Sure Things

Gangyi Wu Mark Scamahorn Eng 110, March 15, 2012 Desperate to survival How can a big brother who loses his parents in a short period of time survive? How is it possible for him to take care of his little brother at the same time? In A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, the author Dave Eggers describes a long dialogue between him and his brother Toph. In fact, the dialogue is not happening in the real world; instead, it is a â€Å"me and I† dialogue. Dave talks about his long day in the beginning of this dialogue, while â€Å"Toph† extends the conversation to the discussion of Dave’s inner being.Actually Dave is analyzing his behavior with respect to Toph. From the dialogue, we can tell Dave is desperate and is eager to have a normal life with Toph. Dave’s dialogue with â€Å"Toph’ shows Dave is aggressive. Dave is trying to escape the past and use moral authority to condemn other for the purpose of building himself up. Dave is trying to run a way from the past guilt. The guilty feelings make Dave stay away from the past. â€Å"Toph† says, â€Å"You’re completely paralyzed with guilt about relating all this in the first place, especially the stuff earlier on. †(115).The past was horrible for Dave. He suffered a lot, he lost his parents, and more importantly, his family. He is afraid to remember his family, because he is afraid that those painful memories will haunt after him. The guilt, as â€Å"Toph† describes, constrains him. Dave feels guilty for his parents’ death. The â€Å"family† area in his brain is a forbidden zone. He preserves this area carefully in order to avoid the potential harm coming from the heartrending stories. Otherwise, these areas may drive him ballistic. As a result, Dave tries many ways to escape the guilt.At the very beginning of the conversation, Dave and â€Å"Toph† are talking about their long day. Dave argues that â€Å"this is a much pedestri an day than most†, because â€Å"this is just a caricature†¦ the skeleton†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (115) Toph says: â€Å"you’re†¦. doing little tricks, out of frustration. †(115). From this conversation, we can see that Dave is trying to make things look fake; he does not want things to get a hold of him, especially the guilty feelings. Instead of manipulating the old memories into â€Å"skeleton† and â€Å"caricature† he would rather treat them as his own real experience.He is numbing himself out. By discarding all the old things to jump out of the old memories, Dave also wants to have a brand new life with Toph. â€Å"Toph† says, â€Å"you can toss away all the old rules†¦ and for all your bluster you end up maintaining most of their customs. †(116). He is attempting to leave away from the rules in his old family; he wants to dominate his own rule and create a new home rule. He blusters and struggles. He is desperate! No matter how hard Dave tries, he fails, and all the failures gradually lead him to the edge of collapse.Dave becomes an aggressive man, because he is over sensitive about the potential harm may happen to Toph. â€Å"Toph† recounts a scene between Dave and a friend, Marny. Dave is irritated about Toph’s ignorance’s to call, after waiting for Toph to return home. Marny exhorts Dave not to be harsh but Dave wraths immediately, â€Å"you think you have a say in something like that, just because I am young. †(116) Apparently he is harsh to Toph and now he is mean to his best friend. Marny is showing him kindness whereas Dave attacks her simply because she doubts what he is doing.In this moment, Dave already becomes extremely sensitive. He regards himself as Toph’s mother, â€Å"you would never contradict some forty-year-old mother, would you? † (116) He is a forty-year-old â€Å"mother† who is old enough to have authority over Toph; Dave believes h e has the competence to take care of Toph, and at the mean time he is doing a good parenting job. Therefore, no one can challenge his authority. Consequently Dave overly defends the leadership that he has over the new family. No one can judge an old â€Å"mother†. He is as bossy as an old â€Å"mother† holding the decision making power in his mind.Dave describes his attitude to those potential enemies from â€Å"Toph’s† words, â€Å"You’ll picture all manners of murders in my defense. Your visions will be vivid and horrifically violent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (117) Dave would like to punish his â€Å"enemies† in his own mind with weapons like a baseball bat. Dave values Toph the most in his heart, and anyone who dares to harm Toph should pay a high price. Dave will punish them as fierce as he can. Paragraph indicates that Dave lacks the sense of safety. Inside his imagination, outsiders always want to dig out his family’s scars and judge him a nd Toph.He desires to beat every enemy down before they appear, so that no one could harm them. He tries to condemn others by using his moral authority in order to gain confidence about life. Toph says, â€Å"You finally have the moral authority you’ve carved†¦And now your moral authority is doubled, tripled. And you use it any way you need to. † (118) The moral authority is the weapon Dave uses to intimidate others. For him it is a shield that protects him from being humiliated, since he is morally superior to others. This is exactly what Toph infers about his authority, â€Å"because it increases your leverage with other people. (119) As a result, Dave can judge others without getting criticism back. In the incomplete family, Dave and Toph are weak. However with the moral authority, he can rule over others; no one will have a judgment about his family, or Toph. He even judges his twenty-nine years old girl friend, â€Å"you’ll make this poor woman feel like a leper†¦ you want her to fell like a pariah, like a lower form of life†¦ what your feel anyone tethered to any addiction is. † (118) â€Å"Leper† and â€Å"pariah† are insulting words that a normal person would not use to criticize a smoking woman.By looking down on others and saying those insulting words, Dave is attempting to gain self-esteem. His behaviors make himself look like a superior. Although the people are living better than Dave, he refuses to accept reality. What Dave wants is to create a favorable family environment for Toph, to give him new home. In this family he is a father, a mother, a big brother and an orphan without parents. Dave is attempting pull himself out of the old and painful memories. On the other hand, he is shouldering the responsibilities of Toph.He talks to the imaginary Toph to cure himself with an â€Å"open heart surgery†. Toph is an illusion of real Toph in his heart. There two brothers are having a coun seling session together indirectly. Dave loves Toph. He is playing his role as a protector. He wants to protect Toph from the people outside their house, to keep Toph from other people’s judgments. The only reason Dave becomes a desperate and pretended guardian is to become strong enough to stand up for Toph’s protection. Work Cited Eggers, Dave. A heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, New York. Vintage Books. 2000. 114-120. Print.

Abigail Adams Chapter Guide

Haley Young Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams Reading Journal Chapter 1: A Minister’s Daughter * Abigail was born to Reverend William Smith and his wife Elizabeth in Weymouth parsonage in Massachusetts. * She has two sisters, Mary and Betsey. The main point of this chapter was to showcase the religious, family-oriented background that Abigail was raised in. It explains why she is so focused on her family and John later in her life. It also explains her penname â€Å"Diana† and her love for literature and being involved in politics, after being taught to read at a young age.Chapter 2: John * Abigail and John were married on October 25, 1764. The maim point of this chapter is to show the love developing between John and Abigail. The way they were not attracted to each other at first explains why they work together so well. They have different views on things so they balance each other out. Their love for each other also sets up their depression during their separati on later in their lives. Chapter 3: Wife and Mother * Abigail and John had six children: Abigail, John Quincy, Susanna, Charles, Thomas, and Elizabeth (stillborn).The main point of this chapter is to show the Adams family growing. Abigail’s deep connection to her kids at such a young age explains her sadness later on in her life when they are no longer with her, especially when her sons begin to leave home with their father to help with his politics and see the world. It also explains her connection to Nabby, since after Susanna and Elizabeth died young; Nabby was the only Adams daughter. Chapter 4: Politics * John elected representative to Massachusetts legislature, then later chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress. Chapter 5: War Abigail had to raise her kids and deal with the family farm buy herself while John was away in Philadelphia. Chapter 6: Independence * Abigail used her influence over John to fight for women’s’ rights and representation duri ng the drafting of the Constitution. * John was elected commissioner to France. Chapter 7: A Woman’s Sacrifice * While John was away in Europe, Abigail once again had to run her household on her own, which put her into a depression. Chapter 8: The Long Separation * After his commission to France, John was elected minister plenipotentiary which extended his stay in Europe.Chapter 9: Years of Decision * While John was in Europe, Abigail couldn’t decide whether or not to join him, but when he was commissioned to negotiate a treaty of commerce with Great Britain, she and Nabby decided to go and join him in Europe. * Nabby fell in love with Royall Tyler so the trip was also to see if their love would last. Chapter 10: Europe * Abigail liked London because of the class but disliked Paris because she thought it was dirty and the people were rude. * The servants did less in Europe, so it was more expensive to run a household ,which frustrated Abigail. John was then appointed m inister to London by congress. Chapter 11: â€Å"The Ambassadress† * Abigail was overwhelmed by the wealth of the royal court in London. * She and John were not used to the expenses of clothing, servants, and hosting dinners for other dignitaries. This was made even worse by the low salary John was being paid by Congress. Chapter 12: A Homesick American * In London, Abigail continued to miss American and her easy-going life in the countryside because she felt confined in the city in London.Chapter 13: The Vice President’s Lady * After Europe, Abigail was sure that she wanted her husband to continue his political career. * In March of 1779, John was elected Vice President, so the whole Adams family moved to New York to serve with George and Martha Washington, the new president and first lady. * Once again, like London, Abigail had many social obligations to fulfill as the second lady of the United States. * Congress then moved the capital city to Philadelphia, so once a gain the Adams family had to move.Chapter 14: An Interlude at Quincy * For John’s second term as Vice President, Abigail spent most of her time back in Braintree running the farm. * After her health scare while moving to Philadelphia, The Adams family didn’t want to risk her getting even more sick. * In 1796, George Washington announced he would not serve a third term as president, which made people speculate that John would succeed him. John would have to run against Thomas Jefferson in order to do so. Chapter 15: Mrs. President * John’s election made Abigail nervous.John was not as widely supported as Washington. * Abigail played a huge role in John’s presidency by expressing her opinions in politics, which was uncommon for a woman of the time. * While living in Philadelphia for John’s presidency, Abigail grew to enjoy the city. Chapter 16: â€Å"The Federal City†: * When John’s political career ended, Abigail returned to Quincy to a busy home full of her family. * Abigail soon set out for Washington, the new capital city, but when John was not reelected, they both returned.Chapter 17: The Matriarch of Peacefield * With both John and Abigail back in Quincy, Abigail took right back to being the matriarch of the house and taking care of her numerous grandchildren. * Abigail enjoyed having her husband always with her, and helping to raise her small grandchildren while in retirement. Chapter 18: The Curtain Falls * On October 28, 1817, Abigail died after falling ill with typhoid fever, at age 73. * Abigail was able to die peacefully with most of her family around her.

Bowulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bowulf - Essay Example To begin with, Hrothgar and Beowulf demonstrate the same level of devotion to the old heroic code of the Germanic tribes. This code placed a lot of value on things like strength and loyalty in warriors, hospitality and political skill in leaders, the presentable nature of women and the good reputation of the people everyone associates with. In describing how he worked to save Beowulf’s father’s good name, Hrothgar tells Beowulf â€Å"Great was the feud that your father set off when his hand struck down Heatholaf in death among the Wylfings. †¦ I then settled the feud with fitting payment, sent to the Wylfings over the water’s back old things of beauty; against which I’d the oath of your father† (459-61; 470-72). In this, Hrothgar is recounting how the two families are connected in honor, allowing him to accept the help of Beowulf without losing any of his current power even though he is no longer physically strong enough himself to rid his king dom of the ogre Grendel. In addition, Hrothgar is aware of the dangers of power that Beowulf is likely to encounter during his lifetime and seeks to warn him of them, indicating a distinct difference between the moral conscience between the civilized culture and that of the barbarian culture that doesn’t recognize such issues. This reflective attitude is mostly seen in his speech to Beowulf just before the Geats depart from Heorot. Here, he warns Beowulf against the sins of pride and greed as they will creep into his heart whether he will or no as he gains power and position among the tribes. â€Å"Beloved Beowulf, best of warriors, resist this deadly taint, take what is better, your lasting profit. Put away arrogance, noble fighter! The noon of your strength shall last for a while now, but in a little time, sickness or a sword shall swipe it from you† (1758-63). This mostly Christian view in a Pagan culture gives medieval man a clue as to

American literature of the Vietnam war is essentially colonial in form Essay

American literature of the Vietnam war is essentially colonial in form and focus. You may use examples from poetry, science fiction and other forms (such as mus - Essay Example rsonal aims declared a few months after his election for President: â€Å"I do not want to be the President who built empires, or sought grandeur, or extended dominion. I want to be the President who educated young children to the wonders of the world. I want to be the President who helped to feed the hungry †¦ the poor to find their own way†¦ who helped to end hatred among his fellowmen and who prompted love among the people of all races and all religions and all parties. I want to be the President who helped to end war among the brothers of this earth† (â€Å"An Outline of American History†, United States Information Agency, 87-203 (165), p.173, 174). As to many writers who have been writing about the American war in Vietnam, it seems to me President Johnson’s words have nothing in common with reality. It is not up to me to criticize US politics; however, it is the politics that is responsible for the writings of these writers, in both positive and ne gative terms, since many of the writers have actually fought in this war. And their works seem to be colonial in form and focus? If I had fought the Vietnamese War and wrote my poetry in the trenches, would my poetry have been colonial in form and focus? One thing is certain, though: I would have put all my prayers in my poetry, and aren’t prayers among the many things that characterize the American colonial period literature? Speaking of prayers, we must highlight the influence of Puritanism on literature. Although American literature begins with the Native Americans’ oral narratives, myths, legends, songs, during the colonial period it is strongly influenced by the Puritans, considered the most educated and religious people who worshipped God and praised Him and Christian religion in their writings. Puritans wrote mainly of the spiritual dangers of the soul in the form of complex metaphysical poetry, religious history, lyrics, sermons, theological tracts, etc., but always about the constant battle between

Marketing proposal entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing proposal entrepreneurship - Essay Example We are planning to start a product-oriented business related to the hospitality sector. The business we have planned for is a bakery where ready-made and custom-designed cakes, biscuits, bread, cookies, and many other delicious products that will be sold to the customers. Being the new owner of a new bakery in Colorado, we would need to develop an effective business plan and conduct environment analysis to give a good start to the business. As mentioned above, we have planned for opening a new product-based business in Lakewood, Colorado. The idea is to open a bakery and provide a wide range of bakery products of the highest quality to the customers so that they always think of this bakery as their first choice. We will have all items available in the bakery which people love to eat. For example, there will be a wide range of wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and occasion cakes. Similarly, there will be a huge variety of biscuits, cookies, and pastas available for the customers. The bakery will be located in the Lakewood area because the level of competition is relatively low in that area as compared to other parts of Colorado, such as, Denver and Parker. The low level of competition at the early stages of the business will help us establish our name and making a strong customer base in that area. We will have one location during the first couple of years. After first two years, we will start expanding our business to oth er parts of Colorado as well as to other nearby states but all of that will depend upon the level of success which we will achieve in the initial years of business. We will meet the double/triple bottom line by focusing on the delivery of quality products to our precious customers. We will take special measures to ensure a favorable impact on the environment. We will adhere to the principles of corporate social responsibility as well as those of sustainability. Protection of the environment will be

Contribution of an information audit to an information systems Essay

Contribution of an information audit to an information systems strategy - Essay Example Information audits are useful tools employed by organizations to identify, cost, develop, and rationalize their information resources and services. Also, as the foregoing definition suggests, an important function of information audits is that it yields results that clarify the benefits contributed by the firm’s information services to the overall effort of the organization in the attainment of its goals (Dubois, 1995). While information audits are of primary importance in organizations that deal in information, such as libraries, and archival and database centres, they nevertheless tend to benefit all types of organizations in managing the firm more effectively (Suduc, et al., 2010). There are several benefits to information audits; these include ensuring validity (that information is accurate and complete), diagnostics (identification of strong and weak points), feedback (to see if inputs produce the desired outputs), information (for staff to maximize the benefits of inform ation), and training (for staff members) (Botha & Boon, 2003). Aside from these, one of the most important of which is the enhancement of information systems security. The great amount of information accessible through the current digital communication networks also creates vulnerabilities for the integrity of company information systems, both to attacks from inside and outside the company (Suduc, et al., 2010). In another study, Rosca, et al. (2010) forward the proposition of and information systems audit as cornerstone of corporate IT governance in the context of institutions of higher learning. Information Technology Governance (IT Governance) addresses the concerns of regulators, management and clientele about the proper use of information, most especially personal data. It focuses on IT systems and their performance and risk management. Application of IT audits in the Rosca study served the purpose of identifying, evaluating and managing university risks, in the course of estab lishing the organization’s governance structure. The principles around which IT audit and governance are structured, however, are not limited to the academe but find much relevance in any type of organization that has its own internal IT system. The goals of information audit, particularly in the service of IT governance, are several and varied, but primarily are aimed at (1) assuring the investment in IT generates value, and (2) mitigating the associated risks with IT implementation. More specific objectives that may be identified are: Objectives for IT audit Major objectives To implement prevailing best practices in IT To assess existing controls or introduce common policy and processes, among which are: IT Help desk amalgamation with common support processes PC/Desktop installation and deployment techniques Information security Software licensing Virtualization of desktops, servers and data hosting To configure key parameters for information security To reduce the frequenc y and/or impact of major incidents Important objectives To align IS components and

Library class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Library class - Essay Example Why? (Use the criteria detailed out in week 3 lecture, i.e. Authority and Credibility, Scope, Coverage & Relevance, Bias & Accuracy, Currency & Timeliness, Quality, and Commercialism) (6 points). I would not use this source for my final project because it is not an academic paper and as such is not reliable and there is no assurance that it has gone through the valid and thorough research processes as seen in academic papers. 1. The website religioustolerance.org (http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marr.htm) was very helpful and interesting because it was able to discuss the issue of gay marriage using all the viewpoints raised by those who oppose and those who favor it. It is credible because it cites its sources for its discussions; however such sources are not very academic. They are also based on other opinions of other people. The information presented is updated based on the recent dates indicated in the website. 2. My classmate’s entry in relation to ____ is very insightful and interesting. It made use of current and academic resources which make the information reliable and credible. The date indicated in the website is very much recent and the data used came from reliable authors and studies. I suggest that she consider more websites from Google scholar searches because this search will also yield other scholarly and reliable

NASCAR's New Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NASCAR's New Strategy - Case Study Example The lawsuit filed by a shareholder can be detrimental to NASCAR in the long run as it can lead to huge contingent liabilities. Considering the prevalence of bias in favor of the company-owned ISC, there is a small probability that NASCAR will win the case. The new rating system put forward by Brian France is met by hesitation and resistance from the current drivers. This can also probably discourage other players and hurt the company's operations. Brian France also needs to consider these issues in the face of NASCAR's move in opening a new track in New York City. All of the aforementioned considerations will have a great impact on this market development strategy. Brian France has three strategic alternatives to choose from in order for NASCAR to sustain its position in the market: 1. focus on developing strategic alliances with its sponsors and forging new ones by finding new venues where the sponsors are given more exposure; 2. voluntarily divest its shares by selling some of its stock to other shareholders; and 3. finding new markets such as Canada. NASCAR recognizes that sponsors are the lifeblood of the business organization. Without sponsorships, stock car racing events will not be held and funded. Thus, the move in developing tighter strategic alliances with current sponsors will be advantageous. ... However, this will give NASCAR the problem of identifying ways on how added and enhanced exposure could be given. The company can also voluntarily divest its shares in order to ward off threats of other lawsuits because of bias and unfairness. This can also give the business organization new blood and ideas which can be beneficial in the long run. However, divestiture can posts problems especially on the management aspect. Looking for other markets like Canada will give NASCAR and its sponsors new opportunities to promote their products. However, in pursuing this alternative, the company also needs to shell out huge amounts of investments. RECOMMENDATION: This paper recommends that NASCAR pursue the first alternative that is, pursue tighter strategic partnership with its current sponsors through the identification of venues where they get more exposure. The company can do this by setting up online gaming and putting advertisements in its gaming website. NASCAR timed advertisement during games can widen the sponsor's reach and gives them more exposure thus, maximizing their investments.

Information Systems Technolog Essay Example for Free

Information Systems Technolog Essay Information systems technology changes and the well-managed implementation thereof can indeed be such a difficult undertaking for organizations. Though the adaptability of the employees and the management – and oftentimes, the customers as well – largely vary from one industry to another, it does remain that the shift from the old ways to the new ones is not always a welcomed development. The lessons that can be learned from the case of the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), as cited by the Bert Painter, are as well applicable to other companies that have similarly transformed their information systems into advanced and more efficient ones. One of the advantages afforded by better information systems is increased productivity in the workplace, which usually translates to higher income levels for the company. Not all functions, though, can be reduced to formulas and technical processes – like those of Claims Officers in WCB. But putting aside the tasks that thrive on the personal touch, creativity and imagination, as well as duties that require the exercise of judgment and the use subjective discernment, there will definitely be big changes in the entire organization. Information systems technology changes are commonly sought by management as a way to reduce wastage in terms of company resources and manpower hours, based on the accumulated employee hours devoted to such outmoded routines as sending via fax the same sheets to a number of customers. However, systems upgrading should always go with adequate change management, as cited by Bert Painter. This way, heightened efficiency at work will be achieved without causing any employee to feel displaced and demoted. The complication that goes with replacing the information and network system of a company should not be underestimated. It definitely brings in a lot of equally awkward and uneasy consequences – the necessary trainings for the employees, the shortcomings of the systems and the employees’ reactions thereto, and the removal from the organizational chart of job posts that are hence rendered useless. These issues have to be properly handled. As Prof. Khalifa has written, high-technology solutions usually are not welcomed as positive developments by people who are prone to be adverse to change. Thus, managing change involves leading the people in the organization to overcome the natural inertia that makes change not easy to implement. There are lessons, too, that Bert Painter did not so much dwell on. For one, it must be understood that the setting up of the company’s improved systems by itself will not boost the revenues generated and will not endear the company to its customers. The same improved systems also will not help the company win the loyalty of its employees. Thus, the interrelationships of people within the organization must not tend toward becoming less personal, not even if more and more old routines that used to foster camaraderie among them are becoming obsolete. Furthermore, there are alignment difficulties that will have to be dealt with during the critical learning stage. In the case of WCB, some of them already have taken form. In such a situation, it is important that professional Information Technology (IT) groups with impressive track records be tapped to address the company’s needs throughout the transition phase. It will entail costs to avail of their services, but it will save the company from losing more in terms of adverse consequences of a poorly managed transition. Without a doubt, the successful upgrading of information systems will, in the end, turn out to be the right move. Work Cited Khalifa, Mohamed. Introduction: Evolving Role of IT. Khalifa, Mohamed. Fundamentals of E-Business.

This task requires me to identify trends that may occur in West London Essay Example for Free

This task requires me to identify trends that may occur in West London Essay I will comment on what these trends and what implications they have on William Hill especially on specific job roles and the HR department. A trend shows the general direction of a service of data over a period of time that is why when looking at the population at the type of age available in the area and what sectors face a decrease in employment I noticed that population for LWLSC is projected to increase by 2.1% to 1,395,622 in 2005. This trend will affect William Hill because they have various large and small LBOs in West London, which means that they will have a larger pool of core and peripheral labour to choose from. When looking at the core workers in William Hill these are usually the managers who play a major role in the organisation of branches and William Hill win be inoperative without them and peripheral workers are those who fill the slots and can be easily replaced for instant Cahiers. The Size of LWLSC between 1999-2005 of the population aged 15 and under is likely to increase by 2.4%, 16-18 by 7.7%, 19-24% by 7.1% and 25-59 by 1.9% the LWLSC population aged 60+ is projected to decrease by a small percentage in 2005 by 0.9%. By this William Hill knowing the size of the population means that they can plan ahead knowing how many core and periphery workers they will need and knowing what age range they will have more available of. Also the figures shows that between 1999-2005vthier will be more 16-18 workers in the pool of labour to William Hill which is a positive sign because new ideas can be adopted through them when employed such as Cashiers in order to be competitive in this market. The population for 60+ is projected to decrease by 0.9%. This percentage is different from the figures of the rest of the UK with trends showing a changing population retirement age is proposed to increase form 60years to 70 years. This trend will not affect William Hill because this working age are not there core employees but William Hill cannot discriminate them due to age so when planning for human resource it is a good idea to have them in their mind and probably try to change their social policy in order to fit this age range into the organisation. In the tertiary sector business will have to look at the primary and secondary sector to recruit employees. Both of these sectors are seeing the employment rate falling. Secondary sector such as utilities see employment falling .29% whilst employment in manufacturing in projected to decrease by 0.14%. These sectors are where humans are no longer needed to the job and are being replaced by machines or alternative products and services. This in the short run does not affect William Hill because technology in this industry is not that advanced yet but probably in the near future Cashiers and Managers will be replaced by talking machines, which means unemployment, will rise and less disposable income to purchase bets. On the other hand if unemployment increase then there should be a larger pool of labour to choose from which will mean that there will be high competition when trying to recruit the best Manager and Cashier. Many businesses found that there is shortages of skills amongst adults that are moving from higher education into jobs because results show that 20% of the adult population lacks literacy and numeric skills. Many employees are looking for help with these skills when it comes to working on the tills and communicating to both supplier and customers. So now the employers have turned round to CBI (Confederation of British Industry) who are a collection of employees who meet with the government and discuss about issues, which affect the productivity in the UK businesses in order to stay competitive wit the rest of Europe. From this discussing the government has introduced a new learning scheme called Keyskills that helps student s with basic communication, I.T, numerical and literacy skills. This will affect William Hill positively if more students are trained these skills because they need to employ workers who are experienced communicators and exceptionally good with application of numbers. This not allows William hill to be more competitive due to skilled work force but it allows Britain to be competitive with Europe so workers can be employed form abroad and particularly important in employing Managers because they need to have obtained level 4 Keyskills whereas Cashiers mainly level 3. A time series shows historical data that can be used and analysed to predict futures trends. The first step in analysing a time series is to isolate and define the underlying trend. Such as looking at trends which show that at Christmas these is a decline in spending in William Hill due to that time of season when money has to be spent on alternative luxury goods which means that William Hill dont employ much staff during the course of this season due to a slump in sales and to maximise profits labour cost is cut but more promotion could be done to customers. This does cause the Labour Turnover to increase and absence also because no is being kept busy within the shop and motivation decreases also. Whereas during the summer time big races start to take place and more staff need to be employed to even cover night racing starting from April to cope with extra demand of customers and foreign racing especially in such a boom period. Both of these trends are seasonal trends so William Hill know they bound to happen because that is how customers and it is their job to cater to this need however this is subject to increase or decrease depending on the rate of inflation but during night racing more Cashier and Managers are employed to cope with increase of demand. Extrapolating sales trend is useful due to it allowing analysing past events but the real key to business success is planning for the future. Extrapolation means basing a forecast of the future upon past trends. Market research is used by William Hill to collect data to find out about certain information concerning the Internet for example. Primary research is collection of information that applies to a specific purpose and for personal use that is why William Hill may have to conduct it themselves because it may not exist through various means such as surveying, observing and testing. William Hill use primary research to obtain information about peoples preferences because this would help know how they spend their money espials loyal cutovers who purchase over the net and or even purchase from home. William Hill could question them but these ways dont always work because no matter how loyal customer may be taking time out to answer a few question is rather hard also it may appear to customers we a annoying them and this may lead to purchase from other rivals. Also if a e-mail is end that can be easily disposed of and it does not guarantee that they have even looked at the mail so its not really effective. Whereas secondary research is using existing published data and information. William Hill look at present sales figures to predict how the future sales will be by doing this will mane that they can compare sales figure form last year and predict what needs to be done now in order to meet that future demand. Also from the figures William hill can see how competitive they were in the previous years and see how they have improved or not but what can be improved to be competitive in their market. However if their sales fall then they have to make some swift unemployment such as less core workers who are not as competent and correspond with the person specification. William Hill takes into account different aspects when thinking of employing labour. When William Hill do take on workers they also take into account minimum wage if not they have breached a major statue and will have to give monetary compensation to workers. Also more money is given to workers according to the Postcode of your LBO a bit a like London Weighting but this affect William Hill because more labour cost which are tax deductible and probably less bonuses to motivate workers especially managers for the hard work they put into their job. If dont receive this they may decide to leave and this decreases retention and replacement is not so easy. William Hill has to be aware of alternatives for Labour such as using technology (machine) to do the work. This in the short run be expensive process for business to set up but once done they will do the job quicker than humans which means William Hill will have more efficient and long run investment and will allow William Hill to benefit from economies of scales. But machinery to be maintained is a very long task and if one breaks down it is not easy to repair or substituted for a peripheral machine. Anyway due to the service that William Hill provides it is quite impossible to sack Cashiers and Mangers and replace them with robots because they cannot give customer satisfaction compared to humans such communication and a smile whereas machines connoted fulfil this role properly because they dont correspond to the person specification. Forecasting is prediction of future trends based on past information either from primary or secondary market research, which are vital to a business planning for the future. William Hill like to plan ahead because this allows them to know what will likely happen for instance if sales go down then some peripheral workers would be sacked such as Cashiers and even less Deputy Managers however at the end of the day it is a forecast which is a plan and there is no concrete evidence that will happen so their is no point trying to ration staff to work towards better profit for the future because external factors may have to be accounted for instead of planning a future which business like William Hill dont have the eyes for i.e. consumer spending. This has currently decreased in the last coming months to Christmas and affected greatly many markets as well as post sales decline occurred. I have made a forecast, which I believe reasonable for my branch because I shop is currently on Grade 3, which means we take on average 180,000 bets a year From this I can tell that my William Hill branch at moment is doing very well as they have launched a new computerised games and also Ladbrokes which is 6 doors down has just closed down and therefore William Hill have greater consumers coming to our branch. However I feel this will not last because William Hill aim for the older populated sector and therefore excluding many potential customer who are young and decreasing their market span. Overall I feel that William Hill sales will increase with the right amount of publicity and innovative ideas from the younger generation to entice the same age group and to allow William Hill to gain first to the market advantage of attract new young middle and upper class customers. This decreases competition at first but soon rivals will have obtained William Hills idea but because they where there first then have obtained a loyal segment of the betting market to themselves. Also quality of the service could improve if not then my predictions will likely be wrong because Corals could move in straight away and decrease our sales and profit so inevitably workers will have to laid off or assets sold to enable the business to recoup. William Hill have many opportunities open to them it is wise to invest in a good human resource because they are the hands of the company and make William Hill a success today. Maximising profit could be expanding but in other areas rather than West London because the pool of labour is not as attractive as William Hill want it to be due to very little are skilled to the extent that they should be by the government maybe if William Hill do operate and investment in technology they will come back to West London and employ because they seem very competent and competitive with Information Technology or if needed recruitment for Head Office then William Hill know the best place to come.

‘Nature Versus Nurture’ as Predictors of Happiness

‘Nature Versus Nurture’ as Predictors of Happiness Pauline Tovee Write a critical discussion essay in response to the following task, based on your close reading of any five of the ten source texts, Texts 1 – 10 Draw on any five of the ten sources texts, discuss the relative importance of ‘nature versus nurture’ as predictors of happiness This assignment will discuss the relative importance of ‘nature versus nurture’ as predictors of happiness. The assignment will also compare and contrast all sides of the equation and discuss which is the most important as a predictor of happiness ‘nature or ‘nurture’ or whether both have a bearing on happiness. The stance taken in this assignment is that neither ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ can fulfil the role of a single predictor, and that the combining of both the genetic and environmental factors, contribute to happiness. Defining happiness is not an easy task to accomplish. However, it can be argued that a simple definition of happiness is a sensation of positivity which covers a whole range of feelings or emotions, from pleasure to gratification. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 2, L185, 2014). On one hand, with regard to ‘nature’, it has been argued a healthy lifestyle equates to a happy brain. Sugar has also been explored as having an important role within our brains and bodies, to keep a stable quantity available continuously. The blood sugar within one’s body fluctuates throughout the day; thus when the sugar level is at its peak one feels elated or happy within one’s mood span. However, when one’s blood sugar level has decimated to a low level, moods can change to one of irritability and tiredness, thus the cells do not get enough of the chemicals they require to function correctly. Then again, it has also been debated, brain activity is also a way of gauging happiness by simply inquiring of people on how happy that were at a particular time, though this is not specifically accurate. If two people say they are comparatively happy, one can still not be certain that both individuals are, in reality, encountering exactly the same intensity of happiness. A procedure used by Davidson, with the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG), measures action within the brain, including parts of the brain which are not active. The active part of the brain produces electrical pulses. These are selected by the electrodes located on the head. However, what Davidson did discover was that in people who stated they were feeling happy and cheerful, the action in the frontal area of the brain, on the left-hand side was more active. When pessimistic thoughts were portrayed, there was more action in the frontal area of the brain on the right-hand side. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 3, L 185, 2014) However, ‘nurture can also play its role in the pursuit of happiness with respect to social influences. People who are loved and valued by their families are more likely to have happy dispositions than those who are undervalued and exploited by their conflicting roles within the family circle. People who are involved within formal occupations or those who work in the home, for example those who study, care for others (including children) and those who work taking care of the home, can each form a foundation of happiness. Work does not only provide people with financial support, but can also give people a sense of achievement and add meaning to their lives. Peter Warr (2007) equates employment to having one’s daily dose of vitamins, a certain amount of which is need for wellbeing and health. Richard Layard (2008) claims ‘Unemployment (in the broadest sense) can reduce happiness by destroying self-respect and the positive social relationships created by work’ In addition, researchers in psychology claim people who live in western society are, by and large, more happy than those in other societies in a survey taken of approximately 80,000 people in over 178 separate countries. Adrian White created a ‘happiness’ level of these countries. At the highest position was Denmark which was trailed closely by Switzerland, Austria and Iceland. However, countries such as Zimbabwe and Burundi were the least happiest countries. Researchers have suggested people who are living in countries whose economy is developing, may well have more amounts of happiness, which clearly define the feeling of ‘contentment’ than, for example, those who live in western societies. Further research done by the New Economics Foundation in 2006, discovered that the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, was purported to be the happiest nation on Earth, even though it is one of the poorest countries. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 6, L185, 2014). In comparison, the question can be asked time and time again; are we the product of either our genes or simply of our environment, the physical, social and also the cultural? As Phoenix argues, ‘Whilst psychological debates are often presented as dichotomies (fixidty versus change: nature versus nurture), these debates should not be seen as requiring either/or choices’ (Phoenix, A. 2007, as cited in Text 1, L185, 2014) From evidence available, being naturally happy (by nature) and a in a nurturing (environment and experience) happiness, can influence peoples’ happiness. Research has shown that twins who are identical (have identical genes) are more comparable in their levels of happiness, than a set of twins who do not have the same identical genes. Layard argues ‘Scientists have shown that our family relationships are more important than any other single factor affecting our happiness’. (Layard, 2005). Maybe the fundamental message is that the majority of people, irrespective of their genes or their environment, are able to take the key steps to expand their levels of contentment, for example happiness and their emotional wellbeing. Happiness does not only come from outside influences and our environment, but also from within one’s self. Neither of the two is in conflict with each other. ‘The true pilgrim fights the evils of the world out there and cultivates the s pirit within’ (Layard, 2005 as cited in L185, Text 7). In conclusion the evidence indicates that although ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ do play an important role within one’s dreams of happiness, they are not separate in that role. The influence of each position contributes to happiness as a whole. It is not easy to define happiness completely; what may be complete contentment for one person is not the same for another, for we are all different in our genetic makeup and our environment and general upbringing. Word Count: 1025 References: The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 1: Avoiding Dichotomies in Psychological Thinking [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.2 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 2: What Makes Us Happy? [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.2 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 3: What Makes Us Happy – Happy Brains [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.3 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 6: What Makes Us Happy – Social Influences [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.6 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 7: Naturally Happy and Nurturing Happiness [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.7 (accessed 17 May 2014)

Nicolaus Copernicus Essay -- essays research papers fc

Nicolaus Copernicus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived from 1473 until 1543, is known for his idea that the sun is motionless at the center of the universe and that the earth and other planets all revolve around it. This Polish astronomer revolutionized beliefs involving the universe, making his thoughts controversial in his time, but common knowledge in our own (Westman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the time of Copernicus, people had extremely different views of the universe. A Greek astronomer named Ptolemy had his own theory of the earth and its relationship with the sun and other planets. Around 140 AD, he came up with a system that showed the earth at the center of the universe with the sun and planets revolving around it in a spherical shape (Reichenbach 15-17). Ptolemy also believed that the earth remained still and that the outermost sphere contained the stars, which were fixed in space (Westman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Copernicus’s theory showed the earth and other planets revolving around the sun in a circular motion. At the same time, the moon is rotating around the earth as well. Like Ptolemy, Copernicus believed that the stars occupied the region farthest from the sun. Copernicus, however, never stated whether or not these stars were in a fixed sphere around the universe or if they were scattered throughout space. Unlike Ptolemy’s motionless earth, Copernicus said the earth rotates around itself daily, causing night and ...

Twelfth Night Essay: Exploration of Love :: Twelfth Night essays

Exploration of Love in Twelfth Night      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love with precise detail. According to "Webster's New World Dictionary," love is defined as "a strong affection or liking for someone." Throughout the play Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self love and friendship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Twelfth Night" consists of many love triangles, however many of the characters who are tangled up in the web of love are blind to see that their emotions and feelings toward other characters are untrue. They are being deceived by themselves and/or the others around them. There are certain instances in the play where the emotion of love is true, and the two people involved feel very strongly toward one another. Viola's love for Orsino is a great example of true love. Although she is pretending to be a man and is virtually unknown in Illyria, she hopes to win the Duke's heart. In act 1, scene 4, Viola let's out her true feelings for Cesario, "yet a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife (1)." That statement becomes true when Viola reveals her true identity. Viola and Orsino had a very good friendship, and making the switch to husband and wife was easy. Viola was caught up in another true love scenario, only this time she was on the receiving end, and t hings didn't work out so smoothly. During her attempts to court Olivia for Orsino, Olivia grew to love Cesario. Viola was now caught in a terrible situation and there was only one way out, but that would jeopardize her chances with Orsino. It's amazing that Olivia could fall for a woman dressed as a man, but because Viola knew what women like to hear, her words won Olivia's heart. The next case of true love is on a less intimate and romantic scale, and more family oriented. Viola and Sebastian's love for one another is a bond felt by all siblings. Through their times of sorrow and mourning for each of their apparent deaths they still loved each other. They believed deep down that maybe someway or by some miracle that each of them was still alive and well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people, even in today's society, love themselves more then anything else. "Twelfth Night" addresses the issue of self love and how it affects peoples lives.