feet, tasting the baseboards, a table leg, a slow-moving bug. â€Å"I've always felt separate from men, even during sex. It's like there's this part of me that watches them and I'm not really involved. But it wasn't that way with Sam. It was like we were really together, no barriers. I wasn't watching him, I was with him. When we were finished I lay there watching the pulse on his neck, and it was like we had gone to some other world together. I wanted more.† â€Å"So you're saying you're a hosebeast.† â€Å"Not like that. It was just that I want to feel that way all the time. I want my whole life to feel – complete.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Calliope, I don't get it. I'm happy if Yiffer doesn't pass out before we finish.† â€Å"I guess it's not a sexual thing. It's a spiritual thing. Like there's a part of life that I can touch but I can't live in.† â€Å"Maybe we just need to find a house where your ex doesn't live downstairs.† â€Å"That was pretty awful. I couldn't believe Sam didn't just leave.† Nina threw a dish towel at Calliope and missed. â€Å"You had a little good luck for a change, accept it. Not every guy has to be a creep like Lonnie.† â€Å"I'm a little afraid to leave Grubb with him when I go to work today.† â€Å"Lonnie won't hurt Grubb. He was just pissed that you were with someone else. Men are like that. Even when they don't want you, they don't want anyone else to have you.† â€Å"Nina, do you think there's something wrong with me?† â€Å"No, you're just not very good at worrying. You'll get the hang of it.† -=*=- â€Å"I've got to get back to the house,† Lonnie said to Cheryl, who was pouring peroxide on his damaged chest. She wiped away the foam with a tissue, then poked the wound with a broken black fingernail. â€Å"Ouch! What are you doing, bitch?† Cheryl got up from the bed and pulled on a pair of leather pants. Lonnie could see her hipbones and shoulder blades pushing against her pale skin as if they would poke through any second. â€Å"You're always thinking of her. Never me. What the hell is wrong with me?† She turned to face him and he stared at her breasts lying like flaps against her ribs. She pulled back her lips in a snarl and Lonnie knew his face had betrayed him. â€Å"Fucking asshole,† she said, pulling on a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt. â€Å"It's not her, it's the kid. He's my kid. I have to watch him when she goes to work.† â€Å"Bullshit. Then why won't you fuck me?† She tossed her head and her long black hair fell into her face like seaweed on the drowned. Because you look like you just escaped from fucking Auschwitz, Lonnie thought. He'd been with Cheryl for three months and had never seen her eat. As far as he could figure she lived on speed, come, and Pepsi. He said, â€Å"I worry about the kid.† â€Å"Then get custody. I can take care of him. I'd make a good mother.† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"You don't think so? You think that vegetarian bitch is a better mother than me?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You start treating me right or I'm gone.† Cheryl took a purse from the floor and began digging in it. â€Å"Where the fuck is my stash?† She threw the purse aside and stormed out of the room. Lonnie followed her, carrying the denim vest sporting the Guild's colors. â€Å"I've got to go,† he said. Cheryl was dumping a bindle of white powder into a can of Pepsi. â€Å"Bring back some crank,† she said. As Lonnie walked out she added, â€Å"Tink called while you were sleeping. He said to tell you he took care of things.† Outside Lonnie fired up his Harley and pulled out into the street. Tinker's news should have cheered him up, but it didn't. He felt empty, like he needed to get fucked up. He always felt that way lately. At one time being a brother in the Guild, being accepted for who he was, had been enough. Having all the women and drugs and money and power he needed had been enough. But since Grubb was born he felt like he was supposed to be doing something, and he didn't know what it was. Maybe the bitch is right, he thought. As long as the kid tied him to Calliope he was going to feel shitty. It was time to feel good again. -=*=- Frank Cochran, the cofounder of Motion Marine, Inc., had spent most of the morning in his office milling over the bane of his existence: the human factor. Frank loved organization, routine, and predictability. He liked his life to be linear, moving forward from event to event without the nasty backtracking caused by surprises. The human factor was his name for the variable of unpredictability that was added to the equation of life by human beings. Today, the human factor was represented by his partner, Jim Cable, who was in the hospital after being attacked by an Indian. Frank's thinking went thus: If Jim dies there'll be insurance hassles, legal battles with the family, and someone will have to comfort Jim's mistress. But if Jim lives – maybe Jim's mistress should be comforted anyway†¦. His train of thought was broken by the buzz of the intercom on his desk. â€Å"Mr. Cochran,† his secretary said, â€Å"there's a man from NARC here to see you.† â€Å"I don't have any appointments until after lunch, do I?† The office door burst open and Cochran looked up to see an Indian in black buckskins striding toward him. His secretary was shouting protests from her desk. Cochran spoke into the intercom, â€Å"Stella, do I have an appointment with this man?† â€Å"Native American Reform Coalition,† Coyote said. â€Å"I understand that some insurance agent is taking credit for what happened to your partner.† Cochran had a very bad feeling about this. â€Å"Look, I don't know who you are, but I don't like surprises.† â€Å"Then this is going to be a very bad day for you.† Coyote slammed the door behind him. â€Å"A very bad day.† The trickster extended his right hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† Cochran watched in horror as the Indian's hand began to sprout fur and claws.

Competitive pressures on selected, contrasting business Essay

Introduction In this PowerPoint I will prepare a set of presentation slides for Next that explains the competitive pressures they have faced to develop their use of E-Business. I will then compare this to another organisation which will be Currys. Next PLC was founded by Joseph Hepworth in Leeds in 1864 as a tailor under the name of Joseph Hepworth & Son. The retail chain was launched in February 1982. Currys is a British electrical retailer operating in the UK and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Carphone. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores. Next and Curry’s Recruit online: If both these businesses decided to develop their use of e-business, they would be able to start recruiting people online. This is beneficial for both the businesses and the customers. More people will want to apply for jobs online as it is more convenient and easier for them and it is also easier for the companies to go through all the CV’s. Sales promotions: Next and Currys would be able to promote their business even more via the internet and more people will become aware of the sales promotions. This would benefit both companies. Up to date product information: The businesses will be able to make sure that their product information is regularly up to date. By making sure all the product information is precise and up to date they would be satisfying the customers which could result in regular purchases. Next and Curry’s Intrigue customers: The companies would be able to intrigue customers if their website is very precise, easy to use, appealing to the customer and they have good sales on their products. This would put them one step ahead of all their competitors. Quicker and cheaper: This would help attract more customers as they would find it easier to purchase items online, rather than driving down to the actual store as that could be very time consuming and they could use online promotion codes online. The business will benefit from this as they would be making more of a profit if they get more customers to purchase their items online as well as in the store. Creating more awareness: The businesses could create more awareness for themselves which will benefit them. The more attention their company draws the more sales they will be able to make which means that their company will be more successful than it already is. FAQ: Customers would be able to personally ask questions which relate back to Next and Curry’s. The businesses can then use this to their advantage by taking all their queries on board and making sure they do what they can to keep their customers happy. This could potentially result in more sales being made by the company. Next and Curry’s Increase profit: Next and Curry’s would be able to increase their profits if they create an online website for themselves as most of their customers would just purchase their items online as many customers would not have time to go to the actual store. Therefore it would work out better for the businesses if they decide to make a website. Customer feedback: The businesses would be able to see what feedback they have gotten from their customers through the comment box and this will help the companies improve their business so that it is meeting the customers standards which would result in more sales. Price compare: Next and Curry’s could compare the prices of their products to their competitors prices and then use this to make sure that their prices are more affordable. M2 – Explain how two selected, contrasting business organisations have responded to competitive pressures to develop their use of e-business Multimedia Next’s competitor is River Island and both the businesses use multimedia to promote their business and gain more customers. In order for Next to be ahead of their competition they have put up pictures and catwalks of the products that they have to offer so that their customers can see what the product looks like on a model. This will help the customer decide whether or not they wish to purchase the product. Delivery tracking/next day Next and River Island offer their customers a free next day delivery if they order before a certain time. Next has seen the promotion that River Island has going and they responded to this by giving their customers a longer time period to shop but offering them the same deal as River Island. Next also allows their customers to order by Midnight and have their product delivered to their local store the next day for them to collect. This has put Next ahead of River Island as River Island does not offer their customers the same deal. They also allow their customers to track their delivery so that they know what time to be expecting their delivery. Targeting customers Currys competitor is Argos and both of these business target their customers  in the same way. Currys and Argos target their customers online for example offering their customers deals on items that they know they are interested in. Currys responds to the deals that Argos has by offering their customers better deals on similar products that Argos is offering their customers. They also use social media to target their customers for example via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Recruitment Currys and Argos use the internet to get more people to  work for their company. Currys can advertise their  job vacancies through social media websites like  Facebook and Twitter. They can offer their employees  deals which they know will attract more people and  this will benefit Currys because they will get more  people applying for jobs. Website In order for Next and Currys to be ahead of their competitors, they will need to make sure that their website is up to date on all their product information so that their customers stay  interested in the products that they sell. They make their  website easy for their customers to use so that they can easily find the product that they’re looking for.