Langston Hughes and Alice Walker Essay

Langston Hughes’ Still Here and Dream Deferred are two poems depicting emotions driven by frustrations in life. These literary works may appear simple, but they both depict the social and political conditions during the time these poems were written. Langston Hughes, a renowned writer during the Harlem Renaissance, is famous for his works on social class and race relations in America. His poem Dream Deferred, as the title suggests, describes various detrimental effects frustration can bring to a person. Literary tools used were imagery, similes, and metaphors in question form to suggest these detrimental effects. In the poem, effects are described as the raisin in the sun, like a sore that festers, like a stinking rotten meat, and like a heavy load. The two poems by Langston both expressed the social and political conditions in his time and its implications to the lives of the African-Americans, then. During Langston’s time, African-American exercised limited rights that may have hindered them from attaining their dreams in life. Langston sees that this problem has caused great pain to the unfulfilled person and to the people surrounding him. The short story Everyday Use by Alice Walker, on the other hand, discusses how culture and heritage should be valued and recognized, specifically that of the African-Americans. Alice Walker, an American writer, like Langston, also writes about race and gender relations. Her short story illustrated the conflict in appreciating the African-American culture by presenting the redefined and the practical ways of doing this. The writer made use of the quilt as the representation of the culture and heritage of the African-American. The quilt, seen as the product of quilting, is said to be the refined way of seeing its worth while knowing the process of quilting represents the practical way and more meaningful way of appreciating the culture and heritage. The story suggests that heritage and culture should not be equated to tangible things and should be understood thoroughly to see its worth. Langston and Walker, through their works, showed how African-Americans feel and what their personal struggles are in two different scenarios. Indeed, their works never failed to provide inspiration to those who can relate. References: Hughes, L. (1951). Dream Deferred. Retrieved May 5, 2009, 2009, from http://www. poemhunter. com/i/ebooks/pdf/langston_hughes_2004_9. pdf Hughes, L. Still Here. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://www. poemhunter. com/i/ebooks/pdf/langston_hughes_2004_9. pdf Walker, A. (1973). Everyday Use. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://xroads. virginia. edu/~ug97/quilt/walker. html

Bak Funeral Home Case Study Analysis

The funeral industry has changed very much. It has less similarity as in traditional way of funeral in 1975. There have been incredible alterations over the past few decades due to Federal Trade Commission (FTC). FTC has mandated alterations in the funeral service pricing, alterations in consumer preferences, and consolidation of funeral service providers. In 1984, FTC wanted funeral homes to offer customers with a general price list that disintegrates the prices of each component of the funeral.For instance, instead of charging one price of $9000 for all merchandise and services for funeral purposes, the funeral home must divide the charges into components, for example, $3450 for casket, $540 for embalming, $185 for cosmetology, hairdressing and placement in casket, etc. In addition, the FTC has declared that funeral homes may not require customers to buy a lot of items, in particular caskets or burial vaults from the funeral homes.Customers may buy either or both the components fro m a dealer apart from the funeral director and have the casket transported to the funeral home and the vault transported to the cemetery. Nowadays, there are several non funeral home dealers of these components. Customers can go online to buy caskets and vaults from the Funeral Depot or the American Casket Store with next-day delivery assured. A number of religious orders manufacture caskets that they market through â€Å"funeral resource centers† positioned in big cities. Moreover, the preferences of the customers have altered dramatically.About 30 years ago, nearly 93 percent of the families prefer to go for traditional funeral followed by earth burial. Today, the percentage of burials has declined by 71 percent, whilst the percentage of cremation has increased to 29 percent on national level (Ruhl and Wilson, 2008. p. 482, 484). The funeral industry has advanced from a comparatively plain local business that was in large portion unfettered into a contemporary industry cont rolled by multi mortuary business corporations struggling for economies of scale.2 a) Sabina need to calculate the depreciation of the rental property in order to buy the Bak Funeral Home. There is a need to check all tax issues methodically with a tax accounting professional, however the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in general allows devaluing the value of the construction on the property over a period of 27 and half years. This is the rational treatment of the fact that structures do wear out eventually, or become out of date owing to their older qualities no longer in demand. So, Bak Funeral Home has been generating some positive cash flow per year.However, now some of that income can be offset for taxes. The building is depreciated by cutting out the value of the land and dividing the building value by 25 years for annual depreciation (25 years because the building was constructed in 1980 and the valuation is being done in 2005). The depreciation calculation looks like this: 1 . Purchase price – Land Value = Building Value. 2. Building Value / 25 = Annual allowable depreciation deduction (Kimmons, n. d. ). The Bak Funeral Home has a depreciation value.Thus, it would not be feasible for Sabina to buy back the Funeral Home and ask her mother, Joan to rent her the existing building for $2000 per month. Individuals invest in property not only for the income prospective it presents, but also for the tax benefits that accompany owning and renting out assets. Possessing property and renting it out is a business. One can take in revenue (rent) and incur costs similar to any other business. The greater part of operating expense deductions comes from money that one has expended on the property.There are deductions permitted for mortgage interest and property taxes, in addition to deductions for insurance, maintenance, and mending on the buildings. One expense that requires no expenditure of money is reduction on the property. This is an accounting deduction that is permitted and is based on the general wear and tear on the building. If Sabina can show a loss on her rental property, where her expenditures exceed her income, she might be able to remove the loss on her tax return. The only way that she can deduct the loss is to be an active member in the supervision of the property.She can hire a property manager to carry out the day-to-day tasks, but she needs to be aggressively participating in appreciating terms of contracts, interviewing probable tenants, and approving expenses that go toward upholding the building (Tax Tips: All about Rental Property Tax Breaks, n. d. ). Hence, Joan (her mother) would agree to this arrangement. 2 b) Joan requires 11 percent cash flow return on her investment in the building. The market value of the building is $1800, 000. Sabina would not need to pay state and federal income taxes because the company would be operating at a loss.As the net income is declining year after year, that is why; Sabina shou ld not purchase Bak Funeral Home and operate it at its present location. 2 c) Now we need to check whether it is feasible for Sabina to purchase Bak Funeral Home business and operate it in nearby location. Sabina would be finding an investor who would be willing to purchase and build a new funeral home away from Regional Airport where land values are lower. At least ten residential lots will be required for car parking. Each lot is sold at $30,000.Building costs would be $900,000 and real estate cost $25000. Here also, the assumptions are made. Sabina would not need to pay state and federal income taxes because the company would be operating at a loss. It would be feasible for Sabina to buy back the Bak Funeral Home and operate it in nearby location as the values of the land seem to be lower. 2 d) Firms whose level of performance is below parity, or that finds it more and more difficult to flourish in the new economic world order, seeks and implements techniques to enhance performan ce and augment shareholder wealth.For those managers who are critically considering whether a merger or a consolidation would be feasible option for their firms, understanding the rules and methods governing these events will facilitate them to make their choice. Thus, given the current situation Sabina should approach Modelski Funeral Home and suggest that she merge the Bak Funeral Home Business into Modelski location. If the two businesses are combined, then both the business would be able to prosper and as the stake is 50-50, then it would not be any problem for the companies if they even incur losses.They will be able to compensate and they would also had a larger portion of market share in the industry. 2 e) In this case, Sabina should buy the Bak Funeral Home Business at the price which her mother, Joan is offering and would definitely merge with Modelski business. As she would be able to purchase the business at an interest free rate over a period of five years, thus it would be viable for her to buy the business. 2 f) Reputation indeed does work in case of Sabina as she has been managing her father’s business for few years. She herself is a brand as people are aware of her name and fame being a funeral director.However, if she goes by profit making motive, then it would not work in the long run. She should buy her Bak Funeral Home at the interest free rate which her mother is offering. 2 g) The price is based on the firm’s ability to generate a stream of profit or cash flow. The seller projects this stream of cash more than 5 or more years to compute the worth of the business. Often, discounted future earnings are applied which takes into consideration the time value of money – cash obtained in year 5 is discounted based on probable interest rates.In this process disagreements can crop up regarding estimation of cash flow and predictable sales projections. A lot of cash flow and EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes and amortizati on) protuberances employ â€Å"recast† numbers to reproduce the outcome on profits of perquisites that a business proprietor takes from the business (How to sell a small business, n. d. ). Thus, it would not be feasible for Sabina to get out of the funeral business and let her mother to sell the business at a price which is five times the cash flow of the company.3) In spite of of the prevention methods employed, probable threats that could arise inside or outside the organization which needs to be evaluated. Even though the exact nature of probable disasters or their resultant effects are hard to determine, it is advantageous to perform a complete risk assessment of all threats that can sensibly occur to the organization. Despite the type of threat, the objectives of business recovery planning are to guarantee the safety of consumers, staff and other personnel during and following a catastrophe (Wold and Shriver, n. d. ).

PERSONNEL PLANNING AND RECRUITMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PERSONNEL PLANNING AND RECRUITMENT - Essay Example They are a source of motivation and encouragement to the workers. However, they may lead to conflict among the employees seeking for promotion to the vacancies available. External sources on the other hand have to be acquired from outside the organization. One example is placement agencies which are private firms conducting recruitment activities on behalf of organizations at a fee, the advantage of this is it assists organizations to acquire necessary competencies. They however increase the cost of recruitment. Another is press advertisement of vacancies in journals and newspapers. The main advantage of this method is its wide reach. It is however time consuming as well as costly. The jobs ads evaluated were posted on the internet. They all follow the principal of AIDA (Attention, interest, desire, action). The first ads for the position of an AM Restaurant Supervisor start with the question: â€Å"What will it be like to work for this Hilton Worldwide Brand?† This grabs attention from suitable job seekers. The second job ad for the position of a Management Assistant appeals to applicable interest by indicating that the job is available for both new and experienced applicants. The third job add reviewed for the position of an Open Territory Sales Representative produces desire to go after what seems like a good opportunity by stating that the company assists its employees in attaining their goals. This ad also leads to action by offering clear instruction that interested applicant should not apply for the job without waiting. An email address and the company’s website is provided in order to make contact. The job ads evaluated do not appear to be appealing to the minority groups. There is no gendered wording present in most of these ads. The most probable reason for this is that the targeted job applicant would not be better off in the position if came from either gender or a certain group. It is important for companies to use of language

Families, society and school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Families, society and school - Research Paper Example The city covers an area of approximately 71 square miles, where population is considered quite dense, as 34,919.6 individuals cover every square mile (â€Å"Brookly (Borough), New York,† 2009). The general household figures in Brooklyn reaches to 21,544, with typical incomes average at 56,293$ (â€Å"Brooklyn: City Profile,† 2011). Considering the demographic background, the combination of lower median incomes and densely populated area appeared to converge on one critical issue, family homelessness. Brooklyn City had been recorded to have one of the highest percentages of family homelessness in the state of New York, with a result of 2.86 families, in overall result of 2.90, utilizing shelter programs (â€Å"Brooklyn, n.d.†). While families in such category struggle to meet the basic needs of food, water and safe shelter, and basic education of the children (among other child needs) appeared to be neglected in the process. Children, unlike the adult groups, requ ire consistent guidance and protection, as they are not yet equipped with developmental maturity to hold stable jobs. At most, they are at high risk for failure, as their homeless status makes them more liable to experience â€Å"economic deprivation, family loss or separation (and) social and emotional instability† (Mickelson, 2000, p. 66). As they cannot afford to enroll in exclusive middle schools, most go to public middle schools, such as the Seth Low School. Situated in Brooklyn’s Bensohurst area, Seth Low School is classified as a middle school catering to students from grades six to eight. The said school is considered a vital educational institution in Brooklyn communities, as it has provided quality service for over 80 years (â€Å"Seth Low,† 2010, p. 5). On average, students enrolled in the school frequently reach to more than a thousand, while the teaching staff in-charge in classroom lessons totaled to 74 instructors. Majority of the students are Asi ans, closely followed by White Americans, and some small percentages of Black Americans and Hispanic children (â€Å"I.S 96 Seth Low,† 2011). Committed to achieve the ultimate goal of the school for academic excellence, a variety of programs had been offered to support students in their studies, such as â€Å"special education students.† In line with this, other academic improvements also aimed at involving the families of the school’s students in learning, including the two-year project on integrated computer education, providing computer sets to selected families as part of the â€Å"Computers for the Youth Initiative.† More importantly, community involvement had been considered for the development of its students, partnering with â€Å"FIAO (Italian-American Organizations)† for the sponsorship of student programs that takes place at the end of the day and during weekends. Significantly, collaboration in community settings does not end here, as f ormal links had been forged to promote initiatives on â€Å"Counseling in Schools, Creative Connections, and the Leadership† (â€Å"Seth Low,† 2010, p. 5). Such activities demonstrated the multi-dimensional approach that the school had employed, focusing on the environment factors, such as the family and community that shape their students’

Architecture and culture in italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Architecture and culture in italy - Essay Example For this reason, even authors such as Ernest Hemingway, notorious for his brevity and deceptively simple-sounding stories, can reveal much about the areas they write about. In the novel Across the River and Into the Trees, written in 1950, Hemingway provides a great deal of detail about Italy both in what he says and in what he doesn't say. The story begins with a morning of duck hunting. The protagonist emerges slowly, simply called the shooter at first. His personality is the first thing that becomes known about him as it is revealed through his words with the boatman, his thoughts and his actions. Although coarse and irritable, he is also gentle in his treatment of others and his appreciation of beauty. This is seen in his irritation with the boatman as they work through the ice of the canal, "Get your back in it, jerk" (3) as compared to his understanding of the same man at the end of the book once the Colonel realizes it was his military jacket that set the man off. Throughout t he novel, most of which is a flashback to the days just prior to the duck hunt, the people of Italy are consistently referred to as polite and more honest than people elsewhere: "It's a tougher town than Cheyenne when you really know it, and everybody is very polite" (35). Yet there are continual hints that things are not quite as idyllic as the Colonel wants to picture it. Such an instance is introduced in scenes such as the one where the Colonel, then a general, knocked two men unconscious for having the impertinence to whistle at Renata at an even earlier time period or the scene in which he finds it necessary to scare two punks away from him by pretending to be carrying pistols in his pockets as he walks around Venice with Renata's family emeralds in his pocket. The Colonel's ability to appreciate the beauty of the landscape around him also helps to reveal the character and geography of Italy. This initial landscape is seen as particularly inhospitable, though, full of icy canal s and tall grasses - giving an impression of a frozen marshland. It is expanded as the Colonel and his driver make their way across country as "one farm blended, almost blurred, into another farm and you could only see what was far ahead and moving toward you" (14) and given texture as the driver starts to talk about the artists of the country, such as Titian: "if he painted any pictures of that country up around there, with those sunset color rocks and the pines and the snow and all the pointed steeples" (15-16). This glimpse of the country is also given a dual nature as the Colonel approaches the city, looking out at the flat canal-lined boulevard that they're following and remembering the ghastly scene of soldiers bodies, bloated and floating on unmoving water in those canals and yet also observing the peaceful, gentle motion of a sail from one of the barges moving slowly through one of those canals. This image of Italy finally opens up into the streets of Venice with the mention of St. Mark Square and the Colonel relives his last day with his girl, a 20-year-old native beauty in a segment that takes up most of the bulk of the book. In this consistent representation of the dual nature of both the people and the place, the book is very much in keeping with the historical era in which it was written. The second World War had just ended in which many of the older men fighting had already seen their share

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature - Essay Example Othello’s being an Alien in Venice and the gulf of culture, race and complexion—that exists between him and the Venetians—in an important theme in the tragedy in Othello. The theme of race and the themes of isolation and alienation can be combined because it is because of the race that the character of Othello considers himself alienated from the Venetian society. Shakespeare forced his audience to see Othello with the â€Å"bodily eye† of Iago. Othello tries to attach himself to the Venetian society on the basis of universal virtues such as love and loyalty. However, Iago’s attempt in realizing himself as an alien makes him to a step that takes him to his tragedy. Therefore, it is quite clear that Othello has evidently awareness of his race and color as different to Desdemona. This racial difference becomes a cause for his consideration that Desdemona has illicit relationships with Cassio. He also considers himself alienated from a society, which is not his. He tries to be a part of that society but he is always aware of his being different due to which, he is alienated and isolated. Like Othello, the themes of isolation and alienation in Everyday Use can also be assembled with the theme of race. The family of Maggie and Dee has an African background while Maggie remains stick to her traditions and culture while Dee wants to stay away from her culture, which is quite impossible. Dee belongs to African culture and she cannot deny this fact. Dee makes many friends, out of which, no one is sincere to her according to Maggie. Due to this fact, Dee is alienated from the society in which, she lives because of her racial identity for having an African background. Dee wants to connect to another culture and wants to leave her due to which, not only she becomes an alien to the new culture she wants to adopt but to her own culture

Ukraine Prince Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ukraine Prince Analysis - Essay Example In fact, the further situation in Ukraine depends on elections outcomes, after the 26th of March, when Ukrainian citizens elect new Parliament (Verhovna Rada) deputies, the deputies of local authorities, etc. The future direction of this young state developing will be defined after new Parliament majority forming and new Prime Minister nominating. It'll be a clear sign for investors for further actions. If new Parliament majority is pro-president with liberal Prime Minister (loyal to Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko, like Yuri Yekhanurov), then investors can definitely wait the implementation of declared reforms. If the new Prime Minister is Yulia Timoshenko (possible case), then investors must be more careful as Mrs. Timoshenko enjoys hand methods of economic regulation. At last if opposite parties form the majority, foreign investors can wait radical differences to the state-developing course, chosen by President. At first, it's necessary to progress liberty of speech, press etc (one of the great achievements of new authorities). Then Government should finally refuse from hand methods of economic regulation. Recently Ukraine got the free-market economy status; also the USA repealed Jackson-Venik amendment for Ukraine. Future government must use these privileges. Conducting free and fair tenders for enterprises privatising, equal tax policy etc. are obligatory conditions for regime change.As you can see, we chose the next actors, which play the most important role during pre-election company. Who are they? 1. â€Å"The party of regions† leaded by Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich, who was the main opponent of Victor Yushchenko during last president elections. This party has the highest popularity - from 22 to 27% according to different surveys. This group is well sponsored (Rinat Akhmetov, the richest businessman in Ukraine, is one of its leaders), and is the most serious opponent to pro-president forces. 2. "BYT" - Block of Yulia Timoshenko, the first Prime Minister after Orange Revolution. This ambitious lady was the wishes to become a powerful Prime Minister. She supports Mr. Yushchenko, but has some conflicts with his party "Our Ukraine" 3. "Our Ukraine" - the most reliable support for Mr. Yushchenko party, which nevertheless lost a significant electorate segment during the last year. 4. "The Socialistic Party of Ukraine" (SPU) headed by Olexandr Moroz, supposed to be included into pro-president majority, and tries to secure more vote than 4 years ago. 5. "The Communist Party of Ukraine" (CPU), headed by Petro Simonenko, is a firm opponent to present forces, but gradually loose electorate support. 6. Litvin's Peoples Block "We", headed by present Parliament Speaker Volodimir Litvin, can supplement either pro-president or opposite group of parties. They position themselves like the third (neutral) force and have not much support. 7. The Opposite Block "Not Yes", headed by the first Ukraine President Leonid Kravchuk, is firm opposite party, which has no developing program, but just is against "orange" forces. This group has a little support and has small chances to be represented in new Parliament. 8. One or even two parties can also secure more than 3% of votes. It can be either opposite parties (Natalia

Market Information and Analysis - Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Market Information and Analysis - - Assignment Example For the identification of the position held by Australia in the global context, understanding of the ways in which consumers perceive the wines produced in the nation is quite significant in order to determine the growth opportunities. In order to comprehend the relation in between the price and the format, the principle of data reduction can be applied. In this context, Pearson’s correlation has been calculated based on the data provided in data set 1 related to wine sales in Australia and a correlation of 0.9 has been obtained. It can be stated that association among the price and the format exists with high correlation. . In order to determine the association between price and region, it would be prudent to conduct literature review and identify what the literatures decipher. Literature depicts that greater quality effect upon the price of wine is identified for the climate region that is warm. If the wine belonging to the warm region is correlated with superior quality the n in such context increase in price of wine is quite evident. However, on the other hand, even if the quality of the wine is improved to a significant degree in cold region, it is quite likely that the price of the wine would not increase as much as that of the price in the warm region. The main reason behind this is that the Australian consumers might favor to consume wines from warmer regions. It may also be because of the fact that warmer regions were planted quite earlier and consumers tend to posses greater knowledge regarding them and are ready to pay greater price for their wines (Ling & Lockshin, 2003). Although there is downward trend of prices of grapes since past few years, there has been alteration in the varieties. It can be mentioned that the average price related to shiraz grapes has been the greatest of the top red wine grape varieties. The price of cabernet sauvignon grapes has been declined by about 9 percent. The recent financial crisis all over the world has ster nly affected the demand for wine, placing greater stress upon price of wine grapes all over the world. With the anticipated world economic recovery, it has been expected that the demand for wine is likely to strengthen over the short or medium term. However, with the greater supply of wine in the world along with the rising amount of bulk shipments of wine globally, it may not lead to increase in the global prices of wine. Given these conditions, the price of wine in Australia is anticipated to remain subdued in the coming few years prior to the slower recovery towards the end of the projected year. It was noted that during the year 2008-2009, due to considerable supply of the wine grapes, most of the wine companies offered fruits at relatively low prices. It was further noted that numerous growers were informed that their contract for wine grapes is not likely to be refurbished once they expire. If no contract is made then in such cases the farmers need to supply grapes in the spot market, which could potentially expose them to relatively lower price. It has further been found that there are generally two formats of imported wines such as specialty â€Å"vintages† format serving to the adherents as well as core consumers possessing extended tastes along with regular liquor stores holding mainly greater volume, moderately-priced products with quite restricted selections (Gunning-Trant & Kwan, 2012). Hence, from the data that has been presented above,

Analysis of Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Several militaries impose the death penalty for disciplinary offenses such as desertion, mutiny, and cowardice. According to Amnesty International, 58 countries have retained the death penalty as a method of punishing serious crime in society. Countries like China, North Korea, and Yemen have the highest number of executions. Statistics point out that at least people were convicted for death in those countries in 2012. Accordingly, 21 countries including Syria and Egypt carried out executions in 2012. The Middle East region witnessed more than 500 executions. Bahrain sentenced eight people to death between 2007 and 2012 and executed two death row convicts during the same period. Some methods of executing the death penalty include shooting at close range, electrocution, hanging, beheading, and lethal injection. Thesis statement: the death penalty should be abolished since it violates human rights and fails in deterring crime in the society. Opponents of the death penalty call for its abolishment by arguing that it contravenes the international human rights (Gottfried 10). Several countries have ratified the International Human rights charter that safeguards the inherent right to life and freedom from any inhumane or degrading treatment. Accordingly, the death penalty takes away the right to life thus entrenching cruel and unusual punishments such as lethal injection and execution. The opponents argue that this is barbaric practices associated with slavery and have no place in a modern and civilized society (Gottfried 22). The opponents argue that it is immoral and unethical since it degrades the inherent dignity of human life. Accordingly, some religious teachings such as Christianity forbid the use of the death penalty as a means of punishing crime. Although Islamic teaching allows for death punishment in cases of murder, the family of the victim can instead ask for financial compensation and pardon the murderer from the death sentence. The punishment leads to severe pain and contravenes the civilized treatment of human beings that should be accorded to every citizen (Gottfried 34). The punishment also leads to suffering to the immediate family members and relatives of the executed criminals. However, proponents argue that it will lead to the greatest happiness in the society since most of the citizens are law-abiding and execution of few individuals will lead to law and order in the society (Gottfried 39). The opponents argue that the arbitrary application of the death penalty is possible and sometimes it leads to the execution of innocent individuals. Abolitionists of this sentence argue that it is irrevocable. Accordingly, there are instances where convicted individuals have been freed after a successful appeal from death row thus suggesting that judges sometimes error in their sentencing (Gottfried 44). In addition, the imposition of this sentence denies the executed criminal the opportunity to benefit from new laws or new evidence th at can warrant the reversal of death sentence or freedom of the individual (Gottfried 91). Abolitionists have pointed out that this punishment is applied discriminatively thus violating the principle of equal protection.  Ã‚  

Albatross Anchor Operational Changes Essay Example for Free

Albatross Anchor Operational Changes Essay

Separating Mixtures Back Into Their Components | Experiment

Separating Mixtures Back Into Their Components | Experiment Abstract To separate these mixtures it was appropriate to understand the physical and chemical structures of all the substances situated within the mixture. After separating these mixtures based on their physical and chemical properties; it was then appropriate to compare their experimental masses compared to their actual masses. Once separating these mixtures and comparing their masses it was important to record any discrepancies which may have been observed throughout the experiment. Background Information The mixture was composed of the following substances; 5.5g sand 2.4g iron fillings 25ml methylated spirits 13g of NaCl 0.6 g of sodium sulfhate 13ml of hexane The aim of this experiment was to separate a mixture back into its original components based on the mixtures physical and chemical components. A mixture is when two or more substances are combined by forceful means, such as pouring substances into a container. The molecules of the combined substances then mix with the others to create the forms of solutions, suspensions and colloids. These mixtures can be classified as homogenous or heterogeneous solutions. A heterogeneous mixture contains unevenly distributed liquids, gases and particles. The sand, iron, and hexane are all immiscible substances when mixed in the mixture, therefore many unevenly distributed particles and liquids are present in the mixture, thus categorizing the mixture as a heterogeneous. Mixtures usually do not consist of chemical bonding between the substances, thus allowing the mixture to be separated using simple methods of filtration. As the mixture contains sand, iron, hexane and methylated spirits basic filtration can be applied based on each substances chemical and physical properties. However as NaCl and Na2S04 do undergo chemical reactions with the water present in the mixture; this creates a barrier for any type of filtration. It is therefore appropriate to analyze the chemical and physical properties of each NaCl and Na2SO4, and find an appropriate method to extract both miscible substances from the mixture. Therefore it is applicable to note that substances are separated based on their chemical and physical properties. Therefore analyzing the physical and chemical properties of each component situated in the mixture, appropriate separation techniques can be identified. The most obvious separable substance situated in the mixture is Hexane. Hexane is oil, used for many necessities of life, such as cooking. As seen in figure 1, hexane has the chemical formula C6 H14 and it only contains hydrogen and carbon atoms, thus putting the solvent into the category of an alkane (hydrocarbon). Hexanes chemical structure is dependent on its alkane properties; its hydrogens are exclusively linked by single bonds to carbon, this is also known as a covalent molecule. As the electrons are being shared this creates similar charges for the hydrogens and carbon atoms. As both atoms electrons have similar negative charges they repel each-other and create a non-polar substance. As non-polar substances are immiscible in water, hexane will not mix in water as its a non-polar molecule. Instead of mixing in water, hexane with a light density of 0.654g/ml will sit on top of the water as water has a heavier density of approximately .995g/ml. In contrast to hexane, water is a polar molecule. The two oxygens bound to the one hydrogen create a V shape with the hydrogen atoms. As seen in figure 2 it is noticeable that when hydrogen atoms bond with oxygen, the hydrogen releases one of their electrons to form a covalent bond. Due to hydrogens electrons being attracted to the positive electron oxygen, the two hydrogens become slightly positively charged, and the oxygen then becomes negatively charged. (www.ozh2o.com, 2003). The dissociation of the positive and negative charges produces a polar molecule. Due to the above mentioned physical and chemical properties of hexane and water, the most efficient way of separating hexane from the mixture, will be the use of decanting. And also using a separation funnel. Decanting is the process of carefully pouring a lower density liquid off the top of another, such as hexane and water. It is poured into another beaker and then separated again using the separation funnel. A separation funnel is used to slowly and carefully drop by drop separate the heavier in density substance (water). Another substance that is present in the mixture that is also miscible in water is sand. Sand also known as silicon dioxide has a chemical formulae of Si02 and has a tetrahedral chemical structure, as seen in figure 3. Figure 3 clearly shows the four oxygens surrounding the central atom Si which creates a triangular shaped structure; hence the reason silicon dioxide can be classified as a tetrahedral crystal. Out of all the silica crystallines, on average only two out of the four oxygens of the Si04 are shared with others, giving the formula Si02 (book reference). Due to sand sharing pairs of electrons between its atom it consists of having an extensive covalent chemical bond. Its extensive covalent chemical bonding creates a strong bonding with the elements oxygen and Si, thus meaning the chemical formula Si02 is a strong element. As sand has a hard quartz figure it is insoluble with water, therefore separating sand from the mixture filtration can be used as it separates the liquids from the hard solutions. Another solution that has a hard like figure and is insoluble to water that is in the mixture  is iron fillings. Iron fillings are composed of iron or Fe. Iron fillings are a type of ferromagnetic material which can be easily attracted to a magnet. The electrons orbiting the iron atom resemble a current, thus this results in a small magnetism to each individual electron; this can be amplified by the spinning of the electrons. This then means the tiny pieces of iron can transform to a tiny bar magnetic when a magnetic field is in area of them, thus irons opposite ends attract to the opposite ends of a magnet. For example the north end of iron would be attracted to the south end of the magnet. As iron is also a substance that is insoluble in water the method filtration will be most effective to separate the iron from the mixture. As iron is already classified as a ferromagnetic metal, this means its domain already consist of a high degree of magnetization. However as seen in figure 4, when coming into contact with a magnetic field, the domain become randomly orientated. Also when iron comes into contact with a more modest magnetic field the domain can become aligned in the direction of the force. As both sand and iron fillings are insoluble in water, they will sink to the bottom of the mixture not having a chemical reaction with any other substances. This sediment at the bottom of the mixture can be separated first using filtration as the sand and iron will be trapped in the funnel paper. However to separate the sand from the iron, using a magnet will be appropriate as irons domain will be attracted to the opposite end of the magnet, as seen earlier in figure 4. As seen in figure 5 filtration is the use of a funnel, funnel paper and a beaker. The beaker is used to catch the mixtures liquids and the funnel paper used to stop and absorb any fine sediment, in the case of the experiment iron and sand. Once the mixture is poured  through the funnel paper the sand and iron will be left on the funnel paper and the mixture will be separated from the iron and sand in the beaker. It will then be appropriate to use a magnet to separate the iron from the sand. However as the sand iron will be wet, leaving the mixed solution of sand and iron to dry will be appropriate. Magnetic separation consists of using a magnetic to attract the ferromagnetic metal iron. As seen in figure 6, once attracting the iron from the sand, the iron will be on the magnet and very hard to separate from the magnet. Thus using glad wrap over the magnet the glad-wrap will be easily removed from the magnet as it is nonmagnetic and the iron fillings would be easily poured onto a watch glass. Once extrapolating the obvious and simple substances from the mixture, it is then appropriate to separate the methylated spirits. Methylated spirits also known as ethanol is a alcohol which consists of a certain percent of methanol added to it to create a poisons drinking substance. Methylated spirits is a polar molecule, its hydrogens, carbons and oxygens all distribute positively and negatively charges, thus creating a polar molecule. As Methylated spirits is polar it is miscible in water. Therefore as it is miscible in water the group will find filtering and decanting not an option to separate the methylated spirits from the water. Thus the group will use fractional distillation. However it is appropriate to explain why methylated spirits have a lower boiling point that Figure 7  water and this is all about the chemical structure of methylated spirits and water (H20). Methylated spirits undergo a reaction to form a hydrogen bond. As hydrogen bonds form between Hydrogens and a highly electronegative atom namely, 0, F and N, methylated spirits fall into this category. Methylated spirits contain a hydrogen and a highly electronegative oxygen atom, thus the reaction of hydrogen bonding will occur, this is seen in figure 8. Despite water is polar and also miscible in methylated spirits (metho) it does not have the same chemical structure as does methylated spirits. Water has a smaller structure and can continuously form hydrogen bonds thus enhancing its molecular strength as metho does not continue forming hydrogen bonds. This is shown in figure 9. Both figure 8 and 9 show the difference between the hydrogen bonding of both metho and H20, it is evident that water consists of very strong intermolecular forces as it is continuously forming, however metho has less opportunity for hydrogen bonding, thus its formation in structure is weaker. Therefore it is evident that the metho will need less energy to deconstruct its chemical structure compared to water as it will need more energy to breakdown its strong hydrogen bonding. Therefore based on this information it will be efficient to use fractional distillation as methylated spirits will be evaporated and be collected as the dilute. Fractional distillation is the method of separating mixtures into their original individual components based on boiling the substance that is wanting to be found boiling point. Therefore a thermometer is used to signify the what the temperature of the mixture is boiling at and as soon as it hits the boiling point of the substance wanting to be extrapolated, the gas then rises into a condenser and the condenser then condenses the gas back into a liquid, slowly dripping the liquid back into its original form. As methylated spirits has a lower boiling point (70-80 degrees)than water (100 degrees) it will be appropriate to use the fractional distillation method to find the amount of methylated spirits in the mixture. Two substances that were left in the mixture were both sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. Both these salts are soluble in water due to their chemical structures. Sodium chloride is well known as a halite (rock salt), salt which is situated in the oceans and is more chemically known as an ionic compound. As seen in figure 11, its chemical structure is very strong as it consists of an ionic bonding. The lattice structure of the ionic bonding between the two compounds creates a very strong chemical structure. In return this defines why sodium has such a high boiling point of 1413 degrees as the chemical structure needs stacks of energy to break down the composition. Sodium sulfate with the formula Na2SO, has an extremely similer structure as sodium chloride. At its solid form sodium sulfate forms a white crystal also known as a salt. Its ionic structure very alike to sodium chloride defines the reason why it also has a high boiling point of (..). Both sodium sulfate and sodium chloride are soluble in water. As H20 water is a polar molecule, in other words consists of uneven distribution of charges, the negatively charged oxygen the end of the water is attracted to the positive sodium ion in the salt. As seen in figure 12 the reaction shows the oxygen extracts the lattice structure of in this case sodium chloride, however also sodium sulfate. Therefore putting more water molecules surrounding the salt, enabling it to de-solve. (Wiki answers.com, year unknown). NaCl(s) + H2O > Na+(aq) +Cl-(aq) + H2O Therefore no separation technique can be applied to either sodium sulfhate or sodium chloride as they are both salts and dissolve in water. As they both are miscible in water and impossible to decant, filtrate, evaporate or use fractional distillation. Creating one of the solutions to form a insoluble compound would be highly affected and would then be able to filtrate out. To separate the NaCl Na2SO4 from the mixture, it was evident to use a ionic compound that reacted with an opposite charge, such as +cation attracts -anion. Therefore Barium Chloride chemical formula BaCl has two separate ionic charges Ba2+ and Cl-. These two ions are attracted to their opposite charges when coming into contact with them. This can be seen in the formula below. When adding BaCl to the mixture the following reaction will occur. BaCl2 + Na2SO4 BaSo4 + 2Na+ CL- The formula above represents the reaction of Barium and sulfate creating a solid, whereas the Na and Cl are left by themselves as spectators as they do not undergo a reaction. This then creates a insoluble solution which can be filtrated out using the basic filtration method, as mentioned before regarding sand and iron. Therefore analyzing the chemical and physical components of each substance that is present in the mixture, it was evident to what separation would be applicable to each substance; this can be seen in the flow chart below. It was then hypothesized that based on these physical and chemical properties, each substance would be extrapolated giving a 5% error range for any mistakes made throughout the experiment. Flow chart This flow chart represents what method for each substance was used to separate it from the mixture. Apparatus Evaporating disk Separation funnel Filtration funnel Filter paper Boss clamp and Retort stand Measuring cylinder 5 Beakers 0.6g of Sodium Sulphate (Na2SO4) Atomic weight scales 13ml of Vegetable Oil Spatula Barium Chloride (BaCl2) 1.3g of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Glad Wrap Electronic heating mantle 5 distillation-tube clips Round bottom flask Condensing tube Thermometer Stand Glass Rod Distillation tube 5.5g of Sand (SiO2) 2.4g of Iron fillings (Fe) Water (H2O) 25ml of Methylated Spirits Magnet Method The mixture was poured into a beaker using a stirring rod for more accuracy, separating the hexane from the mixture. The hexane was then put into a separation funnel with the mixture beaker under the tap, to retrieve any droplets of water that were still in the hexane. Thus the hexane was completely separated from the mixture. Filtration equipment was set up appropriately ready for use. Sand iron was poured through the filter paper (*2) Beaker retrieved all the liquid, thus separating the iron and sand. Sand iron put on watch glass and left over night to dry; enabling separation. Magnet covered in glad-wrap appropriately separated iron from sand. Both Sand iron were put on separate watch glasses. Fractional distillation equipment set up appropriately. Heat box turned on to boil the methylated spirits. Thermometer used to signify the boiling point of methylated spirits. Methylated spirits boiled and evaporated. Methylated spirits went through condenser; gas underwent a physical change back to the liquid (methylated spirit). Methylated spirits separated from mixture and placed in beaker. Using calculations the amount of BaCl that was needed to react with Na2So4 was found Using an electric weighing machine an exact value of Barium was then added to the mixture containing NaCl and Na2S04. BaSo4 became insoluble in the mixture, thus setting up the filtration equipment was needed. Filtration set up for separation BaS04 separated using filtration with two funnel papers and a funnel. BaS04 put on a watch glass for drying. NaCl and water was left in the mixture, thus the use of evaporating was used. Electric heater, a round bottom conical flask, condenser and tubes were set up to evaporate the water from the NaCl. Water was placed into a separate beaker and then placed in the air drying area to evaporate any extra water, leaving an accurate solution of NaCl. Discussion This extended experimental investigation determined whether a substance can be separated effectively based on its chemical and physical components, allowing 5% to pass as an accurate result. Therefore analyzing the results in table into graphs will be most efficient to display the data. Graph 1 compares actual mass to the experimental mass of only gram solutions. It is evident to note that all the mixtures despite the outliers barium sulfate and sodium sulfate are in an error range of 5-10%. The most accurate result was the iron fillings; 99.17% of the iron fillings were extrapolated from the mixture. The 2nd most efficient extrapolated data was the sodium chloride with 96% extrapolated. Sand was also quite efficiently extrapolated however only 89.45% was separated from the mixture. The two drastic outliers did however have a major effect on the hypotheses. As barium sulfate sodium sulfate had only 50% separated from the mixture. Analyzing graph 2 it is appropriate to suggest that the methods that were used to extrapolate methylated spirits and hexane may not have been most appropriate as there was in both hexane and methylated spirits 1 ml missing (4%). However despite this diminutive difference it is acknowledgeable to suggest that the techniques did work as 96% of both hexane and methylated spirits was extrapolated from the mixture. Therefore the hypothesis was proven correct as there was a 4% error. However it is recommended that if the experiment was to be done again different methods of separation may apply to both hexane and methylated spirits. It is therefore appropriate to suggest that the hypothesis was proven wrong as the sand, barium sulfate and sodium sulfate all had more than a 5% error range. Many variable may have caused the inaccurate results of all substances, as it must be notable not one substance was fully extrapolated to 100%. Finding the right amount of each substance was extremely important as it then proved that mixtures can be separated based on their physical and chemical properties. The erroneous results create room for discussion into what may have caused the different result. One major variable may be the use of equipment. Hexane was separated using decanting with a stirring rod and manually pouring the oil into another container, however there was 1ml of hexane missing the reason to why may been defined as not enough care when titrating or maybe the whole techniques was wrong itself.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

If I was asked to describe the attitude of the common high school student with one word, I would choose the word "why." We seem to be constantly questioning everything that appears out of the ordinary, anything that departs from the routine which has been established for us. We seem to be intolerant of anything that our MTV culture has declared "uncool." As we graduate from Washington High School, we must stop asking "why" and start asking "why not." We should be open to anything as we venture into what society has labeled "the real world." No longer should we limit ourselves to the same environment and small group of people we have grown accustomed to. In turn, we should no longer limit ourselves to the same view of the world. Life is merely a collection of experiences. However, how many different experiences can you have if you are constantly asking why? If we refuse to venture into the world and see what, in fact, is out there, we may never find our true calling. For it is through experiences that we will find who we really are and what we truly believe. Somewhere out in the d...

Dinosaur Extinction Essay examples -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of different theories have been assessed throughout the course of this research to attempt to reach a conclusion as to the reason behind the extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Although all arguments are credible, and supportive with educated information and data, the most conclusive theory of all is The Alvarez Asteroid Impact theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alvarez, a researcher at the University of California, discovered a pencil thin layer of Iridium around the rocks in Gubbio, Italy. (New Scientist, 1) Iridium is an element found in meteorites and asteroids. In 1980 it was proven that the layer if Iridium was evidence of a huge comet or meteorite that crashed into the earth sixty five million years ago. The normal amount of Iridium an area is to have is 0.001 on an average. The layer of Iridium found in Gubbio Italy was 0.003. Thirty times the average amount in parts per million. (New Scientist, 1) The theory of the Alvarez Asteroid states that the strength of this comet is at 10,000 times the explosive power of the global nuclear arsenal. The Alvarez Asteroid theory is the leading explanation as to why the amazing dinosaur creatures died millions of years ago, along with many other animals of the Earth's Crustaceous Period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The extinction of the Tyrannosaurus Rex was obviously due to the same reason. Every other living species was killed sixty five million years ago. Although it is believed that the asteroid theory is the cause of extinction of the Crustaceous Period, we cannot be positive. The environmental effects of this problem were that the dinosaurs living during this period perished from the earth and their extinction remains a mystery to us to this day. All we can do to reenact what happened is use the technology we have in the twenty first century to find more evidence to see what went wrong so long ago. By discovering things like what happened to the Tyrannosaurus Rex we can use this information to prevent an event such as a mass extinction from happening a second time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it is impossible to rewrite history, we still have to be careful to prevent a catastrophe like the asteroid said to have hit the earth sixty five million years ago. If there is ever a scare of an asteroid as big as the Alvarez Asteroid, one way of preventin... ...d at least seven tons and were over forty feet long. The T-Rex was the largest meat-eating dinosaur. The teeth of the T-Rex are thick and sharp for the killing of its prey. The T-Rex was also very fast; in fact it could outrun any species of dinosaur if it was hungry enough. Scientists have also found that the Tyrannosaurus was also very smart, it would outwit any prey if it needed a snack, even the Gigantosaurus the only dinosaur that is bigger than the T-Rex wasn't smarter than the king. (Highlights, 22)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a very smart and interesting dinosaur and it is unfortunate that we will never be able to see one. The extinction of dinosaurs was brought on by the Alvarez Theory. It is great to know what actually happened to them now, and also know how to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. If our country uses the technology it has available it will be possible to find out more about the mass extinction of the Crustaceous Period. As the years pass technology becomes more advanced and we will eventually know everything there is to know about what happened sixty five million years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Systems of the Human Body Essay -- essays research papers

The human body is very complex. It is like a job. You have to do a million things in one day to make it through the day. The body uses nine systems to do all of those jobs. They all have separate functions, but some work together. Each system is also made up of organs. There are many ways to care and protect the systems from the many different problems they can have. There are also many interesting facts about each system. The nervous system’s main function is to coordinate all of the activities in the body. The main organs are the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement. The cerebrum, is the center for conscious thought, learning, and memory. The last main organ is the brain stem. The brain stem keeps the automatic systems in your body working. Problems of the nervous system include, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. You can care for your nervous system by wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, and by not using drugs or alcohol. Something very confusing about the nervous system is that the left side of human brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body! The skin has 3 main function. It has to regulate body temperature, remove waste (perspiration), and protect. The skin is made up of 3 layers. The epidermis is the outer thinner layer of the skin that is made up of dead and living cells. The dermis is the thicker middle layer of the skin that contains blood vessels and nerves. Sweat glands are found in the dermis, they secrete perspiration through ducts to pores on the skin’s surface. To avoid problems like warts, boils, moles, acne, and sunburn you can wash your body daily, wear sunscreen that is 15 or higher, and check your body often... ...culatory system. Pituitary gland is a growth hormone that helps in mertabolism and develops reproductive organs. The thyroid controls metabolsim on the rate that the body breaks down food. Adrenal gland secretes many hormones including adrenaline which prepares the body to react in a stressful situation. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Ovaries produce ova and estrogen. Testes produce sperm cells and testosterone. To stay healthy you should get a regular medical check-up, eat a well-balanced diet, sleep at least 8 hours, and decrease stress in your life. Some problems are growth disorders, diabetes, and obesity. Puberty begins at different times for girls then boys. Girls start around ages 9-13 and boys are ages 10-15. The body is an amazing thing. So many things are going on at once. Without your eyes you wouldn’t be able to see this paper! Systems of the Human Body Essay -- essays research papers The human body is very complex. It is like a job. You have to do a million things in one day to make it through the day. The body uses nine systems to do all of those jobs. They all have separate functions, but some work together. Each system is also made up of organs. There are many ways to care and protect the systems from the many different problems they can have. There are also many interesting facts about each system. The nervous system’s main function is to coordinate all of the activities in the body. The main organs are the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement. The cerebrum, is the center for conscious thought, learning, and memory. The last main organ is the brain stem. The brain stem keeps the automatic systems in your body working. Problems of the nervous system include, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. You can care for your nervous system by wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, and by not using drugs or alcohol. Something very confusing about the nervous system is that the left side of human brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body! The skin has 3 main function. It has to regulate body temperature, remove waste (perspiration), and protect. The skin is made up of 3 layers. The epidermis is the outer thinner layer of the skin that is made up of dead and living cells. The dermis is the thicker middle layer of the skin that contains blood vessels and nerves. Sweat glands are found in the dermis, they secrete perspiration through ducts to pores on the skin’s surface. To avoid problems like warts, boils, moles, acne, and sunburn you can wash your body daily, wear sunscreen that is 15 or higher, and check your body often... ...culatory system. Pituitary gland is a growth hormone that helps in mertabolism and develops reproductive organs. The thyroid controls metabolsim on the rate that the body breaks down food. Adrenal gland secretes many hormones including adrenaline which prepares the body to react in a stressful situation. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Ovaries produce ova and estrogen. Testes produce sperm cells and testosterone. To stay healthy you should get a regular medical check-up, eat a well-balanced diet, sleep at least 8 hours, and decrease stress in your life. Some problems are growth disorders, diabetes, and obesity. Puberty begins at different times for girls then boys. Girls start around ages 9-13 and boys are ages 10-15. The body is an amazing thing. So many things are going on at once. Without your eyes you wouldn’t be able to see this paper!

Christian Leadership to Change the World

Christian leadership in my opinion is operating in and by Christ. We must be his hands and his feet with precepts. In order to lead and present change God must be in us and its evident must be known. Matthew 5: 13 -16 clearly proclaims the significance of our existence and Gods requirement of every believer. 2 Timothy 2:15 expresses the need for every believer to be approved by the Lord first and then going forth to preach the word throughout to Gods people. Leadership is the duty of the person who is in charge to take charge with courage and character while risking leading the people where they need to go. In doing this Christian leaders will need vision, opportunities, and needs. Then you will have to motivate others to get it done by providing resources, using their talents, and having them contribute their time, however we should be pragmatic of timing. As leaders we must understand the value of forgiveness, redemption and restoration and how essential they are to producing change in society or the world. Also identity and integrity are paramount as well in effective Christian leadership. This will equip us for the non believers who have a desire to come into the kingdom as well as the believers. To be effective Christian leaders we must seriously take our lead from scriptural principles and not from popular trends. We must maintain our focus on what the scripture says in spite of situations and circumstances. 2 Timothy1:7 reads â€Å"God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love†¦Ã¢â‚¬ when we fully recognize that God has given us the power and authority to create change it will then allow us to progress and elevate greatly towards change in society. Furthermore Proverbs 4 and 5 specifies the importance of gaining knowledge and wisdom from the Lord and Proverbs 3: 5 instructs us to trust God in all things so he can direct our path. We must as leaders become selfless and allow the Lord to speak to us so we can get to the people and back in front of society providing the church a forum to determine the direction of society. Christian leadership recognizes that the achievement of the vision is a contribution towards the coming and building of Gods kingdom and understands that where God rules it will then govern the behavior of the world. As Christian leaders we are to remain as a relevant influence providing Gods unchanging and everlasting word to an ever changing society. As the world continues to change the impetus for Christian leadership remains the same. Yet we must also acquire new leadership techniques as both the church and the world changes. SUBMITTED BY: RENEE D. SOBERS

Frostbite Chapter 9

Nine I DIDN'T SEE DIMITRI FOR a while after that. He'd sent a message later that day saying that he thought we should cancel our next two sessions because of the rapidly approaching plans to leave campus. Classes were about to end anyway, he said; taking a break from practice seemed like the reasonable thing. It was a lame excuse, and I knew that wasn't the reason he was canceling. If he wanted to avoid me, I would have preferred he made up something about how he and the other guardians had to up Moroi security or practice top-secret ninja moves. Regardless of his story, I knew he was avoiding me because of the kiss. That damned kiss. I didn't regret it, not exactly. God only knew how much I'd been wanting to kiss him. But I'd done it for the wrong reasons. I'd done it because I was upset and frustrated and had simply wanted to prove that I could. I was so tired of doing the right thing, the smart thing. I was trying to be more in control lately, but I seemed to be slipping. I hadn't forgotten the warning that he'd once given me- that us being together wasn't just about age. It would interfere with our jobs. Pushing him into the kiss†¦well, I'd fanned the flames of a problem that could eventually hurt Lissa. I shouldn't have done it. Yesterday, I'd been unable to stop myself. Today I could see more clearly and couldn't believe what I'd done. Mason met me on Christmas morning, and we went to go hang out with the others. It provided a good opportunity to push Dimitri out of my head. I liked Mason- a lot. And it wasn't like I had to run off and marry him. Like Lissa had said, it would be healthy for me to just date someone again. Tasha was hosting our Christmas brunch in an elegant parlor in the Academy's guest quarters. Lots of group activities and parties were occurring throughout the school, but I'd quickly noticed that Tasha's presence always created a disturbance. People either secretly stared or went out of their way to avoid her. Sometimes she would challenge them. Sometimes she would just lie low. Today, she'd chosen to stay out of the other royals' way and simply enjoy this small, private party of those who didn't shun her. Dimitri had been invited to the gathering, and a bit of my resolve faltered when I saw him. He'd actually dressed up for the occasion. Okay, â€Å"dressed up† might have been an exaggeration, but it was the closest I'd ever seen him come to that. Usually he just looked a little rough†¦like he could spring into battle at any given moment. Today, his dark hair was tied at the back of his neck, as though he'd actually tried to make it neat. He wore his usual jeans and leather boots, but instead of a T-shirt or thermal shirt, he had on a finely knit black sweater. It was just an ordinary sweater, nothing designer or expensive, but it added a touch of polish I didn't usually see, and good God, did it fit him well. Dimitri wasn't mean to me or anything, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to make conversation with me. He did talk to Tasha, however, and I watched with fascination as they conversed in that easy way of theirs. I'd since learned that a good friend of his was a distant cousin of Tasha's family; that was how the two of them knew each other. â€Å"Five?† asked Dimitri in surprise. They were discussing the friend's children. â€Å"I hadn't heard that.† Tasha nodded. â€Å"It's insane. I swear, I don't think his wife's had more than six months off between kids. She's short, too- so she just gets wider and wider.† â€Å"When I first met him, he swore he didn't even want kids.† Her eyes widened excitedly. â€Å"I know! I can't believe it. You should see him now. He just melts around them. I can't even understand him half the time. I swear, he speaks more baby talk than English.† Dimitri smiled his rare smile. â€Å"Well†¦children do that to people.† â€Å"I can't imagine it happening to you,† she laughed. â€Å"You're always so stoic. Of course †¦ I suppose you'd be doing baby talk in Russian, so no one would ever know.† They both laughed at that, and I turned away, grateful Mason was there to talk to. He was a good distraction from everything, because in addition to Dimitri ignoring me, Lissa and Christian were chatting on in their own little world too. Sex appeared to have made them that much more in love, and I wondered if I'd get to spend any time with her at all on the ski trip. She did eventually break away from him to give me my Christmas present. I opened the box and stared inside. I saw a string of maroon-colored beads, and the scent of roses floated out. â€Å"What the †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I lifted the beads out, and a heavy gold crucifix swung from the end of them. She'd given me a chotki. It was similar to a rosary, only smaller. Bracelet-size. â€Å"Are you trying to convert me?† I asked wryly. Lissa wasn't a religious nut or anything, but she believed in God and attended church regularly. Like many Moroi families who'd come from Russia and Eastern Europe, she was an Orthodox Christian. Me? I was pretty much an Orthodox Agnostic. I figured God probably existed, but I didn't have the time or energy to investigate. Lissa respected that and never tried to push her faith on me, which made the gift that much weirder. â€Å"Flip it over,† she said, clearly amused at my shock. I did. On the back of the cross, a dragon wreathed in flowers had been carved into the gold. The Dragomir crest. I looked up at her, puzzled. â€Å"It's a family heirloom,† she said. â€Å"One of my dad's good friends has been saving boxes of his stuff. This was in it. It belonged to my great-grandmother's guardian.† â€Å"Liss †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. The chotki took on a whole new meaning. â€Å"I can't†¦ you can't give me something like this.† â€Å"Well, I certainly can't keep it. It's meant for a guardian. My guardian.† I wound the beads around one wrist. The cross felt cool against my skin. â€Å"You know,† I teased, â€Å"there's a good possibility I'll get kicked out of school before I can become your guardian.† She grinned. â€Å"Well, then you can give it back.† Everyone laughed. Tasha started to say something, then stopped when she looked up at the door. â€Å"Janine!† My mother stood there, looking as stiff and impassive as ever. â€Å"Sorry I'm late,† she said. â€Å"I had business to take care of.† Business. As always. Even on Christmas. I felt my stomach turn and heat rise to my cheeks as the details of our fight came rushing back to my mind. She'd never sent one word of communication since it had happened two days ago, not even when I was in the infirmary. No apologies. Nothing. I gritted my teeth. She sat down with us and soon joined in the conversation. I'd long since discovered she could really only talk about one subject: guardian business. I wondered if she had any hobbies. The Badica attack was on everyone's mind, and this drove her into a conversation about some similar fight she'd been in. To my horror, Mason was riveted by her every word. â€Å"Well, decapitations aren't as easy as they seem,† she said in her matter-of-fact way. I'd never thought they were easy at all, but her tone suggested that she believed everyone thought they were cake. â€Å"You've got to get through the spinal cord and tendons.† Through the bond, I felt Lissa grow queasy. She wasn't one for gruesome talk. Mason's eyes lit up. â€Å"What's the best weapon to do it with?† My mother considered. â€Å"An axe. You can get more weight behind it.† She made a swinging motion by way of illustration. â€Å"Cool,† he said. â€Å"Man, I hope they let me carry an axe.† It was a comical and ludicrous idea, since axes were hardly convenient weapons to carry around. For half a second, the thought of Mason walking down the street with an axe over his shoulder lightened my mood a little. The moment quickly passed. I honestly couldn't believe we were having this conversation on Christmas. Her presence had soured everything. Fortunately, the gathering eventually dispersed. Christian and Lissa went off to do their own thing, and Dimitri and Tasha apparently had more catching up to do. Mason and I were well on our way to the dhampir dorm when my mother joined us. None of us said anything. Stars cluttered the black sky, sharp and bright, their glitter matched in the ice and snow around us. I wore my ivory parka with fake fur trimming. It did a good job keeping my body warm, even though it did nothing against the chilly gusts that seared my face. The whole time we walked, I kept expecting my mother to turn off toward the other guardian areas, but she came right inside the dorm with us. â€Å"I've been wanting to talk to you,† she finally said. My alarms clicked on. What had I done now? That was all she said, but Mason picked up on the hint immediately. He was neither stupid nor oblivious to social cues, though at that moment, I kind of wished he was. I also found it ironic that he wanted to fight every Strigoi in the world but was afraid of my mother. He glanced at me apologetically, shrugged, and said, â€Å"Hey, I've got to get, um, somewhere. I'll see you later.† I watched with regret as he left, wishing I could run after him. Probably my mom would only tackle me and punch my other eye if I tried to escape. Better to do things her way and get this over with. Shifting uncomfortably, I looked everywhere but at her and waited for her to speak. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few people glancing over at us. Recalling how everyone in the world seemed to know about her giving me the black eye, I suddenly decided I didn't want witnesses around for whatever lecture she was about to unleash on me. â€Å"You want to, um, go to my room?† I asked. She looked surprised, almost uncertain. â€Å"Sure.† I led her upstairs, keeping a safe distance away as we walked. Awkward tension built between us. She didn't say anything when we reached my room, but I saw her examine every detail carefully, as though a Strigoi might be lurking in there. I sat on the bed and waited while she paced, unsure what I should do. She ran her fingers over a stack of books on animal behavior and evolution. â€Å"Are these for a report?† she asked. â€Å"No. I'm just interested in it, that's all.† Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't known that. But how would she? She didn't know anything about me. She continued her appraisal, stopping to study little things that apparently surprised her about me. A picture of Lissa and me dressed up like fairies for Halloween. A bag of SweeTarts. It was as though my mother were meeting me for the first time. Abruptly, she turned and extended her hand toward me. â€Å"Here.† Startled, I leaned forward and held my palm out underneath hers. Something small and cool dropped into my hand. It was a round pendant, a small one- not much bigger than a dime in diameter. A base of silver held a flat disc of colored glass circles. Frowning, I ran my thumb over its surface. It was strange, but the circles almost made it look like an eye. The inner one was small, just like a pupil. It was so dark blue that it looked black. Surrounding it was a larger circle of pale blue, which was in turn surrounded by a circle of white. A very, very thin ring of that dark blue color circled the outside. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I hadn't expected anything from her. The gift was weird- why the hell would she give me an eye?- but it was a gift. â€Å"I†¦ I didn't get you anything.† My mom nodded, face blank and unconcerned once more. â€Å"It's fine. I don't need anything.† She turned away again and started walking around the room. She didn't have a lot of space to do it, but her shorter height gave her a smaller stride. Each time she passed in front of the window over my bed, the light would catch her auburn hair and light it up. I watched her curiously and realized she was as nervous as me. She halted in her pacing and glanced back toward me. â€Å"How's your eye?† â€Å"Getting better.† â€Å"Good.† She opened her mouth, and I had a feeling she was on the verge of apologizing. But she didn't. When she started pacing again, I decided I couldn't stand the inactivity. I began putting my presents away. I'd gotten a pretty nice haul of stuff this morning. One of them was a silk dress from Tasha, red and embroidered with flowers. My mother watched me hang it in the room's tiny closet. â€Å"That was very nice of Tasha.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"I didn't know she was going to get me anything. I really like her.† â€Å"Me too.† I turned from the closet in surprise and stared at my mom. Her astonishment mirrored mine. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have said we'd just agreed on something. Maybe Christmas miracles did happen. â€Å"Guardian Belikov will be a good match for her.† â€Å"I- † I blinked, not entirely sure what she was talking about. â€Å"Dimitri?† â€Å"Guardian Belikov,† she corrected sternly, still not approving of my casual way of addressing him. â€Å"What†¦ what kind of match?† I asked. She raised an eyebrow. â€Å"You haven't heard? She's asked him to be her guardian- since she doesn't have one.† I felt like I'd been punched again. â€Å"But he's†¦assigned here. And to Lissa.† â€Å"Arrangements can be made. And regardless of the Ozera reputation†¦she's still royal. If she pushes, she can get her way.† I stared bleakly into space. â€Å"Well, I guess they are friends and everything.† â€Å"More than that- or possibly could be.† Bam! Punched again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Hmm? Oh. She's†¦interested in him.† By my mother's tone, it was clear that romantic matters actually held no interest for her. â€Å"She's willing to have dhampir children, so it's possible they might eventually make an, um, arrangement if he were her guardian.† Oh. My. God. Time froze. My heart stopped beating. I realized my mother was waiting for a response. She was leaning against my desk, watching me. She might be able to hunt down Strigoi, but she was oblivious to my feelings. â€Å"Is †¦ is he going to do it? Be her guardian?† I asked weakly. My mom shrugged. â€Å"I don't think he's agreed to it yet, but of course he will. It's a great opportunity.† â€Å"Of course,† I echoed. Why would Dimitri turn down the chance to be a guardian to a friend of his and to have a baby? I think my mom said something else after that, but I didn't hear it. I didn't hear anything. I kept thinking about Dimitri leaving the Academy, leaving me. I thought about the way he and Tasha had gotten along with each other so well. And then, after those recollections, my imagination started improvising future scenarios. Tasha and Dimitri together. Touching. Kissing. Naked. Other things †¦ I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. â€Å"I'm really tired.† My mom stopped mid-sentence. I had no idea what she'd been saying before I interrupted her. â€Å"I'm really tired,† I repeated. I could hear the hollowness in my own voice. Empty. No emotion. â€Å"Thanks for the eye†¦um, thing, but if you don't mind †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My mother stared at me in surprise, her features open and confused. Then, just like that, her usual wall of cool professionalism slammed back into place. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how much she'd let it up. But she had. For just a brief time, she'd made herself vulnerable with me. That vulnerability was now gone. â€Å"Of course,† she said stiffly. â€Å"I don't want to bother you.† I wanted to tell her it wasn't that. I wanted to tell her I wasn't kicking her out for any personal reason. And I wanted to tell her that I wished she were the kind of loving, understanding mother you always hear about, one I could confide in. Maybe even a mother I could discuss my troubled love life with. God. I wished I could tell anyone about that, actually. Especially right now. But I was too caught up in my own personal drama to say a word. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and tossed it across the other side of the room. There was a burning, agonizing pain in my chest, and I had no idea how it could ever be filled. It was one thing to accept that I couldn't have Dimitri. It was something entirely different to realize someone else could. I didn't say anything else to her because my speech capabilities no longer existed. Fury glinted in her eyes, and her lips flattened out into that tight expression of displeasure she so often wore. Without another word, she turned around and left, slamming the door behind her. That door slam was something I would have done too, actually. I guess we really did share some genes. But I forgot about her almost immediately. I just kept sitting there and thinking. Thinking and imagining. I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. But mostly, I just sat on my bed thinking and growing more and more depressed. I also discovered that the only thing worse than imagining Dimitri and Tasha together was remembering when he and I had been together. He would never touch me again like that, never kiss me again†¦ This was the worst Christmas ever.

A study of Neanderthal ‘homo neanderthalensis’ morphology in terms of Bergman’s rule and Allen’s rule

Carl Bergman, a 19th century German biologist, stated that in a warm-blooded, polytypic, wide-ranging animal species, the body size of the members of each geographic group varies with the average environmental temperature.According to this principle, warm-blooded animals living in cold climates would tend to gradually become larger than animals of the same species living in warmer climates.J.A.Allen however said that animals adapted to cold have shorter limbs and protruding body parts.Taking these two rules together we could expect those living in cold, Northern climates to have short limbs, protruding body parts and be larger than those living in warmer places.It is believed that homo neanderthalis came North out of Africa 600,000 years ago. After that period there was an increase in their cranial capacity. They populated Europe from about 130,000 until 28,000 years ago when they either became extinct, or were so absorbed by homo sapiens as to become invisible. Fossils finds, associ ated with various cold adapted creatures such as reindeer.They had brow and jaw ridges and protruding faces. Palmer tuberosities   and tools found show that they probably had twice the strength of modern man. According to muscle attachment points and bone thicknesses it seems that they were more robust than modern man, but also that they were more sedentary. Homo sapiens ranged far and wide, whereas Neanderthals tended to stay in northern climes. Body mass increased in time, until they were about 30% larger than the worldwide average according to John Kappelman.McDonald makes the point that they lacked the culture to protect themselves from the elements and so adapted genetically with short, massively strong limbs, thick torso, prominent central face etc. Limb proportions are close to those of modern day extreme northern peoples such as the Inuit or Lapps. This fits in with the rules quoted earlier.References  Allen, J.A. The influence of Physical conditions in the genesis of sp ecies. Radical Review, 1877, 1: 108-140.Bergman,C. quoted inhttp://www.bartleby.com/61/98/B0199800.html retrieved 17th October 2007Kappelman, J., â€Å"They Might be Giants,† Nature, vol. 387 (May 8, 1997), pp. 126-127.Neanderthals found at   http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_neand.htm retrieved 17th October 2007McDonald, D.S., 1996, Neanderthal morphology found at http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3917/morph.html retrieved 17th October 2007   A study of Neanderthal ‘homo neanderthalensis’ morphology in terms of Bergman’s rule and Allen’s rule Carl Bergman, a 19th century German biologist, stated that in a warm-blooded, polytypic, wide-ranging animal species, the body size of the members of each geographic group varies with the average environmental temperature.According to this principle, warm-blooded animals living in cold climates would tend to gradually become larger than animals of the same species living in warmer climates.J.A.Allen however said that animals adapted to cold have shorter limbs and protruding body parts.Taking these two rules together we could expect those living in cold, Northern climates to have short limbs, protruding body parts and be larger than those living in warmer places.It is believed that homo neanderthalis came North out of Africa 600,000 years ago. After that period there was an increase in their cranial capacity. They populated Europe from about 130,000 until 28,000 years ago when they either became extinct, or were so absorbed by homo sapiens as to become invisible.Fossils finds, associa ted with various cold adapted creatures such as reindeer. They had brow and jaw ridges and protruding faces. Palmer tuberosities   and tools found show that they probably had twice the strength of modern man. According to muscle attachment points and bone thicknesses it seems that they were more robust than modern man, but also that they were more sedentary.Homo sapiens ranged far and wide, whereas Neanderthals tended to stay in northern climes. Body mass increased in time, until they were about 30% larger than the worldwide average according to John Kappelman.McDonald makes the point that they lacked the culture to protect themselves from the elements and so adapted genetically with short, massively strong limbs, thick torso, prominent central face etc. Limb proportions are close to those of modern day extreme northern peoples such as the Inuit or Lapps. This fits in with the rules quoted earlier.References  Allen, J.A. The influence of Physical conditions in the genesis of spe cies. Radical Review, 1877, 1: 108-140.Bergman,C. quoted in http://www.bartleby.com/61/98/B0199800.html retrieved 17th October 2007Kappelman, J., â€Å"They Might be Giants,† Nature, vol. 387 (May 8, 1997), pp. 126-127.Neanderthals found at   http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_neand.htm retrieved 17th October 2007McDonald, D.S., 1996, Neanderthal morphology found at http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3917/morph.html retrieved 17th October 2007  

Development levels and record Essay

To observe Lydia during a creative â€Å"choosing† session. I will try to observe her development levels and record how she interacts with other children and the adults around her.  Setting  The primary school, in which I am working in, is situated on a campus with a sports centre, a community school and a 6th form college. It has 6 junior classes and 3 infant classes. There is a class room assistant and a teacher for each class. On a Thursday and a Friday there are 2 students working in the infants. There are a various number of parent helpers in on different days of the week. Lydia is 6 years 11mths old and is in yr. 2. She has just completed her SATS. She is in the 1st (higher) set for math and in the 2nd (middle) set for literacy. She has many friends and enjoys school, learning new things. Lydia has 3 friends who she usually plays with and works with in class. They are all girls and all in year 2. Hannah, Shannell Erica and Lydia always do the same activity even if they don’t all agree. English is Shannell’s second language and she sometimes has trouble with the language barrier between the girls in the group. I will observe Lydia on the 27th of July 2002 for 45mins during a creative choosing session. There are several activities set up in the class rooms and the children may choose which activity they wish to participate in. Some of these activities include painting, drawing, junk models and collage work. Observation  I will make notes during my observation, then copy it up into a written report.  Lydia heads straight for the art table at the far end of the classroom where a painting session has been set up. Her and many of the yr2 girls start collecting sheets of paper. Lydia, Hannah, Erica and Shannell ask me what they can paint as I sit down at the end of the table. I suggest that they draw each other. So the girls pair up. Hannah and Lydia start to paint Shannell and Erica. Lydia looks closely at Erica’s features and tries to copy down all the details. She notes the freckles, the dimples the small earrings and the way her hair is put up. She miss judges the size of Erica’s nose and as a consequence the picture looks out of place. She mixes up the colour to fill in for Erica’s skin tone. Erica sits slightly impatiently fidgeting slightly. Lydia still concentrates on the painting and ignores Erica impatience and continues to concentrate hard on the colour mixing. I ask her some questions. â€Å"Lydia, what colours make green?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"That’s easy, you just mix blue with yellow   But you have to put yellow in first ’cause blue is darker and you have to put loads of yellow in to make it a lighter colour.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ok, how about purple?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh Miss Carr, that is well easy, don’t you know?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m just seeing if you do, so that if you don’t know I can teach you.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh, -thinks hard- ok. It’s blue and red. Isn’t it?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yes well done, How about brown?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yellow, blue and red!†    I learnt a lot from with class 1 / 2 K and this was a typical session. Everyone in the class has different view on things and even though there are definant social groups every one is friends with everyone else. The teachers and other staff need to practice anti-discriminatory and anti-bias practice. It is important to portray equal opportunities.  Children are to be treated equally but at the same time their personal needs need to be taken into consideration. In class 1 / 2 K there are friends who are in definite social groups then there are groups that inter-change and mix with the whole of the infant’s school. This observation points out how the girls work together to the get tasks completed. They all work together to form a good team. It is a clear that the team works well; they all have roles to play. There’s the team leader Hannah, the quick thinker Erica and the â€Å"do-er† Lydia who always works hard to complete necessary tasks. Shannell is a hard work er and tries to fit in even if she doesn’t always understand. I learnt to set up and clear away activities with the children’s help how to encourage exploration of colour and creativity. I managed to gain the children’s confidence and by helping them to reach their full potential.  All four girls developed their fine motor skills and creativity in this exercise. They practice painting techniques and different colours and styles. They learned how to co-operate and communicate with each other. They learn to trust opinions of the adults they work with, they learn to respect their knowledge and experience. I think that in the future the children could be put into groups to help them to mix into different social groups and form new relationships. Lydia could have, in the future, extra help during task’s which involve thinking though complicated theories, and she has trouble understanding some complicated concepts.

Current Event Article 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current Event Article 5 - Essay Example The article has rather taken a variable approach to find out the perception of subjects regarding corporate finance. The findings of the research show that the board size, family influence and small business growth etc. are some of the factors that have high impact on the small sized business in India (Gill, Biger2 and Mand). The authors have contributed in the existing literature of corporate finance. It should be noted that the literature regarding the corporate finance in Indian business cases have been limited. This research has taken a very systematic yet descriptive approach towards finding out the hypothesis. This research can be employed by companies of smaller board sizes that are trying to saturate their product in markets where extreme competition is being noted. The material has been backed up by relevant sources and peer reviewed journals. The facts and figures have been provided for the readers in a simplistic language. General readers can also be interested in the conclusion make by the

ME Discussion 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ME Discussion 3 - Essay Example Due to increase in price of crude oil which is the key element for inks manufacturing and technological advancements, the revenue of organizations has been severely impacted (Jailing, 2011). Considering the developments taking place at an accelerating rate worldwide in ink industry, the prices of these products will increase which will affect the demand of this product. For the company being reviewed, firm’s elasticity of demand for this product is elastic as increase in price will affect the demand of ink in digital printing industry. There is high demand of inks that are suitable for high value digital industry along with energy cured inks. The market for this ink comprises of packaging and commercial printing and publishing companies. In future i.e. next five years, it is expected that demand of sleek magazines and catalog will increase which will mean that there will be increase demand of ink systems that are energy curable along with usage of equipments for printing presses that are fast and automated. Two types of inks are gaining popularity i.e. water-based inks and vegetable oil based inks to support production of environmental friendly products so that ecological pollution can be minimized. It is expected that demand of digital inks will increase by 3.7% in next five years i.e. 2017 (Electronics Industry, 2012). The increase in demand is expected because of increasing requirement of technology that has in screen-printing feature, establishment of departments responsible for internal graphics that facilitate professional level of quality, computer usage will get tripled in future and in-house printing needs are being required both small and large scale companies. The digital inks segment will see acceleratin g growth in future because of exponential expansion of inkjet printing (Electronics Industry, 2012). Electronics Industry (2012, January 10). Global

Are mobile phones fashionable Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Are mobile phones fashionable - Case Study Example A strategic plan entails all aspects of the business. Of paramount importance to any business is the market. This comes before the actual business is initiated. The plan will illustrate the kind of market to venture in. In the case of Nokia Telecommunication Company, the details of the market of target could include: office managers, the business world, students who really on research and could benefit from the internet. Nokia could also target the general public who needs very cheap and affordable phones due to their low economic status. Another market is the very rich citizens of the society. These are people who always go with class. A class in this respect is measured in terms of wealth. One is of a higher class if they have very expensive gargets. Nokia phone whose value range is 800 is the best for such a group (National statistics, 2007). The strategic plan should also give a summary of activities that take place in the market. This explicitly gives the account of the market size and scope. Nokia targets the global market as a whole. However the greatest of this is in the major markets like USA. The United Kingdom is one of the world's most globalised countries, ranking fourth in one recent survey. The capital, London is one of the three major financial centres of the world, along with New York City and Tokyo. Such a market is large and very dynamic. New inventions arrive and go at a very high frequency. Nokia is therefore put to task of introducing new inventions at the market rate. As the fashion industry expands in creativity, Nokia is also forced to maintain the pas of assimilation. This is so because the buyers taste is influenced greatly by what is current in the market. A strategic plan of a business also will contain information about the competitors that a company will meet in the market. It is a must to have competition in any sphere of life. The truth however is that no one gets pleased about this, especially when a rival has an advantage over them. A Strategic plan gives details on how to be on top of the other players. Normal competitive pressures are not able to drive down a firm's earnings to the point where they cover all costs and just provide minimum sufficient additional return to keep capital invested. Most forms of competitive advantage cannot be sustained for any length of time because the promise of economic rents drives competitors to duplicate the competitive advantage held by any one firm. Firms get to improve their products, and lower the cost of purchase of their products. Sustainable competitive advantage simply an advantage that one firm has relative to competing firms. The source of the advantage can be something the company does that is distinctive and difficult to replicate. This is known as core competency in business terms. Nokia has advanced in leading the market through Cost Leadership, Differentiation Focus and Cost Focus. A company must have the right resources like finance, assets, and technical competence to thrive well in the competitive environment (Scholes, 2008). The environment may also affect the competition levels in the industry. The ways in which the environment does this are obvious. These include the number of companies in the market, the prices used by the competitor and the strengths of the host company. Strategies exist widely at several levels in any organisation -

Professional Goal and Action Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Professional Goal and Action Plan - Essay Example For me, being successful in public relations will serve a lifelong purpose as it will help me create an environment that significantly values the importance of interpersonal relations. It is not only for me but for the society. I want to create a difference in the society, and this is the primary reason why I want to become successful in that field. I want to reiterate the value of interpersonal relations in the success of any person, business or culture. Since humans are natural social beings, the field of public relations is important as it helps in creating the environment, values and morals of the society (Reddi, 2009). It gives a hand in shaping people’s perspectives and reveal the truth and facts behind things in a manner that laymen can easily understand. The first thing that I need to do is specify my goals. In this section, I need to create a specific objective statement which corresponds to the smart action plan. The smart goal contains a statement which is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. Without these important aspects, I wouldn’t be able to create an action plan that is relevant to my goal. ... The primary function of a public relations practitioner is to advise the management of the impact of its policies to the public and to relay the impact of business moves and policies to the public (Johnston, et.al., 2009; Narula, 2006). Breaking this down, a public relations publicist are: â€Å"to advise management on policy and its effect on public relations, to channel and coordinate within an organization the activities that affect public relations, to provide the mechanics for explaining an organization and its policies to its various publics through communication media and to ascertain and explain to management what various publics think about the organization† (Johnston, et.al., 2009). In this regard, I believe that the role of a public relations practitioner is to guide not only the public of what is happening within the business by relating the policies to the masses’ experience but also to inform the business industry of the impact of their policies to the pub lic (Botha, et.al., 2007). This is an important ground in creating policies and defining changes and development within the business in order to be better and to be able to gain the trust and confidence of the public. The different areas of public relations are the following: communication, publicity, promotions, press agentry, integrated marketing, issues management, crisis management, press secretary or public information agent, public affairs or lobbyist, financial relations, communication relations, internal relations, industry relations, minority relations, media relations, public diplomacy, event management, sponsorship, cause relationship marketing and fundraising (Johnston,