Steve rubbell essays

Steve rubbell essays Somewhere in Brooklyn in 1943, on December 2nd an extravagant character was born. He would become known as Steve Rubell. Regardless that he was born to a lower-middle class family, Rubell had big dreams and a sense of determination and the ability to bounce back from failure that would help him achieve his goals. Even though, Steve Rubell was more concentrated on tennis during high school, he decided to continue his education at Syracuse University. He graduated with moderate grades. While studying for his masters degree in finance, Rubell met Ian Schrager. They complimented each other: where Steve was outrageous and wild, Ian was calm and shy. From that moment on, they would be best friends. Following his graduation, Rubell was hired at a brokerage firm on Wall Street. During this time, he decided to become an entrepreneur and would never again work for anyone but himself. Rubell began his entrepreneur career in the restaurant business, opening two restaurants in the New York area, and later a chain of Steak Lofts. For help with his chain, Steve hired Ian. They became inseparable business partners. The beginning of their success came from an idea Ian proposed: Why not switch from the restaurant business to the nightclub business? Steve agreed immediately, having realized that they could make more money if they focused on alcohol sales rather than food. The enthusiastic pair opened their first nightclub in Boston but, it was short lived because they preferred New Yorks nightlife atmosphere. Their second attempt was in Queens, with a club called The Enchanted Garden, which held theme parties and had some famous guests. Stubborn as they were, Rubell and Schrager were still unsatisfied with their address; they yearned for a reputable Manhattan location. A party planner named Carmen DAlessio, who agreed to advise the pair on their nightclub endeavo r, showed them an old, empty CBS television studio....

Amazing Strategies for Building Confidence in Teachers

Amazing Strategies for Building Confidence in Teachers Having confidence will only improve a teacher’s value as it naturally boosts their overall effectiveness. It is a key component of being successful. Students in particular quickly pick up on a lack of self-confidence and use that to tear a teacher down even further. Lacking self-confidence will eventually force a teacher to find another career. Confidence is something that cannot be faked, but it is something that can be built. Building confidence is another component of a principal’s duties. It can make all the difference in the world in how effective a teacher is. There is no perfect formula because every person has their own unique level of natural confidence. Some teachers do not require their confidence to be boosted at all while others require lots of extra attention in this area. A principal should develop and implement a strategic plan for building confidence in teachers.   The remainder of this article will highlight seven steps that can be included in such a plan. Each of these steps is simple and straightforward, but a principal must always be cognizant of implementing them on a regular basis. Express Gratitude Teachers often feel under appreciated, so showing them that you truly appreciate them can go a long ways in building confidence. Expressing gratitude is quick and easy. Make a habit of telling your teachers thank you, send a personal appreciation email, or give them something like a candy bar or other snack on occasion. These simple things will improve morale and confidence. Give them Leadership Opportunities Putting teachers who lack self-confidence in charge of something may sound disastrous, but when given the chance they will surprise you more times than they let you down. They shouldn’t be put in charge of large overwhelming tasks, but there are plenty of smaller type duties that anyone should be able to handle. These opportunities build confidence because it forces them to step outside their comfort zone and gives them a chance to be successful. Focus on the Strengths Every teacher has strengths, and every teacher has weaknesses. It is essential that you spend time praising their strengths. However, it is necessary to remember that strengths need honed and improved just as much as weaknesses. One way to build confidence is to allow them to share strategies that highlight their strengths with their colleagues in a faculty or team meeting. Another strategy is to allow them to mentor teachers who struggle in areas where they have strengths. Share Positive Parent/Student Feedback Principals should not be afraid to solicit student and parent feedback about a teacher. It will be beneficial regardless of the type of feedback you receive. Sharing the positive feedback with a teacher can truly be a confidence booster. Teachers who believe they are well respected by parents and students gain a lot of confidence. It naturally means a lot of those two groups to believe in a teacher’s abilities. Provide Suggestions for Improvement All teachers should be given a comprehensive Personal Development Plan that serves as a guide for improvement in areas of weaknesses. Most teachers want to be good at all facets of their job. Many of them are aware of their weaknesses but do not know how to fix them. This leads to a lack of self-confidence. An integral part of a principal’s job is to evaluate teachers. If there isn’t a growth and improvement component to your evaluation model, then it won’t be an effective evaluation system, and it certainly will not help build confidence. Provide Young Teachers a Mentor Everyone needs a mentor that they can model themselves after, seek advice or feedback from, and share best practices. This is especially true for young teachers. Veteran teachers make excellent mentors because they have been through the fire and seen it all. As a mentor, they can share both successes and failures. A mentor can build confidence through encouragement over a long period of time. The impact a mentor has on a teacher can span the length of several careers as the young teacher transitions into becoming a mentor themselves. Give Them Time Most teacher preparation programs do not prepare a teacher for life in a real classroom. This is where the lack of self-confidence often begins. Most teachers come in excited and fully confident only to realize that the real world is much tougher than the picture they had painted in their mind. This forces them to adjust on the fly, which can be overwhelming, and where confidence is often lost. Slowly over the course of time with assistance such as the suggestions above, most teachers will regain their confidence and begin to make the climb towards maximizing their overall effectiveness.

Faculty engagement, successful student learning and social integration Dissertation

Faculty engagement, successful student learning and social integration - Dissertation Example According to Umbach and Wawrzynski (n.d., p. 21), teachers play the single most important role in the tendency of students to learn. New materials of teaching and learning have emerged as a result of the revolution in communication technologies. Consequently, the teaching and learning environment has been altogether renewed in a way that was not possible to achieve in the past. The fundamental challenge for the contemporary schools and colleges is to modify its environment so that new technologies can be accommodated and promoted at their best. Faculty engagement is one of the most critical elements in the modern pedagogy and learning that is influenced by technology. Different teachers join this profession because of different motivational structures that vary according to the tasks they are assigned (Blackburn, 1995). â€Å"Few institutions other than colleges and universities permit their members the latitude so much a past of the professor’s life† (Cahn, 1986, p. 3) . This latitude has been accommodated by the tradition-bound academy nature while the gradual change that has occurred in nearly every aspect of the campus life makes this latitude a tolerable piece of the landscape of academia. In a global democracy, higher education must give serious thought to structuring student learning and development in such a way to promote cross-cultural understanding and civic-mindedness. In strong democracies, people have to be able to listen to each other, to understand the places and interests of others in the community, and to achieve compromises and solve problems when conflicts occur. (Hurd, 2006, p. 4). Problem statement: Institutions require an enabling environment in order to change for good. Enabling environments constitute several factors that include but are not limited to reliable networks, universal access for students, increased opportunities with respect to consulting and training as well as a faculty ethos that tolerates falters and values experimentation. Learning spaces can both constrain and encourage students’ attitudes. A whole range of learning attitudes is displayed by the teachers and students particularly when the learning environment is developed with a view to optimize the interaction between the two both outside and within the classroom or when the atmosphere presents education as a â€Å"serious work† to the students and teachers (Hunley and Schaller, 2009). Lack of such preconditions makes the entrepreneurial activity for the self-starters quite cumbersome. Even the existence of such preconditions does not do much to ease the process of transformation. The first-wave of entrepreneurs mark the initial phase of transformation. These adopters tend to find adequate expertise or resources in order to implement their personal strategies for the incorporation of technology as a means of learning. The second wave that indeed concerns us the most is the perception of faculty of the new environment of learning as an opportunity rather than a threat. These teachers are generally wary of the advanced technology but are strongly committed to a high quality of learning. This divides the faculty into two groups, each of which is highly committed to quality learning but differ in their tendency to embrace the new technologies as well as their technical capabilities. Administrators make a big mistake by basing their

The New Leadership Challenge , Creating The Future of Nursing Essay

The New Leadership Challenge , Creating The Future of Nursing - Essay Example The managerial leadership of the firm promotes flexible approach to the changing dynamics of the organizational management. The myriad aspects of leaders and leadership facilitate and influence human behavior for greater achievement of mutually negotiated targets with greater enthusiasm. Indeed, the many challenges of good leadership takes into account the changing environmental factors and translate them into opportunities of growth. The paper would be looking at the various facets of leadership and how it impacts the role of nurse managers. Nature of leadership Organizational leadership assumes special meaning because it motivates and encourages others to strive towards common goals with renewed enthusiasm. It tends to empower people with knowledge and influence their behaviour, attitude and feelings towards important issues so that they are better prepared for changes and become more accommodating in their approach. The traits and styles of leaders within organizations therefore b ecome hugely crucial elements that inherently help exploit new situations and inculcate a sense of stability amongst the followers or workforce especially in adverse situations. The various leadership theories support the varying perspectives of leaders and how they impact the behaviour and attitude of others. The leadership traits and styles become integral part of leaders within organizations. Leadership traits. The four most important traits of effective leaders are: honesty; forward looking; inspiring; and competency (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). These are critical paradigms of that help the leaders to gain the trust of the followers who willingly follow them. Honesty is one of the most desirable traits of leaders that inspires committed following. They set high standard of ethics and moral integrity which inculcates trust and gives them a distinct credibility in the eyes of their followers but also gives credence to their ideological perspectives of issues. Leaders are also forwar d looking because their vision ensures that followers are well equipped to handle changes. With strong communication skills, they are able to communicate with their followers and inspire them towards visionary goals. They have the ability to’ read emotions in one’s self and in others, and to be able to use this information to guide decision-making’ (Ashkanasy et al., 2002: 317). Indeed, their capacity to look forward to the future is highly pertinent issue as it is able to anticipate and exploit new avenues of opportunities. In the current environment of globalization and changing format of society, they help provide intangible stability among the diverse workforce through cross cultural understanding and facilitate their integration with the system. With strong ideals, indomitable will and highly creative disposition, leaders are hugely inspiring. They challenge the status quo and explore new dimensions to overcome tough situations. Hence, followers tend to imi tate and imbibe qualities to move forward. An effective leader therefore empowers followers and motivates them to make decisions based on informed choices. The leaders are very competent individuals which is reflected in ‘leader’s track record and ability to get things done’ (Kouzes and Posner; 35). The leadership competency relies on experience that provides the leaders with necessary knowledge to act aptly under different situations. They understand the hidden

Literacy rates project reference Essay Example for Free

Literacy rates project reference Essay The importance of reading is often taken for granted in today’s society. Many children who don’t get the opportunity to read due to low income face the challenges of keeping up with school work. The goal of this paper is to present a plan for a book drive for Lincoln Middle School, a low income middle school in Gainesville, Fl. A problem that many schools may have is trying to find the money to provide books that the kids will be excited about instead of boring textbooks or old books that are falling apart. This book drive will help to increase the literacy rates of children who are struggling in school. A book drive can help to motivate children to read more and introduce them to how fun reading can be. Our goal is to get children on the right track to help them succeed later in life. By introducing children to reading and its importance now, it reduces the risk of them dropping out of school and ending up unemployed and on the streets. According to the National Center for Family Literacy, Research Facts and Figures, â€Å"children who lack early exposure to reading struggle academically, tend to suffer from low self-esteem, and are at much higher risk of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and delinquency. † Having parents that can’t read increases the chances that their children will also struggle with reading, thus continuing the cycle of illiteracy (Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program). Not having the luxury of reading or being read to as a child can cause these problems. Our solution is to provide books to these students to stop these problems. According to the Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program website, â€Å"reading aloud to children is the single most effective parent practice for enhancing language and literacy development† (Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program). Simply reading to a child can have a big impact on their literacy development and later on their academic career. According to an Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 76% of children who were read to at least three times a week had mastered the letter-sound relationship compared to 64% of children who were read to less than three times (Denton, Flanagan, McPhee, 2009). By providing the opportunity for low-income children to have books it not only helps them academically, but also introduces them to new ways to spend their time and keep them out of trouble. Overall, our goal is to help as many children as we can, increase their literacy skills, and keep them in school to eventually graduate. KEEPRA Entities Kinship Kinship will be developed with the respective families of the students that attend Lincoln Middle School. The book drive will enhance the relationship between the families of the students of Lincoln Middle School by creating a bond between the child and parent. Making sure that there is participation from the parents will increase the bond between the families. The main goal for kinship is for the students and families to have access to books so that they can ultimately increase their literacy rates. The book drive will benefit the children and their families because it is an inexpensive and simple way to encourage them to read. The books that will be collected from the drive will be taken to Lincoln Middle School. The students will be able to choose books that they would be able to take home with them. Consequently they would be able to share with their families the different books that have chosen. Also, the families could use the books to enhance the literacy rates of the children by having a designated reading time with their children, where they could all take turns reading. When the parents read aloud with the children it will help improve the literacy of everyone involved. Also, the families will be able to go with their children to the pick up books so that it could be more participation of everyone in the family. Ideally, the families will enjoy the time that they spend together choosing the books and reading them together. This will encourage the children to want to read on their own and appreciate the books that they have received. The easy accessibility of the books will make the students and families continue to read to improve their literacy rates. Economic Youth’s ability to read and write is an important measure to enhance a community’s human capital. By aiding in adolescent literacy and education, youth will be more equipped to become economically successful citizens in the community. Targeting low income middle-school children would increase their literacy levels and decrease the amount of money later on to train them for future jobs and have a much better employment prospects. Through academic engagement, young children in the community will increase their chances of advancing their education and in turn fulfilling their eventual social and civic obligations (Venezky, Kaestle, Sum, 1987). Participation in this particular impact area of raising low-SES youth’s literacy rates will have a ripple effect within the direct community and economy by assisting parents, strengthening families, mentoring children, and providing education that allows for different avenues in later life. One core principle objective of economic development is to promote educational planning. By providing books and increasing literacy rates, the effect would be arming children with additional forms of communication. In this way, literacy would be contributing to economic development by raising productivity of the children themselves, the people working with the children, and intensifying the flow of general knowledge (of the environment, health, nutrition). This will then allow the children to grow and take better care of their selves and decrease the costs of health care within the community (Blaug, 1966). There are many businesses and individuals that would be willing to donate books and educational items that would fund this book drive. We would not limit donated items to just books, other items could include basic school supplies and art supplies to aid in the entire education process. Education The Lincoln Middle School book drive will be set up to raise awareness and improve literacy rates for students who do not have access to books outside of school. Being in an impoverished part of Gainesville, students that go to Lincoln Middle might not be able to afford books on their own or even lack the resources to go to a public library. The plan for the book drive is to make sure that students are able as possible to take home books because the main strategy to improve literacy is to actually read more and if students do not have any books than they cannot practice reading. Literacy is vital to how well students perform in school; if a student cannot read adequately or at all then they will be at risk of failing. Being able to read well is essential in standardized testing; students must past the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in order to move on to the next grade level. Students that cannot read well can be expected to fail the reading portion of the FCAT, resulting in them being held back from moving on to the next grade level. The Florida Department of Education released data exhibiting that in 2010 40% of Lincoln Middle School students received a failing grade in the reading section (FDOE 2010). This has a greater impact when students eventually reach high school. According to Roderick (1994) of the U. S. Department of Education, â€Å"If a child is held back for one year, his/her probability of graduating from high school decreases to 50%, and if retained a second year their graduation rate drops to about 1% (Roderick, 1994). Without a high school diploma or something equivalent to it, students will not be able to get into college or even get a quality job. If a student is incapable of reading they will be at a severe disadvantage of being considered for a job position since most employers want competent workers who are capable of holding their own and doing the job given to them and earn a profit; but if that person cannot read then they will most likely not be able to complete the task. Hopefully if the book drive is successful the students will have enough material to practice improving their reading skills and be able to graduate, then go onto college, and eventually find a good job. Political The U. S. Department of Education and congress passed the No Child Left behind Act to eliminate the gap between education quality among children with various SESs. The purpose of this act is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments (U. S. Department of Education, 2004). This purpose can be accomplished by ensuring that academic assessments teacher preparation, and instructional materials are aligned with academic standards so that students, teachers, and parents can measure progress against common expectations for student academic achievement; As well as, meeting the educational needs of low-achieving children in our Nations highest-poverty schools and holding schools, local educational agencies, and States accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students, and identifying and turning around low-performing schools that have failed to provide a high-quality education to their students (U.S. Department of Education, 2004) . The government believes that in order to do this distributing and targeting resources sufficiently will make a difference to local educational agencies and schools where needs are greatest. Lincoln Middle school falls into the statistics to be greatly assisted by this act, they have the lack of quality education given to students, they are located in and high-poverty stricken area, and have low-achieving students because the students are negatively affected from not having the resources necessary to improve their abilities. But we believe that the book drive will significantly help those students who are put at a disadvantage since they will now have the resources needed to succeed as mentioned above in the guidelines set for by the No Child Left Behind Act. Religion Churches and religious institutions can be the key to help promote improvement in any community or neighborhood. As Ruth-Heffelbower (1996) stated, â€Å"I believe the church has at least three roles to play in the society, the first is witness to God’s love and power. The second is to call society to peace, justice and compassion. The third role is to work toward the welfare of all members of the society† (Ruth-Heffelbower, 1996). With the third role the church has in a community is to work toward the welfare of all members of society, the book drive fulfills this. By participating in the book drive the church and its members are working toward the welfare of all members of society. They are giving back to the community and attempting to improve the quality of another child’s education. The church does have a role to play in society by working toward the welfare of all members of society. The importance of this role is that the church sees itself as called by God to demonstrate how things could be. It is one thing to tell people another way would be better, and quite another to demonstrate it. In order to have a book drive, we contacted local churches in Gainesville to speak to them about our idea. We quickly received positive feedback and most churches were open to our book drive. Grace United Methodist Church and United Trinity Methodist Church each are allowing us to set up a drop box for the Lincoln Middle School book drive. Any books in decent condition are appreciated and accepted. With our project, it allows the local families in the community to donate their used or old books to our book drive. We advertise for our book drive through announcements in the Sunday services and also we have asked to be placed in the Sunday bulletin. First Presbyterian Church in downtown Gainesville was pleased to hear about our idea especially because they have members of their church who attend Lincoln Middle School. They allowed us to run a note in the Sunday bulletin. Since everyone typically reads the bulletin that enables everyone to know the necessary details about the book drive. We also have worked closely with the Sunday school teachers to ask the parents to participate when the pick up or drop off their children at Sunday school. Having a book drive through our local churches not only enables the students of Lincoln Middle School to receive books that they can read, but it also allows them to learn about religion. Some of the books that have been donated are religious books, which could benefit the student and help them achieve a better understanding of religion. The success of this book drive depends on the support and help throughout the community. First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville Grace United Methodist Church Trinity United Methodist Church Association. For our project to be effective, the Lincoln Middle School book drive needs the aid of local organization to help with our donations. We are fortunate enough to have access to and make connections with many different associations in the area. Associations in particular that have helped greatly are the United Way and the University of Florida athletics program. The United Way has collected approximately 12,500 new and used books valuing over $60,000 over the past year to provide the tools necessary for literacy to children in North Central Florida (United Way of North Central Florida, 2010). Through the United Way we can link up with other groups seeking the same goal and who have done so recently. Of these groups, one that stands out for having a successful book drive campaign is the University of Florida Gators Gymnastic team. The Gators Gymnastics Book Drive received over 1,000 books in donations; 532 of these were sent to the United Way to be distributed to needy children (United Way of North Central Florida, 2010). Books were collected by allowing fans to gain free entrance into one of the gymnastic meets by donating at least two books upon arrival. Thanks to the United Way and athletics many children now have books of their own to read and provide us with a foundation for how we can set up our project and strive for our goal. So with the collective effort among us, the United Way, and other groups associated with the United Way we will be able to gather enough resource and make our book drive just as successful. Linkages Associations and Education There is a linkage between associations and education through the University of Florida gymnastics team and the United Way. By using the association and the help of these organizations we can help the children of Lincoln Middle School. We can also use the education of the University of Florida and its students to volunteer and help the students to pass the FCAT. Both the University of Florida gymnastics team and the United Way have collected books to help underprivileged children. Economics and Kinship One of the main support systems of our program is the community and the families of the children. With their help we are able to provide new books to children who aren’t able to have them or even the access of a library. With the encouragement of the parents and the surrounding community we can continue this program and maybe even expand to other low-income schools. Religion and Education The religious community is a very big part of Gainesville. With the help and support of the local churches we can talk to the children about the importance of reading. Reading is a big part of church services and different religious groups have offered to help the children by donating books and helping to read. The religious support of the churches can help give the students the faith and encourage them in their academic careers. Political and Economics When it comes to politics it’s a big influence on most of the things we do in this society. We can use the help of different political organizations to help with our program. By spreading the word about upcoming book drives and the importance of reading, we can better our children’s literacy skills and the expansion of our program. The financial support of the different political organizations will help keep these children in school and onto a successful future.

Geography :: Free Essay Writer

Geography Geography in History: a Necessary Connection in teaching Social Studies Geography and history are complementary subjects best taught together within the social studies curriculum. It is part of the collected wisdom of teachers that one cannot teach history without geography or geography without history. Both subjects have been emphasized in high-profile curriculum reform reports produced by various organizations, such as the Bradley Commission on History in Schools, the Education for Democracy Project of the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools. But most social studies teachers are primary teachers of history. They are ignoring an important part of history because they do not include geography as part of the teaching repertoire. The geographic perspective can enrich the study of history by helping students grasp the significance of location, the inevitability of change, and the importance of human perceptions at given times in the past. Helping students to become more informed geographically means teaching better history. Hypothesis How should classroom instructors proceed to connect geography with history in the curriculum. I believe that answering this question will involve three assumptions: It is impossible to understand the present without understanding geography. It is impossible to understand the present without understanding the past. It is impossible to understand the past without understanding geography. In other words, the rationale for history (studying the past to understand the present) requires knowing geography: today’s geography and the geography of different places at different times in the past. Synopsis of Research Bradley Commission-recognizes â€Å"the relationship between geography and history as a matrix of time and place, and as context for events†. Florida Commission on Social Studies Education published Connections, Challenges, Choices which presents the objectives, subjects, topics, and rationale for the state of Florida’s new social studies curriculum for grades K-12.Geography and history are hightlighted as core subjects of the school curriculum in Goal Three of a set of six National Education Goals proclaimed by the President and the state governors in February 1990. The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 years of American History stresses that â€Å"geography is not just a physical stage for the historical drama, not just a set of facts about areas of the earth. It is a special way of looking at the world. Geography, like history, is an age-old and essential strategy for thinking about large and complex matters†.

Research proposal for Risk Management Essay

Introduction: The increasing pace of change, customer demands and market globalization all put risk management high on the agenda for forward thinking companies. Risks cause cost overrun and schedule delay in many projects. The effectiveness of risk management becomes an important issue in project management. To make risk management more efficient and effective, all parties must understand risk responsibilities, risk event conditions, risk preference, and risk management capabilities (Wehrung et al. 1988; Al-Bahar and Crandall 1990) Different parties involved in a construction project face a variety of uncertain factors. These factors can be compiled under the category of risk. Making decisions on the basis of assumptions, expectations, estimates and forecasts of future events involves taking risks. Risk and uncertainty characterize situations where the actual outcome for a particular event or activity is likely to deviate from the estimate or forecast value (Raftery 1994). The definition of risk management varies; risk management is generally defined as, ‘A formal orderly process for systematically identifying, analysing, and responding to risk events throughout the life of a project to obtain the optimum or acceptable degree of risk elimination or control’ (Al-Bahar & Crandall 1990). The objective of my research is to present the perception of typical Chinese contractor towards construction risk. The result of surveys should further clarify the current perception of contractors regarding current construction circumstance in the industry. The data and information will be collected from published statistics, individual interviews and questionnaires, and the data will be used to compare with previous published surveys. The purpose of this comparison is  to identify perception and trends in construction risk management. A basic understanding of current attitudes and trends therefore will be indicated. Then I will adopt some appropriate case to enhance my understanding of my view point. The following proposal presents the ‘What’ and ‘How’ of my study, using an integrated approach to study risk and its management in Chinese construction industry. Brief introduction of Chinese construction industry China’s economy has shown remarkable growth over the past several years and many foreign economists predict a healthy growth in the near future. According to the Chinese Statistical Yearbook 2002, China’s construction industry achieved 646.2 billion yuan in total output value in 2001, accounting for 6.7 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). China’s construction industry realized 704.7 billion yuan in total output value in 2002 — an increase of 10.54 percent from the previous year’s 637.5 billion yuan — accounting for 6.9 percent of the national GDP. Construction enterprises reached 45,893 by the end of 2001, employing 21,106,600 people and generating 1,536.156 billion yuan in output value and 402.357 billion yuan in added value. Areas under construction totaled 1,883,286,800 square meters; completed areas covered 976.99 million square meters. Profits totaled 29.439 billion yuan in the year, with taxes at 49.903 billion yuan. Of the enterprises, 44,997 were Chinese with 20,986,800 staff members. The companies reaped 1,518.595 billion yuan in output value in 2001 and 398.022 billion yuan in added value. Areas under construction numbered 1,874,480,800 square meters and completed areas completed covered 972.532,300 square meters. Profits reached 28.83 billion yuan, with taxes at 49.392 billion yuan. (China Statistical Yearbook, 2002) Recent trends of risk management in Chinese construction industry For years, the Chinese construction industry has had a very poor reputation for coping with risk, with many projects failing to meet deadlines and cost targets. This can be traced to many causes as Lu mentioned, including: Technical, quality or performance reasons, such as employment of inexperienced designers, changes to the technology used or to industry standards during the project. Organizational problems, such as cost, time and scope objectives that are internally inconsistent, lack of prioritization of projects, inadequacy or interruption of funding, and resource conflicts with other projects in the organization. External problems, such as shifting legal or regulatory environment, poor geological conditions and weather, force majeure. Project management, such as poor allocation of time and resources, inadequate quality of project plan, and poor use of project management disciplines. (Lu 2003) Risk management is still new to China; it was introduced and applied in construction industry for a relative short period. Survey showed that Chinese contractors are often responsible for most risk factors, meanwhile, the use of risk analysis techniques for managing and controlling risk are generally low among the Chinese construction industry. Basically, most contractors still resort to the subjective judgment and practice experience for perceiving and managing risks. However, according to Chinese Statistical Yearbook 2004, situation was improving. During the Tenth Five-Year Plan, China’s construction industry has so far enjoyed a good opportunity for development, more and more parties involved in the construction projects raised their perception of risk and the attitude towards risk management improved. (China Statistical Yearbook, 2004) Literature Review The literature review in this part is mainly about the identification of risk resources, classification of risk, perception of risk and basic theory of risk management as well. Sources of risk There are many resources of risk that an organization must take into account before a decision is made. It is therefore important that these sources of risk are identified allowing the necessary analysis and response to take place. According to Merna and Smith, sources of risk to business from projects including as follows: political, environmental, planning, market, economic, financial, natural, project, technical, regulatory, human, criminal, safety, legal. (Merna and Smith 1996). A source of risk is any factor that can affect project or business performance, and risk arises when this is both uncertain and significance in its impact on project or business performance. Classification of risk It is helpful to try to categorize risk associated with projects both as a guide to identification and to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate risk management strategy. Merna and smith proposed one method to separate the more general risks which might influence a project but may be outside the control of elements; these are referred to as global and elemental risks. Global risks originate from sources external to the project environment. They are often predictable but not always controllable. Global risks can be subdivided into four sections: political, legal, commercial and environmental risk. Elemental risks are those risks associated with elements of the project, namely implementation risks and operation risks, and for some projects there will be financial risks and revenue risks. These risks are more likely to be controllable or manageable by project parties. (Smith 2003) Perceptions of risk Different people will respond to seemingly similar risky situation in very different ways. Risk perception has a crucial influence on risk taking behavior. The perceived importance attached to decisions influences team  behavior and the consequent implementation methods. Subjectivity, according to Merna, is a key factor in assessing risk. Whether a problem is perceived in terms of potential gains or losses will not be assessed as a simple mathematical calculation of the problem, but as a subjective fear, often linked to consequences of outcomes. Furthermore, he stated that risks are perceived by different stakeholders at different business level. Risk management process In construction projects each of the three primary targets of cost, time and quality is likely to be subject to risks. In terms of project implementation, managers need to be able to undertake or propose action which reduce or eliminate the effects of risks. To achieve this aim, a suggested systematic approach to the management of risk is followed: *Risk Identification: To identify the risk resource; *Risk Analysis: To quantify the effects; *Risk Response: To develop management response to risk Methodology In order to collect data and information for the research and examine the main questions raised, the following methodology will be possibly employed: Secondary Analysis Since direct observation is not very accessible in construction industry in China, secondary analysis is more preferable. Secondary analysis is the reanalysis of data that was originally compiled by another researcher for other purposes than the one the present researcher intends to use it for. The sources that I would use include archives, newspaper, and magazine articles. I will try to choose the sources which are more objective. I will adopt appropriate methods to find the useful data and information for my  research on risk management. Questionnaire Questionnaires are an inexpensive way to gather data from a potentially large number of respondents. Often they are the only feasible way to reach a number of reviewers large enough to allow statistically analysis of the results. For my study, the questionnaire is designed to collect data. The data will be compared with data collected from a similar survey conducted in 1979 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The purpose of this comparison is to identify ant trends in construction risk that will facilitate risk management. The reasons for me to choose questionnaire as research method as follows: Firstly, a Questionnaire can save resources and money. Although preparation may be costly, any data collection scheme will have similar preparation expenses. The administration cost per person of a questionnaire can be as low as postage and a few photocopies. Time is also an important resource that questionnaires can maximize. Secondly, Questionnaires are easy to administer confidentially. Thirdly, in studies that have resources to pursue other data collection strategies, questionnaires can be a useful confirmation tools. Thus, questionnaires are versatile, allowing the collection of both subjective and objective data through the use of open or closed format questions. Modern computers have only made the task of collecting and extracting valuable material more efficient. Individual Interviews Interviews will enable me to do most of the qualitative part of my research, and the information gained here is usually more realistic. I plan to interview some engineers, some project management team and some experienced project managers as well. In addition, Individual interviews by a way of structured questionnaire will also be used to collect information about the risk management perception. The interview is especially important for some proposed examining questions. I will also attempt to interview some  professional journal editors relating to construction industry. Case Study Case study research is the most common qualitative method used in risk management. As Yin (2002) defined, the scope of a case study as follows: A case study is an empirical inquiry that: *investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, *especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. For my research on risk management, I will choose some recent cases which relating to risk management as a way of identifying the perception and trends of risk management in construction industry in China. I will select both success and failing cases in Chinese construction industry. Proposed research Timetable I will spend about 4 months for my studies. I plan to spend the first month developing my proposal and methodology and completing the literature review. During this time, I will also try to obtain relevant published data and information. Then I plan to spend about one month in China obtaining statistics, doing questionnaires and interviews. I will spend the next two months in China so as to do some intensive fieldwork, and some follow-up jobs as well. May 2005 – June 2005 *Develop proposal and methodology and complete the literature review *Obtain relevant published statistics June 2005 – July 2005 *Intensive fieldwork in China *Analysis the statistics and data obtained July 2005 – August 2005 *Follow-up questionnaires and interviews and fieldwork in China August 2005 – September 2005 *Mainly work on the thesis (Details see attached Gantt chart) References: Al-Bahar, J. F., and Crandall, K. C. (1990) Systematic risk management approach for construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering Management, 116~3, 533-546. China Statistical Yearbook, 2002, China Statistics Press. China Statistical Yearbook 2004, China Statistics Press. Lu, Y. J. (2003) Risk Management for Large-scale Infrastructure Projects in China, 11 Merna, A. and Smith, N. J. (1996) Projects procured by privately financial concession contracts, vol.1. Asia Law and Practice, Hong Kong. Raftery, J. (1994) Risk Analysis in Project Management. E & FN Spon, London. Smith, N. J. (2003) Appraisal, Risk and Uncertainty. 6, 42-43 Wehrung, D. A., Lee, K., Tse, D. K., and Vertinsky, I. B. (1988). Adjusting risky situations: A theoretical framework and empirical test. Journal of Risk Uncertainty, 2, 189-212. Yin, R. K. (2002) Case Study Research, Design and Methods, 3rd ed. Newbury Park, Sage Publications.

Filipino People and Beauty Salon

Mario Bellatin’s Beauty Salon, translated elegantly from the Spanish by Kurt Hollander, is a strange and beautiful parable about human bodies living and dying on the fringes of society. The brevity of Bellatin’s novella is deceptive—in just sixty-three pages, the story of this unnamed narrator, a cross-dressing, homosexual hair stylist who turns his beloved beauty salon into a hospice for victims dying of a mysterious plague, prompts us to consider our collective attitudes toward, and treatment of, the human body—in illness, in death, in poverty, and in opposition to dominant conceptions of sexual behavior.Bellatin’s narrator has become the lone caretaker for men (only men are welcome here) dying of a plague that has stricken his unnamed city. â€Å"The Terminal,† as his beloved former beauty salon for local women is now known, has become the last stop for those affected by the plague. As the disease ravages the city, leaving its victims to d ie alone in a society than shuns them, at risk of attack from the predatory Goat Killer Gang, the Terminal offers precious refuge.Curiously—and this is what makes the novella so compelling—the narrator is more concerned with describing the tropical fish he houses in the elaborate aquariums of the hospice-turned-salon than he is with the hospice itself or those he cares for within it. This obsession is a significant part of the structure of the novel: the narrator reluctantly provides information about the daily events of the Terminal in asides that distract him, to his annoyance, from the aquarium, but which he still feels compelled to offer.The narrator’s hesitance, and his unusual priorities, make reading Beauty Salon a particularly enigmatic experience. Bellatin subverts attempts to understand his character’s motivations and psychology by making this psychology opaque to readers. This deliberate opacity prevents the kind of understanding many readersâ €”particularly many American readers, I’ll contend—may be accustomed to.Contemporary mainstream American literature is dominated by a particular brand of psychological realism that rewards readers in a way that Bellatin has no apparent interest in—these novels  carefully track a character’s innermost thoughts, and the smallest of actions is revelatory of character in a strict one-to-one ratio. Bellatin, however, gives us none of this—what we are given is narrative, the narrator’s story, and there is no interceding narratorial presence to account for the protagonist’s actions, or paternally guide our interpretation. According to him Beauty Salon is a parable, but one grounded by its specific social critique.The ill are refugees from the social institutions that purport to care for them, but with a very narrow vision of what â€Å"care† actually entails—hospitals will not allow them to die there, not with any degree of respect or dignity, at least. The narrator’s distrust of religion reflects his belief that religious institutions, too, impose upon the ill, falsely leading them to believe in a fate for the body that is mystical and untrue. It is notable that the owner of the beauty salon is a homosexual man prone to cross-dressing, who occasionally engages (happily) in prostitution—his is a body that acts in discord with socio-sexual norms.Like his patients, who have been shunned and cast aside, he too is an outsider. The confluence of these factors, as well, suggests an allegorical commentary on the HIV virus and AIDS and the history of the treatment of infected individuals in our society. http://wordswithoutborders. org/book-review/mario-bellatins-beauty-salon 2. -According to the U. S. Small Business Administration, â€Å"Inventory refers to stocks of anything necessary to do business† (U. S. Small Business Administration, 2010, pp 1-2). The U. S.Small Business Administr ation publication describes what constitutes successful inventory management (balancing cost versus benefits of inventory), including 1) Maintaining a wide assortment without spreading the rapidly moving items too thin, 2) Increasing inventory turnover without sacrificing service, 3) Keeping stock low without sacrificing performance , 4) Obtaining lower prices by making volume purchases, 5) Maintaining an adequate inventory without an excess of obsolete items. Anyone in business must understand the business of inventory.Below is a look at six different inventory systems as well as a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages. Wal-Mart Inventory System Wal-Mart runs its stores on a perpetual inventory system. This system records the quantity of items sold as items are purchased. The computer system at Wal-Mart constantly keeps up with additions or deductions from inventory and tells management what items are on hand. The organization also conducts counts of employee manual counts of inventory periodically.When an item arrives at the Wal-Mart distribution center it is scanned into the inventory system. When the items are purchased by the consumer, the point-of-sale system reduces the inventory from that purchase. According to Wal-Mart’s Gail Lavielle, a leaner inventory will help clear out store clutter and help Wal-Mart focus on specific brands and products that consumers want (The Associated Press, 2006). http://www. studymode. com/essays/Related-Literature-Of-Sales-And-Inventory-613069. html 3.Janes (2011) stated that computers are extremely reliable device and very powerful calculators with some great accessories applications like word processing problem for all of business activities, regardless of size, computers have three advantages over other type of office equipment that process information because computer are faster, more accurate more economical. 4 -According to Shanker (2013), the main difference between manual and computerized systems i s speed. The processed data through accounting software can create reports much faster than manual systems. A calculation through automation minimizes errors and increases efficiency.The inputted data can easily be summarized in just a few clicks. While the manual computing with paper and pencil is much cheaper than a computerized system, which requires a machine and software. Other expenses associated with computerization include training and program maintenance. http://www. studymode. com/essays/Related-Literature-And-Studies-Inventory-System-1875708. html Foreign study 1 -according to Parisa Islam Khan from Eastern University Ayesha Tabassum, Eastern University The beauty-care service industry is one of the flourishing industries in Dhaka, the capital and largest city, in terms of population density, in Bangladesh.The growing number of beauty-conscious women and their demand for variety of services cater to the growth and importance of this industry. This study aims at measuring the service quality and customer satisfaction level of high-end women’s parlors in Dhaka. Other purposes of this study are to assess the importance of different attributes of customer’s preference, evaluate the service quality level and the extent of customer satisfaction and reveal the final factors that create customer satisfaction.This study includes in-depth interviews of beauticians and executives and questionnaire survey of 260 customers of high-end beauty parlors of Dhaka city. The findings show that customers put utmost importance in issues such as the service provider’s behavior, knowledge, environment, counseling system and affordability of the parlors. The customers of the high-end parlors are highly satisfied with the environment, executive’s politeness, complaint handling system, trustworthiness and materials.The politeness of the service providers, knowledge level of the executives and safety and hygiene issues are also satisfactory. Factor analysis (Principal Component Analysis) has been carried out by taking sixteen variables and the result indicates that four service quality factors are creating customer satisfaction. These factors are Support & Facility Factor and Employee. http://www. studymode. com/essays/Beauty-Salon-1108126. html Local Literature 1. -According to Dean Francis Alfair, Filipino men are spending millions to look — and feel — good.As was stated in his article, â€Å"Machos in the Mirror†, a metrosexual like himself doesn’t generally think of himself as vain, but then there’s this incident where Mr. Alfair remember from high school: some of his friends were assembled at his house so that they could all ride together to a party. As they were getting dressed in their Spandau Ballet-inspired finery (then the height of fashion), one of the barkada produced, from out of the depths of his bag, a can of mousse, which none of them hapless males had ever seen or even heard of before. Naturally, they all had to squirt some into their hands and smear it on their hair.Not knowing that they were then supposed to blow-dry or otherwise style it, they left the house feeling snazzy, while looking pretty much the same as they had prior to applying the mousse — at most, their hair was a little damper, vaguely crispy in texture, and certainly stickier than before. But they felt utterly transformed. They felt really good looking. Mr. Alfair stated â€Å"These days (long past high school, thanks), I don’t exactly wander around feeling guapo, but according to a survey by global research firm Synovate last year, a good many Filipino males do — 48 percent of us, in fact.This is just a slightly lower percentage than males in the United States at 53 percent, and considerably higher than our Asian neighbors: 25 percent of Singaporean men think they’re sexy, and only 12 percent of guys from Hong Kong. Moreover, while less than half of us (whi ch is already a significant figure) think that we’re God’s gift to Pinays, a whopping 84 percent of Filipinos rate their looks as â€Å"quite† or â€Å"very† important to them.Assuming that the survey is accurate, this means, statistically speaking, that there is no male racial group on earth vainer than Filipino men. And, to my shock, I am one of them. † If you think about it, , the evidence is all around us, and has been for decades. Way before the term â€Å"metrosexual† was ever coined (in 1994, by British journalist Mark Simpson, in case you’re interested), Filipino businessmen were going around toting clutch, but which also frequently contain combs and the occasional small mirror.Your average Pinoy traffic cop, while likely to sport an enormous gut that completely engulfs his regulation belt, is just as likely to brandish gleaming, rosy-hued, meticulously manicured fingernails. And practically everyone has at least one uncle or o ther older male relative who keeps his hair so slickly brilliantined that everyone else can conveniently fix his or her own hair by merely glancing at its mirror-like surface. Those are just what we’ll call the â€Å"traditional† examples.Among the younger set, the author recall a time when you couldn’t walk into a classroom of boys without nearly asphyxiating on the overwhelming communal scent of Drakkar cologne. Nowadays the choice of fragrance is more varied, but the rabidly enthusiastic application of cologne, aftershave, or that hybrid substance strangely labeled as â€Å"deo-cologne† remains constant. The Synovate survey tells us that Filipino men bathe an average of 1. 5 times a day.(I’m not really sure how one takes half a bath, but I’m told by informed sources that such regular male hygiene is a source of relief and delight for Filipino women. ) Since the 1970s, the majority of Philippine beauty salons have become â€Å"unisex,â₠¬  resulting in a large and growing number of young men who have never even set foot in a barber shop, which means that most of us go to salons — every three weeks or so, according to salon magnate Ricky Reyes, â€Å"for pampering. † Not that barbershops themselves are exactly bastions of simplicity and pure functionality anymore.High-end ones offer â€Å"personal care† services ranging from facials to foot scrubs to ear cleaning. (Does ear cleaning count as vanity? ) Men also go to massage parlors — real ones, not quote-unquote massage parlors — not just to soothe their tired muscles, but often for skin-improving treatments like mud baths and herbal wraps. And speaking of skin treatments, more and more cosmetics companies are coming out with â€Å"just for men† lines of grooming products, including face scrubs, lotions, and astringents.What’s significant is that more and more Pinoy men are actually buying them: just 10 years ago, me n accounted for only 10 percent of the total Philippine beauty care buying public. That figure has now mushroomed to 40 percent, meaning that there are nearly equal numbers of Pinoys and Pinays out there, snapping up creams and cleansers. Even cosmetic surgery has become not just acceptable, but desirable for many Filipino men — from standard dermatology for simple problems like acne, to unapologetic vanity procedures such as liposuction and â€Å"age-defying† Botox injections.Dr. Vicky Belo of the popular Belo Medical Clinic confirms, â€Å"Before, (men) only accounted for one-fourth of my total clientele. Now they are about one-third. † It’s gotten to the point where â€Å"Who’s your derma? † is a topic that can actually enjoy lengthy discussion time in a man-to-man conversation, and surgical treatment has become something of a mark of status in Philippine showbiz.Actors Albert Martinez and John Lloyd Cruz, as well as singer Janno Gibbs, a mong others, readily (and proudly!) admit to being regular clients at the Belo Medical Clinic. Can all this male vanity be laid at the door of celebrities like these and metrosexual poster boy David Beckham? Apparently not. For one thing, as Mr. Alfair mentioned earlier, the Filipino trait of being vanidoso well predates Becks and his ilk. Besides, a metrosexual, by definition, is â€Å"a male who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance.†While it seems that Pinoys certainly do make the time and shell out the cash for our looks, we don’t always have enough of an aesthetic sense to know what we’re doing†¦ unless there actually is a segment of the female populace I don’t know about that really does swoon over pink, manicured fingernails on a man. I can’t be sure there isn’t, having never tried the look myself. As for why metrosexuals willing to spend so much time and money, it may, surprisin gly, be a product of social and economic factors. During the U. S. recession, it was observed that lipstick sales shot up, only to taper down again once the recession was over.Consistent repetition of this phenomenon led economists to conclude that, when consumers feel less than confident about the future, they tend to purchase small, comforting indulgences such as lipstick rather than splurging on larger items like appliances and electronic gadgets. Correspondingly, Ricky Reyes has noted that more customers flocked to salons during the 1997 economic crisis in the Philippines, turning to relatively low-priced services like haircuts in order to make themselves feel better in an unstable living environment.While the purchase of lipstick per se may not exactly be applicable to the Filipino male, we can obviously draw a corollary with your average Pinoy, who might be understandably reluctant to buy, say, a flat-screen TV in a country where coup d’etat rumors circulate at least tw ice a year. Instead, he might choose to spend his money on his appearance, perhaps subconsciously http://chrisonis. wordpress. com/2012/07/08/chapter-2-local-literature/

Kenisha Berry Killed One Infant and Attempted to Kill Another

Kenisha Berry Killed One Infant and Attempted to Kill Another On November 29, 1998, in Jefferson County, Texas, 20-year-old Kenisha Berry placed duct tape across the body and mouth of her 4-day-old son, placed him in a black plastic trash bag and left his body in a trash dumpster, resulting in his death. She was convicted of murder in February 2004 and sentenced to death, but her sentence was later  changed to  life  in prison. The 4-day-old dead child was found by a Beaumont, Texas couple looking for aluminum cans in the dumpster near their apartment. Named by concerned neighbors as Baby Hope, the police were contacted and the investigators were able to get a palm print off the trash bag and a fingerprint off of the duct tape, but the case remained unsolved until five years later. During the hot month of June 2003,  another newborn child named  Paris, was found abandoned in a ditch and covered in hundreds of fire-ant bites. The infant was hospitalized for almost a month due to seizures brought on by the bites. DNA and Print EvidenceA tipster told investigators that Berry was Paris mother and she eventually turned herself into the police. Past employment records show that Berry worked for four months as a prison guard at Dayton prison and as a day care worker at in Beaumont around the time of her arrest. A DNA test proved that Berry was also the mother of Baby Hope. Also, her palm and fingerprint matched the palm and fingerprint that had been found on the bag and duct tape. Berry also took the investigator in the Paris case to a dumpster where she  had thrown a pillowcase that she said had wrapped around the child. It was in the same trash can where Baby Hope was discovered. She was arrested and charged with the capital murder of her son  Malachi Berry (Baby Hope). The Trial According to the court records, Berry gave birth to the two children at home and kept their births a secret. She admitted to this to an agent with the Child Protective Services. According to the same agent, Berry had three other children, all fathered by the same man, and that they appeared to be unharmed. Berry told her that Malachi and Paris were fathered by different men and that none of her family knew about the pregnancies or the births of the two children. Berry also told her that on the day that Malachi was born, she had arranged for the children to stay with relatives. When they returned the following day, she told them that she was taking care of a baby for a friend. Berry testified in court that she did not kill  Malachi and that he appeared fine after she gave birth to him at her home. She explained that she left the infant asleep on the bed in her bedroom and went to the store to get milk. When she returned, she checked on Malachi who was still asleep. She then fell asleep on the couch and when she awoke she again checked on the infant, but that he was limp and not breathing. Realizing that he was dead, she said she was too scared to call for help because she did not know if it was legal to have a baby at home. Berry testified that she then duct taped his arms so that they would be in front of him and across his mouth because it bothered her that his mouth was opened. She then put him in a trash bag, borrowed her grandmothers car and placed the infant in the dumpster where his body was later discovered. The forensic pathologist that had performed the autopsy on  Malachi  testified that based on his finding, the cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering and ruled the death a homicide. The prosecutors believed that Berrys motive for murdering Malachi and later abandoning Paris in a ditch on the side of the road shortly after being born,  was an attempt to hide the fact that she had been pregnant, noting that she kept the children that shared the same father and discarded the children fathered by different fathers. Verdict and Sentencing Berry was found guilty in the first degree in the murder of  Malachi. She was sentenced to death  on Feb. 19, 2004. She was then resentenced to life in prison on May 23, 2007 ,  because the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that prosecutors failed to show that she would be a  danger to society in the future. For the death of Baby Hope, she is to serve a prison sentence of at least 40 years before being eligible for parole. For throwing Paris in a ditch of fire ants, Berry received an additional 20-year sentence.

Maam and Regional Colonialism

Maam and Regional Colonialism Maam and Regional Colonialism Maam and Regional Colonialism By Maeve Maddox Where I come from, children are taught that responding to grownups with a mere yes or no is impolite. Yeah is unforgivably rude. As a child I was taught to say yes, sir, no, maam and when I grew up, I continued to say it. When I lived in England, women whom Id addressed as maam would sometimes smile and tell me that over there maam was reserved for the queen. A recent segment on National Public Radio (Sept. 8, 2010) has alerted me to the fact that in some regions of the U.S., women perceive maamas a put-down. NY Times reporter Natalie Angier apparently wants the honorific wiped out of American speech altogether. This attack on the use of maam is an example of what I call regional colonialism. In every country, the people who live in the major population centers ridicule the speech and manners of those who live in other parts of the same country. Parisians laugh at French southern accents just as much as New Yorkers make fun of southern American speakers. Now that everyone in the country consumes the same news and entertainment media, the continued existence of regional vocabulary and pronunciation is at the mercy of the speakers and writers who control the media. An example of the media driving out previous southern terminology is that of the word soda to meansoft drink. When I was young, a soda was an ice cream treat. The first time I heard the word soda used to mean cold drink from the vending machine was in the mouth of a character on Law Order. Now all grocery stores, North and South, have soda aisles where one finds Coke, Dr. Pepper, RC, and other carbonated beverages. (I did notice a fairly recent sign in a local supermarket that listed soft drinks on the same sign as sodas.) Angier wrote an article, The Politics of Polite, in which she lambastes the use of maam. She acknowledges that maam usage varies by region. She even quotes a Georgetown professor: Southerners and Midwesterners will maam with greater frequency than do the residents on the East and West Coasts but having made this obligatory nod to regional usage, she goes full steam ahead to argue that nobody should maam anybody. In theory, ma’am is a courtesy term, meant to convey respect and graciousness lightly salted with deference. Yet much evidence suggests that when it comes to fomenting a sense of good will ma’am fails even more spectacularly than â€Å"Have a nice day.† The evidence Angier presents consists of the results of a completely unscientific poll of her own, and the following examples from the media: Barbara Boxer to Brigadier General Michael Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who addressed her as maam. She told the general that she preferred to be called senator: â€Å"I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it, Helen Mirren, playing Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison on the crime series Prime Suspect: â€Å"Listen, I like to be called governor or the boss. I don’t like ma’am. I’m not the bloody queen, so take your pick.† Kate Mulgrew as Capt. Kathryn Janeway to a young male ensign: â€Å"ma’am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer captain.† In each of these examples, the context is a that of a woman asserting her right to a title previously reserved for men. If I were in a gathering in which all the male academics were being called Dr. and someone addressed me as Ms., Id be annoyed too. Angiers fourth example from the media of a character who rejects the use of maam is from a television series called Nurse Jackie: when a policeman struggling to help subdue a disturbed patient [makes] the mistake of referring to Edie Falco’s eponymous character as â€Å"ma’am,† Nurse Jackie [shoots] back, â€Å"So help me God, do not call me ma’am - uncuff him!† According to reviews, Nurse Jackie is an irascible drug-addicted curmudgeon who uses language as a cudgel. I wouldnt read too much into her objection to maam. I have no illusions as to what the outcome of the assault on maam will be if the East Coast and West Coast media take it up as a cause. A pleasant and civilized idiom native to my region will give way to a more abrupt manner of address that is preferred by those who control the national media. Meanwhile, Ill just continue to say Yes maam to my four-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter so that shell acquire the habit. She can deal with regional colonialism when the time comes. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating Conjunctions50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

New Market Opportunities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

New Market Opportunities - Essay Example The revenue of the Kellogg was 12,397 million Dollars during the year 2010. The revenue figures depicted a compound annual growth rate of 4% during the past five years ending at 2010. The figure below depicts the movement of revenue throughout the period from the year 2005 to 2010: Source: (Kellogg Company, 2011). Leadership Team The leadership team of Kellogg is headed by Chairman of the Board, James M. Jennes. John A. Bryant is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Various Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents operate under the Chairman and the President of the company. The various departments of the company are headed by the respective Senior Vice Presidents. Margaret Bath is the Senior Vice President of the Research, Quality and Technology Department. Mark R. Baynes is the Global Chief Marketing Officer and Kris Charles is the Vice President of the Global Communications and Philanthropy Department. An important department dealing with the sustainability i ssues of the company is headed by Dr. Celeste A. Clark. The Chief Financial Officer of Kellogg Company is Ronald L. Dissinger and the department of global human resource is overseen by Dennis Shuler (Kellogg Company, 2009). ... The pyramid below depicts the objectives of Kellogg: Source: (Kellogg Company, 2011). Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Kellogg aspires to develop a strong prospect for business and grow on a continuous basis with proper sustenance of business ethics towards the company’s stakeholders and primarily the environment. The company undertakes a number of projects aimed at the betterment of the society every year. For instance, during the year 2010, the company concentrated upon investments on charities in order to depict their objectives as a company dealing with processed food on a global basis (Kellogg Company, 2011). Product Mix The product mix of Kellogg is consisted of a number of varieties of products. By category, the products of the company are consisted of baking products, beverages, cereal, cones, cookies, crackers, fruit flavored snacks, snack bars, snacks, chips and party mixes, toaster pastries, vegetarian and waffles, pancakes and syrup (Kellogg NA Company, 20 11). The various products under each of the categories are available in innumerable number of brands offered by the company. Current Financial State The financial health of the company can be considered to be stable as the company has sustained its operating profit, sales and earnings per share throughout the last five years, while investing in various profitable business opportunities. Although the operating profit of the company declined during the year 2010 from that in the year 2009 (from $2001 million to $1990 million), the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) during the past five years was 3%. Similarly, the earnings per share of the company also depicted a CAGR of 7 % (Kellogg Company, 2011). Part II: Technological Opportunities